Star Wars Wednesay #46: THE EMPIRE

I almost had this up last week, then the power went out. I was among those who lost power for a couple of days here in South Jersey.

This is kind of a cmpanion to the last Star Wars Wednesday. I pulled the text from The Empire Strikes Back title.

Thanks for looking,
Mike

Star Wars Wednesday #45: REBELS

Inspired by this (text is from the Star Wars: Rebels logo):


Thanks for looking,
Mike

News and Stuff

I'm not sure I'll have new art up today for Star Wars Wednesdays, I'm linking to some Star Wars related stuff for now.

Rumor: The second Star Wars anthology film will feature both Boba Fett and Han Solo. They better get the right actor for Han or this movie fails. 

I can't explain why this video is so funny, but it had me in tears! Thanks to The Star Wars Expanded Universe Chronology for directing us to this. 

And I've got my first old toy up for sale on my comics for sale blog. I apologize for not including pics. They'll be up soon.

Thanks for looking,

Mike

Talormine

This is a concept sketch for a Talormine, a sentient species of the planet Argoth found in the the book Bid the Gods Arise.

Thanks for looking,
Mike

Star Wars Wednesday #44: THE BOUNTY HUNTER ON ORD MANTELL

Skorr. India ink on cardstock.

I have a feeling the new Marvel comics are getting ready to overwrite this character, but I'm hoping they bring Skorr back as the bounty hunter on Ord Mantell that Han refers to in The Empire Strikes Back. It would be a great homage to the stories told by Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson in the Star Wars newspaper strips. 

While looking up a link to the story, I came across Nathan Butler's Star Wars Library #40 which deals with the story I'm referring to. At around 5:10 he explains the story I'm referencing. Then goes on to explain how other authors tried to tell the same story. I wasn't aware of these other stories, so I thought it was kind of fascinating. (By the way, Nathan is the author of the Star Wars Timeline Gold.)

Thanks for looking,
Mike
For commissions or requests: lynchmikew@gmail.com

COMIC BOOKS FOR SALE

I've been updating my comic books for sale blog and thought I'd highlight it in a post.

Check it out.

comicbookstobuy.blogspot.com

NOT A KIRBY CHARACTER: Batman!

Just for fun....

....and to get some inking practice with a Pitt Artist Brush Pen.

This is me inking over a Jack Kirby illustration. I wanted to do a character that, as far as I know, Kirby never did. I was going to just do Batman in Kirby's style, but then I thought it'd be cool if it really looked like Kirby drew it. I got the idea from a drawing Darwyn Cooke did:

(via comicartfans)

So, I found an illustration of Captain America, Bucky, and the Red Skull:

(via Jack Kirby Museum)

Then, I converted the drawing to blueline, redrew some parts to make it look like Batman, Robin, and the Joker, then inked it. 

I read that Cooke used the Pitt Artist pens and then saw some videos of him using them to great success. He manages to make them look like real brushwork. I feel like it was mostly successful. Some areas could have used a little more care. I feel like my scanner isn't working as well anymorre also. (Can anyone recommend a scanner that holds up over time and makes crisp clean scans?)

It was a lot of fun. I may do more of these for more inking practice.

Thanks for looking.

Mike

Star Wars Wednesday #43: MARA JADE

Mara Jade. India ink on bristol board, 6x9. 

Here's the second one for today. 

I'm planning to focus on classic characters on Star Wars Wednesdays, but here is one of two characters from Legends that I really wanted to draw. Mara Jade is a fan favorite created by Timothy Zahn. This drawing is based on a scene from The Last Command, the final book in his trilogy that started the Expanded Universe (there were other novels prior to Zahn's, but his book really got the EU going). 

There are a lot of pictures of Mara Jade out there, usually dressed in a skin tight black outfit. I used the cover of The Last Command as a reference for Jade's look here. 

I read somewhere that Mara Jade will not be part of Luke Skywalker's future. In Legends, they are married. I'm okay with the change, but it would be cool if the story group brought the character into the New Canon in some way. 

They'll probably change that other Legends character I plan to draw as well, but I'm hoping they bring him back and just revise him. Who is it? You'll just have to tune in next week to see.

Thanks for looking,

Mike

For commissions or requests: lynchmikew@gmail.com

Star Wars Wednesday #42: I'D WANT TO CHANGE MY NAME TOO

Count Dooku. Ink on cardstock

Star Wars fans, ever wonder if Dooku went to the Dark Side just so he could change his name? Seriously, Darth Tyranus sounds way cooler.

Anyway. I'm going to use this platform to really experiment stylistically, so I hope you stick with me and see where things go. 

Since I missed last week, I'm going to attempt to get another drawing up today. 

I also need to start making Star Wars Wednesdays a little more beefed up. This week I'll share the scene that inspired today's illustration. 

Thanks for looking,
Mike
For commissions or requests: lynchmikew@gmail.com

Star Wars Art by Other People

I had something ready for today, but decided I wanted to redo it. So I'll share someone else's Star Wars art that I came across this week.

Freelance artist Joe Hogan has started a webcomic called Star Wars: Clone Wars Resolutions, and for a fan project, it's quality stuff. In the first post from last year, he describes it this way:

This is a blog dedicated to the production of a massive collaborative fan project, Clone Wars Resolutions. The idea is to create a collection of web comic vignettes done by some of the best unknown artists the internet has to offer, which will, in our hearts, resolve the stories of the characters we've come to love from the canceled series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

It's good stuff. I find it a little hard to read, so I'm hoping it gets converted to a better platform for reading webcomics. Although I use Blogger, it's not very good for reading webcomics unless you publish the pages at a large size. However, you do have the option to download a pdf of each comic at the end of each post, which makes it easier to read. Check it out: http://clonewarsresolutions.blogspot.com/

While looking at some other stuff that Hogan did, I came across a motion comic he made a few years back. This guy is dedicated!

Thanks for looking,
Mike

Star Wars Wednesday #41: X-WING

Thanks for looking,
Mike
For commissions or requests: lynchmikew@gmail.com

Star Wars Wednesday #40: ANOTHER COPILOT OF THE FALCON

Nien Nunb. India ink on paper.

After LFL

To see more Star Wars Wednesdays as well as other Star Wars art, check out the archives or my Star Wars fan art page.

Thanks for looking,

Mike

For commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

The Force Awakens Trailer #2

I'm sure most of you saw this already, but it should be posted on this blog:


Also, I'm wondering if this will become a thing:

Chewbacca died in the Expanded Universe novel The New Jedi Order: Vector Prime. I have a feeling that the last shot in the trailer brought a big smile to everyone, even fans of the Expanded Universe like myself.

Star Wars Wednesday #38: THE UNIVERSE FORMERLY KNOWN AS EXPANDED

Prince Isolder. India ink on bristol, 6x9. 

Because I missed Star Wars Wednesday last week, I'm posting two today. This is the second one. Here's the first one.

I titled this post The Universe Formerly Known as Expanded because I drew a prince and this post is about what was know as Star Wars The Expanded Universe. Get it?

Anyway....

I've wanted to devote a post to what was formerly known as the Expanded Universe. Much has been written about it, especially in the last year. The Expanded Universe is the collection of novels, short stories, comics, games, and other media that continue the tell the stories of characters from the movies or create new characters. It expanded on the Star Wars movies for the last 20 plus years.

Well, last year it was done away with and rebooted by Disney's Lucasfilm division. A new Canon was and is being created. You can imagine how fans who invested money and time collecting and reading all of that material felt about Disney's actions. I understand the outrage on one hand, but I can also understand why Disney would do this as they move forward with new movies.

I won't say a whole lot about it because I know the general public just doesn't care. I'll have a bunch of links at the end of this for those interested in exploring the Expanded Universe, or Legends as it's now called. I do think that in some cases, Disney/Lucasfilm threw out the baby with the bath water. That's why I chose the character I drew for today's post (plus it contributed to my hilarious title....Come on! It's funny!). My drawing of Prince Isolder is based on the character painted by Drew Struzan on the original cover of The Courtship of Princess Leia (drawin in the style of Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars--one of my favorite things Star Wars that had already been discarded from Star Wars continuity before the reboot). I feel that Disney/Lucasfilm was being kind of lazy by wiping the slate completely clean. There are stories that they could have left in the new Canon. This is the story that leads up to the marriage of Han and Leia. I can't think of anything in the book that contradicts the now established Canon. Unless, *gasp* Han and Leia will not be married going forward from Return of the Jedi!

Courtship also introduces us to Dathomir and the Witches of Dathomir, which have been used in the established Canon. It's possible that I'm not remembering something that contradicts. I'm not an expert of the Expanded Universe that some fans are. That's where the links below come in. There are other books that probably could have been left in the new Canon. Maybe as things move forward, they will bring some stories back into the fold.

I've rambled too long. Here are some links for further reading:

This is a good article for those who have no idea what the Expanded Universe is and explains it better that I did in this post

Here is Wookieepedia's explanation of the Expanded Universe

An official statement from StarWars.com posted last year on things going forward in the Star Wars Universe.

The Star Wars Timeline Gold is an exhaustive chronological collection of all of the Expanded Universe/Legends and now Canon. It's pretty incredible.

The Star Wars Expanded Universe Chronology is another exhaustive timeline, but a more user friendly if you find The Star Wars Timeline Gold a little intimidating. It's the one I often reference.

I don't agree with this list completely, but it ain't bad: The 10 Best Stories in the Star Wars Expanded Universe.

Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. I'd love to see how other fans feel about this topic.

Thanks for looking,

Mike

For commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

Star Wars Wednesday #37: VADER

Since I missed Star Wars Wednesday last week, I'm posting two today. This is the first one. Here's the second one.

Thanks for looking,

Mike
For commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

Star Wars Art by Other People

I couldn't get around to finishing a new piece of Star Wars fan art for Star Wars Wednesday. It was bound to happen. There's enough out there on the internet worth sharing. Here's a video I had planned to show a couple of weeks ago. It's an expanded version of an anime style Star Wars short that has been out there a couple of years. It's pretty great:



Thanks for looking,
Mike

Star Wars Wednesday #36: THE HERO OF THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

Lobot. Ink on bristol board, 6x9.

after LFL

Inked with a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen

Thanks for looking,

Mike

For commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

Remember, my prices are discounted until September 30th.

Star Wars Wednesday #35: "BOUNTY HUNTERS. WE DON'T NEED THEIR SCUM."

Bossk. Ink on bristol board, 6x9

After LFL

Drawn with a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen

Almost didn't get this one up today. It'll be interesting to see if I can continue this once a week up to December.

Thanks for looking,

Mike

For commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

Star Wars Wednesday#34: THINGS A JEDI WOULD NEVER SAY

Mace Windu. India ink on cardstock.

Another busy week, another quick one.

I know if you have to explain a joke it's not as funny, but I might need to for this one. This is Mace Windu. He is played by Samuel L. Jackson in Episodes I - III. He's a very stiff, emotionless, humorless character.  He'd never say, "Hold on to your butts."

And here is Jackson in Jurassic Park:

I thought it'd be funny if Mace Windu said that.

And there you go.

Thanks for looking,
Mike
For commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

BID THE GODS ARISE: A Special Sneak Peek

Darkhorn Fell (Chapter 34 Header from Bid the Gods Arise).

     In the midst of the valley, like a monolithic spike thrust into the ground, was the most unusual mountain he had ever seen. Leaning at a stark angle, the jagged thorn of stone stood taller than the sides of the gorge, and filled half of the floor. It loomed larger and larger as the caravan dropped lower, and several crooked barbs reached up from its midsection. Then it hit him. 
     It’s not a mountain. 
     It’s a tree.

It's been a while since I shared anything from my illustration project and I've gotten the okay to show a completely finished piece. We decided this was okay to show since another version of Darkhorn Fell appears on the cover.

And for something a little different, below is the original piece before I make adjustments in Photoshop. I don't usually go into process on this blog (there's enough of that out there by artists who do a good job of showing that sort of thing).

