Chris Weston

Finished!

2011-11-24T06:12:00.000-08:00

Finally finished my Rocketeer painting. This was an immense learning curve for me, firstly because I've never used an airbrush before but also because I rarely get the chance to do fully painted artwork. I found it very challenging and frustrating, but ultimately rewarding and I hope I get the chance to do some more in the near future.

Rocketeer Progress Report 5

2011-11-12T06:32:00.000-08:00

Rocketeer Progress Report 4

2011-11-10T14:41:00.001-08:00

Rocketeer Progress report 3

2011-11-08T14:08:00.001-08:00

Rocketeer Progress Report 2

2011-11-08T07:38:00.001-08:00

Progress Report.

2011-11-04T13:47:00.000-07:00

Wow, that was intense: my first ever experience of air-brushing.

Not bad for a beginner!

I hate the process of learning new skills... I hate the frustrations that come with repeated failure. I prefer my training to be done on the job, but that makes the process all the more stressful; you have to take it slow and steady ... rush the job and you'll end up making a mistake that may ruin the whole piece.

Rocketeer Painting

2011-11-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

I'd been promising myself for years that I would have a go at ripping off Drew Struzan. Finally, I have the perfect opportunity to commence this challenge of Everest-size proportions: I've been commissioned to produce a full-colour painting of The Rocketeer pin-up I recently drew...

After deciding that this was going to be an... erm... "homage" (cough cough) to the Master of Film Poster art, a horrible realisation dawned on me: I was going to have to purchase and learn how to use an airbrush!

I'd been toying with this idea for years, but always fled in terror at the prospect of using this notoriously complicated and abused medium.

But, I could avoid it no longer.

So I dug into my credit card, and the investment was made. In truth, I think I've been heading in this direction for a long time. I had already made the conscious decision to decrease the amount of digital interference that had crept into my work. During "The Twelve" I ceased using the textures that I used to apply in photoshop. I've been trying to make my physical artwork as close to the finished, published work as possible.

One reason for this is my love of original art. I watched my artistic hero, Brian Bolland cease producing physical artwork altogether and I don't think he's produced any now since 1997. Subsequently, the price of his original art has gone through the roof. I'll never get the chance to own one now, unless someone offers me vast amounts of money for the film rights to "Ministry of Space" or "The Filth", the last creator-owned comic-book options left on the shelf.

Nothing beats the feeling of holding an original page of art in your hands.

So from here on I'm time-travelling back to a world where mistakes can't be conjured away with a simple "Command-Zed"... and where hours are spent cutting out masks and cleaning mechanical hardware. Terrifying...

Here's the first photos from my journey...

Definitely the last Marvelman picture.

2011-10-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

Okay, last time:

Here's the Marvelman art properly scanned and tweaked.

Finished!

2011-10-20T15:56:00.001-07:00

Nearly there....

2011-10-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

Still going...

2011-10-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

More Marvelman...

2011-10-19T05:14:00.000-07:00

I tell you: painting this face nearly killed me; it took about fifty attempts to get it to this level. And I'm still not entirely satisfied.

Die, Acrylic Monster, DIE!

2011-10-18T15:33:00.001-07:00

Marvelman painting in progress...

The Twelve... finished.

2011-10-03T03:49:00.000-07:00

"I 'ave gathered you all 'ere to reveal ze identity of ze murderer."

Last friday, I turned in the final page of The Twelve, a mere five years and fourteen days after completing the first. The Twelve was, fittingly, a twelve-part Marvel Maxi-Series reintroducing a dozen forgotten Golden Age characters to current continuity.

This series suffered a huge numbers of delays to its publication, firstly because of its writer, Joe Michael Straczynski, who apparently fell out with with Marvel over something or the other. Subsequently, I have since shouldered my share of the blame too, as my acquaintance with the film director, Albert Hughes, led to some time-consuming work on "The Book of Eli" and his abandoned live-action adaptation of "Akira".

I think Joe's probably man enough to accept his initial delays might have caused me some irritation, most of which would probably have been assuaged if he'd just been a bit more communicative. But the absence of scripts gave me all the justification I needed to accept my own offers of film work... and, let's just say, those experiences helped abate any residual exasperation on my part.

However, the main point of this blog is to say "thank you" to Marvel for being so patient with me. I have some inkling as to exactly why they didn't fire me; the book was already delayed, after all... and the hiring of a new artist may have damaged sales of the resulting graphic-novel collections. However, Tom Brevoort was very understanding of my decision to accept the film work... and remained tolerant, supportive and patient. Thanks, Tom.

I'd also like to thank the readers who have waited so long for the book to be completed too. I was always aware how annoying this would be for them. I hoped they would accept the one-shot I wrote, "Spearhead", as some kind of peace-offering and place-holder; one that would seamlessly combine with the main series.

So what are we left with? I think there's a provisional schedule drawn up for the release of the rest of the series; February for issues 9 & 10 and March for the final two, I believe. These will be preceded by various reprints of the previous issues... and followed by some hardcover collections. I'll keep you informed of release dates through my twitter account.

Is it worth the wait? Unlike certain creators I could mention, I can't give you hyperbolic sales patter in the manner of: "It's the best thing since all The Seven Wonders of the World combined! Your heads will explode with the sheer awsomeness!", mainly because my mum did her best to raise me not to show off and that schtick is pretty tiresome now.

What I can tell you is: I think Joe has written a great ending. All the characters were really well conceived and defined already... and they are given a great send-off. You won't find any spoilers here, but I don't think you be shocked if I admit that not all of them make it to the end of the story. I think Joe has done a great job on the whole of the series; it's touching, funny, exciting, scary... and would make a damn good film.

As for the art? I put a lot of time and effort into it and hope it surpasses what I produced on the series before. But I'll let you be the judge. Be sure to let me know what you think, but only if you loved it, 'cos I'm a shallow compliment-junkie who can't take criticism too well!

Right; onto other stuff. First stop: a quick trip back to the Nerve Centre, then... who knows?

Not me.

Back from the Grave!

2011-06-28T10:57:00.000-07:00

Wow. How long has it been since I updated my blog? Well over a year by the look of it. So why the sudden and protracted disappearance from your miserable and empty lives?

Well, for starters I spent that year working on stuff I wasn't allowed to show off. There's not much point going to an artist's blog if he's not gonna give up the eye-candy, is there?

My main source of employment was working on the live-action adaptation of "Akira" that Albert Hughes was going to direct. Unfortunately, everything I produced for the project is covered by Non-Disclosure Agreements, thus I am unable to reveal anything I created for this film.

So what can I tell you about the project? Well, I can tell you that on my first day on the job I was asked to "redesign the bike"! Yes, that's right: THE bike.

I was as horrified as you are; probably more, 'cos I was the one the fanboys were going to come for when they inevitably declared it a travesty.

In my defence, I would say at least I brought a love of Katsuhoro Otomo's art and an admiration of his design aesthetic to the table. I didn't want to stray too far away from the classic design. However, one has to admit that faithful real-life reproductions of Kaneda's bike do look a little bit "kitsch" ...

So the version I created was a bit meatier and nastier: the tyres were bigger, the engine was bigger, some of the casing was stripped off to expose the workings beneath. Kaneda was in a motorcycle gang that used these vehicles as weapons, so we gave it a more beaten-up look, dirtier, a few dents and scratches here and there.

In silhouette you'd have no problem recognising it as the Akira Bike, but the lighting would reveal a whole new level of texture and detail.

There was a short discussion about making it black, but I did my bit to keep it red, albeit a darker, bergundy hue. I believe BMW in Munich had begun production of a working model, but I can't vouch for that.

I produced tons of other character designs, storyboards and concept designs for Akira, and hopefully they'll eventually see the light of day.

I know as much as you about why this film production ultimately floundered. It's not my place to ask my employers such questions. There's all sorts of rumours about the casting issues floating around the net, but most of it is bollocks, I believe.

For the record, I suggested Arnold Schwarzenegger for The Colonel... and thought Sam Riley would have been perfect for Tetsuo... but my powers of persuasion didn't extend that far.

When I wasn't working on "Akira" I was also busy drawing the final chapters of The Twelve. Once again, I won't be able to reveal any of that stuff either, because literally every page has some kind of spoiler on it.

I now have the first five pages of the script for Issue twelve, the final chapter. I will be starting on it as soon as I've set up my new Apple Mac. My old G5 had some kind of "stroke" a fortnight ago, forcing me to shell out for some new hardware. I hate that. Everything was backed up, fortunately, but the loss of photoshop has seriously hindered my recent progress. How on earth did I produce art before computers? Very slowly, is the answer.

So, I took the opportunity to update my website chrisweston.co.uk . Be sure to check it out.

The new site was lovingly crafted in wordpress by my own hands with the invaluable assistance of Mister Jason Brice of Comic Bulletin fame!

I say lovingly; in truth it was one of the most agonising enterprises I've ever undertaken... and the computer came very close to flying out the window on several occasions.

Also, you may want to check out Scotch Corner who have a new interview with me going up today.

So what can I leave you with as some kind of compensatory gift for these months you've had to endure without my mildly entertaining doodles and diatribes? How about a page of art from my Rocketeer Adventures 2, written by Mark Waid, illustrated by yours truly, ON SALE NOW!!!!

The End

2010-01-05T03:10:00.000-08:00

Wow, who's that handsome fellow making a live action cameo here?

The Sun exploded

2010-01-05T02:58:00.000-08:00

Here's "Book of Eli" script-writer, Gary Whitta sporting the movie's unofficial CREW T-Shirt.:

What does it all mean? Check this out:

Poor Mila. But she took it in good spirit. See, we're the best of friends:

War Machine 1945

2010-01-04T03:48:00.001-08:00

Here's a sneak peek at my upcoming Marvel One-shot, The Twelve : Spearhead

Out in March!

Dan Dare action figures.

2010-01-04T03:28:00.000-08:00

Here's the prototype for the Dan Dare action figures I designed a while back:

taking his place nicely alongside their classic retro takes on Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, dan was manufacured by Day2daytrading. He is available for purchase from Termight Replicas.

Here's the model sheets from which the figure was based:

I left my heart in...

2010-01-04T03:11:00.001-08:00

Gary whitta, the screen writer of "The Book of Eli" managed to squeeze his home town of San Francisco into the film, albeit reduced to radioactive dust...

