http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:deankotz&section=today deviantART RSS for by:deankotz en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Wed, 23 Dec 2009 08:23:12 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/28257413/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/28257413/ Mon, 09 Nov 2009 21:56:00 PST
--Douglas Adams



plug time: Black Coat: Or Give Me Death #1/#2 comes out this Wednesday (11/11). Pick it up, or ask your local shop.

]]> *deankotz http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/27355105/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/27355105/ Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:12:25 PDT
Of course, it couldn’t last. We were crammed into a 767 with a bunch of sweatpants-wearing boors, and, as we cruised West over the Atlantic, the visions of gardens and palaces faded away. Were we ever there? Does beauty even exist? What? Sorry, I couldn’t hear you over that jerk shouting for more peanuts.

Real quick: gotta love a country where you can just order a “beer” (well, a cerveza) and the bartender will just give you one. Try doing that here. Was at Doc Watson’s a couple weeks ago (hey, they got a nice happy hour) and I saw a guy, a tourist that couldn’t speak much English, approach the bar and say, “Beer.” The bartender was stone-faced. The tourist said again, “Beer.” Now the attitude comes. The bartender wipes the bar with his rag and goes, “What KIND of BEER do you want?” Geezus, such hospitality. The guy probably came a thousand miles to spend money at your bar. Just give him a Yuengling or a Bud or whatever the happy hour special is. What’s he gonna say, “Hey, man, this ain’t no beer!” (Personally there are times when I think Yuengling is more piss than beer, but I digress.)

Anyway, plugs:

Boom! Studios put out Poe #3 last week. Go snag a copy if you can.

The Black Coat: Or Give Me Death #3 is available for preorder in the latest Previews. Tell your neighborhood retailer before the month's over. It's in the Ape Entertainment section.

]]> *deankotz http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/26443805/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/26443805/ Fri, 07 Aug 2009 11:54:29 PDT
Here's a brief excerpt from Leonard Rifas's interview with Cat Yronwode in COMICS INTERVIEW #23 (circa 1985). I was reading it on the train to Atlantic City the other day and really dug some of Cat's thoughts on comic art. For those who don't know, Cat was the Editor-in-Chief of Eclipse Comics. So smart.

Cat: "...there are a lot of younger readers who feel that in graduating from childhood to adolescence they have to pay lip service to the idea that good art is complex art. That good art is highly rendered art. They won't even pick up ZOT! They would rather have a Perez drawing with all of that tiny-tiny detail. I'm not singling out Perez, I like Perez's work, but it's a different style. Then later when these kids become adults and are secure that it's okay to like comics, the can go back to a simple, open style like Scott(Mcloud's)and say, "this is all perfect," or they can go to a style like Dan Spiegle's-and still like George Perez too."

Leonard: "That thing about kids showing their maturity by going for the heavily rendered stuff. That seemed to be one of the big problems that the underground comix sank into...it seems that the mainstream comics are now sinking into that same hole."

Cat: "Yes, it ends up with rococo or baroque. It's a pseudo-sophistication which in the end becomes mannerism. Now I'm also a sucker for rendering because I can't do it...I like too many styles to become hung up on any one approach to art."

That part at the end seems even more valid today. Flippin' through the current Previews is like walking through the 18th century wing of an art museum. It will give you a headache if you stay too long.

Speaking of the current Previews (August), two books drawn by me are available.

Under the APE ENTERTAINMENT section you'll find a listing for The Black Coat "Or Give Me Death" combo issue #1 and #2. I drew issue #2. Written and colored by Ben Lichius. Ben really knows how to write pulp action. It was a challenge trying to capture the excitement of his script, but, man was it fun. Preorder it from your local shop as soon as you can.

Under BOOM! Studios you'll see the 4th and final issue of Poe. It's my favorite of the series and definitely worth picking up for horror fans or those who like 19th century period pieces. J. Barton Mitchell wrote a really emotional ending that doesn't leave anything hanging. Check it out.

