MARS pin-up

A pin-up for my comic ICARUS featuring a character called Mars. He will play a pretty significant role in the book. I am so happy my friend Andy Kuhn decided to contribute, his work is so dynamic and graphic and awesome. Andy drew it and I colored it.

Here is the black and white image before I messed it all up with colors.

UFC 128 Picks

Brendan Schaub V. Mirko Filipović - I think Shaub is a real up and comer in a lackluster division. I think he beats Crop Cop pretty easily. I'd like to see him face off with Mir. My pick - Shaub via Decision.

Nate Marquardt V. Dan Miller - Miller is a late replacement and he's in deep trouble. I'm sure he took the bout to get in the good graces with the UFC as well as getting a big shot on the PPV. He has lost to any top tier middleweights he has faced in the UFC and Nate should run through him. My pick - Marquardt via highlight TKO. Nate will probably get the chance to beat the shit out of Michael Bisping after this.

Jim Miller V. Kamal Shalorus - On paper this seems like a highlight fight for Miller and a way for the UFC to dismiss one of their many lightweights if Shalorus loses. Miller has more wins over more elite competition but he's not in the mix at lightweight yet, not in my opinion. Miller would need to get past a Clay Guida, Anthony Pettis or even a Ben Henderson to put his name on the shortlist. My pick - Miller via Decision.

Urijah Faber V. Eddie Wineland - Two former WEC champs going at it. Faber is the more hyped fighter and someone the UFC wants to continue to build up and a co-headline bout on this card is huge exposure for them both. Everyone and their mother is picking Faber and I see no reason no too as well. My pick - Faber via Decision.

Maurício Rua V. Jon Jones - I am a big Shogun fan and while I admit Jon Jones is something special to watch, I think it's too soon for his title shot. He has not faced even a top 5 light heavyweight. His best competition was Ryan Bader (who I picked to win) and he ran through him like a freight train. Still, the difference between Bader and the Lyoto Machidas and Rampage Jacksons of the world is huge. I think Jones will hold the belt someday, but if Shogun is 100% with his knee injury I think he takes this. My big concern is that Jones will take Shogun down at will. I just hope that Shogun's game off his back will be enough to convince Jones to keep it standing. Jones is a beast, so is Shogun and I am super excited for this fight. I do not want to see Jones win the belt, at least not yet. Long live Shogun, I'm picking him via TKO but I am not super confident in it.

Big Game

I recently did a color job over my friend Scott Godlewski on a pin-up for Shannon Denton's upcoming TPB Big Game. I had a blast doing this. If you like it, a print can be ordered through my DeviantArt account.

Drive-thru comics.

Drivethrucomics.com now carries my comic Icarus. I write, draw, color and even letter this adventure/superhero/assassin comic and have gotten some great reviews on it. If you have not picked it up yet, it's only $1 and the money I make will help me move forward with the series. Issue #2 is in production and should be out the end of next month.

http://comics.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=89281

"Icarus #1 is a somewhat gritty assassin comic where there are solid characters being introduced. Cody's illustrations are a perfect fit for the subject matter. " - Jonathon Pilley - www.omnicomic.com

"Wow. This first issue blew me away. I was really, really surprised with this one. Written, drawn, inked and created all by Ryan Cody; ICARUS #1 is an intriguing first issue that zigs when you think it'll zag and continues to leave you spinning right up until the last page. Fans of Dini's BATMAN ADVENTURES, Bendis' POWERS, Brubaker's SLEEPER, and Eisner & Cooke's THE SPIRIT (books I hold in very high regard) will definitely find ICARUS as much of a surprise as I did." - Ambush Bug -www.aintitcool.com

"His style has the same crime noir feel that Michael Oeming's Powers has, which works well for the story. There is a definite secret and conspiracy feel to this title, and the art direction definitely complements that theme." - Jonathon Chuang - www.brokenfrontier.com

Emerald City Comic-Con 2011 re-cap

The Emerald City, Seattle, one of my favorite cities in North America. I spent the last 3 days up there for the always magnificent Emerald City Comic-Con. This is my 3rd year being a guest up there and each year has been better than the last.

I didn't get to the show until about an hour and a half after it started on Friday but once I set up it was pretty busy. My busiest day actually. The Thor print I made sold really well (sold out halfway through Saturday) and I sold some original art too, making it a great start to the convention. People love Thor. I was set up next to Brian Churilla, a fantastic artist and writer who everyone should be aware of if they weren't already. I was also across from my buddies at Steamcrow who I love dearly and always are able to supply me with tape, sound advice and evil stares. I was beat Friday night after the drive down to Phoenix and the flight and all the running around so after a nice dinner at Dragonfish, we called it an early night.

The first sketch of the show was this SPIRIT which I had a lot of fun with. Saturday started out pretty well, I sold a lot of prints and some ICARUS comics. In the end though, there seemed to be a huge crowd of people that just weren't into my work. It happens at every show and I totally understand it. I was feeling a bit low at the end of Saturday but after having a few drinks and meeting up with my writer (and publisher) of the Jesus Christ: In the Name of The Gun webcomic, Eric Peterson, I started to turn around a bit. Eric introduced me to Ethan Nicolle (Axe Cop fame) and Doug Tennapel (of Ratfist, Earthworm Jim and being super ridiculous tall fame) and the 4 of us along with my girlfriend Michelle talked for a while. It was fun picking Doug's brain and talking about comics. Those guys really made me feel better about my work. Michelle and I walked around a bit, had another drink at another bar and called it a night. I wish I was able to talk to more creators but I'm notoriously shy and always feel as if I am imposing at these social gatherings.

Sunday was slow as well but when all was said and done it was the best Emerald City I had done. I spent some time Sunday chatting with cool guys like Andy Kuhn and the only Atlanta Thrashers fan in Vancouver, Jason Copland, (check out his Kill All Monsters webcomic). I talked shop with writer Mark Sable and poured over Paul Azacleta's amazing pages for their new book Graveyard of Empires.

I also finally met some guys who I have only known online for a while, Evan Shaner, Mitch Gerads, and Chris Samnee. Chris is one of my favorite artists working right now and he was very nice and humble. I'm a big fan. I geeked out chatting with Guy Davis and didn't get a chance, or the nerve, to talk to Sean Murphy. Overall though it was a great show and I hope to do some work in the next year that will make those awesome fellas at Emerald City Comic-Con want to have me back in 2012. Thanks again, as always, to Brian Meredith for making it all happen.

Emerald City Comic-Con

I'll be in Seattle this weekend for Emerald City Con. I will have some limited copies of Icarus #1 and my sketchbook as well as some limited copies of prints. I will be taking commissions and sketches so please stop on by and say hey. Look for this awesome banner.

My process.

Kind of a step-by-step of how I create a page. Thrilling isn't it.

Another ICARUS review!

Major Spoilers.com reviewed ICARUS #1 on their podcast, gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars, much appreciated! The review starts around minute #30- http://tinyurl.com/67sp5rm

Another ICARUS review

Brian Cronin of Comic Book Resource's Comics Should Be Good featured a review of ICARUS #1 here - Thanks Brian!

Some bits - Cody’s artwork is really good. He definitely has a Michael Avon Oeming in Powers vibe, and since I lurve Oeming’s artwork in Powers, you better believe I enjoy Cody’s work here.

If all this comic had was a government agent tasked with killing superheroes and supervillains, I think the book could be an interesting read (especially with Cody’s strong artwork), but the end of the book has a twist that sets the entire concept on its ear, making the book a whole lot more interesting.

UFC 126 picks & more

The other night I was having some drink sat a bar and they played the promo for UFC 126 a bunch and were showing a replay of a WEC. It got me thinking about some MMA stuff and I even wrote some notes on a napkin. So here we go, starting with my UFC126 picks (main card).

Miquel Torres VS Antonio Banuelos - I'll pick Torres on this one. I think he's too well rounded, he's the favorite and I think the UFC wants to get him back in the title picture or at least get him into a bout with Uriah Faber. So they gave him this fight expecting him to win it.

Jon Jones VS Ryan Bader - Both these guys have egos that bother me, but they are both two of my favorites at 205 and much needed new blood in a division that rehashes Rampage/Rashad & Machida to no end. No love is being given to Bader, he's a -220 underdog as of right now, I expect the betting line to close a bit. If I had the money I would have dropped $100 on him when the line opened and he was an even bigger underdog. Jones is flashy, ruthless and talented as hell and he will probably win this fight. I'm picking the upset though and going with Bader. He's the best wrestler Jones has ever faced and I think he is a better pure power wrestler than Jones. Jon Jones is going to the best striker Bader has ever faced, but I will take the wrestler over the striker most days. Jones has never really been pressured on his back and I think if Bader can get past Jones' reach advantage and take him down, I think he can get a decision here.

Forest Griffin VS Rich Franklin - I'll take Forrest in a tight fight between two pretty evenly matched guys. No knockouts here but a good chance and a pretty entertaining fight.

Anderson Silva VS Vitor Belfort - In his last fight against Chael Sonnen, Silva was manhandled most of the fight. I remember watching it and thinking that something didn't look right with Silva. He looked like he wasn't even trying to stop the takedowns and looked lethargic. He still won, in dramatic fashion no less, against a roided-up Sonnen . I was screaming for the triangle for a good minute before he sunk it in and was ecstatic when he did. Belfort is a great striker and has tons of power, but I still see a healthy Anderson Silva winning, but I don't think it will be easy. I'll pick the favorite here and go with Silva.

Other MMA thoughts - Jamie Varner got cut by Zuffa but I think if he drops weight to the 145 division he may be able to make a run back to the majors. he's only 5'8" and is out sized by most guys at 155. I don't think he beats a guy like Jose Aldo, but I think he may do better. Speaking of Jose Aldo, he's a monster and I think he cruises past Mark Hominick using leg kicks and clinch work. Hominick has never seen leg kicks like Aldo has, just ask Uriah Faber.

Emerald City Con Pre-Order

March 4-6th I will be in my 2nd favorite North American city, Seattle, to be a part of their amazing Emerald City Con. It is easily one of the best comic conventions in the country with an insane guest list and I am always truly humbled and happy to participate.

Conventions are a great way for me to introduce myself to the public and hopefully convince some comic book fans out there to give my work a shot and I have always been pretty welcomed in Seattle. Last year, and possibly this year, Emerald City will be my only convention outside of Arizona so I'm hoping to really make the most of it. Financially I am just not a popular enough artist to make out of state conventions a realistic option.

I am only able to take a small amount of product up with me, so it is possible (if unlikely) that I will sell out of my copies of Icarus #1 early. If you are going to attend Emerald City this year, and are pretty sure you wanted to pick up a comic or a sketch from me, please consider pre-ordering.

Pre-orders guarantee you a copy of Icarus #1 or a sketch and lessens the chance that I will be returning with excess inventory. Also, all convention-sold copies of Icarus #1 come with a quick & free head-sketch, so there is a bonus right there. A preview of Icarus #1 can be found here. Pre-Orders end February 7th. Paypal me here.

ICARUS #1 (with free head-sketch) = $3.50
Convention style sketch, 9x12 b/w = $15
11x17 Commission (b/w) = $50
9x12 Commission = $30
Original art pages from Icarus #1 can be purchased here for delivery in Seattle or I can mail them.
Email with any questions.

The difference between a sketch and commission is I usually spend much more time on a commission and it is a more finished piece of art. Pre-ordering con sketches allows me more time to work on those as well and guarantees you an original piece of artwork when you get to the show.

If you are not going to the convention, I still take commissions via mail and you can order Icarus #1 (print edition) here, or download for only $1 here and my $5 Super75 Sketchbook is available here. I always appreciate all the support you guys give me, and I hope to see some of you in Seattle next month.

The month of love.

I have been having a blast so far on issue #2 of ICARUS. The script came out great and I'm about 80% happy with the pages so far, and for me that is a pretty big deal. I am also coming into accepting my work on the webcomic as well. We're almost to the halfway point on JCTNG V2: The Long Year and I'm finally able to just relax about it and draw some comics. The webcomic is my main focus right now, it has to be since it pays the majority of my bills, but I will continue to chop away on ICARUS #2. I hope to wrap that up around mid-March. If I can keep Icarus on a bi-monthly release schedule I will be happy. So February's goal is pretty straightforward; 30 pages of fully finished, print ready, comic pages. I'm excited for the challenge.

Icarus #2

Some random panel clips from Icarus #2, coming in March. Issue #1 available here.

My man, David Hopkins.

My friend and writer extraordinaire David Hopkins had some nice things to say about me over on his blog. If you haven't read Emily Edison yet, it's one of my favorite all ages books off the last couple years, and my kids all agree.

ICARUS Play by Play Transcript

This is a transcript of the feature that ran on CBR's Robot6 blog -

I grew up reading superhero comics, mostly Marvel, but I loved Batman as well. As I grew older, I started developing and creating my own superheroes. The first comic I ever worked on was a self-published little gem called The Hurricane Kids. The writer and I had no idea what we were doing, but we put out an issue or two and went back and forth with several companies about publishing it. After almost a year’s worth of back and forth with a big name publisher, they decided against it — saying that they couldn’t sell it, “Independent superhero books do not sell,” they said. Later that year, I worked on Villains for Viper comics, a small book which featured super-powered characters. It got a lot of attention but just as I was warned, it did not sell very well. I have since pitched a comic with an artist who is far superior than myself, only to get it turned down because the characters had super powers. That artist has since gone on to work at one of the top publishers. Well, I never learn my lesson and have decided to do my own book, complete with everything I love about comics. Action, intrigue, violence, and superheroes, because sometimes I just want to draw a guy getting punched through a building.

Icarus is a story about Major Robert Riley and his mission to assassinate every known superhuman on the planet. A young girl named Delphi sees into the future and predicts the invasion of our planet by a conquering force. This announcement causes worldwide panic and discourse, which is something that the governments of the world can no longer allow. Backed by shadowy figures both political and religious, Riley is ordered to end the superhuman problem for good. He has never failed an assignment and never missed a target, but things are never what they seem when you are dealing with men who can juggle tanks, women who can influence your every thought and Roman war gods.

