Dave Dorman on the State of the Comics Industry and Digital Art

Dear Friends,

I thank all of you who came to see me at C2E2. It’s always good to see familiar faces at the show. It was great to reconnect with many of my friends there and some winners of the Writers & Illustrators of the Future Awards as well. One key business dinner meeting resulted in some exciting news about my own action-adventure western series The Wasted Lands and I look forward to sharing that news when I can. Suffice it to say there will be plenty of new Wasted Lands material to see at my Booth #4500 at San Diego Comic-Con this year.

Image of M. d’Cease, the sexy, bad-assed coroner of Mortal City in Dave Dorman’s Wasted Lands.

I was flattered to read today that some of the Star Wars  fans would like to see me do the next movie poster. Here’s their comments: http://bitly.com/137QU69

I did a 2-part interview at Hypno Comics in Ventura, CA a couple of weeks ago with owner George Chase, and a special thanks to Jeffrey Willerth at SliceofSciFi.com for everything he did to create the piece. In this interview, George & I discuss the state of the comics industry and what I, as a traditional artist, really think about digital art, and the deficits I see in a lot of younger artists — deficits that can be fixed if they’re aware of them. Here’s a link to that interview: http://bitly.com/17DN5qj

My next big show is Spectrum Fantasy Art Live in Kansas City May 17th, 18th and 19th, so I look forward to reconnecting with my artist friends and fans there. I will have some original art pieces there that aren’t typical of what you’ve seen from me in the past. Here is a link to information on that show: http://bitly.com/ZHfkTm

Today I deliver my painting to our close family friends, the Haleys, and their lovely daughter Lauren, who patiently posed for this piece I did for the Visions of Oz Gallery Show in Los Angeles, curated by Taylor White:

Dave Dorman’s “Dorothy Daydreams” Painting. Oil and acrylic on canvas. 24″ x 36.”

As always, I thank you for reading. If you have questions, I answer them more readily on Facebook – that link is https://facebook.com/davedormanfanpage. On Twitter I’m @DaveDorman and my wife is @WriteBrainMedia. On LinkedIn, I’m https://linkedin.com/in/thedavedorman. Feel free to connect with me on my social media sites.

Dave.

See You at C2E2? And Other Dave Dorman News

Dear Friends,

I will be at Table P9 in Artists Alley at C2E2 in Chicago this Friday through Sunday, so please stop by if you have a chance. It’s a great show and a great venue at McCormick Place.

At C2E2 on Saturday from 1-2 p.m., I will be doing a signing for Brian Jaye at The Toy Closet Booth #983.

I have copies of my 2012 Sketchbook from San Diego Comic-Con available as well as some new prints and of course, artwork and sketches for sale. Autographs are always free. Feel free to bring whatever you like for me to sign. I will have copies of my Rolling Thunder: The Art of Dave Dorman (IDW/Desperado Publishing) book for sale. If I run out and you want to order a copy with a sketch, please let me know.

In other news, I have accepted a producer role for the documentary Heavy Metal Revisited, which is a documentary my wife Denise and I are co-producing with Bunbury Films, a Canadian production company, about the original 1981 Heavy Metal film. Like many of you, I have always been a big fan of this film, and given my longtime relationship with Heavy Metal magazine, this is a really fun project for me on many levels. I will keep you posted on our progress.

Also, I wanted to make you aware of Jack Kirby’s grandson Jeremy Kirby, who is selling t-shirts of Jack Kirby’s work. I personally made sure the money was going to their family before I promoted it on my Facebook page, but I wanted you to check out their cool shirts here: http://www.shop.home.jackkirbycomics.com/The-Jack-Kirby-T-Shirt-tshirt.htm

I was very lucky to have been in Tony Swatton’s Sword and Stone shop in Burbank on Monday night. As you may know, Tony just made a Minecraft sword on his webisode series Man at Arms, and people are going crazy for it. I got to see it in person – very fun. Guitar artist Pamelina also joined us that evening, so it was a great time for creative buzz. Archaia Entertainment publisher Mike Kennedy and his wife Elizabeth also joined us for dinner and hijinks over at Sword and Stone.

I want to thank Author Services for another wonderful Writers & Illustrators of the Future Awards event in Hollywood last week, and for helping to launch a new group of writers and illustrators to promising careers. Denise and I really enjoyed the time we got to spend with Joni Labacqui, John Godwin, Larry Elmore, Steve Hickman, Cliff Nielsen and his wife Lisa, Tim Powers, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Jill Kirsh, Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta, and so many others I know I am failing to mention at this writing.

When you get a chance, please “Like” my Facebook Fan Page: http://facebook.com/davedormanfanpage as well as my creator-owned property page, The Wasted Lands at http://facebook.com/davedormanwastedlands.

As always, thank you for reading!

Dave

 

Dave Dorman Updates

Dear Friends,

This week I had a couple of nice press mentions. The first was a podcast interview with “From the Booth” which is sponsored by Captain Blue Hen Comics. You can listen to that interview here: http://bitly.com/Zgk25t

The second was a nice press mention on my Star Wars Dark Empire covers from Ryan Britt of Tor.com. You can access that review and the comment I posted back here: http://bitly.com/Y6dZ8x

There are a couple of Kickstarter campaigns you might want to check out, if you’re interested in supporting them. I am providing artwork for British magazine TRIPWIRE’s 21st Anniversary Issue of their Magazine. I think you’ll recognize my work in the graphic below. That link is here: http://kck.st/10Ic33G

TRIPWIRE 21st Anniversary Magazine

The second Kickstarter campaign I have no connection to, other than I think it’s cool and a game-changer for all of the model and prop making friends and enthusiasts (like me) who follow me here. These guys have created a fail-proof plug & play special f/x kit for your models and props – everything from batteries & lighting to smoke to sound f/x. Check that out here: http://kck.st/XxshQn I really hope they get funded. Again, this is a game changer.

Next weekend I will be joining friends Larry Elmore and Kevin J. Anderson in L.A. judging the Writers & Illustrators of the Future Awards. I am told it’s televised in L.A., so if you want to catch me looking uncomfortable in a monkey suit (that is, tux–I won’t be dressing in a Planet of the Apes costume, which it just occurred to me you might be expecting), please tune in.

Right now I am finishing up a labor of love – a story for Dave Elliott’s MONSTER MASSACRE book that will feature my protagonist motorcycle zombie character, HITCH, which some of you may remember from my book, the Bram Stoker nominated, Int’l Horror Guild Assoc. winner in 1996 from Mojo Press, “DEAD HEAT.” Unfortunately we (Del Stone Jr. and I) were way ahead of the times, writing about zombies before the production world caught on to their money-making potential. Publisher’s Weekly said “Hitch, the protagonist of this gonzo post-apocalyptic fantasy, may be the most outrageous superhero ever conceived for the printed page: a meathook-wielding zombie whose exertions repeatedly challenge him to overcome the limitations of his deteriorating body.”

I will be exhibiting in Artist’s Alley at C2E2 this year in Chicago, so I hope you can come out. Reed Exhibits does a really solid job with this show and it’s quickly becoming the Comic-Con of the Midwest, so check it out. I have to dig up my table #, so watch for me to post that on Facebook – my fan page is http://facebook.com/davedormanfanpage, so please “Like” my page when you get a moment. I am at my 5k limit with friends on my personal FB page, so my apologies for that inconvenience.

Lastly, if you are interested in being one of the “Lucky 10″ at “THE DAVE DORMAN EXPERIENCE” this year, please write to denise@writebrainmedia.com for your reservation. Cost is $350 and I blogged about all of the fun swag you will receive, including the potential of winning a fresh Dave Dorman painting, in the last blog post, so check that out. We will need to know your answer quickly, as it takes a while to get t-shirts made.

