Got some new adjustments done on the website. The galleries have been updated with some newer artwork, which was really needed. Hope people dig the desktop wallpaper addition. Starting in ‘09 I am going to try and change that out for every season. Gives me a reason to do some illustration work for myself.

Had a good weekend, yesterday we put out the Halloween stuff in the front yard. Already caught a few of the neighbor kids checking it out. Seeing as how October is coming this week be prepared for every post in October to have some sort of Halloween link or something related to the best day of the year.

Anyway, here are the next batch of Fallcon sketch cards.

Brent

It’s really starting to feel like Fall here in Minnesota. Our co-ed football league is in full swing, the neighbor’s trees are dropping it’s leaves all over my yard, and most importantly, the Minnesota Fallcon is just a week away. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the show. I’ve been going to the show since about 1999 while in college and finally as a creator about 4 years ago. It’s one of the best cons I’ve ever been to and that’s not just cause it’s located three block from my house. It’s just a good old fashion comic show with dealers and artist. You won’t find any movie studios shoving free movie posters and key chains in your face trying to get you to go see their latest crap fest. The show is moving to the Grandstand this year and will be filling up two floors, which is pretty awesome. The wife is baking cookies and giving them away to anyone who buys a graphic novel or gets a commission from me. In reality her cookies are so good we should actually be saying that you get a free graphic novel or commission if you buy the cookies. The fine folks who run the show have decided to do some sketch cards to promote the event and throughout the next week or so I’ll be posting some of them. Here are the first few I did.

Brent

Just when I thought I was done, they pull me back in. Yesterday a package showed up at the house with ten new Marvel Masterpiece Artist Proof Cards. I thought the previous ten I had gotten were for series three, as the box they came with said so. Apparently they were actually a bonus ten for series two since I did an additional hundred for the set at the last minute. What this all means is that I got my ten APC for series three and I’m looking to make pretty drawings on them for cash. If interested, please contact me.

Brent

Here’s some more pics from the trip. Mostly of some of the art I did and also of the nice people who bought it.

1. Animated style Chewie.

2. Quick sketch of Ironfist

3. Moleman looking for revenge.

4. Guardian from Green Lantern.

5. Adding Cow-Man to a jam piece.

6. Adding Black Lightning to an awesome jam piece.

7. Frank the tank.

8. The beginning of what should have been a “red headed” jam piece, but someone went and drew it vertical, not horizontal. Who would do such a thing?

9. A mermaid I drew for someone who then had Katie Cook add some awesome watercolor to it. Katie did a Gwen Stacy piece for me that I will post soon.

10. Had this one done before the show. It was hard to part with but the price was right.

11. Paolo will probably sell this one for a c-note and spend it all on shots at the next show…. God bless him.

12. Probably my favorite piece I did all weekend was this Iron-Man I did. Again, hard to part with.

Well that’s all for the Super Show, had an awesome time and already said I’ll be back next year. Can’t wait.

Brent

Seeing as how great of a trip Philly was, I’m going to devote the next few posts to our trip there. The main reason for going was for the Super Show, but we also stuck around and checked out some of the great sights the state of Pennsylvania has to offer. Here’s a photo round up.

1. First photo is from the first night at the bar, it was a gathering before the show started on Saturday night. I am posing with the jam piece that went up for auction.

2. When drinking in a crammed space and forced to draw with materials that are a little worn out, draw something you can do in your sleep.

3. Saturday morning before the show began and before my arm is about to fall off from sketch requests.

4. Nicole wisely brought along some vintage 90210 to watch while I drew. One episode down, 4,556 to go…

5. All that orange made me feel like I was back in Wisconsin during hunting season.

6. There was a box at the show were people could drop off and pick up other people’s crappy comics. Here I am inspecting what exactly Debbie did to Dallas…

7. Here I am with my table sponsor Adam, what a cool guy. Very jealous of his Darwyn Cooke page.

8. Posing with one of the many great people who pre-ordered commissions from me. I was really amazed with how many I did before and during the show.

9. Two of the actual CGS podcasters themselves. First is Kevin, a great guy who everyone thought was my brother. It was fun seeing him after a few years. The second one is of Murd, who I did a Bizarro piece for. He was great to talk with and finally meet.

10. Hanging out on Saturday night with the Cadence Comic Art crew. Watching Jamal Igle shooting up old prospectors while myself, Paolo. Chris, and Ryan cheer on. This was moments before two wedding parties showed up and someone got knocked down the stairs by a bouncer. Good times.

11. Shooting up while the locals wonder why all the comic artist are hogging the bar.

12. Talking Nova and Beauty and the Geek with Mario. I’m sure he was really tired of that conversation.

13. Enjoying Third & Spruce.

14. The Cadence Crew again on Sunday before everyone took off.

15. A span of the entire crew at the show.

I’ll be posting more the next day or so. Next batch will mainly be some of the sketches I did.

Brent

Hey everyone, sorry it’s taken me so long to post. I’ve been really busy. I’m back now though and plan on posting more. Heck, maybe even put some art up. I drew my ass off at the Philly convention, so I’ll have some stuff from that shortly.
Recently I was talking to friend and Astronaut collaborator David Hopkins, which by the way expect a press release with some art from book two soon! Just don’t expect book two as soon! Anyway, he has a small project that is hopefully going to be collected in a anthology from a publisher I’d love to have on my resume but don’t have many connections for. David, in a manner that only he can, shoots back “Still no Myspace account Brent?”

So brings a huge dilemma I’ve had for quite a while and that is the fighting technology. There are certain things I know I need to do such as learn some new programs like Flash or Maya that can expand my artwork, and even acquire some better web based skills. I’m talking more about the new ability to let everyone know who you are and what your doing right now. Something I’ve noticed more in the last year or two since I’ve moved my drawing desk and computer desk all into one nice unit is the increasing procrastination caused by email, websites, blogs, and instant messenger. I’ve recently tried to slim the web searching down but it’s hard when so many great artist have such great sites and or blogs that are constantly being updated and I can draw inspiration from. Or even the stupidly funny websites like Deadspin and “What Would Tyler Durden Do?” that give that much needed laugh in the middle of the day. Add on news sites focusing on eveything from local to industry news and you could blow a whole day just on that.

So I’ve avoided doing things like having a Myspace or Facebook page, Twitter, or anything else that gives anyone instant access to the non stop excitement that is a day in the life of Brent. Hipster tech just seems like such a waste but at the same time I find myself realizing that there are some cons to missing out on the party, such as if everyone is doing it, there are probably people you might get to know doing it. Another thing is I’ve always been one to just want a cell phone for just talking, anything else just didn’t appeal to me until recently when my father in-law used his cell phone as a phone book and avoided hours of searching store after store. Being able to have a cell phone with quick web access made me realize it might be worth having. Why now after all these few years it hit me and changed my view point I have no clue. I just know I feel like I’ve been acting like a cave-man the last few years and I want to change… sort of.

My biggest fear in all of this is the amount of free time these programs take up. I already feel like I’m behind on a million things as it is. Plus updating a blog, a Myspace page, a Facebook page, and then twittering about it all seems way too self centered but I know I’ve got to accept some of these things into my life. They are free and they seem to work for some people, and I guess that is the best investment offer you can give someone. I am making an effort over the next few months to start up a Face Book or Myspace page, a Deviant Art gallery, a Comic Space page, and maybe even Twitter (just not everyday). It’ll be me, non-stop 24/7, just like everybody else. Just don’t expect me to like it all.

Brent

Just a quick heads up that the Schoonover’s are heading out tomorrow morning for a little work and a little vacation. We are going to the Philadelphia area for the Comic Geek Speak Super Show this weekend. I’m really excited to meet up with some rarely seen friends and creators. This is the first year for the event but with any indication of the commission requests I’ve gotten, it certainly won’t be the last.

After the two day show me and Nicole are staying for a few extra days to explore Philly, neither of us have ever been to the area but it seems like a nice place to hike around for a few days. Going to try and make a baseball game for sure.

I won’t be back here till late Wednesday night of the following week. I’ll try and post some pics of the show and our trip after I get back.

Brent

Newsarama has a great article this morning about the house were Jerry Siegel came up with Superman. Along with co-creator Joe Shuster, this little house in the middle of a neighborhood in Cleveland Ohio was were the two teenagers created the first superhero, and inspired an industry that still makes hundreds upon hundreds of million of dollars thanks to these guys.

Seeing as how the City of Cleveland, Warner Brothers, DC Comics, and our own government has decided that this house is not worth saving, author and comic writer Brad Meltzer has created an organization that is raising funds to help get the house restored. Currently the house is in such an extreme state of despair, their is an extreme amount of water damage, exposed baseboards, and large holes in the walls.

To quote Meltzer “The house where Google was created is preserved for its historical importance, The idea that the house where Superman was created is falling apart? That’s just horrible.”

The help out or see a video of what has become of the house, you can visit www.ordinarypeoplechangetheworld.com 

Brent