Shane Oakley Artist

METAL MONSTER

2012-01-30T09:45:00.000-08:00

Pin-up commission done for the available-any-minute-now Robot Shorts; another exceptional collection of comics from small press giants Accent UK.

I need to draw more robots. I like them. Ask me.

help me, lord...

2012-01-27T10:16:00.000-08:00

Panel from Channel Evil #3.

KRICK

2012-01-25T05:07:00.000-08:00

Character sketch from a long-stewing idea that will probably go nowhere really unless i become an editor and hire myself and fandom gets bored of bad ass superheroes and want to read a Saturday morning cartoon style mix of Frankenstein and El Santo channelled thru Ed Wood and Jack Kirby..

Boon

2012-01-22T11:29:00.001-08:00

Character sketches for a story on hold.

Chicken George

2012-01-18T11:03:00.000-08:00

Channel Evil #3

2012-01-11T07:44:00.000-08:00

Page 5.

Friday Frankenstein

2012-01-06T13:14:00.000-08:00

RIP Ronald Searle

2012-01-05T12:31:00.000-08:00

out with the old...

2012-01-03T06:20:00.000-08:00

The Last Post

2011-12-27T08:32:00.000-08:00

Season's Best

2011-12-23T14:20:00.001-08:00

Channel Evil #3

2011-12-20T06:45:00.000-08:00

Page 12.

Enjoyed doing this one so much that i laughed out loud.

snow in gotham

2011-12-17T00:59:00.001-08:00

portrait of the artist at work...

2011-12-16T14:10:00.000-08:00

The Un

2011-12-15T08:21:00.001-08:00

Stuffing the Scaly Stocking

2011-12-14T08:40:00.000-08:00

The Haunter of the Dark; Page 1.

Ground floor for sacrificial daggers, curses and arcane books!

'UK publisher Self Made Hero has positioned itself on the cutting edge of British comics publishing, producing a wide variety of high quality books. Volume one of The Lovecraft Anthology is no exception.

Visually, this is a stunning collection. The production values are extremely high but more importantly, the artwork is varied and of exceptional quality. Each artist brings their own unique vision of Lovecraft’s imaginative genius, challenging themselves to channel his peculiar brand of cosmic psycho-horror with innovative page layouts, bizarre creature designs, and clear storytelling. D’Israeli and Shane Oakley were my favorite artists of the bunch but each and every contributor really knocked it out of the park.

The Lovecraft Anthology is definitely an artist’s book, in terms of creative contribution. This isn't to take anything away from the exceptional stable of writers assembled for the collection but Lovecraft’s voice is so distinct and robust it overpowers the unique characteristics of those adapting his work. While every writer approaches the work with obvious passion and respect, making excellent storytelling and plot choices, none of them really takes the opportunity to deviate from straight adaptation. This is perhaps as it should be. The Lovecraft Anthology isn't meant to reinterpret these classic tales of horror but pay tribute to them through translation into a different, visual storytelling medium.

Perhaps one of the best anthologies I've come across in the last couple of years at least, The Lovecraft Anthology is a great introduction for those unfamiliar with his extensive body of work, touching upon all of the major beats in his literary career. For those readers already lost in the mountains of madness, exploring the visual interpretations of Lovecraft’s universe realized by this superlative stable of artists is well worth the cover price'

Broken Frontier

...purchase The Lovecraft Anthology if you'd like the creeps for Xmas.

NO FUTURE!

2011-12-13T06:29:00.000-08:00

and...

2011-12-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

a panel from Channel Evil # 3

Friday Frankenstein

2011-12-09T04:17:00.000-08:00

Niven & Tate Investigate

2011-12-07T06:14:00.000-08:00

Panel from Channel Evil # 3.

Mika

2011-12-04T08:19:00.001-08:00

Warm-up sketch. Brush pen and photoshop.

walking with dinosaurs

2011-12-01T03:58:00.000-08:00

Two panels from Channel Evil #3.

RIP Ken Russell

2011-11-29T05:10:00.000-08:00

SOUND OFF Special Edition: A Ken Russell Retrospective

Mary Shelley; Mother of the Monster

2011-11-18T04:52:00.000-08:00

I was gonna go on at great length about Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. But today I'm too tired and stressed to find time or adequate words.

I LOVE it.
I LOVE IT!

Loved it when i first read it. Loved it the last time i read it. Simple as that.

So it was an easy choice when Steven Gettis invited me to contribute to his very splendid website Hey, Oscar Wilde! It's Clobberin time!

I visualized my piece as a cover to an old paperback edition, the kinda art that was popular in the 60's and early 70's. In an alternate universe this is what i do for a living, and I'm a very happy man.

let's be frank...

2011-11-17T04:30:00.000-08:00

By Richard Pace at http://burningmonster.blogspot.com/

It's official - Frank Miller is nuts!

2011-11-15T10:02:00.000-08:00

ANARCHY

posted 11.7.2011

Everybody’s been too damn polite about this nonsense:

The “Occupy” movement, whether displaying itself on Wall Street or in the streets of Oakland (which has, with unspeakable cowardice, embraced it) is anything but an exercise of our blessed First Amendment. “Occupy” is nothing but a pack of louts, thieves, and rapists, an unruly mob, fed by Woodstock-era nostalgia and putrid false righteousness. These clowns can do nothing but harm America.

“Occupy” is nothing short of a clumsy, poorly-expressed attempt at anarchy, to the extent that the “movement” – HAH! Some “movement”, except if the word “bowel” is attached - is anything more than an ugly fashion statement by a bunch of iPhone, iPad wielding spoiled brats who should stop getting in the way of working people and find jobs for themselves.

This is no popular uprising. This is garbage. And goodness knows they’re spewing their garbage – both politically and physically – every which way they can find.

Wake up, pond scum. America is at war against a ruthless enemy.

Maybe, between bouts of self-pity and all the other tasty tidbits of narcissism you’ve been served up in your sheltered, comfy little worlds, you’ve heard terms like al-Qaeda and Islamicism.

And this enemy of mine — not of yours, apparently - must be getting a dark chuckle, if not an outright horselaugh - out of your vain, childish, self-destructive spectacle.

In the name of decency, go home to your parents, you losers. Go back to your mommas’ basements and play with your Lords Of Warcraft.

Or better yet, enlist for the real thing. Maybe our military could whip some of you into shape.

They might not let you babies keep your iPhones, though. Try to soldier on.

Schmucks.

I Eat My Hat

2011-11-12T10:39:00.000-08:00

I don't make decisions lightly.

I used to.

I was up for anything, anytime, anywhere, more or less.

I was stupid, reckless and more stupid.

But now i think long and hard. I weigh up the pros and cons, ponder the possibilities, the variables: the goods, the bads and the indifferents. I measure and calculate and dissect until I'm 99% sure what i want to do and why i want to do it. This can take me a few minutes, hours or days(if it's lemon cheesecake or bookshops, it's less than a second).

In the case of Facebook, it's taken me YEARS. It was a 'have i got the time?' thing, a don't-wanna-be-a-member-of-the-club thing; a philosophical thing.
It was easier going the dentist, having my hair cut short or saying yes to a camera down my throat and up my jacksy.

But i did it, i signed up.

Still not sure, so come and say hello and 'befriend' me before i change my mind and crawl back into my batcave.

Look for the skull.

Remember

2011-11-11T05:20:00.001-08:00

The Haunter of the Dark; Page 7

2011-11-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

Season's Screechings!

2011-10-31T06:02:00.000-07:00

a mouldy but goody

2011-10-29T11:59:00.001-07:00

Mr. Tremens

2011-10-27T03:27:00.000-07:00

Batman Fall

2011-10-17T06:02:00.000-07:00

Shoe polish, uni-ball white gel pen and the thunderous rhythm of Art Blakey.

Pardon me, but your teeth are in my neck

2011-10-08T04:26:00.000-07:00

Over in Little Shoppe of Horrors #27 the full moon shines down on Dance of the Vampires/The Fearless Vampire Killers.

This is my contribution. At a quick glance it should look like Sharon Tate.

Fang you for looking.

The House that Roared

2011-10-07T05:06:00.000-07:00

a shortcut home

2011-10-06T03:23:00.000-07:00

Growing out of it

2011-10-04T05:28:00.000-07:00

Back in 1988, i was invited to work with Jamie Delano on a 4-page story for AARGH!,(Artists Against Rampant Government Homophobia) a collection of comic strips, illustration and text pieces, all opposing Clause 28.

It was a time when i considered myself a novice; an enthusiastic one, but still a loooooooong way from professional. I doubted my work could stand up next to industry greats like Frank Miller, Dave Gibbons, Kev O'Neil, etc. But i believed in the book, and in making protest - my ego could take the knocks.

The art is rough, VERY. I was still learning and struggling, and you can see that; the lack of control and refinement, how scrappy and unfinished it looks.

Still one of my favourites.

It helped cement a friendship with Alan Moore and Jamie, helped me conquer my 'stage fright' and marked a dramatic change in my attitude towards art and storytelling.

Beyond it's crudeness i can see a playful spirit and personality that still defines the way i think today.

It's available to read, Along with a retrospective review of AARGH! at The Gay Comics List

Friday Frankenstein

2011-09-30T05:47:00.000-07:00

This is part-art from an abandoned pin-up. It's easily the best part because it features the Frankenstein monster, the rest isn't so good, that's why I'm not showing you.

The finished, full colour piece, was to be a back cover for a new US horror anthology; the editor invited me/asked me, it was my creepy bag, i said 'yes', he said 'cool', and i did what i do.

...or i tried.

It was giggle at first, then Mr. Pleasantenthusiastic editor turned into a fascist control freak who wanted to neuter everything about my art that makes it my art.
At every turn he had a list of suggestions, nit picks and 'corrections' waiting for me, most of them contrary or contradictory, most of them incongruous, or simply dumb - the guy knows little about art or what he likes.

All this was especially aggravating since i was not getting any cash up front(just merchandise and a possible cut from down-the road royalties).

So, i ended up redoing and tweaking until i hated the fucking thing.
...and when it came to 'de-emphasizing' the nipples and cleavage of the resident cheesecake vampire, well, i chucked in my sweaty skull-adorned towel.

But, i did get to draw the Frankenstein monster, and that's always a good thing.

You can't kill what's already dead

2011-09-27T05:09:00.001-07:00

Panel rough from a story in progress.

bummer...

2011-09-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

Haunter of the Dark; A panel in 4 steps

2011-09-17T08:48:00.000-07:00

The Fear

2011-09-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

tree

2011-09-12T09:03:00.001-07:00

Markers, greaseproof paper, then a little digi-pokery.

Meanwhile over on Channel Evil

2011-09-03T04:33:00.000-07:00

...then it spoke

2011-08-30T04:58:00.000-07:00

Character/concept sketch from Eye of the Worm; a 4-part cosmic horror tale I'm ever-so itching to do.

Time and publisher needed.

Green Lit

2011-08-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

Wormy Turner

2011-08-28T06:28:00.000-07:00

Pepper

2011-08-26T21:47:00.000-07:00

Castles - Shot 1

2011-08-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

A black and white photo attacked with custom brushes and many, many filters .

Best left buried

2011-08-07T05:20:00.000-07:00

I've never found it an agony coming up with a story; ideas are endless, they're abundant, they're everywhere and anywhere ready to be plucked and polished. Really, unless you're Stephen King trying to pen his zillionth novel, it should be easy.
If you look, listen, stir, gently coax, join-the-dots, make the connections, a story will always come.

The real problem for me is knowing which idea to choose; Which plot thread to develop? Which one to jettison? Where to stop that train of thought?

Usually i end up with at least 2 beginnings and endings(even with this post). That's a problem i usually solve by asking my wife to make a choice. But it's the tone that can cause me real frustration - finding that exact voice for a piece. My moods swing, and with them so do the stories.
It also doesn't help that right now i only dally as a part-time writer, mostly I'm drawing for a living, so a script can be written over many months - even years - which gives me chance to get bored or change my mind, or simply i see someone else beat me to it(one day I'll tell you how I created The Goon).

There's also the thing of weighing up the worth of your story. Regardless of whether it's a short 'twist-in-the-tail' or a multi-part epic; Is it really worth doing? Is it something that you'll look back on and feel good/proud about, or will you cringe and wish for the hours back?

I've my fair share of cringe worthy comic strips in print with lame gags stretched out well beyond the point, unshaven Uzi-toting bad ass mercenaries talking like 1980's Stallone, and even worse; me trying to prove I'm a 'serious writer' by swamping each page with lots of pretty purple prose. Lots and lots (that's dope for you kids - just say no!).
But some of that was in my raw youth, especially the guys with swords n' guns. We all do it, then hopefully grow out of it with the pimples. Though, having said that, looking at Marvel and DC comics you'd think not.

So, yeah, train of thought...where was i?

For every comic strip I've written, there's a file full i haven't. Mostly I'm glad i didn't cus there'd be more severe cringing or more overdraft to pay back.
But I've now reached the point where I'm comfortable throwing out a long - gestating idea. I used to hold onto em all, frustrated that my life won't be long enough to put them on paper, but the reality is it's just me trying to validate the time spent on a project by getting it in print.

If it's taken you 5 years or 5 weeks, a crappy idea is still a crappy idea. So chuck it!

...it's very cleansing and invigorating admitting that everything you dream up isn't brilliant, and ridding myself of half-baked, pointless or self-indulgent stories has proved to be nothing but a healthy growth step.
And out of the scrap pile I've found some little treasures that should see the light of day, and DO deserve the commitment.

One such I'm polishing at the moment. Going slowly, since my priorities dictate it can only have my attention when I've done a day's paid work. But it's alive and growing.

It's called 'The Collector' - A fable/fairy tale about Death and a well-meaning wish that backfires.
I'll post more as and when. Hope you enjoy the peep.

Sigh...

2011-08-06T04:28:00.001-07:00

rain on nowhere street

2011-08-04T03:57:00.000-07:00

Brush, markers, uni-ball white gel pen and Sexadelic Dance Party.

DEATH. HORROR. MORE DEATH.

2011-08-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

A quiet romantic interlude from Channel Evil #2.

Scotch Corner

2011-07-31T05:21:00.000-07:00

The daily art blog, Scotch Corner, was/is 2 year old this July.

To celebrate it's birthday they're running a month-and-a-half of guest slot interviews; thus far it's included top names such as Mick McMahon, Roger Langridge, Garen Ewing and Chris Weston.

But among the familiar names there's others who you really should be more familiar with; Dave Shelton, Nelson Evegreen and Stuart Kolakovic.

Catch me, myself and i this Tuesday.

Thanx for the invite, Graeme.

CLICK

City

2011-07-29T04:49:00.000-07:00

THE TROOT IS OUT THERE!

2011-07-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

Not only is beetroot great for boosting stamina and making muscles work harder, it also contains potassium, magnesium and iron as well as vitamins A, B6 and C, and folic acid. Beets also contain carbohydrates, protein, powerful antioxidants and soluble fibre. What’s more, just three baby beetroot equal one of your recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

Read on to find out more about how ruby red beets can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle...

Reduces blood pressure and the risk of heart attack and strokes

Research has shown that beetroot can help reduce blood pressure as well as its associated risks such as heart attacks and strokes. This is because the high content of nitrates in beetroot produce a gas called nitric oxide in the blood which widens blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. A daily dose of 250ml of beetroot juice or 1 to 2 cooked beetroot (approx. 100g) can help dramatically reduce blood pressure and its associated risks.

Powerful antioxidant properties

Betacyanin, the pigment that gives beetroot its colour, is also an antioxidant. Antioxidants are believed to help reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, in turn protecting artery walls and reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Reduces risk of osteoporosis

Beetroot contains the mineral silica. This helps the body to utilise calcium, which is important for musculo-skeletal health and reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

Lowers cholesterol

Beetroot contains soluble fibre, which has also been shown to have cholesterol lowering capabilities. It also contains carotenoids and flavonoids, which help prevent LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol from being oxidised and deposited in the arteries.

Treats anaemia and fatigue

Beetroot's iron content means it's good for those with anaemia and fatigue.

Helps slow down progression of dementia

A recent study at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, USA, has shown that the high content of nitrates in beetroot may also help fight the progression of dementia, as nitric oxide in the blood (produced by the nitrates in beetroot) also helps increase blood flow to the brain.

It's also great for drawing with...

don't believe anything he sez cus mick is a lying two-faced conniving bastard

2011-07-22T03:34:00.000-07:00

Panels from Channel Evil #3

nude

2011-07-21T05:17:00.000-07:00

A Summer Ghost Story

2011-07-18T04:36:00.000-07:00

dinosaur junior

2011-07-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Detail from Channel Evil #3.

Black Regent

2011-07-16T05:26:00.000-07:00

REJOICE!!!

2011-07-15T04:57:00.000-07:00

THE
BLOG
OF
MICK
McMAHON!!

The Collector

2011-07-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

Home

2011-07-05T03:24:00.000-07:00

Sketches in the key of LOVECRAFT

2011-06-23T06:24:00.000-07:00

a reason to be cheerful

2011-06-22T04:57:00.000-07:00

ONCE UPON A TIME IN ENGLAND - 1962. By day, Terry Sharp is a hard-living, skirt-chasing, celebrated director of classic horror films. But by night, the horror turns real - Terry has discovered a shadowy group of Satanists hell-bent on taking control of the British government. This knowledge has made him a marked man. Black magic or bullets - the Faceless conspirators don't particularly care which - as long as the end result is Terry's death. Too bad for them, Terry Sharp isn't ready to die just yet - not without taking a whole lot of bad guys with him.

