In the last issue of Killapalooza (on sale this week), Adam Beechen and Trevor Hairsine’s band of super-powered assassins/heavy metal rockers look to bring down the house. (And by the looks of the cover, they literally bring Madison Square Garden down with them.)

Art by Trevor Hairsine.

Admission: I’m a sucker for this stuff. I love seeing pencils, inks, sketches… Any sort of unfinished pages. I’m the guy who’s straining to peek over the editors’ shoulders as they’re discussing work with artists at the various comic shows. I’m jealous that they always get to see the whole creative process - though, I don’t envy all the blood, sweat and tears it takes to deliver the polished books. I’ll leave that to them.

I think Team WildStorm has caught on, because now and then they’ll kick little gifts over my way in the form of jpegs. When they do, I’m grateful. And you should be, too - more often than not those pages end up here on The Bleed.

The final issue of Mysterius the Unfathomable is now on shelves, bringing Mysterius and Delfi’s first story to an end. (Blog@Newsarama has a nice tribute to this excellent series over here.) Miss out on Mysterius the first time? Look out for the trade paperback this spring.

Speaking of Newsarama covering great creator-owned titles, here’s an interview with Adam Beechen about his new series, Killapalooza.

The Examiner has a profile of Ex Machina’s (and so many amazing comics) Brian K. Vaughan.

Check out a preview of StarCraft #2 (on sale this week) over at the StarCraft II website.

What happens when you cross a super-star rock band with a superhuman-killing squad of assassins? If you don’t know, you’re not reading Killapalooza. Think “Behind the Music” with murder, mayhem and superheroes.

If you missed the first issue, there’s still time to catch up. Adam Beechen and Trevor Hairsine are ramping up the action in issue #2, which comes out this week.

We’ve got an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Trevor’s cover process for you here on The Bleed.

Haven’t had enough exclusive Gears of War Sourcebook pinups yet? Well, IGN’s got another one for you: check out this awesome Brumak by Shane Pierce.

Remember - the Gears of War Sourcebook is on shelves today. It’s the only place to check out all 16 pinups and a exclusive short story by Joshua Ortega and Federico Dallochio.

This week, we have a special treat for GEARS OF WAR fans: a Sourcebook filled
with some amazing pin-ups and a cool short story written by Joshua Ortega
and illustrated by acclaimed StarCraft artist Federico Dallocchio.

I love working on books like this (despite the logistics headache), because
they give me the opportunity to work on an incredible universe with a
variety of talented individuals. I get to hire guys like GREEN LANTERN
maestro Doug Mahnke to do a killer pinup featuring Cole and Baird, then turn
around and convince KILLAPALOOZA artist Trevor Hairsine to really get down
and dirty with the nasty Locust. Next the incredible Philip Tan makes
terrifying magic with a Berserker and Brian Ching takes a breather from his
STAR WARS duties to deliver a gorgeous piece. And those are just the tip of
the iceberg - look for dynamite pieces by Ben Oliver, Andy Smith, Jin Han,
Joel Gomez, Brandon Badeaux, and a trio of images from some talented Epic
art directors. Need I mention the gonzo cover by Stephen Platt?

Now, go check out this smorgasbord of awesome!

Ready for more awesome Gears of War Sourcebook art? How’s about a shot of Marcus Fenix displaying the head of a Locust unfortunate enough to cross his path, illustrated by Brian Ching?

Check it out over at Crave Online. (That sounds too cool not to click, right?)

Another pinup from the Gears of War Sourcebook has gone live, and this one comes courtesy of the main Gearheads themselves. Check out the awesome pinup by Federico Dallocchio over at GearsOfWar.com.

You remember when I mentioned bringing out the big guns earlier this week? Well, I literally meant big guns.

Is this Lancer big enough for you?

GEARS OF WAR SOURCEBOOK

A great jumping-on point for new readers! We’ve gathered together some of the most enthusiastic fans of the mega-popular Gears of War franchise and developed a unique look at this complex and challenging world. Featuring a short story written by Gears 2 game writer (and monthly comic scribe) Joshua Ortega and art by rising superstar Federico Dallocchio. There are also loads of pinups by some of the hottest names in the industry, bringing gritty reality to this incredible property!

June 17th, 2009

We’ll be spreading these out across the blogosphere over the next week - so keep your eyes peeled for more pinups from the Gears of War Sourcebook.