Guest Artist: Kevin Woolfork!

I absolutely love showcasing independent artists! The ability to show you the work that you can't see in your mainstream comics or books is an astounding adventure in talent. Today, we take another step in that adventure and bring you Kevin Woolfork. Kevin honored me with a great pic of Major Xeroh from my novel: Chessmen. Check it out!

So I asked him a few questions as I usually do and found his answers detailed and profound.

GZ: So how long have you been doing your art?

Kevin: I have been drawing ever since I can remember. That had to be the most generic answer you get in regards to drawing. I will say that my skill level has always improved exponentially when I am surrounded by other creators creating. It's difficult creating in a vacuum. Without that feedback and constructive criticism, for me, skill and motivation tends to waver.

GZ: I think that's a great answer, actually. Do you have any current projects?

Kevin: Right now I'm working on a project titled ABOUT TIME. It's a slow and steady grind with a very capable young artist, Rafael Gumboc. I found Rafael on one of the Facebook comic forums and he's been knocking it out of the park with every page. It's about a scientific time traveling family. We're bringing trouble, adventure and hopefully dodging cliches. Through my side project FOOLS WORK Designs, I have designed logos, comic covers, T-shirts and banners. That business is very much in its infancy and has a small client base. Hopefully I will have more time to devote to developing that brand in the near future.

GZ: Sounds very cool. Are you otherwise for hire?

Kevin: If anyone saw something in my skill set that they thought could positively impact their project, I AM for hire. I am a self proclaimed writer, but have spent years studying and dissecting comic art and production. I am conversant with, if not proficient in, most aspects of comic production. My independent study includes writing, character design, inking, basic coloring, page laouts, scripting, dialogue, logo design, and graphic design (branding).

GZ: That does sound like you've got some work under your belt. So what inspires you?

Kevin: I gain inspiration from almost everywhere. I try to find something to motivate me to improve my skills no matter what I see. If something doesn't appeal to me but is finished, I am inspired by it being done. If it's great, I'm given a standard to strive towards. I'm motivated by the things I can't do. I want to be able to do ALL aspects of creating so I know what I'm asking of collaborators. Currently I'm frustrated yet inspired by loading brushes for my Wacom tablet so I can ink and color digitally and learning the basics of comic book lettering. I'm also trying to decipher the controls in Manga Studio. I've heard from many creators that is'a a more intuitive program specific to comic production versus Photoshop which is photo manipulation software the comic book industry hijacked.

To see more of Kevin's work you can check out his Deviantart page, contact him at his Facebook page, or just email him at wolfprime@hotmail.com

In visiting his Devaintart page, you will see that Kevin's work is diverse in many ways, just as he describes above. Even in what he calls a quick sketch, his talents shine through. I particularly liked this gender swap Falcon work.

As always, big thank go out to Kevin and all guest artists for all the amazing talents they share. Don't miss out on independent artists, you never know what you'll see!

Guest artist Darren McCay!

Falconer

I love doing the guest artist spots so I can showcase independent talents from all over. Today we go to Northern Ireland and hear from artist Darren McCay. Just check out the recent work he did on my character, Falconer from my first novel.

Darren's work has a retro feel that can take you back to the golden age of comics but certainly is not limited in any way. Strong lines, colors and proportions tell a story with every pic he does. I sent him some interview questions and his answer was so concise that I don't want to break it up into the question segments. So here's Darren:




Cheers, Dave. I've been drawing superheroes since I was 5 and I'm 44 now. I'm a family man with two teenagers (the daughter, Brogan, is a world champion Irish dancer). 
I'm working on my own story called Icons which is a superhero epic spanning decades from the "birth" of the classic superhero to the near future. I've been reading comics all my life and I think I've come up with something original.

With this story I intend to do the opposite of say, Watchmen and construct the superhero from the ground up and make them relevant in the modern world. The emphasis of my story is on symbolism and iconography . Every hero must wear a unique symbol and keep their identity secret as it is integral to the survival of the heroes. I can't really say much more about the story but I will be doing a stand alone intro story which will lay the foundations and give an overall insight into the Icons universe. So far I've created about 60 heroes though many will just be peripheral characters. I need to fill each decade so there my be more before I'm done. My favourite character is Vanguard, my Superman analogue , although there is far more to him than you would think. My main problem is finding the time to draw as I have a day job but I should get something out in the near future.

I think it sounds like an amazing story line. I certainly wish him all the possible luck! Now check out these works of his.

Strong and expressive here. You can feel the action. Eye expression conveys powerful emotion and posing just makes the whole thing pop.










Be sure to add his Facebook fan page HERE! 

Nothing says cool like solid pencil work! Follow that link to his page and take a tour. Be on the look out for Icons! It looks to be a heck of a story.

Arting it up for the board game!

Watch out for the reality warp!

I admit, I've been dealing with writer's block for the last two weeks on what to even put here. I've also been super busy. So today, I want to share with you some of the artwork I've been doing for the first GZ board game, based on characters from my novel, Chessmen: Opening Moves. But hold on! There's a little secret you need to know first about this artwork.

It may not be the actual art for the published game. There is someone working in the background and if this works out, you will have your mind blown. So take the images you see with a grain of salt. They are basically what the art will look like, but only basically. Wink wink!

The game is all about completing your goal for you side of the balance (good or evil) and a whole lot of crazy stuff can happen on your way. You'll enlist the help of characters from your side of the balance and set off events that change game play several times over. I think I can show you what's in the game easiest by card types.

CHARACTERS: In a game for up to 6 players you will randomly be assigned a character type. Inventor, Speedster, Soldier, Wizard, Strongman, or Psychic will be who you are for the duration of your game play (or until your character gets killed because yes; that can happen.

GOALS: Also given at random, you will have a goal to complete in order to win the game. They all involve completing a series of tasks like defeating monsters or finding artifacts. I won't get into full detail on all of them, but you get the idea I think.







POWERS: Everyone gets a random power to boost their game play, but don't expect it to be permanent. There are 8 possibilities and they can change.

SPELLS: It's possible to be able to use powerful spells. But their use is also not permanent and they are easy come easy go! Use them while you have the chance!




Then we come to the main deck and I'm going to leave that for now. After all, this is just a sneak peek of what's to come! I will say it's where you find artifacts, items, and trigger amazing events that affect everyone. Now enjoy these artistic bits and click on images for larger view. You can also get the book this is based on by clicking on my Author's page in the links on the right. 99 cents for kindle or kindle app!!

Fire Scroll

Anti-magic grenede

Magic Sword

Laser rifle

New Year update 2015!

Plans are big for the new year! I have lots of work to get done and I've even put new deadlines in the works. In this blog you'll see some recently done artwork. Where it's used depends on "other things to come". So consider them mystery sneak peeks.

The novel, Chaos Rising is on delay. I'm hoping to have it available for February.

GZ the Boardgame: Chessmen Edition is in art stage as last reported. Deadline is set for April or early May so manufacturing has time to get it ready. Why? Because we'd like to take the game to Geekonomicon in December! We will likely have a kickstarter between now and then for the manufacturing. That means a chance to get your hands on a copy before it makes it's official debut! So stay tuned this year!

GZ Tales Volume 2 is still slated for this year. Hopefully by Summer!

Chessmen 2 is planned for late Summer or early Fall.

Lots of new artwork is coming as I update old pics and practice with new ones.

Guest Artists! Yep, I'll still do guest artists. Anyone who draws a GZ character will have it posted as the main illustration for the article and then more of their work will be showcased. I may even have the first of this year for next week!

Other books in planning are, The Arconian Chronicles and the yet untitled book that will follow Chaos Rising. So much story history, so little time!

I really am excited about the new year. It looks like there's going to be a lot happening and lots to build towards. With some effort and a bit of luck, we'll be set up for and explosive 2016! Always forward!

Holiday Jamboree 2014!

It's Christmas Eve and all across the GZ universe things are getting pretty festive! Some heroes use their amazing powers to bring even more color and joy to the season. Some give gifts like only they know how! On Earth we find PAC and friends sharing in Christmas spirit!

Sandstorm is the one guy who can BE the tree! He visits disabled children over the holidays and lets them decorate him. Fun for all ages! What does he want for Christmas? Sandstorm has a model car collection that impresses the most hard core collectors. The rarer the car the better, but he'll take anything.

Need someone to power the lights? Electrode powers a full light show at Rockefeller center every year. His favorite gift to give? Rechargeable batteries of course! He's a comic book collector with over 30,000 books. He doesn't care what the story is, he just loves comic books. So comic paraphernalia is at the top of his wish list.