The Faceless by Robert Tinnell and Ade Salmon is everything - and more - a Hammer Horror loving groovy ager could desire. It ticks all the boxes; a comic i would've happily slit throats to draw. Not that it'd be easy to do a better job than Ade(that's drawing - not slitting).

The really, really good news is there's more to come. And Ade has set up a brand spanking new blog dedicated to all that is Terry Sharp; including a teasing reveal of work in progress.

GO! GO! GO!

The Dream of Henry Dunning

2011-06-19T07:01:00.001-07:00

TORMENT!

2011-06-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

Panel from Channel Evil #3. One of those rare ones that came out exactly how i wanted it to.

At the edge of the wood

2011-06-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

Ya canna whack a bit of Jack(and Drac)

2011-05-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

Some prelim sketches and the finished illustrations for Little Shoppe of Horrors #26.
This issue focuses on the making of Hands of The Ripper and other standout works by Peter Sasdy.

As ever, the mag comes highly recommended.

art for an imaginary children's book collection of ghost stories published in 1972

2011-05-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Bad Bet

2011-05-01T06:06:00.000-07:00

Red, White and Black

2011-04-29T04:45:00.000-07:00

The Shadow

2011-04-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

I love the pulps. That two-fisted, unashamed shock-horror aesthetic; lurid, thrilling, violent and dodgidly erotic - a real nightmare for the PC police. Which is always a good thing.

We got class acts that grew from those racks of semi-clad damsels tied to torture tables; Doc Savage, G-8, The Phantom Detective and Maxwell Grant's The Shadow.

The Shadow; a no-messing mysterious midnight vigilante with billowing crimson-lined cape, slouch hat, spooky eyes, hawk-nose and blazing 45's.

As a teenager i was smitten at first sight. Still smitten.

I guess time and space would have to fold over and reshape before I'd ever be given the chance to draw my favorite 'Dark Avenger' in the funnybooks , but meantime doing this commission gave me just the right kinda fix i needed.

Sorry for the long wait, Mr. H.

RIP Elisabeth Sladen

2011-04-20T03:27:00.001-07:00

Matt Smith: "What struck me about Lis was her grace. She welcomed me, educated me, and delighted me with her tales and adventures on Doctor Who. And she also seemed to have a quality of youth that not many people retain as they go through life. Her grace and kindness will stay with me because she had such qualities in abundance and shared them freely. I will miss her, as will the world of Doctor Who and all the Doctors that had the good pleasure to work with Lis Sladen and travel the universe with Sarah Jane."

Steven Moffat: "'Never meet your heroes' wise people say. They weren't thinking of Lis Sladen.

"Sarah Jane Smith was everybody's hero when I was younger, and as brave and funny and brilliant as people only ever are in stories. But many years later, when I met the real Sarah-Jane – Lis Sladen herself – she was exactly as any child ever have wanted her to be. Kind and gentle and clever; and a ferociously talented actress, of course, but in that perfectly English unassuming way.

“There are a blessed few who can carry a whole television show on their talent and charisma – but I can't think of one other who's done it quite so politely. I once showed my son Joshua an old episode of Doctor Who, in which Lis appeared. 'But that's Sarah Jane,' he said, confused, 'In old Doctor Who. From years ago. How come she always look exactly the same?' It's not a comfort today, of course, but children will still be saying that 50 years from now."

Russell T Davies: "I absolutely loved Lis. She was funny and cheeky and clever and just simply wonderful. The universe was lucky to have Sarah Jane Smith; the world was lucky to have Lis."

Tom Baker: "Sarah Jane dead? No, impossible! Impossible. Only last week I agreed to do six new audio adventures with her for Big Finish Productions. She can't be dead. But she is: she died yesterday morning. Cancer. I had no idea she was ill; she was so private, never wanted any fuss, and now, gone. A terrible blow to her friends and a shattering blow for all those fans of the programme whose lives were touched every Saturday evening by her lovely heroic character, Sarah-Jane Smith. ... Those sweet memories of happy days with Lis Sladen, the lovely, witty, kind and so talented Lis Sladen. I am consoled by the memories. I was there, I knew her, she was good to me and I shall always be grateful, and I shall miss her."

Dream

2011-04-14T02:46:00.001-07:00

the ideal gift for the cross-dressing menace

2011-04-12T13:35:00.000-07:00

Doctor Strange Variant Cover!

2011-04-05T04:54:00.000-07:00

Kidding...

It's actually a private commission piece.

Very much a die-hard fan of the original run drawn by Steve Ditko, there's plenty after him who've done a fine turn, but for me, nobody expressed that otherworldly weirdness any better than Ditko.

