Flash #1 Signing and Release Party.

Forge ahead!

Come September 28, 2011, I embark on an amazing journey as the co-writer and artist on The New 52 relaunch of The Flash for DC Comics. To say I'm beyond exhilarated is an understatement. With me for the ride is my co-writer and color artist Brian Buccellato. In the spirit of brevity and speed I'll just let these interviews do the talking. Looking forward to entertaining you folks with Barry Allen's adventure over the years!

http://www.comicvine.com/news/francis-manapul-brian-buccellato-talk-new-52-flash-exclusive-art/143487/

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/Manapul-Buccellato-DCNu-Flash-110603.html

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=32873

Flash Forward

As some of you I'm sure have noticed I didn't draw the recently released Flash #11. I'm disappointed that I didn't get to finish this story arc. However, in order to get the last 2 issues out before Flashpoint they had to be done in an impossible time frame that there was no way I could do it without the work suffering. Talking to my editors we felt it wasn't the right situation for me, and that we should begin developing my next project. That said, I will state on the record that I've never had an issue with turning in my work and editorial has never had a problem with me. I may have stumbled a bit out of the gate as I was on the road filming during my first 3-4 issues of the Flash, but with the lead time we had we were able to avoid any major delays. I take my normal 4-5 weeks to pencil, ink, and watercolor a book which is the standard time everybody gets just to pencil it. Much of the delays were due to the multiple stops and starts in the work process that is completely out of my hands. Hopefully I won't have to address this issue again, but I just felt the need to clarify to try and avoid further vilification.

Moving forward my next project at DC is in the works. I'm EXTREMELY EXCITED about it, and my editors enthusiasm and endless support has been great! I've been developing it with my collaborator and editorial soon after my last issue of the Flash. Hopefully if all goes well, we can get started on doing the new book in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime I've done a few covers for Flashpoint as well as other DC titles, I also ended up contributing 5 pages for Flash 12 to help close out the series.

I'm so jazzed about the future and my next project, I think a lot of people will be too. I appreciate the fans that's stuck with me through this time and patiently waited. I really feel that the best is yet to come, and that 2011 will be an even bigger year for me. Thanks for reading!

fjm

Kid Flash 2 cover Process

I haven't done one of these in a while so I figured I'd do another one seeing as how this process I'm about to show is a new one for me. I recently got a cintiq and have been using that to create commercial illustrations but haven't had a chance to incorporate it with my comic book work. With a bit of time on my hands I thought I'd try it out on this cover.

The first initial stage as always are my layouts.

This second stage which is something new for me. I decided to "pencil" my page digitally. It allowed me to put a proper vanishing point for the buildings and make sure it's precise. It also allowed me to create some very nice curved lines for Hot Pursuits helmet. Although old habits die hard, using the grid, I started another layer and free handed the buildings.


I then "penciled" in the figure and I was able to change his orientation from the initial layout, and I was also able to play around with his size until I was happy with the placement.

I then simple printed the linework very, VERY, VERY lightly on my art board that it's almost invisible. It's visible enough that I can see whats there, but once it was painted you pretty much cant see it at all. It allowed for a very clean painting process and very streamlined. I used two different colors on this, ivory black, and sepia for the reflection.


After the painting process I scanned the art in, and I played around with the color scheme of the cover. I always do this for Brian Buccellato (colorist) just so that he has a jumping off point for how I want the colors to look. It also makes the colors layed under the watercolor look more cohesive and less muddy since it's not colors under black. I also fixed the lightning bolt on his chest, I had drawn it "normally" and not a reflection.


So that's about it. Hope you guys enjoyed a little behinds the scenes look. You can see the final cover at the DCU blog along with a description of the book written by the every so talented Mr. Sterling Gates.

Wonder Con Schedule and info

EDIT: The location of a couple of panels have moved. please see info below.


Hey folks long time since I've updated this site. As you can tell a LOT of exciting things have been happening over the past year, and unfortunately I've been very slow on updating my site. But that said if you're on Twitter give me a follow as I'm on there quite frequently and you can get more up to date info on what I'm up to.

On April 1st to the 3rd I'll be attending WonderCon in San Francisco. I'll post my schedule below so you'll know where to find me.

Regarding Commissions at the show the only place to get those would be at the Hero Initiative booth which I'll be doing for donations to a great cause! I will also be doing quick sketches during my DC signings should time permit. There's also a slew of panels I'll be in, including a spotlight panel so I hope to see you guys there!

FRIDAY, APRIL 1

1-2pm DC Panel - DC NATION, room 103
3-4pm Signing - DC booth # 301
430-6 Friday Hero booth

SATURDAY, APRIL 2

10:30 -11:30am Con Panel – Spotlight on Francis Manapul, room 254/256
11:30am -12:30pm DC Panel – DC Universe, room 103
Sat 1-3 Hero Booth
4-5pm Signing - DC booth # 301

SUNDAY, APRIL 3

12:30-2pm Con Panel - Cover Story: the Art of the Cover, room 104
2:30-3:30pm Signing - DC booth # 301
4-5pm DC Panel - Drawing DC, room 204/206

Beast Legends: Bonus Scenes

From the "Vietnamese Wildman" Episode. Discussing the previous days event.
Full episodes can be viewed at http://www.syfy.com/beastlegends/ in the US, and http://www.history.ca/ontv/titledetails.aspx?titleid=250126 in Canada.

New York Comic Con

Hey folks just wanted to post up my schedule for the upcoming New York Comic Con this weekend. I'll be dividing my time between my artist alley table at #A6 and the DC Comics booth at #2243, as well as a short appearance at the Hero Initiative booth #333. Here are the times and dates on my whereabouts this weekend:

Artist Alley Table #A6
I will mainly be at my artist alley table. I know I'm currently listed as A8 on the site but I swapped table with a friend of mine, just so there is no confusion. But its easy to find I'll just be a couple tables down. I will be doing autographs, commissions as well as free quick sketches, I take no list. First come first drawn.

DC booth (#2243).
I'll be signing at the DC booth throughout the weekend.

FRIDAY, OCT 8

3:30-4:30pm: SIGNING @ DC booth

SATURDAY, OCT 9

4-5pm: SIGNING @ DC booth

SUNDAY, OCT 10

2:30-3:30pm: SIGNING @ DC booth

Hero Initiative booth #333
I'll be doing sketches at the booth for a donation to this great cause. Hope you guys swing by!

Friday, October 8
1030-1130

Here's a map of the convention floor. That's about it. See you folks in NYC!

Beast Legends on Syfy sneak preview!!

Beast Legends premieres this Thursday night at 10pm on SyFy starting September 9th! Be sure to join me and the rest of the cast in this great adventure every week!! Check out the SyFy site for more info, photo's, wallpapers, and other goodies! http://www.syfy.com/beastlegends/

Beast Legends on Syfy! Official Trailer!

The show I've been involved in is set to premiere on the SyFy Network on September 9, at 10pm est /9pm central! Check out the SyFy Beast Legend site for info on air dates, photos, wallpapers and more!

If you're in Canada, it's currently airing on History Television and episode guides and air dates can be found on their site. You can also view full episodes on the History TV website!

SDCC, Flash #4, and Beast Legends ep. 04!!!!

Wow what a con! The response to The Flash has been great! Thanks to everyone that made this quite a memorable year! The "How To" panel with Whilce went great the room was packed and was standing room only! The fans were great, thank you all for stopping by my artist alley table it was really great to talk to all of you! Here are a couple of interviews that I did during the con. There are more but I'll edit and post an update as they come in.

Comic Vine Interview with Tony "G-Man"!
Bleedingcool with Rich Johnston (although he's sneaky didn't realize he was already recording :) it's the third interview from the bottom. Also did an interview with the Asian Journal although ignore that headshot of me it seems they digitally gave me a facelift of some sort, my face is beyond recognition ;). Kinda funny actually. Also a correction in the article. I wasn't initially hired as an art director. I was always hired as on camera talent, it just expanded from 6 days of shooting in a limited role, to more than half a year of shooting in a main one. Moving on....

Today the 4th issue of The Flash arrives in stores, and it's quite a fantastic issue! Geoff really pushed the action on this one, and I truly believe that we made the Flash do something I have never seen done before! Very excited for you guys to read the issue!



After you've read your issue of The Flash #4 you can sit back and relax and watch (if you're in Canada) the 4th episode of Beast Legends! In this episode the team travels from Mongolia all the way to Germany to learn more about the Griffin and create one bad ass beast! 10 pm tonight on History Television Canada!

Heading down to SDCC, and Beast Legends ep.02

Looks like it's that time of the year! The San Diego Comic-Con is just a couple of weeks away, and I'm excited to see some old friends, and meet the fans! Here is a rundown on how you can find me at the show:

My Artist Alley table is EE-17 I'll be spending most of my time here.

My signing schedule at the DC booth is as follows:

Thursday, July 22: 11 am - 12 pm
Saturday, July 24: 4pm - 5 pm
Sunday, July 25: 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

I'll also be doing a panel with Whilce Portacio on:
Friday, July 23, 1:00-2:30
Comic-Con How-To Session: Whilce Portacio and Francis Manapul
in Room 18 on the Mezzanine

"Join artists Whilce Portacio, and Francis Manapul as they discuss their process of creating dynamic comic book art. They'll take you from the rough stages all the way to the finished inks. Through this process you can gain some insight into how these artist approach anatomy, layouts, dynamic poses, rendering and shadows, even some inking tips. Be sure not to miss this opportunity to discuss art in a relaxed open environment with two of today's top talent."


