The Ballbreaker album cover by AC/DC was designed by Marvel Comics.

I was reading a book about AC/DC (one of my all-time favorite bands), and I learned that Marvel Comics had designed one of their covers.

Now, as a comic book fan, I know that art is created by artists, who may be in the employment of Marvel Comics.

So here’s the question…who worked on the art for AC/DC’s Ballbreaker album cover?

Here’s a link to the mention of Marvel Comics in the book “AC/DC: High-Voltage Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Ultimate Illustrated History.” Do some searching on Google and let me know what you discover. I found a passage in a book that acknowledges Marvel’s contributions, but doesn’t go into specific details.

Post your research, discoveries, and observations here.

Links:

• Ballbreaker CD on Amazon
• AC/DC: High-Voltage Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Ultimate Illustrated History on Amazon

Have a Super Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day to my mom and to all moms, but especially those who ignored the “experts” who said that we should be reading “real” books and not “junk” like comic books. Thank you for helping us discover a four-color world with superpowers, secret identities, and secret origins.

You taught us how to tie our shoes, eat with our mouths closed, and play nice with others, but you shared something far more important.

You gave us the gift of imagination. You showed us that there was a world beyond our bedroom walls that featured heroes who battled evil and fought for justice. Heroes willing to sacrifice everything for others. Truly super heroes.

We didn’t know it then, but looking back now, it’s easy to see now that you were our personal superheroes. You are the most powerful hero in our universe because you gave us life and taught us how to live it.

To the hero moms who are still our secret guardians and those who continue protecting us from an alternate universe, thank you. Sorry it took so long for us to notice the cape.

Thank you, mom. Happy Mother’s Day.

Basically, I asked them to create a shareable image that contains the phrase “Make A Comic You Would Want to Read.”

A few of you answered the call, and I am sharing these inspirations here. Hope you feel inspired! Oh, one more thing…please share these. Spread the word. Give a shout-out to the artists. Thank them, compliment them, and share their art.

If you want to create an inspiration or want to be part of the next inspiration, please email me directly at buddy@comicbookschool.com. I welcome your inspirations.

Note: on the left side of this website, there is a place where you can sign up for updates to ComicBookSchool.com. Please sign up.

Thanks…Buddy.

“Make A Comic You Would Want to Read” – Part of an inspirational series by friends of Comic Book School. This art is by Brian Guay (www.brokensnowflakestudio.ca).

“Make A Comic You Would Want to Read” – Part of an inspirational series by friends of Comic Book School. This art is by Diogo Carvalho (diogorccarvalho.webnode.pt/)
www.facebook.com/ComicBookSchool

“Make A Comic You Would Want to Read” – Part of an inspirational series by friends of Comic Book School. This art is by Jacqueline Hovey.

If you want to be a comic book artist or comic writer, yeah, you have permission to go be creative. The best part? You can do it right now. You may not get published, but you can be an artist or writer right now. Literally, you can stop what you’re doing and write or draw or both. Your creativity is not dependent on anyone but you.

Incidentally, Ze Frank is an amazingly creative, um, creator. I suggest that AFTER you write and draw, you check out some of his stuff at ZeFrank.com.

#makecomics

Under Construction

Everything changes, even Comic Book School.

In the next few weeks, you’ll see some updates that change the look, feel, and functionality of this website. These are improvements that will make it easier for you to find the information you need.

Please be patient with these updates, especially if you subscribe to the email updates. I’ll try to keep test posts to a minimum.

If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, you can contact me directly buddy@comicbookschool.com.

