5 YouTube Interviews of Todd McFarlane You Need to Watch as an Aspiring Comic Book Creator

 

Todd McFarlane holding up Spawn Issue #301

Photo Credit: CGC

Todd McFarlane is a Canadian comic book creator, artist, writer, filmmaker, and entrepreneur, best known for his work as the artist on The Amazing Spider-Man and as the writer and artist on the superhero horror-fantasy series Spawn.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, McFarlane became a comic book superstar due to his work on Marvel Comics' Spider-Man franchise, on which he was the artist to draw the first full appearances of the character Venom. In 1992, he helped form Image Comics, pulling the occult anti-hero character Spawn from his high school portfolio and updating him for the 1990s. Spawn was a popular hero in the 1990s and encouraged a trend in creator-owned comic book properties.

Since leaving inking duties on Spawn with issue No. 70 (February 1998), McFarlane has illustrated comic books less often, focusing on entrepreneurial efforts, such as McFarlane Toys and Todd McFarlane Entertainment, a film and animation studio.

In September 2006, it was announced that McFarlane would be the Art Director of the newly formed 38 Studios, formerly Green Monster Games, founded by major league baseball pitcher Curt Schilling. McFarlane used to be a co-owner of the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers before selling his shares to Daryl Katz. He is also a high-profile collector of record-breaking baseballs.

As a filmmaker, he produced the 1997 film adaptation of Spawn starring Michael Jai White. He will make his directorial debut with the reboot film, which he is also writing, and which will star Jamie Foxx.

His comic series Spawn also holds the Guinness Book World Record for the longest-running Independent Comic Book in the world when it hit issue #301 in 2019 and has since surpassed those record number of issues with the King Spawn arc currently running in 2021. 

1. Spider-Man to Spawn, How Todd McFarlane Became the Biggest Comic Book Artist Ever - Complex

This is a very insightful interview that breaks down Todd’s career from scratch to what led him to start Image Comics with his other co-founders.

Spider-Man to Spawn, How Todd McFarlane Became the Biggest 

Comic Book Artist Ever by Blueprint

Video Credit: Complex

2. Todd McFarlane - No One Cares About Your Original Characters - Diary of a Struggling Comics Artist

Todd talks about the realities of the comic book and gives solid advice of how to break into the industry.

Todd McFarlane - No One Cares About Your Original Characters - Diary of a Struggling Comics Artist

Video Credit: Diary of a Struggling Comics Artist

11 Tips on How to Level Up Faster as an Artist, Designer and Digital Creator in 2021

 

11 Tips Video Thumbnail

Photo Credit: Pexel

These are some of my frequently used tips personally over the years I have been a visual artist and multidisciplinary designer. I hope they help too and develop other productive habits to level up in your creative hustle in no time.

Just Get It Done Merch

Just Get It Done Merch Banner

Photo Credit: Dm3DRev Studeos/Unblast/Freepik 

Just Get It Done Promo Video

Video Source: Dm3DRev Studeos

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

Inspirational words for productivity and goal smashing. Words to make you procrastinate less and be more proactive daily, just get it done.

BULLET FEATURE:

Inspiring design for goal-oriented individuals and risk-takers.

Wear it proudly to the comic book store, comic convention, class reunions, or holiday parties! It also makes a cute birthday gift for friends and family.

Male and Female T-shirts 1

Photo Credit: Dm3DRev Studeos/Unblast

Game Illustrator Artgerm: From Street Fighter To Capcom To DC Comics | Got Game

 

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Photo Credit: MTV Asia Official YouTube Channel

Designer, artist, and video game enthusiast Stanley 'Artgerm' Lau shares how he grew from a young kid who loved playing video games to being asked to illustrate and design for some of the most iconic games and game developers of modern times.

Interview of Stanley 'Artgerm' Lau by MTV Asia

Video Credit: MTV Asia Official YouTube Channel

Artgerm is the co-founder of Imaginary Friends Studios with his friends Kendrick Kai (Kunkka) and Kai Lim (Ukitakumuki). The company has offices based in Singapore and Jakarta, has worked with the likes of Marvel, DC, Capcom to name a few big companies in media entertainment and gaming.

He has over the years also shared the source files of line art for his followers to color even recently collaborating with his wife's merchandise company Marvelistic to hold the first officially coloring contest where winners emerged winning his sketchbooks of 2020.

