GrantGould.com

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2009-12-18T03:58:00.002-06:00

I just got back from a midnight 3D showing of the long-awaited Avatar. Right off the bat, this movie had two things going against it (underwhelming trailers and lame alien designs) and one major thing going for it (James Cameron).

Without giving any long-winded explanations or spoilers, here's my over all opinion on the movie: I really liked it, but I didn't love it.

I thought it had absolutely STUNNING visuals. There are moments that will have you gasping -- you really do get sucked into the world of Pandora for awhile. But unfortunately the story's pretty cookie cutter and predictable.

The highlight of the movie for me was the lead female alien character, played by Zoe Saldana (Uhura in Star Trek). I thought she was amazing. Easily the best CG character I've ever seen. She was the one character I felt emotionally invested in. The rest of the cast... eh, didn't care too much about.

Is Avatar worth seeing? Absolutely. And you need to see it in 3D, it's an awesome experience. Just don't expect much more than two and a half hours of eye candy.

Widevision Sketch Cards: Batch 4

2009-12-15T23:37:00.002-06:00

Some more artist return sketch cards from the Clone Wars Widevision set. I have a couple left that are still up for grabs. Shoot me an email if interested.

A Peek At The Process

2009-12-15T18:24:00.002-06:00

I posted a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of my cover for "Brislan Frost" #1. You can check it out over at BrislanFrost.com!

Kevin Eastman Digs "Wolves"

2009-12-14T22:34:00.003-06:00

I recently discovered that Kevin Eastman (TMNT co-creator & owner of Heavy Metal magazine) plugged Wolves of Odin on his blog! Here's the link.

I hate to get all mushy and sentimental, but that is a HUGE honor for me. I spent countless hours as a teenager looking at the old black & white Ninja Turtle comics, doodling the characters over and over again in my school notebooks (we're talkin' old school -- all red headbands, people, none of this multi-color crap!). To know that Eastman read my book - let alone dug it! - is beyond flattering.

Special thanks to my pal Dan Mendoza for sending me the link. Dan's book Zombie Tramp was also given a nice plug by Eastman, and I know Dan loves the guy as much as I do, so it's like an early awesome Christmas present for both of us. :)

Brislan Frost

2009-12-13T21:19:00.004-06:00

Here's a first look at my latest side project - I'm writing a book series called "Brislan Frost" (and I did the cover art, modeled by the awesome Shea Standefer).

I created an official site: BrislanFrost.com -- Not much there yet, but there's cool stuff coming very soon. :) I also created a Facebook fan page. Here's the link for that.

Super Soldiers & Wolves of Odin

2009-12-12T18:43:00.001-06:00

Whoo hoo :) I love seeing my book in stores!

So this is just a quick update. I've been behind on emails and commissions for some time now, and I plan on fixing that ASAP. From now until Christmas, I'm going into super soldier mode. I want to get caught up just as badly as all of you WANT me to get caught up. So lots of commissions - out the door - ASAP. Emails answered - ASAP. I'm gonna do my best.

I want to start 2010 with a clean slate. I want to restructure how I handle commissions. Good things on the horizon.

Another topic I wanted to bring up is the "Wolves of Odin" webcomic. You know, that thing that fizzled and died? :P Yeah, well, I still want to tell the story and it's still on my plate of things to do. I'm planning on relaunching it in early 2010, but I don't want to give a solid date or anything until I know for sure, and I want to make sure I'm not setting myself up for another fizzley death. So more info on that soon. I haven't forgotten about it. I'm just a busy man with lots of projects, and I really underestimated the amount of time a webcomic would take up.

I hope you're all having a great, safe, wintery weekend!

New Clone Wars Webcomic Pages

2009-12-04T14:47:00.007-06:00

My latest batch of pages are now online at starwars.com/clonewars/comic, continuing the new story featuring Tyzen and Ganch and Keelyvine (luvs me some Keelyvine).

I did something a little different this time around -- I skipped the inking stage.

1) I started with super-loose blue pencils,

2) then did tight red pencils over that,

3) then scanned the pages into Photoshop and got rid of the blue lines,

4) then turned it all to greyscale mode and darkened the lines,

5) and then just digitally colored on top of that.

It's something I've wanted to try doing for awhile, since inking is generally my least favorite step in the whole process. So I'm curious to know what you all think. Do you like the "inkless" look, or do you prefer my usual inked pages... or do you like 'em both?

I'm also curious to know what you all think of the new webcomic in general so far. Do you like the new characters? Which one's your favorite? What are you hoping to see more of, or less of? There's a thread going at the TFN forums, too, focused on the webcomics - here's a link. If you dig the webcomics, please head over there and voice your opinions. We want to hear from ya! :)

Star Wars Celebration 5

2009-12-04T13:54:00.005-06:00

Lucasfilm has finally announced the date and location of the much-anticipated Star Wars Celebration 5 convention. It will be from August 12th to 15th, 2010, and will take place in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Click here to read the official announcement at StarWars.com.

I definitely plan on going to C5. As of right now, my convention schedule for 2010 is looking like this: MN MicroCon, C2E2 in Chicago, (maybe HeroesCon), Celebration 5, MN FallCon, and Star Wars Fan Days in Texas.

As soon as everything's set in stone, I'll post up a list, but for now, those are the ones I'm shooting for. Lots of big changes from my usual lineup. No San Diego Comic-Con or Wizard World Chicago for me in 2010.

Update

2009-12-04T13:43:00.004-06:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that, yes, I'm alive -- I'm all moved into my new place. It's been a stressful couple of weeks (deadlines, bills, etc.), and I know I'm way behind on emails at the moment. I'm doing my best to catch up now that I have internet again. So it's back to commissions (if I don't have each and every one done by end of December, I'm gonna explode), and my blog here won't be such a ghost town -- lots of new stuff coming! So keep watchin'. :)

Gobble Gobble, Move Move

2009-11-24T13:56:00.002-06:00

My life is temporarily consumed by moving and family stuff, and I won't be online a whole lot this week and weekend. Hopefully I'll be set up with internet early next week and can start catching up, continue finishing commissions, etc. I hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I can tell you that I'm truly thankful for having such great people in my life -- friends, fellow artists, editors, fans, collectors, everyone. Thank you for supporting me and being patient with my weird schedule. :)

Star Wars Galaxy: Series 5

2009-11-23T21:47:00.006-06:00

Series 4 was a massive hit, so it comes as no surprise that the next Star Wars Galaxy set is already on its way! Scheduled for release in February, this new set will feature tons of new base card artwork, lots of great sketch cards, and everything else you've come to love about Star Wars trading cards.

I'm proud to announce that I'll have THREE cards in the base set -- Two of them are brand new commissioned pieces of art featuring Clone Wars characters :) (I can't show them yet - but hopefully soon), and the third card features my 'A New Hope' print artwork from 2007's Celebration IV. Plus I'll be drawing 200 sketch cards. And I gotta tell ya, the Galaxy sets are THE best sets for sketch cards, because we can draw characters from ALL corners and eras of the Star Wars universe. Nothing's off limits. (Except maybe the Holiday Special.) :P

If you'd like to see larger images of the promo sheet, here's some linkage for ya:
Front
Back

It's gonna be an exciting set -- I'm looking forward to showing my work for it, and to see everyone else's. A lot of my fellow artists whom I've had the pleasure of working with and becoming friends with are also heavily involved with Galaxy 5, so it'll be cool. I'll keep you posted with more info as we get closer to the 2010 release!

Keelyvine's Jedi Starfighter

2009-11-23T17:14:00.003-06:00

Keelyvine Reus is a new major character appearing in the Clone Wars webcomic. Tom Hodges designed her, and I really dig what he came up with - She's my favorite of the new cast. (And you'll be seeing her drawn by me in next week's chapter!) :) Anyway, I got to design the look of her jedi starfighter, so here's a peek at that. For the record, if they ever make an actual toy of this, I will poop my pants.

I'm All Thumbs

2009-11-17T16:40:00.002-06:00

Since my Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars book came out, I've had a couple people ask me, "Do you really use stick figures and shapes like that?" So I thought I'd show some recent thumbnail sketches. I absolutely do use stick figures and shapes -- though, admittedly, they're much messier than the stuff you see in the kids' book. :)

When I start any larger project, be it a comic page or base cards (pretty much anything that I digitally color), my first step is always to grab a notebook and start doodling quick little poses and layouts. The stuff you see above is from an upcoming Star Wars card set, which I'll be able to talk more about in coming months. But essentially this is how much of my artwork begins: A messy little doodle. And once I decide which pose I like best, I scan it into Photoshop, enlarge it to whatever size my actual drawing will be, print it up, then use a lightbox to pencil over the thumbnail image and start my "real" sketch.

A lot of artists go straight to the page, and that's fine. There isn't one magical method that works for everyone. You need to practice and see what works best for you -- what's quickest, what gives you the best results, etc. Over the past couple of years, I've definitely discovered that thumbnailing things out beforehand helps me a LOT.

Movin' again...

2009-11-16T16:42:00.003-06:00

Ah, my life is so full of action and adventure. :P I am moving again, and, of course, that means the next couple weeks will be more random than usual. I'm still staying in Minnesota. Fortunately, this time I have far less stuff to pack (a lot of it is still in boxes), so I'm not expecting too much craziness. Anyway, I'm still focusing on commissions and trying to get them done ASAP. I'm still keeping my PO Box address (1769 Lexington Ave. N. #156, Roseville, MN 55113), so no worries there. Hopefully the transition will be quick and smooth.

On a completely unrelated note, tomorrow is an AWESOME day for sci fi lovers. :) Both Star Trek and the new mega-condensed Farscape: The Complete Series hit DVD and Blu-ray. I had hoped to do some fan art for both, but... yeah, just don't have the time. So all you get is this crappy doodle.

More "Draw Clone Wars" Contests

2009-11-14T12:24:00.002-06:00

After you check out the Klutz Design Challenge, head over to these other sites for more chances to win a copy of the book! :)

• SciFiChick.com
• GalacticBinder.com
• Fandomania.com

"Draw Clone Wars" Klutz Design Challenge

2009-11-13T17:09:00.002-06:00

The publisher of "Draw Star Wars: The Clone Wars" (written by Bonnie Burton, illustrated by me) is holding a fun new contest! All you artists should go check it out:
www.klutzdesignchallenge.com

You can win copies of the book, or even an original full-color Yoda drawing by yours truly. :)
Good luck!

Widevision Artist Return Card: Ahsoka/Twilight

2009-11-12T17:00:00.002-06:00

Another one of my Artist Return Cards for the Clone Wars Widevision set that came out this week. This one's up for grabs. If you're interested in buying it, email me at grantgoboom@gmail.com

White Album in Non-Sport Update

2009-11-12T13:24:00.003-06:00

NSU posted a sample article from their latest issue (you can find the magazine in all major bookstores). It features The White Album, the Beatles art tribute book that I contributed to. Check it out right over here. By the way, I still have copies of the book available - signed by all 13 artists. If you're interested in buying one, shoot me an email. :)

Widevision Sketch Cards: Batch 3

2009-11-09T21:44:00.002-06:00

Clone Wars Widevision releases this week. By wednesday your local comic and hobby shops should have it in stock (and I believe it'll be available at Target, too). Here are three of my artist return cards that are already spoken for. If you're interested in a return card, shoot me an email: grantgoboom@gmail.com. I only have a few left.

Clone Wars Season 1 DVD/Blu-ray

2009-11-04T20:27:00.004-06:00

The Clone Wars Season 1 is now in stores! (Read all about it.) I'm pretty excited about the fact that my art appears - albeit briefly - on one of the extra features. On DVD: On the 4th disc, when you're on "Blue Shadow Virus" on the episode menu, click left until the little shape highlights over Anakin, and there's an easter egg promo for StarWars.com. They show webcomic pages by me, Tom Hodges, and Katie Cook. On Blu-ray: On disc 1, look under Special Features, then look under Trailers. The StarWars.com promo should be there. :)

My apologies for the lack of new artwork on my site here lately -- I've been busy working on a few Star Wars related things that I can't talk about yet. Hopefully I'll be able to show something soon.

Widevision Sketch Cards: Batch 2

2009-10-30T22:19:00.002-05:00

Here's a look at some more of my sketches for the Clone Wars Widevision set. I did 150 cards, so this is just a small sampling (check out my first batch of samples here). Like the last few sets, I went for variety - from pencil sketches to full color.

Fan Days III Cards on eBay: Ahsoka & Grievous

2009-10-29T14:06:00.003-05:00

Click here for Ahsoka!
Click here for Grievous!

I've got a limited number of Fan Days III sketch card blanks, so I'll be putting a couple at a time up on eBay.

You have the option of choosing your own character, too. $50 a card, headshot of any Star Wars character you want. Just shoot me an email: grantgoboom@gmail.com.

