Leonieblog

I've decided that once I've finished this graphic novel, I'm going to do the greatest issue of Monstrum Horrendum ever! Since it's only issue 3 and the others weren't so great, that should be easily achieved. I'm really itching to do the next issue. I had a story arc ready (I have up to issue 5 planned out), but with such a big gap between issues I couldn't help but come up with some extra stuff. So, hopefully issue 3 will be double the size. And if I can get the cash together, I'll do a decent sized print run.
And my drawing has improved, due to the fact I can now spend time just drawing.
And then there will be issue four....which not only has some great character development but also has a Megalodon. As every good comic should.

Posted by Leonie at 03:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Got a comic from this guy to review and I enjoyed it, so if you have around 3.00 dollars to spare (something like that) you might like to give it a go. I've done a proper review of it for C.I. (Just mentioning that incase he reads this and thinks I'm some kind of slacker)
Also, if you want to get your comic reviewed by a Danish fanzine (and, let's face it, it's always cool to get your comics over to other countries) send it to these guys. I don't speak the lingo, so I don't know what they are saying on the site, but there are lots of pictures of comics and their e-mail was very polite.
Graeme from Bookville is putting the word out about a Publishathon in Hull. There was some info about it over at Bugpowder a while ago, but he also got in touch to say they want to encourage new publishers and if there are any artists willing to do talks or workshops please let him know.
And, finally......If there are any anime fans in Newcastle around mid-May (I'm sorry the info is so vague) there should be a small exhibition including original cells at the Newcastle Arts Centre, Westgate rd. If it goes well, it may lead to a larger exhibition, so go show your support!
I'm off to do some doodles. I mean art.

Posted by Leonie at 01:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I've just had a filling taken out and redone at the dentists and I feel terrible, so I think I'll work from home today. Although I'm sure that everyone would enjoy my company more now that I can't speak. I took Barry's advice and got an A3 scanner (he's right, they are pretty cheap on Amazon), but I can't hook it up yet as there is no-where to put it.

I went to the aquarium yesterday to do some research (well, any excuse to go to the aquarium will do). The baby dogfish were the cutest things in the world, but I couldn't get a decent photo of them. The wolf fish liked the camera was happy to pose, the rays were quite photogenic too but some naughty sharks kept swimming past just as I was taking the picture. So I got a lot of blurry shark photos. I took quite a few pictures of the octopus, which I needed for reference. I tried to draw him too, but it was a bit tricky. Some lady was informing her kids that a single octopus is called an octopi and that the squiggly things were called anenemas. Yep, aquariums are very educational. when I worked in a gallery I once heard a teacher tell her class that crustaceans were a type of flower.

There's nothing quite like a beer and some wrestlin' on a nice spring day. Another lovely sunny weekend at the pub with friends has cheered me up. Donnas advice was very good, although I did bump in to her at the bar and now that she has seen me drunk she may not suggest that again.

Here is the next puppet in my 24 finger puppet range. I made President Palmer for Emma, next I'm making Tony and then I want to try making Nina. Matt has suggested making some to sell, but I'm sure trading standards would have something to say about that.

Posted by Leonie at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Just when it was all going so well...
Prepared lots of pages to work on when I came back after Easter...came back and messed them up! I've tried to salvage them, but I have a feeling I'll be re-doing that entire scene. (It was one of my favourites too, I'm very upset.) Tutor Donna was around to give me some of the best advice I've had, along the lines of 'It happens to everyone, best to just go to the pub', which is very true. Actually, it doesn't look so bad in this photo, maybe I could just insert the photo instead of the proper page.

Here are some of the finger puppets I've been making. I made a Jack Bauer for Maz (it was her birthday a little while ago) and a Kim Bauer for Sheriff. Requests have come in for other 24 characters, so I'll be making those soon. I once made the crew of Star Trek, Next Gen. for Luke. I think the appeal of these puppets lies in their crudeness - I really have no ability to sew.

