The A-To-Z Challenge 2016: Z

This is it. I know that I didn't get too much traffic here, but I'd like to thank those who visited this site. I'm thinking of doing a few "bonus" profiles in the days to come. I don't know what I'd do for an encore. At least I'll have eleven months to think it over.

Jeff Zornow

Jeff comes to Comic Book Jones every once in a while for signings. The only time I got something from him was in October 2014. I had gotten an Ice Warrior figure from a Doctor Who blind box, and I gave that and a few 2-D references to him. I think they were from "Cold War" because those were easier to find than old-school images.

Thom Zahler

I confess to never getting into Thom's Love and Capes comics. He does good commission work, though. Also, he's a fan of Arrow, so I decided to get Felicity Smoak from him.

The A-To-Z Challenge 2016: Y

One more day until the end of the A-To-Z Challenge. I have four artists under "Y," so let's see their sketches. Apologies for the lack of profiles as I near the finish.

Kelly Yates

Kelly was one of the artists involved in IDW's Doctor Who: The Forgotten, which spotlighted all ten of the Doctor's incarnations. I was getting the Doctors sketched around the time I was at Comic-Con International in 2009, and I hit up Kelly for the Sixth Doctor, as played by Colin Baker.

Katerina Yeizarov

I met Katerina at AnimeNEXT last year. I meant to get Jabra from One Piece in my book, but she wound up drawing him on different material.

Stephanie Yue

I briefly met Stephanie at MoCCA Arts Fest in 2007. She had contributed to the Life Meter minicomic, which centered on video games, and I asked for Dashing Prince from Katamari Damacy.

Steve Yurko

I wound up meeting Steve twice at the Javits Center in 2014 . . . Special Edition NYC (the comic-intensive convention held by Reed Expo) and New York Comic Con. Steve had One Piece prints on sale, so I went to references from that anime for him to work on . . . including something for my "Straw Hat Pirates as American Comics Characters" theme, Nami as Catwoman.

Jason Yungbluth

It's been ages since I've seen Jason. I picked up a few of his comics at shows: Deep Fried and Weapon Brown (his post-apocalyptic take on Peanuts). He also wrote a Green Lantern story in the anthology Bizarro World, prompting me to ask for the only Hal Jordan sketch I will probably ever own.

 

The A-To-Z Challenge 2016: Helen Xue

Yes, I have an "X" artist. Just one, though. New York Comic Con 2011 was where I met Helen Xue. That year, Reed Expo folded New York Anime Festival into NYCC, so I'm thinking those that had been with NYAF before were relegated to their own little area. That's what I remember thinking back on it. Anyway, I hit Helen up for Lust from Fullemtal Alchemist. It was late in the day when I got my book back, and I noticed that Lust didn't have her homunculus mark on her chest. I wound up bringing the book back to Helen, and she managed to draw it in at perhaps the last minute that day. I wish there was more to the story, but it is what it was.

The A-To-Z Challenge 2016: Judd Winick

Truth be told, it's been a long time since I've been a fan of Judd Winick. I borrowed his Hilo graphic novel from the library, but I only got halfway through it, and it's mostly for younger readers. I read his A Town Called Dragon miniseries, but I wasn't enthralled by it. Recently, he and wife Pam Ling were spotlighted on a MTV Special about love on The Real World. It was a little jarring to see them, especially after wading through hook-ups and flings throughout the show's history.

I remember watching a lot of The Real World: San Francisco in 1994, when Judd was part of the cast of the third season. Around that time, he was working on Nuts and Bolts, a daily comic strip. He dated a lot, but had a crush on med student Pam that wasn't really addressed on the show. He was also roommates with Pedro Zamora, who was HIV-positive. I recommend picking up Pedro & Me, the graphic novel published in 2000. In case you don't follow RW (and I can't say that I blame you, especially after the last decade), Pedro died in November 1994, the day after the final episode of the season aired. Judd and Pam wound up becoming a couple.

