The War of the Independents #3

Hey look, how cool is this...

The Diamond art listing for issue #3 of he War of the Independents.

Title: The War of the Independents #3
Plot & Art: Dave Ryan
Cover art: Todd Nauck
Flip cover art: Chris Giarrusso
Script: Robert Sodaro
Colors & Letters: Wilson Ramos Jr.
Imprint: Red Anvil Comics
Rating: All Ages
Format: Comic (32 pgs)
UPC: 609224530005
Price: $2.99
The Story: The War of the Independents raves across the multiverse, and in this issue the supermen are on their way to Norway to locate the fabled hammer, belt and gloves of Thor, the legendary Norse god of thunder. Meanwhile the villain, Maldestrak — a being of godlike power who is pure evil , and bent on the utter destruction of all forms of life — arrives there first acquires the magical items as well as their incredible power; then proceeds to kick everyone’s butts. Guest stars this issue include the Tick, Atomica, Karma and El Gato Negro, as well as many others.

Yeah, that's very cool...

The War has broken!

This is the time of wars and rumors of wars. Yes, in October, War finally broke out, you may have heard about it by now or not, but it is here and there really is nothing that we can to do about it.

Fortunately, this is not a war with a (real) human body count, this is the War of the Independents of which I have spoken extensively, and it takes place within the pages of a funnybook. Yes, that’s right, Dave Ryan’s long-awaited magnum opus is finally hitting the stand, or rather has already hit the stands. Published by Red Anvil Comics The first issue showed up at this past October at the New York ComicCon, and let me tell you that it is an outstanding gathering of the best, coolest, most buzz-worthy comicbook characters to populate the Indie universe.

Seriously, kids, this is the comicbook aficionado’s version of Sly Stallone’s recent The Expendables. This comic will give you a Geekgasm of the highest order.

The story revolves around an event that threatens to rend the very fabric of the multiverse requiring the gathering of the greatest assemblage of heroes the comicbook world has ever seen (including Badger, Phazer, Scud, The Tick, Mr. Monster, Too Much Coffee Man, Captain Action, Crusader (Love & Capes), and, well way too many to list here, but take my word, there are a metric tonne of your favorite characters here — including yours truly's very own Wülf Girlz).

The story is fun and promises a whole lot more is to come in future issues (six plus a graphic novel containing an extra chapter, we are told), so you just know that you are going to get your money’s worth with this event. As a matter of fact, there is even a prequel of sorts with a comic staring Phazer, and published by RZG. The prequel (which is done independently of Dave’s work), provides a lead-in to the series, and is also quite well done; providing a background to several of the characters in order to get the reader up to speed.

As stated, there will be other comics whose heroes appear in the series that will appear in tie-in comics (Shadowflame comes to mind). So if you are a fan of Indie comics, if you have ever read an Indie comic, or you just want to see the coolest, most original concept in Indie comic series ever published, then you owe it to yourself to check out The War of the Independents.

New York ComicCon

Tomorrow is Day One of New York Comic Con I'm going to be there all weekend, set up at the Atlas Unleashed table (Booth #456). We have some wicked-cool comics that we will be selling, and then we'll be hostingthe hotest party of the weekend, the Indie after party at Blaggards! 8 W. 38th Street, Saturday, October 9th.

The Indie After Party promises to be kickin' and I'm really excited to be associated with both it, and Atlas Unleashed. Plus I'm simply besides myself that my characters (The Wulf Girlz) are going to be a part of  the War of the Independents (hey, not only are they in the series, but they even have trading cards TRADING CARDS!)

Oh yeah, I also want you all to look for an indie comic tie-in to the War of the Independents, the comic is called Shadowflame. You can order your copy of the Shadowflame Graphic novel (with a wicked-cool wraparound cover by comic book legend John Byrne) right now (as soon as you are finished reading this blog). The Previews Order code for Shadowflame is GN (SEP10 0773).

No go and buy a ton of 'em all! (Then seek out and purchase the Wulf Girl comic when it comes out later this year.)

Wülf Girlz

Here is the new logo for the Wülf Girlz, designed by my pal, Mark Mazz...

Art © 2010 Melvin Ylagan / Wülf Girlz © Freelance Ink

The War is coming!

There are wars and rumors of wars. Well this one is no longer a roomer, folks. The extremely talented Dave Ryan’s long-talked about and muchly heralded The War of the Independents is finally making its debut at the NY Comicon this October, and well, (for me at least) the coolest part of all of this is that my own characters, Wülf Girlz will be a (very small) part of the war.