I have to cut down on my gym time - what with all the work I need to do. Also Andy, my favourite person to train with, has bruised and/or cracked a rib after a very enthusiatic bout of sparring with Brian. Minor injuries wouldn't help him, so he had to go to A&E where he was given a great bit of paper that said he may have bruised/cracked or broken a rib (apparently it's all treated the same?) and he should take ten deep breaths every hour. The wording made it sound like he should only breathe ten times an hour. Now, I'm no doctor, but that doesn't sound like good advice to me. Get better soon Andy, we have a grading to prepare for (and nobody likes to hear you whinging).

Posted by Leonie at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Well, we had a really fun time this Easter. On Friday, I made 'magic juice' which is a deceptively strong punch. We (me, Andy, Maz and Matt) also invented a Top Gun drinking game.

Here is the recipe:

1 bottle white wine
1 bottle white rum
1 bottle vodka
2 cartons of orange juice
1 carton pineapple juice
1 bottle lemonade
1 lime
1 lemon
lots of ice.
Here are the rules of the drinking game:
(Hint: if you've been drinking all day DO NOT choose Maverick. I made that mistake and nearly paid for it with my liver.)
Choose a character, every time someone says their name you must drink.
Everyone must drink if:
Someone says Bogey
Someone says Topgun
Someone says Mig
There is any kind of gay innuendo (actually, we left out that rule because there were far too many)
Kenny Loggins is playing
Everyone must finish their drink every time there is a flyby.

Give it a go and let me know what happens.

Sunday, we went down the quayside:

Ahh...what a lovely Easter it has been.

Posted by Leonie at 02:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I've finally added a list of stuff I've done to my site, although I have a funny feeling I've forgotten lots of things. If you can think of anything I've missed, let me know. Hopefully now when I tell clients to just go look at my site, there will be something useful to them.

Posted by Leonie at 03:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Happy Easter!
I'm suffering with a horrible cold at the moment, but I'm still going to enjoy Easter. I haven't been able to make it back to Ireland to see my family, but I will be spending Easter with my friends and (more importantly) lots of chocolate (which is the meaning of Easter, right?)
In Ireland, Easter is still seen as a religious time of year. On good friday most stuff is closed and you aren't meant to drink alcohol or eat meat. Over here, however, everyone seems to be off to the pub (probably stopping off for a kebab on the way home). I gave up on lent a long time ago, and I recall agreeing to some sort of drinking session tomorrow involving punch, so I guess I'm adapting to the local way of enjoying Easter.
Also, I got a letter today informing me that I owe over £3000 for course fees. I was really stressed about fees when I applied for this course, and then I got a grant, but I was still really stressed and everyone (except my Dad who is naturally paranoid) was saying 'relax, your fees are taken care of'. But I knew, I KNEW, they'd still try to charge me! I didn't realise it would take them this long, but I knew it would happen. Is admin really that difficult? Anyway, the phone was constantly engaged, so it may be some time before this is settled. Grrr!
A blog about squid....how come I just found out about this? My squiddy senses must be affected by this damn cold!

Posted by Leonie at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Issue 4 of Scifantastic, with a cover by me.
It's Easter break at the moment, but I'm still coming in to Uni and working away. The routine seems to be mostly: training at the gym, working at uni, drinking lots. Not always in that order. Yesterday, I got to learn some more moves with the staff, did some drawing, then went to a pub quiz at the Cumberland arms (which we've been to the last three days in a row). The team consisted of me, Andy, Matt, Sam, Iain and Leanne, although I was kinda hogging the answer sheet and the pen. Not because I knew the answers, just because I love quizzes so much. We came second, (which is apparently better than coming first according to Iain, because only Poindexters win quizzes) and we won five pounds. Woo hoo.

Posted by Leonie at 03:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Wow, two entries in one day.
Just while I remember...
I haven't had any comics through in ages! Are my reviews THAT bad?
I got Malcy's new comic (which kicks ass), but other than that I haven't had anything in months. I've noticed that the small press review section in C.I. isn't there very often and I know that's probably due to a lack of material rather then a lack of space. I suppose most people are gearing up for the Bristol con, but small press comics don't need to be brand new to be reviewed, they just need to still be available.
If you want your comic reviewed for Comics International, then contact me at the old TGT address:

tgtokyoATanimail.net

and I'll tell you where to post it and what details to include.

