Archive for November, 2004
November 27, 2004 at 4:07 pm · Posted by kalman
The Hawaiian dick, that is. SOTD stands for sketch of the day, which from now on will be an utterly irregular, yet constantly recurring part of this blog.
I banged this out for Clay sometime last year, in the course of conversations about things I can’t talk about, and I figured it would be a good choice to kick things off. I’ve always pictured Byrd as an amalgamation of Rock Hudson and my friend and sometime collaborator, Jeff Waye. Maybe it’s only because he’s so often seen standing next to Mo, but I’ve always imagined him to be kind of short too.
Maybe you’ve noticed changes. Changes like a need to register to post comments. I’m here to encourage all of you to do so (Unless of course, you’re primary motivation in doing so would be to peddle cheap Viagra, discount Vicodin, Online poker, gay sex, or rape porn…) it may seem like a bother, but it’s an extremely zippy process, in fact I just did it again while typing this now!
Your comments are extremely important to us. Even if you’re not all that impressed with the work, or it deeply offends your indoctrinated values, just take a moment and type something nice –the art directors and editors who pass through here won’t know the difference!
Track of the day: In the Back Seat - The Arcade Fire
November 25, 2004 at 1:36 pm · Posted by karl
I’ve discovered that my new kitten, Mako is fond of sleeping in my comp boxes. Obviously, he’s a fan of the medium, though his tastes run more toward the mainstream than my own. He’s fond of JLA and pretty much anything by Geoff Johns. I tried to push We3 on him, but was met with a look of contempt and ennui.
How I managed to go this long without posting any pictures of my cats is, frankly, unfathomable.
November 22, 2004 at 4:54 pm · Posted by karl
Okay.
This won’t mean a thing to anyone else (save Brenden), but I am posting this entry from a brand new 20″ iMac G5.
No, it’s not mine. I’m at the Apple Store in Soho and it’s glorious. I’ll try to post a picture of myself in front of it later, because I’m not allowed to take pictures inside the store, but the design of the place is beautiful. It’s a slick, open-concept, two-storey store filled with table after table of macs to fiddle with. And fiddling is encouraged. In fact, it was tough to get at one of the machines here because they’re all mobbed by curious shoppers and onlookers.
I want to buy something, but there’s nothing I really need right now. Except for this iMac. I need it, and it seems to need me.
Someone please talk me down…
November 16, 2004 at 7:40 pm · Posted by karl
Shipping in March 2005:
MAJESTIC: STRANGE NEW VISITOR TP
Writers: Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Artist: Karl Kerschl, Renato Guedes, Oclair Albert, Ed McGuinness & Dexter Vines
Collects ACTION COMICS #811, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN #624, SUPERMAN #201 and MAJESTIC #1-4
$14.99 U.S., 176 pages
Notice I haven’t included an image with this post. That’s because I’m still trying to find out what the deal is with the cover. I bugged my editors to let me do my own coloured cover for this collection (all you Ed McGuinness fans can cut a guy some slack for a little self-indulgence, right?), but I haven’t heard anything yet. I believe the trades are edited by a separate division within DC, so it’s possible they’ve just gone ahead and done their own thing, in which case…
Shit.
Anyway, it’s still exciting to know that I’ll have this stuff in one bound volume on my shelf. I’m sure anyone visiting my parents’ house will have it forced in front of them.
Back to work on The Outsiders!
Huh? Oh, didn’t I mention it before now? I’m working on an issue of…
November 16, 2004 at 7:36 pm · Posted by karl
I’m currently hard at work on issue #20 of The Outsiders for DC, which ships the week of January 26th, I think.
I don’t want to spill any beans here, but I’ve already had to redraw a double-page splash because the contents were deemed unfit for print. It involves a raunchy, bizarre scene of superhero erotica, and I’ll be happy to post it here as soon as it becomes legal for me to do so. Until then, you can all enjoy the Doug Mahnke cover.
November 12, 2004 at 12:47 pm · Posted by kalman
A young Zarkon, manipulating, murdering, and betraying his way to the top, the top in this case, being the Drule throne. This is the subject matter of the batch of back up stories I’m working on for the Voltron comic right now. Thought you might appreciate a taste.
Even as a kid, I never really drew other people’s (meaning company) characters much, not even my favorite favorites –I was always more interested in designing my own. These days I get con-sketch or comission requests, so I’m actually drawing them more, and ocassionally fanishness overtakes me, and I pop out a Jack Knight, or a Wolverine, or a Hellboy for myself.
One character I never dreamed would grace the pages of my sketchbook, neither for love nor money, was King Bloody Zarkon. But there you go.
November 7, 2004 at 11:52 am · Posted by kalman
We all know Bush won. Meaning Bush got elected. You know, as opposed to re-elected. Ha ha.
I guess he’s the only one laughing…
That is not news. But you must be forgiving when it comes to the posting of timely blog entries. I live in the the compressed world of deadline dominoes. Star Wars has given way to Voltron, with two more comics projects on the horizon, and so, I find myself booked into March. This is not a complaint.
Some friends of mine are having an ‘end of the world’ party next weekend in honor of the election result. It’s kind of a post halloween costume party — come dressed as your favorite sign of the apocalypse.
And there’s been some wiggy signs lately.
Did you know that the next gen Blu-ray optical disc is made out of corn?
How about that Six Feet Under is ending next season? I was surprised to find that I was totally fine with this — not even ambivalent really, despite my borderline pathological obsesion with the show, as the seminal first season remains unsurpassed.
What else? The BFX Project is back up and running with all new content. I guess My Destroyer actually coming out would be a surer sign, (Sorry Arthur! I only sya it, casue I wanna read it…) but in the meantime, this is pretty good.
Okay, I guess those last two arent really signs… it just semed like a good impromptu device to link this random stuff together. But this next one sure as hell is…
This one had me spitting up my shreddies this morning: Michael Lark exclusive to… Marvel?!!? I’d link you to the story, but that’s all there really is to it right now. Lark is a genius, dead to rights, and he can only be a boon for anyone he works for. Marvel must have really, ahem, shown him the money, to make him jump from a such a long history with DC. Or maybe he was just needing a change. Allow me to indulge in some nerd speculations for a moment; my current pet theory is that Marvel acquired him to be Maleev’s replacement on Daredevil.
But back to all things dystopic. In this dark time, and in the cominging darker-darkness I turn to my man, William Gibson, a never-faltering source of perspective, for solace. From his blog:
If I were to put together a truly essential thank-you list for the people who most made it possible for me to write my first six novels, I’d certainly owe as much to Ronald Reagan as to Bill Gates or Lou Reed. Reagan’s presidency put the grit in my dystopia. His presidency was the fresh kitty litter I spread for utterly crucial traction on the icey driveway of uncharted futurity. His smile was the nightmare in my back pocket.
Track of the Day: Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Dub - Apollo 440
November 4, 2004 at 10:32 pm · Posted by kalman
Each year I try to make Halloween as much of a non-event as possible.
Now I know that this admission puts my reputation as artist and bohemian under heavy fire, but it’s true. I have a what I call my Halloween rhetoric, which I whip out whenever this gets challenged. It goes something like this:
I spend every day of my life creating colorful costumes. On Halloween, I just want a night off. If you spend your days honing spreadsheets, then sure, Halloween can be a much-needed opportunity to let down your hair and free the inner creative beast. But me, Halloween rolls around, I just want to stay home and do my income tax.
It goes without saying that this almost never works. Someone always wrangles me out at the last minute, and so it was this year too, as I ended up attending both the Silver Snail and the Rue Morgue parties. The latter having the honor of being quite possibly the best Halloween party I’ve ever been to, and potentially the fulcrum of a radical pivot in my attitude towards the holiday.
And now, pictures (mostly of me):
Me as my 70’s self with Chris Z as Ali G who never failed to draw attention and commentary.
Chris being Chris.
Me, Jeff as Roachboy (He even won some swag), and Barb as Dead Angel.
Tyrone and Alana as Cobra Commander and the Baroness, respectively. Smokingest costumes of the night, IMHO.
Joyeaux Halloween!
Track of the day: C’mon c’mon - The Von Bondies
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