Blast from the Past: Mural

My parents cleaned up their garagem and found a rolled-up scenery paper that, to my surprise, had glued on it a brunch of old drawings of mine from my penultimate year in high-school, twenty some years ago (gulp!). I had totally forgotten about them.
These sketches and preliminary artwork were done for an in-contest at my Art class, for us to choose from a concept to paint a mural. My drawing was chosen and, for the next couple of months, all my colleagues rolled-up our sleeves and painted it on a wall by the cafeteria, that outlooked the street – it was grooling and great fun!
By then, I had already published my first comic in the school newspaper and drawn a Youth Week poster for the city hall, so this was sort of my “hat trick.” Today, both the mural and the wall aren't there anymore, but it was great to see that painting up there for so many years, though.

 

Os meus pais limparam a garagem e deram com um rolo de papel kraft que, para minha surpresa, tinha colados uma série de desenhos feitos no meu penúltimo ano do liceu, há coisa de vinte anos atrás (gulp!). Estava completamente esquecido deles.
Estes esboços e arte preliminar foram feitos para um concurso interno na minha turma de Artes, para se escolher o conceito para pintar num mural. O meu desenho foi seleccionado e, durante os meses seguintes, todos os meus colegas enrolaram as mangas e pintámos uma parede perto da cafetaria, virada para a rua – foi uma experiência divertida!
Até então, já tinha publicado a minha primeira BD no jornal escolar e desenhado um poster da Semana da Juventude para a câmara municipal, portanto isto foi como que um “hat trick.” Hoje, tanto o mural como a parede já não existem, mas foi giro ver a pintura ali durante tantos anos.

 

Mural (at Jorge Peixinho High-School/no Liceu Jorge Peixinho, Montijo)

Blast from the Past: Fantasia Studios

Fantasia has turned 20 years old! Fantasia Studios was a group of newcomer sequential artists that banded together as the first Portuguese comics influenced informal studio, composed of Ana Freitas, Daniel Maia (aka Dan Silva), Eliseu Gouveia (aka Zeu), Fernando Lucas, Jorge Coelho, Pedro Potier and Rui Filipe.

Existing from early 1996 until 1998, we begun by publishing the anthology Fantasia Studio Portfolio, not distributed for retail sale, but rather to engage publishers, and was followed by the fanzine BDzona, with #0 as a sketchbook featuring artwork by all authors, and #1 featuring short-comics by half of the group, but with #2 later being discontinued. The authors also collaborated among themselves and had illustrations shown in various trade magazines and comics fanzines, including a mention in Larousse's Comics Encyclopedia.

Although we parted ways, a few remained colleagues in the editorial illustration field and some went on to become professional comics artists. A few members reunited a few years later to form other comics production studios, like Aparte and Banzai, and later on, gathering with colleagues from the Bica Studio, formed the first version of The Lisbon Studios.

It has been recurrent to celebrate the studio's anniversary with a collaborative jam-piece; in 1996, a recreation of Heroes Reborn started the tradition and, in 2000, a Marvel Knights jam followed; maybe we'll do another one quite soon.

Clock-wise credits: Jam #1 - Potier (Captain América), Lucas (IronMan), Filipe (Thor), Freitas (Human Torch), Zeu (Mr.Fantastic) and Maia (The Thing & Invisible Woman); Jam #2 - Freitas (Elektra), Lucas (Punisher), Filipe (Black Widow), Potier (Daredevil),  Zeu (Dr.Strange), Maia (Black Panther) and João Tavares (Ghost Rider - guest artist).

Disregarding a few self-conclusive short-stories, I worked on four concepts during my time with Fantasia: Gennan (1996) in Fantasia Studio Portfolio; Rampage (1996), introduced in BDzona #1, and with a 2nd story unpublished, meant for #3; The Guys (1996), written by Pedro Potier, in BD-in-Folio #1; and Vesta's Company (1997), written by Eliseu Gouveia, also unpublished.

O Fantasia fez 20 anos! O Fantasia Studio foi um grupo de jovens autores de BD que se reuniu para formar o primeiro estúdio Português informal influenciado por comics, composto por Ana Freitas, Daniel Maia (aka Dan Silva), Eliseu Gouveia (aka Zeu), Fernando Lucas, Jorge Coelho, Pedro Potier e Rui Filipe.

Existindo desde o início de 1996 até 1998, começámos por publicar a antologia Fantasia Studio Portfolio, sem distribuição comercial e direccionado para abordar editores, seguido do fanzine BDzona, cujo #0 figurou desenhos dos autores, em jeito de sketchbook, e o #1 reuniu BDs por metade do grupo, sendo o #2 descontinuado. Os autores colaboraram várias vezes entre si, para além de editarem ilustrações em revistas da especialidade e fanzines, incluindo uma menção na Enciclopédia da BD Larousse.

Apesar de nos termos separado, alguns continuaram colegas no campo da ilustração editorial e outros vieram a tornar-se profissionais de comics. Alguns dos membros reuniram-se anos depois para formar novos estúdios de produção de BD, como o Aparte e Banzai, e mais tarde, juntando-se a colegas do Estúdio da Bica, criaram a primeira formação do The Lisbon Studio.

Tem sido recorrente celebrarmos o aniversário do estúdio com jam-pieces (i.e. desenho colaborativo); em 1996, uma recriação de Heróis Renascidos começou a tradição e, em 2000, foi seguido duma jam dos Marvel Knights; talvez façamos uma nova peça conjunta em breve.

Para além de algumas BDs curtas, trabalhei em quatro projectos durante o meu tempo no Fantasia: Gennan (1995-1996) no Fantasia Studio Portfolio (1995); Rajada (1996), apresentado em BDzona #1, com uma 2a BD inédita, prevista para o #3; A Malta (1996), escrito por Pedro Potier, em BD-in-Folio #1; e Companhia de Vesta (1997), escrito por Eliseu Gouveia, também inédito.

Blast from the Past: ExpoBD'96

Time to do some time-traveling: twenty years ago, the comic-book and cartoon sallon ExpoBD'96 took place in Montijo, this being the first of its kind event in my hometown. Part of a high-school final project and conceived/organized by myself, with the valuable help from three classmates, the sallon took up the school's gym and was successful in broadening the student body's horizons regarding the comics field, which was then unaccessable to those living outside of Lisbon. Having had an excelent turn-up by students, we also got outside visitors, thanks to the divulgation done by Marcos Farrajota (Chili com Carne), by Pedro Silva and Paulo Costa (BDmania comics' store), amongst further promotion afforded by the portuguese comics' community.

The sallon focused on two exhibits, a solo one of mine and a collective to which local artists were invited, like António João Rodrigues (cartoonist) and António Aires (plastic artist), plus outside authors, like Daniel Baptista (Morte), Rui Gamito (Fato-de-Macaco) and Jorge Coelho (Polarity). Completing the experience, two comercial stands were present, one oriented for mainstream comic-books, by BDmania comics store, and another for portuguese editions, featuring Chili com Carne, with books from Polvo Editions and self-publishers, such as José Carlos Fernandes, Pedro Brito, and newcomers Bruno Matos and Nuno Duarte, with their character Lusitano.

Aside from the recently released fanzine Luso Comix #1, printed by Matos/Duarte, I published a ExpoBD'96 catalogue, reproducing works from all participating artists, but mostly featuring short comics of mine. Limited to a couple dozen copies, the first edition quickly sold out, leading to an expanded reedition that was featured later that year at Amadora's International Comics Festival.

Altura de uma viagem ao passado: há vinte anos atrás decorria a ExpoBD'96, um salão de banda desenhada e cartoon que foi o primeiro evento do género na minha cidade-natal, Montijo. Enquadrada em projecto final do liceu e concebida/organizada por mim, com a valiosa ajuda de três colegas - o Yannick, Luís e Emanuel -, o salão ocupou o ginásio do Liceu Jorge Peixinho e foi bem-sucedido a abrir os horizontes dos estudantes face ao sector, que era então de difícil acesso a quem vivesse fora de Lisboa. Com excelente adesão pelos alunos, teve inclusivamente visitas de fora, graças à divulgação por Marcos Farrajota no suplemento My Precious Things do fanzine Mesinha de Cabeceira, e por Pedro Silva e Paulo Costa nos newsletters da livraria BDmania, entre outros destaques realizados pela comunidade de BD.

Comic by Daniel Maia (1996)/Illustration by Jorge Coelho (1995)

O salão focou-se em duas exposições, uma individual minha e uma colectiva para a qual foram convidados artistas locais, respectivamente António João Rodrigues (Cromos da Bola) e António Aires (artista plástico), assim como autores de fora, como Daniel Baptista (Morte), Rui Gamito (Fato-de-Macaco) e Jorge Coelho (Polarity). A completar a experiência, estiveram presentes bancas comerciais, a primeira focada em comics, pela BDmania, e a segunda em produção nacional, gerida pela Chili com Carne, mas também com edições da Polvo e de diversos autores de fanzines, tais como José Carlos Fernandes, Pedro Brito, e os recém-chegados Bruno Matos e Nuno Duarte, com o seu Lusitano.

Illustration by Daniel Maia & António Aires (1996) /
Comic by António Aires (1996)

Além do destaque à novidade Luso Comix #1, editado por Matos/Duarte, publiquei o epónimo catálogo ExpoBD'96, que reproduziu trabalhos dos autores participantes, mas que na maioria incluiu BDs minhas. Limitado a algumas dezenas de exemplares, a 1a tiragem esgotou depressa, levando a uma reedição expandida mais tarde nesse ano, para distribuir no Festival Internacional de BD da Amadora.

Keep Drawing | Continua a Desenhar

The 1st comics’ hero that I created, back in 1991, now re-visited for its 25th birthday.
A 1ª personagem de BD que criei, em 1991, agora revisitado pelo seu 25º aniversário.

Blast from the Past: UltraVioleta

Hard to believe this short comic is 15 years old already…! Back in the summer of 2001, amidst personal issues and doing my best to surpass a creative block, I came up with a short sequence to warm up for better works; drew it a panel at a time and with little care for finesse, just looking to slap some ink on the page. The “story” is kind of dumb, but made me giggle at the time for lampooning of a little thought of aspect of being a masked hero;)

É difícil de me mentalizar que esta BD já tem 15 anos…! No verão de 2001, entre problemas pessoais e a tentar o meu melhor para superar um bloqueio criativo, pensei numa sequência com a qual fazer aquecimento para melhores trabalhos; desenhando vinheta a vinheta e com pouco cuidado nos detalhes, procurei só traçar uns riscos em papel. A “história” é algo parva, mas fez-me rir por parodiar um aspecto pouco pensado sobre ser um herói mascarado;)

Blast from the Past: Crash! #1

Hard to believe, but it was 20 years ago already that I first entered+won a comics contest and published that (winning) drawing in a comics’ magazine. By then, I had published a short comic in my districts’ High-school newspaper, but this was rather special since Crash! #1 (a follow-up title to Art Nove magazine) was a noteworthy monthly in the Portuguese comics market, with a wide distribution and severing ties with the older aesthetics, by promoting newcomer artists, more in tune with the then “comics invasion” tendency.

Helmed by author Miguel Jorge, the magazine serialized a variety of stories and, after I had won his character themed contest, I submitted my first-ever comics samples, afterwards developing my own comic – a superhero team series, titled 7eptet. Unfortunately, although I drew the 18 pages long 1st chapter and a teaser poster (see the embarrassing image below), the magazine was canceled soon after.

Anyway, that was my debut in the Portuguese comics’ community, leading me to join our first comics-styled artists’ studio. Later, in 1997, I self-published a low-print comics fanzine with that first issue, with character concepts studies and sketches.

É difícil de acreditar, mas foi há 20 anos que pela primeira vez participei+ganhei um concurso de BD e, em simultâneo, editei o desenho (vencedor) numa revista da especialidade. Até então, tinha editado uma BD no jornal de liceu do meu concelho, mas isto foi especial, já que a Crash! #1 (um título sucedâneo da revista Art Nove) foi uma publicação notável no mercado de banda desenhada, alcançando uma distribuição nacional e rompendo laços com as estéticas mais antigas, promovendo artistas novos, mais em sintonia com a tendência da "invasão dos comics" então sentida.

Gerida pelo autor Miguel Jorge, a revista serializava várias histórias e, após ter ganho o concurso, enviei as minhas primeiras amostras de banda-desenhada sempre e comecei depois a desenvolver a minha própria BD - uma série de super-heróis intitulada 7epteto. Lamentavelmente, apesar de desenhado todas as 18 páginas do 1º capítulo e um póster (vejam a constrangedora imagem ao lado), a revista foi cancelada pouco depois.

De qualquer forma, foi a minha estreia na comunidade de BD portuguesa, levando-me a co-fundar o nosso primeiro estúdio de artistas ao estilo de comics. Mais tarde, em 1997, auto-editei um fanzine de baixa tiragem com aquela BD, junto com estudos de personagens e esboços.

Blast from the Past: Mad Max

It’s “Throwback Thursday.” And today’s Blast from the Past aims sights on Mad Max, cinema’ main post-apoc hero, created by genius filmmaker George Miller and made famous by actor Mel Gibson, in late 70’s to mid 80’s.

Anyone that knows me well knows I’m an über-fan of these movies, and a bit of a freak for dystopian fiction. It’s even weirder when I think on how young I was when my tastes were seeded. I recall my first encounter with Max was just prior to Beyond Thunderdome’s – the trilogy closing chapter – release at the cinema, through a pocket calendar with its engaging poster artwork, by illustrator Richard Amsel (in his last work before passing, in late 1985). I traded it for a comic-book with a kid at kindergarten. The curiosity in the pre-internet years lingered on and I finally rented the movie a couple of years later, at a local VHS club. And rented it, and rented it again, to the point of despairing my parents; even the owner was getting complaints from other clients, who wanted access to it! At that time, I already used to go to the movies by myself, but Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome stroke a cord with me and engaged my imagination and fears like none other. Mel Gibson was the epitome of cool, and Max, a reluctant hero I could appreciate.

Sometime later, in my pre-teens, I was playing outside one afternoon when my mother surprised me with the VHS for Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior… Shut. Up. You mean, there are more of these!? I didn’t know and couldn’t believe! I was elated, hyper and couldn’t wait to see it! I held the VHS in my hands, seeing how deteriorated and used up it was, and felt cheated...! Ogling at the cover, I tried to fathom from it what the movie was about and if it took place before or after the events of MMBT. Times were different then, so you can imagine, those who’ve seen it, how much of a shock it was for a nine or ten year-old to sit through The Road Warrior’s violence, psych warfare and sheer tension – it just threw me into the wasteland world of Max for a couple of hours, that seemed much longer.

Regardless, I was hooked. I later saw the original Mad Max (over here, titled Mad Max: The Motorcycles of Death – hah!), which I began appreciating more as years passed. As soon as I could, I taped all three on VHS and usually watched them 5-6 times a year, a ritual I maintain to this day, making the trilogy – mainly, TRW and MMBT – something I’ve enjoyed over a hundred times.

I won’t go into details, but it’s had a profound influence in me, from daring a kid to reenact a bicycle version of the Hawk-Dove/Playing “Chicken” scene from Mad Max’s epic Night Rider chance (which went horribly wrong, when we both swerved to the same side...); to creating a DIY functioning wrist crossbow, from Road Warrior; and, to my shame, growing a long mullet that reached half of my torso, as Max sported in Beyond Thunderdome, about which I also once wrote an analysis essay. These movies nurtured my longing for open, vacant ranges and also influenced me creatively, even leading to discovering Russell Hoban’s epic Riddley Walker novel, to which I dedicated my studio/publisher seal’s namesake – but those are stories for a different time.

And now, after YEARS of high hopes and shattered expectations, a 4th Mad Max movie is finally upon us – Mad Max: Fury Road, by George Miller, and featuring Tom Hardy in the title role!
I’m both fearful it will undo what came before and eager to bask in it. Still, I’ve played this movie in my head so many times already, and with so many variations, it’ll have a hard time entertaining me at all; but the apocalypse can come upon us after I see it and I’ll die a happy guy.

As they say, “2015 belongs to the Mad!”