Wow. Never thought I'd have a single book in Previews, let alone two in one month.

I feel like a lucky bastard.

]]> *deankotz http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/24673277/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/24673277/ Sat, 09 May 2009 17:52:55 PDT
Yes, the very same video store where I once saw a girl eating Cheez Doodles leave bright orange fingerprints on all the New Release DVD cases. She'd plop a doodle in her mouth and then, before she reached back into the bag, would vigorously rub her thumb and forefinger together dusting the carpet with cheesy ashes like an overzealous Minnesota Fats chalking his cue.

If the above sentence has you thinking dirty thoughts, that's all on you. Yes, you in the last row...glasses, red blouse. Question? What movie? Oh,right, I was returning "The Party". The one where Peter Sellers plays an Indian actor lost in the wilds of an LA...well, party, actually. For folks who think actors playing outside their race or ethnicity is offensive, I submit the above performance as exhibit "A" in my argument for said folks stupidity.

So I'm walking past the Rosenwald-Wolf gallery on Broad Street (part of the UArts) and I suddenly remember...they've got a Richard Amsel exhibit! (This is why I love living in the city, I'd have forgotten all about this otherwise, and who wants to find parking?)

Amsel was a phenomenally talented designer and you almost never realize how many film posters the man did in his (relatively) short career. He was a strong undercurrent in the design landscape of the 70s. They have some gorgeous finished pieces, but the stars of the show are all the thumbnails and comps that are invaluable to process junkies and anyone who's studying design. I mean, when will you ever be able to see both FIRST thumbnails for the original Raiders of the Lost Ark poster AND the 82 re-release side by side. And then turn your head and realize the final pieces are nearly identical to the thumbnails. Mind-blowing.

The show only runs till May 14th, so I encourage anyone in the Philadelphia area to hurry up and get to the gallery. I'd leave the Cheez Doodles at home. They frown on that sorta thing at fancy "Picture Exhibitions."

]]> *deankotz http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/23202395/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/23202395/ Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:33:16 PST
Finally he capitalized on his resume with RCA and released his first full-length record, Pandemonium Shadow Show. Owing quite a bit to the studio psychedelia of Sgt. Pepper, the record featured some inspired Beatles covers. Turns out, a couple of guys named Lennon and McCartney really dug it and started talking it up in their interviews. They went so far as to say this Nilsson was their favorite American singer. The record started to really sell.

Don’t know exactly when, but shortly thereafter, and, bear with me, this is the whole point of the story, Harry’s manager calls him up.

For some reason I imagine the scene taking place one sunny California morning. I picture Harry alone in his bungalow wearing one of his signature bathrobes. He’s probably just shaved. His suit’s pressed, laid out on the bed. As he pours himself a cup of coffee and sits down at his kitchen table, you know, the kind with the bright flower print Formica top and shiny chrome legs, the phone rings.

Harry: “Hello.”

Harry’s Manager: “You can quit the bank, Harry!”

Had to be the best goddamn phone call he ever got.

Flu knocked me on my ass this past Monday night. Two full days stuck in bed. A third stuck at home. Still not back to full speed and, there’s work to make up with the day job. Worst part is I feel so LAZY. Haven’t been able to sit at the drawing board all week, but I’m trying to put a positive spin on it. I’m “catching up on my reading”. Yeah, right.

I mostly blame the whirlwind that was NYCC for making me sick. Those 3 days FLEW by and took the roof right off the barn. Loads of fun, and a chance to meet some new folks and reconnect with prior acquaintances. But, heck, I didn’t get to meet some people I was hoping to (Where the hell were you Fridolfs? I looked everywhere!) and, being the shy sorta fella I am, it wasn’t exactly a networking success.

