It ALIVE! with teasers for upcoming projects...

First off is a preview for something new coming from BOOM! studios. There will be a few teasers over the next couple of days before the announcement so stay tuned!

#WhatIsThisPlace

The series debuts in May and is written by James Tynion IV (Batman Eternal, Talon, Red Hood and the Outlaws) and illustrated by Michael Dialynas (Amala's Blade, Spera).

  

    


Plus the TPB of Amala's Blade: Spirits of Naamaron just came out and you might have noticed that there is a Vol.1 on the side so guess what? there more to come of that too!!

I'll be back soon to update the blog on my Adventure Time and TMNT covers and more about this mystery project.

Have a nice day!

Mike.

Here's my NYCC 2013 schedule and things I should remember to do this week!

Hey all! New York Comic-Con is this week and I'm psyched as Hell!

I'll be there and in the trenches of the Artist Alley at table H15 with my buddy Ilias Kyriazis.
With me I'll have a few Amala's Blade prints and some mini-prints featuring TMNT, Thor and Weapon X, I'll also have a few copies of my collection of short stories Trinkets and will be doing sketch commissions :)

So make sure you come on by and say hi! Even more so on Thursday, I'll have candy for all you good people cause its gonna be my Birthday! Woot!

But if you don't find me at the table, then i'll be at one the following places if you are in a rush or passing by.

See you all there!

Thursday
4-5 p.m. Boom! studios (#1344) with Polly Guo signing copies of SPERA vol.3!
Friday
10-11am. Dark Horse (#1636) SCIENCE FICTION COMICS: Ron Randall (Trekker), Michael Dialynas (Amala’s Blade), Ulises Farinas and Erick Freitas (Gamma)
3-4 p.m. Boom! studios (#1344) with Polly Guo signing copies of SPERA vol.3!
Saturday
12-1 p.m. Boom! studios (#1344) with Polly Guo signing copies of SPERA vol.3!
Sunday
10-11am. Dark Horse (#1636) signing copies of Amala's Blade.
4-5 p.m. Boom! studios (#1344) with Polly Guo & Rebecca Mock signing copies of SPERA vol.3!

Commission prices will vary from $25 - $80 for (8.27 × 11.69) & (11.69 × 16.54) sizes.
Prints will vary from $5 - $10

The Marquis.

This is a gift for one of my biggest inspirations in comics! Guy Davis.
A big thanks for being so cool and for making a dream come true when he drew Amala’s Blade’s variant cover.

If you havent read the Marquis then you should! its available from Dark Horse now.

AMALA'S BLADE Fourth cover of the series!

Aaaaand here’s the cover for the 4th issue of Amala’s Blade!

I still havent got used to the fact that they have announced this issue and i’m still drawing the layouts on it! It really puts the pressure on to work faster :P

Amala's Blade #4 
Steve Horton (W) and Michael Dialynas (A/C/Cover)

On sale July 31
FC, 32 pages
$3.50
Miniseries

Master assassin Amala uncovers Prince Markos’ plan to reignite civil war between Modifiers and Purifiers! Can she stem the tides of war? What is the deadly secret her mother carries? And will Amala face her long-lost destiny?

“This is female-led swashbuckling fun for the whole family.”– Comic Book Resources

Here are some of the making of shots of the cover including the inked version and two early sketches.

digital inks

inspiration and final sketch for the cover.

AMALA'S BLADE third cover!

Dark Horse has released some early looks at the comics out in June. Amala's Blade issue 3 is one of them and it was an easy cover to draw!
When Steve sent me the synopsis for that issue (which i am colouring at the moment) the cover just popped and i shouted "That cover is gonna have a Giant Bad-ass Modifier Wurm!"
And it did :)

I had a lot of fun with the design of this Modifier monstrosity and i can say that there are quite a few pages with this beautiful beast. Amala is in over her head!

Mike!

PS
Dont forget you can order our copies of the Amala's Blade series at your local LCS, issue 2 is in this months Solicitations and the zero issue is on shelves, both digital and not!




Amala’s Blade #3 (of 4)
Written by Steve Horton
Art by Michael Dialynas
Cover by Michael Dialynas
On sale June 26

Master assassin Amala makes a startling discovery about her latest target that will change her life forever! And Amala’s day turns full of surprises when she’s thrown into an abandoned subway to face a Modifier monstrosity!

Below are the inks and the layouts.

What did people have to say about AMALA'S BLADE zero issue release?

What a week-
I want to thank all the nice people for the great reviews and the positive support they gave the zero issue of AMALA'S BLADE, I didn't expect this kind of response! You guys really made my week and I look forward to you all reading the mini-series starting in April. We have a lot going on it from Mechanical glowing beasts to Steam-punked cities!

Along with the release of the zero issue we gave two Glow-in-the-Dark posters of Amala in our random give away at our Facebook page. The winners were Owen Watts and Eleni Mosh! Keep Amala's ghostly friends by your bed as a night light :) I was really happy with how that turned out and we plan to do more give-aways before issue 1 is out.

Also did you also know that my mate Josh Tierney's SPERA vol.2 was released on the same day, that also involves high fantasy and young ladies with swords! you should read it! its packed to the brim with talent. I have a short story in this volume and a bigger one in the upcoming volume 3!

Hope you all have a relaxing weekend.
Mike!

Click on the Robot Pirate Monkey for a preview.

"My staff loved it. We sold out immediately."Peter Casazza, Big Planet Comics

"Here’s to hoping this miniseries becomes a full series, because it really deserves it and there are so many directions to go in with the world that Horton and Dialynas have created. So many great stories could be told and there’s so much left that Dialynas could create with his art." ComicBastards.com (5/5)

"Michael Dialynas is about to be your new favorite artist. His style is energetic and unique as he focuses his structure more on flow and action than on pretty pin up poses. His design for Amala instantly brings out the best in what this character is. This is a book that looks like a labor of love with an intricate design and life breathed through every page.""The world of "Amala's Blade" is something new and very exciting... after people read this they will anxiously be awaiting the first proper issue of the series in April. This is female-led swashbuckling fun for the whole family." Comic Book Resources (4/5)

"The art style is pleasing and suits the story, and Amala is set up as an interesting protagonist with a lot of backstory to delve into as the story progresses. The story is quick and engaging, and I look forward to where it goes from here.""Amala’s design is rather refreshing as well. There’s no gratuitous cleavage or ridiculously revealing armor, and the design seems quite practical for an assassin. In fact, part of her design struck me as particularly clever: her sword, which she only uses once she loses her gun over the side of the pirate ship, is tied back to her with a bright blue ribbon so she can yank it back even if it’s knocked out of her hands. Incorporating a somewhat feminine item (a blue ribbon) as a useful and visually appealing trait? Color me pleased." RedShirtCrew.com (Recommended)

"Amala’s Blade ... has a sense of fun about it that could be a bit infectious as it progresses." FandomPost.com (B-)

"Dialynas’ artwork is an evocative mix of Becky Cloonan and Guy Davis, deftly combining elements of manga and European comics to create fluid visuals in a beautifully detailed environment. A steampunk pirate adventure with a supernatural twist, Amala’s Blade has a lot of potential, and its creators deliver on the promise of their concept." AVClub.com

"Weird steam-punky world, cyborg pirates, and a female assassin plagued with the constant nattering of four ghosts from her past. Amala’s Blade is a bit out there, but inventiveness will win over fans faster than you can say Michael Dialynas." ReadComicBooks.net (7/10)

"Between Horton’s personable writing and Dialynas’s action scenes there’s plenty of talent, and who doesn’t like the idea of an assassin who takes control of a pirate ship?" FrontTowardsGamer.com (7/10)

"...the real draw of the comic is the character and the world itself. The antagonists are pirates-meets-steam/cyberpunk and the protagonist is an overconfident and charmingly arrogant swordster, all rendered in the chaotically cartoonish style of artist Michael Dialynas." DarlingDork.com

"This is a thing that you’re all going to love... Check it out this week!" Comics! The Blog

"The color scheme works well for the scene – a dark night above a ship out at sea. All in all, not a bad beginning to a story line I won’t mind following as it progresses: I mean, who wouldn’t want to read about a female assassin?!" Mighty Ink Comics (4/5)

"The Vizier remains mysterious, there's a fabled war between the Modifiers and the Purifiers that bears exploring and Amala's contact with the ghosts is haunting. Horton and Dialynas have created something pretty cool though and is worth checking out." OmniComic.com

"Solid story, solid art. And in my book, that’s things a win. I’m really looking forward to Amala’s Blade #1 to find out where Amala is headed next. I give it 4/5 skull and crossbones." Rockin Comics

"I like fresh new energized comics and this one published by Dark Horse Comics fits that bill... Easy to read, full of energy and definitely has enough appeal to keep me reading." Renderwrx Productions

"Dialynas’ art is intense, full of scratchiness and motion in the panels." "Amala’s Blade #0 kicks off an interesting property. Horton and Dialynas have created something pretty cool though and is worth checking out."  The Nerd Machine

"Role Call: Pirate ship. Sword fights. Gritty fantasy steampunk. Crazy heroine who talks aloud to ghosts/herself. Great art. Fresh approaches." Shelf64

"Basically, if you like pirates, ghosts and butt-kicking, smarmy protagonists with a sense of humour that’s lethally sharp, go get your hands on a copy of Amala’s Blade right now." Comics Over Innsmouth

AMALA'S BLADE second cover!

First looks are out today with the covers of Dark Horse's May 2013 releases and amoung them is the second issue of Amala's Blade! This is one of my favorite covers, showing Amala in a heads on look and her supporting cast of ghosts :)

Amala's Blade #2 
Steve Horton (W) and Michael Dialynas (A/C/Cover)
Master assassin Amala targets the royal figurehead of the low-tech Purifiers. Standing in Amala's way? Twin blademasters. Annoying ghosts. Hallucinogenic poison. And a secret from Amala's past too unhinged to be believed . . . even by Amala!

• Debuted in the award-winning Dark Horse Presents.

“Striking visuals.” —Thirteen Minutes

32 pages, $3.50, in stores on May 24.

Here are some of the making of shots of the cover including the inked version and two early sketches.

Initial cover sketches.

The final inked cover before colouring.

AMALA'S BLADE promo poster

Here's the promotional poster that i'll be printing on Monday and giving out to my local comic shops here in Greece. The zero issue is out in 24 days and this month you can order your copies of issue1 from the PREVIEWS (page 54, FEB130028)

Cant wait!

AMALA'S BLADE first issue covers.

Here's a first peek at the new series of AMALA'S BLADE published by Dark Horse, it'll be in February's Solicitations, the same month the zero issue lands in your local comic shops!
I'm super excited about this and cant wait for you all to read it :)

PS
Its no secret that i am a Guy Davis Super fan and i have literally everything he's drawn and now he's made my dream come true and drew the variant cover for the first issue! :

For more info about the series and upcoming news please Like our FB page for Amala's Blade. 

 Amala’s Blade #1

Written by Steve Horton
Art by Michael Dialynas
Covers by Michael Dialynas, Guy Davis (Variant)
On sale April 24, 2013

The kingdom of Naamaron is bitterly divided into warring factions: the low-tech Purifiers and the high-tech Modifiers. Both fear the great vizier’s deadliest assassin, Amala. But for all her lethal skills, Amala’s drawing too much attention for the vizier’s taste. So what better way to deal with a troublesome cutthroat than to send her on a suicide mission?

             

Inks for the cover, a few extra objects where added to the final explosion.

Newsarama interview about Amala's Blade

Steve and I gave an interview to Newsarama's Zack Smith about the upcoming Amala's Blade series from Dark Horse Comics coming in 2013.

http://www.newsarama.com/comics/amalas-blade-dark-horse-pirate-girl-comic.html

"You killed my Robot Pirate Monkey, prepare to die!"

