Sunday, December 16, 2012

THE BLACK BEETLE is here!

THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #3 Cover ~~ Click on the images for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

     It's another Black Beetle inspired Pulp Sunday, and I hope that's ok with y'all :)
The reason is that this week the third cover of the series was revealed: you can see it above (first cover showcasing the name of the city BB operates in too) and here is the solicits text to tease you while you wait for the release (in March) ;)

The Black Beetle: No Way Out #3
Written by Francesco Francavilla
Art by Francesco Francavilla
On sale March 20, 2013     
Under the watchful gaze of the mysterious Labyrinto, Black Beetle fights for his life! Is this the doing of a man that Black Beetle thought was dead? Could a zombie mobster be commanding the foes of Colt City’s dark avenger?! If he survives the night, the investigative insect will be left with questions to ponder as he takes his investigation . . . to the morgue!
 

    Next we have a sneak peek at NO WAY OUT #1 that my editor Jim Gibbons kindly gave in his blog post on the Dark Horse website. I suggest to click on the image to really enjoy this spread in all its glory :)

THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #1 Preview
    THE BLACK BEETLE NO WAY OUT #1 is still available for pre-orders: here's a pre-order form Dark Horse put together to make things easy for you. Just click on the image, print out the form, bring it to the shop, and -voila- it's done! :)

THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #1 Order Form


    Last but not least- BLACK BEETLE NIGHT SHIFT (aka #0) is coming out in stores this coming Wed. I received some advance copies and it's BEAUTIFUL (and I am not saying that just because it's my baby ;))

    If you missed the 3 part story in Dark Horse Presents, here's your chance to read it all in one place. And if you didn't miss the DHP issues, than you can still pickup this collected edt because of the brand new and retro pulp cover and the few pages of extra material we put in this.

    Check out the snapshot I took and see for yourself :)


Have a wonderful Pulp Sunday, everyone, and Happy Holidays with family and friends. Taking next Sunday off but I will see you on the 30th. :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Sunday, December 9, 2012

THE BLACK BEETLE Finds "NO WAY OUT" Of The Shadows

THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #1 Lobby Card ~~ Click on the images for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

     I am so excited to share the latest 2 lobby cards with some support words from two comicbook legends and a huge inspiration of mine: Jim Steranko and Warren Ellis. I am lucky enough to call Jim a friend and he has always been enjoying The Black Beetle since the ashcan from a few years ago, so having his stamp of approval (being the Pulp authority he is) really means a lot to me.
     And to add another cherry to the pie, Warren asked to see the pages from issue 1, enjoyed it and gave me the blurb I used on the lobby card below. More thumbs up from these greats means I might be doing this right :) Let's hope I don't screw it up along the way ;)

THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #1 Lobby Card
     Issue #0 (collecting the NIGHT SHIFT 3-parter published in DHP plus extra material) is coming out in less than two weeks and there is still time to put in pre-orders for issue 1 coming out in January.

     Speaking of issue 1 of NO WAY OUT, here's an excerpt of an interview that was recently published on CBR (done with Daniel Glendening) in which I talk a bit of the story, The Black Beetle, and show some sneak peek of the book (first 3 pages).

~~Ŧ~~


     Back alleys shrouded in darkness and long shadows cast by dim streetlights, all-night diners and wise guy gangsters, esoteric artifacts and Nazi secret agents: this is the world readers have come to associate with classic noir, and the world readers will find in writer/artist Francesco Francavilla's "The Black Beetle" from Dark Horse Comics. With the release of "The Black Beetle" #0, collecting the three-part story "NightShift" that originally ran in Dark Horse's anthology series, "DarkHorse Presents," on December 19 and the subsequent launch of "The Black Beetle: No Way Out" four-issue miniseries on January 16, Francavilla continues his impressive rise in the comic book industry. Francavilla nabbed the 2012 Eisner Award for Best Cover Artist as well as the 2012 Eagle Award for Favourite Newcomer Artist. He brings his signature graphic, pulp aesthetic to every panel of his developing series, eagerly sharing the process on his "Black Beetle"-centered blog.