Made the publisher rounds and dropped off portfolios all day Friday. On Saturday I somehow made the DC callback list and got to sit down with a certain senior VP who had some very positive things to say about my work, and, of course, some criticisms here and there. He told me he’d be honest: my work was too “old-fashioned” for what DC was looking for right now. Maybe I could modernize my approach or maybe this current style was my true self. Either way he encouraged me to follow up with him in a few months and said he liked my stuff and had just wanted to meet me. I was really flattered by the whole experience but also a little confused.

I never really think about “my style”. I mean, you can’t force it. I definitely don't believe I have a very distinctive style, rather, I always figured my work ended up a bad melange of Caniff, Wrightson, Rogers, Coll, Lindsay, Wagner, Sickles, Jones, Alcala, Krigstein, Aparo, Draut, and a dozen others filtered through too many years reading books drawn by Byrne and, shudder to think, Milgrom. An awkward quivering multi-hued Jell-o casserole with dinosaur bones floating where marshmallows should be. Should I start consciously shifting my working methods toward a more contemporary look? Definitely something to ponder these past fever-stricken, bed-ridden days.

Other highlights from the con: manning the Imperium table while James ran to a few panels, experiencing the enigma that is Bob Burden, and, without a doubt, lunch with Ben while we discussed the current state and future of the Black Coat (more on that later). Got a few deals on some art books (including a gorgeous Jeff Jones monograph) and, a rather odd collection of Dark Shadows newspaper strips from the Seventies.

Needless to say, the con was inspiring, and now, creatively recharged, I desperately just want to get back to the drawing board. If only I could kick this flu.

Doctor, ain't there somethin' I can take...

]]> *deankotz http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/22086738/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/22086738/ Sat, 20 Dec 2008 14:26:37 PST
Nah, nah, I take that back. I'll not be a cynic this time of year. I'll try to enjoy all the season has to offer. In fact,to help me get in the mood, I'm gonna reread one of my favorite short novels. It's become something of a holiday tradition. I make a hot toddy, grab a blanket and snuggle up with the only piece of prose that can help me truly appreciate the dizzying parties, the caroling strangers, the nipping cold, and the unfathomable amount of cookies:

"At the Mountains of Madness"

TEKE LI-LI! TEKE LI-LI!

(happy holidays)

]]> *deankotz http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/21034081/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/21034081/ Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:43:46 PDT
Less distractions. Better yet, none. I often fantasize about living in rural America circa 1920 where the only distractions are a passing flock of geese or a strong wind stripping bloomers from the wash line. Imagine the reading you could catch up on! The clarity of your thoughts!

All this relates to why I don’t post or reply on DA very often. It’s not for lack of interest or enthusiasm. It’s just…I can’t do it. I’ll start commenting on deviations and reading journals and following favs and before you know it…there goes an hour. Or two. So, I don’t let myself get caught in it’s web. I check out the deviations and journals of folks I watch and then I push myself away from the table.

Problem: there’s no back cover to the internet. No point where you hit the end, pause, and reflect. It just keeps flowing by. Guess that‘s why it‘s all “streaming“ this and that. Is there a way to have some of the regulars at the bar surf the net for me? I'll stop in once a week and they'll give me the highlights. Have a round or two.

Just saw the lettered proofs for “the Dispatch”, a short I drew for the new Outlaw Territory anthology from Image. Looked great. The books running a little behind schedule but should be out in a couple weeks. Still time to order from your local shop. Lot of big name folks in the book. Worth checking out.

Funny thing though: the “Dispatch” story is an 8 pager I drew almost a year ago. Production time on modern comics is becoming glacial. Just seems that for all the ease with which we send artwork and scripts via the internet, it doesn’t seem to make comics come out any faster. Used to be, what, 4 months production time before press? I could be wrong. And I definitely don’t say this to pick on Michael (Woods, the editor for Outlaw whose a great guy who put together a very stellar group of stories) or any of the other folks I work with. It's the nature of the industry as a whole.

