Head on over to StarWars.com and click into the video section . . . there, you'll find the latest episode of You Can Draw Star Wars, guest hosted by none other than me!! This episode covers the creation of the Sith Circus poster I did with painter Matt Busch. Find out how I accomplished the type effects applied to the poster and what sort of digital touch-ups I made to the original artwork!

More poster news soon . . . stay tuned!!

I am officially listed as an Artist Alley guest of the 3rd Annual New York City Comic Con! This will be my third year in attendance and I look forward to this show more than any other! This year, as usual, you can find me sharing my booth with artist Chris Ring and offering copies of The Perfect Victim, Nevermore: Selected Works of Edgar Allan Poe and Alan Moore: Exit Interview - among other goodies! Those are my self-published projects - this year you'll also be able to pick up my work at the Classic Comics Press booth. There, you'll be able to pick up Dondi Volumes 1 and 2, Leonard Starr's Mary Perkins On Stage Volume 4 and the "Bishop Chance Trilogy" That's five new books out for this year!

See you there!!

If you turn to page 242 of this month's edition of Diamond Comics Previews, you'll find the solicitation for not one, not two, but three books I've designed for Classic Comics Press. Dondi Volume 2 and Leonard Starr's Mary Perkins On Stage Volume 4 are two new books that I've done; timed to coincide with the opening of the 3rd annual New York Comic Con. They have also resolicited Dondi Volume 1 as a Star of the Month, which is always a great thrill to see your stuff featured. Make sure to have your local comics shop order plenty of copies . . . and as alway, thanks for the support!

Good friend and spectacular artist, Matt Busch has posted the first of the second season of You Can Draw Star Wars! This time around, we find the official Star Wars artist on the road in jolly old London! His subject is a Wookiee of some repute! Stay tuned for more exciting episodes in the life and times of Matt Busch!

How To Draw STAR WARS! Episode 8 of 20: On The Road!

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Got out over the weekend to do some shooting around the area and got a few gems I'd like to show off, including this shot of a milkweed blossom along Heaters Pond in Ogdensburg, New Jersey.

I also captured what looks like a majestic eagle in flight, but in reality, it's a hideous turkey vulture that only looks nice when in flight! Trust me, they are horrible subjects when perched. I came across a dozen or so clinging to a dumpster and scared them into flight. Just started snapping away, praying they wouldn't try and dive bomb me! I managed to snag a couple nice shots, I think . . . hope you all enjoy!

Click here!

Funny story . . . so last night I am at one of my camera club meetings and we'd just wrapped up for the evening. I walk out with two of the ladies from the group, look up to check out the night time sky and see that the moon is covered by the earth's shadow! There's a full lunar eclipse happening and do you think any of us photographers had a camera!?!? NO!

Jumped in the Baja and raced home to set up the tripod and get any shot I can of the event . . . and wouldn't you know it, clouds rolled in and covered everything up. I sat for an hour brooding and went to take out the garbage! Low and behold, the clouds parted just in time for me to see the moon coming out of Earth's shadow! I don't think I ever moved so fast in my life . . . grabbed the camera, tripod and 70-200mm lens and just started shooting! Click on the image to see the finished piece!

Last year, I joined a local camera club - The Sparta Camera Club - in the hopes of meeting fellow photographers and learning about some interesting places to shoot. I've come to look forward to each an every meeting, as these folks are some of the nicest - not to mention talented - people around! Every so often, they hold an in-house competition and have a judge come in to rate our images. This evening's theme was "Fences."

I entered a few shots from last summer's cruse to Nassau and this particular one placed first in the category of Advanced Black and White.

Recently, good friend and sometime partner in crime, Matt Busch had an opportunity with chat with Dean Plantamura on the official podcast of the 501st Legion of Stormtroopers! Listen to it here!

In this interview, Busch discusses his involvement using the 501st as reference for his official STAR WARS work, including filming the 501st for new video episodes of HOW TO DRAW STAR WARS. Matt also talks about a plethora of new projects and they even talk in length about the revamp of his web site - which is, of course, designed by me! He drops my name generously throughout the interview which is always a thrill . . . even mentions the Star Wars Style D "Sith Circus" Poster we worked on together.

