Winston Blakely
Encyclopedia
Winston Blakely is a fine arts/comic book artist and former art teacher who was born in the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn
, New York
. As a former schoolteacher, Mr.Blakely has taught art appreciation to many inner city children. He worked with Jackie Robinson Center's students to achieve 1st Prize in a City Wide Art Contest. Mr. Blakely has also lectured at Four Towns College on comic book history, pop culture, showing the relationship between Mythology, Religion and superheroes. His primary artistic influences include fantasy illustrators Frank Frazetta, Richard Corben and Fine Arts greats, such as Salvador Dalí, Romere Bearden and Jacob Lawrence. The great comic book artists of Marvel Comic's heyday are also a part of this dedicated artist's growth, such as Jack (King) Kirby, Steve Ditko, Wally Wood and Jim Starlin, Alex Toth and Gray Morrow. In 1993, Mr. Blakely was taken up to Voyager Communications by Comic Artist Yvel Guichet, where he got a job as a house inker for Valiant Comics
in 1993. His inks are on such comics titles, like Eternal Warrior,Hard Corps, BloodShot and Solar, Man of the Atom. After the Valiant stint, he later did assignments for Visage Studios, working under the legendary Rich Buckler
. This led to many Comic Conventions tours outside of New York City, like the Heroes Con in Charlotte, North Carolina, the ever popular Chicago Con and the fantastic Dragon Con in Atlanta,Georgia. One of Visage Studios' members, introduced him to the publisher of Millennium Publications
, who was looking for a creator owned project featuring a female superhero. And thus Little Miss Strange was born. Teaming up with Luis Sierra,he created the realm of the world's first Black Alien Sorceress. It has gathered a small cult following in the New York City area and at the Big Apple Comic Book Shows. During the first Madison Square Garden comic show, he met the lovely Nicole Bowen who became the live embodiment of the Mistress of Magic, known as Little Miss Strange. In addition to his work on the Sorceress of Satu, Mr.Blakely has also produced his own sci-fi character, Pozitron, the black cosmic hero who can be found in the anthology called, Immortal Fantasy which features an introduction by Charles R.Saunders, creator of Imaro.Immortal Fantasy and Little Miss Strange are available at Amazon.com
.
In between working on storyboards for small independent films and illustrating children’s books, his current and upcoming projects
include Vigilance and Midnight Phantom by Creative Elemantz Studios written by Jemir Johnson, both featuring art by Blakely. His
current Fine Arts Exhibition was sponsored by Reconstruct Art, Jamaica Development Center, Purpose Lounge and Chashama. A group
of collective artists working and living in Jamaica, Queens.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. As a former schoolteacher, Mr.Blakely has taught art appreciation to many inner city children. He worked with Jackie Robinson Center's students to achieve 1st Prize in a City Wide Art Contest. Mr. Blakely has also lectured at Four Towns College on comic book history, pop culture, showing the relationship between Mythology, Religion and superheroes. His primary artistic influences include fantasy illustrators Frank Frazetta, Richard Corben and Fine Arts greats, such as Salvador Dalí, Romere Bearden and Jacob Lawrence. The great comic book artists of Marvel Comic's heyday are also a part of this dedicated artist's growth, such as Jack (King) Kirby, Steve Ditko, Wally Wood and Jim Starlin, Alex Toth and Gray Morrow. In 1993, Mr. Blakely was taken up to Voyager Communications by Comic Artist Yvel Guichet, where he got a job as a house inker for Valiant Comics
Valiant Comics
Valiant Comics is a comic book imprint published by various publishers since its inception with Voyager Communications, Inc. in 1989, later Acclaim Comics, Inc. Its assets were purchased from the bankruptcy of the Acclaim Entertaintment by Valiant Entertainment, Inc. in 2007.-Voyager...
in 1993. His inks are on such comics titles, like Eternal Warrior,Hard Corps, BloodShot and Solar, Man of the Atom. After the Valiant stint, he later did assignments for Visage Studios, working under the legendary Rich Buckler
Rich Buckler
Rich Buckler is an American comic book artist and penciller, best known for his work on Marvel Comics' The Fantastic Four in the mid-1970s and, with writer Doug Moench, co-creating the character Deathlok in Astonishing Tales #25...