Judd would go on to create Frumpy the Clown before being recruited by Oni Press to writing and drawing "Road Trip" for Oni Double Feature. Next, he created The Adventures of Barry Ween for Image Comics, which was centered on a foul-mouthed boy genius. It was hysterical. He would do two more miniseries featuring Barry for Oni. Soon, he was picked up by DC Comics to succeed Ron Marz on writing chores for Green Lantern, and he would go on to write such titles as Exiles, Green Arrow and Outsiders. Around 1999-2000, I interviewed Judd twice. I had a tentative agreement with a magazine for an article. He was very nice about it. As I got more into reality television, I liked Judd as an example of somebody who came off as a putz winding up with a public career on his terms. Also, he was part of a panel that previewed The Real World: New Orleans and Road Rules: Maximum Velocity Tour, probably to increase his visibility for Pedro & Me. I reckon the highlight was him saying that Melissa and her parents deserved their own show.

I've met Judd in-person all three times at Comic-Con International in San Diego. I got sketches from him of Barry Ween and Jeremy Ramirez (Barry's hyperactive best friend). In 2009, I received a quick sketch of Juniper Lee, who had a show on Cartoon Network for a few seasons.

The sketch I remember most from Judd came at Wizard World Philadelphia in 2002. It was the first year of that convention, and I went as far as staying over in the city. This was back before I became comfortable with making long-distance commutes. Two days before the con started, Green Lantern #150 came out. Written by Judd, it marked a major turning point for Kyle Rayner, and it included a costume overhaul from Jim Lee. I wound up getting a sketch of Kyle from Judd. And years later, I got a t-shirt with Kyle's new emblem on the chest. I only wear it when I'm at cons.

 

HONORABLE MENTION: Mark Waid (this sketch of Samandahl Rey from Sigil that I didn't recognize until Dale Eaglesham drew that character for me), Bill Walko (two sketches), Adam Warren (three quick headshots, all based on Empowered), Freddie E. Williams II (two), Bill Willingham (three; including Rot Lop Fan, created by him and Alan Moore), Charles Paul Wilson III (four stellar commissions), Javier Cruz Winnik (four; including a double-page spread of Razer from Green Lantern: The Animated Series), Ted Woods (two), J.K. Woodward (three; featuring a Spider-Man commission that got featured on Comics Alliance twice), Tremaine Worrell (two).

The A-To-Z Challenge 2016: V

Getting back to posting sketches. I don't have much from "V" artists. Before yesterday, I figured that having "Von" or "Van" in the middle of the name didn't count. Apparently, I was wrong. I'll just post what I have.

Jessie Van Gyzen

AnimeNEXT was a fun place to meet new people and get commissions. There was a little miscommunication with Jessie . . . I vaguely recall asking for Winry Rockbell from Fullmetal Alchemist with wrench in hand, in the style of the "We Can Do It!" poster from the Forties. I think it came out well, especially with the top and the bandana.

Ethan Van Sciver

Since Ethan is a "name" talent, I've only gotten head sketches from him . . . both of Green Lanterns, both from 2008.

 Alexia Veldhuisen

Last year, I trekked to Dewey's Comic City in Madison, NJ, for Free Comic Book Day. I finally got around to getting the Master from the Doctor Who movie from 1996 sketched for me by Alexia. The only incarnation I'm lacking now is Professor Yana from "Utopia."

Emilio Velez Jr.

I see Emilio at local conventions, but I have only gotten one sketch from him: Darla Deering (aka Miss Thing) from FF. Emilio's webcomic is The Dodgeball Teens. so Darla was suitably posed.

Rob Vellone

I met Rob at the Fan Expo Canada in 2014. I had a blank-covered Superman #32, and he did a decent Man of Steel for me.

Sean Von Gorman

It's pretty hard to forget the first time I saw Sean. It was at a MoCCA Fest, and he was promoting Secret Adventures of Houdini by escaping from a straitjacket. I don't hit him up often enough, but I'm very satisfied with the results.

