Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Monday, March 29, 2010

Huckleberry Hero Special

I was digging through some old boxes that I keep sketches in, mostly quick sketches, doodles, studies, basically thumbnails of ideas for finished and unfinished art. Digging through the stack I came across this:


Huckleberry Hound as Popeye the Sailor.

I completely forgot I did this! I turned it over to see if I dated it, but no luck. I can't remember if I did this before I started doing my Huckleberry Heroes. The paper is somewhat yellowed, so it had to be some time ago.
Anyway I did this "mash-up" before their were "mash-ups", mixing two of my favorite cartoon characters.

Popeye singing "My Darling Clementine", wonder what that sounds like?

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Dick Giordano, 1932 -2010

Woke up today and turned on the computer and checked out the Comic Book web-sites that I follow and read this crappy news:

Comic Book Artist, Editor and Innovator Dick Giordano has died. He started in comics in 1954 for Charlton Comics and built up an impressive body of work mostly on their adventure line.
Giordano was known for his speed and reliablity for getting a job done on time. He never turned down an assignment and worked night and day to get it done.
In 1965 he became the Editor-in-Chief of Charlton and revived the super-hero line of comics with the help of Steve Ditko who revamped The Blue Beetle. Ditko also created The Question for Charlton at this time.
Giordano also brought back Captain Atom and introduced Judo Master and a host of other heroes. Jim Aparo, Steve Skeates and a few others artists were given their first assignments under Giordano.
In 1967, Giordano took an editorial post at DC Comics and the artists who he "discovered" joined him. Along with his editorial duties, he continued to ink over artists pencils to help meet deadlines and also because he loved to draw. In 1971 after a disagreement with the higher ups at DC, he left his editor job behind but continued to ink for the publisher.
At this time he and Neal Adams founded Continuity Associates, a company that provided artwork for comic book publishers, DC Comics among their clients. Here like at Charlton, Giordano discovered new artists who went on to work for DC and Marvel. He helped trained and showed them what works in a Comic Book. Terry Austin, Joe Rubenstein, Al Milgrom and others started at Continuity under Giordano.
In 1980 Giordano went back to DC, again serving as artist and editor. In a few years he would become Vice President/Executive Editor, becoming responible for some of the biggest events in DC Comics history.
Giordano, during his stints as Editor at Charlton and DC, was known as an editor who respected the artist's work, something that was NOT an industry standard. He let the artist do their job and sparingly crititzed the job, and when he did, sat down with the artist to explain why it would not work and usually helped the artist redraw the piece.
Giordano loved the medium of comics and respected the men and women who filled the pages of them.

He will be greatly missed by people like me who love Comic Books.

"May you take your place among those who made the world of four-coloerd fantasty...FUN!"



Thursday, March 18, 2010

Sleep


Over the past couple of months after a series of tests, it was finally confirmed what I pretty much knew for long time, I have Sleep Apnea. What this is when I sleep, I don't breathe. Most folks while sleeping breathe through their nose with their mouths closed. People with Sleep Apnea have to breathe through their mouths, although not very well. As a result of this, it can cause loud snoring, High Blood Pressure*, heart problems*, insomnia* and feeling fatigued* in the hours you are awake.
Sleep Apnea is a very serious condition, it is a killer. By not getting the proper amount of sleep puts a strain on your heart and other body functions and it can slowly kill you. Plus not being able to breathe while sleeping, well I think you know what the result can be. Many a night I've abruptly woken up gasping for breath and feeling like my chest is going to explode. I unfortunately knew a young child with at the age of twelve who died because of Sleep Apnea.
Sleep Apnea can be fixed/helped with the use of a C-Pap Machine, this device breathes for you. With a mask on your face, the C-Pap gives you the much needed air you need while sleeping. I have been using a C-Pap for a week now and you can't believe how much better I feel. I used to wake up tired wanting to go right back to sleep (Most mornings I felt more tired than I did before I went to sleep). Usually after being up for a couple of hours, I would doze off in front of the TV, my drawing table, my computer, etc. While at work I would constantly have to fight off drowsiness and when I got home, fall asleep sometimes while eating dinner! Now when I'm awake, I don't feel so tired and I have been sleeping better. I'm still getting used to the mask and I can no longer sleep on my stomach, but it's worth it.

If you are a heavy snorer or have any of the conditions I mentioned above, please have yourself tested. It can save you life!



*I have all of these

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Huckleberry Hero Hump-Day


Multi Man


Coil Man


Fluid Man

This week we have a three-for special at H.H.H-D.* Once again Ol' Huck walks over to the Super-Hero Department at the Hanna-Barbera Studios and portrays all three members of The Impossibles.
Hmmm, wonder if he can rock out like their alter-egos?

*since I missed last week

Huckleberry Hero Hump-Day part 2



A couple of weeks ago I posted the pencils of Huck and Yogi as The Star-Spangled Kid and Stripesy.
Here is the finished colored piece.

I'm going to have to put a flag or something patriotic in the background for Independence Day.


Monday, March 8, 2010

Shazam and Family


From the second issue of Shazam #2 here's another Bio piece, this talking about the Marvel Family.
Don't forget to left click on the image to enlarge it for easier reading.

UH-OH....

...Billy's in trouble!


Not to worry...



Captain Marvel arrives just in time!

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Shuster's Superman


Superman co-creator Joe Shuster did this recreation of Superman #1 in the 1970's. At this point in his life Shuster was legally blind and though he could still draw, it would take him a long time to do it.

I think it looks great!

Saturday, March 6, 2010