Some New Warm-up Sketches...

Mucho Apologies for the lack of post. Tons of thanks to everyone who's reached out to make sure I'm 'okay'.  Also thanks to Karel Kelly who threw up an interview with me here. 

Started a new sketchbook.. probably no new lines I have to make, but sometimes a different size or colored sketchbook makes us *feel* as though there's a fresh start.   New possibilities. Some sense of hope.  Here's some more surreal Trout doodles.. ( or Twout as it's sometimes spelled).. 

My therapy is... usual escape into creativity and doodles... here's a spread from a Mars attack comic that's eventually coming out. A wistful post-martian-attack mom.. fits the mood I'm emerging from. 

You probably already know the drill we all go thru.  Defaulting to "hermit-crab" status... during the impending pre-thanksgiving- and pre-christmas-cluster.... 

....that makes some of us all plunge into various forms of our own private holiday regression. 

No excuses. Not seeking pity. Mostly lack of posts are because of whatever cyclothymic moods I'm trying to push my way through. The good news is... i've remerged and more or less back. 

Most of these are material from either Worlds sketchbooks 2 and 3, 

.....or Nola and Dana sketches. 

But you've probably already figured that out, from all the "Dana" and "Nola" scribbles. 

Plus various other weird little disintegrating faces here and there.... 

just quick most little warm up sketches.. 

Trying to ease back in. Hope everything's cool with all of you guys too - 

... I wish you all the BEST.... a Stress-Fress-Holiday ( whenever possible ). 

Take care,

Sam

Leaves, Fires, and a Hundred Trees...

A burnt leaf.  Rough times out here on the west coast.. all these damned Fires are turning a lot of lives upside down.  Emotionally.  Psychically.  Tons of ways.  My thoughts and sympathies to all those affected, some I don't even know personally.


Also, i wanted to also Thanks Ted Adams and the guys at IDW for getting behind the Hollows, and my art books.  Ted the guys and gals at IDW have been a safe port in a turbulent sea.

Speaking of that, here's some loooooong over-due Hollows covers.  There's over a hundred of them.  I was discouraged by drawing these... so I decided to draw a bunch of Trees on these comic covers,....

.....because Trees always inspire me.



Can't go wrong with a tree. Well, you *can*.

Yikes - i learned that during the first 40 or so that i drew.

These are comic cover sketches for retailers who ordered the hollows.. but i'll throw some scans of them into an art book so you can check 'em all out next year. Maybe do a separate art book full of just Trees and Bonsai?


Yeah, Sam's Big gook of Trees n' Bonsai" ~ that'll give the super hero comics a run for their money, sales wise. : )

Don't worry, i know there's a lot of you out there who want a sketch on a comic book like this. I'm sure some of these will pop up on eBay down the road too.

Meanwhile... these really show one thing... there's only so many ways to DRAW a hundred trees without repeating oneself, isn't there? : )


Hopefully these retailers won't be too horrified their getting a tree.  Least most are in color.



But i prefer the simpler ones...



I don't know what it is with me and trees.

Thanks to everyone for sticking with me through various personal and artistic slumps.  We all go through them.  Sometimes ... I think i'm pretty much done creatively.  Worry i'm out of things to say. Out of 'ink'.

But then, something.. somehow, a new day starts, and new crap pops out of me, just like the rest of you. Life, finds a way.  Sheesh ~ ow i'm quoting Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic.

Time to quit this post before i embarrass myself any further, eh?

Yup.

BLAST FROM THE PAST: Maxx Scans..

Scanning - scanning-scanning... I'll probably be soooooo sick of seeing Maxx at the end of all this, but has to be done!  That my camera cord dangling across the Maxx art.

People who see page one often ask if there's some significance to all those maxx 'logo' lettering in the upper left.  Just a artsy design element, nothing more.

Here's a little friend of maxx cover.. on small paper.. i did the previous friend cover on larger paper, but it has less detail than this smaller version. Really no rhyme or reason to why pages are different sizes.

For ease of printing headaches most Maxx pagers were mostly 10 x 15, the comic art size. This just fit those big 11x 17 scanners.

Sometimes the art was a little bigger on the Darker Image Maxx pages. Course i need to stop taking pics and put the art on face down if we're gonna scan now, eh?

Here's probably one of my favorites... i don't mean it egotistical way.

I just mean... *this* kind of creature is more like what i'd naturally draw, instead of trying to stuff Wolverine or Ghost Rider into my usual oddly-shaped proportions.

I could totally relax... be myself... while drawing this guy.. Maxx is really more of a fantasy book than super hero if you think about it.

Another nice part of the collected and Artists edition is.. i always intended to have the whole series start with darker image 8 pager ... following by Maxx issue 1.    I never got around to doing it in the old Maxx reprint trades from Wildstorm.

But we may as well get it right this go-around. Above is a little panel that kinda gets lost in the color. Kinda crude actually... but it's easier to see original art size.

I felt kinda embarrassed about a Artist Edition. Walt Simonson,  Mingola, sure. They deserve it. Honestly a lot of later issues of the Maxx have really hit and miss art. My fault mostly. Not Jim Sinclairs'.

I'm not fool enough to equate myself with the classic artists who IDW's done. I know it's just commercial popularity of the Maxx that would call for a Maxx artists edition.

I'd love to see an 'Epicurus' Artist Edition too... but that's much less popular (and not as well known. ) What i should really do is shut-the-heck-up and be grateful their even including Maxx in this series.

Yeah, while old school classic golden and silver age art collectors may cringe a 90's 'Image' comic made it in Artists Editions ... remember, Maxx is 20 years old. Some fans who were in high school at the time,

....those who grew up on it... *they* might dig checking the originals, right?

And if not, don't buy it, right?   I'll never be able to please everybody out there.

SDCC, 25th Years Sandman Panel, Tons of Fans, and a little Closure.

( Okay - this is a little confusing.. but i'm thanking Donnovan, Proxy and Ramon Kool for retrieving the Sandman post i lost, which i've edited down a little bit. Also Hey to Random Toxy. Also to Jenn: Yeah, the SDCC edition of Worlds wrap around cover swallows up the 'stick bird' on the back, but luckily the majority of fans will see the sticky bird in the regular edition.  Thanks to Adam S. and Amy B.. thanks and i'll try to sign some more copies soon... also have fallen behind on tons of old comments.. but thanks to my old small press pals John Holland and Tom Stazer for saying 'hey'.. and to anyone else i've missed. THANKS...!!! )

San Diego was NUTS... as expected, but the con crazies was all made worth it by everyone who stopped by! Praise to Ted Adams and the IDW folks for bring me out in the first place too! I'm afraid i was too bus signing to take more pics of myself signing, but there's enough of those online.

An old pal Joseph Melchior showed me his Sandman page (above), which I drew some 25 years ago. Way back in the day, Neil asked for the Sandman's cape to not go outside of the circle, so they shrunk Morpheus down on a state, which Joseph removed and had put on a stat.

After the Sandman panel Both Neil and I stared at the page.. so weird to see it after all these years...

Todd Klein took this cool pic of Neil checking the Sandman page.

I've always tried to keep a respectful distance from the whole Sandman thing. As I've said 

before, was less that proud of my brief contribution to it all. Also I struggled to have a career on my own after the Sandman too, without dissing Neil or the book itself. Fear of always seeming like Neil's little brother caused me to hermit away and I failed in staying in touch with him for too many years. Working together on the Charity Book for Heros.. helped mended those fences.

Above is a short video.. you may have to use headphone to hear what we're saying. 

Below is how the panel must have looked to fans in the audience.

Below how it felt inside...

Okay, I have no evidence Dave Mckean was checking out a hot babe, but J.H. Williams did tell me after the panel he was nervous too. Who wouldn't be? - it was a friggin' huge crowd.

But to jump back for a sec, when I finally saw Neil in person back stage for the first time in almost 20 years, and was intense. I sensed the PURE appreciation and love of all his fans flooding the audience with cheers and support even before we got on stage, it was damned near impossibly not to be moved. Yeah, it was Neil's night, righty so. And he proved he's an awesome verbal storyteller too.. and sure, i was proud for the small role I played in the book. Towards the end of the panel, I got kinda of flustered and started to ramble, but I thanks to Neil's graceful assurance that I was helpful in bring the Sandman to life. .... hopefully I didn't make too big a fool of myself.

Here's a big wolvie... and a little one. 

Seeing everyone, Neil, the fans.. kinda overwhelming, in a good way. 

For a guy who's often told he's often too hard on himself... was an kinda of emotional moment, 

and it sorta was a kind of 'closure' of sorts for me. 

ps: Thanks to my pal Tal Vigderson and Justin Eisinger for the sandman pic up top. 

San Diego Sched. & some Special Maxx Projects in the works...

Lot of Milestones this year: I've learned better than to fight people's nostalgia fix regarding the purple guy.  Same with the Sandman.  Weird that this SDCC is the Sandmans' 25th Anniversary... and Maxx's 20th. This DC Sandman panel I'm on on Saturday, will be the the first time I've seen Neil in person since Mike and I first met him in San Francisco some 20 years ago... back when the Sandman first started.  

Given my reclusive nature, possibly the last too. So at the risk of indulging in sentiment too, IDW will have some Big News at Comic Con... news that will hopefully fulfill *some* of that need for nostalgia. 

Not all... but some. : ) 

______

San Diego Comic Con  SCHEDULE, 2013   

Wed - 

6: 00-7:00 pm - Evening Signing: IDW Booth (#2643): Worlds of Sam Kieth  

(Check out the show-exclusive hardcover!... plus you can check out the regular version of the Hard cover too!)

------

Thur - 

1:00-2:00 pm:  Signing, IDW Booth (#2643)

* 3:30-4:00 pm:  Panel: Sam Kieth Special Announcement. Room 4 

 4:00-5:50  Oni - Signing - Booth (#1833)

(Check out the show-exclusive Dana and Nola print!.. and some preview Pages from the upcoming "Nola" Graphic Novel!) 

------

Fri - 

11:00 am-12:00 noon:  Signing, with Chris Ryall at IDW Booth (#2643)

* 4:00-5:00 pm:  IDW Panel - Sam alongside Various IDW Creators - Room 4 

------

Sat - 

10:00-11:00 am:  Signing, IDW Booth (#2643)

* 3:15-4:15 pm:  Sandman 25th Anniversary Panel, Room  6DE

* 5:00-6:00 pm:  Sam Kieth 'Overview of Career' Panel, Room 9 

------

Sun - 

11:00 am-12:00 noon:  Signing, IDW Booth (#2643) 

1:00: - 1:45…??? - Dark Horse Signing with John Layman - Dark Horse Booth (#2615) 

DOODLES: The only way I'm gonna get through all Four Days I'm afraid I'll have to do small doodles rather than any full sketches. Here's what a doodle looks like. If you aren't thrilled with it just throw it up on ebay for a few bucks. But remember.. there are easier ways to make a few bucks than to stand in line for an hour for a friggin' doodle!  : ) 

I'll be signing at the booths, and the Panels are mostly for info on various things or to ask questions. Course it's cool to being non IDW or Dark Horse Comics to get signed too. If you run into me on the floor, and you have ONE book with you want signed, that's cool. But more than one, I ask you please to use one of the times at the IDW book please. 

I know these things can be a little crazy, but I also know it's tough standing in line too. I APPRECIATE the hell out you doing so!!! Without comic fans, there would be no lines, no comic-cons and  comic creators in the first place. YOU guys and gals make all this stuff worth it. 

Together... we can get through the madness!!!!  

(Above) is a cool print I'll be signing at the Oni Booth too on Thursday.. i remember some fans said they wanted a print of this, so here's your chance!  

Now, onto other stuff... 

_________ 

Here's a guy I drawn in almost 20 years.. ( outside of a few commissions )... 

There'll be some New Announcements at comic con about this. - (Note the new Maxx cover i did at the top of this blog... and thee one here.. ) 

I know i'll get tons of questions at comic con... over if I will EVER do a new Maxx series again??? 

I believe you already *know* the answer to that, given my feelings about it. 

Another reason why I've avoided it is, (and it's a good thing)... i'm a different guy now. A new Maxx story wouldn't really feel the same, because I'm not the same. 

And my guess is... your not the same either... if you picked up the a new Maxx today,  I bet you'd read and understand it differently than you would've in high school, right? 

I don't hate the Maxx, if i did i wouldn't have started drawing him in the first place. These covers i'm doing are my way to kinda prove why it's a good idea for me NOT to do any new Maxx comics. I'm doing you a favor, TRUST me... I'm even weirder now than i was in the maxx days..

So if i'm not doing any new Maxx series.. what's left then? Well.. that's what we'll explain at the con, (and i'll tell you some more on the blog, when i get back from the con.) - There's a TON of cool stuff planned.  Tons of odds and ends, unseen stuff that's overflowing from my closet and can spill out into various projects. 

Hopefully some Maxx buzz.. might draw Maxx fans to my Worlds are books too. Plus I'll meet with Kim and were getting serious about some New Toys ideas too. 

But Drawing Maxx again.. doesn't feel as horrible as i thought. It's actually kinda...weirdly.. FUN, (long as i don't think about it too much.)  Everything about how Maxx looks... is intuitively designed for me to enjoy the process... it is how I would draw everything if i could. Round backs. Huge feet. 

Here's my version of the infamous 'splat' i did for the cover of Maxx 1. 

You can see the feet of my characters widening back in the pre-Maxx days, all those textures on the boots in those old MCP covers on the back with Ghost Rider. 

Just following my sub conscious really. That's what the Maxx was about. He just has a new home now is all. 

Make you a deal, i won't rain on your Nostalgia parade about old Maxx stuff, just stay open to checking out newer stuff I do too, ( which i know... DUH... most of you do anyway!) 

So we'll explain all these new Maxx-related projects in detail the con and on the blog like i said.  And 'newer stuff' wise? .. next post will have more art book pages.. 

... see i wasn't totally spazzing out for the last three months!

Well, maybe a little bit.