SDCC & TR!CKSTER 2012 FF Full Schedule

Hey guys,

First: my most recent cover for THE SPIDER to celebrate this Pulp SUnday.
And following is my entire schedule for this year SDCC (or CCI) and TR!CKSTER shows. Hope to see you guys there in SD: looks like it's gonna be GOOD time :)

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Thursday, July 12


10-11am
SIGNING at DC Booth #1915 - bring your Black Mirror HCs or Swamp Thing #10 issues by to get them signed.

1-2pm:
Dark Horse Panel: Powered by Creators, Room 23ABC
An In-Depth Look at the Best in Creator-Owned Comics— Just over 25 years ago, Dark Horse arrived with a different agenda than any other publisher in comics. The young company was founded on the belief that comics creators should have the option to retain the rights to their own work, and today it continues to be a highly fertile breeding ground for new characters and concepts. Self-publishing sensation Sam Humphries introduces Dark Horse publisher Mike Richardson, along with a cast of top talent from around the industry. Expect exclusive announcements, and much, much more!
FF: A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT coming out from this panel, so make sure to be there :)

3-4 pm 
SIGNING at Dark Horse Booth #2615 Creator-Owned Signing with Eric Powell (The Goon), Francesco Francavilla (The Black Beetle), Matt Kindt (MIND MGMT), Tony Puryear and Erika Alexander (Concrete Park), and Sanford Greene (Rotten Apple)

4-5pm:
SIGNING at CBLDF Booth #1920

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Friday, July 13

10-11am
>>> Secret Project & Con Exclusive Merchandise Signing – Project & Items To Be Announced & Tweeted at Show
FF: make sure to check my twitter feed (@f_francavilla) at 10am for details on the what and where!

12-1 pm SIGNING at MARVEL Booth #2329

2-4pm
Trickster Symposium
NEW LOCATION!!! Wine Steals/Proper, 795 J Street

Get tickets and information for all Trickster Symposia and events at http://trickstertrickster.com/events/symposia/

THE ART WORKSHOP
Afternoons at TR!CKSTER will feature THE ARTISTS’ WORKSHOPS, a series of informal demonstrations by a gathering of today’s top visual storytellers. Designed to allow for up-close-and-personal demonstrations of technique and method, these workshops will feature artists creating original works on-site and in the moment, from watercolor and acrylic to pencil and ink. Work might include actual comics pages being produced, thumbnails, or original paintings that might be used for production. Some work will be available for sale as its produced, some just for demonstration, but these workshops have been hailed as some of the more memorable experiences at TR!CKSTER. Make sure to include this experience in your schedule this year!
Demonstrating artists will include  JILL THOMPSON (Scary Godmother),  JIM MAHFOOD (L.A. Inkstains), FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA (Black Beetle, Sorrow, Garrison), FABIO MOON (BPRD, Casanova), SCOTT MORSE (Strange Science Fantasy, BRAVE), ARMAND BALTAZAR (The Collidescape Chronicles, Pixar designer), and an assortment of other top visual storytellers from comics, film, and illustration backgrounds. Artists will vary daily.

PERFECT FOR: artists and aspiring artists in all fields; anyone looking to explore new media and technique/method

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Saturday, July 14


5-6 pm
SIGNING at DC Booth #1915

7.30 pm 
CBLDF Art AuctionA first look of preview images is available at http://tinyurl.com/CBLDFauction or at the CBLDF’s booth, number 1920! This auction will take place at the Hilton Bayfront, in the Sapphire AB Room, at 7:30 pm. YOU DO NOT NEED A COMIC CON BADGE TO ATTEND. More art will be added up til the auction begins!
FF: I have two pieces in this auction Captain America and Golden Age Sandman (see below). Pls bid generously for a great cause.





Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2012 Francesco Francavilla

Sci-Fi/Noir Double Feature: CAPTAIN AMERICA and BLACK WIDOW

~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

I am so happy to finally announce my next project at MARVEL: CAPTAIN AMERICA and BLACK WIDOW, a 5 issue mini written by a dear friend of mine and a heck of talented writer, Mr Cullen Bunn :)

The mini will debut this September with a double shipping (#636 and #637) and will mix the classic Super Hero action with noir-thriller (as seen on the above cover) and weird-science, sci-fi themes (as you can see below). I am working on it right now and trust me: it's gonna be tons of FUN :)


~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~


Above you can see my first 2 covers for the mini, and here's the solicits from Marvel:

CAPTAIN AMERICA & BLACK WIDOW #636 & 637
CULLEN BUNN (w) • FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA (a/c)
• Captain America and the Black Widow are on a deadly collision course!
• Crosshairs are trained on Cap!
• Kashmir Venemma dies! At least twice!
• Guest-starring Hawkeye, Iron Man, and Dr. Doom (?)
32 PGS. (EACH)/Rated T ...$2.99 (EACH)

Hope you guys enjoy the covers and will pick up the issues in September :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2012 Francesco Francavilla

The AVENGERS, EARTH's FIRST HEROES

~~ Click on the images for bigger size! ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

with the AVENGERS movie been released this week (and being one of the greatest superhero movies to date), I couldn't help sharing on Pulp Sunday my take on this beloved team of heroes: Hulk the Druid (a Celtic primeval force of nature), Captain Amerigo (from the New World), Thor himself, and an unknown mysterious clad-armored gladiator known as Iron Man . Together they are The AVENGERS, EARTH's FIRST HEROES and they fight evils and undead armies. Think of MARVEL meets LOTR. How does that sound? :)

This idea would fit perfectly in one of those WHAT IF mini at MARVEL: maybe if I put together the full pitch they might let me do it too ;)

The second piece illustrating the Avengers fighting the dead in the snow was drawn by my dear friend Steve Gordon, who penciled the piece inspired by my idea. Steve graciously allowed me to ink and color the art so to have the image you see above. 

Planning to do more art about this, like the single shot of Thor riding the horse above.

Have a great Pulp Sunday everyone.

Cheers,
Francesco

AVENGERS EFH Concept & Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla
The AVENGERS created by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby ~  © 2012 Marvel

Captain America and Bucky #627 Exclusive Preview

~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

Above is a promo art and a little preview of the third chapter of the Captain America and Bucky story James Asmus, Ed Brubaker, and I are telling on the pages of Cap&Bucky mini. We finally get to "meet" Adam III and things are going to get really bad.

Captain America and Bucky #627 is out today in all the fine comicshop around the Country: make sure to go pick up a copy or two - it's good, ole style, solid comics at the good old $2.99 price :)

One more issue to go: the explosive conclusion of this story will be in stores next month in #628.

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2012 Francesco Francavilla

Captain America and Bucky #625 Exclusive Preview

~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

Above is a promo art I did for the second chapter of the Captain America and Bucky story James Asmus, Ed Brubaker, and I are telling on the pages of Cap&Bucky mini. Things are heating up and we get more WW2 era flashbacks, as you can see in hte exclusive preview pages above (click on the image for bigger view).
Captain America and Bucky #626 is out today in all the fine comicshop around the Country: make sure to go pick up a copy or two - it's good, ole style, solid comics at the classic $2.99 price :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2012 Francesco Francavilla

"Reign's End" (Black Panther #529 cover)

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Hello Pulp Friends,

above you can see the cover for Black Panther #529, out in February. This is also my last Black Panther cover for the time being since the series will end with issue 529, which concludes the Kingpin of Wakanda arc, the current arc written by David Liss and drawn by Shawn Martinbrough and Mike Avon Oeming. As mentioned earlier in here, this arc is another great noir, pulp tale of our hero set in NYC so I suggest everyone to pick it up until its conclusion in February.

I wanted also to say THANKS to David Liss, guest artist Jefte Palo, letterer Joe Caramagna, editors Bill Rosemann, John Denning, and Jon Moisan, and everyone at MARVEL, all a joy to work with, and a huge THANKS to all of YOU guys who loved and supported our book since day one - it has been a wonderful ride and hopefully will get together again in the future, like old friends, to tell more Panther tales :)

Until then, I'll see you all on the pages of Captain America and Bucky starting in December.

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla

La Pantera Noir (Black Panther MDMA #526 & #527 Covers)

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Hello Pulp Friends,

above are my covers for Black Panther MDMA #526 and #527, both on sale in December. As you can see, I am keeping with my homage to classic noir/pulp magazine/movie posters, completed with title/taglines :)
Hope you guys dig it and can't wait to see what those insanely talented Shawn and Mike fellas will bring to the interiors.

Here's the solicits for these issues:
BLACK PANTHER: THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN ALIVE #526 & #527
Written by David Liss
Penciled by Shawn Martinbrough & Michael Avon Oeming
Covers by Francesco Francavilla

The war with the Kingpin heats up – with two issues hitting this month! Lady Bullseye and Typhoid Mary are out to kill T’Challa…time to call in Falcon and Luke Cage! The former King of Wakanda and the former Kingpin of crime wage in a deadly game, with the Panther’s homeland as the prize!

32 PGS. (each)/Rated T+ …$2.99 (each)

Wish you all a wonderful Pulp Sunday :)
Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla

CAPTAIN AMERICA & BUCKY #625 Cover

~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

I can finally share what I will be working on (among other things) in the next few months: CAPTAIN AMERICA & BUCKY! :)
I am so excited to have the opportunity to work on such an icon of the Superhero comics (thank you so much, MARVEL :)), and to work with such talented writers like Ed Brubaker and James Asmus, and I hope you guys will be along for the ride :)
I will be drawing a full arc starting with CAPTAIN AMERICA & BUCKY #625, out in December.
Above is my cover for the book and below is the solicits:

CAPTAIN AMERICA & BUCKY #625
Written by Ed Brubaker & James Asmus
Pencils & Cover by Francesco Francavilla

• The original Human Torch guest-stars as Captain America teams up with Bucky in the present day… for the first time?!
• Rising stars James Asmus and Francesco Francavilla join Eisner award winner Ed Brubaker for a rollicking adventure into the future of the star-spangled Avenger’s past!
• Brand new arc! Easy jumping on point!

32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

Stay tuned for more cool books announcements coming soon :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla

The Kingpin of Wakanda! (Black Panther MDMA #525 Cover)

~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

this is the cover for BLACK PANTHER: THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN ALIVE #525, which debuted at SDCC last week. It will be out in November and will be the beginning of a new arc where T’Challa will be facing the Kingpin (Wilson Fisk), Lady Bullseye, Typhoid Mary, and lots and lots of ninjas.
Just plain old school pulp/noir fun, which I tried to portray in the above 60s style cover.
Hope you guys dig it :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla

BLACK PANTHER in "SPIDER ISLAND"! (#524 Cover)

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Hello Pulp Friends,

I was very happy to find out that starting on issue 524 I will be providing covers for the Black Panther books: been working on the title for almost a year so that is just a cherry on the cake for me :)
Issue 524 is a tie-in with the SPIDER ISLAND event, where everyone on Manhattan gets some sort of spider power/quality/feature. Editor Bill Rosemann asked me to go retro/pulp (which is not a problem for me at all, as you know ;)) and directly tribute a famous Amazing Spider Man cover by Gil Kane featuring a 6 armed Spidey, and above is the result of such homage :)

All titles and icons and types are all hand drawn.
Hope you guys dig it: I had LOT of FUN drawing this :)

BLACK PANTHER #524 - SPIDER ISLAND tie-in, written by David Liss and with art and cover by me, will be on sale in October.

Here's the solicits:
The Story: SPIDER-ISLAND TIE-IN! First it was American Panther, now it's…Six-Armed Panther? The arachnid infection griping Manhattan hits T'Challa, but that doesn't mean he'll stop trying to protect Hell's Kitchen! And when Overdrive breaks into the quarantine zone, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Panther swings into a deadly race across the streets of New York City. What has the Spidey villain stolen that's worth smashing through a hero-protected border, and why is the lethal Lady Bullseye trying to keep him from getting back out?

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla

SDCC & TR!CKSTER 2011 FF Full Schedule

Hey guys,

following is my entire schedule for this year SDCC (or CCI) and TR!CKSTER shows. Hope to see you guys there in SD: looks like it's gonna be GOOD time :)

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Entire Show - I will have fine art prints for sale at the Trickster store (directly across from the convention center at the SAN DIEGO WINE AND CULINARY CENTER)

Entire Show - HIGH FIVE SELECT POUR AND FINE ART COMBO - available at the Trickster store/event space.
THE HIGH FIVE is the specialty “limited edition” beverage of choice for this event: each night, (from Tuesday, July 19-Saturday, July 23) from 8:00 PM until 1:00 AM, we’ll be pouring a unique and highly praised beverage into a custom screen printed TR!CKSTER HIGH FIVE glass and handing it to you, along with a very limited edition original art print.

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Thursday, July 21

10-11am SIGNING at Marvel Booth #2329 - bring your Black Panther books or Man Without Fear posters by and get them signed!

