Jack Turnbull Studios

Developing T-shirt Ideas

2012-01-30T07:42:00.000-08:00

Megalife will eat your brains!!!

2012-01-30T06:09:00.000-08:00

INVERTED T SHIRT IDEA

2012-01-27T10:56:00.000-08:00

megalife gradient

2012-01-27T09:54:00.000-08:00

MEGALIFE - FEB. 17th - SOMERVILLE MA

2012-01-27T08:23:00.000-08:00

Megalife Demo

2012-01-19T05:59:00.000-08:00

Megalife has two shows coming up; one in NYC, the other at PA's lounge in Somerville, Massachusetts. Details on the NYC show are developing, but apparently it's at a bowling alley with our friends, Twitchers. The other show in Somerville has this lineup:

Feb. 17th at 9pm

Megalife
Twitchers
Ladybust
Beagle Bone

And maybe one more. For more show information, check out the PA's Lounge website.

This is all exciting because I am designing a limited edition CD-R of all of Megalife's recordings to date, including both versions of the song Seroquel. It will also have a mysterious Enchanted Blue Tiger bonus track on it. The album cover is the above image. Sorry, this show is 21+.

I'll have more information about the NYC show as it develops.

Kelley Drake Sketches

2012-01-16T15:32:00.001-08:00

2012-01-02T05:33:00.000-08:00

Happy 2012.

MEGALIFE EP COVER REVEALED!

2011-12-14T08:29:00.000-08:00

So my band, Megalife, is putting out a full length album and here's the cover art for it. I'm not sure if it'll be a split, still figuring it out, but look for it soon!

Also, don't forget: Dark Knight on a Dark Night at Hub Comics is Saturday Night!

Batman Show, Dec. 17th

2011-12-05T16:11:00.000-08:00

On December 17th, I'll have a painting on display at Hub Comics in Somerville for their "Dark Knight on a Dark Night" show. I'll have details soon.

MEGALIFE - PREDATORS

2011-12-02T14:55:00.000-08:00

Dino Soda

2011-11-30T06:07:00.000-08:00

Acrylic and Gouache on Paper
15 inches by 19 inches

Sketchbook Page

2011-11-28T08:56:00.000-08:00

Workstation - Boston, Ma.

2011-11-23T06:55:00.000-08:00

I work in Jurassic Park or JP. JAMAICA PLAIN

THE BALLAD OF JONI WYNONNA WINSTON

COMING 2012

MYSTERY SHOW UP AT MONTSERRAT COLLEGE OF ART

2011-10-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

If you're in Beverly, I have 5 paintings hanging on Cabot Street! I haven't had internet so I didn't post the opening night, but it should be up for two weeks. I'll post pictures asap.

Featuring art work from:

Bryce Pulaski
Jack Turnbull
Jake Cassevoy
Jon Bolles
Kevin Quinn
Kyle Moore
Pete Faasse
Ryan Bonsall
Zac Goldstein

Montserrat College of Art

238 Cabot

Beverly, Massachusetts

Library and Subway drawings

2011-09-30T07:25:00.000-07:00

The last month has been something of a transitional period in my life and studies. I've found myself without even my own desk set up for creation. This is, however, absolutely NO excuse to not continue drawing!

I witnessed this elderly gentleman on the train a few days ago while going to my teaching gig in Charlestown. He is what I'd imagine the character Harry Haller would look like in Hermann Hesse's "Stephhenwolf".
If you're aware of my online personality via facebook, you'll know that I am in the two piece Psychedelic-Surf-Metal band "MEGALIFE". I am designing a logo for the band modeled after the grateful dead skull, but with a wolf and a pheonix as opposed to a skull and a lightning bolt. Here are my notes and early renderings. The finals will be painted and shown at a gallery show at Montserrat College of Art later on in October. More information will be posted about that later.
Last year before I took on my year long artist in residency at LE GRAND DAVID AND HIS SPECTACULAR MAGIC COMPANY I was in the early stages on writing a story entitled "The Ballad of Joni Wynonna Winston". During the residency I put the project on hold as I wrote the newspaper comic "6 Months with the Magi". The comic ended mid point and unfortunately it will probably remain a "non-finito". Regardless, I'm glad I took a year off to reflect on Joni Wynonna, because now the story's plot is stronger, more open ended and bad ass. I'll be posting it as a webcomic (and in print eventually) which should be on track for release in ... November/December? Here's an early sketch of the first story arch entitled "The Humbled Drummer".
Here's a girl on the subway reading. There's tons of subway drawings but this one sticks out to me for being simultaneously realistic/proportionate but also simple. I don't know if anybody's hair actually does that.
Here are some studies I did while looking at Howard Chaykin's "Midnight Men". Chaykin's aesthetic and subject matter isn't really for everyone, but his keen eye for advertisement inspired design is a wonder to look at. I first got into him from picking up a copy of the second volume of his "Time squared" graphic novel. I liked it and picked up the first one from Picturebox Inc. If you're interested in how experimental, multi-layered art looked before Photoshop, pick this title up. He also has a fantastic sense of the figure and draws in perfect perspective.

So in conclusion, I'm not DEAD! I'm stilling drawing and making music, even if it's just at the Boston Public Library. Stay tuned, true believers ... ;-)

APPEARING IN CABOT NEWSLETTER NEXT WEEK

2011-07-08T20:52:00.000-07:00

More Cabot Street Comics

2011-05-22T18:48:00.000-07:00

Trying to have a finished story arch for a magic convention in Dallas come the end of July. I'm going to stick it out here for another year ... the beginning of summer in Beverly is rather dull as all the crazy art students are home for the break, but every Sunday we party down here in over at the Cabot. If you magically find yourself on the North Shore of Boston, pay us a visit :-).

New Cabot Street Cinema Theatre Work

2011-04-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

If you on the North Side of Boston, come check out the Cabot Street Cinema Theatre. I am their resident cartoonist who is doing a story for their Sunday Magic show: ---> "Le Grand David and his Spectacular Magic Company".

Excuse the lack of updates! I wanted to take a computer break for a little while. But I guess I'm back at it in front of the screen.

These comics are in the companies Newspaper but I thought it may bring some people to the theatre to see it online :-).

2011-01-27T09:57:00.001-08:00

Pick up the latest Cabot Street Cinema newsletter to see more great illustrations!

2011-01-21T09:24:00.000-08:00

I've been doing a whole lot of magic illustration and teaching lately, which can't always be released on the blog :-/ ... but, regardless, I have a lil personal news coming up; The above page from my "Invasive Exotics" graphic novel will be on display!

