Some (not very good) photos from the exhibition. Larger versions at Flickr (just click on the images to go there.)
I will not be attending Caption this year. I'm gutted, I thought I'd actually make it down there this year. It seems a huge shame that I can't get there, especially when they're using my artwork on the adverts.
I will, however, be diving with sharks the weekend after that. Yay!
Yet again I've had to take a short break from comics, just as I was getting back in to my stride! Monstrum 3 is pencilled, but I'm thinking of pencilling issue 4 before I move on to inking. I still haven't decided whether or not to publish them together. The stories follow on from one another so I think it'd be nice to have them together.
But before I move on to issue 4 I have a short strip to complete, I'm hoping to get it done this week. It has a sea monster in it.
I've been busy with travel, exhibiting and now paperwork. I've been teaching some more workshops and have some more coming up soon, so I need to sort out invoices and reciepts and CRB checks and all that fun stuff.
I've also been inspired to do a new project. I won't say too much at this early stage, but I'm thinking big, lots of artists and touring. Well, there's no point dreaming small is there?
I did this for an anthology, but they don't want to use it now so I thought I'd just post it up here instead.
Saw this on Flickr, looks like they've used my drawing for the Caption flyers. Sweet!
About half way through the pencils for issue 4 of Monstrum! There will be a new web page to go with it. I might run issues 4 and 5 together.
On to some reviews:
Michael Burness says this about 'The creator' (Art by me, story by Tony Hitchman, for 'Zombies' anthology published by Accent UK:
"Not great art wise but a cracking read with an excellent twist at the end."
Glad to say that I will be teaming up again with Tony in the future, he writes good stuff and supplies nice layouts with the script (he has a good visual eye too so it's fun to draw)
Stephen Holland had this to say about 'Green' (the charity comic I blogged recently):
"Do You Want To Kiss It Better #1 (£2-50) by various. Published in support of the World Land Trust - and printed on recycled paper using vegetable oil-based inks on presses run on 100% local wind power by people eating dandelions and non-dairy buttercups grown free-range in their gardens - this is, like many a worthy endeavour, a mixed bag of Quorn. "Cause And Effect" by Shiro (not Matsumune) may well be lifted from - sorry inspired by - USAGI YOJIMBO or some other Buddhist tract but even if so, elevated it has been into a wonderfully fluid series of panels with some fabulous curves, superb brush flourishes and unusual and dynamic camera angles. It's an anthropomorphic life lesson whose figures Mike Kunkel (HEROBEAR AND THE KID) wouldn't have been disappointed in. "Introducing The Opossum Shrimp" by Leonie O'Moore was commendable succinct and bang on-target, whilst the rest... the rest of the people mean well and are therefore saved from my usual range of heartless, caustic witherisms. Details of how to make your purchase can be found at the link."
Yep...I was quite surprised at how well I came off in that review.
Pencilling is underway on Issue 3 of Monstrum. And this time I might actually finish it. Yay.
I am having quite a few problems with this blog, sorry if you encounter any spam or have difficulties leaving a message, I'm trying to sort it out!
Part three of 'Job Search' - the webcomic I'm doing for Indie Review - Is now up :
Job Search 3
You may have seen Philip Pullmans new comic in the newspaper at the weekend. It's a little bit Monstrum - esque (you know Monstrum Horrendum right? The comic book I managed to do two issues of many years ago and I keep threatening to do the next two issues any day now...) Obviously this was going to happen at some point, since it's a pretty straight forward formula and an easy to write premise. I'd probably enjoy another comic about sea monsters but I'm not really in to his writing. Clearly a lot of people are, what with his best sellers and all that, but I just find that his books are full of stuff that I know I should like but I just don't connect with them. As much as I love self-publishing, monstrum was one of the few pieces that I hoped would be picked up by a publisher some day, and the artwork and writing has come on loads recently so I was hoping that day would be soon. But I doubt anyone will look twice at it now. And lord help anyone who asks me if I was influenced by his comic! It's awesome that they're trying to revive comics for children, something I'm a great supporter of, but the way the papers are going on you'd swear he was the first person to ever write one!
Anyway, I'm struggling at the moment to do any drawing. I'm working two big jobs at the moment which don't allow me any time for my own comics, or anything else for that matter! I'm missing out on a lot of my martial arts training too. But, I have bills and debts and an expensive chocolate habit to pay for, so I have to work hard.
I do have a renewed determination to do an awesome comic though, so I've pulled out that dusty old script for Monstrum 3 and for a graphic novel idea I had years ago. I'm going to try to get both on the go.
Also, it looks like I might be able to bring out my own range of t-shirts afterall (you may remember I was having trouble finding a way to do it that wouldn't end in me becoming bankrupt)
I went to Leeds at the weekend and I would recommend a visit to the Royal Armouries (if you like that sort of thing.)
I thought this weapon was particularly impressive, it's a knuckle-duster/gun/knife.
It could do with a flame thrower / harpoon attachment.
I haven't blogged in a while because I'm ridiculously busy right now. Not with anything too interesting, just busy with stuff.
FLOOD, the charity comic for the Red Cross is now available to download, it features one page of fishy goodness by me, and a bunch of stuff by other people. But most importantly there's a page by me. With fish.
FLOOD at Lulu
And the original artwork in all its full colour painted glory is available to buy. E-mail me if you are interested.
I will be teaming up with Tony Hitchman again to work on another short comic piece, you may have seen our previous collaborations in Accent UK books and in Tag Team. I'm looking forward to it!
I should also be attending Caption this year, hooray!
Part two of my Free Web Comic 'Job Search' over at Indie Review.
Do You Want To Kiss It Better? the charity comic is now available to buy. I haven't bought a copy yet because I just got back, I think I might have some work in it:
http://www.forbiddenplanet.com/products/34529
I will tell you all about my California adventure, with photos, very soon, I'm just very very tired right now.
I am going to offer stock illustration/photos and art prints through Lulu, it looks like a pretty good service, I don't know how well it will do but it's worth a try! I've also just been interviewed for Colouring Outside the Lines. The questions were really interesting, it was a very enjoyable interview!
By this time next week I'll be in California working on Andy's documentary along with Sheriff and Herod. I can't wait!
This years Caption event is themed 'Timewarp', so I've painted a little time travelling minx for their auction. I will send it to them as soon as I find somewhere that still sells cardbacked envelopes.
Issue 205 of Comics International magazine is now available to buy. I'd like to thank Steve Hooker for making it the best issue so far, as he gave my book 'Some forgotten part' an awesome review. It's actually the best review I've ever had. Go and read it!
In March two of my webcomics will be launched on different sites. It's just how the timing has worked out, I didn't plan it that way.
Ryans Bad Day
This is a short three-parter which I did for Apocalypse Comics - a new online retailer who are very supportive of the small press, go check them out!
Job Search
This is a new strip for Indie Review. It may run for some time as I have a ton of scripts for it.
Detail from my latest comic strip. I'm a bit behind on my comics, it's hard to find the time or the motivation right now. I am quite pleased with this strip, it's a two pager for a charity comic.
I did a strip for the Flood charity comic too, but I'm not sure what's happened to that. I'll post up a detail from it at some point as I was quite pleased with how that turned out too.
This is some weird toy from a vending machine. I didn't make it, even though it looks suspiciously like one of my creations. You can get one of these amazing toys for only 20 pence. It is part of a balloon filled with sand, note the realisitic hair (made from wool) and the striking features of the printed face. Definitely a bargain.
Just working on some new webcomics at the moment. Painting up a new Monstrum strip that will go up on www.comicspace.com and then I'm doing one for a new comic retail site. I did a series of web strips for Indie review but they haven't put them up yet, I think they're making a new section or something.
It's taken me a while to get back on my feet after Christmas, I came down with some horrible virus and it really took it out of me. Although I did get to spend all day on the sofa watching DVDs, which was nice.
Drink and draw last night, we didn't hang around too long, some photos on flickr.
We were given some amazing spleenal figures to customise. Very exciting. He even included a little spleenal sketch book for doodling ideas as I was complaining that I'd mess it up.
I don't know why, but I love looking at different designs for diving suits. Here's ten of the best:
http://www.oobject.com/diving-helmets/carmagnolle-diving-suit/667/
The Carmagnolle is my favourite:
It may make an appearance in a future Monstrum strip. I'm just finishing up a Monstrum strip that will be free to read online. That's right, free!
If you're interested in diving stuff too, there's a great book I read a few years ago by Trevor Norton called 'Stars beneath the sea', about the pioneers of diving. They're all crazy. Very entertaining.
More about Tag Team over at Tizer Soze. If you're a contributor, go check it out because the one line summaries of each story are very good.
Myfanwy Tristram is collecting together all the entries of the recent Observer graphic story competition. This is a great idea, when I got the paper to see who had won I was surprised that I hadn't heard of any of the entrants (where were all the stars of the small press?) and I really wanted to see the other work that hadn't made it to the final selection. I'm glad to see some familiar names up on the site and I'm also enjoying the debates that have been springing up. There are also so many other names that I hadn't come across before in my geeky exploits, granted I have missed a lot of conventions and I don't review as much as I used to, so it makes me think: Are there more people making comics in the UK than there are people reading them? It could happen.
Tag Team is now available to buy.
Stories by Dave West, Nigel Auchterlounie, Andrew Richmond, Michael O'Keefe, Colin Mathieson, Tony Hitchman and Ian Mayor and artwork by me. Thanks to everyone who contributed!
Original pages can be bought at bargain prices over at my main website: www.lomoore.com
More updates to my site: Illustration and Painting pages have been merged, new buy art page added, and some other little changes here and there. Check it out.
Hurrah! More kind words about my book 'Some Forgotten Part', this time over at : http://tizersoze.wordpress.com/. Tizer Soze is a pretty genius title.
It's a blog with lots of webcomics and musings and other such interesting stuff which you should go check out. And the author has also contributed to the upcoming 'Tag Team' comic. Oh, the world of comics is so incestuous!
While I'm at it, here's some more blogs from 'Tag team' contributors:
Preview of my strip'The creator' over at Accent UK. It's for their 2008 Accent UK anthology, 'Robots', and it was written by Tony Hitchman.
New comic 'Tag Team' is pretty much ready to go to print, woo hoo! I'm also finishing off some comic strips for the web.
But it's not all hard work, I have managed to squeeze in numerous cups of tea, some light television viewing and I picked up my Phase 2 grading in the IKAEF (International Kali Arnis Eskrima Federation) system. I've also been sorting out the new Team Phoenix website, myspace and other general designy stuff. (I also designed the new uniforms and the door sign and welcome packs and stuff)
There's an article over at the new Indie Review website which caught my attention. In it, Tom Humberstone briefly touches on a topic which most people working or striving to work in a creative industry will find familiar.
Art - Comic Art.
For years I tried to dress up my comic work as sequential art, going so far as to submit an entire dissertation which ultimately concluded that 'comics are art and I'm not wasting my time, so there, now leave alone you big meanies'. Once I accepted that comics didn't need to be art and that it's okay to be me, I fell in to exactly the same trap all over again. This time I tried to apologise for my 'commercial' work as a designer and remarket my work as fine art. Again, I realised that segregating the different elements of my work was not the answer, and that the 'arts scene' was generally horrendous anyway. I do design, illustration, comics, even write stuff, and it's all the same because it's all by me. Why don't some people get that? Why do comic artists need to validate what they do and why do artists get respect, grants and kudos for intangible conceptual weirdness? Perhaps that bitter thought could form the basis of a new dissertation. Okay, rant over. Just be glad I wasn't drunk when I wrote this! DISCLAIMER:I have many good friends who are artists and, before I get inundated with grumpy mails from them, I'm not specfically talking about any individuals, I'm just making general sweeping statements.
This site sets you a challenge. Nice idea if you fancy creating something and need a starting point. I think I've already done three out of the five challenges currently posted.
http://52comicchallenges.com/
Here's a question:
What do you do when your paper is too thick to use a light box?
Lately I've been doing my inking on heavy paper (lightboxed from the initial pencil sketches) so I can paint on it. However, it's really hard to make out the pencil sketches, so it's impossible to use detailed pencil drawings.
This is one of the reasons why Some Forgotten Part was drawn straight onto the painting in ink, so I could do away with the pencils. But this won't work for every project. I used some carbon paper type stuff for 'The Creature' strip (written by Tony Hitchman), but this too had its own set of problems. I've also tried doing inks and paint on different layers, but this didn't work well for me.
I might try a cellulose thinner print and see how well it copes with paint.
Suggestions are welcome!
Drink and Draw Robot by Spleenal. More pictures on MySpace (You probably need an account to see them though)
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=246913947
You may have noticed that my next comic, 'Tag Team', has been delayed. Basically, I'm a few pages short. A few of the writers have not been able to send on scripts (the usual case with small press comics, people are busy with real life jobs and stuff), so now I'm stuck without anything to draw and I want to publish this soon!
So, if you'd like to send a script within the next four days, just email me.
Scripts need to be:
an original piece with original characters (no copyright infringement)
one to two pages in length
There is no theme or genre. Writers retain copyright of their script, I retain copyright of the artwork. There is no profit expected, although if money is somehow generated royalties will be shared out in the normal way. The comic will be printed through Lulu.
So, a bunch of us comic book people (I believe the collective term is a gaggle of geeks) met up for some drinks and comic talk. It's been ages, in some cases years, since we've all seen each other.
The main attendees were me, Andy Smith, Terry Wiley, Nigel Auchterlounie, John Fellows, Steve Donald and Steven Finch.
And how cool is this? Terry Wileys new business card features a drawing of me:
Spleenal also made a special guest appearance:
I had an interesting debate (okay, more like a drunken argument) with this guy about films, after he'd been cussing star wars I noticed he was wearing this shirt:
I think a good time was had by all, I definitely had a good time. Or did I? I don't know, I may have been a bit drunk.
I came across this blog by D'Israeli about the humble brush pen. This is one of my top two pens in the world ever. Yeah, I'm even geeky when it comes to pens. I've used it on two of the stories in my upcoming comic TagTeam, and will probably use it on a couple more. Here's some of my most recent panels (using the brush pen)
From 'the failure of the Gant probe' written by Nigel Auchterlounie
From 'Walk on by' written by Andy Richmond.
We're having a Newcastle comics people pub meet on Sunday. Contact me if you are in the area and want to come along.
