Mr. Melvin

The Toxic Avenger parts 2 & 3 + THE FEELING

I believe my comic book COVID COP is what convinced Ahoy Comics publisher, Tom Peyer, to hire me to draw a TOXIC AVENGER cover for their first mini-series by Matt Bors and Fred Harper. I was honored yet nervous to put my stamp on the famous movie icon because the only thing I could come up with was Toxie bent over, spreading his butt-cheeks. Luckily, it went over like a wet fart — in a good way!

Soon after, I got an Instagram message from actor/director Adam Peltier saying how much everyone at the Troma Entertainment office dug my cover and I felt like I'd won some kinda beauty pageant. Months later, I met Adam, producer Andrew Miller, and legendary filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman at our mutual pal, Jeff Newelt's home salon, and we discussed future collaborations. Starting with a movie poster for Mr. Melvin.

The fellas sent me a link to the Mr Melvin cut that combined and edited The Toxic Avenger parts 2 & 3 back into its original screenplay, and we discussed the best approach to the poster. They wanted Toxie in a red shirt with a high collar and sunglasses akin to Tom Cruise in "Risky Business." And we wanted to show the yin and yang of Toxie in the glare of those sunglasses; his former pre-Toxie persona versus Beelzebub. We also wanted to show Toxie's girlfriend. So we let her ride the wind surfboard that Toxie uses to travel to Japan in the movie. I sent them a few ideas. We made some adjustments and voila, a movie poster was born!

Bloody Disgusting broke the news last week and you can learn more about Mr. Melvin HERE.

I’m a guest at Terrificon 2025 (August 8 - 10) and I’ll be tabling with my pal/cartoonist/painter & scholar, Peter Rostovsky (Damnation Diaries), who we just talked to about the schism between fine art and comics...and why there shouldn't be one. We also discuss "the firewall of exclusivity" and the benefits of working in a studio and much more on the VITO x DINO podcast #28.

Vito Delsante and I also talked to pal/cartoonist and new self-publisher, Dan Goldman about things both tangible and esoteric, including meditation, his franchise comics wish list (NOT who you'd expect!) and his new hardcover collection of RED LIGHT PROPERTIES: Unfinished Business on VITO x DINO podcast #27.

Do yourself a solid and get/buy Whitney Matheson’s THE FEELING, a 70-page book of 24 short stories. The best thing you’ll pull out of your back pocket and read on the subway, bus, or on a public park bench — and make everyone around you intrigued with jealously. What is the feeling? Find out for yourself.

Don’t forget to check out my new Red Hook comix strip in The Red Hook Star-Revue.

This August, I'll be teaching two sessions of a two-day comix making course at The North Fork Arts Center in Greenport, NY. Click HERE to register.

See you in the gutters—

—Dean

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