February 17th , 2010
NEW INTERVIEW AT ZOMBIE INFO!

Matt Busch has a really fun interview at ZombieInfo.com! Check it out HERE!

February 10th , 2010
BUSCH'S BOBA FETT T-SHIRT AVAILABLE AT
KOHL'S ONCE AGAIN!

Back by popular demand! The Kohl's exclusive Boba Fett T-Shirt, illustrated by Matt Busch is available Online once again! Hit their official site right now to nab this killer T for the SALE PRICE of only $9.99!

You can get one while they last HERE!

January 15th, 2009
LATEST VIDEO: HOW TO DRAW ANIME & MANGA!

STAR WARS artist Matt Busch takes you right into the heart of Tokyo, Japan, on a journey through the anime and manga underworlds! You'll learn to draw Padme Amidala anime style from several different angles.

You'll also meet some interesting folks in Japan, find out what they love about STAR WARS, visit the Sith Hotel, get tips on speaking Japanese, and see two Obi-Wans in drag duke it out!

January 12th, 2010
MATT BUSCH HEADS THE TK PROJECT!

From the International 501st Legion of Strormtroopers and the Make-A-Wish Foundation comes The TK Project: A collection custom crated and painted TK Stormtrooper helmets from around the world. You can bet that Matt Busch is involved- in fact, he created the brochure cover logo you see here! Find out more at: http://www.501sttkproject.com.

For Busch's contribution to the collection of custom TK Helmets, his take was a no-brainer. "I was 4 years old when Star Wars first hit theaters, but prior to that, I was a huge fan of the classic Universal Monsters, with The Creature from the Black Lagoon being my favorite." Comments Busch, "So when I first saw Star Wars, of course it was like nothing anyone had ever seen, but for some reason, even at 4, I saw a visual connection between the Stormtrooper helmet and The Creature." The TK Project finally gave Busch the chance to merge the two icons with an uncanny result.

The process Busch used in putting it together involved some preproduction work. "After priming the actual TK helmet, I then used black acrylic gesso over the entire helmet, as I knew I'd be working with acrylics." says Busch. He then sprayed on a can of stone texture which he would paint over, but that still wasn't enough. Busch elaborates, "While the basic shape of the TK Helmet was enough to resemble The Creature, I knew some added fins, ribbed brow, and emphasis on the fishy lips would help." Using Liquitex Modeling Paste, Busch added those appendages to create the overall shape he desired.

"Painting The Creature was a bit of a challenge, as most of the reference available are black and white movie stills, or other artistic representations from the movie posters or licensed products. The only problem is, the colored details are never the same. In some cases, The Creature's lips are red, sometimes green, and sometimes a fishy yellow ochre." Busch made compromises and decisions along the way to try and make an amalgam of all known reference, using an opaque acrylic technique, working from dark to
light. The last step was to try and make the helmet look permanently wet, as if The Creature had just risen from the watery surface. Comments Busch, "That was the easiest. I just poured a can of acrylic gloss medium over the entire helmet and let it drip."

Now it's very clear to see the connection Busch made as a child. You may never look at a TK Helmet the same way! See more at: http://501sttkproject.blogspot.com.

October 17th, 2009
ZOMBIE WARS: RETURN FROM THE GRAVE

Matt Busch's Zombie Wars poster parody concludes with Episode VI: Return from the Grave, based on the infamous 1982 advance one-sheet for Revenge of the Jedi, before the title was changed to Return of the Jedi.

All six of the posters Busch recreated tell a very different version of the saga. Here we see the final evolution of Darth Vader's zombie conquest, but we also see an alternate ending with Luke dueling Vader...one where Luke doesn't win!

"This poster may not be an epic montage like I did for the first five posters," comments Busch, "but I love the simplicity of Drew Struzan's original. It's become such an iconic vision."

Designer Paul Michael Kane comments on his logo work -- "This was the easiest of the posters for me. This totally showcases the amazing image and the type is cast as a secondary element. Sad to see this one come, as it signaled the end of the project. But what a blast it was!"

Since the original advance poster had no credit block, Busch had fun with the tag line at the bottom, "Coming soon from a cemetery near you."

Thanks for joining this intergalactic journey of the undead. ?See more incredible artists rendering Star Wars Zombies here. Have a wonderful Halloween and the Force will be with you... Always.

October 16th, 2009
ZOMBIE WARS: THE LIVING DEAD STRIKE BACK!

The Zombie Wars epidemic continues with artist Matt Busch's recreation of the saga. Here, the story of a "zombified" Luke Skywalker develops, and romance between Han Solo and Princess Leia is more tender than ever.

Based on the original Gone With the Wind-inspired poster for The Empire Strikes Back (illustrated by Roger Kastel), Busch couldn't resist pushing the envelop with his parody. "The original poster for Empire is so emotional, I had to pull out all the stops and make this one the bloodiest mess of them all. There's even a pointless explosion of blood in space!"

