Cons, Creations and Kronos City

Had a brilliant time at #BICS this weekend, which saw the launch of the Sleepless Phoenix: Suvival anthology that holds Andrew Croskery, Andy Brown and myself's 'Welcome to Absolution'. The book marks Andrew's first printed work, but it won't be long before you see more as he signed up his, Alex Wilmore and Lauren Ann Sharp's 'Kronos City' graphic novel with TimeBomb over the weekend.

The anthology sold so well (on top of a ton of preorders) that Lauren and co. are going to continue publishing and hopefully bring out another anthology next year.

It was brilliant meeting up with everyone, and a couple of comicbook opportunities may have presented themselves. Bring on MCM next week. Here's a Hellboy sketch I'll be bringing with me:

I'm famous (and other stuff.)

Our Eggheads episode just aired on BBC2, which means I am now famous. If you didn't catch it, or for some reason want to relive it, you can catch it on the BBC iplayer for the next little while here.

In some comic news, my first creator owned graphic novel Cancertown, originally released through Insomnia Publications before their collapse, has now been signed with AAM/Markosia. Harry Markos and co. are now publishing and handling both Cancertown and Slaughterman's Creed (as well as numerous other projects from the disturbingly imaginative Cy Dethan) and I'm excited to see what they can do with the books.

I successfully completed my 24 hour comic at the weekend (coming in at at 18 pages). I was initially a little embarrassed to show the artwork as it looks more like scribbly layouts than a finished piece, but I put it up on talesofthe.com here and I've actually had some really positive feedback as word got out. Check it out if you will.

After a quick switch-around, having to book Aimee a later outgoing flight as she had an unexpected late test scheduled for that day, I'm really looking forward to BICS this weekend. Here's another illustration I'll be bringing along to try and sell. It's based on one of the panel's from the Wolverine sample script that I had a go at recently. You can see the pencilled pages in the portfolio section above.

If you don't actually know what I look like, I've put a current(ish) photo up on my twitter profile, so please come and say hello.

Yes, the Eggheads show was filmed in february and I have cut my hair since!

October Runaround

I'll be popping my head up in a few different places in the next month, so here's a quick runaround:

24 Hour Comic event:  From 11am on Sat 9th to 11am 10th Oct I'll be taking part in Belfast's 24 hour comic event at the Catalyst arts. I've missed every other year, so this'll be my first time and it should prove a fun challenge. If you're interested there are still a couple of spaces left and you can get in touch with Paddy via the Belfast Comics Blog. 

Eggheads: This day next week (which will be Tues 12th Oct for those not reading in realtime) myself and the rest of the  'League of Just Us' will appear on the eggheads TV show on BBC2. The programme usually airs around 6pm and will probably be on the BBC iplayer later that day. We created a few drafts of a faux 2000AD cover to present to the Jeremy Vine, but ended up having to go with the version that only features PJ Holden's art (mixup with the egghead members). My unused contribution doodle of our team is to the right. 

BICS: I'm heading to the British International Comics Show for the weekend of Oct 15 -17. I don't have my own table, but I'll be helping out with the launch of The Sleepless Phoenix: Survival Stories anthology which prints myself, Andrew Croskery and Andy Brown's Welcome to Absolution. I'll also be bringing along some sketches and illustrations to sell such as the one's to the left and right. Hopefully I'll have more to post before I head over. If you want to order a custom illustration to collect at BICS just me an email in the next week or so. 

London MCM Expo: On 29 - 31st October I'll be at the MCMexpo. Again this is my first time attending after hearing good things for the last few years, so excited to be a first timer at what's being called the UKs biggest comic con. I booked this last minute, so again no table but I expect to be hanging around the Comic Village a lot. Again I'll be selling illustrations and sketches, so email me if you want something in particular in advance. 

Hopefully I'll be able to fit in some drawing between all these event!

I'm back (to back!)

I'm back from my travels in body if not in spirit. I had an amazing time living in Belize for a month with excursions to Mexico and Guatemala, then a tour of the West coast of the USA and returning just in time to see my strip in Torchwood Mag still on the shelves. 

As I mentioned before, the 11 page strip will be reprinted in the US version of the Torchwood comic. It's going to be in #5 and here's my cover to the issue, with awesome colours by Ciaran Lucas. It should be in comic stores around the 31st of October, but to guarantee a copy you can preorder it now from your local comic store with this Diamond code: SEP101124

First Torchwood page.

My Torchwood strip will be in newsagents and comic shops this Thursday (19th August) inside the new edition of the Torchwood Magazine (#23). The story is told at two different timeframes during the same night. The inked and wider panels are the 'modern' sections, while the borderless panels; left in pencil with added photoshop greys, are the 'earlier that night' scenes. 

Page one above with pencils, inks ands greys by myself, then below with added colour by Phil Elliot.

The strip will also be reprinted early next year in the US version of the Torchwood comic, so if you don't get a copy on Thursday you'll get another chance then. 

Paradise Posing

We're leaving Belize this Sunday.  Been a fantastic three and a half weeks so far and we've still to visit the Actun Tunichil Muknal Mayan caves tomorrow, then a few days relaxing before heading off to the USA. We spent part of last week at the 'Paradise' resort (which amounted to five huts on a tiny island) on Tobacco Caye and I finally got a little bit of sketching in. Above is an unfinished pencil sketch of Aimee sunbathing on the beach (its a photo from my faux moleskin, so forgive the quality and gradient). 


A couple more photos from the island:

If anyone really loves flicking through others holiday snaps, I've a lot of them here, here, and here. 

Imagining things

The Belfast comics creators made an appearance in last month's issue of ImagineFX. One of the editors asked me to take a few photos and scans at our regular monthly drink 'n' draw/comic creators meetup.

Featured in the photos are Paddy Brown, Andy Luke, Ann Harrison, Andrew Croskery and myself (in the Batman T-shirt that I stole from my brother).

You can see my sketches of the Hulk and Wolverine on the night, as well as Mal Coney's Deadpool and Paddy's Judge Dredd.

I'm going to upload a few more sketches and photos from that night to the Belfast comics blog of and by the various creators. You'll also find links to their individual sites there as well.

But here's a closer look at my Hulk in the meantime:



Thanks to Ciaran Lucas for the article scan.