Thursday 24 February 2011

What About The Gorehounds?

Still undecided on the cover for the second issue (posted above.) There’s elements I like about of it and maybe some I don’t. I guess my main worry is, is it too subtle for a horror comic cover? With the first cover, I wanted to go more graphic. I bought a book on the artwork of video-nasties of the 80’s and wanted it more to hit you between the eyes when you saw it. In the end I didn’t go down that route and ended up with a more restrained design. I went more for creepy and atmosphere, then blood and guts. I don’t regret this as I’ve come to really like the cover to issue #1, not that it’s perfect, but it sets a nice mood. It’s claustrophobic, which I like. This new cover, I also like the design of. Again, it’s more going for creepy and atmosphere. But I’m not really sure if this (or even the first cover) really scream horror. Maybe it’s harder to judge the tone without either of them being in colour. This cover’s got a nice, little sting in the tail when you take a second look at it, but still… I do wonder if I should have gone darker? Covers to horror comics aren’t afraid to be a bit more obvious. I’m trying to imagine this on the comic-book shelves next to all the zombie comics. Would it even get a glance?

Issue three’s front cover will be Satan juggling decapitated heads, while zombies vomit blood onto blind kittens, and a topless vampire chick plays an electric-guitar in the background… just to even things out.

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Chill-lax.

As I’ve pretty much finished off issue #2 now, I’m hopefully going to be stepping down a gear this week. Recharge a tiny bit and just sit around working up some thumbnails and watching some vintage horror movies on my laptop in bed. Started last night with Demons. What I liked about Demons was it had 80’s Punks in it. Watched Return Of The Living Dead last week, too. Best Punk\Horror movie of all time. Punks always meet nasty ends in 80’s horror movies, even with their flick-knives and bad attitudes.

I need to get some ideas churning in my head, but not tonight. There’ll be no work done on the day The Brigadier died…‘sniff.’ Maybe I’ll just post this panel, then watch Demons 2.

Friday 18 February 2011

Midway.

Just finished inking the final page of issue #2 last night. Art wise I’ve hit the halfway point. It also means once I’ve got the cleaning up, resizing and lettering done, I can helpfully get some time to do some pin-ups. I haven’t had a chance to draw anything other then this current issue since Halloween last year. I’ve got a couple of ideas I want to flesh out. Until then, here the latest panel.

Been checking out the awesome trailer going around for Dead Island in the last few days. With that and new Resident Evil games coming out on the 3DS, it’s a good time if you’re into Zombie games. I reckon the next step will be a giant Zombie MMO. Instead of playing an Elf or Superhero, you’re just a guy trying to survive in an online Zombie wasteland. Like The Walking Dead or something. Maybe if you’re killed instead of dieing, you have to then be a Zombie and chase survivors. You’d have to keep your character alive by finding food and weapons and teaming up with other players. There could be records of who last longest and so on. I’d play it… if I currently owned a decent console or had five minutes to myself these days. Neither of which I do… damn.

Wednesday 16 February 2011

I Love The Classics.

I’m guessing this is a hoax, but a very funny (and playable) one.

I was kind of wondering the other day if anyone is still making 8bit Nes games? Online or something? That is, new playable 8 bit games. What once would take a team of programmers, can now surly be done by one nerd in his room? I want some new 8bit thrills. You can find old Nes\Snes games online, but it’s not the same when you have to use your keyboard and not a good old Nes-controller.

If there’s a craze for turning the world of books into 8bit games, my vote goes to American Psycho. Just a little 8bit Patrick Bateman running around would be awesome.

Thursday 10 February 2011

Bad House Keeping.

This is my second, and sadly last abandoned house shot (the first being this one.) As I’ve said, it was just a small subplot I throw in that I now regret not running with more. Maybe at some point I’ll get to do a post-apocalyptic comic (they’re very big at the moment) and really get to kick around this idea, but for now this is it in my story. I’m currently drawing the cover to issue #2 and did think of doing something with the ruin houses shots as part of the design, but it is just a tiny subplot and not worthy of being a cover. That said, these two panels are probably my favourite from issue #2.

Sunday 6 February 2011

Overloaded.

This shot is meant to be a little visual gag. There’s one very, very old character in the story who ends up doing all the heavy-lifting and hard work. I’m fairly happy with shot. Maybe I could have piled on a couple more bags and had him really swooping from the weight, or maybe that would be slightly too cartoony? I’m not sure…

Regardless of all the terrible things that come with having a birthday and being one year older, I do now have a nice little pile of comics and graphic novels to keep me going. Plus a little spare cash to order some more. Was also down to my last pencil (which ain’t a good thing for a comic artist to be), but I’m now happily restocked.

Wednesday 2 February 2011

Best Tattoo Ever?

I’ve gone off tattoos a lot in recent years. They’re everywhere now and it’s almost more rebellious not to have one these days. That said, I did raise a smile when I come across this picture. It’s the first time, in a long time, I’ve been impressed with someone’s tattoo. Worth the pain of having someone tattooing the thin skin and no padding part behind your ear, surly? It would be even cooler if she had a wizard and the evil black and yellow Wally tattooed elsewhere on her body.