ATTACK ON ISLAND X

Hey gang! Here I am back to show off a snazzy new illo for the Proffessor Stone book. Well....what do you think? I did like about 20 pencil sketches trying different compositions before I finally settled on this one. For some odd reason no matter how I tried to set up the shot I just kept coming up with other layouts that looked a little better. This one I like as it has Stone looking a little more " heroic" than some of the other arrangements I trashed. Another change was moving the Prof.s submirsible seaplane the " MERMAID" to the left of the page instead of on the right where the original sketch showed it. In my mind this sets up a nice viewing triangle.

Artists....Pftt! What a kooky bunch we are....huh?

TO MOTHER FROM TWO BROTHERS

Okay....now you are all sworn to secrecy. This is a Christmas portrait I did for my co-worker Steve. He is planning on giving it as a gift to his Mom on December 25th. Now none of you can ruin the surprise okay? I told Steve I would like to put it on my blog "after" the holidays, but he insisted it would be perfectly fine to go ahead and splash it up here now.

Actually I'm kinda glad he allowed me to do this on account of I think it is one of the better portraits I've done this year. I have some others to show you in the coming weeks so stay tuned, and stay merry.

Happy Holidays everyone!

AN ILLO FROM ISLAND X

This, dear friends ... is an illo from the Proffessor Stone book I am working on. It is from the short story Island X. It features Stone encountering a secret Island filled with Dino-men, and an evil Russian scientist lady. The piece was finished a few weeks ago, but for two weeks now I have had no way of scanning art. As many of you know I am a computer dummy, so it has taken quite some time to figure out a solution. As it now stands I have to first scan my images to my photo impression program...transfer them to Picasa, ( a web host ) then log them in on a seperate post. Not, by any means, an ideal situation...but it's all I have for the moment. At least I am back on-line with much to show you in the comming day's.

I BEG YOUR PARDON.....

Sorry for missing in action so much lately....I had quite a round of comic-con's to attend in the last two months. First it was Boston, then Portland, and just yesterday...Nashua NH. The show in Nashua was a super groovy time and sales of ZB products were very steady. There was a huge crowd, steady customers, some good friends, and lot's of new and interesting people to meet. The above sketch was started, but never finished, at yesterdays show.

As things slow down and we head into the winter doldrums, I am just going to have to breakdown and learn a bit more about this blogging stuff so I can post permanent links to the sites hosted by all the way cool creators I have met at these conventions.

Soon I will be posting the latest illo's for the Proffesor Stone series ( hang in there Ron ) and lot's of other cool stuff that has been perculating on the back burners of my drawing board. Trust me ....you guy's are gonna love it. Peace out.

A LITTLE CONVENTION SKETCH

Some of you out there may be wondering how the comic convention in Portland went. Well, wait no more...I am going to tell you. My Son and I left the house at 6am in total darkness, (yes we were still without power!) and we couldn't help but wonder if we had forgotten anything after spending an hour packing up my comics and gear by candle light!

We arrived early, ( unlike my editor Ron Fortier....sorry Ron, couldn't resist ha-ha ) and got a great table. Dave at www.primatepromotions.com was a gracious host as always. The foot trafic was just a little slow and sales were a little marginal, however I did meet a bunch of good friends, Megan Miller was there, as was independant comic artist Mike Jordan, and several other customers who remembered me from previous con's. Of course my editor Ron from Wildcat books was there right beside me and we discussed plans for future illustrations in the Professor Stone series. I also was introduced to Howard Hopkins a Maine based Author.

One memorable moment came when a little girl about aged nine was looking through my portfolio.

"You do all these? " She asked,
"Why, yes I did. " said I.
" You're not too bad.." she said " Have you ever thought about being an artist someday?"
I answered cooly: " Yes.... I've thought about it a little "

PRICELESS.

CRAZY EDDIE

Here folks is the newest submission to Mike rodens most excellent underground anthology CRAZY MEN COMIX. I have learned recently that Mike has had a bout in the hospital, and I hope you all will wish him well and check out his high quality comic goodness at :TBHCOMIX@aol.com Just ask for info on CRAZY MEN, and tell him Mitchell sent ya!

This no-goodnick I name CRAZY EDDIE, and as usual I include a little rhyme to introduce him which goes like this:

CHECK OUT CRAZY EDDIE,
HE STAYS OUT WAY PAST BEDDIE,
AND DRESSES AS IF HE WERE TEN!

HE FIST-FIGHTS TILL DAWN,
WHEN THE BEERS ARE ALL GONE,
THEN EACH EVENING HE DOES IT AGAIN!

NEW LOGO FOR ZOMBIE BOY

Hey gang! check out the neato new logo I created for Ronnie Butler and his ongoing adventures as Zombie Boy! This new spify design will grace the covers of all future issues and is sure to spiff up the joint. Graphic artist extrodinaire, Anthony Schiavino , is going to scan this and enhance it and the rest of the banner to make a slicker look for the covers. Just thought you guys would get a kick out of the " raw' deal before it goes digital.

Hope to see you all soon at the comicons in Portland, ME and Nashua,NH I'll be the dude with the Zombie Boy tee shirt handing out free stickers. and hawking my doodles.....come on down and look me up!

HEY MUMMY...WHO'S YOUR DADDY NOW?

Hello blogger hep cats!...Remember me? Mike the "hermit" Mitchell? Ha-ha, Okay... so's I been keeping it on the down-low just a widdle biddy-bit lately.....so sue me! I appreciate the concern from all you buddies of mine out there, but I assure you...all is fine and dandy in Retro-land!

My son-of Satan friend, Wayne Judge, wrote recently to insinuate I may even be going through the slip from reality madness that many artists seem to suffer inevitably....( he was teasing me of course....I think? ) unfortunately the real answer is pretty mundane, and far less dramatic.

I have just decided to take a little step back, sort of refine my blog a little...Posting everyday was getting to be more of a chore than a pleasure just now, so I'm trying to tone it down to once a week for awhile. As more and more potential customers log on to the blog to check out my junk, I want to make sure they are getting the best of my stuff, both art and writing wise.

Life is busy for us all sometimes, and you got to flex or you'll snap in two! Never fear ..Oh frenzied fans o' mine...I will be back to posting more frequently sooner or later. You jes wait'n see ifinn I don't !

Meanwhile why not take a good 'Ol gander at this wrist wringing, colossal cross-hatching, titanicly time consuming doodle I did for Wildcat books newest Professor Stone Novel. Whew! I wanna tell you friends...this puppy took a might longer to pump out than I first thunk it would.... I like it though...what do you guys thunk?...er I mean think?

Oh yeah...a little pesky friend O'mine keeps reminding me to tell you about the Boston show a couple a weeks ago...well, I did sell a bunch of comics...( just not ones I created) the show was more or less the victim of a most perfect day, a sunny end of summer Sunday. It seems the entire city wanted to be anywhere but at the show that day...( including me ) I did toss four long boxes of over-stock from my private stash of 1990's glut on a separate table my pal mal had inside the main auditorium. Miracle of miracles nearly two whole boxes sold to other dealers!

Damn! I knew I shoulda charged more than a quarter a piece for them rotten apples!

PLEASE COME TO BOSTON....

If your looking for a place to let your inner geek explode, why not follow me down to "beantown" on September 17th ? I'll be there with lot's of other terrific creators, and dozzens of New Englands finiest comic book proprietors.

I'm going to be peddling my own line of comics, t-shirts, and of course magic stickers.... Why not make plans to go right now? All the cool kid's will be there!

For more info click: www.primatepromotions.com

GREAT KIRBYS GHOST !!!!

I don't know why I do the things I do sometimes....Here I am with a mountain of illo, and comic work starring me right in the face, and what do I do? I go off on a lark and spend 8hrs doing a Kirby Homage....go figure.

It all started when I was working night shift last weekend, and came across a tattered old copy of CAPTAIN AMERICA # 196, ( April 1976 ) I love the old school Kirby stuff immensely, and couldn't resist grabbing a sheet of copy paper, and doing my best to pencil a page after the King of Comics.

This was supposed to be just an exercise to keep my pencil sharp during coffee breaks, but my heart fell into it, and I had to finish what I started. It's been so long since I've done a sequential page that I just couldn't put it down. I stayed up till dawn last night to get it out for you guys, and gals to take a gander at.

Warning!!! Do not try this at home ! Since I started at actual comicbook size, ( something you should never, ever do ) It was extremely tough to get those little details that make every Kirby comic work so well. Ever try drawing an action scene in a two inch square panel? It's a little nerve racking I assure you! Then I had in mind from the start to color it with standard Crayolas...why ?, you might ask.

Coloring with Crayons is fun and soothing, and makes you feel like a kid again Thats why...you nosey people you...ha, ha. Seriously this piece was not supposed to be an in depth study, just something done out of love for the form and the artist who made it great. When I saw the old comic in my locker I remembered when I first started drawing comics as a kid, and back then I colored all my comics with crayons, and so I just had to do it this way.

Well There you have it friends...a little visit from me,....me and Great Kirbys ghost.