Andrew Reed.

Trapped.

2012-02-05T08:17:00.000-08:00

There’s something a bit Sergio Leone about this shot, I think. All those teenage years of watching westerns are finally starting to pay off.

I was thinking of posting something else this week. To have a break from all the sequential work I’ve been doing of late, I decided to have a crack at doing a cover for Issue #3. It’s all scanned and ready to go, it’s just I’m not sure how I feel about that particular image yet. I can’t decide if it’s good enough to be a cover for a start. I’ll leave it for a few days and see how I feel about it then. I’m sure I’ll post it at some point even if I don’t end up using it. I just want to come to a decision on if it’s cover worthy or not. The jury’s still out. I’d also post the page from last year I ended up redrawing, but sadly that page gives too much of the plot away, and would be a bit of a spoiler… actually it would be a massive spoiler.

Big thanks also for all the birthday wishes from the last couple of days. Turning 30 sucks, but sitting around eating birthday-cake, and having a Dexter season 5 DVD marathon, while drinking leftover vodka from Xmas has been very enjoyable.

I Agree With The Internet.

2012-02-01T15:28:00.000-08:00

The ‘6’ in Resident Evil 6 does look like a Giraffe getting a blow-job. See…?

Watching this after giving up on video-games a few years back is painful. Right now, the way I’m feeling, I could happily snap all my pencils in half (which would be a lot as I bought a 10-pack just before Xmas), blow what money I’ve got saved up on an X-box 360, and just spend the rest of my days slaying the un-dead. Buy copies of games I had to miss out on like Left 4 Dead, Dead Rising or Dead Island. Maybe buy one of those little fridges to keep cold cans of coke in. I can’t remember the last time a shot a digital Zombie in the face… sigh… Plus Gamers are very in these days. I know Gamers. I could be in the in-crowd, for once. No one likes guys who draw horror-comics.

Bit the bullet this week and bought a book I’ve been kind of wanting to read, and yet avoiding for a while now. Dracula: The Undead is the ‘official sequel’ to Dracula, written by Bram Stoker’s great grand-nephew Dacre Stoker. The book didn’t get very good reviews form Amazon, where I bought it, but I have been wanting to read it since it was released. I probably wouldn’t have “bit the bullet” if I had noticed this book was 413 pages long, however. That’s a big book to get through for something that so many people think is terrible. I’m only twelve pages into it and not hating it yet. Much like Anno Dracula, I’m getting the feeling there’ll probably won’t be much Dracula actually in it. I like stories done in the Dracula Universe, so I’ll give it a shot. That said, it does say only on the second page that when hit by sun-light, Dracula turns to ash… you sure this guy’s related to Bram Stoker? I want an DNA test… that's film Dracula.

Cry Baby.

2012-01-27T12:11:00.000-08:00

It all ends in tears in this latest shot. I’ve tried to make every issue a little darker then the one before it, so this being issue #3, I’m currently setting up the really dark stuff for the forth and final issue and getting to draw some pretty gruesome stuff.

I really wanna see The Theatre Bizarre. I love a good horror-anthology (be it books, films or comics.) They’ve been out of vogue for a while now, but I can see them making a come back. What with a new Stephen King anthology in the works, I think their time is due. This is probably the one I most want to see at the moment.

I’d love to put together, or at least be part of a comic-book horror-anthology one day. I keep meaning to get around to doing something digital on the side. Something as either a PDF or print-on-demand comic, that I can put together with other fellow horror artists\writers. Maybe get some short-stories, pin-ups and photos in there, too. At moment though, however, sadly I don’t think I have the contacts or my fingers in the right horror-community pies to make that happen. I need to make some new morbid friends. Maybe think up a theme and good title for it.

Soulless Voodoo Guy Sketch.

2012-01-24T08:54:00.000-08:00

It was a nice treat when an old college friend got in contact a year or two back and it turned out we were both just starting out on doing an original graphic-novel each. Mine a 96-page modern horror story. His a 100-page story based on a character he had created during college. It was nice to know someone else was in the same (or at least very similar) boat. It’s been nice swapping pages back-and-forth and checking in to see how it was going since then. Chatting about how far we’d each got and the different processes we were both using. At one point during one of these chats, I said if his book was going to have a pin-up section (I love a good pin-up section in a graphic-novel) then I’d happily do a page for it. I’ve not really had any free time this year just gone to follow up on that offer. These pass several months have been spent doing Issue #3 (or pages 48-72 if we’re sticking with the idea of a 96-page graphic-novel.) Also my friend’s style is very unique, and I did start to wonder more and more if I could pull off drawing his character in my art-style. It’s something that’s been dogging me for a few months now. When I found I had a bit of free time this weekend, and an urge to do a bit of sketching in my sketch-book, I came to the decision that rather then jump right into doing a big pin-up, I’d maybe test the waters first by doing a sketch, to see if it could be done. I have to say I was pretty pleased with the result. It came out a lot better then I thought it was going to. It’s only a head-shot, but it did clear up in my mind how his character worked drawn in my style. I found doing this sketch a big help. It was a big relief to know I could do a take on his work. It was also nice to draw someone else’s character, something I rarely do and wish I had the chance to do more.

I hope to get a proper pin-up done at some point during 2012, but for now here’s a tastier. My friend’s (Dave A.K.A Otis P Jive Funk) deviant-art page can be found HERE. Why not check it out for some of his great artwork, and to see how good or bad you think my take on his character (who’s called Soulless Voodoo Guy) is. Dave’s style is coming from a lot of different places. There’s a bit of Dave Cooper in there. Bit of Matt Groening. Bit of Tim Burton. His art also reminds me of LEGO at times for some reason. It’s great stuff and worth a look.

Thanks For The Nightmares, Internet.

2012-01-23T15:09:00.000-08:00

Wow… Beavis And Butt-head ‘untooned’ is freaky. Don’t get me wrong, they look great… but just a tad creepy.

Audio-Squatters.

2012-01-20T08:01:00.000-08:00

Remember when approaching birthdays were met with excitement and joy? Now I’m turning 30... it’s all dread from here on. At least a forthcoming birthday will be a good excuse to order the latest box-set of Dexter. God, I love that show. I hope they do turn it into a movie.

I’ll take my mind off my impending birthday by posting this latest panel. If you do horror comics, doing people with frighten faces is kind of a big deal. Personally, I think it’s as important as how big and scary your monster are. I think readers channel any emotion (hopefully, that emotion being fear) through the reaction of the character it’s happening to. Here’s my latest stab at trying to do a good fright shot. I hope it hits the mark (or at least dents the mark.)

The bad news is I still can’t get the theme from Tenebre out of my head. In fact it gets worse, as now this theme has also claimed audio-squatter’s-rights in my brain and keeps going around, constantly playing in the back of my head.

The good news is I’ve downloaded them off iTunes and plan to play them both into submission over the weekend. I find the only way to get a tune out of your head is to play it until your brain gets bored of it and moves on to something else.

Disco Of The Dead.

2012-01-18T07:37:00.000-08:00

Lately I just can’t get the theme from Tenebre out of my head. It’s strange that Disco music could have made such a good soundtrack to a horror movie. They’re two things you wouldn’t think would mix, but they totally do. It’s fast becoming one of my favourite soundtracks of all time. I need to get round to checking out more music from Goblin. The DVD to Tenebre has as a nice extra of Goblin doing a live performance of this song.

Watch Out!

2012-01-15T12:56:00.000-08:00

Wow… end of the week already? Dreaded Monday fast approaching.

The good news is I’ve just finished what I think is the longest scene I’ve ever had to draw. A whopping seven pages. Sure… seven pages doesn’t sound much, but if you read comics, you’d know that’s a hefty scene, coming in at nearly a third of a normal issue. Very few scenes go on that long without cutting to something else or moving the action somewhere else. It’s a scene I’ve been working towards for a while now, and will hopefully make or break the third issue. The bad news is rereading the scene, I release one of the pages isn’t up to scratch and will probably need to be redrawn. Being such an important part of the plot, I can’t really include such a crappy page. It was drawn just before Xmas and probably at a point when I really needed a rest. I was trying something new with the layout of the page that didn’t really work. Plus the art itself leans more towards looking like it was drawn by a retarded chimp. So I know what I’ll be redrawing this coming week.

Watched SUPER yesterday. Really enjoyed it. It’s a shame Kick Ass came out first and that’s what everyone compared it to. They’re two different movies. SUPER is more like Taxi-Driver meets 60’s Adam West’s Batman. Hell, I think I even like SUPER a bit more then Kick Ass. It funnier for one. I like the Travis Bickle in tights theme. Also female, impish, sexy-psycho sidekicks are cool. I’m not a big fan of sidekicks, but I love Boltie.

Also, I too think people who queue jump should be hit in the head with a wrench.

So Cute She Makes Buttons Feel Ugly.

2012-01-12T07:52:00.000-08:00

In this Dragon’s Den age of get-rich-ideas, here’s something I’ve seen of late that I thought was a good idea. Sketchbooks with pre-drawn panels printed in them. You could be living the dream and drawing comics as you go. Also I imagine they would be awesome for sequential sketchbook jams. Passing it around and having different artist fill in their frame, or draw on each others. I did some regular sketchbook jamming yesterday for the first time in ages. To be honest, my sketches sucked, but then I had been up drawing till 2:30am the night before. Then getting up early because they were delivering my new Blu-ray player first thing in the morning. I didn’t bring my A-game to that particular sketchbook jam. Maybe about my C-Game… maybe even D-Game. I’m not a great sketcher on my best days. I don’t rate myself very highly in that regard. I always look at those amazing sketchbook pages Guy Davis and Mike Mignola do in the back of B.P.R.D. graphic novels and just stare in awe.

Below is my new favourite picture off the web. I know you don’t have to look very far online to find photos of cute girls dressed up as Harley Quinn, but it’s only fair I let the internet know we have a winner. It’s a mix of the body-languages and adorable, cheeky face that does it. I have no idea of the context of this photo, but I know cute-as-fuck when I see it. I keep screaming “I love you” at the screen, but she doesn’t seem to be able to hear me. Why have girls on the internet always gotta be like that?

The Offering.

2012-01-08T08:18:00.000-08:00

There was a time when it looked like I’d finish Issue #3 about Xmas time. But then a couple of things come up and I didn’t get to start Issue #3 until a month or two later then I had planned. I liked the idea of doing some new artwork in the New Year, so as to ease the pain that is January, so that’s what I did.

I got this great book called Monsters In The Movies by John Landis over Xmas, and after flicking through that, I really had an itch to draw some gruesome creature. Something big, mean and horrible. I was leaning more towards Werewolf… maybe with a punky, grotty, but strangely sexy chick thrown in. These are the elements that were going around in my head when it came time to do thumb-nails. However, as soon as I scribbled down the concept for the above image, I knew I had to do it. Sure… instead of a big, cool monster, I only got to draw an infected looking hand. And instead of a grotty\sexy punk-chick , I ended up drawing some raven-blonde type chick (I always seem to be drawing this type of woman. Must be my type.) But I just fell in love with the design of this shot. Also I’ve been wanting to draw guys in Gas-Masks for ages now. Also got to go off on a bit of an industrial-chic kick with this image. Something else I’ve been wanting to do for ages. There’s something I kind of like about that cold, rundown looking industrial style (maybe it comes from working in a couple of Industrial-estates in my time. Or maybe it’s because I’ve seen Eraserhead too many times.) With all those pipes and wires, they look almost spider-web like. And all those weird machines you’re not used to seeing in real-life, so they look a bit alien and you have no idea what they’re for. It’s something I’d like to return to. It might be a bit Werewolf\Punk-chick light, this image, but I did end up scratching a lot of itches by drawing this shot. I hope it finds some love out there in inter-web land. Anyone with an DeviantArt account can check this image out HERE.

