IT'S THEM EELS!

Haven't been posting much small press fan art here for ages(boooo). Here's something, I guess:

What the heck, eh? Well, it's not a comic, and there's not even a chance of it making sense unless you've actually completed the first three instalments of the project it's fan art for, but it does give me an opportunity to talk about that project: Cryptogram Puzzle Post.

It's the new(ish)project from Jack Fallows (ultra-multi-talented artist/musician/everything - all their work makes me hideously jealous). If you like the idea of art and puzzles being mashed together with an occult theme - and having this delivered through your letterbox monthly, you really should investigate. Here's the teaser for next month's issue:

What is so great? I like a Sudoku (or even a crossword when in the mood); pick up any newspaper and there'll be plenty of puzzles to ponder - but the forms are so well understood and so abstracted that there's no narrative and no mystery to them. And that's why Cryptogram Puzzle Post stands out - it's doing something that I've rarely seen, namely: inventive puzzles for grown-ups with a narrative framework, a strong aesthetic, and an actual authentic sense of mystery.

I'm struggling to think of much else even vaguely comparable that I'm aware of being produced at the moment. I'm a fan of the Von Doogan books by Lorenzo Etherington (check out some sample puzzles here http://comicsboutique.blogspot.co.uk/), they definitely seem in the spirit of fondly-remembered Usborne Puzzle Adventures. However, whilst the puzzles are certainly tough enough to give the brain cells a good workout, the tone is aimed at kids (naturally, since both books were originally serialised in The Phoenix) - they're highly enjoyable but not mysterious.

And that's literally all I can think of (I'm sure there's other stuff out there, but I've not come across it). So, if you want a genuinely new experience in puzzles, try Cryptogram Puzzle Post!

Weak As I Am

Fan art / mini-review time!

I finally picked up a copy of Weak As I Am by Nigel 'Spleenal' Auchterlounie at the Sunderland Comic Con. I'd read the story when Nigel had first published an early version of it online and I'd been impressed - impressed enough to want to obtain a slightly beautified but mainly similar print version. Why? Because it's mint.

It's an indie superhero story. That is to say: IT IS A SUPERHERO STORY. It's not a spoof (though it's very funny), it's not just using superhero motifs in a more personal story (though it does have a grounded sense of humanity in its everyman main character who accidentally gains superpowers, plus it ditches all costumes, codenames and other such nonsense), it genuinely has a load of awesome super-powered stuff going on.

And the thing is: I usually do not think superhero stuff is awesome. I find that it's often tired, empty showboating, mired in continuity knots. Weak As I Am manages to keep all the potentially cool stuff (including varied powers, complex superhero-superhero and superhero-society dynamics), drop the baggage, and inject vitality, wit, and humanity, telling a story that clearly feels part of the superhero tradition whilst at the same time standing apart from it.

So I did a drawing of two characters from the book - Durmot and Gary, they are (literally) super friends. Durmot is made of stone and has a non-Newtonian field (maybe that's what that blue stuff is, not just poorly-rendered blue sky, ahem), and Gary has a variety of superpowers including super-strength and speed. There's a whole load of other super-powered characters, and even when they only have brief 'screentime' due to the blazing pace of the book, there's a definite sense of character and identity to all of them.

The art style (and central character) continue from the equally excellent Speenal, and, while there's still much of the same humour and ingenuity, in Weak As I Am the humour is occasionally dialled back to allow for some moments of genuine drama.

I think, as with all indie superhero comics, there's a risk that the 'indie' readers don't give it a go because it's superheroes, and the 'superhero' readers don't give it a go because it's indie. And that's a shame, because I genuinely think both groups (well, y'know, everyone really) would get a lot out of this.

Endangered and More Strange Stories

Daniel Clifford and Lee Robinson of Art Heroes have educated and enthused countless kids about comics over the last few years, running workshops at schools, libraries, and events. They rule.

Part of what makes them so effective as comics educators is the fact they're making great kids' comics themselves. Their first series, Halcyon and Tenderfoot, has recently been collected, and they've just published a brand new comic, Endangered and More Strange Stories, featuring three substantial standalone action-adventure tales in full colour. It is a smart piece of comic goodness, really polished, with clear attention to detail, and crucially, bursting with a tonne of fun ideas and fab Saturday-morning-cartoon-style art!

