BATMAN STRIKES # 42

So after talking to a few people and checking out the previews book I can tell you this much: I'm the co creator of the new super heroin in issue # 42 of Batman Strikes!

BLAM!!!!

AAAWWWW Yea! That's what I'm talking about. I can't say her name until D.C. does first, but you can see her being held up on the cover of the issue by the villain Bane.

This is her first appearance in any comic. To start off in the DCU, in the bat world of all places, is such a feat I can hardly control myself. This is the stuff dreams are made of. I grew up watching and reading batman, and now I've contributed to that universe. CRAZY!

Now the next step is to tell everyone I know to pick up multiple copies of that issue. Not only that, when you get, write into DC telling them you want to see more of our super heroin! We've got to get the word out there about her, and let DC know we want her around for more than a one time deal. If we can do this right she might get her own series, or wind up on the cartoon. How cool would that be?!?!?!?!

So listen, SPREAD THE WORD! and I mean SPREAD IT!!!!!!! With your help this will be the start of something BIG!

Wes

BATMAN STRIKES

OH BOY!!!! Here we go. This is the first of many, many posts about this upcoming Batman Strikes issue. Batman Strikes ISSUE # 42, again that's ISSUE # 42, is set to hit the stands on Feb 13th 2008. It's written by my good friend Stephan Nilson, penciled by my buddy Andie Tong, and inked by one of my mentors Rob Stull. For those of you who don't know these names, look them up! These are 3 very talented guys whom I respect and work with whenever possible. It seemed to be sheer luck that they all wound up on this book that is very special to me.

Why is it so special to me you ask? We'll I'm still not sure I can say yet, but I can say that I am involved with this issue and that you should get ready to buy every copy you can get your hands on! I've also been told more info should be out tomorrow in the February issue of Previews. You can get that at your LCS (local comic shop). Once I see what they say in Previews, and after I talk to some more people, I'll see when I can tell you what's up. It could be as soon as tomorrow!

In the meantime, here is a little nugget of heaven I found online that I can share with you now. Pay special attention to the cover image of the book. It holds the key to my excitement! Enjoy!

CLICK HERE

Wes

P.S. I've never ordered from this place, so order at your own risk. I'll find another spot as well as check this place out.

The Big Entry

What's up everyone. As you can see it's been quite awhile since my last update. These past few months have been a crazy roller coaster ride with plenty of ups and downs. With all that has been going on I haven't had time to keep you guys updated. Fortunately I've got a few moments here this morning so I'm gonna drop a big update on yea. I Hope your ready for it...


47 R.O.N.I.N
My buddy Lawrence Christmas hit me one day to say he was doing some illustrations for the Sprouse Brothers series titled 47 R.O.N.I.N. He asked me to do some digital inking on the illustrations he drew for the first 2 books titled " The Revelation" and "The Showdown". Since Larry is a great artist it's always cool to work with him cuz I get to learn a lot. Plus he works on some pretty cool projects and that's always fun. The rest of the illustrations can be found in the gallery section of my site, under the commercial heading.




Bee Movie
Not too long after I finished the work on the 47.R.O.N.I.N books I got a call from another buddy of mine, Stephan Nilson , saying he needed some ink work done on 2 Bee Movie books. I was very excited to work on such a cool property. There were a team of 4 inkers on this job since it was a rush gig. We knocked it out with ease and the colors were done by my boy Kanila Tripp. The books I've mentioned are titled " Barry's buzzy world" and The Honey Disaster".



Carolyn Schaefer
Carolyn contacted me through a mutual friend when she was ready to put her works on the Internet. I was very inspired by the quality of her work and was egar to wrap it up in a nice little shell for the world to see. Carolyn's site is currently featured on my sites main page. Be sure to check it out and let her know what you think of her site and her work.

Art mart 2
Last year when I moved to Brooklyn I participated in the neighborhoods first Art Mart. This year the Art Mart returned and I came back again to support the cause. This years AM was bigger than last, with more artists and more people checking out the work. I had sketchbooks for sale this year as well as baseball card size art cards. That was on top of the original art and prints I always have. I got to meet a lot of cool people in my hood as well as get some more of my work out there. It was great. Hopefully next year they will be able to do it more often. If they do I'll be out there!
*image to follow


Carl Weathers
This has got to be one of the most exciting things that have happened to me in awhile. On my regular Wednesday trip to the comic shop I was pulled over by my girl Jasmine. She told me that Pat, another cool guy from midtown comics, was contacted by a friend who was in need of an artist. Fortunately for me they both thought of me. Pat told me all he knew was that his buddy needed a drawing of Carl Weathers. I couldn't imagine what for, but I was interested for 2 reasons. 1) CARL WEATHERS! and 2) The guy who needed the art worked in my building, for MTV Movies.