I know Stephen Grant ranted about this increasingly excessive production time awhile back in his Permanent Damage column over at CBR. If I recall correctly, he felt all these delays were hamstringing one of the medium's core strengths: immediacy. He argued we should work to make comics faster and more responsive to both creator and culture. Without having to rely on the post office, there’s no reason a page can’t be written and drawn one day, lettered and colored the next, and ready for press on the 3rd. But, I’m REALLY paraphrasing his point. His column‘s infinitely more insightful and always worth a read.

Other day I came across this quote from Noel Sickles (illustrator of Scorchy Smith fame and the guy who taught Caniff how to REALLY draw):

“You get the feeling of the thing through the technique, but technique has nothing to do with it. Technique is only a tool to get over the most direct way you can do something…Reality comes from the feeling of the damn thing. Drawing’s the only way you can get that feeling. But you have to go beyond jus the drawing or the technique. You have to get in there and feel the thing yourself.”

See, I just distracted you.

And look, some geese heading south...

]]> *deankotz http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/19184400/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/19184400/ Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:03:36 PDT
The latest issue of Trailer Park of Terror hit the racks yesterday. And, I was happy to see, my local shop had copies! Usually I order one for myself and that’s all they get…but, for some reason, they took a gamble. Seeing them on sale was very surreal. I hope to all heck they sell. Couldn’t stand them staring me down for a month…

The new issue of the Piper from Xenescope was on the racks as well. It’s got some gorgeous colors by a certain guy whom some of you might recognize. Definitely worth checkin’ out.

]]> *deankotz http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/19174100/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/19174100/ Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:42:35 PDT
What really bothers me is that so many of these people use something like this to talk about themselves. It’s akin to the Virginia Tech shootings from a year ago (or was it longer…how quickly the furor dies down and we forget). Sometimes bad and upsetting things happen. But it’s not really about how YOU feel about it or WHAT connection it has to you. Is everyone that self-centered?

Aha, you’re about to call me a hypocrite. When I found out Marshall Rogers died I wrote something in my DA journal. Let me explain: take a look in my long boxes and on my bookshelf. Rogers is everywhere. He’s one of my top 3 biggest influences. If everyone who wrote something about Turner held him in that regard, I’m worried for the future of comics.

Can we separate Michael Turner the man from his work for a second? I definitely didn’t know the man, but I knew his work. I couldn’t stand it. Michael Turner’s work reinforced so many things that are wrong with mainstream comics. He drew spindly women with oversized tits in unnatural poses. He aped third-generation, derivative artists and compounded the mistakes of pencillers who came before him. His storytelling was uninspiring and unemotional. I can’t remember ever seeing him drawing a building. And as a publisher, he created a platform for some of the most ridiculous and embarrassing titles on the racks. Oh, and here, pay $4 for a 10 page preview issue #0. Issue #1 will come out a year from now. With six different covers and three panels per page.

This might be harsh to say so soon, but why isn’t this mentioned? All the tributes are about the man, and that’s fine. That has it's place. From what I've read, he was a great guy. But if you use industry forums and news sites to talk about this, let’s talk about his actual legacy. I’ve read plenty of obituaries about plenty of people in plenty of newspapers. A public person’s influence through their professional life should be discussed. I don’t see a lot of that right now. All I see is mindless canonization.

Did Michael Turner leave comics as a medium in a better state? I certainly don’t mean to belittle the work he did as he fought his painful fight with cancer, and I’m not just commenting on his work from the past 2 years. When he started professionally, Turner was in the right place at the right time with the right style. And after that he coasted. How many countless, footless, and tasteless covers and pinups did he do and then repeat and then repeat again.

I want people who bought that crap to take some responsibility. You helped hold this medium back. You threw money on a flaming heap of dung that’s still sticking to our feet as we try to stride forward.

I go to the shops weekly. I see so much crap. I understand that comics are an industry. Money makes things matter. When folks buy crap publishers want more crap just like that. But let me ask, are you enjoying this crap because it’s all you’ve ever known?

