I wrote this originally on my blog back in 2007, but since we’re heading into the convention season it seemed a really good time to dust this off and post it somewhere more public. I hope you all find it useful.

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I don’t know where I first heard someone say “everyone at cons not already in the industry is trying to break in”, but it definitely feels that way. Attend any of the How-To panels at a con and they’re always packed full. Go to any panel and invariably the question gets asked:

“How do you break in to the industry?”

What they really mean is:
“How do you break in with a major publisher like Marvel, DC, Dark Horse or Image?”

Editors and creators should just have their answer to that question on a photocopied hand-out so they can save themselves endless repetition and add 10 minutes of better questions to the panel. I know that sounds callous and cocky, but hear me out. (more…)

I promised myself that I wouldn’t just turn these Art Link posts into a steady stream of plugs for UDON stuff, but I’m not going to pretend that it’s not part and parcel of what I’m up to either.

Omar Dogan is a dear friend who I’ve known since college. We’ve worked together at multiple companies and he was the person who introduced me to UDON and helped break me in to this crazy industry. His dedication and hard work is inspiring. Watching his quality kick into high gear over the past few years has been a joy.

His latest comic series, Street Fighter Legends: Chun-Li, hits stores today and if you get a chance to check out his line work and colouring, I think you’ll agree that it’s great stuff.

Go to Omar’s deviantArt gallery and you’ll see his car obsession on full display. Many pro artists avoid technical perspective when they can and loathe drawing cars. Omar loves them. He can’t get enough.

When I first saw Phil Noto’s online gallery, quite a few years ago, I instantly thought “Man, this stuff looks like 70′s Playboy art filtered through the brains of a comic-loving nerd… Awesome!”

Apparently I wasn’t the only person who had this observation, especially the ‘awesome’ part, because the next thing I knew Phil Noto was doing artwork for comics and all was right with the world.

His gallery is still chugging away and his work is just as impressive as it ever was, possibly moreso. I imagine that in the world of Phil Noto illustrations, everybody is kind of like James Bond and vinyl records, complete with sultry ladies on the covers, never go out of style.

Tatsuya Ishida’s Sinfest is one of the most consistent and impressive strips on the web. His cartoony characters have a wonderful simplicity and energy, expressive and rich but not overly detailed. The jokes run the full gamut from cutesy newspaper-strip style through to the blackest politically incorrect humor. Each day you can go to the site and not know which kind of humor you’ll get, but almost certainly be entertained.

The site celebrated its 9th anniversary this past weekend, so you can be assured that there’s a massive archive of material to pore over and enjoy.

Zack Giallongo and Stephanie Yue’s Novasett Island is exactly the kind of high quality all-ages material that the industry needs to strongly get behind and support with well printed books and well placed marketing. The artwork and storytelling is reminiscent of the clean presentation style of Bone (but don’t get me wrong, it isn’t just a carbon copy of Jeff Smith’s look) and the open-ended concept lends itself incredibly well to a variety of stories.

I enjoy browsing through Novasett now as an adult, and as a kid I would have gone bonkers for the appealing cast of characters and swashbuckling adventures they go on.

Besides, anything that has a creature called an UPO (Unidentified Puppy Object) is aces in my book.

You’d be hard pressed to find a comic art fan who didn’t enjoy the lavish artwork of Travis Charest. If you consider yourself a fan, you must see check out the Spacegirl online comic posted on his MSN group.

Spacegirl Volume 1
Spacegirl Volume 2

It’s classic B-movie sci-fi cheese delivered with impeccable skill and panache. Each little strip is a knockout of stellar compositions, textured inks and hand drawn lettering.

Also, if you missed any of the previous Art Link posts I’ve made so far, here’s a handy catch-up set of links:
Art Link: Intro
Art Link 1: James Jean
Art Link 2: Gabe
Art Link 3: Tracy Butler
Art Link 4: Sean Galloway
Art Link 5: Meredith Gran
Art Link 6: Niko Henrichon

Did you read the absolutely brilliant Pride of Baghdad graphic novel Vertigo released in 2006? If not, you should correct that mistake right away. It’s one of the books I give to non-comic readers as a perfect example of what the medium is capable of and it never fails to impress.

Niko Henrichon’s atmospheric artwork helped Pride of Baghdad make an indelible mark on readers’ hearts and minds. His art blog is equally memorable and will keep you up to date with samples of his upcoming work.

Meredith Gran’s Octopus Pie comic puts current newspaper strips to shame with its fun style and fantastic expressions. Her writing is good enough to avoid the typical “wacky cast of characters” pitfalls and her art is strong enough to keep the pages varied and engaging. The characters are rich and their experiences run the gamut from goofy to emotional in a way that always rings true.

The time lapse videos of her digital drawing process (which has since evolved, but is wonderful regardless) are a fascinating bonus.

Sean ‘Cheeks’ Galloway’s simple flowing lines lend themselves perfectly to animation with crisp shadows, distinctive silhouettes and strong exaggerated shapes. At first the work looks almost too simplistic, until you dig deeper and realize that it’s incredibly well designed, unbelievably iconic and much harder to pull off than you’d think. He’s already designed characters for the Hellboy animated series and the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon so, needless to say, he’s making his mark.

If Bruce Timm’s powerful angular designs from the Batman Animated series refined comic-based cartoons in the 90′s, Sean’s on tap to help define the look of the new millennium. Digging through his distinctive gallery is a joy and I can confidently say that any property he’s involved with is in good hands.

Tracy Butler’s delightful artwork and sharp storytelling jump out in her anthropomorphic Prohibition-era comic Lackadaisy. In her own words, Lackadaisy is “historical fiction, parody, dark comedy, and abject nonsense.”

If a stellar comic isn’t enough to grab you, then her tutorials on drawing, digital toning and step-by-step comic creation should push you over the edge.

Another popular artist, though this one coming from the web to print.

Mike Krahulik (aka ‘Gabe’) is the artist half of the massively popular Penny Arcade duo. Over the past 10 years Gabe’s artwork has gone through an incredible evolution, growing in appeal, confidence and ability.

Even if you’re already a regular Penny Arcade reader, you may not be aware that Gabe has a deviantArt page where he posts his more personal artwork – style experimentation, paint on canvas, even illustrations of characters from his D&D campaign. It’s always nice to see what artists draw for themselves above and beyond their professional work and Gabe’s gallery is an eye catcher.

Happy New Year!

I figured we’d start off the Art Link column with a bang. Nothing inspires quite like the unmistakable imagery of James Jean. He’s the award-winning cover artist of Fables and his jaw dropping artwork took the comic world by storm with its distinctive look and feel.

If you’ve never delved in to his personal website or mined the depths of his fantastic Process Recess art blog, then you are missing out on one of the most hypnotic and inspirational galleries on the web, period. It’s a goldmine of step-by-step samples of his work, sketches and thoughts and is the perfect way to start your 2009.

Hello Newsaramites,

My name’s Jim Zubkavich (most people just call me ‘Zub’). I’m a Project Manager for UDON Entertainment (the gang behind the Street Fighter comic, amongst other things). The crew at Blog@Newsarama have invited me to throw in my two cents on art, animation, comics and whatever else comes to mind.

Over the past five years I’ve been lucky enough to work with a pile of great artists on all kinds of material for comics, video games, RPGs, magazines, toys and other illustration or design projects. At the same time I’ve been teaching in the Animation department at Seneca College in Toronto, Canada. Both sides of my career have been a blast so far and I can’t wait to see what the new year will bring.

In 2009 I’m going to introduce you to a host of artists, some you probably know from their published work and, ideally, a bunch you’ve never seen before. With so much fantastic artwork out there on the web, there is a ton of inspiration to be found. If I can point you towards some hidden gems or direct your attention to a popular artist you may not have known had their own gallery online, it’ll all be worthwhile. I’m going to throw the net really wide to showcase a mix of popular and obscure artists alike.

Beyond that, time allowing, I want to talk about breaking in to the industry, building a portfolio, art tutorials and talk to pros about the artists who inspired them when they were young.

Sound good?
This roller coaster ride will begin on January 1st.

If you have suggestions/feedback, feel free to post below.