Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: GaD!

It's Pride Week here in Toronto which means heading down to Church st. a lot more than usual. The other night I was at Hair of the Dog and couldn't help noticing an extremely tall, oddly handsome waiter/host. I've never asked a person to pose for me so that I could really focus on drawing them well. And I still haven't. But I badly wanted to ask this guy to sit for me for a half hour. I did my best to sketch him in the little book I always carry around. His proportions were really fantastic...kind of a small head on a long neck and over six feet tall. He had to duck to get through doorways.

These guys are just made up. Though I did see someone with the Ipod arm band which inspired the jogger...and the face on the guy dressing was a guy I saw downtown one day.

This weekend is gonna be pretty busy but I will do my best to draw a guy each day. I'll hopefully also sketch while I'm out at the Pride festivities this weekend.

Oh yeah, last post I drew a guy whose picture I found on the net. Well it turns out someone who visits my blog (Hi Thom) knew who the guy was. Check out Eric at his blog KnuckleCrack Eric is a writer, activist and organizer of jump rope parties. Also, you can judge for yourselves just how off I was on the likeness :)

Happy Pride, folks.

j.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday: GaD!

Okay, so this first guy is probably the dirtiest drawing on this whole blog. What can I say? It was Friday, the weather was lovely and I was in a good mood. I hope you guys don't mind.

Even when I tried to draw this guy again I couldn't get his face right. This is based on a photo I found on the net...since I didn't take the photo nor do I know who the guy is I don't feel right posting the photo.

Drawn from memory, this gardener was working on a neighbour's flower bed. I love summer.

best,

j.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: GaD!

I just realized that, as a fan of acronyms, I should have called the latest drawings "Man a Day!". The acronym would then be M.A.D. as in Mad about Men! Oh well.

Thanks again for all the great comments, guys. The last post has a few visitors from Spain, which is cool.

best,

j.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: GaD!

Another real guy I saw the other day. This also happens to look an awful lot like a caricature of me. But I swear I have not intentionally drawn myself as one of the Guy a Day guys!

Bum!

What, no Monday? Sorry...I've got a bunch of work to do today and have yet to get a chance to draw Monday's. I thought you guys would rather an earlier update with one guy short than to have to wait until later in the day for an update. Monday might have to wait until Thursday's post.

Thanks to Lyle Masaki over at http://www.afterelton.com/ for guiding fellas over to my blog. Lyle's mentioned me a few times in his columns. I've met Lyle (if he's the same Lyle Masaki, and I believe he is)...it was very early in my comics career...at the Chicago-Con, I think. Nice guy and I remember disappointing him with my Fruitbat and Swallow story in Love In Tights. He felt it had too many sexual innuendos and compared to the light hearted and more romantic stories that appeared in Love In Tights, he was right. I was a little embarrassed at that and have really tried to show more humour in my art than "sex".

Back to work!

j.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday!

Cheyenne Jackson in Xanadu...I've never seen the show but I saw some of the cast perform on Regis and Kelly. And enjoyed this clip with Cheyenne and Nathan Lane and one with two guys interviewing him after a show.

When I ride my bike through the city sometimes it's really hard not to run into things when I see a good looking guy. This guy really (more or less) walked past me the other day and I almost rode through a red light.

best,

j.

p.s. The first image...I love tan lines :)

GaD: Saturday, Sunday, Monday!

It was a hot weekend here in Toronto and I've got barbecue and summer activities on the brain. Thanks for all the comments so far, guys. I'm looking forward to hearing thoughts on this batch. The last image is a little bonus...two guys for the price of one!

A little explanation for the multiple arms...I couldn't decide which was the best pose and in the end decided it was funnier, and showed the poor guy's nervous frustration, to have all the arms in the final.

Next update: Thursday

j.

A Guy a Day!

I was gabbing with some pals the other day and the subject of how often we update our blogs came up. I admitted I'm somewhat lax and wish I was far more prolific. Common on drawing blogs and message boards is the "Drawing a Day" challenge. I draw pretty much every day but most often it's work or simple doodles that aren't much to look at. Here at Man's Adventure I always want to give you guys some Beefcake, obviously :) Unfortunately my everyday work doesn't include a whole lot of man art.

So I'm going to start something new for myself right now! I'm going to draw a Man a day for the rest of this month. This way I'll (hopefully) update more often and you'll get so much more than just the single drawing I usually post.

What I post won't be finished art but just sketch drawings. I really admire the fantastic sketches Belasco posts on his blog, as well as guys like Dan Panosian, Meatcute, and Johnny B. Those guys all post sketchy, freeform drawings that are really great to look at. Usually I just doodle a few heads or a cartoony bit of nonsense, but I'll try my best to do a complete body every day!

Now, I'm open to requests on this challenge. My imagination is limited...I'm a chest man so most of my Beefcake is frontal. If anyone has a pose or model or character you think would be fun for me to draw feel free to suggest it. I love hearing from you guys!!

So without further blather from me...here's todays GUY!

Oh, I lied. A little more blather...a new photographer recently caught my eye (a Dudetube recommendation, I think). I love this guys pictures. He reminds me a little of David LaChapelle in his candy colours and imaginative staging...and he's kind of a hottie, too. Check out Aaron Nace, you'll be glad you did.

best,

j.

You call him Doctor Jones, doll!

This weekend Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull opens and I'm pretty darned excited. I love the Indy movies. My parents took me to see Raiders of the Lost Ark at the theatre when I was a kid. Usually we saw movies at the Drive-In so it was a real treat to sit in a proper theatre to watch a film. Raiders just blew my mind. I loved every second of it (and still do). The face melting scene at the end and the ghosts terrified my mother. She was sure we'd get nightmares from it. I didn't. But I did gain an undying curiousity in the art of movie making. Long before the internet and giant chain bookstores, I had to get all my info from what magazines I could find at the used bookstore and the corner shop. I still love figuring out how an effect is done...something that's lost a little mystery with all the green-screen business going on. I'm way more interested in a practical effect than something digital.

Which brings me to Kingdom of the Crystal Skull...I'm a little nervous to see another Jones movie. I trust Spielberg to make a fantastic movie but Lucas...oh, Mr. George Lucas seems to have suffered some kind of debilitating head trauma when it comes to writing a good story. I'm a little nervous about his part of the movie. That and I've seen a few commercials on tv and there are certain scenes that look really, really green-screen fake. The truck chase in Raiders is so great because it's really happening on a dirt road. The Kingdom chase through the jungle that I've seen in clips looks fake, fake, fake.

Enough about the movie. These sketches were done for a t-shirt that I have yet to make. I just can't settle on an Indiana Jones that I want for my shirt. Do I want the trademark smirk or the mystery man in the fedora (below)? Do I want a straight-up Indy or beefcake him out a little more? I just couldn't decide so I've let the project sit to the side for a while now.

Best,

j.

If the Sub-Mariner reaches the water, he'll become INVINCIBLE!

Final Namor pic in retro-colour! Recently I've been working on a few pin-up type images recreating some of my favourite scenes from comics past. This is sort of the cover image from Fantastic Four #4...although I didn't actually find that cover until I'd finished the inks on my own version. I knew the scene I wanted to draw but looked only in the essential collection for a panel of Namor kidnapping Sue...I don't know how I missed the cover until too late but that's the way it went.

To tell the truth I'm glad I drew more from memory than directly copying. This way it feels more like my own thing rather than a Kirby re-do.

Eventually I'll be sending my pin-ups to my art dealer Albert Moy. I've finally added a link to his site over on the right. Dunno why it's taken me so long to advertise my association with Mr. Moy!! Crazy. Check out his site if you're interested in any of my comic book work. There are some nice Wolverine pages drawn by Darwyn that I inked and some of our Spider-Man work, plus all the Spirit pages.

best,
j.

The Savage Sub-Mariner!

