Back from LA

So this past weekend was a dream come true.  I had my first gallery show, and people actually showed up! :)  It was held in the new Century Guild Gallery in Culver City and will be up until the end of next weekend so there is still some time to go see some original pages from the book as well as some other pieces Tom picked out for the show including the enormous CPG piece I did for the Kickstarter campaign.  I was really bad about taking pictures during the event, I sort of didn't take any... heh heh... but, Tom took a bunch before the show of the gallery and in one shot you can see the exhibit from across the room.  I'm working on trying to get more pics of the show and maybe of some of the pieces hanging there.  In the mean time check out Tom's gallery he put up on Face Book.  And here is a page just for the opening  that might have some more pictures you can check out too. 

We asked Archaia if they could get us advance copies of the book and they were able to fly in 100 of them.  I created a special limited bookplate and spent a whole day putting them in each copy myself.  We had to alter the original image I did for it due to them being letter pressed, which really means Tom had to zoom in to something like 800% to erase a bunch of stippled dots.  I heard it was a bunch of fun.  So here's the original image and the finished bookplate.

You really have to see it in person though.  The indent of the linework on that really nice cardstock is quite impressive.  Tom even made up bookmarks to give away with each copy.  I took a bunch home but he didn't give me tassels, I will have tassels soon though.  Oh, if you want to see the machine the bookplates were made on here is a link to them being made.  I guess there is a really nice letterpress shop just down the block from the gallery. 

I was also fortunate to be interviewed by USAToday.com about the book and the show, here's a link to that.  And an interview for Newsarama here.  It's great to see so many people as excited about this as I am.  I am so thankful so many people came out to the show, it really gets me excited to work on new stuff.  Thank you, thank you everyone who came out to show your support, I will keep striving to create strange new things for your entertainment... and mine of course. 

gearing up for the end of conventions and a BOOK RELEASE PARTY!!!

So I sent out a whole bunch of con sketches last week and I've opened the list for yet another convention this weekend.  But, it is the last convention of the year (for me at least).  So here are some of the many sketches I had left over from New York and Detroit.

I will be taking a considerably smaller number of sketches for the NC Comicon this upcoming weekend.  So if you like what you see here you can email me at talpasouk@hotmail.com.  All these pieces you see here were commissioned from me at $100 per.

I will say this, I find doing convention sketches much easier when I am able to do what ever I would like.  It's easier to pick something strange out of my mind than to come up with a pose for a character that has been drawn hundreds of times before.  I am not saying I refuse to do Marvel character A or Wildstorm character B, but you will get something more personal and original if I'm left to my own machinations.  I don't know if you can relate to how difficult it is to draw a character that one- you are totally unfamiliar with and/or don't care about and two- you know that if you do a lackluster job on, will decimate the client who loves said character.  It's your money and I will do my best for whatever you would like. 

Thank you for indulging my whiny side for a bit. Now for some really cool news.

 This Dec. 1st at the new Century Guild Gallery at 6150 Washington Blvd. in Culver City, CA. 90232
We will be having a book release party/ art exhibit for Cursed Pirate Girl vol. one. Here's a link to their blog post.  And I've been told there will be a couple of the pages from the next issue for people to take a gander at.  I'm extremely excited about this, I received a copy of the hard cover from the Archaia offices in LA and I'm very happy with how it turned out.  I hope you will be too.  To make the show a bit more exclusive (besides the fact that you will be able to get the book before anyone else in the country) I just finished a bookplate that will be printed in a quantity of only 100 and these will be going into all the books we were able to get for the show.  Here's a sneak peak of the bookplate (I will prepost a blog post showing it in it's entirety for Dec. 1st so you can still check it out when others do)

The fantastically crazy folk of Century Guild are also cooking up something else for the show, we will see if it is indeed completed in time.  If not though there might be something really cool you will be able to purchase for that certain CPG fan, for the up and coming holiday season. :)

Oh and I forgot to post this-

Happy Holidays indeed!

post NYCC pre Detroit Fanfare (con sketch spoiler)

New York was amazing!  Met up with a bunch of friends, had some great food and made a few more fans (I hope).  This show I took on too many sketches, I'm still trying to finish them up.  I do have a bunch finished and I will share a couple now and then post the rest after I finish them up.  I will also be taking more sketches for the Detroit show.  So sometime next week expect a big art blog.  I was going to say dump but I thought I'd keep it classy.  Okay, so for some of you that are expecting sketches you might see it here, so- spoilers.

The Detroit Fanfare show is being held in Dearborn MI this year, so it's even closer to home.  Here's the website. 

Getting back to books that helped mold me into the artist I am now, I recommend Jack Prelutsky's Nightmares: Poems to Trouble Your Sleep, illustrated by Arnold Lobel.  This was one of my favorite books in the Fletcher Elementary library.  I would check this book out whenever I could find it on the shelves.  I loved it! 

It was pretty much this book, the Garden of Abdul Asazi, The Mysteries of Harris Burdick and Jumanji.  Nightmares was my absolute favorite though, and I drew and redrew all the illustrations inside.  I even did a reading of The Dance of the Thirteen Skeletons for a 2nd grade class when I was in the 6th grade.  I was horrible, my stage fright didn't slacken even in front of a bunch of 8 year olds (that's right, right? 2nd grade-8 yrs).  I read a couple of the poems to Emily last night and I think a couple of puzzle pieces fell into place for her in regards to the fabric of my being.  :)

I had completely forgot about it for years and then I remembered the title of the piece I did for that classroom and so I googled it and found it online.  I finally broke down and bought a copy off of Amazon and it arrived yesterday.  Every turn of the page brought me back to elementary school and how I loved each illustration and the creepy poems that went with them.  While browsing online I discovered the duo of Prelutsky and Lobel had done a sequel The Headless Horseman Rides Tonight: More Poems to Trouble Your Sleep.  I will be getting that one shortly.  If you are a fan of Edward Gorey you will like these. 

New York Comic Con 2012

Well, it's Oct. 3rd and there are 8 days left until the NYCC of 2012.  Last year I attended the show mainly for the panel Kickstarter was putting on so I only stayed a couple of days and was not set up in artist alley.  This year I will be set up there in artist alley sharing a table with a friend.  I will tell you more later as I am not sure I should do it now.  I have just opened my con sketch list on twitter and facebook so I'm looking forward to getting a bunch of sketches done before the show.  Something I did for the Baltimore show and I really felt accomplished and able to relax post con.  If you are interested in a con sketch you can email me at talpasouk@hotmail.com, they are $100 a sketch and spots are limited.  Here are a couple of the ones I had left over from the Baltimore show. 

And maybe one day blogger.com will make it possible for me to arrange thumbnails in such an easy way as to not make me want to punch the computer screen.  :p

But anyway... This time I want to take more pre show commissions and then maybe one a day at the show.  At least that's the idea.  I am looking forward to the show although I do have some bad news.  There will not be copies of the Archaia hard cover version of CPG vol. one available.  There has been a slight delay in the production of the books at the printer.  I've been told we might not even be able to get them in stores before Christmas.  I guess this is just how it goes with every aspect of Cursed Pirate Girl... sloooooowwly.  Nothing new with that, am I right?  :)  Archaia is printing up a special print they will have there at the show, so I will have something to sign.  And I think I'm on a panel, similar to the world building panel I was on in Chicago.  So look for the Archaia booth for signing times and their panel schedule in the program book.  Or hunt me down in artist alley.

Also, the artist alley will not be in it's regular spot.  If you haven't gone to the NYCC website which is here, you might not know this.  So I downloaded the map of the convention for you.  I'm not quite sure I know where this is but I'll be there come Thurs. night. 

Although this could be easier for people who are just coming in, since the ticket pick up is on the same level, who knows.  WOOOOOO!  Comic Con! 

Back from Baltimore, Talk Like a Pirate Day and the cons of Oct.

Just drove back from Baltimore this morning.  10 hours of staying awake while listening to Robert Jordan's Knife of Dreams on audio book.  I'm glad that one started picking up, the last couple of books seemed to drag a bit.  So, to all those who might be looking here for the first time and think "Oh, good he must post regularly because I just saw him at the Baltimore Comicon" I'm afraid you will be sorely disappointed.  But at least for now here's some new stuff.  First I'll start off with a couple of birthday presents.  July was the month of creation for both David Petersen and my sister Julie, and here's what I gave them. 

 The witches were the second great race that controlled the waters and the lands they possess in the world of the Omerta Seas.  This is the witch Circ Aileg, the words at the bottom -Majiq Edoui Seccr- I concocted. They might actually translate to something, but I am completely ignorant of it.  For me it means "magic hides within".  I've been developing a lot of back story for the world that Cursed Pirate Girl takes place in.  Hopefully some day you will be able to see it.  :) 

(btw I got a new keyboard so now my parenthesis keys work!)








This is a piece for David's Harry Potter Gallery.  It's a quite impressive gallery, you can check out the rest of the gallery here. 



So I tried something different with my con sketch list for the Baltimore show and I think I like it a lot.  I took a lot of pre show requests the week before and then tried getting them done before the show.  It worked quite well.  I was able to get a lot more done than I usually do.  I took scans of some of them.

  

I've still got a couple to complete and put up.  Hopefully I will be able to do that sooner than later, but you know me...

Here are a couple of pieces left from San Diego, you might have seen them on Instagram. 

And to finish off the art, here's a piece I did for my friends Anthony and Meagan for their wedding.

 So, this upcoming Saturday, Sat the 15th is Talk like a Pirate Day.  I have been asked to talk about my comic at my local library here in Plymouth.  here's a link to their website where you can see the details.  The only problem with this is that I do not the hardcover edition yet.  But I will try to make it fun regardless. 






 The next comic show I'll be at will be the New York Comicon, I am not on their list online but fret not, I will be there in artist alley.  Now speaking of the hardcover edition of CPG vol. 1, I have been told that Archaia expects the books to be in stores in early November.  They also have said that they will be getting a shipment in so that there will be books available for the New York show.  I will try to get a hold of someone to confirm this.  So cross your fingers everyone, we could be a month away from seeing this thing! WOOOO!  I will be opening the sketch list for that show starting Oct. 7th.  After that you can find me at the Detroit Fanfare show the 26th through the 28th of Oct.  This year they are holding the show in back in Dearborn.  And that's a lot closer (to me) than last year's Cobo show.  Here's the link to their site. 

San Diego Comic Con [pre blog]

Tomorrow Emily and I leave for "the big show", San Diego Comic Con or SDCC for those who like to save time by saying or typing the full name.  I will be set up at the Century Guild booth not artist alley.  We will be located in the 2800 aisle at the back.  We're usually across from Pokemon and kiddie corner from Image.  Hey! I found a map!  So here's exactly how to find me.  go in through C [or D] and follow the orange path.  Look for big elaborate Paintings with impressive wooden frames and a glass case with antique art nouveau vases.  I will also tweet a pic of what it looks like when we're done setting up.  If you don't know, my twitter account is just @JeremyBastian .

I was hoping this would be the best show yet, but now I'm just hoping it won't be the worst one yet.  I have not heard any news about the Archaia hard cover version of Cursed Pirate Girl other than it will not be available at the show.  I don't know when it will be coming out.  Hopefully I will have copies for sale at the next convention I am attending.  So there's that.  I am going to be on a panel though, so that's good. Archaia Presents: How to Tell a Better Story Through World-Building, Sat from 6:00pm-7:00pm in room 9.  I will be joined by David Petersen [you might know that guy] and Royden Lepp of the Archaia title Rust fame.  Dave and I did a similar panel at C2E2 and I thought it went quite well.  Hope you come and check it out.  You can also see more of Dave and I talking about this subject here, we did a little web panel thing for people who might be interested in world building.    So watch that and then come and ask questions... or not.  And if you do watch it and come to the panel, ask Dave about his girly hair he had back then.  Hah!

One of the items I will be bringing with me to the show is a new [!] print.  I have been taking a large number of prints from show to show and it just seems a bit boring to have the same stuff available at every show.  I do this because I usually don't have time to work on pieces outside of the book.  This year I made some time.  I had about two weeks in between the Heroes Con in Charlotte and the San Diego show so I thought that would be the perfect amount of time to do up something new for people.  I also decided that instead of adding one more piece I'd have to haul from show to show year after year, I would make it a limited print.  I will still be stained with tea, the same way all my prints are, but I am only making 100 of them.  So being that they will run out at some time, I am asking $30 instead of the regular $20 for the other stained prints.  Here it is if you'd like a closer look before the show.

Century Guild will be bringing a Cursed Pirate Girl t-shirt for sale.  I'm really excited about this.  They turned out great. 

They will also have a couple of Gail Potocki t-shirts as well, and I can't wait to see those in person.  Here is a link to the shirts they've made, I don't know if all of them will be available at the show.  So we're leaving tomorrow morning and I'm really looking forward to the show!  Hope some of you are able to come and then be able to find me! 

I would like to take a sec to thank everyone who decides to put up the money for con sketches.  I know I have a couple of people waiting for sketches and I promise I will get to them.  Thank you for your patience. 

Post Planet Comicon/C2E2/Boston Comicon/Motor City Comicon

Yep it's been awhile.  So I just came home from the Motor City Comic Con and I was pleasantly surprised.  This might have been my most successful MCCC I've set up at.  So thank you very much everyone!  Thanks for stopping by the table and checking out my work.  Also thank you for all the fine folks who've stopped by my table in Kansas City for Planet Comicon, Chicago for C2E2 and in Boston for the great show they held there.  I'm glad you are all still interested in what I'm up to.  Especially when it takes several months to update this blog.  So here you go, here's some art.  These are all the CPG related sketches I've done thus far.

So those are all the piratey sketches I was asked to do.  I will be attending the Cherry Capital Con in Traverse City this upcoming weekend, hope to see some of you there.  Still waiting for the Archaia hardcover edition of Cursed Pirate Girl vol. 1 but here's the link to the book on Archaia's site.

You can see a preview of the book AND you can pre order it straight from Archaia right here or from Amazon right here.  So if you've liked what you have seen on this blog and you don't get out to any comic conventions and you live too far from a comic book store- there you go.  When they let me know when we are to expect the books to show up I will let you know.  I know that everyone at the Archaia offices really liked the proof pages they received from the printer.  I can't wait to get my advanced copy.

Here's the updated list of cons left on this year's schedule

May 25th-26th Traverse City, MI.  Cherry Capital Con
June 22nd-24th Charlotte, NC. Heroes Con
July 11th-15th San Diego, CA. San Diego Comicon
Sept. 8th-9th Baltimore, MD. Baltimore Comic-Con
Oct. 26th-28th Dearborn, MI. Detroit Fanfare
Nov. 17th-18th Durham, NC. NC Comicon