Too much gore for Star Wars? "The original version of this was definitely too over-the-top, though in a humorous light. I purposely tried to push the limit, knowing I'd have to make some alterations. It went through several revisions before it was tame enough to be shown here, though I'm always more than happy to make changes. The fact that us artists have been given a chance to play with such a dark and twisted version of Star Wars at all is a riot."

Matt's vision of a dark and twisted tauntaun also had a last-minute change, though for the worse. "I was finishing up this painting in Nashville at a pop culture show called GMX," recalls Busch. "I was marveling at how funny I thought the tauntaun was now, with its little chicken-like claws that clearly have done some damage. As I finished the painting, my friend Kim Dunaway, who happened to be watching, asked, 'Wait a minute -- where are the tauntaun's cut-out intestines?' I knew I had to go back and add her brilliant idea, thus immortalizing her name in the credits as well."

To complete the feel of the original, designer Paul Michael Kane created the new logo in Adobe Illustrator and then skewed it in Photoshop to match the original logo angle.

Check out more at StarWars.com right here!Tomorrow concludes Busch's horrific spin on classic Star Wars posters with Episode VI: Return from the Grave!

October 16th, 2009
ZOMBIE WARS: A NEW EPIDEMIC!

Matt Busch's re-imagined Star Wars zombie-fest continues with the fourth installment of Zombie Wars (and the first of the classic trilogy), A New Epidemic.

This series introduces new characters two decades after the prequels, including a newly-infected Han Solo, portrayed by fellow Star Wars artist Spencer Brinkerhoff III! However, you can still see the evolution of Darth Vader from the last poster, as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi, who's now nothing more than a skeleton in a cloak.

Comments Busch, "In this alternate version of Episode IV, the first Death Star is still under construction, and features two beam dishes, creating the eerie, or perhaps humorous illusion of a skull."

Busch also admits there is a fine line between horror and humor. "Many horror filmmakers like Sam Raimi really push the exaggeration between the two. Here, I thought it would be creepy, and funny, to have R2-D2 so filled with blood that it's spilling over where his dome swivels. This cracks me up, as I don't know why blood would be inside an electronic droid in the first place!"

The unique poster, originally illustrated by Drew Struzan for the 10th Anniversary of Star Wars, also required some serious work from designer Paul Michael Kane. "This is my favorite poster of the bunch and the hardest to work on," says Kane. "The logo and type design had to be perfect because it's featured so prominently on the poster."

See more here. Next up, THE LIVING DEAD STRIKE BACK!

October 15th, 2009
ZOMBIE WARS - Episode III: REVENGE OF THE ZOMBIES

Artist Matt Busch continues his Zombie Wars saga with Episode III: Revenge of the Zombies! Here, we see the decaying evolution of characters like Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi from the earlier posters that Busch created for Episodes I and II.

Amid the clashing of this epic disaster, one character hasn't changed at all. Matt comments, "Darth Sidious is already so evil and vile physically, he pretty much looks like a zombie. I thought it would be funny to just keep him the same when depicting Drew Stuzan's original rendering."

Matt has also worked in 'easter eggs' into his posters wherever possible. "If you look closely, you'll see all kinds of cute additions. For example, in one of the Jedi Starfighters, you'll see an Astromech Droid head missing, and replaced with a zombie head sticking out of the droid socket!"

Viewers may also notice some changes in the poster's credit block, which was recreated by Paul Michael Kane. Matt elaborates, "You may notice that some of my posters include the name Doug Drazin as a Skull Handler. When I was taking photo reference of plastic skulls, Doug helped me out by holding them at the correct angle while opening the jaw, suggesting a horrific zombie moan."

For more info and a look at other incredible zombie art from artists Nicole Falk, Cat Staggs, and Jeff Carlisle, click here. Stay tuned- tomorrow begins Busch's 'zombified' renditions of posters from the classic trilogy, starting with Zombie Wars - Episode IV: A New Epidemic!

October 14th, 2009
ZOMBIE WARS - Episode II: ATTACK OF THE UNDEAD

Matt Busch's alternate 'zombified' Star Wars saga continues on StarWars.com with Episode II: Attack of the Undead. Here, even Yoda has joined the Dark Side!

Viewers may note an evolution with the characters throughout Busch's series of zombie posters. For example, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who found his demise in Busch's first poster for The Zombie Menace, now is clearly infected and ready for revenge.

"I love how in the middle of all this horrible inter-galactic zombie massacre, Padme and Anakin still find a tender moment," says Busch,
"but my favorite part of this poster is Jango Fett. His body and clothes have decayed to nothing more than a mere skeleton, yet his armor is still perfectly intact. Oddly, it gives him almost a Popeye-like physique."

A keen eye may also notice some familiar faces from the real-world Star Wars community. "I wanted to do something special for the army of clones, so I sent requests to some of my fellow Star Wars artists to send me photo reference of them in zombie poses." From left to right, you can see artists Cynthia Narcisi (Cynthia's husband Ian can also be seen in the background), Brent Woodside, Kayla Woodside, Mark McHaley, and Denise Vasquez. On the right side of Jango, artist Randy Martinez hammed it up to portray a horrified Jedi.

See more here www.starwars.com/vault/books/news20091012.html?
page=8 and tune in tomorrow to see Matt's Zombie Wars series continue
with Episode III: Revenge of the Zombies!

October 13th, 2009
ZOMBIE WARS - Episode I: THE ZOMBIE MENACE

To commemorate the release of the world's first STAR WARS horror novel, DEATH TROOPERS, StarWars.com is running a special Zombie Week! When asked to contribute a zombie-inspired poster, artist Matt Busch not only jumped at the chance, he decided to do six of them, one for each movie in the saga.

"'Every Zombie has a Beginning,' and it all begins here," says Busch, "though these posters tell an alternate vision of the saga. One that's more... Infectious. In this version of Episode I: The Zombie Menace, even Jar Jar is deadly and provides no comic relief."

In addition to having fun shredding these classic characters into zombies, the project has also been a rewarding and educational experience for Busch. "I've always been a huge admirer of the original poster artist, Drew Struzan. Doing this parody really let me study the master with fine detail. I've learned a lot and and now have even more respect for Drew's work."

For the logo and typography, Busch turned to his long time professional partner Paul Michael Kane, who recreated the Episode I logo in Adobe Illustrator. Comments Kane, "Nailing this one down was crucial, as the rest the prequel posters used the same title and credit fonts."

Head on over here to see more, plus other fantastic art from Spencer Brinkerhoff III and Katie Cook! Stay tuned through the week to see a new zombie poster each day from Matt! Tune in tomorrow to see the continuation of the Zombie Wars saga with his rendition of Episode II: Attack of the Undead!

September 9th, 2009
MATT BUSCH DRUMSTICKS... NOW AVAILABLE!

Pinup Sticks has just licensed a new line of drumsticks featuring Matt Busch's art! Drumming has always been sexy, but wait till you get your hands on these! Busch has produced a new series of never-before-seen pin-up art exclusively for these sticks, three of which are available now!

SOUTHERN BELL is designed for more of a Southern Rock, Country, or Rockabilly style, while METAL MISTRESS is intended for the serious Metal, Goth, or Industrial Drummer. Of course, if you play a little
bit of everything, then you'd want the quintessential Busch design: BUILT FOR POUNDING.

You can find other designs at PinupSticks.com, with incredible artists like Olivia, Mark Wasyl, Anthony Guerra, and Martin Abel! The next in Busch's line, PERCUSSION CONCUSSION, will be available soon!

What are you waiting for? Go get some sexy drumsticks for the sexy drummer in your life! Click HERE to order Matt Busch Drumsticks now!

August 26th, 2008
BOBA FETT T-SHIRT BY MATT BUSCH AVAILABLE NOW!

Super department store chain KOHL's now has an exclusive Boba Fett T-Shirt illustrated by Matt Busch.  "Boba Fett has always been a favorite STAR WARS character of mine," says Busch, "I just love drawing all the clunky armor and compact weapons."

Fans may recall the Fett image that appears on the STAR WARS novel Tales from the Empire.  "That cover is painted in full color acrylics, so it's neat to see this shirt be a complete departure from that- a straight-up sketchy pencil technique."

The shirt retails at $18.00, but is currently on sale for just $8.99!  You can see the shirt at Kohls.com HERE.  While the shirt is already sold out Online, you can find the shirt on sale at a KOHL'S department store near you.

August 3rd, 2008
BUSCH ILLUSTRATING OBAMA!

Artist Matt Busch has had the honor of illustrating President Barack Obama for the box cover of BECOMING BARACK: Evolution of a Leader! This new DVD is an incredible documentary that follows Obama's Life on his journey to becoming President of the United States. Busch's art is also featured on the CD Coundtrack.

What's more, Busch was tapped to create a Bonus Feature on the DVD in which he documents the entire process of creating the art. You can see it right here:

To find out more, check out the official trailer, or get your hands on a copy, visit the official site at www.becomingbarack.com.

August 2nd, 2008
EXCLUSIVE MATT BUSCH MIGHTY MUGG FIGURE!

Matt Busch has hand painted one of Hasbro's Mighty Mugg figurines as  part of a charity for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  The character of his choice? 

Boba Fett!

You can find out about how and why Matt created this character at his LiveJournal HERE.

The charity, which is now live Online is called The Empire Muggs Back, and you can bid on all the artist's exclusive figures HERE!

May 13th, 2009
YOU TOO CAN OWN MATT BUSCH'S SLAVE... LEIA!

STAR WARS artist Matt Busch, Actress Carrie Fisher, Lucasfilm, Motor City Conventions and Paul Michael Kane have all teamed up to offer this beautiful lithograph depicting Princess Leia as Jabba the Hutt's slave. All proceeds from the sale of this print will benefit actress Carrie Fisher's endorsed charity, the Pajama Program.

Lucasfilm has graciously authorized this lithograph painted by Matt Busch. Limited to just 200 editions, the art measures 13" X 19" and is printed on thick, high quality 100 lb. stock. Each print is signed and numbered by Busch.

This print is created exclusively for the Motor City Comic Con, running May 15th - 17th at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi, Michigan. Actress Carrie Fisher will also be in attendance at the event, in case you want to score her signature on the piece, as well.

However, while the posters won't be physically available until that weekend, you can pre-order your print right now, and have it mailed safely to your home! The price of this print is $25, but don't forget that these are extremely rare, and you'll be contributing to a wonderful cause. You can lock one in with PayPal before they're sold out by ordering right here.

You can also find out more about the Motor City Comic Con here.

You can find out more about the Pajama Program here.

April 14th, 2009
LUCASFILM AUCTIONS BUSCH ART TO HELP
AUSTRALIAN RED CROSS!

In an effort to help the Australian Red Cross aid the Victorian Bushfire Appeal, Lucasfilm is auctioning off an extremely limited print illustrated by Matt Busch. The print being auctioned is titled "Evolution of the Empire" and was previously sold exclusively in London at Celebration Europe in 2007.

The art features all of the clone troopers and stormtroopers from all six movies of the STAR WARS saga. These are over-sized lithographs, not to be confused with the smaller 24" posters that were also produced. They originally sold for approx. $300 U.S. dollars then, and of course it's virtually impossible to get one of these now. As it is, there are only 66 of these numberes and embossed prints in existence!

Lucasfilm is graciously offering this from their collection for a great cause. You can bid on the print via Ebay right HERE! Hurry before it's too late!

April 9th, 2009
STAR WARS GALAXY 4 TRADING CARDS IN STORES NOW!

The latest STAR WARS Trading Card series from Topps is GALAXY Series 4, which features a collection of artistic visions from the Galaxy Far, Far Away... The set features incredible talents like J. Scott Campbell, Russell Walks, Randy Martinez, and yes, Matt Busch!

For Busch's card, he chose to illustrate his favorite toy growing up: The Imperial Troop Transporter. Say Busch, "It was such a killer toy. And it was neat because it was the first Star Wars toy of something that wasn't in the movie. It even came with these strange black brainwashing devices that you would place on figures faces. Creepier was the photo of the toy on the packaging which featured a throng of troopers surrounding Princess Leia as she's being forced to wear it."

You can see this vision come to life in this incredible set with fascinating imagery from an incredible collection of artists. STAR WARS GALAXY Series 4 cards are available wherever trading cards are sold.

March 16th, 2008
HOW TO DRAW ANIME / MANGA STAR WARS!

StarWars.com has recently released the third and final installment of Matt Busch's How to Draw Anime / Manga STAR WARS series. This article features a tutorial on how to draw Padme Amidala in the 3/4 view. You can check it out HERE!

You can also check out the first two Anime / Manga tutorials at StarWars.com HERE and HERE.

Lastly, stay tuned for Season 3 of How To Draw STAR WARS videos- the first of which will feature how to draw Anime / Manga, with footage of Matt live in Japan! Details soon...

February 23rd, 2008
MATT BUSCH'S GENE SIMMONS' HOUSE OF HORRORS REVIEW!

Legendary KISS singer and bassist, Gene Simmons, is huge fan of Matt Busch's.  Busch recently created art that is featured on the Season 2 DVD box set of Simmons' Family Jewels reality show.  The two have met on several occasions, one of which can be seen in Busch's new documentary, ILLUSTRATION NATION, coming soon to DVD.

When Simmons created his new horror anthology graphic novel series, House of Horrors, he demanded that Busch not only illustrate covers, but any of he interior comic pages where Simmons himself is depicted.

The reviews are in, and there seems to be much love for this dark forum of visually terrifying literature.  You can read what HorrorNews.net has to say about it HERE.  Gene Simmons' House of Horrors is published by IDW Publishing and can be purchased anywhere comic books are sold.

December 16th, 2008
HASBRO RELEASES NEW STAR WARS ACTION FIGURE NAMED AFTER MATT BUSCH!

Hasbro, the official licensee for STAR WARS toys, has released a new "Droid Factory" collection of action figures, where collecting six figures gives you six extra pieces to create an all-new "Build-a-Droid" figure. The new series lets you build MB-RA-7, a figure somewhat created by and named after artist Matt Busch.

After the first STAR WARS film was released in 1977, Kenner (a subsidiary of Hasbro) released "Death Star Droid", a chrome protocol-type droid which was later named as an RA-7 droid. Comments Busch,
"The Death Star Droid as seen in the movie is actually black, though a memorable chrome RA-7 droid communicates with R2-D2 in the Jawa Sandcrawler."

Fast forward to 1998, almost a decade before the book You Can Draw STAR WARS was released, Busch was the regular writer and artist if the "How to Draw STAR WARS" articles for STAR WARS KIDS Magazine. "To help make these tutorials fun for kids, I wrote and illustrated them as if a droid was teaching you. I always loved the look of the RA-7 droid, and so, to give this fictional teacher an identity, I simply tagged on my initials, making him MB-RA-7."

Over the course of two years, every issue of STAR WARS KIDS featured a drawing tutorial, lead by MB-RA-7. Now you can build your own MB-RA-7, by collecting the new wave of "Build-a-Droid" STAR WARS figures, which includes General Grievous, Bail Organa, and FX-6! Hasbro STAR WARS figures can be found in any store that sells toys.

November 20th, 2008
TONIGHT: WORLD PREMIERE OF ILLUSTRATION NATION!

This weekend on Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd, the second annual XcapeCon will be happening at the Holiday Inn Gateway Centre in Flint, Michigan. Matt Busch will be in attendance to shake things up and have a bevy of art and merch on display and for sale.

In addition, the first 25 folks through the door will get a FREE limited edition Heath Ledger JOKER poster, vibrantly illustrated by Matt Busch!
If you miss getting there early, you can still purchase one of these bad boys that tributes an incredible talent at the height of his ability, though sadly before his untimely departure.

For more information on the show, go to www.XcapeCon.com!

See you there!

November 14th, 2008
NEW INTERVIEW AT JAZMA!

If you're not familiar with it, Jamza Online is a site that covers comics, movies, art, and all things entertainment. They've got a new interview with Matt Busch, and you can check it out right HERE.

September 19th, 2008
BUSCH ILLUSTRATES CLONE WARS POSTER/
FAN DAYS IN TEXAS!

Based on the highly anticipated CLONE WARS show coming to Cartoon Network, Matt Busch has illustrated a beautiful montage capturing the turmoil and excitement! The weekly show begins in October stomps right on the heels of the theatrical release last August.

How can you nab one of these posters? For FREE?

Busch will be attending the STAR WARS FAN DAYS II show in Plano, Texas, October 25th and 26th. Be one of the first 500 through the door and you'll get one of these puppies free! In addition, Busch will be doing exclusive show sketch cards. Mind you, 30 second sketches, but those will be free as well. Busch will also have books, posters, DVDs and even original art on display and for purchase. Don't miss this show! More info HERE!

August 27th, 2008
CUSTOMIZE YOUR SIMS GAME WITH MATT BUSCH ART!

The new CILM SIMS NATION website is now live! For those of you that live an alternate life in the SIMS video games, you can now download (legal) Matt Busch art, graphics, images and tubes for you to customize your characters and the world they live in!

What's more, Matt Busch is the Grand Opening Artist Spotlight! Check out CILMsimsnation.com right HERE!

From the CILM Press Release:
Creative Image Licensing and Management (CILM) announces that they have now made it possible for Sims Gamers to legally purchase the usage of artists' digital images. The web site, CILM Sim Nation, www.cilmsimsnation.com, offers artist tube and image packages for custom content makers to use in their Sims games. Some of those artists include: Anthony Guerra, Olivia, Jennifer Janesko, Matt Busch, Mark Wasyl and many more on the way. The art can be used to make clothing for your Sims and furnishings, wall paper, floors and paintings for your Sim's homes. Even the smallest Sims house can look high dollar with an Olivia painting on the wall!

CILM Sims Nation makes it easy to purchase art, with different ordering options and legal licensing that allows you to create and share your Sims custom content with those gamers that love your creations. Artist packages are clearly visible and contain images as the artists created them and the same image professionally tubed for ease of use. Also, you can show off your content making ability by entering special content contests. You can also get information about being a custom content maker! Check out the web link as CILM Sims Nation is sure to make your Sims the envy of the community!

August 24th, 2008
MATT BUSCH ON CANADIAN TV!

Recently a special guest on Canada's entertaining comic book talk show, COMIC BOOK SYNDICATE, Matt Busch's episode segments are now on YouTube! Enjoy them Below!

In addition to talking about his own career, Busch weighs in on Iron Man, Indiana Jones, and Clone Wars reviews. He also shares a Gene Simmons story, insight on George Lucas, a rant on Samuel L. Jackson, and how the heck Robocop ended up in Canada!

*Note* There 5 segments to this episode, but Busch is only in the 4 attached below. However, the show is always entertaining, and often features great comic book artists and writers joining the fun. Be sure to check out many of their other episodes on YouTube right HERE!

August 13th, 2008
JAPANESE STAR WARS PRINT AVAILABLE ONLINE!

The exclusive Celebration Japan print, illustrated by Matt Busch is now available for a limited time at StarWarsShop.com! The print run is limited to 250, and each piece is signed and numbered by Busch. The poster-size print measures a whopping 24" X 36" and has a deluxe aqueous coating. You can check it out right HERE!

Titled "Land of the Rising Suns", the foundation of this piece began years ago as a wrap-around cover of Autograph Times Magazine. At the time, the image featured a self portrait of artist Busch engulfed in a sea of characters from the original trilogy and Episode I. The image quickly became a favorite among fans, requesting that it become a print in the future. That day has come, and Busch has updated the image to reflect characters and vehicles from each of the movies, with a twist of Japanese pop culture design.

As to what the Japanese characters represent? "For the fans that can't read Japanese, I don't wan't to spoil it. I think half the fun is the mystery and the adventure of figuring it out. For part of it, I will say this, though: Konnichiwa, Boku wa Matt Busch desu. Anata Wa Star Wars o kakeru!" This rare poster won't last so grab yours while you can! Click HERE!

August 10th, 2008
NEW GERMAN WEBSITE!

The Version 2.0 sister-site of all things Matt Busch has just gone live in Germany! Of course, you can check it out just a click away right HERE! Designed by our good friend Uwe Reber, MattBusch.de gives a great opportunity for German fans to experience Matt's work.

While the site is written in the German Language (Guten Tag!) even if you can't read it you can still browse it quite easily and enjoy what it has to offer. There is even some exclusive material there you won't find anywhere else!

Check it out HERE!

July 31st, 2008
MATT BUSCH ON MSN!

Last weekend at the Comic-Con International show in San Diego, CA, Matt Busch was a featured Special Guest. Tons of media and press were there to catch the hubbub- first up is MSN- check out the two videos to the right!

Matt Busch, Artist Extraordinaire (Pt. 1 of 2)

Matt Busch, Artist Extraordinaire (Pt. 2 of 2)

July 16th, 2008
MATT BUSCH IN JAPAN!

Matt Busch is currently on in Tokyo promoting the 30th Anniversary of STAR WARS in Japan! This weekend/next week is the STAR WARS Celebration Japan show at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba. Taking advantage of the trip, Busch will also be filming scenes for several new videos, as well as actually getting some vacation time- something unheard of for Busch.

In addition to an exclusive set of one-of-a-kind sketch cards, Busch will be toting a brand new STAR WARS poster, Japanese-style! Titled "Land of the Rising Suns", the foundation of this piece began years ago as a wrap-around cover of Autograph Times Magazine. At the time, the image featured a self portrait of artist Matt Busch engulfed in a sea of characters from the original trilogy and Episode I: The Phantom Menace. The image quickly became a favorite among fans, requesting that it become a print in the future. That day has come, and Busch has updated the image to reflect characters and vehicles from each of the movies, with a twist of Japanese pop culture design.

As to what the Japanese characters represent? "For the fans that can't read Japanese, I don't wan't to spoil it. I think half the fun is the mystery and the adventure of figuring it out. For part of it, I will say this, though: Konnichiwa, Boku wa Matt Busch desu. Anata Wa Star Wars o kakeru!"

A week from now Busch will head straight for San Diego for the Comic-Con International show, which Busch is a featured Special Guest. Stay tuned for a complete schedule of all the things he'll have planned for that!

July 12th, 2008
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD POSTER!

Due to popular demand, one of Matt Busch's previous covers to a NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD comic book will be available soon as a limited edition poster! The Patrick Nagel-style piece was originally published as the cover of the first annual edition of a NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD comic, exclusive to a Los Angeles convention, though later re-released to the public Online.

"The fact that this is being released as a poster is perfect," says Busch, "Though Nagel's work may have been over-exposed as prints in Malls everywhere during the 80's, seeing this piece done as a print brings it to the exact homage I had envisioned."

The prints will debut later this month at the Comic-Con International show in San Diego, California, to which Busch is also a featured Special Guest this year. The prints will be available at the Avatar Press booth, and Busch will be on hand to sign them (for free) on Thursday the 24th from 1 to 2, Friday the 25th from 1 to 2, and Sunday the 27th from 1 to 2. A complete schedule of where you can find Matt Busch and related events at Comic-Con will be posted here soon!

July 7th, 2008
YOU CAN DRAW STAR WARS VOLUME 2 COMING TO DVD!

As a follow-up to the original series of tutorial videos that found limited release on DVD in 2007, Lucasfilm Ltd. has authorized a new DVD from DK Publishing and Planetmatt Entertainment: YOU CAN DRAW STAR WARS- VOLUME TWO. Hosted by notorious artist Matt Busch, the DVD will collect all seven Episodes from Season 2 released this year.

The first series chronicled the entire creation of a 30th Anniversary poster, whereas Season 2 includes the creation of the REVENGE OF THE SITH Style D One Sheet, but also spreads focus to areas such as drawing on the road, storyboarding for film and animation, and comic books. Each chapter includes comical skits to spice up the pace, including a few where Busch parodies Indiana Jones- another Lucasfilm staple.

The tutorials began as a side promotion for the book of the same name from DK Publishing, to which Busch produced nearly 400 illustrations. Before released on DVD, all videos can first be seen on StarWars.com and KidDK.com. The videos later hit other avenues online, and have had more than one million plays on MySpaceTV alone. "It's awesome that these are available on DVD," comments Busch, "for the dedicated aspiring artist, to be able to experience the details at four times the resolution is wonderful."

Busch himself will be attending the upcoming STAR WARS Celebration Japan next week in Tokyo with a brand new limited edition poster. The following week, Busch will be a featured Special Guest at Comic-Con International in San Diego, the largest pop-culture show on the planet.

The Volume Two DVD will debut at Comic-Con as well. To find out how to get your hands on a copy for FREE, check out Busch's Spotlight panel on Saturday, July 26th from 11:30 - 12:30pm in Room 30CDE. Another good idea would be to stop by the DK booth and find out when Busch and author Bonnie Burton and fellow artist Tom Hodges will be signing books. To find out the latest info on how to nab a DVD, stay locked in to www.MattBusch.com for updates.

July 1st, 2008
THE WORLDS OF MATT BUSCH NOW AVAILABLE,
NEW INFOMERCIAL!

The new art book, The Worlds of Matt Busch, is available now, collecting all the different entertainment genres Busch has been involved with. To help promote, Matt Busch has produced an entertaining parody infomercial. Check it out below!

The Worlds of Matt Busch - Infomercial

The book is available everywhere, including these choice Online locations, offering the book at cheaper than retail! Click on one of the following links to get your copy now!

June 14th, 2008
SEND YOUR FRIENDS MATT BUSCH TAGS... FOR FREE!

In addition to the new CILM site (see previous headline) another related site, www.cilmsnagsntags.com lets you take pre-made tags and send them to your friends for free.

The site is huge, full of tags for every occasion, and even gives tutorials on how to make your own.

There's actually a whole 4 page section on Matt Busch pre-made tags that you can use for free- check them out HERE! What's more, you'll notice that Matt is "June's FEATURED ARTIST."

It's very easy to use. Just find the image you want to use, copy the HTML or BBCode, and paste it into your comment, bulletin, or post. Check it out HERE!

June 13th, 2008
MATT BUSCH'S PIN-UP WORK GETS A SEXY CILM OVERHAUL!

The Creative Image Licensing & Management company has just redesigned their website with a new look and navigation set up. It's never been easier to license your own images for Online use.

What's more, there are 80 different Matt Busch items to choose from, with Images you can purchase to own for as low as $1.65! That's unheard of! Click HERE to check them out!

If you've never tried your hand at creating signatures or tags, you should try it. It's really inexpensive and lets you put on a designer hat and play with some really beautiful art. What are you waiting for? Click HERE!

June 4th, 2008
PAINTING AFTERBURN COVERS VIDEO

Making waves as one of the hottest new comic books on the shelves, AFTERBURN is already in development as a major motion picture with Tobey Maguire attached to star.

Below you'll see how Matt Busch approaches creating the dynamic painted covers for the issues. Busch, no stranger to comic books or movies, will be a featured Special Guest at this year's Comic-Con International show in San Diego.

Created by Scott Chitwood, AFTERBURN is written by Chitwood and Paul Ens, illustrated by Wayne Nichols, with covers painted by Busch. You can find out more about AFTERBURN HERE.

AFTERBURN: Painting Covers with Matt Busch

May 21st, 2008
MATT BUSCH SPECIAL GUEST AT COMIC-CON!

It was announced recently in Comic-Con Magazine that Matt Busch will be a Featured Special Guest at this year's COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL show. Busch joins other notable Special Guests including horror visionary Bernie Wrightson, Mad Magazine artists Al Jaffee and Sergio Aragones, Comic Artist Giants Jim Lee and J.G. Jones, Animator Dean Yeagle, and award winning writer icons Ray Bradbury, Joe Hill and Dean Koontz.

