January 22nd, 2012
“Baron Von Porkchop’s Terrifying Tales of the Macabre!” is a local television production specializing in scary movies. It’s the brainchild of movie producer Matt Brassfield and is hosted by the Baron. Unfortunately, it’s on a channel I can’t get so I’ve never seen it. Fortunately, though, episodes are being released on DVD. And now with the preface out of the way, here is my eldritch tale of suspense and terror:
Some time back Matt Brassfield asked the artist Jesy Kessel and me to do some DVD covers for “Baron.” This is the first of the four I did, using Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” as my inspiration. I especially enjoyed crafting this since there’s always been a soft spot in my heart for the poet and since the Alan Parsons Project tribute to the tale is one of Sarah’s favorite tunes. Bruce O. Hughes designed the outstanding borders and text for the finished project. And now a toast to the dead, mummers immured and unmourned, restlessly dwelling in their dank and dark catacombs. “In pace requiescat!”
Tags: Alan Parson's Project, Baron Von Porkchop, Bruce O. Hughes, Cask of Amontillado, Edgar A. Poe, Jesy Kessel, Matt Brassfield
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January 14th, 2012
Volstagg is the last of the four pieces shown at Christopher’s. It was fun to be a part of this showing with Eric Shonborn and Jason Young. Enjoy!
Volstagg is a friend of Thor in the comic books. He’s a comic relief character and a homage to Shakespeare’s Falstaff. He is also one of Sarah’s favorite characters and she insisted I draw him as my final piece for the Christopher’s Restaurant exhibit.
Tags: Christopher's Restaurant, Falstaff, Sarah Potter, Shakespeare, Velazquez, Volstagg
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January 1st, 2012
First post of 2012!
Another superhero portrait that was shown in 2011 along with Eric Shonborn’s and Jason Young’s exquisite pieces at Christopher’s Restaurant. Notice the Creeper’s cape (or whatever it is) isn’t attached to him? I didn’t until I had already inked and colored the figure. Rats!
Tags: Christopher's Restaurant, Creeper, portrait, superhero
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December 22nd, 2011
Everyone at Potter’s Sketchbook wishes you and yours a truly magical holiday season and wonderful new year.
Tags: Christmas, elf, New Year, Santa
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December 17th, 2011
Another superhero portrait shown at Christopher’s Restaurant some time back and drawn per Sarah’s request. Squirrel Girl is one of Sarah’s favorite comic book characters. She’s only read one Squirrel Girl story, her origin, and is still completely enamored with it. Truth to tell, I enjoyed it too since it was very much tongue in cheek. Or should I say tongue in pouch? Either way, it was a fun little story to read and this was a fun little picture to draw.
Tags: Botticelli, Christopher's Restaurant, Sarah Potter, Squirrel Girl, Steve Ditko, The Birth of Venus
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December 12th, 2011
Another piece based on Greek myths. I must have been losing interest in the project by the time I did this one and I’m appalled at the poor and slovenly execution. But as for the blatant idea behind the wreck, even though Hephaestus is the only Greek god I don’t instinctively find repulsive, I never got around to doing anything with him directly. Instead I did this one about consequences, where, at least in the tale I’m familiar with, he humiliates his adulterous spouse and Ares by trapping them in unbreakable netting and showing them to the other gods. The simple idea behind this drawing is that unchecked animal passions are the most vicious, entrapping and destructive shackles of all, whether they are publicized or hidden, and far more terrible and ruinous than any device any vengeful Olympian figure could ever create.
Tags: "the halting", "the lame one", adultery, Ares, Greek god, Greek myth, Hephaestus, Olympus
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December 5th, 2011
This was done lifetimes ago. It’s sort of a self-portrait. There’s not much I can say about it, so I’ll quote Walt Whitman. His lines obviously don’t describe the theme of the piece, but there are some vague similarities:
O to disengage myself from those corpses of me, which I turn and look at where I cast them, / To pass on (O living! always living!) and leave the corpses behind.
Tags: self-portrait, Walt Whitman
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November 28th, 2011
Once again, my pens and inks and Wheeler’s colors are featured on Repaneled Blog. Check it out!
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November 26th, 2011
Since the piece’s meaning is obvious, I’ll just go off on an unrelated tangent.
Image holds influence, at least in popular culture. Would Elvis Presley have been such a phenomenon had he looked like Wally Cox, or the Beatles if they all had borne an uncanny resemblance to the Three Stooges’ Larry Fine? I bring this up since for most of his life Poe was quite handsome, always striking and often debonair. So why would the poet have daguerreotypes taken after his features were etched by the sorrow for his lost Virginia and wrecked by his own failing health? Whatever the reasons, the result is that generations of schoolchildren, upon first seeing the author of classic tales of the grotesque and arabesque, have thought, “Aha! He looks kind of spooky and haunted. At last, here is an author who looks just like he should!”
Tags: arabesque, Elvis, grotesque, haunted, Poe, Virginia, Wally Cox
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November 19th, 2011
I am pleased to announce that repaneled blog has once again published one of my pieces. It comes from Journey Into Mystery #110 written by Stan Lee. Original art renedered by Jack Kirby and Chic Stone. It’s actually two panels that feature Mr. Hyde, Loki, and King Cobra. Click on the original panels above or here to see my re-rendering colored by Wheeler.
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