I wasn't expecting such a positive response to my book. Thanks to everyone who has mailed me and everyone who has bought the book! I was actually a bit surprised that it's started selling straight away. Although, no one has actually read it yet and I haven't had any feedback about it yet.....maybe I shouldn't get too excited!
Anyway, thanks for all the support! Years from now when I am sitting in my mansion, waiting for the MTV cribs crew to turn up, wearing a chinchilla fur dress and solid gold shoes, slurping champagne from a ming vase through a diamond encrusted straw, I will look back at this moment and shed a little tear of joy. I like to think that's how Stan Lee lives.
The image above is a painting of an octopus that I did yesterday. You can buy or commission paintings through my site now. (Hey, how else am I going to get on cribs and live the Stan Lee lifestyle I should be accustomed to?)
Some Forgotten Part, my graphic novel (remember that thing I've been working on? Did it during an MA? Built a blog around it? Y'know, that thing?) IS NOW AVAILABLE TO BUY!
http://www.lulu.com/content/696776
The print on demand has worked out well, although it has made it a bit pricey, sorry about that!
It's done! Woo hoo!
(BTW, this was the fish related news you've been waiting for)
Something good is coming......keep checking to find out the good news.
It involves fish.
That sounds like a good story title. Anyway, I went to every shop in town in search of a yellow cartridge for my printer, but all the shops were out of stock! They had the other colours, but not yellow. In desperation (because I'd left it until the last minute to print something important and had to get ink immediately) I bought one of those really cheap refilled cartridges. It made magenta come out orange. I won't make that mistake again. Why had everwhere run out of that particular cartridge at the same time? It can't be coincidence, I must have a secret nemesis. That's the only logical explanation.
There was a more important thing I had to write about. What was It?.....Oh, yeah, a new comics people meet up thing. I got an email from Gav recently and it got me thinking that since me and Andy stopped running 'Bishi Bashi' (comic events that happened many moons ago) we've lost touch with a lot of people. So I'm sending the word out to any comics people in Newcastle (or the surrounding area), we'll have a little pub meet in early August. Get in touch if you are interested and pass the message on.
I also got a letter today from Puffin books telling me that my style wasn't what they were looking for. They missed the 'e' off my name, so I'm hoping they've sent me the wrong letter, and somebody called Leoni is currently wondering why Puffin books have sent her a contract with an extra 'e'. Or maybe my nemesis had something to do with it. Yeah, sounds like the type of mean thing a nemesis would do.
Tag Team is coming along nicely, so far there are stories from Nigel Auchterlounie, Andy Richmond, Dave West, Colin Mathieson and Tony Hitchman. I haven't had much time to work on it, but it should be finished soon. I've made some little fuzzy wrestlers which will be used in a photo shoot for the cover.
I've spent the last few weeks working on SFP (my ill fated graphic novel). Everything that could go wrong has gone very wrong. I've invested so much time trying to get this thing up on lulu.com that to give up now would seem like such a waste. Hopefully it will be available at some point.
Gavin Pollock is working on a graphic novel for children:
If you are interested in publishing it or know of a suitable publisher, please get in touch and I will pass the information on to him.
These are some of the pencil roughs from my new comic, Tag Team. This story is by Tony Hitchman and is a creature from the black lagoon-esque tale. I'm hoping to sell it through print on demand site Lulu, but with all the hassle I'm having with SFP, I might need to look at alternatives. I'm also considering selling the original pages from this comic too, the comic will be black and white but the originals will be in glorious colour!
Thanks for all the nice comments about my Uneetee day, I'm very excited. It's not my best tshirt, but they've said I can submit more stuff in the future. T-shirts should become a big part of my site, all limited edition and very unique!
A painting from the comic I'm currently working on (called Tag Team). This page is based on a song written by Dave West which was inspired by There Goes Tokyo... (me and Andys old comic company).
Well, I'm still unpacking and getting settled in the new abode, so internet access is patchy. Here's a quick update:
Edinburgh
Andy and I had a lovely weekend in Edinburgh at the start of the month, meeting up with some housemates from yesteryear.
We also went to an amazing Pixar exhibition which featured stunning pre-production art and a 3-D zoetrope (which is one of the coolest thing I have ever seen). If you're in Edinburgh, go check it out. It's so good it will make you sick. Sick and vomitty with envy!
Photos over at Flickr.(not of the exhibition though, they wouldn't let you take photos.)
New comics
Okay, I should have broadband next week-ish (woo hoo!) so then I'll sort out this print on demand nonsense. In the meantime, I've just finished a four page strip for Scar comics (I don't know if it'll get used though) and I'm working on a new comic which will be a collection of short strips by different writers (all drawn by me). I'm also teaming up with Tony Hitchman again for the next Accent UK collection, 'Robots'.
That is all. For now......
Okay, so it's taken me a while to get around to writing my first post for the New Year, but I wanted to get things off to a positive start.
It occured to me this morning that the graphic novel I spent so long toiling over is just sitting on a shelf, taunting me in the way that unpublished books tend to do (why do they always pick on me?). I've decided that since I haven't been submitting it to publishers anymore and I can't afford to print it myself, it's time to try the print on demand route. Next week I'm going to spend some time reformatting it and going through the fine print at Lulu.com, then I'll send off for a copy and check out the finished product. If it's of a good standard then, hurrah, it's finally out there and maybe it'll stop laughing at me and pulling faces everytime I pass the bookcase. The only problems with print on demand services that I can see are that you can't really communicate with the printer and there isn't an out of pocket publisher desperately trying to sell the book for you. I know a lot of people seem interested in publishing with lulu, but everyone seems to want someone else to try it out first, so here it goes!
A big hello and thank you to everyone who has been checking out my stuff lately (thats all you guys at comicspace and my pals in the US who are looking for some t-shirts). I've had a great Christmas too, I went over to Ireland and had a nice relaxing time. My sister is training a guide dog puppy at the moment and he's lots of fun, and also really huge for a puppy. He's a labradoodle:
I was also pleased to find one of my favourite ever board games (and I really love board games) still intact in the attic, so we played a few games of that:
It comes with sea monsters, how can any other game compete with that?
And, of course, with Christmas comes all the joy of visiting friends and relatives
and collecting lots of loot, and I got some really great loot this year. We got Mike a V for Vendetta mask, look how scary it is:
I also took some more photos of my home town to add to my growing collection over at Flickr. They should start building the new marina soon, which will be weird. I'm getting as many photos of the harbour as I can before it gets all built up.
I'm still working on that novel too....whenever I type that it reminds me of that bit in Family Guy where Stewie is hassling Brian about the novel he's been writing....anyway, I'm going to put that up on lulu too.
Oh, and happy new year, by the way!
Well, I haven't gotten too far with that new issue of Monstrum that I keep promising. I managed some new images of the characters (see above for part of the Ella one in black and white) which will probably get used on the intro page. I've got all the page break downs done, and I've decided to go with the new UK format, I got some very reasonable quotes from smallzone, so once I get my act together I'll give them a go. I joked a while ago that I was working on a novel, just for fun, which would probably be finished first. Well, it's going strong, so it probably will get finished first. I'm feeling a bit out of it all, having missed every convention this year.
I haven't had any freelance work in a while which has made me a bit mopey, and usually that makes me draw even more, but not this time. So I'm trying the age old trick of getting a beautiful new sketch book to fill up, then I'll go in for the second round with Monstrum. I've been pretty busy too....with Jaws unleashed, the best game ever. I don't know why this got such rubbish reviews. It's amazing. You're a huge shark who just wants to cause mayhem. What could be better?
I've just read the new Spirit/Batman comic, it's great. But it's by Darwyn Cooke and Jeph Loeb, (with Dave Stewart on colours) so how could it be anything but great? Darwyn Cooke will also be doing the new Spirit series, so I think it'll be amazing. I've also been reading some great small press stuff, but you'll have to read the review section of Comics International to find out more about that.
Well, I've typed up 39 pages of script for the new issue of monstrum. I finally feel like I'm getting somewhere with it!
I've also just finished a new illustration which I have a feeling may get rejected on the grounds of it being a bit odd. I thought I'd try something new, using a digital collage and an inked drawing. I'm not too sure about the results.
I also checked out this blog, after they'd left a message here, and whilst looking through their archives found this entry which really amused me.
In fairness, there was a brief time when I was regularly featured on Bugpowder, but obviously my popularity has waned as I sneezed twice yesterday and there has been no mention of it.
Their comic looks good, but very overlooked, so remember to order a copy next time you get stuff at smallzone.
Nigel Auchterlounie has another excellent Bunny girl and pig boy comic out. Unfortunately, it's published by Pirhana press who don't seem to sell to comic stores or anything so I don't know how people can get hold of it. I'll try and find out because it seems such a shame that it's so hard to buy.
Finished that zombie strip (picture above is a detail from one of the panels.) There's a new magazine starting up called Murky Depths, check it out here, they're open to submissions.
The days are flying past at the moment and I seem to be getting nowhere very quickly! Todays been eaten up by filling out job applications (yawn-o-rama). I'm hoping to get some drawing done later, but it's looking unlikely.
Bear and Brownlee have just moved in up the road, so now nearly everyone I know lives within easy walking distance, its all getting a bit weird. Its like our own little town. Actually, round here its more like our own little ghetto.
Something else that makes me smiley is this. I've always wanted wolvie claws and now I can have some. I wonder what area of the Kali syllabus wolvie claws come under?
I've just finished and sent off a web comic. I'm not sure if or when it will appear on the internet, above is a little sample section.
I'm leaving in my dissertation to be bound tomorrow, it's called :
'Making comics: What issues are affecting creators in the comic industry today?'
It's a snappy title. It's quite a few hundred words over the suggested word count, but most of that is Eddie Campbells Manifesto which I've used as an appendix. Plus I had a pretty good sized bibliography.
