Lady AVENGERS Week: vintage customego box art

In the past week, I've been reading a lot online about the next Marvel's The Avengers film, and about lady super-heroes. I've been stewing but I can't hold back my opinions any longer!

In other words, welcome to lady Avengers week!

We'll start off with some vintage art, from my customego boxes: as you may recall, I used to customize Mego action figures...hundreds over the years! Among them, fewer Marvel, and fewer Avengers, and fewer still, lady Avengers. 

But I did do a few versions of the Scarlet Witch (earlier drafts sold, final draft is still in my collection). I always liked the Scarlet Witch and my custom was pretty much an early triumph of mine, turning a corner from "ugh" to "wow."

I also customized an impressive Tigra. I LOVE Tigra...not because she's a sexually charged anthropomorphic diva, but because her tagline was "...the were-woman!" So if a werewolf is a man who turns into a man-wolf, is a were-woman a man who turns into a man-woman? Anyway, I sold the custom in my big custom purge.

Let's not forget She-Hulk...but I customized her in her Fantastic Four uniform, so let's forget her for this entry.

Lastly, I customized a Ms. Marvel. Primarily because I stumbled upon a minty Mego Health Spa Dinah-Mite for $5, where on eBay the very rare figures fetched over $50 at the time. To not put the figure to waste, presto, Ms. Marvel. The custom turned out horribly, but, the figure is rare, so I won't give it up.

By 2001, I was also drawing comics a lot as well, having decided to give it my all. The more serious I became about comics, the less time I had for customizing for fun. I had several customs mid-finished, but then sold off most of the parts. Among the abandoned projects were the Black Widow and the winsome Wasp.

I'm kind of in the mood to remake Ms. Marvel circa 1977, which would be more Mego-appropriate...love the giant scarf and exposed midriff. But I don't think I have any material left and I doubt I could even operate the customizing machine any longer!

As far as box art goes, it's pretty weak. I was struggling with photoshop coloring mixed with apathy...driven by some force to complete the customs, as if anyone cared.

So, Tigra, Ms. Marvel, Black Widow, and Wasp all have not-great drawings for me at the time, with lousy coloring. I can tell by looking back at these drafts my heart wasn't in it any longer. The She-Hulk (which I think I also sold) and the Scarlet Witch each had a better showing from me...good for me at the time figure drawing, with much improved digital coloring.

In case you're wondering about the man Avengers, I also customized a Hawkeye (sold), Vision (sold), Black Panther (sold). In fact, the only Avenger I officially have left in my collection is Scarlet Witch, whom I deemed an "essential" Avenger for reasons I'll explain later in the week. True, I still have the Ms. Marvel, but only because I won't yet part with the rare figure.

My goodness, you're not still reading, are you?

CAVALCADE OF BOYS: OUT OF PRINT

 What an adventure for me! After the Cavalcade one-shot was so well rec'd at my early comic book convention appearances, I threw myself into the series, completing issues 2-9 (plus the prequel issue ½). I thought that was the end, but I was beckoned back into the guys' world when Bay Windows asked me to continue as a weekly half-page series, which ultimately became Love is the Reason; that and Trust/Truth were published as stand-alone graphic novels using the Cavalcade cast. From the first outline of the one-shot to the publication of Trust/Truth, the venture spanned a decade!

Sales of the original issues were encouraging, so I compiled them into a 3-trade paperback series. When V1 ran dry within a year, I reprinted into a jumbo complete book. When those sold out, I took the remaining V2 and V3 (as I'd underestimated how many solo V1s I would sell) and tri-packed it with a special run of V1 to keep it all in print a bit longer. My last copies just sold, and I don't have any immediate plans to reprint. 

But here's some fun vintage art related to the series!

The whole thing began when Kelly encouraged me to write and draw an OGN about our time in Saint Louis, while coincidentally Velour Matt was encouraging me to write an OGN about his life. Both factors pushed me to outline 3 64-page one-shot auto-bio comics...which, I suppose I thought I would compile into a single book. After I finished the drawing draft 1 of Strugglers (the first of the three stories), I jumped ahead to Cavalcade (the third of the three), as the gay content was fun to draw, and I wasn't happy with my outline of the middle story. Along the way, Strugglers was added to and edited from the 64 page version to the published 100 page OGN and Cavalcade ballooned out to the 550 page collection plus the two stand-alone OGNs.