Would it be wrong to date someone just because they looked like someone famous you really fancy? I mean I don’t usually buy into look-a-likes, but even I have to confess this chick looks a lot like Angelina Jolie. Like… really, really like her.

I seem to be going through an alternative Superhero phase this week. I bought Super on Blu-Ray (even though I don’t actually have a Blu-Ray player just yet), and I spent this weekend reading Incognito vol 2. I’ve fallen wayyyyyyyy out-of-sync with the Superhero genre. I need some good tips on what’s good at the moment.

Why Youtube Was Invented.

2012-01-05T13:54:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered how The Thing would have looked like if it took place in Pingu’s universe? It would look pretty much like this>

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I never realized Body-Horror and Plasticine went together so well. It kind of fits. I just had a depressing thought that some people reading this may be too young to remember Pingu.

Skull Ejector.

2012-01-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

Soooooo many people making plans for the forthcoming Zombie apocalypse. It’s almost a shame there isn’t going to be one with all the work people are putting in to it. Still, everyone needs a hobby. I keep a baseball-bat by my bed. I tell myself it’s for burglars, but really…

Maybe I should have finished reading that Zombie Survival Guide? I got about halfway through it, but felt the joke had worn a little thin by then. I’ll read the other-half as the apocalypse unfolds. Be nice to have something to read while I’m hiding in some burnt-out shopping-mall eating rat meat.

I get the feeling if there ever really was a Zombie apocalypse, this guy would be fine. At least he better be, if worse-comes-to-worse… can you turn a slingshot on yourself?

2012, Huh?

2012-01-01T15:25:00.000-08:00

To celebrate the coming of a new year, my DVD player decided to die on me last night. Looks like someone’s joining the Blu Ray crowd a bit sooner then he thought he would. I thought that DVD player had at least another year in it, yet if you put a DVD in it now, it sounds like it’s grinding up Gerbils or something in there. Maybe it’s God’s way of telling me I need to get back to work. Need to get back to the drawing-board. I just wish my DVD player hadn’t died on the day that my copy of High School Of The Dead came in the post. At least I managed to get through two-and-a-half episodes before it croaked. Maybe it was the animated mix of Zombies and Fan- Services that finished it off.

Also something about a New Year? I don’t know… It kind of passed me by this year. Much like Batman, I need a hug.

Kicking A Good Batman When He’s Down.

2011-12-27T11:47:00.000-08:00

Honey Nut Cheerios… you just made Batman’s shit-list. May God have mercy on you.

I’m gonna include a link to the online dictionary’s entry for ‘shit-list.’ Not so much because I don’t think any one reading this will know what a shit-list means, more because you can press the speak-button and make the internet say “shit-list” in a really funny computer voice.

Someone give Batman a hug.

Panic Room.

2011-12-26T11:30:00.000-08:00

Leaking new Watchmen artwork on Christmas day? Sneaky, sneaky, DC. Was it nicknamed ‘Panic Room’ because that’s where all the DC executives will be hiding when they finally put these comics out?

I’m still in two minds about the whole Watchmen sequels\prequels thing. I kind of come down on the side of ‘it was written to be a stand alone book’, and ‘Watchmen without Alan Moore, just ain’t Watchmen.’ That said, Watchmen is the most important graphic novel of all time (in the Superhero genre, that is.) There’s a good chance we may talk about characters like Rorschach or Doctor Manhattan in a hundred years, in the same way we talk about Sherlock Holmes or Dracula these days. Owning that Golden Goose and not being able to help yourself to those Golden Eggs must be driving DC mad. If all DC have got to do is step on Alan Moore’s toes, I do think it’s more of a case of when, rather then if. I’m not sure how much it’ll really gonna bug Alan Moore. I think I heard he doesn’t even own a copy of Watchmen anymore. Plus, he’s spent recent years writing books full of other writer’s characters I.E. Lost Girls, League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Neonomicon. It most of crossed his mind that sooner or later other writers would come for his. In most cases, people wait for the writer to die (giving him\her a good reason to turn in their grave), is twenty-five years long enough? Some would say it’s a miracle DC waited that long.

To sum up. I don’t really think you really need sequels or prequels to Watchmen, but I ain’t gonna be nailing babies to church doors in protest. It would be nice to see Dave Gibbons draw Rorschach again, if nothing else. I guess Watchmen has got to the point where it’s such an iconic story, and what with it being twenty-five years old now, there’s a whole generation of writers and artist that wants to take those characters and add, expand the mythology. I just wonder where it will all end?

Moving on…

So it’s a Superhero porn-parody… in 3D. This film couldn’t be more aimed at the nerd market if it tried. I’ve never seen a proper porn-parody, only bits and trailers like this one. A while ago I heard they did a Doctor Who one, and as a massive Doctor Who fan, I talked myself into how it would be ok to splash out (insert pun here) and actually order a copy. That's the genius of a porn-parody. As a fan and collector, it eats you up inside if you know it’s out there and you don’t own it. Luckily I watched a trailer first before ordering, and happily now feel I dodged a Tardis-shaped bullet on that one. It looked so bad, I realized I COULD happily live the rest of my life without ever seeing it. I wonder if there’ll ever be a Watchmen porn- parody? A parody of the famous Doctor Manhattan gang-bang scene, maybe? You’d lose a lot of money having to buy all that blue body-paint however. Unless you did the old Roger Corman trick of using sets and props twice to get two movies out of your buck. Maybe a big Doctor Manhattan gang-bang and then maybe make a Smurf porno or something. The same actress could play Silk Spectre and Smurfette?

Merry Xmas.

2011-12-24T13:24:00.000-08:00

Well… I’m signing off for now. Be back soon. All that is left for me to do is wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS, and nothing says that better then a flashing Santa. Staged or real? You decide. Hope you’re having, and continue to have, a great Xmas. You know it’s two hours and forty-five minutes until the big day… I should really start wrapping some presents and filling in some Christmas-Cards for tomorrow. I’m not sure how much later I can really leave it.

The Season Of Giving.

2011-12-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

I debated if it was worth posting any artwork this week, but in the end, thought I would, even if it’s only a couple of tiny ones. Looking forward to a time hopefully pretty soon, when I can have a crack at doing some pin-ups. Before that though, I really need to stock up on ink and Bristol board in the new year. Running kind of low on both, just in case Santa’s reading this for tomorrow night.

Here’s an unexpected Xmas treat I came across last night. An Xmas episode of Utter Shambles with guest Mark Gatiss and Alan Moore. Talking about what’s on TV in the UK this year over Christmas, and Xmas horror films amongst other things. I listened to it earlier while getting some last minute inking done and enjoyed it a lot. It was a real out-of-the-blue Christmas treat.

Jenifer.

2011-12-22T15:25:00.000-08:00

So… last night I kind of got going with my Dario Argento Xmas (yeah, that’s still happening. Get on board or fall under wheels, baby.) A couple of months ago I was reading the Creepy Presents: Bernie Wrightson collection that Dark Horse just put out. The creepiest story by far was the reverse Beauty And The Beast story ‘Jenifer.’ It’s hard to say what the scariest short-story I’ve ever read is, as I’ve read a fair few, but Jenifer would have to be a contender. It’s a very unsettling tale, and with Bernie Wrightson doing the art, it packs a hell of a punch. I was always curious as to what Dario Argento had done for the Masters Of Horror TV show from a few years back, so when I recently found out he had done an adaptation of Jenifer, I knew I had to check it out. I’ve noticed reviews have been mixed. I think it maybe one of those horror tales that is so freaky, it puts half the audience off even if they watched it and it scared them. It’s a curse I’ve noticed more and more of late. Some times a horror story can do it’s job a little too well. Something can be so upsetting, people want to distant themselves from it (the best example I can think of is Human Centipede. I was standing in a HMV a few months back, when I spied a freshly released copy of Human Centipede 2 on the shelf, but wouldn‘t touch it, partly because there was a cute girl a few feet down from me who I didn‘t want to see me handling such filth. I haven‘t even plucked up the nerve to watch the first one yet.) Not that this adaptation of Jenifer is perfect. The story takes a couple of missteps once or twice, but that said, I thought was true enough that it’s well worth a watch, even if it does come up a tiny bit short compared to the original story. Also, if some people found this story a bit much, what would they have thought if they had left in the monster blow-job scene, or the wang munching scene? Two scenes that a lot of people are probably glad are deleted.

Speaking of things that are too scary. I’m gonna have to face the fact that I’m avoiding a certain DVD in my unwatched pile. It’s been sitting there, bottom of the pile, for probably over a year now. So many other horror movies have come and gone and this DVD is still not even unwrapped. I’ve heard nothing but good things about Teeth and yet always pass it over when I go to watch a new DVD. I wonder what it is about a movie about a vagina with teeth that on some level I find off putting? I’m gonna have to man up and put it on sooner or later. For too long I’ve been kidding myself that I’m not avoiding it and just haven’t felt like watching it.

When You Gotta Go.

2011-12-18T08:16:00.000-08:00

Is that appropriate? Posting a panel of someone having a wizz this close to Jesus birthday? I’m sorry… I feel I’ve let us both down there. Let’s move on quickly before I find myself on Santa’s naughty list. You don’t want to mess with someone who can sneak into your house in the early hours of the morning undetected and drunk on sherry. Is sherry the one that makes you a mean drunk, or am I thinking of gin?

The fact that there is only going to be half as much Doctor Who next year and not until later in the year is a bit of a kick in the balls, but in these dark, dark days, half a season is better than nothing. Also, finding out today that a classic Doctor Who story I’ve been waiting years and years to get released is finally getting put out softens the pain, too. It’s been a long time coming.

Claws And Flaws.

2011-12-16T07:31:00.000-08:00

Wow… are they really running these ads in comics or did I just fall for an online hoax? It’s hard to tell these days. I don’t live near a comic-book shop, so I can’t check them out for myself to see if they‘re real or not. I wonder what fan-girl reaction has been like for these ads? Not knowing any, sadly, I can only guess. Heart in the right place? Or smut posing as a good cause? I guess time will tell. You can’t get too mad at this ad (can you?) if the worse it does is generate buzz around awareness of breast cancer. You’d think Catwoman would take the claws off first. She really does live dangerously if she gives herself breast exams while wearing those. She’s hardcore. I look forward to all the numerous parodies these ads will no doubt kick up.

Sticking with my Dario Argento themed Christmas. I’ve not really been holding out much hope for his forthcoming Dracula 3D. I’ve seen a lot of Dracula movies of late and maybe it’s just me being burnt out on that particular story (hell, I even read the cliffs notes for Dracula this year.) But after watching the new trailer that’s just been released, it’s jump the list to film I most want to see in 2012. I just hope I get the chance to see it in 3D. I’ve got a nasty feeling the only way I will, is if I make some great trek across the UK to some arty cinema somewhere. I doubt they’ll release it on DVD in 3D. If a horror movie was made in 3D, then it’s not unreasonable to want a 3D home copy (yes, I’m looking at you Flesh For Frankenstein.) This trailer also makes me long for the days when woman would bathe by one standing naked in a small bowl, while another would slowly and gently wash her all over, while trying to push any strange and exciting lesbian thoughts from her mind. Did woman ever really bathe like this, or is it something that movies just made up? Curse whoever invented the shower. This film does look like it has the flaw of that trend of a sexy Dracula, however. I wonder why films seem so against showing Dracula as an ugly-bugly. Or old? I should also add, I do have a massive crush on Asia Argento. A little bit kinky, a little bit kooky. She works for me on a lot of levels. Wikipedia also says she’s agoraphobic, which is perfect for me, as I’m always stuck in doors drawing anyway and barely leave the house myself. We could be socially-awkward together.

Also…

Dear Amazon (the company, not the rain forest), I know it’s nearly Christmas, but do you have to Email every other hour trying to get me to buy more stuff? I’ve done my Xmas shopping this year, let it go. Take Xmas off and we’ll meet up for the January sales.

Lie, Lie, Lie.

2011-12-14T08:44:00.000-08:00

Can’t get this song out of my head (so beware before pressing that play button. It’s like a sound-parasite.) I heard it on the credits to Fear Itself. Right now I’m really into TV horror anthologies. That seems to be my latest itch. There wasn’t a UK release of Fear Itself, but I found a foreign, region 2 complete box-set. No idea what the blurb on the box says and for some reason I have to turn off foreign subtitles ever time an episode starts, but hey, at least it works. I was just going post the intro to Fear Itself, but being an American TV show, for some reason it’s embed code is disabled. I don’t know why, I’ve notices a lot of U.S. shows do it on YouTube (for example, I’ve been dieing for ages to post this Robot Chicken\Friday The 13th video.) So I’ll post the actual song above, but you can check out the Fear Itself intro here. If you can listen to this and don’t get it stuck in your head, you’re tougher than I am.

As for Fear Itself. Really loved the first episode. Had Vampires, that kinky chick off the first season of Californication. There’s a lot to like about the first episode. The next three were ok. A bit of a come down after the first. The next episode ’Eater’ is meant to be the best of the series. It’s also meant to be based on an episode of some UK Channel 5 horror show called Urban Gothic from 2001. Ring any bells? Me neither. Tried looking it up online, but no luck. Channel 5 are a bit shit at making their back-catalogue available.

Lost In Time.

2011-12-12T15:12:00.000-08:00

So this happened today (or rather yesterday.) If I’m honest, it would have been great if it was episodes from other stories (like Tenth Planet or The Evil Of The Daleks or The Abominable Snowmen), but hey… it’s a step in the right direction. Considering many people said no more episodes would ever be found, it’s a little ray of hope. It says on Wikipedia that if you find one of the missing episode, that the BBC will give you a life-size Dalek… I know Wikipedia isn’t the most trustworthy source, but I so want that to be true.

Earn That Turkey.

2011-12-09T07:22:00.000-08:00

Here’s a new shot just in time for the weekend. Looks like someone needs a loo break.

It’s a weird period, December. Part of me wants to rush and push myself and try and get as much done before 2012 as I can. Part of me wants to slow up and enjoy what’s left of 2011. You usually get a little break around the Xmas day period. Question is, as it approaches, should you speed up or slow down? I’m not sure how I should handle the next couple of weeks, work wise. Work like a Demon or snacks and movies? After Xmas, I plan to work like a Demon, so as to take my mind off the horror that is January.

Just finished reading Neonomicon this week. Yeah, it’s got some close to the bone stuff in it, but nothing as bad as some people on the internet would have you believe. I wouldn’t recommend it if easily offended. There is at least one truly shocking scene in there. I see it’s only got average reviews and ratings online, but it’s probably one of my favourite modern Alan Moore comics. That said, if you’re not a Lovecraft fan, you might feel a bit alienated from the story. I don’t really wanna say too much about this book, as it has a couple of tricks up its sleeve and is best read cold. Because of the nature of some of the plot points in it, you don’t have to look very far online to find spoilers. I wouldn’t research it online if you hate coming across spoilers, but if you’re worried it may be a bit much for you but you want to read it, you can easily find out what to expect with a quick google search. Here’s a decent review I found that doesn’t give too much of the game away. Also, the art is excellent. I read a rumour online that this nearly got banned in the UK. If that’s true, I’m glad it didn’t. This may be the best horror-comic of 2011... That said, I’m tired and can’t remember what else was published this year, so it kind of wins by default.

Top Five.

2011-12-06T16:47:00.000-08:00

I think I’ve probably talked a bit about my love for Geof Darrow’s artwork on here before. Easily in my top five favourite artist of all time (that’s right, I have a top five favourite artist of all time.) It would be a crime if I didn’t post a link to this amazing interview with him about his work and career. It’s worth following this link and scrolling down just for the unused Superman\Cat Lady cover that never was. Damn you again, DC. It’s a brilliant cover.

Also this website has some amazing pod-cast interviews with some great comic-book artists that’s well worth checking out. Come to think of it, I think you can just download the interview itself as a pod-cast off this website, but then you don’t get any pretty pictures with that.

You know, since we’re on the subject of my top five artist of all time, I see Brian Bolland has just started a blog.

A Lone Glass Of Water.

2011-12-04T12:26:00.000-08:00

Most horror comics have stuff like guys fighting Zombies with chainsaws, or Vampires getting staked violently in the heart… here my latest panel… of someone walking… away… with a glass… of water in the… background. Trust me, this shot will be a lot spookier when read and put into context. If and when Issue #3 ever finally goes public, hopefully this will be one of the creepiest scenes of the whole issue, if not the whole story. That said, it’ll be nice when I’ve wrapped this issue up and can find some time to draw some messy, more in-your-face pin ups. I’ve already had a couple of ideas I want to develop. Roll on 2012... No… wait… I turn 30 in 2012... SHIT!… stay, 2011, stay. I presume when I hear everyone talking about the world coming to an end in 2012, that’s what they’re talking about? Me turning 30.

Watchmen 2? Or by the sounds of it, prequels to Watchmen. As bad as that may sound, I’d probably read it, which is why they probably will do it. Even if the whole world slags it off and it’s another Dark Knight Strikes Again, it’s gonna sell millions. It’s like Hollywood making god-awful sequels. It’s a giant cash-cow that’s been getting fatter and fatter as the years pass. All DC has to do is commission it and ride the backlash, and there’s no way it wouldn’t return big money, even if it will probably end up more looking like A-list fan-fiction. They killed Superman. Did the unthinkable and rebooted all their comics. And worse of all, got rid of Wonder-Woman’s Hot-Pants. This is nothing to DC.

This all reminds me… I need to pick up a copy of Holy Terror. Had a quick flick through it in a book shop last week. I know the reviews have been pretty poor, but I gotta say I kind of liked the look of the art. I wanna read it myself before passing judgement. I know it’s unpopular with most, but I kind of dig Frank Miller’s new messy art style. I hear everyone saying it’s lazy and too out there, but I kind of like it. It’s just so craggy and bat-shit crazy and I get something out of it, I won’t lie.

Stabby, Stabby Xmas.

2011-12-01T06:44:00.000-08:00

Well… it’s December the first, so there’s no getting away from it, it’s nearly Christmas. I try and ignore it in November when people are shoving it down your throat, but once December comes, you can’t ignore it anymore. Nope…

This year I’m having a Dario Argento Christmas. I’ve just ordered a few of his movies to watch over the holiday period. Partly as because as a horror fan, Argento is a bit of a blind-spot for me and Xmas would be a good time to dive in and check out his work and correct that. Also partly just my way of trying to stimulate the Italian economy. I’m not sure why I went this route? I was just doing my Xmas shopping online, late Monday night, and it dawn on me that’s how I should handle this year’s Xmas. A few Dario Argento DVDs, Vodka (stimulating the Russian economy), and plenty of snacks. This is my plan for the holiday season this year… also, maybe that really cool, new book on film Monsters by John Landis.

If that’s what I’m getting this year, here’s what I imagine all the girls will be after this Christmas. I can just see it ending up with her and Action Man held up in a boarded up Doll’s House, while Zombie My Little Ponies roam about outside waiting to attack.

Knock, Knock.

2011-11-25T13:47:00.000-08:00

I should really call this shot ‘the calm before the storm’ shot. Being Issue #3, this is where it all starts to kick off, setting the tone for the forth and final issue. I have, and will be, drawing some pretty messed up stuff in the coming months. But for now, here’s a nice picture of someone knocking on a door.

Couple of things I found out this week. First… you CAN find the theme tune from Demons on iTunes (you have to spell it Demoni.) Also this week, just read my second ever 3D comic. Read a 3D converted copy of Danger Girl issue #1 about eight years ago. And now I’ve just finished reading Crossed 3D. Kind of dug it. A lot of people don’t like Crossed (what, with the raping and debauchery… this time in 3D), but I think horror and 3D have a special relationship. They bring out the best in each other. I was kind of hoping this would be the start of a wave of 3D horror comics, but a quick search shows there’s next to no other 3D comics I can find. So sadly it doesn’t look like 3D will take over comics like it did with films. I think it’s a shame. I could really go for some 3D horror, comics fade. At some point this coming weekend, I’m gonna give the internet a good search and see if I can find any decent 3D web-comics. It’s gotta be out there, right? Big wave, just round the corner? Yeah… probably not. It may just be wishful thinking on my part.

Have a short comic-strip I’m thinking of trying to convert to 3D. It’s just finding the time to get on Photoshop and play around with it. Finding time to do a decent job of converting it to 3D. Watching a lot of youTube videos to see how other people are doing it. I’ve done a bit of 3D work a couple of years back (see HERE and HERE) and have a system, but there’s always a good chance someone else has a better and faster route. I’m no computer wiz-kid, not by a long shot.

The British Mario.

2011-11-23T13:26:00.000-08:00

Just posted the first full page from Issue #3 on my DeviantArt page. Won’t be posting any other pages from Issue #3 until well into 2012, but for now, here’s the first one. Enjoy. I’m really looking forward to wrapping up Issue #3 in early(ish) 2012.

Wow, like I didn’t feel bad enough for not owning an iPad already, this happens. God, I love those old Dizzy games as a tiny kid. The hours of my youth spent playing them. Having to load a video-game off a cassette and the crazy sounds a Commodore 64 would make while loading. Like music to my ears. Good times. I’m just gonna dump a video here of my favourite Dizzy game and leave. Twenty-nine is too young to be walking down memory lane, right?I wonder how my eight year old self would feel, knowing Doctor Who’s back on TV (and better then ever) and there’s a new Dizzy game? Also… I wonder if an egg with boxing-gloves for hands will cut it with modern gamers?

Sunday Schlock.

2011-11-20T07:22:00.000-08:00

Here’s the second frame from last week. Or shall we say the reaction shot. These kids are very much poking the lazy-eyed bear in this scene. I doubt it’s gonna end well for them. I quite like the ‘GRRRR’ face I’ve got going on in this shot. He’s one unhappy chappy.

I think I’m going try and hunt down a copy of a film called Life-Force this week. I heard about it on a pod-cast this week and now I have to see this film. Sexy, space Vampires AND Zombies in London..? SOLD. I’m a big Dan O’Bannon fan. I know this film won’t be amazing or it would be better known, but from what I’ve heard and watching the trailer, it’s something I need to see.

God, I Miss The 80’s.

2011-11-15T14:42:00.001-08:00

Season 23 is probably (actually, there’s no probably about it… IS) the worst season in Doctor Who’s history. It’s got very little going for it. That said, I always thought that season’s theme tune is criminally over looked. It only got used for one season, which I think is a shame, as it’s one of my favourite takes on the Who theme. It’s like the great chill-out version that never was. Play it in the early hours of the morning, when you’re in that sleep deprived, slightly trippy head-space (that‘s my favourite head-space), maybe with a nice caffeine and\or sugar buzz going on. It’s a nice winter warmer for you.

Meanwhile… Behind Your Back.

2011-11-11T11:49:00.000-08:00

That sinking feeling when you realize people are talking about you behind your back. I think we’ve all been there, right?

I’m going to leave the word balloon on this and the next panel that follows it, as I don’t think it gives anything away that the panel itself doesn’t. Plus I’ve been meaning to show off a bit of my lettering for a while now. I can’t for the life of me remember if I’ve previously posted any lettered panels before? I’m leaning more towards I probably haven’t. Hopefully I’ll remember to post more after these two. Hunt out a couple of nice spoiler-free ones.

Heard this song on a pod-cast in the week. A song I haven’t heard for years and years. I was working pretty late and when this came on it lifted my mood greatly. Such a good song. It was a nice moment in a really busy week.

He’s A Handful.

2011-11-10T06:57:00.000-08:00

Just because this picture made me smile. What’s not to love about this photo?

Me Wanty.

2011-11-05T13:53:00.000-07:00

Me wanty BIG TIME!

Back To The Bar.

2011-11-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

Another big shot from the opening of Issue #3 today.

One of the movies I watched over my recent Halloween binge weekend, was a British Werewolf movie called The Beast Must Die. I’ve got a soft spot for good Werewolf movies, but they’re hard to find. They’re a lot harder to come by then good Vampire or Zombie movies. This film is like a really good Werewolf movie, with a really bad Werewolf as the star (an Alsatian painted black, I kid you not.) Thank God for the 80’s and The Howling and American Werewolf In London. Even a really bad Werewolf make-up job (and there’s plenty about) is better then a dog painted black. In fact, I tend to be more forgiving with bad Werewolf special effects, as it’s not as easy as slapping in fake fangs or funky contact lenses like with Zombies Or Vampires. But dyed dogs aside, actually, pretty good movie. It’s different, I’ll give it that. With its 30 second pause so you can try and guess who the Werewolf is at the end.

Happy Halloween (Kind Of…)

2011-10-31T08:15:00.000-07:00

Yep… last year you got a big all singing, all dancing Halloween Ecard that took a few days to put together. This year, it’s a quick sketch from my sketchbook, done while laying in bed in the early hours of the morning, while feeling like crap from the flu. I had decided earlier in the year that there wouldn’t be a Halloween Ecard this year, because I wanted to get as close to finishing Issue #3 as I could by the end of the year. Also I just didn’t have any decent ideas for one, if I’m honest. But here’s something quick and horrible to put you in the Halloween mood. Just a little something ghastly to say I care (just not as much as last year, apparently.)

I hope this sketchbook doodle finds some love out there (I think this is the first thing I’ve posted from my recent sketchbook.) Anyhoo…enjoy and hope you’re having an awesome Halloween.

Bar Scene.

2011-10-29T09:22:00.000-07:00

I figured I’d go with a nice, big shot to start off Issue #3. Kick it off in style.

God, I wish I could attend this. That would be a good way to celebrate Halloween. I’m a big fan of Nosferatu. I also love the late 70’s Herzog’s remake. That look is a monster design classic. I might have to pop on my copy at some point this Halloween weekend. It’s not a hard film to come by online, should you want something a bit different then Halloween: Resurrection on Monday night.

Halloween Havoc.

2011-10-26T14:15:00.000-07:00

I like to try and enjoy Halloween as much as I can. It’s my kind of holiday. It’s a good excuse to eat pop-corn and watch loads of horror movies (yes… that is pretty much what I try and do all year round, but at Halloween, it’s official.) Had a nasty thought at the weekend that UK TV could be really bad on Halloween. That Halloween night might be a bit of a let down when it comes to good horror movies, and so I did a bit of panic-buying online and ordered a few films. A couple of oldie Universal monster movies, a Amicus classic, and what I hear is a very good modern horror movie from a year or two back, that’s meant to have a terrible, terrible ending (that’s terrible as in not very good.) I then got buyers-remorse at ordering this small pile of DVDs and not trusting my own TV services to take care of me over this spooky season. Knowing my luck, the TV would be red hot with creepy treats this Halloween night and these films will remain unwatched in their boxes. That I had overreacted. When I got my TV guide today, I flicked straight to Halloween night to see if I should start to feel guilty, and what TV another version of me was going to be watching in a parallel universe that night (the version of me that had held his nerve over the weekend.) At first I thought I’d flicked to the wrong night, and quickly rechecked the date, but no. The big Halloween movie this year is Halloween: Resurrection… you know… the one with Busta Rhymes… you know… the worse one of the lot. The really, really bad one. All I’ll say is this, I REGRET NOTHING, and parallel universe me probably feels like he’s just been gut-punched.

How can TV give you Dead Set one year… and then this year, Halloween: Resurrection? For me, watching the first Halloween is a bit like watching It’s A Wonderful Life at Christmas. A nice treat, but only to be done every other year. Sticking on one of its piss-poor sequels (the worse in fact) ain’t the same thing. There’s so many good horror movies out there. Why? It’s lazy programming. You wouldn’t diss Santa like this, would ya TV? I might become a Pagan, just so I can complain and say with this gesture you have insulted my faith. Halloween 2 might have been forgivable… but Resurrection? Someone needs to be burnt in a giant Busta Rhyme’s shaped Wicker-man for this. Can you send Goat’s heads through the post?

I’m just feeling glum because I’ve got the flu. Feels like my lungs are half their normal size. I sneezed earlier today and the force and stress of the sneeze made my legs go and made me need to sit down or I‘d fall. Sad, but true. Feeling soooooooooooooo sorry for myself right about now.

Turn To Page 42.

2011-10-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

This will probably be the last of the redrawn panels I’ll post. There’s maybe one or two more, but they give too much of the story away. In fact, this shot probably gives too much away, but too late now, I’ve posted it. Hopefully, the new panel is a lot tenser. It’s drawn better, that’s for sure.

I think next week, it’ll be time to move onto Issue #3.

Does anyone remember those choose your own adventure books? I used to love them as a kid. I only mention it as I came across this today while out shopping. If I was a betting man (which I am), I’d bet they’re coming back into fashion. It’s been long enough for them to be cool again. Truth be told, I love them, but I found them really stressful as a kid. I would take wrong choices really badly. I must have been a very stressed out kid, I guess, ha ha ha. I’d would feel like crap if I turned to the wrong page. I think I gave up playing them because I was such a bad loser. Having it all come down to a roll of the dice was too much for me in those days.

I do wonder how they’ve come on in recent years. The ones I grew up on were from the 80’s and early 90’s. I think I may hunt down some modern ones, if anyone knows any good books or websites, they can recommend. I’d love to have a crack at doing a sequential story in that style one day. I’ve just got this feeling that ‘choose your own adventure’ books done as sequential graphic novels are the next big thing. Sadly I don’t have the time to back that claim up but actually doing one, but… well… anyway… If it was well written and drawn, and the content was more adult, Hell… I’d read it. That said, a massive pain in the arse to put together, I bet. Maybe I’ll try and write one in my spare time and see if I can team up with another artist or something (wait… what spare time?)

On a side-note, I’ve just realized I don’t own a single dice (or should that be die?) For some reason, I found that fact kind of depressing.

Sexy Corpses.

2011-10-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

When did Vampires go sexy? I think that’s why I liked the movie adaptation of 30 Days Of Night from a few years back. It’s maybe the only recent Vampire movie I can think of that was scary, with creepy Vampires. That said, I do have a soft spot for True Blood. I know that’s sexy Vampires, but it kind of works well, I think.

Why Halloween Is Better Then Xmas.

2011-10-18T07:24:00.000-07:00

I’m not sure if these are real or a hoax, but someone was certainly thinking outside the box when they designed these. (Warning: I wouldn’t say this link was X-rated, but if easily offended, best to give it a miss.)

I’ll be honest, the Bat-lip motif on the Vampire one made me laugh, first time I saw it. It’s how I imagine Vampirella’s undercarriage looks. I feel sorry for whoever had to go out and plaster-cast a Zombie’s wang, however.

Work Hard, Fail Hard.

2011-10-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

Just time for another quick ‘Before And After’ shot. To be brutally honest, I’m not crazy about either of these shots, old or new. I was trying a couple of things in the old shot and they didn’t really pan out. Plus the first shot is really off-character (meaning the way he’s drawn doesn’t really match up with how he ended up looking… God knows why I gave him ears like The BFG, for some reason?) I think the new shot is drawn better, even if the angle is a bit more boring. In my head, this character was going to be huge. Not just fat, but massive and grotesque. However, as I started to draw him, that idea kind of slipped away and he just ended up being chubby. The first shot is more of a call back to this original concept, but sticks out because I didn’t keep the idea going. I think the new shot is ok. I probably wouldn’t be posting it if I hadn’t gone to the effort of redrawing, if I’m honest.

It’s harder and harder to find good tunes to stick on my MP3 player as I get older. Of late, I’ve really been getting into Two Steps From Hell. They do all the big, epic music for trailers and things. Well worth hunting down on iTunes. Many songs claim to be epic, but these really are. See>

I’ve just bought a new brand of pencil and I get to try them out for the first time today. I’m looking forward to it wayyyyyyyyy more then I know I should. The last two new brand of pencils I tried out, turned out to be duds. I need these to be winners.

The Devil’s Price.

2011-10-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

Spent a good chunk of last week redrawing some older panels. Been drawing these comics for a while now and really thought one or two (actually it was about four) panels were in need of either tarting up or totally being redrawn. I’m not saying the other panels are in anyway perfect, but there was a few that just really stuck out whenever I was flicking through my blue folder of completed pages. I’ve tossed the idea around in my head for a while and then decided it was worth doing. I hope to post a few over the coming week.

I’ll start with this one. This is one where I redrew the figure in the foreground. In the scene, he’s just overheard himself being mocked by the characters in the background and this was meant to be the reaction shot. At first I thought I’d have the character being sad (this is a decision I later regretted.) As drawn, I don’t think the face shows enough of any real emotion. As time passed, I thought maybe this shot was lacking any real punch. I didn’t like the way I had drawn this shot, or felt it worked. I soon realized the reaction should have been angry and more sinister, like something was brewing in the air. The first try just looks like he mildly has the hump. Hopefully the second try indicates big trouble ahead. I have to point out that because the character in the foreground has a lazy right-eye, no matter how I drew it, it always gave the impression he was looking back over his shoulder at them. It’s weird how tricky that felt to work around some times. If I could have drawn in the left-eye on the first panel looking ahead, maybe that shot would have worked better. I’ve just had a similar problem on a recent page I’ve just drawn (Note-to-self: never write in a lazy-eyed character again. They throw up some strange problems when drawing close-ups.)

