Indy IV

My first encounter with Indiana Jones was way back in April 1981, when I discovered the above paperback in W.H. Smiths. It appeared to be an adaptation of a film, but not one I'd heard of (this was back in the days when films just materialised without being heralded by months of hype, speculation and spoilers.)

I saw George Lucas' name on the cover, which was some indication of quality (how times have changed). So, I bought the book, read it and loved it. It appealed to my pulp sensibilities which were already ingrained in me thanks to my exposure to The Doc Savage paperbacks.

But nothing prepared me for the "Raiders of The Lost Ark" movie. Some talk about Star Wars as the film that changed their lives... for me it was "Raiders". I was obsessed with that film. I saw it repeatedly at the cinema, bought ALL the merchandise I could find, cut out the reviews, collected the posters... it was MY film.... and Harrison Ford was MY hero. Not only did he play the coolest character in Star Wars but now he was also the greatest adventurer to hit the screen since James Bond. And if that wasn't enough we had his replicant-hunting Rick Deckard just around the corner too.

Luckily, we hadn't seen the last of Indiana Jones either. Three years later he returned triumphantly in "Temple of Doom", and then, in 1989, to lesser effect in "The Last Crusade"...

And then, it seemed Harrison Ford began to lose interest in his career. His choice of movies was less than inspiring and the performances he gave seemed increasingly less compelling and charming. Don't get me wrong, even a Harrison Ford on auto-pilot is better than your average movie-star... but I yearned to see that same guy who'd thrilled me so much in my youth.

As for Indiana Jones, I'd given up hope of ever encountering that grumpy, resilient, funny, resourceful and lovable guy again... but lo and behold, after nearly 20 years he is back with a new adventure, "The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull".

Not only is Doctor Henry Jones Jnr. back, but I'm delighted to report that Harrison Ford is back too! Sure, he's older and wider around the middle, (aren't we all?)... but in every way, he's the same guy I saw on screen twenty-seven years ago. Harrison gives this ONE HUNDRED PER CENT! He's every bit as hilarious, heroic, charming, challenged and exasperated as he used to be.

As for the film itself, the plot takes a few missteps, it's certainly the most preposterous and far-fetched of the series. But it has a joie de vivre that was missing from Last Crusade... and, while it's possibly behind Temple of Doom as the best Indy sequel, it has the second best performance by Harrison Ford in the role. He's the reason to see this film... every wince, sigh, grin and scowl is priceless.

Unlike The Star Wars prequels, this is wholly authentic addition to a much-loved series. It's now a bona fide quadrilogy, and it's a shame we've had to wait so long to see it.

Should we have any more? Personally, I would welcome one more, final adventure of Indiana Jones, just so long as they don't muck about getting it into production. I'd even be happy for Indy to step back from the action a little, and pass the torch to his heir, Mutt.

But what I definitely want to see are more Harrison Ford films. Specially now he's got his mojo back!

A cut above...

Finished version...

Blood on the Barcode

Here's my initial cover rough for Issue 2 of "Four Feet From A Rat".

Ex-Tharg, David Bishop is on The Weakest Link this Thursday [May 22] on BBC1 from 5.15pm.

Check out his excellent blog , to hear how it all went.

Go Dave!

Mind you, I'll probably have to tape it, 'cos I've got an appointment with Doctor Henry Jones Jnr. that night.

Fight The Power!

Just wrapping up Episode Two of "The Little Guy" which will appear soon in Time Out's free comic insert, "Four Feet From A Rat."

She's gonna get you from behind!

Here's some more con sketches, these two featuring The Twelve's Femme Fatale, The Black Widow...




And one with Rockman...

Acieeeeeeeeeeed!

Here's one of my sketches I knocked out at the Bristol Con last weekend. Yes, it's Acid Archie and Mandala from 2000ad's "Zenith"...



My customer, Matt Ellis, intends to paste this sketch into a binder housing his Zenith-themed issues of "Best of 2000ad" . Good idea, in the absence of any future reprints of Grant's fledgling Super-hero saga.

What's that all about? Can't 2000ad cut some sort of deal with Grant? I'm sure it would be mutually profitable... and I bet Steve Yeowell would appreciate the extra revenue.

Twelve Issue 5 on sale!

Yes, Issue five of The Twelve is now on sale ...

And Paulo Rivera has produced a cover I'm proud to have on the book. Heh. Check out his stunning depiction of The Witness:



He totally gets it.

Bristol Drinking... sorry... Comics Con

Just got back from Bristol... looking and feeling like Keith Richards warmed up.

Got drunk on gallons of dry cider. They seemed to go down so easily. Did tons of sketches. Sold some art way too cheaply. Bought some art. Brought my camera but didn't take any photos. Threw a tantrum in a restaurant 'cos of the poor service. Felt guilty the next day. Heard lots of malicious gossip. Got boiled alive in the Pressure Cooker that is the Convention Hall. Had a hangover. Felt nauseous. Missed my family... but got to hang out with some excellent people. Did some networking and pitching.

You know, the usual.

It was great!

Back on the rack

It's the Bristol Con this weekend! And I will be there!



I wasn't planning to go to this, 'cos I thought that, after my trip to New York, I was in danger of becoming an absentee father and daren't risk straining my wife's goodwill any further... however, my car's engine has just blown up and my wife has bravely accepted the blame for it. And now I've got her blessing to go and hopefully raise enough cash to buy some new transport by selling sketches and original art!

So you'll find me at Liam Sharp's Mam Tor table where I'll be signing our "Four Feet From A Rat" booklet. Come on down, bring your cheque book and buy my art!

(Such a whore. Sigh.)

Haven't posted any art for ages... so here's a shot of Black Widow down at her local Goth Club.



My wife was an original Goth, way back in the eighties, (a decade so cool it's currently being re-run) so I had a technical consultant on hand to help me keep it real.

I wasn't a Goth but I fancied Goth girls. Instead, I went through a phase of dressing like a member of Al Capone's mob, 1930's style... until I realised that looking like George Melly wasn't getting me laid.

Happy Birthday, Liam Sharp!

Here's a big shout out to me old pal, Liam Sharp who celebrates his fortieth birthday today! Have a good one, Liam.



Frighteningly, I've known Liam since 1986. I became aware of him when he was given the privileged position as Don Lawrence's art assistant... something that made me green with envy at the time. It seemed Don took every opportunity to tell me how much better Liam was at drawing than me, so I was ready to despise poor old Liam by the time I met him (don't worry, I've mellowed out since and no longer harbour homicidal thoughts towards my more talented colleagues).

Eventually, we met up in the flesh when he started frequenting the café I slaved in, and I immediately had to drop my plans to have him assassinated as he turned out to be a really decent bloke.... even if he did look like a yuppy! Through the years I've seen Liam transform from a be-suited smoothie into a mighty metal-infused, tattooed urban barbarian... but one fact has always remained... he's still a bloody good bloke!

Liam is a The Gentle Giant of comics... as talented as any of the Image artists, reliable as clockwork and modest to the point of absurdity (he constantly bangs on about "trying to find his style", but I could recognise one of his pages from a thousand metres away.)

Liam is tirelessly passionate about comics, and has always had mighty ambitions that have usually been thwarted by those with less enthusiasm or imagination than him.

With the assistance of his wife, Chris, Liam launched the Mam Tor project and published "Event Horizon", possibly the best sci-fi anthology title since the launch of 2000ad. Through Mam Tor, Liam has discovered, inspired and given patronage to a new crop of young talented artists. These are artists were unlikey to be given a break by the more conservative, mainstream publishers... but now, thanks to Liam's showcase publication, they are all now getting credible offers of work.

This is a time-consuming profession, and I wish I'd been able to spend more time in Liam's company, as he's a charming and generous fellow... but I'll always cherish the moments I've been with him. Lack of money and deadlines have prevented me from travelling up to his party tonight, but I'll be with him in spirit (and spirits).

So join me, comic fans, and raise a goblet of red wine to one of the most talented, most underrated and definitely the nicest guy in the industry...

Liam Sharp!

(And here's a photo of Liam with a full head of hair... and yours truly, taken way back in 1987... preparing our conquest of the Comics business. Aw, so young... so naive...!)



And Liam, I still regret the "Budgie Incident"...

My trip to the 2007 New York Comic Con.

So, what have I learnt from my trip to the NY Con?

1. Reading "The Lord of the Flies" from cover to cover during a transatlantic flight is really depressing...
but it was either that or watch Alvin and the Chipmunks 0n the in-flight movie.

2. American Airport Staff seem to believe that Global Terrorism can be thwarted by displays of bad manners and outright rudeness.

People come to spend money in your cash-strapped country so a few "Pleases" and "Thank Yous" wouldn't go amiss, eh?


After encountering Passport and Customs controllers who would put Judge Dredd to shame, I managed to gain entrance to the US of A, and was immediately greeted by me old pal Glenn Fabry and new pal PJ Holden, artist of Dead Signal in 2000ad.



We took the train from Newark to Manhattan, and checked into The New Yorker Hotel, once home of Nikola Tesla, the pioneering electrical engineer immortalised by David Bowie in "The Prestige" .



2. Sharing a room with PJ Holden is no nightmare.
In fact, he does a good line in amateur psychiatry and correctly diagnosed me as someone who carries a lot of internal rage, with a habit of dividing people into "those I want on my side in a fight." and "those I want to fight"!

Thanks PJ.

4. The comic strip industry is riven with nepotistic cliqueyness, but when your clique consists of Rob Williams, Laurence Campbell, PJ Holden, Simon Coleby and Al Ewing, that's a good thing.
Here's PJ, someone in a cool T-shirt, Laurence and Simon having breakfast:




And here's Al Ewing about to tuck into a meal that consists of all creatures, great and small: he's got fish, flesh, foul and eggs; nothing sentient is safe from Al The Beastmaster's ravenous maw.



And here's Laurence, PJ and Rob Williams back at the hotel room which got renamed "Sparta", 'cos of its proliferation of scantily-clad, muscle-bound comic strip creators. Ahem...



And here's me and the incomparable Glenn Fabry, bless him. Put some weight on, Glenn, fer gawd's sake... yer wasting away! Glenn and I shared a lovely afternoon wandering up 7th Avenue taking photo-ref of american street-scenes, whilst putting the world to right, or at least the comic strip industry.






5. Accepting cash for sketches is nice
I spent most of my time over the weekend on the Spash Page Comic art booth with these people:



from left to right: Sean Phillips, Charlie Adlard, Mark Hay, Shelley and her husband, Rob. 

I did tons of signing and produced loads of sketches for some lovely and appreciative people... who rewarded me with money. Here are just two of my creations I produced during the Con... first up, Laughing Mask:



and secondly, A Doctor Strange sketch done for the one and only Bad Librarian.

It was a daunting task, made all the more challenging by the fact that I was sat between Lee Bermejo and Duncan Fegredo, both of whom were turning out staggeringly good pieces of art. Lee, in particular, was producing large, fully inked, fully rendered, print-quality pin-ups that were truly amazing. Photo-realistic art done without the use of photos. It was galling. Aside from that, Lee is also probably one of the most handsome men in the business. The swine. Here's Lee and myself having completed a long weekend of doodling:



6.This, overheard at the Con, possibly the shortest pitching session ever made:
"I want to do '.....' (long-dormant existing property)."
"I want to do '.....' too. What's your pitch?"
"It's a modern-day take..."
"I'm out."

7. Passing a kidney stone is no fun...
as poor old Sean Phillips discovered during the weekend. He got carted off to hospital and put on morphine, and, after a night of intense pain and wallet-damaging discomfort, he re-emerged on the sunday looking pale and fragile. Good job he had travel insurance. Hope you are feeling better, Sean.

8. In real life, publicly leching after scantily-clad , fetish-costumed babes is seriously frowned upon. Not at a Comic Con!
Wonder why I have such a hard time convincing my wife these are business trips, and not holidays.



This could be worse... she did offer to put me in a head-lock for the picture, but my stiff, english reserve compelled me to politely decline!

Can't remember Power Girl's real name, but she was a mate of me old pal, Steve Bunche, one time editor of The Filth.



I got to hook up with El Buncho again at this Con, which was real treat. He gave me and my kids an insane amount of gifts. including a terrific pair of Green Lantern action figures. They turned out to be life-saving items indeed, being the only gifts that survived the return transatlantic crossing (after Continental Airlines lost my suitcase that contained my own presents for my kiddies).

9.Wearing a T-Shirt that carries your own artwork is pretentious
but definitely gets you a lot more attention and introductions.



Wonder if I can talk Marvel into letting me bring out a Ltd. Edition. Anyone interested in owning one?

10. Any money earned at the Con must be immediately spent on art by your esteemed colleagues.
I bought this beautiful Jonah Hex page from José Luis Garcia Lopez.



11. If one was to report everything one saw and heard at the NY Con, one would never get any work done...

Who here thinks The Batman should kill The Joker?

First of all, have a look at Frank Quitely's mental but marvellous variant cover for "All Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder."



Damn you, Quitely for making me pour some coin on Frank "I'm the goddamn Warship Captain" Miller.

Now, I've got a question for you all:

Who here thinks The Batman should kill The Joker?

Because I do. Here's why: What do we know about The Joker? Two things: He's a psychopathic murderer and he can't be contained.

The Joker is clinically insane, so he's not responsible for the lives he's taken and will take in the future. The responsibility lies with those who are equipped to stop him.

And if Arkham Asylum don't have the balls to lobotomise him, Batman should break his neck and claim self-defense, for Gotham's sake.

I would do it. And not lose a night's sleep. I promise you. It'd be like killing Stalin.

Even if he didn't want to claim self-defense, The Batman should have the guts to do his time knowing the city is safe from that murdering clown. Self-sacrifice... isn't that the noblest, most heroic action?

Sure, he'd be going back on all his principals... but, hey, the man who didn't change his mind didn't change anything. That's what makes us human, the possibility to change.

And I'd rather live with being a hypocrite than live with the guilt of allowing a killer to kill again. And don't give me that "Then you'd be as bad as him" crap, which is like saying: "Ooh, mustn't kill that wolf that's savaging my kids... 'cos then I'd be as bad as him". My grandfather fought nazis. That doesn't make him a nazi.

So come on, let me know what YOU think.

NY Con.

Just a reminder that I'll be at the New York Comic Con April 18th-20th, and will mainly be found at the Splash Page Comic Art booth No. 1966. If you're a regular reader of this blog, please stop by and say hello! I don't bite; not unless I'm really hungry.

There's also been some talk of me doing a panel with Grant Morrison where we discuss "The Filth", but nothing has been confirmed.

See you there!

Orbital Signing

I had my signing at Orbital last saturday... and to my relief it seemed to go really well!




I bloody love the shop, it's what a comic shop should be like: jam-packed with books and staff who know what they are talking about. One in particular, Neville, is a mine of scurrilous gossip and you really must get him onto the subject of One More Day to see sheer rabid fanboy rage take flight in the most glorious way ever; a feat he's even performed on Channel Four News when they covered the subject one "slow news day".

In fact, I've got to admit, it was probably one of the most enjoyable signings I've ever done. All the staff were really friendly, and kept me fed and watered... and even tolerated my one and only Diva-like demand: the playing of my own compilation C.D.s. (Comic shops usually insist upon inflicting death or thrash metal on their customers, so I came prepared with a quality collection of my favourite tracks... from Gabriel era-Genesis to Go Homes Productions' Mash-Ups). I think they secretly enjoyed it, actually.

There was a healthy queue of customers (I refuse to use the word "fans"... it's just not appropriate), and I did some of the worst sketches I've ever done in my entire life. God, they were bloody awful. I'd accidentally left all my favourite pens at home, despite being convinced I'd got them, (even to the point of having false-memories of packing them) ... I was left with the B-list felt-tips. I know bad craftsmen blame their tools, but even the paper I was given let me down... glossy and unyielding, exactly the material you shouldn't use with felt-tips.