I've had Namor on the brain (must be the swimsuit) so I drew up another Namor image. Okay, so this one's got a little Cheesecake in with the Beef but I'm sure you guys can handle it :)
I always loved that Namor wanted to steal Sue away from Reed. I couldn't find the exact issue in my collection but I'm sure at one point he picked her up and was about to reach the water before he was stopped by the FF...or by Sue's gentle pleading.

Namor's face kinda bothers me...it's a little too dull. When I ink it I think I'll rework his expression and then I'll post the inks when it's done.

j.

Ruler of Atlantis!

Namor is one of my favourite Marvel characters. You might think it's because he runs around wearing nothing but a swimsuit and you'd be right. But there's more to it...he's a hero who's kind of an ass! He's arrogant and angry, full of hatred for mankind yet loving to his own people. And he's been drawn by some of the best artists out there. Jack Kirby drew him in the Fantastic Four, John Buscema rendered him awesomely in his own book and Namor's creator Bill Everett drew him with an unearthly flat head and pointy chin...a weird shape for a heroic head indeed.

My drawing here is sort of a recreation of Buscema's 1968 Namor cover with an attempt at Bill Everett's bizarre head shape. In the end I didn't go as far as Everett...he just started to look too bizarre for me. My drawing is cartoony but I didn't want him to look goofy.

The floating heads are Tigershark and the Lady Dorma.

best,
j.

Finally, Gemini!

I was reminded that I had not yet put up the final Zodiac Pin-up! So here he is, for those of you born mid May to mid June. You are masculine and attention loving which can lead to vanity. Your restless and impulsive nature make you lots of fun on road trips (or really annoying if you happen to be traveling with an uptight person).

I'm gonna have the whole set of signs up at Cafe Press as t-shirts very soon! I'll let you all know when I get that sorted out.

best,
j.

Bruce Wayne!

This wednesday, comic book day, sees the release of Justice League: The New Frontier. It's a single issue special put out to coincide with the DVD release of the New Frontier movie (you all got that, right?) I was in San Francisco recently for the premiere screening of the movie and thought it was fantastic.
The comic book has art from the film, a kickass new Batman/Superman story by Darwyn Cooke, a Robin tale drawn by New Frontier Director Dave Bullock (with inks by Mike Cho) and a Wonder Woman story by me! I finally got to draw Wonder Woman! It's a dream come true. So why am I posting a picture of Bruce Wayne? Because this is a Beefcake blog, and because ol' Brucie appears in the story in a really cute way!


Here's the fantastic Darwyn Cooke cover so you won't miss it at the shops this wednesday.

best,
j.

American Gladiators in COLOUR!

Following up last week's sketch with the full colour version. Man, these guys already seemed like cartoon characters to me just from watching the show. Which is probably why it was so easy to draw them even more cartoony!

Toa and Wolf are especially caricatured. And I think of Mayhem as the Predator (creature from the Schwarzenegger flick). He's really imposing and scary looking. Titan has the calm reserve of a leader even though there really isn't any one guy who stands out as the leader of this gang. I want to do a drawing of Justice with those big silly punching blocks on his hand...you know, the things the guys wear in the Gauntlet. Those things are dumb and should be on toy shelves by Christmas. And then there's Militia...he should probably smile more.

j.

American Gladiators!

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Dress Up Action Figure!

The January blahs may be setting and some of us (those who live in cold countries) might feel like we're stuck indoors until the weather warms up. But there's no reason we can't have a little fun while we wait for spring! Today I offer you an alternative to curling up in your comforter and reading/watching tv for the next four months...lets all play with Logan, the Paper Doll!

The instructions are simple: Save Logan and his clothing onto your hard drive. Print out the pages onto any ol' paper (I use photo paper with a matte finish for a firmer paper doll). Carefully cut around Logan and his clothing with a pair of safety scissors (kids, ask a parent for help). Dress and undress Logan as often as you want!

You can make up fun scenarios for your Logan Paper Doll! Maybe he's going out on a date and needs to get dressed for a night at the bars! Or maybe he's washing his motorcycle on a hot summer day! It's all up to you!

You could even print out extra t-shirts and colour them with pencil crayons or markers! Add your own designs or favourite logos! Or even create your own outfits by carefully tracing Logan! The power to have fun these cold winter days is completely in your own hands!

best,

j.

p.s. More clothing will be forthcoming soon. As well as some blank templates for you to colour more of your own clothing.

Aquarius!

It's the dawning of a New Year and the second to last of the Horoscope pin-ups. I have Gemini left to draw and then...then I can begin my merchandising bonanza :)

I've noticed, as I look over the drawings, that I have slimmed down the backgrounds considerably as I progressed. I also maintained a more uniform shape in these later pin-ups. I actually think I like the earlier size better because you got more background behind the character...on the other hand these later pictures fit a whole lot nicer on the 9" x 12" canvases.

Okay, Geminis, you're up next. Hope I don't disappoint!

Happy New Year, folks.
j.

Sagittarius!

I bet you thought I'd completely forgotten about the Horoscope pin-ups, didn't you? Well, for a while there I think I did. But now my work is all caught up and I find myself with time to finally finish what started a whole year ago! I'm a little ashamed it's taken me so long to get all of these done.

While this isn't exactly a holiday image it is the sign for December...at least until the 22nd. Aquarius is also inked and awaits colouring leaving me with Gemini as the last.

Putting together a sketchbook was mentioned in my comments and I'm really considering putting all of the Horoscopes into a book, along with the sketches that lead to each final. I welcome any thoughts you guys might have on what you'd like to see.

Happy Holidays, all.
j.

Sketches!

In between paying gigs I try to sketch from the plethora of "reference" material I've got. These drawings are from those sessions. The guy with the hammer is from the Taschen Physique Pictorial collection.

These guys were from photos found online. Usually I only have time for a few drawings, just enough to loosen up, before I have to start working on something "real" (meaning with a deadline and what pays the bills :)

And now I want to encourage everyone who hasn't already done so, to get the new collection of Harry Bush artwork "Hard Boys". I just got my copy yesterday and it is GLORIOUS! I love the care that went into reproducing his delicate shading...often you can even see the patches and taped over areas of the drawings where Harry would constantly revise his art. The bio info is also well put together. It's sad to read that someone with such beautiful artwork was unhappy in his daily life. He reminds me a little of ol' Alex Toth in his seclusion and grumpy correspondence.

Buy this book or put it on your Christmas list...you will not be disappointed!

best,

j.

My Fellow Canadians.

I had a request recently for a shot of Wolverine just hangin' out...with no shirt on. So this one's for Andrew S.
What I think is great about drawing Wolverine is that you don't necessarily have to show him with his claws popped or even draw him in costume for it to be Wolverine. He's all about the attitude and the hair.

j.

Happy Halloween!

I love Halloween! I think of all the holidays it's my favourite. What do I like most about Halloween, you ask? I like the decorations on people's lawns. All the skeletons, pumpkins, jack-o-lanterns, giant spiders and cobwebs, bales of hay, ghosts, bats and all that stuff. And the costumes, the getting all dressed up and going out to Halloween parties. And I love the horror movies on tv. So many of them I can't watch any more than a few minutes of or I won't be able to sleep at night!! For example, I've never seen all of the Exorcist. Only bits and pieces throughout the years...all in spurts before I have to change the channel. That movie is too much scary for me.
I prefer the classics. The movies made before gore and fake blood got to be so real looking. The original Night of the Living Dead still scares the pants off me. The Wolfman with Lon Chaney Jr. is surprisingly scary for an older film. And of course I love the Frankenstein and Bride Of Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Creature From the Black Lagoon (all time fave).
Lately every Halloween I've kind of established a little routine...put on Sleepy Hollow (good creepy music by Elfman, and good creepy atmosphere by Rick Heinrichs (production design) and cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (I looked 'em up), and I carve pumpkins. Then cook up the pumpkin seeds, dress up myself and my dog, and wait for kids to ring the bell for candy!

