Ya canna whack a bit of Jack(and Drac)

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

Bad Bet

Red, White and Black

The Shadow

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

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

the ideal gift for the cross-dressing menace

Doctor Strange Variant Cover!

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

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

Gershwin

Laughing Boy

Echo

Who Knows?

RIP The Brigadier

Pencils from Channel Evil #3

RIP John Barry

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...