Where are the critics in our medium? Where is the peer review? Dave Sim, you’ve earned your rest, but the rest of you? An irregular column from Erik Larsen isn’t enough. Why doesn’t comics have its own Harlan Ellison or someone as bold to stand up and say, “This is terrible! This is garbage!” At least then, if people buy it, we can say, as they usher us to our tiny niches, “Well, we warned them…”

And, I know, art is anything but objective. There is no one or two “worthy” types or styles that deserve people’s attention and dollars. Not everyone gets a thrill from the Hernandez bros., Phil Winslade, or Greg Tocchini. But, as an aspiring artist, I struggle daily (if I’m lucky) with my own work to try to make it better. I understand when I don’t get a job offer or get rejected for a gig that I can only try to do better. I can only try to elevate my work from the hesitancy and inconsistency of its current state to a confident, mature expression of my vision. Filtered through my influences into a form completely and utterly my own . No swipes. No apes. No thought of marketability. Will this ever happen? Will I ever achieve my goal? I wouldn’t harbor a guess, but I’m not about to settle or compromise.

If you’re not trying to do better than your... ]]> *deankotz http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/18989544/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/18989544/ Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:38:53 PDT
Melanie and I got to spend the afternoon with some friends (the ever-hospitable Melissa and Johnathan) who have an apartment in Astoria. Lovely day for a walk around the neighborhood and a frappe at Omonia Cafe.

Later we met some (and when I say "some" I really mean 12) of Johnathan's North Carolina friends and their comrades at Congee Village in the Bowery. Dinner was rather unsatisfying. Greasy spinach and tofu the consistency of...ummm...really mushy tofu. But the drinks! A Ketel One Lychee martini for 6 bucks, a Long Island Ice Tea for 7! I thought this was New York?

Highlight of the dinner was Johnathan catching a fly with his chopsticks. Not quite as impressive when we found out the little bugger was doing a rather feeble backstroke in his soy sauce. A sign, perhaps? (yeah, going out of business)

In all fairness, the restaurant specializes in duck tongue and goose intestine, neither of which I tried. I was tempted by the "Duck's Blood with Chives", though. Everything's better with chives.

Drinks at the fishy smelling bar upstairs and then we raced to the Bowery Ballroom.

Polvo was excellent.

Not as excellent as the bagels we grabbed on the way to the train this morning, but that's not the band's fault. I mean, come on...

]]> *deankotz http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/18666139/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/18666139/ Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:48:21 PDT
Still, I ended up making a very exciting connection and the opportunity to work on a very cool book. Won't mention it yet, but I will when I can. It's definitely a genre that plays to my strengths. Something I can sink my teeth into. (and no, it's not a vampire book)

Oh, what about the other big boy? Well, Marvel asks folks to leave samples with them overnight, and they pick the best for reviews the next day. I dropped my packet off on Friday, spent the day milling about the con, and headed home.

That night some friends came over. Gin was poured. Records were spun. The Dive was visited. Lorenzo's was patronized. Yes, in that order.

Needless to say, I got a late start the next day. Ended up at the con around 10:50. Leisurely, and I mean that with a British accent, I strolled to Marvel's booth. Where's that darn review list? Not there. Other side?

I looked again. Scrawled in Sharpie on the back of some glossy poster..."Reviews...11:00 am...Dean Kotz. "

Shit! No room was listed. I interrupted some editor in mid-conversation..."Where are the portfolio reviews?"

"Oh, um....let me see...room 301."

Shit! I ran upstairs. They only give you 15 minutes and I wasn't gonna waste half of my time looking for the place. Up the escalator...down the hall...and then back. The numbering made no sense! It would be so much easier if I wasn't the first review of the day. I could just look for a room guarded by kids with black portfolios. Two minutes later (my watch said 11:01) I find it. 301.

I burst into the room. Some guy stands up. "Hi, I'm Dean," I say. We shake hands.

"Well, he's running late, and we have to get him to a panel. Did we email about this?" he says miming a typist.

