Sunday, April 21, 2013

Superman @ 75: My Sketches (Part Two)

Here are the rest of my Superman-related sketches. Ever since I broke in my second sketchbook in 2006, I've kicked off each book with a Superman sketch. Scroll over each sketch to get the artist and location information. If I get enough feedback, I'll post more themed sketch blog entries in the future.
 
 Superman by Dezi Sienty (King Con 2009)
 Power Girl by Michael Champion (Wizard World Philadelpha Comic-Con 2010)
 Supergirl by Jamal Igle (Jim Hanley's Universe Signing Event)
 Superman by Chris Cross (Jim Hanley's Universe Signing Event)
 Tyrell (Superman: Earth One) by Shane Davis (Midtown Comics Signing Event)

Superman One Million & Solaris (DC One Million/All-Star Superman) by Edwin Huang (Wizard World: Big Apple Comic Con 2011)

Lex Luthor by Lee Bermejo (New York Comic Con/NYCC 2011)

Superman by Nick Mockoviak (Superheroes For Hospice Show 2011)

Orange Lantern Lex Luthor (Blackest Night) by Michael Bracco (Comic Book Jones Signing Event)

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Superman @ 75: My Sketches (Part One)

Anytime I get new sketches at comic shows or conventions, my first move is to scan them, followed by uploading them onto my ComicArtFans and Flickr accounts. Then I e-mail Andy Khouri over at Comics Alliance and submit the cream of my crop for CA's weekly feature, Best Art Ever (This Week). A few days ago, I sent over a few neat sketches I got at New York Comic Book Marketplace last Saturday. Imagine my surprise when this week's installment was all about Superman. The occasion: The Man of Steel's 75th anniversary.

I've been getting sketches on a regular basis since 2000. According to my CAF page, I've collected almost 600 sketches. I like to think that I'm not obsessive . . . though I did spend the past five weekends at comic shows of various sizes in the New York/New Jersey area. I could go for six tomorrow, but I figure that I need a break. Right now, I'd like to show off my Superman-themed sketches, starting with those from the first three books I had. Enjoy!



 Mister Mxyzptlk & Bat-Mite by Evan Dorkin (The National 2000)
Superboy by Joe Kelly (Wizard World Chicago 2001)
 Caitlin Fairchild (as Gen13) as Supergirl by Lee Bermejo (Wizard World Chicago 2001)
 Superman by Joe Kelly (Wizard World Philadelphia 2003)
Superman by Daniel Acuña (New York Comic Con 2006)
 Superman (Kingdom Come) by Barry Kitson (Baltimore Comic Con 2006)
 Supergirl by Joe Kelly (New York Comic Con 2007)
 Superman by Walt Simonson (New York Comic Con 2008)
Superman/Harvey Dent (Tangent Comics) by Jamal Igle (New York Comic Con 2009)
 Lois Lane by Tim Sale (Baltimore Comic Con 2009)

Sunday, April 14, 2013

The Boredom Files: March Madness & The NEC

I keep meaning to post more often, but I never get around to it. Right now, The Masters is in the second round of playoffs, marking the fourth consecutive week that The Amazing Race will be delayed or pre-empted. While I keep track on when (or whether) tonight's episode will air, I'd like to talk about the Northeast Conference.

I'm not into college basketball. I think part of it comes from having attended Wagner College, a small liberal arts school in Staten Island with a lovely campus. Wagner is a member of the Northeast Conference, located in Divison I. No NEC team has advanced to the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. The most notable win in the conference's history can be tracked to this year's National Invitational Tournament (yes, that's still a thing), where Robert Morris shocked Kentucky in the first round, 59-57, at the Colonials' home court in Moon Township, Pa. The Wildcats would've hosted the game, but Rupp Arena was playing host to -- irony!!! -- two rounds of "The Big Dance." If not for a impressive crop of incoming freshmen for the 2013-14 season, I'm convinced head coach John Calipari would've committed hara-kiri at midcourt.

