Mad About Cartoons

Bill Wray is trying to make the transition fine art but is known as a cartoonist, a background painter/ Art director and sometimes animation director. This will be the place he post his ocasional animation and cartooning work and also be a place to bitch or wax sentimentally about cartoons in general. It’s been a love and hate relationship for many years and the long journey may not be quite over.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

More Hellboy Jr.





Here are variations on the Trade cover the editor a flipped when he saw Hitler on the cover saluting. He was mad that I even thought that he would waste his time showing it to him. I was as stunned that he was about someone being offended and he was stunned I didn't get it. Guess he never watched the Hitler (history) channel? Anyone who might be for a moment be offended would instantly see it's deprecating humor. Nobody would have batted an eye, but him, yet he was so sure I was off my rocker for daring to do it. Good taste = fear. Tossed in the layout for another cover painting as well, enjoy.

18 Comments:

Blogger BoneDaddy said...

Maybe he thought you were showing Hitler too positively? I don't see how it's offensive, either--but then when the Hitler tv movie came a couple years ago, people complained that it humanized him, so who knows?

6:54 PM  
Blogger Matt Taylor said...

That is a pretty striking image of Hitler. He could use some buck teeth, boogers, or chest hair. I think the editor failed at his job though. Dark Horse would have taken some heat from a few clueless people, but I bet it would have sold a lot of copies. I think this day in age, especially in a comic book store, any image of Hitler, especially on a cover, will scream "parody!" How long ago was this? Late 90s? I bet you would totally be able to get away with that cover now.

12:17 AM  
Blogger Matt Jones said...

Terrific roughs Bill, thanks for sharing these- it's great to see the pencils for these strips & covers.

10:27 AM  
Blogger R. Banuelos said...

These are great comics your drawings are fucking hillarious. Every drawing of Hitler makes him look like an ass.

12:21 PM  
Blogger Kevin Langley said...

Thanks for sharing more pencils from your comic work. I loved the Hellboy Jr. trade. The Hitler story was a real hoot. Have any Big Blown Baby goodies you intend on sharing anytime soon?

BTW, I think you had a lot valid points in your comment about the backgrounds created at Hanna-Barbera. I've always loved them but even Art told me that the "Backgrounds were being turned out like newspapers off of the printer." Like you said that's more of a testament to their training than anything.

6:41 PM  
Blogger LFW said...

Man, what a dick that editor was, I think what you did was alright. People complain about "humanizing" hitler, but the funny thing was he actually was a human (though, a really f'cked up one that was responisble for horrible vile things).

Hellboy jr was the best and only comic I ever bought when it came out, it was a pity that it was canned.

oh well.

your fan

-LFW

3:11 PM  
Blogger SHANE PRIGMORE said...

Awsome , awsome sketches man! Happy Holidays!

11:18 AM  
Blogger william wray said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

10:15 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

Bg and MT no the image was more recent, 2003. I actually think it's harder to do anything now. There has be a slow toning down of all print media. Especially humor. Remember National Lampoon? They could never be published today.

10:15 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

'thanks Matt and R. I wanted to do a Hitler Comic, but for some reason...

10:17 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

Hey Kevin,

Yes I'll do a BBB entry more like a few at some point. As far as the John theory that Hand B must have had a amazing game plan to paint the greatest stylization ever in cartoons is just silly, he's blinded by love and film transfers improving simple images. I like that stuff( when it's done well) to but if you remember me and my crew of Scoot Wills And Glen Barr painted the backgrounds, we studied the stuff by actually painting it rather then theory. Not that John's isn't generally right on for his love of the good stuff, he just carries things to such extremes he turns off everyone but his fanatics doing and injustice to the art he loves as people dismiss an overstated case.

10:25 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

thanks LFW-- If I ever get rich all the comics stuff I want to do will see the light.

10:27 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

thanks Shane you are my favortie "new" cartoonist.

10:28 PM  
Blogger :: smo :: said...

just checkin out the blog for the first time. all those sketches are awesome! but for some reason the one at the bottom cracks me up. that fly is just so enthused almost a little toooo much, and hell boy jr is so serious and stoic...when he is in fact riding a gigantic over excited fly. awesome!

1:33 PM  
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8:09 PM  
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11:29 PM  
Blogger a guy in a gorilla suit said...

here in Austria (no kangaroos around here...) you can easily raise the number of sold issues from ANY frigging magazine halfassed serious with a nazi-theme on the cover...

WW2 still sells well here...

7:16 PM  
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