The A-To-Z Challenge 2016: Jamal Igle

I vaguely remember the time I first met Jamal Igle. According to my ComicArtFans account, it was at The National in 2002. This was back before New York Comic Con was on the scene, and the city didn't have cons comparable in size to two that I flew out for: Wizard World in Chicago and Comic-Con International in San Diego. I wouldn't have called myself a "snob," but I recall apologizing to somebody who came out from Seattle.

The next sketch I got from Jamal needs a story. I wrote about how I met some comics-minded peers on the message board dedicated to Kingdom Come back in 1996. Gail Simone wound up becoming a star, but she wasn't the only person to go from forum poster to comic book writer. One of the nicer people I met from the board was Brian Joines. If the name sounds familiar, it's because he's been writing stuff recently for BOOM! Studios (Imagine Agents, Bill & Ted Go To Hell) and Image Comics (Krampus, Secret Identities). Back in 2004, Brian was writing stories for Jay Faerber's Noble Causes comics for Image, going so far as to introduce a one-shot character (Living Landscape) based on something I created back in the day ("Living Landfill"). He also wrote in a mook named Hydro-Foil, who wound out getting killed off in his story. His name was Jasper Borelli, merging my name with another poster's. Jamal drew the story, and I got the character sketched at The National in 2004.

I would see Jamal more often over time, at shows and events. He is one of the nicest guys I have gotten to know. One time, he said my full name upon seeing me. It freaked me out, but it was kind of cool.

 

 

In addition to head/bust shots, I would come to Jamal for commissions. He was always game to draw what I wanted, and he delivered.

Truth be told, I didn't keep up with what he was working on. I never got into Firestorm, Nightwing or Supergirl. I did get Tangent Comics: Superman's Reign, but mostly through back issues. I did get the "New 52" miniseries The Ray when that came out in 2011, and I got the first volume of his Kickstarter book, Molly Danger.

 

Looking back, I see that I had Marvel Comics movies on the brain when I came to Jamal. I got two characters from the films, and another that inspired a more human-looking character.

 

 

Like most artists, there is a lot I don't know about Jamal. For one thing, I didn't know he was a fan of Doctor Who until I approached him at Fan Expo Canada in 2014. He even did a decent impression of Peter Capaldi's Scottish accent. Another thing I never noticed was that he had a weight problem. I knew he was a larger guy like myself, but I didn't realize to what extent until I read this article on Comic Book Resources in March.  While I don't need to lose over 100 pounds, I should use Jamal as an inspiration to shed some stubborn mass.

 

 

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Stuart Immonen (the last sketch I got at CCI in 2000), Mindy Indy (real name Mindy Steffen, but I'm listing her with under "I"; four sketches, including this Adventure Time/The Venture Bros. mashup I got from her at MoCCA), Chistopher Ivy (this Bane sketch based off The Dark Knight Rises).

 

The A-To-Z Challenge 2016: Erica Hesse

Erica Hesse is one of those artists that I see from time to time, and I get stuff from her when I feel like it. Looking back at what I've received from her, I probably should look her up more often.

So far, I've gotten six sketches from her at various shows, five of them in color. Given how stingy I can be at cons, I probably got a bargain each time. We first met in 2009, where I got Jeanmette from Secret Six.

I continued seeing her at events centered around Wild Pig Comics in Kenilworth. Her pin-up style came out good without being filled with cheesecake, and it paired well with TV and movie-based characters.

 

The last few times I saw Erica, I brought blank-covered Marvel comics with me. She knocked those out of the park.

 



 

 

In 2010, I went to Flemington, NJ, for Fusion Comics' Wonder Woman Day. I wound up winning a silent auction, obtaining a Wonder Woman commission from Erica.

 



HONORABLE MENTIONS: Gene Ha (two freebies), Ken Haeser (three villain-based sketches; four if you throw in Mayuri Kurotsuchi from Bleach), Chris Hastings (five sketches, not counting the ones he did inside the Dr. McNinja collections I bought), Fred Hembeck (five, including two based on Who Wants To Be A Superhero?), Kyle Hotz (the first sketch I paid for), Adam Hughes (two quickies, including Pam from Archer with a story attached), Greg Hyland (four sketches, all drawn in Toronto).

The A-To-Z Challenge 2016: Chris Giarrusso

Looking at the timetable for the A-to-Z Challenge, there are a few trouble spots ahead. Then there are days like today, where the decision is unbelievably easy for me.

I have been getting sketches from Chris Giarrusso since 2002. He is known for his "Bullpen Bits" cartoons for Marvel Comics, and his creator-owned G-Man books. I see him at conventions both local and afar. In total, I have gotten 29 sketches from him . . . thirty if you count the time he started doing Wolverine before realizing that wasn't what I asked for. I figure it still counts.

The first sketch I asked from him was Black Panther. Over the years, I would ask for familiar characters . . .

 

. . . and those where I needed to give references for.

 

 

 

Over time, I got into Chris' G-Man miniseries, and I wound up getting sketches of G-Man and Great Man (his brother) from him.

 

 

  

Eventually, my ideas for sketches became a little more "out there," as I sought out themes like the many "Lantern" characters debuting around the time of Blackest Night, heroes from Astro City, and Transformers that I had when I was a kid. With the right reference materials, Chris made it work. Sure, he referred to the Indigo Tribe Atom as "Turquoise Lantern" on his website, but that was forgivable.

 

When I started getting One Piece-themed sketches back in 2010, I started off by asking Chris for the manga's main protagonist, Monkey D. Luffy. I wound up telling him to include the scar under Luffy's left eye, but that was a minor oversight. Three years later, I got Luffy's brother, Portgas D. Ace.

 

 

 

 Chris is a wonderful artist, and he's always game for whatever I have in mind . . . like the time I got South Park characters as superheroes, a one-shot DC/Marvel "Amalgam" hero, Batman's British counterpart fleshed out by Grant Morrison and Paul Cornell, and an ersatz Avenger seen on Dexter's Laboratory.

 

 

 

Seriously, Chris is a great "go-to" guy for me to hit up at conventions, and his rates are reasonable. Manga/anime characters? No problem.

 

 

 

Doctor Who heroes and villains? No sweat.

 

 

 

 

Figures from critically-acclaimed series? Chris can do it.

 

 

  

Speedsters from TV and movies? You get the point.

 

 

Like with Danielle Corsetto, I've run out of things to say about Chris. Go to his website, see if he's coming to your neck of the woods, and maybe buy a sketch card from him. Seek out his work on G-Man. And now, here are two more sketches. Here hoping I won't have to wait long for #31.

 

 

 

HONORABLE MENTION: Agnes Garbowska (two sweet South Park-themed sketches), Rob Geronimo (two sketches; a fellow Staten Islander whom I should have hit up at MoCCA last weekend), Jason L. Grossman (five, including three based on Pokémon and one featuring a member of the Straw Hat crew from One Piece made up as an American character), Kristen Gudsnuk (eight; a recent local favorite I can hit up for CW/superhero-based shows),  Micah Gunnell (two based on Heroes, back when I was watching it with few reservations).