Famed Comic Book Artist, Michael Turner Died

You might not know the name Michael Turner but you might recognize some of his work. The comic book world certainly knows his name. He drew some major covers for "Superman / Batman," "Justice League," "The Flash" and "Civil War."

Michael Turner passed away on June 27 due to complications related to bone cancer. He was only 37. He has battled bone cancer for eight years.

Turner is absolutely amazing at his craft. Not only is he in high demand for comic covers, he also adapted NBC's series "Heros" into an online comic. He created "Fathom," a deep-sea femal superhero and co-created "Witchblade," a female detective who battles evil after discovering a mystic glove. Witchblade was the comic that pushed him into the fame, setting standards for his works to come.

The 500th issue of "Uncanny X-Men" is due out next week, and it will feature a special edition cover by Turner.

Half of Dali's Works are Fake??

Say it ain't so! Salvador Dali happens to be one of my favorite artists, now a new book by a Belgian former art dealer and fraudster claims that half of Dali's works are fake!

The book is Dali & I: The Surreal Story by Stan Lauryssens. He claims that Dali authorized thousands of forgeries of his own work in the later years in order to fund his lavish lifestyle. In the book, he quotes several people who worked closely with Dali saying that Dali indeed signed off fake work as his own and get half a million dollars of them.

Lauryssens also writes about Dali's orgies with actresses and with young boys and suggests that his wife, Gala, stole money from Kirk Douglas's wallet. This is not surprising since Dali is known for his extravagant lifestyle.

Spain is angry about this book and its author since they uphold Dali as their national hero. And I don't blame them. The guardian of Dali's estate is pursuing legal action for the release of this book.

I don't know about this guy. Lauryssens can quote anyone he wants but none of it is concrete evidence. Right now, everything is just hearsay. Besides, Lauryssens doesn't exactly have great credit. He was often criticized regarding the truthfulness of his work. In the past he wrote fake interviews with Hollywood film stars for a Belgian magazine - so I wouldn't hold my breath that what he's saying is true.

Apparently this book is interesting enough for Hollywood because next year, it will be a movie. Dali is played by the great Al Pacino and Lauryssens is played by Cillian Murphy.

Colossus - Goya or Not?

Spain's Prado Museum's most popular exhibit, the Colossus, is under dispute of the actual author of the work. Prado is claiming that it is certain the painting is not done by the 18th century master. The large oil painting depicts a giant walking above a village through clouds. It is supposed to b e a highlight of Francisco de Goya's series on Spain's war against Napoleon.

Last week, a Goya expert claims that the painting is filled with stylistic points that does not match up to Goya's work, citing that the giant's raised left arm is too crudely painted for Goya, who is an expert on anatomy. Also, Prado thinks there appears to be an initial at the bottomof the painting that points to Asensio Julia, a pupil and assistant of Goya's.

But not everyone agrees. Some still thinks the painting is an authentic Goya work. And since the Colossus is one of Goya's most celebrated work, many are refusing to believe that it could've been done by someone else.

Rather it was really Goya's or not, I think it's safe to say, whoever painted the Colossus is a true master.

Laziness + Sadness = 0 Post

Sorry folks. I know I haven't posted of late. Seriously though, I've been looking out for art news and haven't found anything interesting.

Also, this past month, one of my immediately family member has been in the hospital. For privacy's sake, I'm not going to reveal what the condition is, but it is a very serious matter. My family and I have been trying to stay strong but it's getting harder and harder to go through the day. In between work and visits to the hospital, I am dead tired. Therefore I haven't attended to anything else, like this blog.

I did stumbled upon a hilarious blog recently: PhotoDisasters. It showcases any bad photoshop jobs. Here are some of my favorites:

I guess models don't have belly buttons, I knew they were aliens:

Poor kid, they totally sawed him in half just so they can fit him on a toy firetruck:
How about photoshopping some believable waistline. That waist looks like it'll snap in half if she stands up: