…great outing by schilling tonight for the sox (even with giving up three home runs)…

been working hard on the first issue of the next ‘haps mini, but i’ve also had some time to get to other things –

– ‘haps promo stuff for the summer conventions and beyond
– redesigning the ‘haps site (including the guest artist pin-up gallery)
– updating my site
– doing a few canson sketches (i was planning on just bringin’ ‘m to charlotte, but figured why not post’m on the site in the art for sale section as well for all the folks who aren’t going … so head on over to see what’s new) … i’ll be getting to do a few more of these, so if there’s something you’ve been itching to get, drop me a line and get on the list!
– building some bookcases to use as built-ins under the eaves in the studio room…

okay, back to work…

-c

really enjoying this season of “rescue me” on fx (always love me a good denis leary show… man, i miss “the job”) and looking forward to this week’s return of “deadwood” on hbo…

that was a ROUGH ball game to watch tonight… i get the feeling it’s gonna be a loooooong season with both the sox and yankees neck and neck for the next few months…

besides that, work is moving along on the first issue of the “second chances” series of the ‘haps… and i’m dangerously close to finishing my new studio space so i can finally get outta the basement and see out a window (and finally using the surround sound we put in won’t hurt, either)…

hope to get a few canson sketches done before the charlotte show in a few weeks (it’s not too convenient to bring all that stuff with me)… as you can see above, i did get to one that’s been in the queue for a while… invincible (and if ya don’t read that book, do yerself a favor and pick up the first trade and see what you’re missing)…

back to work.

-c

and congrats to jon and fran on the arrival of janie elizabeth … and belated congrats to kieran and jill, that jeremy is hellacute… and another very belated congrats to aaron and ann, julia rose is adorable… phew. kids everywhere, i tell ya…

gahhh, we haveta wait until january for more of the jack bauer power hour?!? and what was in that case that kept keith mars from meeting veronica?! and only one more sopranos until 2007?! and only 2 more hours of dharma initiative/others conspiracy craziness on lost? and i’m gonna miss michael’s relentless belittling of toby at dunder mifflin until the fall (that scene in the finale, among countless others, had me in stiches)…

at least we’ve still got deadwood and rescue me coming up (and we haven’t even started watching the final alias episodes we’ve got on the tivo)… and we just managed to watch all the episodes of love monkey that vh1 recently aired (too bad that it wasn’t called csi:love monkey , then cbs might not’ve given it the ax so quickly…)

so, can ya tell that with all that crazy deadline stuff gone by, i’ve finally had a chance to relax? (and get back to work on finishing work on the house)… not to say i’m not getting work done, like the covers for the next ‘haps series coming out at the end of the year… (above is the cover for the first issue, in case you’re wondering), getting through a few commissions and more…

-c

so, above is the piece i did for one helluva nice guy and great artist, guy davis (who, i’m sure you all know, does phenomenal work every month on b.p.r.d. as well as such fantasic stuff like the nevermen and sandman mystery theater)…

guy was kind enough to contribute a pin-up for the ‘haps trade ( we signed off on some minor design changes the other day, so i guess we’re good to go!) in trade for a pin-up of his character “the marquis”…

the b/w series came out a few years back from oni (and i believe is still available in 2 trade paperbacks… go get ‘m)… his work is rich with texture and energy, and lotsa creepy crawlies … and the story’s pretty wild, ta boot!

wish i was heading out to the motor city show this weekend to buy him a drink (or three) for the pin-up, but this’ll haveta do.

thanks, guy!

-c
(so, i bet you’re wondering about his pin-up, huh? keep checking over at todd’s blog for him to post it there… )

random tv thoughts… 24? so ridiculously unbelievable this week, but oh so good … veronica mars? wow, what a way to wrap up all those dangling plots… and leave us hanging! the office? dwight’s complaints about jim had me howling (and michael’s photoshop expertise as well)…

what i’m listening to as i type this … red hot chili peppers – stadium arcadium

so, i’ve never really had the opportunity to color anybody else’s work but mine… until yesterday.

with the deadline for the perhapanauts trade looming over our head, we needed to get one last pin-up colored up asap…

but not just anybody’s pin-up, mind you… but kevin friggin’ nowlan! i certainly hope i did the piece justice, ’cause the original is absolutely stunning (and sitting right here next to me)…

anyway, it’s a beautfiul day out there… and the boy, the dog and i are gonna go enjoy it!
have a good weekend –

-c

what i’m listening to as i type this … pearl jam – pearl jam

just finished scanning the last page of the cobbler’s monster…

phew.

and on to the next batch of ‘haps covers next week.

saw that the cobbler’s book was solicited in the new previews (order yours today! – end shameless plug)… as well as the ‘haps…

turns out the ‘haps will be pushed back to sept., which isn’t a bad thing, since the second series is hopefully starting in october.

looking to see some of the sweet pin-ups we’ve gotten in for the trade? check out todd’s blog

perhapablog

(right now he’s spotlighting a great piece from the legendary artist and all around great guy, nick cardy)

just picked up a few books at the local comic shop (stillpoint cards and comics in somerset, ma – where i’ll be hanging out from 12 -2.30pm this saturday for free comic book day – end plug)… seven issues of infinite crisis (and all those miniseries and oneshots) for… that? ugh.

at least b.p.r.d. and mouse guard were both hellacool.

and i gotta say, any sense of believability has flown out the window on 24, but damn if it isn’t THE most addictive show on tv these days (with veronica mars and lost right behind)

-c

what i’m listening to as i type this – in time: the best of r.e.m.

…since my last post.

… clearly have barenaked ladies on the brain (and by that, i mean the BAND)… been HARD at work on the cobbler’s monster, only 14 pages to go! WOOHOOO!

and since they’ve got the first 3 pages posted over at the image comics blog, i figure i can post one of those pages here…

mmmm, tastes like a hot dog.

been listening to stephen king’s cell on audiobook (thanks a bunch, todd!) while putting in late nights… can’t wait to hear how it ends (gonna haveta do more audiobooks while working… got the latest neil gaiman here waiting to go after the cell)…

todd and i have been talking a lot lately about the next ‘haps series (and plan to start the next covers as soon as i get done with this project) … the more we talk, the more excited we get… gonna make the first series seem boring in comparison, i tells ya!

and head over to todd’s blog as he’s gonna start posting some more of the pin-ups we were lucky enough to get for the ‘haps trade FIRST BLOOD (shameless plug… order yours from your local comic shop in this week’s previews catalog)

i’m sure i’ll have more to post next week when i finally get through this deadline…

-c (can’t wait to see what outrageousnes happens tonight on 24… and how they leave us hangin’ ’til next week)

music i’m listening to as i type this …. arctic monkeys – whatever people say i am, that’s what i’m not

… practically non-stop to get through the cobbler’s monster deadline to get the book out in time for san diego! (29 pages to go before the end of the month equals 2 pages a day and no sleep)…

in the meantime, up top there should be another tellos commission i had done a while back for somebody from the baltimore convention (easily one of my favorite cons… which i won’t be at this year, since i’ll be at a good friend’s wedding… but i WILL be heading down to heroescon in charlotte and out to san diego )… but blogger’s acting all woogie. i’ll try to post it later…

been fliiping through a lot of french albums for inspiration and motivation lately, stuff like “belladone” and “ring circus” … beautiful stuff! (and of course, anything by claire wendling is da bee’s knees!)

back to work for me! (gotta get a few panels done before i get sucked into 24!)

-c

music i’m listening to as i type this… you can play these songs with chords – death cab for cutie

so, trish and i had a night out on tuedsay and saw ben folds and his band in providence at lupo’s (which moved a few years back to the strand… which, trish reminded me, is where we saw the reverend horton heat and the toadies on what was almost kinda sorta our first date ‘lo those many years ago)…
a great show all around with a full 2 hour set (but standing around for 3+ hours in a jam packed sold out club made us realize why we don’t go to shows too often anymore)…

got a LOT of pages left to get through to meet our deadline on cobbler’s monster, but i’m confident we’ll hit our deadline (wayne’s been doing great stuff and giulia’s colors are AMAZING!) looks like the image preview book will be available in philly and charlotte (i’ll find out if they’ll hit stores as well…)…

looking forward to getting back to the ‘haps and commissions after this book (and hopefully the next book with beckett as well…. i enjoy working on the less than mainstream stuff after so many years of superheroes… although i’m getting the itch to do a ‘hero book again – too bad almost every editor i’ve worked with at dc has moved on to hopefully greener pastures..)

got in david william’s frickin’ sweet pin-up for the ‘haps trade and should be getting more any day… (i’ll post it next week)

after seeing ‘ringo’s sweet scarlet witch on his site, i figured i’d post this one i did a while back but never got on the site…

back to work.

-c

what i’m listening to as i type this – itunes originals – barenaked ladies

…found this image on the web and found it particularly amusing… and goes a good way to explain why i think all star batman and robin is one of the worst books of the year (or, as todd so optimistically thinks, one of the biggest pranks)…

…next wave looks absolutely fantastic, but man, that writing is so condescending towards comics (oooh, point out the ridiculousness of a giant lizard wearing purple pants…. ugh. it’s a COMIC BOOK.) haven’t read all that much warren ellis stuff, so maybe i’m just not in with the “hip” crowd on this one… at least it’s damn pretty!

… reading stephen king’s latest column in entertainment weekly describes how i feel about tv exactly (his list of favorite shows this season includes veronica mars, lost, the shield, sopranos, battlestar galactica… and of course, 24)

…found out that beckett and image are putting together a preview book for “the cobbler’s monster” with the first 12 pages and other panels from the rest of the book…

… approved the cover design for the ‘haps trade yesterday!

i’m sure there’s more, but i gotta get back to drawing.

-c

music i’m listening to as i type this entry – the full-custom gospel sounds of the reverend horton heat