     "We are still at a very early phase of the Black Beetle's history," Francavilla told Comic Book Resources. "We know he operates in Colt City and we know he is some sort of masked vigilante or hero. The events in 'Night Shift' span one night -- We've learned what the Black Beetle is capable of, and where his 'base of operations' is located."
     The Black Beetle is a hero, to be sure, and he's willing to take a bullet in defense of the innocent. However, he is not without his flaws, as hinted at in "Night Shift," and Francavilla compares him to Humphrey Bogart's character Rick Blaine in the 1941 film, "Casablanca."
     "[The Black Beetle] operates outside the radar of the law, which allows him to get information on criminal activity in Colt City and act accordingly, sometimes adopting unorthodox measures," said Francavilla. "He is a hero, after all -- not a perfect hero, but still a hero."
[...]

      "There is something else going on more than just simply 'protecting the citizens of Colt City,'" said Francavilla. "What is that 'something else?' That's one of the major plot-points that we'll discover a bit at a time through the next several issues in the series."
[...]
    "A main goal I had for this book is to explore several genres of the pulps," Francavilla explained. "'Night Shift' was a mix of spy-war story with some supernatural elements, while 'No Way Out' is more of a crime-mystery story."
     Francavilla cites the pulp and noir films and serials of the 1930s, '40s and '50s as direct influences on The Black Beetle, as well as classic pulp crime fiction writers like Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler. The series is also clearly indebted to early masked-heroes like The Shadow and The Spider.
     "I always loved the high entertainment value of those stories," said Francavilla. "You didn't need to know much going in except that some bad guy is going to do something bad and The Shadow or The Spider was going to take care of him. Same goes with the gangster or crime movies from that period: you were going in without any pre-conception or knowledge of the characters; getting to meet the hero (or anti-hero) during the movie, and deciding to like or hate him or her at the end. You probably thought you knew how the movie was going to end, but somehow the whole experience wasn't as predictable as you thought. And that made it fun, entertaining. Hopefully I will be able to achieve the same effect with 'The Black Beetle.'"
~~Ŧ~~

So please spread the word about BB, pre-order #1 and #2, tell your store to order some extra copies, and -last but not least- have a wonderful Pulp Sunday, everyone :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Sunday, December 2, 2012

PULP Triple Feature! The SHADOW ~ The BLACK BEETLE ~ The SPIDER!

THE SHADOW #11 Cover Art by Francesco Francavilla
THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #1 Lobby Card THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #1 Lobby Card
~~ Click on the images for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

Time for another TRIPLE Feature featuring The Shadow, The Spider, and that new guy, The Black Beetle! :)

Above and below are the covers for The Shadow #11 and the Spider #9 (both out in February) and a couple of new lobby card I did for The Black Beetle #1, featuring a quote by dear friends MATT WAGNER (remember our Zorro and Green Hornet runs?) and STEVE NILES (my partner in crime on the adaptation of Frazetta's DRACULA MEETS WOLF-MAN)

All these 3 titles are in this month's Previews, including my own BLACK BEETLE #2: please pre-order #1 as well, since there is still time to do so - the success of the book will depend by those numbers, so I can't stress enough :)


THE SPIDER #9 Cover Art by Francesco Francavilla

Have a wonderful Pulp Sunday, everyone :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Old West Double Feature: THE LONE RANGER!

THE LONE RANGER #13 Cover Art by Francesco Francavilla
THE LONE RANGER #14 Cover Art by Francesco Francavilla
~~ Click on the images for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

Time for a Old West Double Feature with my LONE RANGER covers for #13 and #14!
This next 6 issue arc (starting with #13) is a series of standalone stories, so you can jump on board anytime (the sooner the better though, since Ande Parks and Esteve Polls are killing it on this book).
Issue 13 will focus on Lone Ranger while #14 will be about Tonto's past coming back to haunt him.

THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #1 Lobby Card
(click on the image for bigger view)
Also featured today is the new lobby card for my own BLACK BEETLE #1, this time spotting a quote from Horror Master Steve Niles. Again, please consider pre-ordering the book this month, so we can asure Black Beetle a long life in the publishing world :)

Here is the solicits for issue 1.

THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #1 (of 4)
Francesco Francavilla (W/A/Cover)
On sale Jan 16. FC, 32 pages $3.99

Black Beetle’s investigation of two local mob bosses is interrupted when a mysterious explosion murders them and a pub full of gangsters—taking out most of Colt City’s organized crime in one fell swoop. Who could pull off such a coup, and what danger might that murderous bomber do to Colt City and Black Beetle?

Have a wonderful Pulp Sunday, everyone :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Sunday, November 11, 2012

The SHADOW ~ The BLACK BEETLE ~ The SPIDER! A PULP Triple Feature

THE SHADOW #10 Cover Art by Francesco Francavilla
THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #1 Lobby Card
~~ Click on the images for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

Today we have a TRIPLE Feature of three Pulp icons (well, Black Beetle sure hopes to become one ;)).

I give you the covers for The Shadow #10 and the Spider #8  and a new lobby card I did for The Black Beetle #1, featuring a quote by dear friend Rick Remender (my partner in crime on SORROW and other books like FEAR AGENT and SEA OF RED, now acclaimed writer of the new relaunched Captain America)


All these 3 books are in this month Previews and once again I invite you to pre-order them, especially my own BLACK BEETLE #1: the success of it will depend by those numbers, so I can't stress enough :)

And here is the solicits for issue 1.

THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #1 (of 4)
Francesco Francavilla (W/A/Cover)
On sale Jan 16. FC, 32 pages $3.99

Black Beetle’s investigation of two local mob bosses is interrupted when a mysterious explosion murders them and a pub full of gangsters—taking out most of Colt City’s organized crime in one fell swoop. Who could pull off such a coup, and what danger might that murderous bomber do to Colt City and Black Beetle?

THE SPIDER #8 Cover Art by Francesco Francavilla

Last but not least, a heartfelt THANKS goes to all the Veterans out there: Happy Veteran's Day!

Have a wonderful Pulp Sunday, everyone :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Pulp Double Feature: THE BLACK BEETLE in "NO WAY OUT" #1 & #2

THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #1 Cover
THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #1 Cover
~~ Click on the images for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

Today's Double Feature is a very special one becuase it features a pulp hero very dear to me: my own BLACK BEETLE! :)

Here are the covers for THE BLACK BEETLE #1 (above) and #2 (below), now available for preorders.

I can't stress enough how important is for a new book to get as many pre-orders as possible, and in this specific case I invite you to do it even more: The Black Beetle's future kind of depends on it. The better number it gets, the more DH will ask me to draw more, which is exactly what I want to do: got so many stories planned for our favorite neo-pulp hero, and I will only be able to tell them if we get the book selling enough copies to justify the printing run. Yes, now with the digital comics you can get around that, but Black beetle has to be printed on paper: it's PULP after all ;)

Hope you guys pre-order these two issues (and the next 2) and tell your LCS to order a few copies as well.
I am putting some promo lobby cards as well with quotes from some of my friends. Above is the first one from the sweet and talented writer Gail Simone. More coming this week and the next ones.

And here are the solicts for issue 1 and 2.

THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #1 (of 4)
Francesco Francavilla (W/A/Cover)
On sale Jan 16. FC, 32 pages $3.99

Black Beetle’s investigation of two local mob bosses is interrupted when a mysterious explosion murders them and a pub full of gangsters—taking out most of Colt City’s organized crime in one fell swoop. Who could pull off such a coup, and what danger might that murderous bomber do to Colt City and Black Beetle?

THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #2 Cover
THE BLACK BEETLE: NO WAY OUT #2 (of 4)
Francesco Francavilla (W/A/Cover)
On sale Feb 20. FC, 32 pages $3.99

While investigating a mysterious mass murder that leveled Colt City’s mob bosses, Black Beetle gets wrapped up in a puzzling maze of clues. Could the appearance of a costumed criminal named Labyrinto be related to the destruction of the powerful organized-crime racket?

