The Which-When Man: Coming to a Comic Store Near YOU!
Penciled Page Art: Marvel's EPIC Collection's Thor: Hel on Earth (yes, that's spelled with one "l")
Story by the Legendary Roy Thomas with Art by the Great John Buscema, MC Wyman and, of course, Jerry DeCaire.
A quick story to share before delving into my pencil work for Thor: Hel on Earth. It's a story about how some dreams can actually come true.
Every Michigan summer, my dad and my stepmother would haul us three kids up North for a two-week vacation, either in a cabin on the lake or a trailer parked on a lot at any number of other public recreational spots in our home state. Those memories are magical and it's the little things that stay with you. Things like the hot, humid forests graced by the mirror-still waters of the lake; hotdogs and hamburgers straight off the fire, and the freshest corn-on-the-cob smothered in savory butter with lots of salt. And of course, one of those simple memories is the comic books and their obligatory cliffhangers; will the celestial Galactus defeat the Fantastic Four and consume Earth's vital energies? Will Spiderman survive the brutal assault of the Kingpin? And how will an inebriated Hercules ever recover from the savage beating he suffered at the hands of the evil Wrecking Crew? And I'd read in disbelief as I watched The Mighty Thor force back the cosmic Galactus using his hammer as a cunduit for the Asgardian Lifeforce. I took my comics very seriously. I'd even go so far as to say that the heroes served as moral exemplars for me in my development as a young person, especially the self-sacrificing Silver Surfer.
I remember riding in the back of my father's blue Chevrolet, reading the latest issue of the Fantastic Four. Both me and my father loved the artwork of John Buscema. We could tolerate it when Kirby took over the monthlys, but no other art was as convincing and as energetic as a Buscema. At least, that was how we saw it. And I believe it was how Stan Lee saw it when he referred to Buscema as "the Michelangelo of the comics". Starry-eyed, I'd look at the names on the first page of the comic book wishing that one day, just like Big John, my name would find its way into the comics. As fate would have it, the universe and God did even more than I could have ever imagined. In 2023, Marvel's Thor: Hel on Earth, listed not only my name on the cover, but there it sat - right next to my hero's name - the peerless John Buscema. Dreams do, indeed, come true! But as a kid, it was nothing more than a fantasy. How did that happen???
Revamped Pencil Pages for The Mighty Thor Annual # 19.
Story by the Legendary Roy Thomas with Art by the Great John Buscema, MC Wyman and, of course, Jerry DeCaire.
A quick story to share before delving into my pencil work for Thor: Hel on Earth. It's a story about how some dreams can actually come true.
Every Michigan summer, my dad and my stepmother would haul us three kids up North for a two-week vacation, either in a cabin on the lake or a trailer parked on a lot at any number of other public recreational spots in our home state. Those memories are magical and it's the little things that stay with you. Things like the hot, humid forests graced by the mirror-still waters of the lake; hotdogs and hamburgers straight off the fire, and the freshest corn-on-the-cob smothered in savory butter with lots of salt. And of course, one of those simple memories is the comic books and their obligatory cliffhangers; will the celestial Galactus defeat the Fantastic Four and consume Earth's vital energies? Will Spiderman survive the brutal assault of the Kingpin? And how will an inebriated Hercules ever recover from the savage beating he suffered at the hands of the evil Wrecking Crew? And I'd read in disbelief as I watched The Mighty Thor force back the cosmic Galactus using his hammer as a cunduit for the Asgardian Lifeforce. I took my comics very seriously. I'd even go so far as to say that the heroes served as moral exemplars for me in my development as a young person, especially the self-sacrificing Silver Surfer.
