The non-profit Inkwell Awards, devoted to promoting the art of comic book inking, has released the list of artists participating in its sixth annual Sinnott Inking Challenge Spotlight. This year’s Challenge features artist Mike Deodato Jr.‘s take on DC Comics‘ Wonder Woman, who’s celebrating her 80th Anniversary.
Deodato chose the character and penciled an exclusive image for the Inkwells’ event. Early in his career, it was the artist’s 1987 run on the Wonder Woman (volume 2) series with writer William Messner-Loebs that propelled his name into stardom. The artwork will be auctioned for fundraising.
According to the Inkwells’ founder/director Bob Almond, the Spotlight Challenge grew out of the original Joe Sinnott Inking Challenge but showcases contemporary, “fan-favorite” talents on a more limited scale with various veteran published inkers. In chronological order, previous pencillers were Jim Lee, Neal Adams, Erik Larsen, David Finch and Ivan Reis. Reis will be the first Spotlight featured artist to later ink another featured artist (Deodato), both residing in Brazil.
The artists (in alphabetical order) are:
- Gerry Acerno
- Oclair Albert
- Kenneth Branch
- Brett Breeding
- Kevin Conrad
- Marc Deering
- Elisabetta D’Amico
- Michelle Delecki
- Adriano Di Benedetto
- Mark Farmer
- Eber Ferreira
- Christopher Ivy
- Klaus Janson
- Tony Kordos
- Jose Marzan Jr.
- Mark McKenna
- Mark Pennington
- Andrew Pepoy
- Joe Prado
- Rodney Ramos
- Ivan Reis
- Jonas Trindade
- LeBeau Underwood
- Dexter Vines
- Keith Williams
The Challenge Spotlight furthers the inking advocacy’s dual mission of promoting the artform and educating the public. Blue-lined art files featuring a pencilled Mike Deodato Jr. pinup are sent to the artists to finish in ink. Each inked page will be signed by Deodato and the inker, and include a certificate of authenticity signed and numbered by Almond. All pages will be auctioned off as part of a major fundraiser in two to three waves, the first on Saturday afternoon, July 9 for a week, with subsequent waves in two weeks’ intervals, at the Inkwells’ eBay page.
Source: Graphic Policy
