It’s 9am and freezing cold out the front of
some convention centre. Geeks of all shapes and sizes are queued up, ready to
pounce. For some it will be a mad dash to get a chance for a photo with their
favourite celebrity, for others it’s to get that first bargain or rarity before
someone else snaps it up. For me, it’s a sprint to artist’s alley to meet my
artistic heroes of the comic world.
The comic penciler is part artist, part
cinematographer, director, set designer and choreographer. In the film industry
this would be the job of many talented people. In comics, it’s one supremely
talented person. Also, unlike those other professions, you can get an original
piece of their work, created just for you.
You can’t go and get yourself an original piece from legendary
cinematographer Roger Deakins but you can have an original piece by the
immortal George Perez on your wall. It’s really a unique thing in pop culture.
Now I’ve gotten good handful of pieces done
and often get questions from people on the cost, how to go about it and so
forth. I have commissions from Nicola Scott, Francis Manapul, David Yardin, Mark Brooks and
Matthew Clark among others on my wall. I figured with Supanova coming up this week in Perth, Oz Comic-Con in Melbourne the week after and SDCC fast approaching, why
not delve into it for you lovely readers.
