Gaga ohh-la-la! Check out the December issue of GQ Magazine, on sale later this month, for a one-page Lady Gaga comic I illustrated. Hot like Mexico, rejoice! To get myself in the mood, I immersed myself in all things Gaga (awesome), and drawing the piece turned out to be a really fun experience.  The only p-p-p-problem is I can’t get these damn songs out of my head after pulling that all-nighter.

Special thanks to Jared Fletcher for the hot lettering!

JUSTICE LEAGUE:GENERATION LOST #13 goes on sale this week, both in stores and digitally from Comixology. Here’s the last cover I did for Gen Lost. It was kinda tricky, since it features Magog, a character that was intentionally designed to be ugly and ridiculous as a critique of “kewl” comics, so I had to work around it a bit. The original sketch was not quite focused enough, so a few days before it was due I sent in a revised version. The new sketch was much more direct and powerful, so I’m glad I second guessed myself there. Click on the image for the sketches and final.

JUSTICE LEAGUE:GENERATION LOST #12 goes on sale this week, both in stores and digitally from Comixology. Catfight! Rowr! Brrr! Click on the image for the original sketches and stuff.

Man, what a weekend! The Javits Center was completely filled all weekend, with attendance reportedly near 96,000. NYCC is now truly one of the biggest shows of the year, and I’m surprised I survived. I had a great time talking with everyone at the show and I’m looking forward to next year. But first, some sleep!

JUSTICE LEAGUE:GENERATION LOST #11 goes on sale this week, both in stores and digitally from Comixology. This issue features the Metal Men, and I was asked for a sketch before they’d written the issue. The Metal Men are a pretty lively bunch, so I wanted to do an iconic team shot that showed their personalities and I worked in the periodic table as a design element. I thought it’d be a nice piece, but it turns out they wanted something else entirely. I held off on another sketch until I got the script, which has the Metal Men combined in their “Alloy” gestalt incarnation (ha! nerd term!) from Kingdom Come. You might not be able to see it here since it’s so small, but I’m starting to use a bolder, rougher ink line, and it really helped pull this piece together. It matches the color and texture work I’ve been doing, so look for more of it. Click on the image for both sketches and the final.

The NYCC is just days away! I’ll be in Artists Alley, table A-12. I’ll be selling the last 100 copies of my 2010 sketchbook with a brand spanking new cover exclusive to the NYCC show. Along with the usual array of prints and cards, I also some copies of Greendale for sale, and anyone who buys one gets a personalized sketch inside and a free limited-edition print. Unfortunately, I won’t be taking on any additional commissions this year, since I still have a backlog of sketches I shifted from previous shows. Sorry to disappoint anyone, but I’m still figuring out the best way to handle the sketch system and this seemed the fairest way. If you’re looking for a quick head sketch, I’ll be signing at the DC booth on Friday (2:30-3:30) and Saturday (1-2). See you soon.

JUSTICE LEAGUE:GENERATION LOST #10 goes on sale this week, both in stores and digitally from Comixology. My original sketch showed Batman rappelling down the side of the building, which I liked since we never see him with a bat-rope or gear any more, but it was politely suggested that I go for a moodier approach. I still plan on changing the flag to GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS! XXX!!! before print, but we’ll see what happens. Don’t tell anyone!

DMZ #57 is on sale this week. I’m really happy with the way this issue turned out. I was able to experiment a little and get out of a creative rut, for which I’m really grateful. And I got to draw a lot of guns! You can preview some more art and read a few of my thoughts over here at the Vertigo comics blog.

JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST #9 goes on sale this week, both in stores and digitally at Comixology.  This is actually the first cover I drew for this series. Writer Judd Winick had suggested the image, but I was worried about it just being another damsel-in-distress kind of thing, so I added the fire effect and most importantly, her smirk. Who’s locked up with whom? Click on the image for the original sketch, inks, and final.

Baltimore Comic-Con was once again a real pleasure. LOTS of fans and LOTS of comics. The show grew even bigger this year, and it’s to Marc Nathan and his team’s credit that the show runs with the same invisible smoothness it’s always had. On top of the show, Marc also welcomed a brand new baby boy to his family, so congrats to the Nathans for a huge week. As a 2-day show, I didn’t get enough commissioned sketches done, but I really enjoyed this year’s batch. I’m waiting on a scan for a special piece I did at the Hero Initiative table, but I’ll update this post when it comes in. Next up, the gigantic New York Comic-Con and you’ll find me in Artist’s Alley. I sold out of sketchbooks in Baltimore, so I’ll have one last NYCC edition with a new cover for the show. More details soon. See you next month.