Don's Sketchbook: San Diego 2003 by Don MacPherson One of my favorite aspects of any comics convention is gathering sketches from artists whose work I enjoy. I also love collecting original art, but the sketches are a little more personal. At the recent Comic-Con International San Diego, I gathered some additions to my sketchbook. I continued with the sketchbook theme I began in San Diego in 2000. The theme: "Ouch, That's Gotta Hurt." Just for fun. Keep that in mind when perusing these images. Note: For a report on what Randy and I were up to at the 2003 San Diego con, click HERE. I had only one goal when it came to sketchbook this year: I wanted a sketch from George Perez. I've been a Perez fan since I first glimpsed his work on New Teen Titans #2 in the early 1980s. I bought a page of original Perez art (from Avengers v.3 #27) during my last jaunt to San Diego in 2000, so this time, I wanted something fresh and new (and quick) in my sketchbook. Though things were busy (as always) at the CrossGen booth, an early-morning arrival at the con proved fortuitous, as a surprisingly small line for Perez was to be found. I jumped in right away, and it was only minutes before the line went from small to significant. It was the longest I waited for a sketch at the con, and well worth it. Below, Perez shows that box-office figures aren't the only thing causing the Hulk pain these days. The Oni Press booth was a frequent stop throughout the convention, and during Randy's and my first visit, Judd Winick was available for signing... and sketches. As most have heard by now, he's working on a new Barry Ween limited series, and as my favorite Winick character, I just had to have a Ween sketch to call my own. Another repeated sight on our promenades throughout the con was the AiT/Planet Lar booth, where there was never a shortage of great comics talent. Randy got a kickass sketch from Scurvy Dogs artist Ryan Yount, and I was so impressed, I made sure to make it back there to see if he's work his magic in my sketchbook as well. As you can see below, his demented sense of humor was well-suited to my theme. He also demonstrates that there's much more to his artwork than the simple style one sees in Scurvy Dogs. Michael Lark did some nice, gritty super-hero work for DC Comics in the late 1990s, but it was his work on Scene of the Crime that really showed the depth of his storytelling skills. Though I'm disappointed there's not been a Scene followup, I was thrilled when Lark joined Greg Rucka and his Scene collaborator, Ed Brubaker, on Gotham Central. This marker sketch shows that even with a crude drawing tool, he can capture a dark and tense mood. Just before the convention, I had the pleasure of reading the latest in the line of original graphic novels from Oni Press, Maria's Wedding. I wasn't familiar with the artist's work, but I am now. Jose Garibaldi did an amazing job on that book, but it wasn't until I met him at the con and saw further samples of his work that I realized what a flexible and unique talent he is. This sexy and quirky sketch provides a hint of the edgy, underground feel one can find in much of his work. Ted Naifeh's turned some heads with his dark but playful fantasy title for youth, Courtney Crumrin, published by Oni Press. I love Courtney; it's a darker flipside to Harry Potter, far more interesting thanks to its protagonist's mean streak. But even more fascinating is Naifeh's much more mature exploration of people living in a world of sexual extremes, How Loathsome, which he touches upon in the sketch below. Personally, though, what I find more interesting about this sketch is that I'm in it. I'm guessing I looked particularly tired at the con that day. And then... we have color! A number of artists really make their sketches stand out by adding little splashes of color, and Andi Watson's one of them. Watson is the king of the slice-of-life comic book -- just check out Breakfast After Noon and Slow News Day for proof -- and he was kind enough to share a sketch of his latest average-joe protagonist, Jack from Love Fights. Though he first turned heads online and on Todd McFarlane's Spawn line of comics, it's been his collaborations with writer Steve Niles that have really put Ben Templesmith on the map in the industry. I caught up with both creators at the Dark Horse booth one another, and Templesmith was kind enough to dash off a goofy, fun sketch of what I assume is a zombie beheading. OK, this is a true story -- swear to God. Cartoonist Tom Beland did a sketch for me. No, really! Beland's a great guy, and he was kind enough to do this sketch for yours truly when signing and shaking hands at the wonderful Sequential Tart booth. (The Tarts had a wonderful approach at the con: comics evangelism. They were handing out free comics and recommended reading lists.) Remember I said I visited the AiT booth often? Well, it was on one of those stops that I met Charlie Adlard. He's doing plenty of work for DC as of late, but some of his best stuff is available through AiT, such as White Death, Nobody, Astronauts in Trouble and the upcoming Codeflesh collection. He provided one of the funnier sketches to arise out of my theme at this con. On the final day of the con, Randy and I strolled through Artists Alley. Sunday's when I do what little shopping I can afford at the con, and I picked up nice pages form Jason Alexander and Alex Saviuk. Unfortunately, that left me shy of cash when we happened upon Brent Anderson's table. He had some amazing Astro City pages for sale at fantastic prices, but I just couldn't spare the cash for one. I did get a nice Jack-in-the-Box sketch, though, and I was as pleased with that as I would have been with any page. Wrapping up my collection of sketches for Comic-Con International San Diego was Frank Cho, Marvel cover artist and the mind behind Liberty Meadows from Image Comics. I was amazed at how quickly he (a) came up with an idea for a sketch that fit in my theme, and (b) illustrated it. No argument... he does nice work. Email Don MacPherson with your comments about this review.