Monday, September 12, 2016

2014 The Master Gardener of Mars Comicpalooza Jam Sketch Detail by James Ferry



The Master Gardener of Mars is a Natural Martian horticulturalist and survivor of H'ronmeer's Plague who masqueraded as the Father-God of the Lizard Men, with whom he briefly conquered much of Earth in the late 1950s. He was defeated by Martian Manhunter and is believed dead.

So I had Cody Schibi start a jam commission series featuring one of the emanations from the Diabolu Idol-Head, it turned out great, and frankly, it was a tough act to follow. I wanted to gather some atypical artists who could do the weird world of late Silver Age Martian Manhunter monsters of the month justice, and eventually stumbled upon James Ferry. I liked the strong European and Japanese influences in his work, and thought he would be a good match with the contemplative Master Gardener. I enjoy the craggy and almost crystalline quality of the figure, coupled with the fluid fancy of the shapeshifting fingers. I think it complemented the first entry very well, and raised the bar that much more for the artists that followed. I've picked up a couple more pieces from Ferry since this one and look forward to showcasing them, but this week is focused on B'rett and other outlaws native to the Red Planet, and only one of those two applies...

James Ferry

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