Tuesday 24 May 2011

Water Demon

Ink and Paint on Pastel Paper. This study of a Water Demon's encounter with a giant Sea Worm used to hang on my living room wall.

Some cynical individuals doubt my artistic integrity and think I deliberately confuse symbolism with smut. Hey! I just paint what I see...

From the Tomb - Cover Rough

From the Tomb was a magazine edited and published by Peter Normanton (He's a great guy - look him up!) it was devoted to old Horror Comics. Just my kinda' thing! He did a great piece on Basil Wolverton, amongst other old favourites. I drew this Brush & Ink idea for a cover after I got in touch with him a few years back. But other commitments stopped me from finishing it up.
Pity. One day I'll get this into shape as the finished full-colour painting that it was intended to be.

The Lurkin' Stiffs - Episode 1

I did this late last year for the, now cancelled, Manchester Comix Collective site. The plan was to do one of these a week & post it on the gallery page. Sort of like a syndicated strip - You know: Pogo, but with Zombies, guns and boobs.

The site owners started charging for the use of the site and nobody wanted to pay for it, so that was that.
I also began designing the Lurkin' Stiffs as animated shorts. Remind me to show you the character design/story boards one of these days.

 Here's a page of rough character designs for the 'Stiffs. I'll get the animatic together as well soon(ish...) when I've got a few background concepts to post.

Rod Zilla

From the same sketchbook as Glassblowers.
Now, don't get me wrong. I like individuals, and I'm sure that you're great! Honestly. Why else would you be reading this Blog?

But sometimes, humanity...

Come on, you know what I mean!

Mervyn Peake - "The Glassblowers"

The life-size oil painting by Mervyn Peake hangs in the Manchester City Art Gallery. I copied this sketch of the central figure whilst sitting in there one day.
Peake is a favourite artist of mine. He seems to be having a new burst of popularity these days (About time!) I think that for a long time the public had difficulty working out what he was, because he was a writer as much as an artist. The public likes to pigeon hole artists, rather than find out who they are.

This posting is dedicated to the late Jeff Jones. A great Artist. Already missed.

Even More Old Oink! Stuff...

I dug this up the other day. One of the earlier jobs that I drew for Oink! The script was by one of the editors.
It wasn't often that I got to do anything in the Horror Comic style, so this was a bonus compared to some of the art jobs I had back then. Brush and Ink with a colour overlay added inhouse.

Monday 23 May 2011

Outrageous Tales from the Old Testament - Judges: 19 - Neil Gaiman

This is my most reprinted comic story. Probably because it was scripted by Neil Gaiman and also because of the trouble it got the various publishers into. Knockabout thought that this would be a commercial success, but the Government, the Church and the Legal System (All in cahoots with the tabloid press) reviled and condemned the book. Even Pox Magazine in Sweden nearly sacrificed its editor to a prison sentence.

In this Post South Park, Post Mel Gibson world it's a bit hard to believe all of the shit and nonsense that ensued. Especially, as these days the strip is reprinted and posted on the internet so often with no one so much as batting an eyelid! Well, apart from a few complaints...

I'll tell you about those later!

Sunday 22 May 2011

Easter Island

I feel that this merits some sort of explanation.

Then again maybe not...

HUMOURfest Poster (Cropped Version)

This was drawn as part of a HUMOURfest exhibition in the '90's. Sometimes they wanted some biographical/promotional material. I thought a typed resume wouldn't be attention grabbing enough, so I did this.
At the time a local newspaper ran a piece on me, and published this (in black and white). I don't think they realised that the alien artist isn't wearing pants! After it was published a journalist phoned me and said not many people had even noticed it, except for someone who wrote in to say I could draw "nice teeth".

Oink! Spoof written by Charlie Brooker

Before he achieved the dizzy heights of fame and fortune, Charlie Brooker started his career writing stuff like this. Note: Even then Charlie was using the word "knobs" in his writing! (Although, I'm probably not the best person to point this out...)

When Oink! was first being published it had some complaints from the Mary Whitehouse brigade because they thought it was too rude for its intended audience (Not just Charlie, all of it). But it sold pretty well, so the editors ignored the criticism and the newsagents just put it on a slightly higher shelf in their shops.

Beach Bum and Rod Zilla

Another Pen & Ink with Sepia Washes from the same "Sketching Book" as below.

"It's a..."

Pen and Ink drawing from my "Sketching Book". This is what happens when you start drawing without thinking it through beforehand!

Filthy Moods - "Website" Promo

A few years ago (Before I discovered Blogs!) my wife helped me (She's the technical one..) start a website on our old PC. It was a pain in the arse to do, so I just let it expire. Anyway, here's an Ink & Watercolour "promo" piece that never made it onto the site...

Tuesday 17 May 2011

"Sketching Book"

Pen and Ink sketchbook "title" page. I usually start my sketchbooks off with a "title" page. It gives me the impetus to fill the book with nicely rendered drawings and studies before it becomes covered in incoherent scribbles (By about page 5...)

Sin Yu & Harry Stottle!

You had to ask, didn't you? From my Manga spoof sorta thing - Brush on Bristol Board & a copy coloured with Letraset Promarkers. More to follow!

Wednesday 11 May 2011

Dante G Rossetti & Friends

Coloured pencils & ink letters in a sketchbook. Rossetti was an artist who was interested in literature as much as drawing and painting (More unusual than you may think) Some Pre-Raph stuff is in the Manchester Art Gallery collection & that's where I copied this from. We saw a major retrospective of his stuff in Amsterdam a few years later & it blew me away. There's also a drawing here of a naked lady for those of you who think I'm taking myself too seriously.

Enjoy 'em both!

Greek Sketchbook

Just like the title says: Drawn in a sketchbook whilst in Greece. We sailed to the island of Patmos, where St John wrote the Book of Revelations. No coincidence intended. P.S. If you ever visit, pay your respects to the monks and buy a St John Key ring or a tea towel. They take religion very seriously.

It's Cubby Hole!

An unfinished painting of my favourite character, Cubby Hole. Remember our motto: Good Trash is Always Better Than Bad Art & Ask for more cartoons of Cubby! You know it makes sense.

Serious Tree

This somewhat dour and austere nature study was executed with pen, ink & sepia washes. Remember, rudeness, like beauty is in the eye of the Beholder. So it's your fault not mine.

Jack O'Lantern and Pals...

A while ago, I decided that every night for fifty nights I would write and sketch at least one page of comics in my trusty Moleskine. I had no idea what would happen when I opened the book & nothing was planned beforehand. It was knackering, but certainly hones your brain cells. I think. Recommended for adults and crazy cartoonists only! And then there's the long slog of drafting this all up in ink on illustration board. What the hell was I thinking?

Page From Moleskine Sketchbook

I'm not big on Superheroes (Like 'em - Just can't get the hang of drawing 'em!) But I must have made an exception for Wonder Woman. Don't know who the other two guys are...

Books Comic Strip

No idea what this was done for. Pen and ink on Bristol board. The Sin Yu character is a sort of Manga spoof that I've worked with on & off for a while. Someone out there remind me to finish it up one of these days...

Tuesday 10 May 2011

Calling Victor H. Marsillo!

Hi Victor - I tried to email you yesterday. Send me your email contact & I'll send you the info - Steve G

Saturday 7 May 2011

"Wanna Samwidge!"

Rough sketch with markers for the cover of an online journal called "Utopia Redux". I'll probably post the stuff on this Blog instead. No idea what the picture is about. Any suggestions? My wife really likes the "samwidge" demanding fish-thing though!

Retro Girl

I drew this sketch today. Markers on layout paper. I'm trying to get the hang of drawing with letraset markers, but it's tough to get a finished looking picture. "Retro Girl"? What's all that about? Dunno. I like Modesty Blaise and the Old 60's Avengers TV show though...

The Trial Book - Knockabout

In the early '80's Knockabout Comics was in trouble with HM Customs for importing Sex & Drugs related Underground books & comix. This is before such subjects were regarded as the mainstream staples of entertainment. So, naturally Knockabout published more comix and artists & writers were asked to contribute to the Trial Book to raise funds for Knockabout's legal bills. Cartoonists included, Steve Bell, the late Mike Matthews and the great Hunt Emerson. This is my contribution and the original was bought by Hunt after a book signing in Birmingham.

The Glum Reaper & "Delores"

These are a couple of Brush & Ink sketches that I drew last year for the Manchester Comix Collective site. They're a nice buncha' guys and hold a Drink 'n' Draw meet at the end of the month on a Sunday.

Polly Swallow - Sketchbook Page

Occasionally, I'll try to draw from a photo to improve my concentration, or something like that. This is from an old Frank Sutcliffe photograph that I bought from a trip to Whitby years ago. Marker pen on cartridge paper.

Clara's Cupboard - Knockabout Comics No 3

This is the first comic strip that I did for the legendary UK Comix Publisher, Knockabout. I was 18 or 19 and still at college. It probably shows... But people liked it anyway (Except for my tutors who thought comics were a waste of time. What the hell did they know?.) Rotring Pens, Brush and ink with letratones (Remember those?) on BIG sheets of Daler Illustration Board.

Tuesday 3 May 2011

Heaton Cooper Sketchbook

Not a Moleskine, but great for markers & roughs & colour comps. Heaton Cooper have a Gallery and an Art Supply store at Grasmere, in the Lake District (Just round the corner from where Wordsworth used to hang out)

Moleskine Sketchbook...

Who doesn't love drawing in these?

HUMOURfest (Another one!)

A print of an ink & watercolour cartoon done for the "Arms and Disarmament" theme exhibition of Italy's prestigious international political cartoon show. Don't know why they made a black & white print of it. Apparently, this was the visitors favourite. The Grim Reaper is always a safe bet...

Why "Filthy Moods"?

I know you must be asking. Here's the cover for an unpublished comic from the 90's that I wrote and drew. This is a copy pasted into an old sketchbook (The original art is around here somewhere...) It was a good idea at the time. And all the other Blog names I thought of were taken, so here we are!

Cobalt 60 - Comics Forum Magazine No 25

This was published to accompany a letter from me about the previous issue's article about the late great Vaughn Bode. I always loved Bode's iconic Witzend cover that he did for Wally Wood (Another favourite!) in the '60's. I don't think the Forum writer was that thrilled with my version though, despite describing it as "vitriolic yet delightful"...