So, I find myself in the delightful position of writing a blog post about why I'm going to be writing fewer blog posts in the upcoming weeks. This end of the year is always a mad flurry of hitting deadlines, chasing invoices and so forth, but this time I've got the added complication of putting my entire world into a series of neatly stacked and carefully labelled boxes in preparation for a still-unconfirmed-but-could-be-any-time-now moving date.
I've said my goodbyes to London in the form of The Ragged Man. Now she and I are in that awkward period where I've already got my coat on and I've stepped out onto the porch, only to find that my taxi hasn't arrived yet and we both now face an indeterminate period of nervous throat-clearing and embarrassed half-smiles before I finally leave.
Also, I'm almost proud to discover how undomesticated I still apparently am. I've never even defrosted a fridge before, so that ought to be an adventure in itself. In a few short weeks I'll be learning to put up shelves and hang curtains, and I can't help feeling that a vital part of my essential self will die in the process.
Hot on the heels of long-time friend, Pete Darby's psychological S&M vigilante thriller,The Gimp comes news of Martin Fisher's upcoming Battle Amongst the Stars. I first met Martin several years ago at a convention, and he's recently landed a deal for a prequel comic to Roger Corman's classic Magnificent-Seven-In-Space movie, Battle Beyond the Stars. Martin pursued this project with the patience of a saint and single-minded ferocity of a frenzied shark, so it's unbelievably cool to see it all pay off. Congratulations are most assuredly due.
So, other than all that, all I wanted to say was that my posting schedule is likely to be a bit patchy this side of the New Year.
Catch you on the flip-side.
Friday, 4 December 2009
Friday, 27 November 2009
Belated Afterthoughts...
Technically, I shouldn't be doing this.
Strictly speaking, I'm on holiday this week, and writing this blog sits right on the dividing line between work stuff and not-work stuff. Anyway, I'm not being watched at the moment, so I thought I'd blitz off a quick post.
Thought Bubble was a blast again this year. It's all-too short, but it has an intensity of focus that is hard to match. I spent the whole day signing books, talking to creators and generally acting like a real-life comics professional. Particular stars of the event were Ian Cullen of SciFi Pulse website and radio show fame (probably the hardest working guy at the entire convention - seriously, he was fucking everywhere) and Dead Goats writer, Ollie Masters. Ollie's a guy who really gets it, and I'm seriously looking forward to seeing his book come out because it's precisely my kind of story and I'm going to read the living tits off that thing.
So, chalk Thought Bubble up as a win, and count me in for next year (providing my upcoming relocation doesn't balls things up travel-wise).
In other news, I got to check out my almost-built new house today. Moving from a two-bedroom flat to a three-storey house is going to be a bit of an adjustment, but I'm quietly confident I can fill the extra space with awesome junk within a few weeks of moving in.
Also, a learned colleague of mine from way back before you were born has just published his first novel on Lulu. I had the opportunity to read this some time ago, and can honestly say that it's a massively entertaining read. If my opinion means anything at all to you, then I highly recommend that you check out Peter Darby's The Gimp at your earliest convenience. Here's the cover blurb:
He despises his work, considers his co-workers to be
cattle, and only hates himself marginally less than everyone else.
Of an evening, he dresses in bondage gear and
hangs around in alleyways waiting to beat up
muggers.
Because that's what his transcendental dominatrix
tells him to do.
Meet the Gimp.
"Compelling and unexpectedly uplifting" - Cy Dethan, author of Cancertown.
...and there I am: gone.
Strictly speaking, I'm on holiday this week, and writing this blog sits right on the dividing line between work stuff and not-work stuff. Anyway, I'm not being watched at the moment, so I thought I'd blitz off a quick post.
Thought Bubble was a blast again this year. It's all-too short, but it has an intensity of focus that is hard to match. I spent the whole day signing books, talking to creators and generally acting like a real-life comics professional. Particular stars of the event were Ian Cullen of SciFi Pulse website and radio show fame (probably the hardest working guy at the entire convention - seriously, he was fucking everywhere) and Dead Goats writer, Ollie Masters. Ollie's a guy who really gets it, and I'm seriously looking forward to seeing his book come out because it's precisely my kind of story and I'm going to read the living tits off that thing.
So, chalk Thought Bubble up as a win, and count me in for next year (providing my upcoming relocation doesn't balls things up travel-wise).
In other news, I got to check out my almost-built new house today. Moving from a two-bedroom flat to a three-storey house is going to be a bit of an adjustment, but I'm quietly confident I can fill the extra space with awesome junk within a few weeks of moving in.
Also, a learned colleague of mine from way back before you were born has just published his first novel on Lulu. I had the opportunity to read this some time ago, and can honestly say that it's a massively entertaining read. If my opinion means anything at all to you, then I highly recommend that you check out Peter Darby's The Gimp at your earliest convenience. Here's the cover blurb:
He despises his work, considers his co-workers to be
cattle, and only hates himself marginally less than everyone else.
