Sherlock Holmes Year One #5 Cover

~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

I can finally reveal my cover for the issue 5 of Sherlock Holmes Year One.
Hope you guys enjoy it :)

I also hope you guys picked up Detective Comics #874 this past Wed: it's the first of 2 issues written by mastermind Scott Snyder and entirely illustrated by me and both focus on Gordon and his "prodigal" son James Jr.
Critics and fans seem to LOVE it, so if you haven't picked up yet, please do so: it really is a good read :)
Also I will be at ECCC this next weekend: details coming soon, but if you are attending, pls feel free to stop by and say hi :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla

Lone Ranger / Zorro #3 Cover

~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

I can finally share with you all the cover for the 3rd issue of Lone Ranger: Death of Zorro mini, solicited in March's Previews. Hope you guys enjoy it :)

I wanted also to let you all know I am auctioning some original art to benefit those in need of food in the Detroit metro area. Check out my sketchblog for details and I hope you can help a bit, either by bidding on the art or just donating to Forgotten Harvest, the organization I am donating to proceeds of the auction to.
Auction will end next Sunday at 6 pm ET.

Enjoy the cover and have a wonderful Pulp Sunday everyone :)

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla

Dated Coffee... for a Happy Valentine!

~~ Click on the image for bigger size! ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

Even if I didn't draw this, I thought to share this little old ads for 3 reasons
1) it's clearly from the Pulps era
2) it's in comic strip format (which is something I care dearly :))
3) it's about love and coffee, and so am I ;)

Buon San Valentino, everyone, and pls, for the love of God, don't let her drink staled coffee :)

Cheers,
Francesco

CHILLS! THRILLS!! FEAR!!!

~~ Click on the image for poster size! ~~

Hello Pulp Friends,

Since I am up to my eyeballs working on 2 full books this month (and a few covers and illustrations as a side ;)), I hope it's cool with you all if I repost a couple of recent fake movie posters I did for Comic Twart, just in case there are a few Pulp friends here who don't follow that blog and might have missed these.

"WHO SHOT THE CHIEF" A Doom Patrol Murder Mystery

~~ Click on the image for poster size! ~~

The classic "whodunit" with a murder in an isolated mansion and only a small cast of possible murderers, a few suspects who each had a possible reason to kill the victim. That's right up Hitchcock's alley and would be cool to have the Doom Patrol crew as cast.

I think they are some of my best movie posters yet, but maybe I am biased with my own work, so I'll leave you the last word. :)
Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla

The Stakeout

~ Click on the images for a closer look ~

Hello Pulp Friends,

How about a little piece of Noir courtesy of Commissioner Gordon and Detective Comics #875? :)
Hope you guys dig the sneak peek at the layout for this page.

Cheers,
Francesco

Artwork © 2011 Francesco Francavilla

A Lovecraft State of Mind

~ Above: detail of a pencilled paged from a famouse Lovecraft's tale adaptation - click on the image for a 1300pixel wide closer look at the pencils ~

Hello Pulp Friends,

Lately I have been listening to some HP Lovecraft related podcasts, and with the arrival of my comps of the book LOVECRAFT Black & WHite (published by Dagon Press) I did the cover for, I got nostalgic and went to dig some old Lovecraftian art I did a few years ago.


~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

The pencilled panel on top of this post and the inkwashed panels below are from an adaptation of a Lovecraft tale I was doing some time ago. Most of the pages are pencilled and a few are inked and inkwashed already: need to get to ink the remaining so I can actually put it out there in its entirety :)


~ Above: detail of inked page - click on the image for a closer look at the details ~

And while we are at it, here's a page from a story I did 20 ys ago (!!!) that won a couple of awards and got me in touch with the Italian comic industry. This short tale was written and illustrated by me and was inspired by some local folklore, but I couldn't help to put some Lovecraft touches into it (Yeah, I have been fan of HP for a while as you can see ;))

Hope you guys enjoy these and I hope you all have a wonderful Pulp Sunday :)

Cheers,
Francesco


~ Above: page 2 of a short horror tale (1990 circa) click on the image for larger view ~

Artwork © 2010 Francesco Francavilla

Detective #874 & #875

~ Above: The making of #874 cover: layout & inks - Click on the images for a closer look ~

Hello Pulp Friends,

this week has seen the release of Detective Comics #873 with part 3 (and conclusion) of the Black Mirror story, Scott Snyder's and Jock's first critically acclaimed arc on Detective. If you haven't picked up your copy yet, you better do it soon cause they are selling out (once again!)

With the book out, I have read about lots of people wondering what happened to the co-feature, "SKELETON CASES", I was illustrating. Part 3 was supposed to be in 873 but it wasn't, fans noted. Some wondered if the co-feature has been killed because of the new format and reduced price tag of $2.99.
To help to clear some of this confusion, I thought to dedicate this post to SKELETON CASES and what's coming up in Detective.


~ Above: An intense moment between Jim Gordon and his estranged son James Jr. ~

With the new format there was no room for the initially planned co-feature in 873. For that reason we all decided to move pt 3 of Skeleton Cases to #874. So, next issue (out in February), will see the conclusion of SKELETON CASES in the first half of the book, and the second half will have a little Batman tale - featuring guest star Red Robin - that is a bridge between the first and second Snyder-Jock arc.
The whole issue is written by Scott and entirely illustrated by me.


~ Above: Batman and special guest Red Robin study the adversary... ~

And in March we will have Detective #875, (see below) a full issue dedicated to a Jim Gordon story, a "hardcore cold case mystery" that has been haunting him since Jr was a little kid. And speaking of Jr., we will find out more about him in this issue.
This will be written by Scott and - again - illustrated entirely by me.
I read the script and it's a chilling story, so you guys don't want to miss it, trust me :)

Detective #876 in April will see the first part of a 3 issue arc with Jock and David Baron back to art duties: hints of this new arc are in the short story that will be in Detective 874 next month.

I (and Gordon and Jr.) will be back on the pages of Detective after this arc.

And that's it for now: hope you guys have a clearer idea of what's ahead and hope to see you on board for the whole run: Scott is a talented writer and it's making this a hell of a run: Jock, David, and I are all happy to be on board with this and you can tell :)

Hope you enjoy the making of the cover for 874 above and below are the solicits for #874 and #875.

Have a wonderful Sunday, everyone :)

Cheers,
Francesco

DETECTIVE COMICS #874
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art and cover by FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA

~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

Gordon faces James Jr. in the conclusion of the 3-part SKELETON CASES arc. Meanwhile Batman - and guest star Red Robin - gets a little taste of a new menace for Gotham City while still dealing with the after effects of the Black Mirror arc!

On sale FEBRUARY 23 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

DETECTIVE COMICS #875
Written by SCOTT SNYDER
Art and cover by FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA

~~ Click on the image for biggie ~~

“There are some cases that come screaming back at you…like phone calls in the night…”
For years, Jim Gordon has been haunted by the unsolved case of Gotham’s notorious
“Peter Pan Killer.” Now, armed with new evidence, Gordon is determined to put the case to rest.
But as he digs deeper, he’ll unearth a shocking discovery about his own past – a revelation that will shake him to the core. Skeletons will be exposed and secrets revealed in this special issue featuring art by Francesco Francavilla!

On sale March 30 • 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Artwork © 2010 Francesco Francavilla