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’m just back from C2E2 in Chicago this very morning.
On a high from the experience. As usual, talking to other artists and writers about what they’re working on [as well as meeting readers and talking about what they’re enjoying] has given me a creative shot in the arm, encouraging me to get my next Old Dog installment out, as well as focus on future creator owned work, not to mention my PROJECT LAZARUS pitch. I need to get more proactive about moving on all this, there’s always something else that distracts me [it’s not like I’m not busy!] but that’s not going to change unless I focus myself. Things should open up in the next month though, so I’m in good spirits about it.
As I was away in Chicago all of the last week, the previous week was mainly taken up with wrapping all of the remaining commissions for the show, putting together another Tape Dec [see below] and making sure my arse was covered with any work obligations. All script and covers, still. Here’s my Worklog:
Wrote TERMINATOR #10
Did lettering edits for THUNDERCATS #15
Outline work on future TERMINATOR arc
Worked on PROJECT LAZARUS pitch outline
Inked and coloured IP crossover cover
Pencilled/ inked/coloured Marvel cover
Pencilled/ inked THUNDERCATS #19 cover
pencilled/ inked cover quality commission
pencilled & inked A4 commission
pencilled & inked 4x headsketches
Prepared, recorded new TAPE DEC
Travelled to Chcago, attended C2E2
-A reminder that I provided a cover for SUPERMAN: LAST DAYS OF LEX LUTHOR #3 by Mark Waid, Bryan Hitch, Kevin Nowlan and Mike Baron, out on April 23rd. I just got my comps and am sooooo happy with how it came out. Such a privilege to do a cover for a series like this, with a Mount Rushmore of comics talent. Lucky me!
-I got offered cover work from a new company that have a few titles. Could be some fun stuff, going to give one a go and see how it goes. I don’t want to get bogged down in a sea of covers again.
CHI-CAH-GO
Yes, I’m quite literally just back from Chacago. It was my first time back in the Windy City since 2017 where I actually did the promotional artwork for the show.
Which, is a very long time considering I attended the very first C2E2 back in 2010 and attended a few times since. Being my first visit back in a long time and having never really done the tourist thing there, I went over a day or so ahead of the convention. It was a great idea I must say, I got to see some of the sights I drew in that promo poster, sample a dive bar with a friend, see ‘The Bean,’ visit The Art Institute and took a trip on the architectural boat tour, which was amazing. It was bloody freezing, mind. Those first couple of days were cold as hell, which was frustrating as I knew we were having lovely weather back in Ireland. Wait, where was I…? Oh yes, Chicago…
At the Art Institute, I saw Georges Seurat's ‘A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte’. Seeing it in real life… it blew my mind, absolutely mesmerizing. Saw some amazing stuff that got my old Fine Art bones warmed, including an array of etchings and lithographs that took me back to my college days.
The convention itself was just as great as I remembered while far busier than I expected. I had a chunk of precommissions done [see Art Deco below] but still took some headshots and sketches at the show, and signed soooo much. The Marvel Matters panel I was on didn’t have Chris Claremont on it in the end for whatever reason, but did have Mark Morales and Jeffrey Brown so along with Chris Condon we had a good time. The panel was liveblogged over on Popverse.
Overall i was really impressed with how everything went, thanks to my guys at Kinetic for making everything work so well.
Not only am I excited to soon see new Luke Sparrow TERMINATOR pages in my inbox soon, I was delighted to meet his parents at the show! His mum and dad came by to say hi, it was so sweet. Unsurprisingly, they were wonderfully and clearly proud of their son. A few of you Decolytes said hello too, which is always a treat.
I got to catch up with a good few people too, old friends and new. A non-exhaustive list of proper hangs would be Rickey Purdin, Benjamin Percy, Sean Murphy, Shawn Crystal [who has just launched a new sketchbook campaign], Joelle Jones, Rod Reis, Morgan Beem, and Jorge Corona while my more exhaustive list of too-brief catchups included Dustin Nguyen, Jenny Frisson, Mike Norton, Jason Aaron, Kyle Higgins, Ryan Ottley, Charles Soule, Jason Howard, Ryan Parrot and Jesse Longeran …just to name quite a few. Not as many proper hangs as I’d like of course, but the show flew by and there’s only so many hours in a weekend. Another treat of the week was that I sampled a lot of food over the days… fancy steakhouse, authentic Chicago subs, Thai food, Pancake House, etc…. my god, I’m still farting from it all. Worth it though.