2-3 pm SIGNING at DC Booth #1915 - bring your Detective Comics issues by to get them signed. Or how about issues of last year's Garrison miniseries from Wildstorm by Francesco and Jeff Mariotte? He'll sign that too!

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Friday, July 22
12-1 pm SIGNING at DC Booth #1915

Trickster Symposium 3:30 – 5:30 pm
SAN DIEGO WINE AND CULINARY CENTER :: 200 HARBOR DRIVE, SUITE 120
Directly across the street from the convention center. Wine will be served!!!
Also, I'll have prints on sale at the Trickster store during the entire show.

Get tickets and information for all Trickster Symposia and events at http://trickstertrickster.com/events/symposia/

SYMPOSIUM 4:
Friday, 7/22/11, 3:30PM to 5:30 PM
THE ART WORKSHOP
Featuring artists JILL THOMPSON, JIM MAHFOOD, FABIO MOON, FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA, TOMMY LEE EDWARDS and more TBA
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/181760
Whether you work in single panel illustration, poster design, web design, or sequential storytelling, you more than likely juggle the concept of developing a “style” versus creating immortal visual art that communicates readily with an audience. Technique, theory, method, and madness will all be on display in an intimate workshop environment. Explore paint application and aesthetic, discuss ink and inking implements, and watch as original art is produced on the spot in a variety of styles and media.

PERFECT FOR: artists and aspiring artists in all fields; anyone looking to explore new media and technique/method

Friday night - TR!CKSTER and THE CRITERION COLLECTION present: A TRIBUTE TO THE FILMS OF AKIRA KUROSAWA

Location: SAN DIEGO WINE AND CULINARY CENTER :: 200 HARBOR DRIVE, SUITE 120 (Directly across the street from the convention center.)

TR!CKSTER and The Criterion Collection have joined forces to curate a one-night-only celebration of the works of legendary director Akira Kurosawa. This intimate show, curated by Criterion designer Eric Skillman, will feature original pieces by artists from the worlds of comics, animation, and illustration, including: Mike Allred, Scott C., Josh Cochran, Francesco Francavilla, Robert Goodin, Victor Kerlow, Ted Mathot, Scott Morse, Sho Murase, Yuko Shimizu, Bill Presing, Jim Rugg, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Connor Willumsen. Though the gallery show will be free to enter and enjoy for the general public, all proceeds from sales of these works will be donated to the Japan Society Earthquake Relief Fund.

This is a special engagement gallery event, existing for one night only: Friday, July 22, 2011.

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Saturday, July 23

10-11am SIGNING at Marvel Booth #2329
2-3 pm SIGNING at DC Booth #1915

DC Panel – The Dark & The Edge: 12:45 – 1:45, Room 6DE

Moderator: John Cunningham EDITOR: Pat McCallum
From the shadowy corners of the new DC Universe comes a startling array of new series featuring some of comics’ top creators! Join DC Editor Pat McCallum and get acquainted with new DC titles from “The Dark” and “The Edge,” including Swamp Thing, written by Scott Snyder, Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. and Animal Man, written by Jeff Lemire, Deathstroke, written by Kyle Higgins, Demon Knights and Stormwatch, written by Paul Cornell, I, Vampire written by Josh Fialkov, Suicide Squad written by Adam Glass, Swamp Thing, drawn by Francesco Francavilla, All Star Western by Jimmy Palmiotti, Justin Gray and Moritat, and more! Room 6DE

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla

Black Panther Layouts

~~ Click on the above and below images for the preview ~~

Hello guys,

Black Panther TMWF #514 come out yesterday and early reviews are all agreeing: this new arc of Hell's Kitchen is a good one :)
For those who enjoy the "making of" I am posting some layouts from issue 513 (click on the above image).
Click on the below image for a 9 pages preview plus cover. Hope you guys pick up the book an enjoy the read :)




Here's MARVEL solicts for it:

Luke Cage guest stars as T'Challa's new adventure in NYC continues!

The former King of Wakanda has sworn to protect the mean streets of Hell's Kitchen, and while battling the mob is one thing, how does he stop a killer targeting innocent people?

It's a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, as T'Challa hunts ruthless new crime lord Vlad the Impaler, while Vlad concocts a desperate and bloody scheme to entrap the mysterious new vigilante that's ruining his plans.

T'Challa learns what it really means to be a man without fear.

