#164: Downtime
Except for multiple scripts and covers...
Welcome to DECLARATIONS a bi-weekly newsletter by artist/writer Declan Shalvey.
This is a regular workblog featuring exclusive peeks at upcoming projects with advance releases of original art/merchandise.
ALL THE LATEST
With no ‘prime’ project currently active, I’m enjoying working in a less intense gear for the moment. Still working mind, here’s what I got done in the last couple of weeks.
Final lettering notes on MYSTIQUE #5
Final lettering notes on THUNDERCATS #12
Pencilled, inked and coloured a Marvel cover
Did roughs for 3 DC covers
Pencilled, inked and coloured one of those DC covers
Pencilled another DC cover [inking today]
Pencilled, inked and coloured cover for TERMINATOR #8
Did roughs, pencils, inks and coloured an indie comic cover.
Wrote outline for THUNDERCATS #14
Wrote outline, first half of TERMINATOR #6
Attended a convention in Dublin
-I’m just back from that Dublin show [MegaCon], where I had great fun, including a great dinner with Alex Paknadel, Danny Earls, Rachael Stott, John Lees and Gary Moloney. Stephen Mooney was also there. Dammit, I should have gotten a photo… Anyway, fun was had. A nice, chill way to start the year, con-wise. Next up is Greece in a couple of weeks, really looking forward to that. I’ll be at an event in Ireland in March too, but I don’t think I can talk about that yet.
-With a little breathing room, I’ve taken the time to do some much needed spring cleaning around my house and studio. Got myself some soft lighting to glow-up the studio a bit. This is the hard hitting content that has ye come back every couple of weeks, isn’t it?
-The Marvel cover I mentioned above has been solicited for March so I think it’s safe enough for me to show here, it’s a variant for Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Jonas Scharf’s HELLHUNTERS #4. It was very fun to work on, my first [and so far… only?] Marvel cover for 2025.
-Looks like Marvel are reprinting my DEADPOOL: THE GOOD THE BAD & THE UGLY arc in the new DEADPOOL MODERN ERA EPIC COLLECTION TP VOL 05: IN WADE WE TRUST collection, using my first cover for the arc. If you’re unfamiliar, I drew that arc of DEADPOOL, written by Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn that’s warmly remembered as one of the of the best Deadpool stories. If you haven’t read it, worth picking up this new collection that’s out in March.
-It’s been a lot less stressful for the last couple of weeks, which has been good. I do have a lot to get through script-wise though. I’m hoping to get ahead and wrap all of the remaining TERMINATOR scripts by the end of February and get a bit more ahead on THUNDERCATS too, leaving me a bit of breathing room to concentrate on OLD DOG and PROJECT ARCA in March. After those, I’m hoping to do a work for hire project for the rest of the year, I just don’t know what that is yet. I’m talking to different publishers about what it might be, hope to have that nailed down in the next month. As ever, you’ll hear about it here first, albeit vaguely.
-I have a few straggling headsketches and commissions that need doing too, Going to try and finally get them off my plate in the next few weeks, move into the next block of projects with a clean slate and clear conscience. Fingers crossed!
ART DECO
With MYSTIQUE #4 coming out this week, it's time to say goodbye to the original art from the previous two issues. In case you missed it, pages from #2 and #3 both are available right now in the Art Deco web store. But act quickly, as we are set to vault all remaining art this Friday, 1/24 at 11:59PM ET.
And as a reminder for anyone looking at pieces on Art Deco, we do offer interest free payment plans to help anyone purchasing on a budget. Feel free to email my art reps at Kinetic Collectibles [andrew@kineticcollectibles.com] to work out a deal. They'd be happy to hear from you!
DEC RECS
I got an advance look at a couple of new books that I think ye should definitely check out. It’s great that there’s hit books out at the moment but the focus is definitely heavier on franchise characters and the like. Nothing wrong with that [I’m reading those books], but for a healthy industry I do think we need readers to be taking chances on creator owned stuff too, so here’s a couple of upcoming Image books for ye to try.
