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Hi. My name's Rob Schamberger. I'm that guy who paints rasslers. And other stuff. Maim me, tame me, you can never change me.

Occasionally a painting surprises me, coming out better than I’d thought it would and that’s what happened with this Marina Shafir portrait. It’s a straightforward, no-nonsense composition to match her own on-screen persona. That means what’s there I have to get right because I can’t depend on other elements to keep things interesting.

Marina has a menacing quality about her, even in person. It’s that energy of knowing you can legitimately beat the $%&# out of most anyone you meet, something she carries as a matter of fact. I wanted to capture that in the portrait, her face enveloped in warm shadows, a glance from someone you may just not want looking your way.

Card subject to change.

Rob’s Art on ShopAEW
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Rob and Jason Arnett's novella Rudow Can't Fail!
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Rob’s prints and shirts at Pro Wrestling Tees
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Bluesky
Cara
YouTube
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Katy’s book Oldest Kansas City

I’m always drawn to (haha) artists with styles that seem to come out of nowhere, that have no clear precedent and P. Craig Russell is a prime example of this. His work has equal parts whimsy and menace with what looks like influences in classic comic strip artists like Frank King and Winsor McCay but also late 1800’s/ early 1900’s fantasy book illustration and a touch of Moebius, with figures inspired more by the stage than the screen. Oh, and it’s all so GORGEOUS the way it comes together.

I first saw his work with some back issues I’d picked up of his time on Elric and it was too much for my young brain to really handle, being more accustomed to the superhero comics of the late 80’s. He’d actually burst onto the scene in that same space in the 70’s with his run on the Marvel post-apocalyptic character Killraven (great name). I picked up a collection of all of that a few years back and it’s wonderful seeing his work quickly evolve into the theatrical, almost operatic look he’d become known for.

In 1993 he had a gorgeous miniseries come out called Robin 3000 that again, sadly, I wasn’t ready for at the time. It’s collected in the swell new Batman Elseworlds Omnibus that came out this week, so I’m excited to finally fix this oversight.

He’s done high-profile stuff here and there but his passion project has clearly been his adaptations of the great operas, notably the Wagner works. His Ring of the Nibelung is particularly mind-blowing. I also want to give a shoutout to his lettering, which is so perfectly integrated into his work.

It’s funny, thinking about it I can’t think of anyone working in the same visual vein as Russell. Elements of his work shows up as an influence in others, notably Mike Mignola and maybe JH Williams III. Ultimately though, he has such a distinctive style that anyone trying the same thing would look like they’re aping him instead of taking influence.

My drawing board, and notably the stuff on it, evolves quite a bit depending on what I’m making and where my interests are at. I’ve got the same drafting table that my mom got me when I was around 12 or 13. It does the job! I’ve also got a masonite drawing board on top of it that I bought at a hardware store back in 1998 when I was a senior in high school, which allows me a little more of a modular option while I’m working and also keeps my wrists off of the pen-catcher at the bottom of the table.

Otherwise it’s some combination of paints and palettes and other assorted things like squirt bottles and misters and masking fluid. My brushes are over on my adjoining computer desk, since the cats think they’re obviously toys to be played with. I’ve also got a container I picked up at Ikea to keep all of my tubes of watercolor safe from those feral felines.

I’ve also started propping up my little warmup paintings at the head of the table, since I’m often using those to work out what I’m doing with my finished pieces. Having them there as visual reference is helpful. Oh, and there’s a skull and a knight because why the hell not.

That’s what I’m working with right now. I’ll likely migrate my studio downstairs in a month or so, which means it’ll change a bit.

Which is good.

Love you more,
Rob

PS: Trans rights are human rights. Abolish and prosecute ICE.