Yep, that’s right. The Girlz will make a cameo in the first issue, as well as play a (small) role in the war itself. I couldn’t be more thrilled.

I had only just met Dave shortly after the Girlz made their debut in Psychosis! #1 (GWP), when the call went out for Indie characters to sign on board, and I was quick to give Dave the nod.

Man am I glad that I did, as this is turning out to be the coolest Indie comic to ever hit the stands. Seriously. Nothing like this has ever been done before, and well, it is totally wicked cool.

I’ve seen a special sneak peak of issue #1 and I was toatlly blown away (hey, don’t tell Dave, but I’m going to show you a portion of a wicked-two-page spread of virtually every Indie comic character in the known world.)

Look Ma! it’s the Wülf Girlz!

Yep, that’s my Girlz up there in the corner! I couldn’t be prouder, and I haven’t even told you about the special card set that is coming out (also @ ComicCon).

I’m as giddy as a schoolgirl!

The War of the Independents grows ever closer

Well kids, it is getting real exciting now, kids! That’s right, I just got the previous link from Dave Ryan who is the nefarious mastermind behind The long-anticipated War of the Independents, and well, I’m getting all worked up because my characters, The Wülf Girlz are a part of this series.

Dave has been working on this series for a couple of years, and I was one of the first folks to sign up (at least that’s what I recall), and I’ve been looking forward to this for — well quite some time — and I plan on being there at the NY ComicCon when Dave launches it.

I also plan on backing the launch by putting my own money where my mouth is, and I strongly urge you all to do like wise, so please, follow the link to the KickStarter proposal page and do likewise!

Yeah, I’m so happy I could carry a book!

More about the War

So, a few days back I ran on-and-on about the upcoming War of the Independents that my buddy Dave Ryan is magnificently orchestrating telling you all about the inclusion of the inclusion of Sean Koury's Bounty Hunter, and my very own Wülf Girlz. in this magnum opus, and, bone-head that I am, I completely forgot to mention the Mark Mazz’s King of the Realm and Shawnti Therrien’s Meth in the mix.

Both Mark’s & Shawnti’s work was on display in the first three issues of GWP’s critically acclaimed Psychosis! (soon to be reborn as Psychosis Today from Atlas Unleashed (which, I might add will not only also be publishing the further adventures of the aforementioned Wülf Girlz and my other on-going project, the resurrected Agent Unknown.

Mark’s tale postulates a world where Great Britain's royalty is secretly a race of bat-like creatures, while Shawnti’s character Meth is a tortured soul (who happens to be a vampire) who is in an eternal search for the vampire that caused him to enter into this hellish un-living nightmare into which he as fallen.

Both are powerful stories told by supremely-talented creators, and, should prove to be interesting additions to Dave’s story. As I mentioned in my earlier post, Dave plans on releasing the first issue at this year’s NY ComicCon, so if you weren’t planning on attending prior to this announcement, I would strongly suggest that you change your plans now and come on out, because it is going to be huge.

Anyway, I don’t want anyone to think that I was slighting my good friends and Atlas Unleashed collaborators, I — well — simply flaked. Sorry guys, you folk rock!

I’m so happy I could carry a book!

No, really!

I just heard from my good buddy Dave Ryan — who is hard at work on his highly anticipated comicbook series, The War of the Independents — and he told me that not only is he planning on debuting the book at the New York ComicCon this year. Well, he also just told me that he is planning on issuing a trading card set as well, and, since my Wülf Girlz are a part of the series, they will also be appearing in the Trading card set.


Also, I just turned a prose Wülf Girlz story over to my new pal, Sean Koury (who’s wicked-cool character is Bounty Hunter) that teams the Girlz up with his guy.

Which is great news, as Rick Lundeen, the new artist on the Girlz adventures, has finished off the third installment, as well as done three fabulous illustrations for the prose novella I wrote. He also illustrated a single-page tale that is going in the Atlas Unleashed newsletter (all of which is slated to be out by the end of this year).

Yeah, these Girlz are going to be all over the place soon. Now all I have to do is convince Shocker Toys to produce a line of toys about the series, that will include the Girlz as well...

Dave, are you listening?

Meet Rick!

As you all know I was recently interviewed by Jazma online, Well, as was scrolling through the Jazma site, I happened to notice that my buddy (and new artist on Wülf Girlz) Rick Lundeen has also been interviewed on Jazma online. Well, as I’m now working with Rick on Wülf Girlz, I want everyone to see what an amazing talent that Rick is.

Rick and I worked together on my story for Iconic, about Gustave Whitehead, the first man to fly (yes, even before the wright Brothers). I had such a swell time working with him on that project that when the artist position for the Wülf Girlz came up, I offered it to Rick, who jumped at the opportunity (apparently he enjoyed working with me as well).

Anyway Rick is a very talented artist, and I’m looking forward to working together for a long time to come. The Page of art on this page is a sample of Rick’s work on the Girlz, that is slated to appear in Atlas Ujnleashed’s initial newsletter.

Famous again?

Well, I wouldn’t really call me famous (infamous, perhaps?), but I did (somehow) manage to get myself interview by Jasma Online, a very cool website dedicated to talking about comics with comibook professionals (yes, even guys like me).

Anyways, I (as the VP of Media Relations for Atlas Unleashed, answered a few questions about both Atlas Unleashed, and well, myself, and you can read what I had to say, when you go to Jasma Online.

Have fun, I know that I did, as I got to talk about not only Atlas Unleashed, but the Wülf Girlz, and some other projects on which I’ve been working.

Bounty Hunter, The War of the Independents, and

About a hundred years ago, I agreed to lend my characters, the Wülf Girlz to this artist that I had just met named Dave Ryan, to participate in a Independent-style Civil War. Well, I thought that it was kind of a cool Idea and all, so I agreed.

To be sure, not much more has been seen of the Girlz, the War (or Dave, for that matter), but I have met some cool friends because of the War, one of them is this Sean Koury fellow who has a character called Bounty Hunter, and, well, I’m currently working on a team-up of the Girlz and his character (no, really I am).

Well, I just learned that Bounty Hunter has teamed up with The Living Corpse for a War of the Independents tie-in that is slated to appear in issue # 8, 9 or 10 (not sure which). Apparently it is a fun book, and you can get issues 0-6 and the Annual with Hack/Slash for 15.00 bucks off the website.

Well, here is the Bounty Hunter/Living Corpse page, which I think looks pretty neat, and is inspiring me to finish off the Bounty Hunter/Wülf Girlz prose story that I I told Sean I’d do.



So now I’m going to have to actually get down to it and do the work. (then of course there is that Wülf Girlz/Hell’s Blood Team -up I told Hector Rodriguez I’d do.

In the mean time, here is a page of Wülf Girlz art (illustrated by my new artist, Rick Lundeen), that will appear in an upcoming Atlas Unleashed Newsletter (due to be distributed at the upcoming Big Apple Con).

(Not so) Creepy

The first comics I read were newsstand comics, Harvey, Gold Key, Archie; I then grew into the world of Superheroes (DC, Marvel), but when I got to High School, I discovered Warren’s line of horror mags (Creepy, Eerie, and the rest of the Horror-verse that was Warren Comics), Along the way I was also exposed to the old EC-style comics (both from EC and the mass-market pablum that filtered into DC, Marvel, and the rest of the mainstream, newsstand books), so in spite of my admitted bent towards guys and gals wearing Spandex and punching the crap out of each other, I do know a bit about the history of horror in comics.

(Unavoidable aside, I not only interviewed Steve Bissette for four hours about his then-upcoming book Taboo (and remained friendly with him for several years afterward until we lost tough with each other) but I also interviewed Jim Warren (several years later) and still (occasionally) get a Christmas card from him (no, really!).)

Anyway, a couple of years ago Papercutz (helmed by my friend and former editor Jim Salicrup) re-launched the classic EC Comic, Tales From The Crypt. This version was re-imagined for kids (sort of an illustrated Goosebumps). Not bad, but not really horror either. Well this month, Dark Horse has relaunched Creepy. Well, in spite of the fact that I’ve written a horror story or four (the first three issues of Psychosis! for GWP, and issue #3 of Only In Whispers for Free Lunch Comics, plus am continuing my Wülf Girlz series for Atlas Unleashed) I really wasn’t interested in picking up Creepy #1, that is until Mark Mazz, my editor, publisher and friend prompted me to do so.

Well, I did, and wow, was I extremely disappointed. For whatever reason, Dark Horse (or, more specifically, New Comic Company who — I believe — packaged the material for Dark Horse) chose to not so much relaunch the title but essentially pick up with stories that could have very well been published by the title some 30 or 40 years ago.

Please note, this is so not a compliment.