 

 

P.S. This is my 300th post! Took me eleven years to get here. Here's hoping I can get to 500 by decade's end.

The A-To-Z Challenge 2016: How "U" Can Get Sketches

In case you haven't seen my ComicArtFans page . . . no, I don't have any sketches from any artists whose last name starts with "U." Originally, I was thinking of displaying the two Ultron sketches I've collected. Then I was contemplating spotlighting an artist I wound up relegating to "Honorable Mention." With that, I'm thinking of waiting until after April. Instead, I'm going to give you the basics on how to get sketches from artists at shows and events.

What do you need to start? Let's begin with the basics.

Sketchbook

The first book I had was spiral-bound. It took me years to get that filled out, and it wasn't made for that. Eventually, the front cover came off due to wear and tear. I graduated to hardcovers after that. They're tougher to scan (I'll get to that later), but you get fewer accidents that way. Also, the page quality is better, and you don't get too many blank pages messed with ink from a prior sketch. I usually get a sketchbook at Barnes & Noble. I also look for inside covers I can write entries in, so I can catalog my collection.

If you can't get a sketchbook, a comic book board will do in a pinch. I've gotten a few sketches on behalf of people who couldn't make it to a con . . . like the time I got a Lenore sketch from Roman Dirge for my friend Nicole. You can also find comic books with blank covers at comic shops and conventions. I try not to pay above cover price if I can help it. According to my CAF account, I've gotten 64 cover sketches. They are addictive for me to collect, especially since I can get two or more commissions done at the same time. One warning about getting blank-covered comics, sketchcards and other "loose" art: be sure to put them in a safe place. I've lost a few items amid the clutter at my place. By comparison, I usually put my sketchbooks on the shelf.

Show/Convention/Event

I have to admit . . . it's a little easier for me to go to a show full of artists. I live on Staten Island, NY, which is a ferry ride away from Manhattan, and where I can drive to parts of New Jersey without being too big a trip. The longest commute I had for a con was when I went to Wizard World Philadelphia, where I'd drive 75-90 minutes each way. Eventually, the bigger companies withdrew their presence, I found myself skipping the final day of that con, and I stopped going altogether. I'm also open to driving to cons and staying at the location for a few nights. In addition to taking road trips to Baltimore Comic Con, I also went to my first Doctor Who-themed show last year, Long Island Who in Hauppauge, NY.

A good place to start looking is Convention Scene. Usually, I go to "All Upcoming Events" and use the list view. Sometimes, I get wind of a show that I would have missed. AnimeCons.com is also useful for finding smaller cons. Even if there are no artists, I would recommend going to an anime-themed show, especially if you want to see a lot of cosplay. You can also check your favorite comic shop's website, as well as those of individual artists. Maybe somebody you like will be in your neck of the woods, and you'd want to meet that person. For me, I found out about AnimeNEXT in Somerset, NJ, while following the abridgements of Yu-Gi-Oh! by Martin Billany, aka LittleKuriboh. I wound up attending that show for one day in 2010; enough for me to get his autograph, as well as four sketches. I kept going back to AnimeNEXT for the full three days through 2015, and I would have gotten an advance ticket for that this year if it didn't move to Atlantic City, which is too far a commute for me. Instead, the Garden State Exhibit Center will be hosting Anime Fan Fest next month. I'm hoping it will be as fun as AnimeNEXT.

Money

Artists have to eat, too. When I first started getting sketches in 2000, I attended two shows unaware of the existence of "Artists Alley." As a result, I didn't pay for a sketch. At larger cons, if you're willing to wait on line, you can get freebies at the booths of the bigger companies. While I don't consider myself to be a "Marvel Zombie," I wound up getting quick sketches at New York Comic Con from "name" artists at no cost. I would have done the same at DC Comics' booth, except they moved their operation from the show floor to the other end of the Javits Center, and they only made their schedule available via app. On the other hand, I lucked into hitting the Titan booth at the right time. They are the official publisher of Doctor Who comics. I wound up getting three freebies, including a long-overdue Captain Jack Harkness.

Getting back to the point . . . you will need money if you want something more detailed. Because I'm not employed, I have yet to break three digits on a single piece. I think the most I've paid was $75. I try to be conservative when it comes to paying, but I tend to hit the ATM while attending a con. I don't negotiate prices . . . at most, I ask the artist about rates if those are not displayed. I usually prefer pencils and inks, though I'll take a headshot over a bust or full body. I don't get special rates from certain artists for being a repeat customer. I always try to be nice to artists. After all, you never know if you'll be going back to them in the future. Why burn bridges?

References

This is probably the only thing I'm anal about. I am a sloppy mess in most areas of my life, but I'm always ready with material for sketches. Usually, I seek out relevant material via Google Images, paste it in MS Paint, and print that out. I use a color printer, though I think a black-and-white reference can work as well if needed. I don't bring heavy books with me. Instead, I opt for softcovers and manga volumes, with the proper characters bookmarked. Sometimes, the artists have devices to look up references, but I never take that for granted. Looking at my most-viewed sketches, I notice that only one of my top ten did not require references. If you're only interested in getting characters that your artist is familiar with, then you don't have to sweat material. I find that having stuff at the ready gives me more options. At my last show (MoCCA Arts Festival), I gave references to four artists, and then I got a watercolor piece from Priya Huq after seeing Star Wars characters that she was selling. I wound up getting a very nice Rey from her.

Online Presence/Scanner

Since I have little to no artistic ability (ever read my 30-Second Recaps? Brutal stuff), I like showing off my sketches. Once a year, I pay a flat fee to get unlimited storage space on Flickr. In addition to being able to display the pictures I take at cons, I am also able to upload sketches there. That is the site where I have posted most of my sketches from during the A-to-Z Challenge, since I can do so at multiple sizes.

In 2009, I discovered ComicArtFans.com. I don't pay for premium access because my needs are basic. I just post what I get, occasionally writing accompanying stuff about it. There was also a chat room that is currently out of commission. From that, I befriended other CAF users and got to see their original art. You can also search artists in order to get a feel for their skills.

When I commute to shows, one of the first things I do after coming home is scan my acquisitions immediately. I don't use anything high-end. I just look for a printer/scanner hybrid that gets the job done. Hardcover sketchbooks are a little more difficult to process . . . I usually have to leave the lid open and press down on the book in order to get the best scan possible. When I'm away from home and want to share my stuff, I try to take a good picture of the sketch and I upload it from my camera. When I get home, I replace that with a scanned sketch.

Planning

It's good to have a basic gameplan in place. I find myself juggling visits to artists with panels, food, and general browsing. If I'm at a larger con, I try to time things where I don't have to spend a lot of time on line. When I am on line, I kill time by reading. Manga and magazines make for lightweight material. When dealing with an independent artist, I usually leave my cell phone number with him/her, so that I can get a text when my commission is complete. This is an area where improvisation is key, because a lot can happen over time.

Imagination

If you look through my CAF account, you'll notice that I have a wide array of sketches. Some people devote their sketchbooks to individual themes. I started out getting sketches of characters that the artists were currently drawing, but I eventually had ideas for running themes. I never find myself that hellbent to complete a theme, but I like getting them drawn out as soon as I can think of them. Over this past month, you've noticed that I've gotten sketches based on particular shows, comics and manga/anime. Here are a few examples:

South Park characters as Lanterns

Emotions from Inside Out (all acquired at New Jersey Comic Expo 2015)

Characters from Death Note

Characters from Fullmetal Alchemist

Characters from Yu-Gi-Oh!

Superman (I like starting off a book with the Man of Steel)

Characters from Doctor Who

Transformers I owned as a kid (I never got Slag the Dinobot, but he was the robot Triceratops I wanted the Doctor to ride)

I'd like to know what you're into, whether you're starting to collect sketches or have done so for years. Stories, themes, fails . . . drop me a line in the comments section. Happy hunting!

