Went to Staple yesterday and had fun. Bought a few books, one with a sketch of Freddie Mercury in the It's a Hard Life video, and the third BPRD book signed by Guy Davis. I liked it a lot.

Staple! The Independent Media Expo is this Saturday in Austin. I'm excited, as I haven't been to a expo in a while. Luckily they will have good artists and I will try and network to see if I can find a good artist for "Shannon".

Seein as this will be showing up in Previews the first week of January, here ya go:



SHUDDERTOWN #1 (OF 4)

Story by NICK SPENCER
Art and cover by ADAM GEEN
Letters by THOMAS MAUER
Cover design by TIM DANIEL

MARCH 31
32 pgs/FC
$3.50

The dead are killing, and troubled homicide cop Isaac Hernandez is on a desperate search for answers. His investigation leads him deep into the corridors of the Shuddertown housing projects, and towards a truth too terrible to face.

A story of guilt, redemption, and resurrection; perfect for fans of THE WIRE, MULHOLLAND DRIVE, and SE7EN.

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http://adamgeen.com/shuddertown-01-INT-02.jpg

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http://adamgeen.com/shuddertown-01-INT-04.jpg

Went to a little convention today that we have in Des Moines. It's pretty small, but seemed fairly well attended. Plus I got to meet Sean "Cheeks" Galloway and Ryan Benjamin, who are both really cool. Came home with a nice, hard-bound sketchbook from Sean (w/ signed Kuta sketch) and 2 signed prints from Ryan.

And got a sneak peek at the storyboards for Cheeks' upcoming Bastion's 7 project (cause I asked for Kuta for my sketch) which is a really cool approach to storytelling that sort of combined comics and storyboarding. And the sexy hard copy version of Ryan's Pancratia online comic.

Plus it's November 7th and it's frikken' gorgeous in Iowa. YAYZ

Hope everyone is having a great weekend like me. Love to all the Zeds on this B-E-A-yooooooooo-tiful day.

Hey guys. In a recent episode of "The Simpsons" Comic Book guy created a comic book called "Every Man" that was made into a movie. Now since this is The Simpsons, everything goes horribly wrong. But it got me thinking. When (not if, because theis TONS of great talent on this site) you comic becomes popular, and a big name movie studio comes knockin' at your door to make it into a movie, if you go ahead and do it (not everyone wants their comic to become a movie, Alan Moore comes to mind immediately), just how much involvement would you want? Would you let the studios have complete control and just have faith that it'll be a good movie, or will you have some control? If it were me, I'd make sure I had a hand in all of the big decisions. Now I know that I've never made a movie before, but if someone wants to make a movie based off of Catboy, Kninjai Infinity, or Blu Rush, they'd have to be willing to work with me. And It'd be varying degrees of control depending on the movie. Examples:

Catsting for any movie based off of my comics:
I'd want a say in the casting because I wan't someone who can act as opposed to someone who's just popular at the moment (ie. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark vs. Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl). Plus, not to sound paranoid, but there's no way in hell someone's going to whitewash my characters (Example: the characters of "Avatar: The Last Airbender" vs. the cast of Paramount's "M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender"). I intentionally make the characters in my comics diverse because, well... let's be honest, a large majority of the main characters in comics (American ones at least) are Caucasian males. When I create a new character I think "What kind of character do I not have?". I didn't have any Homosexual characters, so I made some gay characters for Blu Rush and some of my other comics. I don't have a lot of Caucasian characters, so I made The Immortal Game and The Sentinel. I didn't have a comic with a main female character, so I made The Legend of Kagura and another currently untitled comic. I also try to make sure these characters are more than just Tokens. I make sure that they contribute to the story, and I'd hate it if someone made a strong African-American/Japanese/Korean/Hispanic/Lesbian/Homosexual/Male/Female/etc character that I love into a caucasian heterosexual male. I just dont see the point. If it won't make the movie any better, why do it? (I'm looking at you Whiteout).

Kninjai Infinity:
Writing: I love the comic, but I know for a fact that there are some things in the comic that won't translate well into a movie (Echo having straight hair is the first that comes to mind). I love the world I've created, but I'm willing to not write a Kninjai Infinity movie. I don't want a movie that's just a slave to the comic. I will however do quality control on any script. And any change from the comic must be justified. If the writers cant justify making Kninjai Infinity take place 50 years in the future, or making it take place in space, or erasing Echo's memories with an adamantium bullet (seriously, WTF was that?!), then it aint gonna happen. If they make the movie take place during World War II and the movie is f*cking amazing and would be terrible if it didn't take place in WWII, then go ahead and do it. Another change is something comic fans seem to hate. That's Original Characters. My position is, if the role this character serves is important to the movie, makes the movie better, and there is no character from the original comic that can do the same thing, then go ahead and do it. Just please don't make a f*cking Mary-Sue!

