Does this mean that I'm not doing much? Not really. I've been quite busy since my return from Heroes Con 2006.
The show itself went very well for me. I had a standing call for sketches for my buddy Joel over at Merritt Design. We were staying with the Merritts and as I was leaving for the show in Friday, Joel said to me, "if you don't have con sketches to do, here work on these!" and he handed me a bunch of notes of t-shirts to do.
Well, I had plenty of con sketches to do. I hardly looked up from my board all weekend.
Then it was back home to draw the t-shirts. I spent last week on that, working well into Saturday.
I took Sunday off, and today was back in the studio working on a plot for what I hope will be the new Thunder Agents book. We'll see. I'm talking to the two guys who can make it happen.
Yet somehow it seems like not much got done today. How weird is that?
Monday, July 10, 2006
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Doodle Stands Up
Stand up routine:
I’m a comic book artist. Yeah, go ahead and laugh. I know what you’re thinking, “if the guys who read that stuff are geeks, what’s that make this guy?” It’s alright, we’re used to that reaction. We know the public at large has that opinion of us, and we laugh it off, but deep inside we’re deeply offended.
This stuff is important to us!
Like, a while back I was in the Sears Tower with my wife and my parents. I was wearing my Justice League of America embroidered shirt. I got it from a pal of mine that used to do the color design on Superboy…it’s a technical thing, don’t worry about it.
But anyway, there’s this lady behind me and she starts talking to her little girl about my shirt. “There’s Batman, you know Batman. And there’s Superman, you know him, right? And Wonder Woman, and I don’t know who that is…is that supposed to be Spider-Man?”
I wanted to turn around and say, “Spider-Man in the Justice League? Lady, there’s tourists from all over the world here, don’t embarrass yourself in front of the whole world! Spider-Man? Spider-Man’s a Marvel character, the Justice League is from DC! How can you not know that? Are you illiterate? How can you raise a kid like that?
But I didn’t. I laughed it off, but deep inside…you know, I was deeply hurt.
The summer comics conventions are getting underway soon, and I thought you might like some pointers, in case you find yourself on the same sidewalk or in the same convention center with some comics fans.
ONE: don’t mix up your Marvel and your DC characters. The rule of thumb here is, if their trunks are a different color than the tights, and the boots match the trunks then they’re probably a DC character. If the trunks and tights are the same color, regardless of the boot color then they’re probably a Marvel.
TWO: If they got a letter on their head, Marvel.
THREE: Stan Lee did NOT create Batman!
That’s probably too complex for you though, right?
If you can’t remember that, then remember this, if you don’t know the character, don’t go guessing. Don’t embarrass yourself, and one of us, by saying stuff like, “Purple Arrow, right?”
No! That’s Hawkeye!
And don’t make it worse by saying, “wasn’t he on M.A.S.H. ?”
That’s a different guy!
If you really HAVE to know who the character is, then ask. That’s all you have to do. Comics fans are only too happy to share.
Bear in mind that if you don’t really want to know, then don’t say anything! If you got some time to hear about it, then ask. Otherwise just walk away…especially if the comic person is an unattached guy and you are a semi-attractive young lady. You could be there all day!
I’m a comic book artist. Yeah, go ahead and laugh. I know what you’re thinking, “if the guys who read that stuff are geeks, what’s that make this guy?” It’s alright, we’re used to that reaction. We know the public at large has that opinion of us, and we laugh it off, but deep inside we’re deeply offended.
This stuff is important to us!
Like, a while back I was in the Sears Tower with my wife and my parents. I was wearing my Justice League of America embroidered shirt. I got it from a pal of mine that used to do the color design on Superboy…it’s a technical thing, don’t worry about it.
But anyway, there’s this lady behind me and she starts talking to her little girl about my shirt. “There’s Batman, you know Batman. And there’s Superman, you know him, right? And Wonder Woman, and I don’t know who that is…is that supposed to be Spider-Man?”
I wanted to turn around and say, “Spider-Man in the Justice League? Lady, there’s tourists from all over the world here, don’t embarrass yourself in front of the whole world! Spider-Man? Spider-Man’s a Marvel character, the Justice League is from DC! How can you not know that? Are you illiterate? How can you raise a kid like that?
But I didn’t. I laughed it off, but deep inside…you know, I was deeply hurt.
The summer comics conventions are getting underway soon, and I thought you might like some pointers, in case you find yourself on the same sidewalk or in the same convention center with some comics fans.
