The FAN-tasy cover contest (September 2000) was the first Fan Contest at Gene Colan's Virtual Studio! The first couple years Gene's website was up, he had a wonderful time interacting with and getting to know some of his fans through the site and discussion list, and he & Adrienne decided it would be neat to promote even more interaction, show off some of the talent his fans have, and give away a really neat prize all at the same time.

Enter: Oliver Hock. Oliver has been a regular contributor to both the website and discussion list. One of his more interesting contributions to the site/list has been a series of "Fantasy Covers" where Oliver inked and/or colored some of Gene's commissioned artwork and fashioned the drawings into "covers" that Gene might have done.

Daredevil #5 Apr 2000 inker/colorist: Oliver Hock	Daredevil #6 May 2000 inker/colorist: Oliver Hock	Tales of Suspense #102 Feb 2000 inker/colorist: Oliver Hock
Howard the Duck #1 Apr 2000 inker/colorist: Oliver Hock	Sub-Mariner #4 Apr 2000 inker/colorist: Oliver Hock

(Click on picture to see larger view)

Below are the entries we received for the first fan contest at the Gene Colan Virtual Studio. They are all incredible, and as you'll see, folks got VERY creative! As long as folks followed the basic rules as outlined above, the entrants had a lot of latitude, and many took full advantage of it!! We had some nice details like "non-existent" or continued issue numbers, some entries in black and white, and the sources came not only from the pinups on the website, but also a number from pinups & panels in books! One entrant sent a storyboard, one sent the first double-sized splash from "inside" the issue that went with the cover, and one entrant "aged" his covers with a few creases & chips and also gave the "history" behind those particular issues!! Win or lose, many folks got some beautiful pieces to hang on their walls after they were done as well, and a number of the entrants commented to me about how they learned a lot working on their piece for the contest. After you enjoy browsing through all the entries, you can see who the winners were below. And I know it sounds cliché, but I really do think they were all winners in this contest. After you peruse the entries, I think you'll agree.

Dr. Strange (UK edition) inker/colorist: Philippe Planchon source: pinup (Virtual Studio gallery)
Meteor storyboard inker/colorist: "Zappster" source: various
The Mighty Avengers #1 inker/colorist: Dave Gutierrez source: Marvel Mania bio; Drac, IM, Howard - pinups; DD - poster; Cap - cover; Bats - GC Treasury; Subby - Tales to Astonish page.	Technical notes: Assembled images from various pieces digitally, then colored piece in PhotoShop.
Black Widow #1 inker/colorist: Oliver Hock source: pinup (Virtual Studio gallery)	Black Widow #1, May 1973 This was the true first solo book of the Black Widow, done by Gary Friedrich and Gene Colan, who already did together the Black Widow back-up feature in Amazing Adventures. She was already starring as co-character in the Daredevil magazine, the editors thought she could do well in her own book. But after some test pressings this book was rejected, making this one of the rarest Marvel first issues. Technical notes: Commissioned piece from website printed in blue and inked on copy paper. Logos came from Amazing Adventures #4, Daredevil #92 and Captain Marvel #1. Lettering done by hand and computer (Comic Sans font). Coloring was done on the computer, using "airbrush" and some filter options. All "wear"-look was drawn in.
Tomb of Dracula #39 inker/colorist: Robb Waters source: pinup (Virtual Studio gallery)
Tomb of Dracula #3 inker/colorist: Ken Huggins source: panel from an original art page	Technical notes: This piece was re-created on 11 x 17 Cresent board. The art was hand duplicated not traced) in pencil, then inked by hand using Zig 01 and Zig 05 pens. Although the header lettering was also done by hand on the original piece, the issue number & price was added on the scan in Photoshop.
Detective Comics #517 inker/colorist: Dave Gutierrez source: unpublished cover from ebay	Technical notes: Piece was printed out, then inked with a brush using a lightbox. Coloring was done in PhotoShop.
Strange Tales #170 inker/colorist: Oliver Hock source: pinup (Virtual Studio gallery)	Strange Tales #170 featuring Dr. Strange, from Oct. 1973 It was planned to replace the Brother Voodoo strip (which should have been continued in Tales of the Zombie) with Doctor Strange, with stories more based to it's roots (as opposed to the previous attempts in Marvel Premiere to get the character together with the mythology of Robert E. Howard). In the first issue was originally Doctor Strange to meet Dracula (quite some time before ToD #44), it was intended to be written by Marv Wolfman (also writing ToD) with Gene Colan handling the art (again on Dr. Strange, also on ToD). This project soon had to be rejected, as Wolfman and Colan were busy on other strips and Dr. Strange didn't have a great following that time, also it wouldn't have been a wise decision to switch Brother Voodoo into magazine format in the middle of a storyline. But when this project was cancelled it was already in print and a few copies still made it to the stands, so this is a real scarce item. Technical notes: Commissioned piece from website printed in blue and inked on copy paper. Logos scanned from Strange Tales #170 and Doctor Strange #177. Lettering done by hand and computer (Comic Sans font). Small Doctor Strange pic on the left inked from a print-out of one of Gene's sketchagraphs. Cape adjusted to fit space on page. Coloring was done on the computer, using "airbrush" and some filter options. All "wear"-look was drawn in.
Tomb of Dracula #71 inker/colorist: Dave Gutierrez source: pinup (Virtual Studio gallery)	Technical notes: Piece was printed out, then inked with a brush using a lightbox. Coloring was done in PhotoShop.
Tomb of Dracula #75 inker/colorist: Marc Basile source: pinup (Virtual Studio gallery)	Technical notes: This was entirely done on PC in Photoshop using layers & scans from various sources.
Tomb of Dracula #75 (splash page) inker/colorist: Marc Basile source: pinup (Virtual Studio gallery)	Technical notes: This was entirely done on PC in Photoshop using layers & scans from various sources.
Howard the Duck inker/colorist: Oliver Hock source: pinup (Virtual Studio gallery)	Technical notes: This was entirely done on PC. I first re-created the cover with an airbrush tool then used some filters for the watercolor effect.
Jungle Action #33 inker/colorist: Don DeGracia source: Astonishing Tales #6 or 7	Composite of panels scanned in from Astonishing Tales. Lots of editing to make panels mesh, plus some "fill in" where word balloons had been. Fire created with filter. All work done in PhotoShop.
Tomb of Dracula #58 inker/colorist: Tom Stone source: pinup (Virtual Studio gallery)	Technical notes: Picture transferred into PhotoDeluxe. Scanned & edited (making areas transparent - to let Dracula's legs show through for instance) logos & titles from various sources. Some digital inking done to sharpen up detail. Colors added within PhotoDeluxe. Smudge tool used for blurring as Dracula makes transition.
Captain America #32 inker/colorist: Ken Huggins source: pinup (Virtual Studio gallery)	Technical notes: This piece was re-created on 11 x 17 Cresent board. The art was hand duplicated not traced) in pencil, then inked by hand using Zig 01 and Zig 05 pens. Although the header lettering was also done by hand on the original piece, the issue number & price was added on the scan in Photoshop.
Doctor Strange (mini-series #4 of 4) inker/colorist: Oliver Hock source: pinup (Dr. Strange #180)	Technical notes: This was entirely done on PC. I first re-created the cover with an airbrush tool then used some filters for the watercolor effect.
Captain America #112 inker/colorist: John Patterson source: pinup (Virtual Studio gallery)	Technical notes: Image printed onto an 8 x 11 sheet of bristol in non-repro blue ink. Piece then inked using both brush and pen. Inks then photocopied onto watercolor paper for coloring, which was done entirely in Dr. Martin's watercolor dyes. Finished art then scanned back into the computer where cover elements were added in Photoshop.
Captain America inker/colorist: Philippe Benoist source: pinup (Virtual Studio gallery) comments: acrylic painting artist's title: "Captain America: Our Army at War"
Iron Man #3 inker/colorist: Ken Huggins source: pinup (Virtual Studio gallery)	Technical notes: This piece was re-created on 11 x 17 Cresent board. The art was hand duplicated not traced) in pencil, then inked by hand using Zig 01 and Zig 05 pens. Although the header lettering was also done by hand on the original piece, the issue number & price was added on the scan in Photoshop.

Gene, Adrienne & I decided that considering the amount of work and the quality of work that was done, we'd have to recognize more than just 1 piece. There could only be one "official" winner who got to take home the prize, but we wanted to acknowledge some of the other pieces as well. The two runners-up and Colanut fan fave will receive certificates recognizing their place in the contest as well. But as the Colans, myself, & a bunch of folks on the list said repeatedly: these pieces were all nothing short of incredible. In fact, even after deciding to acknowedge some of the other pieces, Gene decided the work was all so good, he wanted to send a note out to each artist commenting on their piece!

So, without further adieu...

Black Widow #1 inker/colorist: Oliver Hock FIRST PRIZE

Iron Man #3 inker/colorist: Ken Huggins FIRST RUNNER-UP

The Mighty Avengers #1 inker/colorist: Dave Gutierrez SECOND RUNNER-UP

Captain America #112 inker/colorist: John Patterson COLANUT FAN FAVORITE

FIRST PRIZE

THIS LOOKS MORE LIKE MY WORK THAN ANY OTHER. THE IMAGES LOOK MORE LIKE FROM MY OWN HAND AS IF I HAD PENCILED, INKED AND COLORED. AND THE CHOICE WAS A VERY GOOD CHOICE BECAUSE HE KEPT IT VERY SIMPLE, VERY CLEAR...IT'S NOT CONFUSING. THE COLOR WORK IS WELL DONE. SMOOTH. PROFESSIONAL. THE CLOSEST TO THE WAY I WORK.
I DON'T SEE ANOTHER STYLE IN THERE. USUALLY WHEN SOMEONE ELSE INKS AND COLORS YOUR WORK, YOU DON'T SEE TOO MUCH OF YOURSELF IN THERE ANYMORE. BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE HERE.
IT'S THE CLEANEST PIECE. I LIKED THE CHOICE OF SUBJECT MATTER, AS OPPOSED TO THE SOMEWHAT BUSIER PIECES (ALTHOUGH I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT THAT WENT INTO THEM).

GOOD ART HAS AN ALMOST EFFORTLESS LOOK. THIS WINNER CAPTURED THAT.

FIRST RUNNER-UP

AGAIN, THE SUBJECT MATTER IS CLEAR AND EXCITING. AND AS AN INKED PIECE, IT IS BEAUTIFULLY DONE. JUST COULD NOT BE BETTER. EYE CATCHING AND SIMPLE.

ALL THE ELEMENTS OF GREAT ART. AND AGAIN, LOOKS TRUE TO MY STYLE. THERE'S AN EFFORTLESSNESS THAT APPEARS IN ALL ACCOMPLISHED GREAT ART THAT THE WINNER HAS CAPTURED HERE.

SECOND RUNNER-UP

THE COMPOSITION IS EXCITING! THE COLORING IS OUTSTANDING BECAUSE THE BACKGROUND IS ALL WHITE. THAT ALONE, MAKES IT POP OUT. IT'S FUN TO LOOK AT. CATCHES THE EYE.
I'D WANT TO BUY A COMIC BOOK THAT HAD THIS ART AS A COVER.

THE FACT THAT I'M IN IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT! LOL . HONEST! LOL

A TRUE EYE-GRABBER. AND DESERVING OF A WIN.

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