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At the outset of the project artists were given a list of approved characters, and the limitation that they could only draw ten sketches of a given character, additionally all the cards had to be in color. Given this freedom I decided that I wasn’t going to repeat any sketches. I was going to make each one unique. Using everything from Google searches to old George Perez comic books, action figures and statues I gathered my reference material, and began working on the cards. In the meantime Artbox contacted me to work on their Frankenstein set. Their 250 cards had a very similar deadline to the Complete Avengers set. As if I didn’t have enough to draw Topps invited me to work on Lord of the Rings Masterpieces. How could I pass up that opportunity? That batch of 100 cards was due in less than four weeks! I toiled away for 18-hour days that started with LOTR in the morning, working up to Frankenstein in the afternoon and completed my evenings with the Avengers. Those were grueling times, but I managed to pull it all off, thanks to a deadline extension, hard work and sleepless nights. The release date approached for Avengers, and oddly, I hadn’t heard back from Rittenhouse about my work. When I finally spoke with Robert he told me that Marvel didn’t approve of a single card out of the 250 that I drew. Initially, I thought he was joking with me, but it quickly became apparent that he wasn’t. Marvel had a list of reasons my cards didn’t get approved: 1. The sketches were not consistent with the submissions 2. The art was very two-dimensional 3.Images of the Thing and Red Skull had cigarettes and cigars 4.Spider-man’s symbol too small and he looked like the movie version. This is a bunch of fluff. I will admit that the card stock Rittenhouse was using for this assignment wasn’t the normal stock. It didn’t take color pencil well, marker bled into the paper, so inking was a nightmare. Ultimately I am very proud of the work that I did, especially given all the circumstances with other deadlines and the issues with the paper. I really don’t think Marvel’s editor even looked at my cards. I don’t know, and I’ll probably never know, but for whatever reason not one of the 250 sketch cards I did were approved or put in packs. I was in shock for a few days, then depression set in. I talked back and forth with Rittenhouse; as they were trying to get my sketches resubmitted to Marvel. I have to say that Rittenhouse Archives is one top-notch company to work for. Robert and Steve had my back through this entire situation. I don’t hold them responsible, nor do I have any negative feelings for them. I will work for Rittenhouse in the future, possibly on another Marvel set provided the contract is written differently than the one used for the Avengers. I ask you to look at these scans I took of my cards before they were submitted, look at these sketches and ask your self why these weren’t approved? It is stated in the contract I signed that disapproved sketch card would be destroyed, and I assume all the cards have been destroyed. I don’t not have any of them, but I could draw the a similar same image on a Celestial Dream Studio sketch art card. Enough of my boring speech! Enjoy the cards you all were denied. I do not own these cards, they are not for sale. I do not own these cards, they are not for sale. Complete Avengers sell sheets: 
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