ONE: don’t mix up your Marvel and your DC characters. The rule of thumb here is, if their trunks are a different color than the tights, and the boots match the trunks then they’re probably a DC character. If the trunks and tights are the same color, regardless of the boot color then they’re probably a Marvel.
TWO: If they got a letter on their head, Marvel.
THREE: Stan Lee did NOT create Batman!
That’s probably too complex for you though, right?
If you can’t remember that, then remember this, if you don’t know the character, don’t go guessing. Don’t embarrass yourself, and one of us, by saying stuff like, “Purple Arrow, right?”
No! That’s Hawkeye!
And don’t make it worse by saying, “wasn’t he on M.A.S.H. ?”
That’s a different guy!
If you really HAVE to know who the character is, then ask. That’s all you have to do. Comics fans are only too happy to share.
Bear in mind that if you don’t really want to know, then don’t say anything! If you got some time to hear about it, then ask. Otherwise just walk away…especially if the comic person is an unattached guy and you are a semi-attractive young lady. You could be there all day!
Monday, June 05, 2006
The New Cars "controversy"
Time for this Todd / Cars fan to weigh in on the NEW CARS.
I don’t normally talk a lot about bands on this blog (outside of some obscure band named Gypsy Bandwagon), but this time I feel I have to say something.
The Cars have reformed as the “New Cars”. Old news, right? They’ve been on Leno, Craig Ferguson, etc. will be touring this summer with Blondie, etc. My pal (and sometimes publisher) Robert Rowe has been keeping me updated on all of the New Cars info, since we’re both fans of that band as well as Todd Rundgren.
But the press surrounding the re-formed group is mostly focused on a lot of Todd fans who can’t believe he’d join up with a commercial band. Can I just say, “give me a huge break?”
Like I say, I’m a fan of both The Cars and Utopia (Todd’s 80s New Wave version). To me, one of the tragedies of the 80s was that a lot of otherwise great New Wave bands got ignored by deejays (or maybe it was station managers) who wanted the status quo. Lost in the shuffle was Utopia. A band that was, to my mind, on the level with The Cars musically. In fact I spent a large portion of the 80s trying to promote Utopia to a level of public recognition that rivaled The Cars. Of course I was just a fan doing what I could.
Not to say I didn’t love The Cars as well. They just seemed to (in Todd’s words) “…effortlessly get on the radio.” They didn’t need my help.
But since the 90s many Todd fans have seemed to develop a “deadhead” attitude about him. They don’t want him to be commercial. They want to be in a private little clique where everyone knows the lyrics of every song he ever performed, and they can gripe about how the world hasn’t understood.
The problem, as I see it, is Todd hasn’t really tried to be commercial, at least not for a long time. He can obviously write commercial material. He can perform with practically any band he wants. But he’s mostly chosen to be a musical hermit (as his late 70s release “Hermit of Mink Hollow” should convince anyone).
I was one of the Faithful (in joke) that wanted to hear him on the radio. But nearly every time he seemed close to having a hit in the 80s, he’d somehow short circuit the whole deal and his latest single would stall at 30 or so on the charts. I have to ask the “deadhead clique” this question: what was the point of ever releasing a single if Todd didn’t intend a modicum of commercial success?”
Ah hah! Now you see. While he thought his fan base was made up of the “deadhead” mentality he played to that audience. It allowed him to continue to make music and still eat. Joining New Cars will allow him to continue to make music and also eat. Where’s the crisis?
Frankly, I am more concerned that Todd will grow weary of the New Cars in a hurry, and Kasim Sulton, and Prairie Prince will have to go back to playing sessions with other bands. They too have been unappreciated musicians, with much too much talent, and much too little exposure. I suppose that Greg Hawkes and Elliot Easton have something to lose as well, but I imagine it will be less.
If Todd walks away from this (as his history would tend to suggest he may) then Greg and Elliot can still say, “Hey! We were in The Cars!” Everyone I went to high school with will then say, “Oh, yeah! I loved ‘My Best Friend’s Girlfriend’!”
But pity poor Kas and Prairie Prince; “We were in Utopia, and The Tubes, and New Cars.” My high school chums will respond, “What? Never heard of those bands! New Cars? Is that like The Cars?”
So I hope that Todd will “drive responsibly” while with New Cars, and not blow the whole thing for four other under appreciated musicians.
As for the magazine writer who incorrectly identified Prairie Prince as a member of Utopia.
See? It’s happening already.
