Monday, February 27, 2012

Heliotropes

The other day I did this gig poster for my homegirl Jess's band Heliotropes! I haven't done one of these in a while- had a lot of fun and decided to make a wallpaper out of it! Maybe I'll do some other illustrations with these two girls from Monster Killer Academy. They don't have names yet, so for now I've been calling them Codo and Podo. Here's the final flyer! Check out Heliotropes if you are into old Sabbath!! Mob Rules anyone?

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

THE MIRE is now available for pre-orders.

The much anticipated follow-up to 2011's WOLVES, THE MIRE is a self-contained story set on the eve of battle, when a humble squire is given the task of delivering a letter to a decomposing castle in a swamp. Met with mysterious apparitions, he slowly unveils the truth about why he was sent there, as his past is re-written over the course of twenty two pages.

I don't want to give too much away yet! I'm opening up pre-orders tonight, something that I haven't done in the past. Let me explain! No, there is too much. Let me sum up:

WHY PRE-ORDER? I'm doing what so many others have done through Kickstarter and other fundraising sites- try to raise money to print in large quantities, except I'm cutting out the middle-man.

My first print-run of WOLVES (May 2011) was 1,000 copies, and it sold out in just two months. My second print-run was 2,000, and I sold out of that by February. This means I'll be re-printing WOLVES, and doing an initial printing of THE MIRE- I'm estimating 5,000 books. I don't skimp on printing either. Each book has heavy interior paper, plus a silk-screened cover on colored card stock.

Pre-ordering will help me estimate how many I'll need to print as well. All in all a logical decision!

YOUR CHOICES: Much like Kickstarter, I'm offering incentives. You can buy the book, which will come signed- or you can order the book with a random sketch of one of the characters inside for an extra $20 (Making it $25 total!). Think of it as donating to my print-fund. Keep in mind that ordering a sketch will be an option only when you pre-order.

SHIPPING: If you order a copy of THE MIRE while in "pre-order mode", please note that it ships separately of any other books you order. That means I'll ship your other items first so you don't have to wait for me to print THE MIRE.

UPDATES: I am always posting updates on my work on Twitter (@beckycloonan), Instagram (beckycloonan), Facebook (BeckyCloonanArt), and Tumblr (beckycloonan)- so you can follow along with the development of the book, from thumbnails to pencils and inks, all the way through the printed product!

Also keep in mind the cover image isn't final, and is going to change!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

CONAN THE BARBARIAN issue 1- totally out!

I'm so psyched to be a part of this book, and I hope you guys have as much fun reading it as I do drawing it! :D Not to mention Brian's superb writing (there were parts in the script that gave me chills when I read it!) and the nothing short of masterful coloring of Dave Stewart!

If you haven't picked it up yet, here's a few reviews I pulled that might convince you to try it out:

IGN gives it 9 out of 10! "It's already abundantly clear that Wood and Cloonan are building a quality adaptation of a landmark tale."

Newsarama gives the issue 10 out of 10! "I've read this debut issue a few times now, looking for a flaw. But, when you combine Brian Wood's writing, Becky Cloonan's art, and Dave Stewart's stunning colors there simply isn't a flaw to be found. Dark Horse Comics has produced some fantastic Conan in the past, but this is the Barbarian we've all been waiting for. Well done."

Fandom Post rates it at an A-!"There aren’t many books that make me really want another issue right away, but the first installment of the Queen of the Black Coast has done just that and more can’t come soon enough."

Comic Buzz gives it a 9 out of 10!"It’s fantastic fun and whether I had read the prose story or not I would be anxious to read the next issue and see where it goes next! If you like sword fights, beautiful art and tales on the high seas, get this comic!"

I'm really blown away by the overwhelming response to this book!! It was so much fun to draw, not to mention kind of intimidating... And if you enjoyed it this month, remember to stay tuned next month where this happens: