another one a long time coming...

so, after (mostly) finishing this red sonja piece and emailing it to the person who i told i'd do it for YEARS ago (as art adams' art rep, john was kind enough to give me one of art's kick ass books at san diego a few years back), he was pleasantly surprised.

it'd been so long, he'd completely forgotten about it. so all you folks waiting for commissions, have faith... (yes, joshua, that means you, too!)

would love to be getting to'm quicker, but things've gotten even kookier around here with the arrival of our baby daughter catherine last week (john's settling into the role of big brother pretty well so far...) ... still trying to keep the haps on something of a schedule is tough enough...

-c

what i'm listening to as i type this .. oddly enough, not a crying baby (she's been pretty amazing so far) but rather... foo fighters - skin and bones

'cause i felt like it...

even with looming deadlines and more than a few commissions to get through (fyi - gambit, mary marvel, domino, jack sparrow, gwen stacy are all coming soon... well, relatively soon), sometimes i just wanna do something for the simple reason that i want to...

one of my favorite dc books of the last several years (which was cancelled WAY too soon, alas) was stars and stripes (written by geoff johns with fantastic art by lee moder)... great fun all around. courtney (star spangled kid... or is it star girl now?) went on to become a member of the jsa, so at least she's still around...

and onto other things...

-response to perhapanauts - second chances #1 has been good... and i think it only gets better (not just because of a certain security team member in issue 2...)

-already lining up some great talented folks for pin ups in the next trade... just wait!

-should be getting the finished choopie sculpt soon (then it's on to casting a few copies so i can share the fun)

-patriots just steamrolled over minnesota last night (although there were some calls in their favor, the pats clearly were gonna dominate)

-heroes continues to be a fun ride as the story unfolds (stupid tivo cut off the last minutes....d'oh! and was anybody really surprised by the twist with the neighbor? i've been waiting weeks for that to happen...)

-hellboy cartoon on cartoon network was hellafun (again, stupid tivo- or more likely the networks - cut off the beginning)... loved a lot about it, thought it looked fantastic for a tv animation budget... i'm sure it'll flow better on dvd (coming in feb 07) without all of cn's seemingly arbitrary commercial breaks...

-been rewatching the second season of the office on dvd...just gets better (and more painful)... and some of the deleted scenes are priceless... they really spotlight some of my favorite characters like creed and toby (by FAR my favorite character on the show, hands down)

-had a fun time at the halloween party this weekend with all the kids (and reff as otto, of course) in costume...funny how our parties have changed in the last few years...

well, i'm sure there's more, but i gotsta get back to work... plenty to do before the baby arrives.
-c

(what i'm listening to as i type this... achtung baby -u2)

teevee!

a quick recap... discuss.

well, heroes did certainly pick up steam this week...
and studio 60 was pretty strong as well (not great, but good... even though a lot of the big plot moments could be seen from a mile away)...
prison break... wow, didn't see THAT twist (most of the others in this episode, sure... but THAT one, not so much...)
battlestar is hellagood, (loved the new caprica stuff, glad it didn't drag TOO long...plenty of stuff to follow up on.)
the office has become somewhat over the top with michael and dwight, but the grounded moments in the office(s) more than make up for it...
veronica mars is still great tv (again, glad to hear the story won't drag out over the whole season)...
lost was solid, but like the first few episodes of last season, i'm really expecting things to pick up soon... and maybe even get a few answers we've been hoping for. (before the mid-season hiatus for taye diggs' "groundhog day with guns" show.)...
the nine has been fairly engrossing as well, we'll see if it lasts the season, though...


saturday night live... ouch.

-c

perhapanauts:second chances #1!

so, i figured i'd mark today's release of perhapanauts: second chances #1 with a 'blog entry...

and i also figured, bah, why go the obvious route and post 'haps art, so here's plastic man instead.

now go buy the 'haps.