So naturally after all that I’m physically wrecked but mentally, very rested. A good needed break, but I’ve been out of the studio for a full week, so need to get to work straight away. Jumping into a Terminator script today and colouring a couple of covers tonight if I can stay awake [unlikely].
ART DECO
I finished up all my owed commissions and my pre-commissions for C2E2. What a load off my conscience. First up, is this cover-quality BATWOMAN commission that I took as part of my OLD DOG DOSSIER campaign.
Next, my last A4 sized full figure piece; DARKSEID. Did my own spin on his costume for this one.
And lastly; headsketches! NICK FURY JR, Moebius’ ARZACH, MISTER MIRACLE, MR KNIGHT and MOON KNIGHT [ghost armour]
As I’ve been doing lately, livestreams are available for all, and I’ve been posting timelapses of them too thanks to video editor Jamie Wood. [PS, congrats Jamie!].
I’m playing with the idea of taking a monthly A4 commissions going forward as I enjoyed doing them and has the added benefit building up more livestream/timelapses. Assume there’s be some takers?
TAPE DEC
After a bit of rescheduling, I did my first double-barrelled TAPE DEC with Charles Soule and Will Sliney. Their new book THE COLD WITCH is out soon from Image Comics so it was interesting to talk to them about the new book, how it plays into their ambitious SHROUDED COLLEGE plans, as well as how they both carved out their respective comic careers.
I know who the next guest will be, need to lock them down once I get over my jetlag.
THUNDERCATS
THUNDERCATS Issue Fourteen is out tomorrow! I just did some PR for the new ‘Knights Of Thundera’ arc for Dynamite, I imagine that will go out soon. I’ll be getting stuck into Issue Seventeen script next week and will likely have to take a hard look at the next arc soon. Here’s a peek at Drew Moss’ first ‘action figure’ cover for said storyline.
I got colours back on Joe Mulvey’s Issue Fifteen by old pal Dearbhla Kelly and was very impressed, her and Joe turned out to be a great pairing. Here’s a peek [lettering not final]…
TERMINATOR
David O’Sullivan handed in an absolutely stunning series of pages for Issue Seven. It was a tough script to write, and therefore couldn’t have been an easy one to draw. I’m so happy with what he did, even more so after seen the frankly stunning work Colin Craker did on the colours. Pitch perfect, and it was a very specific pitch to hit. Here’s a couple of pages to gaze at…
I’m currently working on the script for Issue Eight [after handing in the finale that is Issue Ten]. I’m working directly with Colin on this one, it’s a story that I think he’ll be uniquely skilled at illustrating. I can’t wait to see what he does with it, but I frankly need to kick the shit out of it this week. It’s a bit outside the box for me but as is the best thing about this series, it’s a unique opportunity to challenge myself as a storyteller. I don’t know if it will work, maybe Colin will have to save my arse, we’ll see in the next few days.
OUT SOON
April 16th
THUNDERCATS #14 [W/VC]
April 23rd
SUPERMAN: LAST DAYS OF LEX LUTHOR #3 [VC]
THUNDERCATS LOST #2 [VC]
April 30th
TERMINATOR #7 [W/C]
April 30th
THUNDERCATS #15 [W/VC]
May 07th
DEADPOOL MODERN ERA EPIC COLLECTION VOL 05 [A]
May 14th
THUNDERCATS LOST #3 [VC]
May 21st
TERMINATOR #8 [W/C]
THUNDERCATS #16 [W/VC]
BATMAN & ROBIN: YEAR ONE #7 [VC]
June 11th
THUNDERCATS LOST #4 [VC]
June 18th
TERMINATOR #9 [W/C]
TERMINATOR VOL 01 OUT OF TIME [W/C]
July 16th
MYSTIQUE MOST WANTED TP [W/C]
It was so great getting a chance to meet and chat a bit on Sunday. I really appreciate you making the trip and giving the time. Glad you enjoyed Chicago, and I am sure the dive bar you got to was terrific as we have more than a few handfuls of great ones (curious which one you got to). Anyway, thanks again and looking forward to seeing you again, and maybe a commission next time!
Holy shit, was that Ricobenes?!