View Full Version : Episode 14: "Sketch"
conorkilpatrick
04-18-2007, 08:15 PM
http://www.ifanboy.com/images/iFanboy_0014_100x100.jpg
Running Time: 00:26:48
This week iFanboy are talking about the great holy grail of comic conventions, the sketch. If you've never been to a convention, and wanted to know how it works, or just want to see what kind of things you can expect from artist sketches, we've got you covered. We'll talk about who is going all out, and who's phoning it in on the sketch circuit? Plus: Gordon the Intern! You can wonder no more.
Click here to discuss the show! (http://www.ifanboy.com/archive/weblog/ifanboy_episode_25.html)
kwok_talk
04-18-2007, 08:25 PM
Oh cool! I’m really excited to watch this one. I have no idea about the sketch etiquette, so I’ll probably save myself from being yelled at whenever I go to a con.
labor_days
04-18-2007, 09:36 PM
Holy hells!! The Gordon the Intern segment was hilarious.
"All caps?", I nearly died from laughter.
One question: If you guys film at Josh's place, why did Conor & Ron have their feet up on the furniture? Very poor manners. But the hilarity was worth it.
itsbecca
04-18-2007, 09:48 PM
I think the illusion is that they live together.
Three things:
1) That skit was genius.
2) I have the feeling I'd be exactly the same way about being hesitant to get sketches. I'm very prone to overthinking that sort of thing.
3) Conor you are very fun to watch when you're not talking. You get this concentrating/listening face, and at one point did this tongue thing. Absolutley adorable.
steve-m-
04-18-2007, 09:54 PM
Fred and Josh...Conor and Becca---now if we just pair up Ron it will be like Love Boat--except for Josh's wife who will feel left out.;)
my wife would feel pretty left out in that scenario too
kwok_talk
04-18-2007, 10:01 PM
my wife would feel pretty left out in that scenario too
Fred’s wife and Josh’s wife. Done and done.
insert jokes far too obvious to be made
here
kwok_talk
04-18-2007, 10:06 PM
insert jokes far too obvious to be made
here
Yeah, it’s like one of those times where you post something and then realize it’s a huge softball lobbed in the air. Double entendre not intended.
comhcinc
04-18-2007, 10:41 PM
Best Exchange
"you don't have to tell them to be nice"
"well, you been to cons....."
"i've seen the forums......"
:D
You guys have to watch how you use the "half - assed" label. Tim Sale may whip out those Batman line sketches but that looked like a masterpiece of design. Pretty sweet... unless you line up six of them. So just look at your own.
Mike Mignola usually does a Hellboy head free of charge when he's sketching. At bookstore signings I've seen him do characters by request but usually just a head portrait.
What pissed me off, on his behalf, is watching "fans" show up with a nice canvas with a little BPRD symbol on it, have him draw a sketch and then put it on eBay THAT AFTERNOON. Geez, that's what's made some artists quit sketching altogether.
comhcinc
04-18-2007, 11:05 PM
What pissed me off, on his behalf, is watching "fans" show up with a nice canvas with a little BPRD symbol on it, have him draw a sketch and then put it on eBay THAT AFTERNOON. Geez, that's what's made some artists quit sketching altogether.
yeah that turned alot of baseball players off of give autographs. and i agree the artist should make some profit if it is sold
ronxo
04-18-2007, 11:12 PM
You guys have to watch how you use the "half - assed" label. Tim Sale may whip out those Batman line sketches but that looked like a masterpiece of design. Pretty sweet... unless you line up six of them. So just look at your own.
You know Tad, you have a point - I was watching this episode again and had a similar thought, I think our real inner fanboys come out when we talk about stuff like this - For some odd reason I find the repetitive sketch disappointing because it lacks the originality/specialness of a sketch - but then again, I can't imagine sitting at a table for hours at San Diego doing sketches. So I can see where it comes from...I definitely have respect for the artists who even sketch at all - that probably could have come through a little more - but you know how easy it is to ***** :)
kfreeman
04-18-2007, 11:38 PM
Hey guys...new to ifanboy.com. I really am digging your video podcasts. Keep up the good work!
labor_days
04-18-2007, 11:53 PM
You know Tad...
The obvious question here is rather Ron wrote this post or merely dictated it. :D
jaflanagan
04-19-2007, 12:10 AM
You guys have to watch how you use the "half - assed" label. Tim Sale may whip out those Batman line sketches but that looked like a masterpiece of design. Pretty sweet... unless you line up six of them. So just look at your own.
Mike Mignola usually does a Hellboy head free of charge when he's sketching. At bookstore signings I've seen him do characters by request but usually just a head portrait.
What pissed me off, on his behalf, is watching "fans" show up with a nice canvas with a little BPRD symbol on it, have him draw a sketch and then put it on eBay THAT AFTERNOON. Geez, that's what's made some artists quit sketching altogether.
Don't get me wrong. I was happy to have the sketch from Sale. But it was a moment, where I got it back, and was like, "....oh. That's it."
But I buy all the man's books! Give us a break! ;)
Also, I don't remember if we mentioned this on the show, and now it's odd that we didn't, but all these sketches and all the stuff we talked about was from the artists to us, and not a one of us would put this stuff on eBay. If I was to sketch, that would chap my ass.
Stuart Immonen did a book about why he doesn't sketch anymore. I understand, but it sucks for the fans.
benjaminsimpson
04-19-2007, 12:45 AM
I posted this on the main site, but I really want to be able to show it off.
Here's my favourite, got it from Ethan Van Sciver at the first and only Wizard World Boston in 2005. It's incredible, and he told me he had a blast doing it, was even up in the middle of the night getting it perfect. The digital camera photo of it doesn't do the original justice, and only after I got my sketchbook back from him was I annoyed I didn't get it on a separate art board, because this I need to frame. Apparently he showed it to some of the people at the DC booth before I got it back, and they were wanting to buy it from him.
(http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/600dollarbananasuit/Sinestro.jpg)
http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/600dollarbananasuit/Sinestro.jpg (http://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g259/600dollarbananasuit/Sinestro.jpg)
You can tell from the art, that's full on blueline followed by inks. A LOT of ink. But you could basically scan that, colour it, and make it the cover to any comic with Sinestro in it.
jaflanagan
04-19-2007, 01:01 AM
Did you pay for it?
It's awesome. Really nice.
mikegraham6
04-19-2007, 01:14 AM
that sketch is amazing, i would have paid a pretty penny for something like that. it makes me want to go to a con
benjaminsimpson
04-19-2007, 01:26 AM
Did you pay for it?
It's awesome. Really nice.
I did, but he gave me a really good deal because he knew me. I was also wearing a DC Comics Exhibitor badge that weekend (thanks to Paul Levitz, whose daughter I went to college with), so I think some people were nicer to me just because of that.
But Ethan is a really cool guy, he does nice sketches for anyone with a hardcover of his work; that same con I got a great Wolverine in my New X-Men HC. I was chatting with him at his table at NYCC and he offered it to someone coming by to get their Green Lantern: Rebirth HC signed, and the guy was so shocked by the offer that he almost said no.
mikegraham6
04-19-2007, 01:34 AM
I did, but he gave me a really good deal because he knew me. I was also wearing a DC Comics Exhibitor badge that weekend (thanks to Paul Levitz, whose daughter I went to college with), so I think some people were nicer to me just because of that.
But Ethan is a really cool guy, he does nice sketches for anyone with a hardcover of his work; that same con I got a great Wolverine in my New X-Men HC. I was chatting with him at his table at NYCC and he offered it to someone coming by to get their Green Lantern: Rebirth HC signed, and the guy was so shocked by the offer that he almost said no.
Do you have a picture of that wolvie sketch? i'd love to see it!
would you like to come up and see my etchings?
comhcinc
04-19-2007, 02:38 AM
dude, sick
mikegraham6
04-19-2007, 04:38 AM
dude, they only charge 10 bucks for a sketch?!?!?
i've never been to a con, but i would have assumed that a sketch would have gone for a lot more money!
they probably charge more if you ask to model for it so leave the monkey at home
mikegraham6
04-19-2007, 04:42 AM
the monkey NEVER stays at home
that wasn't a double entendre - I was referring to your photo
mikegraham6
04-19-2007, 04:46 AM
see fred, i just naturally assume everything with you is a double entendre;)
it usually is but this time it wasn't
benjaminsimpson
04-19-2007, 05:18 AM
Do you have a picture of that wolvie sketch? i'd love to see it!
Not here at school, sadly. Since I've got my NXM Omnibus here, the individual HCs are on a shelf at home.
benjaminsimpson
04-19-2007, 05:21 AM
dude, they only charge 10 bucks for a sketch?!?!?
i've never been to a con, but i would have assumed that a sketch would have gone for a lot more money!
Some do, actually, I would say most are more than $10 now. And a lot of artists I've seen have different options at different price points; head sketch; torso, full body with background, multiple characters, etc. Some commissions can go easily over hundreds of dollars, but that's when you're getting really well-known, high caliber artists, and you're getting much more detailed art.
I didn't mean to sound harsh and I do understand the disappointment of a repetitive sketch. Mignola did a set of original sketchcards (http://www.inkworkscards.com/products/hellboy/swordofstorms/sketch/sk01/hb1sk01-1.html) for the Hellboy Animated trading cards from Inkworks.
When you see them all together like that, it feels like he's slacking. But seriously, if a collector bought a pack of cards and found one of those, he'd go nuts. That's hitting the jackpot.
Another note, if you buy the sketchbook of an artist, he'll often personalize it for you with a free sketch.
I'm going to be a guest at Orlando Comic con so I need to bone up on Darkwing Duck and his daughter, Gosalyn, maybe Chip 'n Dale and get my Hellboys more on model. Since I'm a guest of the convention, I feel I shouldn't charge (not would anyway since I'm not known as an artist). People should post their sketch experiences, good and bad.
What you guys didn't really discuss at length was commissions. iTunes has a video of the obstacle course you must go through for an Adam Hughes drawing. But he comes across as trying to be fair and you really get your money's worth.
marshallg
04-19-2007, 05:33 AM
Great show, entertaining and informative. Being a newbie, I've always wondered what the proper ettiquete was on getting a sketch. If I ever go to a Con I doubt I'll wait in line for one but it's nice to have an idea of what to expect just in case.
jan-in-louisiana
04-19-2007, 02:59 PM
Really liked this episode guys. I've only been to one con (NYC this year!) but that's exactly how I felt meeting most of the creators that I wanted to see. I basically brought BKV books for him to sign, not cause I was interested in the autograph, but mostly because I wanted an excuse to talk to him.
Anyways, here's the only sketches that I've gotten, but I dig em.
Mike Norton does Molly Hayes:
http://i19.tinypic.com/4biyyhv.jpg
And Derek Fridolfs doing Darkhawk:
http://i17.tinypic.com/4bxpbaa.jpg
sk0pe
04-19-2007, 03:05 PM
That was the funniest iFanboy video to date!
Even the advertisment was real quality.
The intern was awesome too as was posting on the boards via the intern.
I've never been to a con and a sketch is something I'd really look forward to but I had no idea some of the artists did such really simple stuff and then others go out of their way to do amazing artwork.
I think, as others have already said because there is eBay, people can turn a $10 or free sketch into $50 to $100 or more depending on what they get with. This might actually also be a reason that there are stock standard sketches that artists do, if it's not unique, it's not worth as much.
I don't know that I could stand the lines though.
shade
04-20-2007, 04:02 AM
So I was a big comic fan and former comic shop employee, and I'm slowly getting back into the game after an extended absence. I appreciate both the audio and video podcasts. Keep up the good work guys!
I was never much for sketches when I was going to cons. I got artists/writer autographs not for any other value than I enjoy their work. Even the autograph process is a little awkward, and I agree with Conor that I feel like I'm making them work, so that's why I never went the sketch route. I'd rather buy art from the artists to both support them and to frame.
acomicbookgirl
04-20-2007, 04:10 AM
I'm intrigued with sketches now.. Last year I got autographs and pictures.. :) I so can't wait for San Diego..
conorkilpatrick
04-20-2007, 04:11 AM
Welcome, shade!
drwally
04-20-2007, 10:46 AM
Double Welcome Shade! By your handle and avatar, I think I like your taste in books! One month ago, my avatar was Robinson and Harris' Sandman from Starman. I lOVE the Shade.
It's great to see all the new members. Very great. This would be me in an Ex Machina line with Tony Harris: "Can you do the Sandman in the gas mask? Quick, stylized, and sketchy is fine, however you want to do it." But I have Ron's patience for lines...I hate waiting in line.
The eBay thing is really rank. I know a lot of Hollywood stars get annoyed because of autograph hounds use various tricks just to get tons, then just sell it all on eBay. If I were a well known artist, doing a sketch for a fan to keep would be great and wonderful, but doing one for somebody just so they could sell it on eBay for big money for a sketch I gave them for free would really offend me.
drwally
04-20-2007, 12:23 PM
...but if you ever put up Gordon the Intern up on eBay (used and slightly worn at the edges) let me know... My personal favorite scene was Josh, Gordon, and the Drink, although Ron and Gordon, X-Men and notepad, was funny too--hilarious. You guys are really turning out some great stuff. I never mentioned it before, but I thought the opening to "Civility" (letter to Janet, faux PBS documentay) was brilliant and spot on. Ron: "My Dear Janet..." Me: Laughing hysterically. (I'm sure everyone contributed equally, but intro to "Civility" I think had Mr. Flanigan's fingerprints all over it).
jaflanagan
04-20-2007, 03:30 PM
(I'm sure everyone contributed equally, but intro to "Civility" I think had Mr. Flanigan's fingerprints all over it).
Nope. I had very little to do with it actually. Conor wrote it and Ron put it together. I just came in and read lines. Ridin' the coattails!
drwally
04-20-2007, 05:54 PM
Nope. I had very little to do with it actually. Conor wrote it and Ron put it together. I just came in and read lines. Ridin' the coattails!
Well, kudos to all. You guys are really turning out good stuff, maximizing what a team composed of different people can bring to things.
You also look like you are having a good time doing it too, I hope that's the case! :)
I still giggle at the sight of you reading that comic, shaking the empty class at Gordon....and Ron and X-planations....funny stuff.
jimski
04-20-2007, 06:01 PM
You know, I don't have any sketches yet, but I'd pay that Sudyam guy a lot of money to draw something besides zombies.
labor_days
04-20-2007, 07:13 PM
I'd pay that Sudyam guy a lot of money to draw something besides zombies.You're gonna need a lot of money.
mikegraham6
04-20-2007, 09:17 PM
Well, kudos to all. You guys are really turning out good stuff, maximizing what a team composed of different people can bring to things.
You also look like you are having a good time doing it too, I hope that's the case! :)
I still giggle at the sight of you reading that comic, shaking the empty class at Gordon....and Ron and X-planations....funny stuff.
I have to second Wally's kudos, you guys have really stepped it up with this video show. It's been hilarious and a welcome addition to my iTunes subscriptions.
I smell an award.....or that could have just been the chili i ate earlier:rolleyes:
come on man - are you writing for aquaman now?
mikegraham6
04-20-2007, 09:48 PM
i thought it was the brave and the bold that had the fart joke? who can keep up with all these classy DC titles anyway?
jgg0610
04-21-2007, 03:51 AM
Really enjoyed the episode and the part with Gordon was funny. You mentioned Patrick the intern. Exactly how many interns do you guys have?
shade
04-21-2007, 03:59 AM
Double Welcome Shade! By your handle and avatar, I think I like your taste in books! One month ago, my avatar was Robinson and Harris' Sandman from Starman. I lOVE the Shade.
It's great to see all the new members. Very great. This would be me in an Ex Machina line with Tony Harris: "Can you do the Sandman in the gas mask? Quick, stylized, and sketchy is fine, however you want to do it." But I have Ron's patience for lines...I hate waiting in line.
Yeah I'm a big fan of The Shade, I even liked him back when he was just a flash villain. I'm still hoping for more with the new Starman in JSA. Gotta love a crazy guy.
As for Tony Harris, I got his autograph on my Starman #1 and found him to be kind of a jerk. This was after he'd split from the book to do his own thing, but I still think he's one heck of an artist.
humphrey-lee
04-21-2007, 09:39 AM
dude, they only charge 10 bucks for a sketch?!?!?
i've never been to a con, but i would have assumed that a sketch would have gone for a lot more money!
You honestly just don't know when it comes to the artist. Sometimes you catch them at the right time, sometimes you just catch them when they have nothing better to do. I've got a sketchbook that I've invested a good $1000 into, and yet the best looking piece in the whole thing is the very first one that Steve Lieber did for me, and for a whole two bottles of water.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y246/HumphreyLee/Sketchbook/f5a1715d.jpg
Seeing that Van Sciver piece from earlier makes me excited though, because I'll be meeting him next week here in Pittsburgh to hopefully add him to my book. He should be a great addition, and I have pretty high standards for my book at this point.
acomicbookgirl
04-21-2007, 02:28 PM
I have pretty high standards for my book at this point.
