Bart Sears talks about DRAWING POWERFUL HEROES: BRUTES AND BABES

Bart Sears a comic veteran who recently inked a deal for his Ominous Press to join forces with IDW publishing. Before the first issue come out Bart has a Brutes and Babes Kickstarter going on RIGHT NOW! Bart was nice enough to stop by First Comics News and let our readers know about Brutes and Babes as well as Black Book while they can still get a copy.

First Comics News: What is DRAWING POWERFUL HEROES: Brutes and Babes about?

Bart Sears: It’s first and foremost a how-to-draw manual, with a heavy emphasis on the “WHY” aspect of making creative drawing decisions… Drawing Powerful Heroes: Brutes and Babes collect the original 15 Brutes&Babes columns that first appeared in Wizard Magazine #10. All of the original tutorials have been updated, expanded and enhanced with more instructional info; including both art and text. Check out the attached graphic and see; every tutorial is bigger and better. I’ve also created 5 new tutorials that I hope will be included.

1^s^t: As you reach your stretch goals, the book also stretches from 96 pages to 144 pages. That’s a third more. What is in the original 96 pages and what is added?

Bart: The original 96 was a more bare bones reprint. Each page count expansion allows me to do more in-depth instruction and allows for all 5 new tutorials to be included.

1^s^t: Is this a collection of your articles from Wizard magazine or is their new material as well?

Bart: Haha… getting ahead of myself in the previous answers… It’s both, at 144 pages it’s probably half brand new material and half updated original material.

1^s^t: As a “how to” book, is this a book for everyone regardless of skill level?

Bart: I think so, yes. It has information in almost every tutorial that has value to both the beginner and the more experienced artist.

1^s^t: Does this teach you enough of the basics to break into comics?

Bart: That’s a good question… I can only say that it’s possible. The structure of the book isn’t in the form of a start to finish manual. The original columns were not formulated in that manner but were more focused on individual concepts, like anatomy, perspective, storytelling, lighting, etc. There is a wealth of information included, from basics to highly advanced concepts. People learn at different rates and are sparked by different ideas/methods. I’m not certain any one book alone can teach anyone what’s needed to break into comics. Becoming skilled enough to break in requires years of study and thousands of hours at the drawing board.

1^s^t: Whit is the Black Book?

Bart: The BLACK BOOK: The Art of Bart Sears is a high-end art book highlighting my 30+ years of professional comic book, toy, and concept artwork. It includes a wide range of my art, from sketches, to finished pencils, inks and full-color work, as well as toy design, concept art and commissions, some of it never before seen.

1^s^t: Is it a sketchbook?

Bart: No. It’s a full-fledged, high-end art book. It includes roughs and sketches but focuses on finished artwork.

1^s^t: How many pages?

Bart: Right now its pages count is at 96, soon to be 108 and we are hoping to get it to 116 or more by the time the campaign ends.

1^s^t: What are some of the cool add-ons for your Kickstarter?

Bart: As bonus rewards, we have a series of drawing reference tablets, a Venom and Martian Princess art print tablets, Digital download lessons, stickers, wallpapers and a sweet bookmark. One add-on at the end of the campaign will be a 12 pack of extensive digital download lessons… maybe a couple of surprises as well.

1^s^t: When does the Kickstarter conclude?

Bart: Thursday, May 4^th, at 12;15 AM, that’s just 15 minutes past Wednesday, May 3^rd at midnight!

1^s^t: When will the books ship?

Bart: Right now shipping is conservatively planned for the last quarter of 2017, but we think we can get them out in September.

1^s^t: If someone is reading this late but still wants Brutes and Babes, can they pledge late and still get a copy?

Bart: Yes. I’m not entirely clear on how that works… but we will have that all figured out by Thursdayand blasted socially.

1^s^t: As part of your new deal with IDW, will there be an IDW version for fans who miss the Kickstarter?

Bart: There isn’t anything planned at this point, but a book or books are an evergreen product, so we’ll see.

1^s^t: On a related note is there a schedule for the release of Dread Gods, Giantkillers, and Demi-God from Ominous Press?

Bart: Yes! Dread Gods #1 is slated for July 2017! Its first arc is four issues. Giantkillers follows right on its heels, with Demi-God right behind.

You can find the Kickstarter HERE

About Author

Rik Offenberger

Rik Offenberger has worked in the comic field as a retailer, distributor, reporter, public relations coordinator, writer and publisher since 1990. He owns and operates the e-mail bases Super Hero News service, and his published works in print can be seen in The Comics Buyers Guide, Comic Retailer, Borderline Magazine, and Comics International. On the internet he has worked as a writer and/or editor for Silver Bullet Comicbooks, Comic Book Resources, Newsarama and First Comics News. He was the Public Relations Coordinator at Archie Comics for a decade. He is currently the Editor-In-Chief at G-Man Comics. For TwoMorrows Publications, Rik co-wrote The MLJ Companion with Paul Castiglia and Jon B. Cooke, charting the history of Archie’s superheroes, and for Gemstone Publishing wrote chapters of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide to Lost Universes.

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