This was one of my favourite sequences to storyboard as I got to work closely with Jon Farhat, the genius visual FX supervisor on the film. Jon was oscar-nominated for his work on Wanted and fingers crossed he'll receive the same recognition for "Eli".

Jon's also hilarious and great company... and there's a good chance I'll be working with him again in the not-too distant future.

This is good...

2009-12-24T06:33:00.000-08:00

here's a behind-the scenes look at the fight choreography on Eli. During my tea breaks on the set i used to sneak in and take a peek at these very rehearsals.

And keep your eyes peeled for a brief glimpse of my prop designs...

My big fat movie!

2009-12-24T03:08:00.000-08:00

Get your arses over to the official "Book of Eli" website which is now all updated with loads of details about the film!

And make sure you check out the "Look of Eli" page which shows some great "storyboards to screen" comparisons by your favourite artist, moi, and Tommy Lee Edwards.

Also on the website is Atticus Ross' terrific ambient soundtrack for the film. It's worth the visit just to hear that.

Twelve days of Christmas!

2009-12-22T03:26:00.000-08:00

Here's a nice gift for fans of The Twelve, specially the ones who like to give me a hard time over its delay:

The Twelve: Spearhead!

Europe, 1945: Captain America leads a mission to destroy the Nazis' missile program...and The Phantom Reporter wants in! An untold tale from Marvel's Golden Age featuring the forgotten heroes who would go on to become "The Twelve"!

This is a prequel to the mini-series and follows The Phantom Reporter's activities as a war correspondent covering the super-hero contribution to the Invasion of Europe.

Pencilled by my good self and co-inked with Gary Erskine.

Also, I WROTE IT TOO!

Because YOU demanded it... and I don't like to let my readers down!

Out in March / Cover by PAOLO RIVERA / 40 PGS./One-Shot/Rated T+ ...$3.99

Eli passes the diner.

2009-12-15T02:28:00.001-08:00

A Caped Correspondent

2009-12-14T02:16:00.001-08:00

Eli is back.

2009-12-10T15:16:00.001-08:00

There's a new poster online for "The Book of Eli"...

Reminds me a bit of a concept art piece I did for the same film. Wonder if it was an inspiration? I wouldn't be surprised. This image ended up being used as a logo for the movie during its production. It featured on crew bags, hats, security passes, chairs, business cards and stationery.

First review for the film is up HERE

That's a promising start!

Only thirty days to go!

Evil Woman

2009-12-07T16:06:00.001-08:00

Ouch!

2009-11-27T09:59:00.000-08:00

Eli in action!

Book of Eli Poster

2009-11-25T02:45:00.000-08:00

Here's my man, Denzel...

from page...

...to screen!

So, what am I working on at the moment?

2009-11-21T13:27:00.001-08:00

Wait a minute! That's not...

is it?

Whatever Happened to the Green Pedestrian Palm".

2009-11-05T02:38:00.000-08:00

2000ad's Xmas issue, Prog 2010, on sale 16 December 09, contains my new Future Shock: "Whatever Happened to the Green Pedestrian Palm?"

It is cearly inspired by the star of Seventies Public Information Films, The Green Cross Code Man, whose previous comic-strip exploits were handled by The Govenor himself, Mr. Dave Gibbons...

But as the story progresses I broaden my targets to include other lame super-hero mascots dreamt up by advertising executives who think it's hip to jump on the comic-strip bandwagon. So look out, Mister Muscle!

Please buy it, I put a lot of work into it!

New Book of Eli Trailer!

2009-09-28T03:31:00.001-07:00

They've just released a NEW "Book of Eli" trailer... and it looks great!

It also gives me an opportunity to show off some of me boards...again! Here's the lovely Mila Kunis in action... and yes, she's every bit as lovely in real life. Sigh...

Jap's Eye...

2009-09-23T02:48:00.000-07:00

Got approached by a record company to design a sleeve recently (yes, they still make them). Knocked this out, gratis, to convince the band I was the right man for the job...

It obviously didn't impress them 'cos they never got back to me... and I eventually found out they went with someone else.

Committed muso's may be able to deduce the identity of the band from clues in the picture...

Working on The Book of Eli. Part One.

2009-09-14T15:31:00.000-07:00

Unless the film company wants further changes to the tie-in webisode I've been working on, like a dog, I think I can confidently say that my involvement with The Book of Eli is now officially over.

Here's a sneak peek:

The Book of Eli is a post-apocalyptic action movie being released in January 2010, starring Denzel Washington and Gary Oldman. This is the film that brought me so much criticism on the net, because it caused a certain amount of delay to my work on The Twelve.

What I couldn't tell my critics, until now, is the fact that my involvement with The Book of Eli actually predated the publication of The Twelve by a good 14 months. In fact, aside from the project's creator, Gary Whitta, I have been attached to this movie far longer than ANYONE else.

I'd known Gary for a couple of years, and we had discussed potential comic-strip collaborations at various points in our acquaintance, but we could never synchronise our schedules. During one of our many phone calls (where we discuss how much better we'd run Hollywood given the chance), Gary mentioned the script he'd just written: "The Book of Eli". He dropped some subtle hints about how he'd like me to create a piece of promo art to accompany his script... and, eventually, I volunteered my services for free on the proviso he pimped my work to whoever purchased his screenplay.

Here it is: THE VERY FIRST DRAWING EVER PRODUCED OF ELI.

This now hangs on Gary's office wall.

Luckily, it seems I encountered one of the two honest people in Hollywood, as Gary was true to his word. The script had fallen into the hands of The Hughes Brothers. They were keen to present the project to Denzel Washington... and I suggested re-drawing my original art to resemble the actor. Gary mentioned this to Allen Hughes and he was interested to see what I can do.

I turned in six drawings of a bad-ass, post-apocalyptic Denzel and they seemed to go down well.Here's one of them:

At this point I was contacted by Albert Hughes, who handles the visual aspect of their films. He toyed with the idea of commissioning some more presentation pieces to show the star but there was some concern over whether I would be able to get them done in time for their big meeting.

They went with someone else.

But as fortune had it, he let them down somehow, and they came back to me. So I worked through several days and nights to produce some concept art to show Denzel Washington.

It seems he liked what he heard and saw, and he agreed to do the film.

All systems were go, and I started producing further concept art, along with the genius that is Rodolfo DaMaggio.

The film looked set to go into production without a hitch... and then the writer's strike came along and torpedoed it. I resumed my work on The Twelve and assumed my involvement in a Hollywood film was over.

Then, one year later, I got a call telling me the film was green-lit and Albert Hughes, (the other honest man Hollywood), told me I still had the job of story-board artist... if I wanted it. Damn right I wanted it... ever since I was a kid! I was to pack my bags and get ready to head out to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to join the pre-production team.

In truth, this wasn't the first film I'd ever been offered, but on the previous two occasions I did refuse them in order to honour my comic commitments. You don't get rewarded for doing that... and the warm glow of pride at your own loyalty lasts about as long as it takes to get your next bank statement.

So, yeah, The Twelve had to go on hold and I headed out to New Mexico.

I'll never forget my first day at the studio: I was given a tour by Dawn Todd and shown to my office. It was, she told me, previously occupied by a certain Frank Miller while he was working on The Spirit. "You have no idea how ironic that is!" I told Dawn. Regular readers of my blog will be only too aware of the irony, and my opinion of the fedora-sporting one's work. I can only assume the only reasons he didn't leave a turd in the room for me is he's oblivious to this blog and/or my entire existence. However, pretty much everyone I met at the studio had nothing but kind things to say about working with Mr. Miller, so I reckon I should refrain from dissing the man in future. I'll do my best, anyway!

Stay tuned for further reports of my adventures in New Mexico!

2009-09-03T03:26:00.000-07:00

Some more San Diego Comic Con sketches:

By day, a mild mannered comic strip artist...

2009-09-02T04:12:00.000-07:00

I don't just use my illustrative skills to draw comic strips and film storyboards, you know...

Oh, no; sometimes I use them to actually fight crime!

Yesterday, I was forced to visit my local bank to pay off some of my ever-expanding credit card bill. I found myself studying this extremely charismatic fellow in the queue ahead of me ( sounds a bit "gay" for a married man like me, I know... but, hey, I'm an artist! We do these things.).

This fellow then proceeded to say something to the girl behind the counter that persuaded her to hand over loads of money.

Yes! It was a robbery!

By the time I realised what was happening he'd escaped with the loot. I gave my contact details to the bank and then ran like the wind back to my studio and set about hastlily drawing some pictures of the robber. I'd studied this guy quite intensely and could remember every detail of his likeness and clothes.

I took my drawings round to the local cop-shop. Finding it full of your usual oiks and ne'er-do-wells, I was reluctant to broadcast my status as as a grass (yes I'm aware of the irony of that last statement given that I'm now announcing my deeds to the world on a blog)... so I gingerly approached the desk and whispered "I'd like to report a serious crime...". The copper patiently asked for some more details, so I mouthed "The bank robbery ...". This got his attention and he asked me if I was a witness.

"I'm more than a witness!" I blurted, "Check these out!"

I held up my drawings, and the policeman's eyes widened with astonishment! "That's him!" he splutterd. " 'Ere, come and have a look at this!" he called to his colleagues. They trotted over, took a look and exclaimed "That is spot-on! It IS him!".

Seems they'd already picked up a suspect who matched my drawings exactly. I then spent the afternoon giving a statement... but I can't really expand on the situation any further than that for obvious reasons.

The drawings are now in the hands of the police and will probably be used as evidence when the case comes to court. But, yes, I did take scans and if I can show them at some point in the future I will!

The strange thing is, I've occasionally mused about being in a situation exactly like this. Sad, I know! Could this be a bizarre form of cosmic ordering on a subconscious level? If so, maybe I could put my powers to use in getting someone to buy The Filth's film rights?!

Major update time...

2009-09-02T03:41:00.000-07:00

Wow... I have not blogged for ages.... and I've got so much to report, too.

First up, I was on the cover of 2000ad last week:

a picture that initially started out looking like this:

I was desperate to eschew the computer and do a fully painted piece, but I must confess to surrendering and adding a few digital tweaks, which you'll notice when you compare it to this, unadorned version:

If anyone fancies owning this piece, do get in touch; I'm open to offers.

San Diego Convention sketches

2009-07-30T07:27:00.001-07:00

Eli-vation!

2009-07-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

Just got back from the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con...

