Usagi Yojimbo DojoBoard

Stan Sakai wrote:David Petersen and I have agreed to trade color pin-ups next year. I'll probably do an Usagi/Mouse Guard piece.

That should be a really cool pin-up to look forward to...

Speaking of pin-ups:

How does it work, if you don't mind being asked, with pin-ups?

You have had pin-ups (and miscellaneous covers) published in such a wide range of comics and by a really broad selection of publishers over the years. I just discovered and purchased a copy of The Dark convention book from Continüm Comics which includes a pin-up by you.

While it seems friendshps have a lot to do with it, how much does actual business (getting paid) play in the process? The original TMNT pinup you did back in the early 80's was sent in as "fan art", so you were not paid for it being published?

Some pin-ups, like the one in Ameoba Adventures, look like they might have been a convention drawing initially. Others, like the Varmints Special or the recent Tales of the TMNT are much more detailed.

Are you approached usually by other artists, or do the publishers or editors solicit your participation more often?

How has the situation/process changed over the years? You are better known in the industry now, but seem to contribute fewer pin-ups and miscellaneous covers. Does this mean that you are appoached more or less often, or just have less time to divert away from Usagi?

I read on another forum (Image Comics forum) where someone mentioned that it would be cool to see you do a Savage Dragon pin-up. Has Erik Larson ever appoached you with the idea?

Abayo....

Sorry to use your post for another question Steve , i found these pinup : what's this ?

Fanfan: That page is from an issue of Penguin and Pencilguin. It was published by Cartoonists Across America or Fragments West (they are both the same publisher--Phil Yeh). I don't recall offhand which issue it was in. I do remember that Phil used the most awful paper, and I had such a hard time inking on that cheap index stock.

Steve: Pin-ups for me work a number of ways. Mostly they are for friends or people whose work I admire. A lot of times, they are done for free, or, as in the case of David Petersen, an art exchange.

Sometimes, as in the case of No Honor, it is an assignment where I was contacted by the creator or publisher who asked for a pin-up for which I was paid.

The original TMNT drawing was a piece of fan art for which I was not paid, but I was for the more recent one in Tales of TMNT (though I would have gladly done it for free).

The Dark pin-up was a surprise for me. I was approach at a convention for a quick drawing, and did not expect it to be published.

I went to Japan with Erik, and found him to be a wonderful guy. I would gladly do a pin-up for him, or, even better, trade pin-ups. I have an enormous amount of respect for him. We are just a handful of creators that have done more than a hundred issues on our own. Counting the Fantagraphics and Mirage issues, Usagi has almost 160, and Savage Dragon is not far behind.

Thanks for the great reply....

Secondary question: taking a wild guess, how many differant comic publishers (American) do you think have published work by you, not counting lettering jobs?

Steve Hubbell wrote:
Secondary question: taking a wild guess, how many differant comic publishers (American) do you think have published work by you, not counting lettering jobs?

I don't know--much more than a dozen. I haven't really kept track. Usagi itself, has had four publishers. Some, like the pin-up for The August, I don't remember who the publisher was (that drawing was done for friend Scott Rosema, rather than a company). Others, like the cover for Rib, was for a self-publisher. And still others, like the publisher of Varmints for whom I did a pin-up, no longer exists.

I did a lot of work for publishers as a one-shot deal. I've had more sustained relationships with others, like Cartoon Books, Antarctic Press, and Mirage Studios.

Just off the top of my head, publishers I've done art work included:
Comico
Eclipse
Shanda Fantasy Arts
Radio Comix
the one who published Burrito
Image
Dennis Mellonee's Heroic Publishing
Amoeba Press (more a fanzine)
Oni Press
Archie
Tundra
First Comics
Graphix Press

Good questions, guys! Very interesting topic and answers.

I like the pinups. It would be neat to see Stan's take on some of the mainstream comics characters. My first choice would be the Fantastic Four!

Andy wrote: I like the pinups. It would be neat to see Stan's take on some of the mainstream comics characters. My first choice would be the Fantastic Four!

When the Jack Kirby tribute book was being put together by Mark Evanier, I had dibs on the Mole Man, the FF's first villain.

Unfortunately, Marvel put an end to that project.

TUNDRA ??
(can you share any information on this one?)


ACCENT! COMICS
ANTARCTIC PRESS
ARCHIE COMICS
ARROW COMICS
ATLANTIS FANTASYWORLD
BLUE COMET COMICS
BONGO ENTERTAINMENT
BOOKMARK PRODUCTIONS
CARTOON BOOKS
CHAOS! COMICS, DARK HORSE COMICS, IMAGE COMICS (9-11: Artist Respond)
COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL
COMICO COMICS
CONTINÜM COMICS
CPM PRESS
CRUSADE ENTERTAINMENT, LTD.
DARK HORSE COMICS
DIAMOND COMIC DISTRIBUTORS, INC.
DISNEY COMICS
DRAWING THE LINE
ECLIPSE COMICS
EXHIBIT A PRESS
FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS
FIRST COMICS
FRAGMENTS WEST
GAGNE INTERNATIONAL PRESS
GOLDRUSH GAMES
GRAPHXPRESS
HERO GRAPHICS
HEROIC PUBLISHING
HIGH TOP COMICS
KITCHEN SINK
¡KA-BOOM! ESTUDIO
MIRAGE PRESS
MU PRESS
ONI PRESS
PROTOPLASM PRESS
RENEGADE PRESS
RADIO COMIX
SHANDA FANTASY ARTS
SKY DOG PRESS
THOUGHTS AND IMAGES
TOP COW / IMAGE
WIZARD PRESS
WORLDS OF WESTFIELD

OK, a couple of these are not technically "comic publishers" and one of them is a Mexican publisher....

Steve Hubbell wrote:TUNDRA ??
(can you share any information on this one?)


.

Tundra was Kevin Eastman's company.

I did a piece for the Moebius Arzak portfolio. I think there were about 50 American and European artists involved in this. Each art was on a separate sheet of paper, or plate, and were assembled in a portfolio (there might have been three portfolios, each containing about 17 plates. They were reprinted as albums in Europe.

Stan Sakai wrote: Tundra was Kevin Eastman's company.

I loved Tundra. I thought they put out such unique books back then (madman, understanding comics, and all the artist sketchbooks). Too bad it didn't make it in this business.

Peace,

maka

When the Jack Kirby tribute book was being put together by Mark Evanier, I had dibs on the Mole Man, the FF's first villain.

Unfortunately, Marvel put an end to that project.

It's too bad they nixed that project. It would have been neat to see your version of Mole Man. And, I'm crazy about anything Kirby-related.