Monkey Boy Gamble.

I have this very strong memory of seeing this scene from a horror show on TV when I was a small child. From what I can remember, it was a scene when a small group of people are in a barn, when this really freaky looking Monkey-Man jumps out in dungarees and an old, tatty, stripy jumper on a ledge above and roars. I think the plot was this Monkey-Man was going around a village killing people after escaping from some lab. For years this one scene was, for me, the scariest thing I’d ever seen. To this day I still think of this freaky scene and curse the fact that I have no idea what that show was. I’ve tried many times to hunt this show down, but not evening knowing where to start or even what it was called. Then last night, after twenty-years of not having a clue, I think I’ve had a break through on Youtube. Could this scene of been from a TV show called Chimera? I noticed from the trailer that it does have a Monkey-Man in dungarees and a stripy top. How many late 80’s, early 90’s TV shows could there be with a Monkey-Man in it, wearing dungarees and a stripy top? After twenty years, have I solved this riddle? I noticed they’d put it out on DVD a couple of years ago and wondered if it was worth a £10 gamble. I tried to hunt down more info on it and one of the things I got a kick out of was reading how a lot of people my age had been freaked out by this show, when they were kids. The best trauma, is a shared trauma, I find. Chimera came out in 91, when I would have been nine, which sounds about right. I’ve taken the £10 gamble and now fear (A) it’s the wrong show and\or (B) it’s really not that scary. These nagging fears are what keep me from hunting down a copy of Killer Net, which I remember as being good, but feel will probably fall apart if viewed again.

Anyway, here the trailer for Chimera. Speaking of childhood trauma… It’s strange, I do think the Daleks have been overused in new Who, but now I know they won’t be coming back anytime soon, I’m already missing them. I don’t know, I guess they really shouldn’t be a yearly villain, which they pretty much have been since Doctor Who came back. I guess I was just looking forward to seeing what they were going to do with them next. However, with them gone, maybe we’ll finally get a really good new Who Cybermen episode.

Mild Shock.

I try and avoid doing too many close ups these days, but here’s one I slipped into issue 2. Fairly happy with the look of mild shock I’ve got on this character’s face. It a hard emotion to do, a little dumbfounded. I think I just got away with it.

Interesting fact I found out this week… Cheese and Onion Pop Corn sounds horrible, but is actually pretty good. Kind of tasty when it shouldn’t be. Something about it that works. I know… weird, right? Salt and Vinegar Pop Corn? Good… but not as good as Cheese and Onion.

Bod-Mod.

As Bod-Mods go, this picture has to be one of my favourites. It has that fish tank quality to it (if a slightly gross fish tank.) You could just spend hours staring into it. I’m never sure if Body Modification are actually cool, or just a creative form of attention seeking? Sometimes I’ll see something someone’s had done and think it’s pretty cool. Other times it’s all a bit lost on me. It’s the whole leaving yourself with a gaping hole in your face that I can’t get pass.

Also… I hated the look of that Wonder Woman TV pilot when all those pictures were leaked. From what I heard about it and from those on-set pictures, it didn’t look hopeful. That said, I hope someone puts the pilot online or something at least. I’ve gotta know if it was a car crash or actually ok. They should have put out this photo before submitting it to the studios.

Best Mad Monk Movie Ever.

I always like breaking a large shot up into tiny panels. It’s an effect I try not to over use, but like to do every so often. Spread out the action a bit. This is my latest stab at doing this.

Saw a great movie this week. It was even better for the fact that I wasn’t expecting much from it. Horror Express is a film from 1973 about a monster that gets loose on a train. It’s got Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing as it’s stars and the monster is actually half-decent. It’s also got the best Mad Monk I’ve ever seen in a film. One of those Rasputin type (actually he’s a priest or something in it, but anyway.) Apart from it’s weird right-turn into Sci-Fi about half-way through it, this film is pretty good. It’s got a couple of decent scares and the special-effects put it above your average Hammer Movie (this film isn’t from Hammer.)

Fear Him (or her…? I don’t know.)

Just because it made me laugh when I saw it.

I have to say Pokemon is a bit of a blind-spot with me. It came out just as I was getting a bit too old for Saturday morning cartoons. The last big kids TV craze I remember is The Mighty Morphing Power Rangers. With Pokemon, it was that depressing coming-of-age moment when you decide you won’t be coming along for the ride with the latest, new, big cartoon craze. Now it’s ok for grown ups to watch cartoons, I always wonder if kids still do that? Turn their back on childish things? It’s always a strange feeling to see a balding, tubby man just on the cusp of middle-age, wearing an over-priced T-Shirt with a cartoon character on it. I would think seeing that sight in a mirror would only make you feel older? but I guess not.

Anyway, don’t ask me anything about Pokemon… I know nothing.

I wonder why Call Of Cthulhu is everywhere at the moment? Is it the most influential modern, horror story of all time? I think a lot of people now would say it’s Lovecraft’s greatest story ( it’s not mine, but it is a good one.) It’s a pretty impressive legacy, for a story that’s only about 30-ish pages long.

Pop Your Collar.

Been working away on this short strip for a while now, and thankfully the end is in sight. I should be starting the final page this coming week. It’s a lot of good stuff crammed into just a few pages. So far, I’ve already drawn Zombies, Werewolves, Gill-men, Vampires and Mummies in this strip (if only briefly.) It leans more towards humour then horror, this strip, but it was nice to do some classic monsters. It was also nice to draw something new and try out a couple of new things.

For now, here something from B.O.B. issue 2.

Jack The Ripper Song.

So glad they made a second series of Psychoville. I still love The Ripper song from series one. Plus their Halloween special was the only decent thing on TV last Halloween.

God You’re Needy, Facebook.

I cringe a little every time you send me one of those “oh… hey, you haven’t signed in in a while” Emails, you know that, Facebook?

There... somebody had to say it.

Creepshow: Raw

I love a good horror anthology and I love the first two Creepshow movies (third one is meant to be god-awful.) Only just heard about Creepshow: Raw, short internet movies done in a Creepshow style. This is the only one I could find and it’s from late 2009, so I guess they dropped the idea pretty quick. Still… worth a look, at least they had a go at doing a decent non-CGI monster.

More IGN Videos

Saw Catfish last night. Was a tiny bit disappointed. They set it up as the twist was going to blow your mind, and to be honest I think the twist would be most peoples first guess, if they were told the premise. Also I fall on the side that it’s probably a MOCKumentary. Some of the acting by the documentary crew and the main guy is a bit ropey and at times over the top. That said, not a terrible movie, just has an over hyped twist.

Is there some kind of deep irony or witty comment going on by doing a film about someone lying about who they are on Facebook and then trying to convince the world your fake documentary is a 100% true? I can’t decide if it’s cheeky but clever, or a piss take too far?