Sorted For Sharpies.

If Santa was expressing how much he liked people this Christmas through Sharpies, that means Santa loves me ttthhhhiiiiiissssssssssss much this Xmas. 

No matter what else 2022 throws at me this coming year, at least I'll be sorted for Sharpies, come what may.

Boxing Sunday.

It's Boxing Day and it's a Sunday... The two were made for each other.

The older I get, the more I'm starting to prefer Boxing Day to Christmas Day, if I'm honest. All the food and presents of Xmas, but without the stress and drama.

It's all Turkey, Mayo and Stuffing Sandwiches and just chilling out with no pressure.

Xmas 2020 File Not Found.

I find it a tad creepy I can't remember hardly anything from Christmas 2020. I know there was a lot going on last year, after a horrible 12-months leading up to it, but you would have thought something would have stuck. It's like my Brain just can't find the file marked 'Xmas 2020' in my head or something, or it was so uneventful my mind just didn't even bother recording and keeping any memories of it.

I've also really been struggling to get into the Xmas spirit this year. Not sure why. I've been trying to battle this by watching US Christmas episodes of The Office and eating Stollen, which has helped a little.

Maybe it's just because sitting indoors by yourself eating Pringles and feeling sad is the new norm now rather than a rare end of year December treat.

Who Could It Be?

I'm no Master at drawing people's likenesses... but it is something I've been working on more in recent years. What with working with Models and doing more Fan-Art. It's something I try not to shy away from now.

So with that in mind, I invite people to try and guess whose likeness I've tried to capture here above.

If it helps, I've dropped a couple of clues as to 'Who' it is in this intro. 

Look Sharp And Chiseled.

Since it is the festive season right now, I thought I'd treat myself to an early Christmas present this week and so invested in a 'Chisel Tip' Sharpie.

  

I haven't had much of a chance to play around with it yet, but hopefully at some point over Xmas I'll be able to 'take a line for a walk' with it and draw something and see what it can do. 

If nothing else... 2021 is differently the year I tried to up my 'pen game' this year.

New Pandemic Themed Life Skills.

One 'Life Skill' I've picked up from living through this Pandemic is the ability to hold my breath suddenly while not looking like I'm holding my breath, so I can walk past groups of people or be in the same space as someone who isn't keeping their distance, and secretly not be inhaling their germs, while looking semi-normal.

It's a sly move, for sure, but I'd like to think it might have saved me from sickness and maybe even death a few times over the last couple of years.

I'm trying to think if there's any other new 'Life Skills' I've had to learn to deal with this Pandemic...

Crimson Snores.

Oof... You know you've had hardcore dental work done when you wake up the next morning and your Pillow is covered in dozens of tiny little blood droplets you must have breathed out over night.

My mouth still really hurts just from having to hold it open nonstop yesterday for a whole hour, let alone the itchy raw gums and ridiculously sensitive aching teeth.

Colourful Adventures.

Just had time this week to give my random girl in a Pith Helmet pic a quick colour job for fun.

I'm really hoping 2022 will involve a return to the Jungle at some point next year. Although it's hard to make any kind of future plans right now with everything that's going on and all the craziness. But hopefully the 'Call Of The Wild' won't go unanswered in 2022. 

We'll see...

Tentacle Terror Returns... Briefly.

For those that still wish it was Halloween, here's the line artwork to my Space 1999 Pin-Up from this spooky weekend just gone. Another chance to relive the tentacle terror that befell the crew of the Ultra Probe (RIP) on their way to the tenth planet.

I know some people are more about the linework rather than the colour when it comes to Comic Book Art these days.

 

And please remember... If I ever forget to post the black and white artwork here on my blog (and I often do), you can always find it lurking somewhere on my Devaintart page.

Happy Halloween 2021.

I love how everybody just 'ups' their horror game at Halloween at this time of year. It's so fun to see everyone dressing up as Vampires and Ghouls and getting their creep on.

A big thank you to every one who's shown my recent Space 1999 Pin-up some love over the past 48-hours. It was fun to get to do a bit of dark Sci-Fi this October.

So Happy Halloween, everyone, and hope people are still having some fun this October, even if the shadow of Covid means most people are having a scaled back one this year. It's still just nice to have an excuse to watch some horror movies and eat some treats. Hopefully Friday's unexpected massive injection of Tentacles has helped brighten your Halloween Weekend.