Just thought of this: several of Todd/Utopia’s old “non-hits” that would fit in perfectly with New Cars motif:
Drive
Black Maria
Emperor of the Highway
Little Red Lights
Last of the New Wave Riders
They might also consider some tunes by Kasim Sulton:
Drivin’ me Mad
Sweet Little Accident
And while we’re talking automotive puns, why not throw in a Tubes song?
Drivin’ all Night
I think they could keep this franchise going for some time, if they really try. There’s too much good material not to try. Come on guys, try already.
I don’t normally talk a lot about bands on this blog (outside of some obscure band named Gypsy Bandwagon), but this time I feel I have to say something.
The Cars have reformed as the “New Cars”. Old news, right? They’ve been on Leno, Craig Ferguson, etc. will be touring this summer with Blondie, etc. My pal (and sometimes publisher) Robert Rowe has been keeping me updated on all of the New Cars info, since we’re both fans of that band as well as Todd Rundgren.
But the press surrounding the re-formed group is mostly focused on a lot of Todd fans who can’t believe he’d join up with a commercial band. Can I just say, “give me a huge break?”
Like I say, I’m a fan of both The Cars and Utopia (Todd’s 80s New Wave version). To me, one of the tragedies of the 80s was that a lot of otherwise great New Wave bands got ignored by deejays (or maybe it was station managers) who wanted the status quo. Lost in the shuffle was Utopia. A band that was, to my mind, on the level with The Cars musically. In fact I spent a large portion of the 80s trying to promote Utopia to a level of public recognition that rivaled The Cars. Of course I was just a fan doing what I could.
Not to say I didn’t love The Cars as well. They just seemed to (in Todd’s words) “…effortlessly get on the radio.” They didn’t need my help.
But since the 90s many Todd fans have seemed to develop a “deadhead” attitude about him. They don’t want him to be commercial. They want to be in a private little clique where everyone knows the lyrics of every song he ever performed, and they can gripe about how the world hasn’t understood.
The problem, as I see it, is Todd hasn’t really tried to be commercial, at least not for a long time. He can obviously write commercial material. He can perform with practically any band he wants. But he’s mostly chosen to be a musical hermit (as his late 70s release “Hermit of Mink Hollow” should convince anyone).
I was one of the Faithful (in joke) that wanted to hear him on the radio. But nearly every time he seemed close to having a hit in the 80s, he’d somehow short circuit the whole deal and his latest single would stall at 30 or so on the charts. I have to ask the “deadhead clique” this question: what was the point of ever releasing a single if Todd didn’t intend a modicum of commercial success?”
Ah hah! Now you see. While he thought his fan base was made up of the “deadhead” mentality he played to that audience. It allowed him to continue to make music and still eat. Joining New Cars will allow him to continue to make music and also eat. Where’s the crisis?
Frankly, I am more concerned that Todd will grow weary of the New Cars in a hurry, and Kasim Sulton, and Prairie Prince will have to go back to playing sessions with other bands. They too have been unappreciated musicians, with much too much talent, and much too little exposure. I suppose that Greg Hawkes and Elliot Easton have something to lose as well, but I imagine it will be less.
If Todd walks away from this (as his history would tend to suggest he may) then Greg and Elliot can still say, “Hey! We were in The Cars!” Everyone I went to high school with will then say, “Oh, yeah! I loved ‘My Best Friend’s Girlfriend’!”
But pity poor Kas and Prairie Prince; “We were in Utopia, and The Tubes, and New Cars.” My high school chums will respond, “What? Never heard of those bands! New Cars? Is that like The Cars?”
So I hope that Todd will “drive responsibly” while with New Cars, and not blow the whole thing for four other under appreciated musicians.
As for the magazine writer who incorrectly identified Prairie Prince as a member of Utopia.
See? It’s happening already.
Just thought of this: several of Todd/Utopia’s old “non-hits” that would fit in perfectly with New Cars motif:
Drive
Black Maria
Emperor of the Highway
Little Red Lights
Last of the New Wave Riders
They might also consider some tunes by Kasim Sulton:
Drivin’ me Mad
Sweet Little Accident
And while we’re talking automotive puns, why not throw in a Tubes song?
Drivin’ all Night
I think they could keep this franchise going for some time, if they really try. There’s too much good material not to try. Come on guys, try already.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Not too HTML savvy.
Oh boy.
I started doing this page today and got interruped by the stupid "do you want to stay online" message that my computer throws out whenever I get involved doing anything online. Of COURSE I want to stay online! Stupid machine.
