Meet Concept Artist Dan LuVisi
Powered by a never-ending supply of Skittles and prone to talking rapturously about his cats, Dan LuVisi is a relentlessly talented artist who has worked on Batman and Superman for DC Comics and created art for Hasbro, Fox, Universal, Microsoft, and countless gaming companies. His gift for dynamic imagery, dazzling color, and photo-realistic detail makes him seem like some sort of Photoshop cyborg, but his approachable demeanor and willingness to share his process make him an inspiring teacher as well.
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- About Last Man Standing
- Last Man Standing Is Born
- An Underground Hit
- Fan Support for LMS
- LMS Mini-Statue by Legacy Effects
- Plans for Dan, Gabriel, and Last Man Standing
- Get a Killbook for Yourself
About Last Man Standing
Last Man Standing: Killbook of a Bounty Hunter (LMS for short) is unquestionably this young artist's magnum opus. Tim Miller, the creative director of Blur Studio, calls LMS, "An epic and visionary story with an insane level of detail...more detail than any normal artist could achieve." Dan calls LMS, "a satire/parody of big-budget films and videogames, poking fun at the superheroes and clichés we've grown accustomed to. Not to mention the story about a dying super-soldier and his hopes to bring Amerika down to the ground and revitalize it once and for all."
(Some of Dan LuVisi's Last Man Standing characters. From L to R: Judge, Ro, Abbadon, Alice, Noa, and Fish.)
(More LMS characters. From L to R: Pain, Jawsome, Hex, Daisy, Turk, and Lucy.)
Last Man Standing Is Born
In 2010, artist & Section 9 co-owner Dan LuVisi provided a glimpse of a vast and fantastical universe by posting a handful of characters he had created to his online followers. The response was overwhelming and unanimous. The main character, a futuristic mercenary named 'Gabriel,' was so popular that fans generated an online petition demanding more than the occasional character posting. The audience wanted much, much, more. In response to his fans, LuVisi expanded his work, fleshed out a cohesive storyline, and pitched it to Kevin Eastman, publisher of Heavy Metal. Eastman immediately decided to publish the collected work that LuVisi had created. After 2 1/2 years of labor, LuVisi delivered a 230-page opus entitled 'LMS.' 48 hours after it was available, it was declared Heavy Metal's biggest bestseller ever. The public unveiling occurred at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, where the book sold out almost immediately and prompted a subsequent studio bidding war for multi-platform entertainment rights. Paramount Pictures ultimately beat out Warner Bros. for those rights.
(Gabriel the genetically-engineered super-soldier at the heart of LMS and his two cats, Remy and Gizmo.)
An Underground Hit
A subsequent, regular edition of the book also sold out, and pricing in the secondary markets, such as Amazon & eBay, skyrocketed, eventually reaching tenfold levels and more. The fans demanded a reissue.
In 2013, the LMS publishing rights reverted to Section 9 Entertainment. Immediately thereafter, a number of publishers were vying for re-publishing rights and, after careful consideration, Section 9 awarded the deal to Dark Horse Comics, known for its popular titles, such as Star Wars, Hellboy, Mass Effect, and Conan.
The book was reintroduced to fans with a limited number of special Comic-Con editions in July of 2013. The regular edition - available in November 2013 - has been recently listed as a pre-sale on Amazon and, within 48 hours, jumped to the Number 2 spot in Pop Culture Book sales, beating out other high-profile titles, such as Bioshock, The Hobbit, and Star Wars.
(Gabriel, the final Paladin and protagonist of LMS: Killbook of a Bounty Hunter!)
Fan Support for LMS
The continuous evolution of the Gabriel character is inspired by artists and fans from around the globe who regularly engage and interact with creator LuVisi by creating tribute art for the LMS universe.
Within weeks of LuVisi's announcement of the reprint with Dark Horse, over 300 art pieces in a variety of media formats had been sent to him in support. Several of those works will now be featured in the reissue of LMS. Some of the contributing artists are top-tier figures in the entertainment industry. Professional quality work of this nature usually commands high fees. Yet, these artists are also fans, and their enthusiasm prompted them to treat LMS and its anti-hero, Gabriel, with the same kind of fan engagement usually reserved for more well-known pop-culture characters.
While still flying under the radar of mass audiences, Gabriel and LMS have undeniably reached a cult status level. Some LMS fans even created their own custom costumes for LMS-themed Cosplay during the 2013 Comic-Con!
(A glimpse at the mini (20") Gabriel sculpture by Legacy FX.)
LMS Mini-Statue by Legacy Effects
Due to ongoing fan requests for LMS-related merchandise & collectibles, Section 9 proudly presents a museum-quality high-end collectible line of characters, starting with the story's protagonist, Gabriel. Based on the intricately detailed maquette by the leading character creation studio, Legacy Effects (The Avengers, Iron Man 3, The Amazing Spider-Man), the 20-inch collectible statue will be produced as a limited edition and is expected to sell out. Various other characters from the universe are planned to be created thereafter.
(Alice, lead guitarist for P.M.S. with her MK 345 Gun* Tar.)
Plans for Dan, Gabriel, and Last Man Standing
The next stage in the LMS publishing deal with Dark Horse will focus on a graphic novel series, written by the property's original creator, Dan LuVisi. The graphic novel series will explore and expand on the LMS universe and its popular anti-hero, Gabriel. Further LMS-related releases will include an interactive iPad app, holographic posters, vinyl toys, prop replicas, and an apparel line, including T-shirts, baseball caps, jackets, as well as general merchandise, such as calendars and posters.
And of course, LMS will be coming to a screen near you....Section 9 co-owners Dan LuVisi and Stephan Lokotsch have teamed with Russell Binder, Peter Levin, and Scott Aversano to bring LMS to additional entertainment media platforms for Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom. Paramount Pictures is responsible for some of the most exciting and successful global film franchises of the last decade, including J.J. Abrams' reinvention of the Star Trek franchise, Michael Bay's Transformers franchise, Marvel's Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America, as well as the Mission: Impossible franchise. In conjunction with their world-class film division, LMS is planned as a potential 2015 franchise film release with ancillary games and digital entertainment content designed to supplement the LMS universe.
(Eli "Jawsome" Hunt, a casualty of a military science project gone wrong from Last Man Standing: Killbook of a Bounty Hunter!)
Get a Killbook for Yourself
The Stan Winston School of Character Arts is proud to count Dan LuVisi among our brilliant roster of artist/instructors, and we're completely thrilled to help announce the release of this amazing work of imaginative art, and character design. See the links below for more of Dan and his art. by David Sanger
Click the link to pre-order the hardcover graphic novel Last Man Standing: Killbook of a Bounty Hunter!!
- Or order from Dark Horse, HERE!
- On Facebook: https://www.facebook.
com/LMSKILLBOOK
Check out our Photoshop course with Dan LuVisi: Creature Design - Photoshop Character Rendering