Looking thru the Essential Doctor Strange Vol 1 - in glorious black and white - left my jaw dangling in admiration and reminded me how profoundly the guy influenced me; the attention to atmosphere and the character of a place; the bold poses; the dramatic use of light and shade.
And everything belonged on the page, nothing seemed wasted or superfluous. Not an easy thing to do, and studying his work again, i realise I've still got so much more to learn.

Lovecraft book launch at Horse Hospital

2011-03-29T04:20:00.000-07:00

HP Lovecraft; Reanimated is the UK's first live cabaret celebrating the chilling works of Lovecraft: amongst the many eerie and extraordinary delights on offer will be the official launch of The Lovecraft Anthology;Volume 1. This is another exceptionally smart and stylish book put out by the exceptionally smart and stylish SelfMadeHero .
Not done a signing or convention appearance for some years, but in April I'll be leaving my cave and heading to London to scribble in copies and sketch unearthly horrors.You'll also be able to meet writers/adapters;Dan Lockwood and David Hine, and artists; Ian Culbard, Mark Stafford and Alice Duke.

And there's all this:

LOVECRAFT READING
The cornerstone of HP LOVECRAFT: REANIMATED will be live readings of Lovecraft’s most notorious tales. The stories, underscored by live piano, will be read by actors from The Fitzrovia Radio Hour. The Fitzrovia Radio Hour perform original radio tales in evening dress, behind period microphones and with live sound effects and music.

LAUGHS WITH LOVECRAFT
You won’t find many laughs in a Lovecraft book – but with HP LOVECRAFT: REANIMATED we want to have fun with the diabolical world he created. And they don’t come any funnier than HP LOVEBOX – a tentacle-headed crooner wearing a natty suit and belting out indie hits… like Frank Sinatra from Lovecraft’s darkest nightmare.

TWO EXCLUSIVE FILM SCREENINGS
• THE OTHER GODS: A long-lost silhouette animation, purportedly made in the 1920s and based on one of Lovecraft’s most enduring stories. Presented for the first time in the UK on a cinema-quality print.
• THE WHISPERER IN DARKNESS: An EXCLUSIVE clip from the forthcoming The Whisperer In Darkness big screen movie – this will be the first time a scene from the flick has been publicly screened in the UK.

AND MORE LOVECRAFT THRILLS…
• Hosted by Chris Lackey, HPL expert and host of the insanely popular HP Lovecraft Literary Podcast
• HP Lovecraft quiz, with valuable prizes and artwork from SelfMadeHero to be won
• Geek out! Plenty of drinking time with fellow Lovecraft fans after the cabaret ends
• Great period music, all of which was available during Lovecraft’s lifetime. Nothing after 1937!

DATE: FRIDAY 15 APRIL 2011, 8pm-midnight
VENUE: THE HORSE HOSPITAL, LONDON WC1N 1JD
TICKETS: £12 early bird, normal price £14.45, available from TICKETWEB

Zuvembie

2011-03-22T05:54:00.000-07:00

Gershwin

2011-03-19T16:09:00.000-07:00

Laughing Boy

2011-03-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

Echo

2011-03-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

Who Knows?

2011-03-01T13:12:00.000-08:00

RIP The Brigadier

2011-02-25T08:12:00.001-08:00

Pencils from Channel Evil #3

2011-02-06T11:49:00.001-08:00

RIP John Barry

2011-02-01T05:47:00.000-08:00

John Barry composed scores for some of my favourite movies, including; 11 Bonds, Seance on a Wet Afternoon, The Ipcress File, Zulu, Beat Girl and The Knack; not forgetting the catchiest TV theme EVER - The Persuaders. Next to Punk Rock, i guess he was the soundtrack to my youth.

He did jazz and swing and classical, sometimes all at once. And like Ennio Morricone he has a distinctive and instantly recognizable style; elegant and lush, with sweeping strings and soaring brass.

But his real genius was the ability to find the heart of a story and thereby add more depth, drama and emotional wallop - it was never just background music.

They'd be half the film without him.

Thank you, John.

Sketches thus far...

2011-01-22T07:02:00.000-08:00

One for sorrow, two for joy

2011-01-10T06:57:00.000-08:00

Just before Xmas day on the green in front of our house local kids built a snowman, a simple heart-warming thing to watch, especially since most kids round ere are usually face down drunk or out nicking cars.

It didn't have the classic hat, scarf and carrot nose, but nonetheless it was a grand effort, made in the freezing cold and double the size of it's sculptors.

