Simon Breeze

This Months Reading List

2012-01-31T18:56:00.006Z

Well, here is January's reading list. I warn you it is a bit of a whopper:

Comics

2000Ad Progs 1765, 1766, 1767, 1768 & Judge Dredd Megazine Issue 319, 320 - BUY
2000 AD is the cutting edge powerhouse of British comics. Imaginative, hard-hitting stories and eye-popping art have made 2000 AD essential reading - from the violent satire of futuristic lawman Judge Dredd and the war-torn world of Rogue Trooper to the robot mayhem of the ABC Warriors and the stone-cold mutant killers of Strontium Dog.

Orchid #1- BORROW
When the seas rose, genetic codes were smashed. Human settlements are ringed by a dense wilderness from which ferocious new animal species prey on the helpless. The high ground belongs to the rich and powerful that overlook swampland shantytowns from their fortress-like cities. Iron-fisted rule ensures order and allows the wealthy to harvest the poor as slaves. Welcome to the world of Orchid.

Spaceman #1- BUY
Spaceman” is a story of the future. If you’re familiar with Azzarello’s writing and Risso’s art, you’ll know immediately that this is not a bright and shiny utopia future. It’s dirty and nasty, pretty much the worst of the present. Orson is a man genetically engineered to function in space, except there isn’t a space program anymore and he’s not exactly fit for life on Earth. Superficially dim-witted and looking like the missing link, he salvages and buys drugs off kids. Much of this issue is an introduction -- a feeling out process -- for this future and exactly what it’s like, with the plot taking a backseat to a degree.

Fathom - Blue descent #0 - BORROW
The mysteries of the Blue abound. But none more so than the faded origin of Fathom's leading heroine, Aspen Matthews. The past, once washed away amongst the ocean tides, is now at the forefront as Aspen's early childhood years -- and the pain, anguish, and murder, which would shape her future -- are finally revealed! In this thrilling introductory zero issue, Aspen descends into her past life, setting herself on a quest to once-and-for-all put to rest the secrets of her origin and discover her true heritage that lies beneath the surface!

Danger Girl and the Army of Darkness #4 - BUY
The adventure in South Africa heats up as Secret Agent Zero arrives to aid Abbey and Ash in their pursuit of the stolen Necronomicon. But when Zero crosses paths with an old adversary from the former Hammer Empire, will his thirst for revenge put Abbey in the middle of the crossfire? Find out as the year’s most dangerous crossover event continues!

DC Universe Online Legends #18, #19 & #20 - BUY
Following the cataclysmic events on Earth and Korugar, the Justice League regroups and begins an exploration of Brainiac's abandoned scout ship...will it finally reveal answers or will it be the final stroke of Brainiac's plan in conquering Earth? And how far will Luthor go to clear his name and save the planet?

Detective Comics #4 - BUY
As Batman uncovers a deranged plot with far-reaching tentacles that touch some of the city's most elite citizens, he finds himself facing off against his newest and most fearsome foes: Dollmaker and his twisted family of killers!

Gears of War #21 - BUY
In part 3 of "Dirty Little Secrets," the Gears have found their respite on the island of Vectes to be all too brief. The Lambent – a deadly, mutating lifeform – has followed them from the mainland and now threatens to wipe out what's left of humankind. Chairman Prescott has a plan he can reveal to no one – least of all Marcus Fenix.

Ghostbusters #2 & #3 - BUY
Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night? Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic? Have you or any of your family ever seen a spook, specter or ghost? If the answer is yes, call the professionals! Psychokinetic energy is on the rise again, business is booming for the boys, and Ray is troubled by what could be a prophetic dream… Is this an ill omen of an upcoming apocalypse, or just a little indigestion? These questions and more are raised in the first issue of the all-new, ongoing GHOSTBUSTERS!

Lady Mechanika #3 - BORROW
LADY MECHANIKA’s quest to retrieve the ‘Mechanical Girl’ along with her mysterious maker takes her up to the clouds, where she must infiltrate a masquerade ball aboard Lord Blackpool’s airship high in the sky. While the nefarious Blackpool showcases a new advanced weapon added to his impressive armament catalog to a captive audience, Mechanika discovers something quite unexpected, that may hold a clue to her own creation!

Star Trek #3 & #4 - BORROW
The adventures of the new Enterprise crew continue in this re-imagining of the classic episode "The Galileo 7"! Mr. Spock finds himself in command of a stranded shuttle crew fighting for survival, in a tale featuring the new cast from the blockbuster STAR TREK film!

Star Wars - Agent of the Empire: Iron Eclipse #1 - BUY
The name's Cross. Jahan Cross. Move over, James Bond; there's a new secret agent in the galaxy, and he has the weight of the Empire behind him! Cross's mission takes him and his assistant IN-GA 44 to the affluent Corporate Sector. There, on the trail of stolen droid technology, they will rub elbows with diplomats and desperadoes, captains of industry and sergeants of the local police—and rub most of them the wrong way!

Suicide Squad #4 - BUY
The body count rises! Another Squad member falls – but not the way you might expect! Betrayal follows betrayal as Captain Boomerang joins the Squad in a smash-and-grab against the terrorist organization Kobra, and Harley Quinn shows why you should never, ever recruit Squad members from Arkham Asylum. Brace yourself for a last-page shocker the likes of which the Squad has never faced before!

Warlord of Mars #13 & #14 - BUY
John Carter returns to Mars to be with his beloved princess and the son he has never known – at least, that was his plan. He arrives on the Red Planet in a forest of horrors, a place he's never seen before. Fortunately, an old friend joins him soon enough. Before Carter can look for answers about where he is, he's going to have to do what he does best – kick a little ass. Well, more than a little! Warlord of Mars #13: A Forest Battle is the thrilling first installment of the Gods of Mars story arc, believed by some to be the finest of the Edgar Rice Burroughs Mars novels.

Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #1 - BUY
Three valiant humans -- Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov -- are plucked from the Earth, travelling to the distant planet Mongo. Their exploits are legendary, battling the machinations and terror schemes of the dreaded emperor Ming, the All-Seeing Ruler of Mongo. But they did not fight alone…

Valen the outcast #1 - BORROW
The King is dead — long live the DEAD KING! King Valen Brand is a fair, just king as well as a great and mighty warrior. Killed by a Necromancer in battle and resurrected as one of the walking dead. Now he’s considered an abomination in his own realm,an outcast with only one purpose: to restore his lost soul!

The Activity #1 - BUY
The evolution of global warfare necessitates the evolution of special forces to rise and meet the call. The U.S Army has therefore looked to its last secret special operations tribe, the INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT ACTIVITY, or Gray Fox. Within Gray Fox is a team of elite men and women whose mission is flexible, whose technology is bleeding edge, and whose execution is precise and lethal. They are Team Omaha, and they serve THE ACTIVITY.

The Strain #1 - BORROW
When a Boeing 777 lands at JFK International Airport and goes dark on the runway, the Center for Disease Control, fearing a terrorist attack, calls in Dr. Ephraim Goodweather and his team of expert biological-threat first responders. Only an elderly pawnbroker from Spanish Harlem suspects a darker purpose behind the event-an ancient threat intent on covering mankind in darkness.

Graphic Novels & Trade Paper Backs

Batgirl, The Flood:- BUY
Batgirl must stop The Calculator from unleashing upon Gotham City a nanovirus that will turn its citizens into mindless techno-zombies. A string of bizarre, technology-based suicides gets the attention of both Batgirl and Oracle – for very different reasons. The two heroes soon realize that they’re targets of The Calculator, a nefarious villain bent on revenge against the original Batgirl, Barbara Gordon, now known as Oracle.

A Fistful of Blood: - BUY
"Yohimbo" collides with "Last Man Standing"." This crazy, goth horror, spaghetti western is ripped from the minds and pencils of Kevin Eastman and Simon Bisley.

Tron Original Movie Adaptation: - BORROW
Marvel Comics is proud to bring to you a stunning new visualization of the original TRON film. Learn the secrets of the Tron Universe. Discover its cast of dynamic characters. Witness the events of the legendary film in an all-new comic event with Tron: Original Movie Adaptation

Novels & Audio Books

Star Wars VI The Return of the Jedi- Radio Play: - BORROW
Return of the Jedi was a six-part radio adaptation of the original film, Return of the Jedi produced in 1996 and broadcast on National Public Radio in the US. It is the third series of the expanded radio dramatization of the original Star Wars trilogy. The first two radio series, Star Wars (1981) and The Empire Strikes Back (1983), were produced and broadcast by National Public Radio as part of NPR Playhouse.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: - BUY
Sent to investigate mysterious encounters that are disrupting international shipping, Professor Aronnax, his servant Conseil, and disgruntled harpooner Ned Land are captured when their frigate is sunk during an encounter with the "monster." The submarine Nautilus and its eccentric Captain Nemo afford the professor and his companions endless fascination and danger as they're swept along on a yearlong undersea voyage.

In Summary

It has been a bit of a full month this month, and as promised I've made up for the lack of comics last month too!

Everything was pretty good this month, nothing stands out in memory as a bad read. I'm VERY pleased to report that IDWs ongoing Ghostbusters comic title is brilliant! All fears from the issue one are resolved and the comic is looking like I'll be keeping it on my pull list for the foreseeable future.

Despite enjoying all of the comics and books I read this month, I do have a few related gripes!

To start the moaning off, let's start with Lady Mechanika!

Now, don't get me wrong on this one, I love the title. The art and writing are just amazing! I just refuse to wait so long between issues. So after very little thought I decided I am dropping this one as a so-called monthly and I'm going to wait for it to trade. For a bit of back ground on my reasoning, I reviewed #1 over a year ago, we are now just on issue #3! I have to keep re-reading the back issues every time I get a new one. This is making them tire and could ruin what is a fantastic and a little bit special comic for me. I just have to hope that one day there is enough material created to publish a traded collection – most likely in 2059 at this rate!

While I'm crapping on things: Batgirl the Flood. I LOVE this book! Steph as Batgirl is awesome, and Brian Q Miller and the creative team behind this book were robbed in my opinion by DC when they re-booted the title in line with the New 52. Here is hoping the new title fails and they realise their mistake, which may be the case with the fall in sales for the New 52 Batgirl that are being recorded.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, it took two months to read but I got there in the end. I really liked this story as a kid and I found myself really wanting to get to the fight with the giant kraken, then when it wasn't happening I wondered if I had mixed up the story with another or maybe it was in the film and not the book? No, it was in the book and it was as awesome as I remembered it! For me the let down in the story was the amount of 'info dumping' throughout which I think my child mind when I was younger seemed to forget about. At times it felt more of a lecture on nautical history, oceanic life, and just how good the oceanic life either tasted or how good it would taste with the right sauce! I found my eyes rolling when reading a paragraphs where they would start with Nemo saying, 'So tell me Professor, what do you know about...' and I would sigh and say out loud, 'Here we go again.'

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a great book, one of the first ever sci-fi books ever written and therefore you should read it for that reason alone. Not only that it is a fantastic (and I use that word on purpose) adventure story – one of the best.

Lets finish on a high, A Fist Full of Blood. I have read a mixed bag of reviews of this graphic novel created by the mad creative team of Kevin Eastman and Simon Bisley. For me though, it rocked it out of the park!

Sexy, violent and a mind boggling mix of sci-fi, horror, and bonkersness by the bucket load. It is just about everything I would expect and more from this creative duo. Quite simply, if you love either of these guys work then you'll love this book. If you are easily offended, DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK as it will warp your fragile mind with its nudity, big boobies, violence, zombies, big boobies, vampires and balls out insanity – and did I mention big boobies?

Now onto the highlight of the month.

This Month’s Highlight

This month it is something I have only ever dreamed of: Flash Gordon Zeitgeist #1

'Three valiant humans -- Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov are plucked from the Earth, travelling to the distant planet Mongo. Their exploits are legendary, battling the machinations and terror schemes of the dreaded emperor Ming, the All-Seeing Ruler of Mongo. But they did not fight alone…'

Where to start?

This is Flash as he should be. There, to my memory, have been countless attempts to re-envision Flash Gordon and his adventure. Most have failed, some epically! Why is this? For me it seems to be that everyone is hell bent on trying to update Flash Gordon and not the story telling. Which to me seems an odd way to go about things. What made Flash, Flash was the character and his adventures. Change these key elements and it is no longer Flash Gordon.

What the clever guys at Dynamite have done with Flash Gordon Zeitgeist is just that. They have left Flash alone and looked at how they can update the way his story is told, and it works brilliantly! The art and visual conceptions are simply inspiring, the characters are bang on and the story is already looking like it is going to be outstanding. The last time I read a comic and got this vibe was with The Warlord of Mars. Oddly another Dynamite publication.

What every they are putting in the water at Dynamite I hope they continue with it.

This comic is Flash Gordon as I always dreamed he could be – an almost perfect 4.5 out of 5 Ray Guns!

*How my ratings work:

1: Awful, 2: Passable, 3: Good, 4: Brilliant, 5: Knocked it Out of the Park!

Buy – You can't afford to miss this one! / Borrow – It's worth a read, but maybe not your money! / Miss – Don't bother, it is that bad!

How I Make Art – Space Battles The Final Part

2012-01-31T16:29:00.000Z

Here we are!

The last session/post for my Star Trek themed space battle.

There is not to much to post in this final one. The last few stages, although important, only involve small changes and tweaks.

For example:

Adjusting the colour balance: ctrl+b shifting the shadow and highlight tones to make a 'cooler' image.

Adjusting the saturation of colour: ctrl+u adding a little more colour to the image.

Slight tweak to the levels: ctrl+l shifting the balance between the shadows highlights.

In addition to this I also added in some blur and some touch ups with a standard paintbrush. After this and a little smudging with a custom brush and all was done.

Here is the final painting, Ambush at Gamma Four:

Ambush at Gamma Four by *SimonBreeze on deviantART

You can find the other five parts of this walk through here:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Saturday Science Quest!

2012-01-28T12:30:00.005Z

My quest to explore science continues this week with some interesting facts about some of the most awesome creatures to walk the Earth: Dinosaurs!

Dinosaurs became extinct about 65 million years ago and lived on the Earth for about 165 million years. In comparison, archaeologists estimate that modern humans have been on the Earth for about 200,000 years, and most likely we will blow ourselves up a lot sooner rather than later. This means that the dinosaurs' long period of dominance without any doubt makes them unqualified successes in the history of life on Earth. Not only that, they were cool!

Here are some interesting facts about those most awesome of creatures:

The Heaviest Dinosaur

The heaviest dinosaur was Brachiosaurus at 80 tonnes. It was the equivalent to 17 African Elephants. Brachiosaurus was 16m tall and 26m long and is the largest dinosaur skeleton to be mounted in a museum.

The Smallest Dinosaur

The smallest fully-grown fossil dinosaur is the little bird-hipped plant-eater like lesothosaurus, which was only the size of a chicken. Smaller fossilised examples have been found but these are of baby dinosaurs.

The Smallest Dinosaur Egg

The smallest dinosaur egg so far found is only 3cm long. It is not known what species it was from.

The Most Brainy Dinosaur

One of the most intelligent dinosaurs was Troodon. It was a hunting dinosaur, about 2 metres long, and had a brain size similar to that of a mammal or bird of today, stereoscopic vision, and grasping hands.

The Dumbest Dinosaur

Stegosaurus had a brain the size of a walnut - only 3 centimetres long and weighing 75 grams. However comparing brain size to body size sauropodomorphs, like Plateosaurus, were probably one of the dumbest dinosaurs.

The Tallest Dinosaur

The tallest dinosaurs were the Brachiosaurid group of sauropods. Their front legs were longer than the rear legs giving them a giraffe-like stance. This combined with their extremely long necks, which were held vertically, meant they could browse off the tallest trees. Brachiosaurus - the most well known of the group - was 13 metres tall. Sauroposeidon was massive and probably grew to 18.5 metres tall making it the tallest dinosaur.

The Fastest Running Dinosaur

The speediest dinosaurs were the ostrich mimic ornithomimids, such as Dromiceiomimus, which could probably run at speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour.

The Oldest Dinosaur

The oldest dinosaurs known are 230 million years old, and have been found in Madagascar. As yet they have not been formally named. Before this Eoraptor, meaning "dawn thief" had held the title at 228 million years.

The Longest Dinosaur Name

The dinosaur with the longest name was Micropachycephalosaurus meaning "tiny thick-headed lizard". Its fossils have been found in China, and it was named in 1978 by the Chinese palaeontologist Dong.

Finally, it is estimated that 30% of people believe that man and dinosaur coexisted. Which, despite some well thought out arguments, is not true. Mores to the pity.

Source: The Telegraph

How I Make Art – Space Battles Part 5

2012-01-27T18:07:00.004Z

On with the battle!

Last session/post I had just finished up on the main body of work, now it is time to start adding the details from lighting to the action!

Before I can add any light and shadow to the image to start blending the image together I need to add in all of the light sources, namely big bangs and phaser fire! To start with I paint in the main big explosion in the centre of the picture. I want it to look as if the ship has just gone bang! This means I get to add in bits of derbies scattering through the sky, it also makes it a little more dynamic.

To paint the explosion I use one of my favourite custom brushes, it is great for everything from clouds to smoke, to texture, and general blocking. I start with black, move to a deep red then orange, then yellow and finally an off white. As I go, using the same brush, I block in some bits of shattered spaceship and once finished with the explosion I add some detail to the debries.

One big bang done, now on to the rest.

Working on all of the smaller explosions at the same time, it is a quick way of getting multiple similar things done, I add one large blast and several 'flack' explosions. Now I know that in Star Trek you don't have any anti-aircraft cannons that blow those really cool explosions in the air like something out of a World War II film, however they look so cool though that I'm adding them anyway.

Next, explosions out of the way I start to add in some battle damage to the ships. First off I set one the the USS Honor's engines on fire. The fire is painted in the same way that I painted the explosions. The only difference is that I paint in some electrical 'lightning' with a standard paintbrush and use a similar method to crack the front of the engine a little.

While I'm setting things on fire I set the the side of the battle cruiser aflame too and add in some photon torpedoes flying about. Before I move on to the phaser fire I want to add a sense of speed to the 'bugs'. To achieve this later I will add some blur, for now though I add in a stream of cloud from the tips of the craft. It is a bit like when you see a jet fighter cutting through the air at high speed.

As I just said, phaser fire next. While I'm adding in the phaser fire I also add in the shield 'bounce' as the energy of the phaser is absorbed by the ships shields. I always think this looks cool in the TV shows and films when they pull it off right.

To paint the shield bounce I use an airbrush to gradually build up the colour and then use a custom brush to add in the crackles.

Switching on the SFX layer that I used to plan out the big bangs and fireworks it all seems to have landed as I intended – cool!

Now the hard bit: detail, detail, detail! And let's not forget it all has to blend together too!

For no reason other then I feel like it, I start at the top left with the 'bugs' and add in lighting effects, shadows, etc with a standard paintbrush and using my most awesome custom smudge brush to get blending away!

I wasn't long before I ran out of time and had to stop. However, I have made a lot of progress on the painting in this session and I am confident that I will get this one done in the next.

Friday Flashback – Transformers

2012-01-27T12:30:00.001Z

Friday Flashback is where I look back at the books, films, TV shows and million and one other things that have inspired me over the years in my art, story telling and well... life! This week I'm have a look at a series of comics: Transformers!

There have been several publishers of the Transformer comic book over the years and the one that I read and adored as a child was the Marvel UK edition from back in 80s (The titles first publication was back in 1984). As a kid once a week I would pop into my local news agents on the Saturday and pick up the two comics I had on standing order, 2000AD and Transformers. (Yes, we were lucky in the UK we got a Transformers comic every week, not monthly!).

The Marvel UK Transformers series ran for 332 issues including 7 annuals and 28 specials (many of which are still wedged in my parents attic). The Marvel UK edition was a weekly publication that spliced original stories into the continuity of the reprinted Marvel US monthly issues, these were mostly written by Simon Furman. In the beginning, due to the weekly publication format allowing more time for characterisation and story telling, the UK comic had a more serious and science fiction approach in comparison to its US counterpart.

Something else unique to the UK edition was Simon Furman's efforts to maintain a continuity with The Transformers: The Movie, where he wrote several stories set in the future after the movie's ending, as well as bringing characters from the future, such as Galvatron into the present day story arc.

As with all good things the comic finally came to end, however the UK editions have enjoyed numerous reprints over the years by Marvel UK, Titan Books and more recently IDW Publishing.

For me the Transformer comics held much more than the cartoon show which to memory digressed into a simple formula of skirmishes over Energon Cubes as the episodes went by. Recently I picked up some of the IDW reprints, both the UK and US editions, and I must admit the the US versions are not a patch on the UK comics, and that is not just nostalgia talking either. I had to really push myself to get from one comic to the next when it came to the US versions, a real shame. Or not! The UK versions are still just as good as they were from all those years ago, a solid mix of fantastic art and story telling.

If you like the Transformers, films or otherwise, grab yourself some of the UK reprints of the comics. They are simple awesome!

New John Carter TV Spot

2012-01-26T19:25:00.001Z

More John Cater awesomeness!

The more I see of this film, the more I want to see it.

John Carter is out on the 9th of March

- Transplanted to Mars, a Civil War vet discovers a lush planet inhabited by 12-foot tall barbarians. Finding himself a prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter a princess who is in desperate need of a saviour.

How I Make Art – Space Battles Part 4

2012-01-26T18:11:00.001Z

Part four already!!

Yes I know, I'm on a mission to finish this one.

This is where we were when I finished the last session/post:

Most of the ships are about half done and I was just about to start on the main battle cruiser.... Well... That was the plan.The thing is the background has been bugging me throughout so I had to do something about it before I got distracted later in the middle of something important.

You may not at first notice anything as this image here is small and the 'live' painting is wopping-huge. Simply, all I have done is with an airbrush and a one of those awesome Photoshop layer settings plopped a blue tone over the entire background and then flattened it and added a bit of blur for adding a bit of depth. That is it. However, you'd be surprised the difference it has made. Here is a split view of the before on the left and the after on the right:

Next, distracting background put to bed (although not finished I might add), on with the large battle cruiser in the fore ground:

As with all of the ships I start the long process of blocking in colour, texture and whittle it down to detail, adding in some large blocks of white for engine glow. Now, I know what you are thinking, the Dominion battle cruisers don't quite look like that and those engines don't sit on the back like that! Two words for you, artistic licence...

Kind of!

Firstly, as with the 'bugs' I struggled to get any good reference images for this ship, so I kind of guessed some of it and went with the flow. As for the engines sat on the back like that, that was an artistic choice made by me. I thought it would look cool to have huge glowing engines burning away at the back there. Which it will, trust me...

Okay, now things make a BIG change in layout. The original plan was to have everything converging on a central point, everything heading to one place. The issue for me was that it looked to 'manufactured' to be that way, I wanted chaos! A swirling space battle, not a line up of pretty spaceships!

So, with the beauty of layers that digital art offers I managed to change the position and size of some of the ships to make it more of a confusing mess. I'm much happier with this new layout, once I have the effects in place such as big bangs and phaser fire it should look like low orbital carnage – perfect!

Now I'm happy with the layout I can start adding some more detail to the battle cruiser. Looking at the reference images I could find the hull has a 'purpleness' to it, however it is not clear as the markings as with the 'bugs'. To get round this I use a custom brush I have made that adds random patterned texture, which seems to have worked out well – got to love those Photoshop brushes! Next I add a bit of glow to the engines, although not finished – I need to add blur etc..., looking quite cool already.

Ships and background are all coming along nicely. Now I have to start thinking about light some more, which means I have to think about where the light is coming from. For this I need to add in the fireworks, phaser fire, big bangs, smoke trails from the ships, shield reflections, etc...

Before I add any of this in I plan it out on a layer I will switch off and hide later. This allows me to plan it all out without any worries. So, the scene is now looking nice and chaotic and I'm ready to start painting in the cool stuff!

Time's up though!

In my next session I plan to add in the SFX and get started on blending it altogether, which is really the fun bit.

New Title Incoming From Big Dog Ink!

2012-01-26T12:30:00.007Z

One of my favourite comic publishers, Big Dog Ink, has a new title due out in May to coincide with Phoenix Comic Con. The new title is called Ursa Minor and appears to be a supernatural themed story, here is the official word from the website:

'In the summer of 2012 Big Dog Ink will release Tom Hutchison’s new horror mini series, Ursa Minor. In a world where vampires are an everyday part of life and werewolves are an endangered species, one girl steps forward to return nature’s supernatural balance and save a dying race from total extinction. Written by Penny for Your Soul’s Tom Hutchison and with art by Ian Snyder and Sony Merbitt and colored by Luis Guerrero, Ursa Minor will bring you back to the days of vicious vampires and dark sinister places where things still go bump in the night…'

Here is a teaser image for the comic and from the upcoming advertisement campaign that also includes Previews:

To find out more about Ursa Minor or any other of the awesome titles form Big Dog Ink you can find the website here: bigdogink.com

How I Make Art – Space Battles Part 3

2012-01-25T18:27:00.002Z

Wow, I started this back in November as a personal project and due to work on commissions I have had to put my own work on hold, sadly this means that I didn't get to finish this Star Trek themed space battle until now!

The idea is inspired by Wayne Thomason's writing, who you can find under the name of Turblence1973 on Deviant Art, and the simple theme behind this painting was a huge low (or high depending on where you are stood I guess) orbit battle.

If you are interested you can find the first two parts here:

Part One

Part Two

This is how the painting looked back in November when I get distracted by other work:

At this stage most of the ships are blocked in and I was starting to block in colours and some of the more simple effects. Depending on how I was feeling at the time each ship is completed to different degrees, it's just how I work on I big image!

To start with I have to finish the mid-ground ships, I start by going to the last two 'bugs' on the right. This is where I start to hit a problem, if you keep up with my blogs I've been working with new brushes and new methods of painting to develop a new style. This means that by the time I'm mostly done with the two bugs, the look a little different to the others in the image. Not a worry though as I am still to do the hard bit of blending in all the ships with the action and the background.

At this stage all of the background and mid-ground ships are as far as I dare take them, it is on to the foreground ships now. The first one I am going to tackle is the 'bug' at the top of the image.

First off I block in the colours and some detail, the problem I have is that I can't find any good photo reference images of the underside of the ship – Doh!

So I do my best with an image I have found trawling the internet that shows a good side/front/top view and botch what I think is right together. It's Star Trek, no fan is going to notice a mistake in the ship design... are they?

Next step is to add in the engine glow. For 'glowy things' I follow a simple process of blocking in white as a base for the glowing object and then using an airbrush paint in the glow. If it needs colour I still follow this process, block in in white and airbrush in the glow. However, when it comes to the airbrushing I add in the colour, red for example or in this case purple.

Coming close to the end of the time I put aside to work on this image for this session I figure that I should work on something that wont take to long and so I will tackle the huge battle cruiser at the bottom of the image next session. There is a lot of work going to be needed on that one!

So I settle for adding in a little glow on the engines of the mid-ground 'bugs' just because I was working on the glow for the foreground one and it will be nice quick and easy.

And that was it for this session.

I'm now at a stage where I'm starting to worry, I get that when I work on a big image like this. If you are familiar with my work you'll know that I keep things quite simple, a character or two on a straight forward background. When things start to get a little crowed and chaotic like this painting, which is the idea behind it, I tend to panic and wonder if it is going to turnout as planned. In these situations you just have to suck it up and keep going as you are beyond the point of no return!

In my next session/post I plan to tackle the battle cruiser and if there is time finish the background and start to add in the 'fireworks' such as phaser fire, torpedoes, and stuff blowing up – all good fun!

I'll Be Back!

2012-01-24T18:55:00.003Z

Here is my second centrefold and the last pin up for the book I am working on for the next two to three paintings (it all hinges on deadlines) as I work on some personal projects. The painting is called, You Could Be Mine:

I'm kinda happy with this one, and what makes me say that is I think I was a little heavy handed with the airbrush which is something I'm trying to move away from using so much. Oh those old habits die hard!

Trying to keep with a sci-fi and fantasy theme this painting has a bit of the 'Terminator' about it. As with the last centrefold there are one or two references to the franchise dotted about the image also the background is a bit of a give away.

As with my other 'adult' pin ups you can find the not work safe version by clicking on the following link and selecting the option to remove the filtering. The link takes you to my Redbubble page where you can pick up prints of this and other paintings I have worked on:

Give Me an Eye Full of that Centrefold!

Its Official – My Art is Appearing in FutureQuake!

2012-01-23T18:09:00.001Z

If you follow my blog you'll know that I recently finished illustrating a comic strip for FutureQuake. Here is the official announcement from the FutureQuake blog:

This Just In: Whodunnit!

Coming imminently to the pages of FutureQuake, join inspector Homelock of the yard as he answers this most burning of questions- WHODUNNIT! is by John Howson and Simon Breeze. Currently scheduled to appear in FutureQuake 20, on sale in March.

So there you go, don't forget to buy a copy and tell them how much you love mine and John's work!

The Official Resident Evil 6 Trailer!

2012-01-23T13:30:00.004Z

No, not the rubbish films but the awesome game franchise by Capcom!

Capcom have confirmed that Resident Evil 6 is set to be released on November 20th 2012 on the Xbox 360 and PS3. Looking at the trailer the characters of Chris Redfield and Leon Kennedy are making a return – in the same game!!

Capcom announced a bit about the game’s plot too, “It has been ten years since the Raccoon City incident and the President of the United States has decided to reveal the truth behind what took place in the belief that it will curb the current resurgence in bioterrorist activity.”

“Due to be by the President’s side is his personal friend and Raccoon City survivor, Leon S. Kennedy, but when the venue suffers a bioterrorist attack, Leon is forced to face a President transformed beyond recognition and make his hardest ever decision.”

I can't wait to play this game, I have been a fan of the main story thread of Resident Evil games from the beginning and so I must admit when I watched this trailer a little bit of wee came out:

Saturday Science Quest!

2012-01-21T12:30:00.001Z

My quest to explore science continues this week with not only a change in name, but also an answer to that worrisome question: Could the Death Star from Star Wars actually blow up a planet?

First to the name change. I have two reasons, both are good ones (well to me they are):

Number 1: First things first, bazinga was a quick idea that I just went with and therefore was going to get changed at some point.

Number 2: If you are unaware, bazinga is a phrase used by a character called Sheldon in a popular TV show called The Big Bang Theory. Kinda part of the reason as to why I used it really. However, the show is now more then ever focused on putting down the smart science guys and embracing the stereotypes associated with people that work in the field of science. I know this has been there since the start, it is just that as the show has progressed it is becoming to much the focus and the main fodder for the jokes. These posts are about promoting science and just how cool it is, and I feel that associating them with that TV show as it now stands goes against this spirit.

Anyway, on with the quest!

The Death Star, could its planet blower-upper gun really work?

The following comes from an awesome website called: The Universe Today (Don't forget to check it out!) .

Could a ‘Death Star’ Really Destroy a Planet?

Countless Sci-Fi fans vividly remember the famous scene in Star Wars in which the Death Star obliterates the planet Alderaan.

Mirroring many late night caffeine-fueled arguments among Sci-Fi fans, a University of Leicester researcher asks the question:

Could a small moon-sized battle station generate enough energy to destroy an Earth-sized planet?

A paper by David Boulderston (University of Leicester) sets out to answer that very question. First, for the uninitiated, just what the heck is a Death Star?

According to Star Wars lore, the DS-1 Orbital Battle Station, or Death Star, is a moon-sized battle station designed to spread fear throughout the galaxy. The image above shows the Death Star as it appeared in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977). The Death Star’s main weapon is depicted as a superlaser capable of destroying planets with a single blast.

Boulderston claims that it is possible to estimate how much energy the Death Star would need in order to destroy a planet with its superlaser. There are a number of assumptions made, however, in order to come up with the energy requirement.

For starters, Boulderston assumed that Alderaan did not have any sort of planetary “deflector” shield. A second assumption is that the planet is a solid body of uniform density – essentially ignoring the complex interior of planets, due to lack of information on Alderaan itself. Using the idealized sphere model based on Earth’s mass and diameter, it was possible to determine the gravitational binding energy of Alderaan, using a simple equation of:

U= 3GMp2
——
5Rp

Where G is the Gravitational Constant (6.673×10-11), Mp is planet mass, and Rp is the planet’s radius. Using Earth’s mass and radius, the required energy comes out to 2.25 x 1032 Joules. Using Jupiter’s data, the energy required goes up to 2 x 1036 Joules.

Boulderston asserts that (according to Star Wars lore) the Death Star is powered by a ‘hypermatter’ reactor, possessing the energy output of several main-sequence stars. Given that the power output of our Sun is about 3 x 1026 Joules per second, it’s a reasonable assumption the Death Star’s reactor could power the superlaser.

Despite using a simplified model of a planet, Boulderstone states the simplified model is reasonable to use since the Death Star’s main power reactor has the energy output equal to several main-sequence stars. Even if Earth’s exact composition were used in the equation above, the required energy to destroy a planet would only be affected by a few orders of magnitude – well within the Death Star’s power budget.

Boulderstone reiterated that the energy required to destroy a Jupiter-sized planet would put considerable strain on the Death Star. To destroy a planet like Jupiter, all power from essential systems and life support (no re-routing from the auxiliary EPS conduits – that’s a Star Trek hack!) would be required, which is not necessarily possible.

Boulderstone’s conclusion is that the Death Star could indeed destroy Earth-like planets, given its main power source. While the Death Star could destroy an Earth-sized planet, a Jupiter-sized planet would be a tough challenge, and the Galactic Empire would need to resort to using a Suncrusher to destroy stars.

If you’d like to read Boulderstone’s paper, you can access it at HERE

and you can find Universe Today HERE

Just in case you are wondering, 'Why the picture of Mythbuster Kari Byron?'

Why not?

She's hot, dressed like a scientist, is into experiments (the science kind), critical thinking and she blows stuff up too! .What more could you ask for?

Until I get told off, expect to see more of Kari tagged in these posts in the future.

Great Scott! A Centrefold!

2012-01-20T18:20:00.006Z

Here is my latest painting for a pin up book I'm currently illustrating. The pin up is called, The Power of Love:

I wanted to do something a little different with this one, so I played about with the dimensions and came up with the idea of a centrefold. The inspiration behind this painting is from the awesome sci-fi trilogy Back to the Future (Can you spot all the references?).

If you keep up with these posts, you'll know that I am working with new brushes, colours, tones and looking to create my own style with my art. Each painting, to me, feels like I'm getting another big step towards that goal and this new one is another step in that direction.

I'm currently working on a second centrefold styled pin up, hopefully to be completed next week. I am then planning to take a rest from pin-ups for the next two paintings, mostly because I feel I'm going to go blind if I paint many more naked ladies!

I joke, I just need to do something else for five minutes. It keeps things fresh for me.

I plan to finish my Star Trek painting that I have been working on on-and-off for a few months now, also if I have the time I have another painting for myself I want to get done.

If you want to see the, 'Not Safe For Work' version of this painting, click on the following link and then the option to remove the work safe filtering. The link will take you to my Redbubble page where, if you like, along with several other pieces of my art you can also pick up a print:

Give Me an Eye Full!

Friday Flashback - Aliens

2012-01-20T12:30:00.020Z

Friday Flashback is where I look back at the books, films, TV shows and million and one other things that have inspired me over the years in my art, story telling and well... life! This week I'm have a look at one of the films that could be said to have inspired a generation. James Cameron's mind blowing squeal to Alien: Aliens.

Aliens hit the big screen back in 1986 and for those that live under a rock the film is a science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and starring Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen and Bill Paxton. Importantly, as only a very small amount of films can boast this, Aliens is a trend bucking sequel to the 1979 film Alien as in it is equally as good as it's predecessor (some say, not me, even better than). The story of Aliens follows the lovley Sigourney Weaver's character (Ellen) Ripley as she returns to the planet from the first film where the ill fated crew of the Nostromo encountered the hostile Alien creature. However, this time she is accompanied by a unit of Colonial Marines and as the tag line states, '...it's war'.

Here is the link (click on the image, the embedding is blocked!) to the 1986 Trailer for the film:

In comparison to the first film Alien, Aliens injects some action into the horror tone of the franchise. With James Cameron in the driving seat this mix of action and horror works to great effect giving the film a close enough feel to the first one to not lose sight of what it is about and a different enough vibe to make it stand on its own too.

Aliens cost around $18 million to make and the box office and during its 1986 theatrical release pulled in a staggering $131 million internationally (this is 'old-money' don't forget) and let's not even think about how much Video and DVD sales have netted since. Aliens was also nominated for seven Academy Awards including a Best Actress nomination for Sigourney Weaver. However, as usual in these events the snobbery against Sci-Fi and Fantasy means that sadly the film only walked away with the usual fare a Sci-Fi film is granted and took home the awards in the categories of Sound Effects Editing and Visual Effects. In contrast to this Aliens won eight Saturn Awards including Best Science Fiction Film, Best Actress for Sigourney Weaver and Best Direction for James Cameron.

So what is it all about?

Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver), the sole survivor of the alien attack on the mining ship Nostromo from the first film, awakens from hypersleep 57 years later when she is found by a salvage ship in deep space. The company she works for refuse to believe her discovery and existence of the alien creature as they have colonized the planet, now called LV-426, almost 20 years ago. As punishment they strip her off her flight officer's license forcing her to take a job as a loadlifter, the future equivalent of a forklift driver, in one of the space docks that orbits the Earth.

It is not long before things take a curious change of direction as all contact from the planet is suddenly lost and the company ask Ripley to join them as an advisor and take a team of Colonial Marines to investigate. At first she is reluctant, however recurring nightmares of her original encounter force her to change her mind.

Arriving at the colony world with enough fire power to level it, it is not long before the team discover that, despite the complex appearing to be deserted, they are not alone...

I highly recommend this film as either a re-watch if you have seen it or just watch it if you haven't! I think sadly despite some interesting characters, concepts and ideas it all goes down hill from here with the Alien franchise – rapidly! Especially if you take those travesties Alien Vs Predator 1 & 2 into account – what were they thinking?

There is hope for Alien fans out there. The man who started it all is back in the driving seat (Ridley Scott ) and making a new Alien film. It is a prequel no less and is called: Prometheus.

From what I have seen of it so far it is the film that sequel/prequel that Alien and Aliens deserves. Just in case you have not seen the trailer, here it is:

Click here to read my Friday Flashback of Alien

Set Phasers For STUN!

2012-01-19T18:33:00.002Z

It had to happen sooner or later, it seems to be the trend. Star Trek Online, the franchises MMO, has just (17th of January 2012) become free to download and play.

Here is the trailer, which makes me want to get a copy and start playing now:

And here is the official blurb from Star Trek Online:

“Players can pioneer their own destiny as Captain of a Federation starship. Or, they can become a Klingon Warlord and expand the Empire to the far reaches of the galaxy.

“Players will have the opportunity to visit iconic locations from the popular Star Trek fiction, reach out to unexplored star systems, and make contact with new alien species. With Episode Missions, every moment spent playing Star Trek Online will feel like a new Star Trek episode in which you are the star.”

This all sounds awesome to me, I am a huge Star Trek fan and I love video games. However, I get addicted to stuff like this and I can't help but have a feeling like I'm a recovering alcoholic being given the keys to the bar and told to help myself when I see stuff like this.

Oh well, I wont be playing Star Trek Online because I don't wish to wake up one morning and find the wife and kids gone. I have a problem. I admit and control it. In this case I'll bang my copy of First Contact in the DVD player this weekend and cry myself to sleep afterwords and dream of the fun the millions of you will be having without me... sob... sob...

Here is the link to Star Trek Online:

Beam Me Up For Some Star Treking Fun!

Raider of the Lost Temple Pin Up

2012-01-18T18:26:00.008Z

Here is my latest pin up, India Jane and the Raider of the Lost Temple (yes I know the title is cheesy):

This painting is another one for the pin up book I'm currently working on and is a bit of a cheeky take on a popular trilogy of adventure films, the forth film doesn't count if you are wondering!

As with my last few paintings I am very happy with how this one turned out, again colours, style, etc all looking like I'm on the right track to get where I want to be.

If you would like to see 'India's' not work safe version click on the following link and select to remove the not work safe filtering. This link will take you to my Redbubble page where you can also see some of my other works and even pick up some prints if you like too:

Give me an Eye Full of India!

Retro Sci-Fi Coolness!

2012-01-15T12:30:00.004Z

I found this website a week or two ago now and thought I would share its awesomeness. Being born in the 70's and spending most of my childhood through the late 70's and the 80's TV shows such as Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Battlestar Galactica and Space: 1999 were everyday viewing. Let's not forget it was also the time that brought great Sci-Fi films too, such as Blade Runner, Alien and Star Wars (the three good ones). Oh the list of shows and films go ons, I sometimes feel a little pang of sorry for my son and his generation and the rubbish that is churned out as 'Saturday' TV viewing...

I digress!

The site is called Space 1970 and is full of brilliance from this great period of Sci-Fi and Fantasy entertainment. Here is a run down of the site from its own very pages:

'This blog is dedicated to the science fiction films and television series of the 1970s - give or take a few years (say, 1969-1983) - including such nostalgic favorites as Star Wars, Space: 1999, UFO, Space Academy, the original Battlestar Galactica, Jason of Star Command, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Logan's Run and many others.

But be warned: I still love these productions with all the enthusiasm I held for them as a kid, and they will be treated here with affection and respect. If you're looking for someone to snarkily denigrate "old" movies - or like to do that yourself - you've come to the wrong site.

So journey with us back to the days when special effects were created by skillful hands and spaceships were detailed models, when robots were obligatory comedy relief, when square-jawed heroes and cloaked villains battled among the stars -- and the future was fun!'

The site is run and maintained by Christopher Mills who is a professional writer of comic books and short fiction in a variety of genres, as well as a DVD reviewer for several pop culture websites and does a bang-up job with the running and updating of the Space 1970 site. For me this site has become a frequent and favourite stop over in my internet browsing and is now happily residing in my RSS reader.

So what you wait for?

Go check it out!

Click here: Plunge Me in Retro Sci-Fi Awesomeness!

Bazinga – Its Saturday!

2012-01-14T12:30:00.002Z

My quest to explore science continues this week with something that is more than just a little out of this world from NASA.

The good old guys at NASA's Jet Propulsion Labs have created a brilliant online tool/simulator called: Eyes on the Solar System.

From the home page:

'Eyes on the Solar System is a 3-D environment full of real NASA mission data. Explore the cosmos from your computer. Hop on an asteroid. Fly with NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft. See the entire solar system moving in real time. It's up to you. You control space and time.'

This is an awesome simulator, visually it is stunning! The controls are easy to use and to boot it is all in real time with the current NASA missions. This means you can pick out anything and take a real time look at it in space, from the Planet Mars to the Grail, Juno or Voyager missions. There is loads of information on each mission and, to be honest, you get a real kick out of travelling about the solar system in brilliant 3D too. It is like one of those really cool Discovery Channel or BBC science shows with the eye watering 3D animated solar systems only with you in the driving seat.

You can find Eyes on the Solar System here via the following link:

Strap me in, send me around the solar system and call me Captain...

Digital Desire Pin Up

2012-01-13T18:37:00.002Z

Here is my most recent pin up, Digital Desire:

You can clearly see the influence behind this painting: 70s Disco meets Tron!

Again, as with the last few paintings, very happy with this one and the direction my art and style are heading. If there is one thing I am always aware of when using a lot of airbrushing to create 'glow' on a dark back ground, as with this painting, is that when it is printed by some printers or displayed on certain monitors it can lose some definition and become quite a gloomy image.

To work around this I always have a duel monitor set up, one (the main monitor) is a HD screen via a HD graphics card, the second is a standard monitor. The second monitor is the key, I drop the settings on the display to a level that fits the lower quality. Then throughout the painting of the image I save a 'test' image and display it on the second monitor to make sure that the definition of the image doesn't bleed into the shadows.

If you feel the need to see 'all' of this image you can find it in all of its glory on my redbubble site, you will just need to click on the following link and then the option to remove the 'work safe' filtering:

Give Me an Eye Full of this Disco Digital Babe!

Also while you are there you can have a look at some of my other work and maybe pick up a print or some stickers and a t-shirt.

Friday Flashback - Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

2012-01-13T12:30:00.004Z

Friday Flashback is where I look back at the books, films, TV shows and million and one other things that have inspired me over the years in my art and storytelling. This week it is the turn of the discoing and space adventuring: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century!

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is an American science fiction adventure television series produced by Universal Studios for two seasons between 1979–1981. The series was developed by Glen A. Larson and based upon the classic TV and comic character Buck Rogers created in 1928 by Philip Francis Nowlan.

The series followed the adventures of Captain William Anthony "Buck" Rogers, played by Gil Gerard, a NASA pilot who commands a space shuttle that is launched in May 1987 and due to a life support malfunction is accidentally frozen for 504 years before it is discovered drifting in space in the year 2491. The defrosted Buck is revived to learn that civilization on Earth has been rebuilt following a devastating nuclear war that occurred in late 1987, and is now under the protection of the Earth Defence Directorate.

The theme of the series, beyond space adventures in this new future world, is focused on Buck as he tries to fit (not always successfully) into 25th-Century culture. As there were no traceable personal records for him, he was uniquely placed, due to his pilot and combat skills and personal ingenuity, to help Earth Defence foil assorted evil plots to conquer Earth, normally by a scantly clad Space Pirate Princess or other such fantasy science fiction villains.

However, Buck is not alone in his quest to save the Earth in the future! He has the help of several friends in his adventures such as the (smoking hot!) Colonel Wilma Deering, played by Erin Gray, and his comic sidekick robot, Twiki, voiced by Mel Blanc (who had previously voiced Daffy Duck as Duck Dodgers in spoofs of the early Buck Rogers and other science fiction serials) – "biddi-biddi-biddi"!

I have many fond memories of this television series, nostalgic and recent, and highly recommend it to any fan of classic sci-fi or for that matter anyone who likes a bit of cheesy 70's/80's television. The show has some fantastic design elements, such as the costumes, weapons, robots and who can forget the iconic starfighters (I genuinely prefer these to the Viper from BSG).

Gil Gerard is outstanding as Buck through out the series and Erin Gray as his love interest/sidekick is equally as good – for several different reasons...

As all shows like this it is very much a product of its time from story themes to tone and look, however that is where its charm and its entertainment comes from. For me it is a show that has stood the test of time and has become an iconic TV show for this reason.

Click on this link for the pilot episodes intro anyone from my generation and watch them get all excited:

Show me the Intro and Get my Buck Nostalgia Going!

French and Spanish John Carter Posters

2012-01-12T12:30:00.002Z

Some more John Carter awesomeness has hit the internet today with the new French and Spanish poster. I really like the look of this one, has a very good retro 'vibe' to it:

A Space Princess Pin Up

2012-01-11T18:01:00.005Z

Here is my most recent pin up, The Moon Princess:

Moon Princess Pin Up 2012 by *SimonBreeze on deviantART

This is the next one in the series of pin ups I am working on for a book (fingers crossed) due out early this year (and possibly a calender for the end of the year too). The book is going to be a mix of different types of pin up from classic to modern, to some that are a little different like this one which is clearly a fantasy sci-fi pin up.

I love my classic sci-fi, so every second I spent on this image was a pleasure and I'm very happy with the results. As I stated with my last pin up the new brushes, colours, tones, etc that I am working with are going really well and is something else I'm very happy with too. As for finding my own style? I feel this painting takes me another big step closer and within the next two or three paintings I think I will be there.

There are many influences behind this image from the Princess of Mars and Flash Gordon to Star Wars and Buck Rogers. I'm not to sure I could say that any one of these was the main drive behind the final look of the painting, I think I just took the things that I liked from all of them and mashed them together.

Something I used a lot of, more than usual, was photo reference. The photo reference that was used was not something that I 'copied' but was something that I refereed to for detail. One of the problems you can run into by using photo reference is that you just end up painting the photo, which usually ends up look a little 'stiff' and well, like a bad copy of a photo. The best way to use photo reference from my experience is just that, as a guide for detail.

The next pin up should be posted by the end of the week and is something very different again!

If you are interested in owning a print of this image you can pick one up here at my Redbubble store along with some of my other artwork.

2012-01-07T13:00:00.002Z

My quest to explore science continues this week with a TEST!

Yes, do you know your Protons from your Neutrons? Can you remember Newtons first law or just what the 'C' in E=mc2 means?

Well it is time to put it to the test with a quiz by the Christian Science Monitor who have put together 50 questions to test your basic scientific literacy.

Which you can find here: Brainy Science Testy Thingy

If your curious, here's my score (It took a lot of head scratching and more than one or two lucky guesses):

Desert Storm – A New Pin Up by Me!

2012-01-06T18:48:00.002Z

Here is my latest rendering for the series of pin-ups I am currently working on for a book due out early this year, cleverly entitled, Desert Storm:

Desert Storm - Pin Up by *SimonBreeze on deviantART

Over the last few paintings I have created I've been working on a new technique, tones, colour pallets and new brushes. I think with this latest painting I'm almost where I want to be with the balance of all of these new elements. Something else I'm working towards is a style of my own, up to now I feel that my work has lacked this and has been a real mish-mash of ideas and styles – something I've never been to happy or comfortable with.

As any artist will tell you, you are always trying to improve and try new things. The next pin up I'm working on will hopefully take me a step or two closer to where I want to be.

As with all my art, you can find prints, posters, cards and a load of other cool things with this image on at my redbubble store: Here

Last Months Reading List – December!

2012-01-05T18:38:00.012Z

Holiday festivities over for another year it is back to blogging normality – sort of, it might take a few days to be back to 'normal'.

I thought to start with I would post Decembers reading list. The list is not so heavy with the comics this last month, mostly due to the time of year. Rest assured I checked my online pull list with my comic dealer just before writing this post and there are enough comics waiting to ship to bankrupt a small nation. So plenty to post about in a few weeks time.

So, on with the list:

Comics

2000 AD: Progs 1763, 2012 and 1764 & Judge Dredd Megazine: Issue 318 and 319

2000 AD is the cutting edge powerhouse of British comics. Imaginative, hard-hitting stories and eye-popping art have made 2000 AD essential reading - from the violent satire of futuristic lawman Judge Dredd and the war-torn world of Rogue Trooper to the robot mayhem of the ABC Warriors and the stone-cold mutant killers of Strontium Dog.

Heavy Metal Magazine November 2011

Cover - "Dead Dawn" by Simon Bisley and Back Cover by Juan Giménez.
Includes "Party Girls" by John Mahoney, "Gallery: Snakebite" by Snakebite Cortez, "Malevolence" by Homero Ríos and Mehdi Cheggour, "I, Dragon: The End Of Genesis" by Juan Giménez, "Metal Media: John Buscema: The Lost Drawings" - Horatio Weisfeld and "Artist Studio: John Mahoney"

Graphic Novels & Trade Paper Backs

Nothing to see here this month!

Novels & Audio Books

Star Wars V The Empire Strikes Back - Radio Play

The Empire Strikes Back was a ten-part radio adaptation of the original film, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. The radio drama first aired on National Public Radio in the United States on February 14, 1983.It is the second series of the expanded radio dramatization of the original Star Wars trilogy, and lasts for a total of five hours. It was produced and broadcast by National Public Radio as part of NPR Playhouse as a follow-up to the success of the first radio series, Star Wars (1981).

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. Originally published by the George M. Hill Company in Chicago on May 17, 1900. The story chronicles the adventures of a young girl named Dorothy Gale in the Land of Oz, after being swept away from her Kansas farm home in a storm.

Thuvia, Maid of Mars

Thuvia, Maid of Mars is a science fiction novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fourth of the Barsoom series. In this novel the focus shifts from John Carter, Warlord of Mars, and Dejah Thoris of Helium, protagonists of the first three books in the series, to their son, Carthoris, prince of Helium, and Thuvia, princess of Ptarth. Helium and Ptarth are both prominent Barsoomian city state/empires, and both Carthoris and Thuvia were secondary characters in the previous novel.

The story follows the kidnapping of a Martian princess. This time John Carter's son Cathoris is implicated. and includes the creation of the Lotharians, a race of ancient martians who have become adept at telepathic projection, able to create imaginary warriors that can kill, and sustain themselves through thought alone!

In Summary

Okay, so no graphic novels or trades this month and only a hand full of comics. However I have managed to get through a few novels, a radio play and get about halfway through the classic 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, which I plan to finish this month.

I really enjoyed everything I read this month, not a bad thing to say about anything, which is odd. I really enjoyed Thuvia, Maid of Mars. It has been a while since I first read the book and so the re-read has been very enjoyable. Some very interesting plot points are raised that appear to tie the book series together nicely, and so I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series.

On to this months highlight then...

This Month’s Highlight

2000 AD Prog: 2012

Once a year 2000 AD takes a break for the festive season and to keep those thrill buffers topped up publish a 'bumper' issue to tie you over until the New Year. This years 2012 Prog was awesome, more so given the fact that last month I was left questioning my enjoyment of recent strips within the weekly title.

This issue contained a complete Judge Dredd 'Choose Your Own Way' Strip, part 1 of a new Absalom strip, part 1 of a new Nikolai Dante strip, a 'teaser' prologue strip called Aquila, part 1 of a new strip Grey Area, a Dandridge Christmas Special, the ongoing Sinister Dexter and if that's not enough for you the first part in a new Strontium Dog strip. - few, I almost feel out of breath typing all of that!

There is so much good stuff going on in this issue from the front cover to the back. The one that stood out for me though was the, 'Choose Your Own Way' Judge Dredd strip by Al Ewing and John Higgins. A real flashback to many a waisted days reading choose your own way books as a kid, never seen it done with a comic before though! Nothing short of genius, great fun too trying not to get killed or locked up by Dredd.

A really good 'Law Breaking' 4 out of 5*.

*How my ratings work: 1: Awful, 2: Passable, 3: Good, 4: Brilliant, 5: Knocked it Out of the Park!

Friday Flashback - Batman Returns

2011-12-30T12:30:00.008Z

Friday Flashback is where I look back at the books, films, TV shows and million and one other things that have inspired me over the years in my storytelling and art. As it still (just about) the 'season' this week I'm taking my last look at things a bit Cristmassy. This week one of my all time favourite Christams films: Batman Returns!

Batman Returns was the second Batman film directed by Tim Burton, based on the DC Comics character of Batman and was released in 1992. The film features Michael Keaton reprising the title role as Batman/Bruce Wayne, with Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.

Without a doubt the darker of the Tim Burton Batman films, the story follows a corrupt businessman, Max Shreck and the grotesque Penguin who plot to take control of Gotham City and only Batman can stop them! Well, only if he's not to destracted by Catwoman who seems to have her own agenda... Mmmm, Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.

Here is the trailer:

Bazinga – Its Saturday!

2011-12-24T13:00:00.001Z

My quest to explore science continues this week with something a little bit Christmas themed, a virtual sleigh ride over Mars!

The images of the snowy parts of the red planet used in this video have been edited together by the team from HiRISE and have come from the camera on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

So press play and sit back and enjoy the beautiful imagery, and as a bonus if you click on the snow flake icon at the bottom of the screen you will be treated to a cheesey snowing effect too - oh the wonders of the internet!

Happy Crimbo:

A Very Vintage Star Wars Christmas!

2011-12-24T09:00:00.004Z

This is one from a set of vintage Star Wars holiday greetings (shouldn't that be Life Day?) and comes from a rare set of cards printed by Drawing Board Greeting Cards in 1977. The whole set can be found here: Vintage Star Wars Cards.

Happy Crimbo Everyone!

Friday Flashback - The Nightmare Before Christmas

2011-12-23T12:30:00.008Z

Friday Flashback is where I look back at the books, films, TV shows and million and one other things that have inspired me over the years in my storytelling and art. As it still the 'season' this week I'm continuing to have a look at things a bit Cristmassy. This week the classic animated film: The Nightmare Before Christmas!

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a stop motion animated musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick and produced/co-written by Tim Burton and was released in 1993. It tells the story of Jack Skellington, the king of Halloweentown, who opens a portal to 'Christmas Town'. However, when he tries to embrace the Christmas spirit, he doesn't quite understand the concept... And things go a little wrong!

The film has a brilliant, classic Danny Elfman score, and also on a side note Danny Elfman provided the singing voice of Jack Skellington too, as well as other minor characters.

Here is the trailer:

Official Prometheus Trailer!

2011-12-23T10:30:00.003Z

The build up is over, the Prometheus trailer has landed:

WOW!

How could I have ever doubted?

I guess mostly because the Alien franchise has suffered at the hands of the AvP Franchise trying to turn a classic Sci-Fi creature horror and genre defining film into a 'B' movie monster gore-splatter-fest. It's good to see Ridley Scott back in the drivers seat, I must admit as much as I enjoy Aliens and kinda get what they were doing with the other Alien films (Alien 3 & Resurrection), Alien is still the best of the saga and has stood the test of time due to this.

So here is to next summer and sitting in a cinema with the lights out having some thoughts provoked and having the pants scared off of me, just as it should be with an Alien film.

Spartacus Vengeance Trailer Arrives & More Aliens too!

2011-12-22T14:00:00.001Z

Wow, it really is a week for the trailers this week!

To start with, here is Stars first full trailer for the next season of their brilliant, and a little bit bonkers, TV show Spartacus:

First thoughts?

I think a little bit of wee came out!

Next up is the third and final teaser trailer for the teaser trailer for Alien and the next (and looking ace) film in the franchise Prometheus:

Again, these teaser-teasers must be working because I'm getting very excited about this film!

Fresh From The Shire – The Hobbit Trailer - and a new Alien too!

2011-12-21T12:30:00.004Z

When it rains it pours!

This week has already seen the trailer for the Dark Knight Rises, now it is the turn for another one of my favourite franchise, The Lord of the Rings and Peter Jackson's latest offering from all things Middle Earth: the first of two hobbit films. If this trailer is anything to go by, it looks awesome:

It doesn't stop there either. Next week on Tuesday is the first trailer for Prometheus, the new Alien film.

I wasn't sure about this one until I saw the trailer teaser. Yes, that's right. We now live in a world where not only do we get teaser trailers for the main film trailer, but we also get teaser trailers for the teaser trailers for the trailers for the film!

Confused?

Watch these and you will see what I mean:

Confused or not, I get a real nostalgic vibe from this and I'm waiting with much anticipation for the full trailer next week. Could we be also seeing not only the rise of the Dark Knight but also the Alien from the dreggs ot the AVP franchise?

The Dark Knight Rises - Official NewTrailer

2011-12-20T12:00:00.004Z

After what seems a very long wait it is finally here, the new trailer for the third and final Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises:

What can I say? Looks amazing!

John Carter of Mars TV Spots

2011-12-19T19:30:00.001Z

Disney/Pixar have just released two TV Spots for their up coming film John Carter, that is based on the Princess of Mars and the Barsoom series of books by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Just click play and the TV Spots will play back to back:

If you follow my blog you will know that I have been following the development of this film and posting trailers and images for a while now. There is something about this film; the more I see of it, the more enthused I get and the more I want to watch it and see it succeed as a franchise. I really believe that we are at a time and a place with films where there could be a return to the old style of fantasy & science fantasy genres. Which would be brilliant as far as I am concerned, and about time too!

If I have one negative about these trailers, if you don't know the story they make little sense. They come across as more of an appetizer of imagery. Yet, it is still early days and a long way to go until I sit in that cinema and the lights go down...

Yeehaw! A Cowgirl Pin Up

2011-12-19T18:20:00.002Z

Here is my latest pin up in the series that I'm currently working on, it is a bit of a modern spin on the classic Cowgirl:

As usual with these things, not much explanation needed. If you are wondering about the colour pallet used, for whatever reason I decided to have a play with tone and went for a warm mix of pink and brown for this one. I think it came from looking at some of Frank Frazetta art before hand, also it just seemed to fit the theme.

If you want to view the 'Not Work Safe' version of the image, here is the link to my Redbubble store where you have to option to turn off the filtering: HERE

Bazinga – Its Saturday!

2011-12-17T12:30:00.005Z

My quest to explore science continues this week with the last moonwalk:

This week marked the thirty-ninth anniversary of the final moonwalk of the last of the Apollo mission’s, Apollo 17. On December 13, 1972, Commander, and veteran of the Apollo 10 mission, Gene Cernan and Lunar Module Pilot Jack Schmitt made their last of three lunar EVAs.

NASA commemorated the anniversary by posting the above image of Jack Schmitt on the moon as its 'Image of the Day'. Find out more about the Apollo 17 mission and that moonwalk here with this fantastic article on the Universe Today site.

You never know, I may just get to see some new photos as beautiful as this one in my lifetime.

Page 3 Panel 6

2011-12-16T18:17:00.001Z

I've been a bit busy this week, hence the lack of posts, and one of the things I'm currently working on is a comic strip for Future Quake. Here is a pop-out panel I finished last night:

More art coming soon.

Friday Flashback - Brazil

2011-12-16T12:30:00.002Z

Brazil is a British science fiction fantasy/black comedy film written and directed by great Terry Gilliam. The writing was also by Charles McKeown, and Tom Stoppard. The film stars Jonathan Pryce as Sam Lowry, and also features Robert De Niro, Michael Palin, Katherine Helmond, Bob Hoskins, and Ian Holm.

The film centres on Sam Lowry, a man trying to find a woman who appears in his dreams while he is working in a mind-numbing job and living a life in a small apartment, set in a dystopian world in which there is an over-reliance on poorly maintained and rather whimsical machines.

An administrative error caused by a fly, which is brilliance, leaves Sam trying to correct it. Meeting quite literally the woman of his dreams, a crazy plumber, Father Christmas and becoming an enemy of the state on the way. It is a bonkers, and yet a totally awesome film and another one for the Crimbo view list each year!

Here is the trailer:

Avast! A New Pin Up

2011-12-12T18:13:00.007Z

Here is the next one of a series of Modern and Classic Pin Ups that I'm working on at the moment. This one is called Pirate Girl:

If you wish to see the rude bits click HERE and you will be magically whisked away to my Redbubble page where you can have a peek once you have clicked on the option to remove the 'Not Work Safe' filtering.

Get Your Hands on Some Signed Joe Abercrombie Books...

2011-12-12T17:30:00.006Z

...And do some good at the same time too!

Over at Joe Abercrombie's blog he is offering the fantastic opportunity to own some of his books - signed! With the proceeds going to a charity. So here is a chance to pick up a great book, signed by the author, and do some good this crimbo too. What more could you want?

Me?

A signed copy of, 'The Last Argument of Kings'. I think it would make someone an ideal Christmas present *coff-coff*

Here is the link to the auction on eBay: Awesome Fantasy Books

Game Of Thrones Season 2 Cold Winds Tease Trailer

2011-12-12T13:00:00.002Z

I think I'm going to have to pick up the DVD box set of season one and give it a re-watch in the new year to bring me back up to speed with this fantastic TV series. After the way season one ended, I'm very much looking forward to this second season and this teaser pitches it brilliantly:

Bazinga – Its Saturday!

2011-12-10T12:30:00.012Z

My quest to explore science continues this week with Lasers!

Yes, a subject close to my heart, the good old ray gun! But, have you ever wondered how a laser works? Especially one that could be mounted on the head of a shark? Wonder no more, as here is the answer:

From: MinutePhysics

Friday Flashback - Gremlins

2011-12-09T12:30:00.002Z

Friday Flashback is where I look back at the books, films, TV shows and million and one other things that have inspired me over the years in my storytelling and art. As it is the 'season' this week I'm have a look at something a bit Cristmassy: Gremlins!

Gremlins came out back in 1984 and is a 'horror' comedy film directed by Joe Dante and produced by Steven Spielberg. The film is about a young man, Billy, who receives a strange and very cute creature called a Mogwai as a Christmas present. Inadvertently Billy breaks 3 important rules concerning his new pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil 'gremlins' who unleash malevolent and mischievous hell on a small town. In short – Brilliant Christmas fun and a film I watch every year!

Here is the trailer:

Another Peachy Pin Up

2011-12-06T18:48:00.005Z

Well, I'm working on so many projects at the moment I am genuinely waiting for my nervous breakdown to kick in at times! One of my many projects is a series of Modern and Classic Pin-Ups and here is my latest one: The Devil Wears...

Not much explanation needed for this one other than the title being inspired (and I use the word inspired loosely) by the red boots and the film/book, of which I am keen to point out other than that there is no connection intended. If you want to view the 'rude bits' here is the LINK to my Redbubble Store – just click the option to remove the Not Work Safe filtering to enjoy....

Bazinga – Its Saturday!

2011-12-03T13:00:00.003Z

My quest to explore science continues this week with the Science Laboratory Lift Off for Red Planet, the good old God of War, and a yummy chocolate bar - Mars!

NASA's Curiosity rover has begun the journey to Mars after its Atlas V rocket launched successfully from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Nov. 26. Ten instruments aboard MSL will provide new data about whether the area within and around Mars' Gale Crater could ever have supported microbial life. The Mars Science Laboratory is expected to reach Mars next August.

I do love the good ol' red planet of Mars, how couldn't I? It has been the inspiration for many of my favourite Sci-Fi and fantasy stories. However, I can't help but think that if we are really serious about looking for life in our solar system shouldn't we be focusing on Europa? There we go. I have said it now, no taking it back. I guess in this short sighted age we live in I should be grateful that NASA even has a space program. Sad, but true.

Here is the lift off video. Can't help but get excited every time I see a rocket launch:

(Taken from: NASAtelevision)

Even More Pictures from John Carter

2011-12-02T18:05:00.004Z

Well, it is without any doubt John Carter week!

Here are the latest pictures and banners from the Disney/Pixar live action film. I know already that some people are grumbling about one or two of the changes to the looks of the characters. To me they are minor and like them, I like them a lot and I am really looking forward to seeing more of the stunning imagery from the film over the coming months as the build to its release in March 2012 continues.

Friday Flashback – A Princess of Mars

2011-12-02T12:30:00.004Z

Friday Flashback is where I look back at the books, films, TV shows and million and one other things that have inspired me over the years in my storytelling and art. This week I'm have a look at a book: A Princess of Mars.

How could I not talk about this book? It has been a week of John Carterness with the images and trailers from Disney and Pixar that I, along with many others, have been posting all week from the up and coming new film, John Carter of Mars. Interestingly on that note, the film is due out early next year which (I don't know if this was planned for or not) marks a 100 years since A Princess of Mars (The first of John Carter's adventures on Mars) was first published back in 1912.

Anyway, on with the book.

A Princess of Mars is a science fiction fantasy novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and marks the first of his Barsoom series, it is also Burroughs' first novel. A Princess of Mars is considered a classic example of 20th century pulp fiction as it is full of swordplay and daring feats, and a romance between two of the principle characters: John Carter and Dejah Thoris (the Princess of Mars). The book even starts in a wild west setting in its early chapters, how cool is that. The main story however is set on Mars, imagined as a dying planet with a harsh desert environment and populated by many wonderful and fantastic creatures such as Tharks, a multi limbed green skinned and savage warrior race. The insperation for Mars that Burroughs used to write his series of books was based on the works of the astronomer Percival Lowell, whose ideas were widely popularized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In a nutshell, A Princess of Mars is the swashbuckling love story of a cowboy on Mars – and it is one of my favourite stories of all time.

Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom series, especially A Princess of Mars, has influenced generations of people, from scientists to artists alike. If it wasn't for Burroughs' novels there would be no Star Wars. Well, there would be, but I can assure you that most of what makes it cool would not be there as George Lucas has been clearly and heavily influenced by these books. If you think Princess Leia fighting in her metal bikini on Jabba's sailbarge out in the desert is original and amazing? That is right out of an Edgar Rice Burroughs book, just change her name to Dejah Thoris, and by the way she is still a princess.

It is not just Burroughs' writing for A Princess of Mars that has inspired me and many others. One of the greatest science fiction and fantasy artists that has ever lived, the late great Frank Frazetta, a true hero of mine, painted some of the most influential imagery based on and for A Princess of Mars and the subsequent Barsoom novels.

So like I said at the start, this book is now almost a 100 years old and it has since and still and will for as long as there is a copy available for someone to read still inspire people. If that is not the mark of a great story, I don't know what is.

Happy Christmas - My December Pin Up!

2011-12-01T18:10:00.002Z

Here is my Pin Up art for December, the Christmas Angel:

I have been working on improving my art style this year and browsing through my work I can see how the last twelve months has seen a change for the better. With this painting I think I am where I wanted to be and for the first time I have finished a painting and I am very happy with it.

If you want to see the rude bits, here is the link to my Redbubble site: Click Here

The New Full Length Trailer For John Carter Of Mars

2011-12-01T12:00:00.002Z

Okay, here it is, fresh from Disney/Pixar this morning the latest Trailer for John Carter of Mars:

Novembers Reading List

2011-11-30T18:20:00.081Z

November already!

Well here it is, my reading list for the last month:

Comics

2000Ad Progs 1759, 1760, 1761 & 1762

2000 AD is the cutting edge powerhouse of British comics. Imaginative, hard-hitting stories and eye-popping art have made 2000 AD essential reading - from the violent satire of futuristic lawman Judge Dredd and the war-torn world of Rogue Trooper to the robot mayhem of the ABC Warriors and the stone-cold mutant killers of Strontium Dog.

Warlord of Mars Dejah Thoris #8

Pirate Queen of Mars, part 3! Dejah Thoris's kingdom of Helium is in tatters, and, even worse, it's running out of water. Water is worth more than all the gold and jewels on Mars... except for the fabled treasure Phondari, the Pirate Queen of Mars, is hunting for.

DC Universe Online Legends #16 & #17

Hal Jordan and the other human Green Lanterns have been recalled to Oa under emergency circumstances. Brainiac’s main fleet has been located and he’s gone to war with the Sinestro’s Yellow Lantern Corps on Korugar! The mission: Containment, allowing both enemies to annihilate each other!

Detective Comics #3

Batman sets his sights on the Gotham Ripper, who in turn has his sights on Batman. But time is running out as both Commissioner Gordon and Batman work to uncover the true identity of this new serial killer.

Star Wars The Clone Wars Free Comic Book Day Issue

A short flip-flop issue to give you a look at the Dark Horse comics Star Wars and Avatar!

Gears of War #20

In part 2 of “Dirty Little Secrets,” the Gears have taken refuge on the island of Vectes, where they must defend the local civilians from marauding bands of Stranded. Joining them are their old enemies, the fiercely independent Gorasni. Memories of old atrocities may lead these tentative allies to kill each other instead of their common foe.

Ghostbusters Ongoing #1

Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night? Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic? Have you or any of your family ever seen a spook, specter or ghost? If the answer is yes, call the professionals! Psychokinetic energy is on the rise again, business is booming for the boys, and Ray is troubled by what could be a prophetic dream… Is this an ill omen of an upcoming apocalypse, or just a little indigestion? These questions and more are raised in the first issue of the all-new, ongoing GHOSTBUSTERS!

Heavy Metal Magazine Summer 2011 - War of the Worlds Special!

Includes the stories: "Gallery: War Of The Worlds: Goliath", "War Of The Worlds: Goliath: St Petersburg" - Joe Pearson, David Abramowitz, Gavin Yap, and Puppeteer Lee, "War Of The Worlds: Goliath: Legacy" - Chi-Ren Choong and WanKok Leong, "War Of The Worlds: Goliath: Divine Wind" - Kromosomlab, Mayaloca, and Leon Tan, "War Of The Worlds: Goliath: The Oath" - Joe Pearson, Oh Wang Jing, and Popia, "War Of The Worlds: Goliath: The Patient" - Gavin Yap, Remy "Eisu" Mokhtar, and Ammar "Gecko" Jamal, "War Of The Worlds: Goliath: The Captain" - Na'a Murad, Gavin Yap, and Slaium

Judge Dredd Megazine 317

2000 AD is the cutting edge powerhouse of British comics. Imaginative, hard-hitting stories and eye-popping art have made 2000 AD essential reading - from the violent satire of futuristic lawman Judge Dredd and the war-torn world of Rogue Trooper to the robot mayhem of the ABC Warriors and the stone-cold mutant killers of Strontium Dog.

Witch Doctor #4

It's Dr. Morrow's toughest challenge yet: a magical malpractice hearing! Mystics Without Borders wants answers. Why did the case of the 'Patient from the Black Lagoon' go so wrong? What's the biological secret of the Deep Ones, and their connection to the 'Great Old Infections'? And how do you fight an epidemic that's turning people into fish-people? Find out, in the finale of the debut miniseries from Robert Kirkman's Skybound Originals line!

Warlord of Mars #11 & #12

Dejah Thoris is left to fend for herself while her son, Carthoris, travels to the Atmosphere Factory to clear his father's name. Carthoris is going to need all the help he can get just to survive the trip - fortunately, he'll have Tars Tarkas, mightiest warrior of the green Martian tribes, at his side. Who knows what mysteries await their arrival? Dejah continues her own investigation into the murder of the Caretaker while they're away. She might not like what she finds... conspiracies, corpses and secrets...

Suicide Squad #3

They’re a team of death-row super villains recruited by the government to take on missions so dangerous – they’re sheer suicide! Harley Quinn! Deadshot! King Shark!

Star Trek Ongoing #2

The original series episode Where No Man Has Gone Before comes to a conclusion in this month’s edition of IDW’s Star Trek.

Graphic Novels & Trade Paper Backs

Elephantmen Volume 2 - Fatal Diseases

Collecting issues #8-14 of Image Comics' hit Pulp Science Fiction series, Elephantmen: Fatal Diseases details the lives of Hip Flask, Ebony Hide, Obadiah Horn, and the rest of the survivors of MAPPO's genetic experiments in Los Angeles, 2259, as a meteor falls in Santa Monica Bay and a new epidemic must be contained!

Novels & Audio Books

Star Wars IV A New Hope - Radio Play

An original radio drama based on the motion picture features an expanded version of the movie story, music and sound effects from the film, and original cast members reprising their roles.

I am Legend

An acclaimed SF novel about vampires. The last man on earth is not alone . . . Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth . . . but he is not alone. Every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire, and they are hungry for Neville's blood. By day he is the hunter, stalking the undead through the ruins of civilisation. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn. How long can one man survive like this?

Warlord of Mars

The Gods of Mars ended on a cliff-hanger, with John Carter's beloved wife, Dejah Thoris and her former slave, Thuvia, caught in the clutches of the evil queen Issus. In order to free them, Carter journeys to the frozen wastelands of northern Mars, where new dangers and horrifying creatures await to confront him. Can Carter overcome the obstacles to rescue the woman he loves... and finally become the Warlord of Mars?

In Summary

I've must admit I have surprised myself this month with the amount of books and comics that I have managed to get through. I'm really on-board now with the audio books, I spend so much time working on art and there are so many books I want to read that it feels like the perfect match. I've managed to get through the fantastic Star Wars radio play and the brilliant I Am Legend. Two stories I would never have found the time to sit down and read.

I think my low for the month has to be (and I really don't like having to admit to this) sadly, 2000AD. The progs recently have just fallen a little flat. 2000AD's strength, and sometimes its weakness, is that it is an anthology. This means that from time-to-time you get a duff story, it is a preference thing. Some things you like and some you wont.

Currently there are two stories I don't even read in the prog and a third that I feel I need to just because if I don't that's over half the comic I'm paying for and not reading! The stories (and I think to some this may be a surprise and to others not at all) are Indigo Prime – I just don't get it, and more importantly, I don't want to! Angel Zero – Please wake me up when this 'paint by numbers' story is over, and my half-hearted read is Sinister Dexter. I know at one point I was enjoying this strip, now though, I'm not too sure.

Over all another really good month, I am still very much enjoying the goodies that Dynamite and IDW are dropping on my doorstep each month, the Warlord of Mars series along with Dejah Thoris is still at the top of my reading pile when it arrives. I've taken the plunge with a new series, Ghostbusters by IDW. Very fun and a change of pace for me as a reader. (check out my review earlier this week).

Now, onto this month's highlight...

This Month’s Highlight

I am Legend

Oh-my! What an absolutely brilliant book I am Legend is indeed!

I remember when the Will Smith film of the same title came out being really disappointed by it, it is not a good film. In fact I would go as far as to say it is a really bad film! I talked to a friend about it and he agreed and recommended reading the book it is based on as it is a lot better. That is almost always a given though isn't? That the book is always going to be better than the film. In this case though my friend was more than right...

...Oh-boy, what a difference there is!

The book of I am Legend is on a different planet to the film, not in that it is set on a different planet, just that it is knocked out of the park in comparison. The book is a closer more personal story of the last man alive in a world dominated by vampires.

Here is the synopsis:

The last man on earth is not alone . . . Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth . . . but he is not alone. Every other man, woman and child on the planet has become a vampire, and they are hungry for Neville's blood. By day he is the hunter, stalking the undead through the ruins of civilisation. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for the dawn. How long can one man survive like this?

What I like about the book is that you really do feel like you are on the same ride as Robert Neville, the protagonist for the story. You are right there in his desperations, hopes and fears, and you can't help but find yourself emotionally rising and falling as Robert discovers the truths of his existence and just how much longer he has. Then of course there is the other question, is he truly the last man on Earth?

I am legend is a fantastic, sci-fi and fantasy story with a good dose of horror thrown in the mix. I highly recommend this book and give it a 4.5 out of 5.

*How my ratings work: 1: Awful, 2: Passable, 3: Good, 4: Brilliant, 5: Knocked it Out of the Park!

Page Two Panel One Comic Art

2011-11-30T13:00:00.003Z

I'm currently working on a strip for Future Quake due out early next year, and although I can't post a full page, I'm almost finished on this panel, liked the look of it and thought I should share:

How I Make Some Art: Space Battles – Part 2

2011-11-29T19:19:00.005Z

Here is the second part of how I am putting together a Star Trek space battle for a painting inspired by the writing of Wayne M. Thomason. In this post it might not seem that a lot has changed by the end of it, however I have now hit the 'fiddly' stage of the art where I am applying a lot of detail and there for there is no big changes to the over all image.

When I left the painting last I was almost finished with the USS Kusanagi a Akira class federation star ship. So this is where I pick up again adding the finishing touches, mostly the warp engine and the deflector dish glow. This is simply done with a mix of a Normal layer setting and an Overlay layer setting. I then just use the standard airbrush to add the 'glow'.

Once I am happy with it I move to the other side of the image and the USS Crusader, a Nebula class star ship. I start as I did with the others, convert the silhouette from black to grey and generate a mask from it to ensure I don't stray outside the lines.

Again, I gradually build up the colours and details until I am happy with the basic image of the ship.

As with the USS Kusanagi I now add things like warp engine glow, etc... I addition I also add a glowing blue ring across the bottom of the main saucer-section. I don't have any good reference images for the class of ship, so it is a little bit of improvisation inspired by a another class of Federation star ship. It is different, but I like it. So for now it stays.

At this point there is a little bit of a jump. My bad, I forgot to screen capture a couple of times. Anyway, You might be able to see that I have started on the Dominion ships, namely the fighters of the Jem'Hadar. The 'swarms' in the background, left and right, were just a simple case of laying on a few splodges of colour in the right place. They are so far of in the distance that there is little to no detail needed on them.

This means that they were finished nice and quickly. Shame I can't say the same for the mid to foreground ones. Now we are moving closer to the foreground and naturally I need to start to add more detail to the ships than I have been so far, and one thing the Jem'Hadar fighter has is plenty of that.

As with the other ships it is just a case of using the silhouette to build up the detail and colours. Once done I grab a nice purple colour from my colour palette and get adding the hull markings.

At this point I am only half way through the painting of the ships and so I'm kinda slapping on the markings – it will make sense later, stick with me.

Hull markings roughed in I now take a custom brush for 'dirtying' create two layers, one as Multiply and one as Overlay. Then using black on the Multiply layer I dirty up the dark areas, and with white I dirty up the light areas. The next step is to start to really detail up the ships. However, I have run out of time at this point and so this will have to be put off until next week.

Taking a look at the whole image, I think it is starting to take shape.

The plan for next week is to finish the Dominion fleet and get started on adding some action in the shape of phaser fire, explosions, and one or two photon torpedoes!

Comic Review: Ghostbusters #1

2011-11-29T18:23:00.010Z

As Zaius is still troubled by a man called Taylor over at Escape From Tomorrow (he mentioned something about brain surgery...?), I'm posting this review of IDW's new ongoing comic series Ghostbusters, here on my blog.

Two of my favourite comic houses at the moment has to be Dynamite Entertainment and IDW. Both are producing some really good titles and doing it consistently, just how comics should be done! This month my reading pile was joined by the new ongoing series of Ghostbusters by IDW.

Ongoing series?

Yes!

Not a mini series or a new Infestation (well, there is one of those, but it has nothing to do with this new series) but an ongoing series of the brilliant Ghostbusters!

Here is the solicitation from IDW:

Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night? Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic? Have you or any of your family ever seen a spook, spectre or ghost? If the answer is yes, call the professionals!

Psychokinetic energy is on the rise again, business is booming for the boys, and Ray is troubled by what could be a prophetic dream… Is this an ill omen of an upcoming apocalypse, or just a little indigestion? These questions and more are raised in the first issue of the all-new, ongoing GHOSTBUSTERS!

Okay, so there you have it. Picking up Ghostbusters wasn't a long thought out process for me. I just dropped the awful Action Comics by DC (It is very weird, I seem to be one of very few who didn't like this one) and while I was aimlessly browsing my comic shop's online store wondering what to fill that gap in my monthly subscription with, my son was watching Ghostbusters on the TV on one of its many outings and at that very moment an email popped in my inbox listing some up and coming titles. There, right at the top of the list, was the announcement of the new ongoing Ghostbusters series – coming soon!

What the hell, right?

I like the first film (scrub that: LOVE the first film), the cartoon my son watches (and I used to watch as a kid!!) isn't that bad. What have I got to lose? $3.99! I spend that on sweets at the weekend.

For about the time it takes you to read this sentence I mulled it over and placed the order. Ghostbusters is not something that I would normally look to read, but how bad could it be?

The answer?

Not bad at all. In fact very good!

I think I started out trying not to like the Ghostbusters comic from the moment I added it to my subscription. Yet I can't help but like it. The cartoon styled art, even though on a quick glance made me roll my eyes, is perfectly for the story and once I started reading it grew on me really quickly, by about panel two on page one in fact.

The writing (again I wondered would it just be monster/ghost of the week?) is spot on! It is fun, witty, has a good direction and has some very clever moments, and the dialogue could be right out of the film. I'm happy to pay $3.99 for it too. Not only do you get the main story, a short story and some concept art – but NO adverts scattered randomly throughout to pull you out of the story! That last point alone is worth the cover price.

In fact Ghostbusters is a really good comic and by the time I had finished reading this first issue I was already thinking about issue #2 and where IDW are taking the series. My only concern is with the introduction of Slimer, the green ghost the eats all the food from the hotel at the start of the first film who became the, 'Scrappy Doo' of the Ghostbusters cartoon TV show. Now I hope, as things are unclear in the first issue, that they just hit him with the Ghosterbuster packs and stick him in a trap – for good! Only time and the second issue will tell and I can see this becoming a sticking point for me should the little spud hang about as a poor comedy sidekick.

A well deserved 3.5 out of 5 stay puff marshmallow monsters!

Ghostbusters #1

Written by Erik Burnham
Art and Cover by Dan Schoening
Colours by Luis Antonio Delgado
PCOC Pages by Tristan Jones
Letters by Shawn Lee
Published by IDW

*How my ratings work: 1: Awful, 2: Passable, 3: Good, 4: Brilliant, 5: Knocked it Out of the Park!

New John Carter Of Mars Posters!

2011-11-29T12:30:00.001Z

More John Carter?

Yes!

And expect more over the next few weeks too.

Today Disney have released a new set of posters for the John Carter film and they seem, to me and a few others, to be truer to the spirit to the origins of the story and look more like the cover of an old nickel pulp sci-fi novel – awesome!

John Carter of Mars – Official Pictures

2011-11-28T13:00:00.004Z

I am a huge fan of the John Carter novels and comics, I have just spent the last few months re-reading the Princess of Mars, Gods of Mars and the Warlord of Mars, and I am really enjoying the Dynamite Comics series Warlord of Mars and Warlord of Mars: Dejah Thoris.

This means I am getting very excited about the coming realise of the first ever live action Pixar film: John Carter of Mars

We already have a teaser trailer:

However, the first main feature trailer premières on the internet next Thursday, and the film is released in the UK on 9 March 2012. To get us all excited in the build up, Pixar have posted a few awesome images from the film, and here they are:

Looks fantastic doesn't it!

Bazinga – Its Saturday!

2011-11-26T12:00:00.001Z

My quest to explore science continues this week with some beautiful time lapse imagery from Ron Garan, who not only took the photos but also edited them together himself into this incredible video. Who is Ron Garan? Ron Garan has returned to Earth on September the 16th 2011 after spending 6 months in space on the International Space Station.

The film is about eight minutes long and it will take your breath away, watch it all, it is fascinating. From auroras to storms, to lightning, to cities at night. It just makes you realise what a amazing world we are all lucky to live on.

Time Lapse From Space - Literally. The Journey Home. from Fragile Oasis on Vimeo.

Friday Flashback - Alien

2011-11-25T12:30:00.015Z

Alien was unleashed on cinema goers back in 1979 and has ever since been one of the most highly regarded science fiction horror films to date. In essence, Alien is the measuring stick that all other sci-fi/horror films are measured by, and for good reason.

The film is directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The story and screenplay was created by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett. And the look of the film? The Alien creature and its accompanying elements were designed by Swiss surrealist artist H. R. Giger, and concept artists Ron Cobb and Chris Foss designed all of the human aspects of the film. Alien is a stand out example, to me, of all the right people in the right place at the right time.

Never seen it? Here is the trailer:

Alien, without doubt, is a classic and has, along with many of the people that have worked upon the film, influenced me and my work ever since I took the day of school 'sick', and while my parents were at work and I had the house to myself, popped a copy of it into my VCR. If there was a bucket list of films to see, Alien is on that list. If you haven't seen the film in a while, or have never seen it, pick up a copy and give it a watch.

When you do watch Alien, make sure you watch it the right way:

1.Watch the original cinema release of the film. Not the directors cut! Those scenes, as interesting as they are, were cut for a reason.
2.Watch the film late at night, with the lights off and the sound up loud!
3.Finally, once you have crawled from behind the sofa and the credits are rolling. I challenge you to try and tell yourself that those Alien Vs Predator films you enjoyed recently are any good... ....at all!

How I Make Some Art: Space Battles – Part 1

2011-11-22T18:11:00.008Z

I've been asked by more then a few people now for a more in-depth walk through of how I pull an image together. Before we get started, I want to state from the off that as a digital artist I am entirely self-taught. So this and the subsequent relative posts are not by any stretch of the imagination to be considered a tutorial. They're more about my work flow, ideas, inspiration and how I make it happen.

The image I am currently working on and am going to focus on for these posts is a space battle set in the Star Trek universe in the Gamma Quadrant. It has been inspired by the writing of Wayne M. Thomason, also known as Turbulence1973 on the Deviant Art website have a look at his work, it's brilliant.

The original thought for this image was to find a way to show multiple ships from the fleet of ships that feature in Wayne's stories. I also wanted to include some bad guys too, Wayne suggested the Dominion, which I was very much up for. Next was where to set it.

My first thought was in space, as they are space ships it was not a great leap of imagination to get there. However, at this point I'm a little tired of black backdrops awash with star and I need to keep the background as low key as possible as I plan to drop in a lot of ships, phaser fire and explosions making it a very busy foreground. So... what to do...?

...Then I hand an idea, low (or high, depending on your prospective) orbit battle, a bit like the beginning of the Star Wars film: Revenge of the Sith.

This took me to stage one of the artwork, the layout or 'thumb nail'.

It's a mess, I know, yet it makes sense to me and will be my ongoing guide throughout the painting for composition and layout. I create the sketch by opening up PhotoShop, creating a new file, setting the dimensions to the ones I planed to work at for the image I am working on, select a custom brush I have created that acts like a cross between a marker pen and a pencil, and get sketching. I don't rub things out or anything fancy at all. It is just scribble away with shapes and ideas until it comes together. If I don't like it, I don't try to fix it, I just delete it all and start for scratch again.

Breaking this sketch down, right at the centre if the flag ship of the fleet the USS Honor, this is going to be my focus point for the image. The main reason being is that it is going to be a busy, busy image and I want a point within it that pulls your attention in when you look at it for the first time and then allows you to be then drawn around the painting to look at the chaos surrounding it.

When you look at the sketch, you can see that there is very little detail, in fact I have even taken a short-cut and just written the names of things to save time. Why? Well, I already have the image in my head at this point, the sketch is just to make sure that in principle it works. The detail is in my head.

The next step is to get some reference images of the ships. Now, I have a good idea as to how the ships look being a fan. But also being a fan of Star Trek I know that getting the details right is important too. Luckily Wayne had recently posted some images of his fleet on his Deviant Art page, add to these some images from a quick search of the internet and I was ready to go.

So the first thing I always do once I have the canvas size set and ready to paint is to plan out the image using silhouettes of the main features, in this case the space ships. These silhouettes will form the base for the artwork and also as a mask to make sure I 'stay within the lines' when I'm painting. Once I'm happy, safe in the knowledge that I can jiggle it about whenever I want (each silhouette is on a separate layer), I can get painting.

When I start painting I always have three folders: a Foreground, Mid-ground and Background. My starting point is always the background, this will give me lighting directions etc. I start by sploging some colour and texture on for the sky and planet beneath, once that is done I paint in the clouds and stars with custom brushes.

There is not much change here, just a few more clouds and the important part at the phase which is the highlighting and shadows added to the clouds and atmosphere. At this stage I am going to stop working on the background as I have enough to get on with, with the intention of returning to finish the background later.

Before I start on the ships in the mid-ground I make a few tweaks to the layout to 'de-clutter' the view a little. I also airbrush in two moons in the sky, just to add a bit of an 'alien world' feel to the scene.

I start with the focus point, the USS Honor and using the silhouette I created as a base and mask I convert it to a grey hue from black, select it with the wand, set it to feather and get layering on the colours. I use a mix of one or two brushes, the standard hard brush, a custom paint brush and the standard airbrush.

As the layers of 'paint' go on I always keep in mind the bigger picture that I am working on, with the wonder that is a zoom you can very quickly find you are adding details and spending time on things that will be lost once the image is zoomed back out again.

Okay, the Honor done, but not finished. This is as far as I am taking this ship for now, once I have painted in the rest of the ships I will then look to add in the phaser fire and big bangs which will change the lighting and how the image blends. Something to tackle later.

Now I have to decide which ship to paint next?

