One last Sanjulian post. Promise. Years ago, while Justin Gray and I were writing Jonah Hex every month, I heard that Sanjulian was accepting commission paintings from his home in Spain. I reached out through his agent and told him I would love a Jonah Hex piece, preferably with a woman in the composition. In the back of my mind, I even thought that maybe, just maybe, I could convince DC to use it as a cover someday. About eight months later, a large cardboard tube arrived at my door, postmarked from Spain. When I carefully unrolled the painting, I was completely stunned. What emerged wasn't simply a commission, but a masterpiece. Sanjulian's rendering of Jonah was everything I could have hoped for: powerful, dramatic, and full of character. The richly textured backgrounds, the atmosphere, the depth, and the sheer craftsmanship on display reminded me why he was regarded as one of the true masters of illustrative art. And yes, I must admit I wasn't expecting the beautiful topless woman who also made an appearance in the piece. That was quite a surprise, and somehow it fit perfectly within the painting's timeless pulp sensibility. To this day, it remains one of the crown jewels of my collection. More than that, it serves as a reminder of an artist whose work transcended genre and whose brush seemed capable of turning imagination into something tangible and unforgettable. Sanjulian was one of the greats, and I feel fortunate to have a small piece of his legacy hanging on my wall. Rest in peace, Maestro. Your art will continue to inspire generations to come.

Our friends @clipstudiopaint have generously sent us more codes for 1 year of CSP Dual-Device to give to you, our amazing students! Students of our FREE course, "Digital Painting Fundamentals in Clip Studio Paint" with Bobby Chiu can redeem a code and paint along (link in bio)

What was the first movie special effect that blew you away?

Around 2001 there were two separate but wonderful talking gorilla superhero comics. If you can find either Rex Mantooth (early Andy Kuhn and Matt Fraction, published by Robert Kirkman!) or Sky Ape, I strongly recommend these comics. Get hunting!

👉🏽 Nico Hiraga whips thru The City 🌁