SPACE 242, Boston’s Low Brow Destination, proudly announces its January, 2011 exhibition: GOOD VS EEEEEVIL! Superheroes vs. Villains Smackdown. The group exhibition, on view January 28 through February 4, 2011 includes paintings, illustrations, mixed media, sculpture, and photography by over 4-dozen artists. The opening reception, Friday, January 28 runs from 6-8pm, is free and open to the public with RSVP at www.space242.com. An artist conversation will be held Friday, February 4 from 7-8pm. Gallery hours are Friday evenings 6:30-8pm (no rsvp necessary).

GOOD VS EEEEEVIL! features artwork by Alyssa Adams, Gillian Alexiel, Allison Bamcat, EJ Barnes, Sheila Berry, Allie Biondi, Sean Bixby, Allison Blackwell, Craig Bostick, Joe Botsch, Kristin Boucher, Scott Bruns, Brian Butler, Derrek Coss, Joe Dellagatta, Michael Destefano, Jim Downes, Eamon, Andy Fish, Ashley Freeland, Brian Gubicza, Erica Henderson, Jeff Horwat, Patt Kelley, Sarah Kim, Chelsea Lane, Ron LeBrasseur, Jesse Lonegran, Nathalie Magri, Joanna Matuck, Fish McGill, Matt McKee, Massimo Mongiardo, Greg Moutafis, Christian Noise, Greg Orfanos, Peter Paul Payack, Caroline Ramsey, Rhonda Ratray, Mister Reusch, Derek Ring, Roho, Caitlin Ryan, Josh Santa-Cruz, Lisa Scollan, Andrew Sloan, Lindsay Small, Stones, Jared Tharp, Tom Torrey, Jack Turnbull, Robb Waters, David Wentworth, and Steven Young (a few surprise artists will be announced after the New Year).

SPACE 242’s January exhibition is sponsored in part by The Weekly Dig, Artscope Magazine, Mad Mimi, Drinkmasters, and Harpoon Brewery.

Viva la Magia

2010-12-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

Le Grand David New Year

2010-12-13T08:06:00.000-08:00

Please come to our NEW YEAR SHOW AT THE LARCOM THEATER! ---->

2010-11-24T09:59:00.000-08:00

2010-11-24T09:56:00.000-08:00

Le Grand David Spectacular Magic Company Holiday Poster

2010-11-12T15:02:00.000-08:00

See it on the News stands in a week!

Marco Illustrated

2010-10-07T17:32:00.000-07:00

Hey North Shore, keep your eyes peeled for the late October Calendar put out by the Cabot Street Cinema to see this illustration (plus more!).

Lecture this Saturday

2010-09-23T19:31:00.000-07:00

If you're in the Boston area, do please come to the Arts Institute of Boston for the MICE convention. at 5 'o' clock, I'll be giving a lecture on color systems in comic books, ranging from the lush, painterly colors of Nell Brinkley to the edgy, saturated CMYK masterpieces of Klaus Janson. I will also be selling comics all day at my table, including new copies of my mini zine "Joni Wynonna Winston".

Above is a panel from Goodwin, Simonson and Janson's amazing "Manhunter" series.

JONI WYNONNA WINSTON PREVIEW

2010-09-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a preview from my newest mini-comic in a 3 part series "Jony Wynonna Winston".

More "dayjob" work

2010-09-14T16:56:00.000-07:00

Love my day job. Love it.

Good news!

The gallery I was going to have a piece has reopened its doors. The show's back on and is scheduled for January. Check out the gallery!

2010-09-09T03:36:00.000-07:00

Just discovered Karl Wirsum over at Jean Albano Gallery in Chicago. Ugh, I always figured my whimsical symmetry drawings were original/unique. Turns out this guy was producing a similar thing back in '77. Regardless, it is inspiring. While muted, his colors are eerily psychedelic. The name of the series is entitled "Alien Dating Service". Not only talented, but also a sense of humor. HA!

David Bull and I are having preliminary discussions of producing a graphic novel adaptation for the Marco the Magi story. He told me it wouldn't have to be War and Peace ... but I dunno, the story is so epic its length should be what is necessary to tell the story well. On second thought, 1,000 pages of comics sounds like hell.

With that said, if I were to take this project on I'd consider it a project of self reflection if I truly do want to continue making comic books. While I was born drawing and the medium itself is fabulous, the creation of comic is just so ISOLATING! It doesn't feel healthy to spend so many hours behind a desk sometimes. But then again, a large project like a biography of Marco the Magi would help me answer these questions.

New comic being released in about a week. "Joni Wynonna Winston". It's Country-Horror-Noir? I guess that's a good way to explain it. Limited run. "mini". More details coming to the etsy page in a few. Gimmie time.

More Magic work

2010-09-06T13:50:00.000-07:00

Once I remember to get my camera/computer connector which is back in Ipswich I'll have a monster posting. I've been finishing up "Joni Wynonna Winston" which should be available in about a week so that has been priority ... but I have about a million and one essay blog post ideas involving bendi dots, quality computer color, tons of photos and a general blitz of design and illustration ideas. Here is my latest "day job" work which will be featured as part of Le Grand David show. The above illustration has text missing, just fyi.

2010-09-05T18:58:00.000-07:00

If you're on the North Shore of Boston, stop in at your location coffee shop, book store, barber shop or comic book retailer to pick up this limited edition 35th anniversary Cabot Street Cinema Cover Calendar!

Le Grand David and his Spectacular Magic Company (produced by Marco the Magi himself) is the longest running stage magic show in human history. They are credited in the Guinness Book of World records. Le Grand David has performed seven times at the White House, has been featured in Time magazine, National Geographic and countless other publications. Situated in Beverly Massachusetts, the show uses techniques and magic dating back as far as the 19th century! Tickets are $24 and worth every penny - and this time you can see yours truly in the show show! I'll be singing, juggling and helping change the 12+ different background curtains!

Le Grand David Spectacular Magic Company

2010-08-20T20:59:00.000-07:00

Come to the Cabot Street Theater to see and learn more about Le Grand David! And look for my artwork in the pages of their bi-weekly movie calendar and newspaper!

September is a big month

2010-08-13T18:09:00.001-07:00

I haven't blogged in a while. Many apologizes, true believers. But it's all well worth the wait because I've been slaving away behind the desk like an Irish monk copying Plutarch, being scared of God/death and eating a steady diet of nuts and berries. The new comic has the working title of "JONI WYNONNA WINSTON". It will be a 3/4 issues story arch. I've been drawing a lot of motorcycles for it. Limited color palette. A creepy dream sequence.