Let me digress for a moment. As good and ground-breaking as those stories were all those years ago, for the most part, they were all what I term “Turnabout Revenge Fantasies”. That is to say, (and this is an oversimplification) a young boy would pull the legs off spiders, and then get trapped in the web of a giant spider. Effective stories for a 12-year-old, but not so scary for an adult read. (I say that even though to this day I’m not entirely unconvinced that when a smash insects in my house that someday soon a hoard of gigantic insects wont swarm me and kick me to death.)

Still, to return to Dark Horse’s Creepy. It just isn’t scary The stories are all cast in the precise mold of its earlier incarnation, and just don’t do it for me any more. Now, while it may be possible that these stories just might be scary to a younger generation that didn’t grow up reading these stories already, I am highly suspect. If only due to the vast expanse of Freddie Kruegers, Michale Myers, and Jason Voorhees populating the movie landscape. It could be me, but I just don’t see this stuff as scaring anyone.

I realize that this may come off as professional jealousy (because of my association with Psychosis!, even in spite of the fact that this version of Creepy (at least in it’s packaging) looks nearly identical to Psychosis!. Still, it has no teeth. This Creepy still thinks the stuff that scared me at 15 in 1970, is going to scare me (or someone else) in 2009. I think not. At least in Psychosis we tried to update the fear-mongering to relate to issues and fears of the 21st century (the schoolyard Bully, Predators that stalk our children, global warming, eminent domain, shadow conspiracies, and the like.

Our fear base has changed over the past 30 years, unfortunately the storytelling in this tome has not.

If you want to see what I mean, write to me and I’ll sell you copies of the GWP issues of Psychosis! that I still have. Or, if you are going to be at the Wizard/Big Apple show in NY this October You can look up Atlas Unleashed in Artist Ally, and check out what we are doing with the genre.

Until then. See you in the funnypapers!

Today is SDCC!

Yep, the whole (funnybook) world converges San Diego for Comic-Con International. To help celebrate this Google has adjusted their masthead to reflect that all the world is a funnybook:



How do I know that the whole world loves comics? Nothing less than the esteemed Wall Street Journal has told me so.

it is because Comic-book films have been among the most bankable properties in Hollywood in recent years (surprise!). This year we had Wolverine and Watchmen. Next up for superheroes is, of course, Iron Man 2 which is due to hit theaters early next year.

With the Convention now in its 40th year, the Comic-Con convention has grown from a small gathering of just a few sci-fi fans to a mandatory stop for film and videogame producers, whose industries are increasingly marketing superhero characters and their stories.

But all the well-known characters are already locked up by big studios. DC Comics, which has the rights to Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman, among others, contracts with Warner Brothers. Marvel Comics, which has Iron Man, Wolverine, Spider-Man and the Hulk in its ranks, is signed with various major studios, including Paramount Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox Film and Universal Studios."

(read the full article here)

To those film producers who are looking for a killer comic-to-film-concept, let me direct your attention to my girls...



I’ll be here (not in San Diego) all week. For all of the rest of you who will be in San Diego, you might need this.

Wülf Girlz: Resurrection

OK, perhaps that is a bit more dramatic than required. My Wülf Girlz haven’t really gone away, as much as have metamorphed. The last time we all saw them, they appeared in the Guild Work Production comicbook, Psychosis!, as illustrated by the incomparable Matt Ryan. Well, Matt is the heart and soul of MattsMineStudio, that produces the most excellent line of Free Lunch Comics. So, as you can probably expect, Matt is wicked-busy these days producing some of the finest Indie comics to come out of New England, so he really hasn’t had much time to devote to the Girlz.

And well, I really want to continue their adventures. Still, as much as I wanted to wait for Matt, I really couldn’t, so (with his understanding) I have engaged the services of the very talented Rick Lundeen, who as you all recall, illustrated my Gustave Whitehead story which appeared in the recently-published Iconic graphic album from CAG.

So, Rick has finished his first installment of Wülf Girlz (and agreed to do more), so I’m currently writing a new Wülf Girlz script for him, but the really big news is that I just finished my very first Wülf Girlz prose story. Yep. That’s right, prose (some 6,500 words long, I might add).

Needless to say, I’m really very excited about it and I can’t wait to tell you more about it (including where and when it will be released). Suffice it to say, that it (along with the first illustrated story by Rick, and perhaps even the second) will all be out sometime this year under the Atlas Unleashed banner.

Here is a sneak peak at Rick’s take on the Girlz...

Stay tuned.