I don't think we're back to having normal style Halloweens just yet, but I do think there is spooky fun still to be had. Even if it is still mainly home-based and online for now.

Space 1999: Dragon's Domain.

Wow... who would have thought Bell-Bottoms and Platform Shoes would have been no defence against one of Pop Culture's greatest Cosmic Horror Space Beasties of all time, huh?

Yes to celebrate this spooky All Hallows Eve, I've decided to have some fun this year and depict one of my favourite British Sci-Fi Monsters of all time. As good as any Doctor Who baddie in my opinion. As well as use it as an excuse to do some Gerry Anderson Fan-Art.

This Pin-Up is my Halloween homage to Space 1999 and the classic episode Dragon's Domain. Where a small research crew comes across a graveyard of Spaceships and something big, nasty, hungry and covered in tentacles waiting for them inside.

   

It breaks my heart there isn't more Dragon's Domain content out there to celebrate this nameless gruesome guy. He should have his\its own Fan-Films and Comic Book series and so on like other certain Doctor Who villains do.

      

So HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2021, guys, and remember...

IMPORTANT WARNING: Under no circumstances look directly into its massive glowing Eye when viewing this artwork. That's how it will get you. Immediately close Browser and exit page if you start to hear a whirling sound and start seeing bright flashing lights.

A Redux Of A Redux.

You might well ask yourself if it's even possible to Redux a Redux...

For anyone counting, this is my third go at colouring this particular Pin-Up. It's by far the Artwork I've spent the longest on trying to get right, and I hope to never return to it again.

I wanted the Alien to be a very unnatural colour like a purple or bright pink, but have dialed that back a bit in this new version to a more fleshy look this time, which I think looks better. 

I also kind of liked the previous colour job I had done on the Alien, but looking back, thought it might be a bit 'noisy'. So I've toned it down and redone the Sky in the background.

Not to give any Halloween spoilers away too soon or anything, but up until recently, this was my must Tentacle-y Pin-Up I had ever done. This is no longer the case however... 

Deadheads Vol 3.

A third offering of another Smorgasbord of hungry Zeds.

 

I mainly used this page as an excuse to try and see if I could do a good burnt Zombie effect with these Ghouls. To see if I could depict 'Fire Damaged' Zombies in my artwork.

We have a before-and-after burning Zombie at the top of the page. I wanted to try and draw a Zombie who's basically been turned into walking Ash, he's been burned so bad. As well as a Zombie who has lost half his face to the flames below them.

I also finished off the page with a Zombie with a screwdriver buried in his head after a failed 'headshot' (who's secretly my favourite Dead Head of the bunch), and a Ghoul in Glasses. At this point I'd like to imagine the frames of its specs have just fused into its rotting face and won't fall off and he'll be wearing them forever now.

Hopefully folks will find these Zombies charred but still charming... 

A Folder For Fans.

Not to let the Cat out of the Bag too early on what might or might not be happening this forthcoming Halloween... But I thought people might like to know I've started a Folder on my Deviantart page for any and all Fan Art done by me.  

Just a place where all Artwork done of other Creators' Characters can be found.

There's not much in there right now apart from a Bathing Super-Fiend and a couple of Cybermen, but it might be a link some people will find handy.

Charcoal Zombie.

For those that like their Undead 'well done' and 'Crispy'...

This is my take on a very 'Fire Damaged' Zombie.

Maybe this poor guy found himself on the wrong side of a Molotov Cocktail or something, and must now spend the rest of time walking around looking like this.

Mutton Chops And Piths.

My take on a Boer War British Soldier. I discovered while doing this one that I actually really like drawing folks with 'Mutton Chops', so I'm now currently trying to think of an excuse to draw more characters wearing them.

 

It was also nice to finally get a chance to draw an upright style Pith Helmet, too.

   

It's only really just dawn on me over the last few days that we're officially in Halloween season now. 

Not My Proudest Moment.

You know when you draw a giant Asterisk in black marker in your TV Guide to remind you Wentworth Prison is on Tuesday night and you really don't want future you to miss it... Only problem is you then forget you've drawn it in and the next time you open the Magazine you freak out and throw it across the room because you think there's a giant Spider on the page.