-c

a loooong time coming...

just a quick one, foks, 'cause i'm SWAMPED with work.

so, as an artist working in comics for a number of years, you have the pleasure of meeting a lot of great folks who like your work... and in some cases, you get to know these folks pretty well and become friends.

and i'm sure you know, doing things for friends sometimes takes a back seat to other things, knowing they'll understand...

in the years (yes, plural) i've had a particular friend's book, more than a few "i should get to it soon... honest!" have come and gone... as luck would have it, i was holding the book (with some beautiful stuff already from adam hughes, jim mooney, mike oeming and others) when a fire happened at his house... so i guess it's a good thing i procrastinated, right?


anyway, this one's for ray. (and you other friends, i haven't forgotten... honest. who knows, you might even make into the 'haps someday)

-c

on the tv front, battlestar galactica and veronica mars are back... frak, that's good tv! not to mention lost. hoping studio 60 gets better ratings and enjoyed 30 rock...

the best laid plans...

well, let's just pretend i never said i was gonna try to update regularly... okay?

i've been swamped working on the 'haps and a project for friend out in california... and i'm sooo close to finishing my kitchen re-do...

that plastic man i mentioned should be up early next week... but in the meantime, here's one i did a while ago (and immediately lost the scan of... thanks esther, for the new scan!)

and a few random thoughts/ responses to blog comments...

man, earl just keeps getting better and better (and yes, randy is just a great character - LOVED the end of the "lost pilot" from the dvd - but then again, the sign that it's a great show is that all the characters are great)

i'd say the office is still firing on all cylinders (despite todd's misgivings about the ratio of funny to painful)

still haven't gotten to heroes, but hope to this weekend...

did enjoy the first robin episode of the batman last weekend...

man, next week is gonna push the tivo to the breaking point with all the good stuff on...

-c

oh, and does anybody else see the ad for the new scorsese film (which looks fantastic) and think the voiceover should really be saying "the depahted" in a wicked southie accent...?

what i'm listening to as i type this ... straight outta lynnwood - "weird al" yankovic (it's a sign of how little mainstream radio i listen to these days that only knew one of the songs parodied... but it's still a darn funny album)

that didn't take long...

okay, so the whole M/W/F thing might not stick, but i'll try...
another short one today (and really, the main reason the handful of you check this blog is the purty pictures, anyway... right?)

watched the premieres of earl and the office - great stuff all around! easily one of the best hours on broadcast tv these days.
(and i watched er, too... every time i think i'm gonna pass, i end up getting sucked in) haven't gotten around to watching kidnapped and smith off the tivo yet (and given brian's less than glowing review, what little interest i had in smith is dwindling)...

and couldn't help picking up the my name is earl soundtrack the other day... and it's been in heavy rotation with the new bnl double cd...

looking forward to checking out heroes this week (and then lost comes back the following week.....woo.)

don't know how many of you folks are here in the bay state, but if you are, i hope you get a chance to catch christy mihos' late night commercial for his bid for governor of massachusetts (due to it's frankly amusing take on big dig officials and current gov't in mass, it's run only between 10 pm and 6 am... saw it on the news after er thursday...)... this is no way an endorsement of the guy, but i will say it's a funny spot.

working my way through several canson paper commissions, along with some freelance design stuff ... and of course, the next issue of the 'haps. (speaking of which , i should have some more updated photos of andrew's sweet choopie sculpt soon... it's pretty cool to have something you've created take shape like this... )...

and speaking of those canson pieces, this one's for bryan... his plastic man should be the next post... (reminds me i need to update the gallery of my site with all these... who knows, at this rate i'll have enough for volumes 2 and 3 of the color canson books... if i can sell through volume 1)...

-c (okay, not so short after all)

what i'm listening to as i type this entry...plans - death cab for cutie

on the shelves today!

well, today's the day the 'haps trade finally hits comic shops, online retailers and book stores (that's one last shameless plug for the trade... now it'll be the 'haps' "second chances" series starting in october)... we're pretty proud of this one (and even more proud of "second chances")...

studio 60 is off to a good start, i'll keep watching (well, tivoing... i'm still gonna tune into csi:miami - you're right, dana, caruso is so crazy good/bad these days! - or monday night football )

picked up the season one collection of my name is earl yesterday (the "lost pilot" is pretty amusing stuff)... all these tv shows on dvd are great to watch... who needs reruns these days?

oh yeah, that color piece above is mento from the teen titans (gotta say, bill ... i've had some obscure requests, but this one takes the cake... so far)

well, back to work...

