So while I want to write a bit about Kl'rt, I would rather everyone just check out my analysis of this bad a$$ alien mother at my real blog.  It goes over his normals, specials, hypers, and assists in MVC3.   http://wp.me/p18T0G-cd.    Cool stuff I swear!

Hey everybody, I haven't done anything on here for a while because I moved back to Michigan from NYC and I'm preparing all of my grad school stuff for the application deadline to MSU on December 15th.  However, I did re-meet Marvel Exclusive artist Ryan Stegman at Detroit Fanfare about a month ago and I got the chance to interview him at his home about She-Hulks, his previous projects, and how he broke in to the industry.  You can read it here at my official blog I Speak Comics.  Here's an excerpt from the interview, enjoy!
 

Hey, so as you may or may not know, Marvel Exclusive artist Ryan Stegman’s new book She-Hulks #1 came out two weeks ago.  Seeing as we’re both Michiganders I decided to check in with him about She-Hulks and basically perform a scattershot interview.  Think of this as an “Everything you wanted to know about Ryan Stegman,” sort of thing.

The setting: Ryan and I are sitting in his basement which doubles as his studio.  Rather, one end is his studio, which has a ton of art supplies, computers, comics, and the original art for She-Hulks #1 and 2 scattered about.  On the other side of this partially subterranean habitat (it’s a walkout basement) there’s a comfy couch and two chairs for television viewing and a DLP TV mounted to the ceiling.  The Art of the Princess and the Frog lays forlorn, but not forgotten, on the coffee table and there’s cat hair everywhere.

You’re Ryan Stegman, what do you do?  Who are you?
I draw comic books for Marvel Comics.  She-Hulks #1 comes out today.  I’ve drawn Sif, Red She-Hulk, Hercules, some Marvel Adventures Spider-Man, Magician: Apprentice, and Midnight Kiss from Markosia before that.

She-Hulks #1 came out today as you said, and you’re drawing it with?
Harrison Wilcox is the writer and this is his first big series.  He did the Red She-Hulk backups with me, Michael Babinski is inking it, and the colorist is GURU eFX.

What do you like most about drawing She-Hulk?
Basically everything.  I like drawing female characters and this is two female characters, so that’s nice.  I like to draw things that are pleasing.

But not prurient?
No, very prurient (Laughs).

So when did you start drawing comics?
Well when I was 15 I got my first comic.  That’s when I said, “Hey, I wanna draw comic books.”  I always drew, but I could never figure out what I wanted to do with it.  I thought I wanted to be a Disney animator or something but I picked up an issue of Spawn and I looked at it and I was like, “Oh my god, I could do that someday.”  And then I just told my parents and made that my life’s goal and pursued it.

So you started at 15?
I didn’t start pursuing it right then, I did draw.  I did buy all the books I had heard you were supposed to read like Burne Hogarth’s anatomy book and George Bridgeman’s stuff.  I would read all these books about perspective and about all these other things you needed to know to draw, and I tried to study storytelling, but I really wasn’t’ doing as much drawing of comic books as much as I would have liked.  I did maybe 3 pages a year.  Then I went to college and got a degree in something completely unrelated and then got out and still had been telling everyone that I would be a comic book artist so I had to cash in on the deal.

After you graduated college, with an English major from MSU no less, you were still intent on being a comic book artist?
I mean I think I was just so sure of it and I told everyone and everybody knew that’s what I said I was gonna do.  I think it was a good thing because when it came time I was like, “Oh my god, I have to do this otherwise I have no identity.”  My identity was completely tied up in it.

But everything worked out and now you’re a comic book artist!  So after all that, what was the first thing that you got published?
Supposedly something was published when I was 15 or 16 but I never saw it.  I told the guy, “Hey if you didn’t’ really publish this you can tell me,” and he said, “no I did I’ll send it to you” but he never did.  I don’t think it came out.

So that may or may not exist, what was next?
The first thing after that would have been Midnight Kiss, which was the series I did for AP Comics, which was bought up by Markosia.  It was a 5 issue series and it took me forever to do it.  5 issues to me now, that would take me a little over 5 months, but that took me about 2 years, a year and a half.

