2024 Charlotte Heroes Convention The Maxx colors by Daniel Govar

Here's another testament to why it's best to get your art scans and blogging done in a timely manner. The last three portions of the jam that I have gotten colored were seemingly at HeroesCon last year, even though I thought that at least some of them were at the previous year's Fan Expo New Orleans. One of the three may well have been, and it was my second pick to post this week, except I don't recall who did it, and have to dig through my records. My first choice was done by a different artist than I thought who did do a piece for me in NOLA, so I want to save that until I can feature both in the same week. That leaves this one, which I thought had been done by an artist with whom I had a prior track record, but that seems not to be the case. I'm old, and my memory is fuzzy, so can you tell I'm vamping to fill space?

Anyway, I was looking for a radical revision on the Maxx coloring along the lines of what Daniel Dahl did with his pieces, and he wanted to do Maxx the most, but I held out for a painter. I approached at least one well known one, and I think more than one over the years, but the first turned me down and I believe others priced me out. After a half decade, I gave up on circling back to Dahl, but I did find a painter who seemed like a great fit and gave me a great rate. Daniel Govar had strong fantasy art chops, while also dipping into super-heroes, so I figured he'd have an appropriately bold approach to this character. I think the sort of tie dye quality to the colors is a good fit for the Maxx, and I like the sunlight hitting him from the side. Govar stayed faithful to the original art, which is something that I usually prefer (I still ache a bit over the obliteration of Jim Starlin's pencils in another jam, despite the finished work clearly improving on his layout.)

Daniel Govar

• Daniel Govar.com
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Image Comics 25th Anniversary Jam Julie Winters & Friends process detail by Evan Dorkin

"Hey, just wanted to let you know I've been working on the piece. I wanted to know if there were any Image characters you might have wanted thrown into dead spaces as I fill things up. I can find reference online, but if there's a specific look/era/costume for a character, I'll need to be pointed in the right direction."

"I can connect the lines where needed on other stuff, no problem. We can talk about coloring when the inks are done so you can make decisions based on that."

"I wanted to check up on characters to fill it out with, because I have some space. As you can see so far I've included The Jungle Queen/Julie, She-Dragon, Boof and two Bruise Crew members, Bomb Queen and Trencher."

2017 Heroes Convention The Maxx Jam Figure by Scott Shaw!

I occasionally read Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! as a kid, and given the secret identity of Sam Kieth's The Maxx, it amused me to pair the character with funny animal cartoonist Scott Shaw! (decorative exclamation point his, as in Elliot S! Maggin.) Aside from his 18 issues on that title, the majority of Shaw's work has been outside the big two, on licensed properties like The Simpsons, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Shreck. As for his qualifications as an indie comics pioneer who predated the Image boys, Shaw goes all the way back to 1974's Comix Book #1. If Marvel's involvement with that project makes you look askance, there's always You-All Gibbon in 1976's Quack, 1977's The Barn of Fear, and his contribution to Jack Kirby's lawsuit fund against Marvel in Destroyer Duck #1. Anyway, Mr. Shaw was having a good time at the con, and drew the Maxx while I waited.