Gangland's Doom: a review

 This is out of the normal realm of figurative drawings but since it's my blog...

   The 50th Anniversary Edition of "Gangland's Doom" was released a month or so ago.  I did the cover art for the hardbound edition and the interior art for both versions as well as a color tweak of the interior art for the back covers.  I've been a fan of The Shadow since I discovered a copy of "The Living Shadow" in a used book shop back in the early 70s.  I became aware of "Gangland's Doom" by Frank Eisgruber, Jr. in the 80s, around the time Chaykin did the whole revival and update of The Shadow.  Never did I think that I could be involved in such an historic project as this.  So, allow me to smile and have a little pride in this wonderful addition to the history of The Shadow.  Click here to watch a very complimentary review of this book and my art.  (the gushing praise starts at 2:39)

 

Something a little different

 I'm working with a, what we used to call, fanzine.  I did this little sketch as a filler illustration when a gap appears between articles.  Quick and fun little pen/brush & ink.

Something different

 I'm doing a few things for a friend that have to do with my obsession with the pulp character The Shadow.  This is a little charcoal of Ming Dwan, the alter ego of Myra Reldon.  Myra was an agent of The Shadow who could infiltrate Chinatown in disguise as Ming Dwan.  Just some fun...

A personal project in progress

 I've been a fan of The Shadow since I was a kid.  Over time I have done pieces here and there but this is the first time I've tried an "original" cover painting.  I'm sticking to the classic George Rozen version, lifting many of the tropes that he used over the many covers he did.  I'm using his "Creeping Death" and "The Book of Death" figure of Death and the dual lighting technique on The Shadow's face.  I deviated with some of the treatment The Shadow's cloak as I looked at how Leyendecker rendered folds in fabric.  I like how that turned out.  I still have modeling to do on the skull and skeletal fingers.  I'll be laying dark washes over the background and the desktop, leaving the blue light alone.  I'll be dropping some text on the paper in a classic code used in one of the original novels.  

This has been a lot of fun to do.  Since it's not a recreation where I know when I've reached the end I'll have to figure out when to stop on this and call it good.  Difficult with any piece of art.

A small painting

My mother in law wanted an "ancestor" painting and dropped this frame on me.  So I filled it with an anonymous gentleman I named Nicolai, after my favorite fine artist Nicolai Fechin.  No, Fechin did not look like this.  Anyhow, I put The Shadow motion picture soundtrack on and finished this before the final note was played, about 45 minutes.  Fun exercise that I'd like to do more of.

The Weed of Crime...

... bears bitter art. Something different today. Just dinkin' around last night after I finished a commissioned nude since I am falling back into my Shadow fascination. My poor wife, she puts up with so much of my geekishness, I'm very lucky. Anyhow, here is a quick sketch of the Master of Darkness.