Got some freelance stuff on, so no cake, cider or shark shortages in Leonieland just yet. After reporting on the abysmal Megalodon movie, I am happy to say I watched a crap but not as crap shark movie the other night which restored my faith in the genre. Sharkzone uses some actual great white footage (repeatedly) and a dodgey model which seems to have a hole in the roof of its mouth. The plot is ripped off from from Jaws and a scene from shark attack 2 (which was ripped off from Jaws anyway), also some of the shark footage looked similar to the stuff used in bits of shark attack 3. There is also a pointless subplot about diamonds. Why do these people think they need anything other than the shark as the plot? I don't remember Jaws needing russian businessmen, diamonds, oil drilling, nuclear waste dumping etc. to add tension. As usual there is a terrible script and horrendous acting. What makes this movie stand out is the fact that the sharks growl and roar like big cats while attacking. Also, whenever anyone is surprised by the appearance of a shark (how do they sneak up while growling?) they exclaim: 'Jesus, sharks!' which I thought was genius.
It was one calamity after another this weekend! It all started out so perfect. We watched a whole season of Entourage, hung out with Sheriff and Emma, got to eat yummy food (Emma is a really good cook, we're thinking of moving in to their spare room and seeing how long it is until they ask us to leave), watched the Kali gradings (it's fun to watch until you realise that it won't be long until you'll be going through that hell again) and went to the cinema with Matt and Maz.
Then I got home, checked my e-mails and found, to my horror, a bunch of emails from uni people going on about how the dissertation was due in on Monday. Monday? How did that happen? I'm such a poindexter, how did I not realise? I didn't even have a title for the bloody thing!
So I spent all day Sunday trying to get it finished, which was tough enough without the added bonus of two power cuts! Plus Andy managed to spill coffee over nearly every thing I own (how can one mug hold that much coffee?).
Anyway, I got it all finished in the end and handed in. I need to wait for feedback incase there are any mistakes, and then do the final bound version.
The manga exhibition I'm helping organise is going well. I've spoken to Tokyopop and it seems they're onboard, so it's going to be huge! They're talking about competitions and all sorts of neat stuff. Plus we have access to a bar with a cinema licence so we're hoping to show anime too. It's going to rock.
I'm also working on some new strips. I just got a script from Tony Hitchman for the next Accent UK anthology, so I'll be drawing that up soon. And I'm doing a webcomic and an article for the new small press site, www.indiereview.co.uk.
I was talking to someone the other day about naming characters. Usually I don't have a problem with this, stuff like Monstrum was dead easy because all the characters were based on people or were named after adventurers. (Like Campbell got his name because the character was like someone Bruce Campbell would play, Ella Hass is named after Hans Hass the diver/adventurer/biologist etc.) If I do get stuck, I've found some really good baby naming websites. The great thing about that is that you can see where the name originates from and also what it means and how popular it is. I am considering using names from the spam I get because some of them are amazing!
I've been going megalodon crazy lately. I've been reading Steve Altens books, which are the best and worst books ever written. I want to do a photo story of the first chapter of the first book using my giant fuzzy shark (pictured below with wookie) and an inflatable dinosaur, if only I had more time for all these projects!
I also watched the worst movie ever made. Simply called Megalodon, it was worse than shark attack 3, which at least had the courtesy to use file footage. This pile of poop used computer graphics that aren't fit for a bargain basement PC game, they didn't even have any texture on them and parts of the shark were transparent. Screen grabs from the Jaws game look better.
And it made no sense. You'd think for $5.00 it would have been a bit better!
My book has been turned down by Image comics and by Fantagraphics. Oh well, what do they know about comics anyway?
Comics International sent me a big ol' pile of comics to review. It includes a series of comics aimed at educating young gay men about safe sex which features the charming characters johnny and lube. I also got a copy of that semiotic cohesion ( Shanes selling it over at smallzone ), and I'll do a proper review for CI, but I just want to say I wish they'd do a comic just about the shark overlords because those bits are genius! A shark that shoots smaller sharks from its gills! Why isn't that a comic?
Thanks to Hank for his nice comments about my weird panda painting too, that cheered me up after my morning of rejection from big comic companies. What a nice stalker Nulsh has!
It's been a busy week. Sams wedding disproved my long held belief that weddings were boring. Here he is on stage with his band at the reception:
His whole family were up singing, it was a great party! Hurrican Remo got dressed up for the occasion too:
And insisted on watching some wrestling:
Super Parka has a scary rapey dance, but Xtream Tiger is pretty cool. Obviously he's no Hurrican Remo.
On Sunday we had a seminar at Phoenix with Flavio Ruiz Van Hoof. Four hours of fighty stuff! We did some light sparring type stuff at the end of the first hour and as we kept swapping partners I ended up with Flavio at one point. He kept yelling at me to kick him, but I was scared to a bit because I'm sure he could rip my leg off if he wanted to. But he's a nice guy and the seminar was good fun.
I also made some eyebrows for Pilchard :
Bet you wish you'd thought of that, eh Curtis?
We went to Jesmond Dene because Andy has never been, even though he's lived here for 6 years or so.
Seems they have a giant bug infestation too.
Then we went to the pub, where I introduced Wookie to the wonders of cider:
It hasn't all been trips to the cinema and all you can eat chinese buffets this weekend. No, I have also been working and I have finally managed to make my graphic novel in to a PDF, ready to be sent out to publishers. I have also designed little promo booklets to go with the discs, to encourage them to actually look at it.
Below is the front (on the right) and back page (on the left). Under that is the interior spread. The big white gaps are for the text (which will explain how amazingly brilliant my book is) and the booklets will be A5 size, matte.
Moomins! Moomins! Moomins! I love Moomins. Via Bugpowder
And the new cartoon based on Mignolas 'Screw on head' (one of the bestest comics ever)! Via drawn.
I've only seen stills so far because my idiot computer won't show it.
And speaking of stupid computers, I can't get my book off my other rubbish computer. I may have to visit publishers in person with my idiot computer so they can read it. I have two cdr files, because it couldn't deal with the book in one sitting, which was fine when I was just printing it out. But now I need to combine the two cdr files, add all the text again (because the computer had a hissy fit and decided the book was better without text) and then convert it to a pdf. At the moment the damn thing won't even open one of the files, never mind two. Yes, I'm talking about you, stupid machine. Grr.
Here's that dedication I mentioned (click on it to go to my flickr page, where you can find a bigger more legible version):
And here are the endpages and cover of the finished book:
And here are some interior pages from the little books:
Had lots of fun at a beer festival yesterday. Drank some overpriced cider, met some cute dogs with great names (pudding and ninja) and everything else is a bit blurry, but I'm sure it was good.
The Cumberland has the bestest toilets, they are wallpapered with old comics:
More pics on flickr, including pudding the dog and a cardboard bee.
1st - 7th of August is Clown Week. Get your creepy clown ecards here for the big event.
The exhibition went well, I had 3 A2 sized prints and then a plinth with the finished graphic novel (bound with some lovely leather and great typography, thank you Deirdre!) and three small books filled with sketches. Here are the prints:
And here are the books:
It feels odd to be finished. I need to re-do the text and put the book together as a PDF and start hassling publishers again. Just waiting to do my final assessment this morning, then I just have to hand in my dissertation (in September) and I'm all done. I'm not sure what I'm doing after that. Maybe I should apply to do another MA in September....
Congratulations to Richard Starzecki, who has just had a baby boy. Well, actually Kari had the baby, but you know what I mean. Congratulations!
Here is wookie enjoying my graphic novel. He says it's good, but he has been known to lie. This is the mock up copy, the final one should be finished soon.
I've been doing some kids comic book workshops over the last couple of days with primary schools. Some of the genius strips included memorable lines such as: " I'm going to raid this semi-concious man ". "Better bring your scared face " "Where is my dress? Oh, I am wearing it!" and this gem below:
Which reads:
Panel one: " I'm gonna fight you."
"oh yeah, bring it on."
Panel two: " Oh I'm so scared"
"When I fight you I bite you because I'm Black Diamond."
Black Diamond was a bare knuckle boxer they were learning about.
Also, in one of the comics, someone was knocked out when they tripped up over a dog. It's been a surreal two days.
Godzilla vs a giant trout. Meal times are never boring around here.
Nearly finished the book. Have decided to print the entire thing at home, double sided A4 (it was intended as an A4 book anyway) and then it will be hand bound by genius bookbinder Deirdre, (if you've seen the TGT Bishi book or the Gone exhibition comments book, they were both made by her).
At the moment she is finishing off my mock up copy, then we'll set to work on the finished one and hopefully we will make some little books of my early sketches and paintings. So at least my exhibition will kick ass! I've been asking around to see if any publishers are willing to look at it as a PDF file on disc (Fantagraphics had said they would need to see more of the book and this seems like the easiest way).
Thanks again to everyone who has been visiting this blog, the last few weeks have been very tough and your words of encouragement and advice have been much appreciated.
Below is one of the final paintings I did for the book, and possibly my favourite, it's half of a double page spread.
This is the whole book printed out on single sheets. Looks pretty hefty! Having read through it, I've decided to add four more pages as I don't like the pacing in the first part of the story. It will run at 80 pages, but was originally intended to be much much longer, so I have plenty of stuff I can add in.
I still need to sort out the text, and may have found a printing solution (need to talk to someone this weekend about it).
Top Shelf have turned me down, which I'm not surprised about, and Fantagraphics replied to say they thought it was a childrens book. It's nice they got back in touch, I wasn't really expecting a great response to it. Waiting to see if anyone else gets back about it.
It's probably a tough one for publishers, I should've planned for this before I started.
Here's where I went wrong:
1. They haven't heard of me, so it's risky to begin with. I should've signed my work 'Alan Moore' instead.
2. It's painted and could prove expensive to reproduce. I should've done it standard comic size in black and white or computer coloured.
3. It's not the 'hot' style at the moment. I should've gone Manga, that seems a lot easier to shift.
4. It's not easy to market. I should've been controversial or done something that would sit well in a guardian review. I might try this next time, how hard can it be....
5. It's a tough market. I should've killed off every other comic artist and writer or a least scared them off the idea of wanting to get anything published.
6. Not much room for merchandise. Actually, you can make merchandise from anything these days, that's not a problem.
7. I was going to say it wouldn't make a good movie, but it doesn't matter if it's good or not, they'll try and make it anyway. Maybe it would be a good movie. I'd better get that screenplay ready, just incase.
There's the formula for making a graphic novel. Or not. Maybe that could an experiment.
If anyone knows a cheap and reliable printer, now would be a good time to mention them.
As I get closer to completion, I have realised that my options are quite limited. I can't afford to self publish, but I do need to get at least one copy printed up for my final exhibition in July. So far I've been quoted over 100 pounds for one copy, which I can't afford. Also, I'm really stuck for time which isn't great when you want something perfect bound.
Unless a publisher picks it up, this book may not see print past one exhibition copy. I'm considering a print on demand service, but don't think they can deliver in time for the exhibition, and I don't know what the quality is like.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
Some possible cover designs. The typography needs some attention on all of them! I sent some work off to a publisher in New York this morning, I used the one with the white figure falling as the cover (but I changed the lettering). Work is coming on well, about another 45 or so pages to go.
Enjoyed Malcy's gig, and the Lightning Bolt one. Got a copy of that French anthology through the post today, some really great stuff in it, it's a nice little intro to British small press. I think they've only made 50 copies of it, for sale in France. I get to see my work in the same publication as people like Metaphrog, the Rubins sisters, Richard Cowdry and Sean Azzopardi, which is really cool.
Nigel Auchterlounie has been working on a new comic, actually six new comics. Each one works on its own, but they all relate to each other as well. His work is always weird and clever like that. We met up at the Cluny pub (or 'my office' as I like to think of it) and had a little look. It looks really good, he's also been doing some newspaper style strips which are very funny. His Pigboy comics have been reprinted by Pirahna press, but I don't know what the availability is like. If you haven't read them before you should try and get hold of them.
Above is a panel in progress, underneath it is a full page image.
I'm still working away hard, between trips to 'my office' of course. I only have a few weeks left now, the pressures really on!
Spread the word about the Start a Story project and download a poster from here. Visit the site here.
Well, it seems the book project has slowed down/been put on hold for a little bit. Some other projects I've been working on should be available over the next few weeks though.
An anthology of strips from the International manga association which has been translated in to French is due out soon.(cover pictured above, I don't know who the artist is) I have a few pages in it, I'm not sure who else has contributed and I don't know if it will be available outside of France.
The new anthology from Accent UK, "Monsters", also features work by me (as well as some really talented people) and should be available at the Bristol convention. Check out previews on their site to see how much it rocks.
I might be lucky enough to get a page in Andy Richmonds new comic" Destroy Bristol" too (also available at the con, I really should go...)
A while ago I mentioned about an anime and manga exhibition at the Newcastle arts centre, which may turn into a larger exhibition. Well, they've been given the go ahead and I'm helping out with it. So, any collectors, creators or enthusiasts (from outside the UK too) please let me know of any ideas or suggestions or if there is anything you want to contribute / promote / would like to see. Lets make this kick-ass!
PrintROOM have been in touch, they collect zines and artists books and things, archive them and tour them about. Read on to hear about their latest exhibition and I recommend all small pressers send their work in. Trust me, they need more comics!
Well, I'm 25 pages into my graphic novel. 25 whole pages. Yep, Twenty five. pages. 25. Only another 60 or so to go.
Publishers don't seem willing to look at it until it's totally completed, which is understandable, but it would be nice to have some kind of expression of interest from somebody, just to give me some hope.
Looks like I won't be making it to the Bristol convention. The usual money/time issues (as in, I haven't enough of either).
As the work is piling up and the time is dwindling away, these blogs are getting more infrequent. It's not a sign that I'm too lazy to write anything, it's that I'm too busy to!
I'm also finishing up on a chapter for a book I'm working on. I've been bugging people for help with my research and they've all been so great about it! I got a nice pile of Caption zines from Jenni this morning and everyone's given good interviews and passed the word around.
Just finishing off some paintings today and then I'm going to try and start scanning tomorrow. Then I'm doing some text experiments and I'll be spending the weekend writing (hopefully I can fit in some time at the gym too. And the pub.)
I've put all my flickr pics of my artwork into a set here
Oh, and a comics guy linked to me on myspace, here is his blog (yeah, I have a myspace account. Let's leave it at that).
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.