It's not that basketball isn't a big deal in the NEC. I actually went to the title game in 2003, when Wagner earned their first trip to the tournament, and on their home court to boot. It was thrilling to see the Seahawks get to cut down the net off the rim, one player at a time, one snip at a time. About a week later, Pittsburgh pounded on the fifteenth-seeded Seahawks, 87-61. In the history of the NEC going back to 1982, teams that have won the conference tourney and gone to the NCAA tournament have gone 3-32. And all three wins have come in humiliating "play-in" games, where small conference teams and squads with mediocre regular season records fight, with the winner getting fed to a hungry no. 1 seed. In contrast, Florida Gulf Coast University was founded in 1991, started playing basketball in 2002, became a transitory Division I team in 2007, became a full Divsion I team in 2011, won their Atlantic Sun Conference title in March, and followed that up by becoming the first fifteenth-seeded team to make the "Sweet Sixteen" by shocking Georgetown and San Diego State.

With the help of Wikipedia, boredom and free time, I've built a table on the NEC's "March Madness" history. It features each year's NEC representive, the opponents that usually stomped on them, and the opponents' ultimate fate in the tournament. In this day and age, information becomes really easy to compile . . . so don't judge me too harshly, okay?

Year
Team
Seed
Region
Opponent
W/L
Score
Opponent’s
Final Result
1982
Robert Morris
12
Mideast
Indiana
L
94-62
Lost in Second Round
1983
Robert Morris
12*
Mideast
Georgia Southern
W
64-54
-
12
Purdue
L
55-53
Lost in Second Round
1984
Long Island U.
11*
East
Northeastern
L
90-87
Lost in First Round
1985
FDU
16
Southeast
Michigan
L
59-53
Lost in Second Round
1986
Marist
15
Southeast
Georgia Tech
L
68-53
Lost in Regional Semis
1987
Marist
14
West
Pittsburgh
L
93-68
Lost in Second Round
1988
FDU
16
Midwest
Purdue
L
94-79
Lost in Regional Semis
1989
Robert Morris
16
West
Arizona
L
94-60
Lost in Regional Semis
1990
Robert Morris
15
East
Kansas
L
79-71
Lost in Second Round
1991
St. Francis-PA
15
West
Arizona
L
93-80
Lost in Regional Semis
1992
Robert Morris
16
West
UCLA
L
73-53
Lost Regional Final
1993
Rider
16
Southeast
Kentucky
L
96-52
Lost In National Semifinal
1994
Rider
15
East
Connecticut
L
64-46
Lost in Regional Semi
1995
Mount St. Mary’s
16
Southeast
Kentucky
L
113-67
Lost Regional Final
1996
Monmouth
13
East
Marquette
L
68-44
Lost in Second Round
1997
Long Island U.
13
East
Villanova
L
101-91
Lost in Second Round
1998
FDU
15
East
Connecticut
L
93-85
Lost Regional Final
1999
Mount St. Mary’s
16
Midwest
Michigan State
L
76-53
Lost in National Semifinal
2000
Central Connecticut State
15
Midwest
Iowa State
L
88-78
Lost Regional Final
2001
Monmouth
16
East
Duke
L
95-52
Won Championship
2002
Central Connecticut State
14
South
Pittsburgh
L
71-54
Lost in Regional Semi
2003
Wagner College
15
Midwest
Pittsburgh
L
87-61
Lost in Regional Semi
2004
Monmouth
15
Atlanta
Mississippi State
L
85-52
Lost in Second Round
2005
FDU
16
Chicago
Illinois
L
67-55
Lost National Final
2006
Monmouth
16*
Minneapolis
Hampton
W
71-49
-
16
Villanova
L
58-45
Lost Regional Final
2007
Central Connecticut State
16
South
Ohio State
L
78-57
Lost National Final
2008
Mount St. Mary’s
16*
East
Coppin State
W
69-60
-

16
UNLV
L
113-74
Lost National Semifinal
2009
Robert Morris
15
Midwest
Michigan State
L
77-62
Lost National Final
2010
Robert Morris
15
South
Villanova
L
73-70
Lost in Second Round
2011
Long Island U.
15
East
North Carolina
L
102-87
Lost Regional Final
2012
Long Island U.
16
West
Michigan State
L
89-67
Lost in Regional Semi
2013
Long Island U.
16*
East
James Madison
L
68-55
Lost in Second Round††

FDU: Farleigh Dickinson University
Boldface indicated NEC Regular Season Champion
* “Play-In” Game
Overtime
†† “Second Round” = “Round of 64”
Tied for Regular Season Championship