The Completely Unnecessary Marvel Comics 70th Anniversary Graphic Novel Cover Meme

From Stuart Immonen:

Here’s the deal. Remember the Typophile Album Cover Meme? This is much like that, requiring you to re-imagine a Marvel Comics cover from the last 70 years as an actual contemporary novel cover. Follow the steps below, and post the results on your own site or forum:

1) Click this link for a list of Marvel publications from a random month and year at Wikia.com: Random Marvel date*. Choose the 7th cover (if there are fewer than 7, choose the last one). EDIT: I thought I had the java script working but I don't - click over to Stuart's post and follow his directions there. HIs link works.

2) Search for the first word appearing on the cover that jumps out at you (this may be the title itself) on Flickr. Select the 7th (or last) image (as with the album cover meme, it’s best to select an image with Creative Commons rights released).

3) Use your favourite image manipulation app to create a new 6×9 image, incorporating the original title (and as much other original text as you like) and the new image.

4) Share!


I got July 1959 and Tales to Astonish #4:



and here's my revision/update:



To see what some others have come up with, see Stuart's post here.

Happy 70th Marvel Comics.

Two Down...

It's August 21st, the second anniversary of this blog, and in keeping with tradition that also means... it's Hellboy Day! Like last year, I have no time to spare for anything elaborate, so I've slapped some quick colors on a commission that I previously posted in black and white. Yes, Hellboy deserves better, but it'll have to do for now. Thanks to all my regular visitors and subscribers, and a special thanks as always to those of you who leave your comments. I'm hoping to post more often in the future, even if it's just a quick doodle or something, and if there's anything in particular any of you want to see here let me know! On to year three!

MARVELS PROJECT #2 Preview

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Marvel has released some preview pages for the second issue of THE MARVELS PROJECT over on their website. Have a look here.

I promise my next post will be about something else :)

More MARVELS PROJECT

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Here's a few more links about THE MARVELS PROJECT, courtesy of Newsarama, and some more pages from issue #1 in black and white.

Best Shots Extra: THE MARVELS PROJECT #1
The MARVELS PROJECT Project: NICK FURY

The MARVELS PROJECT Project - CAPTAIN AMERICA

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Another Newsarama article on THE MARVELS PROJECT - this time focusing on Captain America and featuring my cover for issue #4:

The MARVELS PROJECT Project - CAPTAIN AMERICA

The Marvels Project: Black and White preview

The first issue of The Marvels Project hits in about a week and several previews have already appeared online, so I've decided to post some of the pages in the original black and white, just to offer something different here on the ol' blog. Several articles have appeared on Newsarama promoting the series as well, so hey, let's link 'em:

The New History: Steve Epting on Drawing The Marvels Project
The MARVELS PROJECT Project: Marvel History with Ed Brubaker
THE MARVELS PROJECT Project - THE ANGEL
The MARVELS PROJECT Project - THE HUMAN TORCH

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San Diego Comic-Con!

Hey guys and gals, in one short week I'll be attending Comic-Con in San Diego along with about 130,000 other people. This year I'm honored to be a special guest of the Con and to celebrate the occasion I finally jumped on the bandwagon and produced a sketchbook that I'll be offering for sale at my table in Artist's Alley (that's table AA-19 by the way). But that's not all! You will also have the opportunity to purchase a limited edition Captain America lithograph for the first time. You following me camera guy? That's right, a 32 page magazine sized sketchbook and a limited edition print. The sketchbook features a lot of art from the past several years including commissions and other rare pieces that have never been published. It was fun putting it together and I hope if you're in attendance you'll come by and take a look at it.

Also, on Friday from 3:00 - 4:00 I'll be holding a panel in Room 8 trying to think of something interesting to say. Come by and help me out by asking an interesting question if you're not already attending one of the zillion other panels going on at the same time.

I plan to be doing sketches at the show, but I unfortunately cannot take pre-orders (for those of you that have asked). I just don't have the time. And while I'm at it, let me apologize for not having time to respond to the email requests that have come my way. If I haven't gotten back to you yet please don't take it personally. I'm still working on catching up.

UPDATE: I'll be signing at the Marvel Booth (#2429) at the following times:

Saturday, July 25th - 5:00pm to 6:00pm
Sunday, July 26th - 12:00pm to 1:00pm

Heroes Con '09 Sketches

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Here's a few of the sketches that were done at this year's Heroes Con. Thanks to all who came by!

The Marvels Project #2 Cover

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Marvel's September 2009 solicitations are now available for all to see, and this time they include The Marvels Project #2. Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

THE MARVELS PROJECT #2 (of 8)
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils by STEVE EPTING
Cover by STEVE MCNIVEN
Variant Cover by STEVE EPTING
Variant Cover by GERALD PAREL
The award-winning and best-selling team of Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting bring you CHAPTER TWO in this definitive tale of the origins of the Marvel heroes. As 1940 hits the world is already changing -- The Human Torch is on the run, The Angel makes his masked debut, The Sub-Mariner stalks the surface-worlders who have targeted his people -- and a young soldier named Nick Fury saves a German scientist from the Nazis and leads him to the USA. The battle-lines drawn in this race to create superhuman weapons of mass destruction still reverberate today in the Marvel Universe -- as this epic espionage thriller continues to unfold and reveal new twists!
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99

Painting the Human Torch on fire is still a challenge. I probably spent as much time on the Torch alone as I did the entire rest of the cover. Below is the rough sketch that was approved, and this time around I followed it pretty much exactly when doing the final painting.


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Summer Conventions

Hey everyone, I've got a couple of convention appearances this summer to let you know about.


First, I'll be attending all three days at Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC next weekend (June 19, 20, and 21). I've also agreed to do two stints at the Hero Initiative Booth. The first will be on Friday, June 19th from 11:30 - 12:30. This means that I won't be at my regular table until about 1:00 on Friday. I know people like to line up early for sketches, so I just want to make you all aware that I won't be sketching at my table when the show opens - but rather at the Hero Initiative booth. A similar schedule will happen on Saturday. From 10:30 - 12:00 at Hero Initiative, and then on to my regular table. Hopefully we can avoid the mix ups that happened with the sketch lines last year (for which I apologize, but it was out of my control).




I'll also be at San Diego Comicon July 23-26. I don't have a specific schedule for that one yet, but I will be doing a panel at some point during the weekend.

If you're planning to attend either of these shows, come by and say hello!

The Marvels Project #1 Cover

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Preview solicitations are out for August 2009 featuring The Marvels Project #1. Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

THE MARVELS PROJECT #1 (of 8)
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils & Cover by STEVE EPTING
Variant Cover by GERALD PAREL
70th Anniversary Party Variant by PHIL JIMENEZ
The centerpiece of Marvel's 70th Anniversary celebration! Who is the mysterious old man who lies on his deathbed in a hospital in 1939, and how does his passing mark the beginning of the first heroic age of the Marvel Universe — and signal the rise of the superhumans? Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting unveil the defining story of the origin of the Marvel Universe, revealing the hidden connections that unite the earliest costumed champions, and whose reverberations are felt dramatically into the present day! It’s a world on the brink of war, and the race is on to create the world's first super-soldier! Witness the first days of the Human Torch, the Sub-Mariner, and many more-- how they shaped the world to come, and how the future they would create in turn shaped them! The must-read event of the season for any Marvel fan from the Award-Winning creators who redefined Captain America for the modern audience!
32 PGS./Cardstock Cover/Parental Advisory ...$3.99

Lots of texture overlays and some different painting techniques this time around, resulting in a slightly different look than the Captain America covers (at least I think so). I wish I had more time to experiment, but the ever present deadlines are relentless, as always.

Invader!

Something a little different this time - a logo I did for a friend's band:



and here are a few shots of the logo in "action":






I have a background in graphic design, but haven't done much of it in the comics industry. I did however, create the logo for one of the books I worked on. Anyone care to take a guess?

Toronto!

Tomorrow and Sunday I'll be at the Toronto Comicon Fan Appreciation Event. If you're in the area come by and say hello!

UPDATE: My flight isn't until Saturday morning so I don't know what time I'll get there... but it's safe to say I probably won't be at the show when it opens. I'm coming straight from the airport and will get there as soon as possible!

Green Girl

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Just for fun I did a very quick copy of a Jack Faragasso painting. The original has a great painterly quality I wanted to try to emulate digitally. I also love the unexpected color choices. It reminds me of something Harley Brown says - that if you get the values right, the eye will accept the unlikeliest colors.

Captain America #600 Cover

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No, you didn't miss 449 issues. After Captain America #50 in May, the book will return to it's original numbering making the next issue #600. Here's how it's described in Marvel's June 2009 Solicitations:

CAPTAIN AMERICA #600
Written by ED BRUBAKER with MARK WAID, ROGER STERN & OTHERS
Pencils by BUTCH GUICE, LUKE ROSS, DALE EAGLESHAM & OTHERS
Cover by STEVE EPTING
50/50 Cover by ALEX ROSS
Where were you when Captain America died? It's the anniversary of the day Steve Rogers was killed, a day of reflection and mourning in the Marvel U...a time to look back on the things Steve did and what he stood for... or is this issue actually the beginning of the most wicked plot twist since issue 25? Yeah, actually it's both. Plus, contributions from Cap creators past and present, including a very special essay by Joe Simon, a classic story from Cap’s Golden Age, a full gallery of 600 Cap covers, and more anniversary shenanigans than you can shake a shield at!
104 PGS./New and Reprints/Rated T+ ...$4.99

A fairly straightforward cover of James Buchanan Barnes in his three identities all under the watchful eye of Steve Rogers. It should be a great issue and I'm looking forward to reading it.

sketchbook 015

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Wow, I apologize for the long absence from the ol' blog. I didn't realize it had been this long. Hopefully you all didn't wreck the place while I was gone. I should be back to my regular 2 - 3 times a week posting from now on, provided I can come up with something to show you. For now, here's another sketchbook page I filled up a while back but just now got around to scanning.

Captain America #50 Cover

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Better late than never (or so I'm told) - here is the cover to Captain America #50. What will you find inside? Here's what Marvel's solicitations have to say on the subject:

CAPTAIN AMERICA #50
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils by LUKE ROSS
Cover by STEVE EPTING
Bucky Barnes, another man out of time, is the new Captain America now...but today he's trapped in the past, because today is Bucky Barnes' birthday. See Bucky's favorite and least favorite birthdays - from the cold winters of the Depression on military bases, to the front lines of WW2 fighting alongside the Invaders, to his new mission as Cap. Oh yeah, and someone's trying to kill him. By Ed Brubaker and Luke Ross.
48 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99

This, and the rest of Marvel's product for the month of May 2009 can be found here.

Victorian Detective

I know you're all waiting breathlessly for the cover process step-by-step I promised, and though I am working on it, it's not done yet. So in the meantime here's another old concept painting I did that is either Sherlock Holmes or Simon Archard (or maybe a little bit of both) -


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Captain America #46

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The above image brought to you courtesy of Captain America #46 - in stores today! If you're undecided, you can see a preview here.


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Captain America #49 Cover

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Marvel's solicitations for April 2009 are now online, featuring Captain America #49. Here's how Marvel describes the issue:

CAPTAIN AMERICA #49
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils by LUKE ROSS
Cover by STEVE EPTING
The most important issue of Captain America since issue 25 is finally here! Sharon Carter's dreams are forcing her to relive the death of Steve Rogers -- and her time under the control of Dr. Faustus. But will these dreams also reveal hidden secrets about what she saw and did the day Steve died? By Ed Brubaker and Luke Ross.
32 PGS./Rated T+ ...$2.99

This is my 28th cover painting, and it's certainly not in any way a departure of what I've been doing stylistically. I'm conflicted over my approach to the covers. I want to do more loose, expressive, painterly pieces (note Boba Fett's cape, for example), but I have established a certain look for the covers of Captain America, and I like the idea of keeping the run consistent. For now, this is the side that's winning.