After getting his card from Pat I went on about my comic shopping. After leaving the shop I grabbed lunch and went back to the office. When I got back I called the number on the card and got Joshua on the phone. He asked me to come down and meet him and his coworker Brian.

When I got down to their floor they told me that Carl was coming in the next day for an interview. They had the idea to present him with a drawing a long time ago but had never followed though on it. At the last minute they revisited that idea and that's where I came in. They wanted to know if I had the time and interest to do this, as it was for no pay and was needed the next day.

The thought of me being able to do something for Carl, and him owning a piece of my work was more than enough for me to want to do it. I told them not to worry, I'd have there drawing first thing in the morning. They were both very excited and proceeded to tell me the idea they had for he picture. I took down all the info and reference they had, thanked them both and when back to work.


At the end of the work day I went over to Lee's art store and bough some pens, markers and a nice frame for the drawing. I headed home reviewing the ideas of how I was going to approach this. As soon as I got home I jumped straight on it. At about 4:00 am the art was done and I was drained. This was the first full color marker drawing I had done in years. It was super fun to do but a lot of work since I had no time for practice or warm ups. Regardless, It was done and I was happy.

The next morning I came into the office and called Joshua. I came down to their floor and dropped off the piece, which they seemed very excited about. After that I went back to work like nothing had ever happened. I assumed my roll in this whole affair was over, and I was just satisfied knowing they would send me a pic of him holding up the artwork.

Later on in the day I got a call from Brian saying I could come down and meet Carl if I wanted to...Who wouldn't want to!?!?!?! I got down there as soon as I could and there were plenty of people buzzing about his presence there. He was on the phone so people we milling around the area he was in.

As we were all standing there trying to figure out what to say and who would talk first, we all heard a loud "GET BACK TO WORK PEOPLE!". As we turned to see who dared say such a thing we were all shock to find it was David Koechner, who had been traveling with Carl promoting their movie "The Comebacks". As soon as we realized who it was we all laughed as he walked toward the elevator. From his POV he couldn't see Carl, and altho they had been traveling together, neither know the had stops in the MTV building at the same time. Brain and I chased him down and brought him back to where Carl was. They joked from a few minutes and planned to see each other at dinner before David left.

Once Carl got off the phone people converged on his area, effectively blocking him into the cubical area he was in. A girl from the movies department went to talk to him first, and was so excited she couldn't stand still. Carl being the cool guy he is, joked about it and started moving around just as she was. It was pretty funny.


Once she was done with her convo / photo session I was introduced to him as the artist who did his picture. He was very excited to me me as I was to meet him. I told him how much I admired him and his work and he told me how he liked my art. Then he told me to become famous so the art will be worth millions, to which I replied "I'm working on it"! We took a few pictures together and then I stepped aside so others could take their turn.

The whole thing happened so fast if it weren't for the pictures I'd hardly think it was real. This was just an example of being in the right place right time. I was very grateful for the opportunity and I still get excited just thinking about it. Here are some pics of me and Carl as well as the drawing I did. The other pics can be seen on my Flikr account.


Invincible pinup
-So After a few years of reading this book, and doing a few pinups for it, I decided it was time for another one. This pinup was pretty fun to work on. Anytime I get to draw large tentacles being ripped apart I'm gonna be a happy person. At current the pic is over with my boy Marc Deering who is kind enough to ink this bad boy up for me. Once he lays his magic down on it it'll be over to Kanila Tripp next. Keep an eye out for more on this pic.

BTW, I'm going to be doing some more comic work soon. I realized this year I've only done 2 pinups...2!!!!!!! That's no good. So for those of you who would like to help a brother out, just ask me where my comic work is every once and awhile, just to see if I'm working on anything.

Nickatnite.com
- At my day job working for Nickelodeon, I was just part of a huge redesign of the nickatnite site. Take a few minutes to check it out. The main page has been upgraded as well as all of the show pages. We'll still be adding alot of stuff to the site over the next few weeks/months, so keep checking back often.

Teasers

Batman Strikes
Lastly I'm working on some pretty cool things that I can't talk about yet. The first has to do with an issue of Batman Strikes. It's supposed to drop Feb 13 2008. No, I'm not drawing it, but I am involved...Stay tuned on that one.

Nascar
The other thing I got going on has to do with Nascar. This project is very exciting. I have no idea when this will be hitting the public, but when I can say more on it I will.

That's all for now, as if that wasn't enough, lol. I'll holla soon.

Wes

Back in the house!

Sup everyone. I'm back in the place to be, NYC and I have a lot to talk about / show you. You'll see updates starting to pop up all over the site in the next week. Be sure to check back soon for the latest and greatest!

Wes

Bahamas

Hey all, I'm going on vacation for a week, a much needed vacation! I'll holla when I return. Peace playas!

Testing 123

testing somethings out.

Hard Head Records

Earlier this year I was commissioned to do some Illustrations, 8 to be exact, for a friends CD booklet. I have heard the album and can say for sure that it is HOT! I have not however seen how they hooked up the Illustrations with the song copy and credits and all that. The album was recently released and I should be getting my copy soon. Until then, I've posted a few of the pieces in my gallery section, under the commercial heading. When I get the final version I will post them as well. If you want to check out what HardHead Records is doing you can visit them here.

Big Konizzle finshed

Sup peoples! I've been doing some drawing as of late. Most of it for stuff I can't show you yet, but you know I will as soon as I can. I did get a chance to finish this pic for my boy Kon so I'm posting it before I forget, lol. Some of the tones got lost in the scan, but you'll get the idea. I'm pretty tired now so I'm off to lay down. Holla.

Wes

AM Pinup #2 Colored

Hey everyone. I finally got the color back for this bad boy. Thanks goes out to Rob Kohr (inks) and Kanila Tripp (color) for the hook up.

Art Out Loud 5

So I got a last minute invite to attend the Art Out Loud event held this past Saturday at the Society of Illustrators. This event had special guest artist Klaus Janson (a great guy and former teacher of mine), Paolo Rivera and Mike Oeming. These guys spent more than 4 hours just doing their thing in front of about 50 aspiring and professional artists. IT WAS AMAZING!!! I was too interested in the "experience" to take more photos, but those should give you an idea of the setup and vibe.

I got to watch Klaus work on World War Hulk issue #3 pages. The John Romtia Jr. pencils were sick on their own, but watching Klaus ink them was a thing of beauty.

Standing over Oeming's shoulder and watching him bust out 3, yes 3 Powers pages, including a double page spread!

And the incredible digital tutorial Paolo gave was insane. It was like he was sculpting with color in photoshop. I've never seen anything like it. Paolo also showed us how he makes sculpts of his characters for ref when doing a story. Talk about some serious prep work!

Dirty Konizzle

So my come boy Kon asked me to do him a sketch in the skethbook he bought. i was so inspired by his idea that I decided to do it up proper for him. Here are the finished pencils. this one was tough for me but i think it came out very well. I'm very happy with it thus far.

Wes

Atomik Mike Pinpup #1 Final

Sup peoples, here is the final Atomick Mike #1 Pinup. Special thanks to Wesley Wong for coloring this under crazy conditions ( massive power outtages). Thanks bro!

Wes

Atomik Mike 2 Inks

Hey all. Here is the inked version of the AM2 pic. My buddy Rob Kohr came through on this pic. Thanks Rob.

Atomik Mike 2 Revised

Ok, so after a few comments and suggestions I made some changes. I'm sure there is still more that can be done, but for this peice I'm done. I'll apply the stuff I learned to the next joint. But I am very happy with the turn out of this peice. Let's see if I can get some more knocked out :)

Wes

Atomik Mike 2

In an effort to help out a friend I've knocked out a second Atomik Mike pinup. Here are the pencils. Hopefully I can get it inked and colored before the deadline.

Wes

AM Inks

Sup peeps. Way back I did this Atomik Mike pinup that I posted here in pencil form. I just got around to doing the inks, and will hopefully have it colored soon. Once I get it colored I'll post that as well.

Wes

Killa Munny Pics

Click here to view some process to completion pics for killa on my flickr account.

Killa Munny

Sup everyone, it's Munny time! That's right, ya boy finally got around to painting his first Munny figure.

This Munny's name is Killa and you don't want to see him in a dark ally way for sure. From what i've heard he keeps souvenirs of his victims in his briefcase, which is still pretty bloody as you can see.

I'll be posting some of the process pics of Killa up on my flicker account so be sure to check for it. Also, I will be doing a few more of these soon and they will be available for sale in my eBay store. Who knows, Killa might even be up for grabs.