How would I describe the experience? MENTAL!!!!

Mental! Mental! Mental! That's how.

I was mainly there to capitalise on my involvement with The Book of Eli, a film that I MADE (with .... cough... a little help from The Hughes Brothers and Denzel Washington.... cough.) Seen the trailer yet? If not, check it out here... and bear in mind, while you are watching it, that I MADE THIS!!!

Um.... ahem...

Okay, I'm going to do my utmost to not come on like some sub-Millar self-promotion junkie... but if I am allowed just one little opportunity to parade myself to the masses, this is it, three minutes in:

As I said, mental.

I'm really hoping that 2000ad readers will enjoy this film. When I read the script for the first time, I thought "Excellent. Here's my chance to put The Cursed Earth up on the screen. I approached every shot with a 2000ad-sensibility: that gritty, mucked-up decadence that you don't seem to get in US comics.

Unfortunately, my "Book of Eli" poster signing didn't go so well... on account of the fact that my posters went missing and didn't get found until after my signing was over. Can't win them all.

Tharg in in the USA!

2009-07-18T04:13:00.001-07:00

Here's a sneak peek at the cover of the free 2000ad sampler Tharg will be giving away at The San Diego Comic-Con (featuring a fully painted cover by yours truly)!

And don't forget to pick up this week's prog, either, because it contains my self-penned Terror Tale: Counts As One Choice. Hope you like it.. 'cos I've got loads of other stories I want to tell.

One Sheet to the wind!

2009-07-15T01:44:00.000-07:00

So, I think everyone's seen my "Book of Eli" Poster by now.

Here's a look into the process of its creation:

When I was asked to create the teaser poster, it gave me a chance to think about some of my favourite film one-sheets.

I've always been a fan of your classic "full-figure hero up-shot" image typified by these beauties:

So, with that in mind, I roughed up this scene:

I thought it turned out pretty well, and I was looking forward to painting it in full-on acrylics. However the film company didn't share my enthusiasm and asked me to try again. They suggested I may want to utilise the gas-masked character:

I gave it a shot, but I felt it looked a bit "28 Days Later". I then decided to go all blacksploitation... and do something in the spirit of these:

Here's what I came up with:

The film company loved this, I got the all-clear and started work on the finished art. I got this far...

and then I found out I'd given Denzel the wrong weapon and they decided to switch the vehicles. I thought I may as well finish the version I was working on and put it on eBay when the film comes out.

I roughed up another version, just to make sure...

and then worked on the logo placement...

and voila, Bob's your uncle!

California Dreaming

2009-07-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

Next week I will be attending the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con. This is usually a pretty expensive trip for a struggling artist like myself, so I need a pretty good reason to justify the outlay to my ever-patient wife and kids. Luckily this year I have several damn good reasons to excuse this extravagance:

Firstly, I'll be part of the group promoting Denzel Washington's upcoming new film, "The Book of Eli". This is is the production that took me away from The Twelve for a couple of months, much to the irritation of a some of the readers. What can I say? I was dazzled by the Hollywood money, the opportunity to travel and the chance to work on a blockbuster movie, one of my lifelong ambitions. However, I had been attached to this film for as long as I'd been working on The Twelve, and if everything had gone to plan I would have been able to do both jobs without interruption. But these things rarely work out so conveniently.

Anyway, I'll be at the Warner Brothers panel on the Friday 24th. After that, I'll be signing this exclusive "Book of Eli" teaser poster I drew over at the Warner Brothers stand:

My next blog entry will catalogue the many versions this poster went through until we reached the finished product.

And hopefully, I'll be able to reveal some more production art as we get closer to the film's release. I don't think it spoils anything to say its a post-apocalyptic action movie... and I hope I brought a 2000ad / Cursed Earth vibe to it. That was the intention, anyway. What can I can say is you'll get to see Denzel Washington kick serious arse in this film... "Man on Fire" is a mere taster compared to the righteous vengeance he rains down on the scum in this film.

My second reason for wanting to attend the Con is Comic related. Much to my delight and amazement, The Twelve has been nominated for an Eisner Award in the "Best Limited Series". I doubt if it will win given the frustration of the readers with the book's erratic schedule, but I am flattered by its inclusion and will be attending the ceremony on the off-chance I get to do my best Kate Winslet impersonation.

(AND, stop the press: I may have some more new Twelve news for you soon. Don't wanna count my chickens, so I'd better not blab yet... but things are looking up.)

2000ad will have a presence at Comic-Con and Tharg tells me he'll be giving away a special sampler to seduce our colonial cousins into reading The Galaxy's Greatest Comic. Apparently, my art will be gracing the cover of this book. I can't show it off yet, 'cos it will also be the cover of prog 1650, I think. It features a classic portrait of The Mighty One zapping the planet Earth with bolts of pure Thrill Power.

This is a self-financed trip, so I'll be doing my utmost to pay my way by doing sketches and selling art at the Splash Page Comic Art stand, booth Number 4400. Please stop by and say hello, or even to give me grief over The Twelve; I'll be ever so humble.

It won't all be work. I haven't done a con for nearly a year so I'm relishing the chance to hang out with my comic strip buddies...like good ol' Liam Sharp, who has generously accepted my offer of sharing a room (proving he's the most forgiving man in comics when you consider what happened to his budgie the last time we shared living space. It's a long story).

Lock up your daughters, America: Frazer Irving will be straddling your West Coast, like a three-legged Colossus of Lurve! He'll probably spend the week answering a million questions about Gutsville's fate in a way that will hopefully take the heat off The Twelve's shenanigans. Hang in there, Fraze, we know it'll be worth the wait!

The Govenor, Dave Gibbons, will be there too, probably promoting The Director's Cut of Watchmen. And yes, I'm aware I am now straying into name-dropping territory.

And, last but not least, I'll be hooking up with my movie-biz pal, Brian, who is coming dressed as The Laughing Mask. I kid you not!

I hope it's another classic Con full of scandal, gossip, fights and laughs. I'll obviously keep you informed.

God gave Rock and Roll to us.

2009-07-09T02:29:00.000-07:00

Big thanks to me ol' mate Steve Bunche who made my morning by bringing this to my attention:

Liam Sharp: Multi Talented Git!

2009-07-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

Renaissance man, Liam Sharp is at it again! This time he's written a book and I mean a proper book... none of that stories told in pictures bollocks!

"GOD KILLERS" has been receiving praise from some very big names indeed.

I tried to embed a promo video that included all the rave reviews from the likes of China Miéville, Mike Carey, Jeff Vandermeer, Dan Abnett, Paul Cornell and Douglas Rushkoff, but it was beyond my technological means.

You'll just have to take my word for it. Actually, don't... just buy your own copy and find out for yourself just how good it is!

You can buy it in Waterstones, or at these links:

http://machivariuspoint.weebly.com/buy.html

More info here:

http://www.liam-sharp.com

I know as much as you do.

2009-06-29T02:27:00.000-07:00

Let's talk about The Twelve.

Ah, sod it. Let's not.

Experience has taught me that it's probably better if I maintain a dignified silence, despite some of the aspersions cast in my direction on the boards (and, yes... I'm aware that "dignified silence" is not one of my strong points as regular readers, acquainted with the forensic details of my genitalia, will attest!).

I'll just leave you with everything I know on the subject of the book's future:

"it's going to be finished come hell or high water"

So says JMS in a Comic Book Resources interview.

Think I've found my T-Shirt slogan for this year's San Diego Con.

In the Phantom Zone!

2009-06-24T17:42:00.000-07:00

Bloody Hell. I'm getting too old for this malarkey. It's two in the morning and I've been working for seventeen hours straight. Yeah, I know nurses do this every day... but still... I'm frazzled.

However, the cover is finished. And tomorrow I'm back doing film work! Hooray for Hollywood!

(And before anyone complains, if I had Twelve scripts I would be drawing them.)

Phantom Patrol

2009-06-23T03:54:00.000-07:00

I thought it was about time I brought you some news on my comic career, rather than on my testicles.

First up, Bear Alley Books are bringing out an all-new collection of "The Phantom Patrol", and I'm creating an all-new wrap-around cover for it, as seen above. (Yes, I had to draw every single blade of grass. That's what I do).

The Phantom Patrol was a strip that originally ran in The Swift in the early sixties. Drawn by Gerry Embleton, it chronicled the adventures of Sergeant Joe Trimm and his platoon who discover a crashed UFO on the island of Crete in 1941. Pinned down by the Nazis, our heroes escape by the means of a time-travel device purloined from the flying saucer. So begins the time-spanning adventures of "The Phantom Patrol"! With a tank, a landing craft, a handful of guns and a captured Nazi, the British infantry unit find themselves in the midst of the Trojan Wars.

The Phantom Patrol is a superb yarn of a kind that British comics did best. Fast-moving and wildly plotted, the story grows more complex as the patrol battles its way through Egypt and Private Paddy O'Connell finds himself adrift in time with a police trooper from the future. Flitting from one historical event to the other, will the Sarge and his men manage to escape back to now... and, given the situation they left behind, will they survive even if they do get back?

"Here come the Trojans—armed to the teeth! Get ready for big trouble!"

The Highlight of this book is the amazing artwork of Gerry Embleton. It can't have been an easy strip to draw, what with all the historical reference he would have needed. Dinosaurs, woolly mammoths, ancient egyptians, vikings, romans, trojans... the range of subject matter poor old Gerry had to handle is staggering. And quite how he did it without the aid of Google is baffling. But do it he did, in impressive style.

Only rarely seen since it's original appearance in Swift, The Phantom Patrol reprints all 57 episodes in one blockbuster volume.

Artwork by Gerry Embleton

Written by Willie Patterson

Cover by Chris Weston

Edited and introduced by Steve Holland

ISBN 978-1-907081-52-1

120 pages, b/w.

To be published in August 2009

Ticked Off... or "The Passion of The Chris".

2009-06-08T08:29:00.000-07:00

My lack of productivity hit new lows this week as most of my time was spent fighting the urge to scratch at what I could only assume was an infected insect bite in my nether regions. In truth, "scratching" doesn't cover it... what I actually wanted to do was wrap a crate load of brillo pads onto a garden rake with barbed wire and scour the living flesh from my throbbing, super-itchy thighs. Imagine "The Passion of The Christ" remade with Jesus as a willing subject!

I managed to resist this notion, and eventually decided to surrender myself to the ritual known as "showing your bits to the doctor". He knew instantly the impressive scale of The Weston Reproductive Organs was due to infection and not my natural manliness, and I was prescribed a course of antibiotics. Unfortunately, they did not stop the ever-expanding rash from spreading slowly down my leg and eventually extending below my knee; a progress marked in felt-tip by my ever-patient wife.

By sunday night, I became concerned that my swollen leg was beginning to affect my circulation, so I managed to get myself an appointment at the local District General Hospital, which I considered the repayment of a karmic debt since I had twice protest-marched to save that institution from closure.

Once there, I again I had to display my Great Balls of Fire but this examination did bear a bitter-sweet fruit with the discovery of a tick burrowed deep into the crook of my groin.

I was admitted to the hospital then and there. At first I thought I'd been placed in the geriatric ward by mistake, as I had to share a room with some extremely elderly ladies, one of whom was emitting the loudest death-rattle and whimper I have ever heard. It's hard to sleep listening to a fellow human being in the bed opposite you slide noisily off the mortal coil, and its hard to get angry about it too.

Her forlorn gargles were soon drowned out once the blind-drunk binge-drinking teenage girls were deposited in our room. You should have seen the violent behaviour exhibited towards the poor nursing staff by these loud, hysterical and abusive women. Eventually security had to be called to restrain one of them.

Any chance of the old dear enjoying a dignified death soon disappeared once these young ladies commenced their four-letter tirades demanding she cease the mournful gasped cries which were hindering their attempts to fall into alcohol-induced comas.

I wondered at the rationale of placing these teen-harridans in a ward with people who were clearly enduring their last moments on this planet, let alone with a sensitive geeky-type like me. I then wondered about what sort of state the NHS would have to be in that would make this situation unavoidable. Then I was carted off for x-rays at four in the morning.

I was then pumped full of intravenous antibiotics, and eventually released back home. But my leg is still swollen, and I'm anticipating a further rest at the tax-payers' expense before the next weekend, as I see no evidence of the medication working.

Coming soon... news about my comic work. Honest.

Caught Flashing!

2009-06-04T02:38:00.000-07:00

"Klytus, I'm bored. What play thing can you offer me today?
A nice fat hardback containing all of Al Williamson's Flash Gordon strips?
I'm down for that!"

"By the way, Klytus: anyone ever tell you how much better it would've been if you'd have played Doctor Doom and not that botoxed wally from Nip/Tuck?"

"Oh, they have."

"Repeatedly."

"Well, it's true."

Result!

2009-06-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure I've ever shared my love of sixties action movie posters with the world... but check out this little beauty I just picked up on eBay:

Y'see, this is why noone can be arsed to go to the cinema anymore... 'cos modern posters make the films look duller than dishwater! In contrast, look at the delights this film is promising...

Murder? Spies? Women?

I'm there, baby, I'm THERE!!!

Cradlegrave

2009-05-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

Anyone not reading 2000ad at the moment should amend that situation immediatly as they are missing out on "CRADLEGRAVE" by John Smith and Edmund Bagwell.

Check out the trailer for it here.

Judging by the first six episodes Cradlegrave could very well be the best thing John has ever written, and the only thing that stops me from wishing I had drawn it is the sickening knowledge that Bagwell is doing a far better job on it than I could've.

This is one of those rare moments when the right script went to the right artist.

It's Comic Gold my friends. COMIC GOLD!

Well done Smithy, you were always my favourite...

Back to Black

2009-05-07T04:55:00.000-07:00

Here's the finished Black Max piece...

Not too different from the rough sketch... just a lot bigger. Truth is, if this was for publication I'd probably just clean up the rough a bit and go with that.

So what's next? Apparently I've got six more weeks of film work coming up, but I have no idea when that will arrive. Or my next Twelve script, either.

I've been approached to provide some art for a band, which is pretty exciting. More news on that as I get it.

Last week I continued my campaign to do existing writers out of a job by writing a new Future Shock for 2000ad. Tharg likes the idea but I haven't quite nailed the execution just yet. I'm nearly there, though, fingers crossed.

I've also been sounded out for some character designs for an animated series which would be fantastic. Can't reveal any details about that yet.

I have just started a new private commission too, a full colour one that may actually see print too. More details on that as soon as I've been given the all-clear.

I just knocked out a poster for Putner and Glen's new comedy show, Inglorious Stereo.

I've seen a preview of this show and it is bloody hilarious. If you're in London and fancy seeing some great new comedy sketches do check them out before they get given their inevitable Radio 4 series and TV spin-off.

So lotsa irons, lotsa fires... but not enough heat to set the world alight just yet.

Feeling Batty

2009-04-30T10:56:00.003-07:00

Today I was gripped with the urge to draw a Black Max pin-up.

'The Black Max', was a strip that originated in The Thunder weekly comic way back in October 1970. Drawn by european supremo, Alfonso Font, it featured the villainous exploits of the German air ace Von Klorr, who used his flying skills and giant bats to fight the allies in WWI. After 22 issues, Thunder folded but The Black Max continued his adventures within the pages of Lion weekly. A couple of these stories were collected and reprinted in various annuals and summer specials.

Giant Vampire Bats, Biplanes, Haunted castles... Why don't we get to see shit like this in comics anymore? I was born in the wrong era!

I heard a rumour that Peter Jackson explored the possibility of making a Black Max film... I don't know if that's true, but I'd rather see him do that than produce another bleedin' elf movie! C'mon, Peter, embrace your inner gore-hound... and bring on the giant bats!

The Galaxy's Greatest...

2009-04-29T04:14:00.001-07:00

Good ol' Tharg... always there when you need him!

The alien editor of The Galaxy's Greatest Comic, 2OOOad, was the first being to provide me with paid comic work... and the way things are going he'll probably be the last.

When you are halfway through a major series for an american publisher, but the flow of scripts seem to have inexplicacbly dried up... when you've depleted the cash you made on a film by taking time out to put together your own pitches... it's good to know you will always be welcomed back to the hallowed home of Dredd, Danté and The Strontium Dog.

Yeah, I've just completed a Tharg's Terror Tale that I think will be running in Prog 1645. It's a funny and creepy little yarn entitled "Count As One Choice", and it's all about the dangers of joining a... no, I don't want to ruin it. That's the first panel up there at the beginning of this post, featuring the Beetlegeusian himself.

It's been written by a new writer making his debut in the comic... and let's just say he really shows promise.

Alright, it's me!

I got so fed up waiting for a script I decided to write my own.

Hopefully, it'll be the first of many... but that's up to you, the reader. And Tharg, of course.

Do please check it out and let me know what you think... unless you hated it, in which case I don't need to know.

Splundig Vur Thrigg, Earth-dudes!

For the Man Who Has Everything...

2009-04-14T03:13:00.000-07:00

Dave Gibbons is The Governor.

Today he is celebrating a significant birthday, so I couldn't pass up this opportunity to sing his praises.

I don't need to list Dave's achievements; they've been well documented over the last few months in the wake of the Watchmen movie.

I've said this before, but one of the greatest perks of drawing comics for a living has been the chance to meet and befriend the incomparable Mr. Gibbons. He, ( along with Don Lawrence, Jesus Blasco and Reg Bunn) was one of my first comic strip heroes. I discovered his work in the Wizard comic, way back in 1976, on a strip called "Year of the Shark Men"... and he was one of the first artists whose work I could favourably distinguish from the seventies' brit comic-strip crowd. I also have fond memories of the "Spring-Heeled Jackson" strip he drew for Hotspur comic, prior to his 2000ad work. D.C Thompson need to collect this series in a graphic novel one day, if they could only see what a goldmine they are sitting on.

I just want to say that Dave Gibbons has been a consistant inspiration and role model to me throughout my life and career. And, aside from being a great artist, he's a bloody good bloke. Always generous with his time and unbelievably modest for a man with THAT resumé. Always, polite, well-mannered and sincere...

like I say, Dave Gibbons is The Governor.

Happy Birthday, Dave.

Back to Britain.

2009-03-17T09:02:00.000-07:00

Wow. I'm back. Actually, I've been back a while, but I thought I'd better keep me head down and crack on with The Twelve for a bit. I don't want to attract any more grief from irate fans of the book who were royally cheesed off by my temporary pursuit of much-needed Hollywood coin.

I haven't got the go-ahead to talk about the film work just yet... but, rest assured, I'll be doing some gratuitous grand-standing once I'm given the all clear. It'll make Mark Millar look like a shrinking violet in comparison! Well, probably not... but hopefully I'll be able to post some of the art I produced for the project at some point.

I'm once again in the position of waiting for scripts, so I finally found time to tackle my neglected commission list. This painting has been staring at me half-finished for a good two years: a Wild West-themed Captain Britain and Betsy Braddock. This was done for a friend of mine, John Bamber, who collects artwork of his favourite comic-strip characters rendered cowboy-style (that sounds rude).

You can see other examples from his collection here.

I'll try and update the blog on a semi-regular basis again, so, if I have any "fans" (hate that word) left, y'all make sure to come on back now, y'hear!

Making an exhibition of myself...

2008-10-28T15:33:00.000-07:00

Last night I met up with Gossmeister General Rich Johnston (of Lying in the Gutters infamy) to view the penultimate night of the Comic Strip Art Exhibition he organised for Harrods. Joel Meadows was there to chronicle the event for his blog, from where I took the liberty of snatching this handy photo of me, Rich and my mate Dave Allcock.

Last time I saw Joel Meadows was at the Bristol Comic Convention when I disgraced myself by throwing a tantrum in an indian restaurant 'cos of the amount of time they took to prepare our meal...sigh. Glad you've forgiven me, Joel.

Also there to enjoy a pint at Al Fayed's expense was my homie from Aviliés, Frazer Irving. Frazzle is currently pouring his heart and tortured soul into his meisterwerk, Gutsville.

It was a totally surreal situation, standing beneath an escalator, staring at some of my favourite pages of art from comic strip history... like a page from The Killing Joke, the first ever published Dredd page by Mike McMahon... and this pair from watchmen:

If you haven't already checked out this cracking little display of gems from the funnybooks, tough shit. It's gone, like forever, man.

Random thoughts...

2008-10-23T03:12:00.000-07:00

While I am on the subject of "retro sci-fi heroes"... could I just recommend the brand new collection of "Rick Random, Space Detective" reprints published by Prion.... which can be purchased here.

Rick Random, Space Detective, was a comic book character who appeared in "Super Detective Library", published by Amalgamated Press, from 1954.His first appearance was in the "Super Detective Library" number 37 in a tale titled "Crime Rides the Spaceways". Random worked for the Interplanetary Bureau of Investigation, and among his arch-enemies was a futuristic bank robber, John Jolson, who used a matter transmitter in one story to steal gold from London's Interplanetary Bank. Random's female companion was Detective Superintendent Andi Andrews.

Rick Random proved as difficult to kill off in the real world as he did in his sci-fi adventures. Indeed, I first discovered him in the pages of 2000 AD way back in 1979, when he was given an all new adventure drawn by his original artist, Ron Turner. Ron is the real reason to buy this enormous, 656-paged volume... it is The Bible of beautiful retro-tastic space art.You can check out more of his amazing artwork here.

Also, should sales of this book prove successful they'd be more likely to reprint a Volume Two. And I'd really like that.

The Medusa Touch

2008-10-22T02:25:00.000-07:00

The horror... the horror...

It has been reported on the sci-fi news-site, i09, that Frank Miller has begun work on a movie revamp of a "classic scifi hero."
They speculate that it could be Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers ... or.... please god no... Dan Dare!

This comes a mere year after I shared my vision of what The Fedora's take on Hampson's Cosmic Colonel would look like... but, if you missed it first time, grit your teeth and take a squint at the geek apocalypse that could be coming our way soon.

Imagine it: "Eat my Paralysing Pistol, you Treen c**t! I'm the Goddamn Pilot of The Future"

Shudder.

At the time of drawing, I had no idea that such an abomination could become a reality. Maybe I'm somehow responsible for bringing this monstrosity to life, in a Richard Burton stylee...

Cliff-tastic!

2008-10-16T02:11:00.000-07:00

Cliff Robinson, one of my all time favourite 2000ad artists, has finally got his own blog, which you can find HERE!

The Prince of Precision, Cliff has produced hundreds of iconic Judge Dredd covers for the Galaxy's Greatest Comic... and I just can't get enough of his "Howard Hughes-clean" artwork. Unfortunately, quality takes time; his fans often have long waits between the appearances of his brilliant artistry... so Cliff's blog is a convenient way to get a good fix of his work. As coincidence has it, there's a Dredd strip drawn by Cliff in this very week's "Prog"... and extremely lovely it is too.

It's about time Cliff got some work from the U.S. comics publishers...

and this sketch of Spidey shows just how good it would be if he was to be picked up by someone like Marvel...

Cliff is the anti-Mark Millar of comics: unbelievably modest and oblivious to his popularity... so get yourself over to his blog and let him know just how much we all love his artwork!

Cliff's original art can be found for sale at incredibly decent prices HERE!

Fight!

2008-10-13T06:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm probably gonna get in trouble (again) for posting about private industry matters... but , damn it, this shit is too good not to share!

It all begins with an email I received from Alex Nguyen, the literary agent for one Chau Van Truong, who was "eager to introduce the world to his immense talent". They were searching for artists for two new comic strip series written by Mister Chau, and I noticed the same offer was also forwarded to a whole host of comic strip illustrators, including such industry giants such as Matt Wagner, Steve "Whiteout" Lieber, Dick Giordano, Norm Breyfogle and Alan Kupperberg.

I gave my standard polite response:

"Thank you for considering me in regards to Chau's projects. Unfortunately, my work schedule is already filled to the brim and I am unable to offer my services. Good luck with it all."

...but that didn't stop further inquiries from Mister Nguyen. Fair enough. Full marks for persistence.

Eventually, I (along with the other artists I mentioned) received this hilarious Email from the man himself:

"It is I, CHAU VAN TRUONG, who ask you to illustrate COPYCAT & THE NAISA MAFIA into a comic book format. I like to get unknown or aspiring talents an opportunity to do something great, to be part of history, and to grab fame internationally in these stories which will soon be feature films. You don't have to believe me and I do not care. There will be no payment until I personally approve of your drawings. If a contract is made, I will contact my entertainment attorney, MARK STEINBERG, to draw it up for you. Do not ask ALEX NGUYEN for compensation when you might not even be picked to be part of this great endeavor."

Class!

I replied:

"Dear Mister Chau Van Truong,

I'm assuming your ever-so-slightly abrasive tone was an unfortunate
by-product of the translation process.

However, I have already told your representatives that my "unknown talent" is fully booked for the foreseeable future, so I would appreciate it if you were to cease offering me this project.

Good luck with the great endeavour, though!

Chris Weston."

To which, Mister Truong responded with the laugh-out-loud funny quip:

"You've been deleted Bitch..."

I resisted the urge to continue and escalate the sparring... though I can report that Mr. Truong neglected to actually have me deleted from his list and I received a further missive from his good self. All of this electronic jousting was witnessed with much amusement by my compatriots who merrily joined in by congratulating me on my cheekiness, and by heaping further abuse on Mister Truong.

Ah, the comics biz truly is The Shit!

Woke up feeling Blue...

2008-09-29T03:18:00.000-07:00

Little Guy 3

2008-09-26T02:32:00.000-07:00

Recently finished the third episode of The Little Guy , the strip that runs in the "Four Feet From A Rat" supplement in London's Time Out magazine.

Pondering...

2008-09-25T02:30:00.001-07:00

Blue Blade sketch for Issue 9 of The Twelve.

Spanish Spider...

2008-09-23T01:53:00.000-07:00

I didn't just ponce about getting drunk and doing raps in Avilés, you know. I actually did some sketching while I was there too.

Here's one I did of my all-time favourite comic villain, The Spider...done for my new pal Vincent after several glasses of vino rojo

I may work this up into proper, finished, fully painted piece one day...just for the fun of it.

Here's a quickie of The Steel Claw done for Jaume Vaquer who owns this splendid collection of original art...

I suspected that both The Steel Claw and The Spider were well known in Spain, and I was pleased to get the opportunity to draw them. I'm determined to do a strip featuring these characters, one day... it is my destiny.

When Comic Strip artists go bad...

2008-09-21T03:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's out there now... so there's no point pretending it doesn't exist... (be warned this contains some out-of-character bad language on my part...)

Sorry Mum.

Sigh... now I know how Rhys Ifans feels when he picks up a copy of The News of the World. However, I'm not the only comic creator letting it all hang out in Avilés. Here's a whole lotta Liam Sharp rocking out without a care in the world...

Here's me and Joe Jusko getting acquainted...

Soon...

some posts featuring my art. I promise.

'Avin' it large in Aviles!

2008-09-15T03:00:00.000-07:00

So, just how did I come to be onstage, in a tent with fifty-plus Spaniards shouting "You're a git!" at me?

Oh boy, where do I begin?

I've just returned from Aviles, Spain, where I attended the craziest Comic Convention ever. I'm not even sure the word "Convention" is an appropriate term for the experience. A "Bacchanalian orgy of hedonistic hilarity" would be more accurate!

I've been to a town where Geek Orthodox is the main religion... and comic-strip creators are worshipped as Titans whose every whims are to be catered for unconditionally.

I arrived in Aviles last wednesday, having shared a flight with dear old Steve Dillon. At the airport we also bumped into Adi "Iron Man" Granov and his wife, Tamsin who'd gone unnoticed on the same plane as us...

We were then greeted by the show's organisors, German and Jorge and whisked directly to a restaurant in the Old Town to commence the festivities. There we met up with a few of the other guests...

like my homie, Frazer Irving, who has kindly declared me me "one of his crew"...

Mark "Fables"Buckingham and his wife, Irma...

Goran "Barracuda" Parlov, seen here with the incredibly hot Carmen ( relax, gentlemen... she's married)...

Dougie Braithwaite and his wife Sue, forever in my debt after my lightning reflexes saved his original art from a tsunami of spilt Coca Cola...

CB Cebulski, Michael Avon Oeming and , between them, Mike's partner whose name has unfortunately been washed out of my memory by fermented grape juice...

and Dean Ormston (and his wife Fiona who I somehow failed to get a photo of...)

On subsequent days we were joined by Liam Sharp, Alan Davis and Matt "D'Israeli" Brooker who had created this lovely poster for the show:

After the meal I wandered up to the town square , ensconced myself in an outdoor café next to the convention marquis and immediatly began sketching and signing for the fans.

It was very flattering to discover that my work is known on the continent, and many of my previous projects have been published in Spanish, like "Ministry of Space".

Here's Goran doing one of his amazing sketches of Barracuda...

I was introduced to the town of Aviles at a press conference I shared with Steve Dillon. We were grilled on the age-old question of why so many comic creators come from England. I still haven't come up with a decent answer.

Asked why kids don't buy comics anymore, I suggested they've got "better" things to spend their money on; like computer games, music, DVDs... "And drugs." added Steve.

Here's Adi Granov and Michael Avon Oeming on ther own panel, spilling the secrets of Hollywood. Between them is Diego, the interpreter, struggling to transcribe Mike's protracted and gross analogy which alikened failed movie projects to miscarriages... let's just leave it there....

At around ten at night all the guests were taken out to dinner and plied with copious amounts of wine. The party then continued back at the marquis but I bowed out of that and headed back to the hotel to have an early night. I was looking forward to enjoying some kid-free lay-ins while I was away from home... but it seems I have been conditioned to wake up at seven in the morning regardless. Besides, once awake I was deafened by the sound of Steve Dillon's snores emanating through the walls from the adjacent room!

Thursday: a typical day at the Aviles Comic Convention, beginning with a continental Breakfast in the hotel. It was during one of these that I was introduced to the american guest William Stout and his wife Kent. I'm ashamed to say I was oblivious to William's life and work, but once he started revealing the highlights of his career my jaw just hit the floor with astonishment. Not only did he do storyboards for "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and conceptual work for "Conan The Barbarian" and "Pan's Labyrinth" but HE designed the fricking "Predator", fer gawd's sake! And that's not including all his other achievements too numerous and awesome to mention... check out his site here to get some idea of the man's work...

Frazer and I attended his panel and he gave the most fascinating, inspiring and humbling talk ever. And what's more, he's one of the sweetest guys I've ever met.

Here's William at the Awards ceremony having just win the "Coolest Guest" award... he's the fellow on the left:

After breakfast my time was spent sketching in the café until two o' clock when we were all treated to yet more vast quantities of food during three-hour lunch sessions. At one of these I met Joe Jusko who I consider to be my generation's Alex Ross with his fully painted, realistic renditions of superheroes. Joe was a "larger than life" character, built like a brick shit-house, but charming with it. You should hear some of his anecdotes from his years as a New York cop... they'll make your hair curl!

Here's Joe, on the right, with probably the only creator with muscles to match, Liam Sharp:

In the background you'll notice the area of the bar named after the British creator who spent the greatest amount of time there. This feat garnered him "The Brian Azzarello Award" for sheer stamina...

The thursday night was spent getting drunk on red wine with Frazer and Liam and talking about Rock... which put us in the mood for the live music they'd laid on for us in the marquis. Now you can't do a gig in the company of Liam Sharp and not expect him to belt out a few tunes... and he subsequently took to the stage and treated the crowds to scorching renditions of the standards like "Mustang Sally" and "Smoke on the Water".

Even Frazer got in the act and banged away on the Bass...

Not to be outdone... and having my inhibitions demolished by tidal waves of red wine... I took the stage and gave the wickedest rap on the subject of Aviles and the guests. I'll spare you the entirety of the lyrics, co-written with Frazer... but the chorus, whose final line was enthusiastically chanted back to me by the audience, went like this:

"The Comics Biz IS The Shit!
If you don't like it, you're a git!

The reception was rapturous... and I was asked to repeat the performance, only this time with the assistance of Diego, our official interpreter, translating the lyrics. Needless to say, all this was caught on many a camera-phone, so there's a good chance you'll be able to view my "performance" on YouTube some time in the near future.... oh god....

None of this got me "The Best Singer" gong at the Awards Ceremony on the sunday night. That rightfully went to Liam Sharp who is every inch The Rock God! But next year, Liam, your ass is mine!

Frazer got voted the "Best Looking Guest" award, a category decided by the female organisors. It seems NO women are immune to the magical seduction powers Frazer wields so blazenly and irresponsibly. I mean, check him out, ladies.... what's not to like?

Here's Adi Granov and Dougie Braithwaite at the party, looking cool...

Most surreal moment of the weekend came at the Civic Reception where we were ushered into the Town Hall and officially greeted by the Mayor's representatives. Speeches were made, gifts given and for the first time ever I felt the comic strip profession was treated with what I can only describe as Respect. Strange... but nice.

I think The Council has big ambitions for their town; they are re-modelling this post-industrial town as a centre for Arts and Culture... and Comics are seen as an important part of that. A brand new Cultural Centre, designed by Oscar Niemeyer will be built on re-developed land and it wouldn't surprise me if we'll see the Comic Convention held there in the future, Angouleme style. I wish them luck.

In the meantime, I will savour the memories of this show for the rest of my life. Everyone, guests, fans and organisors alike, struck me as some of the nicest people I've met in my career; not a single arse-hole amongst them. It was a privilege to hang out with them.

I'd like to end this post with a big thank you to Jorge and German for inviting me.

That "thank you" extends to the whole town of Aviles and all the fans I met there. You made me feel like a Star and I appreciate it. I'll be back.

The Comics Biz IS The Shit!
( And that's a compliment to anyone unfamiliar with rap terminology!)

Reality Check.

2008-09-09T03:20:00.000-07:00

It's been brutally brought home to me by the Bad Librarian that my "comic strip superstar" status doesn't even stretch as far as France!

Ah, well... at least the Spanish love me. Or at least they claim to in order to get a Kong-themed charity piece out of me:

This piece will join the others displayed during the Sitges Film Festival on the 75th anniversary of King Kong. Later it will be auctioned on eBay, with all proceeds going to Doctors Without Borders. You can check out the other contributions here. Very nice they are too.

This isn't the first Kong piece I've done. Years ago I did this advert for film equipment that featured the gargantuan gorilla:

It was a bit of a rush job... inked by good ol' Gary Erskine and coloured by the underrated Richard Elson.

Don't forget: tomorrow, I'm off to the Comic convention in Avilés, which is a little daunting. Wish me luck!

Lazy Bones

2008-09-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

Man alive, I have been so slack in blogging, lately. It's because I'm just so damn busy, for a change!

At the moment I'm in the middle of three jobs... the first one being episode three of "The Little Guy" for Liam Sharp's "Four Feet From A Rat" project that runs in Time Out.

On top of that, I've now got a script for episode 9 of "The Twelve"... and I've got to complete a full-colour private commission for my dear old mate, John Bamber in time for the Birmingham Comics Convention. I've been promising him it for years.

These last few months, I've been feeling quite "laid back" in nature... so all this sudden frantic activity is tolerated with mild resentment... but the resulting cheques will be gratefully received.

Unfortunately, I'm not at liberty to show any of these artistic endeavours, just yet... but I can show off a bit more of "Out of Water", a one page strip I did for Mono No.3. Mono is an Italian, no profit, comic anthology of one-page stories on a selected theme. Written by my pal, smoky man, all profits from Mono (printed by Italian publisher Tunué) support the financial adoption of a Peruvian child who will eventually become my unpaid artistic assistant, drugs-mule, household servant and personal slave. That's how it works, I think.

Also on the agenda will be an exhibition of comic strip artwork at Harrods, organised by Rich Johnston of Lying in The Gutters notoriety. It runs from next Monday until the end of October."Comic Timing", as it has been called, will feature original artwork from "Watchmen," "The Killing Joke," "Gentleman Jim," "Tamara Drewe," "Breakfast After Noon," "Petra Etcetera," "Charleys War," "Commando," "From Hell," "Captain Britain," "All Star Superman," "Jack Staff," "V For Vendetta," "Jackie," "Face Ache," "Nellyphant," "Books Of Magic," "Phonogram" "Tank Girl," "Slaine" and much more, as well as the first "Judge Dredd" page from 2000AD #2 and early "Dennis The Menace" and "Oor Wullie." Lowering the tone will be my own contribution, this following page from "The Filth"...

Aside from appearing at The Birmingham Comic Convention on the 4th and 5th of October, I have also been lucky enough to be invited to a Continental Comic convention in Avilés, Spain on the 9th to the 14th of September. Next week! Aaaagh! At the moment I'm pretty freaked out by the havoc this'll inflict on my deadlines, but I'm sure by the time I have my first slurp of Cava on the Iberian peninsula all my fears will somehow dissolve away...

Blinded with Science...

2008-08-21T04:07:00.000-07:00

Blimey... it's been ages since I last blogged. So what have I been up to? Well, I did some top-secret concept work for a new science fiction TV series. I'd love to show it off on this blog, but it's not mine to display. As soon as I have the clearance I'll put it up.

I also did some visual work for a prospective film pitch, and that too has got to remain under wraps for the time being. Shame, it's some of the best stuff I've drawn for ages, too.

I've also been taking some time off, and dragging the elder kids up to see the sights of dear old London town. Last week we did The London Eye and Natural History Museum; it's compulsory to show kids dinosaur bones, they can't get enough of them!

And yesterday, we did The Science Museum, which was absolutely fantastic. If you've never been, or haven't been recently, I strongly recommend it. I don't know why it never crossed my mind to visit this place when I was researching Ministry of Space but my work on that project would have been all the better for it. I found the place really inspiring, and am desperate to do some more science fiction art, just as soon as I've finished The Twelve, whenever that will be.

Really, The Science Museum was exactly like some vast building stuffed full of my favourite objects ever...

like auto-giros...

space-suits...

alien tripods...

rocket boosters...

Messerschmitt Kabinenrollers (which I've promised myself WILL be my very own midlife-crisis indulgence. I'm not there just yet, though, thank god)...

V2s...

Spaceships that open up and swallow smaller ones in an attempt to start World War 3 (which actually began in Georgia, last week, didn't it?)...

particle accelerators...

And, as you'll notice in the background of the last photograph... Frank Hampson artwork. Yes, it wouldn't be a Chris Weston blog without some mention of Dan Dare, would it? By some mad coincidence there happened to be an exhibition devoted to the Pilot of the Future.

Here's me, representing the Oans, in front of a DD display...

Highlight of the trip was a my first ever trip to an Imax cinema, to watch a 3D movie on undersea life. Wow, let me tell you, I can now fully understand the hysterical response to The Lumiere Brothers' early cinematograph work, "Arrival of the Train at La Ciotat", which was deemed so life-like that people in the front rows screamed and fainted. Well, my experience with Imax 3D very nearly replicated those reactions! I'd previously dismissed the concept of 3D movies, based on my memories of the old projection system which utilised the cardboard glasses with one red lense and one green lense. Consider me a complete convert now. You still have to wear glasses, but they are clear and massive ... and, combined with the expansive Imax screen, it is a totally convincing experience. My kids kept trying to grab all the jellyfish which floated tantalisingly before their eyes!

Here's the Weston clan, minus baby Alex, doing their tribute to Buggles.

Dyno-Rod

2008-07-29T03:19:00.000-07:00

I've just finished Issue eight of The Twelve, which seemed to get some love over at the DC Comics panel of all places (purely because JMS has been given the job of bringing back the Archie characters)!

It's been brought to my attention that I haven't had a good RANT on my blog recently. As some of my previous rants have brought me accusations of sexism and anti-americanism amongst other complaints, it's probably a good thing that I've kept my mouth shut for a bit. To be honest, I don't have much to rant about at the moment... I seem to be quite content and laid back these days.

I don't want to become boring, though... so you will find a little bit of mild cheekiness in an interview I've just done over at Optimum Wound.

Badge Behaviour...

2008-07-23T02:44:00.000-07:00

Attention, Space Cadets! Now, I've no idea what status the Dan Dare action figures I designed are at, but in the meantime I've been involved in another merchandise project involving The Pilot of the Future. He just won't let me go will he?!

Termight Replicas, who specialise in producing high quality recreations of classic 2000ad iconography, have now produced a Dan Dare Cap Badge.

The badges, faithful right down to the last detail, were derived from a computer generated model I created as part of the Action Figure project. The finished badge has been flattened somewhat, compared to my design, in order to allow the enamel to adhere to the metal. They look splendid!

You can get your own Dan Dare cap badge for a mere £9.95 by clicking here!
If you've got any questions, please email wake@2000ad.org

Jammy Sod!

2008-07-19T15:24:00.000-07:00

Hah! Being a comic strip illustrator does have its benefits after all! DC Comics kindly got me on the list for a preview showing of The Dark Knight at the Odeon Leicester Square last night!