Fan Days Rundown

2009-10-28T19:13:00.002-05:00

Texas was a great time! I had tons of fun hanging out with my pals, and my cousin Emily and her husband Michael came to the show, which was awesome -- it all flew by way too quickly. As always, I had a good time talking to fans and meeting new faces, and I'm happy to report that I sold out of my special Fan Days sketchbooks! If you pre-ordered one before the show - don't worry, they're on their way. If you didn't pre-order and you weren't at the show, yerr outta luck. :)

I had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with James Burns of JediNews.co.uk - really cool guy. Rebelscum founder Philip Wise once again invited everyone to his museum of Star Wars collectibles - always an awesome experience. I had a chance to talk to all of the Clone Wars voice actors, who are all incredibly nice (and attractive), and some of the usual celebs that go to these shows. I'm forgetting a million details, but that's okay - Over all, I loved the show and am glad my last convention of the year was a great one.

If you want to check out my photos from the show, here's a gallery.

And I've had a few people asking about Fan Days III sketchcards. YES, I will definitely be selling full-color Fan Days III sketch cards. I plan on posting details soon, so keep an eye out for that.

Thanks again to everyone who came out to Texas. Fan Days was awesome. Lookin' forward to going again next year.

Bane Return Card Process

2009-10-27T14:43:00.002-05:00

I'm back from Fan Days III - had a great time, will definitely be posting a "con review" sometime soon. I have a lot to catch up on, including emails and SLEEP. For now, here's a quick series of process shots, showing how I created this Cad Bane sketch card.

Top 10 Halloween DVD Picks

2009-10-22T00:37:00.005-05:00

Now, I'm not saying these are necessarily the BEST horror movies of all time. They're just 10 of my top favorites, and I'd recommend them to anyone looking for some fun 'n' freaky Halloween viewing. :)

Dawn of the Dead (2004 remake):
My favorite zombie movie. I was a big fan of the original Dawn of the Dead, too, but this one just knocked it out of the park in every possible way, from the opening scenes to the very last frame. It caters to everything I want in a horror/action/survival flick.

Dog Soldiers:
It seems that a lot of people have never heard of this one, and that's a shame. It's easily my favorite werewolf movie. The beasties look awesome and the characters are great.

The Thing:
John Carpenter's 1982 classic. Not just one of my favorite horror movies, but one of my favorite movies, period. Kurt Russell is amazing, the setting is perfect, and I love love loooove the ending. I'm a sucker for tragedies.

The Blair Witch Project:
I know there are a lot of people out there who dislike this movie, and a lot of people who claim it didn't scare them whatsoever... I am NOT one of those people. I saw Blair Witch on opening night with a bunch of friends - we went into it with no expectations - we didn't know if it was real or not. The movie scared THE CRAP out of me. The "leave it to your imagination" aspect really got to me, and it was the creepiest movie-watching experience of my life. I still remember the final scene - the entire audience screamed or gasped, and then we literally sat in stunned, freaked-out silence for about two solid minutes. I still get chills thinking about it. (And of course, right as I'm typing this, something - a tree branch probably - hits my window, making my heart frickin' stop. NICE...)

Poltergeist:
Such an awesome movie on so many levels. I saw it multiple times as a kid and it always fascinated me and scared me (that swimming pool scene - yikes). For me, the concept of ghosts and poltergeists felt much more real than, say, Nightmare on Elm Street or Friday the 13th.

Interview With The Vampire:
I don't care what anyone says, I love this movie. I think it's well-made, I think it does justice to the book (which I was a huge fan of as a teenager), and I think Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt are excellent. This movie deserves way more love than it gets.

Trick 'r Treat:
I recently discovered this one, and I loved it. In fact, I find myself thinking about it a lot - it's got a bunch of creepy, cool scenes that (for me, at least) are really memorable. It's not super scary, but it's fun, and it harkens back to the 1980s short story style horror flicks like Creepshow.

Fright Night:
An underrated classic. Creepy, funny, goofy, awesome. And let's not forget - one of the scariest smiles in cinema history (click here if you dare).

28 Days Later:
It's hard to argue that this was a revolutionary zombie flick. It changed the genre and spawned an era of copycats. It gave us a bleak, serious look at a post-outbreak world, not to mention FAST zombies. It's still just as creepy today as it was the first time I watched it.

The Lost Boys:
Okay, so when you watch it now, it's more comedy than horror. It isn't a movie that's going to give you nightmares. But it was a staple of '80s childhood, and I still think it's a blast to watch it. I can't deny my love for The Lost Boys. And, c'mon... Easily one of the best soundtracks ever.