Cully Hamner's Blog, page 4

ACTION COMICS #9 Features Hamner Backup!

From DC's THE SOURCE blog:

ARTISTS GENE HA AND CULLY HAMNER EXPLORE PARALLEL EARTHS IN ACTION COMICS #9

Friday, February 10th, 2012

By Josh Kushins

With ACTION COMICS #9, two acclaimed guest artists will explore an alternate Earth and the story of its Kryptonian protector. Multiple Eisner Award-winning artist Gene Ha will be a guest artist for the primary plot, penned by regular series writer Grant Morrison. And fresh from his recent work on THE SHADE miniseries, artist Cully Hamner will illustrate the issue's back-up story, written by Sholly Fisch.

Parallel worlds come to the forefront of DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 "Second Wave," with titles such as EARTH 2 and WORLDS' FINEST exploring the adventures of heroes on alternate Earths. ACTION COMICS #9 sets up the multiverse with a standalone story of a Superman from another Earth, who must fight a monster from yet another parallel world. But this isn't just any monster; it's a Superman surrogate known as Superdoom, twisted into an unstoppable agent of evil.

The back-up story will also feature an adventure of this alternate Superman, set on his parallel Earth.

Regular series artist Rags Morales will return for ACTION COMICS #10 in June. In the meantime, check out Ha's inks for ACTION COMICS #9.

A Look Inside & Outside of THE SHADE #3

Tomorrow's the day for my final issue of THE SHADE, not to mention the end of my reunion with the dashing and superlative James Robinson, with whom I last worked on Malibu Comics' FIREARM in 1995. It's been a blast, to be sure, and I hope I get to work with him again sometime-- and hopefully, it won't be 15 years until then. ;)

Also, I'd like to highlight the absolutely stellar artistic partner I had in colorist Dave McCaig. Coloring comics is often a thankless task, and Dave did whatever he needed to do with sometimes impossible deadlines, and what an amazing job he did.

And I'd be remiss not to throw a nod at Wil Moss, my now-gray-haired editor at DC Comics. A better facilitator doesn't exist, if you ask me.

DC's THE SOURCE blog has posted a couple of previews for the issue. First, the interiors:

Exclusive Preview of THE SHADE #3

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

By Alex Nagorski

In issue #3 of the critically acclaimed miniseries, THE SHADE, Shade's quest for answers sends him to Australia to locate an old acquaintance named Diablo Blacksmith. But when a dark force who knows all of Shade's weaknesses appears, will Diablo's advice be enough for Shade to defeat the monstrous creature?

THE SHADE #3 comes to you from the creative team of James Robinson and Cully Hamner. Look for it in stores tomorrow.

And second, a look at my variant cover:

Cully Hamner's Variant Cover for THE SHADE #3

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

By Alex Nagorski

Earlier today, we gave you a first look at tomorrow's THE SHADE #3. Now, since it's the season of giving and we're feeling festive, we're showing you one more exclusive asset from the issue. Below, check out Cully Hamner's awesome variant cover for the issue.

"This cover's an example of the results I can get when I'm not allowed to romance the art for too long," Hamner exclusively told THE SOURCE. "I had an extremely short window in which to get it done, and the idea design and execution came really fast, especially considering that I'm not known as a really fast artist. I did the concept sketch in about a half-hour, and I'd guess from starting the drawing to locking the colors was about two, maybe two-and-a-half hours. I had to stay extremely simple in my design and color composition (which, luckily, I had also done in the two previous covers), and the result is an image I really like. I guess the lesson here is that you can't go wrong with simple and direct!"

"The first three-issue arc of THE SHADE required an artist who'd be as comfortable drawing battles with armored assassins in Germany and giant lizard gods in Australia as he or she would be drawing conversations between two lovers in a bedroom and between two old drinking buddies in a nightclub," series editor Wil Moss told us. "Thankfully just such an artist was available — the great Cully Hamner!

Ably abetted by color maestro Dave McCaig, Cully revitalized the look of The Shade and Opal City, depicting anything writer James Robinson could think to ask of him with style and ease. Cully's set the bar pretty high for the artists who have to follow him, but if any group can hold their own, it's Darwyn Cooke (#4), Javier Pulido (#5-7), Jill Thompson (#8), Frazer Irving (#9-11), and Gene Ha (#12).

But in the meantime, don't miss THE SHADE #3, where Cully draws the coolest-looking fight between a giant lizard god and a man made of shadows that you'll ever see. (Trust me, they're going to be everywhere in 2012.)"

Exclusive Preview of THE SHADE #2

From DC's THE SOURCE blog this morning:

Exclusive Preview of THE SHADE #2

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

By Alex Nagorski

SPOILER ALERT: If you have not read THE SHADE #1, do not continue reading this preview or look at the preview pages after the jump.

Seriously.

Last month, THE SHADE #1 ended with a major cliff hanger and MTV GEEK named the comic as their #1 comic book for the month of October.

In tomorrow's issue #2, we immediately learn that Deathstroke is not the only one thirsty for Shade's blood. In order to discover who else is after him (and why!), Shade must embark on a globe-trotting adventure. The first stop? Hamburg, Germany, where the private investigator Von Hammer seems to have the first piece of the puzzle. But can Shade find the answers he's looking for before the vicious beast Bete-Noire gets to Von Hammer?

THE SHADE #2 comes from the fan-favorite creative team of James Robinson and Cully Hamner.

Cully's Variant Cover For THE SHADE #2

My variant cover for THE SHADE #2's been revealed over at DC's THE SOURCE blog, along with a brief review roundup:

THE SHADE Travels Beyond Opal City

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

By Alex Nagorski

(Cully Hamner's variant cover for THE SHADE #2)

When it first appeared in 1994, Opal City became home to the characters of acclaimed writer James Robinson's NEW YORK TIMES bestselling series, STARMAN. Fast forward nearly two decades and Opal City still serves as these characters' home base.

But that might not be the case for too much longer. Robinson recently let us know that in upcoming issues of THE SHADE, the 12-issue miniseries that spun out of STARMAN, the series' protagonist would be crossing Opal City's borders and taking his adventures across the globe.

"I'm excited for readers to see the Shade outside his usual milieu of Opal City," Robinson told us. "As the mystery around Deathstroke's attack on him deepens, look forward in issues #2 and #3 to the Shade venturing to the moody alleys of Hamburg, Germany and the barren, bright Australian outback where he will encounter both deadly native gods and the mysterious world of dreamtime."

Illustrated by Cully Hamner, THE SHADE #1 was an instant hit with fans and critics alike. Check out some highlights of the praise it received below and be sure to pick up issue #2 when it hits stores on November 16th.

"This is a perfect comic book … This is writer James Robinson at his best, working on a character he knows better than anyone, and we couldn't be happier." – MTV GEEK, #1 comic book for the month of October

"THE SHADE #1 is a glorious return to form, topped with a beautiful painted cover from Tony Harris, and a welcome trip back to the STARMAN corner of the DC Universe … THE SHADE #1 is fantastic, that's all you need to know, and we've still got 11 more issues. Bring them on." – COMIC BOOK RESOURCES

"Robinson's story is compelling so far, giving us charming, intriguing characters and having fun with the form." – CRAVE ONLINE

"The writer closes on a deliberately shocking ending that will leave you intrigued to pick up issue #2 as soon as possible." – IGN

"Really beautiful book, well written with good structure." – COMICVINE, 5/5 star review

"James Robinson is at his best when he is able to play with words and that's what Shade gives him; a character who enjoys words as much as the author does." – NEWSARAMA

New York Comic Con Signing Sked!

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I'll be at New York Comic Con, October 13-16, and if you want to catch up with me to say hello or get me to do any of those things I do at cons, you can find me in Artist's Alley at booth H18 most of the time. Also, I'll be signing at DC a bit:

Friday 10/14

1-2pm - SIGNING (DC BOOTH #1254)

Saturday 10/15

2-3pm – SIGNING (DC BOOTH #1254)

Looking forward to signing all of your brand-new copies of THE SHADE #1!

Exclusive Preview of THE SHADE #1

Hey, check out a preview of my new book with James Robinson, THE SHADE #1, over at the DC Source Blog:

Exclusive Preview of THE SHADE #1

Thursday, October 6th, 2011

By Alex Nagorski

Next Wednesday, acclaimed writer James Robinson returns to the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling series STARMAN with a new spin-off miniseries, THE SHADE.

Illustrated by fan-favorite artist Cully Hamner, THE SHADE #1 brings an unexpected encounter with a familiar face and ends in a jaw-dropping twist. Speculation starts now!

And don't miss the rest of this 12-issue miniseries, featuring art by such luminaries as Darwyn Cooke, Javier Pulido, Jill Thompson, Frazer Irving and Gene Ha.

Cully Interview Tonight On COMIC GEEK SPEAK!

Hey, I'll be on the Comic Geek Speak podcast tonight at 7:30 ET. Check it out!

Dragon*Con!

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My Dragon*Con sked at the "Artists Formerly Known As Gaijin" table:



Friday 9/2/11

4:00PM - 7:00PM



Saturday 9/3/11

10:00AM - 2:30PM



Sunday 9/4/11

2:30PM - 7:00PM



Monday 9/4/11

10:00AM - 1:30PM



I'll be in and out, as I have to get some work done this weekend, but I'll be there as much as I can!

San Diego Post-Game

Had a FANTASTIC time out at Comic-Con International, seeing a lot of pals (and reconnecting with some, as well), and seeing a lot of YOU guys. There was a really nice, positive feeling around the DC booth-- I kept hearing that from everybody-- and people were very kind about all the redesign stuff I've been doing for the New52 DC Relaunch.

And I think the thing I loved the most was the new Drawing Demo feature at the DC booth. They mike us up, stick us up on a stage with a camera pointed at our hands and a big screen behind us, and they turn us loose. I did four of them, one a day, and I got to see great artists like Jim Lee, Jill Thompson, Francis Manapul, Mark Buckingham, and Chris Burnham doing them, too, drawing very interested and appreciative crowds, let me tell you. I hope DC keeps doing them.

I also did a couple of panels, "Designing the New 52," with Mark Chiarello and Jim; and "Drawing DC," with Mark, Jim, and my old pal/roomie/studiomate Adam Hughes. It was really... cool. I can't think of a better word-- it was just cool.

Here's the audio from both "Designing the New 52" and "Drawing DC," along with some pix from the panels and demos below (courtesy DC Comics and Tom Taylor)

UPDATED: Cully's Updated Sked For COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL

Well, I must say it's nice to have no work secrets to be kept anymore. Pretty much everything I've been involved with this year-- mainly the SHADE kickoff and the design work on DC's New 52-- has been on the down-low. So, it'll be nice to be on hand with DC in San Diego to talk about all this stuff freely.

Anyway, my panel-and-booth schedule for the show has been finalized:

Thursday, July 21

2-3pm – DRAWING DEMO (Stage/DC booth #1915)

Friday, July 22

3-4pm – DRAWING DEMO (Stage/DC booth #1915)

Saturday, July 23

12:00-1:00pm - SIGNING (DC booth #1915)

2-3pm – DRAWING DEMO (Stage/DC booth #1915)

Sunday, July 24

11:30-12:30pm - DRAWING DEMO (Stage/DC booth #1915)

1:45-2:45pm – PANEL: DESIGNING THE NEW 52 (Room 6DE)

4-5pm – PANEL: DRAWING DC (Room 30CDE)

You'll notice that I'm not doing any time at an Artist's Alley or exhibitor's space. This is partly by design. I was initially going to take a break from the show this year, but with all that's been happening, DC decided about a month ago that I ought to be there, and I agreed. Last year, as you'll recall, I was out to help promote RED, and found that I had no time to do what I normally do at any other con (like occupy a table, sign books, do commissions, and basically just chat with folks). It was unlike any con experience I'd ever had-- I got to glimpse SDCC from the VIP side of things for a change, and it was just very managed and... different. And while I'm sure that helping to promote all the excitement at DC right now won't hit that level for me this year, there's still a lot going on.

So, I'm considering myself sort of "on call" for DC this time out. No table for me, specifically, no sketch list this time. I'll only be officially signing the last day, but if you catch me on the floor somewhere, and you want a book or two signed, please ask, and I'll be happy to oblige!