AUGUST 2008

Welcome to the new and improved BobLayton.com

With web traffic traditionally low during the summer convention cycle, it occurred to me, and my webmaster Sorah Suhng, that it would be an advantageous period to shut down the operation for a short time and update the entire site.
Since the humble beginnings of this venue, back in 2004, it has grown exponentially to reach its current number of readers, which is a staggering 600,000 individual hits a month. Statistically, there are more people reading my current web comic, Colony, than any comic book on the news stands today -- nearly four times as many readers as Marvel's top selling offering!
With that sort of devoted, international following, I felt I owed it to my fans to try and provide them with the best, up-to-date graphics and content possible.

As you've witnessed by now, we have a totally new design and we will soon have the Flash site up and running as well, so check back often.

Now we couldn't possibly renovate every single page in the archives in one month. That task would entail reformatting over 220 web pages! That would be way too daunting a task for the already overworked Ms. Suhng. But rest assured, that we will go back to those archived pages, every month, and slowly bring them up-to-date. (Kind of like what George Lucas keeps doing with the Star Wars movies...but with the opposite effect!)

I would be remiss if I did not profusely thank my friends and fellow Floridians, Russell Mathews and Nathan Lemon in their diligent efforts in bringing the new BobLayton.com to life. Of course, your comments and opinions concerning the site are welcome, and I will do my best to address any issues you may have about it.
Now -- onto other matters.

The last few months have been the busiest, that I can recall, since I was Senior Vice President of Valiant. With the release of the Iron Man motion picture, I have become "the most popular has-been in the comic book industry!" The first issue of Iron Man: Legacy of Doom was released in April to critical acclaim (much of that due to the outstanding work of my collaborators, David Michelinie and Ron Lim, of course). And, once the Iron Man movie debuted – WHOA!! The whole thing went off the chain! During the time of the movie’s release, David Michelinie and I were averaging 2 interviews a week with every sort of venue – from individual fan sites, to the pages of Entertainment Weekly, to Andy Mangels' Definitive Book of the Armored Avenger (hey Andy, I’m still waiting on my copy!).

I went from being relatively reclusive to suddenly finding my situation reversed, bouncing back and forth between Marvel’s offices in New York and my home digs in Florida. I also had the opportunity to make a whole bunch of new friends and co-workers along the way.

And then – there’s been the plethora of convention and comic shop appearances. Since the first of the year, Sorah and I have been to New York, Chicago, Toronto, Dallas, and back to Toronto for convention appearances related to the current wave of Shellhead mania.

I’m very grateful that the comic buying public and the folks in the industry have equated my name with the success of Iron Man over the years and I thank all of them for the honor they have bestowed on me. I am sincerely humbled by it and promise to work hard to never tarnish that legacy.

Speaking of work, many of you have asked me “What’s next on your plate?” Thanks to the success of Legacy of Doom, David Michelinie and I are hard at work on our special Shellhead project – Iron Man: The End. This will be a 48-page one-shot that is tentatively scheduled to be released in conjunction with the Iron Man DVD. I was privileged to an interview for the special features of that release, although the filming was almost two years ago. (I found out that Hollywood works way in advance of a film’s release for the special features section. So, at the time of that filming, I wasn’t even working for Marvel)
But life is strange and wonderful. Here I am, back where I started, working on my all-time favorite comic book character.

All of the hype surrounding the Iron Man movie has translated into what Hollywood lovingly refers to as “good will.” With the boom at the box office of comic book properties, my association with the Armored Avenger has given me a lot of “Tinseltown Street Cred.” In fact, I have recently entered into an arrangement with producer David Uslan, the son of my lifelong pal and Batman producer, Michael Uslan. David is a Hollywood “tour-de-force” in his own right and has twice the energy and enthusiasm as his Pops (which is saying a lot, if you know Michael).

Although I can’t talk about specifics at the moment, David and his staff at COG-1 are hard at work making deals that will get several Michelinie/Layton creations onto your movie and television screens. When the comes to announce those projects, you will be able to read about them first, right here on BobLayton.com

While I still have a few lines left on this page, I’d like to thank those of you who are waiting on commissions for your infinite patience. Under normal circumstances, I’m an artist that turns around commission jobs quickly, but with my hectic schedule of late, those individual drawings had to take a backseat to my commercial commitments. I apologize to those of you who are still waiting for me to get to your art. I’ll do my best to complete those tasks as soon as I possibly can. For those of you who are planning on ordering a commission in the months to come, I welcome those assignments as long as you understand that there WILL be a few months lag before I get to it.

I think that I’ve rambled enough for now. After all, you have a new website to explore. And don’t forget that we are approaching the surprising conclusion of my web comic Colony. With only 8 episodes left, the fate of Scott Landus and company will be revealed in a climax that will leave you panting for more!

But, what will take Colony’s place, you may ask? My next web comic creation will be a huge departure from the drama and tragedy of the inhabitants of the planet Erus.
Based on actual events, prepare yourself for: “Box Monkey Giant Robot Arm” ™