Matt's in-depth interview begins 34 minutes into the show.

After reading an article in December 2007's Popular Photography entitled, The New Infrared Revolution, I knew I had to get my hands on a DSLR that had been converted to shoot IR photography. If you haven't seen photos taken in IR, you're in for a real treat! The shots you can accomplish while shooting IR are very surreal and ethereal. Check out the sample I took in a local cemetery last week. Click on the image for a larger shot.

I found a camera on Ebay that had already been converted to shoot IR and it came with a bonus battery pack/hand grip. It's a Nikon D100 and shoots at 6 megapixels. Perfect for my experimentation in shooting IR. I had a concern that my lenses wouldn't work with it, but that was put to rest when the camera arrived! They all work, even the Sigma 10-20!

If you find yourself bitten by the IR bug, head on over to the Popular Photography site and read the article on-line. There's even a photo gallery for you to peruse.

Ok, so every once and a while, when I don't have a camera in front of me, or a computer to work on, I like to enjoy some quality time kicking some @$$ on my X-box. Well, this past Christmas some very good friends of ours - the best, actually - were overly generous and surprised me with an X-Box 360 and also got me Halo 3! To say I was floored is an understatement!

Now the 360 itself is a fantastic piece of equipment. A game console, DVD player and so much more! As soon as I plugged it into my home network, it became an auxiliary computer! I am able to view photos off my compter right in my living room. Those more tech savy then I won't find this as a big shock, but I was thrilled! You can also play movies and music from your PC. All very cool!

Onto the game itself! Halo Gameplay is fantastic . . . fun, exciting, epic! But the really neat part about this game and the company that makes it is that you can track your progress online at Bungie.net. You can customize your armour, view earned metals and even watch film clips of your butt kicking! It's become a favorite pastime between my brother an me - though he's a much better player - for now! For all you work-a-holics out there - you know who you are - I highly reccomend this great game/console!!

If you're online and want to see how you rate against me, my username is pmkane (I know, big surprise!). See you on the battlefield!

In my ongoing relationship with Classic Comics Press, I present to you the next two books – designed by me – for the Eisner Award nominated publisher.

Mary Perkins On Stage Volume 4 is my first work on the title and it reprints Leonard Starr's ground breaking strip. This volume includes dailies and Sundays from June 13, 1960 to September 17, 1961. Also included is an Interview with Leonard Starr by Richard Howell and Carol Kalish. The interview originally appeared in Comic's Feature issue 9 in 1981 and will feature a new introduction by Richard Howell. And if that is not enough, the introduction for Volume 4 will be done by the incredible Australian illustrator/publisher Eddie Campbell (From Hell, The Fate of the Artist and Alec!)

Dondi fans will be happy to know that Volume 2 is simultaniously being worked on. With Volume 2 of Dondi, by Gus Edson & Irwin Hasen, Classic Comics Press continues reprinting of the classic American comic strip, reprinting dailies and Sundays from March 18, 1957 to September 7, 1958. Also included will be an introduction by comics writer and editor Roy Thomas.

Keep a look out in Diamond Previews for the official solicitation! And stay tuned for more exciting announcements from the partnership between Classic Comics Press and PMK's Imagination!

On the eve of the New Year, PMK's Imagination and Planetmatt Entertainment have unveiled a brand new official website on the the art and projects of artist Matt Busch. Mostly known for his work illustrating the STAR WARS universe and other pop culture entities, Busch has also made waves was a writer and independent filmmaker.

Designed and maintained by graphic designer/ photographer Paul Michael Kane and Busch himself, the two have put together what is quite possibly the largest and most comprehensive artist website, ever.

"Anything that you've ever wanted to know, you'll be able find here, including what I had for lunch last Tuesday." jokes Busch. "In all seriousness, the site is jam-packed with all kinds of stuff that fans, friends, and aspiring artists will enjoy."

Busch's previous site was already well received, and was awarded a 5-Star ratings on industry web sites. Kane comments "Obviously there are tons of beautiful images in the galleries, but I think folks really like the extras behind the art. It draws people in and let's them find a connection with Matt's work."

Brand new sections include a 100 image studio tour of Busch's home and working facilities, which include an large art studio, private gallery, recording studio, mini-movie theater, product warehouses, and even a classic video game arcade. Also for the first time, folks can download wallpaper screen-savers or solve flash puzzles with Busch's artwork.

The web site is the first in a series of new events Busch has in store for 2008. In January, Busch will release Season 2 of How To Draw STAR WARS video tutorials- 13 brand new episodes to debut exclusively on MySpaceTV. This March, Hermes Press will release a huge art book on the many aspects of Busch's career, THE WORLDS OF MATT BUSCH. And this summer Busch will release an as-of-yet untitled DVD documentary of his world travels and behind-the-scenes adventures at work and play.

For more information, and to check out the site itself, visit:
http://www.MattBusch.com

Taking a moment here to plug my very good friend – and sometimes partner-in-crime – Bill Baker. Bill is the first full-time comic book journalist in the business. His passion and enthusiasm for the industry is unprecedented. Bill and I have worked together on a number of projects, including Alan Moore's Exit Interview and Dondi Volume 1.

I was thrilled to hear Rosen Publishing picked up four of his highly-acclaimed interview titles.

And now, exclusively on PMKane.com, you can get all four books in one amazing set to add to your library!

Click here for order page!

How awesome is this . . . those official Star Wars videos I did the special effects for have become a huge MYSPACE phenomenon!! All eight episodes are some of the highest rated (viewer voted!) videos on the popular social networking site. Combined views number over 500,000!!

To recap, these videos, entitled You Can Draw Star Wars, were commissioned by Lucasfilm and DK Publishing to work in conjunction with the book of the same name. Lucasfilm and DK Publishing were so thrilled with the episodes, they were featured on the official Star Wars site and collected on DVD!!

Artist Matt Busch wrote and stared in each episode and I was hired to do the special effects for the short video tutorials. We're talking lightsaber effects here, people! I was thrilled to be asked on board this project and am happy to announce that we're hard at work on Session 2 of You can Draw Star Wars.

Stay Tuned!

Very happy to announce that a few of my photos were awarded in a recent architecture photography competition hosted by the Sparta Camera Club. Two of my Eastern State Pennitentiary shots were entered. The black and white shot below won 3rd place for the Advanced Black and White catagory, while the Solitary Confinement shot on the right won Honorable Mention for the Advanced Color catagory. The shot below/center won for First Place for the Advanced Color catagory. I am thrilled by the results of the judging as this was only my 2nd comptetion ever. The judge gave invaluable critiques during his review and I am very much looking forward to the next compeition, which dedicated to 'fences'.

I am absolutely bursting at the seams about this . . . Popular Photography Magazine has a terrific blog site that I visit nearly every day. If you're a photographer, you HAVE TO visit this site. The amount of knowledge you glean from this blog is priceless.

So they have a feature where you can submit your photographs for the editor's critique. I submitted one of my Eastern State Penitentiary photographs . . . and you know what? Out of the thousands of submitted images they get on a daily basis, they featured mine today! Not only that, but they gave it a 5-Star rating!!

Here's the quote:

"Paul Michael Kane captured this image at the Eastern State Penitentiary. This is a perfect example of keeping your eyes open for a great photograph. I love the texture of the paint chipping off of the wall. The colors in this photograph work together so nicely. Great focal point, depth of field and use of light."

— Melissa Macatee
— Contributing Blogger

To visit this fine blog, click here!

My current favorite photo shoot . . . add a close-up lens to a 50mm and you get a pretty good macro lens on your hands. The perfect subject? My old camera collection. to see them all, click here.