I also wanted to thank everyone that tuned in to watch the premiere episode of "Beast Legends". I saw it for the first time myself that night, and I have to say the team did a fantastic job putting it all together! From the editing, to the amazing 2D animation at the beginning, the great graphics, and the awesome CGI! Great job done by all! I also wanted to point out that if you're in Canada, you can now view the full episodes online on the History Television website. Don't forget to tune in this Wednesday at 10pm on History Television to see the second episode! The team and I set sail on the high seas of New Zealand to unleash the Kraken!!

Beast Legends Premiere's Tonight!

At 10 pm EST, on History Television in Canada, Beast Legends makes it's debut. In the series opener myself and Steve Leonard travel to Vietnam to investigate the Vietnamese Wildman, better known to us as the Sasquatch or Big Foot. While our counterparts travel in North America to meet with Big Foot experts. Join us as we sprint through hill sides, trek through thick, dense unexplored jungles and race on the streets of Hanoi and Hue. For info on air times check out History Televisions site. Also www.beastlegends.com is now live!

More info on Beast Legends

So as the air date comes closer, a little more info is out there about the show. History Televisions site has episode break downs along with the air dates and time.

Here's how they describe the first episode:

In the remote and unexplored forests of Vietnam, the team hears about the existence of a Wildman - a giant, hairy Beast that has echoes of North America's Bigfoot. A highly-decorated Vietnam Veteran claims to have seen the creature close at hand. The team retraces his steps and encounters a forgotten land where new and hidden species are only now being discovered.

It's looking like after the new episodes air on Wednesday nights at 10 pm, it will be re running the episodes another 4 times that week. Groovy! I guess be prepared to see more of my beastly mug! Apologies in advance ;)

EDIT:
Just found this blog entry from TV writer and jack of all entertainment trades guy Rob Pincombe
Now I know how the connections got made, and why I was emailed out of the blue about the show! I should send this guy a thank you! Or blame him for my sleep deprivation.

Sketches for Pledges help out Sick Kids

Hey folks I just wanted to let everyone know that on Tuesday, July 6, 2010, Agnes (www.mymisiu.com), myself along with a few others will be sketching for pledges to benefit the Sick Kids Hospital. I encourage anyone who is a fan of my work, Agnes', or comic fans in general please head on by. I'll sign your books and give you sketches! And in return we get to help out a good cause. Here's more info on the event:

A group of artists are getting together to draw sketches to help raise funds for Sick Kids Hospital, on behalf of the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC).

Artists that will be appearing are: Agnes Garbowska (Girls Comics#1 (Marvel Comics), Francis Manapul (The Flash (DC Comics), Daniel Wong ( McHozer Studios), and from Spent Pencil Studios: Briana Chan, Vince Sunico, Paul Limgenco, Gerard De La Costa, Khanh Nguyen and Arnold Trinidad. And last but not least, Marvin Law (Conquer Entertainment) will be there!

Two more artists just added to the line up: “Gogz” and “Marv”, both from Powie Studios.

So come on out, and help support a great cause and get a great sketch in the process.

TUESDAY, JULY 6th – 9AM – 4PM

320 Front Street West, Toronto, ON – in the Lobby (directly across from the Rogers Centre)

Sketches for Pledges is being organized by Arnold Trinidad (Spent Pencil Studios).

Super Mega Update! The Flash! Wonder Woman! JLA! Beast Legends!

Happy Canada Day fellow Canucks! This update is long overdue! Things have taken quite an interesting turn with regards to my life and work which has prevented me from regular updates here (But you can follow me on twitter at http://twitter.com/FrancisManapul which I regularly update). It's been a very amazing year thus far, and we're only half way in! The launch of The Flash #1 with Geoff Johns was phenomenal, and we really appreciate the support that the readers, retailers and reviewers alike have shown us! Thank YOU! The book has been amazing to work on, and we'll continue to deliver you the best Flash book you can get! ( The Flash #3 comes out this week! June 30th!!)

This was a big week, also released was Wonder Woman 600 to which I contributed a pin up too, as well as my variant cover to JLA 46! Be sure to check those out at your local retailer!

You can also find me at the upcoming San Diego Comic Con July 21^st – 25^th. I have a few more convention appearances in the upcoming months which I’ll update you guys all on, including the Toronto Fan Expo in August, as well as Jet city comic con in Seattle in September. I’ll post up more detailed info closer to the date.

Aside from my current work at DC Comics I was also lucky enough to have had some new opportunities this year. Namely on a show called Beast Legends which will begin airing on History Television in Canada on Wednesdays 10pm starting July 7th. and later on SyFy in the US. I'll be one of the presenters on the show, which is quite a departure from my day job! But the best part about it is that I'm actually using my real profession and applying it to science!

