Working on this latest Star Wars Topps set was pretty fantastic I must say, I felt kind of starnge sending them all off in the mail yesterday and then going home and NOT drawing until 2 in the morning. While I enjoyed doing the 106 cards very much, I was relieved to be finished with them and now, it is out of my hands.

I will have 6 return cards available sometime in the hopefully near future, depending on when I get them back from Topps, after they are licensed.

My next big project (well semi-big, I am only doing 10% of the amaount of cards I did for Star Wars) is going to be on the Versicolor Bettie Page private collection:



From what I understand these sets come out in summer of next year, and it sounds like they are going to be prett damn awesome. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on one, maybe you will pull one of my cards.

I will post my finished cards after I have completed the set, and I will post my available returns and prices as well.

-Gary

This morning I recieved permission from Topps to post a ton more of my Clone Wars sketch cards.

I added a new gallery just for sketch cards in which I will put both official cards and PSCs alike. All of the card that I have been givin permission to post from the Clone Wars set are now in that gallery.

Today i the last day I will be working on these cards, I only have 8 more to do and even though I had so much fun working on them, I am glad that I am finished...well almost.....

the cards are also posted in my thread on Scoundrel if you wanna check em out there too and leave me a nice comment!

(any suggestiond for which cards I should keep as returns? I get 6 back...)

-G

I recieved permission from Topps to post some of my cards from the Clone Wars set I am currently working on.




More to come soon!


-G

Tonight I will be embarking on a 106 card journey. I am doing a batch of Sketch cards for the upcoming "Clone Wars: Rise of the Bounty Hunters" Topps Card set. This is my firstStar Wars set, and I am excited for all of the hours of drawing that I will be putting into this.

   I cannot post any of my cards on here until I get them approved, but I will make an effort to do so, and if I don't then I will post them after the set has released.

Wish me luck!

-Gary

Then I will draw them a sketch card of their choice.

Let's do this.

Well, I'm moving into a new realm of the art world: Sketch Cards. Can't wait to see how this venture turns out... I have no problem working in such a small area, in fact it is kind of a relief because even a very detailed card wont take as long as a piece that is full size.

I will be posting a bunch of my "personal cards" (cards that are not officially liscenced) here as soon as I get my home computer repaired...it seems to be...posessed by binary demons.

I really wanted to have this one done before I do my portfolio review with Lucas liscencing and ACME. I wanted at least one bigger sized Star Wars piece to show off. I think it should suffice.

I had been putting it off for SOOOO long, it feels good to have completed it!

What shall I work on next though...I fear that I have only been delaying the completion of this piece because I had no ideas for a new one....now what am I gonna do?

Well I still have 6 days before comic-con, I bet I can knock out another drawing!

I finally finished my poage of 9 Star Wars sketch cards to submit to Topps. Whoo hoo!

There they are.....right over there...see? to the left.

I asked my girl to marry me today and she said yes! Not only that, but COMIC-CON is coming up!!! I have so much to look forward to, I am so excited.

Oh man, I cant WAIT to get back to Comic-Con San Diego again this year! I haven't been to the con since '03, and I have a feeling that it's going to be way more epic and WAY more crowded. I used to go every year when I lived in San Diego, but Since I moved to Seattle I haven't really had the time OR money to make a trip down for it. Comic-Con time is that special time of year for me, the time of year that I just cannot wait for like a 5 year old on Christmas eve; I am SO excited to do some portfolio reviews this year. I have grown as an artist and as a fan since I last attended, and I think I can make a lot of new contacts and meet a lot of new artists while I am down there.

     Last time I attended Con as a professional I was the colorist for "9 Lives" a one-shot put out by Neko Press Comics, and that was such an awesome experience for me. Now I am illustrating and producing my own comic book, and I hope I can put it out there for someone to take interest in it, or at least recognize my passion for the industry. I also have some excellent portfolio content to present and I really feel that I am going to have a productive visit in July.

    Besides all that, I am also just genuinely excited as a fanboy, and I have a whole new array of stuff to get autographs on. I will be doing a plethora of Artwork before I go so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for a lot of new deviations in the next 2 months.

I can't believe it! I'm a quarter of a century old today. I don't feel older, but I am excited to be able to uh...rent a car..by..myself. Anyway, I should have some new art up soon, until then, check out my other newest deviations!

It seems like according to my poll so far, more of you believe Star Wars to be science fiction rather than fantasy. Here are my thoughts on the matter:

We love Star Wars. Who am I talking about when I say "we"? I'm talking about the whole world. No matter where you go on Earth, it is quite a task to find someone who has A: never seen a Star Wars film, or B: Doesn't like Star Wars in any way; it's damn near impossble to find someone who has never heard of Star Wars, or any of the major characters.

Aside from those who like Star Wars or have just heard of it but don't know too much about it, there are also many folks that are die-hard fans. I mean they collect all the toys, know all the names of every single charater and their entire backstories right down to the smallest detail (In fact, I'm kind of like this myself, although not to the degree of some). These people can get very..very...into the lore, and in some cases a little bit too much so. So much, in fact that discussions with other fans or non-fans about the genre of Star Wars can become very heated when it comes to things like: Star Wars vs. Star Trek, Han or Greedo shooting first, which is the best film, etc. The one that sticks out to me though is the genre designation argument: Is Star Wars Science fiction OR Fantasy? Well, I think it is more Fantasy. Before you argue with me in your mind, or think that this is more of an opinion rather than a fact, allow me to explain myself...

Fisrt, let's see what the standard definitions of both genres are:

Science Fiction - Works of fiction that use scientific discoveries or advanced technology as part of their plot.
- The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Fantasy -  A genre that uses magic and other supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting. Many works within the genre take place on fictional planes or planets where magic is common.
- The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Okay, well from those definitions it certainly sounds like Science fiction could describe Star Wars alright, I mean you've got spaceships and laser guns, and hyperspeed. However, there is a few problems with designating Star Wars as science fiction based on this premise.

Typically science fiction is a speculation on our future, Star Trek is a great example, you've got Earth in the 2200's with spaceships and phasers and all that, basically the world we know filled with technology and exploration. Star Wars though, does not take place in the future, right off the bat it TELLS you that it takes place "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away". So not only does Star Wars take place in some unspecified point in the past, but it also takes place outside of our own world, in a different galaxy in fact. There are trillions of galaxies in the universe, so where Star Wars takes place is really up in the air. I feel that without the element of taking place in "the future" and taking place outside of the realm of our own technological realm, that the themes of Star Wars that would otherwise qualify it as a sci-fi film don't apply as clearly as they do in say Aliens, or Star Trek. To even further this argument I would like to cite that the technology displayed in Star Wars is not only separate from our own completely, but if you are one of those people who knows a ton about the lore of Star Wars you would know that the tech in Star Wars has been commonplace to that galaxy for over 20,000 years. By the time we meet our heroes Luke, Han and Chewie, the hyperdrive, blasters, lightsabers etc. have been normal everyday luxuries for twenty millenia. The perpose of science fiction is to showcase technology that is a dream of the future, something yet unnatained, but for all we know Han and Chewie were probably zipping around their galaxy at the speed of light while the Earth was still covered in primordial goo.

Another element of Star Wars that sets it aside from science fiction and fits it snugly into the category of fantasy is magic. Wait, there is no magic in Star Wars! Only lightsabers and lasers and the Forc-- oh. Um, yeah....remember? THE FORCE! The force is a mystical energy field that binds everything together, a field that certin folks can tap into and use for good or for evil....um, it's magic okay. Guess what, magic is an element of fanatsy. The fact that yoda uses mystical powers to telekinetically move a 12 ton starship out of a swamp immediately puts Star Wars into the genre of fantasy, and it becomes even more removed from the sci-fi genre. Vader chocking Motti and Ozzel, Luke seeing the future where his friends are in dager at cloud city, the emperor using lightning that comes out of his hands to shock the shit out of Luke Skywalker; these are all examples of sorcery, identical to Gandalf, The White Witch, or Harry Potter in many ways.

Next I would like to point out another element of fanasy films that I have noticed is that they have a lot of creatures; monsters, imps, witches etc. In a hard sci-fi saga like Star Trek, the aliens all seem to be quite...humanoid, don't they? There are klingons and romulans and Vulcans-- they all look like people with funny heads or ears! In Star Wars you've got Yoda, who looks like something from the muppets or Dark Crystal, youve got Jabba, the Rancor, Giant space slugs, the sarlaac pit, and the Ewoks. All of these creatures are not only aliens but are also monsters and very far removed from being humanoid in any way. Yes I know there are monsters in Star Trek, but usually the monsters aren't sentient, I mean they arent anything else other than monsters. In Star Trek you have Wharf the Klingon heading up security on the Enterprise, and in Star Wars you've got Yoda the "who knows what" giving Luke magic lessons!

Lightsabers. an elegant weapon for the more civilized age. Possibly the most awesome piece of equipment ever invented in the universe. Who wouldn't want to wield a laser sword that can cut through damn near anything in one swing? Well, you cant because they arent inventable. Ever. Not in this galaxy anyway. Unlike transporters, phasers, warp speed and spaceships; which are all possible future possibilities, the lightsaber cannot be invented. It is a weapon of pure fanatsy, there is no possible way it can exist, as we have no way of cantaining either a laser beam or plasma beam within a magnetic arc field. Maybe in the fantasy galaxy of Star Wars there is some element like the force that allows the physics we know to be impossible to break, to be broken. Because of this, and because of the implication of the weapon itself, a sword, it is an element within Star Wars that also falls into complete and utter fantasy.

So as you can see, putting Star Wars into the genre of Fantasy is not so crazy after all. I mean with al of the magic, monsters, being in another galaxy, and having things like lightsabers and other technology that for them has been around for thousands of years but for us was in the past, makes Star Wars a little more fantasy than science fiction. Even if you want to really push your argument and say that it is both, Ii woukld have to argue that at best it is 49% sci-fi and 51% fantasy, and in my world, genres are decided like the senante decides shit; Fantasy it is.

Wow!! almost 3000 pageviews! that is roughly 1000 pageview per month since I have been a deviant. Well, come on over to my gallery, leave some comments, help me get to, and past the 3000 mark today!! Thank you so much for appreciating my artwork everyone!

BTW, I delivered on that lightsaber duel like the poll I put up suggested I should, now I am working on a very awesome Boba Fett piece alont with finishing up that Hoth AT-AT scene, which can be found in my scraps section. Thanks everyone for your valuable feedback!!!

-Astro

Well I'm well into my next project (after "The Empire" Piece) and it is coming along quite nicely. I always wanted to do a drawing of the Imperial walkers, I just had never gotten the chance to do so.



After the completion of this piece I will be starting two more: A lightsaber standoff between luke and Vader, and something including Boba Fett.

More soon!

-G

Well it certainly seems an appropriate month for me to crank out a bunch of Star Wars fan art, being that today (March 4th) is, at least in my circle of friends; Star Wars Day! Of course this day was designated as such due to the silly catchphrase: "May the fourth be with you!" If you haven't heard this, well...now you have.

Anyway, any day is a great day to show your love for the neverending saga that is Star Wars!

May the Fourth Be with you!

Well, I finally found an outlet for inspiration: Star Wars. I have been a Star Wars fan for ages, I am suprised that it was until now that I ever thought to do Star Wars fan art.

    This drawing is the first of many I have planned for the next few weeks, may the force be...with..me.

Wow. I have had such a hard time getting inspired lately. I dunno why but I just can't seem to get the creative juices flowing as of late.

   I decided to maybe do some fan art or something, but I guess we'll see how that turns out.

   If anyone has any creative suggestions on how to get inspired please let me know, I really want to put out a lot of artwork soon, but I just lack the motivation.

Hopefully there will be some new stuff on here soon!

-Gary

Thanks to everyone who visits my page and double thanks to those who fav and leave comments, they are ALL apprecciated very much!

   As promised, here are three works of art from each of the 5 artists who visited my page at the 2000 mark!
















Great artwork! If you get a chance, check them out!


~Astrovisionary~
*Gary W Kezele*

Well, I am about to hit 2000 Pageviews! For the first five people to visit my page after the 2000 mark I will give a feature! Just come visit my page, and if you are visitor 2000 - 2005, I will choose 3 art pieces from your gallery and feature it in my next journal entry!

    It may take a few hours to a day or so until i get around to making the new journal, so don't be worried if your feature doesn't happen 10 minutes after you visit my page. I will let you know if you are one of the 5 people, and I will let you know when the feature is up!

Good luck!



-GK

*upadte*

Here is the snapshot from my 2000th Pageview! Thank you ~maleiva for catching this!

Any of you who know my art know that I usually tend to stick to Sci-fi landscapes, animals, objects, etc. but not people. I draw a lot of people in my work as an illustrator but that is more comic book style than realistic.

    Well, I decided to start a portrait, and depending on how it goes I will probably do more. I chose a firend's baby, because I though that a baby might be a little less challenging for some reason.

*Added finished Version*

Here is my WIP:



*Here is the finished Version*:



I hope to finish it by next weekend and get the deviation on here for people to view and provide with some critique (hopefully) until then, Iv'e got work to do!

-Astrovisionary
Gary W Kezele