THE RUSTY VENTURE SHOW: OPENING SEQUENCE

More models and layouts from the Rusty TV show. Thanks to all who responded to these posts.

Next week, onto more cartoony stuff. Take care everyone!

HOW TO DRAW THE VENTURE BROTHERS, PART THREE: HANK AND DEAN

PLUS: Layouts from the old RUSTY VENTURE TV SHOW, never before seen!


TOMORROW--more layouts and models from the RUSTY VENTURE TV SHOW!

HOW TO DRAW THE VENTURE BROTHERS, PART TWO: BROCK!

I should point out that Jackson Publick himself did many of the drawings on the pages posted here, with me inking the final art. Mr. Publick is one of those renaissance men, producing, directing, co-scripting, designing, boarding and voicing each and every episode of the VB saga. How he has time to work with the homeless, teach Muy Thai and cater gourmet lunches every Friday at the producing studio is beyond me, but he manages!

Tomorrow, the final two pages of my tutorial, with lessons on drawing Hank and Dean, and perhaps a few models I designed for Season 3. See you then, and many thanks for all the kind words you've left since last night.

HOW TO DRAW THE VENTURE BROTHERS

One of the first things I drew as Storyboard and Design Supervisor for Season 3 of the VB's. Here are the first four pages of a ten page tutorial.


Tomorrow: DRAW BROCK...DRAW DEATH!

DESTEFANO RETURNS!

I RETURN, AS SEEN IN THIS KRAZY KARAOKE PHOTO (possibly taken by the lovely SIOBHAN MULLEN). 

If you think seeing me burst through a wall and singing Springsteen's DANCING IN THE DARK is thrilling, (and it is), wait'll you see the upcoming posts I got in store for ya'll.

Seriously, it's nice to be posting again, (thank you, JACKSON PUBLICK for the nagging encouragement) I'll get something juicier up for tomorrow evening. The VENTURE BROTHERS SEASON 3 is over for me now, I'm a free agent for the next several months (and I welcome all serious offers for freelance work) while waiting for SEASON 4 to start.  In theory, I should have plenty of time to post regularly here, as well as work on my very secret and dear-to-my heart project. Which I've been working on for several years. Which I'll share with the Blogosphere shortly, I'm sure.

Good to be back, everyone. Many thanks for the posts in my absence.

SDe

BUON NATALE

And to celebrate, here are scans of pages from an old Christmas card I'd written and drawn!

My very sincerest wishes to all who read this for a New Year of Peace and Good Will. 

Merry Christmas, Stephen DeStefano

GO TEAM VENTURE!!!

A few random storyboard pages and panels from the upcoming VENTURE BROTHERS, Season 3. 

I CONFESS

It was me. I was the one who redesigned Black Canary's costume in the mid-eighties. I did away with the fishnet stockings. I gave her the godawful headband and the cowl neck. I'm not proud of it. But you've got to understand--this was Post-CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS DC. Everything was going to be new, and whatever wasn't new, would soon have to be. Or so it seemed. I was still a teenager back then, lurking the halls of DC, trying to get my first regular series, 'MAZING MAN off the ground. And I originally got my job at DC by designing characters. Len Wein said that Black Canary was going to have to be redesigned anyhow. And I didn't see why, because I always thought her costume was so nifty. But, I figured, hell, if it HAS to be redesigned, let me be the one to do it. My original sketch was different, all grey and black, no blue. No headband, but a feathered head piece. Bad ass feathered head piece, not a pansy one. Len and Marv Wolfman asked me to change it. And then they bought it. And then Brian Bolland burned it.

Also around that time, I redesigned Elongated Man. This one seems to have faired a little better with the fans as well as the pros. Brian Bolland never burned this costume. Carmine Infantino drew it once or twice. Bruce Timm and his designers and producers even used it for their JUSTICE LEAGUE series (surprise Bruce! I work for you even when you don't know I work for you!). It's even been used on Mattel toys. I'm kind of proud of that. I should get money for that.

Sometime, remind me to tell you the story of how I redesigned the FLASH for Len and Marv.

An all new Flash, not a speedster, but like a laser-guy, for the Post-Crisis Universe. It never got off the ground. 

TOM BAYNE IS A GENIUS

VENTURE BROTHERS film editor Tom Bayne is a genius. Check out this kookie film he created in a weekend while he was a student at SVA. It slays me.

POLLY AND HER PALS DAILY

No, I don't own a Cliff Sterrett original (don't I wish)! This piece from my collection is by Paul Fung, one of my favorite of the classic comics ghost artists. Fung went on to draw BLONDIE comic books for years, quite beautifully I think. Yet another piece of inexhaustible inspiration, for me.

I DRAW CAPTAIN CARROT

Yeah. I digitally painted Captain Carrot. So what?
It's my time. And the character's making something of a comeback at DC these days.
And I like to draw funny animals. I've drawn all sorts of funny stuff at DC, but
never Captain Carrot. Or his Zoo Crew.
I felt like taking a couple of hours to draw in Photoshop.
So?
And my girlfriend's not here.
So?

ED WHEELAN

Gosh, but I like his stuff.
Bits and pieces of a scan of an original I own.
Very corny, but very inspiring.

FINAL PAGE OF SCANDAL

WOTTA GREAT MAGAZINE COVER

The sculpture featured on the cover is credited to 1950's marionette master Bill Baird.
So peachy keen, it makes you want to sock someone in the mush.

ONE MORE "OTHER PEOPLE'S CHARACTERS"

A photocopy, but still, I like this drawing, done within the last 10 years, of several Flintstones characters off to fight a fire.

OTHER PEOPLE'S CHARACTERS

A very Floyd Gottfredson MR. MXYZPTLK (this is how I orignally wanted to draw him for DC's BIZARRO, several years back), some Woody, Barney and one of Bud Blake's characters (drawn during a particularly dull meeting) and POPEYE AND OLIVE, hyperstylized (I haven't posted this before, have I? I don't think I have. No, I'm pretty sure not.)
I just finished watching some of the supplemental stuff on the Popeye DVD set, and enjoyed it immensely. Anyone out there that loves Popeye really should do themselves a favor and get the set, it's quite good.