Where Are You Going, Bo-Lland

Apologies for the Grange Hill derived (can't say inspired, really)...

Just finished reading Cover Story: The DC Comics Art of Brian Bolland...I say read as while it's essentially a gallery of his covers for DC, each page also features commentary by Bolland himself. I'm a bit of a sensualist with my big art books, leaving them in their clingfilm wrapping for as long as I can resist the urge to crack open the book. The aroma of that glossy paper wafts up and I'm always intrigued to see what's under dust jackets. The Bolland book had a black and white printing of a superb Sgt Rock piece that is a favourite of mine (despite not being a Rock fan). By the time I got to the first few pages, I was really excited to discover the joys within.

I savoured the book and pored over my favourite pieces, most of which had full page reproduction (I really liked the Zatanna one-shot cover but that only got a half page). I finished the book, put it down satisfied...then thought "Hang on!"

Some of my favourite Bolland pieces were absent and I realised that while the book covered 95% of Bolland's output, there were a few notable absences. As a result of my disappointment of these omissions, I have posted them above: enjoy!

Artichokes

Thought I'd stick up some stuff I've done in the past few weeks, so from the top:

The top three pics are my first designs for the main character for a project I'm slowly cobbling together, although I still don't know the character's first name (though have the surname). I'm trying to draw this in a cleaner, render-free style, similar to Lonely Boy in Pjang. The top piece was drawn at A3 and scanned in in two pieces, which is why the arm on the right is a bit shonky...

Picked up 9and already passed on) a kitsch Catwoman book from the Works recently and fancied drawing the classic costume. I forgot about that idea until watching the Catwoman short on the Batman: Year One DVD tried my hand at anther render free drawing featuring her...

The next two pieces are commissions, the first semi-cartoony (hence the unusual proportions) and the second more realistic (this has all the line work, shading to follow)...

Finally, just a detail of a larger piece, lips sealed for now. You may try to urge me to speak, but we'll have nun of that bad habit around here...

Recent Rumblings

Final Smallville this week and about time too. Could have been so much better but I blame lack of vision from the mawkish writers. Whereas once there was usually enough per episode to hold your interest, things deteriorated so that it became only interesting to see which DC characters (and there were actually loads) popped up. I don't mourn the show, I mourn what it could have been. Still, we get to see cheaty Superman shots and the final image was indeed what I always assumed it would be. Have to admit that as that John Williams theme kicked in the final seconds, a big grin broke: I'm a sucker for that music. Will miss Lois more than Clark and I actually like the character a lot more after Erica Durance's depiction.

As Smallville shuffles off, Misfits shuffles back. It's not the same without Nathan but still watchable, although Simon's really the only truly interesting character. The Fades was also not bad (while not brilliant) but gets Brownie Points for at least three references to Alan Moore...

Still reading Supergods, Grant Morrison's fusion of autobiography and cultural history of the superhero. It's an utterly absorbing and illuminating read, highbrow references but still accessible. It explains more about Morrison's 90s statements about fictional realities and our interaction with them and is well worth anybody's attention. The Talking With Gods DVD is also an interesting companion piece.

Watched Batman: Year One, DC's 13th direct to DVD original animation (following Marvel's lack lustre 8 outings). While this showed how slight Miller's story actually is (it's then revolutionary storytelling proving to have the real kick), the quality of animation just continues ti improve each time. Using crisp modern digital techniques (such as the Simpsons does: you can tell the old hand animated episodes), this is a treat for the eyes to rival some anime offerings. There's also a Catwoman short that's virtually plot free but strangely features about a minute watching a pole dancer strut her stuff, fling off her bra and narrowly avert a very rude way to pick up a diamond...

Read the second volume of Morning Glories yesterday and despite the dubious interior art, this is one of the most intriguing modern comics around. A group of pupils at a select private school get involved in mysterious shenanigans going on that remind me of Lost at a its best, in that each issue is character-focused and hints at larger secrets. Everybody should give this a look, as they should Ultimate X. This features probably Art Adam's strongest art and is sumptuous to look at but the real surprise is Jeph Loeb's writing. Having hated pretty much everything he's written for years, this is another series that follows an individual character each issue but ties them in to a larger ongoing narrative. I don't know if there's more issues to come, but I hope so...

Wonder Who This Is?

