Batgirl #35 Halloween Variant Cover

You know... I really do love Mark Chiarello... and not just because he thinks of me when a cover like this comes up. He knew this was something I'd have a lot of fun drawing. He's the best.

Anyway, two preliminary sketches, then pencils, inks and final color:

Batman vs Bat-Bane Variant Cover art

First, I struggled with the layout, trying to find an angle that would show both characters clearly...

Superman Unchained #4 variant cover art

I think this book is on the stands now so it should be safe for me to post it here. DC asked for the 1938 version of Superman on this one. That's why the boots and chest emblem look so strange.

Wrightson's Solomon Grundy pencils, page 22

In case some of us have forgotten, this page shows how skillfully Bernie arranges areas of black and white.  He mastered "chiaroscuro" before most of us could spell the word. It's all there in the pencils, which makes an inker's job a lot easier.

As discussed elsewhere, this story was written, pencilled and inked in 1997, but remained unpublished until 2010, in "Batman's Hidden Treasures".

Batgirl grayscale painting

The final version is 16 x 20", ink and gouache on gray board:

Outsiders Annual cover art

I hadn't seen this one for several years but the owner of the original painting posted a scan on the CAF site recently so I thought I'd update my old post, showing the sketch and pencils:

I'd forgotten how bad those old seps were. They really washed out the colors.

Remembering Bob Oksner...

...who would have been 95 today. Here's a one-page biography from a 1962 Jerry Lewis comic:

Here's a stern-looking portrait of Bob by Neal Adams, from a 1971 DC house ad announcing the winners of the ACBA awards. Nicely lettered by the inimitable Gaspar Saladino.








Finally, one of my favorite Oksner originals, a Supergirl page from a 1971 issue of Adventure Comics. By the way, future comic writer Steve Englehart assisted with the background inks on this page.

Batman, Batgirl and Robin

Step by step, from layout to final inks:

The Inferior Five

I've drawn them a handful of times but they never come out looking quite the same.

Supergirl sketch

I'm partial to the older costume...

Batgirl pin-up

Preliminary pencils, marker sketch, pencils and inks:

Batman: Sword of Azrael TPB cover art

From 1993. Pencils by Joe Quesada. Sorry for the poor quality of the pencil scan.