Post Megacon Update

Hey just thought I'd update after being back from Megacon. Me and James are actually in talks with a publisher for From Blood, so issue 1 was not at megacon this year though I did get a few commissions and sold a few prints. Here's one me and Jame's did just for fun.

Supergirl Megacon 2011 by ~JamesWhynotInks on deviantART
Also had a lot of fun getting to see old favorites like Hobbes, Patrick, Watts, James, Martin, and a whole slew of new friend's and contacts like Adam and Comfort of "the uniques," they also gave me a very valuable portfolio review and just talking to them about the philosophy of their work ethic really gave me a new attitude about working in comics in general. I also was able to spend only the money I made at the convention and managed, for the 1st time, to spend all of it in Artist's Alley. It went a lot faster but I really got surprised and how much good stuff was out there, and really took a chance with a lot of books that paid off when reading them - it was time for me to finally put my money where my mouth was, and it was great. There were also a few different people/organizations trying to raise money to help with the Tsunami Victims in Japan. One thing I'll be doing is contributing to the anthology for that very cause, which you can find here.
Other than that Paul Pope's comments on this panel really changed how I looked at my style, when he talked about Kirby as a "cartoonist" - which is usually such a shunned term to refer to comic artists who aren't doing funny books, but it's true. It's also the 1st time I've tried "indie spinner rack" since I normally listen to Comic Geek Speak.
I've penciled and inked two 10pg stories last month that will be published soon, and I'll give the details soon. I also just learned how drastic of a change in body language tilting a figure's head to one side or another can effect their mood/expression.

"From Blood" #1 available at Megacon 2011

I've started teaching sequential art at the Community College of Aurora here in Colorado, which has been very fun and rewarding, though just like comics you have to do it for the love of it. I heard a quote the other day that I really liked, "Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life."

Viking Battle by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

"From Blood" Issue 1 Cover by ~xaqBazit on deviantART
Here's some new art, since its been a while. Ive been hard at work and now am proud to announce me and James will have the 1st issue of our 1st series that is all us - meaning we created it all. "From Blood" #1 of 2 will be 30pgs long, black and white interior and a color cover. This is the pencil version of the cover - price should be around $3.00 and will premiere at Mega Con 2011. It will be lettered by Michael Moore.

Con Schedule 2011

It's been a while. I'm back at the drawing board getting started on Souled issue 2, and a few other projects with cosmic times comics as well as the first half of a book me and James have been working on that were calling "from blood" - the first issue will be 30pgs b+w and should be ready to debut at Megacon. I've been working on coloring the Dynast as well as winding up to teach a Class on graphic Novels at the Community College of Aurora later this month. So between my computer crashing in the middle of all that and me and my wife changing day jobs its been hectic since mid-november but it's good to be back and doing art that is better than ever. So far I've planned to attend the following conventions in 2011:
Megacon - entity, from blood and souled will all debut with some contribution from me.
SuperShow (those guys keep me motivated all day long)
SwarmCon (scad)
Ny Comic Con (hopefully)
San Diego Comic Con (hopefully)

I may be selling original comic pages and art at the con's as well as doing convention sketches for $10. We'll see how things go, hopefully we can finish up Souled, get in some other projects and finish up "From Blood" before 2012, just in case the world does end. Oh yeah and I also finished digitally painting my first cover for souled #1 - which is full color by the way for only 3.50 thanks to my friend Kevin Ziegler, as well as my wife doing the alternative cover. See the cosmic times website for more info here.


Souled Issue 1 - Cover by ~xaqBazit on deviantART


as well as a teaser trailer for Souled that used some of the interior artwork.

Post Megacon 2010

As a guest of What the Flux Comics, my Megacon table looked like this. With my prints on the lower left, portfolio to the right and shirts in the background. I was able to sell at least one of everything I had at the table. I also had the Concrete Dove posters, I inked and colored, as well as my shirts and Bellydancer posters, and actually had quite a diverse audience for them. I later started hanging the following sketches, that I did, live, at the con, on the front of the table to get people interested in Commissions, which you can see below, of Daredevil, Emma Frost, Batman and Batgirl.

Batgirl Con Sketch by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Batgirl con sketch - inked by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

I did end up getting four Commissions, including: Death, a character the man apparently got various con sketches of and seemed to list mine among his favourites, and mentioned it getting very positive comments from several other artist’s he approached to do one. A fellow artist’s personal character, for whom I regret to say I don’t remember the name (please email if you find this and let me know so I can link you). Batgirl sitting atop the Hulk’s shoulder. And a character from Patrick Sessom’s comic S.O.A.R.

