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The Store Is Open For Business!

And Asshole #1 is on sale!! Yes, it took some time and a ton of work but you are now able to download your copy of Asshole from the store and for the super low price of a buck! This copy is pretty much the same issue that was made available at New York Comic Con in October except it doesn’t include the bonus art pages included in the hard copy. This means its the black and white version and NOT the full color version which is still on its way. We ran into some delays with the color files which is the reason for the holdup, so to get the book in front of as many people as possible as quickly as possible I’m releasing the black & white version for all to enjoy! I’ll give you guys an update as soon as I can as to when the color version will be available and how this affects the release date of the second issue.

This digital version of the book is based upon the popular .cbr format which can be read across PC/Mac/Android and iOS platforms. The store lists download links to several popular readers for whatever platform you use. And while the book is currently in the .cbr format that isn’t the only one that will be available. In the coming days/weeks it will be released in versions for the Kindle, Nook and even PDF, so whatever way you choose to read it, it will be available for you. I will also explain in the near future plans for release through other digital distributors as well as release through iTunes. Please follow the instructions for purchasing and downloading in the store but feel free to contact me at ejay@ejayrussell.com if you run into any issues with your purchase. Until next time!

Image Expo!

February 24, 2012toFebruary 26, 2012

I will be attending the Image Expo at the Oakland Convention Center in Oakland California, February 24-26. Come see me in Artist’s Alley!

Hrrrmmm…

Ok its been a few weeks since NYCC and now that I’m caught up with work I figured it was time to post a new journal entry, a very pointed one. At NYCC something came to my attention and I wont go into specifics how, or who did it but my “Villains United…For Poker” was being sold as a print, and I wasnt the one doing the selling. To be clear, another artist showed up at the show with multiple copies of my artwork to which a sepia tone and his signature were added. I spoke with the artist and had him cease & desist but it creates a problem for me that I wanted to discuss; I don’t typically collaborate with other artists so any work of mine with someone elses signature on it is a fraud. If you see any of my work show up at a con and I’m not the artist selling it you’re being ripped off and so am I at that. Unfortunately I can’t police every show to keep my work from being stolen, but the public can. I figure I have a fairly recognizable style so if you spot my work anywhere call that artist out, if you don’t like confrontation, let me know and I’ll call said artist out. The practice of taking lineart and coloring is something I’ve always allowed, though I may change my stance on that after this. But taking lineart you’ve colored and selling it cause you think it looks great is theft, pure & simple. Unless the lineart artist specifically gives permission to sell his work, you’re stealing; it’s not a partnership or collaboration, its theft. A few people are familiar with another “artist” who regularly does this, Rob Granito, and the mess his life became after he became exposed as an art thief. Dont wind up in the same boat with Rob, create your own work and sell it based on its own merit. If you really like the image then create something similar & sell that, I’d much prefer having my work swiped than stolen. Well, that’s all I’ve got for now, gotta get back to making comics!

TTYL,

Ejay

Ready To Rock!

image

The table is set, the books are out, New York Comic Con lets do this!

They’re Heeeeeerrrrrreee!

Well they took a bit longer than I planned to be delivered, but as you can see, the very first issue of Asshole has arrived! I cannot wait to get this book in front of you guys! A true labor of love, there’s nothing like holding in my hands and I hope you all will feel the same way. And don’t forget, New York Comic Con is the ONLY place to get your copy, once they sell out it’ll be available as a digital download only. Anyway, that’s all for me. This post is gonna be short and sweet, since I wanna spend a lil more time drooling over (not on) these babies :)

See You At The Show!

Ejay

New York Comic Con, Here I Come!

The 2011 Sketchbook

Ok so it’d been a ridiculously long time since I posted but I can assure you it’s with good reason. I’ve spent the last few months getting everything ready for NYCC 2011 and I’m hapy to say all projects are ready to go! What projects would those be? Well aside from releasing my first full length comic, I’ll also be releasing my first sketchbook entitled: Impact – The Art of Ejay Russell. Its a 32 page collection of sketches, finished art and references to upcoming projects. I wanted to wait to announce its release until I was sure it’d be ready for the show, as in addition to the art contained in the book, it will also feature a sketch cover on the reverse side to further personalize it. As for news on my comic, Asshole, it too will be released with 32 pages, 24 pages of story and 8 pages of production art. Its currently going to be in a black & white “rough cut” form since I’m still working on the colors and the final color version will be digital only (though that may be subject to change.) As it stands both books with be New York Comic Con Excusives, once they’re gone, they’re gone. If I have remaining copies of either I’ll list them for sale here on the site. Lastly, I’ll be sitting in Artist’s Alley again this year, you can find me at table L10 alongside Fred Haynes of Green Lantern and War Machine fame. Until
next time!

Peace!

Had To Make A Change

It was just a short time ago that I posted the completed artwork for the cover to A$$hole #1 and I couldn’t have been more thrilled with the result. The image came out exactly as I had imagined it in my head, something that rarely happens for me, and the overall design was well received. But only a few days after posting it I came across an article on comicbookresources.com where they held a convention panel discussion with some of todays top cover artists about what goes into a great cover. I knew this would be a perfect article for me to read as I wanted to continue to have all my covers to have a great degree of impact. Frank Quitely was one of the panelists, and when I scrolled down the page to view his work they were discussing I nearly fell over when I saw this:
How could this have happened I thought to myself? In the entire time I had been planning my cover I had done months of research not only into what could make a cover great, but also to make sure this did not happen. I wanted to craft an image that was entirely original and now here I was left with a great cover that bore a striking resemblance to another great cover. Well after the feeling of dismay and nausea wore off it was time to get to work on a redesign. Fortunately I already had an idea in mind so I wasn’t going to have to spend too much time agonizing over what to draw.
I had already begun preliminary work on designing the back cover for the comic, which would now be bumped up to the main cover. And in this instance I felt comfortable in knowing if someone saw this new cover and felt they’d seen something like it before its because they should, as it references the classic James Bond movies I’d loved as a kid. There was a certain amount of trepidation however, as I didn’t want to give too much away in terms of the upcoming story-line or confuse readers by what they saw on the cover. But the more I thought it over the more I knew I was going in the right direction. So folks, without further adieu, I present to you the new (and improved) cover to A$$hole #1!
Now I don’t want anyone to think that with this cover that I’ve completely scrapped the original, as thats not the case. For the sake of the printed book the original cover now becomes the back cover, and for the digital version it will still be the main cover. I still love that image and have no plans to abandon it, ever. But hopefully you guys will enjoy this version just as much, if not more so than the original, as always let me know what you think!

FINALLY!

Well it took me some time, but after what seems like months of planning and conceptualizing (and a helluva lot of time coloring) I present to you the cover to Asshole #1! As you’ll notice its dated for October of this year to coincide with NYCC, when it will be available for a limited print run during the show, but also available digitally on iTunes, Amazon and here on my site as well. Hope you dig the cover, I’ll also release a few teaser images in the months leading up to the show and any news or updates regarding the book. Let me know what you guys think, enjoy!

It Is What It Is…

Originally I sat on this piece because I didn’t want to post it before the publisher had a chance to, now it appears that it’ll never see the light of day, mainly because I’ve yet to be paid for my work. I wont get into bitching and moaning about the entire mess, needless to say apparently it’s not only the record biz that observes Industry Rule #4080. Oh well, live & learn…

And The Winner Is…

Edward Anthony Lee

Thanks for ordering Grimm Fairy Tales ‘Neverland’ featuring cover art by yours truly! I’ll be contacting you shortly with instructions on receiving your prize! Hope you enjoy both the comic and the pinup!

-Ejay

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