Hardcover review

Here are some very kind words of support for the hardcover edition from Randy Lander over at his Inside Joke Theater.

Randy Lander

Library Journal Review (!)

Robotika collection was just reviewed in the Library Journal...and there is no mention of vertical text anywhere to be found! It is a very kind review and I am excited that someone is already wondering what the second series will be like.

The review is in the "Graphic Novel" section and you will need to scroll down a bit to find it:

Library Journal

Year-end awards at Pop Thought and new pages

Alex Ness, over at Pop Thought, just paid me a huge compliment by putting my name in the same sentence as Tim Truman's. I have been a fan of Mr. Truman's work ever since I picked up the first issue of his "Scout" series. He was one of the first guys to focus on building a career with creator owned series (Grim Jack, Scout, Killer...) instead of working for the "big two" and I have always respected that (and was always delighted when he tried his hand at Hawkman and Conan). Below is the link for the full article.

Year-End Awards 2006

Also I just finished penciling a whole batch of new pages and now it is time...to start inking again! I hope to have some fully finished pages to share soon :)

Publishers Weekly and Amazon.com

The hardcover Robotika collection is not only listed at Amazon.com, but it also has a great editorial review printed from Publishers Weekly. At the moment it is occupying 280,000 ranking in popularity/sales...I am sure that is a good start.

Robotika at Amazon.com

Fight!

I was never very good at drawing fight scenes with a bunch of people in them. I like to focus on a little part of a scene and exaggerate that, instead of focusing on everything. However, with the second series I am trying to push myself a bit so I am trying some different things...and it's turning out to be lots of fun. Here is a sketch of the background for one of the panels (Niko will be calmly sitting and eating his lunch in the foreground).

I think this is pretty primative depiction of a bar brawl: there is not much depth to the scene, all the figures are on the same plane, and there is not much interaction between the fighters (everybody is pretty much split up into pairs), but this was fun and I am looking forward to expanding on this idea.

Random Pages

Progress on the second Robotika mini continues...

Working, working, working....

Last week I got a proof copy of the first Robotika collection. Mark and Aki put a lot of thought and work into this project and the result is a beautiful hardcover book that showcases my first mini-series. It is very inspiring for me to think that next year I will be able to add volume 2 to this series!

The work on the addition continues...and continues!



Jason Copland, a fellow artist and an all around nice guy, has a new book out from Silent Devil called "Empty Chambers". I have seen some material from it and I think it is great, everybody should go out and get a copy (or two)!

Brian Churilla

A few months ago Leif introduced me to Brian Churilla who is a talented young artist. Brian has an awesome style, it is very animated and has a lot of "Pop" to it. When I saw his panel-to-panel pages, I was blown away by his storytelling abilities.

Originally, I planned to do all the Robotika back-ups in the new series by myself, but after seeing his work...I changed my mind. I am very happy to say that Brian will be contributing artwork to a 6 page story written by David Moran titled "Once Upon a Time...". It is a very cool little vignette focusing on The Queen. Here is a sample of good things to come :)


For more of Brian Churilla goodness go to his wesite

Remodel

Work on Robotika is progressing right along, but I have also added another project to my commitments...adding a family room to our house. My wife and I started working on it September 18th. Here is what it looked like after one week:

and here is what it looks like now:

Reviews: Robotika #1-4

The review by Randy Lander at:

Comic Pants

by Dave Ferraro

Comics and More (August 8th)

by Brian Cronin

Comics Should be Good

and by Jim Bush

Static Multimedia

When I am not drawing....

...I am taking out bushes.

Robotika Hardcover Edition

I am currently working on the layout for the sketchbook section in the back of the first Robotika collection. I am trying to unearth character designs and sketches that show my thinking process as I was drawing the first mini-series. Here is a sample of one of the pages that I am working on right now:

Fan Art

I met Luis Rivera at the Oakland convention and we had a very nice chat about drawing and publishing comics. Imagine my surprise when I got a beautiful piece of Robotika artwork from Luis! More of Luis' artwork can be seen at his deviantart.com site at:

Luis Rivera at Deviant

San Diego pictures (II)

Another picture courtesy of Julia. David and Jeremy after the show at a sketchbook session:

San Diego Pictures

Here are some pictures courtesy David and Julia Petersen:
ASP Booth with Mark, me , David, and Aki:

Mike Mignola talking to David and looking at "Mouse Guard" originals:

Someone brought Moonstruck #1 (1987!) to get signed (wow!):

Robotika Review

Robotika #4 review:

Pop Thought

Post San Diego

Here is an interesting article about San Diego and how the independent publishers fit into the scheme of things. It features a piece of art from Robotika (Thanks Ryan!) and Mark talking about the show (at the very bottom):

Publishers Weekly

San Diego

I will be in San Diego July 19-23 promoting Robotika and talking to ASP about the follow-up series. Here are some pencils from the new pages that I am taking with me:

Does anyone speak French?

Here are some folks talking about Robotika...in French. If anyone can help me out and translate what is being said, I would be very thankful :)

Buzz Comics

Robotika #3 and #4 review at Paperback Reader

The newest review of the last half of the first "Robotika" mini series:

Paperback Reader

Robotika #4 (and #3) reviews

The reviews are starting to come in for the forth issue. I think that the reviews copies are just starting to arrive, so I hope to be able to post more reviews very soon.

Robotika #4 at Silver Bullet Comics

Robotika #3 at Comics Should Be Good at CBR

Sketching

Robotika #4 is out!

The final issue of the Robotika mini series is out! This has been a great experience for me and I want to thank everyone who has ever picked up a copy of the book for their time and their support.

This is the first review of issue #4 that I found on the web. I thought it was very reflective and well written:

Comics Should Be Good at Comic Book Resources

Robotika #3 Reviews (part II)

Two very different reviews of the same book:

Robotika #3 at PopThought

Robotika #3 at Comic Avalanche

Robotika #4 Preview

A couple of sites have previews of color pages from Robotika #4:

Broken Frontier

and

Newsarama

Robotika #3 Review (part I)

A couple of new reviews:

Robotika #3 at Comics and More

Robotika #2 Silver Comic Books

Comic Book Resources

David Moran interviewed me over at Comic Book Resources. David did a great job at making me sound like a coherent person, and I got an opportunity to publicly thank Barbara, Ryan, Michelle, and Leif for all of there support and encouragement. I also got to talk about some of my favorite artists and writers:

Comic Book Resources

Robotika #3

Robotika 3 is in the comic shops. It features my first attempt at a "real" cover. Joel did a beautiful job coloring the cover and the interiors.

Mouse Guard 2 is also out and David Peterson is continuing to fascinate me with his artwork and story.

In June: Robotika #4, Mouse Guard #3, and a new installment in Artesia series!

May: Robotika #3, Hijinx Comics and Super-Con

Robotika #3 will be out May 3rd.

I will be hanging out at Hijinx Comics May 6th from 1 to 4 pm. It happens to be "Free Comic Book Day" so stop by and say "Hi".

Also I will be sharing a table with Norman Felchle at Super-Con May 20 and May 21. It sounds like a great show with Adam Hughes, Charles Vess and Ryan Sook (!) attending.

Robotika #2 (Reviews VI)

Robotika #1-2 got a write-up in a new feature over at Buzzscope by Guy LeCharles Gonzalez:

Pull List Propaganda

A random panel...

...from Robotika #4.

My Origin

'nuff said

NYC Convention, ASP, and Robotika

Here is a report from the New York City Comic Book convention. Archaia Studios Press gets a nice write-up and Mark gets his picture taken and...what is that in the background? A huge Robotika banner in ASP booth and copies of Robotika for sale! How cool is that?

Paperback Reader

Robotika #2 (reviews V) and an interview

The second interview in a series of articles about Archaia Studios Press on the Variety web site is about Robotika. I get to talk about Leif and Ryan and of course Mucha!

Variety

Also Robotika #2 gets a review over at Broken Frontier by Fletch Adams:

Broken Frontier

by Brian Cronin at Good Comics:

Comics Should be Good

by Bill Baker:

BloodInThe Gutters

and also by Steven Grant at Comic Book Resources:

Permanent Damage

A series ends, but Niko's journey is just beginning...

April 2006 Diamond Previews is out and it contains the solicitation for Robotika #4.

It is actually a big Archaia Studios Press month. On page 229, Mark smylie's "Artesia Besieged" #1 is solicited. Pages 230-231 are ads for "Mouse Guard" #3, "Robotika" #4, and "Artesia Besieged" #1. On page 232 are the actual solicitations for Mouse Guard and Robotika (with Robotika #1 being offered again).

The order codes are:
Artesia Besieged #1... APR06 2923
Mouse Guard #3........ APR06 2928
Robotika #4........... APR06 2929
Robotika #1........... APR06 2930

I also saw a solicitation of an all new Richard Corben adaptation of Poe from Marvel!

ASP Variety Interview

Mark and Aki are interviewed over at Variety website. and they got some very kind words to say about "Robotika"...it is a pleasure working with these guys.

Robotika #2 (reviews IV)

Three new "Robotika" #2 reviews:

Jasma

Should It Be a Movie?

Komikwerks

King Arthur, Dracula, and...Robotika #2 (reviews III)

A Robotika write-up from Dan Head of Proletariat Comics:

Comics You Should Be Reading

Niko is proud to share the stage with Vlad.

From layout to inked panel

Recently I read through Jason Copland's Blog. Jason is a very talented artist working on a graphic novel with Davis Lewis (the mastermind behind ASP's "The Lone and Level Sands"). I very much enjoyed Jason's posts showing progression of his pages and I want to try something similar here. Here is a panel from a story that I wrote and laid out called "Cherokee Song". The layout is mine, the pencils are by Travis Sengaus, and the final inked version is by me. The panel represents a scene in which a samurai discovers that his son has committed suicide.

Robotika #3 Preview

A preview of the third issue is up at the Newsarama site:

Newsarama

Work on issue #4 is almost complete, just two more pages to finish and...what is next?

Robotika #2 (reviews II)

A review that recommends Robotika, but also mentions vertical text as a distraction:

Joplin Independent

A second review of Robotika #2. The cool thing here is that the vertical text get a "nod" in this one:

ComicReaders.Com

Mouse Guard #1 Sells Out!

I just read that a fellow Archaia Studios Press creator, David Peterson, has sold out the initial run of Mouse Guard #1! 8,000 copies! Mouse Guard #1 is going back to press for a second printing.
This is awesome news and it makes me even more excited to be a part of ASP line-up.

Not every review is 5 stars...or even 4 stars...or even 3 stars...

Here is a review of Robotika #1 by Tony Isabella...he did not like it.

Tony's Online Tips

Robotika #2, Review #1 (!)

This is the first review of the second issue over at the Silver Bullet website:

SilverBulletComics

Well, I never....

Yesterday, thank you to Barbara, I got a block of almost 8 hours (!) of inking in. It was pretty awesome and I got a page and a half inked. Here is one of my favorite Cherokee Geisha poses from the last page: "Well, I never..."

I, Monster...Valentines Day Special

Page#10, Panel#1 from Robotika #4...The Lord of a Thousand Whispers!


Everybody loves a good monster!

Post WonderCon

Yesterday I got a call from Ryan. He called to wish my son a happy birthday (2!) and also to let me know that the baby blanket, that I forgot at the convention, got passed along to Mick so I should be able to pick that up anytime. And then we just talked about comics and drawing and all sorts of stuff. Talking to Ryan always lifts my spirit and helps me see things from a different perspective. He has an unbound enthusiasm for life and I am very fortunate to have him and Michelle as friends. It was great time. He has some very exciting things happening with his career and I can't wait to see his next assignment!

Today I got an e-mail from Tony Salmons telling me that he did indeed finish the pin-up for Robotika. If only, I came back to the convention on Sunday, I could of had it in my hot little hands now. Instead he is going to send it to me. I very much look forward to that.