Says Busch, "I'm floored. To be included in this list of my biggest heroes has left me speechless. I've never even entertained the thought of one day being a special guest at Comic-Con. To me, this is like the Oscars for all things entertainment, times one hundred. I'm flattered, honored, and hope that my contributions to fandom can continue to inspire like the folks on this list still inspire me."

This year's COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL runs July 24th through the 27th at the San Diego Convention Center. It's the largest convention center in North America and the the largest entertainment show in the world, covering comics, movies, books, art, video games, toys, and more.

For more information on Comic-Con, click HERE.

To see Matt Busch's current 2008 Tour Dates, click HERE.

May 13th, 2008
FIGHTING LYMPHOMA, JEDI STYLE!

Matt Busch, Lucasfilm, The 501st Great Lakes Garrison, and Paul Michael Kane have teamed up to produce this beautiful poster commemorating the 25th Anniversary of RETURN OF THE JEDI! The best part is, all of the proceeds will go to the National Lymphoma Society. Jay Shimko, Great Lakes 501st member TK-130, is actually a lymphoma survivor, which makes this charity poster all the more special!

Lucasfilm has graciously authorized this limited edition poster by STAR WARS artist Matt Busch. This piece completes the Original Trilogy set of villain-style posters that Busch has produced for the films' anniversaries over the years. The standard poster size measures 24" X 36" and is printed on thick 100 lb. stock with a deluxe aqueous coating.

This poster is extremely rare and contributes to a wonderful cause. The 501st Great Lakes Garrison will be selling the prints this weekend at the Motor City Comic Convention, held at the Rock Financial Showplace in Novi, MI, this Friday, May 16th through Sunday the 18th. Busch will also be a guest with some special surprises planned. For more information on the show, including tickets, hours, directions, and guests, click HERE.

If you can't get one in person at the show, a limited number of posters have been reserved for pre-order sales Online. You can see a larger version of the poster and secure your copy HERE!

May 12th, 2008
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD!

This June, Avatar Press will release a first annual special George Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD book, with the cover illustrated by Matt Busch. The book was previously only available at a rare Los Angeles convention.

Says Busch, "The style is something very different for me. Paying homage to the late Patrick Nagel, I thought it would be really interesting to see that graphic 80's look combined with subtle horror. I find it beautiful, but extremely creepy at the same time, so I guess I achieved what I was looking for! Haha!"

You can preorder this limited edition NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD book right HERE. Hurry before they run out!

As well, you can get some of Busch's previous NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD books by clicking on their titles below.

• NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: The Beginning #1
• NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: The Beginning #2
• NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: The Beginning #3
• NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: Just A Girl
• PLAGUE OF THE LIVING DEAD #4
• NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: Back From The Grave

In the mean-time, Busch has a plethora of George Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD material to be released in the coming months. Stay tuned!

April 25th, 2008
SECOND HOW TO DRAW MANGA SERIES

StarWars.com has just released Part Two of a new How To Draw Manga series, written and illustrated by Matt Busch! You can check out the Step By Step article HERE.

Manga, of course, refers to the Japanese style of comics, and what a better way to prep for the upcoming Celebration Japan show in July than to explore some of their pop culture. This week's article takes a look at how to draw Manga Padme from the side 'profile' view.

The article is the second in a Three Part weekly series, so be sure to check back next week and see how to draw Manga STAR WARS characters from different angles. In case you missed it, you can see the first article HERE.

April 24th, 2008
NEW MATT BUSCH INTERVIEW AND ARTWORK
AT THERAIDER.NET!

With multiple INDIANA JONES projects on the horizon revolving around the new movie, THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, Matt Busch has been interviewed at the number one Indy fansite, TheRaider.net. You can read the full interview right HERE!

Busch talks about all things Indy; from growing up with the famed archeologist to techniques Busch uses for current Indy inspiration. In addition to some of the rare sketch cards from the INDIANA JONES Heritage set, you'll also see some never-before-seen sketches from recent Indy-related projects!

Next up for Busch is a new set of sketch cards for the CRYSTAL SKULL movie, which drops in exactly one month. Look out for new INDIANA JONES themed How To Draw STAR WARS episodes as well. You can check out the first one HERE!

April 9 th, 2008
NEW HOW TO DRAW MANGA SERIES!

StarWars.com has just released Part One of a new How To Draw Manga series, written and illustrated by Manga Matt Busch! You can check out the Step By Step article HERE.

Manga, of course, refers to the Japanese style of comics, and what a better way to prep for the upcoming Celebration Japan show in July than to explore some of their pop culture. This week's article takes a look at how to draw Manga Padme from the front view.

The article is the first in a Three Part weekly series, so be sure to check back and see more next week and see how to draw Manga STAR WARS characters from different angles.