Halloween!

Halloween is back, and so is the cherished Jhannian tradition of wishing our dedicated readers a wonderful holiday with a picture by yours truly. Yes, I know we skipped last year, but it won't happen again... Actually, as it happens, it almost happened again this year. I drew this baby from beginning to end in forty minutes. That includes pencils, colors, and inks, so if the drawing isn't very detailed, well, that's why. I simply didn't want to let another Halloween go by without celebrating it, so there you go. Go get your candy!

One-Eyed Pirate

Here you have yet another sketch I drew while sitting (and listening) in a meeting. Just like the pensive old man I showed you a couple of days ago, I drew this one with a black pen and nothing else, and I kind of like how it turned out. I'm really enjoying working in this style, which I'm coming to think of as my "true style" for a variety of reasons. At any rate, I hope you like it!

The Old Man Ponders

Here you have a quick sketch I drew in one of my meetings. I drew it with a black pen, and I think it turned out rather cute, so I hope you like it!

Read This!

I don't care if you like manga or not --you need to start reading Bakuman, the formidable series by Death Note creators Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. I have only read the first volume, and I already find myself in love with the story, the characters, and the artwork. In short, Bakuman is the story of two guys who want to become manga artists, and so they put a proposal together and submit it to Shueisha. I haven't read anything beyond that point, so I don't know what happens next, but what I have read was so incredibly compelling I had to run to my laptop and write these few lines. Go check it out, and let me know what you think!

Esos sádicos querubines

Aquí tenéis una de esas ideas raras que me vienen a la cabeza de forma inesperada. Estaba sentado en el sofá leyendo o jugando a The Saboteur cuando de pronto se me apareció esta imagen en mi inquieta cabecita. ¿Un ángel con motosierra?, me dije a mí mismo, sorprendido ante la extravagante idea. ¿Por qué no? Y dicho y hecho: me puse manos a la obra, y en cuestión de cuarenta minutos tenía el dibujo terminado. Si Murillo levantara la cabeza...

The New 52

As you may or may not know by now, DC Comics has rebooted the whole DC Universe with 52 new number ones. I have never really followed any DC books, and I am pretty sick and tired of superhero comics, yet I found myself interested in trying out some of their series. Not only that, but, for the first time ever, I bought them digitally, so I said goodbye to good old paper and dived into the digital era of comics. And what do you know, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

I only bought four out of the fifty-two books, but I had a great time reading the ones I got. The first one I bought was Red Hood & the Outlaws #1, mostly because the tremendous Kenneth Rocafort drew the issue. I didn't know what it was about or who the characters were, but the beauty of The New 52 is that you don't have to. Therefore, I approached it without fear, and I had a blast. Scott Lobdell's story is interesting and fun, and the artwork out of this world, so make sure you check it out.

The second book I read was Voodoo #1. DC is integrating some of the Wildstorm Universe characters into the DC universe proper, and since I loved Ron Marz from Witchblade, and I remembered and liked Sami Basri from the same title, I thought I'd give it a try. Voodoo was definitely the weakest of the four comic books I read, yet it was still interesting and I will most likely get the trade when it comes out.

Batman #1 was my third purchase. I have never been a huge Batman fan, but the 11 O'Clock Comics guys were praising Scott Snyder's story, and I've always liked Greg Capullo's art, so I gave it a try. I didn't think it was as formidable a book as my favorite podcasters found it to be, but it was a very solid issue and I enjoyed it very much. And maybe I'm crazy, but I thought Capullo was drawing faces like he was Humberto Ramos. Did anyone notice this as well?

Last but not least, I bought the first issue of a series I had never ever read before, starring a character I had never read either: Batgirl #1. The art in the previews I had seen online looked good, and so I bought it to see what I thought about it. In short, I found both the story by Gail Simone and the drawings by Ardian Syaf more than competent, and I had a blast reading the book, so I think I will definitely continue to read the series. As a matter of fact, I think this one and Red Hood were my favorite two, so I'm glad I gave it a chance. I would suggest you do the same, and let us know what you think of this incredibly bold move DC has made. I, for one, am definitely willing to support them!

A Very Special Present

Here you have the picture I drew for my wife's birthday. It includes me and our three children wishing her the happiest birthday ever, and, as you can see, we are all ready to party. I had a lot of fun working on this illustration, and I hope you guys like it!