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 hey everybody-
I have been so caught up with work and home life and other pursuits- that I have been really remiss about keeping up a presence here (on the message board)- but I wanted you all to know that I still check the boards to see what happening here and post when I can. so please dont think Ive started something with this little clubhouse that I wont keep up with.
I wanted to update you all on some stuff thats going on with work :
Im going to be contributing an 8 pages story to the next GRENDEL: BLACK , WHITE AND RED ( or is it RED BLACK AND WHITE?) Matt Wagner has written a very cool story that plays to my strengths rather well, and it should be out in the late summer or fall I beleive. Im painting it, and it will have red as an accent somewhere on the page so it should be interesting.
also, the TREEHOUSE OF HORROR story Im doing with Bongo writer Ian Boothby looks to be a fully-painted 18 pager- i think something Tolkien-esque is the order of the day for this one, so you'll all have something fun to tide you over till THE TWO TOWERS hits next december.
Im halfway thru the first issue of BIRDS OF PREY for DC, and have been hired to do three more issues after that. the pgesw are coming out pretty well- inks and some paints done monochromatically, that will later be colored by computer ( not by me) so its going to be different and cool. the extrordinary cover artist Phil Noto, also a friend of mine, is coloring the cover I did for the first issue and we have plans to collborate in various ways on the next three I do. the issues Im doing will be spread out through different story rcs, rather than appearing as a consecutive arc. terry Moore is writing those three, and the first one Im on now was written by Steven Grant and its very cool and action-packed and features two versions of Black Canary in the story.
currently Im working on some more star wars illustrations( 8 of them) for the Wizards of the Coast series of Star Wars RPG Books. last night I painted a piece featuring a Twi-Lek Jedi master in action- if that means anything to any of you, then you may have either cause for celebration of the high coolness factor, or a seriously deficient social life...
and lets not forget the 6 pages of Ultimate Team-Ups final grand slam issue - 64 pages, coming in May , around the time the Spider-man movie hits. Im doing Blade and Spidey and Im trying to do a spider-man thats a cross between the version we're seeing in the current title, and the clssic romita version...keep your fingers crossed. Blade, i get to redesign myself, but I think Marvel doesnt want me to stray too far from the cool movie version, so Ill do my best...
what else- any NOCTURNALS News?
yes, there is:
the award-winning and acclaimed, world-famous comics painter and Universe X co-mastermind, ALEX ROSS has graciously agreed to contribute artwork and an afterword to the NOCTURNALS: THE DARK FOREVER trade paperback. I have no idea what hes going to write or paint, but I know I cant wait to see what he's going to come up with. As busy as he is, its pretty amazing that he's contributing anythig at all, but its got to be a tribute to his enjoyment of the Nocturnals, because otherwise, its down to our long-standing friendship, and I know I havent been that good a pal to him...:)
speaking of Alex- his BATTLE OF THE PLANETS ( G-FORCE, GATHAMAN, take your pick of what you wish to call it) obessession has led him to convince DYNAMIC FORCES ( the producers of the the GUNWITCH MEGA-BUST, still on sale!) to publish a trading card set featuring new artwork based on the clasic japanese space-action cartoon. Alex asked me if I would be interested in contributing art to the set and I jumped on it- my only problem is IM kind of short of reference, so as soon as I get my hands on one of those cool, coveted books featuring art from the series, I can get the creative flow going to sketch out some stuff for them...
back to the NOCTURNALS ,though-
I put together a lot of background material- sketches, photo reference and the like as additional material for the NOCS trade. you'll hopefully get a peek at the photo ref I shoot of friend and family who model for the characters.
the DARK FOREVER collection also features an introduction written by David Mandel- whio some of you may know from the Burly TV college cable access send-up DAVE AND STEVE'S VIDEOGAME EXPLOSION. its usually on late on tbs superstation on wednesday nights. Dave id also responsible for souping-up scripts like CHARLIE'S ANGELS, THE GRINCH WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS, as well as being head-writer on SEINFELD the last few years it ran, head-writer on the ANIMATED CLERKS show that ABC pulled thre plug on ( if you dont have the dvd set, you need to get it- its hilarious) a writer on SNL, and an avid comics reader, art-collector and generally fascianting and funny fella. Im sure he'll have some interestign words about the Nocturnals- and failing that, he'll have somethign funny to say about my love of authentic BBQ or how he's convinced Ive named my computer "gunwitch"...
THE GUNWITCH: OUTSKIRTS OF DOOM trade paperback is coming even sooner, features character and production sketches by Ted Naifeh and myself, and an introduction by Brian Michael Bendis. Brian has forgotten that he owes me for a pin-up I did for Jinx back before you, I or anyone else knew who the hel he was- so he's convinced his agreeing to write the intro is payback for my two issues of ultimate team-up gig being reduced to 6 pages... (Brian, I love ya, but thats some payback yet to be handed out.
ONi is publishing both of these volumes, obviously, so you know they are going to look slick and be something you'll want on your shelves, or to lend your friends who are curious about the nocturnals, but too timid to actually fork over money for them...
what else, what else?? hmm. Im pushing to get Witching HOur collected or re-released , so we'll see how that goes. I want to do a black and white painted NOCTURNALS NOIR book- but that may have to wait til next year. it will be called TEETH OF THE HYDRA and will be a return to the hard-boiled crime fiction aspect of the Nocturnals.
and recently, I discovered that the rights for GIANTKILLER will revert back to me at the end of the year if DC continues to not publish the trade of the miniseries, and that seems likely- so Ill be collecting that maybe in 2003, and who knows what else?
ok, this has gone on long enough- I expected someone to come and haul me away from the computer by now...
take care,
Dan
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