(Dada a extensão deste ‘post, não farei versão portuguesa do texto)

Blast from the Past: Batman Hunts / Batman Caça

Happy BIRTHDAY, Batman! Yesterday was “Batman Day”, marking the 75th anniversary of the Dark Knight, created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger, for Detective Comics #27 (May 1939).
I’ve always been prone to gritty heroes, and that may have started with reading Batman at a young age. Therefore, I’m showing – for the 1st time ever, as I recall – this self-conclusive page, done in 2005, around the time when I began attempting to do comics professionally. (Technically, this page doesn't fit in the Blast from the Past folder, since it's not over ten years old, nevertheless I can't consider it as viable portfolio, so I'm making an exception...)

PARABÉNS, Batman! Ontem foi o “Dia do Batman”, marcando o 75º aniversário do Cavaleiro das Trevas, criado por Bob Kane e Bill Finger, para a revista Detective Comics #27 (Maio 1939).

Sempre gostei de heróis mais "negros", e isso pode ter a ver por ler o Batman desde pequeno. Daí que hoje mostro – pela 1ª vez desde sempre, creio – esta prancha auto-conclusiva, feita em 2005, numa altura em que tinha começado a tentar desenhar BD profissionalmente. (Tecnicamente, esta página não pertence à categoria Blast from the Past, por não ter mais de dez anos, todavia não a consigo encarar como portfólio corrente, daí que fiz uma excepção...)

Blast from the Past: TMNT / Tartarugas Ninja

So the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reached the 30 year mark last May and are officially not teenagers anymore. Created as an independent comic by Kevin Eastman, it sold out issues right off the bat and began their swift rise to worldwide phenomena soon after; aside the hit 80’s cartoon series and 90’s movie trilogy, the TNMT have had new animations in recent years, plus a movie reboot to be released.

That said, although I was never a zealot fan of theirs, I gave the franchise loads of hours. To prove it, here are some old pics…

As Tartarugas Ninja atingiram o 30º aniversário em Maio e deixaram oficialmente de ser adolescentes. Criados como comic independente por Kevin Eastman, cedo começou a esgotar tiragens e depressa se posicionou como fenómeno mundial; para além dos desenhos animados nos anos 80 e a trilogia cinematográfica nos anos 90, as Tartarugas lançaram novas animações em anos recentes, mais um reboot por estrear no cinema.

Dito isto, apesar de nunca ter sido um fã fervoroso, dediquei longas horas ao franchise. A prová-lo, eis alguns desenhos antigos…

Blast from the Past: Super-Heroes / Super-Heróis

Coming home from watching the latest X-Men, I was surprised with some time travelling of my own; an aunt sent me some old unexpected drawings of Marvel & DC superheroes from when I was 7 years old, found during recent home improvements. It’s amazing seeing these and I recall having drawn them due to inspiration by Gil Kane, John Byrne and John Buscema, plus others. Nostalgia aside, I guess my fate was sealed since very early on, hmm?

Chegado a casa de ter visto o último X-Men, fui surpreendido por uma viagem no tempo minha; uma tia enviou-me velhos e inesperados desenhos de super-heróis da Marvel & DC, de quando tinha 7 anos, encontrados durante recentes obras em casa. É fantástico vê-los e creio terem sido feitos por causa de inspiração de Gil Kane, John Byrne e John Buscema, assim como outros. Nostalgia à parte, parece que a sina estava traçada desde cedo, hmm?

Here, “Green Beam” obviously was meant to be Green Lantern, and I especially like how I tried to copy Buscema’s toss on Thor.

Aqui, “Raio Verde” devia claramente de ser Lanterna Verde, e gostei sobretudo de como tentei copiar o atirar do martelo de Thor, inspirado em Buscema.

These next, I realize, are actually a proto-comic sequence! The Avengers are moving in on Hulk, who apparently gets surprised and scared away by being hit with a rock (hah!) flung by The Falcon – an amazing plot, with a twist…! Heh!

Estes seguintes, apercebi-me, são na realidade uma proto-sequência de BD! Os Vingadores atacam Hulk, que foi surpreendido e assultado ao ser atingido por uma rocha (hah!) atirada pelo Falcão – um fabuloso guião, com twist no final…! Heh!