4.20.11-Doctor Who: Fairytale Life

Out this Wednesday is the first issue of Doctor Who: A Fairytale Life written by Matt Sturges (Jack of Fables) and artwork provided by me. Above is a double-page spread from the issue with inks by Brian Shearer and amazing colors by Rachelle Rosenberg. To see more preview pages go here.

I’ll also be attending several conventions this year. First up is TimeGate (May 27 -May 29), followed by HeroesCon (June 3 - June 5), San Diego Comic Con (July 21 - July 24) and then Baltimore (August 20 - August 21). I’m working on a few other shows which I will post as soon as I have plans.

11.25.10-Happy Thanksgiving!

Click to enlarge.

Call me slack, but I noticed I haven’t updated this website in almost a year! I suppose that’s okay since I’ve been busy working on some cool material during that time. Some I can talk about, some I can’t. If you want to check out a little more regular art posts then go to my DeviantArt page (link). Mentally, it just seems a little easier to update that page for some reason.

One of the pieces I can talk about is the variant cover I did for the new ongoing Doctor Who #1, due out in January. It was fun to work on and I think it shows, but, boy did it take a while to get a handle on the new interior design of the TARDIS. I’m also illustrating a brand new Doctor Who 4-issue mini-series for IDW that’s shaping up to be pretty awesome. It hasn’t been solicitated yet so I can’t say too much, but if you’d like to see a few more Doctor Who pieces check out the links below.

Issue #5 of Amber Atoms was digitally released yesterday through Comixology. Yeah!!! If you don’t happen to have a snazzy iPad or iPhone to read it on yet, that’s okay because you can read the first issue for free on their website (link). You may have to set-up a username/password, but it’s definitely worth the time because you’ll find a treasure trove of cool books.

I’ve also been attending a lot of conventions this year and looking forward to setting up my schedule for next. All the shows are unique and fun in there on way, but it’s tough to top the worst and the best show I’ve probably ever had, the 2010 San Diego Comic Con! The Worst, I had 7 pages of Doctor Who art stolen from me and I’m still not sure how that happened. The Best, I got the have dinner with master artist Iain McCaig (much thanks to JJ!).

On a sad note, my grandfather, recently passed away at 93-years old. I was very special to me and a big influence on who I am today. Anyway, I thought I would share one of the poems he wrote for me because he appreciated my passion for comic books. Enjoy!

When I was a young boy growing up on the farm
I had to hide my funny books way out in the barn
My Dad said they were the Devil's work, not fit for man or beast
So when I finished with them I fed them to the sheep

Written by Paul D. Gladson    7/10/92

Click to enlarge.

10.19.09-Queen Amidala
This is a commission piece that I rendered with markers, color pencils and ink. I enjoyed working on this so much, that I'm even thinking about opening my schedule up for commissions.

10.15.09-Amber Atoms on Comixology
I'm excited to announce that starting today, you will be able to download Amber Atoms to your preferred handheld mobile device from the iTunes store. What's really cool is you can download the first issue for FREE through the Comixology app. After that it's only 99¢ an issue. So get your digital copy and enjoy the adventure!

9.28.09-Baltimore Comic Con
Fall is finally here and I think a great way to kick it off is by attending one of my favorite shows, the Baltimore Comic Con (Oct 10-11). I'm not sure where I'll be set-up, but if you're there drop by and visit. I'll have original artwork for sell and I'll also be working on sketches. Speaking of original artwork, I have updated my SHOP section with available artwork and will continue to expand over the next few weeks.

Well, I guess it's not an update unless I talk about Amber Atoms. I have just about finished illustrating the entire fifth issue. Check out the cover and an interior page below (click to enlarge). Also, for all you cool kids (and adults) out there who prefer reading their comics on an iPhone, Amber Atoms will be joining the Comixology family of products on iTunes. I don't have an official release date yet since the files are being converted, but when it hits I'll let you know.

Also, I do have some availability in my schedule so if you're interested in having me work on a project please feel free to contact me and we can talk further. As much as I love comics, I also have a graphic art background that I can apply to a wide variety of projects. GRAPHIC DESIGN

6.10.09-Double the fun!
Doctor Who: Autopia written by John Ostrander, illustrated by me and colors by Kris Carter, hits comic book stands today! I had a great time working on this issue and I think it shows. If your not able to pick up a copy this week that's OK, Amber Atoms #4 comes out the next so you can just get them both then. Right? I'm hard at work on issue #5 of Amber and hope to show a few pages soon.

It's convention season again and the next show up is HeroesCon in Charlotte, NC (June 19-21). If your interested in a sketch please contact me before the show or look for me in the program guide, since I'll only be there Friday and Saturday this year. Following HeroesCon will be San Diego Comic Con (July 22-26). I'm not sure if I'll be setting up yet, but I'll keep you informed. Hope to see ya'll there!

3.25.09-Amber Atoms #2 hits stands!
Issue #2 will be out today. I will be signing at Ssalefish Comics in Winston-Salem, NC from 4:30 to 7:30. m 4:30 to 7:3

2.18.09-Amber Atoms Blasts Off!
The premiere issue of my creator-owned book, Amber Atoms, hits shelves today! For those who live in the Greensboro, NC area, I’ll be signing at Acme Comics from 4pm-7pm today. So come visit and pick up your copy. If your not able to make it you can pick up a signed copy at Parts Unknown or wait until next month when I’ll be signing at Ssalefish Comics in Winston-Salem, NC. Thanks for your support and enjoy a peek at next month's cover...

I recently returned from the New York Comic Con where I set-up with my Tsunami Studio mates: Robert Atkins, Steve Bird and Brian Shearer. We had a great time at the con despite a bad location. A few highlights from the show was getting to meet the 6th incarnation of the Doctor from the British tv show Doctor Who, Colin Baker! (pictured below) Hanging out with my pals Todd Dezago, Craig Rousseau, Scott Weinstein and new friends Leanne and Rod Hannah. I owe many thanks to super cool guy Scott for the tickets to Saturday Night Live. Check out his book After-School Agent when you get a chance. Next show, MegaCon!

Speaking of Doctor Who, I forgot to post that I worked on 2 issues of Doctor Who: The Forgotten written by the very talented Tony Lee. I’m glad I got the opportunity to work on the project although I have to admit I too wanted to see Pia Guerra draw the whole series. Issue 4 was great to work on, but issue 6 was a little tougher. I drew half the issue in front of the computer because there was so much to reference and everything- pencils, inks and colors had to be done in 3 weeks. Crazy, but deadlines are deadlines..

And last, but definitely not least is a project I did for Simon & Schuster last year. I was asked to work on 14 illustrations for Christopher Krovatin’s teen novel, Venomous! It was an awesome experience and I’m not 100% sure, but I believe it won its’ first award. Congrats, Christopher!!!

11.20.08-Press Release - Kelly Yates' Amber Atoms lands at Image this February!

20 November 2008 (Berkeley, CA) - This February, after exploring the worlds of TELLOS, DOCTOR WHO, GREEN ARROW and JLA/JSA, artist Kelly Yates kicks off his very own ongoing sci-fi adventure series, AMBER ATOMS!

"AMBER ATOMS comes from a deep rooted love of space faring sci-fi adventures, like STAR WARS and its own inspiration, the 1930s Flash Gordon serials," said Yates. "Each issue fires off at as fast a clip as possible, with cliffhangers at every turn while still maintaining my favorite part of the book - Amber herself. A good sci-fi story is held together by the human perspective and Amber's certainly the series' heart."

AMBER ATOMS' life on planet Madisomme is far from the exciting one she always dreamed of. Yet when mercenaries and aliens suddenly invade Amber’s home she quickly learns her dreams may give her more than she bargained for, especially when a family secret could doom an entire galaxy. Yates' unique take on the sci-fi world has already caught the attention of many of the industry's own, including SAVAGE DRAGON creator and Image Founder Erik Larsen.

Larsen commented, "AMBER ATOMS represents an artist finally pursuing his passions after a long time spent in other people's sandboxes. I couldn't be more impressed by what Kelly's accomplishing here and look forward to reading AMBER ATOMS for years to come."

AMBER ATOMS #1, a 32-page full color comic book for $3.50, will be in stores February 18th.

Image Comics is a comics and graphic novels publisher formed in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists. Since that time, Image has gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. There are currently five partners in Image Comics (Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino), and Image is currently divided into four major houses (Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, and Image Central). Image comics and graphic novels cover nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable, offering science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor, and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. Visit www.imagecomics.com