The A-To-Z Challenge 2016: Ty Templeton

I've been to Toronto four times. All four times, a convention was involved: Fan Expo Canada (formerly known as Canadian National Expo). Aside from trips with my mother, I have never flown somewhere without a con. Sometimes, I wonder if I need a life. Then again, I don't know what I'd do with myself if a show wasn't involved. I'll do tourist stuff as best I can, but I need the focus of a major con.

Anyway, all four times I've been to Toronto, I have met Ty Templeton.  He told me that he doesn't go to American conventions because he's not happy with that government's policies. Most of the time, he sticks with Canada. Every time I've met him, I have wound up getting an affordable sketch. In 2005, he was the artist on the miniseries Spider-Man/Human Torch: I'm With Stupid, which is worth tracking down. I had gotten a few Spider-Man sketches by then, so I asked Ty for Peter Parker.

Two years later, I was getting sketches of the main cast from Who Wants To Be A Superhero? I asked Ty for the first season's winner, Feedback

By 2011, I was consumed with weird ideas for sketches. One of them was based in Marvel Comics: "If Daredevil is 'The Man Without Fear' and 'hose that know fear BURN at the Man-Thing's touch,' what would happen if those two characters met?" I don't know if it actually happened, but I gave Ty an outline as to what I figured would go down, and the result was posted in ComicsAlliance's Best Art Ever (This Week).

The last time I met Ty was in 2014. I had seen Guardians of the Galaxy by then, and I was getting characters from that movie. Ty did an excellent Groot for me while I waited.

HONORABLE MENTION: Jill Thompson (six sketches; three from The Sandman, two from Beasts of Burden), Bruce Timm (a quick Batman head sketch from Comic-Con International 2000), Bobby Timony (five sketches), Peter Timony (one from Bobby's twin brother).

The A-To-Z Challenge 2016: Tim Smith 3

For some reason, Tim Smith 3 does not show up on my ComicArtsFan page. I haven't seen him in person in a while. The first sketch I got from him was of the second Starman at MoCCA in 2010. He did a good job . . . except for the part where he mistook the fin coming from the character's head for hair. The next time I saw him, he put white tape over the area and drew in the fin. I've been too lazy to rescan and replace the original sketch.

I didn't let the mistake deter me from Tim. While I didn't hit him up as often as his usual convention neighbors Chris Giarrusso and Jacob Chabot, I wound up getting four more sketches from him . . . including Jean Grey/Phoenix and Tye Longshadow from the Young Justice animated series.

Tim did two of my most epic commissions I have ever received. At Wizard World in Philadelphia in 2011, I gave him references for Rory Williams from Doctor Who in Roman centurion garb and The Pandorica. The result was nothing short of awesome.

Later that year, I met Tim at New York Comic Con. This time, I gave him references for characters of two Adam Reed-produced shows: Xander Crews/Awesome X from Frisky Dingo and Sterling Archer (Archer). Until recently, the sketch had been the most-viewed piece on my CAF account, and for good reason.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Tim Sale (two sketches I won at the Hero Initiative booth), Tom Scioli (one sketch of the whale Green Lantern from Last Days Of Animal Man), Damion Scott (four), Nicola Scott (two, including Junior from Secret Six that unnerved her and Gail Simone), Josh Shockley (Concept: "Hey, what would be cooler than the Doctor on a triceratops? The Doctor on a robotic triceratops!"),  Dezi Sienty (this painted Superman to kick off my fourth book), R. Sikoryak (two commissions featuring George W. Bush and Barack Obama), Walt Simonson (seven quick head shots), Jeff Smith (just one sketch of Fone Bone), Chris Sprouse (epic freebie of Green Lantern from Kingdom Come), Cameron Stewart  (two sketches), Gary Swarer (three; two from One Piece).

