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
I hopped back into the driver’s seat once I arrived home from Greece [and Declarations #165 landed in your inbox]. I’m still concentrating on scripts and covers, likely for the rest of this month before I make a start on any sequential pages, but here’s my workblog for the past two weeks…
Cover roughs and pitch for PROJECT NEWARK
Rough and basic pitch for PROJECT LAZARUS.
Wrote script for THUNDERCATS #14
Wrote script for THUNDERCATS #15
Pencilled, inked & coloured cover for Mad Cave project.
Pencilled, inked & coloured for new DC book.
Pencilled, inked & coloured cover for a new Dynamite book.
Pencilled, inked & coloured cover for a new Marvel book.
Roughs, pencils, inks & colours for a STAR TREK cover.
Roughs, pencils, inks & colours for THUNDERCATS #17.
Pencilled/inked BIG BARDA headshot [timelapse below]
I have my next THUNDERCATS LOST and TERMINATOR covers to get done in the next week while working on more scripts.
-I can reveal one of my US shows this year will be a return to C2E2 in Chicago! I haven’t been since 2019, I think so I’m very much looking forward to heading to the Windy City again on April 11-13th. I’m taking precommissions. See Art Deco section below.
-I’m also going to e atending a very different kind of show next month. I’ll be at the Dingle Animation Festival on Friday April 21st. I’ll be on a panel talking about comics/books and animation with Will Sliney, Stephen Mooney, Nick Roche, Estrela Lourenco and Dee Stevens. I should be able to share some updates regarding the SAVAGE TOWN animated series and I’m sure it’ll be a great chat overall.
-DC Comics released this below cover of mine for ABSLOLUTE FLASH #1. Really happy with this one. I was surprised editoral let me go with something so designy but once I had the below image in my head, I really wanted to get it on paper. I’ve handed in another DC cover since which means I’ve done all the covers I had initially signed up for. Will see if any more pop up, I have to say I’m really happy with the ones I did.
And after it went online, this happened on Instagram. Coincidence…?
-I have one more Absolute cover to be revealed from the set I agreed to, one for ABSOLUTE WONDER WOMAN #8. Here’s an early look…
So many of the [amazing] covers I’ve seen for the book so far have been these big wonderful full body warrior shots, so I wanted to try something a little bolder, compositionally speaking. Really use that sword. I spent a LOT of time colouring this one but was worth it.
-I did a little work on a work for hire pitch. It’s nowhere near ready, but have made my first run at it. Gonna call this PROJECT LAZARUS.
-I’m writing a new one-shot story in the next few weeks. For a cool license so will have fun with it. Going to call this PROJECT NEWARK for now. Cover needs to be in soon [though I’m waiting on licensor approval] so I imagine it’ll be solicited next month.
-I’ve agreed to be draw a short story for a series I really love. With all the various writing stuff I’m doing, I’m actually looking forward to working from someone else’s script for a change… it’s been a few years. I’m taking this on purely for fun… being offered a quick spin on a creator owned book I enjoy and working with a creator I respect, just a cool thing to do and I’m in just the right place to be able do it. Going to call this PROJECT WESLEY. Hope to get this done early March while I work on the next OLD DOG script.
-A quick plug for a crowdfunding campaign that I’ve contributed to, SHITKICKERS by Joey Esposito and artist Andrea Schiavone. Joey is coming off the back of a successful project callet THE PEDESTRIAN and Andrea is a wonderful artist whose work on this book show’s he’s really hit his stride. A bit more on the project, alsong with a great promo video.
SHITKICKERS is a series that lives somewhere between the humor of the Jump Street films and the high-stakes action of Guardians of the Galaxy—with a little Starship Troopers for garnish.
Variant covers on offer are one by myself and by [artists on my STAR TREK #400 tory] Seth Damoose.
Go check out the campaign below, there’s only NINE days left, so act now!
Another campaign I wanted to highlight is one I would back but I live outside of the US [I’m not a part of it in any way btw]. A gorgeous looking book called THE LAST BATTLE AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Jeffrey Alan Love. I adore the stark graphic imagery Jeffery plays with so I’m very keen to get my hands on this. More on the book…
On the eve of the last battle at the end of the world, two brothers are sent to retrieve a legendary warrior-king who promised to return one day at earth's time of greatest need.
The Last Battle at the End of the World by Jeffrey Alan Love is a 128-page, 9 x 12" hardcover graphic novel. This first edition includes a 48-page behind the scenes section that features sketches and commentary revealing how Jeffrey Alan Love created The Last Battle at the End of the World.
-My cousin’s little boy asked me to draw him a comic yesterday, so I drew the story of him winning a competition on the radio that landed him the job of a mascot for the Irish rugby team a couple of weeks ago. I was delighted for him, he’s such a sweetheart. I was told afterwards he brought the comic it to school and told everybody how impressive it was that I was so fast didn’t even use a ruler! [really wish I’d had more time and used a ruler to be honest…]
-All the script and cover work on my plate is keeping me pretty busy, I have to say. We’re halfway through February and I’ve already got fourteen covers done[!] with three or four more to do this month. I was hoping I’d have cleared more scripts by now but no sign of that until sometime next month. I’m, hoping I can maybe start on the next chapter of OLD DOG by the end of March. The plus side is that I’m getting to work on a lot of different stuff and will have plenty of work on the shelves, just feels weird not to have an active ‘primary’ project in the works. Though, it means I’ve had more flexibility and a bit more downtime. I really should enjoy that while it lasts.
ART DECO
With my return to Chicago in April, I decided I’d try take on some A4 sized precommissions since I have a litte breathing room. I’m currently trying to clear the commissions I have overdue, so I decided I can take some new precommissions in time for C2E2.
This list is currenty ONLY open to you Declarations readers, with some headshot slots open too. I’ll give it a week and whatever slots are left open will make them available publicly. There’s only 5 full figure slots open though, I haven’t taken any in about four years, so I kinda excpect them to go pretty fast…? We’ll see.
TAPE DEC
Heads up that tomorrow I’ll be livestreaming the next ep of TAPE DEC with the artist of the next issue of TERMAINATOR, Joe Mulvey.
We’ll be talking about ths issue, also [should be, though may be Diamond.distribution issues?] out tomorrow as well as Issue Ten of THUNDERCATS that we did together AND some news… the upcoming Issue Fifteen that he’s currently working on. Joe’s a very fun guy and like me, not much of a talker [ahem] so should be a very fun episode. Edited show will be out next week.
Also, was very cool to see Image Comics spotlight the latest TAPE DEC with Eric Zawadzki on their website! Kudos to Jim Viscardi over there, he’s been making great moves since he took over as VP of Business Development. Makes me wish I had a new Image book to plug!
MYSTIQUE
Final issue is out this week! Can’t believe it. That I got to pop in and do my very own Xbook the way I wanted to is amazing. And for the character to lean into my own story sensibilities [and allow the space for self serving cameos] was the cherry on the top. I know I’ve said it a mllion times by now but again, thanks so much to the whole team of Matt Hollingsworth, Clayton Cowles, Darren Shan, Noah Sharma and Tom Breevoort.
I meant to show these as the series came out but sure it’s never too late for process stuff. Here’s my layouts for all of Issue Two.
THUNDERCATS
I gave one of my THUNDERCATS Vol 1 comps to a cousin’s son [different cousin from the one mentioend aove] a few weeks ago. He’s only six so has never heard of the THUNDERCATS before. I was recently told that he’s drawing all the characters from the comic and knows them all by name. Can’t lie, it was very very cool to hear that.
I signed off on Issue Thirteen a couple of weeks ago and I’m so happy with it. It’s a little different from the rest, mostly a silent issue starring Snarf, who himself doesn’t really talk. I adore how Drew Moss draws this/his incarnation of the character, and wanted an issue to embrace it more. I was lighter in my pacing of the issue too, to give Drew more room to play with his storytelling. This is now one of my favourite issues. Here’s what I had in one part of the script, so you can see how open I went in part…
PAGE 3 & 4
This is a couple of pages of him just doing cat-stuff. Frolicking around, chasing small bugs, standing in a dramatic stance... and suddenly licking himself. A panel here and there of him cuddled up sleeping. Just looking for a comedic breather and injecting some CAT stuff into the book.
And this is what he drew for one of those pages, colours by Martina Pidgeoni of course.
Just wonderful.
I’ve the scripts for Issue Fourteen and Fifteen in the can, so I can take a bit of a THUNDERCATS breath [take care f TERMINATOR for the next week or so] before I jump into our fourth arc.
As ye know, I like to tease the next cover to the book, but the cover to Issue Sixteen gives a it too much away for that fourth arc so I’m gonna wait for the next Declarations…
But I will show a page of inks from THUNDERCATS LOST #1 by the excellent Rapha Lobsco.
I got to read the final edit of Issue One last week and I was so excited by it. I had pitched this initial idea to editor Nate Cosby and it’s been such a joy to see Ed Brisson and Rapha take that initial concept and do something to cool with it.
I also recently signed off on Vol 2 of the series! I believe it’s out this week in both paperback and hardcover, though with the possile Diamond proplems, I’m not 100% sure.
What a cover by David Nakayama.
TERMINATOR
After the great job he did with Issue Four, Lorenzo Re returns with Issue Six. It’s a much more ambitious issue for him, requiring a lot more work but I’m absolutely extatic about his new pages, have a peek here…
Some very very cool work by Lorenzo here. Can’t wait to show more.
The next issue is out this week [again, I think], with Joe Mulvey. Here’s some more pages by him [w/Colin Craker colours]
I’m currently writing two different issues at the same time, which I don’t like, but is necessary in order to get material for the artists asap. I’m hoping I can wrap up scripts for the rest of the series soon [instead of playing catch-up for the last few months] and can clear my plate a little, start planning for new projects.
OUT SOON
February 19th
MYSTIQUE #5
TERMINATOR #5 [W/C]
DAREDEVIL: UNLEASH HELL #2 [VC]
THUNDERCATS HC VOL 02 ROAR [W]
February 26th
THUNDERCATS #13 [W/VC]
March 05th
THUNDERCATS LOST #1 [VC]
March 12th
HELLHUNTERS #4 [VC]
March 19th
TERMINATOR #6 [W/C]
ABSOLUTE FLASH #1 [VC]
March 26th
THUNDERCATS #14 [W/VC]
March 26th
WEAPON X-MEN #2 [VC]
April 02nd
ICE CREAM MAN #44 [VC]
That’s my Barda!!!
Those 2 Absolute covers pop! Loved Terminator 4. Have really enjoyed these short form stories. Would love to see you draw one!