January Covers - BONUS!

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I wanted to make sure it was okay to show this cover before posting it on my blog since it didn't actually appear in the solicitations, and now that I've been given the green light, here it is - the variant cover for AVENGERS/INVADERS #8 featuring the new Captain America and the original Invaders. Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

AVENGERS/INVADERS #8 (of 12)
Written by JIM KRUEGER & ALEX ROSS
Penciled by STEVE SADOWSKI
Cover by ALEX ROSS
Variant Cover by STEVE EPTING
With the real enemy revealed, two teams of Avengers are drawn together for a brutal battle royale. Meanwhile, a secret from the Invaders’ past threatens to destroy the present, upend the chessboard and send several heroes back through the veils of time...perhaps lost forever.
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99

I've always loved the Invaders so I jumped at the chance to do this. And here's a little bonus - the approved thumbnail layout:

January Covers

A couple of covers have leaked out from the January 2009 solicitations.


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First up - Captain America #46. Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

CAPTAIN AMERICA #46
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils & Cover by STEVE EPTING
70th Anniversary Variant Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC (see page 4)
Eisner-Winning artist Steve Epting returns as the New Captain America comes face-to-face with an old ally -- Prince Namor -- on a dangerous trip to China. Can Bucky and Namor team up to save the memory of an old comrade-in-arms as Cold War crimes come back to haunt the Winter Soldier? Part 1 of 3.
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99

You may notice that I'm erroneously described as an "Eisner-Winning artist", when in fact I am only an Eisner nominated artist. I'll have to try to get that corrected if possible.


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The second January cover is for the CAPTAIN AMERICA: THEATER OF WAR series of one-shots covering Cap's time during WW2. Here's how Marvel describes it:

CAPTAIN AMERICA: THEATER OF WAR: AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
Written by PAUL JENKINS
Art by GARY ERSKINE
Cover by STEVE EPTING
The third in a series chronicling the adventures that made Captain America the hero we know today, Paul Jenkins (MYTHOS) does what he does best, weaving a tale of war, brotherhood and legacy. From skinny Steve Rogers at boot camp to the Super-Soldier leading a battalion of men against the Nazis, this is the Captain America you thought you knew but you’ve never seen. And when the choice is between his country or his best friend, this is the decision he had to make.
64 PGS./Rated T+ ...$4.99

I had great fun painting this one, and even though this is the fastest I've ever painted a cover I'm fairly pleased with it. I would love to do more WW2 stuff.

Overpass Assault

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Another dopey speedpainting done over the course of the last week or so. No story behind this one - it was just done for fun and as a warmup before painting some covers.

Now I'm going to tempt fate and again attempt to show you an animated version that condenses the 2 hours or so of painting time into about 15 seconds. It didn't work out too well the last time I tried this, so let's see what happens today.


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Sketchbook 008

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The center figure is a sketch of my daughter playing at her computer. The others are from the covers of some of her DVDs. Hopefully at least one of those is recognizable.