The ChrisCrosser

Spiking those pages....

2010-03-10T02:29:00.000-08:00

Just finished doing the first issue of the Spike Mini for IDW.
It's called SPIKE:FAMILY FEUD.
A four issue jammy.

Seeing that Chris Ryall has already posted pages of the first ish on his site,
i guess they have no qualms about me doing the same. So i'll post the three inked pages of what I and Marc Deering completed. It requires a lot of background drawing, but
i'm sure that people will like what they see.

Felix Seranno will be coloring the whole shebang, which is great because we've known each other almost twenty years and only worked together twice. That had to come to and end. He's been around. His gig on the PITT mini and a TOP COW Darkness:FLAMES AND SHADOWS one-shot was some of his best stuff. He also colored a gig that Marc himself inked that will see the light of day finally called the Further Adventures of Miranda Mercury.

God knows if i got that title right.

So here's some completed pencils and inks of the first issue.
Go out and buy it when it comes out!!!

Next time, i'll use the virtual comic flipper thingy to show you the rest.

and as usually, hit the lavender. These other guys need play too. :D

Gettin' SPIKEY!!!!

2010-03-10T02:17:00.000-08:00

SO, i'm doing a miniseries for IDW called SPIKE.
You know who Spike is.... and if you don't, you spent a great deal of the
'90's in your closet. SPIKE of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame.
I never thought i would be working on this character, nor
did i think that i would be working with IDW.
SO it goes to show that you should always keep your eyes open down the road because
you never know which street you may frequent. :D

So i figure that it would be great to post some sketch headshots that Myself and Marc Deering did... just to see how we would gel... and it's pretty cool.

I have to check to see when it's coming out. I'm usually in my "cave" so i don't check on those things. Usually busy just making deadlines. But as soon as i know i'll post.

By the by, if the letters are in Lavender, click on it. :D

Um... CLOTHING DRIVE

2010-02-25T13:40:00.001-08:00

I 've heard of people giving the clothes off their back to help people in need, but COME ON! You soon realize that the vision of what you think people look like with their clothes off is not the reality one would readliy enjoy. And all for beer.

MARVELOUS COLOR HAPPY TIME!!!!

2010-02-21T21:40:00.001-08:00

During late January, i was asked to do a Storm piece(as you can see above) for an art show for old Marvel charactere, specifically characters of color. I had a night to do it, like any other deadline... and i got it to Edgardo Miranda, the man in charge of the MARVELOUS COLOR exhibit in upper Manhattan at the Carribean Arts center otherwise known as SOMOS ARTE.
The exhibit went off without a hitch, and Edgardo and his beautiful wife outdid themselves in the limited amount of time they had to get the show together. Here's the billing...

and there were a ton of people there, including Joe Quesada, who is Editor-in-chief of Marvel..
and Eric Battle, who did TimeStorm for Marvel and Aquaman back in the days...
Shawn Martinbrough, who did his latest LUKE CAGE:NOIR....
and the man called Dennis Calero, just to name a few....

There was a video done that opened the forum as to how myself and Eric and others donated pieces for the exhibit.

The exhibit closes on February 26th, so be sure to go and check it out!!!
Just in case the video doesn't buffer the way it should supposed to, here's the link on YouTube.... \

AND as usual, all links are embedded in the highlighted names in lavender. So click to give detail to your dreams. Dude.

The ChrisCrosser: Hi-ro-GLYPHics!!!

2010-02-16T14:25:00.000-08:00

The ChrisCrosser: Hi-ro-GLYPHics!!!

Hi-ro-GLYPHics!!!

2010-02-16T14:17:00.000-08:00

Well, well, WELL!!! It seems that all the pain of working on DANCE hasn't gone unnoticed!! I got an email on facebook from Bill Williams, the writer of the SPIKE miniseries i'm doing for IDW presently... that i was on a list of artists that were nominated for a GLYPH award. Now... anytime i'm nominated for ANYTHING good, i'm glad just to be noticed. IF I WIN, that's even better. It'll be the first such award that i've ever won during my tenure as a comic illustrator. So i'll take what i can get.