Don't you usually have high standards in general? ;)
jaflanagan
04-21-2007, 05:41 PM
That Lieber is ****ing awesome. Puts mine to shame. That guy can draw his ass off.
humphrey-lee
04-21-2007, 08:10 PM
Don't you usually have high standards in general? ;)
Well, yeah. Oh, and also Mike, sometimes the guys that will do the best work are the "no names" that are starting to garner some buzz. Like I caught Andy MacDonald (he did pencils for the NYC Mech stuff and not much else) at Chicago last year and paid him $50 and he basically did me a pin-up cover:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y246/HumphreyLee/Sketchbook/HPIM0928.jpg
So yeah, never underestimate the unknowns. Just because they aren't known doesn't mean they won't be soon.
acomicbookgirl
04-21-2007, 10:27 PM
I think its time to start a sketchbook.. ;) I'll have my work cut out between getting autographs and pics...
mikegraham6
04-22-2007, 01:50 AM
Well, yeah. Oh, and also Mike, sometimes the guys that will do the best work are the "no names" that are starting to garner some buzz. Like I caught Andy MacDonald (he did pencils for the NYC Mech stuff and not much else) at Chicago last year and paid him $50 and he basically did me a pin-up cover:
thats good to know humphrey, from looking at your pics, i'd much rather have one of those awesome detailed pin ups than a quick sketch by a big name artist
but in all honesty, i'd love to have either!:D
humphrey-lee
04-22-2007, 07:58 AM
thats good to know humphrey, from looking at your pics, i'd much rather have one of those awesome detailed pin ups than a quick sketch by a big name artist
but in all honesty, i'd love to have either!:D
You really just have to pick your shots. I've got some pretty big names in my book, and a lot of "underdogs" so to speak, and the guys on the cusp of the industry so to speak usually are the ones to crank out the best material. If you want to see anything else from my book I'd be more than happy to show you the kind of stuff you can get if you play your cards right.
r0blaw
04-24-2007, 03:51 AM
A month and a half ago I was at my LCS with Mister S and we had a guy there try and show us something. We walked over to see what it was and he had about 50 or 60 sketches with him. A lot of George Perez work and great stuff like Superman vs. Thor. One of the employees told us that he had 10 times that much back at his place. He has even had George Perez to his apartment. He is trying to put out books of all of the art and give the profits to the older artists who need help. It was great.
horatio616
04-24-2007, 09:53 PM
I've meant to give someone props on the decor in whoever's place the podcast is filmed in. Great color choice on the walls.
Ever thought of building a set that you can quickly set up before each podcast or even going greenscreen on the backdrop? I like the Totally Rad Show set.
If you're wanting to go old school, I'm sure there's someone here that could do a matte painting...
conorkilpatrick
04-25-2007, 04:08 AM
EDIT - Patrick the Intern doesn't actually own this sketch, rather, he found it on the net. Bad, bad, intern.
http://www.ifanboy.com/images/wieringosuperman.jpg
paper
04-25-2007, 04:13 AM
Niiice.
I've never been to a con, but if I went, I think I'd draw a sketch for the artist while they sketched for me. I'm not any good, but it'd give me something to do while they were drawing for me. And they'd get a sketch for themselves!
paper
04-25-2007, 04:59 AM
Josh, was the song you played for Gordon the Intern inspired by "Lady L" from Freaks and Geeks by any chance?
jaflanagan
04-25-2007, 05:07 AM
No, but now that you bring it up, I can see why you would think that. I think anything where the singer is singing and looking at you, and being completely sincere is about the weirdest thing in the world, and only someone much less self-conscious than myself can get away with it.
You can tell by the laughing at the end clip that it was really hard to get through, because looking at someone and singing creates so much tension it's unbearable.
It probably came more directly from David Brent though, in the training session episode of the Office (UK), if I had to pick.
There's also the Hornby book, About a Boy (and movie) where he talks about singing and really meaning it, and how strange and unfamiliar that is.
I think a lot about where comedy comes from. Some would say too much.
paper
04-25-2007, 05:15 AM
No, that's cool. I totally understand. Comedy is a strange, strange science.
These are all excellent comedic sources to draw inspiration from by the way.
It was so eerily close to Lady L, that little bit at the end. It took me a second listen to figure out what it was. Hilarious.
Well done, and major props for singing on camera.
jaflanagan
04-25-2007, 05:20 AM
Thanks.
Jokey singing is much easier than real singing though.
Those improv classes are finally paying off!
paper
04-25-2007, 05:24 AM
I used to do a jokey song on my voice mail, appropriately known as "The Voice Mail Song."
This changed when I started getting calls from an annoyingly humorless employer.
darron
04-25-2007, 06:30 AM
Those improv classes are finally paying off!
Didn't you take a voice class as well?