Vampire Wins Gold!

The Spectrum 16 winners were announced tonight. Spectrum is a prestigious annual dedicated to the "Fantastic Arts" and is one of the most coveted awards in illustration.


© 2008 Craig Elliott

Craig Elliott won the Gold Medal in Editorial for his Damali Richards painting in the concept art book, Exotic Contraband: L. A. Banks' Vampire Huntress Legend, published by The Devil's Candy Store.

Another Devil's Candy Store artist, Jon Foster, won the Gold Medal for Comic Books.

Congratulations to them both!

Ray Frenden Rocks

Ray Frenden worked on five of these puppies for Black Tide. Art direction and animation, Motherland. Characters, Ray. Kick ass.

San Diego Comic-Con 08 Part One

Charlie and Aly are back from the madness and horror that is San Diego as they spent time in The Devil's Candy Store booth with Leslie Banks, Kevin J. Anderson, Dean Haglund, and many more assorted creators. But Aly actually spent some quality time with a very happy Wookie.



More convention news and photos to come. Like this one from the X-Sanguin VII Ball where Aly actually met said Wookie. Trust me, gun-toting elves ain't the half of it.

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X-Sanguin VII

Burning City Redux

I am planning, designing, researching, and mostly thinking, thinking, thinking, and taking notes of said thinking on the revised business model for The Devil's Candy Store. Since I often think better while performing a mundane task, I am also rearranging the Burning City World Headquarters. Wise? Hmm, maybe not, but people who know me will recognize this as a creative exercise I do with maddening regularity. When in doubt, change your surroundings.


Chaos


My new view from my biz desk

Flist - The Bloggers Art Show

On Friday, October 5th at 7PM-2AM, there will be an opening reception for Flist. Our pal, Ray Frenden, will have some work in this puppy. The show will be at the Happy Dog Gallery at 1542 N. Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago, Illinois.

Hollywood Valadon

The Valadon Hotel in Hollywood


The stained glass entrance to the Valadon

Last week was a fun and productive trip to Los Angeles with Dave and Denise Dorman. Dave was there to record a voiceover to his upcoming instructional DVD from the Gnomon Workshop. It will teach you to paint the Dave Dorman way. Buy it.

Denise and I went for moral support and to make as many contacts as possible for The Devil's Candy Store. We had great introductory meetings with agents and a couple of movie studios. Plus, we got some excellent feedback from Stone Perales and Travis Bourbeau (of Gnomon).

We went to visit an old friend of Dave and Denise, Dan Roebuck, and had an amazing tour of Dr. Shocker's House of Horror!

My most Hollywood moment on the trip came while I was making phone calls by the rooftop pool on a beautiful LA afternoon. It was luxurious and decadent. As I sat there, staff brought by complimentary shrimp and drinks. Ahh.


The pool view over the city

Stone Perales came to visit us for dinner one night and had the good fortune of having his car towed from right in front of the hotel. We bonded that night in ways one only can when trying to find the tow lot at midnight in a strange city.

And we had a excellent breakfast before we left with Craig Elliott and Amy at the Grove.


Best Desk Clerk in the World - Agnes

Our stay at the Valadon (soon to be renamed as the 'Petite Ermitage') was met with the epitome of customer service from their staff. The beautiful, charming, helpful, and patient Agnes held down the front desk daily performing tasks for us that had no limit. And they gave away chocolate chip cookies 24 hours a day.

The hotel is just off of Sunset. If you were to stumble out of the Viper Room in a drug-induced stupor you would roll down the hill outside and land in the hotel foyer with a lucky bounce off a parked car on Palm.

Spectrum 15

Devil extraordinaire, Dave Dorman will be on the Spectrum 15 jury this year.


Art by Marc Gabbana

Devils Win

Every time I turn around, another artist involved with The Devil's Candy Store is being honored by the industry for their work.


The 2007 Hugo Award

Once again, congratulations are in order for Donata Giancola for winning the 2007 Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist. Donato won this Hugo last year in 2006, as well.

The 2007 Hugo Award for Best Novel went to Vernor Vinge for Rainbow's End, which happened to have a cover by Stephan Martiniere. Stephan was also nominated this year for the Best Professional Artist category.


Kristina, Stephan Martiniere, and Donato Giancola at SDCC 07

Speaking of Stephan, he won the 2007 Chesley Award for Best Cover Illustration - Hardback: (for Pyr’s edition of River of Gods by Ian McDonald). Two other Devils were nominated along with Stephan in this category: Jon Foster (for "The Demon and the City" by Liz Williams) and Donato (for "The Thirteenth House" by Sharon Shinn).


Jon Foster and Denise Dorman at SDCC 2007

AND - Donato won the 2007 Chesley Award for Best Unpublished Monochrome: “Red Sonya”.

PLUS - Michael Kaluta was nominated for the Chesley Best Interior Illustration for “The Orphan’s Tales: In the Night Garden” by Catherine M. Valente.

Congrats to all!

Redesigning the Devil

The other major project I am working on is getting a new version of The Devil's Candy Store website up to replace the single placeholder page we have now. It's coming along swell, but I want it to be done. Now.

New Covers by Jon Foster and Stephan Martiniere

Over at The Art Department, Irene Gallo's excellent blog, she has posted the new cover by Jon Foster for the Dragonback series.

She also has the new cover by Stephan Martiniere for the book, Escapement, by Jay Lake.

Indy GenCon, Professor Dorman, and Sikozu

Yet another trip and convention this summer. This time, Dave and Denise Dorman, Julienne and myself loaded into Dave's car and headed to Indianapolis. Dave was invited by Durwin Talon to Visionfest 2007 at IUPUI to speak on Sequential Art.


The Visionfest 07 Guest Speaker Panel (Durwin Talon, left/Dave Dorman 4th from left)

And while we there, Denise and I met with a few artists and 3D modellers to discuss The Devil's Candy Store. There also happened to be the Indy GenCon celebrating it's 40th anniversary. Saw some fun stuff, but the highlight was meeting Australian actress, Raelee Hill. She played Sikozu on the amazing Farscape. In person she is charming and funny and pretty as a picture.


Raelee Hill as Sikozu in Farscape

Pink Raygun Interview

Pink Raygun came by the Rolling Thunder booth at the San Diego Comic-Con where The Devil's Candy Store was hanging our shingle and did a fun interview with Denise Dorman and myself. Lisa Fary and John Dallaire of Pink Raygun were very cool.

SDCC 07 - Meet The Devils

San Diego Comic-Con 2007. Exhausting, exhilarating, ass-kicking.

One of the best things about Comic-Con this year was the chance to meet a lot of the people involved in The Devil's Candy Store adventure.


Stormtrooper Elvis, Jack, Denise, and Dave Dorman

My new business partner, Denise Dorman, and her husband Dave Dorman made this an exceptional trip. Their friendship and con experience made this event happen in all the right ways. Thank you, Denise and Dave. It was a pleasure to meet Darlene who took care of Jack while we took care of business.

Denise and I also did an interview with Lisa Fary and John Dallaire of Pink Raygun.

And now, in no particular order, the Devils and some friends:


Mark Nagata and Alex Wald

Alex Wald, The Devil's Candy Store Art Director, met up for the first time in human form with his longtime pal, Mark Nagata of the Max Toy Company. Alex will have some work in a show Mark's putting together at Chicago's Rotofugi called Toy Karma.


Christopher Moeller


Craig Elliott and Amy


Batgirl and Jon Van Fleet


Scott Hampton


Durwin Talon


The lovely Kristina, Stephan Martiniere, and Donato Giancola

We had the good fortune of having our portion of the booth directly across from Donato's booth where we got to know Donato's beautiful and charming helpers, Christina and Rocky. They shared their space with Cathy and Arnie Fenner of Spectrum.


Jon Foster and Denise Dorman


Mike Kennedy and his fiance, Liz


Tom Baxa


Joey Wester and Christopher Moeller

Joey is this dazzling redhead whose work you've seen many, many times, but just don't know it. Joey is the premiere painter of those paintings you see in television and movies in the characters' surroundings.


Denise and Dave Dorman and Clydene Nee

Clydene was instrumental in many good things to come our way and we thank her for it.


Jack and the Chocolate Box


Beth and Phil Burnett

Phil was my fellow BSG geek and thankfully one of us made it into the panel. Of course, this meant that Beth had to sit through four hours of geekville and Danny Bonaduce questions.


Dean Haglund and Patti (and the Joker)

A big surprise was meeting Dean and his beautiful girlfriend, Patti, who turned out to be excellent dinner companions. Both were charming and funny and Dean had stories that ranged from Buddy Hackett to Ur Castles and beyond.

Others in The Devil's Candy Store circle that were a joy to meet were Tom Carroll of Rockstar Games, Kevin Anderson, and Rebecca Moesta.

We also ran into Howard Chaykin, Brom, Olivia DeBerardinis, Geof Darrow, Peter Kuper, Tony Akins, Joshua Ellingson, Alice Bentley, Bill Reinhold, Peter and Anya from the Blick Forums, Mitch O'Connell, and Steve Rude, among others.


And Kathy Tanaka came to visit!!!

The Devil Went Down to California

If you're at San Diego Comic-Con come by and meet some of The Devil's Candy Store crew. We'll be in Booth #4901. We hope to start revealing some of the unbelievable artists looking to participate in this heady brew. Names like Dave Dorman, Michael Kaluta, George Pratt ...

To Hell in a Handbasket (or Messenger Bag)

Ditch the paper bags and pillow cases. Carry your stuff around in style. Devil style.

The Devil's Candy Store Official Messenger Bag


From The Devil's Candy Store Official Swag Collection