But don't feel bad for the middle story! Both Strugglers and Cavalcade were pushed far, far beyond auto-bio...but I never found a way to do so with the middle story. And, as it was focused on my experience with a boss from Hell, it was all pretty negative. Sure, my general story telling vibe is "downer," but there's always rays of hope snuck in. I wasn't able to think of any to sneak in, so it was abandoned. EXCEPT!—a few key scenes and Stephanie Shane made it into Cavalcade as the basis for issue ½. 

So, enjoy the original character sketches from the middle story, the story that never was, the story that cannot be. And, resell your copies of Cavalcade on eBay.  

So, what's the future of Cavalcade? Not sure... I have drawn 2 one-pagers recently, which I had in mind to create as a free digital mini or convention mini. And, I suppose I could kickstarter to do a reprint of the jumbo. Or maybe kickstarter to hire a colorist to color the series and/or publish as a hardcover. My ambition will be directly linked to the reaction and response I get or don't get here! 

I have to admit, at this point, toiling to make a page of comic art is far less rewarding than it is to, say, toil to refinish a 24"x16"x18" 2-drawer McCobb cabinet. And, even when I do finish a shortie, the pre-press is laborious, then I'm in a jam with storage. But the refinished vintage maple furniture is a joy to look at and use. 

It does make me chuckle a bit...my loft allows me the space to have a drafting table after all these years, but since I got it, it's been nearly dormant. To the point that I'm thinking of selling it off so I can create a pleasant sitting area where it currently sits. 

Thoughts?

Gods & Undergrads

My awesome friend Monica Gallagher (most recently of Oni Press' Glitter Kiss fame) is compiling V3 of her opus Gods & Undergrads, and asked me to do a pinup as a bonus.

In a nutshell, college girl goes to college and does college-things and has college angst, while she's toyed with by the Greek gods. 

How? Why?

Sure, you could read the series at http://eatyourlipstick.com , but I think, instead, you should buy the series in print!

Here's my rendition of Hermes giving Neal the ride of his life, far above the Troy University campus.  

Yes, I do work

Before I taught myself how to draw in a sketchbook, I did my best work on lined paper and meeting agendas. The blank page was too intimidating, or something.

As my bosses were really cool with me drawing during meetings and such, as I actually pay attention better. But with new bosses, and new VPs, I dropped the habit for some time.

Kick forward to new relationships forged with the aforementioned, and it seems I'm back in business! 

Here's another Black Canary on her hog (cut free from an agenda, away from the words), and an actual agenda from a few weeks ago, where the drawings really only are fun in the context of "this is a meeting agenda."

I love being back in the stage where I can do this stuff at work!!!

***UPDATE***

Yikes, it hit me that August 1 was my decade-versary at MIT!

I had worked there, but decided to quit and move back to Saint Louis to write and draw on the cheap, giving dream-pursuit my 100%. After many 15 hour days of building my portfolio, I decided I could slow down to fewer hours and pick up a part time job for some steady cash. But, on a trip back east, an old boss offered me a great full time position I couldn't say no to. I thought I'd do it for 2 years, refill my coffers, continue get my work out there, and see where I could go.

At the end of the two years, I was having fun at work, so I decided to stay until I stopped having fun. By the time the fun ended, the economy had tanked, the freelancing assignments stopped flowing in, and my book sales dried up. But I still held a good job, and after throwing in many personal-life-family factors, instead of returning to draw full time, I bought my loft instead. A bit locked in!

But what a decade in comics, at the office and at home!

I continued my comics work nearly full time "on the side" writing, drawing, publishing 5 trade paperback collections and 3 graphic novels. I was picked up by 3 foreign publishers, ran a newspaper weekly for 18 months, had original and repurposed work published by Marvel, Fantagraphics, Oni, Seven Stories Press, and a half dozen indie anthologies. 

At MIT, the team I manage has grown from me + 5 to me + 11, and our function has been expanded significantly. I've been promoted thrice. I've grown with each vice-presidential turnover. I treat each day with enough experience to know that I can't possibly know anything, and that I must continue to learn my industry. No absolutes, about anything, anytime, anywhere, anyone.

At home, I've seen my grandmother pass and had to put poor Aggie to sleep. I've moved 4 times, finally settling after purchasing my loft. I've helped design and renovate my kitchen and storage areas; customized a half dozen pieces of furniture; designed and built 10 case pieces; refinished 4 "yard sale" pieces, 2 Pascoe chairs, 3 Aalto bookcases, and 9 McCobb case pieces.

Inside my noggin, the decade started kicking the old me in the balls. The pendulum swung too far the other way, and the "journey" I embarked on was enormously helpful in keeping me more in the center, more balanced. My face has the lines it didn't a decade ago, but they're here with good reason.

Though I haven't been drawing much lately, and I keep telling myself I should, I just can't keep pushing the way I did 10 years ago. You know how it goes.

 

For the *love* of Grayskull!

The past week was nightmarishly hot and humid in Boston. Not the best was to end Rich's bi-annual visit. But, we road-tripped to Newport RI one day, NH the next, and back to Boston in time for the weather to break.

A few weekends ago, when we were in NH for a few days, I was sketchbooking up a storm while relaxing. You'll recall last week's post was a result of overdue ketchup of "I'd like to see your take on Gatchaman," and this week's is the overdue conclusion of "I'd like to see your take on She-Ra."

Ah, She-Ra. 

The '80s spawned many joint ventures between animation and toy companies resulting in the Transformers, G.I. Joe, Jem, He-Man, and She-Ra, and probably more. Literally cartoons/toys created in unison, a marketing and sales one-two punch. 

She-Ra was the worst. Her cast was comprised of things the warehouse had surplus parts for:

Hong Kong factory floor manager: I've got some koala bears, some owl beaks, and some rainbow fabric.

Showrunner: Perfect!

She-Ra also had the perfect love interest, so unappealing to women as a man that he didn't really bother the feminists, and just homoerotic enough to keep all the little gay boys watching.

Turns out I love drawing She-Ra! Part Wonder Woman (warrior of peace and love), part Valkyrie, and all drag queen. Seriously, if there's ever a live-action movie, she *must* be played by a drag queen.

I like it, I like it a lot.

Another long overdue drawing in both the categories of "I want to draw ___" and requests I receive, "I'd like to see your take on ___." I've teased you with other primers, but here it is: science ninja team Gatchaman.

I, of course, was first exposed to the team as the focal point of the series Battle of the Planets, a drastic rescripting of the Japanese series for a US audience in immediate and desperate need for sci-fi after the runaway success of Star Wars.

This drawing took me a while to work up to; it can't really be a stand-and-pose drawing, since the characters are all similarly but distinctly dressed. And, with 5 of them having similar but distinct abilities, a fight scene is also a challenge. At the end of the day, I thought the task at hand would be to showcase their personalities as best I could.

And, a major challenge in the drawing in layers don't smudge the heck out of the original art. I mostly succeeded, with just a few smudges that cleaned up alright. Color would be good on this one someday, but it was a nice exercise. I'm somewhat pleased!

Oh—the blog post title comes from the mid-90s redux of the series. Richie and I say that to each other often, as well as a quote from Solaris, "You fool, you failed."

Happy Independence Day!

This July 4th feels even more special, with such advancements in gay rights. It's nice to feel proud to be an American!

To celebrate, here are the Star-Spangled Kid and Stripsey from Earth-TF (Tim Fish).

If you're familiar with the pair from the Golden Age of comics, you know they were something like rival "mystery men" who ended up joining forces to kick some Nazi butt. Weak.

On Earth-TF, let's say Irish rugby-player type chauffeur/mechanic is hired to keep fruity Ivy-Leaguer out of trouble when he's home on break. Joke's on Sylvester Pemberton's parents though, since they've hired closet-case Pat Dougan as body-guard. So, one night, stumbling out of a "gentlemen's club" in a back alley they inadvertently stop some Nazi villainry. 

All jazzed up with the thrill of hero-dom, they get all patriotic and gay.

Better?