As always, thanks for reading,

DAVE.

• On Twitter: @DaveDorman and Hashtag is #DaveDorman
• On LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/thedavedorman
• Podcast: http://itscomicbookday.com

It’s Official – Dave Dorman Experience: Year Two Is Happening

Dear Friends,

Chef Timothy Schultz of Wisconsin is now officially on board, so I am pleased to announce we will be having The Dave Dorman Experience: Year Two this April 27th from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., which is during (but not endorsed by or connected to) C2E2.

The Dave Dorman Experience: Year Two Package Includes These Exclusives:

• Limousine transportation from McCormick Place (where C2E2 is held) to Dorman’s private residence in the Chicago suburbs
• Swag bag of rare gifts from sponsors and Dorman’s personal archive
• Exclusive event t-shirt designed and signed by Dorman (watch this blog where I’ll post the t-shirt designs)
• Chef Timothy Schultz will be serving hors d’oeuvres and a traditional gourmet Italian meal paired with wines
• Collectors will have an exclusive tour of my studio, collections, and access to my private vault of prints, pencil prelims, and paintings
• Fans will receive an exclusive, live painting demo by me
• One lucky fan will win the pencil prelim from the live demo
• One lucky fan will win the actual painting from my live demo (Note: In the interest of drying time, I will be painting in acrylics rather than oils for this event)
• A portion of the proceeds from this event will go to Elgin Academy and the organization that helps my military family, USACares.org.

The cost to reserve space for this event is $350 per person, limited to a maximum of 10 people. To reserve your space today, please email denise@writebrainmedia.com for instructions, along with a list of any dietary restrictions, drink preferences, and most importantly, your shirt size.

To get more details, please “Like” https://Facebook.com/DaveDormanFanPage or check back with me here. For sponsorship opportunities, please contact denise@writebrainmedia.com.

As always, thank you for reading and a Happy Easter to you!

Dave.

Can You Come to the Star Wars Documentary “The Force Within Us” Movie Premiere?

Dear Friends,

If you can get to St. Charles, IL on Friday, March 22nd, I will be appearing at the Arcada Theater at 6:30 p.m. as part of “The Force Within Us” one-night-only Red Carpet Premiere. I will be signing stuff and have prints for sale at this event. This is FREE to the public. The 501st will be there – great for photo opps! This film by my friend Cris Macht documents how Star Wars has impacted the lives of its fans. Cris was kind enough to give me some screen time, and if you can’t make it, the documentary is for sale for $19.95. There are just 1,000 copies. Here’s the link to where you can order the film: http://www.theforceamongus.com/

Here is a WGN News story about Cris Macht’s film from yesterday. I’m told the reporter Pat Tomasulo is a big Batman fan, so I need to get him to my studio one of these days. See if you can spot my paintings in the background? http://bitly.com/XyKnSg

I also got a nice press mention yesterday in USA Today for my work in the upcoming TITAN  BOOKS MONSTER MASSACRE Anthology by Dave Elliott. I am doing a story about my motorcycle zombie character, HITCH, whom you might remember from my Bram Stoker Award nominated, International Horror Guild Award-winning book, “DEAD HEAT” with Del Stone Jr., published by Mojo Press. If you’d like to order a copy of the book, here is the link: http://amzn.to/13UWpGT Here is a sneak peek at my art from this new anthology:

If you love horror and monsters like I do, be sure to buy this book and have me sign it for you at San Diego Comic-Con. I’m always at Booth #4500.

I will have a table again this year at the C2E2 Show in April at McCormick Place, so if you’re coming to Chicago, please look for me there as well.

If you are trying to friend me on Facebook, I’m at my 5k max, so please join/like my Fan Page and I will connect with you there. That link is http://facebook.com/DaveDormanFanPage

As always, thanks for reading.

Dave

First Look: Dave Dorman Original Wizard of Oz Art Premieres This Weekend at VISIONS OF OZ Show in L.A.

LOS ANGELES, CA—March 1, 2013— Dave Dorman’s “Dorothy Daydreams” original painting will be included in the upcoming Creature Features Visions of Oz gallery art show being held at the Heritage Square Museum in Los Angeles, California from March 3 – 31. Dorman’s painting, rendered traditionally in oil and acrylic mediums, is a visual homage to the L. Frank Baum literary classic Oz books.

Said Dorman, “It was an honor to be invited to participate in this tribute. For Dorothy Daydreams, I returned to the spirit of L. Frank Baum’s young protagonist, capturing some of her desire to escape the harsh and desolate reality of her Kansas dustbowl farm for the fantasy of a much more colorful, imaginary world.” Dorman will be showing the art progressives from pencil illustration to final painting this weekend on this blog.

Dave Dorman’s “Dorothy Daydreams” Painting. Oil and acrylic on canvas. 24″ x 36.”

Creature Features curated this multimedia exhibit, showcasing more than 100 works from a diverse group of artists. The collection includes illustrations, paintings, sculptures and full-sized recreations of favorite Oz characters. Also included in the exhibit will be historical memorabilia such as rare editions of the original L. Frank Baum books, props, concepts and artwork from various Oz-themed film & TV projects and many more surprises.

Museum tours are $10; OZ exhibit-only admittance is $5. For more information, visit CreatureFeatures.com/VisionsofOz or call (323) 225-2700. Heritage Square Museum is located at 3800 Homer Street, Los Angeles. The museum’s website is http://heritagesquare.org.

About Dave Dorman

Eisner, Inkpot and Bram Stoker Award-winning illustrator, writer and creator Dave Dorman was voted the #1 Star Wars Artist of All Time by fans of the property worldwide, and his art book Star Wars: The Art of Dave Dorman was an international bestseller. His landmark, critically acclaimed graphic novel, Aliens: Tribes, won him an Eisner and Bram Stoker Award as well as changing the way the publishing ad entertainment industries viewed the medium. Dorman’s own critically acclaimed Intellectual Property,  The Wasted Lands–the Sergio Leone-meets-motorcycle western epic tale of good vs. evil in a dystopian society recovering from ”the Iron Wars”–continued to raise the bar in the graphic novel publishing arena and set a new standard. Another Dorman I.P., Dead Heat, is the Bram Stoker Award-winning horror anthology of his tales of the protagonist motorcycle zombie known as ”Hitch.” Dorman’s autobiography, Rolling Thunder: The Art of Dave Dorman (IDW Publishing/Desperado Publishing) encompasses an estimated one-third of his illustrious art career, which includes licensed works of such classic properties as G.I. Joe, Indiana Jones, Predator, Robotech, Batman, Captain America, Spiderman, Judge Dredd, Transformers, Green Lantern, Green Hornet, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Magic: The Gathering, Dungeons & Dragons, World of Warcraft and many more. Corporate clients include 20th Century Fox, Rhythm & Hues, Hasbro, Wizards of the Coast, Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image, IDW, Upper Deck, Topps, FASA Corp., and many more.

Dorman is a sought-after instructor who has taught at American Academy of Art, Savannah College of Art & Design, Reverie (Massive Black/ConceptArt.org), Columbia College and The Gnomon School. His video art tutorials are available at The Gnomon Workshop. 

 

Media Contact:

Denise Dorman, Publicist

WriteBrain Media

P: 630.845.4694

E: denise@writebrainmedia.com

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Announcing My First Ever 24/7 Dave Dorman Online Store

Dear Friends of the Page,

I typically post a temporary page if I’m having a sale on my prints for a special occasion, but I’ve been thinking it would be wise to have a full-time online store, so here is the link to my new online store:

http://davedorman.bigcartel.com

Please feel free to share the link with your social networks. It would be an enormous favor to me.

Additionally, I have some fun new interviews posted on our podcast, http://itscomicbookday.com, and as always, I invite and encourage you to join me on my Facebook Fan Page, http://Facebook.com/DaveDormanFanPage and on Linked In where I’m an open networker at http://linkedin.com/in/thedavedorman.

As always, I thank you for your support and interest in my work. I’m hard at work on getting my new online school launched, and I will be posting news here as I’m able to start accepting students. If you are interested in being on the early invite list, please email denise@writebrainmedia.com.

I should also mention, I’m in a Star Wars documentary called “The Force Within Us”  by my friend Cris Macht. I will be attending the premiere at the Arcada Theater in  St. Charles, IL on Friday, March 22nd, so if you are in Northern Illinois, I welcome you to join us there.

Have a good one, everybody,

Dave

Dave Dorman New Comic Book Covers for Gestalt Comics’ STALAG-X

Dear Friends,

I am pleased to announce I’ll be doing the comic book cover art for a new sci-fi graphic novel project for Australia’s largest comic book publisher, Gestalt Comics, in partnership with two writers: NY Times Bestselling Author Kevin J. Anderson and Xena: Warrior Princess co-producer and scriptwriter Steven L. Sears. I’ve done a lot of cover art over the years for books Kevin has written, including the Young Jedi Knight series and his book Dogged Persistence. Steven and I are both former Floridians and military brats.

Here is how Kevin J. Anderson describes the STALAG-X story:

“STALAG-X is the gritty story of human soldiers trying to survive in an alien concentration camp, and one mysterious prisoner who calls himself “Joe Human.” He cannot allow the vicious aliens to win . . . but because of his own dark past, he doesn’t dare allow himself to be rescued either.”

The release date hasn’t been announced yet, but we are looking at late Fall 2012 for the first issue. I will keep you posted here, and for the writing side, follow http://kjablog.com for Kevin J. Anderson’s posts.

As always, thanks for reading!

Dave.

My San Diego Comic-Con Update, Map of My Location

Dear Friends,

Here’s  a map of where you can find me this year at San Diego Comic-Con. For those who come back every year, it’s my “normal” location. Sharing my booth this year will be Blackwatch Comics (artist Christopher Shy and writer Michael Easton) so please be sure to check out their goth fantasy SOUL STEALER: The Collector’s Edition and NORTH END OF THE WORLD books as well.

DAVE DORMAN #SDCC BOOTH #4500

DAVE DORMAN #SDCC 2012 SIGNING SCHEDULE:

Thursday, July 12th, Noon – Booth #2913E– During the “Frak Out” Battlestar Galactica event, I will be in the ANOVOS Booth at the Lucasfilm Pavilion for the unveiling of my first-ever Battlestar Galactica (2004 series) fine art painting. I believe this is happening at noon.

Friday, July 13th, 11 a.m. – Noon, Booth #2615–I will be at the Dark Horse Comics Booth #2615 for a Star Wars Crimson Empire signing with Mike Richardson, Randy Stradley, John Jackson Miller, Tom Taylor and Doug Wheatley.

Friday, July 13th, 8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m., Room #8 –I will be on a panel moderated by MTV Geek’s Bradley Hatfield, celebrating the 35th Anniversary of Heavy Metal, the first publisher to print one of my pieces of cover art. Here’s a description: 

The panel will give fans a chance to peek behind the curtain for an incredible hour of conversation with Kevin Eastman as he and many of the iconic artists reflect on the history of ground-breaking storytelling as well as letting the audience in on plans for the future. Guests include: Kevin Eastman (Heavy Metal, Co Creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Michael Mendheim (Mutant League Football, Creator of Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Dave Elliott (Sponge Bob, Heavy Metal, Ninja Gaiden), Lorenzo Sperlonga (Heavy Metal, Steampunk Dolls, Poison Apples), Dave Dorman (Heavy Metal, Star Wars, Rolling Thunder), and Joe Pearson (Director of War of the Worlds: Goliath, Epoch Ink Animation).

Okay, that’s everything I know about at the moment. Please feel free to email or comment on Facebook.com/DaveDormanFanPage if there’s anything you need.  Any journalists/bloggers/reporters trying to reach me, please contact my publicist Denise@WriteBrainMedia.com or call her at 630.215.5623.

I raise a toast for an entertaining, fun, safe SDCC for everyone this year! Let the games begin!

Dave. (Twitter hashtag #DaveDorman)

Dynamic Duo Alert: Dave Dorman Collaborating with X-Files Star Dean Haglund on Graphic Novel

Los Angeles, CA and Chicago, IL—April 20, 2012—In their first creative collaboration, #1 Star Wars Artist Dave Dorman is creating the cover art for The X-Files and Lone Gunmen actor and “The Truth is Out There” filmmaker Dean Haglund. Haglund’s new graphic novel “Shock ‘N Awesome” is currently a Kickstarter.com campaign and promises a conspiracy theory lovers tale, unveiling the very Indiana Jones-like truth behind the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. Hint: It wasn’t oil.

“Dean and I have kicked around some collaborative ideas over the years, but this one feels right to me,” said Dorman. “I am thrilled that someone of Dave’s caliber is working with me on this creative adventure. I believe Dave’s cover art will excite people enough to meet my Kickstarter goal,” Haglund added. Shock ‘N Awesome currently has $4,257 in contributions with 23 more days remaining to earn the total $7,000 required to produce the graphic novel.

If funding goes according to plan, Haglund hopes to have the graphic novel ready in time for San Diego Comic-Con, and an autograph session at Dorman’s Booth #4500.

Haglund will publish an initial run of 1,000 issues to be distributed through Diamond.

For more information, please visit http://deanhaglund.com or http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/deanhaglund/shock-n-awesome-graphic-novel.

About Dean Hagund:

Dean is probably best known for his nine seasons playing Langly, one of the computer geeks known as “The Lone Gunmen” from the hit FOX TV series The X-Files.  Today, Dean’s visual art is now collected worldwide. His oil paintings combine an unabashed Graphic Novel sensibility, using classic compositions and images from iconic Americana. Modern allegories and metaphors arise from a heavily researched catalogue of past works using the emotional/ theatrical tableaus with re-stated contemporary themes and cultural touchstones to evoke new meaning. Dean headlines with his unique ONE MAN X-FILES IMPROV COMEDY show at comedy clubs, colleges and comedy festivals around the world, which earned him 4-star reviews from the International Edinburgh Fringe Festival, two years in a row.

About Dave Dorman:

For the past 30 years, Eisner and Inkpot Award-winning artist Dave Dorman’s dynamic, hyper-realism art has boosted toy and comic book sales for those art directors wise enough to hire him. His fan base is worldwide. In 2012 Dorman did the six covers completing the Dark Horse Star Wars “Crimson Empire” series, and is currently creating the covers for the new four-book “Darth Maul” series. His Captain America art also appears in the new Marvel pop-up book Super Heroes vs. Villains: An Explosive Pop-Up of Rivalries slated for a July 2012 release. His autobiography, “Rolling Thunder: The Art of Dave Dorman” (IDW Publishing/Desperado Publishing) is available on Amazon.com and his 2-part instructional series on pencil and oil illustration is available via The Gnomon Workshop. This year, Dave Dorman will be exhibiting this year at Spectrum, San Diego Comic-Con Booth #4500 and Star Wars Celebration 6. His one-man art show, “Pi ala Mode” just completed its April run Chicago’s Rotofugi art gallery.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Denise Dorman | 630.845.4694 | denise@writebrainmedia.com

Tw: @writebrainmedia | Facebook.com/writebrainmedia

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