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DRACULAURA

#artists on tumblr #draculaura #rags+morales #ragsmoralescomicart #rags morales #rags morales art #rags morales commission #monster high

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PAINTING COMMISSIONS 2024-2025

1. Powergirl

2. Dr.Strange

3. Spiderman

4. Red Tornado

5. Turok

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I’m populating a paintings only list. Email me for details at ragsmorales at ProtonMail dot com

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Yes, it matters.

One pleasure I get-and maybe this goes for every artist- is the “ah” moment I get when someone first looks at a piece they commission from me.

These moments happen at a convention where I’m face to face with the audience. They range from unmitigated joy to discernment from people trying to calculate the resale value.

So clearly it’s the joy we’re after.

(side-note: I really don’t care if someone wants to resell any of my pieces. I assume they eventually go to someone who wants it proudly displayed. Just have the common decency to appreciate it with a smile when you do receive it.)

When I mail out a piece, there’s always the anxiety that something will go wrong with the mail, despite my best efforts. So when I get a response that it got there safely, there’s relief. Sometimes I even get a “wow, it looks so much better in real life.”

That makes me smile.

The “I’m sure you get this all the time,” can be true but it never gets old. Between the beginning of starting a piece and the hundreds of calculations you think through (no, it’s not all muscle memory) to the final “ah” moments, that’s what gives me verification.

That’s why I do it.

And then, there’s something absolutely beautiful:

“Hi Rags,

Alan Neal in Canada writing, with a long overdue final THANK YOU for the incredible "Black Canary and radio" sketch... the one that got lost by the airline before you got to Ottawa!... but did arrive in the mail.

I know I told you how much I loved it, but I really did want to write to say how great it is to have your work up on the wall in our house. Maybe you get sick of people telling you how great your work is, but I figure it can't hurt to tell you again. :) I have been so swamped with family stuff that just having a moment to write seems so hard to come by.

Anyway...

My wife said "I think it's time to showcase the Canaries in the living room", and so we have hung them all up, and just love the way they look.

I know so often you must do these works and send them off into the world and not know what they mean to people. So I just wanted to say they mean a lot. The joy they bring and the discussions they launch, the details that people mention to me, the way they provide both escape and happiness, allow someone to be both nostalgic and present.

Everyone who comes over is instantly drawn to yours. You did such a beautiful job conveying the joy of Dinah listening to music, and it once again showcases your skill with expressions and movement. It's just stunning.

I also think the framer did a great job (I went with harvest gold as the matte because it was the "it" colour of 1973 :))

So I just wanted to send you a thanks and show you what it looks like, surrounded by many who we've now lost... George Perez, Neal Adams, Dick Giordano, Ramona Fradon... as well as Kat Hudson, Mike Grell, Jamal Igle, Gisele Lagace, and a lovely piece where Gail Simone did the "script" and Tom Fowler did the art. Someday I'll track down Jose-Luis Garcia Lopez and Phil Jimenez :) The living room "gallery" of Black Canaries and radios is below. :)

Sorry that this is a long blathering note, but putting up all the art has just reminded me of how special it is, and how lucky I am, so wanted to say thanks, and hope all is well.

All the best, sir!”

Alan

#rags morales #rags morales art #artists on tumblr #rags morales comicart #rags morales commission

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Enter COLOSSUS

#artists on tumblr #colossus #rags morales #rags morales art #rags morales comicart #ragsmorales commissions #marvelcomics

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SPIDER-PUNK v JOE FIXIT

#spider punk #joe fixit #artists on tumblr #rags+morales #ragsmorales commission #rags morales art #marvelcomics #rags morales comicart

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LONGSHOT

#rags morales #artists on tumblr #longshot #rags morales art #rags morales comicart #ragsmoralescommission #marvel comics

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JONNY QUEST

#jonny quest #artists on tumblr #rags morales #rags morales art #ragsmoralescomicart #hanna barbera

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WONDERWOMAN of the Golden Age

#wonderwoman #rags morales #rags morales art #artists on tumblr #dc comics #ragsmoralescomicart #ragsmoralescommission

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2024 Convention Schedule

May 2-5 Philadelphia

They haven’t announced me yet, but we’ve agreed to terms.

#fan expo #fan expo philadelphia #rags morales #rags morales art

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Wip

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SKELETOR

#skeletor #artists on tumblr #rags morales #rags morales art #rags morales commission #ragsmoralescomicart

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DANI MOONSTAR solace

#rags morales #artists on tumblr #dani moonstar #ragsmoralescomicart #ragsmoralescommission #ragsmorlesart #marvel comics

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SPIDERMAN vs The MENACE

#rags morales #artists on tumblr #spiderman #rags morales commission #ragsmoralesart #ragsmoralescomicart #marvel comics

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Jack of Hearts

#jack of hearts #rags morales #artists on tumblr #marvel comics #rags morales art #rags morales comicart #marvelcomics #ragsmoralescommission

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“MEESTER MORALES,” said Jose, “you cannot make the horse to look like the dog.”

To be honest, he said that to all of us in his Basic Drawing class that we had in our first year at the Kubert School. He taught us how to draw horses by learning how to draw dogs first.

Jose Delbo was an icon for me and I was thrilled to have him as my instructor. Most of the other students weren’t very familiar with Jose’s work, but I remember seeing a smattering of his stuff in the 80’s on Wonder Woman. He was in the same breath as Dick Giordano, Irv Novick and Frank McLaughlin. That slick 60’s style.

When I was a kid, I collected Jose’s Billy the Kid because I was a fan of westerns- having been brought up on the Lone Ranger and Tonto in syndication. Through his work, I learned to draw a Colt revolver and of course, horses.

So having Jose there in class was having a brush with greatness. I loved his class. I loved his Argentinean accent. Classes were all like this for me, but his was one class that I couldn’t disappoint the instructor. Jose was reaching into my childhood.

One day he took me outside the class. He said that I was one of the few artists that was going to make good on a career. He said I had the talent and to continue to work hard. No one else at that school said that to me. Not that I needed it, I was cocky enough, but to have it validated was gold. Then he asked me if I wanted to be his apprentice. “Take some time and think about it.” There was no time necessary. “Yes! I would love to!”

He gave me his address. Paterson NJ.

He had an apartment home that was built up, not across. There were stairs leading up to the kitchen, stairs to the bedroom and next to it his studio.

He had his table near the window and I had a table just a few feet away from him. On the radio, he played Ray Alan. We would listen, he would chuckle, and he would say how crazy he was. I was into Howard Stern, so I got how he had such an affinity for his generation’s voice although the jokes were tame by my generation’s standard.

Then at 10 am sharp, he went into his bedroom to have a siesta. “I don’t understand why Americans don’t take a siesta,” he told me. I was fine with the coffee he provided.

Initially my job was to layout his pages. He had to do two pages a day of either Transformers or Thundercats. I really enjoyed Thundercats more but I didn’t complain doing any of it.

I frustrated him because he had a very different way of storytelling than I had. My layouts had to be redrawn by him and it wasn’t long before I was finishing his layouts. He would tell me that the editors could tell when the pages switched hands, and if I was lucky, occasionally I would be allowed to go nuts on establishing shots bringing all the energy I could. He gave me that freedom. I tried to draw like him in the finishes with varying degrees of success. But to be honest, I was slowing him down.

One day I was late getting to his home. The drive was 45 minutes away from my house, and when my sister’s dog got loose, I couldn’t make up the time enough to get there.

That was it for me. I was fired. He was patient with me artistically, but being late was unforgivable.

I was crushed, but understood. I learned a valuable lesson on what kind of commitment it takes to be on time with publishers. I’m sure the sporadic nature of my help for him was too much to carry. Being late gave him the perfect excuse to be rid of me.

He was right though. I made good on my career.

In Florida I was at a convention when up comes Jose, ambling to me. “Meester Morales,” he said as I had my head down working on a commission. “Jose,” I said not looking up, “I can tell your voice from ANYWHERE!” I looked at the grinning old maestro. He was there with his wife and daughters. I stood up and greeted them in a warm embrace. He said, “You were a good student and you became a great pro.”

Oh my god. No words could have made me feel as good as those did for me.

He asked me for a drawing.

What? Was he kidding? I said of course, but only if he would draw for me Billy the Kid. He went back to his table as I started a drawing for him as well. When I was done, I walked over to him with my drawing. He handed me two sketches as well as his Billy the Kid. “I haven’t drawn Billy in years. I could barely remember him.” But it was perfect! I couldn’t believe I had an original Jose Delbo of the only character he could ever draw for me.

I handed over my drawing to him. He laughed and showed his wife. She laughed too.

It was a drawing of a dog with a saddle on it. Below I gave him a note.

“I’m not sure about this horse Jose, did I do it right?”

On this day, I learned of Jose’s passing. He was almost 90 years old. He was born ten years before my parents who also passed away recently.

I hope he tells them that I was a good student too.

I love you Maestro. You mean more to me than I ever expressed. You were a shining star to me.

My most deepest condolences to his wife Maybelle, daughters and grandchildren.

JOSE DELBO 1933-2024

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Wip