Chimera

Today's topic was "Chimera"

Well, I am kind of the mythology guy round hereabouts, so why not draw the original Chimera, the one from Greek myth? Well, Tim did a version of it that I can't touch, which hearkens back very closely to the (kinda sorta goofy) ancient depictions. But as luck would have it, I designed my own take on the  Chimera as part of a pitch for a spin-off series from Olympians that is currently languishing in non-development. I was fiercely proud of this somewhat more realistic take (if something like the Chimera could ever be considered realistic)  and was kind of saddened that there's a good chance it will never see the light of day otherwise, so why not share it here? So, as I was on the move all day, here's my crappy little subway doodle of the Chimera:

and as an added bonus, here's a sliver of art from that ill-fated Olympians spin-off pitch I mentioned, showing my Chimera and the Greek hero Bellerophon.

Yet another finished color page from Hades

It's been a whirlwind of posted finished colored pages 'round here lately! Here's one from the book's central action scene, where the Lord of the Dead himself carries off young Kore to the Underworld. This page is part of the same sequence that these two almost finished pages I posted awhile ago belong to, and I also had previously posted the black and white artwork for it as well. And now it's done!

Another finished colored page from Hades

Olympians Book 4, Hades: The Lord of the Dead is all but in the can as I type this (just going over the last few pages making color tune-ups, and adding lightning. Boy, there's a lot of lightning in this book). I thought I would share another finished color page with all of you, so you can see what's coming up.

This particular page has proven to be a favorite of mine-- there's something about the way Demeter looks in these panels that I really dig. In fact, I've shared this particular page with readers of my Olympians blog  before at the finished black and white stage and the concept sketch stage-- I should really go and add the rough pencils in one of these days.

So what do you think?

Finished colored page from Hades:

Just to prove it's not just all doodles around here, here's a finished color page from Olympians Book 4: Hades.

Classics and Comics Final Cover Artwork

Remember last week when I wrote about the cover I'm doing for an upcoming book from Oxford University Press called Classic and Comics. The idea was that I drew several pastiches of famous superhero covers with the superheroes replaced by Olympian deities. I showed several such sketches, as well as their inspirations, but we finally went with Action Comics #1, the first appearance of Superman. Here's the final piece below, but click on over to my Olympiansrule blog for a step by step of its creation.

Classics and Comics cover tryout

A few months back I was approached by the editors of a new book coming out from Oxford University Press called Classics and Comics about doing the cover. Classics and Comics will be an exploration of the influences, both subtle and less subtle, that classical literature and myth have had on comics, something that is pretty much the whole point of a series like Olympians.

We talked about a few cover design ideas, and one of the ideas I came up with was this piece, which references the myth of Athena being born from the head of Zeus (not to mention my self-portrait from the back inside cover of each volume of Olympians)



Ultimately, we went with another idea, of paying homage to some classic comic book cover designs, but replacing the modern superheroes with their Olympian forebears. Please click here to see a gallery of super-hero cover designs on my Olympiansrule blog.

New page from Hades: Charon's Approach

For your viewing pleasure, a finished (well, black and white, not colored) page from Olympians Book 4, Hades: The Wealthy One. The book opens with a tour of the Grecian afterlife,and here comes ferryman Charon to take you across the Styx. Hope you have a coin for him.

Persephone pin up!

Isn't she lovely? A round of applause for the Dread Queen of the Underworld, everybody! This is the first piece of finished artwork I completed especially for Olympians Book 4, Hades: The Wealthy One. More to come soon.

Hekate and Persephone, not in that order

good news! It was only in the low 90's today! It's like a veil has been lifted from my brain!

In celebration, a few more character sketches for all of you from Olympians Book 4, Hades: The Wealthy One. First up is this sketch of Demeter's lovely daughter Kore, after her transformation into the Dread Queen of Hades, Persephone.



And nextly, someone who has ended up being one of my favorite characters in the book, Hekate, goddess of the Crossroads. She becomes Demeter's loyal companion as she searches for her daughter after Kore's abduction. It's a subtle little craziness in her face that is the thing I like about her so much.

Old Men I drew

The heat continues unabated here in NYC. I've eaten nothing but berries for so many days now that I know what a bear feels like.

Here are a few doodles of a couple of gentlemen you might run into in the afterlife. On the top is Kharon, ferryman for the River Styx. I have to admit, it was pretty tough to not just copy the skeletal design of him from the classic "Clash of the Titans" (not the new version-- that was the worst movie I saw all year-- maybe in several years). Beneath Kharon is Tantalos, who you would only run into if you had been very, very naughty in life. Tantalos is being punished eternally in Tartaros. He stands beneath grape vines that pull up whenever he reaches for them, and in a pool of water that recedes whenever he stoops for a drink. I imagine he's gotten pretty hungry and thirsty over the millennia. This poor dude is where we get the word "tantalizing" from.

Hot as Hades in NYC today...

