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

I Need Your Opinion – Dave Dorman Experience 2013?

Dear Friends,

I’ve gotten more than a few Facebook messages on this matter, and I’d like to check in with you who follow my blog. I’m considering doing another “Dave Dorman Experience” this year during C2E2, but I want to make sure there’s still interest. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this tiny event, here’s what it entails:

• A limousine picks you up at a designated location at C2E2 and drives you to my house.
• A private chef prepares a gourmet dinner, served to you, my guests.
• I give a brief studio tour and my various collections & paintings.
• I create a fresh piece of art for my guests, starting with the preliminary and going through to the final painting. (Last year I did a Boba Fett piece.)
• We draw straws to see who goes home with either one. 
• I offer access to my private vault of prints, prelims and available paintings for sale. (This is great for collectors.)
• This year, I hope to have customized shirts for everyone as a keepsake.
• The limousine returns you to your hotel in Chicago.

Let me know if this is something you’d like to see me do again this year. We had a lot of fun with the fans who joined us last year! Please email my wife & publicist at denise@writebrainmedia.com if you’d like additional information.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Dave 

 

My Updates, A New Year’s Sale, and 2013 Plans!

Hi Everyone! And Happy New Year!!

2012 was an interesting year (to paraphrase the old Chinese proverb). I had a great year creatively and not so good health-wise. I had a great run on Darth Maul covers for Dark Horse Comics, and had the opportunity to produce another great widescreen style print for the Star Wars Celebration VI last August. In addition, I took the time to paint some personal pieces and found great confidence and strength in the freedom of creativity that I was able to channel into those pieces. I believe that has come through in my commercial work as well, and I feel that I am doing the best work of my career at this point. I am very much looking forward to carrying this into 2013 and beyond! (More on those projects down below…)

Health-wise it was a very weird year. I am usually a pretty strong guy as far as my personal health, but 2012 hit me unexpectedly hard. At the beginning of the summer I caught the flu, which eventually turned into walking pneumonia. Unfortunately that hit me during the time of the San Diego Convention, so if you saw me there and I did not seem myself, that’s why. I eventually got over that and felt better for about a month, then at the beginning of November I was hit with an appendicitis. Fortunately, I knew what it was (with a little self-diagnosis help from the “interweb”) and Denise took me to the hospital the next morning before it could rupture. The doctor removed my appendix and I started to feel better for a couple days, and then I began to feel worse. Without going into the painful details, I spent the next four weeks with complications and a misdiagnosis that just kicked my butt to the point where I was almost bedridden.

Finally with the advice of a doctor friend and the urging of Denise, we went to my family practitioner for some help. He immediately ordered blood tests and then promptly put me back in the hospital the next day, finding I had an abscess where my appendix was, and it was the size of a softball. Within a day of them taking care of this, I was feeling so much better. I was in the hospital for this during the first week of December, and was so happy to be feeling better for the upcoming Holiday season.

While I am still recovering, (I am almost back to 100% now), it made me realize how lucky I am to have the things God has given me. My wife, my amazing son, my family and friends, and the talent and creativity that drives me to continue to be the best I can be in all I do.

But most of all, I would like to thank all of you who have written and emailed and Facebooked during the last two months following this horrible event of mine. It was so helpful to keep my mental strength up and the desire to get past this to be able to get back to painting and creating the art you all look forward to, and the work I take so much pleasure in creating. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

Now…onto 2013!

I plan a few things for the coming year and who knows where work will take me as the year progresses. The two big things I am proud to work on will be personal projects–both through Kickstarter–as I will be publishing them myself. The first will be “NEMO,” a triptych of large canvas paintings reproduced in a series of affordable prints to high-end Giclees.  There will also be a “Making of” book, and possibly a video DVD to accompany it.  More to come on this as I finish the art.