In my work I am developing a traveling troupe of "actors"; I seem to draw the same 6-7 people, but they take on different names and faces. For example, in "Joni Wynonna Winston, The "dealer" is Winters in the Invasive Exotics. Joni is Jane. Hud is JJ. This happened organically. I'm fine with it. In fact, I think it's kind of neat ... it feels like working with specific actors because aesthetically each "actor" drawn is symbolic of a type of person in society ... kind of like Bill Murray is your cool uncle and/or Garfield, Javier Bardem is the mysterious European, Meryl Streep is the sophisticated middle aged woman who has become older with grace. No wonder directors work with the same actors time and again. And to go on that riff, it's interesting to consider the connections between a director and a drawer ... I feel like a paper director.

Well ... enough of my rambling. Joni Wynonna Winston: Issue #1 drops September 17th at the latest. Official press release date will be up on the internet soon. A sample of the comic will be put on this blog and the comic will be available on Etsy. I am debating silkscreening covers again as this will not be "zine digest size", but rather standard comic book size.

New page

2010-07-28T11:30:00.001-07:00

Here's a page I did that was rejected for an illustration project. It just wasn't what they were looking for ... sigh. C'est la vive. BUT - I still think it's pretty good ... I dig the warm palette while still addressing a winter scape.

It's for the best; my next personal project "The Ballad of Wynonna Winston" ... I am developing some of the best pages I've ever made in my life.

New Colors

2010-07-25T14:08:00.000-07:00

Mid point with new potential illustration job ... using new colors.

Working with new colors ... see

BALLAD OF WYNONNA WINSTON Test pages

2010-07-15T05:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a test of my upcoming web comic, "The Ballad of Wynonna Winston". I'm pretty thrilled by the colors, but I'm also trying to figure out how I'm going to be able to do a 40-60 page story with 8 colors. Clearly I'm going to have to tone things down. Or, you know, not ...

I'm aiming of getting the first chapter of this new web series "graphic novella" one shot out by the end of the month - with the story completed by September. I know that's ambitious, but I also have a lot of free time on my hands right now.

MASS MARKET 6!

2010-06-26T17:45:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,
if you're in the Boston area, please come to the 6th annual MASS MARKET! I'll have a table selling zines, original art, the Invasive Exotics and gift card sets. Just $1! Tons of exhibitors!

ISSUE #0; SKETCH TEST - CHECK, CHECK,CHECK

2010-06-23T21:08:00.000-07:00

Further observation of Original Amethyst series

2010-06-22T06:05:00.001-07:00

Check out those color separations! Bleeding pink smoke? Who does that? C'mon --- While digital color allows for an infinite spectrum of color options, the hierarchy here is stellar (it's basically primary - just less saturated) the bluntness of his transforming Dark Opal's pink armor exaggerates the anatomy in his arms and the composition of the text is pretty perfect.

This panel comes from Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld issue 11 of 12. Previously I wrote a critical short blog entry on issue #4, but on further inspection of the entire story it's a pretty strange hoge poge of genres - I can't figure out who they were attempting to advertise the series to - the color palette and protagonist makes me think it was meant for young girls, but there are elements of dark fantasy and even horror throughout the series - which are somewhat mature. I can't even make some comparison in pop culture to what this series is like ... maybe "the Labyrinth"? Dark Opal is kinda like the goblin king, but less comical. The dream sequences are somewhere in between Little Nemo in Slumberland and Nightmare on Elms Street.

I'll write more soon, but I wanted to share the power of color separation versus digital. I'm all for digital, but the artist methods of the past cannot be forgotten.

Nice Review from Zine World

2010-06-16T06:21:00.000-07:00

Clint Johns for Zine World:

The Invasive Exotics #1 - #4: A four-part comic serializing the rise of a psychotic ice cream magnate (Dr. Slimecold) who attempts world takeover using mutant ants, and those who resist (including the Lara Croft-like Jane, various Brooklynites, and conventional law enforcement). I admire the sustained storytelling (especially since the story is so odd), which works consistently across the four volumes. Some of the dialogue is stilted (“I am Sunset. Sunset Mike.” Why not just, “I’m Sunset Mike”? But maybe that’s an homage to pre-80s comic book talk?), but overall it reads well. The art is stylish and conveys the story effectively and moves things along - a talent that not everyone has. The pictures are occasionally cramped with darkness and detail, though, occasionally rendering the action murky and hard to follow. The covers are beautifully created, each with a detailed color sticker, affixed to the silkscreened front panels. The whole enterprise is impressive. Jack Turnbull, www.jackturnbull.com, www.jackturnbullstudios.blogspot.com, mr.jackwhturnbull@gmail.com [$5-6 each, $20 for all four, not ftp, 26-46M each, total reading time ~ :60]

ZINE WORLD

SKELETON WARRIORS / MAKING PALETTES VIA MOOD

2010-06-01T16:46:00.000-07:00

"Skeleton Warriors"
21 inches by 29 inches
Acrylic/Gouache/Ink/Silkscreen/Oil

MOOD PALETTES

Breaking down a story by colors

Alright, alright, two of these are directly from Cinder and Ashe ... I'll tweak 'um ... or not ... 3 palettes, 3 moods (Winston on Stage is oblivion/revelation/joy).

CINDER AND ASHE: Paper Technicolor

2010-05-31T14:54:00.001-07:00

I'm jumping the gun a little bit (the below panels are from a graphic novel going in my "Amazons in Distress" ongoing essay series), but I couldn't help but share these amazing color palettes from the 1988 DC Crime Drama Cinder and Ashe by Gerry Conway and Jose L. Garcia Lopez. The colors were done by Joe Orlando.

These colors are not done digitally; they are laid down like silkscreen layers. Frank Santoro (I continuously site this guy) does a great demonstration as to how colors were produced in this era of comic book history. Watch the video and learn ...

The procedue is similar to how technicolor movies were made in the 40ties and 50ties; painting right on top of film strip in layers. The end result, in both cases, is extremely lush and flat images. The aesthetic reminds me of Douglas Sirk movies whose chosen color palette as a director fits perfectly with the subject matter of his romantic dramas.

I'll write more on this title later on - but I just wanted to share these amazing panels, palettes and layouts for my own research.

New Homepage on the Horizon

2010-05-27T07:41:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it! Version 4.0 comin' at cha in June!

