Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Oh ,the places I will go.

Last night I read Dr. Seuss's "Oh,The Places you'll go" to Catie last night. I'd never read it, or at least I don't remember reading it, but I was profoundly moved by it. It was strange, but it's like a personal metaphor of the way my life has been going for the last two years. There are things happening around me, big things, personal things. Some will happen sonner than later. I find myself disturbed by the tone some things are taking in the industry. Darkness where darkness didn't dwell, bitterness for the sake of "relevance". it seems that in certain corners, there's no room for magic, and light.

it bothers me more than I can say.

This not to say that superhero stories can't be serious, or adult. However you can achieve those things without making them dire, and unlikeable.

I need to be the one to make the changes I want to see. I can only say "I" because my tastes only end at the tip of my nose. There is room for fun, there is room for magic, there is room for genuine good in comics.

I need to be the agent of change now. I've been moving towards it, now I need to step up that effort.

Oh, the places I will go.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Shout it out loud

KISS #1


(W) Chris Ryall (A) Jamal Igle (CA) Nick Runge, Jamal Igle


You Wanted the Best, You Got the Best! KISS is back in an all-new comic series that will appeal to longtime fans and new readers alike! Four ordinary humans in 1920s Chicago find themselves caught up in a battle of epic proportions that will reverberate across time and space in "Dressed to Kill," part 1!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Convention tour 2012:The Great Allentown Comic con

I'll be appearing at the Great Allentown comic con on Saturday March 17th, This coming weekend.
I'll be sketching and selling prints, sketchbooks and comics.


Merchants Square Mall 
1901 S. 12th Street, Allentown, PA 18103



Hours:
Saturday 10am-5pm
Admission Cost:
$6 per adult

And Finally..... The costume evolution of The Ray

The first pass



Second pass                                                  Cully Hamner pass 1

Fourth Pass                                                  Cully Hamner Pass 2

'
Sixth Pass                                                     Cully Hamner Pass 3

Final Pass
Special thanks to Cully Hamner for all of the work he put into helping me solidify the final design.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Press Release: THE GREAT ALLENTOWN COMIC CON! ANNOUNCES RAGS MORALES, JAMAL IGLE, JOIN MARCH 17th SPRING SHOW GUEST LINEUP!


Allentown PA, March 2nd - DC Comics New 52 Action Comics Artist Rags Morales, Former DC Exclusive Artist Jamal Igle, Animator Carol “Cotty” Kilbanks and Many More.
Renowned Artists, Celebrities and Publishers have announced plans to attend the spring edition of the Lehigh Valley’s largest pop culture extravaganza – The Great Allentown Comic Con.  The show will be held March 17th at the Merchants Square Mall in Allentown PA.
Fans of comic books & pop culture will not only find numerous deals on vintage comic books and collectibles from dealers, but also comic book creators, publishers, artists and illustrators from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Comic fans will have a rare opportunity to meet the artists in an intimate setting, obtain signed items, and commissioned sketches (for a fee).
With the success of our first Mega Show we are pleased to kick off our 2012 shows with a real ‘Bang’ and bringing such great talents like Rags Morales and Jamal Igle is just the start of our plans.” – Christopher D. Wertz, Show Founder and Promoter.  “We are also pleased to be able to provide our fans a chance to meet such amazingly talented artists such as Carol “Cotty” Kilbanks who has worked on cartoons such as The Berenstain Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, and South Park.
About The Great Allentown Comic Con! - The Largest Pop-Culture Comic Convention in the Lehigh Valley.  Founded in 2010, by Riverside Comics; The Great Allentown Comic Con (GACC) is already one of the fastest growing Fan-focused events in the comics industry.  Currently located in the 10,000 sq ft Showroom of the Merchants Square Mall in Allentown PA, the GACC is dedicated to producing celebrations of comics and popular culture by providing unique access to talented artists and a family-friendly experience for fans.  The show motto “Get UR Geek On!” represents in part the recognition of the diverse and unique nature of our fans, and our commitment to providing events where they can come express themselves freely.

To photoref or not to photoref....

Updated: here's the original article:Bleeding cool" Swipe and a scared girl"



On Bleeding cool, a website that devotes itself to breaking comic book news and rumors, they've been discussing the use of photo reference.The focus of the argument is Salvador Larocca, the artist of The Invincible Iron Man series for Marvel Comics. the offending image was based off of a copyrighted photo found online.














Now, I like Bleeding Cool and have been occasionally on Bleeding Cool, sometimes to my chagrin. My problem isn't with BC itself, but with the assumption by some that a cartoonist who uses reference is somehow weaker than those who don't. 
This I have an issue with for a few reasons.
First I have to admit that I also used the photo myself for a panel in an issue of Supergirl. I loved the expression and wanted to use it for this scene:

Now as you can see I didn't copy it exactly, I altered it but I wanted the sense of terror. Now here the thing, That's how I believe photoref should be used. Every artist I know hase a morgue file of photo reference. We either shoot it ourselves:





Stuart immonen

We clip it from Magazines, television, or films
Posted Image

Posted Image

Every comic book artist I admire from Alex Raymond, to Brian Bolland and even Jack Kirby used photoref for those things you need to use can't picture, or what to get correct. My current KISS project is heavily photo referenced because of the location and the time period. I wouldn't be able to do it otherwise.
What gets to me is this sort of fan thinking that tries to turn it into a crime against nature. Are there guys who go overboard with it, yes, but on a whole, it's part of the artistic process.

Get over it.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Intrinsic Movement: An interview with Jamal Igle

Emotional Resonance

**A ROBotiX Interface**

There are many standards of art and grades that it is measured in. Art means different things to many different people and all for different reasons; all infinitely personal and diverse.
Comic book art is distinctly representative of such a fact. Hundreds of artists across thousands of publications work diligently to hone their technique, render some incredible artwork and bring our favorite characters to life.
One such gent is Jamal Igle. Truly a gifted individual, Mr Igle has worked in the industry since the age of 17 – part of an internship at DC Comics – whilst attending the High School of Art and Design.
He’s worked on a range of titles bringing his own unique style; clean, clear and incredibly detailed pencils that highlight fantastic backdrops and sculpting classic characters with a contemporary style – retaining their familiarity while acknowledging his own creativity.
Currently working on The Ray and recently making the transition toIDW to work on the relaunchedKISS title, Jamal Igle has left his stamp on many books along his journey. He also is an active volunteer at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art where he is also a guest lecturer.
I was able to catch up with him at London Super Comic Con and it was a complete joy. The warm-spirited and gracious Mr Igle allowed me to pick his brains on the nature of art, how comic book art is valued, his own styles and techniques and the direction art is taking as the Digital Age approaches ever closer… But first an introduction by the man himself!

Hi my name’s Jamal Igle. I’m a ‘lifer’ – I’ve been working in comic’s twenty-something years. I know I don’t look it!

What’s your personal definition of art?

My own definition of what I’d say is art? Well for me, art has to be moving. It has to be emotionally moving. You have to feel something. Even if it’s fear or sadness or excitement from an image then that is artistic. It doesn’t have to be technically precise but if it creates an emotional resonance within a person then that’s what I consider to be artistic. There are plenty of pieces of art that I would not consider to be technically strong but move me on an emotional level.


More...

About Me

My photo
One of the most popular and prolific pencillers in the comic book industry, Jamal Igle is an award winning artist and writer. Best known for his run on Supergirl with writer Sterling Gates, Jamal has been a professional jack of all trades for nearly 20 years, drawing every title from Action Comics to Zatanna for DC Comics. A former comics retailer, Editor for several small press companies including TV Comics, Airwave Comics and Destination Entertainment. Former Junior Art Director and Marketing rep in the Advertising and publishing arenas. Jamal's clients include Marvel Comics, image Comics, Dark Angel productions/ Simmons and Company, Devil's Due Studios, Crusade Entertainment, Walt Disney inc., Sony Television, CBS Television and Scholastic Entertainment. Jamal has also worked as a conceptional artist for the Toy and gaming industries as well as film and television. Jamal is married to his beautiful, and much smarter wife Karine.They're also the proud parents of an extremely cute child named Catherine and a Cat named Loustique