ArtBid 11225

Here is the correct info. I think you can e-mail you bids in as opposed to going in to bid. My pieces are not viewable online just yet, and I suspect there are others only viewable at the cafe as well. I'm gonna check it out tomorrow and let you know what's poppin'. Keep checking back.

For more information visit the PLG Arts website:

http://www.plgarts.org/home.htm

To preview the works and bid on line, please visit:
http://www.damelioterras.com/room/
To access:
Username = lefferts
Password = auction

Exhibition and silent auction:
Monday April 23-Sunday April 29
Closing reception:
Sunday, April 29 at 5 p.m.

K-dog and Dunebuggy
43 Lincoln Road
Brooklyn, NY 11225
(718) 282-7139 (Prospect Park on the Q)

This week kicks of the start of a silent Art Auction at the K-Dog Café in my neighborhood. I have donated 2 pieces to the weeklong auction that can be yours if you are the winning bidder. From what I know, to bid on this auction you will have to go to the café and place a bid, then continue to come back and make sure you are not out bid by someone else. Here is a snippet from and announcement I got as a donor.

“The first PLG Arts Art Auction Benefit will take the form of a week-long exhibition/silent auction from April 23rd to Sunday April 29th. There will be a closing event on the 29th. It will be held at K-Dog & Dunebuggy Café on Lincoln Road in our neighborhood. “K Dog” hosts exhibitions on a regular schedule and is a center for neighborhood life. The proceeds from the auction will directly support our creative arts programs and help establish our visibility.”

If I get more info I’ll let you know. If you have questions or comments hit me up.

Wes

Gunn Smoke Sketchbook

It has arrived! My first sketchbook is now available to order online. There have been a lot of orders already and I'm really excited about it. The first order of books arrived in time for the New York Comic Convention. I did well at the con for my debut book (there is more about that in the post below this one). I also got quite a few orders from my friends and coworkers. Thanks Guys and Gals!

The sketchbooks will be available through my eBay store at a cost of $15. Each book comes with an original drawing on first interior page. Each drawing is different and can be of anything from Superman to a cute kitty. You will also be able to order custom drawings in your sketchbook. For a book with a custom sketch you'll need to send me references of what you want. Custom books are $50. There are a limited supply of books and even less custom books available. Be sure to order yours now or you'll have to wait until my next print run and that might not be for a while.

Below are photos of some of the sketches I've done so far. I'll add more to my Flickr account when i get a moment and post the link here. Check them out and then go order a book! ;)

Wes

New York Comic Con 2007 Feb 23rd – 25th

For those of you who don't know, this was the second year of the New York Comic Con. It was a great show. I had lots of fun of course, but before I get into all that, I want to say thanks to all those who came by the table and hung out, bought some books, sketches and prints. You all made this year's con a great experience.

Day 1 - Friday

I took the day off to be at the con while the press was there. I didn't get any interviews this time, but one person was interested in interviewing me at a later date. I'll let you know when/if it happens.

Even without my 15 minutes of fame, it was a good day. There was a good amount of press and professional artist walking around, and setting up. I split the table with Larry Christmas and we were holdin' it down. Larry Introduced me to some nice people who work at Simon and Schuster. We also met some fellow artist setting up near by.

We were able to take turns watching the table and walking around. I took a few pics, which you can check out here on my new flickr account.

The doors opened at about 4:00 pm to the public and it got crowded quick. I sold a few sketches that day and saw a lot of friends who I have not seen in over a year. All in all, it was a good start to a great weekend.

I bounced out a bit early as I was exhausted from the long day. I knew Saturday would be the real monster so I needed to be well rested for that.

Saturday

Today I got in and it was crowded from the jump. I setup quick and kept on the lookout for my buddy Dave Hillman. Larry was back at the crib doing freelance work so Dave came and filled in. He set up quick and we were busy from then on. I really didn't move from my table at all, lol. I spent the whole day drawing and selling books and prints.

I hooked up with a few artists after the con, and then went to the Pop Culture Shock party that was going on. I didn't stay too long as I knew I'd be back up bright and early for Sunday.


Sunday

Today was more of the same as fans couldn't get enough of the con. I can't blame them tho as it is great to have a con this big on the East Coast. I talked with a few more friends and sold some prints and t-shirts that day. Business was good.

I'm still holding onto the energy I gained from being there. I'm currently doing custom sketches for people who preordered my book. It's helping me keep that energy I gathered from the con. I'll drop a line when the book will be ready online. It should be soon, in the next week or so.

Till next time. Holla.