But my boy Shawn Martinbrough is on the list, so if he gets it, i'll be happy for him also.

In the meantime, you can see it here when you click on the lavender GLYPH....

I'll be posting a ton more stuff here to be perused.

Pray for me!!! (:-)3

TAINTED ENOUGH TO SHOW OUT part 4 FINAL

2010-01-26T04:10:00.000-08:00

This was the final story that was supposed to be six issues. Apparently not hiring better writing and playing the line when it came to accommodating me with writing talent that would have significantly made this series at the least palatable was too much for the owner of the now defunct BIG CITY COMICS. And in the end, all the posturing and the promises resulted in sore feelings and over eighty pages of unpublished work. So even though you get paid for a thing, you still feel slightly empty when you're trying something new in your work and NO ONE gets to see it.
But at least the LIGHTS are on, eh?

TAINTED ENOUGH TO SHOW OUT part 3

2010-01-26T01:58:00.001-08:00

It took me awhile to finally post these. Been through alot in the last couple of months, but i have a lot planned for the duration and i'll be posting here more regularly now. This is the pencils and full colors for the ill-fated Tainted series that never was. I'll get it all out. Promise. Now as with all the others i've posted before and ever thereafter, if you want to see these as fullscreen modules you can see and peruse, just click directly on the turning books and another tab will open so that you can see all the gory details. Cool, huh?
Enjoy.

Yeah, BABY!!!

2009-10-25T21:52:00.001-07:00

Yankees win the Pennant!!! Enuff said!!!

Much to say about DANCING.....

2009-06-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Contino hit me up by email and wanted to ask a ton of questions since i had been out of the industry for awhile. It's been awhile since i've done any interviews... mostly because when i do them, i get my dialogue altered. Usually comes out making me look like a dork.

So... i figured the best way to start getting my image out there again is to let others know i have something to say, right?

And you wanna see it, right?

Well... you don't have to ask.

Here you are!!!

http://www.comicon.com/ubb/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=549236#Post549236

There will be more.

OH MY GOD. THE ULTIMATE GIRLFRIEND.

2009-02-06T23:42:00.000-08:00

I was watching this amusing episode of Dr.Phil.

Yeah.

I watch Dr.Phil. So what?

And he created this topic called "What's wrong with Men?"
Of course, these ridiculous women lined up around the freaking block for this show.
Juuuuust waiting for the moment they can stand up on tv and tell all the people of the
world about the dumb choices they made in men and why they're the victims.

Cuz women nevuh do anything wrooooong.

There was this blonde on the show who really irritated me.

All she could say was her code words, 'disgusting' and ' pathetic'.
Some men are. And the ones on that show were more humorous than pathetic.
SHE WAS ANNOYING.

So much so that i think she needs to watch this commercial.
It's the handbook on a happy relationship with men.
No Nagging.
No complaining.
No spazzing.
Just Jim Beaming.

So blond girl on the Dr.Phil show, ....
Watch this and shut the hell up.
JIM BEAM COMMERCIAL "THE GIRLFRIEND"

and when you're done, Watch AMANI doing her thang.
and do whateeeeevuh you want. I mean...
i don't care.

TEEHEE.

I love when she says that. :D
RALPH TV

TALK ABOUT TRYING YOUR LUCK... THRILLBILLY STYLE!!

2009-02-02T01:48:00.000-08:00

i wish i had the balls to do this myself.

These guys are something else.

TAINTED ENOUGH TO SHOW OUT--PART TWO OF FIVE.

2009-01-31T04:41:00.000-08:00

Get your own - Open publication

Okay....

what we have here is a second chance to communicate.

Just in case you didn't get to read the first installment, i'm going through the motions
of putting this second installment of TAINTED for your perusal.

I know..

it sounded very Twilight Zone.

What you're getting here is probably more artwork than most other comic artists usually put
in their blogs in one sitting. It shows that i truly want to entertain you.

That and i wanted to make sure that people get to see what James Brown can really do when he gets an artist "that truly inspires me to want to get to the computer."

Hey, we can all use inspiration.

Every time i set up a color page in photoshop for him to base certain hue choices to push the art and take him out of his comfort zone,....

well, the way he came through was truly an inspiration.

We both had fun vibing with each other's talent.

It's kinda like we took turns singing country music with our classic Noble acoustic guitars.

James is no joke.

SO have fun looking through this next batch.
and as always, click on the lavender words to hit James Brown's portfolio.

It's bombdiggity.

So what?

I can say that.

It's my blog and i can cheese if i wanna.

And click on the page turning readers so you can see them at full size.

Bub.

And as always, click on the lavender.

It goes straight to James' site.

Just a hint in case you think i'm ordering you around.

TAINTED ENOUGH TO SHOW OUT--PART ONE OF FIVE

2009-01-20T20:53:00.000-08:00

Get your own - Open publication

Hey....
YOU.
Look at that.
Right above me.

Isn't that the coolest reader you've ever seen for a blog?

I thought it would be a great showcase to show some work that i feel a year and a half of mismanagement from some that have no idea how to pimp their mistresses may mess up if no one ever gets to see it.

And that's me...ever the spoiler.

This is Tainted.

Or what was supposed to be the mega mini that was supposed to come out through Big City Comics.

No longer in existence.

Oh..

I could go on and on about how mad i was enough to spit......
Tainted enough with the president and owner of that company to make me wanna show out.

But i'm a different man now.
With loftier goals.
Why spend all my finger strength smacking keys on a keyboard talking about
people who don't ever get it when i can just show you the work that no one will ever see.

and the best work that that owner will EVER get.

EVER.

.....anyway.....

I discovered that instead of telling people about the work i did for the "small guy", i thought it would be better if i just showed you. James Brown is the colorist on this mini.. and he did such a great job, it's just an injustice that no one would see it.

Not even one.

So i'm putting out the whole thing.

All of the black and white pages.
all of the colors.

No dialogue.

Trust me...

You don't want to read anything that Jeff Kaufman wrote.

I'm doing you a favor.

It was enough for me trying to draw it.

You shouldn't need to be brained with a sock full of pennies.

Just click onto the reader and another page will open full sized.
and you can see the details.

Just like i did when i had to work with Kaufman.

If you look hard enough, The Devil is there.

Holy Cow!!! HE'S BACK??

2009-01-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

YEAH...

I know. I've been a cad.

It's been awhile since i've kept up with my own blog.

But it's a new year and new things are happening.

Like working on my own IP's.
That's a great thing.
I can finally start putting my imagination to work for me for myself.
Sometimes i can't sleep nights with all of the creating that goes on in my head.

But last year a lot happened.

Had money woes.
People don't like to talk about it, but i don't mind.

With the economy the way it is, a lot of people had financial problems.

My grandfather passed.

That took a lot out of me.

But i didn't have time to sit down and grieve about it.

Still don't have time.

But for some reason, my grandmother appears more free, happy and at peace that she has
ever in life.
A great thing.

More stress than good happened last year.

Glad to see 2008 gone.

In the coming entries this year, i'll be talking about a lot of stuff....
moreso, showing alot of work here that never got seen in the public.

I owe it to myself to post it.

One part of the happiness of an artist is getting paid for the work.
The completion of that happiness is to show that work.
What's the use of working on something that should be seen if you can't see it?

I did a ton of work for Big City Comics... now defunct....
and some work for what was supposed to be the breakout party for me doing mainstream work in the states.
Top Cow messed that up.

More on that in the future.

But for now, i'll be more active in posting work here for peeps to see.

I mean what's the use of working on something that should be seen if you can't see it?

Right?

A figment of your imagination....

2008-07-20T16:08:00.001-07:00

The JabbaWockeez.

These guys are making a big splash in the dance market.

They started on MTV's America's Best Dance Crew.

I'm sorry to say that my fiance has slightly gotten me hooked on 'em.

Yeah.

I'm man enough to say it.

They happened to be the headliner along with Melissa Reyes for a benefit for sick children in St.Peter's College in Jersey City.

You don't realize the amount of work, energy and athletics involved in dance until you see it up close and personal.
So i used the video option on my Kodak to record the performance because taking pics wouldn't do them justice.

I took pics of Melissa Reyes because she's cute, but has no stage presence.
Girl needs to work on that.

But you wanna see JabbaWockeez.

SO look at them.

Don't mind the camera footage.

I was right on the floor with 'em and apparently they're really well liked.

and some girls' big heads were in the way.

And there's so much bass that the Kodak couldn't handle the overload.

Besides, what do you want for free anyway?

WORKING ON MY VELOCITY....

2008-06-30T01:16:00.000-07:00

I gotta admit.

I'm having fun with this.

It's been awhile since i've posted anything and there's so much to talk about.

But first.. i'm sure you've heard so far that i'm going to be working with Top Cow on Velocity.

I had never even heard of the character until someone told me that she was a part of Cyber-Force.

I know!!

Where have i been?

So when i was approached by Rob Levin at Top Cow and was told I would be paired with Joe Casey...

...yup....

you feelin' me...!

Like a cold frozen Watermelon smoothie on a hot day.

Satisfying.

So as i'm nearing the end of my run with BIG CITY, i'll be jumping on TOP COW.

Sounds like a code from my handler.

But as you can see, i've already started dreaming up a little bit of an upgrade for our fast heroine.

That's the woman and not the drug.

Although i can only hope you'll be addicted with what Joe and I create.

All colorwork on the character studies are being done by Snakebite...colorist whose won many awards for his work on The Red Star.

Yup. THAT ONE.

So enjoy the work i've put up so far. I 've made great strides with this character already and I'll be ready for more. It seems i'm getting ready to do a ton of work back in the States again.

and as usual... click in the lavenduh, baby.

THE FLASH OF MICHAEL TURNER

2008-06-29T22:52:00.000-07:00

I've gotten to a point in my life where i need to start recording people, places and things... because you just never know when the good times or great things will end.

You see this picture?
I thought this was the coolest depiction of the Flash that i had ever seen to date. Why?
It's a simple piece, it's RED... can't beat that. And can't MISS that. I was looking for a FF comic and this cover pulled me right to it. I didn't buy that Flash comic, but i did notice it. Which is what one would go for when paired up against tons of other comics vying for your attention.

And it worked.

I think, i'm my personal opinion, that this piece is the best in Michael Turner's career. The composition, and the concept of it all just says..."FLASH!"

You can hear the music from the Flash tv series rippling in your head.

da-dada-DAAAAAAAH-da!

Definitely made me wanna create.

You know earlier when i said that i've gotten to the point in my life where i feel i need to record things?

I remember when Michael Jordan was playing basketball and a reporter asked Magic Johnson about how he felt about MJ as a player. And Magic said," You'd better get your VCR's recording, because he's only here for a limited time and then he's going to retire. And after that, all you're going to have are memories of arguably the best basketball player that ever lived. He's going to retire and that's it. No more basketball. Just slow motion video feeds of what he used to do."

I paraphrase of course. But what he said was true. All too soon, the best of what happens in a particular culture of life can be taken away from us. What you have left is the great works on which to pontificate, study and enjoy.

Michael Turner passed away from his battle with cancer at age 37.

37.

I just had my 40th birthday party and someone asked me, "How does it feel to be the big 4-o?"

And i said, "Blessed that i lived to see it!!"

I come back from the best party i ever threw for myself this weekend to find emails that yet another of our number has passed before 45.

All these young cats leaving before we want them to.