Colossal Collection of Action Poses cover. Written by Buddy Scalera. Cover art by Amanda Conner.Comic & Fantasy Artist’s Photo Reference: Colossal Collection of Action Poses by Buddy Scalera

Introduction

Demonstration – How to Use Photo Reference by Sean Chen

Men

• Norman A. Kellyman
• Loukas Papas
• Rory Quinn
• Jarrett Alexander
• Mark A. S. Dolson
• Anthony Catanzaro

Demonstration: Character Design by Rafael Kayanan

• Clothes
• Cape
• Dressing
• Police
• Street Clothes

Demonstration: Create Mood by Mitchell Breitweiser

• Expressions
• Angry
• Confused
• Happy
• Sad
• Scared
• Wounded

Demonstration: Make Your Art Tell a Story by Mike Lilly

• Action
• Choking
• Crawling
• Flying
• Jumping
• Kicking
• Kneeling
• Lifting
• Punching
• Pushing

Demonstration: The Body in Motion by Matt Haley

• Running
• Sitting
• Standing
• Walking
• Weapons
• Blasts
• Bow

Demonstration Watercolor Painting from Photo Reference by Mark Smylie

• Guns
• Knife
• Nunchucks
• Staff
• Swords

Demonstration: Team of Heroes, Collage-Style by Jamal Igle

Women

• Haydee Urena
• Vanessa Carroll
• Chanel Wiggins
• Pamela Paige
• Zoe Labella
• Ridada Elias
• Veronica Bond

• Clothes
• Boots
• Cape
• Street Clothes
• Dressing

Demonstration: Think 3-D by Terry Moore

• Dressing, Continued
• Gloves
• Hair
• Expressions
• Angry
• Happy
• Sad
• Skeptical

Demonstration: Draw a Beautiful Woman by Greg Land

• Scared
• Surprised
• Wounded

Demonstration: Work from Studies by William Tucci

• Action
• Crouching
• Climbing
• Flying
• Jumping

Demonstration: Tracing by Michael Oeming

• Kicking
• Lifting
• More Stuff

Demonstration: Creating Pitch Art by David Hahn

• Battle
• Drinking
• Loading a Gun

Demonstration: Photo Reference to Create a Cartoonish Figure by Fernando Ruiz

• Phone
• Romance
• Slapping
• Smoking
• Special Lighting

About the Artists
About the Author Buddy Scalera
Acknowledgements
Dedications

Creating Comics from Start to Finish cover

Table of contents for Creating Comics from Start to Finish

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1
EDITING: The Eye of the Storm
Not only are editors responsible for the creative wrangling of a comic book, but they also must be masters of project management. With MIKE MARTS

CHAPTER 2
WRITING: The Idea, the Blank Page and How Comics Are Born. Dive deep into how comics are written, from pitching ideas to getting them into print. With MARK WAID
CHAPTER 3
PENCILLING: Sketching Worlds One Page at a Time. The most coveted job in comics isn’t all glamour; it takes discipline to survive. With DARICK ROBERTSON

CHAPTER 4
INKING: It’s More Than Just Tracing. Inkers are jokingly misaligned as “tracers,” but they bring impact and nuance to pencilled art. With RODNEY RAMOS

CHAPTER 5
LETTERING: Getting in the Last Word. Most letterers are barely viewed as part of the creative process, but see one poorly lettered page and you’ll know just how important they really are. With CHRIS ELIOPOULOS

CHAPTER 6
COLORING: A Multichromatic Look at Today’s Technology. The modern-day colorist is not merely an artist. Staying on top of the latest techniques requires serious tech savvy. With BRIAN HABERLIN
CHAPTER 7
OTHER ROADS IN: Alternate Jobs in Comics. The path to a comics career can lead you to various departments and job opportunities.

CHAPTER 8
THE TOP OF THE PYRAMID: One-on-One With Joe Quesada. Marvel’s chief creative officer talks about making the decisions that make people want to buy comics.

CHAPTER 9
THE MAN HIMSELF: A Candid Conversation With Stan Lee. Listen closely to the legend who singlehandedly transformed the world of comics.

CHAPTER 10
NOW, PUT THIS DOWN and Get to Work. Professional do’s and don’ts, the truth about self-publishing, plus plenty more pointers for aspiring comic book creators.