You can follow this amazing artist on Instagram @artgerm

Article Credits/References:  Artgerm's Instagram Page, PVP E-Sports, and MTV Asia's YouTube Channel

Channel Trailer - Welcome to the Dm3DRev Studeos Vlog

Channel Introduction Video Thumbnail

Photo Credit: Chronos Studeos/Baezel Force

Yippee!!! It’s my great pleasure to introduce the dedicated vlog channels on YouTube, Facebook, and IGTV for my blog. It’s been an interesting journey of learning about posting articles, driving traffic, social media networking with digital marketing for me. I got motivated to get serious with my blog from way back in 2015 to deal with the stress of working at a crappy job in the busy city of Lagos, Nigeria (which I say in the video). I actually opened the blog in 2011 inspired by some other popular blogs.

 

Channel Introduction Video

Video Credit: Dm3DRev Studeos Vlog on YouTube

Instagram Live Interview of Pablo Stanley by Bolanle Banwo

Interview Poster

Photo Credit: Bolanle Banwo

Brief Bio on the Host:

Bolanle Banwo is a brand Identity designer/design advocate from Lagos, Nigeria. She helps brands tell compelling stories through creative designs. Much of her work is centered around helping small and medium businesses create strong identities via good communication designs. Bolanle is the Founder of The Female Designer Movement, an initiative she launched with a mission to train and equip women with design skill-set and thereby help increase the number of women in the Nigerian Technology ecosystem. She is also the Founder of Geneza Brands, a branding agency based in Lagos.

She was featured on BBC Pidgin in March, 2018 at the inaugural edition of The Female Designer Movement (I was privileged to be an assistant tutor for a session). She also spoke at the JAN/Microsoft DigiGirlz Camp held at the Microsoft Lagos office for International Women’s Day. In April, She was listed on Wema Bank’s Alat.ng’s Women In Tech (Tech-Chicks). She was also featured on the Business Day’s CEO Magazine, Women of Rubies, The Nigerian Tribune and Channels Television where she talked about her design journey, her projects and the work she is doing to improve the design ecosystem in general.

She may be found online on Instagram @bolanle_banwo, where she occasionally shares her work and projects. She currently teaches design at the Geneza School of Design. She’s also getting the hang of running her channel on YouTube.

Instagram Live Interview of Chris Do by Bolanle Banwo

Interview Poster

Photo Credit: Bolanle Banwo

Brief Bio on the Host:

Bolanle Banwo is a brand Identity designer/design advocate from Lagos, Nigeria. She helps brands tell compelling stories through creative designs. Much of her work is centered on helping small and medium businesses create strong identities via good communication designs. Bolanle is the Founder of The Female Designer Movement, an initiative she launched with a mission to train and equip women with design skill-set and thereby help increase the number of women in the Nigerian Technology ecosystem. She is also the Founder of Geneza Brands, a branding agency based in Lagos.

She was featured on BBC Pidgin in March, 2018 at the inaugural edition of The Female Designer Movement (I was privileged to be an assistant tutor for a session). She also spoke at the JAN/Microsoft DigiGirlz Camp held at the Microsoft Lagos office for International Women’s Day. In April, She was listed on Wema Bank’s Alat.ng’s Women In Tech (Tech-Chicks). She was also featured on the Business Day’s CEO Magazine, Women of Rubies, The Nigerian Tribune and Channels Television where she talked about her design journey, her projects and the work she is doing to improve the design ecosystem in general.

She may be found online on Instagram@bolanle_banwo, where she occasionally shares her work and projects. She currently teaches design at the Geneza School of Design. She's also getting the hang of running her channel on YouTube.

Art Station's Relatively Unknown Features

Photo Credit: Art Station

Some not so known features of Art Station besides being a popular portfolio site for showing amazing talent worldwide for CG Art.

A KICK-ASS MARKETPLACE WHICH IS A MIX OF FEATURES SIMILAR TO UDEMY AND GUMROAD

• It has a marketplace for digital products and specific categories such as tutorials, game assets, resources, brushes, artworks, books and comics.

• For free account users, the platform takes up to 34% on any sale. For Plus and Pro account users it's about 20% and 5% respectively. Coupons can be created by the content creators.

