In Memoriam
William “Bill” M. Baker
November 12, 1958 – February 20, 2014

I didn’t know Bill Baker a long time. We were first introduced at the 2010 New York Comic Con by a mutual friend and colleague, Mr. Mark Mazz (who holds the distinction of “discovering” me at the 2007 Big Apple Con). It was my first year exhibiting at that show, and I only spoke with Bill briefly then. Mark introduced him as a writer and journalist–but this was not just any run-of-the-mill wordsmith. Mark acted as though Bill was something of a legend and with good reason.

In that brief meeting, Bill spoke to me about his (then) upcoming book, ICONS: The DC Comics & Wildstorm Art of Jim Lee, and an acclaimed interview with Alan Moore. However, what struck me most about Bill was not his accomplishments but rather how humble and personable he was even in the presence of an unknown creator. I find very often those who have “made it” have little time for those who haven’t, but that wasn’t Bill’s way. I’m not the comic historian Bill was, so at the time I had no idea who Mark had introduced me to. However, over time, I learned just how legendary Bill was and not just as a writer, but as a person as well. Read more… ›

The day has finally arrived. After a year of developing, plotting, writing, drawing, designing characters and exploring my options for publishing the next chapter in Chadhiyana’s story, the Chadhiyana graphic novel is at last available to read–in a manner of speaking, that is. For those who haven’t been following my blog (or haven’t spoken to me at a convention, either), this new graphic novel, Chadhiyana: In the Company of Shadows, started publication yesterday on chadhiyana.com, where it will continue to publish regularly as I finish the book, grow Chadhiyana’s readership and find a publisher for this and other Chadhiyana stories.  Read more… ›

Not to worry folks; the change is a good one. Because one page at the beginning of the book had to be extended to two pages, the Chadhiyana graphic novel web-comic, Chadhiyana: In the Company of Shadows, will begin posting on Tuesday, October 1st. That means an earlier release date and an extra page next week. Everything else will remain as it was outlined in yesterday’s post. So make sure you visit chadhiyana.com on Tuesday for the first posting (the cover of the book) and help celebrate the start of a new chapter in Chadhiyana’s story (both literally and figuratively).

The web-comic debut of the Chadhiyana graphic novel, Chadhiyana: In the Company of Shadows, is nearly upon us. I know that last week I wrote that I was uncertain about when the web-comic would finally start posting, but I wasn’t yet certain everything would be ready for the date I’d had in mind. I was, however, quite specific that I wanted pages to begin posting before or around the New York Comic Con (October 10-13), where I will be exhibiting this year at booth # 943 (with NovaStar Studios, publisher of Sara Rising). That said, NYCC fast approaches and the graphic novel’s web-comic launch date may be sooner than you think. Read more… ›

I know it’s been three weeks since there’s been a Chadhiyana update (on account of the Baltimore Comic-Con two weeks ago), but I only have a very brief update for you this week. Progress on the graphic novel has been slow and steady (what else is new?), but there’s still a lot more work to get done before the web-comic version of the graphic novel can officially begin publication. In the meanwhile, however, I thought I’d introduce you to the web-comic’s future home. Read more… ›

This week’s blog entry will be the last Chadhiyana update for a week or two. Next weekend is the Baltimore Comic Con and, as usual, I’ll likely take the time to promote that event in my blog next week. However, at the moment, I’m happy to report I’ve completed the promotional Chadhiyana painting I starting working on two weeks ago, and I have a special preview of it for all of you. Read more… ›

Last week, I began penciling the Chadhiyana graphic novel (Chadhiyana: In the Company of Shadows), but there’s a lot more to do besides comic pages before I can launch the web-comic. I’ve been busy with just about all of it this week (and one small, side project). So, here’s a brief update about where I am this week, as promised.

At this point, only two pages of the Prologue have been penciled. Don’t panic. It’s not that I work that slow or was slacking off. Unfortunately, I had to switch gears for a few days and concentrate on some other things. First, I wanted to create a new Chadhiyana logo for the graphic novel, something crisper than the original, hand-drawn logo which decorates the first Chadhiyana comic (visit IndyPlanet.com to purchase a copy). Read more… ›

It’s been too long since I posted a proper update about the Chadhiyana graphic novel. Since announcing it in April, I’ve mentioned the story is going to be “fuller” than the first two short stories and (often) that progress is going slow and steady. Part of the reason I haven’t said more until now is because I’ve been busy with other things I wanted to promote (gallery shows, conventions, updates to my website, etc). The other reason (and more importantly) is that the process of creating this graphic novel is going much slower than I anticipated. However, things are finally coming together on the project (mostly). In light of that, I thought it was high time I said more about the book and how it’s coming along. Read more… ›

Late last week, jmdesantis.com went down for a little over a day due to a problem with the server on which it was being hosted. This left me unable to access the site. As you can see, the site is live again, though there are a number of areas I still cannot access as the issue is continuing to be resolved. That said, this week’s update (an update to the Miscellaneous Illustration gallery) will not be possible. I’m hoping to have full access to the site by next week and so be able to make that happen. In the meanwhile, for what it’s worth, I apologise for any inconvenience and disappointment this may cause (especially for those who might have thought I’d disappeared when they visited the site last Thursday). I’ll be back next week, hopefully with full access again.

Also, don’t forget to check out my original artwork on display in the Pet-icular Poses group art show at the Art Garage in Montclair, New Jersey. The show runs until June 30th. For more information, visit studiokidsart.com.

Due to the on-going investigation and manhunt surrounding the tragedy at the Boston Marathon on April 15, the Boston Comic Con has been cancelled for this weekend, and so that means, by association, my appearance there has been cancelled as well. According to the Con’s statement (see below) there seems to be a possibility of rescheduling. I, for one, would be very pleased if they did reschedule. I was looking forward to exhibiting at this show for the first time (having heard so many good things) and returning to the city of Boston for the second time in my life (which I loved the first time I visited).

That said, I hope that the people of Boston remain safe and unharmed whilst the authorities continue to hunt for the suspect who is reportedly still at large. It is also my hope the suspect is found and apprehended as quickly as possible, so as to avoid any more potential harm to the city, the surrounding area or the people therein. For those interested, I have posted the official statement from the Boston Comic Con’s website below. Read more… ›