Artist for hire!

In an ever increasing attempt to raise my profile as an artist, I have been taking on more and more non comics illustration gigs. Recently, I did a couple of spot illustrations for Prism Magazine, published by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). These were published in the January 2012 issue and I just got some complimentary copies a few days ago. First off was a spot illustration for an article addressing the problem of retaining engineering majors for graduation.

Next up is a spot illustration accompanying a book review of Indra's Net and the Midas Touch.

I was very pleased to see this piece was also used in the Table of Contents.

It never gets old seeing your work printed.

The owls are not what they seem.

This was a commission I did a few days ago. The original is actually in glorious black and white and I colored this for fun.

I like to draw disgusting things. Part 2

Next up on the hit parade is 'ol crazy eyes Michele Bachmann.

Pleased to meet me!

An interview with me in the City Paper. For those of you who found my blog via the City Paper interview, WELCOME!

Occupy!

A little something I drew yesterday and colored today. With the Occupy Congress action going on in DC today it seemed apt.

Fun fact: I was working on getting that squeezing fist right and had it at a couple of angles but still couldn't get it to my satisfaction. Then I took a break and checked out the Huffington Post which had a picture of Dr. Martin Luther King on the front page with a clenched fist that was the perfect angle. So, yes, I used Dr. King's clenched fist as a reference to get this piece just right. I think Dr. King would be okay with that. It's for a good cause.

I like to draw disgusting things

The first of many sketches and drawings I have done of the Republican Presidential candidates. First up is one of the slimiest, Newt Gingrich.

More to come soon.

Through the fog of a gin soaked memory it emerged...

Nothing quite like discovering a jam from SPX that you have absolutely no memory of participating in. I won't lie, alcohol was involved. Jeff Alexander (RIP) was always pretty generous with those drink tickets and it was the night before my birthday so that may explain the lack of remembrance for this. Anyway, here it is, the SPX 2007 Scrapple Jam !

Failures in freelancing

I answered an ad a few months ago about coloring a graphic novel and I received an email asking what my page rate would be. I  responded by asking to see the artwork to better determine how long each page could take because if it was a crazy George Perez page with a lot of intricate detailed backgrounds it may take me longer than usual to color. I was also curious to see the art to weigh if this was a project I would even be interested in taking on. I was very pleased to find out it was very much the kind of book I would be interested in working on in addition to reading.  The graphic novel is called Going Down and is written by Dan Fozzard  and pencils and inks by Ron McCain.  Dan described Going Down to me as thus:
        " Going Down is based loosely on the journey Dante took as described in his 13th Century epic poem the Divine Comedy, with the difference that I've added numerous other characters and themes. Students of Greek mythology, the Bible, Buddhism, Islam even Swedenborg will see parallels in the Hell I've created. The Characters range from the old familiar Charon- Hell's ferryman to Moby Dick's Captain Ahab and contemporary Ernest Hemingway, Religious fanatics Jim Jones and sex symbol of the Silver Screen, Mae West."

These were the two pages I colored for Dan to try out for the job. I didn't get the job (cue the sad trumpet sound) but I liked the colors I chose for these pages. I do not know who is publishing the book but I look forward to seeing its release this year.

And yet another preview of Code Duello!

Another page from Code Duello from the anthology District Comics coming from Fulcrum Publishing sometime this summer. Words by my brother Kevin Rawlings and the art is by me of course.

 
Fun fact: My brother, Kevin, who wrote story had never written for the comics medium before so when he sent me his story it was 21 pages of solid prose. 
I pared that down with the aid of Matt Dembicki, who is editing the book, into a more manageable script  This particular page was tough though in what to extract and what to leave in as a lot of the historical background in this page was important to the rest of the story. but I needed some room for the visuals. This was comic after all and not a prose story with spot illustrations.  Anyway, I really like the design of the page without the text.

Magic Bullet #3 gets reviewed!

This was a fantastic review of Magic Bullet #3 despite my OBAMAN strip identified as OBAMAMAN in the piece. I was glad to see I hit a home run with the strip for the reviewer. "Rawlings nails the entire problem of the Obama Administration in only 10 panels.  He should keep it to pitch as the introduction to a history book, as I think it's a fitting commentary."  This is the strip reprinted for the first time anywhere in its entirety .

If you can find a copy of Magic Bullet #3 I recommend you do so because it is a freaking awesome paper in every way.

I was really pleased with most of the feedback I received on the strip ( especially the interest in the original art for the piece) however I winced at some of the questions if I am an Obama hater/ conservative  fielded from some who had read the strip as I am quite definitely the opposite. I was let down by his refusal to fight over the debt ceiling issue and that comic strip was borne out of my frustration with his course of action. So I was glad that McMonigal, the reviewer, got that. Just because I voted for the guy doesn't mean he gets a free pass on things. Makes me wonder how many more of these misconceptions will come out with the new OBAMAN strip I am working on for Magic Bullet #4.  It's about Obama's signing of the NDAA bill that  allows for indefinite detention of American citizens wrapped up in the flavor of a Silver Age Superman comic.