A PRINT-ON-DEMAND SERVICE WHICH HAS FEATURES SIMILAR TO TEEPUBLIC, CURIOOS, INPRNT AND DISPLATE

• A service which gives artists and designers the avenue to sell their fan art and original designs and be delivered as the following options: Art posters, Art Prints, Canvas Prints and HD Metal Prints. Markup price is up to 20%. Delivery is worldwide.

Free Access For the April Month By Pluralsight

Free April Promo Banner

Photo Credit: Pluralsight LLC

The popular online learning platform,Pluralsight has announced it is giving new users free, unlimited access to its entire library of more than 7,000 technology courses for all of April.

Pluralsight co-founder and CEO Aaron Skonnard took to Twitter to make the announcement about the offering.

"I'm so excited to see what you learn, and what you create this month," he said, encouraging everyone to stay home during a time where the world attempts to combat the novel corona virus outbreak.

The free access to the video-based courses will only be available to those who sign up for a new account during April.

Users who sign up for a new account will not be required to provide any credit card details and will not have any watch limits.

Using their free accounts, eligible users can access course topics such as software development, IT ops, data professional, information and cyber-security, and machine learning and artificial intelligence.

New free accounts opened after May 1, meanwhile, will only have access to a portion of Pluralsight's library and will be required to provide payment information.

Click HERE to grab your spot now.

The message posted on their site as follows below:

*Free April is open to anyone who is not a current, active subscriber. New free accounts and reactivated accounts opened through April 30, 2020 will have access to Pluralsight’s library of video courses through April. Payment information will not be required for new free accounts opened through April 30, 2020. New free accounts opened after May 1, 2020, will only have access to a portion of Pluralsight’s library and will require payment information.

Article Credits/References: Google, Twitter and Pluralsight

7 Must-Have Video Tutorials Featuring David Finch’s Awesome Comic Book Pencilling

If you are an aspiring comic artist either as a pencil artist and inker. These are a must have set of tutorials by the legendary left-handed artist of repute, David Finch. His style is one of the most demanded by comic book writers with the likes of Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Oliver Coipel, Jason Fabok, Jorge Jiminez to main a few mainstream artists.

David Finch at a ComicCon Event

Photo Credit: Google

BRIEF BIO

David Finch began his comic book career at the age of 22 at Top Cow Productions under the supervision of Marc Silvestri, part of Image Comics. There he created Ascension and Aphrodite IX, both of which were top sellers in the business, with Aphrodite IX debuting as the number one comic book in the industry. In 2001, he made the move to Marvel comics where his catalog of work included Call of Duty, Ultimate X-Men, Avengers Disassembled and The New Avengers. His run on Moon Knight skyrocketed this title into the main Marvel universe and landed him a top-five book which sold more than five times the title’s previous release.

David then turned his attention to working with Lost, Heroes and Smallville’s executive producer, Jeph Loeb, on Marvel’s smash hit “Ultimatum”. 2010 saw another major change in David’s career as he made his transition from Marvel Comic to DC Comics and the Warner Brothers banner. His artwork was featured on the covers for the follow up to Darkest Night, entitled Brightest Day. In addition to his comic career, David has also worked in video games, music and film. Jason Fabok learnt under his tutelage and they still collaborate till today.

•            DYNAMIC FIGURE DRAWING – VOLUME 1: THE HEAD

Intro Video to Dynamic Figure Drawing – Volume 1: The Head

Photo Credit: Gnomon Academy

In this tutorial title, David Finch reveals his step-by-step process for drawing the human head. He starts with a basic head shape and demonstrates the structural breakdown from multiple angles.

•  DYNAMIC FIGURE DRAWING – VOLUME 2: HANDS AND FEET

In this tutorial title, David Finch reveals his step-by-step process for drawing hands and feet. He starts with simple block shapes and moves on to more complex shapes before showing how to place fingers and toes correctly.

• DYNAMIC FIGURE DRAWING – VOLUME 3: THE BODY

Intro Video to Dynamic Figure Drawing – Volume 3: The Body

Photo Credit: Gnomon Academy

In this tutorial title, David Finch reveals his step-by-step process for drawing the human body. He starts with simple tube form shapes, and then covers the placement of muscle throughout both the male and female bodies.