Mouse Guard Legends #1 (pencils p.1 and p.2)

The original pages were penciled and inked print size and later digitally colored and lettered.

Baba Yaga page 6 (pencils)...version 1.0

The prince turns cold and wicked and he delights in tormenting young maidens by turning them into slimy ugly things, like snakes, lizards...and frogs



I am not very happy with the storytelling on this page. I think the top panel lacks drama, I don't like the fact that the face of the prince is so "accessible", and I think that the maiden who gets turned into a frog, should actually be more of a mutant creature which is something between a human and a frog...so I am working on a revision.

What does Archie Goodwin, Walter Simonson, Steve Englehart, and Marshall Rogers have in common?

Other than being great comic book creators they also share: Henry, Emma, and Nico!

I discovered that recently while I was re-reading Englehart/Rogers series called "Scorpio Rose" from Eclipse. I noticed a tourist family in the background and they sure looked familiar...and then I remembered that they were used as "comic relief" in a Manhunter story by Goodwin/Simonson. They were used so well that they stuck in my mind:


The top panel is from Manhunter Chapter 5 (1974) by Goodwin/Simonson and takes place in Istanbul.
The bottom panel is Scorpio Rose #2 from (1983) by Englehart/Rogers.

Baba Yaga page 5 (pencils)

The prince is revived, but he is not the man he used to be. He is now a distrusting creature of shadows and to safeguard himself in the future he puts his soul in an egg, in a duck, in a hare, in a crystal chest chained high up in an ancient oak.

Baba Yaga page 4 (pencils)

The Swan Princess finds the barrel and takes pity on the prince. She uses death water to join all the little body pieces together and then she uses life water to bring the prince back to life (!)

Baba Yaga page 3 (pencils)

Baba Yaga does not take rejection well and chops up the young prince in little pieces, seals the pieces in a wooden barrel and throws it into the sea.

Red Sky Comics in Merced, July 17

To anyone who is going to be in vicinity of Merced, I would like to extend an invitation to come and hang out with me at "Red Sky Comics" in Merced on July 17 from 5-to-9PM. There is an Art Walk event happening at the same time, so the downtown should be very lively and fun.

At the signing there will be: my self-published 2010 sketchbook, "Robotika" and "Robotika: For A Few Rubles More" collections, as well as "Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard" #1 which featured a short story that I wrote and illustrated. Of course there will be other great comics all around :)

I will also bring my personal sketchbook and would love to met folks and talk about art, storytelling, comics, and whatever else comes to mind.

Red Sky website can be seen here: "RED SKY COMICS"

Baba Yaga's House page 2 (pencils)

The Prince, looking for his lady love, comes to a house on chicken legs. Baba Yaga opens her door and the Prince asks if she has seen his Princess. Baba Yaga takes a fancy to the Prince and transforms into a pretty young thing (which she thinks is much more desirable than the Princess). Alas, the Prince rejects her.

Midnight Nightmare....

This would make a fun Dr. Strange villain.

Mouse Guard Commission

Because of my contribution to Mouse Guard Legends #1, I have been asked to do a Mouse Guard style commission. It is always fun to do some lush pen work :)