Rarely Seen Unhinged Cover Illustrations by Noriyoshi Ohrai

From the Comics Division

I fell in love with Noryioshi Ohrai's art back in the 80's when I would see some of his movie poster art hanging up at the theater. Though I didn't know who the artist was, his art stuck with me. Then in the 2000s someone had found and posted a bunch of his Star Wars and Godzilla art online and I finally put the two together.

Recently I stumbled on several comic covers he did of Demon Lord Dante for Weekly Bokura Magazine and they are exciting. I love the wild swings Japanese creators have taken over the years. You never know what's going to take off and I feel like most publishers these days take the safest bet by just publishing nostalgic remakes.

The weekly manga anthologies published in Japan seems to be the solution. Print a bunch of different stories each week, see whatpeople like, and eliminate the ones people don't.

Anyway, back to Ohrai's covers here...not much else to say other than I'm picking up what he's putting down here.

More cover art from Weekly Borurka Magazine collected here: LINK​

I particularly like this one too:

Did this 1946 French comic inspire Miyazaki's films?

From the Comics Division

Cornebuse et Cie is a French comic written and drawn by Sabran Guy. I don't read French but from what I can tell from the illustrations this is a story about a couple of boys who design their own airplane and then go off on a world wide adventure complete with racist stereotypes that were typical of the time period (not shown).

That unfortunate bit aside, there's a lot of imagination and artistry in this book holds up. It leads me to wonder if a young Miyazaki somehow got his hands on a copy of this and had it percolating in the back of his mind when he came up with Porco Rosso, The Wind Rises, or Castle in the Sky.

You can see the rest here: LINK

-Jake

Rux Ryder Comic Pages

From the Making Comics Division

I've been chipping away at a new comic that will be in the Robots book. Here's the first 3 pages. I'm sharing the entire process and the rest of the comic on my patreon for those interested.

The comic in the SPACESHIPS book was directly connected to the book, in that I had Kepler breaking the 4th wall and was speaking to the reader part of the time.

This time for ROBOTS I decided to have my character unaware of the reader, but still have the story correspond with the rest of the guidebook. I think it'll still work just as well. Also, I can cut out the comic part and make a standalone comic with just it.

These are getting colored up by Anderson Carman and the finished pages I'm getting back look solid!

PATREON: If you want to see ALL the sketches, reference material, and prelim drawings I'm doing that go into the creation of drawings like these, become a patron today.

If you sign up this month I'll give you any of my digital artbooks of your choice. Just DM after sign up and I'll send you a download link.

You also get a 15% discount in my shop, and at the end of the month some patrons get all my working files to learn from and pick apart. Sign up here: LINK

-Jake​

DWJ's Grungergetic Vader Short Story

From the Comics Division

Possibly my favorite creator from the last 10 years, Chicago based comic artist Daniel Warren Johnson is getting tons of heat (the good kind) right now because of his Transformers book that he's doing for Image/Skybound.

We are just one issue into the Transformers story, and it is dynamite already, like ALL of DWJ's books, but I wanted to direct your attention to a short comic that might have missed your gaze: "Annihilated" from the Darth Vader: Black, White, and Red series that came out earlier this year.

​Felix Comic Art posted the original scans from DWJ's story on Twitter, and it's a great tribute to the greatest villain in Star Wars.

DWJ does artisanal comics which means they look just as good (if not better) as raw scans versus fully colored and printed.

You can see more of Daniel's work on his website: LINK​

Youtube: LINK​

IG: LINK

-Jake​

Why Bill Watterson Vanished

From the Comics Division

I found a fascinating read about why Watterson retired, never to return (in a real way) to the medium of comics.

The article was some retread of the story I already know, about how the constant battles with the syndicate he signed on with for creative control and autonomy. However, the article shed some light on a few blind spots for me, specifically what he was like in college and the years in between graduation and CandH. And also the absolute GRIND is was to do Calvin and Hobbes at the level he was doing it for a decade.

I remember when Bill Watterson retired from Calvin and Hobbes. I was 17 or 18 years old and I just KNEW he was cooking up a project that was even better than Calvin and Hobbes to share with the world in a few years.

Well, those years came and went, and for almost 30 years I never quite forgave him for just dipping out (even though he left us with the most wonderful comic strip ever created).

​This article gave me some closure and empathy for the guy. I get it, Bill. Live your life.

Read the whole article here: LINK

-Jake​

On the Book Radar

From the Office of Comics and Books Acquisitions

Here's five books I've recently acquired and/or read that I think should be on your radar:

Dragon Hoops: LINK

It's fascinating how Yang weaves his own life into the narrative of this book. It's a window into the world of high school basketball, with a history of the sport threaded throughout.

Frontier: LINK​

THIS BOOK. Hot damn. I don't read French, but the book is gorgeous and delicate, and intense. And I got all of that from looking at each panel. It's a sci-fi masterpiece and I wish my comics could do just a fraction of what this one does. Can't wait for the english translation.

Superman: Up in the Sky: LINK​

I read this to celebrate Superman's 80the birthday. I was reading a twitter thread of “what superman book would you recommend to someone who hasn’t ever read superman” and this was the one that kept showing up on the list that I hadn’t already read.

