The Continuing Adventures of Joe Stickman

While we were at Cardiff Independent Comic Expo a few weeks back we gat two new Joes to add to the Joe Stickman gallery.  The first is by SCC artist Mark ’Son of Ken’ Hughes who has reimagined Joe as himself complete with a stick man belly.

The Second is by Lorenzo Etherington, who, along with his brother Robin, are currently best known for their works Long Gone Don and The Dangerous Adventures of Von Doogan which appear regularly in The Phoenix Comic. Lorenzo has given Joe a fetching pair of Y front to protect his modesty.  

True Believer Comic Festival Goodie Bag Sketch Cards

This Man This Pete has drawn 30 sketch cards for the goodie bags to be given away at  The True Believers Comic Festival 2015, Gloucester on Saturday 7th February 2015.

Take look at all of them over at ThisManThisPete.com

New Sketch Cards for Cardiff

Series 3 of the SCC Sketch Cards are here! There's a better view of the illustration on my site, ThisManThisPete.com . Come see us at the Cardiff International Comic Expo, Sunday 4th November at the Mercure Hotel, Cardiff. Hope to see you there...

This Man, This Pete

100 SCC Sketch Cards: #100 HELLBOY

Number 100 had to be special and nothing short of the Comic Book Event of the Year seemed fitting. No, not The Avengers movie, and definitely not some-over long squabble between super-types. No, the Comic Book Event of the Year is Mike Mignola's return to drawing a Hellboy Series! HELLBOY IN HELL starts in December and will continue the amazing series of stories that Mignola and Fegrado have been crafting together over the last few years.

And it's not just the Hellboy series, all the BPRD titles that Dark Horse is publishing are bang on the money, the best comics out there, bar none.

Order all of 'em... and tell 'em Pete sent ya!

View all 100 Sketch Cards here

See ya in the funny pages!
This Man, This Pete!

UPDATE: Pencils and roughs for the last 10 sketch cards are here on thismanthispete.com

100 SCC Sketch Cards: #99 NIGHT RAVEN

I mentioned the British weekly comic 'The  Mighty World of Marvel' in my last post, it was a cracking read reprinting American stories of the Hulk, the Fantastic Four and Nova among others but in March '79 it was cancelled and replaced by Hulk Comic. At first glance, it looked like it wasn't going to measure up to its predecessor, gone was the glossy cover, the standard of paper generally was worse and it was smaller. But when you looked inside... original stories by British creators such as Steve Dillon, Paul Neary, John Stokes, Dave Gibbons and John Bolton drawing such characters as The Hulk, Nick Fury and The Black Knight. Yet, best of all, was a new character, created by Steve Parkhouse and David Lloyd, Night Raven!

Night Raven was a prohibition era masked crime fighter whose every episode began 'Night time in the city...' and usually ended with the criminals left slumped in an alley with glazed eyes, a Night Raven symbol branded on their foreheads and a note pinned to their chest reading 'Where darkness spreads its evil wings... The Night Raven Stings!' It was incredible with Lloyd's inky art, the trenchcoats, fedoras, blazing revolvers and sinister hero. It was probably my first taste of Pulp, I'd always enjoyed gangster films and wrote a school project on Al Capone but this masked crime fighter was brutal. He didn't mind killing his foes or scarring them for life. Later stories, introduced Yi Yang, an oriental female warlord, and after his strips finished. His story was continued in text pieces written by Alan Moore and Jamie Delano with illustrations by Alan Davis and Paul Neary. In these tales, Night Raven, became indestructible and virtually immortal but was in constant pain and constant conflict with Yi Yang.

He appeared in a mainstream US title called 'Fury/Black Widow: Death Duty' and a mini-series called 'Nocturne' used some of his history but this story since been ruled out of canon by The Official Handbook (OTMU).


Here's hoping for a comeback soon...

View all 100 sketch cards here
UPDATE: Pencils and roughs for the last 10 sketch cards are here on thismanthispete.com

Cheers,
This Man, This Pete!

Further Update:
I had the pleasure to meet David Lloyd himself recently and got this great Night Raven sketch card

100 SCC Sketch Cards: #98 THE EVER-LOVIN' BLUE EYED THING

One of my favourite comics is Fantastic Four #51 'This Man, This Monster' (you'd never have guessed right?) and the Fantastic Four was one of my first introductions to comics through their appearance in the British weekly reprint title 'Mighty World of Marvel'. John Byrne's 80s revamp was also responsible for me getting completely hooked on the 'proper' American issues. And in the Fantastic Four, Ben was always the stand out character and star of another favourite title, Marvel Two-In-One.

This card also represents the genius of Jack Kirby. It is truly amazing how much impact this one creator had on the comics industry and how many characters that he created, co-created or worked on are still around. Thanks Jack.

View all 100 Sketch Cards here.
UPDATE: Pencils and roughs for the last 10 sketch cards are here on thismanthispete.com

Two left...
This Man, This Pete!

100 SCC Sketch Cards: #97 MAN-APE

Number 97 is Man-Ape!
I love drawing Gorillas! Had to squeeze one into the Top Ten somehow ;)

Only three to go...


Cheers,
This Man, This Pete!

View all 100 Sketch cards here.

UPDATE: Pencils and roughs for the last 10 sketch cards are here on thismanthispete.com

100 SCC Sketch Cards: #96 THE CRIMSON AVENGER

As Ed Brubaker wrote in the letter column for Incognito, "The secret ingredient is Pulp" and The Crimson Avenger makes it 96 sketch cards while representing this great genre (is it a genre?).

I'm not sure when I first discovered pulp, I read all the Conan, John Carter & Tarzan paperbacks without knowing of their heritage. I learned of Black Mask when reading the forewords of the novels of Raymond Chandler & Dashiel Hammett. Finally, I got hold of a copy of Jim Steranko's History of Comics and the amazing first volume's coverage of the range of titles revealed the full history of Pulp to me and the ground work it had laid for so many comic characters.

I also chose this version of the Crimson Avenger as a nod to DC animation and the triumphant 'Justice League Unlimited' in particular.  

View all 100 Sketch Cards here.
UPDATE: Pencils and roughs for the last 10 sketch cards are here on thismanthispete.com

Cheers,
This Man, This Pete!

100 SCC Sketch Cards: #95 THE BLACK FLAME

Number 95, THE BLACK FLAME is in my top 10 representing the Mignolaverse published at Dark Horse Comics. BPRD, Lobster Johnson, Abe Sapien, Witchfinder. All consistently the best comics in my pull list. All wonderfully plotted, scripted and woven together by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Scott Allie and occasional other writers,. All brilliantly illustrated by the most amazing band of artists that has included; Ryan Sook, Guy Davis, James Harren, Jason Latour, John Severin, Jason Armstrong, Tyler Crook, Cameron Stewart, Duncan Fegrado, Fábio Moon, Gabriel Bá, Ben Stenbeck, Tonci Zonjic and of course, the dynamic duo of Mike Mignola and Dave Stewart.

Thanks Mike and Dark Horse, I hope to be reading these tales for a long time to come...

View all 100 Sketch Cards here.
UPDATE: Pencils and roughs for the last 10 sketch cards are here on thismanthispete.com

This Man, This Pete

100 SCC Sketch Cards: #94 FLEX MENTALLO

FLEX METALLO, makes it 94. Flex is really here representing Grant Morrison, the best writer in comics, bar none. I could have easily drawn someone from the massive Seven Soldiers series, or Joe The Barbarian or Seaguy or The Invisbibles and I did kick myself when I realised I'd missed a chance to draw El Gaucho from Grant's run on Batman. But in the end I went for Flex Mentallo, The Master of Muscle Mystery! I did read and love the Doom Patrol when Morrison was in charge but Flex is here really for the brilliant nineties mini-series that has only recently been reprinted. I couldn't begin to give a synopsis but the combination of Morrison's script, Frank Quitely's art and Rian Hughes dynamite cover design work makes it one of my all-time favourite reads...

Thanks Grant...

View all 100 Sketch Cards.
UPDATE: Pencils and roughs for the last 10 sketch cards are here on thismanthispete.com

This Man, This Pete

100 SCC Sketch Cards: #93 ADAM WARLOCK

ADAM WARLOCK, another 70s Marevl comics character and star of Jim Starlin's Magnum Opus gets the number 93 slot. When I got my first job and started visiting the Odyssey 7 comic shop in Manchester, Marvel and DC were reprinting entire runs of classic series like Neil Adam's stint on Deadman, Marshall Rogers's Detective Comics run and Jim Starlin's space-opera Warlock. It was and still is an incredible read, the story was huge taking in (literally) the whole of the Marvel Universe and introducing supporting characters like Gamora, Pip the Troll and The Magus. Unusually for a comic series it also came to a definite (if not lasting) close in two 'giant-sized' annuals co-starring the Avengers and the Thing.

Man, I might go and re-read them now...
This Man, This Pete 
View all 100 Sketch Cards here.
UPDATE: Pencils and roughs for the last 10 sketch cards are here on thismanthispete.com

100 SCC Sketch Cards: #92 MAN-THING

Ah, Comics! This card marks one more reason we love you so! What other medium lets you encourage someone to "Check out my Man-Thing!" and not get arrested for it! Indeed, this being a sketch card it is far from the 'Giant-Sized Man-Things' that some have to boast about but I'm proud of it anyway...

Man-Thing is in my Top Ten for another reason, 70s Marvel was an incredible period. Most of my favourite Marvel characters were created in the wave of new titles that Marvel published in the seventies; Power Man, Iron Fist, Deathlok, Shang-Chi, Nova the Human Rocket, Ghost Rider... and the star of my next card. Any guesses?


This Man, This Pete
View all 100 Sketch Card here.
UPDATE: Pencils and roughs for the last 10 sketch cards are here on thismanthispete.com

100 SCC Sketch Cards: #91 THE GOON

The countdown begins...
#91 is THE GOON, Eric Powell's tortured, tragic, ghoul-battering hero.
...and man, can that Powell guy draw good...

Now as Frankie would say, "You got exactly five seconds to go visit and like the SCC Facebook Page or I'll beat you senseless with a bar stool!"

View all 100 Sketch Cards here.
UPDATE: Pencils and roughs for the last 10 sketch cards are here on thismanthispete.com

This Man, This Pete

100 sketch cards: 76 - 90

Swansea Comics Collective Sketch Cards by This Man, This Pete

Nearly there... to 100 sketch cards...

#76 - Wasp, to celebrate the release of The Avengers movie I did a sheet of 'Avenging Ladies' sketch cards.
#77 - Ms Marvel, classic costume version
#78 - Valkyrie, one of my favourite Defenders now an avenger
#79 - Hellcat
#80 - Moondragon, the snootiest of all the Avengers
#81 - Tigra
#82 - Mockingbird, Mrs Hawkeye
#83 - Black Widow
#84 & 85, World's Faultiest: Bizarro & Batzarro, personal fave this one
#86 - Mohawk Storm,
#87 - Creeper
#88 - Puck from Alpha Flight, I cycled 20 miles to by the latest issue of that comic once...
#89 - Squid Eye Guy! Another denizen of Copperopolis from the fevered brain of The SCC's Adam Wilmot!
#90 - Man-Bat.

...only 10 to go. Stay tuned!

View all 100 Sketch Cards here.
Pencils and roughs can be seen on my site, This Man This Pete.

Thanks for looking...

This Man, This Pete!

100 SCC Sketch cards: 61-75

Swansea Comics Collective Sketch Cards by This Man, This Pete

On the home stretch to 100 sketch cards...

#61 - Batgirl, the only good thing to come out of the New 52 is Barbara's return...
#62 - Supergirl, originally drawn for my own (not so little now) Supergirl
#63 - Harry Potter, drawn with a shameful eye for sales at the Cardiff Comic Expo
#64 - Wonder Woman
#65 - Creature from the Black Lagoon
#66 - Deadpoo, sketch card commission from Cardiff Comics Expo. Man, you get asked for some strange stuff...
#67 - Black Canary, sketch card commission from Cardiff Comics Expo
#68 & 69 - Hulk vs Rocket Raccoon, sketch card commission from Cardiff Comics Expo. This was a blast loved doing this one.
#70 - The Spirit, sketch card commission from Cardiff Comics Expo.
#71 - Marty McFly blart for The SCC's Back to the Future week
#72 - The Amazing Red Blue, from The SCCs Opus Maximus (in the worksus) Copperopolis!
#73 - Scott Pilgrim punching Sarah Palin, sketch card commission from Cardiff Comics Expo. Fun!
#74 - Mysterio, always loved the fish bowl look
#75 - Rhino,the big galoot!

View all 100 Sketch Cards here.

Thanks for looking...
Onward!
This Man, This Pete!

100 SCC Sketch cards: 46-60

Swansea Comics Collective Sketch Cards by This Man, This Pete

Passing the halfway mark on my way to 100 sketch cards...

#46 - Red Hulk, he just found out the real Hulk stole the Avengers movie...
#47 - The Kraken, from Way & Ba's incredible Umbrella Academy
#48 - Nick Fury. The real Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
#49 - Plastic Man.
#50 - Slam Bradley, a PI created by Siegel & Shuster before they created Superman
#51 - Howard The Duck, back before he had to wear trousers...
#52 - Captain Marvel! Shazam! Holy Moley! etc
#53 - Ug, The Ugliest Dog in the World (according to Ripley's Believe It or Not)
#54 & #55 - Zabu and Ka-Zar, Lord of the Savage Land. Two fave characters
#56 - Ghost Rider, loved the look they gave him in the movie sequel
#57 - Beast, Fun bouncing 'ape' Beast. Bring him back!
#58 - Deadman, again! He's one of my go-to guys for sketching
#59 - Solomon Kane
#60 - Mouse Guard birthday sketch card for Sophie 'Ten Minute Marvel deMarco

View all 100 Sketch Cards here.

Thanks for looking...
Onward!
This Man, This Pete!

100 SCC Sketch cards: 31-45

Swansea Comics Collective Sketch Cards by This Man, This Pete

In this batch, a bunch of SCC birthdays helped me on my way to 100 sketch cards...

#31 - Green Lantern gets a birthday cake from Sinestro in Simon Daniel's birthday sketch
#32 - Gladiator, my favourite Daredevil villain, shame he's gone straight...
#33 - Kraven The Hunter
#34 - Aquaman from the Batman: The Brave and the Bold cartoon with his trusty steed Platelet
#35 - Dark Knight celebrates 25 years of Swansea's Comix Shoppe
#36 - Deadpool birthday sketch card for the SCC's ever cheerful Mark Tranter
#37 - Deathlok, Marvel comics 70s scifi cyborg
#38 - DC comics Deadman tries scare tactics
#39 - Spider-Man birthday sketch card for the SCC's writing powerhouse Ricky 'Webberhead' Webber
#40 - Obi-Wan Kenobi tries to keep Nigel's birthday cake for himself
#41 - Elektra, birthday sketch card for Rebecca
#42 - Dry Bowser sketch card to celebrate his unlocking on our Mario Kart
#43 - Hulk Smash puny birthday cake! SCC co-founder Son of Ken's birthday sketch card
#44 - ...and another Godzilla stylee one.
#45 - Captain America!

View all 100 Sketch Cards.

Thanks for looking...
Onward!
This Man, This Pete!

100 SCC Sketchcards: 16-30

Swansea Comics Collective Sketch Cards by This Man, This Pete

#16 - The Question, in my cute, deformed 'Beertruck' style
#17 - Mike Wednesday, my own character from my own Catfood Comics line
#18 - General Ursus, from the original Planet of the Apes sequels
#19 - The Soul Miner, created for the SCCs own Copperopolis project
#20 - Moose Malloy, from Raymond Chandler's 'Farewell, my Lovely'
#21 - Black Widow, Marvel Comics sexy super-spy
#22 - Fin Fang Foom, Marvel Monster Madness!
#23 - Hellboy, Jnr., birthday sketch card for the SCCs Lee Philips
#24 - Daredevil's arch nemesis, Kingpin
#25 - Bane! About to break the Bat...
#26 - Spaceboy, from Way & Ba's Umbrella Academy, wasn't pleased with this so...
#27 - I did one of my 'Beertruck' versions
#28 - Abomination, always one of my favourite Hulk villains
#29 - Clayface, with a Batman cameo
#30 - Doom Patrol! Robotman, Negative Man and Elasti-Girl, DC's misfit team supreme!

View all 100 Sketch Cards here.

If you fancy taking a look at some of the sketch cards when they were still sketches. Go here on my website, ThisManThisPete.com. Where I have collected together a few of the pencilled and rough versions of these cards.

Thanks for looking...
Onward!
This Man, This Pete!

100 SCC Sketchcards: 01-15

So I'm closing in on my one hundredth Swansea Comics Collective Sketch Card and I thought I should post up all them... so here's the first fifteen.

From top left:
01- Always start with a gorilla, that's a motto to live by...
02 - Luke Cage, Power Man and his Bulletproof Afro!
03 - Iron Fist, the K'un L'un Kid completes the Marvel Heroes for Hire
04 - Darkseid, DC comics biggest baddie with a background assist from Rhod Jones
05 - Moon Knight
06 - Two Face
07 - Crom! Conan the Barbarian, drew this one three times before I got it right
08 - Elric of Melnibone and Stormbringer, one of my faves this one.
09 - The Lizard, one of the best Amazing Spider-Man villains
10 - MoSok, SCC co-founder Son of Ken as Modok for the March Modok Madness site
11 - Thor, drawn just after seeing the movie
12 - Metamorpho
13 - Beware the Claw! The Lobster/Lobster Johnson
14 - Scott Pilgrim loves Cake! Birthday card for Lizzie
15 - J'onn J'onzz, The Manhunter from Mars, birthday card for the SCCs very own Manhunter

View all 100 Sketch Cards here.

If you want to check out the pencils and roughs for some of these head over to the post on ThisManThisPete.com

Onward! I'll post the next batch asap...

Cheers,
This Man... This Pete!