Daredevil
"Superheroes Anonymous" + much more
Legendary comic book writer/editor/Daredevil contributor, Ann Nocenti, invited me to be her date to the Daredevil: Born Again season 2 premiere at a fancy joint in NYC. It was a great night mixing and mashing comix with cinema as some of the most important Daredevil shepherds congregated to celebrate “the man without fear.”
I got to hang out, meet, talk to and shake hands with some of the greatest storytellers in the business. Comix makers like Frank Miller, Ron Garney, Chip Zdarsky, Charles Soule, Michael Lark, Michael Gaydos, Paolo Rivera, C.B. Cebulski and Stephanie Phillips (who just took over writing the Daredevil comic book series) and more!
I had brief encounters with actors Lou Diamond Phillips, Vincent D'Onofrio, Deborah Ann Woll, Margarita Levieva, Tony Dalton, Michael Gandolfini, Ayelet Zurer, and Wilson Bethel. Including the mysterious new antagonist portrayed by Matthew Lillard, an actor I’ve been meaning to meet every since I drew him in the SLC PUNK comic book/movie tie-in in 1998! An item Matthew told me he signs all the time at conventions, et al.
On the train ride home I realized I was probably the only person at that party who’s never written or drawn (and certainly not worked on the cinematic side of) Daredevil. Clearly that needs to be corrected…
Speaking of antiheroes wearing red tights, here’s a Red Hook comic I did for The Red Hook Star-Revue:
Whoa! I was nominated for an Inkwell Award for the “All-in-One Award: Favorite artist known for inking his/her own pencil work.” There’s NO WAY I’m gonna win but you can vote for me here (takes less than a minute): https://inkwellawards.com/polls/ —and see if we can beat the odds. Voting ends Friday, April 3rd.
Say! The Ringo Awards are currently open and I’d be thrilled if you took the time to nominate me and my comic book CHEST FACE for “Best Cartoonist” and “Best Short Story.” You can nominate here: https://ringoawards.com/
My Down & Dirty drawings were a big hit, thus far (take a gander here and here). I got a bunch of commissions (with more to go) and it’s helping me pay unexpected expenses. Thank you very much. If you’re interested in a Down & Dirty sketch on cheap cardboard for a hundred bucks, gimme a holler. May take a minute as I enter the final phase of printing and shipping ANTIMATTER #1, but I promise to eventually rock your sketch.
Workshop Description:
It’s time to tell your story. In this workshop, a Ringo and Emmy-winning artist will teach you about layouts, scripts, and the iterative process of bringing your ideas to life in comics. Students are encouraged to come to class with a story to tell and the materials (traditional or digital) they wish to illustrate it with.
This workshop includes a lecture and exercises on the fundamentals of storytelling. Students should expect to produce a finished layout of their story or a scene from it. The instructor will be present throughout and will offer individualized feedback as well as general tips on approaching the craft. All skill and experience levels are welcome; however this class is designed for students who are comfortable drawing from their imagination.
Writers are encouraged to attend, too. Sign up to my upcoming workshop: Comix Fundamentals: Writing in Pictures and Drawing Narratives at The Art Students League NYC, April 28 - 30th, 2026.
Click the NOTIFY ME ON LAUNCH button on this amazing graphic novel anthology I co-curated & co-edited with Doug Latino.
REAL LIFE COMIX: Only in New York, from Cosmic Lion Productions, brings together 66 creators across 50 stories in a wide-ranging, high-voltage collection of short-story comix capturing the grit, glory, absurdity, and heart of New York City.
I never met cartoonist Sam Kieth but he drew the cover to THE VERDICT mini-series I co-created with writer Martin Powell for Eternity Comics (published by Brian David-Marshall) in 1987. Sam was a unique creator and a powerful influence to new generations of cartoonists. May he rest in peace.
Meanwhile, in the Happy News department…
I’ll be attending & guesting at three upcoming indie-comix shows:
April 18th: Kingston Independent Comics Expo
April 19th: Brooklyn Independent Comics Showcase
April 25th - 26th: ITHACON
Happy anniversary Fantagraphics & Gary Groth for 50 years of life changing comix, journalism, graphic novels, archives and collections.
And…
Two more weekly episodes of the VITO x DINO podcast is available for your eyes and ears. In episode #61, Vito Delsante and I discuss the “100 Best Superhero Comics of All-Time” list in Die With Your Mask On #3! And, in episode #62 we talk to Charlie McElvy and Mat Major about crowdfunding + much more! And it appears that we have a VxD Facebook page. Get on that!
Finally, be sure to back Vito’s current comix Kickstarter: Stray: Vol. 3 REQUIEM: Issues 1-3
See you in the gutters—
—Dean
Instagram / Etsy / VITO x DINO
Congrats on the nom and all the feelgood stuff emanating from this post. Epic shot of you five. As a DD reader for most of my 56 years, that photo did my heart good. I see we get another DD reboot this week, and episode one of Born Again was gangbusters. Once again a great time to be alive as a DD fan.