What the hell is this guy talking about? "Umm, I'm here for a portfolio review."

"Oh, SSSHHHHHH! They're doing an interview."

I look over. A reporter's asking JG Jones questions about Final Crisis. So, I sit. I listen to the interview. God, I hope I'm in the right room. They finish up, and the email miming guy asks, "You sure you're in the right room?"

"That's what they told me. 301."

JG's satchel is on the chair next to me, and when he comes to collect it and run off to his panel, he looks at me and goes, "Da Da Da Dummm!"

And then, like some elusive mountain jaguar, he disappeared.

What did he mean by going, "Da Da Da Dummm?" Was it some cryptic advice from a master? Some dread warning? The theme to some forgotten sitcom? What does it mean?

Eventually the Marvel editor showed up. We had a nice little chat. I didn't get a job offer.

Perhaps JG Jones is psychic.

]]> *deankotz http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/17321030/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/17321030/ Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:25:52 PDT
Chances are, you won't find it on the racks of your local comic shop. Unless your shop is some way-cool superstore for indie books. So, get 'em to order it!

Heck, my regular shop is pretty awesome, but they don't stock it either. I have it on my pull list and they bring in one copy just for little ol' me.

I could wait for the comps, but there's a little thrill one gets buying something the minute it comes out. Especially when you have some work in it.

No sooner does the last issue come out, but James puts me back to work for the next one. If only his scripts weren't so darn funny!

I'm also working on a short written by for the third volume of Popgun. It's a nifty scifi story with a Bruce Jones twist ending.

And...as usual, I'm putzing around with a few stories of my own. One of these days I'll finish something.

It's like my buddy Paul says, "Ya gotta get the bad out first."

There's me. Getting out the bad.

]]> *deankotz http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/16649112/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/16649112/ Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:40:23 PST
I had the inspiration to check it out again a couple weeks ago. It was the night of the New Hampshire primary and the cable had gone out all over center city. Last we heard it was too close to call for the Dems. The screens at Grace tavern were still blue when Melanie and I left and wandered toward Rittenhouse Square.

See, I gave up beer as my New Year's resolution and plan on sticking to it until my birthday (sometime in April, nosey). Done really well so far, only I've substituted a fair amount of bourbon. Not drinking beer ends up effecting which sorta bars a fella can go to. There are certain bars you'll get laughed at if you order anything but a brew. Others, you order a cocktail or whiskey, you'll just get ripped off.

Don't know what we were thinking, but, finding Grace a bit too expensive, we became gluttons for punishment and headed toward the tony part of town. Got about half a block away from Tank bar when we noticed the neon sign wasn't lit. "What the...it's closed!" I was pissed. I wanted to sip some whiskey and laugh at the undersized fish tank. I wanted to giggle at the black velvet. I wanted to pretend I was Zevon and my life was a wild fandango of hookers, Mexican soldiers, and guest spots on Letterman.

"The nerve!!" We stormed away. Then it hit me. The bar was above a restaurant called "Fri Sat Sun". What was tonight? Tuesday.

Somewhere, Zevon was laughing. "Rookie."

]]> *deankotz http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/15028295/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/15028295/ Fri, 12 Oct 2007 11:45:08 PDT
For the home-surgery-with-powerdrill story, I did pencils and inks with my good buddy doing his alway impressive colors. Crazy thing is, all the stuff we've done together, this will be my first collaboration with Garry to actually see print.

James Dracoules wrote another hilarious Norma story this issue, and the talented Tom Schloendorn inked my pencils for it. Can't tell you how thrilled I was to be working with Tom. He ended up turning my rush job into some pro looking stuff. The guy's got chops.

With me in downtown Philly and Tom right across the river, the marketing gurus at Imperium couldn't resist setting up a signing. Soooo......

If you're in Philadelphia on October 20th, swing by the Brave New Worlds comic shop at 45 N 2nd Street. From 12pm, the Imperium crew, Tom,and I will be slinging comics and doing sketches.