Few months ago, I reorganised my art files and considered an old pinup I did for the small press back in the 90s. I didn't mind it but for whatever reason, it didn't sit right with me: there was something about it that I just didn't like. A few years ago, I tweaked it and turned it into a pic of the Black Cat, which was possibly even worse than the original but whilst reorganising the art, I lightboxed the figure again and waited until I could think of a suitable character to turn the semi-pencilled figure into.

Then, along comes the new Teen Titans relaunch...I really like the Kid Flash design but the new Wonder Girl was perfect for the figure, as it was sleek, skintight and dark (ish). I eventually had to download #1 to get decent refs for the new Wonder Girl outfit only to discover that the design for the armoured bits is incredibly inconsistent, changing from panel to panel: at one point, her bracelet looks like a weird skull, at others barely ornate so I had to make up my own version of the armour in the end anyway.

So anyway, here's my new WG, not great but I think I've finally nailed that old pic now...

Anatomy Of A Cover

Now that issue 1 is out and available at http://rolhirst.co.uk/, thought I'd run through the cover process...

Rol sent me a brief idea or two, which I developed around 20 crude thumbnails designs from and sent on to him, who picked out elements that he liked, leading to a more refined second round before a design was settled on.I drew the art at full US size, then reduced the line art down to A4 and added gray tones that I scanned in (untidied version above) and sent to Rol for approval. Once that came through, I began colouring in Photoshop, knowing that I would add the signage in once all the colouring was complete.
Once the colouring (except for the sky, as I was doing that separately on a separate layer) was complete, we hit a snag: when I did thumbnails, Rol told me I needed to add the pier but he was unable to fully view the line art I sent him as he was away and only had his Blackberry to view from. Later I figured out that mentally my geography of the town layout was about 90 degrees from the actual locations, leading to about three different amendments removing the pier and inserting a new one. Eventually I got there and when #1 turned up today, I was relieved to see that you actually can't tell there's any jiggerypokery.

Anyway, once the art was corrected and locked, off to Dave Metcalfe-Carr who added the logo and job done. Now go buy the comic, it's probably the best new small press comic you'll read all year...

Jibba Jabba 2!

Absolutely disgusted by Sainsbury's..well, it was actually the Danny Dyer DVD boxset. Yes, that's right: Danny. Dyer. Boxset. WTF?! I felt my brain losing intelligence just looking at the cover...

Also had to buy a new hoover this week. That sucks.

Last night, held my first pubquiz. A few technical issues aside, went down well and free drinks are never to be sniffed at...

In the midst of a ton of books at the minute. Been a fan of Al Williamson's ever since his Empire Strikes Back adaptation art blew my 9-year old mind (c'mon, compare his work to the weird Infantino stuff that came before...) so cracked through the first volume of his Secret Agent Corrigan/X9 work from IDW. To think this was running at the same time as the cruder art seen in 60s superhero comics is a bit of a wonder...

Also reading Supergods, Grant Morrison's historical placing of the superhero in the cultural consciousness, peppered with his own autobiographical comic career trajectory. Immensely enjoyable, high-falooting but always relatable, this is a seriously absorbing read.

ALSO picked up a kitschy Catwoman book for £2.99 from the Works: for that price, just nice to look at the poppy old artwork: given me the bug to draw Catwoman in her classic costume now though...funny how some designs you hate as a kid, you evolve to appreciate more over time...

Jibber Jabba

Brian Bolland has a blog now. Kewl.

Avengers trailer hit yesterday, featuring the first look at the new tweaked Hulk (looks the same as from the Norton film but seems to have better skin texture closer to the Ang Lee film). Think I might like this film.

Saw Red State and quite liked but want to see the alternative version where THAT music means the OTHER thing (I'm avoiding dropping spoilers). That end would have made the film bloody awesome but scary...

Enjoying the Fades but looking forward to the return of Misfits hopefully later this month. Maybe in the Smallville slot but dunno if they'd be able to show Misfits at 9.0o...think it's time Smallville went as it's been treading water for ages, the main problem being lack of imagination from the writers more than anything else, although the appearance of DC characters usually livens things up a bit...

Laid out and ready to go, think I'll be pencilling pages for TMSV #2 this weekend but have also been developing another project to draw alongside Silver John, this time in a clean line style. Bit of research to do yet though...

Set a pubquiz for tomorrow night, could be interesting. Manager's also asked to speak to me for five minutes tomorrow, THAT could be interesting too...I didn't ACTUALLY put a chair through the window only thought it, so should be safe on that account...

Time to fly...