Today I team-up with John Mayo for a Back Issue Spotlight episode of the Comic Book Page Podcast.

This episode we talk about Marvel Team-Up issues #80-85, other favorite comics from our childhood, and the differences between comics then and now- and not just the cover prices!

Also out this week are the Topps Star Wars Galaxy 6 trading cards I worked on.

I did 100 regular sketch cards and 39 special “Sketchograph” cards signed by the actors.

More info on these sketch cards can be found on my site- www.LinWorkman.com and in our forums.

And Happy Birthday to our own Dave Beaty!

Lin

I talked about working on the Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Galaxy 6 card sets, and who would win in a fight- Batman or Vader?

I had a lot of fun drawing and joking around in the Bat-Cave (my studio) with Fox13′s Tom Dees and Derric Curran.

I did a total of 106 sketch cards for each set (mostly in markers) and hope to do more in the future.

The Empire Strikes Back cards are available in stores now. The Galaxy 6 cards should be out in stores this spring, and the above Topps promo featured my Anakin card.

You can see more of my sketch cards on my site- www.LinWorkman.com, and see the Fox13 video here.

May the force be with you always! Yub-yub!

Lin

“Elementary: The Many Faces Of Sherlock Homes” Art Show By Lin Workman

October 15-31, 2010
Theatre Memphis lobby area
In tandem with the play “Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure”

Also I have so upcoming releases from DC Comics that are either available for pre-order or will be on-sale soon. Check ‘em out at your local Comic Book Store:

AVAILABLE October 20th- Brightest Day #12

Written by GEOFF JOHNS and PETER J. TOMASI; Art by IVAN REIS, PAT GLEASON ARDIAN SYAF, SCOTT CLARK , JOE PRADO and DAVE BEATY; Cover by DAVID FINCH; 1:10 Variant covers by IVAN REIS

Don’t miss the hottest event in comics as the biweekly BRIGHTEST DAY continues with the return of the Black Lanterns! Has time run out for our resurrected heroes? Plus, you must not miss the stunning origin of the new Aqualad, the battle between Aquaman and Black Manta, and the bizarre journey of Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond as they delve into the inner workings of the Firestorm matrix and uncover its secret!

AVAILABLE on November 3rd- Adventure Comics #520

Written by PAUL LEVITZ; Co-feature written by JEFF LEMIRE; Art by KEVIN SHARPE & MARLO ALQUIZA; Co-feature; Art by MAHMUD ASRAR & JOHN DELL ; Cover by SCOTT CLARK & DAVID BEATY

In the final issue of the first arc of “Superboy and the Legion: The Early Years,” for the first time – a Legionnaire dies! Learn how the consequences surrounding this brutal moment still affect the Legion today!

I also have some secret projects that will hopefully be announced soon, so stay tooned.

October 15-31, 2010
Theatre Memphis lobby area
In tandem with the play “Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure”

As a tribute to those who have played Holmes on stage and screen, artist Lin Workman will have a one man show running in tandem with Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure. “Elementary: The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes” is a show built specifically around the Theatre Memphis production. Workman’s art in this show represents many of the real life people who came to fame playing Sherlock Holmes. “I started off doing my favorite Holmes- Basil Rathbone,” Workman says, “ but wanted to show a variety of Sherlocks from different times and with different looks. I have Basil, Peter Cushing, Robert Downey Jr., Jeremy Brett, Michael Cain, and a few surprises including James Bragington- a studio employee who was promoted to actor for the first full length British Holmes feature A Study in Scarlet because he looked like Holmes.” The show has been over a year in the works with the first contact being made in 2009 to Workman about a show to run with the Theatre Memphis production of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. That show did not materialize due to a schedule conflict but the communication channels were left open to discuss a show in 2010. The work in the Theatre Memphis show will all be in black and white acrylic paint airbrushed on canvases that are approximately 3’ x 4’.

Workman is an accomplished cartoonist and muralist and has work that has appeared in the Memphis Flyer and The Commercial Appeal locally. He has been published nationally in Airbrush Action Magazine and Amazing Figure Modeler. He has completed murals for Pancho’s Restaurant, McDonald’s, Haunted Web of Horrors haunted house and Fitzgerald’s Casino in Tunica. Formerly an artist and screen printer in the t-shirt industry and a graphic artist designing tombstones and other monuments, he is the creator of the web-comic Scared Silly and is the co-creator of the self-published comic book series Bushi Tales. He was recently a Star Wars sketchcard artist on The Empire Strikes Back 3-D card set by Topps. Workman has also served as President and Vice President of the Mid-South Cartoonists Association.

An artist’s reception for the collection created by Workman for this show will be held October 20, 2010, from 6pm – 8pm at Theatre Memphis, 630 Perkins Extended, in the upper and lower lobbies. The event is free and open to the public with the artwork available for purchase. Theatre Memphis will receive a portion of the proceeds from the sales.

Performance dates for Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure are October 15-31, 2010.

