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[Visions of Horror] Riley Rossmo

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Farah Al-Hakkak (ShadowJayd) and Lonnie Nadler (Lonmonster) are back to showcase more first-rate horror artwork from the finest artists the comics industry has to offer. This week, the Visions of Horror spotlight will be shining on Ghastly Award winner Riley Rossmo, and his critically acclaimed work on Kurtis J. Wiebe’s “Green Wake”. Specifically, Bloody-Disgusting will look at his wicked cover art for issue #2, as well as a particularly powerful page from issue #5. So, without further ado, kindly hit the jump to check his pieces out.

In 2006, Canadian artist Riley Rossmo broke into the comic book industry through AIT/Planet Lar, thanks to his collaborative work with Alex Grecian on “Seven Sons”. Together, they went on to create an ongoing series called “Proof”, which was published by Image Comics the following year. His subsequent — and notable — work with the aforementioned publishing company quickly helped him establish a name for himself, and even garnered Hollywood attention from Disney and Universal Studios. The latter is set to bring Rossmo and A.J. Lieberman’s “Cowboy Ninja Viking” series to life in a film adaptation directed by World War Z’s Marc Forster. How rad is that?

In 2011, Rossmo and Kurtis J. Wiebe’s psychological horror series “Green Wake” was released. Though the book flew under the radar, it received high critical praise, and the book — along with its creative team — received a number of well-deserved nominations and awards for their exceptional work. Wiebe was named Outstanding Comic Book Writer by the Joe Shuster Awards, and “Green Wake” won a 2011 Ghastly Award for ‘Best New Series’ alongside Rossmo, who was named ‘Best Artist’.

For those unfamiliar with the series, it’s a remarkable murder mystery story of loss and horror, set in the forgotten town of Green Wake. The residents deal with confusing memory lapses and can never leave; and it’s rife with insanely messed up — though incredibly significant — imagery involving grisly murders and gross monsters that just drip through Rossmo’s pencils and colours. Fitting the dark tone of the series perfectly, his surreal artwork is moody, gritty, dramatically evocative and strikingly atmospheric. His manically unique style is so distinguishably his that Rossmo’s confidence in his art shines through his frenetically loose presentation on paper. His jagged, unclean lines, while chaotic in nature, are purposefully illustrated and fit exceptionally well with Wiebe’s world.

The “Green Wake” #2 cover:

The splash page from issue #5 (below) is one of the most memorable from the series, revealing all of the traumatic events of protagonist Morley Mack’s past in just two pages. “Green Wake” is one of those books that feels so intimate yet so vast at the same time, and this piece is testament to the amount of work, care, and creativity put into the series by both Rossmo and Wiebe.

The page depicts Morley’s dark history with his lover, from wedding to death, in a stunning arrangement. Rossmo guides the reader’s eye across an array of images, evoking feelings of dread, sorrow, and pleasure simultaneously. He seamlessly brings all these elements together with his signature sketchy line work and vibrant colors, making for one of the most memorable splash pages of the series. It’s a shame the book was cut short, as we only got a glimpse of the expansive nightmarish world that was Green Wake.

The “Green Wake” #5 splash page:

Rossmo donated this fantastic Batwoman & Swamp Thing piece to the Fourth Annual San Diego Comic-Con Autograph Card CBLDF/TFAW Auction. It’s not related to “Green Wake”, but we love it. So look at it.

The Batwoman / Swamp Thing piece:

Next up from Riley Rossmo is his book “Drumhellar”. The first issue drops in November 6th, 2013.

If you want Bloody Disgusting to cover one of your favourite horror artists, or a fantastic piece of horror-related comic book art, head down to the comment section, or hit up Farah or Lonnie on Twitter.

Comics

‘Witchblade’ is Getting Resurrected This Summer in New Comic Series from Top Cow and Image Comics

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Witchblade cover

Witchblade, the popular comic series that initially ran from 1995 to 2015 and launched a TV series, is getting resurrected in a new comic series from Top Cow and Image Comics. It’s set to unleash heavy metal, black magic and blood this summer.

Look for the new Witchblade series to launch on July 17, 2024.

In Witchblade #1, “New York City Police Detective Sara Pezzini’s life was forever fractured by her father’s murder. Cold, cunning, and hellbent on revenge, Sara now stalks a vicious criminal cabal beneath the city, where an ancient power collides and transforms her into something wild, magnificent, and beyond her darkest imaginings. How will Sara use this ancient power, or will she be consumed by it?”

The series is penned by NYT Best-Selling writer Marguerite Bennett (AnimosityBatwomanDC Bombshells) and visualized by artist Giuseppe Cafaro (Suicide SquadPower RangersRed Sonja). The creative duo is working with original co-creator Marc Silvestri, who is the CEO of Top Cow Productions Inc. and one of the founders of Image Comics. They are set to reintroduce the series to Witchblade’s enduring fans with “a reimagined origin with contemporary takes on familiar characters and new story arcs that will hook new readers and rekindle the energy and excitement that fueled the 90’s Image Revolution that shaped generations of top creators.”

Bennett said in a statement, “The ability to tell a ferocious story full of monsters, sexuality, vision, and history was irresistible.” She adds, “Our saga is sleek, vicious, ferocious, and has a lot to say about power in the 21st century and will be the first time that we are stopping the roller coaster to let more people on. I’ve loved Witchblade since I was a child, and there is truly no other heroine like Sara with such an iconic legacy and such a rich, brutal relationship to her own body.”

“The Witchblade universe is being modernized to reflect how Marguerite beautifully explores the extreme sides of Sara through memories, her personal thoughts, like desire and hunger, in her solitude and when she is possessed by the Witchblade. So, I had to visually intersect a noir True Detective-like world with a supernatural, horror world that is a fantastic mix between Berserk and Zodiac,” Cafaro stated.

Marc Silvestri notes, “This is brand new mythology around Sara, and I can’t wait for you to fall in love with her and all the twists and turns. Discover Witchblade reimagined this summer, and join us as we bring all the fun of the 90s to the modern age and see how exciting comics can be. I can’t wait for you to read this new series.”

Witchblade#1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 17th, for $4.99 for 48 pages. And it’ll come with multiple cover variants.

  • Cover A: Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover B: Giuseppe Cafaro and Arif Prianto (Full Color)

  • Cover C: Blank Sketch Cover

  • Cover D (1/10): Dani and Brad Simpson (Full Color)

  • Cover E (1/25): Marc Silvestri and Arif Prianto, Virgin Cover (Full Color)

  • Cover F (1/50): J.Scott Campbell (Full Color)

  • Cover G (1/100): Bill Sienkiewicz. (Full Color)

  • Cover H (1/250): Line art by Marc. Virgin Cover, Inks (B/W)

Witchblade #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.

Witchblade comic panel Witchblade #1 cover image

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