This week's pick:


Saturday, March 13, 2010

John Carter of Mars by tom fowler


okay. i'm going to level with you, internet. to my eternal shame, i've never read the john carter books (unless you count some of the comics... which i don't). i have always been in love with the imagery though; so much really great stuff to sink you teeth into.

that said, this might be another week where i think it may have gotten away from me for a number of reasons (most of which would fall under the most boring kinds of cartoonist "shop-talk"; paper, ink, etc...). looking at it now i wonder if it's one of those cases where the sketch was more successful than the finished product. i'm going to put this one aside for now, but at some point in the future i may revisit it for a painting.

btw if you're going to be in the ottawa area next week please stop by the silver snail comic store on wednesday where i'll be signing the new collected edition of my (and jeff parker's) book MYSTERIUS THE UNFATHOMABLE. if you're not familiar with it i can honestly tell you, with no hyperbole whatsoever, it is simply the GREATEST BOOK EVER.

you should totally buy it and stuff...

7 comments:

Josh said...

Don't get down on yourself. This finished product is fucking kick ass. Plus I think its widely accepted that people are always happier with their sketches rather than finished pieces. Sketches have more gestural line quality and always leave space for the viewer's mind to fill in the gaps. They're kind of like a rorschachs in that way.

barrymcw said...

Love the finished piece. There's lots going on but I have no problem figuring out who the important characters are. The wind is a great touch & digging how Tars Tarkas is holding his spear with his top-left & bottom-right hands. Probably difficult to fight that way but it shows off his anatomy in a cool way.

Cheers

Brian Thomas Wolf said...

I've read the books, and I think you've done a good job with the figures here. Great expressiveness in the faces, perhaps the background is a bit distracting, but don't sweat it.

Ron Salas said...

That's awesome, Tom! Great composition and I love the eastern-like armor they're wearing.

Beautiful Dejah Thoris.

I hope you'll find time to paint this in the future.

Mitch Gerads said...

I would buy this book in a heartbeat. In fact upon seeing it ons helves, my heart might actually STOP beating.

Awesome x3.

Mike Hawthorne said...

You never cease to amaze, Tom!

Good luck at the MYSTERIUS signing.

Mike

Francesco Francavilla said...

Great poses and "outfits" (especially that Rhyno helmet :)), Tom, but I do agree with you that the sketch is my fav from the two. The finished piece is a tad busy, even if things can be sorted with colors by fading some of the elements.
Awesomeness nonetheless :0

Cheers,
Francesco