Iconic is the Word

This just in, I’m part of a new graphic album of short stories featuring new/different spins on mythic, legendary, historic and/or fictional characters entitled Iconic, which is being published by the Comicbook Artists Guild.

Iconic is a 120-page, square-bound volume featuring the talent of some 30 writers, artists, and creators who developed 10 short stories revolving around such mythological characters as Prometheus, Talos and Cuchulainn; legendary literary characters as Ebeneezer Scrooge and Sherlock Holmes (each appearing in slightly altered narrations), the triumphs of heroes from folklore like Robin Hood and John Henry, and not to leave great historical figures behind, they also included Mark Twain, St. George, and Gustave Whitehead (mine).

All of the stories are tied together by the appearance of a fictional grandfather who shares the stories with his beloved grandchildren. The book was the year-long product of the membership of the Comicbook Artists Guild and is a weighty tome that is being targeted to be marketed to Book stores, libraries, schools, and to fans of historic and mythic fiction all over.

The Guild is planning to release Iconic at MoCCA Fest, being held June 6 and 7, 2009 at the 69th Regiment Armory in New York City. MoCCA Fest is a popular comic art festival sponsored by the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art and members of the Guild will be appearing to celebrate their special release. This appearance is the Guild’s first time exhibiting at MoCCA Fest.

As stated, my story is about Gustave Whitehead, a man who lived in Bridgeport, CT, and flew before the Wright Brothers (In fact, as legend has it, Gustave actually sold the Brothers a pair of his engines). My story is beautifully illustrated by Rick Lundeen. This is the first time Rick and I have worked together, but certainly not the last, as Rick has since picked up the art chores on my Wülf Girlz property which is soon to be published by Atlas Unleashed.



On a personal note, I learned about Gustave from my High School science teacher and Judo instructor who interviewed a guy who — as a young boy — worked for Gustave, and saw him fly. My Science teacher was an avid flier and went on to not only build a replica of Gustave’s plane, but ran a Gustave Whitehead museum at Captain’s Cove Marina in Bridgeport for may years. For years, he and I talked about the possibility of producing a comic about Gustave that could be distributed in Bridgeport schools. I hope that this short story leads to a longer-form story that can fulfill that dream.

Portraits by Dave Ryan

I met Dave Ryan a couple of years ago, I was introduced by a mutual friend, Mark Mazz. All three of us are involved in the Comicbook Artists Guild, and well, I knew that Dave was a righteous illustrator, but I really had no clue as to how good he was until I saw the following Vid.



Dave is living in LA now, but I expect to (hope to) see him this year at the New York Comic Con.

Very cool stuff Dave. I’m totally impressed (Oh yeah, Dave is also the driving force behind The War of the Independents, where my characters — The Wülf Girlz — are slated to appear).



Trust me when I tell you that no one is cooler than Dave.

Wülves are at our Doors!

That’s right buoys and gulls, it is getting a tad bit dangerous out there again. Just in time for ComicCon NY, my publisher of choice, Guild Works Production, is getting set to release Psychosis! #3. This cover is painted by my good buddy Ed Traquino (who will probably be packed up and shipped back to Britain when the INS learns that he is still in the country).

Personally, I think that this is some of Ed’s best work.

Oh yeah, I also have a short story in this issue. A little thriller I’m calling, Into the Wood, which is the follow-up to my Wülf Girlz story from issue #1.

As stated, the comic will be on sale at the NY ComicCon, and thereafter from places like MidTown Comics in NYC. You could also probably contact me directly here and I could arrange for you to receive a copy (for a small renumeration and a hefty postage and handling fee, of course). I understand that there will be a second (flip) cover to Psychosis! #3. I haven’t seen that cover yet, but when I do, you can be assured that I’ll post it here in this space. So keep watching.

Oh yeah, before I forget, on a related matter, there is a war brewing in the indie comics, well, no, not a real war, but a war among the various characters in the marketplace. That’s right from the twisted mind mind of artist and scripter Dave Ryan, along with inker Peter Palmiotti, and a helping hand from Richard Kane Ferguson on layouts and plotting, comes the War of the Independents. I mention this because the Wülf Grilz are playing a small role in this six-part series from Red Anvil. A new-found friend of mine, Joe Martino, also has a hand in this, and is producing a tie-in comic co-staring his character, Shadowflame.

More news as it develops.

The Sky is Falling! The Sky is Falling!

Well, no, not really, but there are Pirates in the sky (Arrgh!)

