The last of my residual SuperCon purchases. It’s funny, I think I actually picked up more stuff AFTER the show than I did AT the show! LOL!

Anyway, I first discovered Jonathan Wayshak’s work in the back seat of a rented Toyota. Hmm, that sounds a bit sordid and scandalous, so I guess I better explain.

While driving home from SDCC 2008 with my buddies Jonathan and Joel Mueller, I kept hearing Jon oohing and aahing about something, so I asked him what he was looking at. He told me it was a “sketchbook” he picked up from some guy in Artists Alley with some really unbelievable work in it. Of course I had to check it out too and what I saw was just phenomenal. The work was dark, disturbing, intense, and extreme all at once. But all of it BRILLIANT! The quality of linework was just out of this world good and I had never seen anything like it.

Of course the first thing I asked Jon was if the guy had any of this stuff for sale, but he told me that the guy didn’t really sell his stuff. Usually at this point, I just dismiss the whole matter, as I don’t really like to waste my time looking at stuff I can’t get my hands on. But there was just something about this guy’s work that I just couldn’t take my eyes off.

Fast forward to SuperCon 2009 and one of the best shows I never spent any money at! LOL! Some of you may have already read my posting about what a great time I had just meeting up with friends and hanging out at the show. Didn’t pick up much artwise, but did connect with two local artists. The first was inker Mick Gray, who I got my Bermejo JOKER pages from and who (upon finding out he was local) I subsequently invited to the house to look at artwork. The second was none other than Jonathan Wayshak himself. The very same guy who’s work I drooled over in the back seat of that Toyota on the long drive home from SD.

In talking to Jonathan at the show, I was surprised to learn that he too was a local guy, and that we admired many of the same artists. I offered to bring him some photocopies the next day, but alas he had to leave the show before I returned. But even more surprising was that Jon contacted me about a week after and told me how much he regretted not being able to continue our conversation (and of course pick up his copies). Naturally I saw that as the perfect opportunity to invite him over to the house. The third and best surprise was that Jon also offered to bring a couple of pieces that he considered selling. Wow! At first, I was hoping that it would be something from that book I loved so much. But even though it wasn’t, I was still blown away by what I saw.

So this is that piece. According to Jon, it’s a pinup he did for a book called Gutwrencher. Not familiar with it at all, and I honestly don’t know if it’s even out yet. In any case, I absolutely LOVE this image! It’s just so beautifully horrific and possessing of all the elements that initially drew me to his work. What’s amusing to me about all this is, if you’ve ever met or seen Jon, he’s this baby-faced laid back guy who’s as nice as they come. Yet he’s capable of producing these disturbingly dark images. LOL!

Jonathan does have a CAF gallery, and you can also find him and more of his work at Scrapbookmanifesto.com. Check it out and see if you can keep from drooling yourself. THANKS JON! I hope to have you back out to the house again soon, and I hope I can talk you out of more artwork in the future! Heh-heh!

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