Directing: I want to direct movies, and I want to direct a Kninjai Infinity Movie, but I'd rather co-direct Kninjai Infinity because I'd need SOMEONE to tell me "Hey dude, this won't work. Why don't we try this?" And this may sound arrogant, but the director needs to be good. Brett Ratner? No. Uwe Boll? f*ck no? Zack Snyder? Yes. Christopher Nolan? Yes! Stephen Spielberg or James Cameron? OMG YES!

Catboy:
Writing: Same as Kninjai Infinity.

Directing: This may sound funny, But I want to direct a Catboy movie by myself.

Blu Rush
Writing: I'd like to write a Blu Rush movie Script, or at least co-write it.

Directing: Same as Catboy

The Greatest Thief in the World
Writing: Same as Kninjai Infinity

Directing: I'd direct it as a last resort. If a good director wants to direct it, then by all means he/she/they can have it. If not, I'll do it.

One thing that's non-negotiable is that all of these movies should be in Stereoscopic 3D. I love 3D movies so I wan't to make the movies I work on in 3D. Besides, read Kninjai Infinity or Catboy and tell me that they're NOT made for 3D?

So it ultimately depends on the comic and who may or not work on it. That's my opinion, what's yours?

Hi guys. I'm been a little busy with my other stuff at DeviantART, but I've got a new pitch for you.

Gunn for Hire is a Hong Kong-inspired (mostly by John Woo's "Heroic Bloodshed" genre) action thriller set in New York City which chronicles disgraced ex-cop Quentin Gunn and his crew in his troubleshooting agency, which their gun shop is a front, facing a criminal anarchist mastermind named Big Smiley, who is determined to put the city into total chaos.

I hope you like this new pitch. And I welcome your feedback.

Gunn for Hire Z2H pitch

Time for another informal opinion poll.
First, for the sake of argument here, we are going to assume that while there are poor artists in the world (I'm looking at one every time I shave) none of them are currently working in the comic book industry.  Anyone who is good enough to be hired to draw a comic has some artistic merit.  That, however, does not mean you need to like the work of all the artists.  I happen to think that many are great, some are mediocre (to my tastes), and others don't appeal to me at all.  It's all subjective, but the point of this is not to point out which artists you like and don't like but to simply make a choice.
And the choice is simple.
Would you rather read a series of comics (say a six part story) that has great writing with interesting characters, a good plot, solid plot twists and all the other things that go into good writing and art that you really don't like (not bad art, but as far as possible from what you like) or would you rather read a six part series featuring gorgeous, stunning artwork that you absolutely think is among the finest you have seen accompanying a story that is simply putrid?   The characters are shallow and unbelievable, the plot has holes you could fly a 747 through, the villain is weak and predictable, the dialogue flat and stupid.
No altering the choices or making qualifications.  Let's say the characters and concepts are all new, so it's not like one has your favorite character in it.  The choice is simple.  Do you want to see art you really enjoy with a crappy story or a great story with art you really don't like?
It's your call.

This is actually a highres CG of Black Wolf I did, so you guys can actually print this out to poster size if you like :) That's all for now. Catch you guys later. Peace :)-GIO

 

Finished the lineart today for page 121, the first half of the last two page spread of the book. I'll put up the whole lineart for the 2 page spread tomorrow when I finish the last page.

 
Lately I haven't been staying on inking like I need to. Been distracted trying  to put my stuff up everywhere. Time to buckle down and get this book done baby! LOL! More on the way :)

Oh, btw, this is lineart becuase it's going to be full color for the prited book :) Have a great weekend everybody. Peace! :D-GIO

To follow up on my previous blog about Super Heroes in comics I would like to point out something I discovered some time ago and then relate it back to the topic at hand for your thoughts and opinions.  No need to raise your hands - just shout out your answers.
What I discovered some years back is that regardless of genre, a good story is a good story.  We all have preferences, naturally.  Some of us like horror, some science fiction, some mysteries, others Western or even Romance.  And some of us like many of those.  The point is, I have discovered that good writing and interesting and compelling stories are not the sole property of any one genre.  Oh sure, each category has its particular necessities (a horror story is supposed to scare you, a mystery is supposed to leave you puzzled and guessing until the end and so on), but in each genre there are examples of stories written well and stories written not so well.  I suspect, though I could be wrong, that many people look down on Romance Novels.  Well, I have met, spoken with, and read the stories of some Romance Novelists, and many of them write very well indeed.
So what? you say.
So this: tell me what you don't like about super hero comics (even if you're a fan.  I'm a fan, but there is plenty I think they could do better).  I'm not talking about titles or characters here.  This is not a discussion about whether Superman should hang up his cape or the Avengers should disband again, or that you don't like what a certain writer is doing to a certain character or team.
All stories can be written well.  Super hero stories can be (and often are) written well.  What are the mistakes they make?  How could we improve the genre?  I will share my thoughts later, either in a reply here or a separate blog, but I would really like to hear yours.
Thank you for your time!

I started work on Tuesday selling adspace by phone for a Spanish-written newspaper. Just four hours daily but it gets me by until I find another better job.

A simple question, but one I'm curious about.  I am making the assumption that you do love comics, though if you don't I'd like to know why you are here.  Comics are great.  I have loved reading and collecting them since I was a very young boy.  But why do I love them so?  What is it that attracted me to them?
I like good stories about interesting characters, and while there have been some bad comics along the way, there have been far more well written books detailing the adventures of some great characters who now seem like old friends.
I enjoy good artwork, and the number of great illustrators has been legion over the years, including many "as yet undiscovered" stars right here on this site.  We have some phenomenal talent here, writers and artists.
But if I like good stories there are thousands and thousands of great books out there - so many I will never be able to read all that I enjoy.
And great artwork?  Go to a gallery.  Buy a magazine.  Search the internet.  You can find wonderful images in abundance.
But only in comics are they put together in this wonderful amazing way, each complementing each other (when done right) and making the whole far greater than the sum of the parts.
What else did I like about comics?  The fact the stories came out monthly (or bi-monthly at worst, usually).  Like the old movie serials, you got a continuing adventure that you could follow month after month, year after year.
How often have you finished a great book only to wish there could be more?  Happens to me all the time.  In comics you get the best of both worlds.  A great story, and (usually) the knowledge that a new adventure set in the same world is going to take place starting in just a few short weeks.  Magic.
I always loved the way comics made me feel.  The sense of wonder as I looked through the racks for the new releases, or the feeling of excitement when discovering a sought-after back title.  When you have a new unopened, unread comic in front of you it is like you are a child again, about to discover something new and wonderful about the world, or maybe some other world.
I love comics.  What about you?

Been working on a new webcomic. Axis Mundi. And you'll see the pitch here soon enough. Yes, it's a obvious attempt to get readers, but who cares? Awesome is awesome, and the art for this will be awesome.

Rather than actually posting anything substantive here, I'm just going to not...do...that. I'm in between writing projects, rewriting projects to be exact. It's Sunday night. Oh my!

So, on with the show.

Oh no! That's just...why?!?! Quatto is the Reagan/Thatcher head. Is it just me, or does anyone else think a sitcom starring Douglas Quaid and Quatto sharing a one bedroom apartment in New York seem like GENIUS...writ large on a big billboard in awesometown?!?! I know. I'm tuning in already, in my head...and my heart of hearts; it's already in it's seventh season.

Remember that episode where Quatto and Quaid go on a double date? Quatto wants Quaid's date and vice versa. Hi-Jinks ensue. Minds are opened. Smooothh like silk... that voice!

This all has something vaguely to do with Gustav Hayes, y'know, somewhere in there it's influenced the direction of the comic. Hasn't everything though?!?! It's a big soup, that book.

Next time: I'm going to somehow equate a scene in Missing In Action 2, wherein Norris gets his face put in a bag with a rabid angry rat....and the rat loses! yeah, I'll make a correlation between that and reading a COMPANY WIDE CROSSOVER event from one of the big two. Who's the rat?! Who's Chuck Norris?!!? Who's the bag?!?! No matter the metaphor...we all lose.

Okay, I've got a few links that have been sitting open in tabs in Firefox for a few days now that I've been meaning to share.

First is a site with five pictures from the new Wolverine movie. It's looking pretty sweet, and I'm already sure I'm going to see this one the day it comes out.

The second is a list of the top ten comic book villians. It's a pretty good list, although I'm somewhat unfamiliar with the last one on the list.

Spoiler: The Joker is #1, which I definitely agree with. If you haven't read Alan Moore's "The Killing Joke", stop what you're doing, and go read it right this instant. I'm not joking. It's one of the best written stories I've read in a long time.

Okay, I thought I had a third link, but it looks like I lost it somewhere. Oh well!

Cheers,
 rebelcan