From the Archives: Horned Goblin

I don't remember the exact inspiration for this strange horned goblin.  Considering its fluid physiology, perhaps the creature is in mid transformation into some other form.  I do remember that its gleeful malice was intentional.

{8x5.75,  Graphite}

Featured Creature: Crash and Burn

The dream was always the same.

{8x5.33,  created in Adobe Photoshop}

Saturday Sketch: Golden Age Kent Nelson

I don't know much about Kent Nelson from the original Doctor Fate stories.  I've always been much more interested in Doctor Fate anyway.  Much like the sketch of Inza Cramer, the fun in this piece was doing the research into vintage clothing and hairstyles. 

{2.5x3.5,  created in Adobe Photoshop}

I claim no copyright for the properties represented in the Saturday Sketches.  All copyrights and trademarks are retained by their respective owners.  I make no money from what I am presenting here.  It is presented for portfolio and appreciation purposes only.

Exhumed: Floating

I've done several sketches and pieces on this theme of isolated floating within space.  The Original sketch for this piece had a softer tone to so I approached it with that in mind.  I tried to give it a more painterly style and the figure a moon like quality.  This piece has been waiting to be posted for awhile.  This piece is one of several that inspired me to begin doing the Exhumed posts to begin with.

{8x7.66,  Graphite with color added in Adobe Photoshop}

#ResetTheNet

If you haven't already, help reset the net!  Drop by and check out the privacy package to find ways of taking back your privacy!

From the Archives: Hyenaman

Here we have a sketch from some time ago of a man animal.  Initially my thought was of a hyena, but this isn't very hyena like at all.  Perhaps he is just a smug werewolf instead?  Now that I think about it, this looks a little bit like Scar from The Lion King.

{Graphite}

Featured Creature: The Waverly House

"The Waverly house has been abandoned for well over ten years.  Every spring, the property used to be covered with brightly colored flowers, but after the Waverly family disappeared, it grew thick with wild grass and tall weeds.  Over the years several real estate companies have tried to sell the property, but as soon as any of them toured the house they changed their minds mighty quick.  Eventually, the Waverly house was condemned by the city.

The summer that the Waverlies disappeared saw some of the worst storms on record in Colby county.  One night, lightning struck the tall oak at the back of the property.  That same night, the youngest child, Nathaniel, died suddenly.  A tornado had ripped up the northern part of the county as little Nathaniel was breathing his last.  The coroner's report listed that Nathaniel died of crib death, but anyone who has seen the Waverly house at night knows otherwise.  Something bad come down out of that storm and took root.  That house ain't been right ever since.

Psyche Delectus: Indigo Priest

In his growing silence of thought,
miracles become manifest.

Saturday Sketch: Golden Age Inza Cramer

Here we have, Inza Cramer, trusted companion to the original Doctor Fate.  Inza eventually marries Kent Nelson, host of the Doctor, and eventually goes on to assume the mantle of Doctor Fate herself.  This piece was fun because I had the opportunity to explore the hairstyles and clothing of 1939-1940 from around the time that the Doctor and Inza made their first appearances.


{2.5x3.5,  created in Adobe Photoshop}

I claim no copyright for the properties represented in the Saturday Sketches.  All copyrights and trademarks are retained by their respective owners.  I make no money from what I am presenting here.  It is presented for portfolio and appreciation purposes only.

Skin Crawling Comics May Update

The Skin Crawling Comics website began earlier this year and regularly posts pages to the individual stories of the anthology every Tuesday and Thursday.  I'll be doing an update at least once a month with links to the newest pages.  Drop by and check out the latest updates!

A Zombie Walks into a Bar Page 1

A Zombie Walks into a Bar Page 2

A Zombie Walks into a Bar Page 3
Behind You!  Page 1
Buried Cover Page
Buried Page 1
Buried Page 2
Buried Page 3

If you haven't already, check out last month's pages.  Also visit Skin Crawling Comics at Twitter and Facebook!

