BLACK AND WHITE PAGE

Cleaned up the panel borders, lines and structures, and added all the details that needed to be there.

This is what I ftp'd to Marvel and then colorist Lovern Kindzierski added his expert coloring to the book.
Check out the issue of What If? to see the final color version.

BREAKDOWN TWO

Here's the second attempt which worked much better as a whole. I always try to keep the whole book in a single context, one page looks like it belongs with the other. The changes will then make more of an impact and it won't take the reader out of the story.

This image, like the previous one was sketched on a Cintiq. I added color as visual notes so that the editor and colorist can tell what all the scribbled are about.

BREAKDOWN ONE

A series of process images from last year's What If DD/Elektra I worked on.
First up is the first prelim I did for myself, just to work out the flow and movements I wanted to convey.
I wanted it to be chaotic but also showcase distinct fight movements. My initial idea was to have the panels be actual shoji screen dividers being ripped and slashed apart as the two fought .

Problem was I only had three pages. One was reserved for a "calm before the storm" moment I worked out with writer Karl Bollers and the third was taken up by the large homage Miller/Jansen climatic panel.

I felt that this second page would be too far away from the storytelling language that framed the sequence so I stepped back and went with this second layout.

SKETCH

Different medium, different subject matter, same angle.

SKETCH

Brushpen and Copic Markers.

A FADING MEMORY

Brushpen on Moleskine Sketch Paper.

DICK GIORDANO RIP

We lost a giant in comics today.

Dick Giordano hired me during mid semester of my first year at art school in 1983.
I remember it like it was yesterday. I got a call in my dorms that a "Mr. Giordano was calling from NYC".
I was living in Sarasota, FL at the time.

I ran to the dorm's community phone booth, and on the other end, " Hi Rafael, this is Dick Giordano and I'd like to welcome you to the DC family!"

I felt like Superman walking out of that booth - changed my life.

He and Pat Bastienne were always the best to me. Always took the time to guide me and Dick's slick inks really made my work shine- fixed all my rookie mistakes on those Firestorm covers.

My condolences to Pat and to Mr. Giordano's family.

--Rafael--