An Email sent to many industry pros

Hello fellow creators:

In this time of tragedy, the comics industry is looked at as a getaway for what many people have suffered through. I look to you to help in a time of need, as I am attempting to put together a relief effort in the form of 100% proceeds of a charitable auction going to an established entity that has been created to distribute any help necessary to the victims and their families of Hurricane Katrina.

My name is Rob Potchak, many of you know me either via online, or having met in person. This is an effort that I am trying to justify with you, simply for the fact that I have family in Alabama, and while they may not have been hit nearly as hard as some of the other areas, it makes you think, "What if they were? What could I do to help?"

I intend to utilize my E-Bay account (unless another is specifically formed) to auction off comics of my own to the families that need our help. The reason I send this email / forum post is specifically because I know I can not do this myself. I simply ask that if there is anything you are willing to donate to the cause, that we make this a showing of why the comics industry is so great. If anyone would like to help with either putting up a website with what will be auctioned, that would be terrific! If Anybody would like to donate anything from signed comics to original art, anything that would possible would be out of this world.

I ask this because I wonder, "What if it was my family?" and what would I hope people would do.

Right now, the two charities I would like to consider donating the proceeds to are FEED THE CHILDREN or the AMERICAN RED CROSS.

Please, ANYONE who is interested in helping their fellow man, get in touch with me so that we can help out in the best way possible.

Take Care

Rob Potchak
robpotchak.blogspot.com

Heading on a Highway to Hell...

Well, I'm less than two weeks away from getting married.

This may not seem like a surprise, since I've mentioned it plenty of times, but this is probably going to be the most important day of my life...until I get my first movie deal, hehe. Just kidding.

I figured I'd give a quick update on projects and such.

I stated in a recent post that I had finally moved all my brooklyn photos to the computer, and not I'm going to have to filter them to make them work with a comic-y atmosphere, and then I'll probably start drawing a book for myself. Who knows, maybe it'll even get published. Well, heck, I'd publish it myself, so I know it would if I felt that it was deserving of being published =).

Thief is slowly working through me, and I should have #3 fully written soon (maybe while on my honeymoon, but doubtful). I'll actually be placing a lot of effort into it soon, I think, especially since I've gone and designed most of the other characters from it (not sure if I've sent them to Eric or not...chime in, huh?)

I think if I do a book myself, I'm going to try to go for a "dirty style" ala Alex Maleev or Michael Gaydos, only a lot worse, since those guys are extremely talented, and...I'm not. Who knows, I'm thinking too far ahead again...I just want to feel comfortable drawing again =).

Well, wish me luck, tonight I meet the pastor for my wedding. Hopefully he'll believe that Christy and I should be together.

Friday...oh Friday...

I love days off...much much more than I like days I work...because I don't like them at all.

Today I decided to hook up my digital camera to my computer and place some photos online. What I wasn't accounting for is that a third of the photos ended up corrupt... worst part was, they were the photos that actually MEANT something to me.

The other photos were from a buddy's bar (Arnie) and the final set were from when I went to brooklyn two years ago. As great as almost ALL those pictures are... they just don't really matter. I love the New York pics because I'm going to try some new stuff artwise because of them (ie, draw Spider-man swinging over a NY skyline, instead of just drawing Spider-man doing nothing). I really think that's kinda cool, but what its really for is being able to utilize REAL backgrounds into art and then place characters on top, possibly even for my comic, whether its a strip, or a book that I'll do myself, I'm unsure yet, but this stuff gives me the option of both.

It's neat stuff to try and Christy's behind me 100% to try it out. I'll probably start by converting the pieces to b&w and going from there, since I'll probably NOT be doing a color comic...who knows though, I'll probably experiment with it all.

Well, I hadn't been back in a while, (again) so this time I figured I'd give one of Eric's favorite pages. This one is page eight of Thief #1, and the piece that Eric wants to be the promo piece for the series, besides the piece he did for the cover where Derek is holding the amulet in the air. So the two pieces will probably be offered as limited edition prints when they are available (fulling inked and probably fully colored for the print) and they'll probably even be offered in an Autographed by me and Eric limited edition set. Who knows, they may even sell better than the book...but they'll probably come as a special gift to those that ORDER the book =). I really like this piece, because it shows the eye that Eric has for what I write. I gave him an easy setting with this one, at least, but they even get harder as time goes on...hehe...kidding. 

This is page 4 of THIEF #1. As you can tell, its still in the early stages of completion, but it already has a nice feel to it. You should be able to get a much clearer look at it by clicking on it. I really am happy with what Eric is doing with this project, he's definitely placing his best pencils on these pages now. 

LANDIS #1...and more

Once again, I find myself not neglecting my blog, but not finding nearly as much time for it, with the planning for the wedding going on, working a full time job, as well as playing Madden 06 for the X-Box, but I decided tomorrow has a very good reason for me to type this.

LANDIS #1 will actually start tomorrow, since the first chapter actually finished on Wednesday. It is possible that Chris Crosby will elect to show the covers as daily issues rather than start the next chapter, but that remains to be seen. Either way, however, issue #1 starts tomorrow and will be the first time these pages get seen by a mass audience.

Hopefully it will begin to pick up a little more.

Also, I'll probably upload the pencils to at least one of the latest THIEF pages I received from Eric, since that book is looking good, and I'm half way through issue #3's script, meaning the next two are going to be the crazy ones. Heck...I'll upload that page as soon as I am done posting this.

This is my first attempt to really draw Derek Stephens in the Infinity costume in a while. I tried to go for Action Pose-y, while sticking with what I know...the legs are misproportioned, but the rest seems alright. Hopefully I'll be uploading some promo pieces from Eric on here soon....the pages are looking supersmooth. 

I call this one Broken Trust. I've always liked the Ed McGuiness style for Superman, but Batman is supposed to be HUMAN, so he is always smaller. This one is like my own personal promo piece for Infinite Crisis. 

A quick sketch of Wolverine. I have always enjoyed the character, but drawing him has always proved difficult. 

The first of MANY sketches in my new sketchbook. This one is of Tim Drake in his two incarnations. And for anyone who thinks that he won't be Batman by mid-nextyear, you have another thing coming.  

Day 7...lost the money, but broke even

Well, The good news about this trip is that I'm not anymore in debt than I already was, but the $400 that I won the first day, I lost $300 of and spent the other $100. What that means is that I have just as much money in my accounts as when I got here, so I consider that a win, hehe...especially since I thought it would be about $600 lighter after the trip.

Anyway, I'm flipping through the sketchbook I bought and I've done quite a few sketches, not only for the characters from THIEF, but also of characters like Wolverine, Batman, Superman and of all characters, Moon Knight.

I was able to pick up copies of Moon Knight #1-3 of the 1980's series, so if it picks up in popularity, I was able to grab them.

Anywho, I am about 3 pages into the script of THIEF #3, which should make Eric happy that I am back onit. I should actually have issue #3 done by next week if I can stay on it, which I know I've written before, but I mean it. I SHOULD have it done by then. This is just a crucial issue to make the series work, and due to that, I need to make it good.

Day 4: Update on Casino and more!

Hey now...

At the Casino, I'm currently UP $380. Meaning I've got more money than I started with. Craziness of it... It's the same machine I won on last year. I've already taken a 16100 coin jackpot out of it this year. I'll be playing the same machine tomorrow, as well.

Also, when it comes to comic book output, I've designed the four heroes that show up at the end of THIEF #2, and I've even begun writing #3. I'm trying to see how big in scope this issue actually is. When a hero with a secret first meets the other heroes of the world, what happens is anyone's guess. That's what makes it so hard.

I almost want to write TWO versions of this issue. One where he does the right thing, and one where he doesn't. Don't know how well that would go in anything other than a TPB, but heck, it could be fun.

I go back to the casino tomorrow, I'll play the same machine in the Trop, but I'd like to see if I can actually get some luck on some other games. Just as I originally thought I was getting lucky the other night, I lost quite a bit.

I placed in the top 70 in the Poker Tournament, as well, but that was somewhat disappointing, since I only LOST one hand that I played. And it put me all in. It was just bad.

Well, I'll give more update when I've got some.

day 3: mental preparation.

Okay, so the writing hasn't happened, besides a post on the Keenspot forums about Landis...sorry...I'm just thinking about too many other things to write anything...

Right now, I'm thinking about the poker tournament that I'm going to be in tonight. We've got a room at the Tropicana tonight here in AC, and well, thats cool, since Im also going to take part in my first major poker tournament. This one is $20/10, so that means $10 goes to the house, and $20 goes to the pot. It'll be Texas Hold'm, so aslong as the cards go my way, I may actually do well. I'd love to get to a final table, but I don't think that's going to happen tonight...not because I'm not good enough, but because it'll be the first tournament that I'll be in.

Hopefully one of the three of us will do well, with my brother and my cousin in the game, too, so we'll see, I'm sure.

Anywho...if that works out, great, if it doesn't, oh well... I would've spent the $30 there anyway.

Well, time to get ready.

day 2 - sure are a lot of kids

Do you ever look back and remember a time when was just you, your cousins and aunts and uncles? With me, being in Sea Isle, NJ, today, I look at all my cousins that now have given me 2nd cousins...I mean, almost all of the older cousins already do, and I'm thinking its only going to get moreso. With my sister having my first niece last September, even the Potchak's are starting to have kids...crazy stuff.

I read the comics I bought while in Brooklyn, and you can see building in almost all of them towards something, and I can't wait to see what it is.

I've done some drawing in a $5 sketchbook I purchased here, and I'll probably upload any of the sketches worthwhile when I return home.

I revisited THIEF #2's script and will probably start #3's script tomorrow or Tuesday. The scary thing about this issue is that it has to deal with the conflict of him taking the role of Infinity from the last one...basically what he tells the other heroes, and how he deals with them. Will he lie, will he be honest...? That's the million dollar question.

Tomorrow I'll be at the casino, in a $30 buy-in poker tournament, and testing my live game "skills" against other poker players. I don't like that they allow rebuys and add-ons, but hell, the best players don't need that stuff anyway. Who knows, if I play well, I'll give more consideration to Arnie telling me that I should go pro... the winner of these tournaments is normally around $2600. It'll be fun.

Well, I'm gonna run. Check Out elisalandis.com tomorrow, and there's only a couple more pages of it before the material that has never been read. The site does about 1200 hits on days that new pages are up, so I think that's a pretty good number.

Stay good, and I'll see if I can get on here tomorrow to let everyone know if I've beaten my brother in the tourney, or if I played well or what not.

Day one, continued.

Well, I went to the comic store, and was able to find SIX copies of Breach #7 and also 3 copies of JSA Classified #1, two of one cover, one of the other.

Gotta say, these finds were great, since I couldn't find any of the Teen Titans issues, or the Wonder Woman issue. Oh well, but hey, it's kinda cool that I was able to snag what is probably THE MOST LIMITED of all the Infinite Crisis lead ins, which happens to be the Breach Book.

On top of that, went out and had a wonderful dinner tonight, and getting ready to take in some of the local night life. Tomorrow, we'll head down to Jersey, I'll read a couple of the books I bought and then hopefully, after all that driving and boredom in the car, be able to start into my own writing.

I want to hit a rumor I've heard.

52, a weekly series that DC comics is going to run after Infinite Crisis, is supposed to take place and fill in the gaps for the 1 year gap, and happen as close to Real Time as possible. Neat concept...the rumor is that Breach...Batman... Superman...Wonder Woman and a couple other characters will ONLY be seen in this series, while their own books deal with issues of their respective family groups, although Wonder Woman may end up on hiatus, we're not sure. During this time, I expect to see Nightwingjump into the mantle of Batman, while Bruce Wayne's story continues in 52, and the same with Superman...someone will assume the mantle (possibly even Majestic) to keep the mantle moving forward...

IT just jazzes me up thinking about the endless possibilities.

I'm out for now.

NY NJ trip, day 1

Got into Brooklyn about 5:30 am, after driving straight through. Gonna hit a comic store up here to try to find copies of Breach #7 and NEW TEEN TITANS #17 and 18, the issues were Tim Drake becomes Batman.

On top of that, had one of the best bagels I've ever had today (it is NY afterall) and Christy and I are having a blast just sitting around until we go out a bit later and walk around the most famous city in the world.

I'll try to give everyone updates as this trip goes, and who knows, since I'll be stress free, (Eric this is especially to you) I may get some writing done.

Gotta run though, before someone finds out I'm on their network.

So a new piece of art...today, I drea this Batman piece, since its probably one of the last times I'll draw a Bruce Wayne as Batman figure. Why, you ask? It's simple, because after INFINITE CRISIS, I don't expect Bruce Wayne to be Batman anymore. I expect Tim Drake, aka, Robin to pick up the mantle, due to losing both his father...and Bruce, during the imminent Crisis.I really like the head in this drawing, yes I know his one arm is too small, but I kinda like my fake lighting...I dunno, maybe its really bad, and I'm just happy I drew SOMETHING...hehe. 

Batman: Gotham Knights

Every so often a comic book makes you think. Sure, some would say not nearly as often as a Steven King book, or the latest Dean Koontz thriller, but there are some truly gifted writers writing comics these days, and my favorite Batman book to read for the past 16 months has been Batman Gotham Knights.

AJ Lieberman, the writer of the title, has found his niche and totally takes the characters to the next level in this book. The book itself is oftentimes written about the characters and the story is the side angle. His level of intuitiveness for the book is astounding, and unlike the other writers of the Batman titles, he has found a way to make you want to read every issue he writes.

It is far and away the best Batman title available on the market, and he has taken a character that Jim Lee and Jeph Loeb made famous from his introduction, Hush, and even topped their initial level of creativity to give this character not only a background, but also a very vindictive lifestyle towards one Bruce Wayne.

The regular artist for the series, Al Barrianeuvo (sp?) is an astounding talent, himself, although you can tell it takes him longer to complete a title, because he typically takes a break after about every fourth issue.

The most recent issue that hit this week was #67, and it dealt with a videographer that found tapes of Batman and Bruce Wayne using the same stylings for battle and the same moves in combat. While most people in the DC universe still can't figure out that Superman and Clark Kent are the same guy, this two bit thief is able to piece together that Batman and Bruce Wayne are one in the same.

After blackmailing Wayne, Wayne offers him the opportunity for a favor if he ever needs one. Not wanting to take this option he tells Wayne to make sure that Alfred delivers the money.

As much as I like this story and how easily its leading Batman down a dark path, I can't help but wonder one small thing...this guy is Batman, and yet he didn't just scare the shit out of the blackmailer. He didn't just break his arm, or tell him that his could make his life disappear as he knows it...nothing to instill fear.

Though I love the direction and the twists that Lieberman throws in...almost in every issue, and as much as I can't wait for the next issue, it still just doesn't seem like the kind of behavior you'd expect...although I guess as Batman is a guy that has recently figured out that time in his life had been altered by his friends, I guess he may not take the same action that he typically would have 3 yrs ago.

It leaves one to wonder...and yes, you should be reading this book.

Wizard World Atlanta - BOOO!!!

HEy, I know its been almost two weeks since my last report, but heck, work is driving me nutty and definitely taking too much wind out of my sails...but I wanted to comment on something.

Wizard, the magazine company for the comic industry has decided that it wants to hold a convention in Atlanta the same weekend as HEROES CON 06. This sucks for a small show like Heroes Con, since ultimately, the larger convention will end up squeezing the life out of the smaller show, and with it only being about 6 hours from each other, will totally make creators want to go to the larger venue.

Artists and writers from Gaijin Studios, Desperado Publishing, Bryan Hitch and Greg Rucka have already said that they intend to go to Heroes Con, and I continue to stay with my tradition of going to Heroes as well, because the people that you meet at that show are always interesting, and its cozy enough to have a 2 hour conversation after the show with the likes of Tom Feister, Tony Harris, John Cassaday and others.

It upsets me that knowing what I know of the industry, people that I have a lot of respect for in the industry, like Joe Q, Ethan Van Sciver, Brandon Peterson and more will opt to go to the larger convention because its a bigger spotlight, and you really can't blame them for doing so. But it'd be a lot nicer to be able to go to the smaller, more down to earth con, and be able to get to know these guys.

Hell, what other show had Comics' Legend, Dave Cockrum at it this year? None. And why? Because he'd rather not be exploited, and I have to tell you, with everything that man has gone through, as a comic fan, I felt truly touched knowing that I had a ten minute conversation with him when he was just going around the con floor in his wheelchair, as he brought the industry one of my favorite characters (Nightcrawler) and his work continues to inspire.

Anyway, I thought I'd chime in that I would love to go to a Wizard convention, but I'll be attending Heroes Con because the only time I met Shelton, I thought he was a class act, and I admire that.

Sorry its been so long since I updated this place. I'll attempt to NOT go that long again. Today, I've placed one of the LANDIS #0 covers up here, to remind everyone that elisalandis.com is up and running and to pay attention because after the first 22 pages, this project really takes off. I have begun thinking that the reason the project probably didn't take off nearly as well as I originally wanted has a lot to do with the pacing of the first issue. I gave it a big romance feel with Jean Ayme, which the funny thing about him is that he was a REAL follower of Nostradamus, and that was part of all the research Owen and I put into the series. His designs were looked up for that era, and my history lessons were honest and true. I just know that as soon as the first issue finally shows up (about 15 strips from now), you'll notice a HUGE difference on the pacing and the flow is much more clear. Recently, there have been people in online forums that have said things about Landis being "not very good," but then again, this is probably a person who got that #0 issue FOR FREE and didn't pass it on to a friend who may've liked it, but heck, Owen and I gave our best efforts for that time when we worked on it, and I'm just ecstatic that its finally getting out there.