What's in the book? Time-travelling scientist heroes - CHECK! Derring-do wild west vigilantes - CHECK! Supernatural-mystery-solving kids - CHECK! Pigeon vicars - CHECK! What more do you need?!

I think my favourite section is Monster Book with its 'Byker Grove-meets-Scooby Do' vibes, but I couldn't resist trying to do a little doodle of The Outlaw outlining a new ingenious plan to his long-suffering sidekick for how they're going to foil local corruption.

 

No doubt it will involve  extreme danger.

Anyway, it's not clear whether Daniel and Lee will be tempted back to do more with any of these characters, but there's loads to enjoy in this issue for readers young and old.

Check out the Art Heroes website for more info about purchasing this fine comic or attending one of their workshops.

Verity Fair

Been meaning to do some more little fan art sketches/reviews and the release of the collected edition of Terry Wiley's Verity Fair seems an ideal prompt.

Verity Fair is great. It's also very difficult to explain why, as it pretty much defies categorisation. Approximately, it's a comedy-drama about a bit-part actress (the eponymous Verity) who has to deal with trying to get paying gigs whilst confronting unresolved issues in her past - but that doesn't really do it justice.

It's core strength is a foundation of engaging character interaction. Terry has a knack for judging characters and situations so that they're balanced between recognisably slice-of-life and quirkily oddball, and every scene is delivered with well-crafted dialogue, facial expressions and body language, so you're drawn in to whatever's happening - be that a drama at the casting agency, a  pseudo-'Never Mind The Buzzcocks' game show or a psychotherapy session.

It's also quite a formally experimental comic occasionally, happy to playfully muck about with the medium when the need arises - but always with purpose, so that it doesn't distract from the smooth delivery of the story.

Anyway, here's my attempt at sketching Verity, blasting out a show-tune fuelled by one too many celebratory cocktails after landing a gig.

Though she's supported by a fine cast of characters (linked to other excellent comics Terry has drawn in the past - Sleaze Castle, Surreal School Stories, Petra Etcetera), really its Verity's own charm as a character that pulls you through the book. She's loud and feisty but her depiction is full of nuance and depth, and it's hard not to warm to her.

In short: ... wait, no, as I've explained I CAN'T DO AN 'IN SHORT', Verity Fair is just good, and you should read it. It's available at all good comic shops, and digitally on the Sequential app.

For more info follow Terry Wiley on the Twitter.

Skull Puppies

 

 

Skull Puppies should be your new favourite band. A trio of nerdcore punx with sharply observed and emotionally engaging lyrics, delivered with frankness and wry humour, propelled by ridiculously catchy melodic punk tunes, accessible but veering to full-throttle thrashy energy when the mood suits. SO GOOD. How good? Good enough to make me want to draw some weird kid wearing a crazy skull howling at the moon. I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND. Yes, that good.

Also, yeah, I scanned it wrong, but liked the effect so left it that way.

Check 'em out, then buy an EP, then see them live, you won't regret it:

Sugar Glider Issue 3

Time for more fan art! This time: Sugar Glider.

Actually, I've done fan art for Sugar Glider previously, but the challenge of a design-a-cover competition (in celebration of the upcoming third and final issue of the series) enticed me back to this fine comic.

Susie 'Sugar Glider' Sullivan is a Geordie teenage vigilante in a world with superheroes. Writer Daniel Clifford's touch for contrasting the everyday with the extraordinary, combined with artist Gary Bainbridge's distinctive black and white art style and astute eye for Novocastrian architectural detail, creates a story that impresses with earnest enthusiasm for superheroics while still remaining rooted in a recognisable unsensationalist reality.

The main issues have been supplemented by two anthologies and a mini comic - allowing the world to stretch out and breathe.

And now you can read it all online (free) at sugarglidercomics.co.uk

You should go and have a look. And enter the contest!

Here's my idea:

 



As you can see, I decided to focus on the rather iconic costume. I think it warrants it. In fact, I think it was the character design, idly doodled one evening by Gary, that prompted Daniel to pitch him a story idea, and the whole project expanded from there. It's a strong visual that chimes with classic superhero archetypes while still feeling fresh, and I thought it would be geet cool to see how far I could take it towards minimalist abstraction.

Plus of course, I'm lazy and thought I could get away with mucking around with design instead of doing a proper drawing. Always thinking!

UPDATE: Sugar Glider #3, the senses-shattering conclusion, is out now! My design is featured in a little gallery at the back! But don't let that put you off! Grab a copy now!

TAG manga

Time for some more fan art! I first came across excellent free webcomic TAG when its creator, Nathan Ashworth, was announced as having joined the Halcyon & Tenderfoot creative team and I investigated their previous work.

Reading TAG, it struck me were that it was not the kind of thing I'd usually seek out but that I was really enjoying it. It's a fun tale of action/adventure, a mix of fighting and friendship, all rendered in energetic manga style with dazzling colour. The plot follows Micki, castaway on a tropical island and drawn into a sort of long-running Street Fighter/DOA-style fighting tournament that the island hosts.

The charm of the story is that with its vibrant colour and layouts, as it slips between drama and downtime, it invites you to explore the mysterious tropical island setting and meet its varied (and distinctively designed) inhabitants with Micki.

Early on, Micki meets Whickes, who becomes her companion and guide. He's kinda funny and with a mysterious tattoo and sword he clearly has hidden backstory depths, but at least to begin with, he invokes a great deal of pity. This teenage dude has no family or friends, lives in a grotty alleyway, and fights and loses every day.

Now, one of the great things about TAG is that it retains a light tone throughout and moves briskly through the darker moments of the story without being dragged down by them. Plus, once Whickes meets Micki, things do start to improve for him. However I wanted to do some fan art focusing on the pathos of poor Whickes' pitiable situation.

Subsequently, after I'd started planning the piece, a TAG fan art competition was announced - with an ice-cream theme. Since that fit neatly with my original idea, I incorporated it (not with any hope of winning the competition - it just seemed like a nice idea) Anyway, here's the doodle I came up with:

Awwww.

As mentioned, that interpretation is not exactly representative of the real TAG. You should go and have a look at it. There's well over a hundred pages! Read it online! Or get a print copy!

Yggdrasil

I enjoy a lot of small press comics and think many deserve more overt appreciation. I also like doodling. Thus, I'm intending to do a few little bits of fan art with short reviews for stuff I like (and feel like drawing).

I'm going to start with Yggdrasil by Tom 'Panda Funk Team' Boyle.

Here's a picture I did of the Valkyrie in it:

Yggdrasil, as you may have gathered, is based on Norse myths. It's clear Tom has knowledge and enthusiasm for this setting and this comes across in the details of both plot and art. However, this authenticity contrasts, in a very positive way, with his distinctive art style (with hints of manga and street art) that gives the traditionally-rooted story a fresh kinetic feel.

The story rattles around up and down Yggdrasil (the 'life tree') at a fair pace - and a couple of readings and a careful look at the Yggdrasil map are recommended to properly appreciate it; however, if anything, this jumpy pace helps it feel more authentically mythological (deities of old were always up to some kerrazy shiz).

The energy of the artwork pops off the page and it's a pleasure to read. The ultimate story, for all the complexity of the plot, is fairly straightforward protagonists fighting antagonists, but it works - and there's a nice metaphorical twist in there to give it a bit more contemporary context, heightened by a very moving afterword.

This is a great book - AND all proceeds of the first printing went to charity. You should investigate getting it by contacting Tom via his Panda Funk Team blog (it might be out of print but he has other fine comics for sale, including new work 'Zpace' available from his etsy shop)

Sugar Glider

So, PJCC stalwarts Daniel Clifford and Gary Bainbridge have just released the second issue of their gritty Newcastle-set superhero story Sugar Glider. It's great, you should buy it. A while back, I mentioned that I'd done some fan art, showing gutsy protagonist Suzie (perhaps after dispensing some vigilante justice), for the fan art page. I never posted it here, so here it is:

And much as it was an opportunity to practice and improve upon my neanderthal-level grasp of computery art stuff (it took HOURS to get the transparency on the damn goggles but not the cracks), the original rough sketch is perhaps still a bit better, so in honour of Sugar Glider #2, here it is: