Merry Christmas!

It's been tough to get things done around the Holidays this year but I've been plugging away. Graveyard of Empires #3 has been done and I just got my comps in the mail. It looks great and I can't wait for it to finally be in stores. Because of the holidays that won't be till January but it's done and Mark and I are onto the next one.

Also, I've been getting a cover together for the incomparable Sam Humphries. If you don't know who he is you're missing some interesting comics. His last self published book was about dog love. Strange dog love. You'll have to read it. http://ourloveisrealcomic.com/ Now he's working on a great adventure book involving the Aztec Empire and time-travel and all sorts of neat ideas. http://samhumphries.com/sacrifice-comic-book/ I've seen the first two issue or so and it looks great. My variant will be for the 3rd issue I believe.

Lastly, I ran out of time for a proper Christmas card but I did a quick sketch. Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to Mark Sable and his people. Happy New Year too!

Monkey off my back...

With issue 3 of Graveyard off and done I feel much relieved. I feel bad it's taken as long as it has but I hope it's worth it to our readers.

On the other hand I've had some breathing room. Being that work has been coloring and other odds and ends I was doing, I spent my actual drawing time doing some sketches of the people that will inhabit my next projects. I'm relly excited about them. Especially, my own story that I will write and draw. I envy those artist that can be the full package in this industry. I hope to put out at least one of my own books a year (Starting in 2012). One book that's all me.

Commissions anyone?

With issue 3 behind us we can move onto the last issue of the series. I've always said it was a story that started calm and gets crazier as it goes. I can't wait to draw some of the last scenes in the book even though they may be the hardest ones.

With that I wanted to try and accept some commissions. So if anyone in the States has any requests feel free to email me. I'll be taking only a few as I don't want people to wait forever for them. You can contact me through the email below and we can talk specifics:

paul@azaceta.com

Also, if you want to just send me (and Mark) some feedback feel free.

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Crowded....

Been working hard on getting this latest issue done of Graveyard of Empires. I realize these issues have been taking longer than usual and I believe I've pinpointed why, it's alot of drawing. Between the zombies, the soldiers, the villagers and the research, it's alot that goes into each page. I just feel bad I couldn't foresee this better and I hope our readers have some patience as we try to get the best possible book in their hands. Here's an example of some of the crowded panels that fill our book. Hopefully, it makes for a great final product.

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Just a quick sketch for Halloween. Inspired by one of my favorite movies, which also happens to fit in well with the horror theme, John Carpenter's The Thing. It's the kind of horror I love and who doesn't love Kurt Russell? Great movie that still holds up.

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MASH-UP

Here's a panel mash-up from issue 3 of Graveyard of Empires (soon to be done and sent to the printer). NYCC passed and it was a crazy weekend but I thank all those who stopped by and picked up copies of the book and got sketches or just strolled by with a compliment. Even though I still have another issue to go I've been thinking alot about what's next and I'm really excited. Of course I can't say anything yet because it's way early but I posted a quick sketch as a tease on Twitter (here). I'm really looking forward to doing some personal work in the future and really wring all I can out if the medium. Art is supposed to be about expression and I'm not sure I've tapped even a quarter of what I should be. Anyway, more on that soon enough but I leave you now with the wondefullness that is "dot eyes"... Jason Latour knows what I mean.

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NYCC table S16!!!!

I always like to see step by step shots or behind the scene type stuff. So in that vein here is a step by step of a couple of panels from Graveyard of Empires #3.

Also, I'll be at New York Comic Con this weekend with Mark Sable and Sam Humphries. We'll be at table S16 in Artist Alley with copies of Graveyard #1 and #2. I'll be doing commission sketches (as many as I can) and selling some original art (probably from Spider-man) so come on by!

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Keep it simple....

When I first set out to do the covers for Graveyard of Empires I knew I wanted simple graphic covers. I had that image of the first cover hazily in my head back when the book was still just an idea in Mark's head. When it was decided that we were going to break it up into issues, I immediately started to figure out how to continue the theme the first one set on through the next covers. Hopefully they stand out. It is the main point of a cover at the end of the day and I thought if I sat down and draw the heck out of them they would just get lost in the mix. It was a fun experiment. I'm not a "pretty picture" kind of artist and covers always seem to go against what my goals are inside the books, but I always approach them as a chance to try something else. One of these days I might even paint a few.

Life as we know it...