I wanna say "before their time", but really... who am i to say that?

It just really drives home that biblical tenet that tomorrow is never promised to us and we have a limited time on this world and we have to make our mark....hopefull one that won't be erased...
and affect people's lives with our spirits while we have the time.

I'm sure as i write this, Michael has done this in his own way. In the eyes of his family, in the imaginations of his fans and in the eyes of God.

It makes no sense why young people have to die of such an evil, debilitating disease.

Why it has to take away the best of us.

But God has His time, and we had Michael for a time.

I pray his family finds the peace they need during this time.

I have never had the chance to meet Michael, but like all secret languages, an artist can look at another's work and know him or her as if they've met on the street and had coffee and an omelette croissant and told each other their stories.

Regrettably, Michael's story was shortened by an unfortunate ending.

And his brilliance was .... well.. a flash.

God bless the Turner clan.

WOULDN'T YOU JUST LOVE TO DO THIS TO A ROTTEN KID?

2008-06-16T17:51:00.000-07:00

DOWN WITH THE CAUSE.... IN PHILLY

2008-05-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

This weekend starts the East Coast Black Age of Comicon '08 in Philly this weekend. A lot of cool people are going to be there... you can just look below and get a gander at who, for starters.

I've been asked to come there to speak on a panel of other African-American artist and writers to talk to people about the state of affairs in modern comics and field questions from anyone who wants to know how to break in and what it takes to be an artist.
I've done that before, so it's old hat.

SO.. if you have time, you should go check it out!! Maybe i'll see you there. I'll only be there on Saturday. Here's the link to ECBACC....just click the lavender. All the information is there and other sites where ECBACC is located.

A lot will be going on this month, so i'll be posting as soon as it happens.

Maybe i'll even have time to get me a famous cheesesteak or two..!!!

TAINTED.

2008-05-10T23:28:00.000-07:00

Dude. It's comin'.

Are you TAINTED?

The Commish--part uno

2008-05-03T05:54:00.000-07:00

This is a commission i did for a brother in Italy. He has a major jones for the old Defenders.
So in 2006, around September... i think... i got around to getting it done.

You know...

even though i got interrupted for like 3 months after i got myself into a bike accident...

.. stupid bike... !

This is just to show you that if you ask for a commission from me, what kind of work you'll get when you pay for a one-of-a-kind drawing. I will be posting commissions that i've done for people in the past as well as future commishes.

If you want one for yourself, go to Mark Hay. He'll do you up right.

Just click Mark's name and it'll go directly to his site.

Hope to do business with you.

Oh yeah...

click the pic , too. It gets bigger.

No sexual jokes, please.

KEYS to the kingdom

2008-05-01T07:08:00.000-07:00

This is the most amazing thing i have ever seen. I've always had a thing for ALICIA KEYS.

ALWAYS.

I even have a top one hundred list in my brain of all the type of women i like.

Will you LOOK AT THE BODY on ALICIA?

Hold up.... gotta wipe.

i'm SLOBBERING.

If you are a man, and you don't like what you see in this vid... something's wrong with you.
If you are a white man and you don't like the hips on this sister... something has melted your brain.
I say this because of the many talks with my caucasian brethren who say they like there women with skinny thighs and tight hips.

Which is usually "white" for "back and legs."

A broomstick with a hair-weave.

OR what we brothers call NASSITALL.

OR NO A-- AT ALL.

can't say the word. I don't curse. Use your imagination.

If you're gay, and you're not at least swayed enough to say..."Pookie, look at the bricks in that house, hunney. I'm tempted to make my crooked way STRAIGHT for a day with that!", then you're in EXTREME denial, "sistuh".

If you are an ATHIEST, look at her. You've just seen proof that GOD does EXIST.

Why stare into a corn chip looking for the Madonna and Jesus when living proof of God's beauty is in plain view?

I've seen it.

I Know.
I know.

