Well I haven't done a blog in awhile so why not do one that really has something to show in it. I have gone MIA in alot of the contest to really work on other art. I have taken the past 2 months to try and put the good foot forward and focus on one of my goals. So I have done a little work for the Marvel Genesis Fan Fic group, tried to really turn out some great work for a secret project for a board member here (Man I am really behind on this one) but during all of this try to work on my submissions to Rittenhouse to work on the next Marvel project. I took a few steps back and had some hands on training from some great artist friends. Needless to say I had a lightbulb moment and stuff started clicking. My first submission is in but I have grown alot with my art since then so I am resubmitting a few things later today to try and catch the eye of Marvel. Here is 2 sketch cards that are being included. Both I love but after I inked one I noticed that one has a bigger hand than needed. Let me know what you think.

Work has butt its head back into my art life again. Time is approahing for the busy time of the year but yet I can't seem to get enough break to work on anything. So tonight I was determined to sit down and get all warmed up to start working on some stuff so here is what I used to warm up with tonight. 2 of these are just me finally finish coloring and 1 is all new. Hope you like !

So I finally was able to put my tablet and PS CS5 together for the first time today. Started messing around on it after my wife went to bed and I had nothing else better to do. I just wanted to see how much of a difference there was going to be from regular pencils and digital so this is what I was able to turn out in abut a hour. Not my best work but for my first try and knowing less than a rock about PS I'm proud of it. Now I just need to learn everything else there is to know about it and get better at it.

     For the past 20 years I have collected comics. I have been through all the ups and downs in that timespan. I have always been a Marvel Guy. I have grew up with Spider Man, The X-Men and Hulk around my room. I can remember drawing them in my earliest years even before i read the books. I used to watch the classic Marvel shows of Amazing Spider Man and Hulk. If it was Marvel it was for me. As I grew up I slowly began giving DC a chance and came to love Kyle Rayner. He is the reason I started reading other DC titles and enjoying them. As the more books I started to get interested in the more books I had reserved at my local comic shop. For many years this has been my enjoyment. Through out this time I started branching out and when this new guy named Michael Turner showed up and amazed me with his art, I became hooked on independent companies also. So basicly I became a comic geek of all genres. That was then this is now. 
 
     The Big 2 are not my big 2 pulls anymore. I have grown tired of the endless crossovers and 10 billion titles for one character. I have been loyal with them but I have progressly grown more of a loyalty to AspenMLT, Dark Horse, IDW , and Top Cow. After looking back over the past 2 years in comics I can honestly say that too me, the charcaters I love are no longer who they once were. Everytime they do something to mess with a character 2 months later the screw with it again. Marvel is my biggest pet peeve right now. I truly hate where they are directing there titles. That is the basis of this little rant and my conclusion is, As of today I am no longer spending my money on Marvel comic books. I still love the charcaters, the movies and eveything they used to be but unless they also pull a DC Revamp I don't care to waste my time on it. I can honestly say there is only 1 book I have enjoyed reading and its a love/hate, Captain America. I loved the idea of Steve taking on the bigger picture while Bucky slings the shield. I loved it ! What do they do to me , with a crash of a hammer Bucky is dead, Steve is Cap again, and barely a mention of Bucky's death to show from it. There is no love for the characters anymore. Its all about the money. I mean every other comic company is able to operate on comics for less than $3.99 . Why can't Marvel? They are the biggest right now and all I see is the toliet being flushed. 
 
     DC has caught my eye and as of now they have my interest. They are cleaning up there mess. They looked at the past and saw what needed to be fixed and are atleast trying to do something about it. I give them a A+ for effort. Now on how I look at the New 52 is still to be determend. It's hard to give judgement after one book which alot of people are doing. Give them 6 months, let them flesh it out and then see what they have to show. I am willing to do that. DC has restarted before so they know what works and what doesn't. Let's see if they have learned from their mistakes. 
 
      So where does that leave me. No more Marvel, DC is on a 6 month trial. I can honestly say that the books I have in my reserve now are books I am excited to read and can't wait to what happens next. I am a huge Michael Turner fan if you don't know that, so for me it was natural for me to follow him over to his company, AspenMLT. They are My Big Comic Company ! They give all the heart and soul to give the customers what they want and at the highest of quality. Mike might be gone but his legacy still lives in the halls of that studio. Ever book they put out has been well thought out and the care given to the art and storytelling is mindblowing. I personally pick up every book they put out cause even after 10 years there still isn't a book they have put out that I didn't love. That means alot to me. As a artist I understand the hardships artist and writers face in the independent comic companies. They live for there books. It's not about the money (which I'm sure they wouldn't turn down more) it's about giving the best they can give. Who wouldn't want to read something like that ever month. 
 
     So in ending this up I guess you can say I have gone Idie ! I still love Marvel but I just can't read them anymore. I hope that Disney will instill there love for their creations back into Marvel. DC I hope you get this one right cause if not I'm sure you are going to have alot of mad people. Aspen, Eric Powell, Steve Niles and every other independent artist and writer out there I salute you. I'm supporting you completely from here on out.  
 
Raven

Since my wrist has finally started to allow me to draw again I have been trying to turn out as many quality Sketch Cards I could. I have a local comic convention that I am attending as a artist this weekend and I am trying to get a few new cards done before it. Let me know what you think and which ones you like !

Well my wrist is finally allowing me to get some stuff worked up so I spent today finishing 2 sketch cards and also worked up another famous first that is more famous than its cover ! 

As some people here have noticed I have been alittle MIA over the last week or 2. I had the big project I was working on that is awaiting approval and the artistic reason I have been MIA is................................... I somehow have busted up my right  (drawing) wrist. No clue how I did it. I know I have a few bone chips in the joint and tendinitis but never has the pain been this bad. I mean I have resorted to pain killer to dull it. But I haven't had a total bust in the drawing department. I have been working on some new sketch cards for 2 cons I might be doing soon. If I don't make them my buddy is still taking them with him. I'm working on a series of Cover Recreations from famous First Appearances. I have 4 sketched up and started inking but I have 2 finished inking that I am proud of. They just need some color but I really like them so far. Let me know what you think. Hopefully I'll be posting more on here when my wrist decides to be kind.  
 

Here are the rest of the cards I have that I drew and my buddy Johnny inked and colored. 

Well my buddy finally had a chance to come over this weekend so we can figure out when our comics will finally be finished. (We're both dragging our feet on that). My buddy Johnny likes to ink and color a lot of my stuff so I gave him some stuff to work on and I finally can show some of the stuff we came up with.I'm going to post a few today and maybe a few tomorrow to see what everyone thinks of them. We just have a blast doing them and at the next con we are at we will have plenty to sale. 

I'm really glad and happy with the reception that myself and Feather received for our week theme of X-Babies. My plan was to restart the Daily Sketch Blog yesterday but I have started alittle project that I am throwing myself into that I want to focus on this week. Starting next week though Feather and myself start our 2nd Week of Art Mash where we tackle Robots and Cyborgs ! To wet your mouths till I return with the sketch blog I'll give you the first new sketch card (pencils only) that I am working on. Hope you like. And FYI this is 1 piece of a multi card piece ! This card has changed alot since I did scan this also!