The first is THE HIVE by A. J. Lieberman and Mike Henderson. Long-reading Decolytes will know I worked with Mike on DEADPOOL VS OLD MAN LOGAN, a book I remember very fondly. Mike is an exceptional storyteller, I loved working with him and am jealous of anyone who gets to work with him. Unfortunaltely the FOC was yesterday, but tell your local retailer you want a copy anyway, see if they can secure you one. I mean, look at this cover!
Such a bold comosition. Love it.
The second book is WE’RE TAKING EVERYONE DOWN WITH US, a great book by Matthew Rosenberg and Stefano Landini out in March. The book hasn’t FOC’d yet so you can order it now.
Matt asked me for a blurb so I’ll share it here to describe it a bit more, I don’t want to give anything more away.
“We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us is an engaging and dark sci-fi mystery by Rosenberg and Landini.
Following the story of a young girl discovering her connection to a large twisted world of meta espionage, it feels like Nancy Drew by way of Doctor Doom.
That is to say, it's like nothing else I've ever read before.”
DECUTAINMENT
It’s been a while since I’ve shared what I’ve been enjoying lately so here’s what I’ve watched/read over the last couple of months, some commentary added where I could.
COMICS:
HOUSES OF THE UNHOLY by Brubaker/Phillips, FRIDAY: BOOK 3 by Brubaker/Martin, ULTIMATES UNIVERSE; ONE YEAR IN, by Camp/Scharf
FILMS:
AMERICAN FICTION; a very contemporary and much needed satire of the current moment.
WOLFS; an enjoyable romp with two ridiclulously charming leads in Clooney and Pitt that bounce off each other so well.
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE; took me long enough to see this one! Great fun, kinda went off that rails a bit for me, but managed to land back on the rails each time. Still can’t believe this ridiculously niche stuff has make it to the movie screen. What a world.
THE NIGHT BEFORE; This just happened to be on TV on Christmas Eve. A sold holiday comedy, much better than I thought it was going to be. Once I saw the Michael Shannon cameo, I was IN.
THE SILENT HOUR; Not a revolutionary film by any means, but a nice and tight action flick, that doesn’t resort to crazy fight sequences, a lot more tense and grounded… more in the wheelhouse of the original Die Hard. It pretty much takes place in one building... so Die Hard isn’t such a bad comparison. Was refreshing to go into a film completely blind.
TV:
TULSA KING, LIONESS, PENGUIN, SAY NOTHING, SEAL TEAM, THE AGENCY, BLACK DOVES
Book:
TO CATCH A SPY, by Peter Olson.
I bought this book about two years ago as reference/inspiration for OLD DOG and have only recently made the time to read it. Olsen was head of the CIA Moscow office in the 80s so speaks about the craft of counterintelligence with great expertise, both its history and present. It’s a fascinating to read it all spelled out so well.
MYSTIQUE
Issue Four is out tomorrow! The penultimate issue indeed hits the stands this week, where things get really dangerous for NICK FURY JR as MAVERICK returns! Man, this series has been fun, I really enjoyed this one, especially as an X-fan. You’ll understand when you read it. It sports a lovely variant cover by Marcus To too.
Here’s the preview pages, with stunning colours by Matt Hollingsworth and airtight lettering by Clayton Cowles.
Getting to draw Juggernaut again after my THUNDERBOLTS days was a real treat.
As I said in Declarations #163, I’m all wrapped on MYSTIQUE. It’s a huge relief to have the whole book done and I can safely say I’m really happy with the miniseries as a whole. As we wrapped up, Matt was kind[?] enough to send me this photo of us both when he was visiting Ireland in 2008, I believe.
Who’d have thought sixteen years later we’d get to work together? Not me!
TAPE DEC
TAPE DEC is back! Not that anyone’s really been asking for the last 6 months, but I was just too busy with my various commitments… I wasn’t able to find the time to put out more episodes. Now that I have a bit more breathing room, I’m going to get more episodes made. For this new ep, I’mm be talking to Eric Zawadzki.
Eric was the artist on TIME BEFORE TIME #15-17, collected in Vol 3. I absolutely love his work, I’ve known him a long time but we’ve never really gotten to have a proper chat outside of email [good thing I have an interview show, then!] We’ll talk about working together and also talk about his brand new series with Deniz Camp, ASSORTED CRISIS EVENTS. I’ve had a glance at the first few issues [haven’t read them properly yet but will in time for the ep] but WOW, they look amazing.
The livestream is where people can ask live questions that I can put to Eric. It will be live this Thursday, Jan 23, 8PM GMT. Once over, the livestream will be taken down with the proper edited podcast posted next week. Do join us!
THUNDERCATS
I’m currently writing Issue Fourteen, that wraps up Year One of the book. We transition into Year Two with Issue Fifteen which is a one-shot [artist to be revealed] featuring… Lion-O…?
Or is it…? You’ll have to read and find out!
Series artist Drew Moss is working hard on Issue Thirteen. I’m not sure if I’ve said it previously, but this is essentially a silent-issue centered on SNARF. Drew is really stretching his storytelling muscles on this, which is a delight to see.
Drew has just released a new sketchbook, LUNCHIN’. It’s a 8.5x 5.5’ sketchbook; 40 pages of sketches and extra page of hot press watercolor paper. Each book will come with a quick sketch but more sketch options will also be available for purchase.
He’s selling them in batches, once a week [as he’s doing headsketches in each one]. Next batch is open to order on Saturday, so keep an eye out!
Dynamite just released details on THUNDERCATS LOST, with my cover revealing a new character; SCORPIOUS. An excellent design by series artist Rapha Lobosco, was very fun to draw.
TERMINATOR
Issue Four of TERMINATOR is also out this week! This one is very dark, very moody… I mean, I aim for them all to be like that, but this one is probably the darkest yet. Lorenzo Re did wonderful work [and I love Colin Craker’s colours on this issue too]. I’m happy to say Lorenzo will be back for Issue Six [that I’m currently writing].Here’s preview pages for the issue, with Jeff Eckleberry letters.
Joe Mulvey [who I previously worked with on THUNDERCATS #10] is currently doing some great work on TERMINATOR Issue Five, which will wrap up the first arc for the series. Here’s a peek at his art for #1.
I’m really happy with how this issue is coming together too, can’t wait to see how Colin colours Joe, it’ll be so interesting. The one-shot format of the series has been more work intensive as I’ve mentioned before, but it’s been a great way to tell different stories every issue, each issue being very satisfying in and of themselves. Joe told me that he thought this script was ‘space horror at it’s finest” which I was very happy to hear. Sometimes you aim to make a specific kind of thing, but you worry during the process of making it, the shape of it can change in a way you didn’t expect. That can be a good thing, it means it can become better, but the worry for me is that you end up with something worse than wat you were aiming for. I’m happy to say, that hasn’t happened to me… yet!
Lately I’ve noticed, after an artist gets a script from me and I hear nothing back [because they’re obviously getting stuck into work], I can’t help but follow up with “What did you think of the script?!” Turns out as a writer I’m just as desperate for positive reinforcement as I am as an artist.
OUT SOON
January 22nd
MYSTIQUE #4 [W/A/C]
TERMINATOR #4 [W/C]
January 29th
SILVERHAWKS #1 [VC]
THUNDERCATS #12 [W/VC]
February 19th
TERMINATOR #5 [W/C]
THUNDERCATS HC VOL 02 ROAR [W]
February 26th
THUNDERCATS #13 [W/VC]
ICE CREAM MAN #44 [VC]
March 05th
THUNDERCATS LOST #1 [VC]
March 12th
HELLHUNTERS #4 [VC]
March 19th
TERMINATOR #6 [W/C]
March 26th
THUNDERCATS #14 [W/VC]
