Bob and Ms. Inkwell on Static Rift Podcast March 6

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For those interested, I am scheduled to be interviewed alongside my Inkwell Awards spokesmodel Hailey Skaza-Gagne as Ms. Inkwell on the Static Rift Podcast (Facebook) Monday March 6. The show starts at 6pm EST but I believe we come on at 6:30. We’ll be talking about my career and my organization. Their latest Twitter promo says “No show today we’ll be back next week to interview legendary comic inker & founder of @InkwellAwards @almondink & his spokesmodel Ms Inkwell.”

 

UPDATE: here’s the direct link to the show interview.

Swanshadow Article Praises Bob

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Those familar with my commission gallery are familar with prolific client and dear friend Michael Rankins. A voice actor in his day job (and successful gameshow contestant), Michael is a seasoned comic book art collector. He has a blog, “Swanshadow Thinks Out Loud”, and he oftens devotes the end of the week with the column ‘Comic Art Friday’. Yesterday he posted another celebrating me and my work (“A Drink of Ink”). I don’t take this tribute lightly and always cherish the recognition. Thank you, Uncle Swan!

AT LAST! THE ANSWER!

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Those of you who follow my site’s news know that there was some confusion about where Marvel was publishing the Black Panther variant cover that Sal Velluto and I recently were hired to do. On Tuesday January 24 it was listed in the online Marvel solicitations for April at Newsarama. I posted the following on my Facebook wall the next day, below, and they even spelled Sal’s name properly this time:

 

To answer the oft-asked question about where/when that variant Black Panther cover by Sal Velluto,myself and Paul Mounts will be out, the answer is finally in the latest April solicitations for a 4/19 release: “BLACK PANTHER: WORLD OF WAKANDA #6
TA-NEHISI COATES & REMBERT BROWNE (W) • JOE BENNETT (A)
Cover by RAHZZAH
Variant Cover by SAL VELLUTO”

 

In other Black Panther news, I was surprised to see a third BP title from Marvel, BLACK PANTHER & THE CREW. (Yes, they are using the team that Priest created after his Black Panther series ended in 2003, but without Priest.)  I’m not working on it but this is the first time in Panther history that he’s had more than one series let alone three. Ah, the wonders of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

CORRECTION: Sal&Bob Black Panther variant cover

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For those interested: I was informed last week by my local New England Comics retailer (and longtime Inkwell Awards retailer affiliate) Nate Machado that the variant cover for BLACK PANTHER: WORLD OF WAKANDA#4 by Sal and myself was erroneously listed in the recent Marvel Previews catalog and online as being for that issue.  It is intended for another issue from either this series or the flagship title. Once I know for sure I will share that info here.

HANDBOOK HUNT! Marvel Fact Files: Black Panther Special

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I haven’t done this topic at the site for quite some time. But I used to make mention of reprinted art of mine appearing in Marvel’s handbooks and other publications. One such magazine was the one that accompanies the Eaglemoss statues. In 2007 I picked up t
he 2006 Eaglemoss magazine The Classic Marvel Figurine Collection#30: Black Panther mentioned on this page in my archives.

I recently saw a solicitation for another BP-themed issue, now renamed, Marvel Fact Files: Black Panther Special (2016). I ordered it and recently picked it up and it had less of Sal & my work than the earlier

book. Besides a tiny cover image of Black Panther#27 (v. 3) and at the end a price guide showing the cover to BP#23 with Deadpool and the Avengers as being in high demand and low supply, it only had a couple of images from the center spread timeline shown here, one from BP#49 and 14.

However, while searching for the 2006 cover file, I discovered this: Marvel Fact Files#19:

Black Panther!

This one sports a Sal&Bob cover and I didn’t know about it. Don’t know the year. But I am asking my Facebook friends if anyone’s seen it. If you have or know where I can get one, please email me at dmralmond@gmail.com

THE 2017 BOB ALMOND & INKWELL AWARDS TOUR

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This is the verified and official list of conventions and events we’ll be attending. I’ll be traveling

with/setting up for the non-profit along with spokesmodel Ms. Inkwell Hailey Skaza-Gagne

(AKA Holly Black) at each stop unless it says otherwise. This is going to be a much busier than

usual year for us but besides our regular con supporters some new supportive shows are bringing

us out to new locations and that certainly helps with exposure. FCBD is pending for me.

