Officially an artist

1988 Art by Joey Cavalieri

I am getting used to these con things now... Yesterday's was good fun, and I was running around pretty much all day. It was a little confused with the delegate event for creators going on behind the scenes of the standard con event, I think overall it detracted from both events, because there weren't enough people at the creators' thing, and the con lacked the sparkle the famous names might have brought had they been doing what they were doing up front and centre. I realise the organisers were trying to please everyone, and create an exclusive feel, but sometimes inclusiveness, and lowering of prices pays off too.
So enough about the event onto the people which is always the best part. I saw Steve Rude draw a live model while waffling on! He is a funny guy and a talented artist. And I caught the end of Joey Cavalieri's talk on his experience as a DC editor. I wish I had heard it all, but didn't get my bearings till about midday which is normal for me, but a shame when there's good things to miss. Luckily I was meeting him for a review of my portfolio and he was as affable in person as he seemed while speaking publicly. A really down to earth guy, he used to be an artist I gathered who became one of DC's major editors. He looked at my stuff, and strangely enough picked out three of my pieces which I would never have expected him to - but are the ones I liked drawing best. I thought they were too gentle for 'comics', but he went straight for them. He liked my Renoir renditions, and my vert cartoon! The Hare and the Tortoise in particular. We talked about line weight and how use of heavy lines and solid blacks was not suited to my style, that I should pursue my finer line work which is 'accomplished' whereas the heavier lines hide what would be otherwise good panels under clumsy lines. Yeah! I liked him! We talked about Moebius, he pointed out that its no coincidence that I would like his work when he too uses those delicate lines and light colour washes. He's a laid back experienced Dude. It is so so helpful to talk to people with experience. Being an artist is so isolated but these guys are like beacons. (I still think about things I learnt from Klaus Janson last time I was at the Studio. I think Joey's words will be the same.) Not what I expected, but then he said, if you work for DC you have to produce the house style, they do what they do and so they should! he was pretty tired from being at SDCC and I mentioned Chris Sims... because you know, he's awesome. It turns out Joey thinks he's a 'really intelligent guy' and would like to meet him. I would tell him but we don't want the internet to explode with humility now do we?
Yeah. The Longship book was selling well, and people were genuinely impressed and excited about it, Steve mentioned something about Waterstones and Foyles stocking it - but I can't quite believe it's true. Lawrence and I are going to run round all the stores we can moving them to the front of the shelves. 
The only purchase I made was Newt by Mahler and Wolf brought out by Soaring Penguin.

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