And I'm not just saying this out of gratitude for the freebie, (I am in Marvel's employ , after all) but THIS FILM IS BRILLIANT. For the love of humanity, don't miss it. I'm definitely going to make sure I see it again... purely 'cos i feel Warner Bros deserves the £7 I would've paid to see this film if I hadn't been given a free ticket.

I never thought I'd see another superhero film that beats "Iron Man" within the same year... but The Dark Knight is it. In truth you could barely describe it as a "superhero" movie... it's more a traditional crime film, but one in which one of the characters happens to wear a mask. It's got elements of "Heat", "Kiss of Death", "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" and "Dirty Harry"... all great ingredients.

I'm not gonna say any more.

Just don't miss it.

2008-07-17T02:37:00.000-07:00

One tries to be professional... pouring scorn upon a fellow member of the comic-strip fraternity is not deemed appropriate or acceptable behaviour...

but, man alive! Does Frank Miller make it hard.

It's a labor not without its pleasures, though. Let's face it, being a full-time critic of Miller's work is a gift that keeps on giving.

Like the trailer for Will Eisner's (yeah, right) The Spirit ...

It's wrong. Oh so wrong. Magnificently wrong, in fact.

It would be easy to despair at the injustice of a world that critically and financially rewards someone whose work is my definition of "awful"... but when I see stuff like this, I can't help but laugh uproariously at the absurdity of it all.

C'mon, Frank... we're still waiting for "Holy Terror, Batman!"

That's gonna rock!

Wild Women!

2008-07-15T02:52:00.000-07:00

This post is a shout out for people to discover the excellent illustration work of Kevin Levell, whose blog you can find here.

Of particular interest is Kevin's ongoing webisodic (is that a word?) Adventures Of Taormina , published via this blog in complete chapters. An homage to the Saturday morning serials he loved as a child, imagine Flash Gordon meets Tomb Raider! Check it out!

There Can Only Be One

2008-07-14T10:54:00.001-07:00

Finished Mr. Caira's commission...

it only involved one deviation from the original rough, too. Chris asked me to replace Hershey with...

well, see for yourself...

Dredd Head

2008-07-14T02:40:00.000-07:00

The post goes out to Chris Caira, a collector of my original art who has frequently bailed me out of dire financial straits on more than one occasion. Chris has commissioned me to contribute a Judge Death piece for his "Trophy Wall" collection. Here's the rough:

The "Trophy Wall" is a series of private commissions featuring top comics villains proudly parading the decapitated bonces of their nemeses and other members of the supporting cast. The very first one was done by, who else, Mister Brian Bolland, and more can be found here and here, over at Chris' Comic art Fans web-page.

While it's an obviously stupid idea for me to show off another artist's work that clearly outshines my own, I never miss an opportunity to bring you more Bolland loveliness. And this is a rare recent piece that Bolland produced without the use of his computer...

Ta-daaaa!

2008-07-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

Phew! Finally finished the damned thing!

I consider it a half-success. It's nowhere near as photo-realistic as I wanted. I'm no Alex Ross, obviously...

and eagle-eyed viewers will notice I reluctantly resorted to the computer to add a bit of depth and glowing effects. Here's the original exactly as I scanned it in... I think it looks a little cluttered:

A week's work... it took me way too long when you consider what I'll be getting paid for it. But it was nice to flex the ol' painting muscles again.

Finished...

2008-07-09T16:19:00.001-07:00

I'll scan the full thing in tomorrow...

Nearly there...

2008-07-08T01:19:00.000-07:00

Still going!

2008-07-07T02:22:00.000-07:00

Didn't do any work over the weekend... just serious gardening and childcare.

Here's where I left off...

Work in progress...

2008-07-04T02:02:00.000-07:00

Completely ignored everyone's advice to just go with the rough....

and dived head-first into fully rendered painting. I'm a fool.... but a fool with a vision that won't be compromised! However, I couldn't have picked a worse moment to attempt such an approach, 'cos the Master of Acrylic himself, Mr. Glenn Fabry, picked that day to visit my studio!

Isn't that a bit like having Tiger Woods as your caddy? That kind of pressure I don't need!

Homage-tastic.

2008-07-02T02:02:00.000-07:00

Just started work on a new cover. It's for The Twelve 1/2... another collection of Golden Age reprints spotlighting the characters from The Twelve.

The editor asked me to create some sort of homage to this cover of "Daring Mystery Comics"...

I couldn't decide what angle to draw the scene from, so I decided to build a 3D model of the car in Cinema 4D....

that way I could spin the vehicle round and get the angle that looked the coolest.

Then I took some photo ref of me posing as the characters... but I ain't showing those 'cos it looks really embarrasssing. Finally, I incorporated all the elements into this rough:

And then just as I was about to leave my studio and spend some time with my neglected wife, the editor got in touch and asked me to put in the "damsel in distress", who I'd deliberately left out 'cos I've got no confidence when it comes to drawing women. Foiled again!

So I quickly added this "dame"... and fled the studio before any other changes could be asked for. But I have to admit, I think the composition works better with her in it.

I'm actually going to attempt hand-painting this thing in full colour... which is terrifying. But the material needs that "pulp" look that Paulo Rivera manages to capture so much better than his predecessor. Here's his cover for Issue 7, featuring The Phantom Reporter:

Talking of The Twelve, JMS has just done another interview plugging the book over at CBR, which you can read here... but, typical writer, failed to mention the contribution of his artist... sigh. But overall, JMS does good interview, coming across as well-rounded human being, with a manageable ego, in contrast to some of his colleagues. And he shares exactly the same feelings I have for Superman... which makes him alright in my book!

Gun-nads

2008-06-23T12:57:00.001-07:00

See if you can spot the crucial difference between the pencilled and published versions of Page 8 of The Twelve Issue 6...

YES! The massive mechanoid has been mysteriously emasculated!

The addition of an imposing cock-cannon was a bit of black humour on my part... a satyrical dig at the way the US has no problem with ultra-violence but remains squeamish on the subject of sexual practices. Thus, it's pretty clear that the depiction of gun violence has become a surrogate for the sex act... all those phallic and fetishised objects spraying leaden ejaculate... bodily fluids flying in all directions...

It amused me to take that "gun porn" ethos to the next logical level.

Unfortunately, while it made Marvel laugh like drains, I think they know american sensibilities better than I do... and a mechanical castration was ruled in... and out went the gattling-gonads!

Blow that trumpet...

2008-06-18T02:47:00.000-07:00

Um... am I allowed to bring my good reviews to your attention?

Is that cool...?

The Mark Millars of this world have no qualms about telling the world how "fucking brill" their work is... and such blatant braggadocio never seems to make the readers uneasy... or do their careers any harm. But I've always been a bit squeamish about engaging in the self-aggrandising promotion this industry seems to require from its creators.

Sure, I don't mind sharing the occasional pic with you, specially if I'm pleased with the way it turned out... or ones that tease at upcoming plot developments...

But I've always thought that showing off your good reviews is a pretty cowardly way of telling the world how great you think you are.

However... I am watching my peers' careers accelerate away from me, purely because they are so good at generating publicity for themselves... (I'm the guy who generally turns down interviews or articles about my studio... purely because I don't want people to find out that I'm the dullest man in the universe).

So, I've reluctantly come to the conclusion that self-promotion is now part of the job. And I am really proud of the work JM Straczinski and I are doing on the The Twelve. I want more people to find out about it and buy it.

I think the lady is beginning to protest too much now, so without further ado, let me guide you over to AICN's review of The Twelve Issue 6...

and this ego-boosting review from Pretty Flakes

And the answer to their first question is a resounding "No".

I'm great, me.

Imitation is the sincerest form of theft.

2008-06-12T02:43:00.000-07:00

Over a year ago, My mate Dave Allcock, designed this Teaser poster for the Mutant Chronicles movie:

Just released this week, the new poster for Starship Troopers 3...

Pretty similar, huh!

Still going...

2008-06-11T02:17:00.000-07:00

Still working my way through "The Twelve"...

Here's The Blue Blade welcoming a new cast member to his TV show...

Where on Earth is this strip going? Don't ask me! But it definitely ain't predictable, is it?!

And that's a rare quality nowadays!

2008-06-10T04:44:00.000-07:00

Here's a shout out to fans of Gary Erskine and his Dan Dare series:

Gary will be signing copies of the DAN DARE Special Hardcover Edition at the London Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8JR, on Saturday 14th June between 1-2pm. This collects the first three sell-out issues of his and Garth Ennis' bold new take on the classic space-hero.

Gary will also be at the Forbidden Planet Newcastle Store, 59 Grainger Street, Newcastle, NE1 5JE on theThursday 19th June, 6-7pm.

Tell him I sent you!

Magnificent 7

2008-06-04T02:10:00.000-07:00

This post goes out to Bad Librarian who has challenged me to reveal seven musical tracks that are currently shaking the floorboards chez Weston.

1. First up... Sunspots by Julian Cope.

British, Spaced-Out, Politically Astute, Angry, Lovely, Rocking... if Julian Cope was a comic he'd be 2000ad, definitely. And in my mind the two are inextricably linked. The music of this self-appointed "Arch-Drude" always fills me with a lot of good memories 'cos he was indirectly responsible for the loss of my virginity (let's not go there...) and he reminds me of my dear old mate Steve Sullivan who remains Cope's biggest fan ever.

2. From one extreme to another... I Ain't New To This by Ice T

Undeniably confrontational, misogynist and materialist... this is a classic example of rap's glorification of illegal and unpleasant behaviour. But then, all folk music has chronicled the lives of the criminal underclass... from "Whiskey in the Jar" to "Waltzing Matilda". And Rap is folk music.

Does the content of this music encourage copycat behaviour in its listeners? What about the atrocities that go on in Nick Cave's songs...? Even Johnny Cash sings about shooting a man in Reno, "just to watch him die". No-one makes a fuss about that. "Is it 'cos I is black?"

But I'm aware of the absurdity of a middle class, middle-aged, married white boy like me enjoying this "shizzle"... sometimes I'll catch myself in the kitchen, slurping down a nice Cabernet Sauvignon while my wife cooks up some Spaghetti Puttanesca... and we'll be throwing shapes to Ice T's urban beats... and I'll look up and ask "Is this what Ice T would have wanted?"

3. The Four Horsemen by Aphrodite's Child

A Greek prog rock band from the sixties, formed by the same Vangelis who scored Blade Runner, and with kaftan-campaigning Demis Roussos on vocals? What's not to love?

This funky track has also been ripped off, note for bloody note by Beck on his current single, Chemtrails. Accept no substitute...

4. If there's one thing the British excel at it's anthemic, uplifting indie rock, preferably sung by white working class boys with regional accents...

which brings me to the current single by Elbow, One Day Like This which can be found here.

5. Ah, The Mexican by Babe Ruth...
a strong contender for my favourite song of all time. Introduced to me by one of my bezzie mates, Graham Holter... this song is never off my bloody stereo.

Here's the recorded version:

It starts off all flamenco, then heads deep into prog rock territory and finally ends up as an Ennio Morricone-themed guitar wig-out. And you can dance to it. If only nightclubs played this sort of music... I'd be the oldest swinger in town.

Here's the band in action:

6.Down Deep Inside (Theme From "The Deep") by Donna Summer
"Down Deep Inside" is the theme song from the 1977 Jaws-cash-in movie The Deep. It was scored by British composer John Barry and the lyrics to the main theme were added by disco diva Donna Summer. Between them they created the gayest sounding record ever created!

7. And the end of my list brings us appropriately to An Ending (Ascent) by Brian Eno.

Found on the excellent Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks album, this is the tune I'm going to have played at my funeral. There's something about this piece of music that cuts right through my world-weariness and cynicism and presses all my emotional buttons. Like some kind of Pavlovian Canine reaction , it never fails to bring a lump to my throat or, occasionally, a tear to my eye.

Resurrection Shuffle

2008-05-29T02:15:00.000-07:00

Charlie, George and Alex, aren't the only offspring I'm proud of. I've also got two other kids, one named Winwood and one named Cord. Conceived with John Smith, these purple-hued characters were Dimension-hopping agents of Indigo Prime and made their biggest impact in a time-spanning tale of terror that ran in 2000ad progs 735-744 called "Killing Time".

Drawn long ago in 1991, "Killing Time" holds a special place in my heart. It marks the moment in my career I finally found my own style. Back then, I couldn't draw to save my life, (a point rammed home to me by my mentor, Don Lawrence, when he gazed a dismissive eye over my Killing Time original art...ouch!) but I think I compensated for that with my imagination and my insane amount of detail and psychedelic designs. I worked my arse off on that strip, and I think it was truly the last genuinely creative period I've had in my career. Only "The Filth" comes close to capturing it's feverish, weird-scape sensibility, but "Killing Time" is the real deal. It was like I was channelling something, the ideas just came pouring out... with no effort on my part. Probably something to do with the spirit markers I was using, which have now been banned because of their hallucinogenic properties.

I think I'm better at drawing now, but I don't think my work is as vital or bonkers as it used to be. I've sacrificed creativity for clarity.

"Killing Time" was co-plotted and scripted by John Smith, one of my favourite writers. He's the best dialogue writer in the business... and, creatively, every inch the equal of Grant Morrison. He could have been a real contender... but for whatever reason that never happened. It's been painful to watch lesser talents ape his style and reap the rewards, purely because they're better at playing the "business" game.

However, it was a real pleasure to see John back in the Galaxy's Greatest Comic again, with his new strip, "Dead Eyes"... and imagine my surprise when the very last page re-introduced two familiar figures not seen for over seventeen years...

Bloody hell... it's my boys, Winwood and Cord! I thought they were dead.

I had a brief moment of "Siegel and Schuster"-inspired petulance... "Those are MY babies!". But, ultimately, I had signed the contracts. Rebellion (2000ad's owner) are free to do with them what they like.

I've got mixed feelings about it. On one hand, I think "Killing Time" had a great ending: leaving the character's fates ambiguous was a really powerful move. I like to think we went out on top.

However, I'm also interested to see what John has got in store for them. And anything that keeps him producing strips for The Prog is a good thing.

Colour me perplexed. Or purple...

Indy IV

2008-05-23T02:42:00.001-07:00

My first encounter with Indiana Jones was way back in April 1981, when I discovered the above paperback in W.H. Smiths. It appeared to be an adaptation of a film, but not one I'd heard of (this was back in the days when films just materialised without being heralded by months of hype, speculation and spoilers.)

I saw George Lucas' name on the cover, which was some indication of quality (how times have changed). So, I bought the book, read it and loved it. It appealed to my pulp sensibilities which were already ingrained in me thanks to my exposure to The Doc Savage paperbacks.

But nothing prepared me for the "Raiders of The Lost Ark" movie. Some talk about Star Wars as the film that changed their lives... for me it was "Raiders". I was obsessed with that film. I saw it repeatedly at the cinema, bought ALL the merchandise I could find, cut out the reviews, collected the posters... it was MY film.... and Harrison Ford was MY hero. Not only did he play the coolest character in Star Wars but now he was also the greatest adventurer to hit the screen since James Bond. And if that wasn't enough we had his replicant-hunting Rick Deckard just around the corner too.

Luckily, we hadn't seen the last of Indiana Jones either. Three years later he returned triumphantly in "Temple of Doom", and then, in 1989, to lesser effect in "The Last Crusade"...

And then, it seemed Harrison Ford began to lose interest in his career. His choice of movies was less than inspiring and the performances he gave seemed increasingly less compelling and charming. Don't get me wrong, even a Harrison Ford on auto-pilot is better than your average movie-star... but I yearned to see that same guy who'd thrilled me so much in my youth.

As for Indiana Jones, I'd given up hope of ever encountering that grumpy, resilient, funny, resourceful and lovable guy again... but lo and behold, after nearly 20 years he is back with a new adventure, "The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull".

Not only is Doctor Henry Jones Jnr. back, but I'm delighted to report that Harrison Ford is back too! Sure, he's older and wider around the middle, (aren't we all?)... but in every way, he's the same guy I saw on screen twenty-seven years ago. Harrison gives this ONE HUNDRED PER CENT! He's every bit as hilarious, heroic, charming, challenged and exasperated as he used to be.

As for the film itself, the plot takes a few missteps, it's certainly the most preposterous and far-fetched of the series. But it has a joie de vivre that was missing from Last Crusade... and, while it's possibly behind Temple of Doom as the best Indy sequel, it has the second best performance by Harrison Ford in the role. He's the reason to see this film... every wince, sigh, grin and scowl is priceless.

Unlike The Star Wars prequels, this is wholly authentic addition to a much-loved series. It's now a bona fide quadrilogy, and it's a shame we've had to wait so long to see it.

Should we have any more? Personally, I would welcome one more, final adventure of Indiana Jones, just so long as they don't muck about getting it into production. I'd even be happy for Indy to step back from the action a little, and pass the torch to his heir, Mutt.

But what I definitely want to see are more Harrison Ford films. Specially now he's got his mojo back!

A cut above...

2008-05-22T02:20:00.000-07:00

Finished version...

Blood on the Barcode

2008-05-21T02:57:00.000-07:00

Here's my initial cover rough for Issue 2 of "Four Feet From A Rat".

2008-05-20T05:11:00.000-07:00

Ex-Tharg, David Bishop is on The Weakest Link this Thursday [May 22] on BBC1 from 5.15pm.

Check out his excellent blog , to hear how it all went.

Go Dave!

Mind you, I'll probably have to tape it, 'cos I've got an appointment with Doctor Henry Jones Jnr. that night.

Fight The Power!

2008-05-20T02:40:00.000-07:00

Just wrapping up Episode Two of "The Little Guy" which will appear soon in Time Out's free comic insert, "Four Feet From A Rat."

She's gonna get you from behind!

2008-05-19T03:49:00.000-07:00

Here's some more con sketches, these two featuring The Twelve's Femme Fatale, The Black Widow...

And one with Rockman...

Acieeeeeeeeeeed!

2008-05-16T05:20:00.000-07:00

Here's one of my sketches I knocked out at the Bristol Con last weekend. Yes, it's Acid Archie and Mandala from 2000ad's "Zenith"...

My customer, Matt Ellis, intends to paste this sketch into a binder housing his Zenith-themed issues of "Best of 2000ad" . Good idea, in the absence of any future reprints of Grant's fledgling Super-hero saga.

What's that all about? Can't 2000ad cut some sort of deal with Grant? I'm sure it would be mutually profitable... and I bet Steve Yeowell would appreciate the extra revenue.

Twelve Issue 5 on sale!

2008-05-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, Issue five of The Twelve is now on sale ...

And Paulo Rivera has produced a cover I'm proud to have on the book. Heh. Check out his stunning depiction of The Witness:

He totally gets it.

Bristol Drinking... sorry... Comics Con

2008-05-12T04:39:00.001-07:00

Just got back from Bristol... looking and feeling like Keith Richards warmed up.

Got drunk on gallons of dry cider. They seemed to go down so easily. Did tons of sketches. Sold some art way too cheaply. Bought some art. Brought my camera but didn't take any photos. Threw a tantrum in a restaurant 'cos of the poor service. Felt guilty the next day. Heard lots of malicious gossip. Got boiled alive in the Pressure Cooker that is the Convention Hall. Had a hangover. Felt nauseous. Missed my family... but got to hang out with some excellent people. Did some networking and pitching.

You know, the usual.

It was great!

Back on the rack

2008-05-06T02:12:00.000-07:00

It's the Bristol Con this weekend! And I will be there!

I wasn't planning to go to this, 'cos I thought that, after my trip to New York, I was in danger of becoming an absentee father and daren't risk straining my wife's goodwill any further... however, my car's engine has just blown up and my wife has bravely accepted the blame for it. And now I've got her blessing to go and hopefully raise enough cash to buy some new transport by selling sketches and original art!

So you'll find me at Liam Sharp's Mam Tor table where I'll be signing our "Four Feet From A Rat" booklet. Come on down, bring your cheque book and buy my art!

(Such a whore. Sigh.)

Haven't posted any art for ages... so here's a shot of Black Widow down at her local Goth Club.

My wife was an original Goth, way back in the eighties, (a decade so cool it's currently being re-run) so I had a technical consultant on hand to help me keep it real.

I wasn't a Goth but I fancied Goth girls. Instead, I went through a phase of dressing like a member of Al Capone's mob, 1930's style... until I realised that looking like George Melly wasn't getting me laid.