Somehow, Comic-Con feels bigger and bigger every year. Lots of old friends to track down and new ones to chat with, so unfortunately, less sketches this time around. I may scale back on the list next year, since other shows seem to be a better place for me to concentrate on drawing. Still had a great time, especially with my boothmates Jill, Fabio, Gabriel, Cris, and Rafael. Next stop, Baltimore!

JUSTICE LEAGUE:GENERATION LOST #6 is on sale this week, both in stores and digitally from Comixology. Who doesn’t love Saul Bass? I needed a graphic way to show the story of a man lost in time, and when the idea of time periods in concentric circles seemed like it would work, I couldn’t resist a nod to Bass’ iconic Vertigo poster. I began with a grayscale sketch, but started playing with a 70’s kind of palette which really helps sell the vibe. Click on the image for the sketch, inks, and final.

Birds of Prey #3 is on sale this week. Editor Janelle Siegel asked me to help out for this cover, and after hearing the story behind it — Penguin-ized versions of our heroines — I was in. All the monocles and tophats made me think of Alan Cumming in Cabaret, though I don’t know if I really captured the seedy feel as I wanted to avoid any burlesque comparisons. Still, it was a fun cover! Click on the image for the original sketch, inks, and colors.

Though haunted by bloody dreams and possessing a supernatural control over nature, 18-year-old Sun Green is very much your typical high school student, unsure of her destiny and what the future will bring. In the midst of her turmoil, we meet The Stranger, a man in black who may or may not be the devil himself. He likes to play games and push people’s buttons. One ripe target for him is Sun’s cousin, Jed Green. Orphaned at a young age, the now 30-year-old Jed was raised by and still lives with his grandparents, who surely wouldn’t approve of his side-job running pot down to Los Angeles.

Arius Green is Sun’s grandfather, a lion of a man now brought low by Alzheimier’s. He has his moments of strength and lucidity though, so watch out. Ciela Bleu Oaks was his first wife, whom Arius married after she divorced his brother, John. Ciela disappeared under strange circumstances in 1965. Arius married his second wife, a much younger woman named Close Thibodeaux, several years later. Raised by Native Americans, Close is a smart and practical woman.

Earl Green is Sun’s father, and has lived off his family’s success most of his life. He’s a painter, but has yet to sell anything. A former singer who now raises horses on their ranch, Edith O’Riley married Earl and has never really come to terms with all the tragedy and strangeness that surrounds the Green family. She’s tried to protect Sun from it as much as she can, but some things can’t be helped. For example, at age 10, Earl’s sister, Sea Green, was lost for 6 weeks in the Sequoia National Forest during a family vacation. She never spoke of her time in the woods. At age 18, Sea disappeared for good in the Alaskan wilderness in 1967.

John Green is a retired Navy Captain who now operates a fishing troller outside of Greendale. Calling it the “devil’s sidewalk”, he hasn’t set foot on dry land in years and refuses to speak to his brother Arius. Earth Brown is the nickname of a visiting college activist who is almost literally entranced by Sun Green one night in a bar. He’s on his way up to Alaska, to protest drilling on the National Preserve. Mahalia Cross is Sun’s great-grandmother, a superstitious hermit and a witchdoctor, by all accounts. According to Arius, she has an old shack up in the mountains, though no one’s sure if she’s even still alive.

HeroesCon 2010 was a blast! Lots of interesting sketch requests, and as always, everyone was incredibly friendly and wonderful to talk to. Thanks once more to Shelton Drum, Dusty Harbin and all the volunteers for another great year in Charlotte. Now to get some sleep!

C2E2 turned out to be a solid, fun first-year show, and a wonderful opportunity to finally meet and talk to some Midwestern comics fans. It’s easy to forget that not everyone makes it to the big shows in San Diego or New York, and in the future I’m going to do my best to visit other parts of the country.  Artists Alley was spacious and comfortable, and I think the organizers did a fantastic job. I’m looking forward to next year (especially if it means I can eat more pork belly at Publican). Special thanks to Jill Thompson and all the fine folks at Threadless — we announced our t-shirt project and I can’t wait to see the shirts when we debut them at San Diego Comic-Con! Thanks to everyone who came to the table. The new sketchbooks and prints were a success! I still managed to get some drawing done too, and there were a bunch of doubles this time: 2 Kitty Prydes, 2 Black Canary’s (and if I hadn’t run out of time, 2 Mockingbirds - sweet!). It was a great start to the convention season! Next stop, HeroesCon!

In spite of the cold and slushy streets, action at the New York Comic Book Marketplace was surprisingly brisk.  Run by the old Big Apple Con crew, the NYCBM was pretty much the same show they’ve put on reliably for the last few years. Thanks again to Allan Rosenberg and Mike Carbonaro for the hospitality, and a big shout out to table neighbors Sean Chen, Ivan Brandon and Andy Macdonald, and JH Williams! Anyone who can guess the gatefold LP the Supergirl sketch is based on gets a slightly dusty, vintage No-Prize!