The title Icarus comes from the Icarus asteroid that is expected to pass Earth on June 16, 2015.

There’s nothing like being thrown straight into the action. Our narrator is Major Riley. While he is the focus of the first issue, the book will also look at Delphi and how the other characters react to the fact that they are being hunted by the same people they have saved and worked for in the past. Superheroes and super villains have the same goal in Icarus — survive and fight. Throughout the first arc, specific dates will show up from time to time as we get closer to the date of the Icarus asteroid passing Earth.

Riley continues to narrate the action, explaining a little bit about his target’s past. Oftentimes super powers can come with unintentional consequences. In this case, our target crippled another player during a college football game, bringing attention to himself, which ultimately led to him having to pass on his professional career and fade away from the public eye. The sports anchor in the first panel is based off of ESPN’s Linda Cohn.

I love this first panel, exploding brain matter and bone, but not too graphic, just enough to get the point across. This shows that even though Riley is an expert assassin, his methods are still brutally violent. Some of the best characters in fiction are those who are educated and technical, but still can be brutal and devious when needed. Every character we will meet in Icarus has multiple motives and that makes it fun to write. None of them are as cut and dry as they seem.

Now we see Major Riley back in his hotel room after his kill. He cleans up and gets right back to work, checking in with the shadowy figures who have given him his mission. Riley is all business at first, but he will begin to show his human side as we delve more into the story.

Here is where we meet Reggie Loomis, The Diabolist. The world of Icarus will feature costumed superheroes but in a very limited role. When word gets out that there is a killer of supers on the loose, these guys and gals will tend to keep their colors in the closet. As a matter of fact, these photos of The Diabolist are the only images of any costumed characters in the entire issue. While I have always loved the idea of superhuman characters inhabiting our world, I am not always a fan of ridiculous costumes.

On this page we learn a little more about Riley’s process. With his previous victim he explains using a unique type of ammunition to take down a specific target. Here he muses about using brute force to get the job done. One of Riley’s greatest attributes is his ability to break down his victims’ weaknesses. I love the idea of Riley looking down on The Diabolist. He’s going to go up against a guy that can emit magical energy from his hands, and Riley seems relieved.

Riley is in a race against the clock, going up against the most powerful people on the planet. He’ll need help from the most unlikeliest sources. Icarus #1 will be available in January from Super75Comics. Order information can be found online at http://super75comics.com. Feedback is always welcome at hurricanekids@gmail.com.

ICARUS Play by Play

JK Parkin was kind enough to post a play by play preview of ICARUS #1 with commentary on the Robot6 blog of CBR. Check it out, hope you like it.
http://tinyurl.com/6ahmuqh (Thanks JK!)

More ICARUS Shilling

ICARUS #1 is now available for sale. The digital copy is being sold through Graphicly and is only $1 and is available for all your mobile devices and laptop or desktop. The print copy is being sold through Indy Planet for $3.50 and is available here. Please help support this project, I probably will not be able to finish my story without the support of the individual issues. Also, loads of original pages from Icarus #1 are up in my Etsy shop for cheap! - http://www.etsy.com/shop/ryancody

January commission drive

I'm all caught up on commissions (though I still need to mail some out) so I'm opening up commissions again. $50 for 11x17 and a special price of $25 for 9x12 b/w commissions. Email me if you're interested at hurricanekids(at)gmail(dot)com. A quick glance at my deviantart gallery will give you an idea of what I offer. Thanks as always.

Amazing Arizona Con re-cap

Not a ton of stuff to report, the crowds were spotty but it's too be expected at such a new con. People love Robert Kirkman though, that's a fact. Zombie mania was in full effect and I had no loaded weapons on me sadly. I've posted some sketches I did over on the SketchJAM! blog and I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who stopped by and chatted about ICARUS and bought some art. I sold more original art at this con than any other but I have plenty left over that I will posting for sale online in the next few weeks. Next up for me is Emerald City con in Seattle the weekend of March 4th. Big thanks to Scott Godlewski for being a great booth-mate to spend the weekend with, Andy Kuhn, Shannon Denton, Mike Malve and John Layman for being great drinking buddies and Andy & Cory Walker for putting out awesome sketchbooks for me to peruse and drool over. Top-notch fellas.


Myself, Scott Godlewski and Shannon Eric Denton.


Our booth. Seriously people, this Godlewski kid is money in the bank, pick up his books, support him and buy some original art from him now while he's selling it for insanely cheap.

Amazing Arizona Con

This weekend I will be at the Amazing Arizona Con all day Saturday and Sunday sharing a table with my boy Scott Godlewski. I will have a preview of ICARUS #1, original art for sale from Icarus and other projects, a limited edition convention exclusive HULK print and I will be doing sketches all weekend. I also have a few copies of my 2010 sketchbook still available so stop by and say hello.