They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but I’ll be honest, I totally bought this book based on the title alone (you had me at Vagina.) Just finished reading it this morning. Kind of liked it. A lot better then a book called this should be. They also get extra marks for selling it at the gimmicky price of £6.66 (even if that is a tiny bit over priced for 83 pages of story.) One thing I like about this book is they make skeletons scary again. I’ve gotta give it extra marks for that, too.

It’s Funny Because It’s True.

2011-10-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

I think I’m gonna have to check out Community when they finally put it out on DVD in the UK. I want Chevy Chase back in my life. It’s been too long.

RedRum 2.

2011-09-29T07:15:00.000-07:00

This will probably be my last shot I post from Issue #2. Feels like a good panel to end on. I’ve hopefully got something a bit different lined up for next week, but for now, I think that’s about it for Issue #2. Hopefully these last couple of shots won’t give too much of the ending away. I’ll have news on Issue #3 very soon.

A sequel to The Shining with Vampires? I’d read that. I like that Stephen King returns to certain characters. I know the idea of this book has been getting some negative feedback, but I like the sound of it. For a start, I’ve always wanted to see King write another Vampire novel after Salem’s Lot. It’s something I’m looking forward to, myself.

First Trailer.

2011-09-26T15:27:00.000-07:00

Wow, that was quick. Here is the first John Dies At The End trailer released today. First thoughts… Looks pretty awesome. I’m glad they kept the Meat-Man scene.

Sunday Schlock.

2011-09-25T07:39:00.000-07:00

Just time before the end of the week to post a new panel. Something from the very last page of Issue #2. Considering it’s just a shot of someone bending down picking something up, I kind of like this shot. That’s kind of the truth about drawing comics. You think it would be all drawing action and cool, flashy shots, but really you’re lucky if that’s every forth or fifth page. It’s basically drawing a lot of A and B to get to C. C kind of takes care of itself. It’s A and B you’ve gotta keep on top of and try and master, or at least that’s my take on it.

I haven’t seen a good Zombie flick for a while. The Zombie well that was overflowing a few years ago is maybe starting to run a bit dry. That said, I’m keeping an eye out for this one. Just as you thought Zombies couldn’t get any scarier. This film is really worse case scenario.
ZOMBINLADEN The Axis Of Evil Dead by Zmbldn

First Look.

2011-09-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

Just been looking at the first images from the forthcoming adaptation of John Dies At The End that were released today. Finished reading the original novel a week or two ago, and that’s going to be one hard book to bring to the screen. Hopefully they’ll pull it off. I think these first pics look promising. I hope we’re not too far off getting a trailer soon.

Misfits Series 3.

2011-09-16T08:09:00.000-07:00

I’ll be honest, I don’t read or watch much in the Superhero genre these days. I stuck with Heroes till the last season, and I’ll pick up the odd Superhero graphic novel here-and-there, but there’s nothing I’m really following cape wise at the moment (except maybe the forthcoming Nolan, Batman film.) I haven’t seen any of this Summer’s big Superhero blockbusters, or felt that bad about missing them. The only new Superhero themed thing I’ve really liked in the last couple of years is Misfits (oh… and maybe Kick Ass… and I kind of liked Nemesis, too.), but Misfits I really got in to. I’m not sure when it’s going to be on, but if they’re already releasing trailers, it can’t be too far off. Hopefully that will be my big Superhero fix for this year until Batman is released next Summer. I also hear Batman: Under The Red Hood is worth checking out too. I may have to hunt down a copy of that, even if it does have Robin in it. God, I hate Robin. I don’t get sidekicks.

Group Shot.

2011-09-15T14:07:00.000-07:00

Think I was meant to post this shot a few weeks ago, but looking back over my blog, I think I forgot. So no time like the present to fix that mistake. It’s too nice a shot to miss out, so I’ll post it now. Without giving too much away, it’s one of the last group shots in the story. I’ll leave it at that.

Was watching The Cottage late last night while inking. Had it on so I could listen to the commentary track as I worked. I’ve seen it a couple of times now and I think it’s a pretty solid horror flick. Nice mix of horror and comedy (which as I’ve said before is a hard trick to pull off.) It’s a bit like American Werewolf In London in vibe. The story itself is more along the lines of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It’s one horror flick I kind of would like to see a sequel to. The Farmer could be like a British Leatherface or something.

Spotting Something Sinister.

2011-09-10T06:53:00.000-07:00

More big eye action today. As Issue #2 starts to come to a close, this panel is me trying to build some tension. End on a spooky note. I’d like to think Issue #2 has a creepy ending. The idea came to me pretty late in the game, but when this idea hit me, I just had to do it.

Just tried Cherry Lucozade for the first time today. It’s good. It’s like sugary, liquidity heroin or something. I kind of regret trying it, as I’m probably going to get hooked on the stuff now. If it gets too bad I’ll try and wean myself off it with real heroin or something.

Liberatore Tumblr.

2011-09-07T07:13:00.000-07:00

I’m a massive fan of Tanino Liberatore, but it can be a nightmare trying to get a hold of his artwork in the UK. That’s why I’ve really been enjoying this new Tumblr, recently.

I wonder if he really does colour his artwork using make-up, or is that just an urban legend? I so want that myth to be true. His colours are bizarre, I could happily believe it.

So Far, So Awesome.

2011-09-04T08:43:00.000-07:00

I wouldn’t say I’ve taken the last three weeks off or anything like that, but I’ve differently cut my workload slightly, lately. Just trying to enjoy the end of the summer and get my energy levels back up. Also if I’m brutally honest, I bought a new, big screen TV about three weeks ago, so I’ve just been breaking it in. Feeding it a couple of boxsets and Doctor Who DVDs. Watching late-night Ninja Warrior and so on. I didn’t realize how run down I was becoming until it hit me about three weeks ago like a truck. But this week I’ve got back into the swing of things. It was rough for the first couple of days, but things seemed to pick up towards the end of the week. I just want to put in a solid few months of hard work now and finish off the year. We’ll see…

Above is my latest panel. This shot will be a bit of a call back to an earlier shot at the start of Issue #2.

As the nights get longer and cooler, I can get back into reading at night again (over the last few years, I’ve really come to hate Summer nights.) I’ve already stocked up on a small pile of books. At the moment I’m reading the much hyped John Dies @ The End. Not an easy book to find, but I did manage to track down a lone copy at my local Waterstones before the weekend (the UK cover looks like this by the way.) I’ve read a lot about this book online and had been planning to read it for a while. One of the things people say about it that intrigued me, was both how funny and scary it is. Being both funny and scary is a hard mix. They have a nasty habit of cancelling each other out. It can be done, but it’s a fine line. It’s a rare, rare trick if someone can pull it off, but I’m a hundred pages in, and so far this book is getting away with it. I have both laughed and been freaked out by this book. I’m hoping by saying all this, I haven’t jinx it and it’s going to go off the boil before the end, now. So far, to give it credit, it’s living up to the hype.

Speaking of living in hope… My nasty habit of ordering cheap schlock* DVDs on the weekend, means I’ll probably be watching this movie tonight. Judging by the trailer, I’m bracing myself for the worse. Is this the best, worse movie trailer of all time?

*I’m not Jewish, but I’m totally going to try and bring the word “schlock” into my day-to-day vocabulary.

Full Page.

2011-08-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

Just posted a full page from Issue #2 on DeviantArt. That makes it three pages from Issue #1, and now three pages from Issue #2 to be posted there.

The latest page can be found HERE.

I’m well into Issue #3 now, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to post as many panels and pages from the final two issues. Everything kind of comes to ahead in these last two, and there’s hardly any pages that aren’t choked full of spoilers. I guess I’ll have to figure that out in the not too distant future. Until then, enjoy what I think might be one of the creepiest pages so far.

The Eyes Have It.

2011-08-25T13:04:00.001-07:00

I’ve noticed that Graphic Novels (especially the B.P.R.D. and Walking Dead ones I’ve been reading of late) have a single panel from the comic on the back-cover. A shot that sums up and hopefully intrigues potential readers. I have to say if I can ever get this mini-series collected, this would have to be the forerunner for that spot. It might be the creepiest shot so far, I think. Most of the horror in Issue #2 comes from scenes that are gruesome, but I like this shot more because it’s just plane creepy (or at least that was what I was going for.)

I should also point out, on a side-note, that the character has a lazy eye. Just in case you thought I sucked at lining up eyes.

Looking forward to watching this tonight as part of the Fright Fest season on FilmFour.

I Saw The Devil.

2011-08-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

I need to see this film. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. I went online last night to order it and ended ordering Candyman and the 70’s BBC adaptation of Dracula instead. How did that happen? (probably because those DVDs were both cheaper.) I need to re-watch Old Boy again, soon, too. Such a good film.

Such A Nerd.

2011-08-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

New shot today from Issue #2. We’re getting to the final pages now. I’m treading very carefully so as not to give too much away.

Also I forgot to mention I tarted up my Sushi-Girl picture on DeviantArt yesterday. Replaced the crappy line-work from an A4 scan with the original artwork. Also, on my laptop the colours looked a bit bright so I took them down a bit. They looked just right on my Mac, but whenever I transfer them over, the colours seem to go really bright for some reason. Colour balance is my new ultimate foe.

Was enjoy this new Tumblr I came across this morning. Hot Chicks Misidentifying As Nerds. I haven’t met a genuine hot nerdy girl for a while now. I’m starting to think they’re like the tooth fairy or big foot. Or worse yet, just moved on to the next fad. I’m not sure if ‘Geek Chic’ ever really caught on in the UK. I’m not seeing a lot of this when I’m out and about. Sadly, my faith is waning. Come on, Cosmos, prove me wrong. I want to be proved wrong.

Here my ’such a nerd’ story. I’m such a nerd that over the past few days, I’ve just been reading the fuck out of Stephen King’s Cell (a 473 page book which I started late Monday and finished late last night.) I’ve spent so many hours this week laying on my bed with my upper body resting against my head-board at a weird angle, that I now have unbelievable neck and back pains. I can’t turn my head left or right without it ending in agony, and I can’t lift my arms above shoulder level. I couldn’t even turn over last night in bed. And sod’s law, I don’t seem to be able to reach the problem areas with my trusty tube of Deep Heat.

Word to the wise, if you really are doing something nerdy, you’ll know because it usually ends with you not coming out of that situation looking so great.

It was a good book. however, which is somewhat of a consolation. It’s kind of weird reading a Zombie post-apocalyptic story where the main character is a comic-book artist. Thanks to this book, I’d be rubbish in a Zombie waste-land, right now. I couldn’t move my head left or right to check for oncoming Zombies. Climbing, aiming a gun or swinging a blunt-object is probably not on the cards for the next couple days, either.

If I Had To Pick.

2011-08-18T06:24:00.000-07:00

I go through a lot of Podcasts in a single week. I can usually tell how much work I’ve put in that week, just by how many Podcasts I’ve gone through. I’ll start the week with about twelve, thirteen and I’ll be lucky if I have any left by the end of the week. But if I had to pick my favourite one, it would probably be this one. They’re so good, they’re the only Podcast I’ll re-listen to every so often. I’ve listened to the Mark Gatiss and Edgar Wright ones a few times, now.

Is it wrong that I think this movie actually looks quite good?

Take 2.

2011-08-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

Well, I started the week with this image, so I may as well end it with it. Having already spent a fair amount of time colouring in the background for this, I decided to finish it. I only started colouring this so I could drop the marker pen version over the top, but when that didn’t work, I liked what I’d done so much I decided to carry on. I haven’t had a chance to do any colour work for ages, but being a bit burnt out lately, it was a nice change of pace. Made me wish I had more time to get on the computer and do more work in colour.

I maybe spent a bit longer on this then planned, and to be honest there’s still a couple of things looking at it now I’d change. I find so little time for colouring up my artwork that it would be nice to start hooking up and seeing if I can get proper colourist maybe colouring a few pieces down the line. Or in the future, free up a giant space of time and really have a go at becoming an awesome colourist, failing that. I had such a blast doing this one, if I could spare the time, I’d have another crack on one of my other Pin-ups.

DeviantArt copy HERE.

Pen Play.

2011-08-09T10:36:00.000-07:00

Something else I worked on last week while I was laying low was testing out my new markers. I bought some for sketchbook work, but soon found myself wanting to try them out on a finished piece of artwork. With Sushi-Girl And Friend, I always feel I cocked up the inking stage a bit. I think my inking has come into its own in the last couple of years, but here, it maybe got away from me a little. Which is a shame, as the design and concept has maybe been one of my favourite to date. I think I may have been breaking-in new brushes and dip-pen on this image, which I always find is the kiss-of-death. So I’ve always wanted to see what it would look like coloured. If I can’t go back in time and un-fudge the inking (I’ve even thought about redrawing the whole image and doing it again a couple of times), I’d at least like to see it in glorious colour. Bad ink job aside, I do like the monster design and more-or-less how it turned out. So when it came to picking an image to colour, it had to be this one. It’s a shame hardly anyone uses markers in comics anymore, as I had a blast doing it. That said, one massive draw back is once you’ve put a colour down, you’re stuck with it. Also, it’s brilliant to colour by hand and feels a lot better then colouring on computer, but takes a lot longer with markers, and doing large areas is tough going. Plus you can only use the colours you own, whereas on a computer, it’s any colour you want.

There’s also some water colour pencils and fluorescence pens going on in the mix. I thought I might scan it in and colour the background on computer, but after playing around for an hour or two with it, I just couldn’t get the balance right and it always looked a bit off, no matter what I tried. So I’ll post it CG free. I was going to paint in the background with water colour paint, but it’s just normal printer paper and would go all horrible. I didn’t really have a back up plan when the computer colouring didn’t pan out.

I’m fairly happy with bits of it, and plan to try and master the marker. For my first real try, I thought there was some nice stuff going on. At one scary point I thought I’d messed up the mouth, which I had left till last and would have meant all the time colouring the rest first was for nothing. But thankfully, I think I managed to pull it back to looking half-decent at least.

Best Laid Plans.

2011-08-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

Planned to get a lot done this week, but just ended up eating Ice Cream and watching season 1 of True Blood mostly this week. Didn’t realize how drained of energy I was until earlier in the week, when it hit me like a truck. I was trying to get the ball rolling and just crashed. I’m feeling better now after a bit of a rest and did managed to get some work done in the end, but it’s been a strange, old week.

Didn’t help that this week also, both my MP3 player and TV started to give me major technical problems. I think I’ve got round my MP3 player problem for the time being, but it looks like I’ll have to replace my TV. Which is both really annoying and a tiny bit exciting (I made myself a promise that every time I have to replace my TV, I’d numb the pain somewhat by adding some extra inches to the screen-size. I’m a man, and that’s the kind of promises we make to ourselves.) Not to happy about this latest dent in the bank-account however. Had been trying to put some money away.

Just A Thought.

2011-08-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

I try not to get too nerdy on this blog and keep those nasty, geeky thoughts to myself, but here’s one I just have to put out there. Wouldn’t Nikolai Valuev of been an awesome Bane in the upcoming Batman movie? Just look at him. The guy shaves with an axe for God sake. If ever a man was born to play that part, it’s him. I know the actor who is playing him is very good, but when you see those shots of Bane being the same height as Batman, it just feels wrong. You want him to be a giant, like in the comics.

Anyway, I guess that’s neither here nor there, and technically it would just be stunt casting. Probably better to stick with real actors. But still…

Anybody wanting a follow up on my last post, I walked pass those mystery bags again on Monday. They were strangely still there, only now looking a little bit lighter (but not that much lighter) and a bit ravaged. The A4 note now had written at the bottom “To take away.” So it either wasn’t porn and the dirty trick hadn’t worked, or people were just going through the bags and taking what they considered to be the good stuff. To take someone’s second-hand porn is a bit iffy… but to sit there in the open, cherry-picking the best mags, is just bizarre. It makes something grotty, even grottier. The guy even put them in nice, fancy cotton bags.

It’s A Kind Of Recycling.

2011-07-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

I’m ashamed to admit I’m probably the last man on earth not to have a mobile with a camera built in. Every once in a while something happens to makes me regret not getting off my arse and updating my phone (like a few weeks ago, when I was lost in an unknown part of Brighton at night and would have happily killed for a GPS app or whatever they’re called.) It also happened early this morning on the way in to work. I was walking past a block of flats, when I see someone had stuck a note above what I took to be just bags of rubbish (even if the bags themselves were a bit more fancy then a normal plastic bag, and looked like they were made out of cotton or something.) The note was just a normal sheet of A4, with three words written on it in big letters. They were simply “Free… Clean… Hardcore…” It was maybe a bit too early in the morning to be hit with a shock like that. Had someone really gathered up all their old dirty mags and dumped them outside for anyone passing by to have? Did the person who did this even live in these flats (these were fairly middle-class flats.) Did “Hardcore” even mean dirty mags? Maybe these posh bags were full of second-hand sex toys looking for a new crevasse to call home? Maybe there was nothing sexy in the bags at all in the first place, and it really was just rubbish, and this was a cheap (but genius) trick to try and get rid of it?

I like the fact that who ever did this, thought writing “porn” was a bit much, so put down “hardcore” to be slightly less sleazy (probably was someone from those middle class flats, with their fancy, cotton bags.) Also the second word “clean” is a bit cringe-worthy. The fact that they made a point of writing down it was, makes me think maybe they weren‘t. With the schools breaking up this week, this guy’s (or girl‘s… but I’d say probably a guy) timing is good. Some lucky kids are going to have the best start to their Summer Holiday ever.

Much like the phantom man that leaves fancy bags of seedy mags (to be fair, anything could have been in those bags. Hardcore might not mean porn. Maybe they were really, really, hard Maths books or something.) I’m just gonna dump this latest panel here and see if it finds any love from passing strangers.

I wonder if that guy dumped his dirty stash because he’s gone digital? These days with the grotty internet, there’s something almost classy about a porn mag. Where once they were shoved in hedges, now you could probably get away with having them in your sitting room on a bookshelf.

Angry Birds Go Home.

2011-07-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

I remember hearing everyone talking about Angry Birds a few months back. There had been so much hype that when I finally got to play it myself, I felt a little let down. It’s not a bad game or anything, it was just maybe a bit average for something that the whole world seemed to be talking about. It’s a playable game, but not something I could see people going back to in years to come. I guess I’m saying I don’t get the hype it managed to generate. For example, here a Flash game I’ve been playing loads lately that I think is wayyyyyy better. It’s in the same aim-n-click style, but is a much better game. Also the music sound like something off a cheap chill-out album, but kind of works.

I reached a depressing age where I had to give proper gaming the boot a few years back. Partly cost, partly because I couldn’t free up enough spare time that gaming needs. I’d say most of my friends are gamers and hearing them talk just makes me feel so out-of-the-loop. I can go months and months with out playing a video game these days, so it’s not worth me coughing up all that money for a 360 or PS3. Now-a-days, a quick go on a Flash game is the closes I get.

Any online Flash game recommendations or good websites are welcomed. I saw World Of Tanks reviewed on a TV program recently and I won’t lie, I’m tempted. I know it’s pretty popular right now. Also I just like to think there’ll be some glitch in it so you can invade World Of Warcraft with World Of Tanks (right now, I’m just picturing a bunch of orks and wizards standing around in shock as a giant line of Tanks come rolling over a digital hill.)

Home, Sweet Home.

2011-07-24T07:21:00.000-07:00

I think this panel would be one of my favourites from the later-half of Issue #2. If nothing else, I always like white rain drops on a black background. It makes a decent effect and breaks up black areas nicely. It’s a good, little design trick. Looking at it now, I wish I’d done it more in this issue. Oh well…

Issue #3 is well underway now. This crappy English weather has been a good excuse to just stay in and work. Hopefully, all this hard work means if the Sun ever does decide to show it’s face again this Summer, I’ve free up enough time to actually go out and enjoy it. I hope it’s one of those Summers where you get a burst of decent weather towards the tail-end in August. I’d hate to think Britain’s had all the Sun we’re gonna get this year, already.

Also, I’ve been working up some ideas and doodles in my sketchbook, some of which I may post soon. I’ve just got to work out the settings on my new scanner first. I didn’t set out to buy a new scanner, but for some reason, when I bought a new printer a few months back it had one built in on top. I should really see if it actually works at some point.

That’s For Guy Gardner.

2011-07-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

EMBED-Batman Beatdown On Vegas Strip - Watch more free videos I know this isn’t really Batman, partly because Batman doesn’t grab his balls before a fight (although I haven’t read every Frank Miller Batman comic, so I don’t know how true that is…) but seeing someone dressed as Batman take a beating like that is truly upsetting to my inner child. My outer adult however, was just enjoying the terrible Kung-Fu on display. Those moves look dangerously close to girly slaps. If Commissioner Gordon ever came across Batman fighting like that in Gotham City, he’d just storm straight up onto that roof and dismantle that Bat-Signal. There’s no coming back from fighting like that. If you don’t know martial arts, don’t try and wing it in a fight. That guy needed a smoke-bomb or something. A Bat-a-rang, maybe?

Seeing this video has kind of killed my buzz over the new Batman trailer and all things Batman.

It’s Party Time.

2011-07-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

I don’t often post whole pages, so here’s a bit of a treat. This was the first page of a recent short story I was working on. I tried to cram in as many Monsters as possible, and page one was Zombies. It was a bit lighter in tone then most of my recent work. I put a few gags in this strip. It was more of a flying visit to the Zombie genre, and hopefully a half-decent attempt. I’d like to do more one day, you know, just as drawing Zombies becomes really, really uncool and everybody’s tired of them.

Posted a copy up on Deviant art a few days ago for anyone who wants to check it out there.

Finally got around to getting an mp3 player today (or rather, today was the day it turned up in the post.) Been spending all day converting mp4’s to mp3’s and checking out the prices for a few audio books I’ve got my eye on. Turns out audio books are pretty pricey. Also, it never said it when I bought it, but it turns out it comes with the complete work’s of Shakespeare on it. What a strange time, when something can just turn out to contain an artist complete back-catalogue just on a whim. Slightly depressing in some ways. That said, I also found out it has a copy of Tetris on it, which cheered me up again. Plus the first song I downloaded off iTunes was this one. You can’t listen to this song and feel bad. Especially if you follow it up with this one.

I am really looking forward to The Thing prequel now. The new trailer has raised my hopes. It doesn’t really show any of the FX shots, and in many ways looks just as much a remake, as a prequel. But I live in hope after watching this new trailer. Just because every horror prequel I’ve seen of late has been a let down, doesn’t mean this one will be, right…? Yeah, ok, it’s probably going to be bad, I know. I can’t even think of a decent horror prequel off the top of my head.

…Uuummmm.

2011-07-13T15:44:00.000-07:00

Decided I really need to take advantage of my sketchbook more, recently. I made sure to pick up a new one last week, while I was up the Art Shop getting Ink and Bristol Board. I spend very long periods doing the sequential side of things, and by the time I find a bit of free time to do a pin-up or two, my mind goes blank and I can‘t come up with a decent concept. It would probably be a good idea to work up ideas ahead of time. I want to push the Monster making side of things more. Come up with some nasty beasties to show off in my work. I see all those great sketchbook pages Guy Davis does, that they put in the back of B.P.R.D. graphic novels, and I realize that it’s something I should be doing more, myself. If I had some Monsters drawn in rough before hand, it would give me something to work with when it’s Pin-up time.

So I was up late buying Markers online to help me do this last night, when I came across this book. I had to rub my eyes to make sure I wasn’t dreaming and such a book did actually exist. I guess it was only a matter of time before some publisher did it, and it shows how mainstream it is that someone’s bringing out a “How To” book on it. I have to confess (and don’t judge me harshly…) my finger did hover over the buy button for a few seconds. My morbid sense-of-humour wanted to know how far it went and what the tone of the book was like. Dead serious? Tongue-in-cheek? Could there really be a book out there with a step-by-step guide to drawing good Tentacle Rape? This book couldn’t really be like that, right? It had to be a cop out and just be a how to draw pin-up girls in a manga style, was my bet. But at £9.69, this joke had suddenly got a bit too pricey for me. Plus the book’s in German and I’d kick myself for not being able to read the text and see how they tackled this thorny subject in the end. Also the fact that one day I’d like to visit Canada, and if Canada found out they’d break my Knee-caps and throw me in a vat of Maple Syrup for a hundred years, which is how Canada deals with perverts. What happened to you Canada? You used to be cool. I’d feel weird about being penalized by a country that made Llsa: She-Wolf Of The S.S.

Returning Home.

2011-07-07T14:38:00.000-07:00

I’m all over the place this week. Why do things seem to take twice as long in hot weather? Am I being paranoid or do computers go a bit crappy in hot weather? I thought I’d give the art side of things a rest this week and do the computer side of things, which I’m now regretting as both my Mac and Laptop are acting up and doing weird stuff. Is it the hot weather to blame? At least I’m getting some work done this week. It’s not often I find myself envying the lifestyle’s of Eskimos, but this week… I tell ya… Most people dream of moving to a warmer clement when they retire. I might go the other way and find myself a nice log cabin in the Arctic or somewhere.

Another Issue #2 panel above.

All Stocked Up.

2011-07-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

Made my annual trip to the local Art Shop today. Every few months, I have to make this trip to stock up on Ink, Bristol Board, Brushes and so on. Our local (and as far as I know only) Art Shop is in one of the roughest parts of town. It’s like a little quest I have to do three or four times a year. I hate that this shop is so far away and to get there, I have to walk through parts of town I’d rather avoid (or better yet… firebomb!) But when I return triumphant and all restocked, I still get a little giddy and a bit of a buzz off it. Doesn’t last long, but there’s something about knowing I’m all stocked up and ready to go that I like.

I’m starting to develop a real mean pet-hate about something I see more and more when I’m online. It’s when people post their photos up on the net and they’ve put on really bad Photoshop filters, so their photo is now all weird shapes and colours, and you can’t really make out what the original image is meant to be, unless this was the aim of the person posting the photo (which nine times out of ten, it wasn’t.) It’s a trap most people fall in to when they first get their hands on a copy of Photoshop and discover the filters. In the late 90’s when I was studying Graphic Design, I’ve got to confess it was maybe a trap I fell into myself a few times in the early days. You think these filters are the coolest thing in the world when you first start using Photoshop, and you can’t help yourself. I know nowadays it’s a bit of an inside joke in Design. People with their home copy of Photoshop and the need to use those horrible filters they think look so arty and edgy. Photoshop (and other Art Programs) are awesome for cleaning up, sharpening and adjusting your photos, but the photo itself is the piece of art. Putting on tacky, unneeded filters just looks garish. If you’re super skilled at Photoshop and know how to use filters without ruining your original shot, then fair enough. But otherwise, tread carefully, or better yet, step away from those shitty filters. When it comes to filter, less is more. Or better yet, none at all.

Peek-A-Boo!

2011-07-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

Most Horror comics have a creepy looking Monster lurking behind the door. Mine’s got a hot (but hopefully slightly creepy) chick behind mine.

Wow… Just remembered why I like to keep my June and July workload light. The heat’s a killer when you’re trying to work. It got so bad I spent most of Tuesday just eating Cookie Dough Ice Cream and watching the end of Season 4 of Dexter. It was by far the best day of the week, but then I felt bad for slacking and had to work extra hard to make up for the lost time.

I’m debating in my head if I wanna try and make it to FrightFest this year. I kind of really do… but… it’s just finding the time to organize it all. I wanna have a really good stab at trying to make it up there for some of it, at least. If only for the odd movie or panel or something. Just to see what it’s like.

You know that feeling when you find a really good deal on a boxset of all the Exorcist movies online. Only when it turns up, one of the corners is damaged. At first you think one of the post office workers just drop it (the wankers!!!), but as the day wears on and the more you look at it, you swear it looks more like something’s been gnawing on it. Something hairy with tiny, sharp teeth.

Audio.

2011-06-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

Came across this website recently called LibriVox. They do audio books of books which are now in the public domain. They’ve got works by Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley, H. P. Lovecraft and many more.

Looks like I might have to bite the bullet and join the modern world and finally buy an MP3 player. I’ve been meaning to get round to trying out some audio books for a while (I knew I signed up to iTunes for some reason.) One of my big dislikes about the summer is the sun comes up too early in the morning. You start reading a good book and before you know it, the room starts getting light. My reading habits take a big dip in the summer. Hopefully this might be somewhat of a solution. Plus there’s a lot of books here I’ve struggled to get my hands on as they’re out of print.

Helping Hand.

2011-06-26T06:06:00.000-07:00

I’m posting artwork from towards the end of issue# 2 now, so I have to pick my shots very carefully. Make sure I don’t give too much away. It’s a bit of a headache trying to figure out which shots are ok, and which lean more towards being spoilers. The storyline’s a bit of a Roller Coaster, and I don’t want to derail it before it’s even started. Sabotage my own efforts. There’s always a lot of shots I’d love to post, but they just clearly give the game away.

There’s going to be a Wrong Turn 4? I haven’t even got round to checking out the third one yet.

Real Or Fake?

2011-06-23T05:59:00.000-07:00

I’ve looked at this website a couple of times now and I can’t decide if it’s genuine or a gag. How easy can it really be to get your filthy mitts on panties worn by Doctor Who actresses?

Up Hill Struggle.

2011-06-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

Well, I’m glad to say I’ve made a start on issue #3 now. Maybe a little later in the year then I had planned, but it is well and truly underway. Looking forward to updating more on it when I’ve really made a dent in the schedule. Until then, here’s a little something from issue #2. Seems strangely appropriate to post this now, as it’s the middle of June here and Summer time, and looking out the window behind me I can see it’s another overcast, grey and wet day here in Blighty.

Before Breakfast.

2011-06-15T14:51:00.000-07:00

Came across two good Tumblrs this morning before I even got out of bed (wait… maybe I could have worded that better…)

Anyway, they were:

Geof Darrow Tumblr: The artwork of Geof Darrow. Darrow gotta be one of my favourite artist of all time. His artwork is sometimes hard to find, as because of the detail, he’s maybe not the most prolific artist. But his stuff is amazing and well worth checking out. Someone really needs to put out an art book of all his work. It’s long overdue. Check it out and see if you agree.

My Bloody Blog: Eli Roth’s Tumblr. Isn’t it about time for a new Eli Roth movie? It’s been four years since Hostel 2. I’d still love to see a full movie of Thanks Giving.

Zombie Ready.

2011-06-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

I don’t know why this story has been all over the internet this weekend just gone. Isn’t the whole point of a Zombie apocalypse that no one can handle it? What Zombie movie, comic, video-game is there, where there’s a massive Zombie outbreak and the government steps in and quickly and calmly deals with it? None… except maybe the original Night Of The Living Dead. There’s always that depressing bit in most Zombie movies where the first thing people do is go looking for a so-called ‘quarantined zone’ which has now been over run or never set up in the first place. Governments, let alone local councils, usually evaporate like vapour in these movies. Sounds more like wishful thinking to me.

Maybe local councils do such a bad job at fixing pot-holes and collecting rubbish because it’s their first line of defence against a Zombie invasion? Zombies would struggle against these obstacles, giving people time to escape and flee. That’s the angle I’d be playing, if I worked for the council.

Just to cram even more Zombies into this undead bloated post. Got a bit hooked on this online flash game over the weekend. There something very soothing about killing Zombies from above. It’s like if God went on a killing spree or something, this game.

Jagged Outline.

2011-06-09T15:06:00.000-07:00

Went a little experimental with this shot. Trying to get a certain mood to fit the scene. I wanted the shot to be very, very slightly disorientating. For a sense of unease to start to creep in at this point in the story. This is the effect I ended up going for. I’m a little torn on how well it comes across or does its job. Hopefully this shot plays its part ok… I bloody hope.

Just about to start thumb-nailing the first pages of issue #3. Thumb-nailing is fast becoming my favourite part of the process. I really get a buzz out of page layout and design these days. That said, it’s maybe not coming together as well as I’d hoped right now. It’s partly the stress of wanting to get issue #3 off to an amazing start. I really want to start this issue on the right foot. Need to stop playing with the Google guitar logo and focus.

Banned.

2011-06-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

Wow… So the BBFC banned Human Centipede 2, huh? I can’t remember the last time a horror movie got banned here. Are they really worried that this film is a danger to the British movie going public? If it was released, Britain would be awash with deviants running around sewing people arse-to-mouth? I’ve not seen the first one, but I’m not even a 100% convinced you can sew someone’s mouth to someone else’s anus in real life. We let them make the film here, but we won’t let them put it out here. How does that work? I remember when Scream was big in the 90’s, and it did feel a tiny bit dangerous, just because you could buy a Scream mask, grab a knife, and re-enact the film in real life (to a point, anyway.) But The Human Centipede? Come on… Sad thing is, previous banned films on the BBFC list that have finally come out, have been important horror movies like Freaks, Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Last House On The Left. When Human Centipede 2 undoubtedly does get released here, the film’s probably not going be worth the wait or hype. If they’d just passed it, it would have come and gone just like the first one. They shouldn’t of given it any credence as being something edgy or to be taken seriously. All they’ve done is to do this film a massive favour.

Awesome Shrubbery.

2011-06-04T06:59:00.000-07:00

Latest panel from Issue 2 and a bit of a treat for shrubbery fans.