From the Archives: Hangerman

I forget the exact inspiration for this sketch, but I'm sure it had something to do with shallowness.  How certain person's identities are little more than a support structure for the surface window dressing they surround themselves with.  Perhaps this may be a thought on the human ego in general.

{8x4.8,  Graphite}

Featured Creature: The Rathbone Assignment: Part III, Derrick Comes Home

The Rathbone Assignment: 

Part III, Derrick Comes Home

~ Continued from Part II, 
Instructions in the Dark ~

Erica closed her eyes against the sorrow that gripped her.  She felt as if the ground beneath her had suddenly opened up and that instead of being buried, she had fallen into empty space.  There was no land to break her fall, no release, just an endless descent.  She pushed her hand against the back of the recliner to feel something solid.  She ran her fingers across it but it was only a thick cloth wrapped tightly over the frame of the chair and gave unpleasantly under her touch.  She retracted her hand and scooted herself closer against the wall.

Erica reached out instead with her mind for something solid to latch onto.  She thought of the locked doors and windows and the remains of the duct tape on the kitchen counter.  These held no comfort, no safety.  She thought of the trees on her drive home and the air as she drove.  This offered her a moments refuge but then she remembered the steaks and asparagus growing warm on the kitchen counter, the soda bottles in the driveway, and the bag with the test in it still sitting in the passenger seat of the minivan.  She clenched her teeth to try and contain the sob that threatened to erupt from her throat.  She held her legs against herself in the darkness and rocked herself gently until her tears subsided.  

Saturday Sketch: Golden Age Fate's Tower

Returning my focus to DC Comics, I figured I would pick up where I left off with Classic Doctor Fate and explore some of the people, places, and artifacts from the beginning of his mythos.  Here we have the classic version of Fate's Tower.  I've always been fascinated by the Doctor's tower especially in more modern versions with its Escher like mystical landscapes within.  I'd never read the older Doctor Fate stories from More Fun Comics until I began working on these pieces.  They have a Sunday newspaper comic strip quality to them.

{2.5x3.5,  created in Adobe Photoshop}

I claim no copyright for the properties represented in the Saturday Sketches.  All copyrights and trademarks are retained by their respective owners.  I make no money from what I am presenting here.  It is presented for portfolio and appreciation purposes only.

Featured Creature: The Rathbone Assignment Part II, Instructions in the Dark

The Rathbone Assignment: 
Part II, Instructions in the Dark

~ Continued from Part I, Erica's Test ~

Erica's knees gave way.  Her elbow hit the kitchen counter and her right arm went into the sink, breaking her fall.  The pain was excruciating and she nearly lost her grip on the phone, but it prevented her from collapsing completely.

"Mrs. Wilson!  Are you Alright?!" 

"I'm Okay, I'm Okay.  I just slipped...just- just gimme a second."  She pushed her breath out hard.  She lifted herself up, using the counter for support.  She had not realized that her vision had blacked out until she began to see the dim light from the kitchen window reappear.  She slowly pulled herself up to a standing position.  She held herself there for several moments, focusing on the rise and fall of her breathing.

"Hold on, I dropped the flashlight."  She used the light of her phone to scan the floor and quickly found the flashlight in a corner.  She picked it up and twisted the head.  It shone with a dull yellowed light, creating a small halo around her feet. 

"Okay.  I've got it." 

From the Archives: Dueling Self

An older sketch about when your internal dialogue is a fight.  I think this sketch comes from the same thematic realms as the tornado of self...an echo as it were.

{Graphite}

Skin Crawling Comics Update: Buried Begins!

Today the first story that I colored for Skin Crawling Comics, Buried, begins posting.  I previewed a couple of pages recently for my SPARTANCON table.  There are eleven pages including the title page so they will be posting the every Tuesday and Thursday for the rest of this month and all of June.  Please drop by Skin Crawling Comics and let me know what you think!  I hope you enjoy!

If you haven't already, please check out Skin Crawling Comics on Twitter and Facebook! 

Psyche Delectus: Darkened Doorways

In the corners of the world 
it gathers into itself.
Within the dust and the trash,
unseen by mundane daylight,
the emptiness waits.

R.I.P. H.R. Giger 1940-2014

This week the world lost a genius.  H. R. Giger died this past Tuesday.  

Saturday Sketch: Original Magik / Illyana Rasputin

Here is the final sketch from the Magik set: Illyana Rasputin as she appears at the end of the Magik limited series and the beginning of New Mutants #14.  Illyana has always been one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Universe and this re-examination of her origin story has just made me love her more.

I'll admit to putting a bit more of extra time into this piece than the others.  It was the final piece in the set and...it's Illyana.  There's more Illyana to come when I explore the New Mutants later on, but with the Magik set complete, I'm going to give Marvel characters a break and focus on DC for a while.

{2.5x3.5,  created in Adobe Photoshop}

I claim no copyright for the properties represented in the Saturday Sketches.  All copyrights and trademarks are retained by their respective owners.  I make no money from what I am presenting here.  It is presented for portfolio and appreciation purposes only. 

Featured Creature: The Rathbone Assignment Part I, Erica's Test

The Rathbone Assignment Part I:

Erica's Test

Erica grabbed the plastic grocery bag with the toothpaste and toiletries in it to keep in the front seat with her.  She placed the rest of the grocery bags in the back of her minivan and closed the hatch.  She reached down into the bag of toiletries and gently took out the plain pink box.  Such a simple design, she thought, for something so complex.

Birds at the edge of the parking lot took flight.  She paused to watch the them as they scattered and reorganized into a flock in the air.  They formed a soft edged triangle as they flew behind the far end of the grocery store.  Beyond them, behind a purple bank of clouds, the sun was burning the horizon a deep orange.  She dropped the box back into the bag and tossed the bag into the passenger seat with her purse.  

She exited the parking lot onto Hwy 130 south and headed home.  It was a long drive to the house but Erica always enjoyed the forest and farmland she passed along the way.  Except for the Army base, Rathbone was just a small country town. Erica didn't mind, she enjoyed the solitude.  In fact, when she found out that Derrick had gotten the assignment at the Rathbone base, she was ecstatic.  She had grown up in this exact kind of landscape and it always made her feel like home.  It was something that she had always wanted her children to experience and to understand.  

SpartanCon Post Con Part III: Tables and Acrylic Designs

Between this week's Scorpio Full Moon on Wednesday and the next week's upcoming Mars Retrograde going Direct it has been a huge pain in the butt to get anything done!  I've been treading water all week.  I'm hoping that since the Full Moon has passed, it might be a little easier to get things completed.  In that light, here finally, are the last of the SPARTANCON photos. The first is the view from my table,  followed by my friendly neighbor Brad Parton whose Alpha-Sketch work is amazing and you need to check him out and show some appreciation for his trailblazing work, and lastly here is a picture of me at my table.

From the Archives: Tornado of Self

Ahhh, stress!  I had been struggling for years to get this idea down on paper.  When I drew this, I felt at the time that I had finally correctly displayed what my stress felt like.

{8.5x11,  Sharpie}

Featured Creature Delay

Sorry for the delay on the Featured Creature this week.  I'm running a bit behind.  It is in process, just trying to find time to write.  In the meantime, please enjoy the extra posts from SPARTANCON.

 

Soon.

SpartCon Post Con Part II: Zombie Bite Con Sketches

In addition to the flyers for SPARTANCON, I decided to create sketches for those who wanted them.  Here are some of the freebie zombie bite sketch business cards I was doing at the con.  I didn't have the time or cash to get printed cards so I figured I would try these to have something to give out.  There are a few missing though.  I didn't think to take photos of them until about 4 or 5 were gone.  I figured these would be a cool way to get the Zombie Bites name out there and to offer a piece of art to go with it.  Enjoy!