-c (barely making it in on a wednesday post.. not a great way to start my m/w/f plan... but we'll see)

why not?

well, since todd and mike are updating on a monday/wednesday/friday schedule, i figured i'd try that, too...

just about wrapped up the second issue of the new 'haps series and then it's onto issue 3 (duh)...

i'm dangerously close to actually having several rooms finished in the never ending construction project we call home (we'll see how far i get before we have our baby in november!)...

really looking forward to the premiere of studio 60 on the sunset strip tonight as well as a few other shows this season (but mainly looking forward to returning favorites like the office, my name is earl, scrubs, battlestar galactica, 24*)...

patriots managed to hold on and win yesterday, as well as the sox taking 3 of 4 from the yankees ( not that it matters at this point, but it's still good to see'm play well... there's always next season, right?)


and for your viewing pleasure, that's a recent commission of spider-man and mj...

-c

what i'm listening to as i type this ... pixies live in boston (12.9.04)


* since there hasn't been much on tv the last month or so, i've managed to rewatch seasons 1-3 several hours at a time... good, albeit crazy absurd at times, stuff!

back already!

so, i'm back after a quick weekend in baltimore (and a day in pennsylvania at my good friend bobby's wedding... congratulations, you crazy kids!)... seemed to go by WAY too quick (somehow we gotta convince marc nathan that it should be a three day show)

was really only able to spend sunday at the convention (stupid fire alarm saturday morning) but had a great time, easily one of my favorite shows to attend (it's a toss up between baltimore and heroes, both with the same "love of comics and fans" family vibe) ... did a few convention sketches, got to talk with some nice folks, hung out in the booth with todd, mike and randy...


speaking of the booth, todd and i have decided we'd be better off staying away and letting our good pal brian mulcahy run the show! not only did he talk up the 'haps like a born carnival barker, he managed to sell through all the trades we brought with us (with folks looking for more!)...

i'm sure there's more to say, but work's piling up (i'm on it, dana! you too, todd!), so i'm outta here...

-c
oh, the pic above is a commission for another good friend, officer white...

what i'm listening to as i type this... fountains of wayne hotline - robbie fulks

off to the airport...

packed up my stuff (including the HOT OFF THE PRESSES PERHAPANAUTS TRADE PAPERBACK! and a few commissions for folks i'll see at the show... like lou's green arrow above), dropped the boy with his grandparents... and i'm outta here.

maybe i'll see you in baltimore.

post when i get back.

-c

end of the month already?!

so, august seemed to have flown by pretty quickly, eh? figured i'd get one more post in before september rolls around...

well, deadwood and rescue me both had their season finales this week... wow (brian- not knowing any of the actual history of deadwood, i couldn't say for sure what was going to happen... but i figured it might end along those lines... and glad it did, actually ... goes to show the strength of the show without falling into the usual hollywood stuff ... glad we'll see at least a few more hours next year.... gonna miss it. a lot. ) and rescue me certainly ended on a "holy crap" moment (not to mention entourage)... at least the new fall season starts up soon (and yes, brian - i already have been sucked into the new season of prison break... )

had a good time at the frank black show earlier this month down at the beachcomber (thanks for asking, rich) ... it was just frank and his guitar (or in the case of six-sixty-six, not even a guitar)... while the performance itself was great, i couldn't believe how many people paid the ticket price to just go and drink, talk loudly and not even listen to the show... one of the most annoying shows in that sense... still say my favorite frank black show was with the catholics a few years back (at the call in providence)...

i'd talk about the red sox... but why kick'm when they're down ...

in the course of the last few weeks, i've managed to entirely gut our kitchen (with the help of a few friends), re-sheeetrock, paint, have new cabinets installed, appliances delivered... and work on the plumbing and put in our new ceiling fan... oddly, the last room we started work on will be the first to get finished... looking forward to the time when all the work on the house is done (well, i realize it's never "done", but at least it'll be little things, not trimming out windows and putting in floors)...

work on the 'haps is moving along nicely (issue 2 is in the new previews!) and todd heard the trade is on the way, so we'll have copies for baltimore next week! (really looking forward to hanging out and seeing everybody there.. and heading out to see my good friend booby get hitched on saturday as well)...

i'm sure there's more, but peep and the big wide world is over... and it's time for johnny and me to have breakfast...


and before i forget, that flash piece above is the other one i did for matt w.

