A Look Back at 2021…

2021 was definitely dominated by working on Desmond Devlin and my CLAPTRAP book. I started turning down jobs to try and keep on track with it, although some jobs and especially a couple of bigger jobs had to be done. Easily the most high profile thing I did this year was the art for a CNN Docu-series called “History of the Sitcom”. This art was seen all over the place back in July, so that was fun to see.

I also spent about six weeks in April/May doing a big job for a corporate annual meeting that involved a 16 page comic book and several dozen individual illustrations of corporate officers as superheroes.

As for MAD, I did two covers in 2021 plus a couple of original pieces for the inside of the magazine. Of course I did a number of other illustration jobs here and there as well of course, but most of my time was spent on CLAPTRAP.

What’s up for 2022? The first part of the year will be nothing but CLAPTRAP. I’ll be working on it day and night until we have it off to the printer. After that things will maybe get a little more back to normal. My major goal after the book is finished is to get my online caricature workshop done. This will be a series of seven or eight video lessons that will be available “On-Demand”, and the class will include a personal video critique and lesson from me. I got started on the production way back in the summer of 2020 but once we decided to do CLAPTRAP it all had to be put aside before it really got going. I am dedicated to getting it done in 2022… hopefully by the summer.

I also have a few comic-con appearances planned for 2022. Barring any more COVID problems, I will be at San Diego Comic Con in July, C2E2 in August and New York Comic Con in October. I will certainly do a simultaneous virtual version for SDCC and NYCC, but probably not C2E2. For these conventions I will definitely have copies of the finished CLAPTRAP book and am planning on a couple of new prints, including an all new Batman print featuring Robert Pattison‘s Batman along with entirely new caricatures of the other Batmen.

That and hopefully more freelance work are in store for 2022. And, of course, a new “Ink Stained Wretch” every Wednesday with a new “Sketch o’the Week”, stories from the world of comics and illustration, and more general silliness! If you haven’t subscribed to the ‘Wretch please do. It’s free, I very, very seldom try and sell you anything on it, and you get to see my art and things I’ve done before anyone else does. Subscribe below!

Happy New year, everyone. See you in 2022!