Saturday 27 October 2012

The Caterpillar and The Aphid


It's Saturday afternoon, so here at The Filthy Moods Dunghill for Segmented Cartoonists, it must mean that we've been busy drawing all morning. There's insects, Halloween monsters, aliens and, er... other stuff !

There's the usual good humoured whimsy, and blatant love for humanity that you have come to expect from a Filthy Moods cartoon. But there's also a bit of dubious morality sprinkled amongst the harmless fun.

Above is a study for a story, called The Caterpillar and the Aphid, at least that's what it's called until I think of a better title.

 

Sticky Planet...


There really is no excuse, is there?

Intermission x2...






Also drawn today, as was the Tralfamadore cartoon, below.

What can I say? Hey, I had a tough week!




As a kid, I read about so-called "alien abductions" and while I certainly do not doubt that there is sentient, highly developed life "out there", I always did wonder that if aliens did "abduct" humans to study or experiment on, why would they return them afterwards? Hmm...

"The Happy Colonist"


You'll have to make your own minds up about this one...

It's one of those drawing that started at the beginning and finished at the end. The only thing that I'm not certain about is whether the character in the "space suit" is English or American.

I was sort of struck by the fact that the word "colony" is only one letter removed from the word "colon".

Satire AND smut. Two for the price of one..!

Thank you for your kind attention.

"Reality TV"...


Don't know why I drew this? But the caption popped onto the page as soon as I'd finished it.

And, yes. I fucking hate "Reality TV"...

Halloween - Monster Parade!


See the post below about my trials and tribulations of trying to draw a Halloween picture for you all (Yes, I'm talkin' to you!)

So here's a parade (only 6 of 'em, but never mind...) of Crazy Monsters to get you in the mood for when you dress up in rubber masks, and go door to door swindling your neighbours out of toffees, dunkin' for apples while drunk or vandalising gravestones. Whatever, be careful out there. It's scary!

NB: The Demon's dialogue, "tutti fuckin' fruity" is a sly reference to the great (nasty) Rob Zombie film, The Devil's Rejects... Happy Halloween, Rob!!

Witches & Ghosts - Rejected Halloween Drawings...


You'd think being a long time fan of Horror Comics and Horror films that I'd be able to draw Halloween cartoons all year round if I put my mind to it, wouldn't you?

Well, maybe my imagination is too battered and frazzled to do "straight" looking stuff anymore.

Here's my attempt at a witch. I've just posted these up for the "curious" souls out there...





...I also did a scan in Greyscale in the hope that it would look better...




...And here's my "first attempt" this morning at a couple o' Ghosts in a Graveyard!

Segment

A month or two ago I stared drawing a "min-comic" featuring some of the characters from my "sketchbook" stuff, that I was going to print myself. But seeing as how we have an Epson printer, I may as well have used a fucking potato and an ink pad.

Anyway, it'll get done one day. So here, for now, is the drawing for the "inside cover"...

Tuesday 23 October 2012

Turtle Sloop


Baa-aad Pun! I only wish that I could blame  someone else.

Been busy doing other stuff (Writing mostly, plus the usual Shit Work) to produce much sketchbook stuff.

Will be back soon, in the meantime, here & below are a few tidbits to distract you for a day or two...

"It Happens Not Often Enough"

...Sounds kinda' cryptic, don't it?

Just a doodle/sketch while trying to figure out other stuff...

"I Don't Think So!"...

I don't know what got this guy all outraged about somethin' or other...

Kinda' funny though...

More Insect Type Business...

A detail/unfinished sketchbook drawing of my lovable but naughty cartoon insects...

Ditto, below...


Intermission...


It's true! I've been a lazy bastard for the last few weeks. This is one of my paltry offerings...

"Duck Stoop"...


Yeah, I know...

But once again the cunning complexity of human relationships is played out in this most sophisticated of metaphorical cartoons: Duck engages Girl in a battle of wits!

But who will win? But, really, in a "Battle of Wits" I think that we can safely assume that he is "unarmed"...

And... What exactly has our web footed buffoon concealed in the garden? Sinister, Huh? 

Sunday 7 October 2012

"If Trees Were People..."


Here we are again, with a few sketchbook drawings from yesterday.

This is another studious meditation on human nature, and, er... trees that swear too much.

Bees & Stuff..!






Title: "...It's Kinda' Complicated... (Bee Parade)"

There seems to be a "insect theme" emerging (again!) on yesterday's batch of sketches.

Here and below are a couple of them...




...And this one's affectionately known as "Limp Larva Lump Loser".



Friday 5 October 2012

Sufferin' Cactus!


Alternative Title: Self-Portrait With Nose

Good morning. It's Friday, and this is today's Before Breakfast sketch.

Once again, we're in that dreamlike territory, somewhere between the Thinking It Through zone, and the Making It Up As We Go Along region. So, in order to misquote somebody or other, "If you like this sort of thing, then this is the sort of thing you will like..."! 

"But, Seriously, Lloyd..."


This was yesterday's "After Lunch" drawing. (I forgot to have breakfast...)

Who is "Lloyd", and what the ding-dong is goin' on? To be honest, I started to draw a pirate and this happened instead...

