31 Aug 2023

Dan Green: 1952-2023

It was reported first by friend Walter Simonson on August 21 on his Facebook account that Ink Artist & Painter Dan Green had passed away. Dan died after a long illness on Saturday, August 19 at the age of 70. CBR ran a press announcement on August 22 with a good summary of his career highlights. We at the Inkwell Awards wish his family, friends and fans our condolences. (Apologies for us not posting this development sooner but we suffered from website issues. ~B)

17 Aug 2023

INKBLOTS: Legendary artist RUDY NEBRES currently seeks client commissions and show invitations!


Rudy is an exceptional, meticulous illustrator and a master from the Bronze-age Filipino Studio of comic book sequential storytelling.
He emerged along with his many contemporary countrymen like Alfredo Alcala, Ernie Chan, Tony Dezuniga, Nestor Redondo, Alex Nino
among others which led to generations influenced to carry the torch through the latter Bronze-age, the 1990s and up with current rock stars

Jay Anacleto, Francis Manapul, Jerome Opeña, Carlo Pagulayan, Whilce Portacio, Philip Tan and Leinil Francis Yu among others. Our art form is all the more richer thanks to their contributions and inspiration. Many of Rudy’s peers and friends from those days have passed on but having just turned 86 he is still passionate, energetic and skilled as ever to do what he does. He received an Inkpot Award at the San Diego Comic-Con  in 2012 for lifetime achievement.

In 2017, Nebres was awarded the Inkwell Awards Joe Sinnott Hall of Fame award for “an inking career in American comic books of outstanding accomplishment.”  These are tremendous accolades that he’s proud of but he could use the kindness of others to help him through some challenging times following the passing of his wife Dolores. He needs the work, something his friend and current art rep/agent/handler Anthony Isaza (sazatonio@yahoo.com) has been trying his best efforts to promote about and circulate. Rudy is a treasure and he is deserving of more attention and from our view he should be in more demand which can only materialize through exposure.

For commissions he’s active to take on all kinds of sizes from sketch cards to 9×12 up to 11×14. However, thanks to suffering from eye strain
and arthritis, he’s had to give up doing 11×17 requests in almost all cases and has regrettably chosen to put down the inking tools. Should
you contact Anthony about hiring Rudy for pencil commissions he can discuss details and rates. There could be an added fee for more
complicated character designs. See the attached chart of categories and sizes.
He’s available for public appearances at shows, especially if within the New Jersey area, but limited to 2-3 hour drives. Anthony must be there to assist Rudy at his age so he’d be an extra guest pass in lieu of his family who used to travel with him. But he must have a comped table and green room access, more than reasonable for an artist of his stature. But he can only attend one full day so there’s no reason to discuss the need for hotel expenses being covered. But an appearance fee would be HIGHLY APPRECIATED. You bring him in and he’ll bring the adulation and admirers.
BOB ALMOND
04 Aug 2023

John Floyd: 1962-2023

Following my Terrificon convention on Monday 7/31 I read on Facebook from mutual friend Denys Cowan that John had passed away. I posted a notice on our feed since I couldn’t find any press on the loss. He had been getting treated for months for pancreatic cancer and kept it to himself and his immediate family. Before he passed he asked his sister Cindy to inform comic book inker and friend Jim McWeeney to post it to inform the community family he was part of. I posted the following below on my Facebook feed:

“Ink artist John Floyd has died. I read about it from his friend, artist Denys Cowan. I haven’t found a news source yet so I cannot share an article but John had been still relatively active posting his work up until last month. I had no idea he was sick but it stunned me as I would see him time to time at cons and he was an Inkwell Awards donor/supporter and was prolific in the Joe Sinnott Inking Challenges from the start but not recently but I’m not sure if that was from being busy with work or if he’d been getting treatment for his sickness. I don’t yet know his age or any other relevant info and I wasn’t close to him but there was a mutually friendly relationship over the years and he was dedicated to the artform as well as utilizing digital art into his work. Besides Denys he collaborated many times with Barry Windsor-Smith. He was kind, generous and a friend. Below is the pic that gets a lot of social media sharing but not everyone realizes that this is 13 year old John. He started out like a lot of us as a dedicated super fan and made it to the top in this special community. Sincere condolences to his family, loved ones, friends and fans.”

On 10/5/2021 I post a Facebook photo album for “Joe SInnott: A Celebration of Life” memorial event and here’s a shot with myself & John. My caption for the pic said: “John Floyd & I, ink artists both. He met Joe in his youth and Joe was a mentor to him as well. He was a regular participant in the Sinnott Inking Challenge over the years.” John replied: ““In my youth…” Bob, “I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now”- Dylan and “I’m a proud Inkwell Award nominee as well.” I’m the one honored to know you, John.<3

Hailey Skaza-Gagne, 1st appearance of her as the now iconic Inkwell spokesmodel in a pic with John at Heroes Con.