Moth Man - Mark Bagley

Yup, I scored a Mark Bagley commission.




(Hold on a minute; I've got to pick myself off the ground -still not entirely used to this.)




(There we are.)




All right, Mark Bagley was the first artist I admired when I initially got into comics (ASM #389). He was the first artist I bothered to remember the name of, which I guess should count for something when you're 12 years old and new comics just magically appear at the (then) spinning rack every month (no weeklies here -nosiree). So, it’s no understatement to say he’s left a… mark (heheheh) and has been an influence on me for the choice of my career, which makes the idea that I've actually a piece drawn by him, FOR me (even if it's not Spidey himself) 15 years later is somewhat mind boggling.


So, why Moth Man; a crazy alcoholic who ends up in a insane asylum (and hardly even appears in Watchmen, except for a few panels here and there)? Why not Mark's claim-to-fame when I finally get the chance for a commission; why not Spider-Man? Easy (although my explanation might not be enough for you, but it's all I have); just as I knew George Perez would do an incredible job with Dollar Bill (please check it out, also in this gallery), I knew that Mark Bagley would do an amazing job with Moth Man. I knew he'd capture persona and the tongue-in-cheek design of the costume and still make it look 'believable'. I mean, after so many years drawing Spidey and his villains, how could you not? So, while you'd be forgiven for thinking this is a wasted opportunity for a great commission (read 'known character commission') I say it's anything BUT. Not wasted at all.

(Plus, I can pretty much GUARANTEE you that I'm the only one who's got a Moth Man piece by Mark Bagley, how many can say that of Spidey? ;))





I don't quite know how to begin with the 'thank yous' for this. Well, obviously they go to Mark Bagley himself, and maybe even more-so to his art representative, Spencer Beck, but to actually formulate the 'thank yous' into words that cover my excitement over this piece, that's a different story entirely. That's not to say, though, that I'm not going to try. So...


Mark; I know you've got an incredible work load to deal with on a daily basis, so my utmost gratitude to you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to draw this (especially considering the circumstances). You outdid my expectations, and I'm nothing short of floored.


Spencer; words cannot describe my admiration for you in going above and beyond of what's required of you in your job; you have my deepest gratitude, and it's easy to see why you are "the artist's choice".


Again, thank you, both.