I remember riding in the back of my father's blue Chevrolet, reading the latest issue of the Fantastic Four. Both me and my father loved the artwork of John Buscema. We could tolerate it when Kirby took over the monthlys, but no other art was as convincing and as energetic as a Buscema. At least, that was how we saw it. And I believe it was how Stan Lee saw it when he referred to Buscema as "the Michelangelo of the comics". Starry-eyed, I'd look at the names on the first page of the comic book wishing that one day, just like Big John, my name would find its way into the comics. As fate would have it, the universe and God did even more than I could have ever imagined. In 2023, Marvel's Thor: Hel on Earth, listed not only my name on the cover, but there it sat - right next to my hero's name - the peerless John Buscema. Dreams do, indeed, come true! But as a kid, it was nothing more than a fantasy. How did that happen???
Revamped Pencil Pages for The Mighty Thor Annual # 19.
This is the opening, two-page-spread in pencil. Upon reviewing my work, you'll notice it's not exceptionally detailed. Instead, the quality is to be found in its well-informed foundations in perspective/proportion problems and human anatomy. My goal is to communicate the most with the least. There's a beauty to simplicity and it's all deliberate. Enjoy!
PG'S 1 & 2
In the above two-page spread, I was asked by the writer, Roy Thomas, to depict several mythic Greek characters: Hades (to the Greeks) or Pluto to the Romans and Marvel Entertainment; Charon, the ferryman of the Greek underworld; the Titan Titius who suffers vultures that eat his immortal liver daily; Tantalus, who is forever unable to slake his thirst and finally; Sisyphus, condemmned to forever roll a boulder uphill only to have it roll back to start all over again. All of this takes place in the domain, Tartarus, which is reserved for the most hated of Zeus. A real charming place to hang out with your ex-mother-in-law.
PAGE 3
I absolutely love it that I got a chance to illustrate Loki in this mag. He's so popular today. What few people know is that in Norse mythology, Loki was a married man, or should I say, "God"? His wife was named Sigyn, and I couldn't for the life of me reason out why. But then it dawned on me, she's called Sigyn because she's, no doubt, "Sig-yn-tired" of Loki. What wife with any good sense wouldn't be? "LOKI!!! COME HOME!!!"
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Vampire the Masquerade: Vol. 2 Blood & Shadows: "Assamite: The Sleep of Reason"
Slideshow
Story by Stefan Petrucha & Art by Jerry DeCaire
Slideshow
Story by Stefan Petrucha & Art by Jerry DeCaire
This 2003 Assamite story publication was for me a breakthrough over and above my Punisher Holiday Special in that I was learning to manage page space more elegantly. Even my anatomy in this independent publication knocks the socks off my Marvel stuff ... unfortunately! The illustrated details in the Werewolf story were superior to the Vampire story, but the Vampire layouts and storytelling were actually better than what was done with the Werewolf book. I hope you agree...or not agree. It's your call.
Tear sheets from Vampire the Masquerade to serve as an appetizer before the slideshow's main course:
The Slideshow
Werewolf the Apocalypse: Children of Gaia, in Prestige Format,
Slideshow
Story by Joe Gentile & Art by Jerry DeCaire
Slideshow
Story by Joe Gentile & Art by Jerry DeCaire
Tear-sheets from Werewolf the Apocalypse to serve as an appetizer before the slidewhow main course:
The Slideshow
Westerns: "The Cisko Kid" Slideshow
I swear I gotta' get the rights to illustrating "The Good, Bad & the Ugly" or some Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Western. Love that stuff! I appreciate the loose, sketchy look as it lends itself so well for dated timepieces like Conan or Cisko Kid, or any number of natural stories. Somehow I just dig jungles and deserts - the rough stuff!
Well, I just had to include this book because it's all my own, the cover art and interior work was all penciled and inked by me. It isn't just another shared book; all 84 pages are mine! Here's some tear sheets for your enjoyment.
Well, I just had to include this book because it's all my own, the cover art and interior work was all penciled and inked by me. It isn't just another shared book; all 84 pages are mine! Here's some tear sheets for your enjoyment.
God's-In-Men: An Artist's Sojourn into the World of Consciousness, PSI and the Afterlife.
A few excerpt pages from God's-In-Men
The Motion-Picture Bible
Adam from Dust
The Cheesy, Easy Approach to Drawing Comics!
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