Had a blast at SAN DIEGO COMICON this year! At last year's show, I basically never left Artists Alley during the day, skipped lunches, and staying up all night at the hotel doing commissions...which of course left me mentally and physically wrecked by the time Monday rolled around. But this time, my schedule and whereabouts were little more varied, and it made for a much more enjoyable experience.

I spent most of the convention in my own little corner of the NCsoft booth, drawing color marker sketches for CITY OF HEROES fans. It's always such a treat to meet COH players and to chat with them while I'm sketching.

We also had TWO--count 'em--two models at the booth this year! Ms. Liberty and new villain Desdemona (from the upcoming COH: GOING ROGUE expansion) were a HUGE hit with fans, and they posed for pictures almost non-stop all weekend.


Desdemona and Ms. Liberty with some guy


Shannon the Desdemona model with a Desdemona sketch by yours truly

Each morning, part of my job involved applying an elaborate temporary tattoo around Desdemona's neck, so I guess I can feasibly add 'Makeup Artist' to my resume now, right? :) Technically, there was no makeup or painting involved--rather, I had the design on preprinted transfer paper and simply pasted it down in four pieces, being careful to keep the edges aligned.

Beyond drawing and model duties, I had some time to see the Joss Whedon panel, Adam Hughes' excellent sketch panel, the COH panel (natch) and of course a few friends in Artist's Alley. Thought I'd have more time to walk around and shop, but the hall was almost standing-room only, so I restricted myself to must-buys like J. Scott Campbell's new sketchbook and a Black Lantern t-shirt.

Had dinner with co-workers and friends every night and kept the after-hours sketching to a minimum, thus preserving my sanity for another year.

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As a concept artist working on CITY OF HEROES, I get to draw all kinds of fun stuff--architecture, weapons, robots, and of course new heroes and villains. The art I create becomes a template for Paragon Studios' talented crew of modelers and animators who take my renderings and bring them to life in glorious 3D. It's a pretty cool process to watch, and I get a huge kick seeing the original drawing and its 3D counterpart side-by-side. And I can't wait to post some of that art here!

But in the meantime, I've got a link to Designer Bruce Harlick's recent Dev Diary, which features an intriguing first peak at some of the content for the game's upcoming 5-year Anniversary Expansion, COH ISSUE 15, featuring the long-awaited return of popular villains The 5th Column, now led by the nigh-omnipotent Reichsman.

What did I work on personally? Of the images shown in the Diary, I did the original concept for Hero 1's time capsule, the giant red machine, and Reichsman himself. He's just a shadowy teaser here, so you'll have to play the all-new Task Force and Strike Force to see him up close. :)


model by Don Pham


model by Jay Doherty

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So Disney just announced two more volumes for the DVD collection of X-Men: The Animated Series which means I can finally post the artwork! Volumes 3 and 4 (shown here) have a street date of September 15th, and there's a special $5-off promotion when you buy any two volumes. Nice!

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If you're about my age, then you probably have fond memories of the X-MEN: The Animated Series that ran on Fox Kids in the 90s. Lasting 76 episodes (second only to Batman: TAS) it was Marvel's longest running animated show and brought a number of famous X-storylines to the small screen, including The Dark Phoenix Saga and Days of Future Past. I was a big fan, and I remember being BEYOND excited when that first episode came on.

So imagine my surprise and delight when I was asked to provide box art for the upcoming DVD release(!). I got into comics specifically because of Jim Lee's legendary work on Uncanny X-men, and THIS was the team I grew up with. So my cover art is intended as a love letter to these characters, and honestly, I'm just excited to watch these cartoons again!

Volumes 1 and 2 have a street date of April 28th, but you can preorder them now at Amazon.com, if you're so inclined.

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It's almost Valentine's Day, and Zenescope's got you covered with this GRIMM FAIRY TALES #35 cover by yours truly. If you're at the New York Comic-Con this weekend, make sure to pick one up--it's an exclusive edition created just for the event.

And once again,Christina Strain hooked us up on the colors. Thanks, Christina!

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Thought it'd be good timing to post this cover for the upcoming Sinbad #6 (Xmas variant).

Christina Strain provided the stunning color treatment.

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BIG HERO 6 #4 came out this week, which means the grand finale's just one month away! What will happen to our intrepid band of Japanese heroes?! See for yourself in next month's conclusion.

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Hard to believe, but the big day's finally here!

I'm so proud to announce that BIG HERO 6 #1 finally comes out this week, and you can pick it up at finer comic stores everywhere. Two different covers will be available--a regular edition, and a 1-in-15 variant:



As a special bonus, some stores will be participating in our BH6 Retailer Raffle, where you can win an original marker sketch, like the ones below, just for buying the issue.



Here's a final list of participating stores:

--Phoenix, Arizona
Atomic Comics 480.649.0807*

*(You can enter at any of Atomic's 5 branches, and two winners will be chosen)

--Los Angeles, California:
Golden Apple Comics 323.658.6047

--Pasadena, California:
Comic Odyssey 626.577.6696

--Honolulu, Hawaii:
Gecko Books 808.732.1292

--Chicago, Illinois:
Challengers Comics 773.278.0155

And even if you're in another state or another country, we've got you covered ONLINE thanks to:

Cheapercomics.com http://www.cheapercomics.com/contest

*(Several prizes will be awarded in addition to the sketch)

Hope you guys enjoy the issue, and of course I'd love to hear your reviews! :)

One last note for listerers of the iFanboy podcast:--if you can, do me a big favor and head on over to their website at: http://www.ifanboy.com . Under 'This Week's Comics,' make sure to add BH6 #1 to your online PULL LIST.

Thanks so much!!

BIG HERO 6 is a 5-issue miniseries about Japan's premiere team of superheroes in the Marvel universe. Written by Chris Claremont and with art by David Nakayama and Emily Warren, the first issue comes out September 10th--check it out!

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The hand-drawn cover I created for the HERO INITIATIVE is finally up for auction on eBay! You can check it out here, and remember--all the proceeds go directly to charity, so don't be afraid to bid a little extra!

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Had a pleasant surprise at NEWSARAMA this morning--there's apparently a 6-page preview of BIG HERO 6 #1 there complete with lettering.

Here's the link, and I hope you enjoy it! :D

The art's displaying a little too large and grainy on my screen, but I think it's enough to whet your appetitite for the printed version, which should look much better.

BIG HERO 6 is a 5-issue miniseries about Japan's premiere team of superheroes in the Marvel universe. Written by Chris Claremont and with art by David Nakayama and Emily Warren, the first issue comes out September 10th--check it out!

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