We've also made a FB page where we will post updates and sneak peeks in the coming months before the release.

AMALA'S BLADE #0 Solicitation

Heads up! In the December PREVIEWS you may find the solicitation for AMALA’S BLADE #0. 32 pages that include the story “Skull & Crossbows” and a preview of the series to debute in April by Dark Horse Comics.

“AMALA’S BLADE #0 

Steve Horton (W) and Michael Dialynas (A/Cover)

A behemoth pirate ship is captained by a pirate with a fat price on his head. And out for that head is Amala, Naamaron’s greatest swordfighter (according to Amala). The odds are against her, but that’s the fun … if only the ghosts of Amala’s past would shut up and get out of the way!

32 page, $3.50, in stores on Feb. 27.”

For more info about the series and upcoming news please Like our FB page for Amala’s Blade.

https://www.facebook.com/AmalasBlade

AMALA'S BLADE zero issue and series coming 2013.

Cats out of the bag! Amala's Blade is going to be a mini-series! Kicking off with a collection of the DHP story as a zero issue and the first issue of the series to be released in April 2013!

AMALA'S BLADE is written by Steve Horton and drawn by me!
Head over to ComicAlliance to see the full preview!

As self-described obnoxiously huge fan of comics about badasses slaying pirates in fantasy realms replete with ghosts (I promise, I've described myself precisely that way at least twice), I was pretty stoked to see Dark Horse Comics would be kicking off a new ongoing Amala's Blade series by recollecting the initial AB shorts by Steve Horton and artist Michael Dialynas that ran in Dark Horse Presents earlier this year. Set for a February 27 release, Amala's Blade #0 will collect these DHP contents into one complete 24-page story, plus pack in a preview of Amala's continued adventures, which kick off in April. If you haven't sampled the story in DHP yet, now's a solid time to see why it scratches my itch for high adventure on the high seas with kinetic and vividly-colored art.

From Dark Horse Comics' official solicitation info:

A behemoth pirate ship is captained by a pirate with a fat price on his head. And out for that head is Amala, Naamaron's greatest swordfighter (according to Amala). The odds are against her, but that's the fun . . . if only the ghosts of Amala's past would shut up and get out of the way!

You can read the first four pages from Amala's Blade #0 below.

Read More: http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/11/07/amalas-blade-0-preview/#ixzz2BdBBDrxF

In other news, in between drawing issues for Amala's Blade i've been drawing commissions for the lovely people who helped me out last month to replace my burnt graphic card.
I've been posting them regularly on my Tumblr account through Instagram.

AMALA'S BLADE part Three in DARK HORSE PRESENTS #11

Dark Horse presents #11 is out next Wednesday!

And amongst all the awesome comics, like Francesco Francavilla's The Black Beetle, John Arcudi's The Creep and Steve Niles's Criminal Macabre, is the Final chapter of Amala's Blade: Skull & Crossbows!

You can see some of the previews pages here.

PS

The Amala's Blade, Glow in the Dark print "The Ghostly Babbles" is still available!

Check out this video, shot by Sergios Kotsovolos.

PREORDER AMALA'S BLADE Print with Glow-in-the-Dark Ghosts!

AMALA'S BLADE "Ghostly Babbles" Print
with Glow-in-the-Dark ghosts!  LIMITED PRINT OF 50!

Hey all, i am proud to announce this little print i made and will be selling
this weekend at the Comicdom Con Athens.


This is a 19" x 13" print in the making, based on AMALA'S BLADE,
a comic co-created by Steve Horton and myself.
And recently featured in the comic anthology
Dark Horse Presents issues 9,10 & 11.


This is a pre-order for a Limited edition of 50 copies,
High Quality Giclee print on radiant white Iridescent paper
with an extra layer of Glow-in-the-dark ink printed
on the ghostly figures, by my buddy, Tind.
with his exceptional Silkscreening abilities.










