"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.

notes from a monkey with a hand grenade

803 published "notes from a monkey with a hand grenade" which has the short story i colored "mommy said." james posted it on his da - here it is. as well as a sci-fi pinup i drew and he inked.


Xaq Bazit's Sci Fi PinUP by ~JamesWhynotInks on deviantART

Mommy said page 1 by ~JamesWhynotInks on deviantART

Mommy Said page 2 by ~JamesWhynotInks on deviantART

Mommy Said page 3 by ~JamesWhynotInks on deviantART

Mommy Said page 4 by ~JamesWhynotInks on deviantART

Mommy said page 5 by ~JamesWhynotInks on deviantART

Mommy Said page 6 by ~JamesWhynotInks on deviantART

K+H #6 and New Influences

I've found some new influences I've been looking at a lot lately like beart sears, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Steve Scroce, Bill Reinhold - awesome inker, and more of the usual Rick Leonardi and Walt Simonson. Also been getting into mainstays like Joe/andy/adam Kubert and Jack Kirby. Out of the new guys I think Koi Pham is pretty good and I think Ivan Reis is the new Jim Lee, someone who could actually meet his drawing ability and be his stylistic sucessor (i think the inking is one of the main ways they look different) and yet his storytelling doesn't fall into the all too overused Jim Lee Sterotypes, similar to what I'm finding JRJR does as well.

As far as Kord and Harley goes - NO I didn't draw or color these, but I did ink them. That credit goes to Johnathan Rector for pencils and Chandran Ponnusamy for colors. Comes out soon from Arcana.

Kord and Harley 6 - Cover by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Kord and Harley 6 preview-pgs by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Kord and Harley 6 preview-DPS by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Mysteria - at long last

I did these about a year ago and they are still some of my most polished work. I hadn't got to show them until now. The story jumps around a lot and as mentioned on my DA page the character, and script etc are property of J.L Reid. While the colored and lettered comic used to be featured on he website it now seems to be defunct.

Mysteria Pencils - pg 1 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Mysteria Inks - pg 1 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Mysteria Pencils - pg 2 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Mysteria Inks - pg 2 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Mysteria Pencils - pg 3 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Mysteria Inks - pg 3 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Mysteria Pencils - pg 4 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Mysteria Inks - pg 5 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Mysteria Pencils - pg 5 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Mysteria Inks - pg 4 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Mysteria Pencils - pg 6 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Mysteria Inks - pg 6 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Mysteria Pencils - pg 7 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Mysteria Inks - pg 7 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Mysteria Pencils - pg 8 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

Mysteria Inks - pg 8 by ~xaqBazit on deviantART

R.I.P - a generation of greats passes on

Got to take a break and finish writing a 3-issue script I've been wanting to get finished, and the first arc of a web/newspaper comic directed at kids ive been wanting to get started, in between issues.
I just added my ashcan Amanda to my Webcomics Nation account, so everyone can read it now. I started it in college and finally finished it. The center page is a fold out.
With the recent death of Al Williamson I couldn't help but notice how many legends of the comics world have been passing recently. Dick Giordano, Frank Frazetta, Will Eisner ((who even coined the term "graphic novel") among others. If you don't know their work you should check these guys out, chances are you've seen it without knowing. It also brings up the point that if you get a chance to meet one of your heroes at a con or signing etc, like I got to meet Dick, say hi, let them how much their work meant to you - if you're working in comics chances are these guys helped pave the way and direction of where it is now and where it went for the last 30 or more years. The phrase "standing on the shoulders of giants" would not be misused to describe what we're able to do today because of these guys. They spent their life working on comics and many were still doing it when they passed. Their spirit will live on through the pages, the new readers and their influence/inspiration on the generations of both readers and their modern day protégés that follow and are now succeeding them. R.I.P. guys, and thank you for everything.

Decisions Review

Indy Hunter recently reviewed Decisions issue 1 saying my art "...has a rough style that speaks to me as an artist. It’s a bit raw, unrefined but highly energetic. It does however seem a bit rushed and too loose in some areas. Also there were some structure issues in the second story that I wonder if drawn as an afterthought. With that being said, I think there is some promise with both Martin and Zach as a regular writer/art team. I do look forward to seeing how these guys mesh and progress into one working, effective voice." Se the rest of his review here.
I also just finished inking issue 6 and the first half of issue 7 of Kord & Harley for Mortal World Entertainment. And that is being published by Arcana Comics. Should be cool.