So disappointed in my(past)self. Next time I'm gonna have to draw a much less frightening shape next to my favourite TV picks. Like a friendly Ladybird or something.

Name That Ray-Gun.

I'm not sure why I don't do more Ray-Gun themed art to be honest... The one time I did let myself indulge in such things, the resulting Pin-Up actually went down pretty well with people, and was one of my most popular bits of art.

  

So maybe at some point I can set something up (possibly with a model or someone) and return to the theme of Guns that go "Zap!". Because nothing brings out a girl's eyes like a deadly Death-Ray.

 

Until then, though, and since I got to draw a very famous Ray-Gun recently, I thought it might be fun to see if anyone can name it? Or at least wants to take a guess at where it's from? It's only a very small object in the final image, so I had to zoom in a lot to snap this screenshot. But hopefully folks can still make it out ok.

Also I'd love to hear other peoples favourite Ray-Guns from Films\TV\Comics\Video Games? 

Hip Hip Beret.

Speaking of War themed art, here's my take on a modern British female Royal Marine.

I'm just gonna come out and say it... I think I draw a good Beret.

Camouflage Combat Case.

I think all this War genre themed art I've been drawing lately must have been having an effect on me, because I've recently treated myself to this new snazzy camouflage case to keep my art gear in. 

So now when it's time to draw, I'm combat ready...

Double Jabbed.

I'm currently trying to have a 'slow' day today after getting my second Covid Jab yesterday.

I'm please to report I don't feel half as bad as I did after my first one three months ago. My left arm only feels a bit dead this time around, like someone's punch it really hard, unlike last time, when I couldn't use it for a day and a half (although I'd still struggle to give you a high-five right now).

I also thankfully didn't spend the night feeling sick while watching a gross Italian Zombie movie this time around. 

I'm hoping this all means my body has become more Pfizer friendly over the Summer and I have some kind of immunity going on now. 

Zombie With A Pizza Cutter.

A Bad Ass but overly cocky Zombie Hunter learns the hard way never to pick a fight with a hungry Ghoul with a sharp Kitchen Utensil.

I have to confess I don't usually do straight up 'gags', but the thought of a lone Zombie walking around during an Undead Apocalypse cutting off the tops of peoples' heads with a Pizza Cutter to get at their Brains just made me chuckle too much not to draw it. He's just a sneaky little Zombie with a sinister plan.

I very well might come back to this subject matter at some point in the future (after all, who doesn't love a good 'Zom-Com'). Plus drawing Zombies vs Tough Biker Chicks is a lot of fun.

It's a no-brainer... 

Pizza Cut.

Just because there's nothing more dangerous in nature than a Zombie with a Pizza Cutter...

How did he get it, you may ask? What's he gonna do with it, you may also ponder? All these questions and more will hopefully be answered soon.

 

I should point out that Zombies have been using tools since the original Night Of The Living Dead, so I don't think it's impossible a lone Zombie could have mastered a Pizza Cutter.

Pith And Pigtails.

Just because it's been such a crappy Summer so far this year and a total let down... I thought I'd cheer myself (and hopefully maybe others) up by drawing something I love.

Not that I can condone mixing Pith Helmets and Pigtails, with a cheeky little splash of freckles and a hint of sexy gap-tooth thrown in for good measure.

  

This Lady Adventurer is clearly playing with fire rocking this particular look...

Deadheads Vol 2.

The Rotters return in this second Character Sheet of gruesome Dead Heads...

   

This collection is more focus on 'battle damaged' Zombies, who have clearly taken some hits in their pursuit of a decent human shaped meal. But it's hard to keep a good Zombie down (literally) and what doesn't kill them, only makes them hungrier.

This batch includes another shameless topless Zombie with his brains on show for all to see. A jawless Flesh-Eater who has lost his bite. And a Zombie who has clearly feed recently and is a messy eater (someone get that Ghoul a bib).

Deadheads Vol 1.

A collection of random 'Deadheads' that I've drawn this Summer for fun, gathered together in this one chilling Character Sheet.

I've been drawing Zombies on-and-off for a very long time now, but it's only really recently that I've started to get them looking just how I like them.

Included in this batch of no brainers are... a bitten female Zombie with matted rain washed hair. A couple of classic style Zombies looking for lunch. A mindless Zombie who has seen better days and lost an eye. And a chubby middle-age Zombie with thinning hair.

I Would be very interested to know in the Comments below if people have a favourite Ghoul out of the bunch? Or which flesh hungry walking cadaver would folks must not want to run into during a Zombie Outbreak?

The Zombiethon Continues.

Just because they're not Vampires or Werewolves and therefore the Sun won't scare them off... I think we should try and squeeze a little bit more Undead fun in the Sun in this Summer.

  

First up is a return to the classic 'Brains Out' Zombie. The Cadillac of Zombies, if you will. People seemed to like my first try, so I thought I'd do a bigger follow up, with a plumper, juicier brain. This style might make him more vulnerable to attacks from humans, but does look cool as hell.

Next up is 'Old One-Eye'. What happened to his right Eye, we may never know. But losing it certainly hasn't stopped his never ending hunger for Human Flesh. It also looks like someone has already tried and failed to bash this particular Zombie's brains in.

  

Strange that something that started out as an impulse buy of a couple of Sharpies while doing my food shopping has turned into a full on Zombie invasion. Maybe it's really just me siphoning off some of my recent Corona anxieties into my artwork. Either way, I hope folks have been enjoying this unexpected Summer of flesh eating Ghouls?

  

I wonder if Zombies were real, if there would also be people who refused to 'Social Distance' from them and stay Two Metres apart? I always think non-Social Distancers are basically the people in Zombie Movies who would get eaten first.

The Smiling Soldier.

Just because everyone loves a squaddie with a smile...

And just because I rarely ever draw characters smiling...

Taking The Pith.

I don't think I've ever publicly gone into how many hours and how much energy I spent trying to acquire a Pith Helmet for an Art Project back in 2019...

I live in small quirky British seaside town, which I searched high-and-low that Summer, looking for that damn elusive hat. Exploring so many hidden nooks and crannies in hopes of randomly finding one, but always to no avail.

There was the trip to the scary Military Store for a start... It's never fun being the only customer in a small shop, but for some reason it was so much worse in there. The time I actually found a really, really old white one in a fancy, second-hand, Antique Shop. But it was the wrong style, and also super expensive and looked rotted and gross and not something you'd wanna put on your head.

   

To be fair, there was a happy ending to the story, though, as I found the perfect Pith Helmet online and when it turned up, it actually looked like the hat in the photo advertising it (if you order stuff online, you'd know how rare that actually is). So all's well that ends well. I was very pleased with the one I ended up getting my hands on.

Still... it was quite annoying to say the least when I was walking past a local 'outdoor activities' shop the other day and just randomly saw one in the window staring back at me. The thing I  had spent so long looking out for locally in a shop about a 20-minute walk from my house.

 

Again, I can't complain about the way things turned out, but just so infuriating at the time seeing it. Like it was mocking me or something.

Come On England!

Would just like to quickly take a moment to wish England good luck in the Euros this weekend...

It's been a great couple of months of Football in an otherwise not always very fun Summer. 

To show my support (and hopefully not come across as too jingoistic) I thought I'd post this unrelated growling WW2 British Paratrooper character I've drawn recently that I thought fitted the mood for the finals quite well. True Brit grit, as it were.

I know a lot of people have picked up new weird habits and hobbies during this ongoing Pandemic, especially during lockdown. Mine is that I've really gotten back into War comics lately. I would read some as a kid, and enjoyed them, although War comics were really out of fashion when I was young. But it's just recently I've started to get back into them and appreciate the British ones more.

Clay Fever.

In previous years I kind of thought Hay Fever by itself was pretty bad, as people try and mow their lawns during the brief hot weather, filling the air with so much Pollen in the Summer months.

But I was wrong... it's so much worse when you've got non-stop building work going on outside with Jack Hammers and Saws kicking up so much Dirt and Cement Dust, and it just keeps going on-and-on, day-after-day.

I had to do the shopping yesterday and felt like I was trying to make my way through a scorched Earth landscape, with the Sun beating down, and the sound of giant machines tearing things apart, and the air full of sand, all while wearing a Face Mask.   

Fresh From The Graveyard.

Just to show this Summer's Zombie invasion can't be stopped (unless some crappy builder puts their Jack-Hammer through my Phone-Line again... in which case it very much can be...), here are two more undead Ghouls for people to enjoy.

Fresh from the Graveyard, as it were...

The first one was meant to be my attempt at doing an obese Zombie. An idea I've been wanting to draw for a while now. I kind of like maybe their unquenchable hunger has carried over into the After Life, making them even more dangerous than a normal Zombie, and they've got a bigger belly to fill, too, so need to eat more people. Sadly I think he probably came out more as 'Middle Age Spread Zombie', if I'm really honest, rather than super overweight. While he could certainly use some plumping up, he's still one of my favourites, though. I like the tiny teeth and rotting mouth turning into a creepy smile look. I think he definitely at least looks hungry for human flesh.

And secondly to add a bit of diversity to this gruesome Zombie group, I had a go at drawing a 'Girl Ghoul' to add to the mix. I found it actually kind of hard to suggest feminine features on her when you can't fall back on easy female tropes like full lips and big eyelashes. Drawing Zombies is like the opposite mindset to drawing women, for me. I also kind of threw the bite on the neck in at the last moment, but I think it actually works well to tell a bit of backstory to this character. She got bit herself and now she wants to pass that 'Undead Kiss' on to a new victim, and make them like her.

  

Please feel free to let me know if you've been enjoying this undead Summer onslaught, and if you have a favourite, maybe?

Son Of Sassy.

I had to draw a Soldier wearing a modern style helmet today for a project I'm currently working on.

Since this character is set in the modern day and has a mighty tash, secretly I'm pretending he is a descendant of 'Sgt Sassy' from my previous War pin-up who's carrying on the hairy top-lip bloodline.

Zombie Gunk.

I'm currently just trying to get back up to speed and back in the game after being offline for a while, thanks to workers outside digging up my road and accidentally taking out my landline. You might well think with lockdown and people being so dependent on the Internet right now for work and human contact during this rough and isolated time, they'd try and avoid such things and if it did happen, they'd try really hard to fix it as fast as they could. Sadly this was very far from my experiences... Lockdown with no internet and no one seeming to want to come and fix your internet is a very grim and depressing place.

Speaking of things that were dead but then came back to life after an overly long period...

I took one of my favourite Zombie sketches and played around with it in Clip recently for fun. Weirdly I was gonna go gorey with the look, but he ended up coming out more gunky (which is no bad thing). Like maybe this Zombie is from the swamp or sewers or something and has gotten all mouldy and moist.

More Sharpie Zombies.

Can Pop-Culture even possible accommodate any more Zombies, you might ask? ...my Sharpie says "Yes!". 

So please enjoy these two new living dead doodles (one in profile and one open top variant). 

Fun Fact... I drew the 'Brains Out' Zombie just before going off to have my first Covid Jab. I'd like to think I was venting a bit of my anxiety about it when drawing that particular Zombie, so that might be the reason he came out extra gruesome. Although who doesn't like their Zombies sloppy and drippy, huh?

Speaking of the undead... I'm not sure why on the night after my Jab, I decided to spend the evening watching a really grisly and gross old Italian Zombie movie? I was already feeling rough without all the onscreen blood and guts. It was actually a pretty intense watch, as I had a dead arm, mild nausea and felt drowsy, and my immune system was clearly in overdrive dealing with my new Pfizer Jab. At times it felt like the movie was almost immersive and my body was dealing with it's own Zombie bite infection.

Early Signs Of Summer.

My Eyes are currently both dry and itchy, yet somehow gooey and sticky at the same time with Hay Fever at the moment. Not even sure how that is possible.

I also recently keep waking up with large, red, weird insect bites all over my body in the morning that itch like hell and freak me out.   

So I guess Summer has officially started for me.

Despite the evil Hay Fever, runny eyes and multiple bites, I do have an overwhelming urge to be outside and back in nature this Summer, though. I'm not really built for the hot weather, but because of all the months in lockdown lately, I just really wanna enjoy it before it's gone and I'm stuck back indoors again.

Sharpie Zombie.

It's been a rubbish couple of weeks recently really, if I'm honest... Don't get me wrong, it's nice to be slowly coming out of lockdown. I just feel like I have zero luck lately. I feel about as lucky as a stepped on Four-Leaf Clover right now.  

So to cheer myself up I treated myself to a new Sharpie Pen yesterday. I know a lot of comic book artists favour them, but have never got around to trying one myself until now. I thought I'd break it in by sketching a nice grisly Zombie with it to begin with. 

I actually find drawing Zombies kind of relaxing. You don't have to worry about making them appear good looking or anything. The rougher they look, the better sometimes. 

I kind of wish the comic market wasn't so packed full of Zombies at the moment, as I'd love to do an undead project at some point one day. With all the mainstream toothless Zombie Kids Shows and movies out at the moment, I'd love to go back to when they were darker and more threatening. Do something gross and gory with more bite.

The Hatching.

Had this nightmare moment last week when a Spider's Nest hatched in my bathroom and there were just dozens and dozens of tiny baby spiders running across my ceiling like an evil living shadow or something come to life. I'd never seen so many spiders in one place before. Newly born and all making a dash for freedom.

Now this week, quite often when I put my flannel in the sink to have a wash before going to bed, loads of dead baby spiders will come floating out to greet me.

The All Seeing Zombie.

With his one good eye and a hunger for human flesh that can never be satisfied, the all seeing Zombie stumbles down the street looking for his next victim. Watching and listening for any human survivors he can find and feast on.

I was deleting a lot of old Halloween photos off a Memory Card recently, and came across this pic. I think I hated it at the time, but looking at it again, I'm actually ok with it. Who doesn't love a green, one-eyed, flesh-eater. That is one ghoulish peeper. 

Like many horror fans, one of my many 'bucket list' ambitions in life is to one day be a Zombie in a Zombie flick or something. So hopefully maybe one day Zombie Andrew may make a return.

Looking at this photo... I also see I have the same cheekbone set-up as a cheap, plastic, Halloween, Zombie mask. That's depressing...

Dirty Tarantula Legs.

God, I hate having long hair right now...

It feels like dirty evil tarantula legs running down and tickling the back of my neck. 

My kingdom for a nice short haircut and a Covid jab.

Jungle Adventure.

Speaking of Pith-tastic Jungle adventure...

Does anyone know if there's ever been either an English dubbed or English subtitled version of this Italian movie?

It looks amazing and beautiful, but I just wish I knew what was going on. 

I'm currently trying to watch old 'Jungle Girls' themed movies and serials if anyone has any good suggestions? The genre's so hard to come by now, though. I got so desperate to watch one the other day, I had to settle for 'Carry On Up The Jungle' (which is a film I secretly kind of like).

In More Detail.

Just a quick reminder you can now see my new Jungle Horror pin-up Forage Or Die in more detail over on my Devaintart page.

Not only can you see the Line Art and Aged versions of Forage Or Die. I also give some more background info on my new pin-up.

 

A big thanks to those that showed our new SLASH-UPS artwork some love over the weekend with a 'Like', 'Fav' or 'comment'. It's very appreciated.

Jungle Horror.

Just as Spring begins and enjoying the outside starts to become possible again, we here at SLASH-UPS thought we'd do our best to try and remind people of the horrors of the outside world, by doing some 'Jungle' themed horror art as our next pin-ups. Bringing the brutal terror and unforgiving nature of Mother Nature to you in your very homes, as it were.

 

And so with that in mind, please enjoy...

Forage Or Die: Lost in one of the most remote Jungles in all the world, Explorer Amy hunts unsuccessfully for nourishment after her food supply runs out. Now starving and with no other option, she must decided if she's really gonna go 'insectivorous' to survive.

Jun-Ghoul: As the Korean War rages and spreads to the wilderness, Soldiers from both sides find themselves being prey upon by something very old and very wicked. A chalk-faced, demonic, forest Ghoul named 'Jun' who likes to trap and possess his\its victims.

 

We hope everyone is staying safe and looking forward to the Summer this year, and that our Jungle themed offerings bring people a bit of mirth during what has been a rough time for most. Who hasn't daydreamed of running off to the jungle and escaping the chaos this last year?

Again, a massive thank you to Amy Crosby for taking time out to do this new pin-up. It was great fun to return to the character of Explorer Amy and her misadventure out in the wild. Plus finding time to model during a pandemic is differently above-and-beyond the call of duty and very appreciated.

And as always, please feel free to suggest any horror sub-genres you might wanna see us tackle in a future SLASH-UPS pin-up. (Andrew's leaning more towards something Sci-Fi related, while James is flirting with revisiting the Vampire genre.)

Jungle Promo

Since so much of the world is still in Corona Lockdown for now, we thought we'd take the horror outdoors for our next SLASH-UPS pick...

While the Jungle might be one of the most beautiful places on earth, it's also maybe one of the deadliest. Where your place on the food chain can change in a heartbeat, and the rainforest foliage is so thick and lush, they can absorb any scream, no matter how blood curdling.

So to coincide with Vernal Equinox and the start of Spring on Saturday the 20th this month, we're bringing the terror of the Jungle to you next weekend.

 

So grab your Pith Helmets and Rucksacks, folks... Remember to pack plenty of Bug-Spray, as the critters get pretty big out in the wild... Hope the locals are licking their lips because they're all suffering from Cheilitis... And don't go off exploring by yourself under any circumstances... 

It's time to fumble in the Jungle.

Sassy's True Colours.

I thought it would be cruel not to share a finishes look at Sgt Sassy fully coloured. So here's something to brighten your weekend.

I'm pretty happy with the way the burgundy, dark army green outfit and ginger hair all work together in this pin-up.

Some More Sassy.

I thought since I'm mid trying to flesh out Sgt Sassy with some colour at the moment in Clip, I'd just quickly stop and share this work-in-progress pic.   

That... and also just because burgundy berets are cool.

Mr Cleanly.

I've notices in recent weeks and months, I've started cutting my nails more often now. Trying to keep them nice and short so Corona germs can't find their way under them and wait for their chance to attack.

Also after going out shopping or walking, when I get back, after washing my hands, I often like to wash with antibacterial soap around my eyes, nostrils and the sides of my mouth now, so Corona germs can't slowly crawl into my eyes and nose and lay tiny Corona eggs in them (or whatever they do once they're inside you...).

Sgt Sassy.

I'm kind of jumping back-and-forth between projects right now, as I have a lot on my plate. But I thought give a quick update on my forthcoming War Pin-up. 

This Drill Sergeant character doesn't really have a name as he's more of a background character, but I've been calling him Sgt Sassy. Both because of his 'hands-on-hips' attitude, and because I was always a fan of characters with cool 'sergeant' names growing up, like Sgt Slaughter and Sgt Fury.

Sad Times.

You know things are grim when all you wanted for your Birthday was a haircut and you couldn't have one, and legally you're not allowed to find new love for Valentines Day.

When This Is Over.

I'll tell you one thing I won't miss when this is all over...

When you have a violent coughing fit, and the dread suddenly starts to creep over you that it could be the first signs Corona, and you immediately check to see if you have a temperature.

I miss just enjoying a good cough without freaking yourself and everyone else out.

War Games.

Hoping to broaden my portfolio a bit and do a few War themed bits of art in 2021. Here's a little peek at my latest project and what I've been up to this week. Just basically trying to figure out how to draw a Beret correctly.

I know Babayka Land has a pretty strong War theme going on already, considering most of the cast are Russian Mercenaries. But I wanted to do something that just felt more like a classic English WW2 comic.

I do like playing in the War genre, but drawing all those pockets and pouches does drive me crazy sometimes. There's always just so many.

In The Jungle.

Since people can't go out right now, I thought I'd bring a little bit of the outside to you with today's post...

Considering I've been drawing rural Russia for the last ten years, it's been really nice to take a break and draw something a bit different. It's been weird and even a little bit helpful, researching and drawing jungles while in lockdown.

 

I'm happy to say I have been slowly getting back into the swing of things since the end of 2020, and look forward to sharing more artwork with people very soon.

They Know You Are Sleeping.

Why do things that bleep and\or flash like Mobiles and Fire Alarms always run out of juice and need their battery changing in the early hours of the morning? Never in the daytime.

It's like they know you're asleep and they want to show you who's really the boss.

The Most Magical Time Of The Year.

Wow... that nice little period between Christmas and New Year just seems to get shorter and shorter every year. It feels more like a quick weekend, than a whole week. Just those few days of peace and calm before the chaos of a new year starts and everything goes back to shit.

Apart from the freezing cold nights, I wish I could exist in a Groundhog Day style time-loop, and just live that tiny part of the year over and over again.