Wednesday, October 02, 2013

OCTOBER MONSTER SKETCH A DAY #2

To commemorate my favorite month (October) and my favorite holiday (Halloween), I'm doing a monster sketch per day.

Today I went with my most favorite monster, a werewolf. It was tricky to find an original way to design a werewolf, after so many great designs (and not so great designs) have appeared in the movies. But I kinda like this more snub-nosed take on the creature.

Tuesday, October 01, 2013

OCTOBER MONSTER SKETCH A DAY #1

To commemorate my favorite month (October) and my favorite holiday (Halloween), I'm doing a monster sketch per day.

I begin with The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow (one of my favorite monsters ever)--but with a feminine twist. I have a whole backstory in mind for this character, and maybe one day I'll get a chance to tell it.


Thursday, September 19, 2013

BODIE #3 IS COMING, PLUS HE'S BEEN NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD!

Diamond just announced that the long-awaited issue #3 of my comic, BODIE TROLL, will hit shelves this Wednesday! I highly encourage people to call ahead and reserve copies for themselves now, before they all sold out like issues 1 and 2 have!

In related news, BODIE TROLL has been nominated for the Best Kids Comic in the 2013 Shel Dorf Awards, the official comic awards of the Detroit fanfare Comic Con! Click on this link and the site should walk you through the voting process. Thanks in advance from me and Bodie!

--Jay

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Jay's back, and he's got photos...



Hey folks, long time no blog, right? By my records, it's been two months since my last update. That's not to say I haven't had anything to report in the past two months. Quite the opposite. I've been hard at work on "Bodie Troll", while balancing other freelance gigs and a couple comic cons. That, plus I've relocated to Plymouth, Michigan--a welcomed move, but one which cut into my work and blogging productivity. But I'm back at it, and with a full report to get you up to speed.

BODIE TROLL: Issue #3 was due out at the end of August. But some sort of snafu at Red 5's printer in Asia delayed its release. At present, it still hasn't hit stores. But I think it safe to say it should be out within the next couple weeks, if not earlier. In the meantime, here's a sneak preview to whet your "Bodie Troll" appetite. As always, click the images to upsize.
Issue #4 is similarly going to be delayed, this time due to my moving in July. At present, the issue is fully drawn, and I'm eight pages into coloring the 23 page story. I'll be turning it in at the end of this month, and I hope to see it released in October, possibly by Halloween.

Issue #4 will wrap up the first "Bodie" mini-series, but trust me--there's MUCH more to come. The first "Bodie Troll" trade paperback, compiling all four issues and a whole bunch of special extras, will be going into production soon, with a possible release of January or February. After that, I'll begin working on the next "Bodie" mini-series through Red 5. No release date slated for that yet, but rest assured, "Bodie" is my top creative priority, and I have plans to keep his stories going for a long time to come.

CONVENTIONS: I partook in two spectacular comic cons in these past two months, at Fan Expo in Toronto in August, and the first Cincinnati ComiCon in September. They both provided me with good business, great fans, a lots of memories. And like an annoying relative from the 80's with a slide projector full of his vacation snapshots, I've brought photos...

 Me, Tony Miello, Ted Woods (sleeping) and Jay Jacot (driving) en route to Fan Expo Toronto...

My first commission of Fan Expo--the British superhero Miracle man.

A drawing I did for one of my favorite actors, Alyson Court (star of one of my favorite childhood movies, "My Pet Monster")
 Me with Alyson Court. I was thrilled to meet her, and she was such a cool person...

I drew a cartoon for puppeteer Rob Mills, who I've long admired. Rob is developing a new puppet show for the web called "Ruffus' Steam Punk Adventure", so I drew him in character.
 My with the great, talented and very friendly Rob Mills.

A commission for a fellow who owned an ice cream parlor called "Scooperman". This is the store's mascot.

Me and "Captain Canuck" creator Richard Comely. "Captain Canuck" is a Canadian Superhero who's recently experiencing a resurgence as a web cartoon. I'm a big fan, and presented Richard with my "Dudley Do-Right dressed as Captain Canuck" print that I'd made for the con.


A commission for Lara Croft--Tomb Raider.

A fellow asked me to draw in a blank panel from an old issue of Alpha Flight, using the existing dialogue. Not surprisingly, I made it a big ol' fart joke.

A commission where I was asked to mix the "Fairly Odd Parents" with The Enchantress from Marvel Comics' "Thor".

A sketch cover commission of She-Hulk (though without color, she just looks like a muscular lady).

A commission for DC Comics' Brainiac.

This little girl was dressed as Merida from the animated film "Brave", but to me, she looked like a little Cholly from "Bodie Troll". Her parents bought my comic for her, and I drew her caricature for looking so much like Cholly.

These were two girls who frequented my and Jay Jacot's tables. They're dressed as River and Mal from "Firefly".

A commission of  monsters from the Japanese movie "The War of the Gargantuas".

My table neighbor dressed as Rogue from X-Men.

A commission of Lockjaw from Marvel Comics' "The Inhumans".

And onto Cincinnati ComiCon. This was the view from outside the hotel room I shared with "Cursed Pirate Girl" creator Jeremy Bastian.



 
The view from inside my hotel room, of Jeremy Bastian.

Me, sketching in bed and, quite typically, holding a pencil in my mouth.
A commission of Captain Kirk meeting Michael Myers.
The biggest thrill of the weekend for me, meeting R2D2.
A re-design I did of Batman, which I donated to a charity auction put on by the con.

A sketch cover commission I did of Bodie Troll meeting Marvel Comics' Tigra.

A commission of a gender-swapped Beast from Marvel's X-Men.

A sketch I did of Marvel's Rocket Raccoon.

A sketch I did of Ramona Flowers.

Lastly, a sketch I did for Nicole Castaneda, a friend and wife of cartoonist Justin Castaneda. She had a "Moulin"-themed sketch book, and I couldn't resist this gag, which makes much more sense if you've seen the movie.
So, that about does it for "Jay Fosgitt's life in the span of two months". I'll hopefully be back sooner than later with more info on "Bodie Troll" and other projects. 

--Jay


Friday, July 05, 2013

Years later, Jim found me...



My apologies to anyone who's been waiting around my blog for me to update it. Life and deadlines have been getting in the way. Rest assured, everything is going great with BODIE TROLL. Issue #2 came out the last week of June, and it's already selling out. I just turned in issue #3, set for an August release, and I'm writing issue #4 right now.



Outside of Bodie, I wanted to report on something very, very special that happened to me. In the early hours of July 4th, I received an unexpected e-mail from Karen Falk, archivist for The Jim Henson company, and the woman responsible for every major book on Jim's life and works produced in the past decade. Here's what it said:


Dear Jay:


I was doing some research in our archives and came across the fan letter you wrote to Jim Henson when you were 11. He was very encouraging in his response so I Googled you to see if you went on to become an artist – and indeed you did. Congratulations on what appears to be a successful career. Thought you’d like to see a copy of your letter and Jim’s response (attached).


Best,


Karen Falk

Archives

The Jim Henson Company


This was the most unexpected and joyful news I'd ever heard. I had indeed written Jim Henson when I was eleven, in January of 1986, and sent him a birthday card for Kermit, who along with the Muppets had just turned 30. A month later, Jim wrote me back. Not a form letter, and not a stamped signature, but a typed letter, signed with a green felt tipped pen. That letter meant the world to me. So when I lost that letter a year or so after Jim died, I was devastated. Twenty-some years of regret, having lost my hero, and then losing one my genuine connection to him--all erased with a simple e-mail that I never, in my wildest imaginings, expected to receive. Here are the scans of my letter to Jim, and Jim's letter to me, courtesy of Karen Falk (click on images to enlarge):


Needless to say, Karen Falk received a glowing message of appreciation from me, and a signed copy of Bodie Troll #1 will find its way to her in the coming week.


Now, those who know me and my work know how Jim has always been my hero, and my work (particularly Bodie) is very reflective of Jim's creative influence. So getting this letter back...man...it's like being reunited with a long lost and beloved relative. And it couldn't have happened at a more desperate time in my life, when I feel like I need Jim the most. I'm not religious, but who knows...maybe he's been watching me and my work all this time. The serendipitous arrival of Karen's e-mail is hard to ignore.


Thanks for listening. And for anyone in my past who doubted me when I said Jim Henson wrote me a letter...well, "told ya so" seems pointless. I probably quit talking to you people years ago. =0)


--Jay