*sigh*

I can't wait for Halloween!

Hope you all have a good one! And feel free to share favourite scary movies or traditions. I'm always looking for some new old favourites!

j.

Fruitbat!

Here, finally, complete in glorious black and white is my own take on the old "Batman and Robin are gay" storyline. I originally presented the first page and coloured cover art on my blog back here. Well, I finally found photocopies of the original art and scanned it all in for you.
Once again I'd like to clarify that this is PARODY and rather silly parody at that. See my original post for my thoughts on the Batman/Robin cliche. I hope you enjoy this little tale of bondage and boyfriends.

P.S. Way back during TCAF I was interviewed by one of Mondo Magazine's editors, Owen. The interview is now online. You can check it out here, if you'd like. We actually spoke for quite a long time that day...mostly my fault. I'm a big digressor.

j.

IronJaw! Colours by HvH!

This is the coolest! I'm thrilled to post this drawing of Iron Jaw because it was superbly coloured by the immensely talented HvH! I love the fiery background and the textures on the ground and Iron Jaw's skin. The lighting on the axe, too, is great! I encourage you to check out HvH's blog (click his name and you'll magically teleport there) and also to pick up his portfolio and comic book "In the Blink of an Eye". You can get both through Class Comics website or your neighbourhood gay book store or gay friendly comic shop. I've loved HvH's stylish work ever since we found each other through the Blogoverse and I'm really honoured to have him colour one of my drawings.

Oh, and you should also check out Iron Jaw at the link because there are some gorgeous Neal Adams covers at the Atlas Comics site. And I just realized 'pon reading the site info that I actually have every issue of Iron Jaw published. There are only five so it's not that hard a collection to complete. :)

best,
j.

Follow the North Star!

There was a lot of Northstar talk all over the net last week or the week before. Mainly that his recent death inspired Novelist Perry Moore to write "HERO". I'm looking forward to reading the book eventually.

I'm an Alpha Flight fan but gotta admit that Northstar was not my favourite character. He was too much of a jerk. I much preferred Puck and Sasquatch (is hairy men a recurring theme here? :) They were more fun...although as written by Byrne they did have their dark sides. Puck was in constant pain because of his dwarfism and had to meditate daily in order to deal. And Sasquatch turned out to be a creature from another dimension who inhabited the body of Walter Whatsisname. One day I'd love to do an Alpha Flight story or two where the characters just have some good old fashioned fun! I think our Canadian Heroes deserve it!

And in my story Guardian wouldn't be dead yet!

j.

Play of light!

I had a drawing lying around and in a moment of unrest coloured it up in Photoshop. Usually I light my drawings really simply...you really can't get too complicated with flat colour :) And this is still simple lighting but I tried throwing the light from a lower angle. The background is more than a little lame but I hope you'll forgive me.

The drawing is referenced from a pose found in the Physique Pictorial collection. I love those books.

j.

Cro-Magnon Men!

I've been working on lots of work stuff lately and haven't had much time for personal drawing...but when I do, for some strange reason, I've been drawing cave men. Maybe it's because of the Cro-Mags in the Jett Vector free comic day story, or because of all the great cave men types drawn by fellow blogger Paul Conrad, or maybe it's because I've been watching my Flintstones DVDS. Whatever the reason Cavemen are on my brain and now they're here on my blog.

I tried to come up with a variety of body types and personalities for these guys just as a way to push my drawing a little. I tend to rely on a few standard head shapes, hair styles and bodies when sketching men leading to a sameness. Hopefully over the next couple of busy weeks I'll draw a bunch more thus creating a whole army of beefy cavemen.
While sketching I started picturing a Saber-toothed caveman and had to draw him. I always love drawing the big underbite jaw and this guy's is huge! He'd probably poke his own eyes out with those chompers!

j.