ghettoManga: May 2012

Start the day out Right w/@Murs & @SkiBeatz

Here's the video for Epic Salutation, a single off Murs' latest album Love and Rockets... I'm not sure if there's any relationship to the long-running indy comic of the same name by the Hernandez boys... but there SHOULD be!

INTERVIEW- Felipe Smith on Meltcast!

That dude Felipe Smith (Peepo Choo, MBQ) sits down with the Meltcast kids to break rocks about his smoking hot comics, working in Japan and coming home to America... and the NEW SHIT he's working on...

Deviant of the Day- SaintChase aka Chase Conley (trust me, you wanna see this, fam!)

I never heard nothin' about this dude Chase Conley (aka saintChase on deviant art) until iFanboy dropped this article on 'im. It was enough to send me a'lookin' at his stuff. Well, er um... he's pretty good...I mostly posted character designs and experiments from his in-progress OGN Kinetic Kartel (cause that's how the eff I roll), but there's some comics isht in here, too...

Fresh Caricature speedpaint by the mighty Dawud Anyabwile

Here's another speedpaint video below by cartoonist, father and volunteer black superman Dawud Anyabwile (Brotherman).

Start the day off Right w/ Billy Woods and MIGHTY JOSEPH (Vast Aire & Karniege)

I came across this track Drinks (off Billy Woods' indie hip hop record The Chalice) on YouTube a while back, and it quickly became my mother effing JOINT thanks to hardbody verses from Vast Aire and Karniege! Hot stuff for your speaker...

Brotherman speedpaint for the process junkies out there...

Here's some video of Dawud Anyabwile tightening up a Brotherman storyboard/concept piece. Always interesting to see how another artist gets down...

(p)review- "CHAINED GUN" by @DonnyFrank

I've been looking in on Donny Frank for years. I think I first saw his stuff during the mySpace era, then started watching him on Deviant Art. Today, Donny dropped a link on the GhettoManga Facebook page to his new 170 page western comic Chained Gun volume 1 which came out on Amazon.com last month.

PREVIEW- Powers #10 by Bendis and Oeming

I haven't read Powers in a long time, but this comic about cops who specialize in superhuman homicide cases was at the very top of my must-read list back in the day. The combination of Oeming's signature cartoon style and Bendis' potty-mouthed Tarrintinoesque dialogue has been sorely missing from my life, as my reaction to these preview pages reveals...

Giant Monster + Funk vinyl + Comics + Hot Peas and Butta = Kodoja: Terror Mountain Showdown!

45 sleeve art (mad limited!) by Elroy Jenkins

Philly funk band Big Pimp Jones and the 70's pop-culture-fueled party machine Hot Peas and Butta have joined forces with illustrator Elroy Jenkins and comicbook artist Recs (his momma named him Rory Smith) to create the city-smashing Kodoja: Terror Mountain Showdown, which will debut at Philly Comic Con. Peep the fresh Skeme Richards mix and more art below...

#nowPlaying The Talking Drum f/ Wise Intelligent & Foluso Mimy

Some cats emcee. Some rap. Some spit spoken word. A few (like the mighty Wise Intelligent) do all three...

Quotable...

"Crown of Horns" a novel illustrated by Shawn Alleyne, to debut at Philadelphia Comic Con

That dude Shawn Alleyne (Street Team) was excited to see copies of John Cullins's fantasy novel Crown of Horns arrive on his doorstep. And he should be, since he drew the cover (with colors by Blair Smith) and the lushly illustrated chapter breaks.

Come rock with us at TITAN this Thursday night in Dallas!

The mighty Ghostwerks crew is having a party Thursday night at Titan Comics in Dallas

In Stores Now- Prophet #25 by Brandon Graham & Giannis Milogiannis

I've spent the last few days geeking over the work of Brandon Graham and James Stokoe, both of whom seemed to burst fully formed into my field of vision like Athena from Zeus's dome. Another dude I found whose star is sure to rise Is Giannis Milonogiannis (Old City Blues), who is handling art chores on this issue of Prophet, which Brandon is writing.

New Video- "Wikileaks" by Marq Spekt & Kno

That dude Lex Boogie from the Bronx posted this brand new video for Wikileaks, the single off that MarQ Spekt & Kno banger Machete Vision. Nuff respect to that dude Flux who smashed the cover art (fooooosh!)

almost done- My Misty Knight painting...

Misty Knight by Samax (in progress... more after the blah blah)

Yeah, it is well known that I heart me some Misty Knight. I try not to complain when she is drawn weird or treated like a sidekick or silly wimpy girl, but y'all know she is still dope, and a great representation of the surviving spirit of black women. Plus, she's HAWT! so anyways, I painted her. Peep...

Black Widow watercolor by Brian Stelfreeze

My buddy Mike texted me to let me know he picked up this hella fresh Black Widow painting by Brian mother-effing Stelfreeze (Hardcore, The Ride/ Gun Candy) at the Wounded Warriors Live Art Auction, 'cause that's the kinda guy he is. I demanded pics to share on the blog, 'cause that's the kinda guy I am...

#nowPlaying - "Forever" by GensuDean, f/ the mighty Large Professor

Yeah, I need to cop this... It's off Gensu Dean's album Lo - Fi Fingahz.

PREVIEW- "GODZILLA:THE HALF CENTURY WAR" by James Stokoe

For all the James Stokoe fans out there, I just got a few pages from his upcoming IDW Godzilla comic, The Half Century War, as well as some pages from his creator-owned book, Orc Stain, which has slowed down lately. At least now I know why...

"The Legend of Stagolee" by David Walker and Rusty Beach

That dude David Walker (BadAzz Mofo, Blind Monkey Style) has recently dropped this Blaxploitation joint The Legend of Stagolee on Issuu, and I figured I'd share it with you...

Brandon Graham ♥s Marian and other sketchbooktivities...

Love. It's good for you. Besides expressing his undying devotion to his award-winning lady-half Marian Churchland (Beast, Elephantmen, Northlanders), the mighty Brandon Graham obviously loves comics too. Both of these things are praise-worthy. Here's some of his recent drawings...

KICKSTART THIS- "Sullivan's Sluggers" by Mark Andrew Smith & James Stokoe

Unlike our's, Mark Andrew Smith and James Stokoe's Kickstarter campaign for their baseball horror graphic novel Sullivan's Sluggers doesn't need you. Sure, when I checked the link for it and put in my little $30 pledge, they had already raised something like 450 bucks of their $6,000 goal. By the time I got home from work, got my three year old fed, bathed and in the bed and sat down at my computer to drop this blog about it, it was at over $16,000 (a little less than three times the goal for those keeping score at home). So I know they don't need me to promote it, or you to pledge on it. But what the hell? Let's do it anyways...

PREVIEW- "Champion of Children Vol1: I'm Known as the Champ"

For those who have never read it, Champion of Children is about kid superheroes (because kid villains have to be stopped by kid heroes, right?). The greatest kid hero at any given time inherits the title "Champion of Children" along with the requisite privileges and responsibilities. The current Champion of Children is 5 year old martial arts powered hero Li'l Madd Skillz, but this particular short story Da Old School stars her big brother Junior Raw, and his friend Smash Boogie (whose name I only learned after drawing this story, by the way). To help promote our Kickstarter campaign, Champ co-creator and writer Corance Davis has empowered me to offer Da Old School in its entirety...

Nat Landry's videogame inspired paintings

Double Dragon's Billy (Red Hair version) by Nat Landry

That dude Nat Landry is at it again... He did these paintings for 8 Bit Art, a videogame inspired art show. Peep...

IN STORES NOW- "Glory #26" by Joe Keatinge & Ross Campbell

I didn't make it to the comicshop today, but I happen to know that the fourth issue of Joe Keatinge and Ross Campbell's run on Glory hit the shelves today...

"Condemning ourselves, feeling depressed. Even if you don't feel it yourself, really you're blessed..." -Mi(ni)ster Blakes

Rock with and/or lean with this official video for Better 2 Be, fresh off'a Bavu Blakes' Kickstarter-funded new record Sanct EP. This track features Austin emcee BLAXsmith riding shotgun, and the mighty Reggie Coby on the boom bap.

I ♥ your mom. You should too!

yes. I really do have this tee shirt...

RIP Tony DeZuniga, co-creator of Jonah Hex & Black Orchid

Veteran Filipino comicbook artist and concept designer Tony de Zuniga passed early in the morning today May 11, 2012 from complications of a stroke he had in April. Tony was well-loved, especially in the community of Filipino artists working in comics, who conducted multiple fund-raisers to assist with his care.

GET FAMILIAR- "Vescell" by Enrique Carrion & John Upchurch

I never heard of the Image mind-bender Vescell before today, when series writer Enrique Carrion sent me a link to his interview with Complex Magazine. The Complex article did it's job of piquing my interest, so now I'ma do my job of dumping a gang of preview pages from issues 1-7 that I rescued from the jaws of CBR for you guys, followed by a little blahzay blah of my own...

Sketchbook Wisdom- "No Sleep Til Brooklyn" by Jason Quinones #ripMCA

No Sleep Til Brooklyn by Jason Quinones

FREE COMIC BOOK #4- "The Hypernaturals" by Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning

If you're in the mood for some of that futuristic, George Jetson, outer space superhero stuff in the tradition of Annihilation or Legion of Superheroes, you should get your mitts on a free copy of Abnett and Lanning's The Hypernaturals this weekend. Here's a preview...

"Inking through the page like prints by Jack Kirby..." -Venomous2000

Anybody that regularly reads this blog really ought'a like Venomous2000. I mean, by the end of track two on his most recent joint with Kingshon Still Connected, he has shouted out to Jack Kirby and Dragonball Z... plus, he's a card-carrying backpacker who is certified nice on the mic! What's not to love?

FREE COMIC BOOK #3: "The Ride" by Nathan Edmondson and Paul Azaceta

12 Gaugue Comics is dropping an episode of its thriller series The Ride for you to cop for 100% free at your local comic shop. Here's a preview...

more Brandon Graham sketchbook fire!

A Call for Risk by Brandon Graham

I have to apologize to all the people who really only follow this blog because they enjoy reading my Brandon Graham Stan sessions.
Here are some hella-tight joints I snagged from his blog.

Deviation of the Day #115- "Mini Trap-Jaw" by loveandasandwhich

Mini Trap-Jaw by loveandasandwhich

#KickstartTHIS- "Champion of Children Vol1: I'm Known as the Champ"

Okay, so just in case you somehow managed to not notice, my good friend and partner Corance (Minister of Wordery for the mighty GhostWerks conglomerate) launched a Kickstarter campaign for our hip-hop-flavored, multicultural, kung-fu-kid-hero comic Champion of Children. We need your help to get this book into the hands of parents, librarians, teachers, and kids of all ages around the world...

More @HOODRATZinSPACE previews by Erik Reeves

I got a some more inked as well as a couple colored and lettered pages from my dude Erik Reeves' upcoming sci-fi action joint, Hoodratz in Space that I snagged off the Hoodratz blog! Peep...