PERHAPANAUTS: INTO HOLLOW EARTH original Graphic Novel

... and the kickstarter campaign is live!

PERHAPANAUTS: INTO HOLLOW EARTH original Graphic Novel

with any luck, we'll hit our funding goal... and then jump right into work on the 54 page graphic novel.

we've been telling stories about our intrepid cryptids for over 10 years now... 

we started with a self-published PERHAPANAUTS  ashcan, then a color newsprint book... 

made the jump to dark horse comics for two mini-series... 

and then moved to image for 13 issues...

and now, we've come full circle, looking to self publish (on a much larger scale) a self-contained, 54 page story in a hard cover format, for readers old and new.

we've learned a lot over the years (about how the industry works), and figured it was time to try and make a book we could get directly to the fans and retailers who are willing to take the chance... and make some money (for a change) along the way.

todd and i came up with the best "if we could only tell one 'haps story!" adventure, and we can't wait to get working... 

this time around, it's all TODD AND CRAIG, start to finish... i'll be penciling/inking/lettering (printed on the original boards) and coloring todd's pretty spectacular tale... and we'll be taking care of the production end as well... 

we've got plenty of cool swag to go along with it at various pledge levels... (and even more bonus stuff to "unlock" at pledge milestones...), so stay tuned... and thanks.

spread the word and we can make this happen... 

-c

you'll notice there are b/w sketch and color sketch pledge levels... and that's gonna be it for commissions for a while. 

after finishing a few outstanding commissions, i'll be dedicating my commission time to the pledges... and my work time is gonna be busy with more adventures so STARTUP (i'll update the blog about that  real soon...!), KYRRA (coming next month to DARK HORSE PRESENTS and digital at artist alley comics and comixology), and... THE PERHAPANAUTS.

so, if you're looking for a sketch in 2015-16, this is your best bet!

THE PERHAPANAUTS KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES MONDAY MAY 25

THE PERHAPANAUTS KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN LAUNCHES MONDAY MAY 25

If we could tell just ONE PERHAPANAUTS story... THIS IS IT!  

For years, the Perhapanauts have shielded mankind from the strange and the unexplained. Acting covertly, they have faced paranormal anomalies and displaced creatures, often laying their lives on the line for an unsuspecting world.

Their adventures have taken them across the planet, to every continent, to the four corners of the Earth. 

This time, they’re going IN.

THE PERHAPANAUTS: INTO HOLLOW EARTH original hardcover graphic novel.

54 story pages of full color, inner earth, crypotzoological action, adventure and humor (so, technically a 64 page book)... written by Todd (Impulse, Tellos, Sensational Spider-man) Dezago with art and colors by Craig (Impulse, Batman Beyond, Iron Man: Armor Wars) Rousseau.

NOT AT ANY CON convention sketch special

"NOT AT ANY CON convention sketch special!"

since the "not at NYCC sketch special" went over so well last fall, figured it was time do another... so no convention, no worries... don't let THAT stop you from getting a sketch.

thursday through sunday, i'll be doing the same sketches i'd do at the show ON-LINE - i'll post scans and email when they're done, and guarantee shipping early next week.

YOU get a sketch, I avoid leaving the house ... it's a win/win!

just like a convention, it's a "first come, first serve" list.. and when it's full, it's full...

here's MY list of standard options (along with examples)... available to order NOW at my webstore (place the order and i'll get in touch about the specifics - subject/details/blank cover options)

b/w HEAD SKETCH  -
     $20 on bristol or an ARTIST ALLEY COMICS sampler (as shown)...
     $30 on assorted DC/MARVEL blank covers (WOLVERINE, HARLEY QUINN, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, HULK and many - mostly marvel - more - see the list below !)