I am very EXCITED about this finally coming out. And if you are too, pls leave a note and let's turn this blog post in a BB love-fest :)

Have a wonderful Pulp Sunday, everyone :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Sunday, October 21, 2012

"THE INVISIBLE MAN" ~ (1933)

The INVISIBLE MAN
~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

It's HORROCTOBER and today's offering is a classic: THE INVISIBLE MAN!
This poster was part of the "THE UNIVERSAL MONSTERS" show organized by MONDO, show that opened 2 days ago in their gallery in Austin.

Here's a shot at the gallery and the official flyer for the show. (click on the images for larger view)

 

The screen-print poster turned out magnificent! It's 24x36" and if you missed the opportunity to get one from the regular but limited and numbered edition (405) at the show, I just received the APs (see below) so I should have them for sale at some point (when I am done with some deadlines and figure out some packing logistics).



Have a wonderful Pulp Sunday, everyone, and enjoy this scary HORROCTOBER with us :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Sunday, October 14, 2012

CHILDREN OF SORROW! a GHOSTLY tale of MACABRE by Remender, Peck, and Francavilla!

CHILDREN OF SORROW! a GHOSTLY tale of MACABRE by Remender, Peck, and Francavilla!
~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

For today's HORROCTOBER!installment, I dressed and colored a pinup of that deliciously scary horror story I did with Rick Remender and Seth M. Peck, titled SORROW.

What? You don't know about SORROW?? That's bad, really bad... ;)
Keep an eye on the blog then, cause I will be posting a couple of things more this week :)

And make sure to tune in next Sunday to find out my next Universal Monster contribution to the MONDO posters :)

Have a wonderful Pulp Sunday, everyone, and enjoy this scary HORROCTOBER with us :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Sunday, October 7, 2012

HORROCTOBER: "The Living Dead"

The LIVING DEAD! a FEAST of SHOCK and HORROR!!!
~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

As for tradition, I am dedicating the month of October to all things Horror and Creepy, hence the genius re-title of HORROCTOBER! ;)

Among the many scary things I will be sharing this month, there are also 3 limited screen print posters I have done for a couple of Horror themed shows.

First is the above poster of THE LIVING DEAD, a poster for the Bottleneck Gallery's "Can't Beat Em, Join Em: The Zombie Show", which runs from October 6th (this past Friday) to October 28th.


If you live in NYC or in the surroundings, go check out the show: lots of cool art and depiction of your favorite Zombies. The address is  Bottleneck Gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York

You can pick up one of my 16x24" screen-print limited (115) THE LIVING DEAD posters at the show or online at the Bottleneck website http://www.bottleneckgallery.com/products/francesco-francavilla-the-living-dead
I should be getting my APs sometime next week and have them on sale on my store the week after.

The other two posters coming this month are yet to be announced: next one will be for MONDO's "THE UNIVERSAL MONSTERS" show in Austin (see poster below for info).

If you enjoyed my CREATURE poster I did for them, wait to see this one :)
I will share somethign as soon as I am allowed.

The third poster is something original (and limited as for the previous ones) that will be put for sale on my store later this month. Stay tuned for more info.

Have a wonderful Pulp Sunday, everyone, and enjoy this scary HORROCTOBER with us :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Sunday, September 30, 2012

SHADOWS ON PULP SUNDAY! The Shadow & Dark Shadows Covers

THE SHADOW #9 Cover
DARK SHADOWS #13 Cover
~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

Once more, it's Double Feature here on Pulp Sunday!
Here's my covers for THE SHADOW #9 and DARK SHADOWS #13, both in stores in December.

THE SHADOW #9 is written by Victor Gischler with Art by Aaron Campbell
Here's what you need to know about this story:
Revolutionary Part 2 (of 4) - The Shadow finds himself face to face with George Orwell smack dab in the middle of the Spanish Civil War, but his mystic powers fail to illuminate what significance this literary legend holds for the world. No time to figure that out! The Shadow's campaign against a murderous gang of gun runners takes him on a tour of Barcelona's underbelly where he meets the beautiful and dangerous Black Sparrow! But is he really an old friend in disguise? Pause to ponder that and you might miss the deadly dogfight over the Spanish countryside. Pack a parachute, Shadow, because you're going to need it!

DARK SHADOWS #13 is written by Mike Raicht with Art by Guiu Vilanova
Here's what you need to know about this story:
A glimpse of the dark future of the Collins' bloodlines is revealed. What horrors reside in Collinwood in the year 1984? Will Barnabas be able to find out where it all went wrong and stop it? Or has his family's fate already been written in blood?

Have a wonderful Pulp Sunday, everyone, and tune in tomorrow for some October/Halloween month related announcements: if you are fan of Universal Monsters and creepy Horror, don't miss this :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Pulp Double Feature: THE LONE RANGER & THE SPIDER

THE LONE RANGER #12 Cover
THE SPIDER #7 Cover
~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

Time for another Double Feature here on Pulp Sunday.
Here's my covers for THE LONE RANGER #12 an THE SPIDER #7, both in stores in December.

THE LONE RANGER #12 is written by Ande Parks with Art by Esteve Polls
Here's what you need to know about this story:
The epic conclusion of the Native Ground arc. The Lone Ranger has traveled through Indian lands in search of a healer for his friend Tonto. Now, the healer has been found, and she is not at all what the Ranger expected. Has the Ranger come all this way just to watch his friend die? The battle for Tonto's life and soul will be resolved. Your understanding of this iconic character will be forever changed.

THE SPIDER #7 is written by David Liss with Art by Ivan Rodriguez
Here's what you need to know about this story:
NEW STORY ARC! Police Commissioner Kirkpatrick lies dead. His wife grieves, and a twisted killer stalks the city. The Spider has inadvertently set into motion the chain of events that leads to his friend’s death, and now he’s out for bloody vengeance – Spider style! But will Richard Wentworth be able to resist the grieving window when she’s the woman he loves? It’s a game-changing issue of the neo-pulp sensation.

Have a wonderful Pulp Sunday, everyone :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

SHERLOCK HOLMES ~ The LIVERPOOL DEMON #1

DARK SHADOWS #12 Cover
~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

I am very excited to announce that a new Sherlock Holmes mini will be hitting the stores in December and that I will be providing the main covers for it.
I missed drawing the Great Detective since my cover run on Sherlock Holmes Year One last year.

Above is the cover for #1, out in December, and below is the Press Release from Dynamite :)

Cheers,
Francesco

~~~~~~~~~~
September 18th, 2012, Mt. Laurel, NJ – 
Leah Moore and John Reppion return to Sherlock Holmes after their acclaimed Sherlock Holmes: The Trial of Sherlock Holmes series.  Sherlock Holmes: The Liverpool Demon features dynamic pencils from Matt Triano and a fantastic cover by the winner of the 2012 Eisner-Award for Best Cover Artist, Francesco Francavilla!
In Sherlock Holmes: The Liverpool Demon #1, Sherlock Holmes is busy doing what he does best, solving a case of far-reaching international notoriety. It has landed him at the Port of Liverpool, a bustling hub of commerce both legitimate and illicit. As that chapter closes, ours begins. They head to Lime Street Station, to catch a fast steam locomotive home to London and Baker Street, when violent weather keeps The Great Detective and Watson in  Britain’s second city a while longer. Long enough to encounter a monster, discover the Liverpool underworld, and to become embroiled in one of his strangest cases yet.

“The year is 1888: the Great Detective and the ever dependable Dr. Watson find themselves in the bleak northern port city of Liverpool from whose still bustling docklands grim slave vessels once sailed,” says writers Leah Moore and John Reppion. “Violent gangs roam the streets and the city’s struggling police force are fighting a war against an all pervading criminal underworld. A strange creature is sighted high among the rooftops and soon dead bodies bearing strange wounds begin to mysteriously appear. Only Sherlock Holmes can cut to the heart of the mystery and expose the truth behind the spectre of The Liverpool Demon.”

“Moore and Reppion craft a sober, literate mystery in which historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven,” adds artist Matt Triano.  ”The Liverpool Demon is whimsical and horrific, an absolute pleasure.”
“We’ve been waiting to release this one for a bit and had to find the right artist to do justice to John and Leah’s work,” states Dynamite Editor Joe Rybandt. “They’ve put a tremendous amount of work into each and every Holmes series, culminating with the Liverpool Demon, enjoy!”

Sherlock Holmes: The Trial of Sherlock Holmes is one of Dynamite’s most acclaimed series,” adds Dynamite President Nick Barrucci.  “It is a pleasure to have Leah and John back aboard for more mystery and intrigue with Sherlock Holmes: The Liverpool Demon!”

Sunday, September 16, 2012

~~ DARK SHADOWS ~~

DARK SHADOWS #12 Cover
~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

Back to the regular transmissions on Pulp Sunday after the Baltimore Comicon break of last week.
Today is a Horror Sunday with my cover for DARK SHADOWS #12.

Have a wonderful Pulp Sunday, everyone :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Thursday, September 6, 2012

New FF Store for ART-PRINTS-BOOKS



Original Art, Limited Prints, Art Books!!!

Hello Pulp Friends,
The new place for purchasing original art, art prints (limited prints like my MONDO's CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON or other archival giclee art prints), limited edition sketchbooks and books from me is
http://francavilla.bigcartel.com/

I am updating the store with new items so please check it often. I do most of the announcements of new items via TWITTER - you can follow my feed @f_francavilla to be up-to-date with what is on sale on the store page.
If you are interested in a print that is not yet on the store page, pls contact me for availability.

ON SALE TODAY!!!

MONDO's CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON(24" x 36" screen print. Signed and numbered AP edition of 23 - only 15 will be on sale).

 



These are the Artist Proofs of the sold-out special San Diego Comicon 2012 Mondo edition. Printed by D+L Screen Printing.
All prints are signed, numbered, and remarqued - I planned a very cool and nice way to fit the original art in the design of the poster.

This item will be on sale this afternoon (EST) Sept 6. Exact drop time will be announced on twitter (@f_francavilla). Thanks!

Cheers,
Francesco

Sunday, September 2, 2012

NATIVE GROUND - A Lone Ranger tale

THE LONE RANGER #11 Cover
~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

While I work today on the final cover of the NATIVE GROUND arc of the new LONE RANGER series, here's the latest cover (issue 11) which I hope you will all enjoy.

Once again, I can't recommend enough this amazing book by Ande Parks and Esteve Polls: the trade collecting the first 6 issue just came out and it's a must have if you missed the first issues.


A quick update: I have been under some tight deadlines so my focus was 100% on drawing pages, but now that I am taking a little breather, I 've been working on setting up a web based store for my books and prints in the hope to facilitate the process of ordering/purchasing for everyone.
That will be the place where you will be able to get the limited prints like my MONDO's CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON or other archival giclee art prints.
Stay tuned for link coming soon :).

Meanwhile, wish you all a wonderful Pulp Sunday :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Sunday, August 26, 2012

PULP SUNDAY's 5th Anniversary!!!! Feat. THE BLACK BEETLE

THE BLACK BEETLE #0 - NIGHTSHIFT
~~ Click on the images for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

I am so HAPPY to announce that today marks the 5th Anniversary of our favorite pulp place: PULP SUNDAY!
This blog debuted exactly 5 years ago (August 26th, 2007) with a series of Old Radio shows of THE SHADOW and THE SPIDER accompanied by lobby cards and spot illos I drew specifically for each episode. Little did I know back then that THE SHADOW and THE SPIDER would eventually come back in comics 5 years later and that I would be providing the covers for them :)

In the course of these fantastic 5 years of PULP SUNDAY I also thought this was the perfect place to debut the next Pulp Hero: my own The BLACK BEETLE. Remember those first web-based comics, and the ashcan featuring the first few pages of NO WAY OUT?

Well, I AM SUPER-EXCITED to officially announce today that THE BLACK BEETLE's NO WAY OUT will be in stores this coming January 2013 with The Black Beetle #1 thanks to the fantastic and awesome friends of DARK HORSE COMICS.

NO WAY OUT will be the first BB mini, with more minis coming after that.
But before we get to that (and reveal the covers), today, as a PULP SUNDAY 5th Anniversary Exclusive, I give you the above cover for THE BLACK BEETLE #0, which will be in stores this December and will collect the acclaimed 3-part story titled NIGHT SHIFT (which appeared in the pages of Dark Horse Presents) plus some extra content.

The BB books will also feature a letter page (my awesome BB editor Jim Gibbons and I are huge fans of those), so if you want to have the chance to see your letter in #0 or following issues, email your thoughts/comments/compliments/complaints to blackbeetle at darkhorse dot com :)

That's right! This means that starting in December, you will have a monthly Black Beetle fix for several months!
And as usual, please keep an eye on or bookmark the BB official blog for any updates/news http://theblackbeetle.blogspot.com/

And the Black Beetle news doesn't stop here!

THE BLACK BEETLE & LIBERTY MEADOWS
~~ Click on the images for biggie ~~

You can get the above illo of The Black Beetle and Liberty Meadows next month at the Baltimore Comicon. For the first time, the show will feature an art book. This year's book is dedicated to Frank Cho's Liberty Meadows, and I was asked to contribute with a piece featuring LM and my own creation. The art book is limited to 1000 copies (I think) and it's a big size hardcover. So you might want to grab one if you plan to go to the show :)

Alright, let the celebration begin! 
Thank you so much for making these 5 fantastic years, my friends, and here's to another 5 years of PULP!   
Please  feel free to join in the celebrations if you are reading this :)

Cheers to you all

Francesco

Artwork © 2012 Francesco Francavilla
KARA BOCEK, BLACK BEETLE & COLT CITY
created by, ™ and © 2006-2012 Francesco Francavilla

Monday, August 20, 2012

"The Fear of the Unknown" ~ H.P. Lovecraft

The Fear of the Unknown by H P Lovecraft
~~ Click on the images for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

Today is the birthday of an author so dear to my heart (as you might know already): Howard Phillips Lovecraft.
To  celebrate, I have put together the above illo (based off my famous HP Lovecraft portrait) with a quote of the Man himself. Hope you enjoy it.

Cheers,
Francesco

 Artwork ©2012 Francesco Francavilla

Sunday, August 19, 2012

THE SHADOW Double Feature! Introducing MASKS!!!

MASKS #1 Cover
THE SHADOW #8 Cover
~~ Click on the images for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

here's a couple of pulpy covers that will hit the stores in November.

The bottom one is the cover for #8 of THE SHADOW, which will see our hero bringing some action in the alley of Paris, France :)

The top one is for what it might be one of the coolest projects that are coming your way.
Written by my dear friend Chris Roberson and illustrated (for the first issue at least) by Alex Ross, MASKS will see some of the top Pulp heroes joining forces (and guns): this promises nothing good for the criminal underworld, doesn't it? :)

Hope you enjoy these covers/illos (pls drop a note if you do - this place got really quiet lately ;)) and I wish you all a wonderful Pulp Sunday :)

BONUS QUESTION: Next Sunday (August 26th) will mark the 5th anniversary for PULP SUNDAY: should I put together something special to celebrate? 

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2012 Francesco Francavilla 

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Martian Week!

War of the Worlds (1953)
~~ Click on the images for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

Decided to extend the Martian theme to this whole week and call it MARTIAN WEEK  :)

Above is the classic "WAR OF THE WORLDS" and following are in the order:
- the famous WAR OF THE WORLDS radio-broadcast that made Orson Welles famous.
- 2 more covers I did for WARLORD OF MARS - Fall of Barsoom mini
- a tribute to the classic pulps of Edgar Rice Burroughs  "JOHN CARTER OF MARS"

More Mars stuff on my sketchblog (including the adventures of Curiosity in the series titled "LIFE ON MARS" :)

Cheers,
Francesco
War of the Worlds (Orson Welles Edition)
WARLORD OF MARS: FALL OF BARSOOM #1
WARLORD OF MARS: FALL OF BARSOOM #4
John Carter of Mars