ICE.

Just a quick heads up that I'll be a guest at this years ICE (International Comics Expo) in Birmingham on the 10th of September.

I'll be doing the usual signing & sketching. I have also contributed an original piece to the charity auction, a portrait of my 'Rocket Girl' character. All the proceeds will go to Beanstalk, a charity which aids reluctant young readers.

In A Change To The Advertised Programming.....

I'm sad to inform you that contrary to this previous post I won't now be working on the second series of Vikings from Titan comics. The series will still be happening, it's just that it won't be me as pencil jockey.

On a happier note, the latest issue (issue #3) of the first four issue series is out this week, & features the kind of the bloodletting action that apparently readers wanted from the first two issues. So if that's your thing, or if you just like tightly plotted & well written & drawn comics, go out & buy a copy.

SHIELD WALL!!!

Issue #3 of Vikings from Titan comics is out this week. Written by Cavan Scott, it features artwork by yours truly, & continues the adventures of Ragnar, Floki, Rollo, Lagatha et al from the History Channel hit TV show.

 Here’s the pre-coloured artwork for the first three pages.

Second VIKINGS series.

It was announced on the Hollywod Reporter website that Titan are to follow up the first VIKINGS series 'Godhead' with a second series entitled 'Uprising'. Like the first series, it will be written by Cavan Scott & drawn by yours truly.

Read the article here, & in the meantime, here are the thumbnails & the finished pre-coloured artwork from a couple of pages from  issue #2 of 'Godhead' which is available now.

Birmingham Comics Festival

Sorry to leave this until the last minute, but I will be at the Birmingham Comics Festival which takes place at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground tomorrow.

I'll be doing the usual signing & sketching, & appearing on a couple of panels where I will regale anyone who care to listen with my legendary wit & astounding intelligence, not to mention my modesty. That is to say, I will be responding to any questions with one of my three stock answers:-

1 ."Let me answer that question this way".. after which I go on to talk about whatever the hell I want.

2. "What I think you're trying to ask me is..." after which I go on to talk about whatever the hell I want.

3. "Before I answer that, can I just say...." after which, I go on to talk about whatever the hell I want.

For those interested, sketches will be charged at the (convention only) rate of £35-.

Here's a link to an interview I did with Paul H. Birch to help promote the show.

Hope to see some of you there.

Recent arrivals

A couple of intriguing things have arrived over the last couple of days. Firstly, this little beaut from DC Comics/Dark Horse.

Many moons ago I pencilled a series for DC called Batman/Aliens 2. Long since out of print, & copies of the collection on Ebay were fetching prices in the £40-£50 price range. However, fortunately, if there's still anyone out there who fancies reading it, it's now been made available in a new volume from DC which also features the original Batman/Aliens by Ron Marz & Bernie Wrightson alongside other tales which pit the Aliens up against various DC heroes.

Then this morning I received these two. Firstly, there is the second issue of the series I did recently for Dark Horse.. King's Road. And secondly, this Civil War collection, which contains  a thing I did for Marvel called War Crimes (or "what I did during the Civil War" by The Kingpin).

All three available form your comics retailer now... presumably.

King's Road

I drew a mini-series for Dark Horse recently. Called King's Road & written by Peter Hogan, it's a fantasy adventure in the tradition of The Chronicles of Narnia. A fun book to draw, filled with lots of weird creatures, trolls & orcs etc. Issue #2 is already out, check it out if the sound of it appeals to you.

Here is a selection of thumbnails, sketches, pencils & inks form the first couple of issues.

Quick Batman marker sketch

Something I did recently. Markers & brush-pen.

Wonder Woman '77

Since it Has been announced by DC Comics, I guess it’s safe to mention it here too.. I’ll be doing some work on the Wonder Woman ‘77 title in the New Year. That’s the book which tells tales of the WW from the Lynda Carter TV show. Here’s one of the sketches I did to get in the swing of this version of the character.

New business cards

My new business cards today, fresh from the printers, & not a moment too soon given that the Thought Bubble Festival is this coming weekend.

I'll be there on Saturday only, at table #56 in the Marquee along with most of the rest of the creative team behind the new Charles Waterton comic. I''l be signing & sketching while I'm there (sketches charged at £35) should anyone require it.

Thought Bubble

Contrarty to all previous expectations, & indeed, contrary to anything I have told anyone who has asked, I now WILL be at this year's Thought Bubble.

I won't be on artist's alley (or whatever they are calling it), I'll be in the marquee (not exactly sure what that means, but I guess all will become clear on the day) at a table hosted by my local council (Wakefield Council) to promote a comicbook project they produced recently.  Sounds unusual, I know, & I wish I could say something to prove it's all perfectly normal, however, truth is, it IS a very unusual project. Designed to mark the two hundedth anniversary of the death of pioneering biologist & local celebrity eccentric, Charles Waterton, it is a comic in three acts, each drawn by a different artist. John Welding provides his unique comedic vision to a tale of Waterton's childhood, Richard Bell depicts the events of Waterton's elderly life (when his eccentricities really came to the fore) & I illustrate the middle tale, which tells of (as you might expect) Waterton's middle years when he spent much of his time in South America searching out previously uncatagorised anilmal species. While both John & Richard tackle the colouring & lettering of their strips themselves, I was ably abetted by Dylan Teague on colours & Jim Campbell on lettering. All three stories were written by Wakefield Museum currator John Whitaker.

Here's some of my pre-cleaned up,coloured & lettered artwork, all inked over blueline printouts of my thumbnails, come to table 56 in the Thought Bubble marquee to see how it ended up looking. Also, despite being there to specifically promote the Waterton project, I will be sketching (£35-), should anyone wish. See you there.

Babylon 5 private commission

Here's another recent private commission. Coincidently, another of a character from a 90's sci-fi show, this time Babylon 5.

Stargate Private Commission

Here's a commission I did for a client just recently. It's a character from the 90's sci-fi show Stargate, which I can't say I'm overly familiar with, so without trawling back through the commissioning emails, I don't know her name.

ICE: The International Comics Expo 2015

Here's some of the sketches I did at the ICE comics convention in Birmingham (UK) this past weekend.

And here's a couple I did at a Showmasters event in Sheffield (UK) recently.