     $50 b/w full figure 9x12" bristol or an ARTIST ALLEY COMICS sampler
     $60 dc/marvel sketch cover

     $75 2 figures
     $85 dc/marvel sketch cover 2 figures

     $75 b/w with grayscale 9x12" or on ARTIST ALLEY COMICS sampler  (each additional figure $50)

(not pictured, but you get the idea)

$100 and last but not least, full color canson paper sketches  

and here's a list of the blank sketch covers i've got on hand... (unless otherwise noted, it's the #1 issue sketch blank cover)

the mighty thor

secret invasion (2 copies)

fear itself

wolverine NOW!

fantastic four NOW!

fantastic 4 NOW!

thunderbolts NOW!

avenging spider-man

incredible hulk NOW!

dark avengers

captain america

captain america NOW!

uncanny x-men 

guardians of the galaxy NOW!

avengers world NOW!

punisher NOW!

savage wolverine NOW!

the defenders NOW!

indestructible hulk NOW

thanos rising NOW!

secret avengers NOW! (2 copies)

young avengers NOW!

age of ultron NOW!

new avengers NOW! (2 copies)

wolverine - the best there is NOW!

wolverine 300

uncanny avengers NOW!

uncanny x-force NOW!

thor god of thunder NOW! (2 copies)

ultimate death of spider-man 160

A v X NOW!

doctor who #15

muppet show (2 copies)

batman 0

batman black and white

harley quinn 0 (3 copies)

green lantern 13

blogging? seems so 2012...

well, it's been a few weeks since my last post... here. i post quite a bit on social media (facebook and twitter and even occasionally instagram) but don't seem to get around to the blog (or art galleries very often)...

does anyone even write/read blogs any more? maybe i should look into updating to  reflect that trend...

anyway, here's batman on a gargoyle...

-c

merry krampus

the latest in our run of limited PERHAPANAUTS prints (unlike most of the others, this isn't a convention specific print, but our holiday offering)... featuring the legend of the KRAMPUS!... now available over at our big cartel store along with the the most recent RI COMIC CON print... and now until dec 31, all stuff is at least $5 off (which makes the prints and shirts a WHOPPING $5... and when these are gone, that's it for these designs, folks! so get'm now or never...)

"NOT AT NYCC convention sketch special!"

"NOT AT NYCC convention sketch special!"

since deciding getting a table and hotel, along with food and travel costs, would just be too expensive, i'm not heading to the new york comic con this year... but don't let THAT stop you from getting a sketch.

thursday through sunday, i'll be doing the same sketches i'd do at the show ON-LINE - i'll post scans and email when they're done, and guarantee shipping early next week.

YOU get a sketch, I avoid crowds... it's a win/win!

just like a convention, it's a "first come, first serve" list.. and when it's full, it's full...

and HEY! a few fellow ARTIST ALLEY COMICS creators have decided to join in as well...

rich woodall
rich case
chris kemple

can't speak for the others, but here's MY list of standard options (along with examples)... available to order NOW at my webstore (place the order and i'll get in touch about the specifics - subject/details/blank cover options)

b/w HEAD SKETCH  - $20 on bristol or ARTIST ALLEY COMICS sampler (as shown)... OR $30 on assorted DC/MARVEL blank covers (WOLVERINE, HARLEY QUINN, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, HULK and many - mostly marvel - more)

b/w full figure 9x12" or on ARTIST ALLEY COMICS sampler $50 (2 figures $75)... or dc/marvel sketch cover $60 (2 figures $85)

b/w with grayscale 9x12" or on ARTIST ALLEY COMICS sampler $75 (each additional figure $50)

(not pictured, but you get the idea)

and last but not least, full color canson paper sketches  $100

and here's a list of the blank sketch covers i've got on hand... (unless otherwise noted, it's the #1 issue sketch blank cover)

the mighty thor

secret invasion (2 copies)

fear itself

wolverine NOW!

fantastic four NOW!

fantastic 4 NOW!

thunderbolts NOW!

avenging spider-man

incredible hulk NOW!

dark avengers

captain america

captain america NOW!

uncanny x-men 

guardians of the galaxy NOW!

avengers world NOW!

punisher NOW!

avengers x-sanction

savage wolverine NOW!

the defenders NOW!

indestructible hulk NOW

thanos rising NOW!