RESOURCES FOR CREATORS
SELF-PUBLISHING BUDGET GUIDE
ONLINE CONTENT GUIDE
INDEX

New York Comicon 2011

CONVENTION: New York Comicon 2011
ORGANIZER: Buddy Scalera & ComicBookSchool.com
CONTACT: Buddy@comicbookschool.com
All Comic Book School Panels Friday. Room 1A03

PANELS:
Editors on Editing
Meet some of the industry’s top editors. Learn what it takes to break into comics and stay in from an all-star editorial panel.
Filip Sablik – Publisher, Top Cow
Stuart Moore – Former Marvel and DC Comics editor
Plus a surprise editorial addition, not yet announced
Host: Buddy Scalera of Comic Book School
Friday – 1:15PM – 2:15PM – Room 1A03

Comics, Hollywood – What Creators Need to Know
More comics are being turned into films, & creators have important questions about how Hollywood works. Get actionable information from top creators who have navigated the TV & movie business. Featuring special guests:
Jimmy Palmiotti – Comic book writer Jonah Hex & Screenwriter Painkiller Jane
Ken Levin – Hollywood entertainment attorney, co-founder First Comics
Jane Espenson – Screenwriter Buffy, Battlestar Galactica, Angel, The O.C.
Host: Buddy Scalera of Comic Book School
Friday – 2:30PM – 3:30PM – Room 1A03

Writing: Story Structure
Learn how to structure a complete issue from beginning to end. Pace, panel breakdown, and story arc discussed by professional writers who work for mainstream publishers like Marvel, DC, Dark Horse & more.
Jimmy Palmiotti – Comic Book writer The Pro, Powergirl, Deadpool
Daniel Way – Comic book writer Deadpool, Wolverine
David Hine – Comic book writer District X
Plus a surprise pro writer, not yet announced
Host: Buddy Scalera of Comic Book School
Moderator Andy Schmidt of Comics Experience
Friday – 3:45PM – 4:45PM – Room 1A03

Penciling: Storytelling on the Page
An all-star cast of experienced, working comic book artists talk about telling an effective story on the page. Learn about how real professional artists break down a script and thumbnail a page. Actual working pros show you how they determine the layout, the story flow, and specific panels from a real comic book script.
Jerry Ordway – Artist/writer – Shazam, Superman
Tim Seeley – Artist/writer – Hack/Slash, GI Joe
Plus a surprise artistic addition, not yet announced
Host: Buddy Scalera of Comic Book School
Friday – 5:00PM – 6:00PM – Room 1A03

Creator Connection
Meet your next creative partner in this fun, interactive networking session. Many indy titles and careers have been launched through this panel. Bring business cards & samples of your work. This is the panel that has literally helped complete strangers form creative teams and publish comic books. This is the original and best Creator Connection. Be there and launch your career.
Host: Buddy Scalera of Comic Book School
Support by Model/Actress Zoe Labella of Comic Artist’s Photo Reference
Friday – 6:15PM – 7:15PM- Room 1A03

Coloring: Digital Techniques
Top comic coloring talent Christina Strain demonstrates the latest and greatest computer coloring techniques. This is a hugely popular hands-on demo that will help you improve your coloring skills.
Host: Buddy Scalera of Comic Book School
Presenter/Teacher: Christina Strain
Friday – 7:30PM – 8:30PM- Room 1A03

All Comic Book School Panels Friday. Room 1A03

• Read the Review by Examiner – Colossal Collection of Action Poses
• Read the Review by ComicRelated – Colossal Collection of Action Poses
• Read the review by Aint It Cool News – Colossal Collection of Action Poses
• Read the review by Comics…And Other Imaginary Tales Colossal Collection of Action Poses
• Read the review by TheOuthousers.com – Colossal Collection of Action Poses
• Read the review by ComicBooks.com – Scalera’s Collection Is “The Best Of” Plus Some
• Read the review by Examiner.com – The Art of Creating Comics

Colossal Collection of Action Poses cover. Photo reference for comic artists by Buddy Scalera. Cover art by Amanda Conner.

Buddy Scalera is about to give professional illustrators and sketchers something to cheer about.  The comic book writer (Deadpool, Richie Rich) and photographer has shot 1,200 pictures and other photo reference for artists drawing superheroes.  Collected in his new book,  “Comic & Fantasy Artist’s Photo Reference: Colossal Collection of Action Poses,” which  is now in bookstores and online. Buy it on Amazon. Or buy it on BN.com.

