"Ship" to-my-lou, my dahlin'! Star Wars Ship gazing.

Recently, (as in LAST NIGHT) I decided to 'Deviantart' myself, and create my own artist page and profile. Well shucks, you need to upload artwork to that new page. So since thawing out of a long long apathy-induced-hybernation, these leftover Star Wars cards featuring the Millennium Falcon and sister Star Wars vehicles are now surfacing. Have a look, will ya? Encourage the sleeping bear to get busy making some honey! (What do Star Wars cards and bears and honey have to do with each other? Pfht!)

-Steve!

Mihailo Vukelic: A great great talent, and wonderful guy.

Mihailo Vukelic - Art Gallery Show

My mind was on other things while his show was going on back in 2010, or I would have attended, but, Mihailo Vukelic is an enormously talented man, innovative and gifted beyond his years. Enjoy his youtube video and review his work as often as you can while internet surfing.

Please see for yourself. Click here. I double-daggone dare ya.

-Steve

Ye Shall not drink and draw.

Elderly Woman Ruins 19th Century Fresco in Restoration Attempt

By Katie Kindelan

Centro de Estudios Borjanos

It’s one thing to stage a do-it-yourself renovation on a table, mirror or painting found deep in the weeds of a yard sale.

It’s quite another to attempt a repair job on a one-of-a-kind 19^th century fresco by the Spanish painter Elias Garcia Martinez with a few broad brushstrokes.

Such was the lesson learned by an elderly member of the Santuario de Misericodia church in Borja, in northeastern Spain. Her handiwork, or lack thereof, was discovered after the painter’s granddaughter donated the work, “Ecce Homo,” to the archive of religious paintings housed at the Centro de Estudios Borjano, also in Borja.

When officials from the center went to examine the work at the church a few weeks ago, they found it was not as Martinez had left it, the U.K.’s Telegraph reported.

The last photo taken of the artwork before any damage was done, in 2010, showed Martinez’s intricate brush strokes around the face of Jesus.  A photo taken in July by center officials for a catalog of regional religious art showed the painting splattered by white marks, possibly the work of the woman trying to remove paint.  The final photo, taken this month after Martinez’s relative donated the work, showed broad and thick layers of paint now covering important details in the work, such as the crown of thorns on Jesus’ head.

While not a good day for art historians, local officials said the restoration attempt by the woman, said to be in her 80s, was not malicious, just misguided.

Juan Maria Ojeda, the city councilor in charge of cultural affairs, told the Spanish newspaper El Pais that the woman turned herself in and admitted causing the damage when she realized it had “gotten out of hand.” He added that the woman, who was not identified, attempted to restore the work with “with good intentions.”

The U.K.’s Independent reported the church and center are now trying to assess the damage to the painting and determine whether a professional can restore Martinez’s work.  Ojeda added that the woman herself would meet with restorers to explain what kind of materials she used to help them undo the damage.

There was no figure given on the value of the work, said to hold more sentimental than artistic value because Martinez’s family is known in the local community.

Joe Kubert, comic book artist icon, dies at 85

Joe Kubert, comic book icon, dies at 85

August 14, 2012

NEW YORK (JTA) -- Joe Kubert, called one of the last of the great American comic book artists as well as the founder of The Kubert School, has died.

Kubert, 85, died Sunday in Morristown, N.J. of multiple myeloma, according to The New York Times.

Kubert was born to a Jewish family in southeast Poland before immigrating to New York as a baby. He started drawing comics at an early age before working for DC Comics in the 1940s. He continued to draw in the hospital despite his illness. 

“He’s the longest-lived continuously important contributor to the field,” Paul Levitz, a former president of DC Comics, told The New York Times on Monday. “There are two or three of the greats left, but he’s definitely one of the last.”

Kubert is best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Sgt. Rock and Hawkman. He was inducted into the Harvey Awards’ Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1997 and Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1998.

Kubert also worked on a number of Jewish projects, including “Cartoonists Against the Holocaust” for the David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, a traveling exhibit of 1940s political cartoons from American newspapers about the Jews in Nazi Europe, and a two-page adventure comic with moral lessons called “The Adventures of Yaakov and Isaac” for the Lubavitch magazine Moshiach Times, reported The Jewish Daily Forward.

He is also known as one of the leaders of the Wyman Institute campaign to persuade the Auschwitz State Museum in Poland to return eight paintings belonging to Dina Babbitt, a fellow cartoonist and illustrator. He started a petition that gathered more than 450 signatures of comic book creators from around the world and international attention for her cause. 

He founded The Kubert School in Dover, N.J., to train future illustrators. It is the only accredited school devoted entirely to cartooning and graphic art. 

The thinks of the past.

Gene Simmons drawing. Copics and
prismacolor on red stock.  20'' x 25''

Started thinking about 1978. This is what crept out onto red paper stock. Sketched with Copics, colored pencil and a hint of acrylic paint--and get your grandma out of here.

I'll scan properly and place on the website eventually.

Look at my Tee-Tees!

In the midst of creating new art, my apparel site will contain new sampled tees, inventory for sale and how to get custom shirts for your upcoming event!

More soon. Stay tuned!

-Steve

Bob Kennedy: MuscleMag's creator, publisher, editor and artist peer, passes away.

I'll miss you, Bob. It was a pleasure drawing for you.

-Steve

Obituary article of Bob's life.

Four vintage guys

Who, I'm not sure, and from when in history, I don't know. However I liked the reference and warmed it up a bit. Photograph of my original oversized drawing with some filters and blurring added.

-s-

"Squint" Eastwood. Making my day.

Clint Squint'in Eastwood.

I can feel the heat off the desert plain now.

Ehhhhhh.

-Steve

Sketchcards from Stanleyart

With a little nudge, I can make the pencil make lines on paper stock. It's amazing. :)

I've got new card stock coming up and then I'll begin to sell these little suckers. 

                

Be Well-

Steve

Scott Cranford Superman Portfolio. The Return of a long dormant project?

Since meeting my friend, Scott P. Cranford, back in 2002, I've always believed his Steve Reeves/ Kirk Alyn resemblances made him the solid character model for Superman. Certainly for 8 years the city of Metropolis, Illinois thought so too, as Scott portrayed Superman annually for the city's Superman Celebration.

Years ago I set out to produce a Superman Portfolio and had high-hopes of submitting it to DC for review. Although, here it is, what, 10 years later, and the project is still incomplete. From countless thumbnails, to designing and creating brand-new Super-Cran costumes, seamlessly seamed together by my friend, Lisa Huggins, to hundreds if not thousands of reference poses, and multiple drawings, the project has yet to coming close to the finish line.

Honestly I wish I had a sane reason for the project not being finished and ready to show. But looking back on the years my guess would be that I simply favored paying freelance gigs and fatherhood over this portfolio. Don't get me wrong, both were wise-decisions mind you, although my time-lordship has improved greatly, my kids are older and my interest with this project has begun to come back-- and I want to resume it.

And maybe I will.

Montaged photos of Scott P. Cranford in the process of being illustrated
into Superman. Canson paper stock. Stanleyart © 2005

Sketchbook image of Scott Cranford as Superman, or more
appropriately, "Super-Cran".

Stay Tuned.

Clowning around town.

Prismacolor on red Canson stock.

It's rarer these days for me to demo in public, (let alone setting aside time to,) but I was able at the recent PCS Arts Festival. This years theme was based on clowns & circus. So following the direction of my dear friend and art teacher extreme, Mrs. Duffy, an oversized clown emerged on my easel which drew out many decorated smiley faced students with many solid art questions.

Here's a digital snap right before I packed it up and split.

My most rewarding off-site art moment of the year by far.

-Steve

Ghost 'Writer" disowned.

Bummer to read this about Gary Friedrich. We've talked a few times @ shows we guested at together, and I had high hopes the ownership rights could have been resolved and that he could have been integrated back into the Marvel workplace. Didn't expect this for the outcome. Wow.

----------------

MARVEL COMICS WANTS $17,000 FROM GHOST RIDER CREATOR GARY FRIEDRICHBRITTANY VINCENT FEBRUARY 10, 2012

Judgment has finally been passed in the Gary Friedrich (creator of Ghost Rider) versus Marvel Comics case, and what judgment it is. The courts have ruled against Friedrich, requesting the colossal sum of $17,000 from the one-time freelancer for Marvel in a shameful show of corporate greed. While the evidence is stacked against Marvel with numerous accounts and documents (many of which you can read for yourself here) with Friedrich’s ideas clearly having been conceived before his employment with Marvel, the decision rested solely on the “work-for-hire” agreements signed by Marvel workers back around 1978. In essence, the “work-for-hire” clauses (on the back of paychecks, no less) were a clever way for Marvel to usurp any and all creative rights from those who would submit work, commissioned or otherwise.

This sneaky stipulation worked to keep Marvel Comics in the clear, demanding the hefty sum in exchange for Friedrich’s monetary gains related to the Ghost Rider name. Friedrich has been shafted, for lack of a better term, and all for a few measly words on a piece of paper, proving that in the corporate world, nothing is ever truly yours until you get it in writing. While unfortunate for Friedrich, it should serve as a warning for any freelancer or young comic artist looking to establish a name for themselves.

It’s a shame, and one good reason to reconsider seeing the upcoming Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance. We doubt Marvel will be having Friedrich over for a viewing party any time soon.

Original source: http://www.wizardworld.com/marvel-comics-wants-17000-from-ghost-rider-creator-gary-friedrich.html

"Cuz ya gotta have FRIENDS!"

Classic monsters or celebrities in need of plastic surgery. You decide.

-Steve

"Full of Shemp".

Bee-Bee-Bee! It's Shemp Howard! A stooge if ever I sawr one.

Read about Shemp you knuckleheads!

-Steve