-c

stuff

okay, just a quick update while john and i watch "peep and the big wide world " (easily my favorite kids' show these days)...
here's one of the 2 pieces i did for my pal "mafus" (aka matt wieringo, mike's brother) ... got a few more canson pieces to post over the next few days or so...

issue 2 of the next 'haps series is well under way with issue 1 in the can (luckily, we gave ourselves enough time on the schedule to go back and make minor corrections this time around... ) hope everybody digs it as much as we do...

so, the fall tv season is starting up again real soon (not sure if i'll get sucked into prison break again... but we'll see) and the summer shows are wrapping up (can't believe deadwood and rescue me are almost done already... both fantastic shows)

trish and i are are heading to the cape this weekend to see frank black down at the beachcomber (sweet place! saw bob mould there a few years ago)...

baltimore comic con is coming up real soon (i'll be at the show for a bit on saturday and all day sunday)... and only a month til wierd al's new cd...

-c

canson sketchbook...

ordering info is up at the site...

canson color paper sketches volume one

enjoy the weekend!

-c

back from san diego!

had a great time, but... man, is that a big show...
completely overwhelming ( i had my laptop with me so i was able to read what actually happened at the show since you can't take most of it in there)...

always a pleasure to meet artists whose work you dig (like david peterson of mouseguard fame, who did me a sweet sketch i'll post to the site next update), tad stones (hellboy animated producer and all around cool cat), jonboy meyers, and way too many more to mention... and that's not even taking into account seeing those guys you get to see a few times a year at shows like this...

but now i'm home, hard at work on the 'haps and other stuff... speaking of which, todd and i got preview copies of the trade this week... and i couldn't be happier! can't wait for y'all to get a chance to see it.

(and speaking of the trade, saw wizard reviewed it this month and gave it a fairly good write-up with a nod to a saturday morning cartoon feel, but only a B- ... and complained that "nothing's wrong with fun-loving stories, but from the softened fight scenes to the somewhat overly-sentimental dialogue, hardcore horror fans should beware - you won't find buckets of blood in these pages." ookay, so technically they were boxes of blood, so they've got us on that point... and um, yeah, hardcore horror fans might find a bit lacking in AN ALL AGES BOOK... kinda like complaining there's not enough nudity in disney films... dunno what they'd be expecting, really... anyway, back to the blog)

got my sketchbooks in, and they look fantastic (much thanks, rico!)... i'll post ordering info next week... in the meantime, that's a sample spread above to give you an idea what it's like...

okay, back to work...

whati'm listening to as i type this... plastic s\seat sweat - southern culture on the skids

new stuff!!

so, figured i'd try and get at least one more post before the madness that is ... san diego comic con...

before i get into all the random comics stuff, a few quick things...

...the sox'd be completely screwed without papelbon.... i mean, come on, taveras?
... could deadwood be any better this season? (and for that mater, rescue me?) although i've learned the hard way to turn off hbo right after the always entertaining entourage - lucky louie = shudder.
... screw on head makes for a damn fine (and rightly odd) cartoon over at scifi.com (vote to make this one an ongoing show, folks)


okay, i'll be finished with the first issue of the second 'haps series before i go (should be in this month's previews) so i can enjoy myself out there (and pimp the book to anyone that'll listen... usually, i leave that to todd, but since he's not going...)

i'll be bringing the promo postcards for both the trade and the new mini, along with the soon to be infamous, hit of the heroescon "choopie butt card" ... and doing a signing at the dark horse booth friday from six to seven...

besides wandering the ginormous convention center picking up cool sketch books and the like, most of my time will be spent at the beckett table in the image booth helping out and promoting THE COBBLER'S MONSTER, which hit shelves this week! (and thanks fort he compliments, brian!)

i'll also have a few copies of my old sketchbooks to sell.... along with the limited BRAND NEW CANSON COLOR SKETCHBOOK! ( a manageable size of 4x5.5 full of 42 color images...) for those who aren't going, i'll have ordering info on the site when i get back...)...

whew.

anywhoo, if i don't post early next week... i might see you in san diego.
i might even try and post from the road... we'll see.