I think we sold a good load of Filth trades, copies of The Twelve and even a page or two of original art... and I did my best to be diplomatic about the creators whose work I'm not fond of... so for once, I think I've managed to avoid some potentially career-ruining faux pas. I'm learning.

Joel Meadows popped in to see me, which was nice, as did my mate Dave, an extremely talented storyboard artist.

It was all topped off with the staff buying me one-too-many pints of dry cider, but not enough to prevent me from navigating my way back to Eastbourne. I even remembered not to lose my portfolio, which is always good.

So thanks, Carl, Neville, Damien, Emily, Songe, Rachel and the rest, AND everyone who came to see me. I appreciate it.

Don't forget!

Please, people...

come to my first bookshop signing in over five years at Orbital Comics and Collectibles (148 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0LB) on the March 29th @ 12noon.

Don't let it turn out like my last signing in London when I sat with Garry Leach and Steve Yeowell in a dingy basement in Denmark Street and no-one turned up. No-one! (Can't remember the name of the shop... it's gone now, thank god.)

It's taken years of therapy to get over that snubbing... so it'd be just plain cruel to put me through it all again.

www.myspace.com/orbitalcomics

What The Devil...?!

Ooh, avid watchers of Marvel Comics' more recent and tumultuous history may want to check out Issue 8 of The Twelve... Mr. J. Michael Straczynski brings us another cracking episode, made more poignant by scene in which The Black Widow makes a pact with a certain diabolical entity...



A Deal with the Devil? Surely no good can come from that?!

Separated at birth?

Hot on the heels of the recent Dave Gibbons / Eric Clapton exposé... here's another comic strip creator who could happily pass himself off as a member of rock aristocracy...



Yes! Frank Miller IS Bob Dylan!

Be sure to pass on any other comic strip creator look-alikes you can think of. Obviously, modesty will prevent me from posting the inevitable Chris Weston / Brad Pitt comparisons.

Trouble in the Big Hero House

It's okay... it's just a domestic...

On March 19th Time Out magazine will be including the first issue of a 16 page quarterly comic within its pages. It's called "Four Feet From a Rat" and features four London-based stories:

"The Crane Gods" illustrated by urban barbarian Liam Sharp,
"The Little Guy" by ME!,
"Routemaster" by Dave Kendall,
and "Don Pigeone" by Kev Crossley.

All the scripts were created by the top advertising company, Mother.



Apparently, teaser images from "Four Feet From a Rat" have been pasted across the Capital, which I'd love to see.



For those of you who don't know, Time Out is a listings magazine for London that has all the information you need for the city, restaurants, museums, cinemas, bars, theatres and anything cultural or social they can lay their hands on.

Liam's Mam Tor publishing company put this whole event together, with financial backing by Mother, and it should be an interesting and entertaining experiment. Liam, Dave and Kevin have done some astounding artwork on their strips; it really is worth buying a copy to see what they've come up with.

Tune In! Turn On! Sell Out!

Just heard from Marvel that they’re going back to press on THE TWELVE #3.



As with the past two second prints, Marvel were going to be using artwork from the interior for the variant cover. However, I thought it looked a bit too "pixelly" once the image was blown up... so in a space of a few hours I rustled up this new cover, gratis. That's my commitment to quality.... and that's why my wife and kids live in poverty! I'm sure I'll be rewarded once the royalty cheques come in, fingers crossed.

Cheers

I find it really hard drawing women. I'm far more comfortable drawing paunchy blokes in wrinkled clothes, for some reason. I usually achieve my female forms by using a combination of my long-suffering wife and Poser.

Over 'ere, son... on me 'ead!

In a recent interview with Newsarama, Grant Morrison said:
"After that, there’s been some talk about doing three two-part All Star Superman specials with some unusual artists who’ve never drawn the character before. "

An unusual artist who has never drawn the character before. Hmmmmm. Uh, Grant... can you think of anyone who could possibly fit that bill?

It's me, Grant, ME!!!!!!!

I would've emailed you about this but I lost your bloody address when my computer had a stroke last month.

C'mon, you know it makes sense!

Twelve divided by...?

The cracks are beginning to show...

Signing

Please, people...

come to my first bookshop signing in over five years at Orbital Comics and Collectibles (148 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0LB) on the March 29th @ 12noon.

Don't let it turn out like my last signing in London when I sat with Garry Leach and Steve Yeowell in a dingy basement in Denmark Street and no-one turned up. No-one! (Can't remember the name of the shop... it's gone now, thank god.)

It's taken years of therapy to get over that snubbing... so it'd be just plain cruel to put me through it all again.

www.myspace.com/orbitalcomics

Have a butchers at this...

Urgh...
I know this veers perilously close to the ego-fuelled self-promotional stunts that some of my colleagues favour... but I've got a big tease for you...

I've taken time out from the world of The Twelve... but as ever I'm not allowed to talk about it yet. Can't tell you what it's in or about...

but it's gonna be an interesting experiment, I think.

I'm not even supposed to leak any images, but I just can't help myself. Still, this blog only gets about 150 hits day, so I hardly think I'm blabbing too widely.

Ladies and Gentleman, I give you...

The Little Guy



Who is he? What does he want? Where can you meet him?

All will be revealed... next month!

The lengths some fans will go to get their hands on original comic-strip art, eh?!

Some bastards tried to burgle my studio last week, while I was still present!

Believe me, it was well spooky! I have a separate studio from home because I have three kids and would NEVER get any artwork produced while those little pests were harrassing me. So, I rent an office in a converted Victorian stables, about half an hour away from home on foot, sharing it with various graphic designer pals I've known for years.

And there I was, last friday, pulling a late shift, 'cos of deadline worries... the only one in the building... when all of a sudden I hear... this noise. I call out, expecting my colleague Ian to come in any second... but the noise continues... and it isn't coming from the stairs; it's coming from the office next door.

I wander in and am greeted by two young ne'er-do-wells trying to get into the premises through the window!

Don't believe everything you've heard about artists, we're not all wimps. In fact, some are trained martial artists, prepared for all eventualities like this studio invasion. l immediately grabbed my trusty steel ruler and went kendo on their arses, rendering one unconscious and leaving the other with a limp that'll last the rest of his miserable llife.

Actually that's a lie. In fact, I just froze with fear and yelled "Oi" at them as they scarpered, obviously surprised by my presence in the office at that late hour.

It really shook me up, I can tell you.



Anyway, it's not all bad news:

A little news from the Marvel sales crew: orders on THE TWELVE #3 are higher than those of issue #2. The last time this happened was on MARVEL ZOMBIES, which became a major hit.

And they’re going to be doing a second printing of issue #2 as well.

Twenty years in the biz and I've FINALLY had a hit book! And all done without resorting to outrageous hyperbole the likes of which some of my other colleagues engage in on certain journals and forums! You know who you are!

To Be Quite Frank...

...Frazetta, that is.

Here's a flashback to Rockman's origin that gave me the opportunity to do some barbarian action... something I've never done before:



I can only conclude that with Liam Sharp drawing trippy youth-rebellion books at Vertigo, and me drawing muscle-bound warriors at Marvel... we've traded careers!

And you thought Doom Patrol were weird...

Here's a panel from Issue 4 of The Twelve featuring dear old Blue Blade and the monosyllabic and monolithic Rockman.



Marvel have drafted me in to ink this episode myself, 'cos of deadline pressures... but I don't think it'll affect the look of the book. Garry Leach and I have similar comic-book sensibilities (he was a huge influence on me).

On top of this, I'm currently collaborating with me dear old mate, Liam Sharp, on something new and exciting. Can't say any more than that!

Twelve 2 out now.

The Twelve No.2 is on sale now, apparently. I still haven't seen Issue No.1 yet. C'mon, Marvel, send us a few comps!

Here's the cover by Kaare Andrews, just so you'll recognise it in the shops.



So, what's it like? C'mon, you comic-buyers are getting a bit immune to all the hyperbole that's slung your way, right? Seems like every book on the stands is the greatest book ever, these days. And, anyway, I'm way too busy drawing to shill my own work. Instead I'll let others speak for me... like these zany guys:




Ah, god bless 'em...!