Boris Karloff Frankenstein/Bela Lugosi Dracula

Quite the piece and quite thte back story.  I am a huge fan of of the universal monster films having binged them as a child.  I even dressed up as  Dracula 3 years in a row for Halloween.  The first time Lance reached out to me on caf (about a piece of art in my gallery) I was dubious.  "Lance Suarez" sounded like a movie star name from yesteryear.  Turned out he was real and a cool dude in real life!  Congrats to you and great work Lance!

You dressed up as  Dracula 3 years in a row for Halloween? That's some awesome loyalty to a beloved character! So funny that you thought Lance might be trying to swindle you in some way! Thanks for the great comment.

His name was too cool to be true. Or so it seemed at first! 😅

Instantly recognizable Monster Movie Icons as portrayed by their most iconic actor/movie-stars!

Frankenstein was always my favorite as a kid, but I've come to appreciate Dracula equally as I grew into an adult.

Perhaps an unexpected gift, but not undeserved. Thanks for all the Info-Tainment!

Ah, you're being too kind with the "not undeserved" comment, but thanks, man! Just fyi, of these two characters, Frankenstein was always my favorite, too!

Super cool illo with fantastic washtones! 

What a great way to post your very first piece in 2023!  Haha, that was clever of Lance to ask for your wife's address after you politely shrugged off his atempts to gift you something.  That does show initiative on his part.  What a great idea to put Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's monster and Bela Lugosi as Dracula in the same image.  Looks fantastic!  And those cross hatched cubes in the background are all hand drawn??  That's insane!  But really, the best thing is that he gifted it to you because he enjoyed your live shows, which hopefully makes you feel really good.  I can totally understand it though, because you bring such a great energy, a wealth of knowledge and experience, and just plain fun to your broadcasts.  Looking forward to seeing the "bonus" piece that Lance included.  Also, a shout out to Marcus Wai, who is such a fantabulous member to our comic art community, and so cool that he gifted you that 30th Anniversary special edition reprint Superman 75 comic.  I think this is the longest comment I have ever left.  So let me just end this by offering up my political views on what is currenrtly going on in the world ... Well, maybe I should save those for another comment ...

Lance is a treasure and a hugely talented individual! 

Really cool! I enjoyed the big reveal on your You Tube show.

Gorgeously well done piece by Lance!

Yeah, man, you gotta appreciate the great folks that part of this hobby with us!  We got some shysters ourt there, but the folks on the opposite end far outweigh.  Nice gesture by Lance here, and the pieces is great.  Love that you can clearly tell what they are, so got that realism, but the way he renders is super unique.  Maybe the Mummy and the Wolfman next?!  :)  Congrats, Ruben!

Thanks, Kahlil. You know, I would actually LOVE one with the Mummy and the Wolfman. The problem is that Lance refuses to accept money, so I can't actually commission him! 

Bela, your Lugosi, under the lights
Boris Karloff my eyes
Turn the Ruben up, don't you wanna just
Come along Frankenstein?
Oh, my crosshatch so tight
You can see my art feat in lines
I can take the heat, baby, best believe
That's the Dracula shine

'Cause every shipment shakes and it bends
Don't give a damn
When the Box's here, I don't rip tear
Baby, no chance
I could Lance, I could Lance, I could Lance

Watch me Lance, Lance the lines away
My artwork unboxing, but you won't see him and his face
Watch me Lance, Lance the lines away (uh-huh)
I'll still keep all chatty Ruben, not one cube out of place (place)

That's a great one to celebrate my first post of the year. Thanks, man!

Good call on going public about how to get free art, Ruben, we all appreciate it ;)

More seriously though (and certainly no disrespect intended), this type of story needs to be shared and can hopefully offset the bad ones down the line. A similar one also happened to me as you know, and I too felt uncomfortable not being able to reciprocate on the same level of quality.

(You answered my question about the backgrounds but damn, that's artistic commitment from the talented Mr Suarez).

Thanks for sharing your first piece/story of the year and welcome back, baby ;)

Super piece.  I know its a weird comment, but the detail and effort on the background alone! The Frankenstien nails the original movie!

Thanks, Heidjer. It's actually NOT a weird comment at all. I've often admired pieces for the background work even more than for the foreground. In fact, just two nights ago on my show, I showed a Bart Sears Spider-Man splash and we raved about the work on the buildings in the backgrounds far more than we did about the Spider-Man figure!

Lance is one of the good ones, no question. You know I love tonal pieces, this is certainly no exception!

A month after my father passed in 2008, Lance showed up at my doorstep with a set of Blade Runner pieces that he had drawn and framed for me.  I was so moved by his kindness and generosity that I created a gallery room (in my father's name) for his gift.  It has since grown from the kindness of others, but it all started with Lance.  In terms of hobby friends I've made, there are only two I've known for 40-plus years.  And Lance is one.

That's an amazing and touching show of friendship, Eric. After this experience, I now know I shouldn't be surprised where Lance is concerned, as he's definitely good people. Thanks for sharing this anecdote, I appreciate it!

This is GORGEOUS Ruben!  Congrats!

Wow - WOW!  What a BEAUTIFUL gift!  Is there any better gift to an OA collector than that of art itself?  What could -possibly- be better...?  Easy: something that was hand-crafted and meticulously detailed especially for the individual it was gifted to.  Fantastic!  Dracula looks great, but Frankenstein has always been a personal favorite (is it "too easy" to say he stands head and shoulders above the other movie monsters?) and I love Lance's version here.  And those backgrounds!  Gadzooks!!  What an incredibly kind way of saying thanks and sharing his talent.  That is some amazing work, Lance!  Sincere congrats, Ruben (and I'll second the "well deserved")!

Lance is a fantastic artist and a wonderful friend!  What an amazing piece!  Congratulations, Rubén!

Thanks, Karen. He is indeed a wonderful human being, but then, you know a lot about that. Wonderful recognizes wonderful!

For one who has not lived even a single lifetime, you're a wise man, Ruben.

Thank you, John. But please, no need for formalities. Call me Van Helsing!

Now that is a Graveyard Smash! Love it! Frankenstein is in my house staring at me as we speak. What a cool gift from Lance.

What a meaningful piece.  Lance is a great guy...don't think I am taking any ques from him in terms of the early On Stages I have.  I am not that nice a guy!!  

Trust me, NOBODY thinks you're THAT nice a guy! 😆

love the classic monster series. either profile could have been on the cover to Famous monster of filmland.

Ruben, this is an extremely cool piece. I love the Universal monsters. The wolfman might be my favorite but you can't go wrong with Karloff and Lugosi as their trademark roles. That was very nice of Lance to gift it to you.

Fantastic Ruben!