#156: Who is APEX?

Next question; how do you get NYCC commissions...? Read on!

Sep 10, 2024

ALL THE LATEST

How it it already September? Time flies when you’re …working constantly, I guess. Ah that’s not 100% true, I’ve had some Saturday nights off lately which has kept me going. Trying to sty put and not travel for a bit, to try chip back at the towering workload.

-I turned down a VERY cool writing gig and am bummed about it. I just have so much on at the moment, taking on a whole new book would be impossible, unless I gave something else up, and I like everything I have right now. Still, was very cool to be asked and I’ll be seething with jealousy towards whoever ends up getting it.

-Actually, make that TWO cool writing gigs I’ve had to turn down. This one was something I’m a little familiar with but would require a LOT of research which is time I just don’t have available at the moment. Ah well, nice problem to have… poor me!

-The Marvel Unlimited membership kit has a cool treat. A couple of years ago, it had a couple of connecting HOX/POX variant covers I did, this time they have a toy made from one of my variant covers!!!

Yeah a Moon Knight/Spider-Man design for my SpiderVerse variant for MOON KNIGHT #23 has been immortalised in action-figure form.

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If you’re interested in all that, there’s a link to sign up HERE.

Below is the cover art in question…

And the original sketch I did for the design.

That’s the sixth toy made from a design of mine [TOXIN, BOOMERANG, MOON KNIGHT armour suit, MR. KNIGHT suit and MANIA, previously]. I’m building a collection at this point. As a nice surprise, some contacts at Marvel reached out and are going to hook me up with a couple. I’d like two so I can have one in the box and one I can, uh… NOT play with…

-Was invited to be a guest at a show in Greece next year, so that’s something to look forward to. Haven’t been there in a long, long time.

-David Harper of SKTCHD asked me to contribute to a piece he wrote on artist’s signatures, which was a first! You can read it by clicking here… Names as Symbols: On the Importance of Artist Signatures, and the Story Behind Some of Them

- ~~My good friend~~ Nate Stockman has a new strip exclusive to the Marvel unlimited app [which, ahem, I helped launch, so you’re welcome Nate]. As loathe as I am to compliment Nate, it’s a genuinely funny strip that makes great use o f the vertical format for comical effect. HIGHLY recommend you give it a read.

-Notice for the next big con! I’ll be at NYCC next month, hawking my wares at Table A-31. I’m lining up a show exclusive, keeping in mind that both the Old Dog anthology will have been recently released, as well as TERMINATOR #1 and MYSTIQUE #1 the day before the con, so will have plenty of new books to sign, not to mention all the THUNDERCATS issues that have come out since we announced the book there last year.

-My friend and former DEADPOOL team-mate Mike Hawthorne has just wrapped up a run on some book called BATMAN and is following it up by revisiting an old project and bringing it back to life via Kickstarter. Go check out HYSTERIA: ONE MAN GANG, Mike’s one of the best and an incredible artist/storyteller. Money well spent.

-Just last night I heard that John Cassaday, artist of PLANETARY, ASTONISHING X-MEN and many more hit books had passed away. I’m completely stunned. Got to meet him once at a UK con when I was starting out and he was very cool and nice to me. Not many artists build a variety of career defining runs, but Cassaday was certainly one of them. I often get asked about my influences and to my shame, I rarely ever mention Cassaday. As I look back at his work, I’m amazed at just how much of an influence he’s been on me, the two series I mentioned above are up there with my top favourite comics ever, his carefully paced storytelling, his innovative and daring cover designs… how am I only realizing this now?

A selection of my favourite Cassady covers

I guess it’s worth remembering… there is so much great talent out there, it’s very easy to miss the greats. By god we’ll all miss this one now…

RIP

ART DECO

So I’m now taking headshot commissions ahead of NYCC to be done at the show. So, anyone looking for a sketch at my table this year will be outta luck! This is the only way to get a commission from me at the show this year but as usual, ye Decolytes as always have first dibs.

Hop on them now, I’ll announce them publicly next week, where I expect they’ll sell out pretty fast…

I’m also taking just four advance headshots for Thought Bubble too, so get on those if you’re interested.

NYCC/Thought Bubble commissions

I’m also doing something new, a private signing via CGC, where people who can’t make it to the show or live in areas I’ve never been able to do a convention at can get their books signed/ remarqued/ graded.

Click below to get all the details. Will be interesting to see how this goes.

CGC signup

MYSTIQUE

Back concentrating on MYSTIQUE at the moment, doing some press for it now too. I’ve pencilled half of #3, currently inking those pages. I would really like to tease the pages here but they’re ALL spoiler-y so instead, here’s a coloured page from Issue One by Matt Hollingsworth.

I can’t believe he’s colouring my book….

Did an interview with FreakSugar about the series for those looking to know more.

Was asked if I wanted to write an afterward for Issue One which has never happened before, so I was happy to oblige. Here’s a little excerpt from it…

When the prospect of working on a MYSTIQUE spy series was offered to me, I was initially intimidated. A fantastic incarnation of that book already existed, what is the point in me doing the same…? I realised approaching the book as a cartoonist/writer/artist gave me a slightly different angle on the project (I can write in as many fun cameos as I want to draw!) which was something I’d happily embrace. However, when it comes to making a book about a solo character as iconic as this character, I needed a different hook. It hit me: “I know, the ultimate shape-shifter book… a MYSTIQUE series where she never actually appears!” Genius, I thought, until I talked to my editor.

After a couple of rounds of notes between the editors, proofreaders and myself, Issue One of MYSTIQUE is locked. It’s immensely satisfying to see the whole finished book, definitely a career landmark for me and maybe I’m crazy, but I think it’s pretty damn good. Myself and editor Darren Shan worked hard to make a really good book here and after all the calls, conversations, suggestions, fine tuning, etc, I think it’s all paid off to elevate the book. Not to mention the brilliant work of colourist Matt Hollingsworth and my trusted co-pilot Clayton Cowles, though I am making a point of mentioning here. In the end, it’s you the reader who will decide how good or not the book is and decide ye will in October. GULP.

Here’s a peek at the cover for Issue Four that I did a week or so ago. Proper espionage vibes, featuring the new S.H.I.E.L.D. logo [designed by myself. btw].

TERMINATOR

I’m currently banging my head against the wall trying to balance the work on the next issues. I did watch the TERMINATOR ZERO anime and I though it was great. Not what we’re doing on this book, but still great to see them take the franchise into some new places, which is what we’re trying to do too.

More Terminator press! Some very good questions via Comic Book Yeti. Below, an interview with myself and series artist Luke Sparrow on the Comic Watchers Show.

And one with myself at The Comic Book Report

Here’s an advance peek at the next cover. I don’t normally like to do homage covers, but when this idea popped into my head, I couldn’t get it out until I drew it. Spot the homage?

“My rifle is my best friend…”

THUNDERCATS

WHO IS APEX…?

Yes, in case you missed it, we’re introducing a new character in THUNDERCATS, debuting in Issue Eight along with this Design Variant by myself.

You can get the skinny at AIPT.

And what this….?

The lettering draft for Issue Seven was finished last week, I’m just finishing writing Issue Nine while series artist Drew Moss works on covers and took his birthday weekend off, the lunatic.

Here’s an advance look at my cover for Issue Eleven, the script for which I’ll be tinkering with soon, need to concentrate my writing brain on TERMINATOR for a bit before I jump onto this. Really enjoyed working on this cover, I must say.