INDIANA COMIC CON: April 14-16 (http://indianacomiccon.com)
KUBERT SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIP CEREMONY: Friday May 5
(http://www.kubertschool.edu/admissions/scholarships.html)
FCBD: Saturday May 6 (tbd) ??
ALBANY COMIC CON: Sunday June 4 (http://www.albanycomicbookshow.com)
HEROES CONVENTION: June 16-18 (http://www.heroesonline.com/heroescon/)
TAMPA BAY COMIC CON: July 28-30 (http://tampabaycomiccon.com)
BOSTON COMIC CON: August 11-13 (w/ Hailey but no I.A. set up)
http://bostoncomiccon.com
TERRIFICON: August 18-20 (http://www.terrificon.com)
RHODE ISLAND COMIC CON: November 10-12 (http://www.ricomiccon.com)

BLACK PANTHER COVER COMMISSIONS BY SAL & BOB!

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FROM SAL VELLUTO’S ANNOUNCEMENT ON FACEBOOK:

A SPECIAL DEAL FOR ART COLLECTORS (Read to the end)

Our offer for the sale of the 3 originals (sketch, pencils, inks) of our
BLACK PANTHER variant cover has been well received. Bob Almond and I are now considering some potential buyers

and we¹ll be finalizing our sale around the time Marvel solicits the issue with our cover. IN THE MEANTIME… we¹d like

to offer 3 special commissions, based on the cover sketches Marvel didn¹t choose. They¹re all pretty evocative of the

spirit and the power of the BLACK PANTHER and would enrich any art collection since they¹re done by the art team

(Sal & Bob) who has drawn this beloved character more than anyone else in the business.

THIS IS HOW THE DEAL WORKS. 1) You get to choose one of the three sketches. (A, B or C) 2) I will draw a very tight

pencils version on cover stock, based on the sketch you choose. 3) Bob will ink my pencils on a separate cover stock.

(He will ink over “blue lines”). You will end up with 3 separate original pieces ( sketch, pencils and inks) for a special

price of $ 595.00 plus shipping. There will be only one set done per sketch, and will be adjudicated on a first come

first served basis. Please PM me or Bob for reservations and further details. 

dmralmond@gmail.com

sal@velluto.com

UPDATE: Option C is no longer available because a client commissioned Sal to render it (see below).

THINGS THAT ARE SURREAL: Seeing My Original Art in Clients’ Frames

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Every once in a while a customer who bought original art from me or a client who commissioned

me over the years will email me a thanks along with a photo file of their framed acquisition.  This

always feels so weird to me seeing my work framed.  It makes me proud, of course, but I guess

it hasn’t really settled in that after 25 years that something I worked on would be treasured

like that. Surreal, yes, but still rewarding and sincere thanks to all who have done so.

Client Christophe Palma includes 6 of my commissions out of the 7 on his wall.

The customer that bought this original cover art from VAMPIRELLA: REVELATIONS#2

by Mike Lilly and myself not only framed it but he’s commissioned me to do

a loose recreation on it (the last commission presently on my docket).

A recent head & shoulders commission of the Incredible Hulk inked over a

Marvel artist probably most-closely attached to the character, the late

Herb Trimpe.

Check out Paul Mounts’ colors to that Panther cover!

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Our last article below discusses about the Black Panther variant cover we did and that I’d inform fans of any updates. Well for one, here’s the digital colors that

Marvel commissioned longtime vet colorist to Paul Mounts to do on it! Also, the cover is listed as being reserved for Black Panther: World of Wakanda#6 but our

editors said that was just a placesetter in order to have info submitted to pay us through accounting, so I’m still not 100% sure where it’ll wind up being printed.

But you’ll find out here once I know!

 

*UPDATE: AS THE SOLICITATION (to the left) SHOWS IT’LL APPEAR AS THE VARIANT COVER FOR BLACK PANTHER: WORLD OF WAKANDA#4.

Sal & Bob return to Black Panther after 15 years!

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Well, for a cover anyway!  (Bare witness to the closest thing to click bait for me;-))

 

Marvel hired Sal Velluto and myself last month to render a variant cover for the new Black Panther series by Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze. I inked the art while I was in-between the Twin Tiers and Terrificon shows. We’d offered our services as it’d been 15 years since we departed the title helmed by our pal Priest in 2002 with #49. Between the Panther’s Marvel cinematic debut in CAPTAIN AMERCIA: CIVIL WAR and upcoming solo film for 2018 and this new series, the time was right to give it a shot.  It was a huge thrill for me to return to the property that Sal and I were probably most recognized for as a team with critical acclaim and award wins. Is there a chance of us illustrating an issue?  Well, Marvel knew we were interested but there wasn’t a need for that at this time with scheduling.  But you never know!

 

I will post info when this art is available for sale (or if I get a color file).