The A-To-Z Challenge 2016: Humberto Ramos

It seems like Humberto Ramos has always been a big deal. I'll always remember him as playing penciler to Mark Waid in Impulse in the mid-Nineties. While Waid and Mark Wieringo created Bart Allen, it was Humberto that gave him the bigger hair and boots. He's moved on from there . . . being the only guy at Wildstorm's "Cliffhanger" imprint to have a work ethic (on Crimson and Out There) and eventually finding him way to regular work with Marvel (Amazing Spider-Man, Extraordinary X-Men). Between the fans he attracts at conventions and the prices he commands for commissions, I would consider myself fortunate to have three quick sketches from him.

However, I have managed to get more from him. When I went to Wizard World Philadelphia in 2007, I was looking for my first Doctor Who-themed sketch. I had a copy of Doctor Who Magazine with me, and I pointed Humberto out to David Tennant. Lucky for me that I had the reference, because he never saw the show. What I ended up with is something that I use as an avatar on message boards. I don't remember how much I paid for the commission, but it was worth it.

Four years later, I was in Philadelphia for what would be my last Wizard World there. When I saw Humberto on the guest list, I knew that I had to try and get something from him. I only had enough for a black-and-white bust shot, but he did Delphyne Gorgon from The Incredible Hercules amazingly well.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Scott Ramsoomair (two sketches from the VG Cats creator, including the first Death Note-themed drawing I got), Khary Randolph (one; a city-based "concept" work of Poison Ivy), Tom Raney (eleven; five based on Outsiders), Erik Reichenbach (a self-portrait of the original ice cream guy from Survivor), Rod Reis (one watercolored shot of the "New 52" Catman on Secret Six #1), Sara Richard (four; including this commission of Sarah Jane Smith from Doctor Who that has gotten over 4,000 views on my Flickr account), Alex Robinson (six; including this sketch of Hygena from Who Wants To Be A Superhero? that got a comment on Flickr from the actual Hygena), Bill Roseman (what might be the worst sketch I've ever gotten, though I say that with love), Duncan Rouleau (three; featuring the first sketch I received at a convention), Andy Runton (a "concept" sketch from the Owly creator), Dave Ryan (three sketches, including one I wound up getting via  mail).

The A-To-Z Challenge 2016: Q

I only have four sketches from three "Q" artists. I'll have more to talk about tomorrow.

Joe Quinones

I have gotten three sketches/commissions from the extremely talented Amanda Conner, but I could never get the timing right to get Power Woman from Kingdom Come from her, since she was synonymous with Power Girl. By the time New York Comic Con rolled around in 2013, I gave up and asked Joe for a sketch at the DC Comics booth. I think it turned out all right.

Jan Marc Quisumbing (aka "The Janimal")

Once or twice a year, I would go to West Orange, NJ, for the Superheroes For Hospice Show. Basically, people would donate comics to the St. Barnabas Hospice, and they'd sell those at discount. Writers and artists would get tables and sell their stuff as well. In July 2013, I met Jan/Janimal. I was reading FF at the time, and a future villain was being touted hard: Doom the Annihilating Conqueror, a gestalt entity of Doctor Doom, Annhilus and Kang the Conqueror. This was based off the reference I gave to Jan.

Jason Quinones

I see Jason at local cons, but I've only hit him up for sketches twice. Both times, I was in the mood for something offbeat, and he delivered both times. At the New York Comic Book Marketplace 2012, I had just seen The Adventures Of Tintin, and I figured it would be cute to have the Metal Man known as Tin portrayed as Tintin. Jason did a good job, and he threw in Tintin's dog Snowy (Milou in the original French) at no extra charge.

Later that year, I met Jason again at King Con in Brooklyn. By this time, I was going through my "South Park characters as Lanterns" phase, and I had reached green. I wound up asking for three characters as Green Lanterns: Stan, Kyle and Wendy (I know, she always wears purple, but I had somebody else in mind to represent Star Sapphire). Jason came through for me, and I think he also sketched Mogo (the planet that was a GL) in there as well. And before you ask . . . yes, I had reference for Kyle Rayner's uniform at that time in mind for South Park Kyle's outfit.

The A-To-Z Challenge 2016: Best of P

I'm phoning it in again today. I don't have more than two sketches from any artist whose last name starts with the letter "P," so screw it, I'll post a small selection. Things should clear up on Thursday.

Carlos Pacheco

I got a sketch from Carlos at Comic-Con International in 2003. This was back when Arrowsmith was out penciled by him and written by Kurt Busiek. It wasn't on par with Astro City, but it was a nice creator-owned miniseries. This is the rock creature Rocky Rakhrakhmata.

Greg Pak

Greg is another critically acclaimed writer with semi-decent drawing skills. I've gotten two sketches from him at MoCCA: Hulk in 2008, and Amadeus Cho (the current Hulk) in 2011.

Jimmy Palmiotti

Two sketches from Jimmy: the first Kyle Rayner I ever asked for (taken from the Secret Society of Superheroes Elseworlds miniseries, which Jimmy inked) and Iron Man without his helmet.

Yanick Paquette

I met Yanick at New York Comic Con in 2007. I wound up getting Bulleteer from him; this was back when I was trying to get all the main characters from Grant Morrison's maxiseries Seven Soldiers. The only other memory I have of Yanick was later that year in Toronto, when I was trying to find my sketchbook.

Rick Parker

Back in the day, Rick was the artist of Marvel's Beavis and Butt-head series. I had a blank-covered copy of Avengers Assemble #1 on hand, and I was in the mood for some crossover fun.

 

 

Patrick Thomas Parnell

 

Speaking of crossovers, I came to Patrick with the idea of dressing up the main cast from One Piece as American comic book characters. I asked for Franky as DC Comics hero Cyborg, and I liked the result.

 

 

Pere Perez

 

Originally, I was asking artists for sketches of Transformers I owned as a kid. I intended to do the same for G.I. Joe figures, but it stalled with this sketch of Alpine. The only other Joes and Cobras I remember having were Clutch, Tollbooth (with the Bridgelayer), Frostbite (with the Snow Cat; the guy who wasn't Snowjob or Iceberg) and Crimson Guardsman. When I came to Larry Hama, I just asked him for Snake Eyes.

 

 

Khoi Pham

 

Here's another sketch of Amadeus Cho. I was picking up trade paperbacks of The Incredible Hercules with Amadeus in a supporting role, and Khoi was penciling Mighty Avengers, which also featured Herc and Amadeus.

 

Warren Pleece

 

I had gotten a copy of Incognegro from DC Comics, back when I was reviewing graphic novels for Beyond Race Magazine. It's a must-read about a black writer passing himself off as white while undercover in the 1930s, as he reported on lynchings in the South. I met Warren and author Mat Johnson at New York Comic Con in 2008, and I got this sketch of Zane Pinchback from Warren.

 

 

Krissy Puff

 

This was back when I was seeking out sketches of South Park characters as the various ring-wielding heroes and villains from DC Comics. Krissy completed the theme for me with White Lantern Kenny. While I didn't tell her that the costume was just for White Lantern Animal Man (hence the "A" on Kenny's front), she did a bang-up job. You can read about my concept here.

 

George Perez

 

I'm amazed that I got anything from this legend. When I came to New York Comic Book Marketplace in 2012, a fellow collector let me know that George was sketching headshots at an affordable rate, and I wound up spending a few hours on line for the privilege. I had some random stuff in my bag, and I wound up giving him Storm as a reference. Special shout-out to Andreas G. for putting up with my blathering while we waited on the line.

 

 

THE REST: Paul Pelletier (one sketch from the CrossGen booth), Jamal Peppers (a quick in-store freebie), Ramon Perez (convention freebie), Rich Perrotta (two), Brandon Peterson (another CrossGen sketch), Bill Plympton (quick doodle from the cartoonist), Howard Porter (quick sketch from the JLA penciler), Michelle Poust (second Death Note-themed sketch I received).