What I was trying to say when I was so rudely interrupted, and then lost everything I had typed up to that point was; On Friday I tried very hard to get some new graphics posted herein. That didn't work. Nor did the links that I wanted to lay on you. I'm not good at this technical stuff yet.
Since I doubt that I will be able to do anything near as complex today, I will simply direct anyone who cares to the piece that my agent (much more web-savvy than me) has posted on eBay right now.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ZATANNA-ORIGINAL-PEN-INK-ARTWORK-by-
JAMES-LYLE-SEXY_W0QQitemZ6630817775QQcategoryZ972QQss
PageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
You'll have to do the semi-technical thing and cut and paste the URL into your browser. No point and click today kids.
The piece (a very nice Zatanna sketch, which I managed to preview here in pencil, before losing all my powers of HTML) is getting me more response than just about anything I've ever done before. Old friends are coming out of the woodwork to tell me that they think it's swell! Thanks Pals! Love you all.
Also of note is the fact that I'm finally up on the Heroes Convention 2006 guest list.
www.heroesonline.com
(same as above)
I had a nice talk with Shelton Drum on Friday and he was very apologetic for not having me listed sooner. Seems that the show has become a monster, so far as people getting in as guests. Everyone wants to be there! Good! We'll be looking for you there.
This past weekend was a whirlwind, as Karin (my wife) was playing with two bands at the same event. She attended the Blue Ridge Celtic Festival at Blowing Rock, NC on Saturday. I got to tag along and work as "roadie" for both Celtic Knot and Bean Sidhes (pronounced "Banshee"). So in actuality Gypsy Bandwagon was there too, in spite of not being on the bill.
Both bands were well received, and the thrill of the day came when Karin got to loan her violin to Brian of "Enter the Haggis", the headline group. Seems that ETH left Asheville without Brian's violin and he asked Karin if he could borrow hers. So even when Karin wasn't on stage her violin remained! "We can't get rid of Karin!" exclaimed emcee Max from Greensboro's Oldies 93.
So I'm proud of my "belle of the ball".
Unfortunately right before the evening main event the main power of the outdoor stage got dumped with water from a sudden downpour. This made it impossible for the headline bands to play with the sound equipment. I understand that both bands were troopers and put on acoustic sets for the assembled crowd. (I missed this, as I was sleeping back at the condo).
The festivities lasted late into the night. I recovered from my overwhelming fatigue long enough to jam with CK and a member of Bean Sidhes. There are plans to get those two groups together for a proper jam sometime.
Anyway, a nice weekend, even though we're both still tired. I can't imagine how those who do music AND party afterwards can manage. All I had in the way of "party" was a couple of pieces of Lance's birthday cake. If you are considering music as a profession, you'll do well to take care of yourself and NOT indulge. Got that? Just showing up is hard enough.
I started doing this page today and got interruped by the stupid "do you want to stay online" message that my computer throws out whenever I get involved doing anything online. Of COURSE I want to stay online! Stupid machine.
What I was trying to say when I was so rudely interrupted, and then lost everything I had typed up to that point was; On Friday I tried very hard to get some new graphics posted herein. That didn't work. Nor did the links that I wanted to lay on you. I'm not good at this technical stuff yet.
Since I doubt that I will be able to do anything near as complex today, I will simply direct anyone who cares to the piece that my agent (much more web-savvy than me) has posted on eBay right now.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ZATANNA-ORIGINAL-PEN-INK-ARTWORK-by-
JAMES-LYLE-SEXY_W0QQitemZ6630817775QQcategoryZ972QQss
PageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
You'll have to do the semi-technical thing and cut and paste the URL into your browser. No point and click today kids.
The piece (a very nice Zatanna sketch, which I managed to preview here in pencil, before losing all my powers of HTML) is getting me more response than just about anything I've ever done before. Old friends are coming out of the woodwork to tell me that they think it's swell! Thanks Pals! Love you all.
Also of note is the fact that I'm finally up on the Heroes Convention 2006 guest list.
www.heroesonline.com
(same as above)
I had a nice talk with Shelton Drum on Friday and he was very apologetic for not having me listed sooner. Seems that the show has become a monster, so far as people getting in as guests. Everyone wants to be there! Good! We'll be looking for you there.
This past weekend was a whirlwind, as Karin (my wife) was playing with two bands at the same event. She attended the Blue Ridge Celtic Festival at Blowing Rock, NC on Saturday. I got to tag along and work as "roadie" for both Celtic Knot and Bean Sidhes (pronounced "Banshee"). So in actuality Gypsy Bandwagon was there too, in spite of not being on the bill.
