Dave Johnson
Dave Johnson helps Lex Luthor with his trophy wall
The internet is a beautiful thing. Before, things created by your favorite artists might remain under lock and key in the vault’s of a collector, but now we all get to see it. For example, this piece of art by Dave Johnson.
Inspired by Dave’s work on Superman: Red Son, this piece was commissioned by a collector named Chris Caira who has been working on a gallery of comic villains and their trophy wall. Click over to his website to see Brian Bolland doing Joker’s trophy wall, Green Goblin’s trophy wall by John Romita Jr. and Sr. and more! Someone needs to offer this guy a gallery exhibit to show these off!
- November 9, 2011 @ 01:00 PM by Chris Arrant
SDCC ’11 | Second ‘Comics-On Tees’ features Azzarello, Risso, Bermejo, more
T-shirt website Threadless has released another round of “Comics-On Tees,” this time featuring the artwork of Eduardo Risso, Lee Bermejo, Matheus Lopes and Dave Johnson. The four shirts tell a story that was written by Brian Azzarello, called “Sorry Babe…”
You can find all four shirts on the Threadless site.
- July 22, 2011 @ 09:00 AM by JK Parkin
Fist Stick Knife Gun, Unknown Soldier win Glyph Awards
Fist Stick Knife Gun
The graphic novel adaptation of Fist Stick Knife Gun took home three Glyph Comics Awards this weekend, while Vertigo’s canceled Unknown Soldier took home two more in the annual awards that “recognize the best in comics made by, for, and about people of color from the preceding calendar year.”
Based on the memoir by Geoffrey Canada, Fist Stick Knife Gun was adapted into a graphic novel by Jamar Nicholas. The adaptation won story of the year and best male character, while Nicholas received the rising star award. Unknown Soldier appeared on the list for its third year, with Joshua Dysart winning for best writer and Dave Johnson winning the best cover award for Unknown Soldier #15. Keith Knight’s The K Chronicles won in the best comic strip or webcomic category for a record fifth time.
The awards were presented at The East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention in Philadelphia Friday night. Here’s the complete list of winners:
Story of the Year: Fist Stick Knife Gun; Geoffrey Canada, writer, Jamar Nicholas, artist
Best Writer: Joshua Dysart, Unknown Soldier
Best Artist: Richard Koslowski, BB Wolf and the 3 LPs
Best Male Character: Geoff, Fist Stick Knife Gun; Geoffrey Canada, writer, Jamar Nicholas, artist; based on the life of Geoffrey Canada
Best Female Character: Selena, 28 Days Later; Michael Alan Nelson, writer; Declan Shalvey & Marek Oleksicki, artists; based on the character created by Alex Garland for the motion picture 28 Days Later
Rising Star Award: Jamar Nicholas, Fist Stick Knife Gun
Best Reprint Publication: Superman vs. Muhammad Ali Deluxe HC, DC Comics
Best Cover: Unknown Soldier #15, Dave Johnson, illustrator
Best Comic Strip or Webcomic: The K Chronicles, Keith Knight, writer and artist
Fan Award for Best Comic: Captain America/Black Panther: Flags of Our Fathers; Reginald Hudlin, writer, Denys Cowan, artist
Chairman’s Award: Black Comix: African American Independent Comics Art and Culture, by Damian Duffy and John Jennings
- May 22, 2011 @ 08:55 AM by JK Parkin
Creator-Owned Spotlight #2 by Steve Niles
Creator-Owned Spotlight
Editor’s Note: With the recent discussions going on around the comics community about creator-owned comics, we’re pleased to welcome one of the voices in those discussions, 30 Days of Night and Mystery Society creator Steve Niles, to Robot 6 for a series of columns on creator-owned comics.
by Steve Niles
Second column and I’m already late! Here’s a creator tip I can’t seem to get through my thick skull: Don’t bite off more than you can chew. That said, here I am again and happy to be here talking about my favorite creator-owned books and creators.
This week I’m going to talk about a creator who dominates the modern creator-owned scene with both his work and his relentless support of other creators.
WARREN ELLIS
I wanted to talk about Ellis for many reasons: his talent, his persistence and his vision. Warren Ellis approaches his work with the strategy of a learned zombie killer. Don’t run into the stinky crowd swinging and shooting like a crazy person, find a place to settle in and let them come to you.
Warren Ellis has not only created worlds within his work, but also a world for himself online where you can follow his daily work routine, check out what he’s reading/watching himself, or meet and discuss his and other people’s work on the various forums he’s overseen. He has created a perfect fort for all of us Ellis zombies to swarm.
- February 23, 2011 @ 04:30 PM by JK Parkin
David Johnson joins Comic Twart
Just what we need — one more comic artist twarting around.
Iconic cover artist Dave Johnson has announced that he’s joining the online group Comic Twart. Spun out of online camaraderie on Twitter among a group of comic artists, Comic Twart is a site where those artists draw a new piece based on a theme each week. Johnson joins a murderer’s row of comic artists that include Francesco Francavilla, Mike Hawthorne, Mitch Breitweiser, Dan Panosian, Chris Samnee and Evan Shaner.
This week’s theme over on Comic Twart is Doom Patrol, and Dave’s submission on the left is the first of the bunch. Go to the site to see what the others turn in!
- February 11, 2011 @ 12:00 PM by Chris Arrant
100 Bullets team trades in guns for — spaceguns!
On Vertigo’s Graphic Content blog, the publisher revealed a pseudo-conversation between editor Will Dennis and writer Brian Azzarello concerning a new series. Done in a sort of Laurel & Hardy-style, it’s a non-plussed official introduction to the new miniseries from Azzarello and 100 Bullets collaborator Eduardo Risso.
AZZ: I got an idea for a new series.
ME: What’s it called?
AZZ: SPACEMAN.
ME: SPACEMAN? Is that one word or two?
AZZ: It’s one. Like SUPERMAN.
ME: It’s like SUPERMAN?
AZZ: No! It’s like SUPERMAN but not like SUPERMAN.
ME: So what’s it about.
AZZ: A spaceman. What the hell else would it be about?
ME: Right. And it’s with the entire 100 BULLETS team?
Azz: That’s the plan.
ME: Cool. Can we get it out in 2011?
AZZ: Why the hell not?
ME: Book it.
Azzarello revealed in October at Argentina’s Crack Bang Boom Con that Spaceman will be a nine-issue miniseries that fits into the speculative fiction category. In addition to Azzarello and Risso, the comic will include their other 100 Bullets collaborators, cover artist Dave Johnson and colorist Trish Mulvihill.
- January 17, 2011 @ 10:00 AM by Chris Arrant
Cocktails and conversation to benefit The Hero Initiative
Jimmy Palmiotti (photo by Seth Kushner)
If you’re attending Long Beach Comic Con next weekend, here’s a fine way to support a good cause while getting to hang out with some industry notables: Tickets are available on eBay for a meet and greet with writer Jimmy Palmiotti, artists Tim Bradstreet, Amanda Connor and Dave Johnson, and actor Thomas Jane from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 29 at Gladstone’s Restaurant.
Your $65 benefits The Hero Initiative, and gains you access to the private party — only 20 people can attend — with the five, who will be available for conversation and autographs (tickets include appetizers and two drinks). Sales close on Friday. Ticket buyers should bring a photo ID to the Hero Initiative booth at Long Beach Comic Con at 4:30 p.m. Oct. 29, where they will be escorted to Gladstone’s.
- October 20, 2010 @ 01:00 PM by Kevin Melrose
Cover Story | Dave Johnson on Abe Sapien: The Abyssal Plain #1
Abe Sapien: The Abyssal Plain #1, by Dave Johnson
One of the pleasant surprises this week in Dark Horse’s solicitations for June was a listing for Abe Sapien: The Abyssal Plain #1, which features a cover by Dave Johnson.
An Abe solo adventure that sends our amphibian hero on the hunt of an ancient relic aboard a sunken Soviet submarine is reason enough to take notice, to be sure. But when you add the Eisner Award-winning artist to the equation, there’s cause for celebration — particularly when the cover he creates is such a departure from what we’re accustomed to seeing on the Hellboy and B.P.R.D. books.
Johnson, known for his bold sense of design on such titles as 100 Bullets, Detective Comics, Superman: Red Son and Punisher, spoke briefly with Robot 6 about his striking cover for The Abyssal Plain #1, and shared art from the production process.
Abe Sapien: The Abyssal Plain #1 is due in stores in June.
While the color palette signals that the comic is in the Hellboy/B.P.R.D. line, the other elements are vastly different — the massive amount of white space instead of encroaching shadows, the repetition of the hammer and sickle in the bubbles (distinctly you). Was it a conscious effort to go in such a vastly different direction?
Actually, I have to disagree with you on the color palette. It’s hardly the Hellboy norm. And that was the point. [Mike] Mignola had said that he wanted me because I was doing something different than himself on other stuff. So I really wanted to set myself apart. Which is a lot harder than you think because his style is so ingrained into the Hellboy universe. And because I’m a huge fan, it still feels like I’m pissing on perfection. But that’s the job, I guess. Haha. So, I wanted more color than black to dominate the over all feel. Also, I love negative space in design. Too many artists act like they’re getting paid by the line and how much crap they can unload on a cover. I’ll take a well-designed, simple cover over a hyper-rendered fanboy jerk-fest any day of the week.
- March 18, 2010 @ 01:00 PM by Kevin Melrose
Straight for the art | A double shot of Deadpool
Deadpool #900
Let’s kick off the day with not one, but two cool covers that hit the web yesterday featuring everyone’s favorite Merc with a Mouth … above is 100 Bullets cover artist Dave Johnson’s cover for Deadpool #900. The second is after the jump …
- July 16, 2009 @ 04:30 AM by JK Parkin