Masters Of The Universe Commission
February 6, 2019
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I Have The Power! So I had the amazing privilege to be commissioned to do a private Masters of the Universe cover commission. As a
Is your comic art collection incomplete?
Do you get joy seeing your favorite characters in art made just for you?
Or are you looking for the perfect gift for a comic lover?
If you’re asking yourself these questions then you might be in the right place.
When I transitioned back into comics after doing graphic design for so many years I was honestly not prepared for doing commissions. I knew a lot of artists did them but I wasn’t sure how to get commissions, much less what people expected of them.
So I did what others do when they started out, I started copying what I was seeing other artists do. I started posting images of pin-ups and saying I was open for commissions. The result?
Crickets. Mainly crickets.
But eventually someone too a chance on me. One day I was lucky enough to be asked If I could do a custom cover commission. One that was a throwback to old comic covers. And of course I said yes!
Wait what?
I’d never heard of such a thing.
Luckily with my graphic design background I knew how to design one. I also knew that I could draw one.
Now while I am still very proud of that very first one I did have a lot to learn. And learn I did. Over the last few years I think I’ve made something of a name for myself doing custom covers.
My process has gotten smoother and I’m much more confident now than when I first started doing them.
The first few years I think I may have done ten or so commissions. This year alone I’ve done over 20.
When I looked at these numbers recently I almost did a double-take. I mean, that’s almost a whole comic worth of covers. All for amazing people like you!
Being a graphic designer as well as an illustrator I’m obviously obsessed with typography mixing typography with illustration.
It’s one reason why I really enjoy doing covers with a classic comic feel. There was such a synergy of typography and the art that you just don’t see today.
Specifically I enjoy doing hand inked mastheads. These cover mastheads were a work of art just as much as the actual artwork itself. That’s why I make sure every masthead I design is hand inked so that the whole piece is one single piece of art.
I Have The Power! So I had the amazing privilege to be commissioned to do a private Masters of the Universe cover commission. As a
That time I got to draw Dracula! Most of my cover commissions are inspired by classic covers. It’s what the buyers want, and it’s what
Tag Team Back Again! This was one of the first, pure super-hero commission that I did. I had read a few Legion of Super Hero
Flying Apes You may notice a trend. I tend to draw quite a few gorillas and monkeys. I love them. This piece had quite a
It’s a Crisis Most of the commissions I get are homages to classic covers with a twist. This one was no exception. Modeled after the
Apes With Guns! Ever since I drew this piece I think I’ve developed a deep longing desire to draw apes. I love drawing gorillas, chimps,
But what if I don’t have an idea, just a character I like?
I do commissions all the time where my clients just don’t have an idea, just a character they like. They may have a portfolio of Nightwing commissions and leave it up to me to come up with the idea. Whether or not you have an idea or not I am totally willing to work with you on it and help you come up with a piece you’ll enjoy.
Can I see a sketch of the commission before you ink?
Absolutely. My process is very simple. I do several sketches and show you the best of the best to get your approval. I don’t pencil or ink anything without approval. I also build out the masthead and work out any fine details. Once the concept is approved I pencil out the main piece and put it on board. Many times I’ll even photograph this process just to keep you in the loop.
Then I ink the piece on bristol board. Once inked, I scan and take photos.
How long does a commission take?
With my schedule I usually say two to three weeks to complete a commission. Most of the time it’s under a week but these days I usually have two or three commissions on my desk at any one given time and I always work first come first serve.
I’m worried about shipping.
Don’t worry I do to. Every piece I ship gets sealed in a plastic sleeve to protect it against the elements. Then is sandwiched firmly between two pieces of stiff cardboard or foam core before I slip it into a padded envelope. I try to take no chances when sending artwork to happy clients. I don’t know how many times I’ve asked the people at USPS to put a Do Not Bend stamp on it and they look at me and say..”If this gets bent, we have a problem.”
Also shipping is included in the price. I ship via USPS and it usually takes three to four days to ship once the piece is finished.
Is there a limit to the amount of characters I can request.
I like to stick to up to three or four. More than that and the commission takes much longer and honestly the characters have less impact on page. Great covers tend to focus on a single moment with usually a hero, a villan and perhaps one other character. It allows for the character art to be nice and big with just the right amount of detail.
