Author: beyondforward

I just finished the first issue of my next comic mini-series, a sequel/prequel to Saga of a Doomed Universe. It’s planned as a 3 issue series, each issue weighs in at a whopping 54 pages. This first issue took me almost exactly one year to complete, so I’m looking at either a late 2025 or 2026 release date for the entire series. I’ve been dropping clues here and there over at my social media channels, in the form of works-in-progress and this post is no different, really. Even so, I’m taking a 2-month break from the project, because I like to step away between issues of whatever book I’m working on and decompress and recharge a bit before diving back into the next chapter. Here’s a snippet of several completed pages:

In the meantime, I’m opening up my commissions list for March and April, so if you’d like an illustration of your favorite comic character(s), now’s the time. I haven’t done any private comic commissions in a very long time, so I’m looking forward to this. Go here for details.

SR

Here’s my 2nd painting of 2023, because all of my energy was directed at comics this year. You can download a high res here.

SR

PERSONAL WORKS NOVEMBER 2023 –

The last time I inked and colored a Jack Kirby illustration was probably back in 2008, a Superman drawing that I found somewhere online. I think this one was inked traditionally (with brush and pen) although I could be wrong about that. There was a period during those years when I was inking with adobe illustrator, so it’s possible this piece is also entirely digital. Regardless, I’m back at it again this month with an inking/coloring treatment over another great Jack Kirby drawing. For this Thor drawing, I inked and colored it with clip studio paint, on my ipad pro. I also applied a halftone effect over the inks, similar to the old zipatone films used in the pre-digital days of comic art.

SR

PERSONAL WORKS OCTOBER 2023 –

I have an ever-growing list of personal art projects that I’m slowly chipping away at, but these tend to see movement only when I have a window between paid work. Honestly, I don’t really have much downtime lately, but I recently purchased an ipad pro, and am finding a little time in the evenings to wind down with some digital drawing. Which brings me to this piece. At the moment, I have a Jack Kirby pencil scan that I’ve finished inking and am finalizing its color study. You’ll see that here soon. And then there’s this: a pencil scan of Hulk, by the ‘Michelangelo of comics’, big John Buscema, which I’ve inked, colored and logo treated. Because I didn’t break into comics until 1993, most of my heroes, like Buscema, were nearing retirement. It goes without saying that I had no opportunity to work with him while he was still alive and active. But that hasn’t stopped me, obviously. I’m posting Buscema’s penciled art along with my finishes, because I think it’s important to honor his work first and foremost. For a closer, more detailed look, download the high-res for free.

SR

Thanks to the fine folks at Yancy Street Comics for inviting me as guest for their Free Comic Book Day event on May 6! I spent the day meeting old and new fans and the other amazingly talented guests there. The turnout was incredible, and I was so busy signing and selling copies of Saga of A Doomed Universe and Hark that I didn’t get around to sketching until the afternoon. Here’s pics of a few commissioned sketches from the day: