Other COMC Keepers
Here are the last of the keepers from my latest Check Out My Cards order/binge.
First up, some glossy Allen & Ginter..
All three came from the same set break, as you can see..
A couple new cards of my favorite pro wrestler of all-time, the five time, five time, five time, five time, five time WCW Heavyweight Champion of the world and overall most decorated champion in WCW history, Booker T!
The Muscles, Ink back..
A few random comic cards. No, that Hulk card isn't phallic at all. Why do you ask?
A few comic backs..
And finally, hottie hits..
My COMC keepers, ladies & gentlemen. Stay tuned for trade bait and the inks for my latest pair of Marvel sketch covers. Thank you and goodnight.
Until our next…
A Little Something to Heat Up the Coldest Morning of the Year…
Hi! I’m still around… THE HORN, err… and kicking. Pretty worn out and a little achy after being out for a few groceries in the suddenly stupidly cold weather, and doing up 25 scans tonight. The awkward angle I was working on the scanning from probably didn’t help. Need a higher place to sit the scanner.
Anyway, I’ve been on a bit of a Benchwarmer kick since the money I put up for myself to buy a single expensive card I wanted for my birthday (the 9th, 27 now, so old, get off my lawn, blah blah blah, tacopants, etc…) proved as futile as my other attempts to celebrate leveling up another year. It was gone right when I finally had the money there, but eh, I may get bitchy about it, but I roll with the punches well. Thus, back to eBay after a good long hiatus for some Benchwarmers I collect.
So, without further ado, here’s a little of that competent but half-assed nonsense hidden behind pretty pictures you’ve come to expect of me before I hit the deck.
Project: S.T.A.L.K.E.R lives! + a Gail Kim auto.
The scan doesn’t even begin to do justice to the gold card top right. Bright gold foil with gold glitter trim. Hard. Core. You can see a slight difference in the background color on the two cards that look otherwise the same. Apparently the right one is a gold parallel, but man that is lazy. And if you know my blog or myself around the net, you know that I freakin’ know lazy.
This is my second Gail Kim auto, the first being an Americana auto/relic from back when I could regularly spend well over $10 on a card without fretting. Those were the days… I got this one for $1.77, and a shade under $5 with shipping.
And, as you may remember from my Benchwarmer posts in the past, there is still more to see. Show me those backs!
Boo. Tay. You're welcome. 
I’ve got a Brooke Morales auto and an older Benchwarmer box (2006 I think) that I picked up for just over the price of a blaster on the way, so be on the lookout for those. Also stay tuned for some Check Out My Cards goodness as well, seeing as it’s finally all scanned up, edited, and ready for posting. And with that I’ll just let you enjoy these fine scans and be on my way.
Until our next…
Mac and Trouble Sketch Cards
I got all my Mac and Trouble cards approved, which means I can post ‘em up. And I figure it’s been way too long since I posted something. So, enjoy.
Here they are in inked form..
The red bordered cards are the regulars..
The border colors were purr-ly to make it easier to scan. Also, cat puns..
The blue borders are my artist proofs..
I'm rather proud of this last one. Do you know recognize what I'm parodying?
Not too bad, eh? Hopefully more posts about things and stuff coming soon.
Until our next…
Not the Americana Blaster We Need, but the One We Deserve
A quickie post on the 40%-off Americana blaster I picked up at K-Mart the same day I hit the first Mantle.
There were no inserts, so you'll just have to make do with hotness.
One pack had 8 cards and was just as thick as the hit pack, but the cards were mostly dupes from the very next pack! Lame. Anyway, the hit.
Police Woman!
That was a short & sweet post. Not much of note besides the hit, but the hit was pretty cool, if mildly dinged. Any version of Americana is great fun regardless of pulls though. I can’t explain it, it’s just… fun.
Truck Tomatoes
The League
Finished the rest of my Justice League sketch cards. Timely too, being as I am down to $29.00 for the rest of the month (even a cheap computer isn’t cheap). If anybody has ever considered buying any pre-made cards or commissioning a piece from me, this would be swell time to do it! Anyway, have a looksie at my wares:
Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Plastic Man, Aquaman, The Flash
Hal & Ollie came out pretty nice, especially GL. I think I shaded the guardian of Sector 2814 with little bit better touch than Green Arrow.
Green Arrow has a tiny bit of open space I need to do something with. The target in the background is for “social relevance” purposes, by the way.
Martian Manhunter got a bit of shading, and the green I used on him seems to have lightened up a touch somehow.
I added the stretching to Plas after I already colored the head shot part. I’m thinking I should shade him too, but I dunno. The solid flat colors seem to work.
I was using my new brush-tipped pen on Aquaman, and with the bright colors of his hair and costume, the thicker lines give him an oddly cartoony look. Unsure if it works, but I’m not hating it.
Also brush-tip penned The Flash, before Aquaman actually. Looked okay I guess, but I totally messed up his skin tone. Accidentally used the wrong marker, so I finished it off and then tried going over it several times, ever-so-slightly lightening it up, but not nearly enough. So I shaded his costume and the background extra dark to match and hopefully make it not so horrible.
What do you think of them, this Justice League?
I’ll give you all six for $30.
Free Comic Book Day 2011
And what a fun one it was. It did get off to a rocky start, due to me getting back so late from the parents’ place the night before, which pushed everything back a bit and put them a little behind schedule to head out of town to attend the 1st birthday bash of my baby cousin or nephew or something. I’ve always had trouble keeping familial relations straight. But once they were on their way and I was left to my own devices, it was a blast! I took many pictures, with a digital camera this year. I planned ahead, because last year’s photos are still trapped in the nether regions of my phone. And that’s terrible.
Costumed vigilantes and villains!
These were the peeps in costumes. Darth Vader and Iron Man were there last year, but it doesn’t change the fact that their costumes are amazing, not that team Hornet aren’t impressive in their own right. I later found out the guys in the Vader & Iron Man costumes are father and son. Kato apparently works at the comic book shop we’re standing in front of, and was super friendly and outgoing, despite mentioning running a rather severe lack of sleep. Kato’s daughter from the comics and Green Hornet came from out of town (and I believe Hornet is the same guy that played Batman last year). The left fairly early, but not before I captured them all on film SD card plenty of times.
The Green Hornet and the guy that does all the work.
During a lull in the festivities...
Oh noes! Our hero is in trouble!
Random chillin'...
It should be noted that towards the end of the day, the costumed characters presence nearly caused a traffic accident. It’s funny now, but was kinda freaky when it happened. Speaking of kinda freaky:
Vader guy methodically approaches the hapless camera guy...
I'm not saying I peed myself a little being up this close to such a convincing Vader... but I'm not saying I didn't either.
Parts of the thing on his torso there lit up. That was pretty cool. Seriously though, my heart was beating a lil harder while I was getting this shot, mainly because of that scary methodical approach.
Who wants some more pics? If you answered yes, you’re in luck. If you answered no, you’re just being contrarian for the sake of being contrarian.
Father vs Daughter!
From this little interlude, I learned that both of them have some level of legit competence with nunchaku.
Badass...
The eyes and chest thing glow!
All told, between both places I ended up with 12 free comics, bought all of the Batman Beyond mini series that was available (#3-6) because I’m a sucker for Batman Beyond, picked up two Marvel blank cover variants (that the owner of the shop said I could bring back to display after I finish them), and a cool keychain I’ll post when I, or someone I care about, needs a little hope to keep on keepin’ on.
Besides the free comics, local comic artists were on hand to work their magic at both places. At the more purely comic book shop, where most of my photos take place, the artists were doing free somewhat quick but fairly detailed black & white sketch covers for anyone who purchased a blank cover variation and wanted one.
This guy was there all day, taking commissions and working on blank variant covers for those that wanted them. I believe he is also the father of my little brother's high school ex-girlfriend. It's a small, small world.
This guy came in later and did his thing for around two or three hours I think. I ended up befriending him when he took a look at some of my sketch cards and seemed pretty impressed with my work.
He also showed me how to make my inking suck less. Quite timely too, since I really started looking into that very thing recently. He gave me one of his cool little business cards and asked me to keep in touch and email him links to some of my artings online, which is exactly what I’m going to do once I get some sleep. Or if I ever get some sleep, whichever.
Finally, this guy was at the other place. I didn't catch his name, but he seemed like a pleasant fellow, and was doing some excellent work. Check out what he's working on there (if you can see past the pepperoni lovers' pizza)!
Seriously though, it was really dumb of me to turn down a slice of that pizza when it was offered to me. Pizza Hut is a rare treat for my perpetually broke arse.
So yeah, even though I feel like I used to after Jr. High soccer practice and won’t be able to move when I get up later because my thighs are burning with the force of a thousand suns and will completely lock up on me whilst I slumber, I couldn’t be happier about it. It was a truly fantastic day. 
All too easy...
Until our next…
She Can Warm My Bench Anytime
Yeah, that’s a lame title, and I apologize. I’m not sorry enough to not go with it though. Anyway, I stumbled upon this hot little number with a low price on eBay with about six minutes left, but nearly blew it due to having so many tabs open my internets had slowed to a crawl:
95% sure this is Miriam Gonzalez...
Fortunately I got a bid in with about 30 seconds left and won it for well below my max bid. I wasn’t sure who this was at first (not that it matters that much, lol), but I was sure I’d seen the picture the card was drawn from before. I just couldn’t quite place it. But I think I found it mere moments before typing this sentence. It appears to be from Ms. Gonzalez’ School Girls autograph from 2006 or 2007. Someone in the upper tier of hotness and that I have also heard of works for me. Can’t ask for more than that from a Benchwarmer set. Seriously.
The Back. Does this mean I can put it in Project S.T.A.L.K.E.R?
This is my third Benchwarmer oversized sketch card, and easily the least expensive of the bunch. It looks just as good as the others, though like pretty much any sketch card of a real person I pick up, I think I could do it just as good a job. Needless to say, this be a keeper.
I’m Cave Johnson, we’re done here.
Until our next…
From The Final Frontier to the Great Hall of the Justice League
Yes, it’s a sketch card post. No, I’m not sorry. Although you do have my apologies for this post going up two days later than intended. Maybe some pretty pictures will get my mind off the nagging questions and thoughts about the state of our world after last night’s shocking revelations for awhile though. Anyway, it may not mean much in the grand scheme of things, but here ya go. Enjoy.
Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Black Canary, Batman, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), Plastic Man, Green Arrow; inked. Not pictured: Flash and Aquaman, because they aren't inked yet.
Supes, Wondy, J’onn, Canary, and Bats have since been colored. Have a looksie:
The finished five (or four, Martian Manhunter might still need a little work)..
Sometimes it looks as if I have a clue what I’m doing, eh? Next we boldly go where no one has gone before with the baldest and bestest of the Star Trek captains…
Captains Benjamin Sisko and Jean-Luc Picard
Wasn’t trying to be hyper-realistic with them, but they turned out to be pretty fair likenesses, methinks.
Now, before I go, a little something for the sports fans (so umm, basically everybody that doesn’t stumble upon my blog exclusively to see the old Jaime Hammer & Brooke Morales Benchwarmer cards). So without further ado, from deep space to the Dawg Pound (cuz he has a little fresh trade bait I’m liking), here’s a lil something I starting whipping up for the Great Sports Name Hall of Fame‘s super collection:
Seneca Wallace sketch card WIP. Turns out I can kinda draw a little bit. 
Never has more effort been put into a piece of art of a perpetual backup QB. Seriously, that helmet was complicated all get-out. But it’s looking pretty good so far, methinks.
The only card I’m keeping is Black Canary, and Seneca is will be going Timmay, of course. But the rest are available for sale or trade, so let me know if you see something you like.
That’s it for this post. Holla.
Until our next…
Sketch Card Interlude
So I’m sick. Unsure if I’m running a temp, but I’m achy, and my throat feels like sandpaper. My left back/side also feels like I tweaked something in it. Add to the fact that I wasn’t able to only able sleep 1-2 hours at a time this morning, and wasn’t able to get to sleep at all till 4am thanks to the jackass upstairs neighbor (who has, incidentally, picked up, in the last half hour or so, right where they left off at a little after 3:30am), and I am one SERIOUSLY tweaked card blogger-slash-sketch card artist, that’s running on nothing but fumes and righteous anger. As such, I have not the energy to put together another binder page post right now. So, here are my latest sketch cards, presented with as little commentary as possible.
That paragraph was written early Saturday afternoon, but the truth is, it was the truth, so it stays. I went out shortly after, on a really chilly day it should be noted, in part to escape the noise, and also to find something for my throat. Ended up being out far too long, and while I got what I went for and then some, I am officially full-blown sick. I’m glad I went with the cold & flu medicine, because I’m pretty sure that’s where I’m at right now. As for post-return noise, it went on starting sometime between 8:30 and 9pm until a lil after 11pm. Wasn’t as bad as Saturday, but persistent enough to drive me up the flippin’ wall in my current brutal state. But enough about that for now. I have sketch cards to show you! 
<–(Smiling through a rareified degree of pain for me.)
The Captains of Star Trek. Clockwise from top left: Benjamin Sisko, Jean-Luc Picard, Jonathan Archer, Kathryn Janeway, James T. Kirk
The only thing to really say here is Sisko is the best Trek captain, and DS9 is the best Trek series, and one of the best sci-fi shows in general, ever made. Thank you, that is all.
Random finished sketch cards: DC's Fire & Ice, Static, GI Joe's Scarlett, Marvel's Ms. Marvel, and Silver Surfer
Scarlett was a really old card I finally got around to coloring.
Static was done for my dad, who, as mentioned before, was a die-hard fan of Milestone comics and still has a lot of the early issues.
The card itself is probably one of the better sketch cards I’ve ever done. Kirby Krackle around the hands, lots of extra detail I’ve never quite gotten as right as it turned out here before. And, I even bought a special pen specifically for the electricity. It is quite glittery in person.
I also used glittery gel pens on Ms. Marvel’s background and parts of Silver Surfer’s body and board. The only problem is (aside from me not being particularly happy with much of anything on the Silver Surfer card), is that the glitter sheds, and got on other cards. So there are lil sparklies in the background on Fire & Ice and Scarlett that are out of place on their cards. It works on Silver Surfer’s background though, the tiny sparklies shining in the endless reaches of space behind him when the light hits ‘em right is an awesome, albeit accidental, effect.
That was way too much jibba-jabba, but hopefully it was informative to you. I am signing off because I feel like C-R-A-P crap crap crap. But thank you as always for stopping by my blog. I greatly appreciate it.
This post brought to you by my pain and tears… :’(
Stuff I’ve Been Working On
What’s this? A new post?! Yes, I’m still here. And since they are the only thing I have handy (I was hoping to do a trade post here, but alas…), here are some pics of some sketch cards I’ve been working on recently. Last Tuesday I penciled 19 in one day! Most of them have been given some ink and a couple are colored now. Check ‘em, and the immediately preceding bunches, out!
The first 7 Doctors Who..
Was sorta trying to do like I did with the Jareth card I did as an art trade (that you will see in a bit), and not be hyperrealistic, but still instantly recognizable. What do you think so far?
She-Hulk, Psylocke, Mia Yim (Pro Wrestler), Axe Cop (Webcomic Phenomenon), Optimus Prime, Vampirella, and 2 Jigens (Lupin III; it's a classic anime)
At first when I didn’t get on the Vampirella set I was just like whatevs, but the more I’ve thought about it, the more it’s bugged me. I think I’m good enough for a major set like that now! What say you?
Anyway, those were all the presentable ones from the 19 I did. One just sucked, one was nekkid, one was pervy (but not nekkid), and one maybe doesn’t suck but I just don’t like how it turned out. 16-18 out of 19 in one sleep-deprived day is still a pretty good percentage though, methinks. Now for the immediately preceding bunch.
Beth Phoenix, Vampirella again, Rogue, Ms. Marvel, Zatanna, Kratos (God of War video games), Static (w/ Kirby Krackle!), Fire & Ice
Ms. Marvel and Zatanna were done at the same time on an ill-fated ustream cast, then I did the rest a few days later. Static is for my dad, his consolation prize for losing our bet on the Bears/Jets game back in December. I won three sketch cards from him (that he still hasn’t gotten around to doing yet!), but offered one as a consolation. He was a big fan of the Milestone line back in it’s day, and still has most of the early issues of all the (four?) original series laying around somewhere.
So yeah, not only does artistic ability of various forms run throughout both sides of my entire family tree, but geekery is big as well in at least the immediate. Even my mom is becoming a fan of Castle and The Cape and has been a pretty serious casual gamer going all the way back to when she used to hog my original Game Boy to play Tetris and Dr. Mario (and be exponentially better than me at both) when I was but a youngling, lol.
Anyway, back to the cards! These next bunches are from a gaggle of art trades from Facebook and some randoms from right after and precede the above by about three weeks or so I guess. I think all 7 or 8 people involved have received their cards by now. I’m pretty sure I’ve received all of mine anyway (another post for another glorious day).
Three Rogues, Akuma (Street Fighter), Sam Witwer (aka Starkiller, and I guess he's on the US Being Human), Gambit, Jareth (Labyrinth), Heath Ledger's Joker
Witwer was mostly just penciled and then colored over with marker. Still not sure about how it came out, but it was gleefully accepted, although that may just be due to the shirtlessness of it all…
Tron, Witwer finished, Jareth finished, Storm, The Flash, Darth Maul
As you can see, Witwer got a darker background and Jareth got a couple touchups before I sent him along. All that circuitry on Tron was just brutal, although it didn’t really take any longer than usual I guess. It sorta reminds me of an anime bumper. The other notable thing is that all the coloring on The Flash is done in colored pencil (as is Tron’s circuitry). I’m actually quite pleased with how he turned out, considering how little thought and effort went into him initially, and accidentally using the wrong colored pencil at first because they aren’t clearly marked.
So yeah, there ya go. I had one more scan, but there’s a card on it that might be close enough to NSFW to not post it right now. Still, this is nearly my entire output from 2011 thusfar. Save for licensed sets, I think I’m already getting close to what I did in 2010, lol. And I’d like to think that most of it is worlds better than much of my previous work as well.
Incidentally, I have no idea what I’m actually going to do with most of these. That first Rogue with the starry background, Tron, Gambit, Jareth, Akuma, Witwer, and Ledger Joker were traded and Static is for my dad, but not so sure about the rest. I’d like to get the Beth Phoenix and Mia Yim cards autographed. I have this idea, to do a bunch of sketch cards of real people and get them auto’d, then frame and display them when I have myself a mancave someday. Everything else… I dunno. I suppose I may make them available for sale or maybe even trade if anybody is interested in them. Let me know and we can work something out.
Well, I guess that’s it for this massive sketch card post. Seeya next time, y’all!
Until our next…
