This year at comic con Kara and I decided to make World of Warcraft themed sketchbooks. We both got a ton of great artwork and I just happen to have my book here at the office so I figured I’d scan a couple. My book is packed with great stuff and I want to thank all the artists who took time to draw in it. Here’s just a sample of what I came away from San Diego with.
Bill Amend came by our booth and introduced himself. I knew from reading Foxtrot that he must be a gamer. I told him about my themed sketchbook and he was happy to draw Jason as a night elf for me.
We’ve met Jhonen Vasquez a few times now at various conventions and for being a gothic icon he’s a really nice guy. It’s funny because every time he swings by our booth to chat he only has a few minutes before people around him begin to recognize him and then he is immediately mobbed by young girls dressed all in black. Our conversations are always rushed as he watches over his shoulder for the next wave of suburban vampires to assault him. Just when Tycho and I start to think that we might be sort of famous Jhonen always comes by and shows us was real fame is like. Anyway he enjoys the WOW just like everyone else and he hooked me up with this killer Warlock sketch.
I still have a very hard time realizing that I know Adam Warren. It shouldn’t be hard. I met him two years ago at Comic Con and we’ve been emailing each other on a fairly regular basis since. It still doesn’t seem real though. I used to trace his comic books for God’s sake. There was an issue of Wizard magazine that had a tutorial from him on how to draw motion lines. I used to keep it right next to my drawing table and examine it daily. Now we chat and he tells me he likes my work and it just doesn’t make a lick of fucking sense. I mean look at what this son of a bitch did in my sketchbook with a fucking sharpie. Incredible. He came back with this in less than 30 minutes and I wanted to vomit it was so good. I just wish he would get a website.
Finally we have Stephen Silver. When we did that lesson at the elementary school a little girl came up and asked me if I could draw Ron from Kim Possible. I told her I’d been accused of it in the past but I don’t think she got the joke. It’s no secret that Stephen has had probably the biggest influence on my artwork since I started cartooning. I like to think that in the past couple of years my style has become much more unique and more something of my own design but I still owe him a lot. This year I attended a sketchbook party at a hotel and ended up sitting right next to him for a while. In fact he approached me and asked how I was doing and how the show was going for us. He actually remembered who I was. I think I formed words in response but honestly I don’t remember. I was too nervous to ask for a sketch that night but the next day I stopped by his booth and got this beauty.
-Gabe out :o:
