Merry chrimbo from Trev,Nev & Kev

Wishing you all a very Merry christmas and a stonkin' new year.

HELL's Nazis

As well as working on 6 Months (see last post) I'm also working on a short story called Hell's Nazis.
Written by that talented scribe, John Halfpenny, and we're hopeful that it will be printed late next year.
It's a 10 page all action two fisted tale of a group of special commandos fighting against Adolf Hilter's greatest threat...
that's right Zombies.
It's also a tip of the hat towards all those great british war comics that used to be printed every week in Britain, like Warlord and Battle.
John and I are very proud of this strip and we've decided to do something a bit special with it hence the 2 (yes 2) covers seen above,
They are all finished, inked lettered with the logo and everything but I don't think I'm gonna show them just yet, so you'll have to make do with the pencils.
So enjoy and I'll be posting more soon.

6 months...The inks

Hurrah!!
I finally finished all the inking and lettering of the first issue of 6 Months.
Took me a bit longer than I thought, but that was probably because I kept going back and tweeking it here and there.
Big mistake.
I'm happy with the result, and tried to be as conservative with the use of greys as I could.
I think it all works rather well even if I do say so meself.
If Insomnia publications do with this like they done with their other books, then a goodly sized preview of it will appear on their web site very soon.
As soon as it does I'll let you know.
Jim O'Hara, the writer is very pleased with, so I can relax a little,
but not too much, cuz I start issue 2 next week.
Oh well, can't complain.
See you next time.

Six Months and counting

Not shown much of "Six Months" except for the first page, 'cause I wanted to finish all the pencils to the first issue. Well I've finished, and here are various panels from said first issue.
Not much action I hear you cry, but this issue is a slow burner and there were only a couple of scenes where it all kicks off and I didn't what to show them just yet.
I'm crackin' on with the inks and lettering and a couple of weeks should see this one done.
Jim O'Hara (The writer of this epic) has sent me the script to the 2nd issue and I've just completed the layouts to that, and let me just say that there is plenty going on in that one. He's certainly stepped up the action scenes. Should have loads of fun with that.
I've sent copies of the pages to Jim and Insomnia Publications and every one seems happy with it, so it's full steam ahead.
So with this, and finishing off the pencils to Hell's Nazis ( only a couple of panels to go now, John)
AND finishing off the pencils to a story I started 10 years ago (more on that later)
AND a couple of pin ups I've promised people, it's gonna be a busy time.

Monster mash

Spent a couple of hours on thursday sketchin' some critters.
And the best thing about it was, I got permission to do so, from me boss.
Sweet!
Now, If I can convince him to let me do that every thursday, then work wouldn't be so bad.

Spare time! wot spare time.

Still working hard on "6 MONTHS" and "HELL'S NAZI's", but still got a bit of time to sketch a few doodles.
Hopefully I'll finally finish the pencils to 6 MONTHS very soon, so it'll be a mad rush to get the bugger inked.

6 Months

I just realised that I've not show any art from this HUGE GN that I'm doing.
Oh well, easily rectified.
Viola!! page 1 (but I'll probably ink the background a bit differently).
Issue I starts off very quietly and slowly until the last few pages.. then issue 2- "Punisher Time."
It's written by an American Jim O'Hara and it'll be published (fingers crossed) next year
by Insomnia publications.
You'll notice there's a lot of free space, well, I have to say this first issue is dialogue heavy, so loads of caption boxes and word balloons.
Now all I gotta do is draw the rest of the bloody thing.

Hell's Nazis

The pencil 1st page of Hell's Nazis.
Looking forward to inking it, which hopefully, will be very very soon.
Although I'm a bit nervy, since I want to give it a specific look
and I'll be gutted if'n I can't match the look that's rattling around in me head.

Still Enthused

Well, it's been a week since BICs (Birmingham comic etc etc) and I'm still on a high.
Had such a good time there, meeting up with old friends and seeing what everyone is up too.
Finally met up with John halfpenny, after months of posting on each others's blogs.
What a top bloke he is, and a crackin' writer. I may have mentioned before that I've worked with him on a couple of strips, (I can't remember...it's an age thing,,senility and all that), The Master Cracksman for AccentUK, Hell's Nazi's and a hopefully a third one he's written for Insomnia, but that's way off in the future.
Bought loads of Small Press books, which didn't half weight a ton.
The quality of these "small press" books are amazing, and far out shine the majority of what the big companies are producing these days.
Everything on me list I got and I'm slowly devouring every word. One ar two are a bit dissappointing, not living up to the hype, but most are outstanding. Garen Ewing's Rainbow Orchard is fantastic, and so is Bryan Talbot's Grandville.
I'm looking forward to reading Dave West and Marleen Lowe's Whatever Happenened to the world's fastest man. I'v heard good things about it.
Marleen was at BIC's on saturday and she was gracious enough to sign my copy...along with Dave of course.
So as you can see, thouroughly enjoyed meself.
Only problem was, I ran out of time. There were loads of other things I wanted to do but didn't.
I wanted to catch up with my old mates Paul (Birch) and Mark (Buckingham).
Next year I gonna book the week off work so I can experience the whole weekend.
One thing's fer sure, seeing all these creative people doing what they love has inspired me even more to get loads more stuff out there, whether I'm writing and drawing me own stuff, drawing other people's stuff or, (something new I'm trying and it's quite scary), writing fer other artists.
I've really got the bug now and I'm seriously looking into going Thought Bubble in Leeds.
So hopefully there'll be loads of stuff to blog about.
I've just got to get on me fat arse and actually type this stuff out.

Pics from me Hols

Things I like about Newquay...well apart from the 2 sketches, above. these were done while I was talking on the phone to me mate Shane Oakley.
And you're gonna have to to his blog to understand the relevence of them..
It's all to do with the joy of sketchin'






Right, I'm packin up to get ready fer the Birmingham comic show this weekend.
Got me pages of art, me money and me big list of books to buy.
Yup,I.m ready.

A week away

I've been away a week for a well deserved rest.
Not that I deserved the rest, no, it was for Karen. She works incredibly hard at the job she does, and with all the problems and stress recently, I decided that she needed a break.
So off we trundled to Newquay, her with a stack of books to enjoy, me with pens and scripts to do loads of sketches and breakdowns for all the stuff I'm working on.
Thoroughly enjoyed the rest, the weather was a bonus, sunny and warm.
Unfortunately we packed for an English summer...you know- Big waterproof coats, chunky woolies and such, so we did feel a bit overdressed.
However, I did manage to do loads of sketches for "6 Months" and "Hell's Nazis" and one or two other secret things.
This weekend, I'm off to BICs, the Birmingham International Comic show and I'm really looking forward to it. Seeing old friends, meeting new ones and this year there are loads of small press books that I want, I'm even in one or two.
Especially looking forward to seeing Garen Ewing's "The Rainbow Orchard", AccentUK's "Whatever Happened to the world's Fastest Man and Strange Time's", Insomnia's Burke and Hare and Cancertown, Bryan Talbot's Grandville, in fact I'm gonna be spending a small fortune on all these lovely books.
So if you're going, and you see me, do say hello, I don't bite...well not too much.

In Loving Memory

This is the first page of the strip "In Loving Memory" that'll be included in Time Bomb's anthology- "BOMB SCARE", printed...any time now I should think.
It's my plot and art and scripted by the talented bastid Shane Oakley.
I'm looking forward to seeing this in print, it's bin languishing at the bottom of me draw fer a lonnng time.

sketches and such

Ok, I haven't been posting as often as I liked, but I have been drawing, honest.
Here are a batch of sketches that I've been doing, in what spare time I've got.

I'm still hard at work on the Insomnia GN "6 Months", but that's not going as quickly as I hoped.
I'm getting too picky in the details, re-drawing pages too many times. I should be on the second issue now, but I'm not.
Bugger!!

It's coming along though..albeit slowly.
Also the first part of "HELL'S NAZIs" is all pencilled and I'll be inking that soon. Got a specific look I want, just hope I can pull it off. The layouts to the second part are well under way and there'll be something to show John (the writer) Halfpenny and you lot soon.
Also an older strip of my "In Loving Memory", scripted by that very talented fellow and good, good friend Shane Oakley is to be printed in "Time Bomb's" new anthology "BOMB SCARE" any time now. So I'm looking forward to seeing that.
And finally there are a couple of my scripts that I've sent to publishers, that I'm waiting to hear positive replies too.
Fingers crossed.
So that's it fer now.
Next time more "6 Months" and more "Hell's Nazis"

bin gone, but now I'm back

I didn't expect to be away from this 'ere blog fer so long, but I was hit (well not me, my PC) with all manner of nasty viruses and trojans that I had to finally relent and re-format. What a pig of a job. Trying to find the discs to all those lovely little programs I had before.
Anyway I'm finally sure that it's safe to log on to all me bits and bobs so, here I am.
Last post was anouncing the start of "Cousin of Death" with Sam Costello, and nowI'm saying that it's finished. Yup folks the complete tale is on Sam's website "Split Lip" in all its glory.
I'm rather pleased with how it turned out.
I "toned" (sorry about that) down the greys and I think it worked fer the better.
The page above is from "Cousin of Death".
I finished the first pat of John Halfpenny's "HELL'S NAZIS".
Working out the layouts to the second part.
Wrote a couple of short stories, but not for me to illustrate. No, I wanted to see if'n I could write for other people.
And started a big, big project for Insomnia Publications. A 132 page graphic novel written by a very talented writer name of Jim O'hara.
It's called "6 Months" and it's a corker! It'll be me main project fer awhile at least.
I'm doing all the art and the lettering, and trust me there's a lot of lettering in the first book.
So that's it fer the moment.
Instant update.
There's a couple of other things going on, but as they're a bit in the future, they'll be anounced later.

Cousin of Death.

Sam Costello has let me know that the strip, Cousin of Death starts on his web comic Split Lip tomorrow.
Yup that's right folks, tomorrow. He's planning to change the schedule from Sundays to Mon.-Wed.-Fri.
So now you'll be able to read Sam's words as well as looking at the purty pictures.
I had a ball drawing it, and I hope you all have a good time reading it.

Project No 1

So here's the info of the first of 2 new projects that I have started.
You know me, I just can't say NO to good material.
And let me just say from the start, that HELL's NAZIS is not just a good yarn..
Its a bloody corker of a tale.
Written by John Halfpenny (and can you believe it, it's only his 2nd comic story he's written. The first is "the Master Cracksman" drawn by myowngoodself for AccentUK's Victorian anthology which will come out 2011 if'n I got me dates right.)
Hell's Nazis is a rip snorting WW2 romp in the comic style of that great British comic, Warlord.
I'm having a ball drawing it, it's got everything that I like to draw and John has even included a couple of extra touches, as a treat for me, I'm not going to say too much about it but, I will mention; sewers and tentacles.
What a nice obliging man he is.
So it'll be 10 pages, split into 2 parts and will be published in AccentUk's next zombie anthology. (oh yes, there's going to be a sequel to the well received Zombie's book).

Here are a couple of panels from the 1st part of Hell's Nazis.
The commando is from page 1 and the zombies ( well it's going in a zombies book so you gotta have zombies) is from page 2.
I'm taking my time over this, savouring it in fact, (and I am working on another project at the same time remember, that'll I'll mention soon) so don't expect too many updates on this in the near future.
John and I have a specific look we want for this so I want to get everything right. Ok that's it for now, next time Project No 2.

Cousin of Death.

I know, I know, it's been a while, but I didn't want to post anything until I finally finished Sam's "Cousin of Death".
But now it's done and here are a couple of pages and some panels from the 17 page tale.
Yup, only 17 pages but it's taken ages to finish, and I don't know why.
The story was crackin'. Scary and creepy and about a subject that struck a chord with me.
(It's about sleepwalking and I used to do that when I was younger).
This is the third tale I've done for Sam, but this one was the hardest to do.
I didn't get to draw any slimy tentacle creatures in this, but I had to concentrate on people's expressions and I've redrawn each page about 3 times until I was happy with it.
I just didn't want to disappoint Sam.
But it's done and I'm happy with it.
Sam's yet to tell me when it'll be published on his site..Split Lip, but as soon as he lets me know I certainly post the dates on here.
So that's it fer this one, but there is no rest fer the wicked.
I've got two (yes TWO) projects to do next.
One's a graphic novel for Insomnia publishing and another tale with John Halfpenny.
There'll be updates on both of these in a week or so.