Good Riddance 2020, Ye Fucker - salvaging(?) a non-blogging year, Part 1

Yeah, it just wasn't happening blogging-wise during this wretched year. Not even because of Covid - in fact this blog has been dragging its feet for a couple of years now. Guess the reason for that is the lack of response, to be honest. The year's artistic output was decent though, so I'll put the finer ones up here anyway before midnight. Then we'll see what next year brings... Maybe it's time to move over to Instagram?

Something Corvin-related to kick it off. Palatine Gara,one of the lesser antagonists (at least for the time being), decidedly drawn in the style of José Luis-Munuera, the sole creator of the awesome Les Campbell comics series.

Since we're talking Corvin, let me firmly state that Book 3 is in the works. Being made in the usual not-so-superfast pace, but I think it will be fine. Especially if I can figure out the middle part I'm getting into right now. Here's a preview of the first couple of pages:

So, as the title character would say: "Onwards, till we finally meet those rascal Ottomans!"

Getting back to the year's illustration chronology, the next one was made for a sad occasion. Albert Uderzo, one of the greatest comic book artists passed away at the end of March. I drew this sad, drinking Asterix as a tribute to him.

Now for something lighter: the above mentioned Campbells all-ages pirate comic is really tons of fun, and inspired me to fanart its notorious troublemaker, Carapepino, among a few other characters.

One of spring's definite artistic community highlights was the Six Fanarts Challenge, that sprode through Facebook like a virus (sorry...) in April. I certainly did my own version based on friends' suggestions. The two characters next to the Witcher are from Bone, my all-time favourite comic book, which was very happy to see finally being translated to Hungarian this year (even though and alas it was not translated by me :D)

Next up,something kinda curious. It is not everyday that one draws Cupid dressed up as a nomadic Hungarian warrior shooting his arrow backwards, but when 5th graders are faced with such visual terror in their school textbook, then there is not much else left to do (click link at your own risk) https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10220236169392045&set=a.10203671740691680   

The last piece for this Part 1 is pretty intimate, and guess it's mildly mature content as well. Anyway, I had a long and a little unconventional relationship with a special lady, which ended suddenly and without warning last October. Perhaps naturally, it took me quite a while to process the ending. This thing below was part of that. Not sure if it's good at all, but it's puts the intimacy out there, which I thought was important at the time. Of course, a good and honest conversation works a lot better, and we finally succeeded in doing that not long ago. 
Anyway, the women in the background are hommages to my great illustrator friend Dou d'Ache, whose work my lady friend is also fond of.

Summery drawings and more

Trying to wrap up the year with some more posts before it is over, as usual...
Something I forgot to mention so far: in May Stan Sakai, one of the greatest comics authors had a Q&A session and signed books in Budapest at a small café of all places. I had a to get a signing of my drawing of his main character Usagi... 

and a photo with the great man :-)

Fanart from an Asterix story: the villain, Tullius Destructivus, who spreads disagreement everywhere. I dressed him in Caesar's robes, just for fun.

A portait of my Mum for her copy of my Corvin 2 book.

A little hommage of Napirajz by Dániel Merényi (probably the longest-running Hungarian strip series), based on a conversation I witnessed first hand in the pub we go after our weekly football match.

More fanarts: the former pirate Campbell from José-Luis Munuera's awesome comic book, The Campbells,

And Laureline taking care of business in Valerian and Laureline: Brooklyn Station, Terminus Cosmos. Birthday present for a dear friend of mine.

Post-summer drawings

Traditionally posted over the last days of the year ;-)

First of all I managed to complete nearly half an Inktober this year, so behold the better results:

Roasted - and it totally is, isn't it?

Drooling - a classic Hungarian cartoon character lost in the opium bars of Bangkok.

Now, some doubleheaders: cruel & whale - fanart from Craig Thompson's Space Dumplings.

Precious & star - a little LOTR foolin' around.

Expensive & weak (I think)

Last, but totally not least, my Season's greetings for this year. Another fanart of the lovely Laureline, original paperwork  a Christmas present for a very dear friend.

That's all for now, I hope to give you a long due Corvin update before the new year.

Summery drawings...

... right before September ends. First of all, a spontaneous one. You doodle a head, then end up with a rooster-headed Napoleonic soldier. It happens -nothing out of the ordinary.

And now, for the fanarts. Firstly, another Valerian - the male protagonists of the classic French sci-fi comics you have already seen here, along with his female counterpart, Laureline.

Let's move on to another one of my favourite graphic novels, DC: The New Frontier by the late Darwyn Cooke. A heroic supporting character Captain Nathaniel Adam from the U.S. Air Force.

And then, our very own Wonder Woman, living it up on Paradise Island. This was a bigger undertaking, as you can see from both the inked, and the final, coloured version:

And now, Inktober is about to commence again, so stay tuned!

2018 - It's alive...

Though it may not be exactly kicking, I have made a few drawings this year, and been working on my Corvin comic too. Pity I get to update this blog so rarely these days...

So, let's see the miscellany this time around.

At first, a little idle sketch, just for fun. Giacomo's (i.e. Casanova, the famous 18th century ladies' man's) jakuzzi. Why? Because the two words alliterate. B O O M.

Next up, another fun one, started completely spontaneously. These doodles can turn out rather well, though it is not easy to recreate and elaborate them in a more conscious manner. Anyway, here is Sulejman the Magnificent, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, juxtaposed against my sketchbook, and a Will Eisner fanart made by the very talented Canadian artist, Scott Chantler.

Now, some more serious efforts. i.e. fanarts of one of my current favourite comics, the French sci-fi classic Valerian and Laureline. First, male protagonist Valerian walking in a door in the second book of the series, called The City of Shifting Waters.

Then, the biggest effort in this post, female protagonist Laureline trying to make sense of a certain situation in Book 7, On The False Earths.

Lastly, the most grim one topics-wise, a strip inspired by the outcome of Hungary's elections in April. I drew this right before going to a big protest in Budapest, attended by roughly 100,000 people who thought it was not right that the governing party seized a 2/3 parliamentary majority once again by getting only 48% of all votes. The last panel is quite wishful, I admit that.

Some very belated summery drawings

Hey, it's only mid-November after all...

First and foremost, a deliberately kitsch one for my Mum's birthday. Needless to say, but love your Mums, Folks!

The King's Speech is a real fine movie and Colin Firth waves in a dashing way, so I thought
why not draw it.

A little - way too little -  practice with my digital drawing device. For explanation on the caption see for example: https://www.politico.eu/article/hungary-to-take-down-controversial-soros-posters/

It was high time time for me to check out Valerian and Laureline, the awesome classic French sci-fi comics series, hence the fanart.

Last but no way least, another fanart - Wonder Woman, from DC: The New Frontier by the waytoo soon passed away Darwyn Cooke. Up there withthe old superhero classics - do yourself a favour and get a copy, Folks!

Spring drawings and other updates

It's probably safe to say now that 2017 is not going to be the most prolific year on this blog, but there are still things to post about. The good news is that the herniated disks are fine thanks to some therapy, so there is no obstacle to drawing currently.

At first some quick doodles done during the daily grind for my "proper" job:

On the current situation of "freedom" of speech in Hungary.

A displeased football manager/ politician/ company executive.

Next up, some more sophisticated fanart. Brandy, the most badass animal psychologist from Liberty Meadows, Frank Cho's awesome epic length strips series.

Last - but certainly  not least - some sketches made during the workshop of Jul, one of the special guests of this year's Budapest International Comics Festival. Jul is the current writer of the renowned Lucky Luke series - hence the rather inaccurate portrait of the title character based on my memories. Even though this was a conversation workshop, I just had to sketch the interpreter, too. The samurai above them was entirely spontaneous.

The workshop was held in Budapest's French Institute, who kindly made Jul's visit possible, i.e.paid for his flight, room and board, etc. Some prominent Hungarian comics makers were in attendance too.

Also, here is yours truly, checking out what Lucky Luke actually looks like as opposed to his memories :)

Dear Readers, expect some more quick updates like this and forget about this not being a prolific year... Hohohooo! :)

Hullo 2017 - the post that took i's time

It's not customary to kick out a year's blogging with most of March gone, but I have a couple of good reasons for the delay. 

First and foremost, I had severe back pain for a month or so from the middle of January. For a while it seemed to be sciatica - which is bad enough - , so I did this drawing as part of the therapy. A superhero suffering from sciatica, which is "isiász" in Hungarian, hence the big letter I.

By the time I coloured it, the situation turned out to be even worse - a couple of herniated disks in my spine. However, by then I have been on the right medication and also started the physical sort of therapy, so now I'm hopeful to kick the disease - and throw away the pills -  in some time.

 In other news, between two assaults of pain I finally had a chance to check out the manga pen I won at a Facebook sharing game. Here's a WIP shot and the final result.

Another not too pleasant activity was waiting for my pre-Christmas comic book orders to arrive. These suffered a huge delay either for Hungarian Post becoming badly understaffed, or the copious amount of cheap trinkets people ordered from China - or mostly likely because of both. However, the good stuff finally arrived in February.

I got so inspired that I drew a fanart from the closing volume of Scott Chantler's Three Thieves series, which winds up the story pretty well. Protagonist Dessa learned to wield a sword beside her many other skills.

That's all for now, up next the proceedings with Corvin - relatively soon.

There goes 2016... A final batch of drawings

A few more drawings from November and December to wind up a very mixed year.

Another Vlad Tepes, a slightly more lighthearted version this time. Made at the (hopefully) revived Drink&Draw session in the Tücsök (Cricket) Beer Garden.

Too many great artists passed away in 2016, several of them definitely before their time. Maybe this is not true of Leonard Cohen, who "had many good innings" (as a British mate of mine said), but his death is still a great loss.  This portrait actually resembles a bit to my Dad, who passed away a week after Mr. Cohen, so may in fact be my tribute to him.

A female Agent Kitty, just to walk on the bright side.  Head design kindly borrowed from French comics genius Boulet. Merci!

Next up, a lot more serious cat. Fanart of Blacksad, the title character of an utterly awesome Spanish-French comic, finally being published in Hungarian.

Sadly, another tribute was in order this week, as Carrie Fisher was also claimed by 2016. The original Star Wars movies were defining childhood experiences for so many of us, and she formed an unforgettable female lead character as Princess Leia . May the Force be with her!

Last but definitely not least, let me show you something drawn by one of my finest comics buddies (the cover designer of Corvin himself ), Gábor Pápai. Gábor is one of the proud ones who completed the whole Inktober challenge. He also published his drawings and made personalized covers to top it off. So here's me and Mr. Colin O'Gara, whose further adventures I need to work hard on in the new year.

So, let's call it a year, and please allow me the audacity to wish all of us a slightly better 2017!