In honor of the old saying and the fact that the temperature has been in triple digits here in NYC, I thought I'd share this double page spread from my sketchbook, with doodles of an armored Hades, a thoughtful Demeter, and a drawing from behind of a certain demigod who may have been surprised to find himself in the Underworld.

Come see me draw at Greenlight Bookstore!

As part of the ongoing Fulton Fab Fest in Brooklyn, this Sunday, June 27th, I'll be hanging out around my friendly neighborhood bookstore Greenlight in Fort Greene Brooklyn, making chalk sidewalk drawings (which may or may not look like my crude Photoshop approximation below), signing books, beating all challengers in thumb-wrestling, and just generally hanging out from about 12 noon onward. If you're going to be in Brooklyn anyway, why not come on by to one of my favorite booksellers and get a signed copy of Olympians or 20?

More Hades Dramatis Personae...

...This time, a profile sketch of Hades himself, and a shot of Kore/Persephone, after her transformation into the dread queen of the underworld. Enjoy!

Hades Dramatis Personae: Demeter

Book 4 of Olympians, Hades: The Wealthy One is a bit more like Zeus in its structure, in that it principally tells one big story (in this case, the abduction of Persephone) rather than a tapestry of interconnected tales, as in Athena.

It may be Hades who gets the title nod, but he really shares the starring role with both Persephone and her mother, Demeter. Of all three main characters, until this point in the series Demeter has gotten the most panel time, as it were, but only as a supporting or background character. As a result, I've spent a lot of time sketching the beautiful Goddess of Grain in a wide variety of moods and poses, as she really gets put through the emotional ringer in this book.



The first step when I'm writing a book is to fill up some sketchbooks with "key Scenes" that may or may not make it into the final version. Here are a few sketches of an enraged and distraught Demeter, including an action shot of her in her role as Demeter Khrysaor, or Demeter of the Golden Blade. Looks like she's pretty miffed at Zeus. I wonder why?

Hey, ain't this supposed to be an online sketchbook?

If so, where're the sketches?

been awhile since I posted anything sketchbooky here, so to remedy that, here are a few studies of the gloomy lord of the underworld as he'll be appearing in Olympians Book 4 Hades: The Wealthy One. Enjoy!

Athena is out today! Run! Now!

So if you're the sort of person who enjoys making their comics purchases in a bookstore or online, today is the day that Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess is released! Woot!

If you're more of a comics shop traditionalist, you will be able to find Athena tomorrow at all finer comics shops with the normal Wednesday comics shipment.

A comparison and contrast between Clash of the Titans and Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess

J. Caleb Mozzocco, of Newsarama fame, recently ran a very interesting comparison/ review of the new Clash of the Titans (opened last weekend, number one film)and the Perseus segment of my own Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess, due out next week. I'm a huge fan of the original film, though there are certain inaccuracies in it that drive the mythophile in me crazy (I'm looking at you, Kraken), but I haven't seen the new version yet, mainly due to the "meh" reviews it's been getting. Give it a click to read what Caleb has to say!

Of special note: he gives a shout out to my old Marvel Namor tryout pages, featured on this very site, which contain the first appearances of my design for Cetus, the monster (not Kraken! He's Norse!) that terrorizes the beautiful princess Andromeda.

New Title for The Glory of Hera!

Well, it will be almost a year until the book hits stores (not like Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess, out next week, but the book formerly known as The Glory of Hera will now officially be known as Hera: The Goddess and her Glory. The folks in sales thought it was important that we continue the naming style we had established so far with Zeus: King of the Gods and Athena: Grey Eyed Goddess, with the god or goddess's name first, followed by subtitle. Certainly when all twelve volumes are completed, it will look nicer this way, and help people to find the separate volumes easier.

I'm still hard at work coloring Hera: The Goddess and her Glory but let me tell you-- so far it's my favorite of the series. In addition to telling the story of the courtship and wedding of Zeus and Hera, you also get to see the story of Io, the Twelve Labors of Heracles, meet Jason and the Argonauts and see what happens on that mysterious day every year when Hera abandons her position as the wife of Zeus and Queen of the Gods. Cool stuff, if I may say so myself.

Now one of these days I'm going to go through this blog and change the three million references to Zeus: Father of the Gods to Zeus: King of the Gods. Titles!

MOCCA fest in NYC!

Hey, if you're in the NYC area this weekend and are a fan of some of the best comics art there is, come on down to the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art's annual Art Festival! There will be tons of great stuff to see, and yours truly will be signing copies of Zeus, Athena, Ball-Peen Hammer, Journey into Mohawk Country, and whatever else you stick in front of me at the First Second Booth on Sunday at 2 pm. Hope to see you there!

Appearance: Teen Book Con in Houston!

Do you live in or near Houston Texas and want to meet me and a whole slew of other talented authors and artists? April 10th I'll be appearing at the greater Houston Teen Book Con with great folks like Jimmy (Amelia Rules) Gownley, Terry (Strangers in Paradise) Moore, and the Fillbach brothers (Maxwell Strangewell). The whole event is free with a keynote speech by Sharon Draper. Check out their website or Facebook page for more info. I hope to see you there!