A 320-page oversize trade paperback being published by IMPACT Books, the book collects the best of Scalera’s hard-to-find pose-file and adds dozens of brand new pictures and art tutorials. “Colossal Collection” is Scalera’s fifth educational book and the second book from Scalera shipping in 2011. Scalera’s “Creating Comics from Start to Finish,” shipped in May 2011.

The “Colossal Collection of Action Poses” is a book that features a best-of style group of anatomy poses from Scalera’s first three photo books, which include: Comic Artist’s Photo Reference: People & Poses (2006), Comic Artist’s Photo Reference: Women & Girls (2008), and Comic Artist’s Photo Reference: Men & Boys (2008). The pose file book boasts an all-new cover by fan favorite artist Amanda Conner (Power Girl, Black Cat, Vampirella) and Paul Mounts (Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, Ultimates).

If you are looking for photo reference for artists, this is the original and best resource for figure drawing and cartooning. View the Table of Contents for this educational anatomy book.

Exclusive new photographs include poses from fashion designer Ridada Elias (Chiguna.com) and actress Zoe Labella. Scalera also includes never-before-seen photographs that were shot for the original books, but were not included due to space. And, the book features brand new art lessons from Michael Avon Oeming (Powers) and Thom Zahler (Love & Capes).

Also included are classic educational lessons from Mitchell Breitweiser (Captain America), Sean Chen (Wolverine), Paul Chadwick (Concrete), David Hahn (Spider-Man), Matt Haley (Wonder Woman), Jamal Igle (Superman), Josh Howard (Dead@17), JG Jones (Wanted), Rafael Kayanan (Conan), Mike Lilly (Batman), Greg Land (X-Men), Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise), Fernando Ruiz (Archie), William Tucci (Shi), and Mark Smylie (Archaia).

ABOUT BUDDY SCALERA

Buddy Scalera is a comic book writer, editor and photographer of photo reference for comic book artists. He is the author of the popular Comic Artist’s Photo Reference book series for IMPACT Books, and he is also known for his best-selling series of photography CD-ROMs, Visual Reference for Comic Artists. Buddy has written for many mainstream comics, including Marvel Comics’ Deadpool, Agent X and X-Men Unlimited, and he also contributed to Marvel’s all-ages series Lockjaw and The Pet Avengers. On the indie side, he has written many comics including Richie Rich and Elvira. As a comic book educator, Buddy has hosted and organized workshops and panels at major conventions in locations including New York City, New Jersey, Chicago, Long Beach, and Philadelphia.

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Download Comic Cost Analysis Worksheet as Excel to Calculate Your P&L before Self-Publishing Your Comic Book

At the time, print publishing was the dominant form of publishing & self-publishing for comic book creators. So much of this sheet is structured for your printing, publishing, and distribution needs (primarily through Diamond Distribution). But you can still utilize the P&L worksheet to better analyze your comic book self publishing costs.

This is a free educational resource that I hope you utilize. If you want more information, please drop me a line. I am always happy to guide you through my spreadsheet. I’d be even happier if you read my entire book on the subject of comic book careers and breaking into the industry. Very happy.

If you click the image of the spreadsheet, you will download an Excel spreadsheet with many useful calculations. Don’t worry about the formulas and technical stuff. There’s an tutorial that will help you make it all work. Seriously, it’s really easy.

Basically, you plug in your numbers and the worksheet does the rest. It will tell you how many copies you have to sell before you break even or even make a profit. It’s a useful tool that has helped me as I self-published comic books. Please check out my book for a complete perspective on the comic book industry, how to break in, and how to survive as a working comic pro.

If you don’t have Excel and want to edit this online, you can access the Comic Cost Analysis Spreadsheet for free on Google Docs. It’s free and you can just play with the profit and loss calculations right here in your web browser.

If you find this sheet or anything here at Comic Book School, please spread the word. Share. Discuss. This is the best way to spread knowledge and education.

Oh, yeah, and please link to my site. Discussions at the Facebook Fan Page.

This is part of a series of Bonus Materials that I will be including on this site. You may want to check back or register for updates.

Visit my personal website at www.buddyscalera.com. Or view my blog on marketing, technology, & comics at Words + Pictures = Web.

Contact email: buddy@comicbookschool.com