Princess

2010-05-25T16:39:00.000-07:00

Acrylic, Gouache, Silkscreen, Oil ... 7 inches by 12 inches

AMAZONS IN DISTRESS: Female Superheroins in 1980ties Comic Books

2010-05-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

AMAZONS in DISTRESS: An Examination of 1980ties Super heroines and further investigation into Women in Refrigerators Syndrome

PART 1 of an ONGOING SERIES

In 1999, Gail Simone, a prominent comic book collector and fan, realized that a large portion of her favorite female characters, both super heroine or ... normal ..., often met "untimely and icky ends". Simone started collecting data and compiled a list of dead or harmed female characters in comic books. The list was entitled Women in Refrigerators, or WiF, and put online. The study was named WiF after a particular Green Lantern comic in which his long time girlfriend is found stuffed into his fridge by the villain Major Disaster.

The study prompted a lot of heated debate from all corners of the comic book universe; editors at major publications were for and against the study and just about every opinion was expressed.

In this blog post and in 2 future blog posts to come, I am writing criticism of 1980ties female fronted action comics. One of these comics was purchased for $1 at my local comic book store and the other from Frank Santoro's curated action comics table at this past MOCCA festival. They are reflections on the WiR study.

Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld #4 of #12

This comic caught my eye because a) it was dirt cheap, b) the ornamental frame that surrounds the protagonist Amethyst is extremely well drawn and original c) I thought Amethyst was pretty attractive d) its cover depicts what looks like someone who is a mixture of Captain Morgan and a smurf chasing after a cute girl. I had just been alerted about the WiR study and this pretty much summed up its thesis in a subtle way.

Published in 1983 by DC comics, Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld is a deeply loaded, excellently crafted example of the odd midpoint female protagonists often found themselves in 1980ties action adventure comic books - and for that matter, pop culture, generally speaking. Females protagonists in the 1980ties are no longer the "damsels in distress" of the prior 1960ties or 50ties. This is an era post Alien with Signori Weaver. But they are not just yet the Amazon heroins like "the Bride" in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, Xena: Warrior Princess, or Alice in the Resident Evil series. Rather, female action protagonists are in this very strange, dark midpoint. Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld is a prime example of this odd "Amazons in Distress" as I am going to put it.

The story is about (and I am jumping 1/3 of the way through the story) Amy Winston, aka Amethyst, a teenage girl who spends nights dreaming strange dreams of a "lost legacy" as it is put. She then discovers that she isn't actually from Earth in the first place, but the orphaned heir to a mystic otherworld throne, Gemworld to be exact. These dreams were just foreshadowing her revelation. She transforms from one world to the next in a style similar to Jack Kirby "plasma beams" and Winsor McCay surrealism.

From a design stand point, this title is a triumph. The pencils and inks are done by Ernie Colon who has a remarkable sense of the figure and interprets the writer's (Dan Mishkin and Gary Cohn) narration with sequence that is simultaneously experimental but easy to read (a feat only accomplished by the best comic book artists). He also understands sequential "futurism" inside and out as illustrated in the below page layouts.

Not only is the futuristic sequence well done (although in these two examples they go in just about the same direction), the colorist Tom Ziuko emphasizes motion by using an influx of color as depicted in the below page (lower four panels).

It is significant to point out that the people making this comic are men. However, the series is edited by Karen Berger.

A power feud is occurring between two kingdoms in Gemworld - between the house of Amethyst and the blue smurf captain Morgan Opal. Essentially, all you really need to know is Opal for bitter reasons is attempting to usurp the kingdom of Amethyst to gain control of Gemworld. Since Amethyst has just learned about her unique super powers and has not mastered using them, she is outmatched by her foe Opal since she is still gaining training from her witch goddess mother Citrina. It's somewhat of a coming of age story. But in the meantime, in this issue she is basically terrorized by the mighty Opal as illustrated in the below panel and page fragment.

Her hair is pulled, she is attacked by a tentacle monster and later on (not shown) a gigantic snake (oh man - Freud would have a field day). Amethyst does retaliate here and there with plasma beam super powers, but she is no match for the tricky Opal. Essentially, it is 23 pages of a girl being chased, frightened and on the verge of being dis empowered - like a more psychedelic and PG-13 friendly scene from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

While there are no girls in refrigerators - and in all fairness, this is like reviewing 1/12 of a story (and who knows? Maybe later on Amethyst will be granted a sweet sword, a machine gun or the power to behead dudes with her mind), the manner in which Amethyst is pursued is somewhat disturbing when you consider the audience of comic books during this time period. Think about how weird it would be to read 23 pages of Batman getting his hair pulled and intertwined by tentacles, his facial expression no longer stoic or stern but in a state of pure panic.

D. Curtis Johnson, a writer who has done considerable work for DC comics, puts it best in response to the WiR study (and for research purposes, this quote was found in the book The Modern Amazons: Warrior Women On-Screen.

The urge that makes adolescent boys (and grown men, actually) feel good when the hero saves the damsel in distress is, scarily enough, the same urge that wants that damsel to be in distress in the first place, and the chivalrous desire to protect women from harm is inextricably tied to a secret thrill at the thought that those women are out there somewhere, being slapped around. Want to get a quick emotional flare out of an adolescent boy? Don't show him your hero saving Grandma from a train wreck, or pulling the little baby out of the burning house. Those are obviously heroic acts but your teenage reader won't identify with them, particularly - he doesn't understand old people or babies at all. But every teenage boy has at least one hot and sweaty crush going on at any given time, and if there's one thing he clearly knows and understands, it's wanting to rescue the love of his life from some horrible other guy who doesn't deserve her and is probably doing bad things to her ... hopefully at the moment you actually bust in to save her, in fact, because then she's at her most vulnerable and needy and you're there to pick up the emotional slack.

Amethyst is the stereotypical unattainable pretty blond girl who is being humbled in issue #4. That's all I'll say about the series due to the fact I am being unfair by not observing the whole story arch. With that said, it is clear that this comic is simply a very subdued "roughie" comic book similar to a sixties exploitation movie but done in the Reagan 80ties so somehow marketed to kids. It's a perfect example of a "Amazon in Distress": a warrior princess who has an uphill battle ahead of her.

With all this said, I am going to go out on a limb here and give the creators credit. While to our eyes this comic seems harsh, simplistic and soft core, a title like this in 1983 was still edgy in the world of mainstream comics. The mere fact it is a story meant for girls as implied by the feminine color palette through out the comic (but probably consumed most by weird 40 year old men) would have been hard to market to 1983 DC. The mere fact it's fan letter column is entitled "PURPLE PROSE" would make some suits a little edgy. Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld is a coming of age story - both literally and metaphorically. It doesn't yet know who it is. You don't really hear a lot about Amethyst these days because it probably didn't go too far as far as sales (I am guessing). But I will point out 2 fan letters found at the end of the comic (on a tangent: sometimes, do you wish you lived in a world BEFORE the internet?).

*******

NEXT UP: We leave the world of the mainstream comic book and take a visit over to a CAPITAL COMICS title called WHISPER. It is a story about a pre-Kill Bill female Ninja Assassin. Until then, true believers!

Wooooahhhh Mike Himes from "the Cosmic Book" published by ACE comics

2010-05-09T20:32:00.001-07:00

Whirlwind

2010-05-09T20:03:00.000-07:00

2010-05-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

"Bernard and Sid's dates usually lasted less than the amount of time it took to beat the video game "Crystal Swords".
2010, Acrylic, Gouache, Oil, Ink

**************

Hmmm ... I need to remember to add a gloss cover AFTER scanning ... the background wall is showing up black on this scan ... in reality the painting has a deep peacock blue wall. Oh well. Anyone know any good tutorials or anything for painting to web press?

POST-RISD ALUMNI SALE

2010-05-04T08:23:00.001-07:00

Thank you, thank you, thank you residents of Providence, students and alumni alike for coming out this past weekend to the RISD alumni sale. The event was super encouraging, I couldn't have asked for a better day, I said hi to so many old faces, met some new cool dudes and dudettes, danced my butt off to the What Cheer Brigade (no photos unfortunately ... I was dancing!) and made enough to pay for my table AND printing costs.

Here's a shot of Studio Spring 2010 located in my mom's AMAZING barn studio in Ipswich Massachusetts. This is, as they say, "where the magic happens" - I was stapling, pricing and running to the local office store from this desk prior to sale.

I got a free ride to Providence with mom so she could go visit her old college friend, Becky Barnes. Beck is an accomplished architect. See the photo of the new Boston bridge behind her? Yeah ... that's her doing. She's moving to Seattle soon to take a position at the University of Washington and will be sorely missed. Good luck Becky! You're the best and you cook awesome swordfish!
RISD in May is pretty idealistic. As I mentioned before, I couldn't have asked for a better day for the sale.
A new painting which was a character study for Suburban Cyclops Hunters. I'm considering putting the story on hold. I'm still throwing a lot of ideas around in my head. Regardless, It was fun painting a haunted house, a Greek goddess and a dragon slayer.

I also ALMOST sold the Burrito man painting, but I am almost happy I didn't since it's one of my favorites (although a bit muddy) - and I got this nice photo of it since for a second I thought it may be going on it's way.

My next craft fair will be in Boston - MASS MARKET 6 at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design on SUNDAY, June 27th. I'll post more information as it comes.

Until later true believers ...

RISD alumin sale

2010-04-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

Calling all Providence and southern New England true believers -

I will be selling the entire Invasive Exotics tetralogy this Saturday at the RISD alumni sale. Also on sale will be old school soon to be out of print Apollo Astro issues (#4 and #5) and original artwork. EVERY page from the Invasive Exotics (that's 160+ pages) will be for sale for low, low prices (as low as $60!).

For more information, click on the post card. I'll be going to more trade shows and the like and will post where I'll be here!

2010-04-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

From the "archives". Sketches from 2006/2007?

Carol Cinder (Ms. Cinder). Character study for Suburban Cyclops Hunters. Man's name to be determined (I think he needs a horizontal striped shirt).

Quick, Brisk visit from the sketchbook

2010-04-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

I'm sending off this huge, spiral bound edition of the Invasive Exotics to a pal who is going to help me edit it. ... In sending him the work, I am beginning to look at the end of a year long project. It is liberating to have the brunt of that story's artwork done and put into the world. I have two ideas rolling around in my head for the next comic, one being satirical and the other horrifically realistic in its depiction of mythological violence. But when I really put my mind to it, I'm looking at an empty page ... a blank canvas ... I could just start making boxes hypothetically, "LYNCH IT" and make a brand new graphic novel. But I'm not that reckless ...

You're just looking at some sketches because frankly, I missed you internet and it had been too long.

Look for a BRAND NEW www.jackturnbull.com coming soon! Really soon! I'm not just saying things this time ;-).

Post-MOCCA review

2010-04-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for everyone who came out to the MOCCA festival this past weekend! The show was a huge success for me; I SOLD OUT of the new and final issue of the Invasive Exotics as well as the first issue. Everything went including the kitchen sink; I even sold the table poster!

Also thanks to Dan Byer of the great, great, great Brooklyn alt-indie-folk act Air Waves for letting me stay the night. Dan's been my best friend since I was about 2 so it's always a pleasure to see him. Basically, there is no need for me to point out I stayed with him besides plugging his band who really are worth checking out.

Dan's Bed-stuy apartment is like a castle in Brooklyn ... and his record collection has tons of old punk, rock and guitar based treasures.

There's the stud on the right cooking up Ramon. Andy on the left - say hi to him if you visit NYU's library! Both awesome guys.

I got a lot of inspiration from this year's MOCCA. I want to write extensively about the best pieces in the show I saw walking around the tables - but to really articulate what is special about these pieces means further consideration, time and thought. Plus I still haven't really gotten time to sit down with my stash. So I'll plug some things and we'll come back to this.

My next convention is in Providence, Rhode Island ... The RISD alumni sale. May 1st. Hope to see you there.

And as always, you can buy issues and artwork at my etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/jackturnbull

HOT OFF THE PRESSES

2010-04-08T20:35:00.000-07:00

Invasive Exotics #4 is now being stapled and assembled just in time for the MOCCA festival in NYC! Check the link for all the details and swing by to read the final installment of 2009's story arc. These zines are limited addition and will be available online next business week on my etsy store along with ORIGINAL ARTWORK!

Whole lot of silk screening up in here.

#4 is the motherload, kids. The gloves come off but this ain't your average hockey punch-out. Get ready for 48 pages of fiery apocalyptic furious action. This is the DIY, self published ink and pen equivalent to that never ending finger tap guitar solo you can only imagine in your nightmares. Exhilarating and exhausting, Invasive Exotics #4 not only ends the first Easewell story arch, but it reads like a scythe through wheat. Puritans, posers and escape addicts beware; Invasive Exotics #4 takes the myth of male power fantasy, straddles its neck and shoves a stick of dynamite down its throat. This ain't your daddy's average Green Lantern comic book. Grab a five hour energy drink, pump your headphones up to 11 and turn to page 1.

Golden Triangle Meditations

2010-04-04T09:32:00.000-07:00

These are 8.5 * 11 except the last one which is postcard sized. Thanks to the dirt palace for silkscreen help!

Invasive Exotics #4 is out at the end of the week in time for MOCCA. More on that soon. Must. Sleep. Right. Now.

2010-03-29T15:10:00.000-07:00

Here is an illustration I have done for a Jazz Radio Station based in New Jersey. If you scroll down on this blog, you'll notice I have used the "Chippendale" color palette but have added an off white which was created by adding a scanned in "texture".

In hindsight ... and perhaps I shouldn't beat myself up too much because it is a great skill to have ... but why do I do so much digitally? I enjoy painting, particularly when I combine gouache with acrylic, ... and I've got a great sense for depicting subject matter with a very distinguished sense of the human form. Plus, my undying enthusiasm for Kentaro Miura has brought me back looking at the masters of drawing (Durer, Rembrandt, etc.). Maybe it's time to completely revamp the whole illustration portfolio? I was told I was "all over the place" when I graduated.

End of Boston/NYC art extravaganza

2010-03-01T07:19:00.000-08:00

Hi dear readers/true believers,

While I'm certain there will be times such as now where I'll not hit my personal goal of posting once every week to ten days, I'm going to give myself a break because I've been playing host to an international friend of mine. Showing her the best and brightest of northeastern America's art has taken precedence.

Wow. In the past ten days I went to about a total of 40 galleries, an "opening", two concerts and the WHITNEY BIENNIAL. I'm not going to even begin to try and dissect or analyze what I saw because it was just too massive and if art is food, I'm stuffed. All I'll say is that this year's Whitney is a massive improvement from 2008. I pat the curators on the back because the majority of pieces I thought were thought provoking, significant, timely and even at times (god forbid) aesthetically or stylistically beautiful. I'll also run off a list of artists who I think deserve particular attention from the Whitney's website.

Ari Marcopoulos
Kate Gilmore
The Bruce High Quality Foundation
Nina Berman
Roland Flexner
Jesse Aron Green
Aki Sasamoto

There's more (I told you it was an exciting show!) but I'm tired of cutting and pasting. Also on the fifth floor is a collection from past Whitney's including what were my 2 favorite pieces of my NYC trip, a Mike Kelly and a Paul Pfeiffer (not to be mistaken as the kid from the Wonder Years).

I want to write, but honestly my head is spinning, so I'm coping out with some photo essays, or as we'd say in high school "humanities visuals". These are reference photos for my next comic book and series of work - "SUBURBAN CYCLOPS HUNTERS". Enjoy!

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The Amy Bishop Case

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Artemis/Joan of Arc Study; Reference for Suburban Cyclops Hunters

Alright, I lied. I need to write a little bit.

The model in these photos is Isa Sundell. Ms. Sundell and I met about 10 years ago while I was in high school on a foreign language French trip in Paris. We were staying in the same hostile. Online social networking, instant messaging and blogs were in their infancy. We wanted to stay in contact, so we did it the old fashion way and exchanged addresses, her in Glimmshammar, Sweden, me in Ipswich, Ma, USA. We've been writing ever since.

This past week Ms. Sundell visited me in America for the first time since we began writing. Along with doing a whirlwind art tour of Boston and New York City, I showed Isa highlights of the small New England town where I was born, Ipswich. Being one of the oldest established towns in the United States, Ipswich also has THE most beautiful beach in Massachusetts, Crane's Beach. For my money, it is one of the most beautiful beaches on the planet.

Isa Sundell is one of the strongest people I know. She has battled many hardships in her life while still maintaining a grace and serenity that is noteworthy. Simultaneously gentle and honest, and at times, frank, I am honored to call her a friend and a fellow artist.

Along with being an artist, Isa Sundell is half way through medical school. She is taking a year off from medical school to practice art in Uppsalla, Sweden. She is thinking of going into Neurology.

We did two trips to Crane's Beach to get these photos. The first time it was sunny and on a weekend so there were horseback riders, men with metal detectors and many black labs running around. Crane's Beach in winter is silent, even amongst the beeps of men looking for silver and the barks of eager dogs waiting for tennis balls to be thrown. As we walked around catching up and informing one another of how our lives have altered since we last saw one another (which was almost five years ago), I had a transcendental moment. The pieces weren't all put together in my mind and maybe I've just watched one too many Bergman films, but I knew then and there we needed to return to the Beach. Ms. Sundell needed a sword.

The sword was owned by my father who passed away this summer due to a series of minor strokes that occurred over the course of about a week and a half. The experience was traumatizing for me; I had to quit my day job in New York City and move home to take care of my mother (and myself). My father was an unbelievably selfless person who I loved dearly, but he could be very mysterious. My father worked long hours at a Boston law firm where his title was administrative director. One day he returned home with a sword in his hands. My family asked him where the sword came from and he simply replied "I bought it!". The only clue to the sword's mystery was a small, translucent sticker at the sword's shaft that read "Pakistan".

I don't pretend to be Scott Schuman, "the Sartorialist", but I was a C average textile designer in Manhattan for six months, graduated from RISD and I've watched enough Project Runway to know when I see something I like.

Ms. Sundell's fashion style personifies her personality. When I asked her if she was comfortable doing the photo shoot she said "Should I wear these leg warmers?" I calmly replied "yes" but inside I was thinking "Are you KIDDING ME?! The leg warmers ARE your outfit!".

It is significant to note that Isa's gloves and leg warmers are HAND KNIT by her mother. The patterns, if I am not mistaken, are traditional Swedish textile patterns. I didn't get a good photo of it because I'm NOT Scott Schuman (and this being my first fashion shoot I was a little nervous as photographer) but the leg warmers go up about mid-thigh, thus creating a new and exciting length to co-exist with Ms. Sundell's layers.

I took the photos as reference shots for my upcoming graphic novel "Suburban Cyclops Hunters". I'm taking a short break after I complete "The Invasive Exotics" from graphic novels because, frankly, graphic novels are a lot of work and it takes a lot out of me. Sundell is playing a part and the photos are not meant to be seen as literally her, but I thought she'd be the best model for the job. She is playing the part of a spiritual bouty hunter, a woman similar to Joan of Arc or the ancient Greek goddess Artemis.

I juxtaposed these photos with Diptychs of Amy Bishop and Anton Chigurh from the Coen's Brothers Film adaption of Cormac McCarthy's "No Country for Old Men" because they represent two different forms of feminine power. Amy Bishop's power stems from desire and bitterness. Joan of Arc's power stems from grace and serenity. While I find Bishop and Joan of Arc to both be captivating, Bishop is captivating like a train wreck is captivating and Joan of Arc is captivating like a wolf or cougar seen in its natural habitat is captivating.

Somewhere in connection to these two types of power is the video art of Kate Gilmore. I'm not saying Gilmore is a psychopath OR Joan of Arc, but I am saying there is a connection. I will not comment on the meaning of her work as I am not the artist myself and no description of her work is necessary because I think the Whitney does a very nice job summing it up in a paragraph.

Cheers everyone! Spring is upon us. Next week we return to graphic novels and comics (maybe ... I'm still thinking it all over).

Futurism in Comics; Thoughts on Motion

2010-02-16T13:05:00.000-08:00

From Marilyn Stokstad's Art History Second Edition Volume 2 published by the University of Kansas:

"Italian Futurism emerged on February 20, 1909, when a controversial Milanese poet and literary magazine editor, Filippo Marinetti (1876-1944), published his 'Foundation and Manifesto of Futurism' in a Paris newspaper. An outspoken attack against everything old, dull, 'feminine', and safe, Marinetti's manifesto promoted the exhilarating 'masculine' experiences of warfare and reckless speed. Futurism aimed both to free Italy from its past and to promote a new taste for the thrilling speed, energy, and power of modern technology and modern urban life.
In April 1911 five Milanese artists issued the 'Technical Manifesto' of Futurist painting, in which they boldly declared that 'all subjects previously used must be swept aside in order to express our whirling life of steel, of pride, of fever, and of speed.'"

Futurism showcases this odd mid-point in the history of painting where working in a representational manner begins to mesh with working abstractly. This occurs because of the urge to illustrate speed. Umberto Boccioni's above painting is of a man on a horse, but the emphasis is to not illustrate anyone of particular significance; he's focusing on capturing the motion. The end result is thrilling and new for it's time. I even see a little bit of Kristin Baker in Futurism (or Futurism in Kristin Baker - you know what I'm saying).

Comics differ from painting because they are time based. Comics have to keep in check that a story is being told through a series of individual panels; the cartoonist is in charge of how much time is passing from panel to panel (a second - thousands of years - Scott McCloud in Understanding Comics has a whole chapter devoted to time).
So the concept of something like futurism in comics, or better put, the depiction of motion through time, seems somewhat counter intuitive, right? Not necessarily.

Motion through time is so commonplace in comic books we take it for granted. It's been there since AT LEAST the 40ties (Professor Calculus with his ball and string). Herge uses motion subtly and as an illustrative device here in the above panel.

However, as we go through comics history to the present day motion through time gets more expressive, decorative and fantastic.

Here's a panel from a Superman comic from 1970. The artists are Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. I wonder if they knew about the futurists or if this just happened on its own. Already in the 70ties mainstream comics are loosening up; a couple of different pens and brushes are used to illustrate this panel. Still, I find the panel to be sort of predetermined.

Once again for excitement, experimentation, ridiculous compositions and raw passion I turn to Kentaro Miura, author of Berserk. I really can't say enough about this series. It's not for everyone as it's quite possibly the ultimate male power fantasy and the most over the top horror/dark fantasies out there. Then again, if that description appeals to you go out and buy the whole series. You won't regret it. AND - 34 volumes later, HE'S STILL WORKING ON IT.
Miura is a master of sequence and aesthetic single panel composition. Usually cartoonists are good at one or the other; they're either phenomenal illustrators or wonderful sequential storytellers. Once in a blue moon you find someone who is good at both.
As far as motion through time depiction, Miura uses the device on a regular basis. About 1/3 of Berserk is battle scenes, so he gets his figure drawing workout, making movement captivating.

The above page spread (and excuse for the sub-par scan job) needs no description; the illusion of speed and time is there and yet you look at the final panel as one, solid image. Remember to "read" it from right to left.

Dash Shaw has a background in animation if I'm not mistaken, and therefore movement is paramount in Bottomless Belly Button. Like Herge, Shaw uses movement in time subtly and without emphasis. It makes reading his work extremely accessible and therefore, a "page turner". The above panel's movement is instructive, allowing the reader to know exactly where to move his eye.

Here again, Shaw uses vocabulary and movement lines to illustrate exactly what's going on. The illustration is simple and effective.

I couldn't make a post about the connections in fine art and comic books without mentioning Gary Panter. The above drawing was included in editor Sammy Harkham's "Kramer's Ergot 5". This may be better classified as "comic book art" as opposed to "sequential art" because no narrative story is being told with your traditional beginning, middle and end. Rather, Panter is using the gridded format of the comic book page and going straight to abstract expressionism. Regardless, the motion in this comic is unprecedented. It needed to be included in this post.

Here is an example of motion in comics from The Invasive Exotics Act 1. I have singled out the panel, so perhaps out of context it is harder to "read", and while drawing this I wasn't thinking "hmmm - I wonder how I can connect this with futurism". Unlike the Superman panel above, the direction Easewell is going in is a circle as she steals items from the Slimecold Secret Lab. While it may be harder to "read", I am content with the composition for its aesthetic values. Also notice the use of "speed clouds", most notably used in Road Runner cartoons (which is quite possibly the best pop reference to futurism out there).

In these two panels I was given the opportunity to perhaps do a Miura or Superman figure transformation. But, I separated the illustration into two panels and just used subtle motion lines. Maybe next time I'll take the opportunity to have her do a downwards flip. Regardless, from a narrative perspective, the reader knows whats going on.

Thoughts on Formating and Line Quality

2010-02-11T13:18:00.001-08:00

The line is what makes the cartoonist. Here in contemporary America, in our cult of originality and individuality, the cartoonist strives to go forward, look avant-garde and make his line stand out; even amongst mainstream art worlds like super hero comics, to have a distinctive line is paramount. Everyone in the game can recognize the line of Jack Kirby, Walt Simonson, Zeb Wells, Paul Pope, etc., etc.

One way I've been playing around with shifting line quality is switching the scale of my originals. I got this idea from Paul Pope (See above image - I WANT TO SCREAM IN ECSTASY AT HOW AWESOME THAT WOLF IS), who has some pretty cool youtube interviews where his original drawings are shown larger than the average bear. Pope has a very seductive brush quality I envy, but he can't get that look without using India ink like gestural painting brush strokes.

For a full frontal portrait of a mutated Byron Slimecold coming through the mist of hot fudge vents, I decided to work big. I was able to work with prismacolor markers. It was very liberating. My hand moved faster, but overall to finish the portrait took about the same amount of time as any panel due to the scale. Here's a close up with a bad cropping job on my part.