Story by David Liss
Art by Francesco Francavilla
Cover by Simone Bianchi, Simone Peruzzi

Price: $2.99


Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla.
All Characters ™ and © 2010 Marvel Characters, Inc. All rights reserved.

LA PANTERA NERA!

~~ Click on the above and below images for a bigger view ~~

Hello guys,

I am very happy to see Black Panther (#513) finally out because I know all of you pulp fans will enjoy it. One of the reasons I was chosen to draw this is actually Black Beetle, and I was asked to keep the visuals in that vein (as you can see from the attached images).


-Initial Concept Art for Black Panther-

Not only the pages will look very pulp, but writer (and award winning) David Liss has been cooking a very noirish gritty tale for this.


-Concept for a recurring location in the story-

Click on the image below for an overall look at the interior pages and I hope you like what you see here (and if you do I hope you pick up #513 this coming Wed :)

Have a wonderful Pulp Sunday everyone and tune in next Sunday for a verr Pulp Xmas story :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2010 Francesco Francavilla.
All Characters ™ and © 2010 Marvel Characters, Inc. All rights reserved.


~~ Click on the above and below images for the preview ~~

Black Panther Book of the Month!

Hi guys,

while I am still happy for all the praise that my run on Detective (with those talented Snyder and Jock fellas) is getting, I found out today that in the new Wizard Magazine (now on the shelves) my other BIG-TWO debut book with writer David Liss, Black Panther Man Without Fear #513, has been picked as "BOOK OF THE MONTH" in the PULL LIST section of the magazine by the Wizard staff.
The book will be in stores on December 15th - mark your calendars!
If you have been enjoying my noirish art on Commissioner Gordon, well you are gonna get 23 pages of down to the street noir/pulp action in here too :)
Will share some preview when we get closer to the release.

Cheers,
Francesco

All images © 2010 Francesco Francavilla.
Black Panther ™ and © 2010 Marvel Entertainment

The Death Laser!

(click on the strip for a better reading experience :))

Hello Pulp Friends :)

It was 1960s Nick Fury week over at Comic Twart, and I decided to do a little Sternako inspired strip/story which I posted yesterday there.
Since the format I sued was similiar to our beloved Sunday strips, I added a cover image this morning and I am posting in it since I think it qualifies as goold Pulp comic :)
Hope you guys enjoy it even if it's a very short tale :)

Have a Wonderful Pulp Sunday everyone :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © Francesco Francavilla 2010

Ben Grimm, P.I.

(click on the above images for a larger view)

Hello Pulp Friends,

I did the above fake cover as (a bit silly) take on Ben Grimm for Comic Twart - inspired by an initial headsketch of Ben with fedora-like and coat on by Ramon Perez, sketch that I inked and transformed in the above cover.
This morning I couldn't help to do another take on this noir Ben Grimm as warmup sketch and the result is the above (quick) splash page that could actually open the story, which is...

Synopsis:
What if Ben and Reed part ways (not in a good way). After a few years Ben is a PI and (femme fatale) Sue steps in his office. She wants Ben investigating on the murder of Mr Fantastic.
How does that sounds for a NOIR take on the FF? :) Now if only I could find anyone at Marvel who lets me do it ;)

I am reposting these here becuase I think they belong here :)

Cheers,
Francesco

"SMILE" - Day 6 - Conclusion

Hello Pulp friends,

And here's the conclusion: hope it was worth the ride :)
It's no mystery that Nazi "stole" lots of works of art before and during WW2 to place them in their personal "art galleries". Nazi were not the first to do so and not the last, but that was the inspiration for this short tale of Cap America.

Hope you all enjoyed the strips :) (click on the one below to see the second full strip in color)

Cheers,
Francesco

"SMILE" - Day 5

And then there was day 5... with a double panel!!! :)
One more panel to go so make sure to tune in tomorrow for the ending of this short tale (tomorrow posted also in a color strip format :))

Cheers,
Francesco

"SMILE" - Day 4

And here is day 4. Getting there... ;)
I hope everyone had a great beginning of week :)

Cheers,
Francesco

"SMILE" - Day 3

Hello Pulp friends,

Day 3 is here with the final panel of the first strip (which you can see in its entirity and in color below - click on it for larger view). Stay tuned for the next panels which will conclude this short Cap America tale.

Have a great Pulp Sunday, everyone!
Cheers,
Francesco