Order now until Friday, 30th of April
and GET 15% off the Final Price of 35euros.
All copies are signed and stamped with love :)


Stay Tuned to my blog or my Facebook Page for updates and photos.


YOU MAY PREORDER HERE AT MY BIGCARTEL STORE.

AMALA'S BLADE part two in DARK HORSE PRESENTS #10

Dark Horse Presents #10 is out this Thursday!

Follow the continuation of AMALA'S BLADE: Skull & Crossbows!

written by Steve Horton and with Art by Michael Dialynas.

The swords have been drawn.

Abe Sapien and the Flaming Apparition.

Some late night sketching took over me after putting some new pages to rest.i played with "cleaner" inks and colours that i usually do and i am pretty satisfied :)between Abe and Roger i cant tell who is my favorite from BPRD.

Dark Horse Presents #9 is out today!

The Tale of AMALA'S BLADE: Skull & Crossbows has begun!
and will continue for the next 2 issues.
Written by Steve Horton
Art by yours truely
and Edited by Chris Warner

i'm really happy this is out and cant wait to get my mitts on a copy!
Plus we've had some nice comments in reviews!


ComicBastards
"I rather enjoyed it and would definitely read the next chapter"

ThirteenMinutes
"I enjoyed the striking visuals of the slightly steampunky pirate maybe-kid-friendly female protagonist adventure of Amala’s Blade"

@SQReview
"Thought it was really fun. I was intrigued by the supernatural element, the design, and I'd love to read more"

Horror Haven Reviews
"...The two big standouts in #9 are Amala’s Blade: Skull & Crossbows and Alabaster: Wolves."

GoodComics@CBR
"A new story about a girl infiltrating a pirate ship and running into trouble, wonderfully drawn by Dialynas;"

So visit your Local Comic Shop or you can find Digital versions of the issue over here: https://digital.darkhorse.com/profile/1816.dark-horse-presents-9/

UPDATED with new reviews :)

ROBOT 6 interview about Amala’s Blade

Hey people, here's an update about Amala's Blade for Dark Horse Presents.
Click below to read the interview me & Steve Horton gave to Robot6's Brigid Alverson
Amala’s Blade: Steampunk, pirates, and the Dalai Lama 


ps there's quite a bit of concept art too!

AMALA'S BLADE process gif.

Thought to post this little "Making of" of the Amala's Blade Promo that went up a couple of days ago.
These new found gif-making skills are coming in handy :)

Can you spot the differences between stages?

DARK HORSE PRESENTS: AMALA'S BLADE IN FEBRUARY 2012!

Looks like the project i've been working on the last months has finally been announced!
here you have AMALA'S BLADE, with words by Steve Horton & art by me!

Cant wait for you all to this comic full of Steam-punk assassins and Cyborg-pirates!

Dark Horse Comics is proud to announce a brand new three-part story from Steve Horton (DC Holiday Special, Superman 80-Page Giant) and Michael Dialynas (Popgun, Trinkets) appearing in Dark Horse Presents #9 – Amala’s Blade.

Amala was once chosen as a child to be the spiritual leader for her country, to unite the Purifiers and Modifiers and prevent war. She fled into the night. Twenty years of war later, she makes a living as an assassin, but her past is ever ready to catch up to her. Aboard a massive pirate ship, Amala stalks the fearsome pirate captain Cha'Kooh ... but the voices in her head, manifesting as ghosts, keep getting in the way!

Amala’s Blade will be featured in issues #9, #10 & #11 of Dark Horse Presents.

"Amala’s Blade is the steam punk-with-swords epic that I've been dying to tell," says Steve Horton, writer and letterer. "Thanks to the extraordinary and talented artist Michael Dialynas, we've brought Amala to life. Thanks to Dark Horse Comics, we've found an amazing and supportive publisher for our three-issue run in Dark Horse Presents. This story has heart, sword fighting, sarcasm, revenge, pirates, technologically modified villains, a girl steam punk heroine, and a robotic pirate monkey. What more do you need?" says Horton.

Dark Horse Presents #9 is out February 22^nd, 2012!