Random Roundup Revisited

Well, nothing major going on but lots of little bits and bobs so what's been going on?

Firstly, I've been toiling away slowly but surely on some samples to take up to this year's Birmingham comic con, just to see if it's worth me pursuing it or if I should just focus on my own work. I intended to finish The Jock #2 first (and could have done it by now) but wanted to get started on this. Feeling bad for again temporarily abandoning Rol while struggling for something to draw, I struck upon the idea of returning to the old Spider-Man strip we were planning. I've always had problems with drawing Spidey (keeping him skinny, muscled and agile all at once without becoming exaggerated) but have always managed to pull him off when working for Rol (having done a couple of illos in the past) and so far I'm happy with the results so far (which can be seen at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=60814&id=522921153&ref=mf).

Rather than force the pages and cock them up, I'm going to rest the sequence and work on a few different ones. I want to do a cleaner line style and have a Spidey Loves MaryJane type bit in mind for that. I also want to do a MORE detailed style and started with a Thor vs Iron Man sequence, inspired by visions of Thor just pummelling the crap out of someone after rocking to Immigrant Song on my iPod). This is abandoned at present due to the pain in the rectum that is Iron Man's current armour, cool though it is. I'll probably send some pages to Bob McLeod at Rough Stuff for a critique, and I'm already looking at three points he'll no doubt pick out.

Talking of Twomorrows titles, my cheque for the Captain Britain article turned up the other week and was more substantial than expected, which is just as well considering the bank charges it'll incur...I thought this would be out now but a quick look at the Twomorrows website shows that this is due in about two weeks

Speaking of work, my Ka-Blam order turned up recently and today Rol's PJANG (available at http://rolhirst.co.uk/) rocked up, featuring a cover by me and art by Tone, who's own comic Outcastes also turned up this week (which can be obtained at http://truestories.awardspace.com/order.htm). Davey (also logging new art of his own at his blog, linked to the side here) also sent me the PDfs of the book on comic movies I wrote this week so that is, if not right now, only one step away from being placed on Lulu for printing. This little buzz of activity plus some goals to work towards and the fact that I AM actually drawing again has made me feel pretty positive and enjoying the scene again, feels like the 90s again --- but with better production values!

Reading three books at the minute: starting Evanier's book on Kirby, and I still can't fathom why I was drawn to this but a chapter in and it seems ok so far. I'm nearly done with Studio Space, the not-at-all-what-I-was-expecting-but-is-kinda-ok-despite-the-wads-of-typos book SUPPOSEDLY but actually not at all about artists' studios (merely touching on working methods instead) and have started Smoke and Mirrors, the first Gaiman anthology. The stories are OK so far but there's poetry. POETRY. Can't be doing with that poncey stuff...

...more my cuppa tea was Wanted, the undemanding but enjoyable movie based on Mark Millar and J.G.Jones's comic of the same names. Although changing certain elements, some scenes from the comic remain almost word for word and while there probably isn't enough here for tons of repeat viewing, the insane action, snappy dialogue in places, foxy Angelina Jolie and ever-re;iable Morgan Freeman mean I'll probably pick this up when it's sold off at a lower price---although I could pick it up sooner if the DVD extras are particularly enticing...