Can't guarantee I'll have a lot to say (hey, that's why I draw!), but James might have some fascinating stories about their upcoming Hollywood movie. Just ask 'im.

Hope to see you there...

]]> *deankotz http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/12622669/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/12622669/ Mon, 16 Apr 2007 17:42:07 PDT
As attendees entered the lobby they placed their entree on one of two tables, either b&w or color, to be displayed throughout the day. The guest of honor (the only guest) would select a winner from each category shortly before the con ended. The whole set-up sounds ridiculously quaint by today's standards. After dropping off my piece, some rudimentary page showing Thor and Loki fighting (I think), I wandered about the show.

At the time I had know idea who Marshall Rogers was, but my good friend Yadin Flammer’s father, a comic-fan of many years (though he was primarily a rabid Uncle Scrooge/Barks collector), was quite excited that he was there. Rogers was at the time just finishing work on Cap'n Quick and a Foozle, and I believe my friend's dad even had a Foozle T-shirt. When the art contest judging was announced the lobby filled with fans. Everyone quietly watched Marshall pace in front of the two tables until he finally selected one winner from each category. Needless to say, I didn't win, but one of the con organizers announced that participants could bring their work to Marshall's table for some tips and advice.

When I got to Marshall's table he was mid-sketch, chain-smoking as he talked to one of his fans flipping through his pages for sale. When the conversation trickled down, I mustered the courage to ask for a critique. Marshall stopped sketching and began to go over my piece. He brought out a sketchpad and started showing me some musculature tips. He told me not to worry about drawing every little muscle, but rather to focus on the major groups. He told me to draw from life, and wrote down the name of a book on the subject I should look for, George Bridgman's. He was extremely patient and gave good, simple advice and the most constructive criticism.

The point is, he devoted prime sketching time, time when he could be making some easy cash, to helping some goofy, no-nothing kid figure this whole comic thing out. I was floored. Suddenly a lot of stuff fell into place and Marshall became my de facto mentor. I devoured his stuff. His Silver Surfer was one of the few comics I subscribed to. I sought out his issues of Batman and Dr. Strange and they blew my mind.

Marshall made me appreciate clarity in storytelling, characterization through a figure's movement and pose, and the excitement of realistic, unexpected detail. He didn't draw mindless T&A and he never drew a muscle-bound oaf for no reason. Marshall drew from real life and wanted his stories to have the same quality as the world outside your door, only a world unlimited in its scope and imagination. You don't have to make extreme proportions or impossible structures with distorted perspective, he seems to say. There's enough cool stuff out there, it's all in how you present it. He was easily one of the most-innovative layout stylists, and he understood the emotional power of color years before most . His creative use of the four-color range in the seventies anticipated the baxter/offset revolution of the next decade . He was just too darn versatile and too darn cool. He was the first comic pro I ever met and continues to be my biggest inspiration.

I only found out this Sunday that he passed away last month. Somehow I missed all the articles on the comic news sites. I probably still wouldn't know if I hadn't been searching online for a Cap'n Quick and a Foozle T-shirt. For some reason, after all these years, I’m always thinking about Marshall’s comics.

]]> *deankotz http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/12237673/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/12237673/ Sun, 18 Mar 2007 19:53:58 PDT
Wish there were some modern comics that were as hard to put down as Gerard Jones' history of the medium, Men of Tomorrow. A book safely called a "real-page-turner", Men of Tomorrow uses the publishing careers of Donefeld and Leibowitz as a spine to hang countless fascinating stories of creators and creations during the first three decades of comics. Jones' retelling of the creation of the first issue of (the golden age) Daredevil should be required reading for anyone who wants to make comics. Can't recommend it enough.

