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"The Complete Adventures" 

6/29/2012

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Whatsup everyone!  Earlier this week I was excited to find out that Moonstone Books has reprinted the short comic I illustrated for The Phantom: Double Shot - KGB Noir.  Not only has it  been reprinted but it's now currently collected in a mighty 432 page mammoth of a tome consisting of every story featuring it's main character, Captain Action.

In case you may not know, like Transformers, Capt. Action was a toy icon (though in this case from back in the swinging 60's) that went on to become a cult comic book character.

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The omnibus, titled Captain Action: Total Action "The Complete Adventures" can be checked out by visiting Moonstone's official website at www.moonstonebooks.com.

It can also be found in, or ordered by, anywhere that sells comics including your local Books-a-Million, Barnes & Noble and so on.  But of course one always wants to support their local comic shop so I'd head over there first & foremost.  They'll be happy to hook you up.

If you'd like to see a few pages from the comic you can click right HERE or if you prefer you can do a little spelunking through the 'Sequential Art' section of my site.  Lastly, a big high five to my pal Brennan for the headsup and the very cool pic.  Much thanks bud!

Have a great weekend everyone and I'll talk with you on Monday,

- D

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Securityplus FCU Mural | Detail

6/27/2012

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Recently I've been working on a painting for the Securityplus Federal Credit Union, an organization that's been a part of Baltimore, MD since 1938.

It's been an amazing experience not only because of the medium I enjoy working with, acrylic, but as you'll see in future posts the 5 x 1.5 foot composition was something of a new & interesting challenge.

For now though I'll leave you with this detail of a couple content members of times gone by.  Hope you enjoy and I'll talk with you soon!

- D

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"Where Do We Go From Here?"

6/25/2012

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A little while back I had the pleasure of working with the Maryland Foster Youth Resource Center located in Baltimore, Maryland.  The MFYRC is a non-profit organization created and operated by former foster youth working to assist those current & former foster youth in attaining life skills and identifying & accessing resources needed for survival and positive development

The foster care process obviously can be an extremely difficult one for children.  In an effort to help ease their stresses, as well as help communicate this process of entering foster care and going through the juvenile court system, the MFYRC decided to do something fun, entertaining and positive.  So we joined forces to create a coloring book that could aid and hopefully comfort them.

The coloring book, titled "Where Do We Go From Here?", is targeted towards the younger of these youth and illustrates the story of two kids, Keysha & Jamal, who are siblings going through the same situations as many of the young children reading the book itself.  In this way they can identify with them and use their story as guidance through the various steps of the foster-care system.


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Not only does it tell Keysha & Jamal’s story but it also includes activities that help to educate them on certain main characters involved in the process, important vocabulary used, a section to hold onto important business cards, a place where they themselves can tell their own story and even a “Candyland-like” board game in the middle for them play.  And of course they can color any and all illustrations in any manner they’d like.

This is still a very meaningful project for me. It's one I hold dear and one I’m very proud to have been a part of.  I truly hope in someway it’s helped to positively touch the lives of those children who happen to be holding it in their hands during such a challenging moment.  I hope it gives them a little comfort and brings a smile or two.

If you'd like to know more about the Maryland Foster Youth Resource Center you can visit them online at www.mfyrc.org.

Thanks everyone, I'll talk with you soon!

- D


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Last Caress | "So fight off that 2:30 feeling"

6/22/2012

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Happy Friday everyone,

As any comics artist can attest too it's always a good day when your new books arrive.  This is just the case for me too.  The other day my trade copies of Last Caress came in (as well as my extras of Termites in Your Smile) so I thought I'd take a pic and show off the exquisitely illustrated Kelly Jones-esque covers by the talented Shane Oakley.  You can find more of his work on his blog at www.shaneoakley.blogspot.com.  

And of course just in case you're behind on your reading the entirety (almost that is) of Last Caress can be found on Split Lip Comics' website right HERE. One page every Tuesday & Thursday will be posted and right now we're at page 20 with but a mere FOUR pages from it's fateful conclusion - so stay tuned!  And don't forget to check it out this coming Tuesday for page 21, which is one of the more, we'll say, "colorful" pages in the story.  I
 think you'll dig it.  

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So fight off that 2:30 feeling, leave work early, pour yourself a glass of wine and kick your feet up for a read. Just don't have too much wine.  Wouldn't want to have any nightmares.

Have a great weekend and I'll talk with you soon,

- D

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Delmarva Bag Limits | Logo Design

6/20/2012

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Whatsup everybody, 

I thought it may be enjoyable to bring you along on something that's relatively new territory for me, at least as far as what you may be aware that I do.  And that's the logo design.

This one in particular is for Delmarva Bag Limits, a website devoted  to "Helping you make the most of your hunting and fishing adventures".  It's actually run by my uncle, Michael Draper, who you may know as the fellow responsible for writing the shorts stories "The Country" which I've been illustrating over the last couple months (BTW, I just may have another one on the way so keep your eyes peeled).

Logo designs I've noticed are an entirely different animal with entirely different needs so the direction one must take is a bit different than that of say, a short story illustration.  Though at the same time it's extremely enjoyable, especially if you're able to have a close detailed discussion with your client like I had with my uncle.  There's a tremendous amount of subtlety in a good design that can open up new parts of one's perspective and skills.  This is one of the many reasons I feel fortunate to do what it is that I do - this seemingly unlimited way art can be applied.  Look forward to sharing more with you all.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy and I'll talk with you on Friday!

- D

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Concept Sketches | Children's Book - Part Dos

6/18/2012

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Whatsup everybody,

Hope everyone had a great Father's Day weekend.  I know I sure did, despite being thoroughly showed-up at horseshoes by my stepdad, my dad and my 77 year old grandfather all in one day.


The "W" goes to Team Pops.

Anyways, here are a couple more sketches I did of our curious and adventurous  young great dane.


Hope you enjoy and I'll talk with you soon!

- D



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Introduction to Illustrating Comics

6/15/2012

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A little while back I taught an Introduction to Illustrating Comics workshop over at Salisbury University.  This was the first class I'd ever instructed and as one could guess it was quite interesting.

The experience overall was extremely cool.  Having the chance to talk about a topic like comics, which I'm rather passionate about, and to explain the process of actually illustrating a comics' page was nothing short of great.

Since graduating high school I've kept in decent contact with one of the great positive influences in my artistic life - that being my high school art teacher, Michael Morris.

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1st ever comics page drawn by my high school art teacher, Michael Morris
Mr. Morris was one of the 3 teachers who taught the VPA (Visual & Performing Arts) program I was apart of in high school, which eventually lead to me going to college at MICA.  Like I said, a VERY positive influence.

I told Mr. Morris about the Intro. to Comics class and it turns out he mentioned it to his current VPA students, so a number of them made an appearance.  It was tremendously gratifying being able to give back in some way to a future generation of artists who are coming up & beginning from one of the very places I consider to be a milestone in my life.

It also turns out that Mr. Morris himself showed up for the class AND considering I was the "authority" this time around I decided he was required to participate.  So I "made" him do the assignment.  Good stuff, right?

In VPA we focused mostly on the Fine Arts so having the opportunity to bring comics to not only VPA students but my former teacher was, as you could expect, quite the treat.

I gotta say too for his first ever comics page it's pretty impressive (show off lol).

- Doug

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3rd Friday this FRIDAY!

6/13/2012

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Whatsup all, this Friday I'll be setup at the always entertaining, always lively and most enjoyable local arts & music event, Salisbury's 3rd FRIDAY!

If you've yet to partake in the goodness that is 3rd Friday this is the time.  I'll be there with bells on (or not) with comics, including LAST CARESS, my newest sequential effort, AND original art as well sketches per your kind requests.

See ya out there!

- D

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Last Caress | AVAILABLE NOW!

6/11/2012

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Whatsup peoples!

Just wanted to pass along a tidbit of tasty information... LAST CARESS, the newest comic from horror author Sam Costello and yours-truly, is available right NOW... RIGHT HERE!

Yes, you heard correctly, it's right HERE for the viewing - that is, the first 16 pages.  Split Lip Comics has been publishing one page online every Tuesday & Thursday and they're now 2/3 of the way there with yet another page coming, you guessed it, tomorrow!  I wanted to wait until there were a sizable number of pages to be read before announcing - that way you can sink you're teeth in just before being teased to wait until another Tuesday or Thursday. Yeah, I'm that kinda guy.

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BUT for a brief description of LT...

Last Caress is the tale of Sybil,  a woman in her late 40's running a modeling agency in Manhattan.  A woman not terribly pleased with life and one hard-pressed to wear a smile.  Though that's not the only thing unusual about Sybil.  She see's things a little differently.  She see's people differently.

In an industry that's hellbent on the next young thing through he door Sybil's view of the world has skewed around her towards the furtherest degree...  "Everything looks... desiccated, ancient".  That is, until she see's Sun Yoo.


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I have to say this as been an incredibly fun comic to illustrate.  If you're familiar with my previous comics you'll probably see I took a different approach towards the art.  Utilizing some old friends of mine - the pen and the marker.

This is the first time I've taken this approach to a comic and I think Last Caress was the perfect fit for it.  Trying to punctuate certain aspects of the story using a graphic, high contrast look with a gritty, loose feel.  Much fun for myself and I think you'll enjoy it as well.

For Mr. Sam Costello Last Caress was inspired by the song of the same name by the Misfits - and one verse in particular really triggered Sam's mind to begin turning and churning out this rather wicked tale.  Which verse?  Anymore than that I can't tell you.  You'll just have to discover it yourself!

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And for those of you eager and maybe even slightly impatience folks (it's okay, you can be honest. We're all friends here) Last Caress in it's entirety is available for purchase in Split Lip's 4th volume, "SPLIT LIP: LAST CARESS and OTHER STORIES"!

Just visit the STORE section of their site, or simply click HERE, and you can pick up not only Last Caress but a slew of other stories from the mind of Mr. Sam Costello.

Hope you enjoy and I'll talk with you soon!

- D


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DEADLESS | Cover for Issue #0

6/8/2012

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Whatsup everyone,

Just wanted to post the cover I did for the comic entitled DEADLESS.  A tale told by the talented and up & coming writer Mr. Matt O'Keefe.  Demons, gritty streets and Las Vegas.  What's not to love?

This piece is in fact for the cover of issue #0, which consists of four short tales revolving around the origins of the characters that make up DEADLESS - each story illustrated by a separate skillful artist.  The good part? The complete issue #0 can be read online for FREE.  The second good part?  You can check out the masterful job my good pal and supreme colorist Jesse Turnbull did on not only coloring the cover (see stage left) but also on all 4 short stories.

Just click and enjoy right HERE.  And for a brief description...

In the early 1700s Joseph Montgomery made a deal with the demon Azil that allowed him to live forever while still causing him to age.  Centuries later, regretting his decision, he finds Azil and begs him for a way out.  Azil offers one.  In exchange for a year of servitude, he will lift the contract. 

What happens in Vegas, well, doesn't always stay in Vegas.  Hope you enjoy and have a great weekend!

- D

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    Douglas E. Draper Jr. is an award-winning artist working out of Philadelphia. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute, College of Art and his work has been exhibited throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, Annapolis, Baltimore and various other cities and galleries.  His fine art and illustrative work can be seen from such publishers as Moonstone Books, Top Shelf, Desperado, IDW, and many others.
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