I have been very fortunate in being able to have some of my all-time art heroes make a contributin to the Robotika project. I tried to include a special guest artist treat in every issue:
#1 has the (of course) beautiful cover by Ryan Sook,
#2 has a 6-page story illustrated (brilliantly) by Leif Jones (who also contributes a wonderful back cover),
#3 has (heroic) Frank Cirocco, (Zen-like) Benoit Springer, (hilarious) Norman Felchle, and (royal) JH Williams III pin-ups, and
#4...will also have a few nice surprises :)

Currently, I working with Jeremy Mohler and Jason Felix to see if they will be able to contribute some of their innovative art to the series.

WonderCon 2006

I attended WonderCon last Friday.

The two biggest highlights of my attendance were meeting Tony Salmons and talking to Rafael Navarro and Mike Wellman at the Comic Bug booth.

Tony Salmons was someone whose art I have admired for years. I have followed his comic book work across the spectrum of comic book companies (Marvel, Dark Horse, DC...). My favorite work of his has been the Conan and Doctor Strange pages at Marvel and "The Mark" over at Dark Horse. Also his recently completed Batman "Legends of the Dark Knight" and "Black & White" were some of the freshest takes on Batman in recent years. I got to ask him some questions about his career and I also got to show him a copy of Robotika. He thought Ryan's cover was outstanding and he was also very kind about the interior pages. I even got up the nerve to ask him to do a Robotika pin-up. He agreed and I hope we will be able to work it out.

Later on in the day I walked by the Comic Bug and re-introduced myself to Rafael Navarro. I met Rafael a few years ago at an earlier WonderCon when he was just starting out his comic book series Sonambulo based on crime noir and Mexican wrestlers. He in turn introduced me to Mike Wellman the manager at Comic Bug, who has actually heard of "Robotika" and wanted to get a few copies for his store. While we were talking, James Sime of the The Isotope walked up and he also remembered who I was (after some reminding) and told me to keep up the good work. It really made me feel pretty good that "Robotika" is getting some attention.

I also walked by some original art dealer tables and was blown away by seeing the Michael Golden original comic book pages and covers. What ever happened to his art book that was palnned by Image last year?

I have also made a few new "discoveries". Enrique Fernandez is an artist creating comics in Spain and France. Just recently he completed an adaptation of "The Wizard of Oz". Beautiful work, very strong character designs, and innovative page construction.

The convention can be a very hectic environment so I did not really get a chance to conect with any of my friends, but I am fortunate in that I can catch-up with them "off-convention" at any time. So that was fine and it was great to see fans line up to see Ryan and Mick at their tables. I did get to talk to Michelle for a bit (about bats!) and Ryan was kind enough to take some time out to sign some art work that I got from him a while back (one piece is a penciled page of Liz as a little girl that never made it into the BPRD and another was an ad that Ryan penciled and I got to ink for Wizards of the Coast). I also ran into Jim and Wendy at the convention center lobby and for a few minutes we said "hi".

It was a beautiful day in San Francisco with the sun warm and the sky clear. I very much enjoyed walking out to the Gardens and watching the crowd on the Green. The evening was also warm and the downtown bright with lights.

Interview at Silver Bullet

My latest interview just got posted at:

Silver Bullet Comics

This was a very enjoyable experience and an opportunity to expand on some of my storytelling ideas used in "Robotika". David Moran and Jenny Goguen did a great job putting the whole things together. At the end of the article there is also a link to order issues #1-3.

Reviews (VIII)

A couple of more reviews of Rootika #1.

PaperbackReader

SBComicBooks

Reviews (VII)

The newest Robotika #1 review (5 out of 5!):

SilverBulletComics

Review (VI)

The good, the bad and...the not so bad.

Six more reviews of Robotika #1:

BagsAndBoards

ColumbusAlive

ComicWorldNews

ShouldThisBeAMovie?

AintItCool

That'sEntertainment