I've been obsessed with Jim Aparo lately. It's a shame most folks only know him for his later work on the Batman/Outsiders and other Bat books. While, in my opinion, he never put out a bad page in his career, his earlier work is so much stronger. Mostly because of his inks. Just check out the gorgeous Showcase Presents Phantom Stranger. Man, he's TOO damn good. So casual and unforced. His Spectre stuff is amazing as well. While the Adams clone comparison often gets mentioned, Jim really had a sense of openness quite unlike the often claustraphobic Adams. Jim's characters aren't right in your face doing the hard sell. They're beautifully framed and walk on a solid, believable ground as they act out the story. I'd give anything for an ounce of his talent.

]]> *deankotz http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/11108090/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/11108090/ Mon, 18 Dec 2006 17:27:23 PST
Stoneteller, the webcomic Garry , Will and I do over at Baeg Tobar is still going strong. Click here to go check out the latest episode [link]

Imperium Comics just released Trailer Park of Terror #5 featuring (I think...I still haven't seen it yet) my little excursion into car chases and zombies. I'm sure there's a bunch of other great stories, including something by my pal Have your shop order it [link]

Looks like William Ward's fantasy anthology FABLEWOOD has found a home at a certain very respectable indie publisher. Don't know if the details can be made public yet. It's gonna contain the story Garry and I did together last year ("the Apprentice" for those keeping score). Might be a little while yet before it hits the shelves, but it should be a very slick looking collection.

Speaking of stuff from awhile back, word is that my first gig, Will Ward's "Reservation", got picked up by an up-and-coming anthology. Gotta duck my head behind the seats a little for this one since I'm less than thrilled by my first stabs at comic art. Will was very gracious about the whole thing, and I'm forever indebted for the opportunity to mangle one of his scripts. When I find out more info I'll pass it along. Heck, all the panels can't be that bad...

As far as projects on the drawing board/forthcoming:

My buddy Oforie Murray has me doing some character designs and spot illos for a Mutants and Masterminds module.

I'm lined up to draw a future Fist of Justice [link] adventure from Digital Webbing (very excited about this one!)

Doing preliminary sketches for a very cool mini-series. Can't say much else yet. Recently I visited the library looking for appropriate mood/reference material and checked out August Derleth's Mask of Cthulu...hmmm....

Now that you're asleep by the fire, here's wishing you a Happy Holiday!

]]> *deankotz http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/10033651/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/10033651/ Sun, 10 Sep 2006 21:45:05 PDT
In other news: Tomorrow (hang on...make that later TODAY) Stoneteller launches over at Baeg Tobar. [link]

What's Stoneteller? Stoneteller's a new webcomic set within the world of Baeg Tobar. It's written by William Ward and colored by Garry Henderson I'm doing the pencils and inks. It updates twice a week on Mondays and Fridays.

What's this Baeg Tobar you ask? Baeg Tobar features engaging and beautifully illustrated fantasy stories without the usual video game cliches. Within the site you'll find prose, webcomics, and a richly detailed encyclopedia of this fascinating shared-world. If you get a chance, stop by. It packs a whollop too. ]]> *deankotz http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/9127955/ http://deankotz.deviantart.com/journal/9127955/ Tue, 20 Jun 2006 15:04:57 PDT
If you happen to stop by your comic shop this week please take a peak at Imperium Comics' Trailer Park of Terror #4. Inside you'll find some humor and horror and two pages by yours truly. If you have some extra cash go ahead and buy it. You'll get at least two great pages of comics (not necessarily mine.)

The guys at Imperium were kind enough to give me another gig; this time a full story. What I didn't expect was 9 pages of car chases and a phantom '57 Buick. It's a bitch and a half, but I love a challenge. The page 1 pencils are in my gallery if you wanna check 'em out.

Otherwise, I'm still working with my frequent and ever-capable collaborators William Ward and Garry Henderson. Our next project is getting closer to launch (hint-hint), at which time more can be said. Will's written up a tearjerker of a tale and Garry's colors (what he's been able to do, that busy bastard) are some of his best. Look for it in July.

That's enough blabbing for now. Thanks for lookin' and stay cool. ]]> *deankotz