Of an evening, he dresses in bondage gear and
hangs around in alleyways waiting to beat up
muggers.
Because that's what his transcendental dominatrix
tells him to do.
Meet the Gimp.
"Compelling and unexpectedly uplifting" - Cy Dethan, author of Cancertown.
...and there I am: gone.
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
3D Glasses: Half Empty
So, then. If last night's Channel 4 extravaganza proved nothing else, it did at least demonstrate conclusively that there's no magic trick so beautiful or spectacular that it can't be cheapened to the point of worthlessness through the addition of poorly conceived, inexpertly applied anaglyph 3D technology.
Don't get me wrong, I love 3d stuff. I even wrote a semi-glowing review of the Beowulf CGI movie back in the early days of this blog. The problem is now that I've seen what can be done in the field, both at the cinema and more recently in the jaw-flooring Avatar: The Game demo that was being run at the London MCM Expo last month, the old red/blue bullshit just seems like a total waste of time.
I also sort of semi-object to the clumsy way the anaglyph 3D was crowbarred into a magic show. Simply put, it added nothing. In fact, I'd go so far as to suggest it was deliberately set up to add nothing, as practically admitted by the increasingly entertaining Derren Brown in the intro.
Anyway, all disappointment at this essentially pointless gimmickry aside, you've got to love the latest version of Derren's "host" persona. He's flying a really strong flag for British magic these days. Also, with Pete Firman picking up the long-lost Paul Daniels stage technique and Barry and Stewart's awesome, visceral assault on the senses, I was quickly able to put the red/blue glasses down and enjoy the performances instead.
Anyway, fuck all that. Let's talk comics...
I'm heading up to Thought Bubble in Leeds at the weekend. Had a great time at this event last year, and things look similarly promising this time around.
Nic Wilkinson has announced a couple of competitions over on Insomnia's Red Eye blog. Details as follows:
1) Win a chance to visit the Buskers Film Set. Thanks to Jeymes Samuel for making this possible.
Entry to the competition is free with any purchase, or £1 per ticket.
The draw will be made on the 1st of December and the winner notified by email. Any winner under the age of 18 will need to be accompanied on the set visit by an adult.
The date and time of the visit will be arranged personally with the winner.
2) Win a PSP 3000 loaded with Insomnia Comics. This competition is in association with The Geek Syndicate. Thanks to Sony for donating this great prize.
If you will not be attending the show you can still enter the latter competition by heading over to the Geek Syndicate Website.
To be in with a chance to win, all you need to do is send an email to geeksyndicate@hotmail.co.uk with the title “Going digital with Geek Syndicate, Insomnia and Sony!”
The first entry pulled out of the hat will win.
Closing date for entry is 1st December.
I entered the 2009 convention circuit without expecting to be pitching much, given the number of projects I've already got on my plate, but ended up landing several key gigs. All in all, I've had a pretty great year of it, and can't wait to see what happens in 2010.
Don't get me wrong, I love 3d stuff. I even wrote a semi-glowing review of the Beowulf CGI movie back in the early days of this blog. The problem is now that I've seen what can be done in the field, both at the cinema and more recently in the jaw-flooring Avatar: The Game demo that was being run at the London MCM Expo last month, the old red/blue bullshit just seems like a total waste of time.
I also sort of semi-object to the clumsy way the anaglyph 3D was crowbarred into a magic show. Simply put, it added nothing. In fact, I'd go so far as to suggest it was deliberately set up to add nothing, as practically admitted by the increasingly entertaining Derren Brown in the intro.
Anyway, all disappointment at this essentially pointless gimmickry aside, you've got to love the latest version of Derren's "host" persona. He's flying a really strong flag for British magic these days. Also, with Pete Firman picking up the long-lost Paul Daniels stage technique and Barry and Stewart's awesome, visceral assault on the senses, I was quickly able to put the red/blue glasses down and enjoy the performances instead.
Anyway, fuck all that. Let's talk comics...
I'm heading up to Thought Bubble in Leeds at the weekend. Had a great time at this event last year, and things look similarly promising this time around.
Nic Wilkinson has announced a couple of competitions over on Insomnia's Red Eye blog. Details as follows:
1) Win a chance to visit the Buskers Film Set. Thanks to Jeymes Samuel for making this possible.
Entry to the competition is free with any purchase, or £1 per ticket.
The draw will be made on the 1st of December and the winner notified by email. Any winner under the age of 18 will need to be accompanied on the set visit by an adult.
The date and time of the visit will be arranged personally with the winner.
2) Win a PSP 3000 loaded with Insomnia Comics. This competition is in association with The Geek Syndicate. Thanks to Sony for donating this great prize.
If you will not be attending the show you can still enter the latter competition by heading over to the Geek Syndicate Website.
To be in with a chance to win, all you need to do is send an email to geeksyndicate@hotmail.co.uk with the title “Going digital with Geek Syndicate, Insomnia and Sony!”