We apologise for any inconvenience... 


"It's A Democracy, Maaa-aan!"


You may think that it's all about having fun, here at The Filthy Moods Hermetic Nursery for Recalcitrant Cartoonists. Of course not! It's about responsibility too. And that means looking at the bigger picture out there. It means deep, prolonged periods of examination and research until we know where to point the finger at who exactly is to blame for society's ills...

Well, obviously it's the Government! Who the fuck else could it be? So, what other way to express this than a quick drawing of a one-eyed devil in a cheap corset, getting gobbled by politicians in a lake of fire?

I don't think that you'll see this cartoon in The Times though...

Wednesday 3 October 2012

Neil Gaiman & The Book of Judges: 19 (Knockabout Comics)





This is a link to The "Outsider" : Neil Gaiman and The Old Testament, an academic study by Cyril Camus. You can read it here http://independent.academia.edu/CyrilCamus/Papers/404344/The_Outsider_Neil_Gaiman_and_the_Old_Testament

The "Outsider" features a good critique of Neil's contributions to Outrageous Tales from the Old Testament, (Knockabout Publications, 1987)

I illustrated the Journey to Bethlehem sequence, based on Judges: 19* This is the most reprinted/posted on the internet, comic strip of mine.

At the time of publication, some British politicians had a tough time getting their faces in the press, and were always on the lookout for a bandwagon or a scapegoat to give them publicity. Outrageous Tales became a scapegoat, and was reviled in the mainstream, tabloid press. You probably already know the story...

Meanwhile, years later, the book and its degenerate, blasphemous cartoons are now the subject of academic study and readers aren't too afraid that they have to cover the book's jacket in plain brown paper before sticking it on the shelf...

* See pages 87-88 of The "Outsider"...

(Note: The illustration, above was drawn today for this post - So you won't find it in the book!)

Tuesday 2 October 2012

RoboSquid !


Subtitle: A Female Denizen of The Deep Is Rudely Interrupted By A Travelling Theologian and Reacts Somewhat Dramatically

Indulgent Reflection: Years ago a local gallery owner asked me to call in to discuss making prints of my stuff & exhibiting some in the gallery (I had my cartoons & illustrations photographed in his copy studio).

When I got there, I (being young & naive) said that it would be great to see my work in a nice frame on the wall. His partner walked in and replied, "Your drawings would ruin a nice frame and spoil the wall!"

I bet that they're kicking their selves that they never got to see RoboSquid..!


The Economy Ravaged By Locusts!





Good morning. I'm sober. How are you?

Today's Before Breakfast drawing from The Filthy Moods Symposium for Economically Minded Cartoonists features a political theme.

Yes, current affairs was firmly on our minds today, as we are liberal intellectuals and progressive thinkers at heart. And mainly because we didn't have any new comics to read.

Note: While locusts are known to travel in swarms you may have spotted that I've only drawn three of the little buggers. This is to symbolise the cutbacks in this time of imposed "austerity" and not because I am too lazy to draw more of them... Honestly.

Monday 1 October 2012

Venus & Fly Trap (It All Makes Sense When You Read It..!)


Hello. And, let's get serious.

As a Committed Perfectionist, I'm always struggling to present my Art in it's, er... best light (Some unkind souls would say, that it would be with the bulb removed and the curtains closed...)

I've noticed that the scans that I've posted up lately don't reflect the linework that I do (See the Grayscale post, below...)

Anyway, I've chosen a particularly serious drawing to illustrate this point.

...And here's the "colour" scan...

Grayscale Drawings...


Apart from the lack of a more imaginative title for this post, I thought that I'd state the obvious as these drawings/sketches have been posted up here before. So what's the excuse then?

I've noticed that my black & white stuff looks pale and, uh... washy when I post it up. The originals are a "purer" black pen line. Then I got to thinking (cue cartoon light bulb...) maybe it's because I usually scan them in colour, because I thought that this would give them a better/sharper resolution for when posting (And if scanned in black & white, they look all "muddy").

So, I've re-scanned a few in grayscale, to see if they look any better. You may be the judges, but I think that they do...





The old Inkaholic logo...




Mermaid and Distressed Fish...




Rabbit, Discussing The Birds and The Bees...

er... BooBee...





The Lord Having a Word With His Flock...





Crucified Ape - A Romantic Tale...




And... Martian Love Machine


 


 

"More Scenes From Planet Mungbean..."




Before I launch into my usual frenzy of slapping more scenes of mayhem, sex & violence on this Blog, I'll post up these tiny colour drawings recently produced from The Filthy Moods Clinic for Antisocial Cartoonists. 

What are they supposed to be you ask? In the more "abstract" parts of my frazzled imagination I can see little dramas unfolding on imaginary "dreamlike" planets or worlds. But, don't be fooled by any accidental "cuteness" or serenity... There's all kinds of carniverous deeds being plotted and enacted within these otherwise modest vignettes.


The one above is called "The Hungry One"


"Almost A Twin"





"Eye Bawler"




"Monoculoid"





"The Unusual Disagreement"




"Aquatic Angel (Expired)"