. This led to many Comic Conventions tours outside of New York City, like the Heroes Con in Charlotte, North Carolina, the ever popular Chicago Con and the fantastic Dragon Con in Atlanta,Georgia. One of Visage Studios' members, introduced him to the publisher of Millennium Publications
Millennium Publications
Millennium Productions was an American independent comic book publishing company founded by Mark Ellis, Melissa Martin and Paul Davis. Initially known as a publisher of licensed properties, Millennium adapted works by Arthur Conan Doyle, Lester Dent, Frank Frazetta, Robert E. Howard, Harlan...
, who was looking for a creator owned project featuring a female superhero. And thus Little Miss Strange was born. Teaming up with Luis Sierra,he created the realm of the world's first Black Alien Sorceress. It has gathered a small cult following in the New York City area and at the Big Apple Comic Book Shows. During the first Madison Square Garden comic show, he met the lovely Nicole Bowen who became the live embodiment of the Mistress of Magic, known as Little Miss Strange. In addition to his work on the Sorceress of Satu, Mr.Blakely has also produced his own sci-fi character, Pozitron, the black cosmic hero who can be found in the anthology called, Immortal Fantasy which features an introduction by Charles R.Saunders, creator of Imaro.Immortal Fantasy and Little Miss Strange are available at Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
.
In between working on storyboards for small independent films and illustrating children’s books, his current and upcoming projects
include Vigilance and Midnight Phantom by Creative Elemantz Studios written by Jemir Johnson, both featuring art by Blakely. His
current Fine Arts Exhibition was sponsored by Reconstruct Art, Jamaica Development Center, Purpose Lounge and Chashama. A group
of collective artists working and living in Jamaica, Queens.
Accomplishments
- Created pre-production storyboards for motion pictures and drew backgrounds for Fleer/Skybox Trading Cards.
- Co-published and creator of self owned project with Millennium Publications.
- Taught artists layout and design for comic book illustration.
- Has done artwork in Photoshop for computer coloring and lettering in Illustrator.
- Illustrator for Kansas City newspaper called The Pitch.
- Currently self-published online at Amazon.com with original characters featured in Immortal Fantasy and Little Miss Strange.
Fine Arts Exhibitions
- Strange Worlds/Inspirations Art Show - Jamaica,Queens- 2010
- Focal Point Gallery, City Island Ave, Bronx, New York- 2003
- Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Plaza, Brooklyn, New York - 1985
- African Street Festival, Brooklyn, New York - 1986,1987
- Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building, Harlem, New York - 1979
Winston Blakely - Chronological Comic Listing
- December 1993: Eternal Warrior (1992) #17 - 'Blood Money'
- January 1994: Darque Passages (1994) #1 - 'Darque Passages'; Eternal Warrior (1992) #18 - 'Black Desert Rose'
- February 1994: Eternal Warrior (1992) #19 - 'Desert Mirage'
- November 1994: Solar, Man of the Atom (1991) #38 - 'A Distant Call'
- 1996: Black Lace Fantasies (1996) #2 - 'The CFD Book of Lingerie'
- February 1996: Girls of '95: Good, Bad and Deadly (1996) #1
- May 1996: Nightcry (1996) #6 - 'nightcry'; Nightcry (1996) #6Lt.Ed.
- August 1997: Shadowflame (1996) #4 - 'Shadowflame'; Shadowflame (1996) #4 (Variant Cover)
- October 1997: Little Miss Strange (1997) #1
- November 1997: Vixens 1997 (1997) #1
- June 1998: Vamperotica Presents Countess Vladimira (1998) #1
- January 2003: Foreshadow (2003) #1 - 'Foreshadow'
- 2007: 5 Shots (2007) #1
- January 2007: Foreshadow-Full Speed (2007) #1
- Winston Blakely has done freelance work for Swank Magazine and Red Distribution records.