SpartanCon Post Con Part I: Cosplayers

Even though it was only a single day, I had an excellent time at SPARTANCON.  I was amazed at the number of cosplay fandom that were present.  There were many excellent characters.  Below are the ones I managed to catch. 

Saturday Sketch: Original Darkchylde

Closing in on the end of the Magik set, here we have Illyana Raputin the first time she manifests as the Darkchylde.  Shortly after manifesting her Soulsword, Illyana battles Belasco and morphs into her Darkchylde aspect.  This aspect of Illyana goes through several variations during the run of the character.  I'll be looking at those later on.

{2.5x3.5,  created in Adobe Photoshop}

I claim no copyright for the properties represented in the Saturday Sketches.  All copyrights and trademarks are retained by their respective owners.  I make no money from what I am presenting here.  It is presented for portfolio and appreciation purposes only. 

Countdown to SpartanCon: Saturday Sketch

Here are the last of the display pieces for SPARTANCON: two promotional designs for the Saturday Sketch.  These two made me feel happy when I finished them.  It was nice to see all the sketchcards in one place together.  As a bonus, if you look closely at the second page, you'll see a preview of the next two sketches.  Enjoy!

Countdown to SpartanCon: The Devil's Square

"Four lost souls are gathered together to find the most dangerous artifact in all creation.

Their quest will uncover a secret that will change the World.

Forgotten.  Damned.

They have nothing left to lose.
 
God help anyone who stands in their way."

Countdown to SpartanCon: Halloween Outbreak - Night of the Cauldron

Next up for the SPARTANCON display pieces is a promotional teaser piece for The Night of Cauldron event from this past Halloween.

"In the Woodsboro subdivision, trick or treating and costume parties are disrupted as eerie green lights herald a terrifying and deadly turn to All Hallow’s Eve.  A mysterious force is bringing Halloween to life.  As the effect of the green light spreads, no one is unscathed by the horror that follows.  Read all eight chapters of The Night of the Cauldron and follow them to their gut wrenching conclusion at Zombie Bites!

Countdown to SpartanCon: Skin Crawling Comics - The Serpentine Cure

Next up from my SPARTANCON display pieces is more work from Skin Crawling Comics.  Here are a selection of pages I colored from Tatiana Christian's and Jenay Gordon's The Serpentine Cure story.  I'm including Jenay Gordon's inks side by side for comparison.

Countdown to SpartanCon: Skin Crawling Comics - Buried

Next up from my SPARTANCON display pieces is a promotional design for Skin Crawling Comics and a selection of pages I colored from Bryant Dillon's and Chris Thorne's Buried story.  I'm including Chris Thorne's inks side by side for for comparison. 

Countdown to SpartanCon: Horror Blogger Alliance

Next up for the SPARTANCON display pieces are the two tshirt designs I did in 2012 for the Horror Blogger Alliance.  Here is my original spheel on the tshirts with some pics of me and my housemates modeling the shirts.  You can still order the shirts at Jeremy Hawkins's neatoshop store.  Be sure to check out the HBA for a full road map of horror within the blogosphere.  

Countdown to SPARTANCCON

This coming Saturday, May 10th, I will be showing in the Artist's Alley at SPARTANCON. The con will held in downtown Spartanburg at the Main Branch of the library.  Please check out the link for more info.  I only just found out about Spartancon this past week and I was lucky that they still had space available in their artists alley.  I've been rushing about trying to get everything together in time.

From the Archives: What the Owl Said...

I know the text piece here is a bit on the nose, but both these pieces were in my sketchbook from the same time period and I felt they needed to appear together.  At the time I was working at (then) Kinko's copies running a machine called a Docutech.  It had an image manipulation software for document clean up that I occasionally found interesting imagery with.  The word above was one such incidence.  So I enlarged it and printed out a copy.  

Featured Creature: In The Cities

"In the cities, the effects of the plague were much worse.  Within the massive populations of larger cities, the infection spread almost overnight.  The newly dead, enclosed within the complex networks of city infrastructures, were restricted to close quarters and did not disburse into smaller groups as in rural areas.