This is another one of my 'Spotlight' blogs ...  Where I take a comics creator, whether writer, penciller, inker, colorist, editor, etc., and invite them to blog a little bit about themselves here. Almost like having a 'Guest Blogger' for the day!

"Hi, my name is Jeff Balke.  I live in the great city of Chicago where I have the greatest job/career, coloring/illustrating comic books.  I guess I’m kind of a big kid, but there’s nothing wrong with that.  My whole life as far back as I can remember I’ve always wanted to do something in the arts field.  Then I was introduced to comic books. 

  In the 6th grade (1993) I went to my first comic book convention and met Stan “THE MAN” Lee.  He really gave me hope by simply saying with a grin out of nowhere while getting my Amazing Spiderman #41 signed by him “Hang in there true believer, it will come.  Don’t ever give up”.  I never really knew why he said that to me until later that day when it hit me that I wanted to work in comics.  But, still to this day, I never gave up, and NEVER will.

In 2006 I stumbled upon this website called Myspace (you may have heard of it).  A few of my friends told me to post my b/w artwork up there.  So I created a profile and did just that.  To my shock, I had a few people comment.  I then decided to put up a couple pieces of my colored work to see what kind of comments (if any) I would get.  I got more comments on my colored pieces then I did on my regular b/w artwork.  One comment came from my first comic artist friend who told me to stick with coloring.  He clarified and said my coloring is very strong and that I should build on that.  I agreed with him and since then, I’ve been coloring and LOVE every minute of it!

  Recently, I’ve created something called Sketch Coloring.  This is where I take a sketch cover of any comic and color it right there on the spot with special markers.  This is my way of doing a sketch.  Since most colorists really don’t sketch “traditionally” (like Jim Lee, Micah Gunnell and so on…) I wanted to come up with my own way to give something to the fans so they can take home and have a “one of a kind”.  Sketch Colorings do just that.  No two Sketch Colorings are alike(even if I color the same cover 100 times for 100 people).

To view more of Jeff's work you should check out the following site:   http://www.jbalkesart.com/

Thanks Jeff for the background on your career in comics and what you are doing now!

BTW, Jeff Balke will be attending Zombie Con June 27th in Chicago... more info at his web site as to what he will be signing and sketch coloring!   

Yesterday I posted Part I of my blog series of our evening ...  At the closest Local Comic Book Shop (LCBS) to us here in North San Diego County.  The owners were having their first 'Show', which was a "Night Of Art - Music - Comics" on Saturday, May 30th, 2009. (Click Here For Part I)

Although we live near the LCBS, I hadn't seen this event until another Facebook Friend commented on their Wall about it with a link to the Event Page. The following is what the Facebook Event Page showed as what was being featured:

Come out and enjoy a summer evening with Friends, Art, Music and Comics...

ARTISTS: Ron Lemen, Vanessa Lemen, Soudabeh Memarzad, Keith Phillips, Spencer Tiscareno, Jeanette Vieira, Arron Willhite & Artists from Studio 2nd Street.

MUSIC: Freestyle and radical Sounds of Bushwalla
PLUS+ Aaron Jennings

  Once inside the store, to the left, Tina pointed out to me something she thought would have already grabbed my eyes... which you can see better to the top left of this paragraph.  It was a full feature length page from the Incredible Hulk #1 from 1962 done as a stained glass window!  WoW!

  To the left of this paragraph is the actual page of which Brian Canfield based his window on.  When comparing it to the stained glass window, you can appreciate the detail and work that had to go into this creation! 

I just had to find Brian at the party and ask him to stand by this creation for a photo! (As Shown at top right of this blog post.)  I wanted to share this unique creation with all of my Blog readers!  Brian told me that he chose this page because it was the first page in comic book history that showed Bruce Banner turning into the Incredible Hulk, and that scene was very powerful and moving to him! 

As a bit of a bio... Brian S. Canfield, who I also had not met before this Show, is a glass painter and stained glass artist. He is co-owner of Bera Stained Glass Studios with his wife Nicole J. Purvis.  The studio itself was established in Chicago in 1963 by John Bera, an American Master in glass painting and stained glass.

Today the studio is art based focusing on secular and non-secular designs and the preservation and restoration of stained glass art.  In addition, Brian teaches stained glass and glass fusing at Palomar College and San Diego City College.

The pieces that caught Tina's eyes and then mine were the ones I am blogging about here.  Brian’s newest series correlates classic iconography and the mythology of saints with modern day comic book characters and myths.

Brian tells me the following...  "Moreover, traditional painted stained glass techniques, which date to the 13th century, also illustrate a connection to the comic book and graphic novel layout in regards to line and color. I have just begun to discover the intrinsic connections of the artistic styles and narratives of the human condition that exist between these beloved mediums and plans for future comic book characters depicted in stained glass are forthcoming."

For further info on the Hulk piece or upcoming creations please contact:

Brian S. Canfield
Bera Stained Glass Studios
www.beraglass.com
brian@beraglass.com
(760) 744-9282

AND AGAIN: Our Thanks to Amber and Dave Self, who presented this Art - Music - Comics Show at their LCBS in San Marcos, California.  It was their first show, and it was so much fun that Tina and I were there for almost the whole evening that it ran!   Their LCBS was Not included in my Blog on Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) in the San Diego Metro Area, because they did not participate in this year's FCBD event.  Their LCBS is located at: 

Location: Sky High Comics
Street: 172 South Rancho Santa Fe Road
City/Town: San Marcos, CA

I saw the above poster on a Facebook Friend's Wall Comment ...  Where it had a link to an event that was being hosted at the closest Local Comic Book Shop (LCBS) to us here in North San Diego County.

We had already made plans for the day, going up to Temecula Wine Country to pick up Wine Club Shipment with friends.  Howeve, Tina and I couldn't help but go back out last night because this was going to be Sky High's first show since the new owners, Amber and Dave Self, took over the store!

The following is what the Facebook Event Page showed as what was being featured:

Come out and enjoy a summer evening with Friends, Art, Music and Comics...

ARTISTS: Ron Lemen, Vanessa Lemen, Soudabeh Memarzad, Keith Phillips, Spencer Tiscareno, Jeanette Vieira, Arron Willhite & Artists from Studio 2nd Street.

MUSIC: Freestyle and radical Sounds of Bushwalla
PLUS+ Aaron Jennings

  Well, quite honestly, it was the fact that Erik Hendrix, who is one of the 20 contestants in the Small Press Idol Round 3 with the 'FACTION' entry that I've blogged about before, that induced me to want to attend!   Well, that and the desserts by Elizabethan Desserts, LOL!  Tina took a few photos of the event, the first one of myself meeting Erik for the first time, (above).

  Of course I had to see 'in person' several of the pages from the 'FACTION' project that Erik had brought out to exhibit to those attending the event.  Erik had also brought out other pages, character bios and sketches that he is currently bringing to fruition for other projects.   Erik has a lot of ideas, several of which he shared with me that are not ready to blog about here. He is also broadening his publishing base by having other artists join him in these other projects. 

  Tina and I also met Amanda Hendrix at the event, who is assisting her husband both editorially and in marketing.  It was great meeting both of them last night at this event!

For those of you that are not familar with Erik's 'FACTION' project that is in the Top 3 currently of Round 3 of the Small Press Idol contest, I invite you to check it out by clicking on the following link to the FACTION's Fan page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=55926073990

And then for the most important process.  To vote for Erik Hendrix's FACTION in the Small Press Idol contest, you can do so by following the easy steps below:

1. Sign up - http://www.dimestoreproductions.com/signup.php
2. Sign in - http://www.dimestoreproductions.com/.
3. Go to - http://www.dimestoreproductions.com/forum-t46557.html
4. Click "Yes - As a fellow creator I support this" or "Yes - I am a fan and want to read more".
5. Click "Submit"
That's how easy it is!

Now that you've done it once... You can Vote Daily up through June 7th, 2009!  AND You can vote for more than One contestant besides!  So you should look at what else there is running in this Round 3... However, please Note: Only 3 of the 20 entries are going to make it to Round 4.  Heck this is almost as exciting as 'American Idol'!   

Now, I need to say this... Erik's 'FACTION' project is one of the entries I have followed since first finding out about Small Press Idol 2009 (SPI).  His project is one of several that I have voted for many times during the first 3 Rounds of SPI.

After meeting Erik last night and seeing for myself in person that his vision and enthusiasm as a writer for this project is genuine and contagious, I am endorsing his project as One of the Three entries that should make it to Round 4 of the Small Press Idol 2009!

PLUS: Our Thanks to Amber and Dave Self, who presented this Art - Music - Comics Show at their LCBS in San Marcos, California.  It was their first show, and it was so much fun that Tina and I were there for almost the whole evening that it ran!   Their LCBS was Not included in my Blog on Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) in the San Diego Metro Area, because they did not participate in this year's event.  Their LCBS is located at: 

Location: Sky High Comics
Street: 172 South Rancho Santa Fe Road
City/Town: San Marcos, CA

I received a preview copy of Witch Hunter #2 ...  In the best shipping packaging ever! Great care was taken in placing the comic in a bag and board and sandwiched between two rigid cardboard inserts. Additionally the comic came with a well written business letter introducing the comic, yet also personalized to me from Vincent Ferrante, Publisher of Monarch Comics.  A Great Presentation for this, the 2nd issues of the Witch Hunter series from Monarch Comics!  Talk about First Impressions!

Besides being the Publisher of Monarch Comics, Vincent is also the writer / creator of Witch Hunter.  Which I didn't find out until I stopped looking at the great front cover by Frank Brunner.... Yes, THAT Frank Brunner!

On the inside front cover, there was a brief paragraph of what had happened in the story thus far.  There was also another paragraph of intro on the splash page.  The art / inks / colors in the first story were fine and meshed together, but I found the story itself was a little hard to follow at first, probably because of missing reading the first issue...

Upon further research into this Witch Hunter series, I found that the idea was first developed in 1976 by Vincent, who then developed a Witch Hunter Bible while in college as part of his writing curriculum.  Vincent then ran some Witch Hunter Adventures in Comic Culture Magazine in 1993, and a year later published his first Witch Hunter Comic.  He then went to England for a while.  When Vincent came back from England, he started Monarch Comics in 2001. 

Finding out the above information may be the reason why it was harder for me to jump right into the issue #2 itself.   Starting with only issue #2, without knowing who the key players were and the backdrop, is probably why it took me a few pages to settle in reading the issue I held in my hands.  Once settling in however, I enjoyed reading the story. 

This was the only flaw I could see as a new reader to the series.  The great cover to issue #2 by Frank Brunner would induce me to pick up the comic, the interior art / colors would make me flip through the pages while standing at my favorite LCBS; yet it is as much of the story that I could digest quickly at that point, that would make me either purchase the whole publication to take home and read or not.

After the feature, there was a backup story, a 5 pager, which was excellent!  It set up a great backstory for the main character, and made me want to read more!  The art in this story was by Jim Webb, and it flowed well with the story written by Vincent Ferrante.

The Back Cover, inside and out, had 2 pinups well drawn by Alex Williamson and Dave Ryan.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this issue, and would look forward to continuing reading this series. 

Details on this Witch Hunter #2 are as follows:

Writer: Vincent Ferrante
Artist: Scott W & Victor Dominicis (lead story) Jim Webb (backup story)
Colors: Alzir Alvez de Pontes Junior

Cover Art: Frank Brunner
Creator: Vincent Ferrante
Editor: Lisa Hager

Standard Comic
Color cover and interior pages
Page Count: 32 plus covers
$2.99 Cover Priced USA

Storyline:  "People don't believe in magic anymore, so that magic is being stolen from them...secretly. Forged in the flames of the Salem witch hunts, Witch Hunter is resurrected 300 years later at the dawn of a new world order to fight the powers that be which hide in  the shadows and point the finger of blame at everyone but themselves while stealing all the magic for themselves. He hunts the hunters. Opposing the darkness without being darkened by it, Witch Hunter journeys through this thrill-packed, ongoing adventure and delivers a hip, cutting edge tale laced with irreverence and lots of action. Witch hunts aren't about hunting witches. They never were."

For a copy that you can purchase you could check out the following site: http://www.monarchcomicslair.com  

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