More snow came, then the thaw, and slowly but surely he began to melt. The kids put up a brave fight trying to save him from his puddle-of-mush fate, but it was a lost cause.

2ND of January i found myself staring out the window at the lumpy remains; a sad sight enough, but it was underlined with the poignant appearance of a lone magpie, frantically circling it, cackling-rattling loudly.

That picture won't leave me.

however hard you try you can't halt the inevitable

Reading a few blogs of artist friends it seems for most that 2010 didn't come up to scratch; publishers went bunk, projects were scuppered, time ran out, people got sick and generally nobody had much fun.

Artists certainly don't have a monopoly on feeling bad/sorry for themselves, it's just that everything is magnified when you choose a creative path; negative reviews, poor sales, rejections, editors changing their minds; glitches and temporary setbacks that pile up and turn into overwhelming catastrophes.

Cus you can't help but take it personal, not when you've invested so much of yourself into the work.

The commitment and enforced isolation you need to earn a living freelancing - or simply get your work in print - isn't an easy choice; it can mean little or no social life, working ungodly hours, chasing jobs (and cheques), along with never having that 9-5 work environment where you can vent and communicate with colleagues on a daily basis, and neither can you come home and switch off with a martini and Eastenders.

You have to be contented in your own company, eternally optimistic and thick-skinned stubborn in your goals. Cus if you aren't it messes you up.

It can make you feel like yer losing your marbles.

Some of us do.

It's inevitable.

there can't be a crisis next week, my schedule is already full*

In 2010, the 'new, much improved Shane Oakley' never really turned up. I did start the year healthier and with some calming normality, but it didn't last.

I was trying to wipe out a godawful 2009 by multi-multi-tasking, finishing all the back-log jobs side by side, fast as i could. But the harder i worked the more difficult coping became. I couldn't get a decent nights sleep, hardly ate, always felt ill, and i got slower, not faster. Well, more accurately; i became obsessive and harshly critical of my work, over-analyzing/dissecting and re-doing it to death.
Things came to a head, and i lost mine.

So, i was left thinking if my comics career causes most of my woes, then surely if i eliminate the comics, I'll turn into a happy bunny who doesn't lie awake at 2 in the morning gritting his teeth.

buy new shoes, don't carpet the world

But to cut a very long story short, i realised it wasn't the fault of my career choice - but the way i went about it.

Art had became a chore, rather than a pleasure. Somewhere I'd lost the fun of it, and turned it into a set of daunting, agonising tasks.

And it really didn't help that I'd taken up gloomy introspection as my new hobby; day-to-day counting up the mistakes, regrets, missed opportunities, etc.

Fruitless, negative and time-wasting, i know. But when you're stuck, you're stuck.

if god gives you lemons

But the drawing is a solution, not the problem.

It's a refuge from/a weapon against the stupid shit that you have to deal with - it's tonic for the soul.

With pen and paper you can spin gold from nothing, and that makes you more than ordinary.

A simple truth, but one I'd lost sight off, and it's only a few close to me who helped put it back in focus.

I'm not gonna shout Hallelujah! all over the place exclaiming some overnight miraculous change. I've had a small but significant epiphany that's making my days brighter and better. I still have to build up more resilience, make wiser decisions, and above all; focus on the good stuff.

Art, life or otherwise.

ready for my close up mr demille

It's not very altruistic, but from now on I'm gonna be a greedy and brutal bastard with my time. I wasted too much last year in front of this PC, time i didn't have, time given helping others climb up the ladder(even when i needed a leg-up myself) , some that didn't think to thank me for the effort.

I've done my bit for karma points, thank you(and no, i don't want rewards or a sainthood, but good manners go a long way).

And looking back i also spent far too much time pushing and developing new projects, chasing flaky writers and absent-minded, non-committal editors about pitches/scripts and contracts - and i mean an OBSCENE amount of time writing e-mails, e-mails that have mostly led to nothing other than annoyance and dead ends.

That all stops as of today.

Time is passing by and I need all the time i can get.

I'm taking 2011 by the throat and balls, won't let go till I'm the boss. It will be a year worth celebrating, for many reasons.

And damn me if it isn't!

now, how bout some pictures?

...a carefully selected panel-sampling from The Haunter of the Dark, adapted by Dan Lockwood for The Lovecraft Anthology- Volume 1, coming from Self Made Hero in May.

Had a tough time getting it done but hell it was worth it.

here's to building snowmen!

*Thank you Henry Kissinger.

The Last Post

2010-12-29T09:39:00.000-08:00

LET THE BELLS RING OUT!

2010-12-23T15:08:00.000-08:00

sketches doodles old new lost found here there part two

2010-12-18T06:21:00.000-08:00

Soviet Christmas Cards

2010-12-16T02:33:00.000-08:00

Santa Satan

2010-12-15T03:38:00.000-08:00

"Aw, c'mon, Santa Claus is just fantasy. What is the big deal. Nobody takes it serious."
And that is where you are WRONG – DEAD WRONG!

Those little children take their Santa very serious! They literally worship him! They believe and love Santa with all their heart!

Most parents would never teach their beautiful little children such a lie as Santa Claus. Most parents would never openly lie to their children. Especially something that is a blasphemous impostor of the Lord Jesus. And Satan knows this.
So he disguises the lie in a nice little package of make-believe and fantasy. He creates a harmless ol' jolly fellow that just loves little children. And most parents think, "Now what could be wrong with that?"

Fantasy. . . Satan's “magic weapon.”

Satanist Anton LaVey, author of The Satanic Bible and founder of the First Church of Satan, writes fantasy is a "magic weapon" in Satanism.
"Fantasy plays an important role in any religious curriculum, for the subjective mind is less discriminating about the quality of its food than it is about the taste. . . Thus, fantasy is utilized as a magic weapon [in Satanism]. . . The Satanist maintains a storehouse of avowed fantasy gathered from all cultures and from all ages."(Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Rituals, p. 15, 27)

Lavey knows the message of Satan can be quietly preached under the mask of fantasy. Parents will allow things, such as Santa Claus, under the cloak of fantasy into their little child's tender mind that under "serious" circumstances they would never allow in a million years. It is just fantasy. But in the vulnerable mind of that little child – IT IS TRUTH!

Of course, you and I do not take Santa serious. We know Santa Claus is fantasy. But those little children are deceived in believing "with all their heart" in a god that is a replacement for the Lord Jesus Christ.

What happens when these little children realize that Santa Claus is a lie? What happens when they later are presented with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? What happens when they are asked to "trust and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ"?

The following conversation of two young boys actually took place. And I am sure it has taken place many times. They were discussing the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is the conversation:
One boy asks the other, "What do you think of all this Jesus Christ stuff"? And the other boy replies, "It all sounds like another Santa Claus to me – probably just another lie."

Santa is Satan's counterfeit of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Once you get that child believing with "all their heart" in Santa then the next logical step is – Jesus and Santa they are both the same – and they are both a LIE.

Obviously, not every person that believes in Santa Claus as a child will deny the Lord Jesus Christ. The truth is, the author of this article "believed in" Santa Claus as a child. The author did not trust the Lord Jesus Christ until he was 20 years old. And furthermore, there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever, that the lie and god-like attributes of Santa Claus influenced my early doubts and confusion about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Someone once said "Jesus Christ is nothing but a Santa Claus for adults." That was my belief of Jesus Christ. . . Another Santa Claus. . . Another lie.

Thank God – I was wrong!

If you have the stamina and too much spare time, there's more - much more! - at; Santa Claus the Great Impostor.

sketches doodles old new lost found here there

2010-12-11T06:31:00.000-08:00

Chamber of Horrors

2010-12-07T03:55:00.000-08:00

Splash page from Channel Evil #2.

RIP Ingrid Pitt 1937 - 2010

2010-11-25T03:45:00.000-08:00

Whatever happened to Channel Evil?

2010-10-08T04:11:00.000-07:00

Renegade Arts Entertainment will be releasing all it's comics digitally through graphic.ly
They offer FREE software ideal for reading comics on pc's, mac's, and ipad's (android and windows mobile coming soon).
And it'll cost you just $.99(63p approx) for each comic.

You'll also be able to download - as of October 15Th - all titles direct from the Renegade website as cbz format comics, again for $.99.

Channel Evil #1 is available on graphic.ly now, with issue 2 up before the end of the month.

In 2011 the series will be collected and published, and Alexander is working out a method of rebate/discount on the trade for anyone who downloads all four issues.
A deal not to be sniffed at, eh?

A taster of the second issue...

RIP Tony Curtis

2010-10-01T04:23:00.000-07:00

'They gave me away as a prize once - a Win Tony Curtis For A Weekend competition. The woman who won was disappointed. She'd hoped for second prize - a new stove.'

HOWL!

2010-09-17T04:53:00.000-07:00

Pin-up for the Fall of the Wolfmen, the second volume of the gangster and lycanthrope mash up from small press giants, Dave West and Andy Bloor.

To find out how to get your paws on a copy visit the Accent UK site.