Hi Everybody! It’s been a busy month! More on what I’ve been up to later!
First of all, we’re looking at my cover art for a fictional Afterlife With Archie #11. For those who don’t know, Afterlife With Archie was a highly popular series published by Archie Comics in which the Riverdale gang found themselves caught up in a zombie apocalypse. It was a critically acclaimed series that sold very well by any measure let alone Archie Comics standards!
For reasons I won’t go into here, the series dribbled along taking long gaps between issues. Finally, after it’s tenth issue, the series came to a halt all together. Archie Comics insisted that it had not been cancelled but months went on without another issue. Finally Archie admitted that the series was “on hiatus,” a corporate-speak friendly phrase that the company uses in place of the more terminal …and honest… “cancelled.” Truth be told, the series had served it’s purpose. It garnered Archie Comics enough of the illusion of relevance that it was able to sell its Riverdale TV series. After all, who cares about comic book sales… no matter how good they are… when you can tap into TV money?
It’s not very likely that we’ll ever see another issue of Afterlife With Archie again. Maybe someday Archie Comics might persuade writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa to pen a special or a one shot but its very doubtful that we’ll ever see another issue-after-issue regular run of this series again. Sadly, Afterlife earned itself a passionately loyal audience who to this day continue to hold a sad vigil for this series scanning the monthly previews desperately for some long-awaited news of its return. Those poor bastards… I think NOW it might be starting to sink in that the book is never coming back.
A while ago, I decided since the series stopped after it’s tenth issue that I’d draw a cover for a fictional eleventh issue.
I pencilled and inked the above cover and turned it over to my usual colorist, the talented Anwar Hanano to work his magic which as expected he did to a gorgeous dazzling effect. He captured the tone of the real Afterlife With Archie series perfectly. Other than the fact that I drew this, I could see this very much as a real cover for the series.
Drawing this was partially the inspiration for my Fan Fiction Friday series, where I rebooted the entire Afterlife With Archie series and wrote my own version of a zombie apocalypse in Riverdale. I completed twenty pages which is enough for a full issue. I see this page as being the cover for this imaginary publication. Sorry, Everybody! It is unlikely this will ever, ever get published. You have a better hope of seeing a real, OFFICIAL Afterlife With Archie #11… and that ain’t happening!
Now Fan Fiction Friday and it’s sister project, Secret Origin Saturday, have both been on hold for a few weeks. Those of you who follow me on Facebook and Instagram are already aware of the reason why some of these vanity projects have had to take a break. If you haven’t heard, this past May, I was named the new Admissions Officer for the Kubert School where I’ve been teaching for twenty-six years.
This is a full time job so I’ve been busy. It’s a fun gig and I’ve had a lot of help and support from everybody at the School especially Anthony Marques, Jaclyn Marques, Director Carol Thomas, Academic Supervisor Mike Chen, and my predecessor, the Captain himself, Lloyd Briggery who is concentrating on Events for the School. I’m very excited for the year ahead, my first year as Admissions Officer. This does not mean an end to my teaching. I will continue to teach some classes at the School.
Rest assured however that unlike when Archie Comics uses the word… this is a TRUE hiatus for Fan Fiction Friday and Secret Origin Saturday. Both will be back shortly. Stay tuned, Everybody!
Followers of my Youtube channel can also rest easy. More videos are on the way. My video-producing has had to take a temporary back seat as I devoted more time to my new duties at the School. I will very very soon get back into a pattern of shooting one to two videos per week. If you haven’t subscribed to my channel or checked out my videos, please do so here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJhy56KducLyLVmPex8iJGA
That’s it for this one, Everybody! See you next time and remember…!
Keep drawing!
