This is the black and white line illustration for The Punisher 36.
I thought people would like a look at strictly the line work which you can compare alongside the full color version that is viewable here in this album.
Castle stands tall, hands behind head. Trapped in the sights of a massive number of SWAT personnel. Outnumbered and outgunned but never outdone. It's that faintest trace of a smile that tells us the Punisher may yet have some surprises left up his sleeves.
Just another day at the office for Frank Castle.
I illustrated this one a few months after working on the movie posters for the Punisher film. That's actually Tom Jane standing in for my regular model Tom O'Brien.
This is about the LAST thing a mafia thug wants to see when he finishes his business in the little boy's room. Note the tribute to my editor Axel Alonso on the soap dispenser.
The Punisher smashes through some Soviet plate glass with his twin Desert Eagles on rock and roll.
The Punisher stands like a Tiger waiting to strike, superimposed over the gravestone of his murdered family in this grim character study of a hollow man.
I wanted to do a very simple composition using a lot of white. It needed to be dynamic and have a lot of suggested movement. I just like how The Punisher pops off this cover.
Simple and direct.
The full color cover to issue 36 of the Marvel Knights edition of The Punisher.
This is a detail shot of an upcoming cover I cannot fully reveal yet (though that comment will be irrelevant in a few weeks). I just couldn't help giving you good folks a peek.
Punisher MAX 36 is the last issue of the Barracuda arc. More soon.
A lot of folks believe that I personally color all of the cover work that I do. Generally if you see a little stylized "G" under my name you are looking at the amazing talants of Mr. Grant Goleash. Grant and I have worked together since 1990. I've learned from the master. Grant's subdued tones and incredible technique have really helped shape the vision of the character during my run. Hats off to Grant.
The black and white illustration for Punisher #32. I've also posted the final painted version so folks can appreciate all the work that goes into coloring these things.
Again, nothing says it better than black and white.
The full color painting of this piece fills in a lot of the blanks in the background. But here all focus is on Frank. Spare, and contrasted in heavenly black and white.
I always had a soft spot in my heart for this cover from the Marvel Knights run.
I really like the painted cover but to me, nothing is better than the black and white.
This is a VERY rare opportunity to check out what Punisher: The Cell would have looked like if things had gone according to plan. Initially I was to ink this book over Lewis LaRosa. Well, things don't always work out (for a myriad of reasons). Lewis and I never got to work together on that project. What survives are 3 sample pages.
A damn shame it didn't work out.
I did this when I was in Italy working on a film. I wanted to do a digitally painted background so all I really needed to do for illustration was this figure. This is one of my personal favorites. In the storyline a mobster (Nicky Cavella) has desecrated the graves of The Punisher's wife and children. The scene is shown on a local newscast where Frank Castle sees it while having some grub at a diner. I wanted to show a subdued rage boiling beneath the surface with this shot. Like The Punisher is the Angel of Death, stalking Cavella to punish him for his brutal act of sacrilege. I think the black and white illustration gives the character more impact and rawness then the color could provide.
Here comes Barracuda. He likes to feed his captives to the sharks and laughs while they are thrashing to escape their doom. Enter The Punisher. Castle likely sees a kindred spirit when it comes to sharks. All The Punisher does is eat, sleep, and kill. Not necessarily in that order.