Additional Images:
Chance and St. George Sketch
Mr. Freeze Prelims 2
Mr. Freeze Prelims 1
Artwork Details
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DescriptionWhen I was a kid reading comics, there were a few artists that really made an impression on me. (i.e. John Byrne, Frank Miller, Bill Sienkiewicz and Paul Smith) Many consider John Byrne the definitive X-Men artist. I agree JB left his mark on the characters, but for me, Paul Smith was something special. Anytime I saw the "PMS" on a cover or interiors, I bought the book. I loved his lean and clean lines. Less was always more. And, to me, there always seemed to be a hint of sadness which made the characters he drew more interesting. When I found out that Mr. Smith was accepting commissions I honestly never thought I would be able to get one. So here we are.When I approached Mr. Smith with my character suggestion, Paul fully admitted to me that he knew absolutely nothing about Victor Fries or his back story, but he would do his homework. After about a week or so he brought some interesting ideas to the table. Over a couple of weeks he and I continued with the ideas back and forth and narrowed it down to two very different ideas. Early on, Paul said something that stuck with me during the process. And when I wasn't able to decide between the two final ideas, I remembered what Paul emailed me. Below was our exchange: "Ok, ...I can make my decision to move forward. There’s something you sent in an earlier email that has stuck with me. ~ The Cave is more an eye piece; grim, gritty and all that creature of the night jazz. The Sculpture is more character study that cuts to the quick of it: he (Freeze) may not be "all there" but he's hardly the Joker. He's just a guy that misses his girl... :( ~ So this is what I’m thinking, I’ve narrowed it down to two... You’ve done your homework and seem to have a handle on what I’m looking for. Mood and what motivates Freeze being most important. I would like YOU to pick the piece that you REALLY want to work on and have fun doing. Paul, I love your work. This commission shouldn’t only be about what I want but you, being the artist, should enjoy working on it. I’m giving you the keys. By all means, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me." As you can see from the prelims below, Paul took it in a little bit of a different direction. Hahaha! As you can see though, the finished product is nothing short of awesome. As Paul wrote, "This one definitely turned left at Albuquerque. And again at Santa Fe. And again at...” He goes on to explain his idea. “The working theory on the snow is: If Freeze needs sub-zero temps to survive, he must be sub-zero himself. The cold emanating off his body is crystalizing the moisture in the air around him creating a localized flurry wherever he goes. Like a snowy Pig Pen from Peanuts." Different, yes, but that's not a bad thing. Paul gave me exactly what I wanted. A different take on a familiar character, his take. Even when Victor is out of costume, he is a very formidable foe to the Dark Knight. I just received the piece and it's beautiful in person. So nice. Mr. Smith also included the Chance and St. George sketch below with my commission. To say this is a grail for me is an understatement. But that's exactly what a collaboration with this creator was, very special. He was professional with a great sense of humor and gracious to take my request and suggestions. I can't be more thrilled with not only the result but the experience. Thank you, sir. Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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Lee Benaka 
Member Since 2004
Posted on 4/28/2014
That's a thoughtful commission, and very nice! I love that version of Batman. Thanks for sharing Patrick!
Joshua McCoy
Member Since 2013
Posted on 4/28/2014
Congratulations, Patrick! It was quite a journey to get this piece here, glad I could share in it and offer some input along the way. Paul did an amazing job!
Alex Johnson
Member Since 2006
Forum Moderator
Posted on 4/28/2014
Really nice work. I like what he did with Mr. Freeze and Batman looming over him. Good stuff. Thanks for sharing.
Travis Ellisor
Member Since 2009
Posted on 4/28/2014
Nice description! And of course any Paul Smith artwork is lovely!
Mike W
Member Since 2007
Posted on 4/28/2014
An amazing piece, and an even more amazing process behind the piece!!!! I love the story that led to this beauty. Congratulations, my friend!!!!
aric shapiro
Member Since 2006
Posted on 4/28/2014
I am thrilled that you were able to turn your dream into a reality. This is truly an awesome piece of art but what is absolutely amazing to me is that you played a role in the vision
J M T
Member Since 2011
Posted on 4/28/2014
Congratulations, Patrick! Happy for you that you finally acquired your grail. It's always wonderful when a commission turns out just the way you want it to. This is an amazing piece. Congrats again!
Octavio d
Member Since 2007
Posted on 4/28/2014
bravo patrick, paul really did a fantastic job on this for you.
Anthony F
Member Since 2004
Posted on 4/28/2014
I knew Paul's Batman was great, but to see his prelimary art really hightlights his (and your) understanding of Freeze. Congratulations, what a grail!
Rob Shalda
Member Since 2013
Posted on 4/29/2014
Congrats Patrick! The story behind the commission is as good as the art itself. I feel the same way about Paul,he was someone that I just knew was headed for greatness when I first saw his work on Marvel Fanfare. I Hope I will have an opportunity someday to commission him myself!
Gal Schwartz
Member Since 2005
Posted on 4/29/2014
Very impressive piece and I just adore the prelim work !! Great addition !
Marvel Two-in-One Guy
Member Since 2003
Posted on 4/29/2014
A PMS commission is something special. Congratulations!
Olivier D
Member Since 2006
Posted on 4/29/2014
This is a true true pleasure for the eyes - WHAT a lucky guy you are. Am super happy for you buddy ;-)
Dimitrios Z
Member Since 2011
Posted on 4/29/2014
Paul Smith is an amazing artist and he was outstanding on X-Men. This version of Batman and creative take on Freeze certainly makes this special.
Dave Kopecki
Member Since 2008
Posted on 5/1/2014
Really great commission! It's dynamic and shows thought and care, and it's just a badass image of Freeze! Huge congrats!
Chris Lutes
Member Since 2016
Posted on 9/15/2016
Wow! Absolutely beautiful piece! Reading the story of the collaboration behind it was also really wonderful. It's a crime we never ended up with a long Paul Smith - James Robinson run on Detective Comics or Batman.
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