I decide to go for the USS Kusanagi at the top right of the image. I've never painted an Akira class star ship before, so it is a bit of a challenge. Not only that, reference images are thin on the ground so there is a little artistic licence with the look.

As with the USS Honor, I convert the silhouette into a mask layer and the base layer, dropping its hue this time to a white. Then, taking the lighting in to account I gradually build up the shadows, detail and highlight.

By the time I come to the end of my time working on this piece, I am about halfway through painting the ship.

So, this is the image so far. Still a lot to do and I won't be getting there fast. Currently due to my workload of illustrating one or two comics at the moment I can only afford a few hours a week to work on this painting. This is a good thing, as it is an image I am looking forward to getting on with and can't wait to start work on when I get the time to do so. Not only that, it gives me a break away from sequential artwork for one evening a week which is like a breath of fresh air and keeps everything fresh for me as I work between the various projects.

If all goes to plan, part two will be posted next week.

Bazinga – Its Saturday!

2011-11-19T12:28:00.002Z

Time Travel!

How could I not after posting about Back to the Future yesterday?

Here is how it works in theory:

...and here is a really cool way of using worm holes to travel in time and space - worm holes are cool, just ask John Crichton!

Friday Flashback - Back To The Future

2011-11-18T12:30:00.017Z

Friday Flashback is where I look back at the books, films, TV shows and million and one other things that have inspired me over the years in my storytelling and art. This week I'm have a look at the awesomeness that is Back To The Future:

What's not to love about this film? It was destine to become an instant classic from the moment it hit the cinema screens way back in 1985. Written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale and produced by the almighty Steven Spielberg, and staring the fantastic double act of Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd along with a whole host of others. It was a fantastic mix of talent from the off and lets not forget the car too!

I don't need to explain the story, I'm yet to meet anyone in life that has not seen this film or know about it, and if you haven't seen Back to the Future, shame on you! And what have been watching at Christmas on TV??

So go watch it now! Go on, this very minute drop whatever it is you are doing and find a copy and put it on and sit back and enjoy one of the best time travel films that has ever been made.

Here are the original trailers if you should need any more convincing:

Back at the start of his film making life, Steven Spielberg produced a lot of science fiction films, Close Encounters, Jurassic Park or even ET for example. Something he managed to achieve with Back to the Future that makes it stand out from his other science fiction films is that he was able to make a science fiction film that you didn't realise was a science fiction film. The thought never even entered your head as you watched it. There is Professor Brown banging on about time travel, fracturing of time lines creating parallel worlds, 1.21 gigawatts, cause and affect and flux-capacitors like he was having a conversation about the weather!

This is what makes Back to the Future (amongst a lot of other great things) a brilliant example of how a science fiction story doesn't have to be about the science or really even focus on it and for the most part still get it right and respect it while telling a great and highly enjoyable story.

Padme Unleashed

2011-11-16T18:38:00.008Z

Here is some quick Star Wars art that I have bashed together for a bit of experimenting with character likeness:

Padme Unleashed by *SimonBreeze on deviantART

I've kept the image simple as my goal was likeness and not a whole scene. In fact, just to save a bit more time, it is based on a Star Wars statue that I used to have sat on my desk of Padme from the battle at the end of Attack of the Clones. So I didn't even have to think up a pose! It seems to have come out all right, in fact I'm quite happy with it, which is the import thing.

Where No Man Has Gone Before - Star Trek #1 Review

2011-11-14T18:19:00.006Z

Okay, first off I'm posting this review here as Zaius is on a hiatus over at Escape From Tomorrow, something about a man called Taylor falling from the sky or something...

Any-who, on with the review!

I am a massive Star Trek fan (I even have a toy phaser and a red shirt!), loved the new film and the take it took on the original characters and universe, and the technology is mouth wateringly conceptualised. I even liked the spin with time travel that left all of the original Star Trek stories intact! (DC you could learn a lot from this...).

IDW, as a publisher, is going from strength to strength in my opinion, and adding another strong string to its bow is this newly rebooted Star Trek universe. When I heard the announcement, being the impulsive guy that I am, I jumped right away and placed it on my monthly comic subscription to go onto my pull list – and I've not regretted it for a heartbeat.

The story follows the original series first episode of a two episode story called, 'Where No Man Has Gone Before' and looks, in the same way the film has re-envisioned the franchise, to take it in a new direction. The original story was the 'second' pilot for the TV show and introduced Kirk as the captain of the Enterprise and starts on an exploratory mission to leave the galaxy.

While en route, they discovers the 'black box' recorder for the SS Valiant, a lost Earth starship, and beam aboard the battered device. The 200-year-old recorder is barely functional, but it indicates that the SS Valiant had been swept from its path by a "magnetic space storm". The black box holds data about the last moments aboard the ill-fated SS Valiant, and shows that the crew had been frantically searching for information about extra-sensory perception (ESP) in the ship's library computer. The tape ends with the captain of the SS Valiant giving a self-destruct order.

Kirk decides that they need to know what happened to the SS Valiant, and the Enterprise crosses the edge of the galaxy. The crew encounters a strange barrier, which causes serious electrical damage to the Enterprise's systems, forcing the vessel to retreat. At the same time, Helmsman Gary Mitchell and ship's psychiatrist Dr. Elizabeth Dehner are both knocked unconscious by the field's effect. After they awaken, Mitchell's eyes glow silver, and he soon begins to display remarkable psionic powers....

That was pretty much how the first episode of the TV show played out, the comic however was a little different, and this is why I thought it was brilliant.

In the comic the story starts out as the TV show does, with a few minor changes, none that will have any impact on the story, however it keeps it in line with the new look Star Trek and the characters. The big change !!SPOILERS!! is when the Enterprise is damaged by the strange barrier and Helmsman Gary Mitchell is knocked unconscious by the field's effect (note just Helmsman Gary Mitchell), and when Kirk asks for psychiatrist Dr. Elizabeth Dehner to assess Helmsman Mitchell it turns out that she withdrew her transfer request and is not part of the Enterprise crew (something to do with a 'history' with Dr McCoy)!!SPOILERS OVER!! This is where things take a turn into a very interesting direction.

The writing and dialogue is fantastic and reflects the feel of the original show and new film well. This applies to the characters and their interactions and development too. The art is brilliant, bold lines and colours that gives it a very nice 'original show' feel. That's not to say everything is in bright primary colours, far from it, it is just good to see a comic use a full and colourful pallet. In addition to this the artist has an uncanny knack of capturing the characters likeness and very accurate rendering of the environments and technology – all very important in the world of Star Trek fandom.

All-in-all another great comic from IDW and a solid four out of five pointy ears.

Star Trek
Published by IDW
Written by Mike Johnson
Art by Stephen Molnar
Colours by John Rauch
Lettering by Neil Uyetake

Original teleplay of Where No Man Has Gone Before by Samuel A. Peeples

Check Out this Amazing Art!

2011-11-13T12:00:00.003Z

I met Matt Dixon briefly at the Bristol Comic Expo earlier this year and was instantly taken with his fantastic sci-fi, fantasy and pin-up illustrations, and have followed his work ever since. What appealed to me about Matt and his work is that he is a fun guy and this is reflected in his brilliant work, it has a really good mix of art and humour, plus he really has a way at making girls look great!

You can find his work here at: www.mattdixon.co.uk

...and follow his blog here at: mattdixonart.blogspot.com

Here are one or two of his fantastic illustrations just to prove my point:

Bazinga – Its Saturday

2011-11-12T12:00:00.001Z

Carl Edward Sagan was, for those who have never heard of him, an American astronomer, astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, science popularizer and science communicator in astronomy and natural sciences. He credited with publishing more than 600 scientific papers, articles and was author/co-author of a further 20 books. Carl Sagan is known for his popular science books and for the award-winning 1980 television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage, which he narrated and co-wrote.

For me the guy was a visionary and my first, as with so many, encounter of his work was something called, 'The pale Blue Dot'. It moves me every time I read or hear it, and here it is narrated by the great man himself:

Carl Sagan – November 9th 1934 to December 20th 1996.

Friday Flashback - Heavy Metal

2011-11-11T12:00:00.025Z

Heavy Metal Magazine is an American comic anthology that has a reputation for its blend of dark fantasy, science fiction and erotica. Heavy Metal started its life in April 1977 as a glossy, full-colour monthly. However, it origins are from 1974 as the French science-fantasy magazine Métal Hurlant, the French title translates to literally, "Howling Metal."

Leonard Mogel (National Lampoon) discovered Métal Hurlant on a trip to France and decide to licence it in the U.S. under the new name, Heavy Metal, the rest as they say, is history.

Heavy Metal Magazine is, at the time of this post, owned and published by Kevin Eastman (co-creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles).

Over the years Heavy Metal has seen some of the greats work within its pages from writing to art: Enki Bilal, Jean Giraud (also known as Moebius), Philippe Druillet, Milo Manara, Simon Bisley, H.R. Giger, Jim Burns, Richard Corben, Pepe Moreno, boris vallejo, lorenzo sperlonga... the list just goes on and on!

Why was (and still) Heavy Metal such an influence on me and my work? How could it not be! A comic jammed packed full of amazing art and stories created by some of the industries best all based in science fiction and fantasy. I remember way back as a kid picking up copies of Heavy Metal from my local newsagents, when they were available, and reading them in my room after school. One thing I loved back then about Heavy Metal, and still do, is the fabulous art and would spend hours just looking at the pages and sketching (badly) the characters and creatures.

I will admit that Heavy Metal is not for everyone, it is without doubt an adult comic and embraces this fully. For me that is, and always has been a part of the appeal. Unlike many publishers Heavy Metal uses its adult status to propel its storytelling and art rather than the storytelling and art being about the adult material it portrays.

Find out more about Heavy Metal Magazine here at www.heavymetal.com

New Elder Scrolls V – Skyrim Trailer!

2011-11-10T12:30:00.009Z

This new trailer is so awesome, this game looks epic!

I think this new trailer has just bumped the game to the top of my list for next one to own.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Some Concept Art...

2011-11-09T18:00:00.023Z

I'm currently illustrating a strip for the awesome smallpress comic Future Quake that is planned to be published early next year. I'm not going to be posting any page art until after it has been published, and then that will only be to my online portfolio. However, what I will be posting is some concept art from the strip on and off as I finish it.

Any-who!

This is my rendering of one of the main characters Homelock the robotic police officer:

...and talking of concept art! I'm looking to get some more posted form the JessieKane comic soonish...

A Double Helping of Pin Up Art

2011-11-08T18:51:00.001Z

I had a re-think recently and decided that I wasn't happy with the direction I was going with my one a month painting. I wanted it to be a challenge and a bit of fun. The original idea was 12 pin-ups, one a month, with a sci-fi and fantasy theme that fit within that month/time of the year.

I scrubbed this idea (who wants to look at classic pin up art?) and went with the October Boy image, and I really liked how it went. This month I really didn't know what to do and turned out a poor effort with Remember, Remember (short on time, ideas and truth be told I wasn't that much into the image idea).

It takes a big man to admit that they are wrong, and the way my waistline is expanding after all that Halloween chocolate treats, a big man I am.

Taking a step back and having a re-think and spending a few late nights and in between working on commissions I managed to actually come up with the first two images (October and Novembers) as I originally planed them for this project. Here they are:

Pin Up - Oct 2011 - Trick or Treat by *SimonBreeze on deviantART

Pin Up - Nov 2011 - Rocket Queen by *SimonBreeze on deviantART

I already have about 15 more planned, so I'm going to have to drop five of them! So ideas wont be the issue, it is now just going to be finding the time!

Modern Warfare 3 – the Live Action Trailer - it Rocks!

2011-11-07T12:30:00.007Z

This has to be one of the best video game trailers I've seen. It is, as the title says, the live action trailer for Activision's Modern Warfare 3. The trailer stars Sam Worthington (Avatar, Clash of the Titans) and the awesomely funny Jonah Hill (Superbad, knocked Up).

Before you hit play, full screen it and crank up the volume!

Now That is a Lot of Cool Art

2011-11-06T12:54:00.001Z

Bazinga – Its Saturday

2011-11-05T13:00:00.002Z

Who doesn't like cat videos on the internet?

I have strong evidence that it is in fact cats who not only invented, but power the internet as part of their nefarious scheme to take over the world!

You have been warned.

Anyway, on to a popular cat, Schrödinger's Cat. Not heard of it? Watch the cool video and enjoy the fun knowing that no cats were harmed in the making of it:

Source: Minute Physics

Friday Flashback - Heavy Metal

2011-11-04T13:00:00.003Z

Heavy Metal is an animated film that was made back in 1981 and is an anthology of various science fiction and fantasy stories adapted from the awesome Heavy Metal Magazine (of which I am a huge fan) and some original stories all tied together by an over all arc.

Ivan Reitman produced the film, the same guy who brought us other film classics such as Stripes and Ghostbusters.

Here is the trailer:

Heavy Metal, at the time, was a ground breaking film in terms of animation and it still stands out today. It is said the the best way to watch this film is wasted or high as it is such a mad mixture of science fiction and fantasy. It even inspired a South Park episode about the kids getting high and hallucinating that they are in a mystical fantasy land.

This reputation I feel is a shame, sure I can see why, but it also glosses over the fact that it is a brilliant bit of classic sci-fi fantasy too!

There are nine short stories in the film that make up the anthology, Soft Landing, Grimaldi, Harry Canyon, Den, Captain Sternn, B-17, So Beautiful and So Dangerous, Taarna, and the Epilogue.

Each story is self contained and is also part of a bigger story. You have the madness of a car falling from the belly of the Space Shuttle whilst being driven by an astronaut, landing on Earth and driving through the desert to loud rock music which is Soft Landing. To the awesome taxi driver of the near future Harry Canyon – believe me when I say the fifth element is a total rip off of this story. To the bonkersness of Captain Sternn, a mad spin on the Buck Rogers/Flash Gordon hero, and B-17 is like something from the Twilight Zone. All this topped off with some real classic sci-fi fantasy with stories like Den, Taarna and So Beautiful and So Dangerous.

One of the reasons I really like the Heavy Metal film is because it is very much of its time, from the look and feel of the characters and worlds, to how the stories are told and even the sound track (which I'll come to in a minute). I love sci-fi and fantasy from the 1970s-1980s, it was driven heavily by a world bravely looking to the stars and influenced by the popularity of swords and sorcery. It is a real creative mix, and it is also the era that produced mainstream science fiction and fantasy artists that I look up to then and today, such as Chris Foss, Jim Burns, Frank Frazetta and Boris Vallejo.

The soundtrack to the film is a monster mash-up of heavy rock and metal, and interestingly is also the reason the film struggled to make it to the VHS market due to legal reasons. The soundtrack is perfect for this film, and is full of some great stuff like, "Heavy Metal" by Sammy Hagar, "Working in the Coal Mine" by Devo, "Veteran of the Psychic Wars" by Blue Öyster Cult, "The Mob Rules" by Black Sabbath and "Blue Lamp" by Stevie Nicks.

All in all a great film and inspiration to me as an artist and writer. I watch this film at least once a year just to 'recharge' the old skool sci-fi and fantasy batteries, and where and when I can, I still pick up copies of the Heavy Metal Magazine (you can find the Heavy Metal website here).

Octobers Reading List

2011-10-31T18:00:00.002Z

Wow, that was a quick month!

