My art partner Sal Velluto & I have only met twice: once at the “All-Time Classic NY Comic Book Show” in 2000 and then recently on May 14-15, 2004 at the Motor City Con. Sal almost never does any shows a year and while I normally do anywhere from 3-6 annually plus a store signing or two. I don’t usually do con sketches or inking. But during these rare Sal&Bob gatherings we DO. We were only commissioned for one piece at the NY con in 2000 (a full figure standing Batman earlier in the gallery) but we were requested to do FIVE at the M.C. Con in Michigan this year. First we were requested to do Hourman for one guy and also Dr. Midnite for his pal on Friday, both 11X17. It was a very busy show so they were done by Saturday. I told them that if they sent me a good scan or photocopy of their art that I could add it to my gallery here. I didn’t hear back from them and made a formal request for them to contact me if they can send me the images I would be happy to not only to add their entries here and names in thanks but also send them a cool gift of some sort. The next commission was a sketchbook image of Green Lantern for my pal Officer Mike White. He had mailed me the 8.5X11 new sketchbook just prior to the show and asked us to start it off with a 2-page spread illustration. Sal drew GL suing his ring to make a giant pen write & identify that this was Mike’s book and then I inked all of GL and part of the pen and ring beam on Sunday but didn’t quite finish it on time so I brought it home, finished the pen, lettering and added in all of the space background. This was completed 5/31/04. Lastly, on late Saturday (Sal wasn’t attending the show on Sunday) a client commissioned him to draw an 11X17 Nightwing and his girlfriend bought an 11X17 Batman head that Sal had displayed for sale. They requested that I ink it but I didn’t have time to do it at the show so we arranged for me to bring them home to do which meant that they would also look better than if done at the show venue. Those were completed on 6/6/04. Due to the hardships of travel and the venue itself I only use markers and Pitt brush markers at shows (no brush, ink, jar of water or correction paint) so that’s what was used for the first two jobs and part of the GL sketchbook art. The remaining GL art (part of the pen, letters & space) was rendered with markers, drybrush, zip and white paint spatter. The last 2 commissions were inked with brush, brushmarker and markers.

5/27/05 UPDATE: I was handed the Dr. Midnite image at Pittsburgh Comicon. I gave the client one of my “Inkwell” sketchbooks as thanks! Also, the client who owned the GL sketchbook commissioned Tom Smith to hand-color it at the same con. The color art is below.

7/16/06 UPDATE2: I met K. Kelly at Heroes Con 2006 and he also sent me the Hourman pic in a frame from home for a sketchbook gift from me. Nothing like Happy Endings!

Pencils(GL, ring energy, pen, “sketchbook”)by Sal, inks and entire background by Bob

Hand-colored by Tom Smith

Pencils by Sal

Inks By Bob

Pencils by Sal

Inks by Bob

Inks by Bob over Sal’s pencils

Inks by Bob over Sal’s pencils