Posted by Leonie at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We got a new camera and I've gone photo crazy. I'm like Jimmy Olsen, but not as annoying. At least I hope I'm not.

The other day we had a random life drawing class, which was really good. The model didn't show up, but one of the admin staff agreed to model for us (fully clothed of course. I don't think the university had the foresight to put a clause in his contract.) At the end the tutor asked if he could hang one of my drawings on the wall, which was nice but kind of weird, like being in primary school or something.

I took some photos of the dead things in the life drawing room. I don't know why stuffed animals fascinate me. I like animals, surely I should be against this? I remember in Munich there was a hunting and fishing museum which was the best place I've been to for dead animals. There was even a petting corner. And there was some local custom of mixing up animals and stuffing them, so there were fawns with swan wings and beavers with stag horns. It was quite spectacular.

Here is the awe inspiring view from my window at Uni. (The window that doesn't open. We aren't allowed air. It might stimulate our brain cells)

Here's a detail from one of the pages I finished recently. It's one of my favourites so far:

And here is a nice blurry photo of the shoot wrestling, from the Ron Balicki seminar I did last weekend:

He brought a selection of cold steel stuff with him to sell, there were DVD's, knives, sarongs (Yep, we even fight with clothing):

And finally, here is the current state of my work space. Don't I look busy?

All these photos (in different sizes) and more at my Flickr page.

Have a good weekend.

Posted by Leonie at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It occured to me that I haven't bought any comics in ages. Turns out Forbidden Planet had a sale on, so lucky me!
I had to take loads of photos today to put together my work for assessment tomorrow (which I am still compiling, at 10 o'clock at night. Bah!)
Anyway, I took A LOT of other photos too, so tomorrow is going to be blogorama. Get ready!
If you are looking at this pile of comics and wishing you had stuff to read, go check out:
Comix by Nulsh
Or how about some Red meat (Some BBC comedy blatantly ripped off one of his jokes recently. 'This is what we do' indeed)
Also, one of the bestest resources ever, which was a Godsend for referencing my last essay:
The comic book database

Posted by Leonie at 09:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ron Balicki seminar at the weekend was AMAZING! We did Jun Fan/JKD, Silat, Kali, Muay Thai and Savate (there was Shoot wrestling too, but we thought it best to sit that one out.) This picture of Ron and Matt was taken fromSheriffs Flickr account.
Sheriff also has aBlog now, where you can read about Balicki and Scott Bakula, and all the other important stuff from the weekend.
I've been striken with a cold and just found out that all my work has to be handed in on Friday (I thought I had another three weeks, but apparently not) So I ain't got time for blogging.
Check out Paul Rainey's site, he's posting rare old work up during April and his work is ace, so it's well worth a visit.
Also, If you want to help build a cinema, read the extended entry to find out how you can get involved.

St a r & S h a d o w C i n e m a - OPEN FORUM

Saturday 8th April, 2006
@ the new Star & Shadow Cinema building

Purpose: for all volunteers to be clear about how we are doing to develop
the Star & Shadow Cinema in the next 6 months.

10am: for coffee & a look around the building

10:30 - 1pm: Forum with update on plans, everyone's visions for cinema,
plans for the building festival; how people can get involved.

All this in the shell of Star & Shadow Cinema, Norris House, Crawhall Rd,
Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 2BB. It's next to the Tanners Arms and it has doors
signed at "TTTV".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

S t a r & S h a d o w C i n e m a - BUILDING FESTIVAL

10-24 April

True to our history of being a cinema run by the audience, now we are asking
punters to help build the new cinema!

We now have the lease for the new cinema building (on Crawhall Rd) but need
to do a lot of work inside. Over two weeks people from across the region and
the country will be volunteering to build and fit the insides of the new
Star & Shadow Cinema. This is your chance to get involved and help make the
cinema what you want it to be. Basic training, tools, sustenance and
accommodation are all provided.

INTERESTED? please contact us to let us know which days, afternoons or
evenings you are available for over the fortnight of 10-24 April. Or come
along to the Open Forum on Saturday 8th.

For more information contact starandshadow@gmail.com or ring the office on
0191 2244262.

Posted by Leonie at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)