"Abe Sapien ~ The Devil Does Not Jest" #1 Variant Cover

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Hello Pulp Friends,

here's the 4th and last cover I did for the Mignolaverse titles: ABE SAPIEN ~ THE DEVIL DOES NOT JEST #1. (out in September 2011)
This is def my fav cover of the set and one of my favorite covers I have done in general :)

Hope you guys dig it and have a wonderful Pulp Sunday everyone :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Abe Sapien ~ The Devil Does Not Jest #1 (Francesco Francavilla Variant cover)
Buried in a demonologist's basement is a deep, dark family secret, where horrific occult practices prove to be life threatening for Abe Sapien.

* An early Abe adventure

* Abe is pitted against demonic family curse!

* From the pages of Hellboy!

Writer: Mike Mignola, John Arcudi
Artist: James Harren
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Cover Artist: Dave Johnson, Francesco Francavilla (variant)

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla

The Mignolaverse Back Cover

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Hello Pulp Friends,

as you know, I realized a set of 4 variant covers for Mike Mignola and Dark Horse for the issue 1s of 4 different new miniseries: "Hellboy: The Fury" #1, "BPRD: Monsters" #1, "Baltimore: The Curse Bell" #1, and "Abe Sapien: The Devil Does Not Jest" #1.
The Mignolaverse books always have an image on the back cover: such image can be a small illo Mike did specifically for the mini, or it can be a panel from the interior art (usually this happens when Mike has a guest artist drawing interiors).
When DH approached me to do these variants, they also commissioned me a 5th illo, the one to go on the back cover of these books.
Since we are looking at several minis, I wanted the image on the back being a little nod to all 4 characters protagonist of these stories.


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Hence I provided DH and Mike with the above sketch, a panel showcasing HB, Abe, Liz, and Lord Baltimore (yep, you can see his peg leg in the painting ;)). I also provided DH with a second option, something a little different from the classic panel or little illo: a (almost) full page icon of the Right Hand of Doom (symbolizing HB) holding a cube that has a fish, a bat, and a flame (symbolizing Abe, Baltimore, and Liz) on the 3 surfaces facing us. Needless to say, MM and DH loved the idea so we run with it.



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I did a stylized version of it for the back cover and a more realistic one. At the end we all decided for the stylized version.
This was the very first thing I drew before getting to work on the cover, hence once we had the illo done, I decided to incorporate it on the front cover and it has became a bit the logo for the whole set of covers. (you can see it in the top left corner of the cover).



The cover for the ABE book you ask? Well, I am leaving that to Dark Horse to reveal it (don't worry, it will happen very soon)> All I can say is that that cover is one of mine and DH&MM's favorite of the set :)

Hope you guys enjoyed this and if you wanna see more making of, check out the making of the FURY cover here on the DH blog.

Have a wonderful Pulp Sunday, everyone :)

Cheers,
Francesco

All Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla

"Baltimore ~ The Curse Bells" #1 Variant Cover

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Hello Pulp Friends,

After my variant covers for HELLBOY THE FURY #1 and BPRD MONSTERS #1, it's time to reveal my third variant cover I did for Mike Mignola's wonderful creations.
This time it's the turn of BALTIMORE, the character created by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden in novel format and then extended (luckily for us) to the comibook format.
As for the previous titles, I was asked to draw a variant cover for issue 1 (only the first issues will get these variants), and I couldn't be happier to play with yet another cool (and a favorite of mine) character. Throw in some demonic possessed monastery, evil nuns, and cursed bells and you get all the ingredients for a FUN story (and cover) :)
Hope you guys dig it.

One more Mignola-related cover to reveal, but for that we have to wait next month ;)

Cheers,
Francesco

Baltimore ~ The Curse Bells #1 (Francesco Francavilla Variant cover)
Monsters are overrunning Europe, and Baltimore, the only one who can put an end to these horrors, must find and kill Haigus, the vampire responsible for this chaos. Following reports that Haigus is holed up in a cloister, Baltimore finds a haven full of death and black magic, and the creature at the heart of his obsession!

• Based on the novel by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden.

• All-new Mignola series!

Writer: Mike Mignola, Michaela Golden
Artist: Ben Stenbeck
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Cover Artist: Mike Mignola, Francesco Francavilla (variant)

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla

BPRD - Monsters #1 Variant Cover

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Hello Pulp Friends,

Back in December I announced that I got the sweet assignment from Mike Mignola and Dark Horse to do variant covers for 4 of Mike's titles. In that occasion I also revealed the first of those covers, a variant for issue 1 of HELLBOY: THE FURY, the final 3 issue arc of the collaboration of Mike with supertalented artist Duncan Fegredo. You can see the cover here.

Some speculated that my covers were all for that mini, but as you can see here today, my variants will be for issue 1 of different titles/arcs. Now that the book is in May Previews (for July's release), I can finally reveal the second of those covers: BPRD: MONSTERS #1 (of a 2 issue mini).
This issue will have a wonderful regular cover by Mike himself, and another variant by Ryan Sook (another awesome piece of art :))

If I get the ok from DH, I am gonna share the several sketches/layouts I did before we decided to finalize the one that turned in the cover you see here.

Hope you guys dig it and tune in all week for more covers in this COVER WEEK on Pulp Sunday :)

Cheers,
Francesco

B.P.R.D.: HELL ON EARTH--MONSTERS #1 (Francesco Francavilla Variant cover)
While the Bureau's off fighting giant bat-eared beasts in Texas, Liz Sherman is kicking hillbilly ass in a trailer park!
"The acronym "B.P.R.D." has become for us synonymous for a good read . . . Keep up the good work Dark Horse!"-MTV Geek
Debut issue of new artist Tyler Crook!

Writer: Mike Mignola, John Arcudi
Artist: Tyler Crook
Colorist: Dave Stewart
Cover Artist: Ryan Sook, Francesco Francavilla (variant)

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla

HellBoy - The Fury #1 Variant Cover

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Hello Pulp Friends,

I can finally spill the beans on another cool cover gig I have been working on recently: a set of four variant covers for Mike Mignola and Dark Horse on Hellboy related book that will be out in 2011.
I can't even start to describe how excited and honored I am to be working on Mike's own creations: I have been fan of Mike and the Big Red since ever so this is a little dream coming true :)
The first cover has been recently revealed so it's safe now to post it in here too, since the look and feel I have been given these is pulp/vintage paperback.
So here's the variant cover for THE FURY #1: hope you guys dig it :)

Tune in all week for a Pulp Xmas: I will be posting something new every day and will have a full story on the 24th, just in time to celebrate the holidays in a pulpy spirit :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2010 Francesco Francavilla

Baltimore: Island of the Bat

Hello Pulp Friends,

I wanted to share this commmission I just did for the patient Pulp Sunday friend Jake. Needless to say, this was so much fun to draw, thanks again to Christopher Golden & Mike Mignola for coming up with such cool characters and to Jake to ask me to draw this.
The original (below) is ink and inkwash on 11x17" bristol. Above is some cover "treatment". Hope you guys enjoy it :)

As usual, click on the images for a lager size/view.

Cheers,
Francesco



Artwork © 2010 Francesco Francavilla
BALTIMORE © 2010 Mike Mignola & Cristopher Golden