You're saying..."ChrisCross, you said in your posts that you are a born again Christian. How can you look at her like that? How can you even say these things? You HEATHEN."

To which i say that being a born-again Christian means in part about dying to the "old man" that you used to be.

It doesn't mean i'm DEAD.

That, my dear men, is what a WOMAN looks like.

God can make a woman can't he?

HALLELUJAH.

Six degrees of Kerry Gammill

2008-04-29T04:58:00.000-07:00

Sigh.

This is going to be a tough one.

I can never look at this man's face without some regret.
Without some sadness.
Without feeling something's amiss.

I mean, we all have to die someday, right?

But at 34?

I'm a Born Again Christian and, even still, that doesn't set right with me.

Not that I blame God or anything. That would be counterproductive.
And frankly, just dumb.

God has done way too much for me to think like that.

I met David Hunter in 9th Grade.
Always well-groomed, always neat, always put together.
One of those brothers that you always enjoyed being around.

One of those regrettable things you say to yourself, "It's a shame that we didn't hang around more after college."

He had this crazy knack for showing up just when i didn't expect him but always when i needed to see someone that made sense.
This man was NEVER in trouble with anything. This man always had your back. And if he was scared, he never showed it on his face.

He was potentially a great comic artist. He love drawing, and he loved superheroes. More than anything else, he LOVED KERRY GAMMILL.
I mean LOVED. KERRY GAMMILL.

Everything he drew was inspired by K.G.
We used to talk about his run on Avengers and Power Man and Iron Fist back in the days.
And David would go on for hours.
How it would be his one dream to meet Kerry.

When i made it into professional pencilling.... the big leagues...
He would come to signings and tell me how proud he was of me.
But more with his eyes than with his mouth.
He believed i should have hit up Marvel and DC two years before i did it.

But every time i saw him, it was more important to me just to know how he was doing.
I had his phone number, but life would get in the way.
I would bump into him on the streets of Manhattan, seeing him with basketball in arm, drinking a diet coke...
something that he really enjoyed since he acquired diabetes in the Navy.

Couldn't drink that regular stuff.

We would walk into Jim Hanley's Universe, yuck it up a bit,...
then he would go his way and i would go mine. And i always said that i would call him and make it a habit of it.

Never did it.

I would let life get in the way.

I saw him on my 30th birthday. After i made the decision that i wasn't chasing women anymore. Wasn't gonna be anything except my relaxed and confident self when i did meet them. That if i didn't get the number, it ain't no thing.
This after i gave a girl i was chatting up back her number because she was playing head games.

As i walked away from her, there he was... walking across my path. We spent the rest of my birthday together just chillin' and taking pictures.
He even bought me a Big Mac. Can you beat that with a bat?

I hadn't seen him in a year or so after the last time i met up with him and i was busting my butt trying to make a Captain Marvel deadline and about nine-ish my phone starts ringing.

And my little voice told me it wasn't good. Dave's sister was on the phone. I hadn't talked to her since she was preteen. And she's calling me 10 years after i saw her last. and the first thing she said was hello. And the next thing i said was.."He's dead, isn't he?"

She was stunned.

And she said yes.

Turns out that he acquired hypertension brought on by the diabetes and he had been puking for the better part of a week and refused to go to the hospital.

Talked to his sister, girlfriend and his mother.. said he was going to drink some apple juice and then wake up in the morning and get himself checked out.

And never woke up.

I just pray he made peace with God.

That was on January 11, 2002.

The first of two Davids that died that year.

The other in February. All from High School.

I went to the wake.

I brought flowers and met up with his sister. She'd grown up so beautifully and she just had that "mommy" look. I hugged her as i went down the aisle and i saw my boy, David, ...

34 years of age...

in a casket.

I laid down the flowers next to him.

He just look like a doll.

You could tell that spark that gives life was nowhere near him now.

"You never bring me flowers" i said to him.

and just stared after laying them down on his left side.

And i remembered all of the stuff we did as homeys and made some great
funny moments by telling his sister and family all the funny stuff he did.

Because i didn't think there should be any crying at his funeral.

He was just too cool for that.

Even in the casket.

I talked about his art and his sister kept saying, "Kerry Gammill".

and i laughed and said, "Kerry Gammill."

I hugged her and left early and made an internal promise that i would tell Kerry that David said, "Hello."

I'm sitting at NYComiCon April 19th, and my road-dog Smoke, the professional wrestler,
brings Dwayne McDuffie (writer of the Justice League and BEN 10 cartoons) and Kevin Grevioux (writer/actor and creator of the Underworld movies and writer of the New Warriors for Marvel). We talked and carried on. I was really glad to meet "Uncle Dwayne" and Kev.
I walked to eventually bump into Eddie Berganza, DC editor...
I run smack into Joe Quesada's wife....
Talked shop with Dan Buckley, Marvel Enterprise President...
Bumped into Drew Johnson, artist of Supergir l...
Run right into Andy Helfer, senior partner of Serious Comics
whose shaking hands with .....

KERRY GAMMILL.

I introduced myself to him and told him how much i truly appreciated his work in the past and told him of my now 5 years deceased friend whose whole world artistically consisted of him.

He smiled and shook my hands and gave his condolences.

and i told him that David said "Hello."

So i kept my promise, David.

I told him "Hello" for you.

I still miss you though.

See you in the afterlife, dog.

Yup.

sigh.

As tough as i thought.

Million Dollar Baby

2008-04-28T00:44:00.000-07:00

See... this is what i'm talking about.

How parents keep their kids out of trouble. How they keep their kids out of fights.
How they discipline their children.

Kids can't scream and tear up your living room if you tire them out.

One thing is for sure. No kid in ANY school is going to mess with this girl.

Preparing to CON myself....

2008-04-27T00:15:00.000-07:00

Follow me....

It's alright... look down... i wanna show you something....!

You see all this above me?

There was SO much to do before i went to NYComiCon that i think i aged at least a decade in days. Something liked being locked in the Fortress of Solitude and coming out a whole lot more funky than i went in. And a lot more on the hairy side. I detest looking and feeling like a Yeti.

And i'm six foot nine. SO that's not necessarily a stretch.

So.. in a previous post, i talked about working with Verge Entertainment. My boy Joe Illidge... whom i've known since High School, by the way....when we ALL had more hair....
.... gave me a call wanting me to help him and the gang get some artists to help the Verge put together the second installment of their webisodes called Ayre Force.

Featuring Calvin Ayre. CEO of BoDog.

Of which i've learned has just retired his commission of said comglomerate.

Guess the Bear bile scandal via his nemesis Janus Winter was too much for him to bear...

heh.. bear....

So anywho... they wanted some info on artists to do the Ayre Force Webisodes and i, like i didn't have enough on my plate, said that i would take on the job if they really needed the art that badly. So...

As i cried butt-naked, fetal-positioned and sucking my thumb in my favorite stress corner of my apartment...

I helped out.

Mind you.... and don't tell anyone this...

I REALLY HAD FUN!

Was still butt-naked and crying...

but it was COOL.

i hadn't really done any real animation in-betweens since S.V.A.

And THAT was some time ago. I went to S.V.A. for animation and painting/illustration.

So it was nice to do something different than the ....eurmm.

okay.. forget that sentence.

It waa nice to do something different.

heh.

Now.. i guess you would like to SEE some of the stuff i did above actually move. Gotcha.

It's really simplistic pencils and inks on many scenes and i did like 2/3rds of the work.

Milo Stone was the brother engorged in the After Effects.

If we had time, i would have liked to do more so that it would have come out smoother.

The excuse of every artist everywhere on the planet.

Here's the first vid....
Glad you liked it!!

and now that you have an IDEA what the premise is... here's the second installment that all that work led to....

enjoy.

what?

No. I don't have popcorn, doggonit.

Just sit and watch.

I must say though... the screams are hilarious.

See anythang in purple? Click that thang!!

ON THE VERGE OF A BODOG

2008-04-16T21:25:00.000-07:00

(i have NO idea what that means.)

YO.

You should go check this out.

Some brothers i've known since college... one since High School... have come together to create a company called Verge Entertainment.

The company consists of three gentlemen....Joseph Illidge (a former DC editor, present Archaia Press editor, and writer), Shawn Martinbrough (an artist best known for his stint on Batman and his book How to draw Noir comics), and Milo Stone (who is the back and bone of the Verge engine.)

They worked in conjunction with BoDog (which if you're into poker, music, ultimate fighting championships and the like, this is the company that does tons of that... and chances are you've watched tons of this kind of entertainment that they've financed) in bringing out a graphic novel called AYRE FORCE. They took real-life BoDog owner and CEO Calvin Ayre and made him a real man on a mission. I'm sure his ego loves it. Who wouldn't want to be drawn with a gun fighting genetically altered children of a madman?

I do it every day making art deadlines!!

So click on the lavender Ayre Force type!

You'll notice that there are webisodes. 2 in all. My artwork is in the second one.

Even got the credits!!

If you're going to the NY ComiCon, they'll be running the webisodes all day... poor guys at the booth... and you can see in hiDef and in loud bass and treble.

if that's your thing.

I'm proud of the guys. And i'm glad i could be a part of it.

Who knows? Maybe a cartoon in our future?

Wouldn't hurt!

Examples of working in the BIG CITY....

2008-04-15T16:44:00.000-07:00

So... for the past couple of months, i've been busting my hump to get this work done. It's been kicking my butt. Especially since i'm doing full pencils to get the pages done. I once told myself that i would never do full pencils on a project again unless i have mega-time to get it done.

And i must now learn never to say NEVER.

So i'm working on Totem, Tempest and Mario Gully's Ant Unleashed. I remember looking at Mario's character on MySpace and asking him to send me some issues so i can see what the character was all about. Little did i know that months later, i would be actually DRAWING his character.

Anywho.... so i'm doing the limited series called TAINTED for BIG CITY COMICS and i'm trying to get things done so i can ultimately move on to my own endeavors.....and it's taking longer than i planned. Things aren't going according to my schedule...

....and it's making me antsy.

But the great thing about working on this project is that it's giving me time to work out some kinks in the way i work on and visualize getting pages done. I'm sure i'll be a different person should i be working with Marvel and DC again.

But i ramble.

These are the covers to the three books i've already done. Some of you may have already seen some of the images on other sites. SO.. see 'em again!!

And if you haven't seen them, it's new to you!

WELCOME!!!

2008-04-14T08:42:00.000-07:00

MY PEOPLE!! Welcome to the opening of my blog... FINALLY!!! I've had this darn computer for 3 some odd years and you would think that with all the time i spent on it, i would have had this thing up and running.
Well, it's finally up and i guess i can tell you what you will be seeing here on THE CHRISCROSSER. You will see artwork, some phlosophy through my eyes, my business intentions and some blurbs on future projects. Among other things. But mostly, just to show people who've believed and had invested in my art for years what i've been up to and what i'll be producing in the next coming months and years. And as i continue to learn new things... like actually making this blog....(sheesh, it took forever), i will be keeping you up to date on what i get myself mixed into. And hopefully that statement won't come back to bite me in the pooper.

I will be posting some art on here soon, but in the meantime, as i'm getting ready for NY Comicon, i'll be busy trying to get my deadlines done on the last three books of the Big City Comics project called TAINTED... which involves their major characters ANT, TOTEM, AND TEMPEST.

Right now, i'm doing three pages that are kicking my behahnd.

I'll post pics of the Con here also.

So in the meantime, as i link this to places that will actually get you to read this... please subscribe to my blog and post this to your Google Reader or your own blog.

I'm sure you will enjoy what's coming.

Tah for now.