THERE WERE GIANTS IN THOSE DAYS...
DICK GIORDANO 1932-2010
I just learned that legendary comic artist Dick Giordano died of leukemia this morning. I can't tell you saddened I am by the news and how much it meant to me to have known and worked with him. He was one of my heroes, a major influence in my career and an amazing artist whose genuine love of comics showed in every stroke of his brush. A giant among giants.
It was Dick's collaboration with Neal Adams and Denny O'Neil on the ground-breaking series GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW that made me decide to get into the comic business. When I finally met him in New York in 1973, I found him friendly, funny and always willing to take time to show a youngster a few tips. It was Dick who taught me that balloons should be treated as part of the art and that their placement is critical to the readability of the page. He never gave me the impression that I was wasting his time, while I hovered over his shoulder and asked him a million questions... not that he heard them all, anyway. His hearing was already failing, but his talent never did. The work he did in his later years, especially on MODESTY BLAISE, was nothing short of magnificent.
Although we rarely collaborated on art, I had the honor to write many GREEN ARROW stories which Dick inked over Dan Jurgens' pencils. It was Dick's support and influence that made it possible for us to push the envelope and do stories that would otherwise never have made it into print.
When I was asked to return to THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES and draw the Lightning Lad & Saturn Girl wedding sequence, I agreed on one condition - that Dick would be the inker. Dick was happy to oblige and for about ten minutes I was overjoyed. Then it hit me - my drawings were going to be inked by the best in the business. Let me tell you, I sweated bullets over every line I put down, wondering what Dick would think of it.
The truth is Dick was such a terrific artist, anything you handed him turned out looking great. His artistry showed in his ability to turn a wide variety of pencil styles into inks that were dynamic and readable back in the day when paper quality was poor and printing left a lot to be desired. He once told me he actually preferred looser pencils that allowed him more freedom of interpretation. And when he did it all - pencils AND inks - he was matchless.
When the names of the giants are written - Jack Kirby, Wally Wood, Steve Ditko and the rest of that great generation who built the comic industry - Dick Giordano's name surely belongs among them. 
NEWS
DICK GIORDANO R.I.P.
27 March 2010
THERE WERE GIANTS IN THOSE DAYS...
DICK GIORDANO 1932-2010
I just learned that legendary comic artist Dick Giordano died of leukemia this morning. I can't tell you saddened I am by the news and how much it meant to me to have known and worked with him. He was one of my heroes, a major influence in my career and an amazing artist whose genuine love of comics showed in every stroke of his brush. A giant among giants.
It was Dick's collaboration with Neal Adams and Denny O'Neil on the ground-breaking series GREEN LANTERN/GREEN ARROW that made me decide to get into the comic business. When I finally met him in New York in 1973, I found him friendly, funny and always willing to take time to show a youngster a few tips. It was Dick who taught me that balloons should be treated as part of the art and that their placement is critical to the readability of the page. He never gave me the impression that I was wasting his time, while I hovered over his shoulder and asked him a million questions... not that he heard them all, anyway. His hearing was already failing, but his talent never did. The work he did in his later years, especially on MODESTY BLAISE, was nothing short of magnificent.
Although we rarely collaborated on art, I had the honor to write many GREEN ARROW stories which Dick inked over Dan Jurgens' pencils. It was Dick's support and influence that made it possible for us to push the envelope and do stories that would otherwise never have made it into print.
When I was asked to return to THE LEGION OF SUPERHEROES and draw the Lightning Lad & Saturn Girl wedding sequence, I agreed on one condition - that Dick would be the inker. Dick was happy to oblige and for about ten minutes I was overjoyed. Then it hit me - my drawings were going to be inked by the best in the business. Let me tell you, I sweated bullets over every line I put down, wondering what Dick would think of it.
The truth is Dick was such a terrific artist, anything you handed him turned out looking great. His artistry showed in his ability to turn a wide variety of pencil styles into inks that were dynamic and readable back in the day when paper quality was poor and printing left a lot to be desired. He once told me he actually preferred looser pencils that allowed him more freedom of interpretation. And when he did it all - pencils AND inks - he was matchless.
When the names of the giants are written - Jack Kirby, Wally Wood, Steve Ditko and the rest of that great generation who built the comic industry - Dick Giordano's name surely belongs among them. 
7 March 2010
"Longtime fans of DC Comics' The Warlord were no doubt stunned this past week..."