-c

(what i'm listening to as i type this... songs for goldfish - ben folds)

back from charlotte!

... had a great time at one of my favorite shows. plenty of time to hang out with 'ringo and todd and scott (heck, we probably coulda just skipped the show and hung out all weekend and had just as much fun...) and catch up with folks i see once or twice a year (always a good time at the bar, and was great to just hang out with ralph and shoot the breeze), not to mention getting a chance to see "superman returns" ... wow.

jeff amano had some advance copies of the cobbler's monster, so i got a chance to see the final product (damn, wayne and guilia made my stuff look good!)...

was glad to keep real busy sketching ALL weekend (right up until 5.30 on sunday.... phew) doing both black/white and canson color pieces (wish i had scans of 'm to post, some came out pretty good...) for plenty of great folks and friends...

did manage to get up and check out some of the art around the show... always inspiring/intimidating seeing all that great work... but it was great motivation to get back to the 'haps... which is where i'm heading right now! (not to mention todd and i talked a few folks into doing pin-ups for the next trade... and beyond!)

hope everybody had a good fourth (and wasn't TOO crazy, ray)

- c

two weeks, huh?

so much for keeping up on a weekly basis... but lucky for you, dear readers (all 3 of you) i've just been so busy working on the 'haps to post...

okay, i've also been doing other stuff, like the piece above for the heroes con program book (superman themed... and seriously, what's cooler than beppo the super-monkey?), designs for a neat little choopie sculpture, trying not to get too wrapped up in the sox this early in the season (as he says every year)...

i have managed to watch 2 dvds that've been sitting here forever .. blade 3 (not horrible...kinda dug it, actually) and fantastic four (um, well... the effects weren't ... that bad... but ... yikes.)

well, back to work.
-c

what i'm listening to as i type this ... fast man raider man - frank black (got our tickets to see him down at the beachcomber on cape cod later this summer... wooohooo!)

at least they didn't get swept...

...great outing by schilling tonight for the sox (even with giving up three home runs)...

been working hard on the first issue of the next 'haps mini, but i've also had some time to get to other things -

- 'haps promo stuff for the summer conventions and beyond
- redesigning the 'haps site (including the guest artist pin-up gallery)
- updating my site
- doing a few canson sketches (i was planning on just bringin' 'm to charlotte, but figured why not post'm on the site in the art for sale section as well for all the folks who aren't going ... so head on over to see what's new) ... i'll be getting to do a few more of these, so if there's something you've been itching to get, drop me a line and get on the list!
- building some bookcases to use as built-ins under the eaves in the studio room...

okay, back to work...

-c

really enjoying this season of "rescue me" on fx (always love me a good denis leary show... man, i miss "the job") and looking forward to this week's return of "deadwood" on hbo...

yikes...

that was a ROUGH ball game to watch tonight... i get the feeling it's gonna be a loooooong season with both the sox and yankees neck and neck for the next few months...

besides that, work is moving along on the first issue of the "second chances" series of the 'haps... and i'm dangerously close to finishing my new studio space so i can finally get outta the basement and see out a window (and finally using the surround sound we put in won't hurt, either)...

hope to get a few canson sketches done before the charlotte show in a few weeks (it's not too convenient to bring all that stuff with me)... as you can see above, i did get to one that's been in the queue for a while... invincible (and if ya don't read that book, do yerself a favor and pick up the first trade and see what you're missing)...

back to work.

-c

and congrats to jon and fran on the arrival of janie elizabeth ... and belated congrats to kieran and jill, that jeremy is hellacute... and another very belated congrats to aaron and ann, julia rose is adorable... phew. kids everywhere, i tell ya...