2016: it’s been a year of announced deaths in record levels.  My health’s been better.  Lots of drama. Time has seemingly sped up leaving me no time to get anything done.  Not a fan.

 

I am still doing simultaneous work for Kingstone Media and Ravesnake Comics but I’m in-between things at the moment.  I did finally wrap up all old commissions for a regular client…clean slate!  And it feels GREAT! I hope to be able to add three new entries to my commission gallery before long.

 

I visited the Kubert School for the 1st time to represent the Inkwell Awards w/ Ms. Inkwell and to present the Dave Simons Inkwell Memorial Scholarship Fund to a talented student in need, Matthew Neumann. I loved it!  Also for the Inkwells, I am trying to prepare for the awards ceremony at Heroes Con and I have so much to do! And that clock is mocking me!

 

My pal Sal Velluto recently had cancer surgery and mutual chum Mike Lovins has created a fundraiser to help Sal and his family with paying bills from his inability to work. You can find out more here!  If you have been entertained over the years by Sal’s work please consider helping him get back on his feet and produce more magic. I don’t want to collect sick friends.

 

I cancelled plans for signing on Free Comic Book Day due to the recent craziness but I’ll be attending Albany Con May 5 and and Heroes Con June 17-19.  I hope to see any of you there or the shows that follow them (see Public Appearances above). I’ll be the frazzled and tired looking guy staring at my watch.  Is it just me?!

A LOVE/HATE OBSERVATION I MADE ON FACEBOOK TODAY: I’ve been continuously working the past few years on either assignments or commissions but they’ve not been mainstream assignments so to the comics community my status is probably MIA or ‘dead’;-)  But thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe my earlier work has been making the rounds in overdrive since this year and doesn’t seem to be slowing down (Black Panther, Warlock, Thanos, Infinity or Starlin-related, Guardians, etc.). The Complete Priest Black Panther vol. 3 is solicited for April release and it collects the end of my run with Sal. And now it looks like they’re collecting the Warlock and the Infinity Watch series from start to finish starting with Infinity Watch vol. 1 tpb solicited for release in March. On one hand I’m proud of the Panther work and I’m thrilled to see my career flash before my eyes (maybe I AM dead <g>) and the reprint fees are always much-appreciated but, being my earliest work, it’s rough on these old eyes to see the raw mess that was my inking then. Thankfully, I got better;-)

*First off, if you live in the New England area and plan to

attend the Rhode Island Comic Con on November 6-8 I will again be in artists alley

alongside my Inkwell Awards. I’ll have copies for sale of the first edition to The Black

Panther by Christopher Priest: The Complete Collection but regrettably the second

edition ships the following week and I don’t plan to attend another show in quite some

time. I should have at least one copy of The Infinity War Aftermath tpb, too.

*Since my last work for Ravesnake Comics ended in

the spring I’ve been mostly doing commissions. Now it looks like I’ll be starting work

for Kingstone Comics this coming week. The publish Christian-based and young adult

adventure comics and graphic novels. They hope to become the ‘Marvel’ of the faith

market. More on the specifics to come. If I notice a consistent increase in work

frequency I’ll mention that the commission list is closed for the immediate future.

 

Between these developments and a tirade of trades shipping soon this should be an

interesting fall/winter.

From my Facebook wall, my post “Interesting to see that actor Michael Rooker who played Yondu in the Guardians film used this image that Kevin West and I worked on for his banner for convention appearances! It was a pin-up from the one of two GotG annuals that Kevin and I collaborated on circa 1993-94, our first times teamed together. Photo by David Craig.”

And also from my Facebook, photo taken by my regular commission client Christophe (Kriss) Palma and his statement “Bob Almond is well represented on my wall.”  All but the 2nd from the left was inked by me.  This also does not include smaller commissions like a Yellowjacket by Mike McKone or Punisher commissions by Rene Micheletti and by Thomas Frisano.