Here is this months reading list. I managed to start tackling my huge pile of trade paper backs this month from my reading pile, and if all goes to plan this will continue into November too (to most likely be replenished in December via visit from Father Crimbo!).

COMICS

Action Comics (DCNU) #2

DC Universe Online Legends #15

Detective Comics (DCNU) #2

Warlord of Mars #9 & #10

Star Trek #1

Suicide Squad #1 & #2

Warlord of Mars Dejah Thoris #7

2000Ad prog 1754 - 1758

Judge Dredd Megazine 316

The Rinse #1

Witch Doctor #3

Graphic Novels / Trade Paper Backs

Flash Gordon Volume 1

GI Joe Volume 4

Novels/Audio Books

The Legend of

Sleepy Hollow

In Summary

This has been a really great month on the reading front. I have enjoyed everything I have read with the exception of one (I'll get to that in a moment). The Warlord of Mars and Dejah Thoris are going from strength to strength, the new Star Trek comic series is awesome (I'll be reviewing that one soon), the new DC line is, hmmmmm? Interesting, is that the word? And I have been loving my audio books so much I've now gone and signed up for an Audible account and am enjoying all the groovy books I can download.

The down shot this month has to be DCs Action Comics, now dropped from my pull list. What can I say? I guess the answer is, 'lots'. I could rant on all day about it, but I'm going to spare you waffle and just simply say, 'It's just not my cup-of-tea'. The Superman that is portrayed in this comic, even when he is badly illustrated, is just not my Superman.

This Months Highlight

In a total contrast to DCs Action Comics, DCs Detective Comics is flippin' amazing! This comic has jumped right to the top of my reading pile each month. This is Batman! And he is written and illustrated brilliantly.

The new Detective Comics is a glowing example of how great the DC New 52 not-re-boot could have been. Yes the first issue plops you down a few years into Bruce Wayne's life as Batman thus missing the 'origin story', but who cares? Who doesn't know the origin story to Batman? If you are a fan of the character, the films, the TV shows or even the new video games and have thought about reading a Batman comic and don't know which one to read, Detective Comics is for you.

Pin-Up Awesomeness by Ant Lucia...

2011-10-30T13:00:00.001Z

How brilliant are these pin-ups!

They are just two of Ant Lucia's fantastic works of art that can be found here.

I'm a big fan of the old classic cheesecake pin-pus and I love every single one that is on display across both of the galleries that are currently available to view on the site. Have a look, it is all work safe, and join the facebook group too!

Bazinga – Its Saturday

2011-10-29T13:00:00.000+01:00

Okay, hands up who wants a hoverboard just like the one Marty McFly has in Back To The Future?

Quantum Levitation could be the key folks, and it's not as far away as you think it might be. This video is real, it is something called the Meissner Effect and it makes me all excited every time I watch it:

Now someone get me a hoverboard!

Source: skepticblog

Friday Flashback - How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way

2011-10-28T13:00:00.014+01:00

The book is by Stan Lee and John Buscema and between them they give professional advice and instruction for budding comics artists. As the book title says you, 'learn how to draw the Marvel way' which is an art in itself.

The book is full of brilliantly illustrated, step-by-step guides to all of the facets of the process. From drawing a character, to posing them and how to layout and draw a page of comic art. The key of being a Marvel artist was to make the art punchy and popped off of the page. The word 'dynamic' shows up a lot throughout the book.

For me this book is nothing short of brilliant. The lessons beyond how to draw a good 'Spider-Man' are simple and yet obvious ones. There is a lot of emphasis placed on once you know how to draw the perfect Spider-Man (or anyone else for that matter), just how do you use it to tell a story using sequential art. It is great stuff, and yet many comic artists miss these simple pointers in their work.

If you are starting out in comic art or are thinking of giving it a go, or maybe you have been doing it for a while and need a pointer or two to sharpen your skills, I can highly recommend this book. Without it I wouldn't be creating the art I am today. A lot of positive critique I get about my work is how well I composite a page or image and how well I pose my characters. I got almost all of it from this book, so there you go.

A Look At BristolCON11

2011-10-27T19:19:00.007+01:00

Okay, so its been a few days and the dust is now settling on what was a fantastic weekend. So I thought it was time to post something about the BristolCON convention I attended and exhibited at this past weekend.

BristolCON(insert your year of choice here) has become one of my favourite conventions to attend and exhibit at. BristolCON is the final convention of each year in a (ever growing) list of expos and conventions that I frequent, and although I very much enjoy the others, there is something a bit special about BristolCON that I really look forward to. The feeling is a bit like the one you get when you go home to visit your family after a long time away. It is friendly, inviting and fun with a great vibe and awesome guests. Not only that, you get a goodie bag too. What more could you want?

My Art On Display

This years BristolCON(11) was no exception, it was a brilliant event and everyone appeared to be having a great time, even if they all did show up at the same time!

This year was a little different for me as I was not only attending and exhibiting art but also taking part on one of the panels, a very new experience for me indeed. Bundling into the panel room with about two minutes to spare before we began to discuss our topic, 'When did science become the bad guy?' I felt a little concerned and almost a little relieved as I looked about the room and noted that it was almost empty. I found out later that there was a bit of a 'bottle neck' at the entrance to the convention as it seems that everyone decided to show up at the same time. This meant that the first panels were a bit thin on the ground to begin with, to then fill up very quickly!

Murky Depths in the Dealer Room

This worked out for me though, it meant that I was quite relaxed and caught up in the panel by the time there was enough people in the room to embarrass myself in front of, and so it didn't bother me so much. The panel went well, I'm not sure how (I'll have to listen to a podcast of the panel if one becomes available in the future) but we started on the decline of education and understanding of science in our modern society and ended on the zombie apocalypse!

That is not to say that we were invaded by the undead, although one or two of the guys watching the panel may have glazed over and given that impression at one point. No, will we or will we not have one? That was the question, and I think the vote swung towards a yes, and it might be fun if we did too. Certainly my vote went for a yes and that it may in fact be the next evolutionary step for mankind.

Setting up the Dealer Room

Next I was off to watch a few of the panels myself, all very informative and fun, just as they should be. My pick though was the very last one and that was the interview of Jim Burns by Alastair Reynolds. Alastair Reynolds is a great Sci-Fi writer and I have enjoyed many of his novels. However, Jim Burns has been one of my, if not the, art heroes for as long as I can remember, and so I was very much looking forward to this one.

Jim Burns interview by Alastair Reynolds

The interview was was brilliant, I sat through the whole thing with a childish grin on my face, the guy really is a legend in his own life time.

Having spent some time with Jim (I got to call him that) the evening before the convention and throughout the event itself was nothing short of amazing, and because he is such a down-to-Earth guy I managed to stick to my goal and not act like a nerdy fanboy.

Well...

I say that.

I did have a moment towards the end of the convention when I asked Jim to sign one of his books for me and I shook his hand and thanked him for all the years of inspiration he had given me. I felt a bit like David Tennant in the Doctor Who special 'Time Crash' when he got to meet his Doctor (Peter Davidson) in the Tardis and tell him, '...You're my Doctor...'. It was all very emotional, for me at least.

The day itself was great fun, I got to catch up with some friends and make some new ones, chat A LOT about science fiction and fantasy (which is always good), and pick up a few things like books, comics and some toys for my kids (no, really they are for my kids).

The Dealer Room Filling Up

I think my one regret has to be that I didn't get around to sketching anything! I was so caught up in chatting to people, wondering around and watching/taking part in panels that I just couldn't make the time. On the up shot, one or two artists that far out shine my own work were more than happy to give it a go. Oh well, maybe next year I'll pull my finger out and get something sorted and do something.

Talking of next year!

Yes! I am going to be there. I will be sticking my name down for next year, BristolCON12 if you hadn't guessed, very soon (and before space runs out). Several guests have already been announced for next year already, and I must admit I'm already getting a little bit excited about it too.

To finish, I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who took part in making this event so flipping fantastic, especially the Bristol Science Fiction and Fantasy Society who work so hard to bring us this event every year. Thanks to you all, it was brilliant and I can't wait until 2012s! (That is of course unless the Mayans were right and next year is the end of the world and we all go out in a zombie apocalypse – which I might add was predicted as the next step in human evolution by myself and the panel at this years BristolCON).

Time to go! One of Jim Burn's Amazing Works of Art Being Packed Away.

JessieKane Concept Art – Jessie Jones

2011-10-27T18:10:00.004+01:00

Here is some more concept art for the comic version of JessieKane, this one is of Jessie Jones, another of our heroes:

The changes I have made to Jessie are more in line with my original designs for the character. Now instead of a hot pants and roller boot wearing welsh girl with a sword, she is a figure hugging flight-suite wearing and gun tooting welsh girl. Oh, and something else that's changed to bring her in line with her original concept is that she now pilots a McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II Jump Jet instead of roller boots!

More concepts to come, if all goes to plan it will be, oddly, a Harrier Jump Jet and some of the bad guys.

Gorilla War - Kane Concept Art

2011-10-26T09:00:00.003+01:00

Here is the latest in the concept art for the JessieKane comic, the character of Kane:

Kane is one of the 'heroes' of the comic. If I am honest, I was never really happy with how he looked in the original webcomic series. The move of JessieKane to a comic publication has given me the opportunity to address this and finally be very happy with his look.

Kane is a reconnaissance or 'scout' Brute (Brutes are genetically engineered soldiers that look like human/ape hybrids) and as such is, unlike the other Brutes, in need of a lighter armour. However, I didn't want it to be too different to the full combat armour worn by the other Brutes and so I have mirrored several of the key features of the full armour across onto the lighter version.

The next concept is going to be Jessie Jones, our second hero, who has also seen one or two minor changes to her look too. Finally, talking of minor changes, something else I'm planning to post soon is a little more detail about the tweaks to the story and the comic.

BristolCon11 Is Go...

2011-10-22T09:30:00.006+01:00

I am posting this right now through the magic of the internet as I am currently getting ready to join the panel for, 'When did science become the bad guy?' at the BristolCon11 Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention.

Last nights set-up went well and was its usual fun, and today already has an air of adventure about it. Much like an Indiana Jones film, a good one like Raiders of the Lost Ark or Temple of Doom, or maybe even The Last Crusade. Absolutely NOT like The Crystal Skull though, that was not a good adventure, not for anyone.

If you are going and haven't made it yet,come and find me and say hi! I'm the one sketching away with the discrete poster that looks like this next to him:

Right, now lets act like I know what I'm talking about...

Flashback Friday – The First Space Shuttle Launch

2011-10-21T15:21:00.000+01:00

Friday Flashback is where I look back at the books, films, TV shows and million and one other things that have inspired me over the years in my storytelling and art. This week in the spirit of a panel at the Bristol Con11 science fiction and fantasy convention tomorrow about science that I am taking part in, I thought I’d have a look at an event that changed my world forever, the first Space Shuttle launch.

The first launch of the Space Shuttle (Columbia) occurred on 12 April 1981, exactly 20 years after the first manned space flight. There were two crewmembers: astronauts John W. Young (commander) and Robert L. Crippen (pilot), and at precisely 7 a.m. EST they lifted off from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, at the Kennedy Space Centre.

The primary mission objective of Columbia’s maiden flight was to perform a general check of the Space Shuttle’s system, accomplish a safe ascent into orbit and to return to Earth for a safe landing.During its two-day mission, Columbia reached an orbital altitude of 166 nautical miles (307 km). The 37-orbit, 1,074,567-mile (1,729,348 km)-long flight lasted a total of 2 days, 6 hours, 20 minutes and 53 seconds.

I was barely six years old at the time, and that memory has never faded of the day I joined the rest of my classmates as we all crowed around the small TV in our school and watched history unfold (you can see that moment here). It inspired me then, and it inspires me now. That was the day I ran home to my mum and told her that when I grew up I wanted to be an astronaut and explore the stars.

It is amazing how this one thing has affected my life so much, and with the recent NASA cutbacks and the final flight of the Space Shuttle program in April this year by Space shuttle Atlantis, has saddened me too. This one brave act and inspirational moment has been the fuel of a lifetime of curiosity of the world and universe around me.

I’m confident in saying that this one moment was not the sole inspiration behind my love of all things science. That, I believe, was always going to happen. That first Space Shuttle launch way back in 1981 was more along the lines of a good hard shove in the right direction. It showed me that those fantastic spaceships and strange worlds and galaxies that I read about in my books and watched on TV and in films were not as far away as I might think.

24 Hours To Go Until The Big Event

2011-10-21T09:30:00.010+01:00

Yes!

Only 24 hours from now the doors open at BristolCon11, the Science Fiction and Fantasy convention held by the Bristol Science Fiction and Fantasy Society, and one of my favourite conventions no less too. Last years was nothing short of brilliant and this years is already looking like it is going to top that with just a quick glance at the planned program of events, panels and guests.

What am I up to though?

Well, I'm up to a few things this year. My main goal however is not to embarrass myself in front of one of my art heroes Jim Burns, like I did with Joe Abercrombie last year by turning into a jabbering fanboy! If your wondering why I have singled him out from all of the other fantastic guests that are attending, Jim Burns is pretty much where it all started for me when it comes to my love of fantasy art. Many years ago when I was a young boy, my father picked up a book call Fantasy Art Techniques that featured many artist such as Chris Foss, Boris Villagio and Jim Burns.

Although all of these artist are a great inspiration to me and my work Jim Burns, to me, took it to another level. His work made me want to not only look at Sci-Fi and Fantasy art, but create it. To this day I have been a follower and admirer of his work and so getting to meet such an inspirational guy is going to be something nothing short of amazing.

To start the day off though, I'm going to be on one of the panels talking about something that I am very passionate about, 'When Did Science Become the Bad Guy?'. I am really looking forward to taking part in this discussion and was very excited to have been included on the panel. The panel starts at 10:00am, it is just under an hour and is looking at why science seems to have become unfashionable and is now suffering from funding cuts. A, 'When and how did science lose its cool?' so to speak.

Once I have done this, and in between dodging in and out of a few other panels, I'm going to be doing some on the spot drawing for anyone who is interested. Yes, my art hero is in the building and I'm going to be drawing in front of him! No pressure then! If you like though, you can grab yourself a sketch by yours truly, I'll be doing free and paid for sketching. Yes that's right FREE ones too! No excuse not to walk away with some original art then from anyone.

I think that's it!

Now back on with packing my gear and making sure everything is sorted for the set-up later today.

It is going to be a great event and I hope to see you there, and you can find out more about the event here.

JessieKane Concept Art – Combat Armour #2

2011-10-19T18:26:00.001+01:00

Here is some of the concept art for the JessieKane comic that I am currently working on:

Yesterday I posted the male version and here today is the female version of the standard combat armour. The same theory applies here too, in that by creating a template look I can now for each character create an individual look to the armour that should at a quick glance by the reader give them a good idea about the character and who they are. Next up with the concept art will be our heroes, Jessie and Kane, which will demonstrate this idea, hopefully!

JessieKane Concept Art – Combat Armour #1

2011-10-18T18:16:00.001+01:00

So here is the first of the concept art for the JessieKane comic that I am currently working on:

The idea behind this armour is that it is a 'standard' look that I will be changing and tweaking from character to character depending on who they are and what role they are playing. It is a nice way as an artist to distinguish characters and roles so that the reader can quickly get an idea about the person and form some back story about them with very little effort.