What was your first professional drawing gig like?  Did you love it?  Hate it?
It was more like, I just did it.  I don’t really remember it seeming horrible or anything, but looking back on the amount of hours I had to put into it and the way my life was so structured around it…  It completely dominated my life and it was a pretty terrible time, but I didn’t know it.

In retrospect it may not have been the best of times but…
I felt like I was doing it!  I’m not embarrassed of the series, I still think it’s pretty good, but just knowing the amount of money I made off of it which was hardly anything…  If you take the amount of money I made and divided it by the number of hours I put into it, I was probably making $2 an hour or something.  I may as well have been working in a sweatshop, but I just didn’t care. 

You can follow Ryan on Twitter here - http://twitter.com/ryanstegman  

You can check out his DeviantArt here - http://ryanstegman.deviantart.com  

He even has a blog! - http://ryanstegmanart.blogspot.com/

And finally, be sure to purchase some of his original artwork over at http://www.cadencecomicart.com/

Ok, bear with me just one second and let me preface this blog post with some facts about myself.  I love women with muscle.  Female bodybuilders, fitness competitors, the girl next door with nice abs, what have you, I'm a sucker for them all.  I can't really explain it so I won't, it's just something I love on a woman.  Now I also love comic books, which should go without saying.  I'm not such a huge fan of tattoos, my girlfriend has two but they're small and practically invisible unless she's naked, but sometimes it works on a lady.  Often times, in my honest opinion it doesn't, however!  If a girl has a comic book tattoo, that I can respect.  Not only does it give her instant street cred but if she's a cute nerdy girl?  'Nuff said. 

Now imagine you're me and you see this picture of a BEAUTIFUL woman, with gorgeous muscles, and a tattoo of a comic book character on her arm.  You should be psyched right?  Like instant crazy in love, stomach all aflutter sort of deal.  Well that's what I thought would happen.  Farah Malhass, is beyond beautiful.  Not only that but she's the first Arab woman to ever enter an international bodybuilding competition.  She's got drive, ambition, beauty, and muscle.  But she also has this tattoo 

So I know next to nothing about Baron Zemo besides the fact that he's a Cap villain and has terrible fashion sense.  Dude, I get that purple is the color of royalty but that was what, like thousands of years ago when purple dye was super rare?  Come on.  Aside from that I was actually really excited to learn a bit about this relatively obscure villain.  I would have to say that the best issue, for me was the last issue, THUNDERBOLTS PRESENTS: ZEMO - BORN BETTER #1  I just liked the idea of this once heinous villain, turned sort of hero, going back in time to see how his legacy was created.  I thought it provided a very unique backdrop for a character study of a villain obsessed with his own lineage, and positive that his blood makes him better.  Very cool stuff. 
 
Here's the link to Unlimited Highlights! 
 
PEACE!

 I've suddenly decided I dislike the term "microbrew." When I think "microbrew" I think snobbery, hipster, tight jeans, and young artsy white people. I want to enjoy my beer. I don't want to punch every mustachioed person I see in the face because they're trying to impress me, and the people around me, with the distinguished yet humble origins of the brewery of their favorite pale ale. F your pale ale. I'm going to break this half full bottle of Molson XXX upside your dumb haircut. 
 
PEACE!

This week's Unlimited Highlights -  Unlimited Highlights: X-23 - features the tandem claws of X-23 in all her adolescent glory.  Can't say that I'm a fan of her, or of Wolverine in general, but what are you gonna do?  She doesn't talk much, but she does slice lots, and kills but good.  This set of comics is basically gearing people for her new series, slated to hit store shelves this September.  Look at that alliteration!  Doing Stan proud for sure! 
 
Anyway, my favorite issue this week had to be X-23: Target X #1, simply because the art is phenomenal.  I don't have much else to say this week.  I'm tired and I have to work tomorrow.  Day 4/6, and who knows if it'll be longer than that.  Anyway, good night team. 
 