What the heck am I talking about? Well Sky Pirates, of course. Sky Pirates began life as an entrant into DimeStore Productions Small Press Idol contest from 2007.

Sky Pirates is the brainchild of my buddy and fellow CAGer Everett Soares. Everett is the creator and writer of Sky Pirates which became a finalist in Small Press Idol and has since launched into its own series. From that endeavor, he managed a “zero issue” one-shot which lead to him being picked up by Matt Ryan’s Free Lunch Comics (Matt is another good buddy of mine, and is the artist of record for my own Wülf Girlz). Matt has contracted with Everett for a 5-book limited series.

I have acquired the first two issues (0 & 1), read them both, and let me tell you how very cool they are. The series is something of a throwback to to ‘80s space opera with aliens and anthropomorphic characters intermingled with humans, along with lighter-than-air ships and sword fighting and blasters. I’m like a kid in a candy shop reading this. It is pure, unadulterated fun, complete with a breezy script, clear, clean, crisp art, sexy babes, and a straight-forward story that is simple to follow yet, compelling to read.

After reading it you have to wonder why can’t the pros at the big comic publishing houses tell stories like this?

Anyways, it is great stuff, you should all run right out and buy yourselves a copy.

Upcoming Projects

I wanted to take a minute or two out of my on-going anti Brand-New Day Rants to let you all know about a couple or three of my upcoming projects.

A year or so ago, I had a short story entitled Never Judge a Book, published in an illustrated horror anthology (Psychosis!, published by Guild Works Productions). Well, that story was meant to be a one-off story. That is to say, a fully complete story, with no continuation. Interestingly enough, that didn’t quite happen. It was suggested to me that these characters had more to say. At first I objected, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that that wasn’t going to happen.

As fate would have it, there is more to the story of Hope and Grace. The continuation of that story occurs in Psychosis! #3 with How Deep the Wood. In this story we learn how the girls became the way they became, along with who they were before they became that way. Intrigued? I hope you are, stick around you’ll learn more; that story is slated to come out shortly, again with art from the very talented Matt Ryan.

Another story of mine that is due out soon, is the continuation of a comic series that I began in the mid ‘80s. That series, Agent Unknown (published by Renegade Press) came to a rather abrupt end (canceled in mid stream when the B&W comicbook market collapsed (I still have the first three issues, post that you are interested and we’ll see what we can arrange).

Anyways, the new Agent Unknown story (Springload & Renegade) is slated to appear in CAG #7. While this story is a continuation of the concepts began in Agent Unknown, the characters are new, and the story itself is darker, and far more violent than those earlier stories. Personally, I love the new artist, Chris Torres, I have seen the pages and he has crafted a spectacular story that is moody and powerful. I can hardly wait to see the last two pages.

Another story of mine is being drawn by a fellow named Roy Cutting. I have seen his work posted on Deviant Art, and it is very fine, lovely in fact, and I specifically chose him to illustrate a fun superheroine story of mine that I’m calling Hot Girl and Totally Hot Girl, and yes, it is exactly what it sounds like.

I’ve seen a pin-up of Roy’s as well as page one of the series, and I’m including them both here. I have to say you that I am really looking forward to this year, because these are just three of the stories of mine that are coming out, and I’m very excited.

So, when I have more to tell you good folks, you can most assuredly bet that I’ll do just that.

Matt Ryan Rules! So too does Mark Mazz, but we’ll get there in a minute.

This past weekend, my good buddy and collaborator on Wülf Girlz, Matt Ryan handed me what was easily the coolest piece of comicbook art that I’ve ever received. Yep, cooler than than the Stan Goldberg con sketch of Jughead, cooler than the con sketch I have of Betty Anderson. Hey it is even cooler than the page of original art by John Constanza from my first published comic strip — which John drew.

(OK, OK, it still takes second place to the Gwen Stacey illustration that was drawn for me by John Romita, Sr. back when I was 17 or 18, but it is a close second.)

Matt, as I’ve said, illustrates Wülf Girlz, and does a beautiful job doing it, I might add. Well, Mark (another good buddy of mine as well as the creative director of Guild Works Productions) commissioned a piece of delightful art from Matt knowing that I would not only instantly love the art, but be inspired by it as well. (Today I penned a pair of story pitches to the Marvel Adventure line.)

Sure enough, I was both. and I’d love to show you that art now:



Is this the coolest picture or what?

Truthfully, I only have one small problem with it. I just can’t remember who that girl in the picture is with Spidey...