Sins Of My Father

The last Tom Waits I do for 2011.  I love him, but hopefully 2012 is free of Waits portraits.

--B

Now You're A Hero

I got a request to draw my friend Meghan as a super-hero for her birthday this year and, being the good friend she is, she let her friends know that I take commissions to do similar pieces.  A friend of hers got in touch with me and asked if I would do one as a Christmas gift for her sister, sending me photo reference and a little bit of info on her sister's likes and interests.  The piece above is the product.

So, I put it out to you: I am available for commissions to produce similar work for you, if you are interested.  You can reach me by email, the address is here.  Hope to hear from some of you!

--B

Kind Of OK Comics #039

Man, a Rex Tarkleton from the future showed up to deliver this strip.  He brought me warnings from the year 2012.  For the most part, he told me to remember to buy coffee.  Apparently, we run out of it a lot in the new year, not that it's a big problem, just kind of annoying all year long.  Happy new year.

--B

Bustown Bruiser Hockey Cards 01

Here's the first two cards in a set of trading cards, featuring the world famous Bustown Bruisers, I created for my little buddy Oliver this Christmas.  More to come.

--B

24 Hour Comic 2011: Page Twenty

Four more pages to go.

--B

White Bunny In White Snow

For little Sammy for Christmas.  Love, Uncle B.

--B

Office Cat 14

Catching the early train...

--B

Kind Of OK Comics #038

A very merry Christmas strip from the esteemed Mr. Rex Tarkleton, discarded foodstuffs connoisseur and mall-Santa-fighter (he did a number on this year's chap before being escorted out of the place by the local constabulary).  He said he had a present for me, which made me wince after remembering last year's gift: a fistful of best wishes.

--B

I Cornered The Amazing Spider-Man... On Christmas, No Less.

I submitted this puppy to the Cornered blog for a little Christmas whatevers.  I should have flipped the piece and made sure the anatomy was okay as the neck and head are oddly off center.  If you didn't notice, sorry I ruined it for you.

It's a take on the Christmas-themed corner by Todd McFarlane from Amazing Spider-Man 314, published April, 1989.

--B

Happy Holidays From The Hulks

Well, if you've been following my blog or Twitter and Facebook feeds, you know a couple of weeks ago I participated in Comics Should Be Good's The Line It Is Drawn feature located at Comic Book Resources.  Three of the ongoing artists who contribute pieces weekly moved on to other things which prompted a call to artists for their replacement.  About 140 people submitted pieces on a chosen theme for two weeks, yours truly included.  I received news last week that I am now one of the ongoing weekly artists.  A many thanks goes out to all those who voted for me and all your kind words.

This week's theme was:

Happy Holidays! Simply name a comic book character and our artists will come up with a Holiday-themed drawing featuring said character. if you want to suggest a Holiday theme along with the character, go right ahead, but it is not necessary.

Someone suggested "Green Hulk in a red Santa suit and Red Hulk in a green Santa suit" via twitter, defining the theme, and that's what I chose to depict.  Another suggestion involved the Watcher, which one of the artists suggested we should all include in our pieces; Uatu should be hanging out somewhere overlooking the holiday happenings.  So, enjoy the first of many pieces I will submit as a weekly contributor to The Line It Is Drawn!

--B

Office Cat 13

Pre-holiday crunch...


--B

24-Hour Comic 2011: Page Nineteen

Page nineteen has Bigfoot Jones finally making it to the shoe store, but will returning his ill-fitted shoes be as easy as it seems?

--B

Bill Mantlo Repaneled

I've done a few pieces for Anthony Vukojevich's excellent blog Repaneled, where Anthony invites people to submit pieces inspired by published comic panels.  I peruse the blog pretty often and came across David H.'s Rom piece and was touched by his homage to writer Bill Mantlo.  Growing up, I read a lot of Bill's Incredible Hulk run and was enamored by his and Mike Magnola's Rocket Racoon limited series.  He is responsible for developing the licensed properties Micronauts and Rom Spacenight into successful comics series that are still near-and-dear to comic fans' hearts and creating the street fighting duo Cloak and Dagger in his Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man run.

Bill was struck down by a hit-and-run driver nearly 20 years ago while rollerblading.  The accident has left him severely impaired and dependent on a full-time care facility, and well, in a pretty horrible state.  Mantlo's family has had to sell off most of his assets and possessions to pay for his ongoing care when his insurance provider denied him the claim for the long-term assistance he needs.  While unable to donate money to the cause, I hope to send Bill the piece above this holiday season and thank him for all the joy his work provided me as a kid and continues to do to this day.  Thanks, David, for pointing me to this link.

This piece is a repaneled homage, inspired by a panel from The Incredible Hulk #290 (Dec. 1983), written by Bill Mantlo, penciled by Sal Buscema, and inked by Carlos Garzon.  And, yes, of course, I chose a panel with MODOK in it.

--B

Office Cat 12

In the bored room...

--B

Office Cat 11

"Did you finish those sales reports, Johnson?"

--B

Placemat Drawings For Imogen

Uncle B seems to frequent Newport Creamery with a variety of wee ones.  Here's a stand-off between a bunny and a mutant carrot, as well as a goofy strawberry.  These were drawn during lunch with my goddaughter Imogen.  She was very inquisitive as to what I was drawing as I was drawing it.

--B

Kind Of OK Comics #037

Rex Tarkleton, American war hero and angry hobo, is toeing the line and producing some of the best, err... not best, but... kind of okay work of his lifetime lately and in a consistent fashion.  I mentioned this was highly unlike him given his past working schedule here on the blog, often leaving me to scramble to fill his absent post with my own artwork.  He kindly assured me that what I do wouldn't be considered artwork by even a blind man's standards while patting my head condescendingly.  It bummed me out a little until he told me I was pretty, though, right before he vomited in my kitchen sink.

--B

Office Cat 10

Lunch at his desk...

--B

24 Hour Comic 2011: Page Eighteen

Page eighteen of our continuing saga.

--B

Palette-Swap: Dynamite Duke

This month's theme over at the Palette-Swap blog is Sega games.  Personally, I spent my youth with my eyes glued to an NES, tapping away at A and B buttons in a frenzy, so I didn't really know much about the Sega Master System aside from remembering all the game boxes had a grid background on them, which I wanted to capture in my piece.  I chose Dynamite Duke after an internet search because the franchise looked like fun and had a cool logo (not so much on the Master System version).  It was a third-person shooter adapted from an arcade game for Sega's home system in the late '80s.  Enjoy.

--B

Office Cat 09

"Did you try kicking it?"

--B

Office Cat 08

Monday mornin' coffee...

--B

Plastic Man and Mister Fantastic

Here's the piece for week two at the try-out for The Line It Is Drawn at CBR's Comics Should Be Good blog.  The theme was team-up two comic book characters that have never teamed-up before and one tweeted suggestion on that theme was Plastic Man and Mr. Fantastic.  I'm glad someone suggested it, because I already had it in mind, so how's that for kismet?

This is last piece to be submitted for consideration as one of the two new ongoing artists, and a third as a back-up alternate for the weekly The Line It Is Drawn.  My first piece got a lot of good feedback from a lot of people I don't know and I hope I'm chosen to continue on in the voting process, as of now I'm not quite sure how that will work, but stay tuned.  Check it out.

--B

Kind Of Okay Comics #036

From the unusual mind of Rex Tarkleton, who appreciates the mild weather we've been having, since he lives within it.  Keep an eye out for more Kind Of Ok Comics in the new year as a regular, weekly feature by the esteemed Mr. Tarkleton.  But with that guy, you never know.

--B

Office Cat 07

"Did you get my memo?"

--B

24 Hour Comic 2011: Page Seventeen

The "24-hour-comic-that-is-not-24-hours-but-much-more-time-than-that' comic continues with Bigfoot Jones running into the law on page seventeen.  Oh dear.  Seven more pages to go, which I hope to finish by the end of the year.

--B

Office Cat 06

Trouble at home...

--B

Office Cat 05

In the weeds...

--B

TRUST BUSTER!

I heard last week that three of the artists who participate in Comic Book Resources' "The Line It Is Drawn" are leaving, opening up some spots for new blood to participate.  The Line is a weekly happenstance on the Comics Should Be Good blog wherein Brian Cronin puts forth a thematic idea.  Followers suggest specific pieces they want to see within the theme via Twitter, forming a list that the participating artists can pick and choose from to illustrate.  Last week, Brian asked: Superify it! Pick a person, real or fictional, and our artists will draw them as a superhero.   I went with Theodore Roosevelt, one suggestion out of over 250, and submitted it.  If it fairs well, I may get chosen to do a piece every week.  Wish me luck.

--B