The other big project I am so happy to announce–finally–is the continuation of my “RAIL” graphic novel series. It has been quite a while since the original edition appeared, and following the problems with the original publisher, and the distractions that life throws at you, I am just now finally getting back to my personal project. I plan on reworking some of the material in the original RAIL book and offering a new edition through KICKSTARTER. I am hoping to be able to fund both this revised edition and the first sequel. My intent is to publish all four books in this series myself, with support from all of you, my fans. Quite a few of you have asked when the follow-up will be coming. I hope 2013 will see this happen.  I will have more on this very soon as I pull this together. Keep watching.

DAVE DORMAN PRINT SALE

I had a lot of fans asking if I was going to have a holiday print sale this year. Unfortunately my illness prevented me getting this ready for a pre-holiday sale. But I figured, “Why not start the New Year right for those interested decorating their walls?” So I have decided to offer the print sale as a New Year’s Sale! This sale can be found on this page of my website: http://www.davedorman.com/swprints2013sale.shtml

The sale will only go until midnight Jan. 5, and I will send out the prints the week of Jan 7. I hope you can find something you like!

I will endeavor to update this blog a little more frequently now that I’m home and healthy again. And I THANK YOU again for all your well wishes during this past 2 months. With my reinvigorated health and drive to create, I do not think you will be disappointed with what 2013 will bring for us.

May God bless you all with health and prosperity in 2013. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

DAVE.

Dave Dorman #SWCVI Pre-Orders Counter Is Now Officially Open for Business!

Hi Everyone!

The Pre-Orders Counter is Open for Business! I thank each of you for your interest in pre-ordering my new Star Wars Celebration VI Print titled Breaking Ground: Imperial Base, Moon of Endor. Here is how the finished art looks:

Final Art: Dave Dorman’s Star Wars Celebration VI Fine Art Limited Edition Lithograph

This print features a look at the Imperial Base construction site on the Moon of Endor, which is seen as a staging point for the Emperor’s mightiest weapon: The Second Death Star. We see Lord Vader himself supervising construction with a keen eye, ready to report back personally to the Emperor himself.

I had a great deal of fun working on this piece. Once again, I tried capturing a scene not filmed, but intricately tied into the storyline of the film. In this case, it was a “missing scene” from Star Wars: Episode 6 Return of the Jedi. This piece features some of my favorite troopers–the Scouts–and for those fans who have asked me hundreds of times over the years, have I ever painted Ewoks?…well, here you go!

Here are details for you:

Pre-Order Rules: Only those attending and picking up the prints in person at Star Wars Celebration VI can place an order…or: If you can arrange for someone else to pick up your order, that is fine, but you must contact me at dormanart@yahoo.com and give me their name.

Price: $80. Here’s my reasoning: My previous Celebration prints have been priced at $100, but I have lowered this year’s print price to $80 to reflect the current economy. I felt uncomfortable pricing the print as high as previous editions, knowing that finances are limited for the great majority of fans and collectors, myself included.

Paper: The lithograph is printed on an archival paper, of the same quality as previous years

Dimensions: Widescreen style, 20” x 36”

Quantity: It is limited to 250 copies

Autograph: Each limited edition lithograph is signed and numbered by me, Dave Dorman

Specifying Your Print Number: If you would like a specific number, please make a note of that on the Paypal order form so that Denise can track it in her spread sheet. I will do my best to deliver the number you ask for, but it will be a first come, first serve situation. You may wish to submit an alternate number in the event that your preferred number is already taken.

Remarques: Due to contractual reasons, I cannot add a remarque to your pre-paid drawing prior to the show. All remarques must be done at the show, in person. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at dormanart@yahoo.com

ORDER YOUR PRINT HERE & NOW!: Go to  http://www.davedorman.com/swc6print.shtml to place your order directly from me thru’ PayPal. You will find the ordering button as you scroll down that page.

On-Site Sales at SWCVI: If you prefer, you can purchase your print from me at the show. These prints have always sold out, so getting in your pre-order is a prudent decision.

Where to Find Me: I will be at Booth #939 in the regular section of the show, not in the ACME Artists Section. My booth information will also be included as a friendly reminder in the confirmation email you receive from me for your pre-order.

As always, I thank each of you for your interest in my work and for supporting my career. I look forward to seeing you in Orlando!

Dave.