Need your classic ROM fix? Here you go . . .

Fan art by Dann Phillips left click to enlarge

So as you can see there's a lot going on here aside from ROM being one of the onlookers to this epic DC/Marvel cross over battle between these two major bad guys. Ironically another cosmic marvel fan art piece turned up deviant art only a couple days before Dann's that included ROM, Galactus, Silver Surfer and Thanos but that artist never replied to me me unlike Dann so fuck em they only get a link as opposed to having their stuff actually featured here in this posting. There's just something to be said for social media etiquette it's just a thing with me  . . .
http://emmanuelmerlotti.deviantart.com/art/Rom-Spaceknight-by-Emmanuel-Merlotti-619409778

On the other hand this guy did get back to me from deviant art. So guess what? He gets to have his nice work in progress sculpture featured in this posting. More views from different angles can be seen here http://silent-cell.deviantart.com/

If you're thinking about buying all the IDW cover variants buyer beware. Pay attention to the most recent comments in the previous posting Gary has left IDW's shameless greed seem to know no limits.


July 6th update: Painted version of statue just posted
http://silent-cell.deviantart.com/art/Rom7-619763240

Sabra by Dann Phillips!

http://dannphillips.deviantart.com/

Mozel Tov! Every body raise your glass Dann and I just had a baby. But in this case the "baby" came in the form of an upload yesterday on deviant art. Now the baby thing is because I had been pestering Dann for some untold months about doing something with Sabra. The thing is I can always draw something myself (previous post) if I really want to see it but every artist brings some different to a character or scene based on their style and imagination and some times it's just nice to see another artist's interpretation for a change. I hope you all enjoy this it certainly made my weekend.
Nothing new on the ROM front I hadn't really planned on any more postings in the foreseeable future and I'm trying not to think about the new series because I'm burnt out on it already. But since I posted this new Sabra fan art today to give it some more exposure I might as well pass along some other fan art to you. Speaking of strong female characters created by Bill Mantlo and Sal Buscema this is some of the best Starshine fan art out there although The Defenders cover concept doesn't make much sense to me but that aside this is pretty damn good . . .
http://michaeldooney.deviantart.com/art/Spaceknight-covers-595064323

And finally, here's a color version of that recent Acroyear vs ROM fan art piece which is over all really good although ROM's neutralizer still looks like shit. It really is the proverbial fly in the ointment as the saying goes . . .
http://mavspace.deviantart.com/art/Rom-Vs-Acroyer-591575790

March 14th update
Actually there's one more thing Ptor from The Sanctum Sanctorum gave me a heads up about a custom Torpedo that just recently sold on ebay. The seller also had this on deviant art where  he comes off as kind of an asshole but hey whatever.

How I see art and characterization

I know I'm probably gonna catch some shit for this but keeping things interesting around here every week doesn't come from me sugar coating my opinions and thoughts on things. That being said I've never been a real big fan of Fred Hembeck's work. A lot of the behind the scenes humor for Marvel's production staff that Hembeck's art often centered around didn't really resonate with me as a kid back in the early 80s. I'm not saying he sucks or anything and in all fairness I'm not all that crazy in general about caricature type renderings when it comes to my favorite comic book and sci-fi characters. There have been exceptions ofcourse such as in the case of the parodies done in MAD Magazine and similar type satire.Well, it so happens that this Hembeck sketch card that I found on ebay recently is also an exception. I actually like I don't know why but I think it has some charm to it. So what do you think, like it?
Here's a Torpedo redesign. I really like it but at the same time I can't help but want to see that new suite drawn in a less "cartoony" way it would have really kicked ass then.

Left click to enlarge

You all remember that posting of me lambasting those preliminary designs for The Micronauts cartoon that never was right? Well just by the animation style alone I knew it would have sucked and done an all around disservice to the original Bill Mantlo series. Just like a really really bad movie sequel to a great original.

And speaking of great things that Mantlo helped inspire here's a couple of Sabra sketch cards I found recently. As you can see both are quite excellent in terms of what the respective artists were going for but as usual I'm more partial to the one that is a more accurate representation (minus the cape) of Marvel's premier mutant power house of The Promise Land.

And speaking of fan made art of all sorts we've made some other new discoveries of stuff posted in recent weeks: http://www.deviantart.com/art/ROM-Spaceknight-396822744
http://www.deviantart.com/art/ROM-399788046
 http://aaronsynn.deviantart.com/art/Salem-Uncommons-1411-394364693

Speaking of my kinda art look what just turned up from Dann Phillips again. We've seen so much new ROM fan art from this guy he must be able to do it in his sleep or something.

Left click to enlarge

Infinity #1, Bill Mantlo, Rom & Me, New fan art, Nuff said . . .

 Well folks as you can see here Infinity #1 does have your spaceknights and Galador. Seven pages worth to be specific although rather you are happy or not with what happens in those seven pages is another matter. But since I know almost all of you will not have had a chance to pick this up until later today or this weekend I'll refrain from posting any more clip art or talking any more about what happens especially since I probably won't get a chance to give this double sized issue a thorough read until tomorrow or Friday. At that point I may post again with my thoughts on it and so on but we'll see.

 Here's something new I recently found from Dann Phillips. I like the unique nature of the scene my first thought that it's some kind of space vessel that's been talking over by Dire Wraiths that maybe was able to send a distress signal before the Wraiths got to em. Or maybe it's a Wraith warship that ROM is boarding right after he got done giving it a beating in battle. Dire Wraiths can with stand the vacuum of space as far as I know but hey, I'm just nit picking now.
Also, here's some other stuff worth looking at. It's a homage to X-Factor #1 that features a number of characters from several publishers including two from Marvel with one happening to be one silver spaceknight: http://dashmartin.deviantart.com/art/Multiverse-II-161977028
GLORIOLE! http://nikoskap.deviantart.com/art/Gloriole-392214802

Left click to enlarge

Moving right along I wanted to leave a message for Ceoria from the ROM and Me web site. So by now many of us know about your bad experience from before. But if the title of this blog is any indication that sort of bullshit won't happen here. This blog site was created to be a community of Rom fans as well as others who like comics and sci-fi to share news, art and ideas. So if you're out there I'm extending an invitation to join us here it's all good, the past is the past.

 Here's a nice photo of Bill Mantlo from last weekend with his sister in law in which she was able to get him outside of his hospital room which sadly doesn't happen very often.