I finally had a little time to go to a figure drawing session. It's such a relaxing and freeing way to spend an evening. I promised myself when I started to make time for life drawing that I would try something different each time. I posted some other sketches I did in ink and I have some in pencil, so this time I thought I'd give charcoal a shot (at least for longer poses. the shorter ones above are still with pencil). I never use charcoal so I'm not sure I was bringing out the best aspects of the medium. But I had fun learning as I went and I may have to use it again next time so get more into the technique of it. Doing something out of your comfort zone is always rewarding in the end even if it is a failure. Now if only I can make some time to paint.

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Breathe

I thought this page was innocuous enough where my editor wouldn't mind. Also, I think it's a great example of one of the themes that ran through the first arc of the "Icelandic Trilogy" in Northlanders. One of the things that I felt Brian did so well in the scripts was give space to show the landscape that is Iceland. As much as the story is about a family and their struggles with making a life for themselves, it's also about this harsh land that didn't want to be occupied. It kind of reminds me of a Terrence Malick movie where the slow pans and wide countryside shots give you a real sense of immersion into their world. Hopefully, I was able to capture some of that in the issues. Space is always something that I'm concerned with when laying out comics. It's the main problem I run into when I read a script and I'm sure it's a headache to the writers. I find myself more and more just trying to divide the page in a way that gives the important moments there due rather then composing each panel within that page. I think Brian Wood was pretty great at having those moments in the script and I had fun trying to keep that impact on the page.

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Issue 2 Tomorrow!!

Seeing as issue #2 of Graveyard is coming out tomorrow I thought now would be a good time for an update. Now that Mark and I are looking more towards the end of the story rather than the beginning I'm really anxious to get to some very cool scenes we've set up. I always described the book as a ride that gets crazier as it goes and so what I get to draw now is off the wall fun. Look for the cover above and here's a couple of previews folks were nice enough to put up:

Newsarama Preview

CBR preview

Also, I can't say enough cool things about the other book I'm working on, Northlanders. It's a shame it's not continuing because that means I won't be able to draw things like this anymore.

So back to work.

Moving forward....

So I'm back from lots running around on planes and such. San Diego was great and the response Mark and I got from people (including some Military) was awesome. So glad they think we did them justice in Graveyard of Empires. It was a big concern of ours and a bit of a weight off my shoulders that I'm doing okay with the ref I have. Issue 2 will be out soon and it looks great. I actually already have my comps and I'll update everyone about the in-store date. Also, Northlanders #42 is out there and #43 is coming so I have a bunch of things out for people to see. I posted some pages from #1 since that's out and when #43 comes out I'll post some pages from there. I'm really into adding the grey layer now and I'm really starting to think about pages with that in mind. Without jinxing it I think it's the next step in my art and I'm excited I'm moving forward. Being stagnant with you own art can be the worst thing and I hope to never get stuck in my own style.

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Getting ready....

These are a group of panels from the second issue of Northlanders (issue 43). Issue 42 came out and from what I saw it received some nice press. I'll say it again that Brian is pulling out all the stops here on the last huge arc and it's a pleasure to work on these scripts. Here's a link to one of the reviews: Northlanders #42 review.

Also, I'm going to making my way to San Diego this week so swing on by. I'll be with Image comics and Mark Sable at booth #2729. We'll have some Graveyard of Empires copies for sale and I'll be taking commissions. I'm going to bring some Spidey pages too so if you're looking for some original art feel free to check them out.

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In progress....

Up to my ears in work right now but I figure I'll start posting panels or in progress stuff to keep things moving here. Here's an unfinished panel that I don't hate right now. I've mentioned how I like drawing little people (despite my lack of proficiency) and I have plenty of opportunities for it in Graveyard of Empires. Although the main cast will get whittled down (someone has to die to make it a proper zombie book) the book actually gets more populated as it goes. Can't wait for everyone to see what's coming.

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Back to life and Bad Drawing

I know it's been a while. I've been up to my ears in work and life but it's all looking much more calm nowadays so I'm trying to get back here and post.

Graveyard of Empires #1 came out and as far as I can tell it was a success. Thanks to all who bought a copy or told there friends. We're getting issue 2 ready for print and it promises to be much more crazy. I've posted a mash-up (ala Dan Panosian) so you can see a glimpse of what's to come.

I've been a regular visitor to Leif's blog about illustration for quite a while now and it always impresses me how much he puts into each post. His recent post (as of this moment) is about "bad drawing". I'm a firm believer in not just drawing what you see but trying to add (or in alot of ways subtract) to what's there. The art that always excites me is the stuff that almost shouldn't be good but ends up being genius. It's so much harder to simplify than to complicate. Alex Toth might be the best and most used example of what constitutes simple, solid, good drawing. He expertise in just drawing what's needed has influenced a multitude of artists after him. But if you want artists of today doing great work in nonconventional and out of the box of realism I can name a bunch. Mike Mignola might be the best example of someone that is as crude as anything and still manages to make his art beautiful. In the past I've heard people say that they love his earlier stuff more and I couldn't disagree more. His evolution into his own entity in the art world is something we should all strive for. His latest (and best in my opinion) work is so simple and deliberate that I sometimes sit back and marvel that it still works. It takes a masters eye to be able to make something so simple stand up to the most detailed art pieces. Tony Salmons is another underrated and often overlooked genius of our time. When you break his work down it really shouldn't work. His anatomy is all over the place, his backgrounds aren't always in perspective and his lighting is often super stylized. But underneath that is a energy and a life that is undeniable. There's so much movement and power in his work that you could never achieve if he cared where Batman's kneecaps should be. Last but certainly not least is Jorge Zaffino. Maybe the most classical in structure and drawing of the artists I've =mentioned but he destroys all that with this inking. The power that Salmons brings to his compositions and anatomy Zaffino puts in his brushwork. It's almost like he's so excited to draw each page that he rushes into it and his hand zooms from one panel to the next. Of course that's what it looks like but it's far from what it is. trust I've tried to be as carefree as he was and it's miuch much harder than it looks. I actually own the page I posted here and it sits right above my drawing table. I think I probably habitually glance at it before every page. A reminder that real art isn't about where everything goes or how accurate I can be but about the life behind each line and the effect it has on the viewer.

That's all for now. I usually don't spout off on rants but I thought I'd give it a shot. More soon... promise.

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It's Here!!

Charlotte was a ton of fun. Thanks to all the fans that came over for sketches, signatures, or just compliments and thanks to the guys over there who run a great con every year. Thanks to Latour who was a gracious host and did so much with so little. If that wasn't enough I came home to a package waiting for me. I have now in my hands something that took alot of work to put together, Graveyard of Empires #1. It's not over yet but just having the first issue in my hands is a relief and I can't wait to show it off. Mark and I will be doing a signing when it hits stores on the 15th (more info to come) but for now I'm happy having this box sitting in my living room.

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Heroes Con!!!!

Just a quick post to let you know I will be at Heroes Con this weekend in Charlotte, NC. I'll be doing commission sketches for as many people as I can and I'll have some art from Graveyard of Empires and Spider-man. Unfortunately, I'm having internet troubles and I don't have my table number. I believe I'll be sitting next to Jason Latour so look for me there. So come on by and say hi..... I'm tired already.

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I suck at the internets....

Or so I've been told recently. I guess I believe it because here I am a whole month (or more) later before I throw up another update. I have been pretty busy and I have that excuse to fall back on but in the end perhaps that person was right about me.

The reason I've been so busy is my two latest projects collided and I've been working hard to get both out the door. Graveyard of Empires #1 is coming out soon and it was alot more work getting that together than I originally thought. The rest of the issues should go smoother but the all important tone setting first issue was a real trial. Look for it June 15th and hopefully Mark and I will be doing a signing in New York for the release.

The other book is Northlanders which I couldn't be more pumped about. I've never worked with Brian Wood before and when the opportunity came up I jumped at the chance. I only have the outline and first bits of the story but it's already promising to be epic. Which brings me to the art attached here. I've been thinking alot about the final product, thanks in part to working on my own book, and it's changing the way I approach my art. There have been many times before where I just did my job handed in my inked pages and crossed my fingers. So in an effort to see something in print closer to what I have in my head I started adding some grays and tones to the pages. I added some purely digital bits (like the shoreline and some of the mountains) and other odd and ends to give the colorist (in this case, Dave McCaig who's done a wonderful job on the series) a much better starting point. It's an experiment and I may abandon it halfway through but it's a step in the right direction. That's all for now but more soon.... really.

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ZOMBIES!

Mark and I have been working behind the scenes to get the word out and hopefully we'll have some interviews and previews to show real soon. For now here's one of the great panels I get to draw in this book. I've been trying to convince Mark to throw some zombie camels in the book too but no dice yet. I may have to sneak them in in the background.

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Panel inks...

This may be the sweetest panel in Graveyard of Empires. I haven't finished the book but it really goes downhill after this. A zombie book doesn't have to be all doom and gloom.

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Plugging along....

I've been knee deep in Graveyard of Empires so I can finish it before I start my next big project. It's been solicited so I'm guessing it's not a secret any longer. I'm doing NORTHLANDERS with Brian Wood! I really really can't wait to jump into it as Brian has promised it's gonna be dark and mean. All together it's 9 issues so it's gonna be epic. Vikings and swords and horses and blood! Not to mention sprawling country sides and harsh elements! It's going to be like nothing I've done and I can not wait.

Also, here's a panel in progress from issue two and the inks for the cover of two as well. I wanted to be really simple and graphic with the covers while at the same time have each one represent a different side of the war. The first is the Marines so the second had to be the Taliban. Actually, zombie Taliban to be exact. mark and I have really been trying to get the word out so hopefully soon you'll start to see some interviews and the like popping up around. Here's a small glimpse that IFANBOY was kind enough to do, GRAVEYARD PREVIEW. More soon.

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Thinking out loud...

I thought I'd post a quick I did when I was trying to figure out just what Graveyard of Empires would look like. It always helps me to sit down and just start drawing when I'm trying to come up with something. Rarely do I have something fully formed in my head before pen touches paper. This especially is true with covers.

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Back from the dead.....

So it's official that Graveyard of Empires is coming out in June. It's in the latest Previews catalogue and hopefully we can really get the word out. So feel free to to ask about it in your local store or pre-order a copy.

In the meantime, here are some rough sketches form some recent pages. I'm finally getting into the meat of the zombie fun. Nothing beats drawing Afghan zombies except maybe Afghan zombies getting blown up. We've set up the book so it gets progressively crazier and more action packed as it goes so I'm looking forward to drawing the hoards of undead.

Also, here's the final cover for issue one. I'm pretty pleased with it. I wanted each cover to be a simple graphic image and I think the first two really worked out.

Lastly, to make up for the lack of posts I threw in a life drawing I did recently that I thought came out pretty good. That's all for now. More soon...

EDIT: Just wanted to throw up the Diamond order code for those interested - APR110400

Getting back into it....

I had a great time this weekend and it was nice to see all the people I don't usually get to see even though we don't live very far from each other. Also, thanks to all the people who came over and said hi. Mark and I were able to get alot of the ins and outs of our book down this weekend and I really feel like it's happening now. Can't wait to have some of the actual finished pages to show now that we have everything set.

It took me a bit to get back in the groove after Seattle but I think I'm back in it now. I thought I'd post a follow up of a previous post. It's the inks from the "small people post". I think they came out alright. I always try to keep some of the spontaneity from the pencils in the inks and not think about it too much. I also have more life drawings I did this week so I'll post those soon.

Emerald City Con Week: Part Four

I'll be in Seattle this weekend with Mark Sable at the Emerald City Comic Con. Feel free to swing by with anything to sign. I'll also be doing commission sketches. I'm bringing a bunch of Graveyard of Empire pages so if you're curious to see what all the talk is about you can check them out. Mark and I will be a table G-25. Just look for this poster above.... or just start yelling our names like a Marco Polo game. Hope to see you there.

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Emerald City Con Week: Part Three

It's not technically Wednesday but this is what happens when you keep odd hours. Here's a whole page from our book to make up for it. I'll have a bunch of the black and white art with me this weekend in Seattle so if you're around come on by and take a look. I do feel it's some of my best work and hopefully it all turns out well when it finally prints. It's exciting because I really feel like I'm making comics and not just drawing them (if that makes sense). Working with Mark again and collaborating like we are is resulting in the kind of fun I got into to comics for. Hopefully, that also comes through to the readers. Tomorrow (or later today) I'll be posting all the info for Seattle and the book. More soon....

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Emerald City Con Week: Part Two

I love when people take the language of comics seriously. To many times comics are trying to be something they're not and don't take advantage of the things that make comics unique. One example is throwing in graphic elements to better sell the info you're trying to get across to the reader. Why confine yourself to only what's in the real world? It's not the best example of it but here's one I did recently that I think makes for fun comics.
Speed lines, sound effects, action bursts, motion lines, dizzy stars, and even those little dark clouds over angry characters, are just some of the things I wish more people would throw into their work. By the way, I also feel the same about the opposite situation. I also hate when movies try too hard to be something they're not. Maybe I'm just a purist. Anyway, I also have a quick sketch I did while I was trying a different style. Many times I'll see a drawing or painting and get inspired to try and duplicate that style. It's fun and hopefully helps add new dimensions to my own work.
That's it for today. Tomorrow, actual Graveyard of Empires news.

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