"Batman Day 2022" Batman & the Joker by Mike Lily & Bob Almond: Blueline Commission/Exclusive Print

Art partner Mike Lilly & I had been paid to render art together for legendary comic shop That's Entertainment in Worcestor, MA for the annual Batman Day store signing event 2 previous times as posted in my commissions CAF gallery here: For July 7, 2018 we completed the Batman/Catwoman Wedding art on June 24, 2018 and the next one with the Gotham Sirens took place on September 21, 2019 which I inked just before by 9/12/19. I started attending the event with Mike in 2019 but the Covid pandemic meant there was a 3 year rescheduling until Batman Day September 17, 2022.

For that occasion Mike came up with the concept of reinterpreting Neal Adams iconic cover to Batman 251 (1973) as a tribute to him because he had recently passed away April 28 of that year at the age of 80. I used everything to ink that beauty, Kuretakes, Pitt brush, Copic markers, dry brush and some small X-acto scrapings. It was executed on 11"x17" Kubert 2-ply Strathmore board in blueline on September 9, 2022, eight days prior to the signing event. Unlike the previous two dates, Mike presented the store b&w art for their complimentary print whereas previously Mike's color artist David Ocampo did colored versions to giveaway. But for our show tours Mike had David do a color version soon after.

For the Record: 19th Batman, 6th Joker, 12th Lilly commish

***FOR SALE: THE 11x17 OA SIGNED BY BOB ADDITIONALLY COMES WITH THE EXCLUSIVE 11x17 B&W PRINT SIGNED BY BOTH MIKE & BOB, THE 13x19 COLOR PRINT SIGNED BY BOB and the copy of the pencils.***