It's been an amazing experience traveling around the world on these magnificent adventures! I felt like Indiana Jones or something! Even had run ins with some snakes! I've drawn in some of the most bizarre places, from the dense jungles of Vietnam, to a platform above sharks in the Bahamas, to a dark and wet lions cave in Germany, to the high seas of New Zealand! It's truly been an experience and I'm glad I'll be able to share them with you! Now here's the official press release for the show:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Toronto, June 24, 2010)

BEAST LEGENDS

New Series Premiere on History Television

Wednesdays at 10 pm ET/PT

Beginning July 7

Using Stunning 3D CGI Effects, Six-Part Series from Anglo-Canadian Film Company Yap Films Journeys to the Frontiers of Science and Fantasy to Investigate Mythological Creatures That Might be Real….and Historical Creatures that Could be Myths.

BEAST LEGENDS, an exciting new TV series from Anglo-Canadian film company yap films, journeys to the frontiers of science and fantasy to track down the truth about mythological creatures that could be real…and historical creatures that could be myths. The six-part series will premiere across Canada on History Television, Wednesdays at 10 pm ET/PT beginning July 7.

World history is full of stories about terrifying monsters. Some are myths, but others just might be real. BEAST LEGENDS brings together the ‘Beast Seekers’, an expert team of specialist investigators. This elite, engaging group, a learned kind of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, is made up of:

Kathryn Denning: Myth expert, anthropologist, archaeologist and professor at Toronto’s York University.

Scott Edwards: Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Curator of Ornithology at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University.

Stephen Leonard: Adventurer and Veterinary Surgeon based in Bristol, England.

Francis Manapul: Philippine-born, now Toronto-based, renowned comic book artist.

In each of the six hour-long episodes, the Beast Seekers investigate a different legendary beast, travelling the globe to the actual locations that spawned the stories of these Beasts. They track down clues to find the truth behind the legends. The Beast Seekers uncover historical and eyewitness accounts, and zero in on archaeological and other physical evidence to assemble the most accurate picture possible of what these monsters would be like, where they would live and how they would behave, if they really existed.

Armed with every piece of information the team has discovered, BEAST LEGENDS then moves to the ‘Beast Lab’ to build the creature, first as initial sculpts and wire-frame forms, and finally bringing it to life in stunning 3D CGI.

And then we unleash it on the modern world…..

“BEAST LEGENDS takes the stuff of fantasy and fear – from Griffins and Dragons to Sea Monsters and Wildmen - and unravels the mystery of what these creatures would be if they could really exist,” says Elliott Halpern, an executive producer of BEAST LEGENDS and co-owner of yap films. “The series is a fresh and exciting combination of real biology applied to the realm of fantasy.”

Flash : Blackest Night #3 Variant Cover

Just a quick post today. Here's the inks and water color version of the cover. The final version can be found here: http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/01/22/three-variant-covers-to-brighten-your-friday-morning/

Adventure Comics #6 out today!

Geoff and I's final issue came out today. I just wanted to thank all the readers out there who really welcomed this book, I hope you guys continue to look us up when we take over the Flash! Thanks!

Flash #1 Cover Revealed

Over at the DCU Blog the cover to The Flash # 1 has been revealed along with it's involvement with the Brightest Day. Be sure to check out the site for more info along with the colored version of this cover http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2010/01/11/dcu-in-2010-more-on-brightest-day-the-flash/

Adventure Comics 6 Finale Preview! And more updates!!

Hey folks been ages since I've updated this thing! I've been incredibly swamped with work and my travels. I just wanted to give a big thanks to all those that made the trip to Belgium and France a fantastic experience! Can't say thank you enough to all the organizers and the shop owners for their incredible hospitality!

Anyways back to business! This issue concludes Geoff and I's run on the book with a 30 page long story. It was an amazing ride and we'll sorely miss working on the book. I'll definitely miss
drawing Krypto! Here's a sneak peek at the book which comes out on sale January 13, 2010!

_________________________________________________________________


In other news I also contributed to a benefit book for the flood victims in the Philippines called Renaissance. Quite a lot of Pinoy artists contributed to this great book. I'll have a link up when a site for the book is up and running.

__________________________________________________________________


Last but not least here is the cover to Flash : Secret Files #1 which comes out March 2010 preceding our launch of The Flash #1 in April. Can't wait for the new year!!!

Flash Blackest Night

Just a quick one today still tired form my trip to Belgium and France, much thanks goes out to Bernard, Thierry, Audrey, Laurent, Cedric, and way too many to list who helped my make the trip amazing! With that here's a jpg for my variant cover to Flash Blackest Night.