#185: KAYA

New sequential story by me! Thought Bubble info, and a poll!

Nov 11, 2025

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

My first solid two weeks of work in about a month, so tried to get as much done as I could. Seems like I did… my worklog…

Coloured THUNDERCATS #25 cover
Coloured TERMINATOR: METAL #5 cover
Coloured PROJECT CLASH cover
Pencilled/inked/colured IDW cover
Roughs THUNDERCATS #26/#27/#28/#29/#30
Pencilled/inked THUNDERCATS #26 cover
Rough/ pencilled/inked coloured DC cover
Rough/ pencilled/inked coloured Marvel cover
Rough/ pencilled/inked Marvel cover
Rough/ pencilled/inked coloured Ignition cover
Wrote PROJECT QUIET script
Lettering notes, THUNDERCATS #21
Lettering notes, TERMINATOR: METAL #3
Wrote THUNDERCATS Arc 6 outline
Wrote TERMINATOR: METAL #5 outline
Writing THUNDERCATS #23 script

Panel from COLLOSAL KAYA, by myself and Jason Wordie

-This week COLLOSSAL KAYA is out, which is the only significant sequential story I’ve drawn this year [outside of the X-MEN HELLFIRE VIGIL 2-pager]. Written by series creator Wes Craig [DEADLY CLASS], coloured by Jason Wordie and with other contributions by amazing talent like Mike Huddleston, James Harren, Nathan Fox, Ryan Stegman, it’s quite the one-shot! As a fan of the book, it was great to play in Wes’ world for a bit, especially as it works as a great introduction to a book that Wes has been developing for the past few years.. I’m less enthusiastic about sharing page space with the phenomenal artists on the book as yeeesh, why am I actively making myself look bad but it’s too late to back out now, apparently.

-Took a cover gig for an Ignition mini-series. I am trying to take less covers in general but with this I’ll get to channel some of my PUNISHER cover aesthetic, so it’ll be a nice creative challenge.

-I finally finished the PROJECT QUIET one-shot script. Was a good bit of outlining for the last month or so, but once I got writing it flowed really easily. Excited to see pages for this come in, working with a very big artist on this one.

-Got invited to a European show for next year, very excited to go.

-As I’m trying to concentrate on writing for the next month or so, I spent a couple of days doing my layouts for everything currently on my plate. If I can concentrate on one discipline at a time, I find that I am more productive. Switching gears really kills any momentum, so if I can schedule writing for a few days, or layouts, or colouring, etc. It’s a lot more time-efficient than just hopping across techniques day to day. So now, all my cover roughs for the next couple of months are worked out, to a lot of the concept work, where a lot of mental energy is needed, is all taken care of for a while. I’ve drawn a all few of them, now I just need to concentrate on writing, maybe tinker with a couple more at the end of the month.

-I’ve spent the last few days working on a rework of PROJECT CLASH. Think I have it all worked out now, so will get writing very soon.

-Marvel released my variant cover for their upcoming WILL OF DOOM one-shot by Chip Zdarsky and Cafu. Great to draw a Hulk again.

-I’m about to pitch an idea for a mini-series. Not 100% it’s happening, but going to call it PROJECT SILENCE for now.

-A friend recently asked about OLD DOG wondering when I’ll e doing more. I’d like to get back to it, thought PROJECT CLASH will take up a lot of my time for the rest of the year, I’d like to move on it if PROJECT LAZARUS [a bucket list project] doesn’t get approved. The main issue is having the space to draw it, my friend asking if I’d ever be willing to have another artist draw and an arc. I did the anthology last year obviously, but it’s been a whole year since so I wonder, is it better to wait a year or so for more all by me, or get to get more story out there with help by other artists? I really don’t know, I have other stories I’d like to draw, but I also dream of a big OLD DOG hardcover collection 10 years from now. Out of curiosity, oh dedicated Decolyte …what do you think?

-With the trade of MYSTIQUE coming out a few months after the series wrapped, I don’t think I did a great job of promoting it at the time. I’ve only now updated my website to include it on my Projects page. If any of ye dedicated Decolytes would be so inclined, some positive reviews over on Amazon would be great. I really don’t like asking, but it does all help.

Review MYSTIQUE on Amazon

-FF X GARGOYLES #1 is out this week with the above variant cover by myself. It’s one of the covers I’ve probably spent the most time on. As I’m sure ye all know by now, I like my minimal design and bolder compositions in my covers, but this was an attempt to do a bonafide complex superhero cover. Not only that, but I spent ages colouring it, tweaking it in various ways to make it work. I’d like to do a process post about it but I don’t know if I can make the time. Maybe in the next Declarations? I’ll try.

THOUGHT BUBBLE

-Thought Bubble is this coming weekend! I’ll be shacked up at Table A16 in the Comixology Hall. There’s a lot of old friends at the show this year that I can’t wait to catch up with.

This will be my first time tabling at the show since 2019. For the last few years I’ve just done some signing times, but I figured it’s about time I made a proper go of it again. I’ll be selling books [MYSTIQUE, OLD DOG, THUNDERCATS/TERMINATOR variant covers etc] and doing some headsketches. I’ll also be on the TO GOTHAM AND BACK panel on Saturday 15 November 2025, 1:30 pm- 2:30 pm

The dark city of Gotham is unmistakably iconic, and comic creators Christian Ward, Declan Shalvey and Jock know its gothic streets by heart. Laura Jones joins as host to discuss the allure of Batman, the fun these creators had in his hometown, and also looks at the transition from artist to writer, and creating scripts for others to draw.

As I mentioned before, I’ll be doing portfolio reviews at the show too, though I don’t know what times yet. There aren’t any set appointments for specific portfolios so the luck of the draw. Best keep an eye on the convention socials for those updates. I’m always open to look at portfolios at my own table mind, but be aware I may not have time if I’m behind on sketches.

I’ll also have the remaining sketchbooks [about a third of the print run left]

ART DECO

As mentioned above, the remaining ART DECO SKETCHBOOKS will be available at Thought Bubble. I’m sure there’ll be some left after, so keep an eye out here as whatever copies remain I will offer them to you Decolytes first.

Last week I did the last owed commission on my list, one that was meant to be done for NYCC but didn’t get to it in time. Very happy with the final piece though, got a lot of eyeballs online, seems lots of people like this SPIDER-MAN fella!

Here’s a time-lapse of the TWO FACE I also did for NYCC.

Looking to have a special sales event before the end of the year so again, keep your eyes peeled in future Declarations.

THUNDERCATS

Series artist Drew Moss is currently starting art on THUNDERCATS Issue 22. I really loved writing this issue and cant wait to see what Drew does with it. I’m about to start writing Issue 23 which is going to be a lot of fun.

I mentioned in the last Declarations that I had a big story call with Thunderverse editor Nate Cosby about the sixth arc of THUNDERCATS. This arc will be a lot ore self-contained so I wanted to work out the covers to the whole arc at the same time and have some tighter connectivity. I have them all roughed out up as far as Issue 30 which will make it the longest running series I’ve worked on, once I get there [beating out TIME BEFORE TIME at 29 issues]. I’ve written out on outline for the arc, have spent the last week tinkering with it. Will be an interesting shift that I’m excited to dig into more.

I also finished the cover for Issue 25, I’m eager to show it off… but not yet. Wanted to commemorate the 25th issue with a big team shot that I’ve had in my mind for ages, so it was very satisfying to get that on paper, finally.

I did a big read of all the finished THUNDERCATS one-shots [including the upcoming PUMYRA and PANTHRO one-shots] and mini/maxi-series. I get a look at all the scripts ahead of time but to actually read the finished comics… it’s so crazy to me that we’ve built out such a wider story outside of the main book.

A reminder about the Thundercats & Friends Warner Brothers Comics Mystery Bag Kickstarter, that only has 3 days left! This Warner Brothers Blind Bag offer up some lovely metal and holofoil covers featuring incredible work by artists such as Mike Mignola, Mark Spears, David Nakayama, Jenny Frison, Jae Lee, Manix, Lucio Parrillo, Michael Cho, Francesco Mattina, Tom Raney, Filipe Massafera, Karen Darboe, Leonardo Romero, Derrick Chew, Christian Ward, Ben Oliver and more.

Below is a variant for THUNDERCATS #21 [homage to JUSTICE LEAGUE #1 (1987) homage by Ken Haeser], this dressed version [as well as black& white version, virgin version, etc] will be randomly inserted into blind bags and the original art is up for grabs too.

THUNDERCATS #21 Blind Mag Mystery exclusive cover

Thundercats & co WB Comics Mystery Bag

TERMINATOR

I’ll soon start writing Issue 5 of TERMINATOR: METAL, after having had Rory McConville look over my outline and giving me some good notes back.

Colin Craker has finished inks for Issue 3 as well as colours, so let me show the now-coloured first page.

Look at that little rainbow effect in the first panel, lovely. Colin has been the secret sauce on this book, keeping a unified aesthetic for the book across all the different artists, but I’m glad we’ve been able to showcase his full artistic skills with this issue [as well as Issue 8 of the previous series].

Rory and I handed in out lettering notes yesterday, so the issue us all wrapped.

Here’s a look at my cover for Issue 4….

Art for this issue will be by Giona Zefiro. This is the first TERMINATOR artist that hasn’t been hand-picked by myself [Giona was a suggestion by editor Nate Cosby] so I’m interested to see the results. I’ve seen his work, he’s excellent, I just have no idea what to expect for the first time on this book, which will be an interesting change of pace.