You have no idea how many baby-spiders I’ve found crawling around my ceiling this week. Some where around here is a really slutty Spider, with a vagina like a clown-car. BAD SPIDER!

Monkey Boy Gamble.

2011-05-31T11:53:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-05-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-05-26T15:24:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-05-21T06:44:00.000-07:00

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.)

2011-05-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-05-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-05-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

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.

2011-05-08T08:31:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

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.

Bad Weather.

2011-04-29T08:42:00.001-07:00

Been a busy old week, this week. For example:

*Managed to cut myself shaving with an Electric-shaver. Didn’t even think that was possible and was strangely proud of myself after doing it.

*Read From Hell (a five hundred plus page graphic novel) in under a week. Is this some kind of record? Do I get a medal for this?

*In my ongoing hunt for decent Podcasts to play when I’m drawing, I’ve now become hooked on Desert Island Discs. I’ve listened to so many episodes over the last couple of days. I can recommend looking it up on iTunes and raiding their archives. Also started to listen to Adam And Joe Show and wondering why I hadn’t before.

*Finally gave in and bought a copy of Not Quite Hollywood. Great documentary and after watching it, now realise I have to hunt down a copy of Howling 3. It looks like the best\worst Werewolf movie of all time.

Sandwich And A Nice Sit Down.

2011-04-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

Finally got back into the swing of things this week. The first day was a bit shaky, and I’m still a bit slow at the moment, but I’m happy to say I am back at the drawing-board. Doing something a little different at the moment, looking forward to showing my results at some point down the line. But for now here a new panel. I spent ages doing this shot. Trying to get the figure work of a man sitting on a box eating a sandwich just right. I think I did ok in the end. I enjoyed doing this panel.

It’s Easter and I have no chocolate egg. In fact I can’t remember the last time I eat a proper chocolate egg. It must be years-and-years now. They’re one of those things you just have to let go once you become an adult, right? They’re like crappy, novelty socks at Christmas. You have to be given them, you can’t buy them for yourself. If I went out tomorrow and bought my own Easter Egg, that would be breaking some kind of Easter rule, right? It’s like when I’m out shopping and I walk past the birthday cakes and a part of me wants to buy one, as I love birthday cake. But I imagine it’s illegal to buy a birthday cake when it’s not anyone’s birthday. What if the girl on the till started asking questions? What if the law found out? That and I don’t want it to all go a bit Brian Wilson.

Your Pixels Are Showing.

2011-04-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

Saw this on Dread Central this morning, which kind of sums up in a nice timely way what I was saying about CGI yesterday. I disliked I Am Legend when I saw it in the cinema for more then just the piss-poor CGI vampires. But when those piss-poor CGI Vampires turned up, it’s one of the only times I’ve ever felt embarrassed for a movie. To have a budget that big and that many people working on your film and then have those turn up as your monsters. I’m not saying that mask would have made it an amazing film, but I’m a lot more forgiving if a horror movie at least has a decent monster in it.

I Am Legend the novel is one of my favourite books of all time and probably shaped modern horror more then people give it credit for. It’s a shame that none of the three films based on it have ever come close to really doing it justices. That said, The Last Man On Earth is by far the best. As much as I love Vincent Price, it maybe hard to think of him as an everyman like the character from the book. But the film itself is still very much worth a look and the closes you’ll get to a decent adaptation. A lot of people consider it the first modern Zombie movie these days.

Brain Drought.

2011-04-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

Thought I’d leave the word balloon on this shot, as it gives little hints to a sub-plot I’ve got going on in this story. Does anybody else think CGI is a little soulless…? Just me…? Don’t get me wrong, I like it when it’s well done. But too much CGI in something makes it look more like a videogame or something.

It’s no secret I’ve been going through a very non-creative patch this last month. My pencil has been sitting in my Joker mug (that’s 80’s Jack Nicholson, Joker) on my desk gathering dust. I’ve been filling up pages and pages of sketch-book with thumbnails, but they’ve been mostly rubbish ideas. I’ve had days when I’ve convinced myself I’ve thought of a good idea, only for it to slowly dawn on me that it was crap and going nowhere. In many ways I guess I really needed a rest, but I feel like shit if I go too long without drawing. Hopefully I’ve turned the corner on this, as I’ve finally come up with a short project I want to work on. Something I want to get behind and try and flesh out. That said, I’m only at the thumbnailing stage so far, and it’s coming together… just very, very slowly. Fingers crossed this isn’t another false start. I had the idea a few days ago and I’m still excited about it, which is a good sign.

The Return.

2011-04-13T15:03:00.000-07:00

Just about recovered from the weekend now. Was a great Con and luckily I managed not to spend too much on Comics. Was also lucky that the good weather did hold out and the Trains and Tubes were all working fine. Could have done with more sleep before the event, but I was still standing by the end… just. Also good to see some old friends and catch up, and be amongst the nerdy and all things geek.

I say I’ve recovered but I’ve spent the last few days sleeping loads and just watching DVDs. I finally got round to seeing Bad Biology last night. Such a good film. I felt a lot better after watching it. A film I’d highly recommended.

I’ll finish up by posting a new panel. This shot always makes me smile. I like the look I got on the old guy's face.

There Will Be Blood.

2011-04-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

I’m more or less all ready for tomorrow. Really looking forward to it and hopefully it’ll be an awesome day. Also looking forward to catching up with old friends and getting back into the Con scene. I’m not so much looking forward to getting up stupidly early tomorrow morning to catch my train, however. Just hoping this good weather last one more day.

I realize lately this blog is a lot like an 80’s cut copy of a Video Nasty. I may be working on a horror comic, but there isn’t loads of nasty stuff until the third and forth issue, which I’m about to start. The few gory scenes in the first issues give too much of the storyline away, if I was to post them. But I have found this one shot with a lot of blood flying around, just to prove it is a horror comic. Just to prove nasty things will be happening. I’m really looking forward to drawing some of the twisted stuff that comes next.

Hmmm, better sign off and start getting my stuff ready for tomorrow. I have to get up so early, I wonder if it’s even worth trying to go to sleep tonight?

The Milky Bar Kid Sketch.

2011-04-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

Bought a load of Red Nose Day videos off iTunes this year as my way of donating to Comic Relief (as well as buying a lot of their novelty crisps.) It was a good chance to finally get my hands on a copy of The Curse Of The Fatal Death, which for many years has only been available on youtube. Also bought a copy of this years Doctor Who special, and a load of Alan Partridge stuff. The sketch I keep watching is ‘The Milky Bar Kid’ one. It’s a classic. I laugh so hard every time I watch it. I couldn’t find a decent copy on you tube, but stick with it, it’s well worth it. I can also highly recommend this year’s Alan Partridge one. Also on the look out for this old Borat sketch, too.

Bad Habit.

2011-04-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

This seems like a good panel to end the week on.

Still lacking in any good ideas lately. But on the plus side I’m feeling a little more energized now. I’ve been going flat out since Christmas, so maybe a break isn’t a bad idea. I’m hoping to go to my first Comic-con in ages next weekend and meet up with some old friends, so I’ve got plenty on my plate. So this coming week will be me trying to get work together for my portfolio and sorting out all the little details. That said, I would like to get some artwork underway this week at some point. How long can this brain drought last? I always wonder what other people do when they’re feeling less then creative. Is there a quick fix I’m missing out on?

P.S. for anybody wondering, I did buy Video Nasties in the end and it’s brilliant.

Just Say No.

2011-03-28T18:05:00.000-07:00

Blasted Monday nights. It’s the time I’m most likely to order stuff I shouldn’t online. I’ve had my eye on the DVD boxset ‘Video Nasties’ for the last couple of weeks and now I find myself, late night, with my finger hovering over the buy button. On one hand it’s pricey and I could do with saving my money. On the other hand, it might help kick-start my limp horror mojo, which has been lacking of late. I’ve already got a book on movie horror posters in my Amazon basket. A stronger man would just stop there… Hmmm, but it does look all kinds of awesome.

Need to start posting more Issue #2 panels when I can. I’ll start with this nice headshot. Also Marine Cuisine 3 can now be found on Deviantart.

Marine Cuisine 3.

2011-03-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

More Dinosaurs Vs Soldiers, this week, with a little True Grit flavour thrown in (not that I’ve seen either movie, sadly.) I had been meaning to do an all out action picture lately, I think this might be the most thunderous thing I’ve ever drawn. I thought my portfolio lacked a good action scene, hopefully this pin-up makes up for it.

Truth be told, I hadn’t planned to do any more Marine Cuisine pin-ups for a while. After the second one, I plan to put the idea on the backburner for bit. What I really wanted was to go in a different direction. Go fishing in my subconscious and try and come up with a really good horror image or something. I spent days doing pages of thumb-nails and nothing was working. I think I said in a previous post that I felt “as creative as a brick”, which pretty much sums it up. After a while and so many, many pages, I had to have an honest look back over all these ideas and see if there was anything decent in there. I realised the only good ideas I had was early on and were two follow ups to Marine Cuisine. I decided just to go with my strongest idea and draw the first idea (I’ll try and save the second idea for down the line.) My theory is I’m a little burnt out on the horror genre at the moment. After drawing a horror comic for the last several months. Watching tons of horror flicks and reading books on Stephen King and David Cronenberg, rather then being inspired, my brain is maybe a bit dry on all things ghoulish. Hopefully that will change. I’d like to think I’ve got a couple more good pin-ups in me before returning to do issue #3. What’s up next…? not really sure myself yet.

In other news… I wish it was Easter right now.

Puffing Away.

2011-03-22T17:55:00.000-07:00

This week is being a bit kinder to me, art wise. I’ve still got some stuff to do that‘s keeping me away from the drawing board. But hopefully there will be time to get some artwork done this week. I have something underway, let’s put it that way.

Until then, here a new panel. Why is it so fun to draw people smoking? I’m not a smoker, or really a fan of smoking, and yet I kind of enjoy drawing people smoking. I think it’s the body-language people fall into when they’re smoking, I like to try and capture. It’s a strange little act with its own little movements and look. The idea that you just stop dead and go through this little, unnatural performance. Sometimes in comics, there’ll just have it hanging out of a characters mouth like he\she doesn’t even know it’s there, maybe trying not to draw attention to it. Whereas I’ll always try and have whoever’s smoking it, look like they’re getting something out of it. At least enjoying the act a tiny bit. I guess the danger is that people will say it’s bad advertising or some bollocks, but people smoke because they enjoy it. To show it any other way would be a lie. I don’t draw people smoking a lot or try and make it look cool, as it’s not. It just niggles me when I’m reading a comic and I see smoking portrayed like that. Takes me out of the story for a second. Especially if it’s a ‘mature adult’ comic, too.

Hmmm, that was dangerously close to a rant, then. Maybe I need to take up smoking to chill out a bit.

The Lair Of The White Worm

2011-03-19T08:26:00.000-07:00

Someone really needs to put this movie out on region 2 DVD. I hear people go on about this film and it’s annoying I can’t get my hands on a copy and watch it for myself. If someone could just put out an uncut version on DVD, or even just make it available to download. I know it’s got pretty average reviews, but I’ve got to see this film. I’ve got a nasty feeling this film has never been released on region 2, so there isn’t even old second-hand copies floating about, I could try and pick up.