Another ICARUS review

"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 over at www.omnicomic.com reviews Icarus #1, please hop over there to read the whole thing.

I also like how interested he seemed to be in the motivations of the characters. Here is another exerpt -

"There's also a female character named Manny that has prophetic dreams. I get the impression she works with Riles to help in finding his new targets, but other than there not much else is mentioned about her. We're also introduced to a few of Riles' teammates in addition to the two aforementioned targets and Manny, so there should be some pretty good storylines developing over the next few issues. The biggest question is what designates a target for Riles' group and how he became part of the group to begin with. The best part of the issue though has to be the cliffhanger ending and while I'm not going to spoil it for you I can say I was not expecting it at all."

The girl's name is not Manny, but I can see where the confusion comes from, that will be cleared up in issue #2.

The first ICARUS review

Ambush Bug over at Aintitcool.com posted a review of ICARUS #1 here. It's insanely flattering. You have to scroll down to the Indie Jones section to read it, but here it is in it's entirety.

ICARUS #1
Super 75 Comics

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. ICARUS is filled with all kinds of fun, with a super hero killer for hire, a girl who dreams of the end of the world every night she goes to sleep, a secret organization bent of eradicating super villains, and a twist at the end that pulled the rug right out from under me. Thing is…I didn’t even know I was standing on a rug! But seriously, this is top notch stuff. Cody’s art is as good as his writing. Reminiscent of Ty Templeton and Darwyn Cooke, Cody has a gift for simplistic design and vivid, iconic panels that make for a quick, yet thrilling read. I can’t wait to see more of ICARUS and you should definitely seek this indie treat out. 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.

ICARUS update

The last page of Icarus #1 is up on the website. I hope everyone enjoyed the issue. I will leave it online for a couple weeks and then remove it when the print version is available for purchase. Please, if you enjoyed reading it online, think about buying a print copy and supporting the book. Thanks.

Scott Godlewski inks Icarus!

Here is a little peek at the inked cover to Icarus #1, pencils/layout by me, finishes by the amazing and overworked Scott Godlewski. Scott is kicking ass over at Boom! working on their Dracula book so I really owe him a debt for finding time to ink this cover for me. The print version of issue #1 will be available in January, catch up on it online however at www.super75comics.com/icarus

Big Thanks!

I also wanted to just give out a really big thanks to all the people who hopped on board my last commission call. The money from those commissions literally put Christmas presents under the tree for my kids, so I really, honestly appreciate all the support. Thanks so much.

That said, I have about 2 slots still open for the Christmas commissions. Contact me if you're interested.

My comic ICARUS is winding down the first issue. You can read it all for free, starting right here - http://www.super75comics.com/icarus/01.html

Thanks.

Holiday commission sale!

In order to help myself out in what has been a very tough economic year and to offer
something special to those of you who support me, here's my version of a holiday/cyber
Monday sale. Limited time only, I only have a few spots available, guaranteed delivery
by Christmas. All prices are for black and white original pieces on high quality bristol
art board. Digital colors are also available for an additional $15 and will be sent as a
hi-resolution file.

11x17 2-character = $50 + $5 shipping & handling
9x12 2-character = $25 + $5 shipping & handling
Sketchcards = $15 + $3 shipping & handling

Red Hulk Event!

I will be out at Atomic Comics in Mesa tomorrow from 1-3:30 doing some free Hulk sketches on the blank cover of the the issue of Avengers. I will have a couple copies of my sketchbook for sale as well (only $5) and I will taking commission and sketch orders too. Stop by and say hi if you can!

New Art

Survey Says!

I put up a quick 10-question survey to learn more about modern comic fans and buying habits. It's anonymous but if you take it, please let me know and I will put your name in a drawing to win original art, an ICARUS t-shirt or a sketchbook. I really would appreciate your input.

Click here to take survey

thanks,
Ryan

News + Notes

It's been a little bit since I last did an update on what I have been working on and where I'm at online at the various social media sites so I thought I would catch you all up if you're interested in that sort of thing.

ICARUS - Icarus is my new webcomic, I post new pages twice a week, I just started last week and I hope to build a solid following. I do everything on the book from writing to lettering so it's definitely a chore, but it's also a blast. I really hope you all choose to follow along and support the book by buying and sporting an Icarus shirt (order info in the sidebar on the Icarus page) or supporting me by ordering a commission possibly. Here is the first page -



I also do the artwork for the current volume of Jesus Christ: In the Name of the Gun. It's a fun story about a time traveling Jesus as he battles WW2 Axis powers, monsters & more with his buddies Albert Einstein and Ernest Hemingway.

I recently did 20 cards for the Hack/Slash set from 5finity. Here are my two return cards that I am currently selling for only $30 each. They are limited edition and very rare.

- I have a Facebook fan page that was started by a very cool guy and fan, Ed Harris.
- I'm usually on Twitter goofing off and sometimes I post up in-progress pages.
- I post a new sketch everyday to The Daily Sketchjam! I plan to do so for the rest of the year. A couple other really cool artists post there as well.
- My DeviantArt account is here and it's where the majority of my art goes online.

I honestly appreciate every note or comment I get through Facebook, Twitter & DeviantArt. The last 6 weeks have been a trial as I try to find work to supplement my income. It's a hard road for a freelancer in this economy and I really am grateful. Thanks to my beautiful girlfriend and my great kids for putting up with me.

Icarus is live

The first page of ICARUS went up today. New page every Sunday and Thursday. Please pass along the word and feel free to leave comments. Thanks.

ICARUS set to launch from Super75Comics.

Icarus is a new web to print comic series from Super75Comics. Created, Written and Illustrated by Ryan Cody, Icarus is set to launch on Sunday October 10^th, 2010. Previous creator credits include a short story in the Eisner award winning Popgun Vol.3 from Image Comics and Villains from Viper Comics, which is currently in development at Universal.

In 2014, a young child with the ability to see the future see an object approaching Earth, a giant spacecraft containing a species intent on invasion and occupation. She locates the most public superhuman of the time, The Golden Templar, and convinces him to take her to a secret group of world leaders. The Amaliorata do not believe her story and cast her away. When she, and other gifted seers go public with their warning, global riots break out and the world is turned upside down with religious and economic collapse. The Ameliorata decide that the super-humans cannot be allowed to roam unchecked and continue to upset the power balance. They order the execution of every known superhuman. Major Fisher Riley is put in charge of exterminating the world’s most powerful individuals. The Ameliorata convince the public that the oncoming object to Earth is only the asteroid Icarus, preparing to make its scheduled pass of Earth.

Icarus is expected to pass Earth on June 16^th, 2015.

The Icarus comic is an endeavor to bring the excitement and energy of big budget adventure comics to the world of small press. Each week two new pages will go online in preparation for a quarterly print release.

For more information please visit www.super75comics.com or contact the creator directly at hurricanekids@gmail.com

Super75comics is a boutique publisher whose previous credits have included The Hurricane Kids and the 24-Hour Comic Book Day project Fata Obstant.

Atomic Comics appearance

I will be hanging out most the day on Wednesday doing free sketches for people who buy an X-Force blank cover. I will also bring along some pages to ink from Jesus Christ:In the Name of the Gun and possibly some Icarus stuff as well. Stop on by and say hello and watch me work.

UFC 119 Predictions

A couple good fights on this card but the only one I really care about is Bader vs. Lil Nog. Apparently the winner may get Jon Jones. When a contest looks really tight on paper, I'll go with who is going into the bout with a head of steam and who is the better wrestler. That makes Bader my pick, he's a slight favorite so I'm not alone in my thoughts, and the idea of a Bader/Jones #1 contender match-up is very, very intriguing.

Icarus 10.10.10

Talking about Jesus

Weekly Crisis.com recently did a piece on Jesus Christ - In the Name of the Gun. I am the new artist for the second volume. Here is an excerpt where the reviewer refers to me -


Recently, it has returned, back with a brand new artist, and it is updating every Tuesday and Thursday. The art change may be jarring at first, just because it is so different: if former artist Ethan Nicolle was like a more cartoony Brian Bolland or Charlie Adlard, incoming artist Ryan Cody is more along the lines of a bulkier Cory Walker. It’s not bad by any means (specially by webcomic standards, this looks like a high quality indie comic), but it may give readers whiplash when switching from one style to the other. The writing is still as whimsical as ever, and the new arc seems to pit Jesus Christ against Queen Isabella of Spain, who also happens to be a Lovecraftian monster. It just started, so it’s the right time to read through the archive and jump on board.

I like the reference to Cory Walker, who is one of my favorite artists right now. The posts on the Jesus Christ - ITNOTG website generally are unhappy with my work, I dunno if they are just bothered by the change or by my work itself. We just started posting the 2nd scene of vol.2 and I think I am beginning to hit a stride now that I am happy with. Please, if you get a moment feel free to read it and let me know what you think or post a comment on the site, I could use the support.

Icarus

A new webcomic, coming next month.

Cody Daily 2010 - 257

I'm still keeping up my Daily sketches going over at The Sketchjam!

HERO New Avengers

Hero Initiative have announced their new series of sketch covers, and it's The New Avengers. I was fortunate enough to be included again this year so here is what I did, darkened in photoshop. Hopefully it brings in some decent money for this great charity.

I Love(ed) the X-Men

I started reading comics in the mid 80's. I would pick up random issues of Spider-Man and other Marvel titles to start out with. I wasn't picky with what Marvel book it was, but early on I only read Marvel. The first title I started following regularly was Uncanny X-Men sometime around issue #214. I later went back and started buying back issues like a fiend. The artists who rotated in and out of the X-Men is an all-star team. Barry Windsor-Smith, Art Adams, John Romita Jr., Paul Smith, Alan Davis. I was in love, I think I even bought an X-Men shirt. But my favorite X-artist of all time was Marc Silvestri. When combined with Dan Green on inks, that team was dynamic and amazing. They had great action, sexy girls and powerful heroes and villains, everything an 11-year old boy wants out of his comics. I still think Marc's stuff then is better than his newer work, just a personal opinion as I'm sure others would disagree. I had a chance a year or two back to have dinner with two of my artistic idols, Silvestri and Jim Lee but I didn't really talk to either of them, but 16 year old me was in heaven at the time. I stopped reading X-Men after Joe Mad's run but the book had already been going downhill for years at that time.

Here are two of my favorite Silvesti covers from his run and a recent Colossus vs. Juggernaut commission I did. I threw a little Shadowcat and Wolverine in there for fun. Click for full size. (I'm still very much open for commissions if anyone is interested.)