Pardon me, but your teeth are in my neck

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

a shortcut home

Growing out of it

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

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

Panel rough from a story in progress.

bummer...

Haunter of the Dark; A panel in 4 steps

The Fear

tree

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

Meanwhile over on Channel Evil

...then it spoke

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

Wormy Turner

Pepper

Castles - Shot 1

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

Best left buried

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...

rain on nowhere street

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

DEATH. HORROR. MORE DEATH.

A quiet romantic interlude from Channel Evil #2.