Introducing Armin Ozdic

It's funny, in a way. I create a blog, to share my thoughts about comic books and comic art, and yet, most of what I actually post about those things ends up being posted elsewhere - namely, on forums. One such forum that I frequent a lot, of late, is the Digital Webbing forum.

It's really a great art-related forum, one that isn't overpopulated, yet which is active. Usually, every time that I visit it, multiple pieces of new art have been posted. Some I like, some I dislike, and some I am indifferent to. But, while it wasn't intended on my part, this place has become my home away from home, sort of, when my mind begins to dwell on things comic art related.

Some days, though, even though this blog is still relatively new, my personal time gets dominated by other things. On numerous days, I want to post here. I fully intend to post here. Being tired, though, negatively impacts my posting ratio. Man, I'm still relatively fresh out of the gate, but already, my vehicle of thought has begun to sputter. I guess that I will have to redouble my efforts, and put more effort into it, eh?

Ack!! I noticed, just now, that my link over on the left hand side of the page that links to the Digital Webbing forum isn't working properly. So, I open up the edit function, and lo and behold! - A previous copy and paste job gone astray was the culprit. I had an extra http:// in it, it seems. BAM!! Problem remedied! How ironic, today, I get to be the one that saves the day.

Oh, yeah - No one is actually following this blog, yet. So, this event goes unnoticed, but not unrecorded. Let those who come after us take note of this deed, and let us strive to not repeat this error of our ways in future days.

Here's an example of a recent art piece posted in the Digital Webbing forum that caught my eye.

The discussion thread that it was posted in can be found here.

Apparently, what I saw was not what the artist actually intended the reader/viewer to see.  To see what I thought, just click on that link, above, and go there and read it for yourself. No need to rehash what I already posted there.

As time progresses, my appreciation for panels, themselves, in comic books and comic art has grown considerably. An awful lot of comic books done by independent artists, and even by the big boys over at Marvel and DC, tend to fail to fully appreciate the value that panel choice adds to sequentials.

The artist that did this particular art is Armin Ozdic, hailing from Bosnia and Herzegovina in Europe. More of Armin's artistic handiwork can be found here, here, and here.

If you fail to check out Armin's other work, then you stand to miss such imaginative offerings as this one.

Powdered Toast Man. How great is that?

Wouldn't you hate to have a run in with this guy? But, now, if it was someone else having a run in with him, would you really want to tell your children, some day, that you missed it? No way!

Armin is a very talented artist. I'm glad that I encountered him along the way.

More talented artists await you, over at the Digital Webbing forum. 

I Warned You No Vault Could Keep Me Prisoner!

Ah, Mordru!

Now, here's a guy who makes a fine super villain. And powerful? Man, what are you talking about?

Mordru has been one of my all-time favorite villains, ever since I first encountered him in an issue of Adventure Comics, the one with his hands coming through a the door of what appears to be a big steel vault of some kind.

What better character to showcase, when one hasn't updated their blog in almost a week.

What?!

Yep, it's been six whole days - almost one full week - since I last posted here. One might mistakenly get the idea that I have abandoned this blog, if one happened across it during their journey across the Internet.

But, nothing could be further from the truth!

Actually, I have been posting a good bit, of late, about comic book art, but over on the Digital Webbing forum. Did I ever mention how much I like that forum, a place that has quickly grown on me? Well, of course I haven't, but there's a handy link to it over on the sidebar, if you're itching to join me there.

Unfortunately for me, I don't tend to encounter too many aspiring comic book artists that seem inclined to churn out Mordru images. Alas, such a pity! His claim to infamy is sorely lacking as a result of the preoccupation by artists with other characters.

Nonetheless, I persevere in my affinity for this guy, a sorcerer of the first magnitude.

If blogs had existed, back when I was a kid reading comic books during my comic books heyday, there is no way that I would not have written at length about Mordru.

In the intervening years between then and now, there have been about a bubbazillion comic books published that I have not read - including *gasp* some that have incorporated Mordru into their respective story lines. I really have some catching up to do.

Mordru's old costume isn't likely to win him any modern day fashion awards. Rather, for this fellow, it's all about power - and Mordru (fortunately for the reader but not for his enemies, which tend to be good guys in colorful costumes sporting super powers of their own) has power in spades, and then some.

If blog posts were the equivalent of super powers, then Mordru would quickly vaporize me in any battle between he and I.

But, they're not, and so I remain safe a short while longer here in this humble - and super quiet - abode nestled somewhere in the weeds of the Internet.

Whether he's taking on the Justice League of America or the Legion of Super Heroes, Mordru is ever a threat to be taken seriously by all who dare to oppose him.

Like many in the super powered business, whether good or evil, Mordru's claim to super powers make it difficult to imagine superheroes being able to actually best him. But, comic book writers invariably manage, which is fine and dandy, since it is comic books that we are talking about.

Even still, though, Mordru can't be counted out, nor should he ever be counted out, for the very simple reason that he makes a great foil to superheroes who are ever looking to save both the universe and the day.

Artist Nick Justus: Dominant Master of Imagery meets Inker Extraordinaire!

I love great art, and in particular, I love great comic book art. If it's of the superhero variety, then all the better. Around six months ago, I encountered the artwork of a one Nick Justus. The example above from his deviantArt online art gallery is one of my personal favorites of his handiwork.

The panels in the scene, above, are a two-page spread from the very first issue of the Jesus E. Lee comic book series.

Nick Justus' growing body of comic book art on the Jesus E. Lee series is only a fraction of his overall artistic accomplishments to date. Some of his very best handiwork in the area of comic book type art isn't even included in the Jesus E. Lee series. For example, I just absolutely love his inked artistry with the character, Cyclops.

The clean lines, the beautiful inking, the sharp contrast between the black ink and the white of the canvas rendered in such a way that the final result is a visual smorgasbord of superhero delight. Cyclops isn't even one of my personal favorite superhero characters, by far - yet, I continually revisit Nick Justus' rendition of him in this short set of five images.

For grand theater being played out in comic book art style, Nick Justus' Obamasaurus Wrecked is a piece that really gets the job done. Dinosaurs running rampant in a modern day city, a scene with people fleeing for their lives, is in synch with my imagination.

Unfortunately, not all of Nick's panels provide his viewing audience and fan base with such awesome visuals. But, on those occasions when he opts to go the full Monty, he is an artist that is truly capable of wowing readers with a dominant mastery of imagery.

I've Smashed Your Invulnerable Fortress, Superman!

I remember reading this issue of Superman, back in the day. I bought it, and I have always liked the way that the Galactic Golem came crashing through the door of Superman's Fortress of Solitude.

That's back before Superman's special abode on Earth became all crystallized. That big damned door, the one that required that huge key to open, now THAT'S the real Fortress of Solitude, in my book - and in my memory.

I don't remember a lot about this particular story, but I do like the way that the Galactic Golem looked. He looked better on the front cover, than he did in the interior pages. But, such is life in the lane of comic book super villains.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to draw like this?

Well, some people can, of course. I just don't happen to be one of them. If I did, then I think that I would probably just draw most all of the time, in my spare time.

Galactic Golem bursts through the door with such force, that chunks of the door break off and fling through the room where Superman's standing. The motion and direction of these debris pieces are really what make this scene stand out.

The coloring around the speech bubbles for the Galactic Golem help to underscore the forcefulness of his voice.

In spite of his by-now legendary super speed and super reflexes, once again, Superman is caught off guard. Hey, what's up with that, anyway? In movies, especially, Superman's reflexes usually tend to be no faster - and sometimes slower than - otherwise normal human beings. Remember when Lex Luthor (played by Kevin Spacey) manages to stab Superman with a piece of Kryptonite, in that Superman Returns movie? What's up with that?! Faster than a speeding bullet, indeed!

Review - Theoktonia - Issue 0

I grabbed a bunch of free digital comics in PDF format, today, from over at Drive Thru Comics. Included in this smorgasbord of comic book fare was issue # 0 of a title called Theoktonia. It's sub-title is Mata Leao.

Not really knowing what to expect, the front cover did not hold my attention for very long. Some guy with what appeared to be the top part of a lion's head about to consume his head, with someone's arm grabbing him around the throat from behind. He's got chains hanging across his chest. I had no idea what lurked beyond that front cover, since I wasn't familiar with this title, at all.

Turning the page revealed a small amount of wording on the inside of the front cover. Its a credits page, giving credit to where it was due. The choice of font used only served to make it difficult to read the credits. So, I didn't bother with dwelling on it.Thumbs down on the font selection for the credits.

Flip the page, again, and.....BAM!! Some beautiful artwork immediately hits you right over the head. The interior art gets two big thumbs up from me. The colorist's handiwork, especially, is what immediately grabbed me. Even if the story ends up sucking, at least I won't end up hating the artwork that adorns the interior pages of this issue zero. What's up with that, anyway? Issue zero? Really?! Go figure.

It's obvious, now, that the setting is ancient Greece. I have mixed feelings about the font used for the text narratives. Going with a slightly larger font size would have likely mooted this concern of mine. I sort of dreaded having to read the entire issue, with that font staring me in the face. But, the art and color lured me in. I had to turn the page.

Oh, my God! Damn! I turned the page, and again the Wow Factor hits me - full force, this time. I haven't even gotten into the story, yet, and already, I am feeling some really positive vibes emanating from this comic book. This title definitely holds promise - and it holds it in spades!

