Michel Fiffe
About a year ago I celebrated the release of the latest Love & Rockets series, New Stories, by posting a bunch of the Bros.’ older material. Well, the second issue just came out and what can I say? It’s fantastic. I think every time one of these books hits the shelves there should be a parade or some sort of citywide festival. It’s no less than what the Bros.deserve, right? I’m only one person, though, and this Master Post is my humble contribution.
Walt Simonson has just about drawn every major character for every major publisher throughout the last thirty-odd years. Best known for his work on Thor, Starslammers, Fantastic Four, Battlestar Galactica and Orion, Simonson’s style has always been lauded as having the energy to rival Jack Kirby’s. But just as his legendary predecessor’s work was seen, all of the subtlety in Simonson’s work is often overlooked. Even in the most frantic piece, Simonson manages give it a quiet sense of characterization.
Hell, he just draws purty, OK?
Since I can easily make thirty different posts based on his covers alone, I’ve posted some of my personal favorite comics and covers by Simonson.
The Internets and I haven’t been close lately. That’s mostly in part to crunching through weeks on a project that needed to get done “yesterday”. Imagine a cute little bobble head, then amplify it to stand eight feet tall. We’re building 4 of those. It’s fun in a hellish sort of way. I sometimes forget the million steps it takes to bring these suckers to life. Well, the photos help.
All of the following work is (c) Randy Carfagno Productions… y’dig?
More photos after the cut.
The third issue of JM Dematteis & Mike Cavallaro’s “The Life And Times of Savior 28” comes out this Wednesday! It was a pleasure to do a pin-up for them for this issue.
I was going for a mock-semi-retro Manga thing, but I think it got out of control, as you can see. I still had a blast doing it. Behind the cut you’ll find some alternate cover sketches and the dreaded pencil version…
This drawing is for a pal of mine who requested M.O.D.O.K. fighting a Mexican wrestler.
Last year I began the process of interviewing comics legend Trevor Von Eeden. This July, the interview will finally come to light! I’ll post a note closer to the date, but be on the look out for The Comics Journal #298 featuring the “brutally honest” interview.
I stumbled upon the pic above and the links below at the Fantagraphics Flickr profile (which has tons of other great stuff), so imagine my surprise in seeing the piece come to to life, so to speak, previously existing in my head as a pile of handwritten notes and a Word document for the past year.
The close up and the video (at 00:46).
On top of all that, I recently received 2 pieces of Art from 2 fellow LJers for my birthday! The first is from cooltrash It’s probably the best portrait of me ever (I’m usually reduced to a ball of stubble… not far off from the truth but still…). Anyway, it’s the cover for a mix CD (I’m a mix tape & CD nerd) which is quite good.
… and from calling_alice who does tons of other cool art, displayed throughout the profile. Below is the old school Dagger from “Cloak & Dagger”. These are awesome, guys!
xoFiffe
Kat Roberts aka sateenduralux is featured at Seth Kushner and Chris Irving’s NYC Graphic Novelists site.
I was asked to draw up potential costume designs for a “Jagermeister Monk/Angel” at my day job at the costume/puppet shop. I was very excited to contribute to the mythology of the number one choice of drink of frat creeps and date rapists. Hey, I get it… it’s sweet and tasty and served cold. Yay. It’s like licorice but worse. You drink it when you have nothing else left, but even then…
Anyway, the folks at Jagermeister Headquarters green lit my design and off we went! I built the elk head interior and the other studio hands draped it. We had to do four of them total and we did them in record time (a week). We also did cloaks, paddles…
…was yesterday, but I made him a card anyway. He turned 81 years old.
You may recognize the name Ditko as the creator of many of your favorite comic characters such as… ah, the names escape me… Spider-something or other. Anyway, he’s a comics legend, an innovator, and he’s still making comics. I have cobbled a few of my personal favorite Ditko pieces, some not seen too often and others never to be reprinted elsewhere.
Like Ditko often suggests, there is black and then there is white and there is no in between.
Just in time for Halloween, Cthulhu Tales #7 (from Boom! Studios) hit the comic book shelves yesterday and look… I drew the cover!! Below, my initial image.
I bought the comic at my local comic shop and read it. You should, too. This isn’t shameless self-promotion, I promise. You will want to own this comic. I am actually honored that my cover graced the 2 horrific stories inside. I’m not even being sarcastic, despite what my close friends may think. You gotta see it to believe it.