Nyhtwulf wants nothing but cream cheese squares in foil since its his favorite treat; but Blacktide has been getting him into classic movies. Nyhtwulf's favorite holiday activity is shredding wrapping paper.

Anubis and Horus are the tricksters to watch out for because you never know what a gift box from them may contain. They once created a peanut butter bomb for King Falcon. Thank goodness for instant cleaning from cosmic powers!

In the deep south, the Gator decorates his own corner of his swamp for the holidays. He holds on to the festive nature known in the south near New Orleans and might even let a guest or two come to visit. All Gator really wants is peace and about 200 lbs of great Cajun eating. Who are we to say no? Would you?

And don't think for one second that there's no one under the mistletoe! Nightfall and Dreamseer are waiting for their guys to find them! Anubis and Atomizer are in for a holiday surprise of epic proportions! They better not have forgotten gifts this year!

So it really goes without saying that the whole of the GZ universe wishes you and yours a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hannukah, Blessed Kwanza, or just a wonderful time! See you next year with the New Year's update!

The Power of Sandstorm!

I'm Lombard Ogleson, leader of the Federal hero team, P.A.C. It stands for Parahuman Activity Commission. I could think of loads better names, but couldn't everyone? They call me Sandstorm. Not to boast, but I'm probably the most powerful member of my team. I'm what they call, a lord class elemental. I can control elements and weather. But I don't stop there. I can actually shape shift into those same elements and weather.

My control is pinpoint accurate down to my very molecules so I can change parts of my body individually. I can be half fire, half ice, if I want to. I can merge with the ground under our feet or dissipate into air. In air form, I can travel at high speeds that carry me from one coast to coast in minutes. I can do the same thing by traveling through the Earth, or in water if I merge with it.

My powers basically just happened to me when I was a grunt in Vietnam. My friends were dead and the enemy was all around me. In my state of stress, I turned into a whirling sandstorm and de-fleshed them all to the bone. I had no idea what I was doing. It just happened. Later on, the CIA recruited me for deep cover missions all over the world.

To look at me, you'd think I'm not old enough to have been in Vietnam. That's because my powers slow my aging. I look like I'm in my thirties somewhere, but I'm actually in my late sixties.

I'm constantly in tune with nature around me. I can detect movement in the crust of the Earth or weather events over a thousand miles away. I can detect pollution levels and sometimes they're toxic to me. I can heal almost any injury by converting myself to an element and back again. Scientists with the Powers Institute think I could even grow back and arm or leg. I'm not eager to try that out.

I've been to places on Earth that no man could reach. I'm talking about the heart of a volcano or the deepest trenches in the sea. I've been to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. I can draw strength from elements around me and even become a giant to get almost any kind of job done.

I take my missions seriously and I have little regard for the crooked scum I have to face. Still, I follow the law. I try to move combat situations away from populated areas and do my best to protect bystanders. I don't know how far my powers can really go and sometimes that scares me. I've never tried to create big earthquakes, but I can become bigger than an F5 tornado.

Sometimes people ask me why I don't control the weather all the time, so it's always a nice day or to prevent tornadoes from forming. Well, for one, messing with the weather has drawbacks and can trigger a domino effect in even worse weather. It's really best to let nature take its course 9 times out of 10. Also, I'm not a god. I can't be everywhere at once, so I don't try to be.

During the Chaos incident, I had to take my powers to their limits, even in outer space. I did things I never realized I could do. It's amazing what necessity and desperate times can bring out of you.

Well, I gotta go. There's a gang fight going on in lower Manhattan and I know who their leader is. If you're ever in New York, and you have powers; use them wisely or we may have to talk.

Sandstorm is in the upcoming novel: Chaos Rising! Be on the lookout!

Crazy Harry Comics

This is going way back for me. I sometimes draw my old buddy Crazy Harry in home made greeting cards. Back in my school days, I got in trouble in almost every class for drawing his misadventures. Crazy Harry Calhoun is a parody name based on Dirty Harry Callahan. Well, he started out that way. Now, he's something else. Harry is a guy the world just won't leave alone. Bozos poke at him and mess with him around every turn until he wigs out and gets justice they way we can only dream of. He's a laughable private investigator with an insane group of friends. The strip I  recolored below is based on the very first Crazy Harry comic I ever did. Now it's fresh and there for you to get a laugh. I hope you enjoy it.