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18 November 2009
1 November 2009
WARLORD #8
Written by Mike Grell
Art and cover by Mike Grell
Mike Grell picks up the pencil again for the dazzling 2-part conclusion of "The Forgotten"! Under siege by the Beast-men and the remains of the Golden God's army, Travis Morgan thought he was defending an innocent girl... but in truth, his sword serves a power he never expected! Don't miss the finale of this 2-part arc showcasing the art of WARLORD creator Mike Grell!
Written by Mike Grell
Art and cover by Mike Grell
Mike Grell picks up the pencil again for the dazzling 2-part conclusion of "The Forgotten"! Under siege by the Beast-men and the remains of the Golden God's army, Travis Morgan thought he was defending an innocent girl... but in truth, his sword serves a power he never expected! Don't miss the finale of this 2-part arc showcasing the art of WARLORD creator Mike Grell!
21 October 2009
Here is the cover for WARLORD 11 ... Item of interest - the sword Machiste is holding is based on one I built using a gladius blade. the rest is handcrafted by me.
Mike
(click for large versions; these pieces are available for sale at Catskill Comics)
20 October 2009
20 October 2009
27 September 2009
27 September 2009
HERE'S THE FIRST HALF OF THE LAYOUTS FOR WARLORD ISSUE 7. THE REST TO FOLLOW NEXT WEEK. -- MIKE
(click for large versions; these pieces are available for sale at Catskill Comics)
(click for large versions; these pieces are available for sale at Catskill Comics)
27 September 2009
Warlord cover art for #9 and #10.
(click for large versions; these pieces are available for sale at Catskill Comics)
(click for large versions; these pieces are available for sale at Catskill Comics)
19 May 2009
"The very first page, I didn't show the hero's face, I had him mooning the audience. So I caught flak for that, and then later on in the story, I drew him sitting on the throne, but had his body slumped too far down, and Julie Schwartz pointed out that [Aquaman] looked like he was sitting on a toilet. [laughs]--and he was right!"
10 May 2009
HERE'S AN ALTERNATE COVER I JUST DID FOR MARVEL "EXILES", FEATURING POLARIS. MOOSE BAUMANN DID THE COLORING - NICE JOB.
MIKE
MIKE
(click for large version; for sale at Catskill Comics)
27 March 2009
Warlord cover art for #7 and #8.
(click for large versions; these pieces are available for sale at Catskill Comics)
(click for large versions; these pieces are available for sale at Catskill Comics)
8 February 2009
Warlord cover for #6.
(click for large versions; these pieces are available for sale at Catskill Comics)
(click for large versions; these pieces are available for sale at Catskill Comics)
14 December 2008
Warlord covers for #4 and #5.
(click for large versions; these pieces are available for sale at Catskill Comics)
(click for large versions; these pieces are available for sale at Catskill Comics)
19 October 2008
HERE ARE THE LATEST WARLORD PIECES - PRELIM AND FINISHED COVER PAINTING FOR WARLORD #3, PLUS A STUDY OF SHAKIRA THAT I JUST LIKE. AS YOU CAN SEE, THE COVER WAS BASED ON THE POSTER STUDY WE POSTED LAST MONTH. THE WARLORD FIGURE WAS CHANGED TO A MORE AGGRESSIVE STANCE AND TO MOVE HIM MORE INTO THE CENTER.
-- MIKE
(click for large versions; these pieces are available for sale at Catskill Comics)
-- MIKE
(click for large versions; these pieces are available for sale at Catskill Comics)
21 September 2008
HERE'S A BATCH OF NEW WARLORD PIECES - A NEW COVER AND THE PRELIMINARIES FOR IT, PLUS AN UNUSED STUDY FOR A POSTER, POSSIBLY A FUTURE COVER.
-- MIKE
-- MIKE
27 July 2008 - San Diego Comicon 2008, By Chris Arrant
Sword in one hand, gun in the other. And don't forget the winged helmet. As announced at DC's "Guide to Your Universe " panel at San Diego Comic-Con, the classic character the Warlord is back at DC Comics will an all-new ongoing series scheduled for spring 2009. It's his 35th Anniversary, so what better way to celebrate?
Before we get into the new, let's go down memory lane for the first-timers and those who were there the first time.
One of DC's best-selling titles in the late-1970s, The Warlord carved an indelible mark in American comics as one of the first "sword & sorcery" comics - with a .44 for good measure. Created by cartoonist Mike Grell, the iconic Warlord was an Air Force pilot named Travis Morgan that crash landed on a prehistoric "hidden world" inside Earth called Skataris. There, Morgan was dubbed 'the Warlord', where he became a classic adventurer who knew how to fight with both sword and gun, all the time wearing a winged helmet that became his trademark.
The Warlord ran for a total of 133 issues and six annuals, making Grell a well-known name in comics. Grell continued an upward climb with a iconic run on Green Arrow as well as the creator-owned Jon Sable and Shaman's Tears. But fans have continued to carry a torch for Grell's Warlord, and DC's short-lived Warlord revamp in 2006 proved that while fans still loved the character, they were particular as to who and how it was done.
So who better than original creator Mike Grell to helm an all new series for The Warlord? That's a rhetorical question. First rumored back in March when Grell mentioned work on a proposal for Dan Didio, Grell and DC Comics announced today at San Diego Comicon that The Warlord is returning for a new ongoing series in early 2009. Originally conceived as a six issue miniseries, DC Executive Editor Dan Dido was so thrilled by the proposal that the series was greenlit as an ongoing.
High hopes, high aspirations. So what does Mike Grell have to say? We talked with him earlier this week by phone from his home in Washington state.
Newsarama: Thanks for talking to us today, Mike. Let's get right into it - what's the new Warlord series about? A revamp like the 2006 series, or a continuation of your original run?
Mike Grell: It's both. The intent was to re-introduce the Warlord to not just the old fans - the old audience - who are 2 or 3 generations down the road, but to introduce to a new audience. I'm continuing with the same characters and set-ups. There's been some time past since we've last seen them though, so there's been some updating...
Read the full article and interview here
Before we get into the new, let's go down memory lane for the first-timers and those who were there the first time.
One of DC's best-selling titles in the late-1970s, The Warlord carved an indelible mark in American comics as one of the first "sword & sorcery" comics - with a .44 for good measure. Created by cartoonist Mike Grell, the iconic Warlord was an Air Force pilot named Travis Morgan that crash landed on a prehistoric "hidden world" inside Earth called Skataris. There, Morgan was dubbed 'the Warlord', where he became a classic adventurer who knew how to fight with both sword and gun, all the time wearing a winged helmet that became his trademark.
The Warlord ran for a total of 133 issues and six annuals, making Grell a well-known name in comics. Grell continued an upward climb with a iconic run on Green Arrow as well as the creator-owned Jon Sable and Shaman's Tears. But fans have continued to carry a torch for Grell's Warlord, and DC's short-lived Warlord revamp in 2006 proved that while fans still loved the character, they were particular as to who and how it was done.
So who better than original creator Mike Grell to helm an all new series for The Warlord? That's a rhetorical question. First rumored back in March when Grell mentioned work on a proposal for Dan Didio, Grell and DC Comics announced today at San Diego Comicon that The Warlord is returning for a new ongoing series in early 2009. Originally conceived as a six issue miniseries, DC Executive Editor Dan Dido was so thrilled by the proposal that the series was greenlit as an ongoing.
High hopes, high aspirations. So what does Mike Grell have to say? We talked with him earlier this week by phone from his home in Washington state.
Newsarama: Thanks for talking to us today, Mike. Let's get right into it - what's the new Warlord series about? A revamp like the 2006 series, or a continuation of your original run?
Mike Grell: It's both. The intent was to re-introduce the Warlord to not just the old fans - the old audience - who are 2 or 3 generations down the road, but to introduce to a new audience. I'm continuing with the same characters and set-ups. There's been some time past since we've last seen them though, so there's been some updating...
Read the full article and interview here
26 July 2008
"Mike Grell was then brought up to the panel, to talk about a new The Warlord series. "I began talking about the editors over there about the possibility of resurrecting Warlord, going back to the old, original Warlord," said Grell. "Reintroducing them, spinning them into a new adventure with new characters that can pick up the sword and carry on from there ... We've got a few interesting surprises for you, some old stuff revisited, some new tricks up our sleeve, I think you're going to like it."
Click here
Click here
23 July 2008
"Chilling on Doug's yacht today? None other than Mr. Mike Grell. We hollered at Doug's shipmate as he was autographing comics. Doug told us to report on how he conned Grell to hang out with him all day. "Unlimited Mike's Hard Lemonade," Grell answered. Grell pictured on the left with his wife, Doug and his wife on the right."
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Click here
22 June 2008
"Welcome to Mike Grell's The Warlord, a DC comic book series which ran for 133 issues from 1975 until 1989. The character returned in 1992 for a six-issue mini series, and in 2006 for a series which lasted 10 issues ... In a March 2008 Word Balloon podcast interview Grell is quoted as saying, "I'm working on a DC proposal for a new Warlord story... we'll see."
Click here
Click here