Both bands were well received, and the thrill of the day came when Karin got to loan her violin to Brian of "Enter the Haggis", the headline group. Seems that ETH left Asheville without Brian's violin and he asked Karin if he could borrow hers. So even when Karin wasn't on stage her violin remained! "We can't get rid of Karin!" exclaimed emcee Max from Greensboro's Oldies 93.
So I'm proud of my "belle of the ball".
Unfortunately right before the evening main event the main power of the outdoor stage got dumped with water from a sudden downpour. This made it impossible for the headline bands to play with the sound equipment. I understand that both bands were troopers and put on acoustic sets for the assembled crowd. (I missed this, as I was sleeping back at the condo).
The festivities lasted late into the night. I recovered from my overwhelming fatigue long enough to jam with CK and a member of Bean Sidhes. There are plans to get those two groups together for a proper jam sometime.
Anyway, a nice weekend, even though we're both still tired. I can't imagine how those who do music AND party afterwards can manage. All I had in the way of "party" was a couple of pieces of Lance's birthday cake. If you are considering music as a profession, you'll do well to take care of yourself and NOT indulge. Got that? Just showing up is hard enough.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Criminals Beware!
“Criminals are a superstitious and cowardly lot.” Bruce Wayne sure said a mouthful with that one. He failed to mention that a lot of them don’t seem to be exceedingly bright. I’ve often wondered what, for instance, would drive a man to counterfeit money? If you have the ability to create engravings on that level, you could doubtless find work in almost any artistic industry, at a very good wage. I’m not nearly that level of precision, and my work sells at a pretty good rate (if I could sell more it would be better…A-hem!)
But this morning there was a crime spree here in my own neighborhood. Seems that early this morning the alarm went off at my wife’s studio (located next to my own) around 7am. The criminal(s) had possibly noticed that she’s been away for several days. What they failed to notice were the signs on the doors that indicated that the place actually was alarmed. I thought they were quite noticeable, since I designed them myself. My brother, an electrician, installed the alarm system so we didn’t just post the notices for fun. (As anyone who knows my brother can attest he is extremely detail oriented, and pretty fanatical about making sure an alarm system works and can’t be tampered with).
At any rate, the criminal(s) apparently weren’t expecting an alarm, since they apparently spent the time that they could have been looting trying to disarm the system. Lots of luck, pal! The very idea that a person could in a few seconds randomly discern our combination out of the possible permutations available to our key pad…well!
So the criminal(s) split the scene without taking a thing, so far as we can tell. My brother arrived on the scene, followed by my Dad. They called the Sheriff’s office and a detective came around and dusted for fingerprints, took some tire print casts, and then told my Dad that they pretty much know who the person is.
Seems that this same person has been hitting shops up and down our section of the highway for months. He was in custody until a few days ago, when his girlfriend mortgaged her house to pay his bail. He promptly stole a car and went right back to his crime spree! Of course this is all allegation. But I’m not the police or the DA, so I can say what I want.
I feel for the girl. Her boyfriend is obviously not a good choice. She’s lost her house, since he skipped bail.
The only one who’s come out ahead in this is the bail bondsman, who now has toehold into the real estate market. Oh well, bail bondsmen have to eat too, I’m not putting them down.
What’s any of this got to do with comics? Not much. It just makes you think.
Got to break the news to my wife yet. Nothing was taken! The only real damage seems to be the black dusting powder all over the doors and keypad. I tried to clean it up today, but it’s pernicious stuff. We’ll probably have to repaint.
In the meantime, here are some more pieces that are in the pipeline. A JSA trio of beauties, and a Zatanna drawing. The JSA girls will probably be on the old eBay auction block this week, and the Zatanna has to be inked yet. That will come up in a week or so, I hope. I’m pretty pleased with them both. I think my artwork has improved markedly in the past 6 months, and that’s saying something. I thought I was doing pretty well before. Not that I’m stuck on myself or anything, but when I start doing drawings that I wish I could keep, that makes me pretty happy.
But if you’re thinking of going on a crime spree, keep in mind that even though these super-heroes don’t exist, there are those that do. They’ve got a lot more on the ball than most criminals think. If criminals are superstitious and cowardly, they’ve got good reason to be…they’re going to get caught.
Hawkgirl, Stars, Powergirl, and Zatanna are © and ™ DC Comics, Inc. Artwork by James E. Lyle
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