Universal monsters sketch

I thought I'd posted this but I can't find it anywhere on the blog so I hope I'm mistaken. This is based on the cover of Avengers #1, the result of a miscommunication for a commission last year.

Hulk #362 cover sketch

I wrote about this cover last July but I just found a copy of the preliminary sketch. You can read the original post here.

Rejected cover for Hulk #362

Back in the late 80's I tried to pare down my "style" and did away with most of the rendering. I was hoping that the self-imposed limitation would force me to focus more on the important elements like structure, gesture and storytelling. I'm not the first artist who tried to hide bad drawing with fancy rendering and I probably won't be the last.

Someone at Marvel asked me to draw this Hulk cover. Two monsters, fighting in a desert... why not? It sounds like fun.

How was it received? A friend of mine who was in the Bullpen when the art arrived told me that Marvel's art director, John Romita (Senior) held it up and proclaimed, "This... is what is wrong with comics today!" True story.

The Hulk editor called me up and politely explained that the art was being rejected. I asked if the lack of rendering was the only problem and he said it was. So I redrew it with heavier shadows and some fancy rendering and everyone was happy.

The first version is fine but I have to admit, the second one is better. Especially when you see it with color. Marvel let me do the color guide so I was able to sculpt the shapes with flat, white highlights. The poses are awkward but I like the overall effect.

And John Romita was right.