New Doctor Who pin-up I did for myself, as I am a Whovian.
But, others seem to be enjoying as well. I call it, "Open wide and say ah."






Here is a close up...

 The finished art (unlettered) for pages 1 and 2 of Monkey Box.

Monkey Box 
Character art

Page One of Monkey Box, work in progress.

 My daughter's drawing appears in the new issue of Ghostbusters #10: Haunted America issue #2.










Here is her drawing.

For all my fellow veterans and patriots:

It isn't a religious decree, but was and is my pledge to the
country of my birth. I took this pledge every school day as a boy,
even practicing it at home. Later, I took an even greater oath, when
I had the honor of serving in our armed forces.

I love this, the original pledge. This is how it was written by
Francis Bellamy, and how it should be spoken. 

I am the giant on the left.

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG,
OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
AND TO THE REPUBLIC,
FOR WHICH IT STANDS,
ONE NATION INDIVISIBLE,
WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL! 

Patriotism has nothing to do with politics or religion. It has to do
with loving your country, the way you would love your child or
parent; unconditionally, and with a willingness to give all you have
for it. There are two types of Americans; those whom have it, and
those whom, for one reason or another, suckle on it.


Happy 4th of July!

Gerry Kissell

Top 10 things people say that annoy me as an artist

by Gerry Kissell

10. "You're a good drawer."

Really? Like a sock drawer?

9. "That's kind of expensive for a portrait?"

I spent more time mastering my craft, than med students did in school to become doctors. After 25 years, I have earned the right to charge at least as much as a plumber, lawyer or doctor.

8. "Did you draw/paint that?"

No. I tell people I can draw and paint and then post other people's art in my portfolio.

7. "You should be able to crank that out in no time."
Really? You actually have determined the exact amount of time it takes for me to find inspiration for an idea, sketch it out, do final pencils and or inks and color and or paint it? Wow. What do you need me for if you're so smart? Oh, I'm just the "talent."

6."I don't know what I want, I only know what I don't like."
After 50 to 100 hundred hours of work, they finally approve the art and suddenly ask, "You want how much for the final art?" Really?

5. "How come you don't know how to work on a car?"
My ex father-in-law asked me that. I asked him back, "How come you can't draw a portrait of someone and make it look exactly like them? Ooooooh...same reason."

4. People who act like what I do is a nifty hobby. 

I have done this for 25 years. I actually make a living at it. It's my craft, my career, my lifestyle.

3. Women who like the idea of dating an artist. 

Despite my warnings of the commitment required to do what we do, and then still start bugging us when we are painting at 11pm to 2am, "When are you coming to bed?"

2. "Man, I can't draw a stick figure."
Someone who looks at my work, and the first thing they think to say is that, well, it really doesn't annoy me. Honestly, I am glad, as that is one less person I have to compete with to get a job.

1. "Here's the photo of my kid. Make sure to make him look good."
If nature and a photo can't do it, I can't either.

Some photos of my model, Jim Hill, taken by my buddy Kenny Kalinowski, for the cover of the book. I particularly love the combat sandals he's wearing and the military issue bud light. lol

At a convention this year, I did a Q&A about military comics. This little snippet is from that Q&A.

Comic fan: "Why do you only draw military comics and not super heroes?"

Gerry: "I guess because, once you have seen real heroes in action, it is kind of hard to go back to drawing the imaginary ones."

The cover art I painted for Warriors Publishing Group's novel Harper's War.

The cover art I created for Dale Dye's 2010 book Peleliu File.

This is the front and back cover art I created for the autobiographical book Fahim Speaks, the amazing true journey of actor Fahim Fazli, who put his career in Hollywood on hold in order to serve as an interpreter for the U.S. Marines, in Afghanistan.

The stand alone cover art I created for John Del Vecchio's best selling novel The 13th Valley.

New cover art I created for Dale Dye's new novel, Chosin File.

The full painting I did for the cover of Dale Dye's novel Outrage.

 Two of the covers I painted for Warriors Publishing Group.
First is the painting I created for the reprinting of the best selling novel Outrage, by Dale Dye. Dale is a retired marine Captain, and is the military adviser that is called "Hollywood's Drill Sergeant", having worked on such films as Platoon, Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers and The Pacific.  Outrage focuses on the events surrounding the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut. I wanted to capture the somber feeling of a Marine, surveying the debris, knowing that there are fallen friends in the rubble.  I also used a style popular in the 60's and 70's, so the colors are warm and almost washed out.

The second book cover I painted is for the reprinting of John Del Vecchio's best selling Vietnam War novel, The 13th Valley. A book hailed as the greatest Vietnam book ever written.  What I wanted to convey, with the art, was a feeling of isolation, and of almost insignificance a soldier may feel when he looks out on an ancient valley so large. I wanted to give the feeling of exhaustion, from the weight of his gear and from the humidity and sun.

As a military vet, I love this poem. Found a copy of it on a veteran site and decided to do a little art to go with it.
Hope you enjoy.

Here is some art I created for a new comic series called Vindicated, Inc., which I both created and am drawing. I cannot talk to much about it, right now, but, soon I will be talking about it incessantly.

Pin-up art I created for the made for TV film Liberator, starring Lou Ferrigno. Liberator flight pin-up was drawn by me and colored by my friend Omi. Liberator hero pin-up, all art and colors by me. I was commissioned by the production company to produce two pages of actual comic art, which you will see at the end of the film, as well as these two pin-ups.

The cover art I created for IDW's best selling graphic novel CODE WORD: GERONIMO. I also drew the interior art.  

The book was written by Hollywood military man Captain Dale Dye and his wife Julia Dye, and inked by my friend and drawing partner, Amin Amat.