On the other side of the gestural line is Kentaro Miura, my Japanese Manga God, author of the forever evolving dark fantasy/horror series "Berserk". Berserk takes place in a Medieval/Renaissance European influenced world and Miura's art history references reflect this time period.

Sometimes I look through Berserk and I feel Miura is channeling the twisted off-spring of Albert Durer and Hieronymus Bosch, but with Mannerist compositions. Particularly in the later volumes of Berserk, I keep on thinking "these would make GREAT etchings". But they're not! They're Japanese comic books!

Miura's line is tight, repetitive and full of cross hatching. I'm sure he uses a brush, but the dip pen takes precedence.

While arguably a Pope gestural brush stroke would be more "liberating" for the artist, I feel the repetitive and fast cross hatching of Miura could/would be just as satisfying as one is continuously batting down on the page. I'm not sure what scale Miura works on, but the final product is about half the size of your standard American Marvel comic book, so I'm guessing he works small.

Here's a page from THE INVASIVE EXOTICS ISSUE #3 where I feel I effectively used scale to my advantage. Here is an atmosphere sequence illustrating the charging of Sludgewater Security forces invading a section of Brooklyn. Looking back, I feel this page is a bit rushed (I wanted to get it out in time for the Brooklyn comics and graphics festival that happened last month) but at the same time it gives the page a loose, faux-naivete that is appealing. Plus, horror or menace just isn't as scary without irony or humor. Simply put, those building windows wouldn't be as fun had I drawn them on a small scale.

Sometimes the secret of being an artist is to continue having things feel fresh and fun. This is VERY difficult in comic books and probably why there just aren't a lot of us around. You draw a LOT of the same exact things and since one is constricted to telling a story sometimes getting loose is a challenge. But that's a challenge for each artist, how do you keep it fresh ...

Blog Name Switch/Thoughts on Color

2010-02-04T06:29:00.000-08:00

First and foremost dear readers, you will notice an address change for my blog. The title change is minimal, but in the world of aesthetic politics it is infinite.

As of ... the past year I'd say ... I'm not very comfortable addressing myself as an illustrator. The title has a lot of baggage, particularly amongst posturing fine art circles, but more importantly I find the title to be misleading and inaccurate. I've worked as an editorial illustrator consistently for one publication for about 1/2 years now, with the exception of small gigs here and there. While it's been a great source of funny money, and a good formal exercise, it is, simply put, not where my heart is.

I've been holding back with my passion for comic books and graphic novels for years due to a lack of enthusiasm. This has subsided recently and I've released 3 mini comics in the last year and am revamping the web page to address this as my main focus. My departure from comics is complicated and many factors play into why I've let go to the form, but these reasons are not really important anymore.

So welcome to "Jack Turnbull Studios" - where you can see behind the scenes process shots of the FINALE to THE INVASIVE EXOTICS along with my thoughts on the comic book form. Like Dan Nadel's Comics Comics blog, Brian Chippendale's Marvelous Coma blog and Frank Santoro's Cold Heat Comics blog, this will include more than just process posts; there will also be review posts, thoughts on painting (which I still do even though I haven't done seriously for a year), art, illustration, design, daily life, etc., etc.

THOUGHTS ON COLOR PALLETTES

As much as I love little mini comics that are published at Kinkos, man, do I ever miss working in color.

6 months out of college I spent 6 months interning at a textile firm in midtown Manhattan. I have no idea why they hired me as my portfolio was entirely made up of cartoonish, ironic illustrations and comic books. My reasons for taking the job were half thought threw and influenced by the struggling economy. Needless to say, I wasn't very good at designing patterns for 13 year old girls and I constantly felt like the office tool. But I was able to get some good design experience out of my time there and was taught to think about color in a new way that wasn't addressed to me while at RISD (not hatin' on RISD mind you).

The color palettes which were used at the textile firm were very specific and decided with the utmost dedication, thought and sincerity. For a while afterwords I would remember color palettes in my head from working there - so for a while I think everything I made had the colors of a springtime dress. Now I have the time and energy to grab my own colors from my own sources.
The above silkscreen is a Brian Chippendale show poster from 2003, a few years after Fort Thunder was turned into a Shaws and right before another mass eviction was conducted in Providence. I'm getting away from the theme of this post, and I'm considering doing a solo post on this subject, but I can't help but mention what's going on visually with this poster. While the colors are a little off for me (I don't think the bottom meshes with the top, but then it wouldn't be a wild-n-crazy Chippendale print without a little "oh the hell with it" thrown in), it's like looking at a "Pop Pollack". 50 years after the American art world was split between Warholians and Abstract expressionists, Chippendale unknowingly bridges the gap by Silk screening these wild brush strokes and placing a He-Man character in the middle in full lotus. F-ing BRILLIANT!

But true to form, this is a color post so let's observe closer to the top of this poster where the color works best.

Now let's go one step further and separate these colors.

My first observation is how feminine this palette is. This could easily be a neon bikini bathing suit textile pattern palette. But Chippendale is unmistakeably masculine in his art and music (it's not just a clever name). He's a comic book artist (amongst other things) and this palette has a breath of warms and 1 cool, but what more do you need if that cool dominates?

Here is a page from Walter Simonson and Archie Goodwin's "Manhunter" anthology which was turned onto me by Frank Santoro. Simonson is a master of the form and is acknowledged as such, but more underrated is his colorist, Klaus Janson. I first was turned onto Janson as someone to look at from a post on Comics Comics. While this palette is more elaborate and has more colors, and one has to take into consideration it must deal with two images in two panels, it is still worth observing and comparing to the Chippendale print. Now - my old textile boss would be throwing a hissy fit at me for scanning straight paper and grabbing color as a scanner will distort the pure color, but you get a gist of what's going on here from above. Chippendale's and Janson's electric blues are very similar as well as their salmon reds. Chippendale is a little more juiced in saturation.

Picasso says "good artists barrow, great artists steal", so I'm going to be playing with these palettes, maybe adding/subtracting to them a bit once the Invasive Exotics is concluded.

Color is used very differently now that mainstream comics are printed digitally. The above page is something that came up when I google searched "Marvel Comics Page". While the colors are more infinite in range (I couldn't possible do a swatch for this page), I find that colors cancel one another out and lack significance. The result is an effect more cinematic and "real" looking, but I don't want my comics looking real! It's a personal preference, I mean, I also like technicolor movies. I could watch Henry V for the colors alone (my modern tounge is way to pedestrine to follow Shakespeare's language ... sorry, I was an art student!). But I like the idea of carefully choosing colors as opposed to having the ability to use every color you want.