ZONE Again

Pitt Artist's pen • 1/7/16

Done in a student's sketch/autograph book.

March 2013

Pitt Artist Pen and ink - 2013

Done for a students sketchbook

Kitty

Pitt Artist pen - 2012

ZONE and a scruffy, one-eyed puddle cat.

This was done for my student Val. Some people who collect sketches have themes for their sketchbook and when I asked Val if she had a theme for her sketchbook she said I could do what ever I wanted but if I wanted to I could do her favorite character Kitty Pryde. For anyone who doesn't know, Kitty Pryde is one of Marvel Comics X-MEN.

BARRIERS

Ink and PITT Artist pen - 4/12/12

This was done in a student's sketchbook - last year he asked for a sketch on the last day of school and the one I did was rather rushed.

This will be colored - soon.

ZONED OUT

Pencil and PITT Artist pen 2012

This was done in a student's sketchbook this past week. The theme of her sketchbook is Today I...

MY NIGHTMARE

Ink - Sketchbook nine - circa 1991

Looking through my sketchbook for some ZONE sketches to post I found this three page story I had forgotten about. I was experimenting with a style that was inspired by Mike Mignola's take on EDDY CURRENT that appeared in issues # 9, 10 and 11 of Ted McKeever's METROPOL.

I was working in the Marvel Bullpen and had done the lettering paste-up on some of the pages. When I later saw Mignola in the office one day I told him how much I liked his work on the book.

I did a minimal amount of clean up on these, the borders were inked with a Sharpie® and had bled through some of the pages.

See my posting of 20 years ago today for another drawing from this time period.

See my posting Somewhere in Jersey for my rant about Sharpie® markers and art.

COVER SKETCHES

Cover sketches - pencil, Berol marker and colored pencils - Sketchbook nine - 1989

These sketches were done while I was trying to figure out what the cover to the first book-length issue of ZONE was gong to look like.

PLAGUE

Pitt Artist Pen - 12/01/11

This was done in a student's sketchbook and is the first public appearance of PLAGUE.

PLAGUE was originally created around 1997 when I was developing an animation proposal featuring ZONE. PLAGUE will be playing a part in upcoming ZONE stories.

11/22/11

Pitt artist pen - 2011

This was done in a student's sketchbook yesterday. I drew it with the idea that I would be coloring it at some point and when I do I'll post it here.

How I got my gray hair.

Marker - sketchbook eight - 1989

In my sketchbook this was titled, How I got my gray hair. This is a sketch of me, uh I mean, my alter ego Henry and ZONE. In the storyline Henry is a reporter covering North Jersey with an interest in illegal dumping and other criminal activities that resulted in toxic pollution. 

In issue number one of THREAT! Henry is following some leads about chemical barrels dumped in the Meadowlands when he comes across ZONE. Henry was my everyman, confronted with a new form of life and trying to come to terms with it.

20 years ago today

Drawn in non-repo blue pencil and finished with Berol marker – 10/16/91

This was drawn in a 9" x 6" bound artist's sketchbook. I was searching for a simpler style for drawing and finishing ZONE, large areas of black and simpler shading.

THERE...

Pencil and PITT artist pen - 2011

This was done a few months ago for a student who requested a sketch for his sketchbook. Looking at it now I cringe, how could I crop the feet off so crudely? What's up with the background or lack of one? Absolutely no balance to the black, etc. My only defense - I think this was done rather quickly on the last day of school.

Hey Little Buddy

pencil sketches - circa 1988

Dreaming of the cover slot of DARK HORSE PRESENTS.

RUN AWAY!

Pencil, color pencil, marker and pastel. - 12/30/88

GO **** YOURSELF.

2H pencil in sketchbook - sometime in mid to late 1995

Again, I curse my use of such a light lead. I had to do some work adjusting the levels to get this to be visible.

This was drawn when I lived in a small apartment on Bright Street in Jersey City. It was a great apartment with a big kitchen, a deck and access to a somewhat tamed jungle of a back yard. That apartment was my refuge from the dissolving of a marriage. Clark the cat loved the deck and back yard.

I'm not sure what prompted this sketch but I remember right after I drew it I felt a little shock at my use of the F word in relation to ZONE. I like the idea of him being protective of her and her having the strength to tell someone off knowing she had ZONE as backup.

Entrance Ramp

Pencil and PITT artist pen in 7" x 5 1/2" Moleskine - 2011

This was done while traveling on the train, the lettering added later. I liked it better before I erased all the extra pencil lines.

I intend to turn this image into a 30" x 15" oil painting.

Student Sketchbook Stuff

Faber-Castell PITT artist pen – 2011

Done in a student's sketchbook, Friday, May 13th. I don't think the background worked out that well on this one, I was trying to get an up-shot of ZONE leaping off something and just couldn't mange to get the background elements right. I should have drawn the figure higher on the page. I guess that 's what I get for drawing on the train at 6:15 a.m.

Somewhere in Jersey

Years later I see the problem of doing a black and white character in a world of color, too many of these posts are black and white or gray.

This drawing is from the back of sketchbook number eight.

marker and pastel - 1989

And now, a short rant...

If you are making art, DO NOT USE SHARPIE® MARKERS!

Sharpie® markers are wonderful black markers that will write on just about any surface and they are great for labeling all sorts of things that would be normally hard to write on but they are not conducive to keeping art in archival quality. There is some chemical property that will leach into adjacent paper and leave a ghost impression. Sure, the black is nice and dark and the fat tip of the marker will allow you to cover large areas quickly but be warned, after a few years you will see the leaching occur.

Never ever use them in a sketchbook that contains drawings that you treasure. I used a Sharpie® on the above drawing and the ghostly chemical leaching corrupted five adjacent sketchbook pages in both directions.

Friends

The value of a the black bound sketchbook to me as an artist is immeasurable. The sketchbooks collect my thoughts, ideas and dreams, they allow me to capture moments in time with just a pencil. I've kept one since I was a senior in high school and made a special trip to downtown Cleveland to buy one.

The bound volume of blank pages gave the drawings within a certain validity, a sense of permanence that no spiral-bound sketchbook ever could. I've got 15 or more sitting on my shelf, and the current one usually resides within reach on the coffee table.

Along with collecting your drawings in one neatly bound package, it's also good for passing around to your artist friends and collecting drawings from them.

From sketchbook five 1984 - 1985

ZONE-O by Darren Auck

THE TWILIGHT ZONE, I believe this is by Jay Geldhof

ZIPAZONE and LIL' JIZONE are by Jay Geldhof, the latter being a self portrait as ZONE.
THE EMPEROR ZONIUS is by the wonderful Anna-Maria B. Cool

28th Anniversary

I just spent a couple of hours searching through art files and sketchbooks looking for what might be the first drawing of ZONE. I remember it looked nothing like the ZONE of today, or even the ZONE of 28 years ago. I couldn't find it but a few interesting items turned up, I'll share them all in due time.

The sketch below is dated 2•21•22•84 and was drawn one year after I had created the first ZONE strip (see the first entry of this blog).

From sketchbook four, 1983 - 1984

I had to mess with the levels in Photoshop to get my pencil sketch dark enough for you to see. Not ideal, but that's my curse for working with 2H pencils.

Yeah, that's what I looked like in 1984, I used a straight-backed wooden chair at my drawing table, I wore slightly tinted lenses in my glasses and used to wear a bandanna around my neck all the time. I was working part-time as a security guard for Wells Fargo and wore my hair as long as I could get away with.

ZONE, THIS ONE'S FER YOU. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUB!