Category: Comics I Make

My comic book work includes Fut Miso and Panorama. Also thrown in there are a few collaborations as well as some early works. Zegas, my main comic book project, has its own category.

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Comics I Make

Post DEATHZONE!

I brought forth my Deathzone! comic a few weeks ago, and the world responded:

First off, big thanks to Tucker Stone and his Factual Opinion for contributing to the actual comic in question, and for discussing it some on his Comics Are Burning In Hell (Episode 0.3) podcast, co-hosted with greats Joe McCulloch and Matt Seneca, entrusted comix allies all.

Another podcast that favorably mentioned us was War Rocket Ajax (Episode #115), hosted by Chris Sims and Matt Wilson. Chris, a huge fan of the Squad himself, also wrote a piece on Deathzone! over at Comics Alliance before seeing the final product, so I’m really glad he liked it. Oh, and the Mindless Ones had some really nice things to say about it upon my revealing the comic [and after receiving it as well!]; they always come through with support.

Reviews, too! The first one came in straight from Siskoid’s Blog of Geekery, a blog which has extensively covered the Squad throughout its exhaustive blogging schedule. I appreciate It’s a Dan’s World and Nowhere / No Formats for taking note of the comic, too. Further thanks to Comics Reporter and Spandexless for mentioning Deathzone! And big thanks to Zack Soto for dropping the name and the love all over the webs. A special shout out goes to Annie Koyama, who has helped and supported me in more ways than I can ever repay.

And of course, thank you ALL for checking out, inquiring about, and referencing Deathzone! … and for buying its accompanying print.

Having this comic out there has also connected me with other Suicide Squad fans, such as Brannon Costello, who remarked on John Ostrander’s work over at Pretty Fakes, as well as blogs such as Subject: The Suicide Squad (Task Force X) and Omega Agent 1’s Bronze Tiger.

In other news, I will be at Heroes Con in Charlotte, North Carolina this June 22-24!

I’m quite excited to be able to exhibit at Heroes Con; I’ve been wanting to simply attend for years. This will be a fun show, so drop by Indie Island and say hi!

–Fiffe

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Comics I Make

D E A T H Z O N E ! my Suicide Squad comic

I told myself that it was a silly idea, that it was nothing but a distraction, a nostalgic impulse at best, and that I had more important things to do. Next thing I knew, I had written, drawn, and colored sixteen pages of my very own Suicide Squad comic. I called it DEATHZONE!

You know about the Suicide Squad already, right? I’ve gone on about it before, and always kept a close eye on those who did the same. It was one of my very first and favorite comics as a kid, and during the tail end of my previous project, I couldn’t get them out of my mind.

Recap: Suicide Squad was DC Comics’ version of the Dirty Dozen. John Ostrander wrote it, Luke McDonnell drew it, and John’s late wife, Kim Yale, joined in on the writing chores early on. Suicide Squad was a task force made up of C-list bad guys and obscure, throwaway characters used as fodder for dangerous government missions. Some of them didn’t always make it back. Turnover was pretty high as a result. Just look at the line up below… that’s only the first year’s roster. Also, they lived in a prison in the middle of a swamp.

One of my favorite issues is #10 (Feb. ’88), “Up Against The Wall”, where Batman pretends to be a prisoner in order to get some dirt on the Squad. He’s then outed, hunted, and taken to task… all neatly wrapped up in 22 pages. No issue better illustrates Amanda Waller’s verve as a leader, the Squad’s rag tag group dynamics, and the visual cool of their Belle Reve headquarters.

Oh, man, look at that last panel… arghk!… classic McDonnell. Anyway, I couldn’t articulate all that as a 9 year old, but I had to channel my excitement somehow back then. I took the weird relationship that Batman seemed to have with the Squad and made up my own ending to “Up Against The Wall”. In my version, Batman still gets away but has at least a few cuts and bruises.

Shown: stairs, rooftop, Batarang, home, bed, in that order. Shortly thereafter, I made another comic that featured an exhausted, pummeled Batman, this time against Shade the Changing Man (another Squad member). Shade, who is usually a good guy in the regular comics, stands as a redesigned, demonic villain under my direction. Shade’s mission was to take Batman and his Justice League teammates into a hellish dimension in order to torture them… slowly!

What you’ve witnessed here is the classic example of a cartoonist’s typical pattern: falling in love with this stuff at an early age, wanting to replicate that thrill, and then stubbornly trying to follow through on that desire as best one can. That’s the spirit of the industry right there.

That’s how I’ve ended up with DEATHZONE! A sixteen page, full color comic that’s been over 20 years in the making.

Here’s the line up…

… and here are some preview pages…

As if that wasn’t enough, Tucker Stone came through with a treatise on the last super hero comic that mattered, an essay which could only be titled:

So don’t delay any longer… get it now!

Finally, here’s the last page of my Shade vs Batman story.

 

–Michel Fiffe

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"ZEGAS" Comics I Make

ZEGAS #1 is coming!

I’m proud to announce that Zegas #1 is making its debut this August! I’ll let the official release date be known as soon as I know myself. I’ve started taking the first few steps toward building a self-publishing empire, y’see, and the first thing out the gate is this limited edition, full color, 32 page, magazine size premiere issue of Zegas with print exclusive new material!

Some of you may be familiar with the Zegas characters, Emily and Boston, from their previous anthology appearances. This time, print is the preferred mode of presentation and, again, it’s all new material that will remain offline. This is the precise direction Zegas was always intended to go in, specifically in the single issue format. Meaning, each issue will feature self contained stories while expanding the overall structure. Other non-related stories will be subsequently added, which will essentially make Zegas a one-man anthology driven by the potential of the comics form and the absolute freedom to execute them. All that through the intimate and unique, yet casual delivery system of a physical, pulpy comic.

In light of all this, a celebration is in order!

To celebrate the occasion, Brooklyn’s own Bergen Street Comics will be hosting the official Zegas #1 release party on Friday, August 19th! They’re one of my favorite shops and I suspect most of you will be back from your Caribbean Cruise by then, so please join the festivities!

The very next day I’ll be at the Baltimore Comic-Con, sitting and signing copies for the remainder of the weekend while suppressing the urge to rifle through back issue bins. It’ll be a packed weekend, for sure, and I look forward to seeing you all!

There’s no other way to put it: I can’t wait for you to see this. I’ve been waiting to release Zegas in this exact format, with this exact approach for quite a long time. Every imaginable step of the way has been exciting and as a result, I’ve never been more proud.

–Fiffe

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Comics I Make

TWISTED SAVAGE DRAGON FUNNIES Collection

The collected TWISTED SAVAGE DRAGON FUNNIES is coming this July! This oversized, full color, 144 page book will be THE thing to get this summer. Spread the word now, tell your friends immediately, and demand that your local comic shop orders this book! It’s solicited in this month’s “Previews”.

Diamond/Previews order code: MAY110481

This TSDF book not only collects all of the great alt back-up stories that ran for 12 issues of the Savage Dragon monthly title (check out the initial roster of creators), but it has ALL NEW material by a stunning line up of cartoonists. Let’s see, who do we have here…

TOM SCIOLI

BENJAMIN MARRA

Continue reading “TWISTED SAVAGE DRAGON FUNNIES Collection”
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Art & Illustration Comics I Make

Goodbye, 2010, It Was Grand

Before I close out and lock up the 2010 Art File for good, I thought I’d post a few random odds and ends that never really found a specific home anywhere. Hopefully, they’ll now have a place to rest within your hearts.

I didn’t do to many X-mas cards this year, but I like this one the most.

“SEQUOYAH” is a work-in-progress. It’s written by Nick Bertozzi. We have tons of ideas for these characters. I can’t wait to draw more raccoons.

Continue reading “Goodbye, 2010, It Was Grand”
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Comics I Make

TWISTED SAVAGE DRAGON FUNNIES Compendium

This “Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies” post compiles every contributor to this fine back-up feature and includes every interview, profile and bit of information that has anything to do with this project.

Continue reading “TWISTED SAVAGE DRAGON FUNNIES Compendium”
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Comics I Make Dear Friends

Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies

Beginning with Savage Dragon #160, coming out the first week of May, “Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies” hits the stands!

SD PROMO 2

Erik Larsen and I are proud to announce this monthly backup feature in the Savage Dragon title. I’ve put together and edited a year’s worth of back up stories featuring some terrific indy cartoonists and I couldn’t be more excited for you guys to see the results! Oh, and did I mention that they’re gonna be flip books?

As mentioned in this Comic Book Resources post, we’ve taken a thematic cue from Marvel’s “Strange Tales” and DC’s “Bizarro Comics”. The stories in “Twisted Savage Dragon Funnies” are hilarious, sometimes surreal, always highly personalized and gorgeous to look at. I’m positive you guys will love ’em.

Remember, things kick off with Savage Dragon #160, which comes out the first week of May. Ask your local comic shop in advance to make sure you get an order in. If you know folks that do, urge them to go to their local comic shops and directly order Savage Dragon. Although it’s an Image book, there are still shops out there that may not carry the book. Don’t miss your chance to jump on this awesome event!

List of TSDF Contributors (w/ issue number and month):
160 (May, ‘10). Michel Fiffe
161 (June). Andrew Dimitt
162 (July). Kiel West
163 (Aug). Vito Delsante & Rachel Freire
164 (Sept). Ulises Farinas
165 (Oct). Chris Sinderson
166 (Nov). Conor Hughes
167 (Dec). Kat Roberts
168 (Jan, ’11). Hyeondo Park
169 (Feb). Pedro Camargo
170 (Mar). Jason Thibodeaux
171 (April). Joe Keatinge, Simon Fraser, Joe Infurnari, Mike Cavallaro, Tim Hamilton, Dean Haspiel, & George O’Connor.

I’ll keep the updates coming here or on the Image/Savage Dragon message board.

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Art & Illustration Comics I Make

CTHULHU TALES #7

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.

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All About Process Comics I Make

CTHULHU PROCESS

A few days ago I posted about FALL of CTHULHU #8, a new BOOM! Studios comic that had the awesome Tim Hamilton and I share the art duties.

The way we worked was very simliar to the old school Marvel Comics style: Tim pencilled a rough layout of the given page (think Sal Buscema) and then it was handed over to me.

I then took it to lightbox and pencilled the basic nature of the layouts (think Jim Mooney). While staying faithful to the initial placement and flow of Tim’s layouts.

The final version is now available at any comic book retailer. Twenty-two pages of this creepy epic AND you get to pick between two (that’s right, TWO) covers isn’t a bad deal whatsoever.

All in all, it was a fast paced job that left little room for either one of us to shine, but a job is a job. In other words, as Steve Ditko recently wrote me, “Welcome to comics.”

Hope you all had a good holiday!

Categories
All About Process Comics I Make

INK STUD

Here is a sample page I worked on with the help of TIM HAMILTON. There was a possibility of Tim and I collaborating on the art chores for an issue of “FALL of CTHULHU” (published by BOOM! STUDIOS), but I had to furnish a sample before we signed on the dotted line. Tim was kind enough to let me ink this page of his:

As it turns out: we got the job!! Thanks, Tim! I heart you, 4 reelz.