Filipino artist Raymund Bermudez has been wanting to be a professional cartoonist all his life. After graduating school, he’s worked in television, film and advertising, all while attempting to get his comic career started. But after years of fruitless work, he was ready to give up — then Lex Luthor came along.
This Quezon City-based artist is drawing September’s Action Comics #23.3: Lex Luthor, and it’s the culmination of a life-long dream to work in comics — a dream he almost gave up on. Bermudez hopes for the past few years had been kept alive with conversations with Marvel’s talent scout C.B. Cebulski and several assignments doing samples, but although seemingly full of talent they never got him anywhere. In 2011 and 2012 he did artwork for two illustrated books called Depth Charge and Emergency Ops that were close to comics, but not quite. He’s done some work on a variety of upstart comic books that haven’t seen release yet like a zombie book called The Awakened and his own idea, Enkanto. But with a bustling family and some career opportunities opening up outside comics, that window of opportunity was closing in — and the comic industry was losing a chance to induct a vibrant young creator until this chance to do Action Comics came along.
Bermudez’ work is reminiscent to me of 1980s artist Steve Lightle of Legion of Super-Heroes fame; lithe figures but full of power and drama, rich in the tradition of Philippine comic artists that have come before him. Taken at face value, Bermudez’ work seems ideal for a run on a superhero crusader on the dark streets like Batman, but with the right colorist and approach I could see Bermudez being more dynamic and open to all sorts of challenges. No previews from his issue of Action Comics issue have come out yet, but I’ve assembled some various samples, commissions and printed work for you to get an idea of what this artist can do.
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Mad skills…I notice sometimes he doesn’t exagerate the leg proportions to standard comics size…Leaving the calf and ankle at their real-world proportions can sometimes be jarring in comic art. Sometimes it works and sometimes it really doesn’t. But overall, I love this art. Great individual style.
That barefoot Wonder Woman vs Supergirl piece would fetch a nice price on the fetish market, I’m sure. 🙂
That Hulk VS Wolverine… Ouch! And Superman kickin the Ultimates’ a**.
Yeah, that Superman/Ultimates deserves a good hard look and be taken in cause it offers a great deal of quality. Only thing I don’t like about it is Hulk looks as much rock as the Thing.
Some of those are some down right brilliant sketches with & without inks. His point of view/angles are very unique and extremely difficult to come from, and the detail is amazing in some of those like the dinosaur in the Shanna one with the point of origin coming from below her,the dinosaur and the tree and the dinosaur with Red Sonja inked is excellent as well. Two above Shanna the She-Devil, the Aphrodite X looking Steampunk chick is chock full of detail and expression, Man-Bat & Batman’s cape synchronizing, Secret Avengers panels are sharp, and I dig his DD w of’ horn head’s horns more like Hellboy’s un-trimmed. Some unusual feet at times and I don’t know about that right (DD’s right) hand in the one with the elongated horns but he seems masterful with numerous settings. Love the crashing Helicopter, the Zombies on top of & the car angle,and that bridge at the top. If this guy has a hard time getting work in comics it’s really laying it down on where the bar is set, how slim chances are and amazed at the level of sloppy work in comics compared to this .
*ol’ horn head
His attention to detail & perspective on the cars & buildings is something more comics could benefit from. Atmosphere goes a long way.
This guy is fantastic. I’d buy anything he drew. Makes you wonder why some people pass the test page round and others (like this guy) don’t. Maybe he doesn’t work that fast? Only reason I can think of…
It’s a little surprising that DC, of all publishers, is giving him work. They seem o like to hire people that draw like the guys already working there. Good on ’em though. He’ll be a credit to the title.
After really absorbing all of them and soaking in the lovely detail in Red Sonja standing a top of a dead dinosaur….the foliage, the Dino, the tree with jungle moss then two dead ones, her stitched n’ ruffled boots, bloody axe & pelt….I would love to see this guy pencil a Swamp Thing vs the Golden Age JSA in an Elsewolrds tale. It’d be a perfect up and coming in comics project for an artist to really showcase his talents. Moon Knights hood in the piloting helicopter Secret Avengers panel sparked the JSA vision as it spoke hoods, capes,cowls n’ masks to me with an instant visual of Hourman, Sandman, and Doctor Mid-Nite in pursuit of Swampy amongst that beautiful jungle. The contrast of Hourman & Swamp Thing alone is worth the price of admission.
I would love to see and bet he can pencil a mean Dr Doom.
Wow, I’m loving all this. He draws a great DD!