Happy Holidays 2022

 

 

If not a pleasant noise, at least make it a loud and happy one for the Holidays.

CookieDoodle #6

 

For Cookiedoodle #6, I thought Cookie Monster and the Count could stand in for the characters from the cover of Creepy #4 by Frank Frazetta. I think Cookie is happy to receive a delivery from the Count’s Castle Bakery van.

In the late 1950’s and early 60’s, publisher Jim Warren found a niche with magazines aimed at the young fans of horror movies.  During the late 1950’s, a package of the early classic horror films was distributed to TV stations and created a new group of fans.  When these films began being broadcast, Mom wouldn’t let me or my brothers stay up late to watch them. She would relate the plots of the movies to us at breakfast the next day. I became very interested.

Warren began publishing Famous Monsters of Filmland in 1958.  With the success of this publication, and having included a couple stories told in comic book fashion in his magazines, Warren in 1964 began publishing Creepy and then Eerie. These anthology  “comic book style” books were published in a magazine format and avoided the restraints of the Comic’s Code. Many illustrators for the stories in the magazines had worked for the notorious EC Comics, whose comics had been used as a prime example of why a Comic’s Code was needed to enforce self-imposed industry standards/regulations on comic book content, like no vampires, werewolves, or ghouls, etc., that would traumatize young minds. The damage had already been done to me, and I was drawing monsters and staying up late.

I had seen Frank Frazetta’s artwork on ACE paperback book covers, but when he began illustrating covers for Warren Publishing's horror magazines, I was hooked.

Happy Holidays 2021

 

I wish you peace and happiness this Holiday and throughout the New Year.

Scanned pencil drawing, digitally finished.

CookieDoodle, 5

 

In this, just for fun, CookieDoodle Chip Furry finds himself on a clean up mission, but he doesn't seem to mind. Cookie Monster cuts a fine figure in his spacesuit. Who needs gloves and boots when you are a cute furry, not so little, monster?

In 1968 Jim Steranko drew the cover for Marvel Comic's Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #6. I have read that he meant it as a tribute to one of his artistic influences, Wally Wood. Steranko asked Wood to ink his drawing for the cover but Wood declined, so Steranko finished the art himself. Wood had abandoned his earlier highly detailed style. Wood felt that Steranko's art had too much detail, which ironically had been picked up through Steranko's love of Woods early 1950's science fiction artwork.

Like many young comic's fans in the 60's, Steranko's art and stories seemed fresh but with a nod to the professional comic book creators that had preceded him. I remember the impact of seeing his cover in the magazine racks at Mahoningtown News. That may have been just before I set out for my first year of school in New York City.

Traditional figure inks, scanned and colored digitally.

Halloween 2021, Witch 's Brew

I began drawing witches and finally made this more elaborate composition.  Have a Happy Halloween!

Pencil drawing scanned and digitally finished.

Halloween 2021, Kaiju Kabocha

 This is actually the first new Halloween art I made this year but I am just getting around to posting it.

Pencils scanned and art finished digitally.

Halloween 2021, Witches

Here are some of my witch drawings for this year's Halloween season.

 

 

Pencil drawings scanned and digitally finished.

Halloween 2021, Space Creatures

Halloween always needs a few B-Movie space creatures.

 

Pencils scanned then digitally finished