PEACE!

Last week in Unlimited Highlights I hit The New Mutants because of New Mutants Forever #1.  I gotta say that I've never personally been a huge fan of the New Mutants... except for Cannonball.  I like him.  I think he's cool, especially after his fight with Gladiator in Uncanny X-Men #341.  Regardless, last week the coolest issue was New Mutants Special #1, simply because of Art Adam's art.  I love it. 
 
http://marvel.com/news/all.13530.unlimited_highlights%7ecolon%7e_new_mutants_forever     
 
K.  Don't know what to say about all of this stuff.  But boom goes the dynamite. 
 
PEACE!

This week in Unlimited Highlights we've got a little Daredevil action going on.  Matt's got a big ass castle in the middle of Hell's Kitchen and the heroes are going to do something about it.  At least they hope to do something about it.  So yeah, the shit is about to hit the fan and we're taking a quick look at DD's past team-ups.  My favorite issue this week was AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #16.  There's just something so nostalgic about DD's yellow costume and the crazy corniness of the Circus of Crime.  You just gotta love it. 
 
http://marvel.com/news/all.13605.unlimited_highlights%7ecolon%7e_daredevil_team-ups 
 
So yeah, read it folks, and I'm one behind.  Gonna post the New Mutants Unlimited Highlights in a few. 
 
PEACE!

 Does anyone remember that brutally horrendous Flash Gordon film from the 80's?  You know you do.  But do you know that it had quite possibly the most rad soundtrack of any movie ever?  Every song is by Queen.  Yes.  Every. Single. One.  Anyway, I've drank many a time to the song with my best friend and just the other evening (or morning depending on how you look at it) he decided to remind me of our old drinking days of yore.  He's getting married in October and his fiancee's name is Karen, to clear up any questions/confusion.  It may also be beneficial to watch this music video beforehand to fully understand the following text conversation -  http://www.youtube.com/wat 

Phil - 1:01 AM FLASH... AHAH! KING OF THE IMPOSSIBLE!

Me - 1:02 AM HE'LL SAVE EVERY ONE OF US!

Phil - 1:03 AM SAVIOR OF THE UNIVERSE!

Me - 1:06 AM Just a man, with a man's courage, he knows nothing but a man, but he can never fail, no one but the pure in heart may find the golden grail ohohohoh FLASH

Phil - 1:21 AM Wonderful

Me - 1:23 AM Need I even suggest the band learn that for the wedding? I shall anyway. They must learn it.

Phil - 1:23 AM Would be pretty great to hear. Our first dance could be to it.

Me - 1:25 AM It would look a little awkward, you and me slow dancing to flash while karen sits pouting and eating cake.

Phil - 1:34 AM I had the same image in my head by the way

Me - 1:35 AM Sigh... we are so gay

*Edited slightly to cast us in the worst possible light.    

Hey everybody, SumoSlamMan here and I just wanted to introduce myself, prove that I have street cred, and hopefully get you to check out some of the comics over at Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited.  Every week I write a little column called Unlimited Highlights for Marvel.com.  Check it out here.  I come up with some colorful teasers for various comics contained within Marvel's massive digital vault that tie in to something happening in one of the print books hitting store shelves that week.  This week, with the start of "The Five Lights" storyline in Uncanny X-Men, all the issues are geared around Hope and her growing role as the mutant savior (or destroyer, according to Bishop).   
 
I'd have to say that personally, my favorite issue this week was definitely X-Men #205.  I love Chris Bachalo's artwork, when I can follow it :), and Mike Carey keeps the momentum fast and furious throughout.  You can't help but feel like time's running out for the X-Men, and that last page?  After all the battles, the blood, the carnage, you get this one serenely beautiful moment.  It's literally the last calm before the storm.  Simply awesome.
 
So yeah, I'll be posting updates for the Unlimited Highlights every week and let you all know what I'm up to.  If you have any questions or just want to shoot the breeze send me a message.  You can also follow me on twitter, if you so choose, at kingofbreaker. 
 
PEACE!