Megacon Commissions 2010 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART
Jeramy Hobbs, a fellow WTFC artist seemed to like my work quite a bit and I was asked to ink one of his pieces. This one of the main characters from God of War and Assassin’s Creed fighting one another, I was told this piece sold, later that same day.

God of War vs Assassins Creed by ~xaqBazit on deviantART
I got to sit next to Larry Watts and his wife Sarah, who along with Patrick Sessoms and Randy Taylor, along with a few others were running the ICCW table right next to us. We were all kind of in the corner, and business was hard. There were many artists but very few companies – so networking was about the only option and for that reason ICCW flourished, with around 25 new members after the first day. The ICCW rampage Vol. 1, featured my story “Friend$hip” and Patrick’s story that I inked, “3:33am” will premiere in Vol. 2.
I got to meet new artists, such as Banky Farando, Patrick Larcada, Matt Buck, and Lamar Mathurin as well as catch up with some past acquaintances from the Mini-Megacon, and old friends like Ryan Miller. I also bought a book from Botobit, Epidemic vol. 1 – which, like the ICCW rampage vol. 1, was an anthology of different artists from around the globe, though more fine arts related and less sequential focused. I also stopped and grabbed a flyer for the Orange County Regional History Center, who have several comic themed exhibits, both currently and upcoming.

I got a few artists’ to critique my portfolio and recent work in Decision’s, such as Rick Tucker and various companies I talked to. And I was even asked to review up and coming artist’s portfolio’s, which was great, such as Jeanette Pabon, who is working on putting a website together. I got to meet and talk art with one of my recent influences, Erick Jones, one of my all time favourite artist’s Dave Dorman, and others as I examined their wealth of original artwork they all had on hand.

I was also able to spend some time at the Cosmic Times booth with Robin on Sunday, where we signed the first available copies of Decisions for customers, which premiered this weekend, and got to talk with two of the nicest people working in Indy Comics. Here’s a pic of the three of us, the creative team for the 1st issue, excluding only the cover artist Dan Mann, who was also available for autographs at the con though I didn’t get a chance to meet, and the editor Connie Voss. (From left to right: Martin –writer-, Robin –letterer- and me, Zach –interior artist).


I did want to mention, to those of you who bought the book, and there is a note towards the end of the book that Cosmic Times is depending on readers like you writing in and letting them know what you think about the series, to decide weather of not to continue Decisions into a series. So send in those reviews! Speaking of which, we should hear back soon after from a few different blogs and websites who will be giving their opinion. Arthur: The Legend Continues, the Legend Continues (their flagship book) was received very well and even featured on the popular podcast Comic Book Geek Speak (CBGS) so I can’t wait to hear back about this one.

I was able to pick up some trades I was looking for at ½ cover price such as The Return of Superman, New X-men: Vol. 2, Fables Vol. 1 and Vertigo’s: First Cut. And while not everyone who stopped and looked bought something, most did take the time to grab a business card and that exposure alone is enough to help. All in all it was a great first Convention to officially be on the other side of the table at.

I was also informed I am slated to ink their next coming first issue – Outlaws, as the banner displayed on their website shows.

Megacon Preview

I'll more than likely be at the What the Flux booth durring most of Megacon which is located in the Orange Section of Artist's Alley, booths 21-23.

I'll also have a 11x17 pinup poster I inked and colored at the What the Flux booth for Concrete Dove for sale.

Possibly a few t-shirts featuring some the Elephant and the Angel Warrior from my DA pages.

ill have prints of the belly dancer available for sale.

Belly Dancer Commission by ~xaqBazit on deviantART
as well as the iccw anthology in which these two stories are published.

Friend$hip - pg 1 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Friend$hip - pg 2 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

"3:33am" I inked and "Friend$hip" i did all on my own. You can read the first few pages of each on my DA page by clicking either one of the pictures.


3:33am Pg 1 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

3:33am Pg 3 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

And don't forget a whole issue of interior b+w artwork in "Decisions" for Cosmic Times Publishing at their booth. With beautiful cover art by Dan Mann and letters by Robin. Check out the page for more a plot synopsis and credits on their website.


Decisions, issue 1- preview by ~xaqBazit on deviantART
And of course I'll have plenty of original art on hand for all to see in my portfolio.