A double-paged spread of a girl dreaming, a huge battle taking place in the center of the page, with several smaller panels populating the edges. It looks like orcs or zombies or something attacking a Greek temple of some sort. It's just a really beautiful scene. I will even go so far as to say that it's gorgeous. Not that the creatures attacking are gorgeous. Rather, the artwork, itself, the scene, the coloring, they all hit the right notes with me. I am going to have to buckle down, and read what's going on.

As I proceed through the book, I notice that it has some decent special effects lettering in some of the battle scenes.

The guy on the front cover, as it turns out, is Hercules. The guy holding him around the throat? I'll leave that little nugget a mystery. Check it out for yourself. It's worth the download - and at the price of free that I paid for it, I can certainly attest that it's worth the time that it takes to download it.

My personal favorite scenes from this issue of Theoktonia are actually not the ones with Hercules in them. Not that he's rendered poorly, because he isn't. Rather, some of the other artwork, particularly in scenes that are not battle scenes, really add to the aesthetics of this comic book. The non-warrior characters are portrayed at least as well as the warriors, themselves. Personally, I think that these "supporting characters," if I may call them that, are better rendered than the stars of the show, so to speak.

Comic books like this are a real treasure of a find, when you happen across them. This issue reeked of solid quality. Ah, what a refreshing smell that is!

In summation, it's two thumbs up for Theoktonia issue # 0, from me. You're not going to go wrong grabbing this issue. Indeed, this may well prove to be the start of something really great.

You can buy issue # 0 of Theoktonia by clicking here.

The people publishing this comic book title areDeimos Comics, which can be found here.

Story & Script: Demosthenes Daskaleas
Pencils & Inks: Verry Woong
Colors: Novianto Sulastomo
Cover: Rudy Ao

Why have you summoned us to your Earth?

Here we are, the first issue of a three issue run that proved to be a milestone for me, when it came to comic books.

It was here that I first met the Seven Soldiers of Victory. This particular multi-issue storyline cemented me in the ranks of those comic book fans whose tastebuds hanker for more than just single issue fare.

The Justice League of America was the entity that drew me towards super groups, more so than to just individuals operating with super powers on their own.

The more the merrier, seemed quite appetizing to me, back in the day - the day when the comic book was king, when comic book tales were the form of literature truest to heart.

All things considered, however, while the hand that shook the world left itself indelibly etched into my memory, I actually retain less memory of this tale than of one that came along just a few issues later.

Enter good old Uncle Sam and his fellow super-powered patriots who were still fighting the Nazis, after the Nazis won World War II.

Say what?!

If you think that Starbreaker makes for a worthy adversary, try tossing a few Nazis into the mix.

This multi-issue story line was a primary inspiration for me to begin painting the toy German soldiers from my World War II play set. Between this Justice League story and my affinity for Hogan's Heroes and books about World War II, black paint meets plastic equaled Gestapo and Adolph Hitler figures.

Even the orbiting satellite that hung high in the sky, dangling from kite string over that tree limb, traces its roots to this particular tale.

Those were the days, eh?

What am I bid for his boots -- his suit -- his cape?

I found it!

As best as I can remember, this is the very first superhero comic book that won me over to the genre, back when I was a young kid growing up.

But, it was a specific page on the interior of this issue that sticks in my mind the most, and not the cover, itself.

This issue hails from the year 1970, so I didn't gravitate toward comic books until some time after my seventh birthday. If memory serves me correctly, my daddy's copy of this comic book was already missing its front cover, by the time that I got around to discovering it.

Three hundred thousand dollars is what Superman's costume fetched from its buyer, back in the day, apparently. "Completely bullet-proof!" it's buyer quipped! Off the top of my head, I don't recall how much the other various components of the Man of Steel's costume brought at auction, on that fateful day.

I am going to contact a local comic book shop, and see if I can't track down a copy of this particular issue from the past. I don't need - nor even care about - a collector quality copy. As long as the pages are all intact, even a heavily worn copy will suit me, just fine.

By comparison, I read relatively few comic books, these days. As a kid, I couldn't get enough.

Superheroes, superheroes, and more superheroes! I liked the super villains, too. Archie, Richie Rich, and various Disney characters, especially Scrooge McDuck, a favorite of my daddy's. Various Westerns and World War II-oriented titles were all consumed with equal fervor.

Comic books were a learning tool, also. Whether pure fiction or historically-based, comic books made learning fun. When words such as Metropolis, Krypton, and Thanagar were already in your vocabulary, spelling tests were a much less daunting task. Comic books unleashed the imagination, and they were certainly far more interesting than school curriculum.

Superman survived his date with the Execution Planet, it seems. At the time, it may, indeed, have been the one doom that Superman feared the most - but, for me, it is a memory that I cherish, even still.

Thanks, Superman! You're OK, in my book.