CC2K'S Gary Kenny acknowledges three up and coming artists and shows off his BACC09 commissions.

At every comic book convention, the first thing I do is run over to the Artist Alley section and hand over my sketchbook over to an artist. I look for any famous cartoonists like David Finch, Jim Lee, and Neal Adams. Usually though, the prices for a commission are crazy. One head sketch by Neal Adams is something like $250 and if you have the money to spend, it's very possible that they are fully booked and are done taking commissions for the rest of the Con. 

After my first Comic Con, i realized a popular artist doesn't always deliver. So, at my next Convention i looked for the up and coming artists, the lesser known, and the underground. You get great deals, meet amazing and gifted people, and you get a great commission that you didn't have to take out a loan to pay for. During this years B.A.C.C.09 I found three highly gifted individuals, who not only had great people skills, they had morals and the passion most artists lack.

Bordin Mark Marsinkol aka "HyperBooster " is a fantastic up and coming artist. Raised in Bangkok, Thailand, Mark's biggest influence growing up was Manga (Japanese comic books).  In 2001, he attended the Academy of Art University in pursuit of becoming an Illustration major. Through his studies and determination he came forth with his first release in 2006, Zacklin.

Mark incorporates brush strokes and calligraphy into his artwork. He loves anime and that genre of style plays a key role in his designs. He has a strong fan base and a collection of you tube videos. His reputation has been growing and I suspect we'll see his name in the comic community shortly. It's amazing to see how fast he works, watch the video bellow to see what i'm talking about. Mark's truely unique with his style of digital and traditional painting.

Emilio Lopez is a New York native (holla!) and is the character and prop color stylist on TMNT. He is also a card painter and illustrator For Chaotic card game. Emilio works most of the NY comic conventions and doesn't over price like some artists. He's laid back guy and a big comic book fan as well. While Emilio was drawing my DareDevil sketch we talked about the old Ninja Turtle cartoon, artists he digs, our love for blogs and his blog.

Emilio's artwork on TMNT, especially his cover for their new movie, is bold and fun. It's as if he crosses  80s pop culture design with larger than life cartoons and modern anime. His style is uplifting and eye catching. He is the type of artist that should be given more work. I'd love to see him take over a title like Amazing Spider-man or Teen Titans.

David Quiles has been an underground artist for over 10 years. This guy is amazing. I have three commissions from him alone in my sketch book and at every NY Comic Convention I seek him out in order to buy another incredible piece of artwork. David works with heavy inks, so each piece literally stands off the page. You can feel every brush stroke and paint splat on the page. He doesn't just draw a comic character like most comic artists, he creates an image you can actually touch and feel. 

David travels the convention circuit through out the United States, he is at every New York Comic Con, San Diego Comic Con, Pittsburgh Comic Con and many local engagements on the east coast. He is always available for freelance and private commission work. David goes out of his way for fans. I told him how i couldn't stay too long at the convention but wanted to make sure he'd create another artwork for my sketch book, David dropped everything and said "no problem, just give me an hour and i'll get you outta here." He is a great guy. I highly recommend you buy one of his pieces over at this site. 

I recommend you check out all these artists, go to their sites, and go to a convention! This economy is rough and artists, though they are always struggling, these guys definitely need the support. Artist Alley is a great place to find unknown artists, you'll see them at every con, walk over and talk to them, you might just get a really great drawing.

Till next con...