The first entry pulled out of the hat will win.
Closing date for entry is 1st December.
I entered the 2009 convention circuit without expecting to be pitching much, given the number of projects I've already got on my plate, but ended up landing several key gigs. All in all, I've had a pretty great year of it, and can't wait to see what happens in 2010.
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Friday, 6 November 2009
Riding the Ragged Edge...
I was going to hold these back. I figured I should meter the previews out like the real professionals do and play things close to my chest until the first story pages started coming in (which should be soon)...
...but then I figured, fuck that - we're all friends here and, damn it, friends share.
So, on the grounds that some things are just too good to keep quiet, check out Neil Van Antwerpen's latest concepts of Ragged Man characters Consensus and the Grudge.
Moments like this make it all worthwhile...
...but then I figured, fuck that - we're all friends here and, damn it, friends share.
So, on the grounds that some things are just too good to keep quiet, check out Neil Van Antwerpen's latest concepts of Ragged Man characters Consensus and the Grudge.
Moments like this make it all worthwhile...
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
While I'm On The Subject...
A quick follow-up on the last post. Neil Van Antwerpen and Peter-David Douglas, the phenomenal art team on The Ragged Man, Starship Troopers: War Stories and Harker, have just been interviewed by Ian Cullen on the SciFi Pulse podcast. It's an interesting interview, exploring in some depth the kind of research and technique that goes into their work, so feel free to listen in.
While I'm plugging the team, you should also check out the written interviews with them here and here.
While I'm plugging the team, you should also check out the written interviews with them here and here.
Friday, 30 October 2009
Ragged Roughs
Right before last weekend's London MCM Expo, I received an email from former Starship Troopers: War Stories collaborator and artist on Markosia's recent Harker graphic novel, Neil Van Antwerpen.
Neil's work has always been impressive, both in terms of fluid storytelling and sheer beauty, so when he mentioned in conversation that he honestly felt that The Ragged Man, our upcoming book from Insomnia, was going to be the one that really showed what he and Peter-David Douglas were capable of I was chewing my own arms off in anticipation of some previews.
Well, the previews arrived in time to show them off at the Expo, and I have to say that opening those files was one of the very best moments of my adventures in comics to date.
The Ragged Man is a very important story for me, for reasons I may start to go into as the book moves toward completion. I don't want to say too much about what it is just yet, but I can certainly tell you what it's not.
It's not a superhero book.
In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it's the reason why I've never actually written a superhero book. Having this vicious, sharp-cornered monster of a story squatting in my brain is the reason I've ended up turning down every superhero-flavoured project I've been asked to get involved in or invited to pitch for.
Also, as I start to measure my remaining time as a Londoner in terms of weeks, rather than months, The Ragged Man is at once a heart-felt love letter and a final fuck-you to the city I've lived in for the past fourteen years. There was a time in my life when, if anyone had thought to ask me, I would have told them that there was nowhere else on Earth I could have written fiction. There was literally no other place I'd lived in or visited that so forcefully compelled me to write. Whatever energy or "voice" I've developed in my scripting style and dialogue rhythms, I owe them entirely to London.
This story is a product of those fourteen years. It's a last act of peacemaking between me and this beautiful, damaged city and, if you were to ask me now, I'd still tell you it's the only place on Earth I could have written The Ragged Man.
Neil's work has always been impressive, both in terms of fluid storytelling and sheer beauty, so when he mentioned in conversation that he honestly felt that The Ragged Man, our upcoming book from Insomnia, was going to be the one that really showed what he and Peter-David Douglas were capable of I was chewing my own arms off in anticipation of some previews.
Well, the previews arrived in time to show them off at the Expo, and I have to say that opening those files was one of the very best moments of my adventures in comics to date.
The Ragged Man is a very important story for me, for reasons I may start to go into as the book moves toward completion. I don't want to say too much about what it is just yet, but I can certainly tell you what it's not.It's not a superhero book.
In fact, I'd go so far as to say that it's the reason why I've never actually written a superhero book. Having this vicious, sharp-cornered monster of a story squatting in my brain is the reason I've ended up turning down every superhero-flavoured project I've been asked to get involved in or invited to pitch for.
Also, as I start to measure my remaining time as a Londoner in terms of weeks, rather than months, The Ragged Man is at once a heart-felt love letter and a final fuck-you to the city I've lived in for the past fourteen years. There was a time in my life when, if anyone had thought to ask me, I would have told them that there was nowhere else on Earth I could have written fiction. There was literally no other place I'd lived in or visited that so forcefully compelled me to write. Whatever energy or "voice" I've developed in my scripting style and dialogue rhythms, I owe them entirely to London.
This story is a product of those fourteen years. It's a last act of peacemaking between me and this beautiful, damaged city and, if you were to ask me now, I'd still tell you it's the only place on Earth I could have written The Ragged Man.
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