It’s a good Superman doing what Superman does book, with all the weird and all the heart.

Joe Death and the Graven Image: LINK​

I'm currently reading this, and just love where the story is going and the art is pretty unconventional but engaging. I'll probably be highlighting Benjamin Schipper in a future newsletter.

Ryo Yambe Sketch Vol 1: LINK​

I mentioned Ryo in the last newsletter, and since then his book became available! It ships from Japan, and the process is a little convoluted, but the book is a feast for the eyes.

-Jake

3rd Voice

From the Comics Division

​Evan Dahm is maybe the most prolific indy comic creator I know of. He's completed massive comic projects with thousands of drawn pages. A real testament to just sticking to it and drawing on your book every single day:

He just launched his latest comic project: 3rd Voice and it looks cool.

Here's how he pitches it: "3rd Voice is a long-format fantasy graphic novel updating with one scene or so a week. It concerns an invented world in a state of apocalyptic crisis, and the precarious lives of many people therein."

Excited to read it this year as he drips out pages.

You can read it here:

Website: LINK​

Webtoon: LINK

-Jake​

Wednesday Comics

From the Comics Division

The second biggest book of this bunch is Wednesday Comics published by DC Comics. This was an experiment/oddity and the brain child of DC artist/editor Mark Chiarello that came out in 2009.

The idea was to get 12 of the industry's most creative artists to write and draw 16 full newspaper sized page stories that would be released as a newspaper each Wednesday. It was a phenomenal undertaking and produced some incredible pages that really pushed what you can do with comics storytelling.
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After all the newspaper editions came out the collected it in a large format book a year later.

Available on Amazon here: LINK

-Jake

Miracle Tank

From the Comics Division

I'm always on the lookout for finely crafted web comics and Mommy's Miracle Tank caught my eye. Written and drawn by LA-based artist Aaron Austin, it is about a goofball kid with a magic tank...and that's the most grounded thing in the 20+ pages posted so far.

It feels like a love letter to Akira Toryama and that's a good thing.

Excited to see where this goes.

Read it here: LINK​

Aaron's website: LINK​

Neat to see the seed of this idea in some old drawings of his from 2015/16: LINK

-Jake

Ultralazer

From the Comics Division

This looks like a cool comic. French artist Yvan Duque does the illustrations and they are magnificent. Like a mix of Eric Carle and Adventure Time.

I love the maps, the colors, the shapes. Putting this in my books-to-buy after my book buying freeze is over in 2023. Available on Amazon: LINK​

More art here: LINK​

Duque's Instagram: LINK

-Jake

Making more comics!

From the Making Comics Division

My sales pitch for Kepler's Intergalactic Guide to Spaceships was that it's "Part Comic, Part Art book, ALL spaceships."

In order to deliver on the comic part of that promise, this week I've been focusing on getting the comic pages done for the book. I've also added a section all about the technology that makes spaceships work in the JP universe. Having so much fun watching this book come together!

If you want to see more of these comic pages as I post them, as well as the rest of the making of the book, I'm posting regular updates on my patreon.

-Jake

Classic Superman Never Looked SO GOOD

From the Comics Division

J. Totino Tedesco's variant cover for Action Comics #1031 is everything I want in a Superman Comic. Nothing fancy here, just an understated form-fitting suit (by contemporary superhero design standards), a physique that looks like the guy eats real food and works on a farm, and a bank heist. Simple and straightforward. You don't need to Superman to have to save the world, battle aliens, or fight Doomsday to have a powerful story. No, a good Superman story is about the choices he makes. When you're all powerful, practically omniscient, and impervious to danger your weakness isn't really something as basic as kryptonite. Your weakness is is that you can't save everyone. Superman can stop the bank heist, but what is he neglecting while he deals with these mobsters? In a city full of crime, murder, disaster, accident, suicide, and more, every person Superman decides to help means there's someone he didn't have time to help. That's where the drama lies. How he deals with that is the story I want to read. I don't know if Action Comics #1031 actually addresses any of that, but the cover sure looks cool.

You can see more of Tedesco's work on Instagram: LINK (Check it out to see process photos for his Superman cover, included close ups of the art)

Original art for sale here: LINK

And here's his Marvel Page: LINK

-Jake

Griz Grobus

From the Comics Division

Been reading this online comic by Simon Roy and Jess Pollard. I'll let them describe it to you:

"On a distant planet, a prying scribe, an overly sentimental constable, and a mayor resurrect a sleepy town’s long-defunct priest-bot. But “Father Stanley” is not what he seems. Meanwhile, in another universe, a hungry wizard accidentally sends a war-god into the body of a chicken"

So yeah, it's pretty fun.

Read here: LINK​

-Jake

Page Ones

From the Comics Division

Found a nice collection of "Page Ones" of comics. The first page is supposed to grab you by the eyeballs and shove you into the story. Tradition is to make them bold, splashy, and informative. They carry a lot of weight, and are probably the most important part of the comic...besides the cover.

Common tropes are:

• The main character is very large in a cool pose

• The title of the story is s a part of the environment, or taking up a prominent spot somewhere on the page

• Characters are often caught in the middle of the action

• There's a lot of exposition, either spoken or narrated

• Credits for the creators are found somewhere on the page

Here's a nice twitter thread where I found this link. Lots of examples of compelling first pages posted here: LINK​

Page Ones Pinterest Collection: LINK​

-Jake

COMIC DROP ALERT: RED SHIFT RENEGADES #1 - IS HERE!!!

From the Making Comics Division

The explosive first chapter of RED SHIFT RENEGADES is out now! And I do mean explosive, there's, like, 3 of them in there.

This first issue introduces Missile Mouse, Skull Chaser, Star Princess Aven, and the C.A.T. Bot and sets them on trajectories that will eventually converge with each other in an epic cosmic brawl.

ORDER AND DOWNLOAD NOW: LINK​

My colorist Anderson Carman really knocked it out of the park on this one. I feel like we are both firing on all cylinders here. This is not a comic you're going to want to sleep on.

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Accepting New Patrons: Not only are Patrons getting under the hood updates on the comic, but they actually got this comic for FREE as a reward for their support. I don't make a ton of money on Patreon, but it is enough to turn down some work so I can MAKE MORE COMICS.

Become a patron and you also get to join a community of like minded people who love this kind of stuff, you get to do live hangouts online where we draw and shoot the breeze, and you get to give input on current and future projects.

Join here: LINK

-Jake

RED SHIFT RENEGADES #1 DROPS

From the Making Comics Division

The first issue of Red Shift Renegades, my self-published sci-fi comic, is now available in my online shop for download. It's digital only for now.

I was this close to launching a kickstarter for the print version of the first 3 issues which will be coming out over the next several months, but I had a change of plans and decided to postpone that kickstarter.

I have an extended explanation on the Patreon of some pretty exciting things that are happening behind the scenes with this book. You can read all of that here: LINK

Can't wait for you all to read this explosive first chapter!

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Accepting New Patrons: Patrons are getting frequent updates on the comic I'm making, including more behind the scenes stuff. They've also read the full comic in both roughs, pencils, and now inks as I finish them.

I just dropped the Red Shift Renegades title logo reveal plus a detailed breakdown of how I designed it. You don't want to miss that.

I'm also sharing other art and sketches and stuff related to other projects. It's a treasure trove of information and cool art. When I finish this comic I'll have an exclusive special edition Artist Edition PDF for patrons.

Join here: LINK

-Jake

THE GAPE

From the Comics Division

A massive monster, mouth wide open and a lone character courageously confronting it. I see this illustration trope a lot in comic covers. AND I LOVE IT.

I feel like there's one or two of these covers that come out every year. I decided to start collecting them in a folder as I come across them. If you know of any let me know. Here's the a bunch I have so far:

Really, if you know of any more of these, send me a link or email them to me for my collection.

-Jake

Inks Are Finished!

From the Making Comics Division

Inks are finished for this Issue One of Red Shift Renegades! Colors are coming along nicely too by Anderson Carman. I should have digital copies for sale soon.

One thing I love about these two pages was getting to draw the inside of Aven's ship and figuring out how to make it livable, but also functional. Also, I love drawing cities too.

You can actually watch me ink this last page over on Instagram: LINK​

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It's time to join the Patreon: Patrons are getting frequent updates on this comic, including more behind the scenes stuff. They've also read the full comic in both roughs, pencils, and now inks as I finish them.

I just dropped the Red Shift Renegades title logo reveal plus a detailed breakdown of how I designed it. You don't want to miss that.

I'm also sharing other art and sketches and stuff related to other projects. It's a treasure trove of information and cool art. When I finish this comic I'll have an exclusive special edition Artist Edition PDF for patrons.

Join here: LINK

-Jake

Missile Mouse and the Raven

From the Making Comics Division

Chipping away at the comic. Here's a page with Missile Mouse in his new suit. He also now has a cut in his ear from some scrape he got in a few years ago. So fun drawing this character again, and to have him be in a story. Can't wait to finish this thing and share it with you!

I should have Issue #1 one available in my shop this month, then I'm Kickstarting the full trade in April with Issues #2 and #3 coming out in May and July and the book shipping out after that.

It's time to join the Patreon: Patrons are getting frequent updates on this comic, including more behind the scenes stuff. They've also read the full comic in both roughs, pencils, and now inks as I finish them.

I'm also sharing other art and sketches and stuff related to other projects. It's a treasure trove of information and cool art. When I finish this comic I'll have an exclusive special edition Artist Edition PDF for patrons.

Join here: LINK​

-Jake

Red Shift Renegades

From the Making Comics Division

Massive Comic process update on the Patreon: LINK​

I'm just about done with the first chapter. Should be able to knock out the last two pages today and tomorrow. If you want to see the entire comic so far, plus page-by-page commentary on both the inks and the pencils check out the Patreon.

Join here: LINK​

Also, did an IG livestream with my wife you can watch here: LINK​

-Jake