WEB Editor Rachel Gluckstern talks up cover artist Stanley 'Artgerm' Lau

Hey DC Nation!

You know by now I love me my Red Circle books, characters and creators alike. We've got top-notch talent producing top-notch work on every issue, and everyone is deserving of the highest of praises. One of our unsung heroes is cover artist Stanley "Artgerm" Lau, a rising star here at DC Comics, whose amazing work has graced titles such as FINAL CRISIS AFTERMATH: DANCE and THE GREAT TEN, and who makes THE WEB one of the most striking books on the shelves, month after month.

The Web's an interesting hero -- cocky, arrogant, loaded with money, looks and charm, yet he's also a compassionate man who truly wants to do good and help people. But intentions and actions can be very different things, and so far, the Web has found his worst enemy is himself, as he keeps tripping himself up thanks to his absolute hubris. Drawing a character like that requires an unbelievable level of skill and nuance, and Stanley nails it every time. I get a loose sketch one day:

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...and then a stunning, fully-painted, ready-to-print cover the very next day later.

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web_issue2_final_lr

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ONE DAY, people. ONE DAY. I'm actually convinced Stanley's cloned himself many times over to keep up with all his art commitments as well as his fulltime job. And you all see it, don't you? The supreme self-confidence the Web has, the cavalier attitude he brings into his superheroic feats, his money and his contemporary edge, all captured perfectly by these covers. So here's a little gallery of some of my favorites so far. Hope you all enjoy!

Thanks, Stanley!

Oh, and Stanley just shot these sketch over. Huh.

red_circle_sketch

Now what the heck is this for? I guess I'll find out tomorrow!

Tags: 
red circle, stanley lau, the web

Some Tuesday news: THE GREAT TEN

It's a short week here at The Source, what with our last summer Friday looming. Then it's back to the drain of five-day work weeks. Frightening, huh?

But we've got a ton of stuff lined up to show off in the next few days, so no worries. And we know how much you like teaser art. What's better than that? Well, teaser art and news, no?

You've heard rumblings about this here and there, but we can now officially confirm that starting in November, THE GREAT TEN will star in their own 10-part mini-series, from writer Tony Bedard and artist Scott McDaniel, with covers by Stanley "Artgerm" Lau.

At the dawn of the Chinese Century, the 10 official "super-functionaries" of the People's Republic face their greatest challenge as the gods of Ancient China return to destroy communist rule. Will the most populous nation on Earth drag the rest of the world down with it? Do its heroes even want to save a government that treats them like pawns?

Want more? We got Bedard to give us the basics on  the new series. Take it away, Tony:

“When I went off to college, I really got into Eastern philosophy -- Taoism, Buddhism, Zen, etc. Around the same time, I picked up ANIMAL MAN and I've been a hardcore Grant Morrison fan ever since. So I leapt at the chance to do a GREAT TEN series, to flesh out these characters Grant dreamed up and tap the amazing storytelling potential in both them and their country. It's a chance to do a different take on super-heroes, and just like my R.E.B.E.L.S. series, I think THE GREAT TEN is going to take a lot of people by surprise.”

THE GREAT TEN #1 hits 11/4. And, wait, here's some dandy preview art, including the cover to #1.

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Tags: 
Final Crisis, grant morrison, great ten, scott mcdaniel, stanley lau, tony bedard
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