secret avengers NOW! (2 copies)

young avengers NOW!

age of ultron NOW!

new avengers NOW! (2 copies)

wolverine - the best there is NOW!

wolverine 300

uncanny avengers NOW!

uncanny x-force NOW!

thor god of thunder NOW! (2 copies)

ultimate death of spider-man 160

A v X NOW!

doctor who #15

muppet show (2 copies)

batman 0

batman black and white

harley quinn 0 (4 copies)

green lantern 13

pmc 2014

so, there's still a bit of time to donate to the PMC (and the dana farber cancer institute) for my 85 mile ride (cutoff is october 1st)... since don't have "co-workers" in the traditional office sense, i'm asking everybody out there to consider donating... like in years past, i'll try and get some rewards - prints, signed books, sketches, original art, etc - out for donations...(working on a new print for 2014... the rough below!) 

here's the breakdown - 

$25 and i'll send along a signed comic and this year's print (that's a work in progress)

$50 gets you the print and a headsketch

$100 or more and you get the print and a full figure sketch or an original page of published comic art

make a donation, drop me a line and we'l line it up! these sketches may take some time, so please be patient (and if i owe you one already, lemme know!)

every dollar raised is a dollar towards beating cancer, so please give.

-c

head over to http://www2.pmc.org/profile/CR0137 for more info...

green lantern 34 "selfie" cover

saw this pop up on-line last night, so i figure it's safe to share... had the pleasure of doing a fun green lantern 34 "selfie" cover of hal with one of his biggest fans ... colors by the ever incredible dave mccaig!

(work's been... interesting, with plenty of odds and ends jobs showing up, some DC stuff, starting art on a fun creator-owned project, and keeping on with kyrra...)
 

KYRRA

even though things have been awfully quiet over at the "artist alley comics" website as of late, i can assure Rich Woodall and i still working away onKyrra Alien Jungle Girl (still available thru www.artistalleycomics.com as DRM free pdfs...or thru comixology)... we've got plans to have the next digital, super sized chapter available soon... we've mapped out up this first arc (of a MUCH bigger adventure)... and plans are afoot to get it into print soonish. phew.

and todd and i have at least one last PERHAPANAUTS story up our sleeves. stay tuned.

2014... and beyond

first off, this isn't a "woe is me" post, but just more of an honest "state of the union"...

i'd like to think that at this point in my career, i'm still growing as an artist, experimenting and pushing style... and producing some of the strongest work yet.

but after 15! (give or take) years drawing comics (and comics related stuff), I'm realizing it might be time to take a big step back and reevaluate where i'm going in my professional career. 

as editors come and go, so do connections in the industry. paying work has been slowing down considerably... and editors aren't emailing, banging down my door looking to hire - instead they're finding new talent. that's always been the nature of this beast. (and let's face it, there are some damn good looking books coming out these days.) 

my gig on disney/marvel storybooks as well as covers (and pin-ups) for MARVEL SUPERHEROES magazine has run its course... i was lucky enough to do a 2 part story on my dream project BATMAN '66 late last year, and i've been having a blast doing variant covers for dynamite and IDW, but not much besides that...

creator-owned work on projects like THE PERHAPANAUTS and KYRRA has been incredibly creatively fulfilling, but not exactly financially successful (to put it modestly)... todd, rich, and i all realize this stuff is a labor of love, but spending years producing a body of work we're incredibly proud of hasn't been doing much to expand our fan base. we tweet, we blog, and we post to facebook to the same people who already buy our stuff (and you're probably one of the folks reading this post, so thank you!)

we'd love to keep doing this, telling new stories and creating new stuff... but current sales just don't pay the bills (far, far from it). we're exploring new ways of telling stories (digital first, illustrated prose, kids' books, audio/motion comics, kickstarter)... but with our current sales, the way we're doing books through image just doesn't make sense for us... 

i've been lucky enough to have plenty of folks interested in commissions, and i'll gladly continue with those (dark crystal, impulse, legion of substitute heroes, batman/robin '66, blacksad, steph brown robin and more are in various states of completion the queue )... but as for other work? i'm not exactly sure what's going to happen. but i'll keep you posted.

thanks for being along for the ride... 

-c

PERHAPANAUTS

the DANGER DOWN UNDER trade just came out (and available in our webstore, along with shirts, prints, new portfolios)... we've got a killer one shot on deck for the convention season (with any luck, we'll get it done)... another audio comic is in early development, and some other fun projects as well.

KYRRA

chapters 1 - 5 are available NOW only comixology for only $.99 each...

we've got this first arc of KYRRA mapped out (and chapter 6 of 10 is almost done)... will we collect it in print? sure, if we can figure out how to not lose money. we've got SEVERAL more 10 part arcs mapped out, exploring her world(S), friends, foes, and more.. and we'd love to get to it.

TUROK!

another lengthy interval between posts, i know!

a few quick things - 

my BATMAN '66 story is up on comixology and will be in print in a few months...

KYRRA is going ahead full steam digitally over on comixology (rich and i are trying to figure out how to bring volume 1 to print this year and weighing our options)

PERHAPANAUTS - DANGER DOWN UNDER! trade is out now... while we don't have another big arc on our schedule yet, we do have a few things to keep us busy with the 'haps.

i've been keeping busy with covers here and there, most recently a few GOLD KEY covers for dynamite... starting with some variants for TUROK (#1 retailer exclusive for maximum comics in las vegas, out now... and #2 steampunk variant, coming soon!)

here they are, start to finish...

-c

busy with... stuff (like this samurai jack cover)

hey, look, it's samurai jack riding RI's own big blue bug over water fire! on the RI comic con exclusive cover to #1... (want to get a copy? can't hep ya.. but want to own the original art? keep reading...)

okay, clearly it's been a few days since my last post... wrapped up my last convention of the year in portland, maine this past weekend... and busy working on things... which i can't really announce yet.

i HAVE been updating the Facebook page with plenty of art updates, and need to get better about coming here as well...

updated the art for sale section with several new sketch covers, original cover art from IDW's samurai jack and powerpuff girls, several more marvel superheroes magazine covers, batman beyond and batman '66 pinups...

kyrra is now on comixology! chapter 2 just went live (and should be on a monthly schedule at this point)... chapter 5 is getting all colored up and should be on artist alley comics in a few weeks (if you can't stand the wait!)

we should have the perhapanauts: danger down under! trade all ready to go for a january release... todd and i are working on some fun 'haps related things to be coming your way in the near (and not so near) future...

over at the perhapanauts webstore, for the rest of november we're having a $10 t-shirt blowout! (well, jersey devil is $15 and $5 goes to red cross donation) hoping to clear out the (rapidly dwindling) remaining stock to make way for new shirts in 2014...

geez, see what waiting a few months to post gets? okay, back to work...

-c

whaddaya know... a NEW sketchbook!

wow, 2 posts in one week... CRAZY!

just a quick one to announce a new sketchbook, now on sale over in the webstore (and at upcoming convention appearances like granite state, rhode island, and coast city)...

it's 24 pages, b/w with a color cover, comic book sized and limited to only 100 copies... collecting commissions, samples and more...

alright, back to the drawing board...

-c!

batman '66 commission

so, just got back from one of my favorite comic cons of the year, baltimore comic con. i've been heading down for YEARS now, with trish and kids in tow (and visiting with trish's sister and family as well)...

this year i brought a commission for my pal, brad tree (one of the driving forces behind keeping the show on track)... he'd seen some of my batman '66 samples and was hoping to get one with batgirl (which i guess would make that batman '67-8)

luckily, tom feister and i were looking to find something to do together, and he killed it on colors...

and if you don't see me posting this stuff on facebook or twitter (@craigrousseau), here are a few of the samples...

plenty more to post (like a giant batch o' legion canson paper commissions) in the future...

-c

new "sons of anarchy" tonight! (which is good, since i'm just wrapping up the 3rd series of "luther" tonight...)

kyrra chapter 5...

so, seems like it's been a WHILE since i've posted anything about KYRRA... and well... that's because it's stalled a bit.

we managed to get chapters 1-4 (and the free preview) up over at ARTIST ALLEY COMICS, but since then life seems to have gotten in the way... paying commissions,  paying work, family time, conventions...

the freedom to do a creator owned book is GREAT, make no mistake... BUT making a living doing it (without a publisher or real viable income?) gets... tricky. we'd LOVE to do this every month, but the financial realities of the situation just don't allow it (and, to be honest, it's the same with THE PERHAPANAUTS over at image comics... we'd LOVE to do that every day and have books out monthly -or more!, but sadly, our sales can't support it...)

soooo, we do what we can when we can, and try to make sure what we give you is the best we can put out...  and we understand some folks aren't on board with digital (or if they are, prefer the ease of comixology) and we're looking into ways to get this out to more readers in both print and digital.


rich and i have a pretty ambitious story we'd love to tell... and hope we can. it just might take us a while... (same with todd and me and THE PERHAPANAUTS*)

but anyway, here's the cover to chapter 5...

*speaking of THE 'HAPS, starting next monday, we at perhapanauts central are going to start running weekly $10 SPECIAL sales in our recently redesigned webstore to make way for new product in 2014... stay tuned.

-c

catching up...

so, pmc 2013 is in the books (thanks to all the folks who donated... and you didn't there's still time...  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/CR0137)

should have this year's "thank you!" print for donations done in the next week or so...

boston comic con was great (but really only a one day show for me), looking forward to baltimore comic con!

speaking of, it's time for my "get'm before i haveta lug'm to baltimore sale!"

Use discount code B4BMORE to get 25% off on all original cover art in my web store...

and ALSO speaking of baltimore, here's my contribution to this year's "art yearbook" featuring USAGI YOJIMBO!

todd sadly couldn't make it to the boston con...but don't feel too bad, he was busy in maine working on the PERHAPANAUTS AUDIO COMIC! (more info is coming soon)

sadly, i've been neglecting the blog over here (keeping an online presence on facebook   and twitter  - @craigrousseau - are time consuming as it is.)... but i have plenty of marvel superhero magazine covers to show off (and more!), so come back next time... i'll try and be better about this stuff...

-c

oh, LOVED stephen king's "joyland" and neil gaiman's "ocean at the end of the world"... now up is owen king's "double feature" ... and HOURS of "game of thrones" audiobooks...

boston comic con and the PMC

so, the rescheduled  Boston Comic Con is less than a month away... i'll be there all day sunday (sketching, signing and selling), but saturday i'll be busy riding my bike the 85+ miles from wellsley to bourne on this year's pan mass challenge, to raise money for the dana farber cancer institute and jimmy fund ( 100% of funds raised goes directly to the cause of curing cancer)... any donations help a great cause, 'cause cancer sucks. (like last year, donations to my ride'll get you an EXCLUSIVE 'haps print -i'll be posting it here soon!... and this year, anything over $100 gets a sketch cover... like this - your choice of character!)

here's last year's print...

and 2011's...

looking to make a donation? http://www2.pmc.org/profile/CR0137

the cover to "marvel superheroes magazine" 27...step by step

quick random things - 

1. the 'haps"danger down under" is over... and we're trying to figure out how to go forward... (i'll have a post about that soon).. anybody read it? thoughts? 

2. kyrra chapter 5 is well underway... and after a bit of down time, the ARTIST ALLEY COMICS website is back up.

3. had a GREAT trip to albuquerque with todd last month... managed to see roswell and meet new 'haps fans!

4. gotta get better about this blog.

5. doing samples for a gig that could be a LOT of fun, we'll see what happens...

6. updated both my art for sale store... and the perhapanauts web store

so, as my run on covers to "marvel super heroes magazine" winds down, i've only got a few left to post... here's the cover to 27, in various stages of sketches, pencils and inks (final colors - by benny fuentes!)

happy 4th.