Anyway, some of the headers I'm creating for Bid the Gods Arise are done in pencil, then inked over in a traditional manner. In some cases I draw the header on thinner paper and lightbox it onto something heavier like bristol board or cardstock. In this case, I turn the rough drawing into blue line in Photoshop, print it out, then ink over it. Then I scan the inked version, remove the blue in PS, adjust the blacks a little and there you go.

Darkhorn Fell (Chapter 34 Header from Bid the Gods Arise).
Ink on archival cardstock, 8.5 x 11 (4 x 8 image area)

Thanks for looking,
Mike
For commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

Star Wars Wednesday #33: A QUICKIE

It was kind of a busy week, so here's a quick sketch of Max Rebo.

Thanks for looking,
Mike
For commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

Star Wars Wednesday #32: SHE'S GOT IT WHERE IT COUNTS, KID

The Millennium Falcon. Ink on cardstock.

Inked with a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen

Thanks for looking,

Mike

For commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

KIRBY CHARACTERS: The Marvel Universe

This is kind of a "Throwback Thursday" post. I've been kind of busy with other art jobs, so I'm cheating with this post. Actually, I'm going to take a break from Kirby Characters for a little while to get caught up on other things.

Anyway, before anyone gets technical with me and objects to Jack Kirby creating the Marvel Universe, I'd say he, along with Stan Lee and Steve Ditko on Spider-Man, essentially created the Marvel U. Of course, he didn't create every character, but without his work in the 60s, we probably wouldn't have Marvel.

I mean, look at who's represented. Four of the original Avengers who also have had their own books since the 60s (Captain America and Iron Man shared a book originally). He co-created the Fantastic Four and the X-Men. There's even some debate whether he had a hand in creating Marvel's most iconic character Spider-Man, not to take anything away from Steve Ditko. Apparently, he also had some input in the creation of Daredevil as well.

Anyway, the pics above where originally posted here:
Thor
X-Men
Captain America
The Incredible Hulk
Iron Man
Thing

And here's all of my Kirby Character posts so far. I hope to be back with this series soon. If you have any requests let me know and I'll try to post them as soon as possible.

Thanks for looking,
Mike
For comic art commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

Star Wars Wednesday #31: A-WING

A-Wing. India ink on card stock.

Inked with Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Brush Pens

So, here's something a little different for today's Star Wars Wednesday. Up until now, I've only drawn characters from Star Wars. I want to start mixing in some of the other things that make Star Wars great. I'm also trying out a different format for these little drawings like I did last week with my Kirby Characters series. 

Thanks for looking,
Mike
For commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

KIRBY CHARACTERS: Lightray

Lightray. Ink on bristol board, 6x9

Inked with a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen

I'm trying out a new format for some illustrations on the blog. It's nothing others haven't done, but what do you think?

Lightray was created by Jack Kirby for DC Comics. His first appearance was in New Gods#1 (1971).

Thanks for looking,

Mike

For comic art commissions:lynchmikew@gmail.com

Star Wars Wednesday #30: THRAWN

Grand Admiral Thrawn

My friend Robert Mullin requested I draw a character from Timothy Zahn's Thrawn Trilogy in the style of Genndy Tartakovsky's Clone Wars. I thought it was a great idea and I've been looking forward to sharing this piece. I'm hoping to draw some more Expanded Universe (Legends) characters like this for future Star Wars Wednesdays. 

I really wanted to do something more elaborate with the background, but I just didn't have the time for this one. My original idea was to have a painted background similar to what background artists did for the Clone Wars series. Scroll down to see what I mean. 

The black and white original. India ink on bristol board, 6x9.

Drawn with Faber-Castell Pitt artist pens

The background in the image below is by legendary concept artist Ralph McQuarrie. I put this together in Photoshop just to see how it would work. I'm in no way claiming this is my own art. It was purely for fun. But something like this is what I originally intended to do for this piece. If I find the time, I may come back to this piece with a new background. 

What I really wanted to do for this week's Star Wars Wednesday.

As I said, this Star Wars Wednesday was inspired by a request. I'd love to take more requests, so if there's anything you'd like to see me draw feel free to let me know. 

To see more Star Wars Wednesdays as well as other Star Wars art, check out the archives or my Star Wars fan art page.

Thanks for looking,

Mike

For commissions (or requests): lynchmikew@gmail.com

KIRBY CHARACTERS: Kang the Conqueror

Kang the Conqueror. Ink on bristol board, 6x9. 

Digital color

Kang the Conqueror was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for Marvel Comics. His first appearance was in Avengers #8 (1964).

Thanks for looking,

Mike

For comic art commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

Star Wars Wednesday #29: SEEMS LIKE A COOL GUY

General Rieekan. Ink on bristol board, 6x9.

After LFL

Inked with a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen

Even though he only has a small part in The Empire Strikes Back, I always liked General Rieekan. I don't know if it was that awesome voice or his understanding of Han's predicament, but he seems like a guy you would want to both be in charge and have a beer with. 

Thanks for looking,

Mike 

For commissions: lymchmikew@gmail.com 

KIRBY CHARACTERS: Kalibak

Kalibak. Ink on bristol board, 6x9.

Inked with a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen

Kalibak was created by Jack Kirby for DC Comics. His first appearance was in New Gods #1 (1971).

Thanks for looking,

Mike

For comic art commissions: lyncmikew@gmail.com

Star Wars Wednesday #28: MORE BECOMING OF A JEDI

Aayla Secura's Force Ghost. Ink on bristol board, 6x9. Digital Color

Inked with a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen

I imagine that Aayla Secura's Force ghost would be dressed more like a Jedi. 

Thanks for looking,

Mike

For commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

KIRBY CHARACTERS: Juggernaut

Juggernaut. Ink on bristol board, 6x9.

Inked with a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen

Juggernaut was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for Marvel Comics. His first appearance was in X-Men #12 (1965)

Thanks for looking,

Mike

For comic art commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

Star Wars Wednesday #27: ASSASSIN DROID

IG-88. Ink on bristol board, 6x9.

after LFL

Inked with a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen

For some reason I always found IG-88 creepy. Maybe that's what they were going for. 

Thanks for looking,

Mike

For commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

KIRBY CHARACTERS: Inhumans

Inhumans. Ink on bristol board, 6x9.

Inked with a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen

The Inhumans were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for Marvel Comics. Their first appearance was in Fantastic Four #45 (1965).

Thanks for looking,

Mike

For comic art commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

Star Wars Wednesday #26: MARVEL'S STAR WARS

Captain Hookyr. Ink on bristol board, 6x9.

Inked with a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen

It's been a while since I did some classic Marvel Star Wars character. It seemed appropriate with the debut of the new Star Wars comic last week. Yeah, they had some silly stuff back in those comics. At least I didn't draw a telepathic Hoojib.

Thanks for looking,

Mike

For commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

KIRBY CHARACTERS: Infinity Man

Infinity Man, Ink on bristol board, 6x9

Inked with a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen

Infinity Man was created by Jack Kirby for DC Comics. His first appearance was in Forever People #1 (1971).

Thanks for looking,

Mike

For comic art commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

Star Wars Wednesday #25: NO FAT JOKES

Jek Porkins. Ink on bristol board, 6x9.

After LFL

Inked with a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen

Thanks for looking,

Mike

For commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

KIRBY CHARACTERS: The Hulk

The Incredible Hulk. Ink on bristol board, 6x9.

Inked with a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen
Digital color

I decided to throw some color into this one.

The Incredible Hulk was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby for Marvel Comics. His first appearance was in The Incredible Hulk #1 (1962).

Thanks for looking,

Mike

For comic art commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com

Star Wars Wednesday #24: HE DIED TOO SOON

Greedo. Ink on bristol board, 6x9.

After LFL

Inked with a Pentel Pocket Brush Pen

$15.00 shipped. PayPal only

I'm not sure why but as a kid Greedo was one of my favorite characters and his action figure was one of my favorite toys. Maybe it was that he was kind of mysterious. Maybe it was that he had a unique look. Whatever it was, he died too soon. 

Then again, maybe he was a dolt and it was a good thing we didn't get to know him better.  

Thanks for looking, 

Mike

For commissions: lynchmikew@gmail.com