Last night, I entered a few photographs in a local competition and was awarded 'honorable mention' for one of my entries. Out of close to 200 photographs entered in the competition, I am pretty happy with my placement as it was my first ever competition. I've got a pretty good idea what the judges are looking for, so next year I'll be catering to their tastes should I decide to compete again. The image I won honorable mention for is posted here. Shot during a particularly nasty lightning storm. Captured in my front yard while under the shelter of my porch. Exposure was about 15 seconds. One of my favorite shots!

I am super excited about this . . . if you head over to the internet home of Art Scene International, you'll get a sneak peek at the in depth feature article on the creation of the official Star Wars "Sith Circus" movie poster that I did a bunch of stuff for. Featured in Issue #77, the story is 12 pages long and highlights my part in the creation of the poster with a side bar article I wrote called "May the Font Be With You."

Fans of artwork will find the article fascinating as Matt Busch, painter of the piece takes readers step by step through the creative process, from sketch to final, finished piece. Pick it up today!

Over the weekend, I had an amazing opportunity to shoot at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. This place was amazing on so many levels I can hardly contain my enthusiasm for it. It's a historic landmark right in the middle of Philly . . . it's so odd to be driving down a street full of brownstones and come up on this giant wall surrounding the prison. This was intended to be a scouting shoot but the shots I ended up with speak volumes about the place. I am planning a return trip in November to fully cover the place. What you are seeing in this gallery is only the tip of the ice burg, as they say!

To view the gallery, click here.

I am very excited to announce that I am working with Homeworld Press to reprint the first two books and feature the third book in the "Last Chance" series of young adult novels. The books are writen by James Gauthier and featuring artwork by Frank Bolle, and I get to design the covers and interiors of the books! There promises to be 6 books in total! What you see below are the brand new covers to the first three novels. Stay tuned for ordering information and more.

I am very happy to announce that I am working with a new publisher on a number of different and exciting projects. This November, Eisner Award nominee Classic Comics Press will release Dondi, by acclaimed creators Gus Edson and Irwin Hasen. Hasen is heavily involved in the process of creating this special project and I am lucky enough to be the one designing the book!

From Wikipedia: Dondi was a daily comic strip about a large-eyed, Italian war orphan of the same name. It was created by Gus Edson and Irwin Hasen, and ran from September 25, 1955 until June 8, 1986. Irwin Hasen received the National Cartoonist Society Award for Story Comic Strip for 1961 and 1962 for his work on the strip. During these years, the strip was carried in hundreds of newspapers. By the time the strip ended, it was only being carried in 35 papers.

Dondi's backstory describes him as a five year old, World War II war orphan of Italian descent. A soldier who was to be his future adoptive father (and who knew no Italian) found the child wandering in a war-torn village repeating the word "Donde" ("where") as he was looking for his slain parents. Like other little boy characters such as Dennis The Menace Dondi's character never aged. This became problematic as the years since World War II passed and his origin story became more and more implausible. Eventually, references to his Italian origin ceased to be mentioned and he was adopted by the Uncle Ted character. Following this, he was portrayed simply as an adopted child.

After the death of Gus Edson, Bob Oksner teamed up with surviving founder Hasen and the two remained with the strip until its end in 1986.

This is only the first of many projects I'll be working on with Classic Comics Press and I look forward to many more of these announcements!

So now the announcement has been made and I can officially post the final "Sith Circus" artwork. This officially licensed Lucasfilm, LTD. poster, painted by good friend and fan-favorite Star Wars artist, Matt Busch features type design by me! I did every letter of type you see on this baby! In fact, if you look in the lower right hand corner of the image, you'll see the PMK' Imagination logo! Immortalized in the Star Wars mythos for all eternity . . . er, ok . . . well, that might be a bit too much, but hey . . . this is a dream come true! Not only did I do all the type, but I also did some very cool pre-press and some digital touch-ups to the artwork, including recreating General Grievous's lightsaber blade using Photoshop CS2!

Our poster pictured on the left with original1978 poster on the right.

This is a huge 27 x 40, limited edition one-sheet that will only be available through StarWarsShop.com. The first 500 Hyperspace members (that's the official Star Wars online fan club) who purchase the Sith Circus one-sheet, get a free concept sketch of the artwork, which exhibits some of the ideas that were considered early on. Even this sketch poster features my typography . . . it's a very cool look at how the process began and sure to be a huge collector's item!

And for the actual, Lucasfilm is having Matt sign 15% of the print run . . . all very exciting . . . You can even order both the "Sith Circus" and the original "Style D" poster together, so you can display them side by side! Order them now before they sell out!

I want to send a special shout out to Matt Busch, who brought me on this project and fulfilled a life long dream of mine. To work on this poster with Matt is what I consider to be the height of my career thus far . . . it's going to be very hard to top this, my friend . . . all thanks to you!

A little something I put together using Adobe Premier Elements, a stock music file and some of my photographs from the past year or so.

Hope you enjoy!

Here's a quick tease about my newest - and by far most exciting - collaboration to date. Check out page 81 of the new Star Wars Insider #96. On it, you'll get a sneak peek at the exclusive "Sith Circus" movie poster. It was illustrated and painted by popular Star Wars artist, Matt Busch, with art direction by Lucasfilm's very own Pete Vilmur (co-author of The Star Wars Poster Book), and featuring type design by yours truly! There will be more details to follow, but the poster is to be sold exclusively though StarWarsShop.com. To say this project was a dream come true is a massive understatement. What is pictured is an earlier version and the final image will be released very soon, so stay tuned!

Check out the Star Wars website . . . been revamped since summer. Featured on the site today is the video 'The Joy of Painting' featuring Star Wars artist, Matt Busch. This episode has some lightsaber effects supplied by yours truly. A hoot to watch . . . Enjoy!

I am very excited to announce the offering of two new photographic prints - the first in my Paul Michael Kane Gallery Series. Each print will be a signed/limited edition, 16 x 20 reproductions. Printed on Kodak Professional Endura Metallic papers, these prints will make a fantastic addition to any collection.

Order your prints at the links below:

Lightning

New Mexico Mountains

Spent the last week in July traveling to the south/southwest. To say that this part of the country is vastly different from New Jersey is a massive understatement. We landed in Las Vegas in the middle of the night and it was still 100 degrees!

Check out the new photo galleries here:

Las Vegas

White Sands National Monument

Just a quick update to tease about a special project I am doing with Matt Busch and Lucasfilm, LTD. I can't give too many details, but I am involved in a project that will be of special interest to collectors of a certain film franchise set along time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. To say that my continuing involvement in these kinds of projects is a dream come true is a massive understatement - constant readers will remember that I've done typogrpahy for one poster and lightsaber effects for a series of video art tutorials - You Can Draw Star Wars! Stay tuned for the big announcement (should be around San Diego's Comic Con!). I just can't wait to spill the beans on this one!!

I don't usually post about other people's projects, but this is something special . . . Technology is a wonderful thing . . . especially in the hands of someone like Miguel Mesas. This budding director/film maker has put together an impressive "fan-film" that showcases the ground breaking Batman story: Arkham Asylum. It is subtitled and of 'you tube' quality, but amazing, none the less!

 

The June 2007 edition of Diamond Previews is offering a re-solicit of Alan Moore's Exit Interview on page 216. This "Star of the Month" solicitation copy reads as follows:

"Presenting a brand new, three-hour plus interview (recently conducted by veteran comics journalist Bill Baker), with Alan Moore, the celebrated and controversial author of Lost Girls, From Hell, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and numerous other classic graphic novels. Alan Moore's Exit Interview offers an intimate portrait of the artist, what he's accomplished, and what it costs to remain true to himself and his art. SC, 6 x 8, 96 pages, B&W . . . $9.95 "

I am the designer on this great book and couldn't be more thrilled that it's garnered a re-solicitation . . . that means the initial orders sold out! You can also order it online here.

Introducing my daughter, Peyton Marie Kane - PMK the second, if you will! I can not wait till she's old enough to sit down and watch the Star Wars movies with me - as you can tell by the video below, she's already a fan!