Theatre Memphis is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization located at 630 Perkins Extended (corner of Perkins and Southern) and is a community theatre whose mission is to provide outstanding theatrical experiences to enrich the lives of our audiences and participants.

Visit their website at http://www.theatrememphis.org for more info, or check out more of Lin’s work at his site- linworkman.com.

I’ve been reading the magazine for years now and have had a few of my paintings and tees featured in their Reader Gallery before.

But I’ve never been THE Reader Gallery- much less have it be a two page spread!

More info about this issue on my site- linworkman.com.

Stay tuned for more info on my upcoming Sherlock Holmes art show at Theatre Memphis this October.

Lin

My artist returns for the Topps Empire Strikes Back 3-D card series.

Here are a few more of Dave’s sketchcards for the Golden Age of Comics set which hits stores tomorrow.

This weekend is my favorite holiday-

What is Free Comic Book Day?

Free Comic Book Day is a single day – the first Saturday in May each year,  when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely FREE* to anyone who comes into their stores. *Check with your local shop for their participation and rules.

Here’s where Dave and I will be this weekend for FCBD-
OFFICIAL GRAND OPENING OF THE NEW SAMURAI COMICS SUPERSTORE & FREE
COMIC BOOK DAY CELEBRATION!

Saturday, May 1st 2010
10am-8pm
Located at the NEW Samurai Comics Superstore: 1051 E. Camelback Rd.

Brighest Day artist Dave Beaty (appearing after 2:30pm), Garrison writer Jeff Mariotte, Grimm Fairy Tales artist Mike Debalfo, and many more comic guests! AZ 501st Dune Sea Garrison! Lots of free comic books Iron Man, Owly, Archie, Superman… something for everyone in the family to enjoy.

CAPE-CON

Cape Comic Con is partnering with FCBD (Free Comic Book Day) and will be giving away free comics Saturday, May 1 from 9am-6pm while supplies last.

It’s going to be held at the Osage Community Center (1625 N. Kingshighway) on May 1st & 2nd.

Guests include DC Comics artist Ethan Van Sciver, Ghost Rider writer/creator Gary Friedrich, TV’s The Flash John Wesley Shipp.

Also attending are Jay Chuppe, Martheus Antone Wade, and me!

If you’re in the Memphis area stop by Comic Cellar or Comics and Collectibles.

And don’t forget that Dave’s issue of Brightest Day #1 hits stores next Wednesday- Cinco de Mayo!

Dave and I have been working on some sketchcard sets so this week instead of Sketchbook Wednesday we’re going to do Sketchcard Wednesday.

First up are two cards Dave’s done from the Golden Age of Comics series by Breygent Marketing.

Dave’s “Captain Flag” sketchcard (inks and markers).

Dave’s “The Black Terror” will be an actual printed card in the set.

These will be available early May 2010.

I’m currently working on the Empire Strikes Back 3D set for Topps.

These are widescreen cards.

The top ones are my pencils, and the bottoms are the finished makers/inks.

These cards will be shipping in May and 1 artist sketch card is guaranteed per box!

More to come next week!

Lin

Here’s how our Mikah temple print started off.

It was a bit “sketchy” at first…

Then Dave tightened up the figure and added the background.

Then came the inks. Dave then sent me the b/w digital file over the internet.

I opened it up in Photoshop and dropped flat colors in. I mostly used the select and fill tools at this stage and colored in channels- this helped keep the file size down.

Then I used the airbrush and gradient tools to do the shading and effects. I also added snow and some blurring effects on a separate layer.

There are lots of great books out there on coloring comics and working in Photoshop. A couple I’ve used are Hi-Fi Color for comics by Brian and Kristy Miller and The DC Comics Guide to Coloring and Lettering. Both are available on-line and in most comic shops and book stores.

I’ll be posting more how-to’s over in our Bushi Tales forums. If you have a tutorial you’d like to share please do!

Hope to see you there-

Lin

http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2010/03/dave-beaty/

Thanks to Jenny Williams for the opportunity. Also, DC Comics released the first Adventure Comics cover that Scott Clark, Hi Fi Colour Design, and I did together. It’s the cover to Adventure Comics #12. Check it out:

Don’t forget about the Art of Bushi Tales book. It’s available now from Indy Planet. 100 pages of full color BT goodness. You check out preview pages here:

http://www.indyplanet.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3397

More comic news soon.  So stay tooned.

I’ll be on to help promote the upcoming MidSouthCon (Olive Branch, MS next month: March 12-14).

I was on the show a while back talking about Bushi Tales with Alex and Marybeth and had a great time.

Should have some paintings with me and may do a bit of sketching live. Wish me luck!

You can also see one of my Superman paintings in an interview about the con on Fox13 here and here! (Thanks, Carlin!)

Don’t forget- the con is next month (March 12-14) and will have comic guests Gail Simone, Kevin J. Anderson, John Jackson Miller, and many more!

Lin