Who:  Adam McLaughlin

What:  Artsiest of the Artists

Where (to stalk him):

• Site: http://www.adamdoesart.com/
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/adam.mclaughlin.967
• Tumblr: http://camburo7.tumblr.com/

Why:

Adam is a local artist to the Springfield, MO area.   He is a comic illustrator, graphic designer, and does concept art as well. He’s even done a couple of coloring books (which I own)!  He does commissions from all across the board.

Let’s first talk about the comic illustrating.  Adam is working with a wonderful gent – Kevin Watkins – on a series called Listen to the Thunder.   It’s beautifully drawn (um… Adam… duh…), and I love the storyline he and Kevin came up for it.  They only have the first one so far, and two more will be out in 2018.  I may or may not have an autographed first run copy…

Why so long for the next installation?? Yeah, I asked the same thing.  Kevin let me know they ARE working, but currently, they are focusing on a little project called Graveyard Slaughter.

WHAT’S THAT??

Why, it’s a horror anthology with Cullen Bunn, Javier Saltares, Gary Bedell, Ryan Wheaton, Adam McLaughlin, and Kevin Watkins. We’re looking at more than 50 pages.  Think 80s Creepshow stuff. I can’t freaking WAIT!!!  It will be published under Lunch Box Press. KEEP YOUR EYE OUT!!!

When I was looking at someone to do my Madcap Writer logo, he was one of the first people I went to.  He listened to me (a task in and of itself), and sent me a number of different copies to choose from before I settled upon my personal logo. I freaking LOVE it!! You’ve probably noticed it here and there with some of my things, and should be noticing it on even more! He does logos AND MORE!!!

For his personal work as well as commissions, he has an amazing eye for detail.  I love all of his work, all the details and beauty he finds in the lines.  He can do everything from horror to high fantasy to modern and everything in between.  I’ve picked a couple of his varied pieces for below so you can get an idea…

I know I’ve mentioned it before, but my son is a big fan of local artists.  He will pick pieces to be commissioned, but Adam is one of the few that he wants LARGE commissions from (ones that take several weeks).  My boy is a big fan of MOBAs and Pokemon alike – what 18 year old boy isn’t, right??  Below are a couple of the pieces we commissioned from Adam:

Now the BIG why…

I met Adam at LibraryCon a couple years ago (wow, I meant some amazing peeps at this convention).  We were in the same room together (just like with David Faught), and Adam sat right across from me.  I found myself staring at the poor man throughout the ENTIRE. FREAKING. CONVENTION.

Not creepy-like.

Well, a little creepy-like, but not INTENTIONALLY creepy-like.

He looks SO FREAKING MUCH like one of my best friends.  He was even dressed almost exactly the same as my bestie is in my contact photo on my phone. I knew it wasn’t my friend – said pal lives in DC so I’m pretty sure he didn’t ninja into Springfield just to mess with my head.  I started chatting to Adam, and he’s an awesome guy in and of himself, and he laughed when I told him WHY I had been staring.

Many laughs were had.

Since then, as with David, we’ve been to a bunch of conventions together. Adam is actually one of my son’s favorite artists!

So when it came to doing my coloring pages, I definitely reached out. What I did for all of my artists was to send them a few different scene ideas, and asked them to pick whichever jumped out at them as the most entertaining (to them) to sketch. He picked the barroom brawl, and I couldn’t be more pleased with it.

I had originally commissioned one page from him, but when he was reading through the descriptions I sent, he reached back out to me. He wanted to do a second piece.  He VERY MUCH wanted to do a second piece.  He had read the description of Jo’s bracelet (that she received towards the end of Wake Up Call), and he was so inspired, he wanted to do that one as well.

Considering how much I adore his work, who was I to turn him down?? Something you’re interested in?  Hit me up at one of the conventions!!  If you sign up for my Patreon, I send out the full packet for your coloring enjoyment!

But for realsies – check out Adam’s stuff. He is simply spectacular, and he does COMMISSIONS!!! Good art from great people!