MARCH MADNESS


Above is the cover to #1 of Exile of the Planet Of the Apes, another great Apes epic by Gabe Hardman and Corinna Bechko, tis time with Marc Laming on art. Jordie and I did another set of covers and I'm still really happy with it. It's out this week. GET IT.

Also, keep an eye on Comic Book Resources this weeksnd as there should be some VERY interesting news coming from Wondercon in San Francisco.

Also, I've been nominated for an Eagle Award! Could THIS be the year I win for 'Favourite Newcomer'? With the other names nominated... probably not. But if you want to try, vote here.

In other news, Jordie got to colour the bulk of my next Tbolts issue. I'm really looking forward to seeing it on the stands next month.

Anyway, that's all I got for now. More soon!

Dec.

TIM SKINNER: TOTAL SCUMBAG... DOWNLOAD FOR FREE






















Good news everyone! Tim Skinner: Total Scumbag, the one-shot story by the Eagle Award winning team of Andy Winter and myself is available to download for free. I'm delighted about this; the one shot went down a storm at the last Dublin con in 2008 and Andy quickly sold out of his limited-print run. Then, unfortunately Diamond wouldn't take it so we had no way to get it into comic shops, meaning nobody else could read it. Now you, yes YOU can read the whole story for free.

From Andy's website...

"Soon after Tim Skinner inherited his grandfather's old comic-book collection he discovered something extraordinary - it was magic, and by making a simple wish he could step into the pages of any of the fabulous four-colour fantasies his heart desired. He could hang out with cowboys, futuristic robots or whiny adolescent mutants.

Unfortunately, Tim is a loathsome piece of garbage and instead of enjoying fun and frolics in a universe of action and adventure, he brutalizes and exploits his comic-book chums for his own nefarious ends. Truly, Tim Skinner is a total scumbag!"

Praise for Tim Skinner...

"Fucking hilarious!" - Jonathan Hickman, writer, Fantastic Four

"Delightfully, incredibly, enjoyably sick. Oh, I liked it." - Joe Gordon, Forbidden Planet blog

“Tim Skinner [is] a very self-referential, up-its-own-arse comic that I was destined to love. Even The Boys gets a good shoeing over with hilarious consequences.” - Rich Johnston, bleedingcool.com

"I don’t laugh out loud often, but I laughed out loud at this." - Regie Rigby, comicsbulletin.com

Tim Skinner holds a very special place in my heart. I'd been doing comics as a paying job for about a year and when Andy sent me the script I knew i HAD to draw it, even though it was a non-paying gig. It was also an opportunity to colour my own book; something that i really wanted to try. I truly did it for the art, and not the money.

PLEASE download it here. If you like comics and you have a sense of humour, you will enjoy it. Eh... or your money back.

The drawing holds up for the most part (i drew it nearly 2 years ago), but the best thing by far is the bloody hilarious script by Andy Winter. It should be read by as many people as possible. Thank you Mr. Internet!

So download it. Be sure to let me or Andy know what you thought of it.

Dec.

ON THE WINGS OF ..............AN EAGLE.....?








Or should that be 'On the Wings of a Dove'?

Anyhoo, found out last night that i've been nominated all proper for Favourite Newcomer Artist at this years Eagle Awards. Safe to say, i woke up this mornin' and thought i'd imagined it! Anyone who frequents this blog is probably aware my first comic Hero Killers won the Eagle Award last year. Although i didn't expect it to win, i did realise it was possible; being a team effort between Andy Winter and myself. God knows i got onto everyone i knew and i even asked old school/college friends to vote for me. This year, i heard someone had nominated me i was very flattered, but there was no way i thought that me, specifically, would make it through to the final nomination process, so i didn't bother to track down everyone i knew to vote me into the nominations list. Hence why today i'm so surprised it did in-fact happen!

In all honestly, the other guys in the same category are by far, way more talented artists than i am (i'm a big fan of Cliff Chiang's and David Aja's work especially). So although i'm not going to tell you not to vote for me, i can tell you that if you do vote for me, you are wrong!

However, you would be very wise to vote for the following folk:

BOB BYRNE: As pleased as i was to see my name on the list, i way overjoyed to see my homoerotic life-partner Bob Byrne was up for Favourite Writer/Artist. Bob has been doing great work for years with Mbleh and The Shiznit and recently has been doing knockout work in 2000AD with his Twisted Tales and his own fantastic graphic novel Mr. Amperduke. I couldn't be happier for Bob, and by god, he's up against some stiff competition (no gay jokes for once!)

SI SPURRIER: This talented gentleman has been nominated many times but never won. Give him the Favourite Newcomer Writer award and then we can give someone else a chance next year.

GARY ERKSINE: Gary's been nominated for Favourite Comics Artist Inks. If you've seen his work, you know how immaculately rendered Gary's inks are, and definitely deserves the award.

MATT HOLLINGSWORTH: My main man Matt has been nominated for Favourite Colourist. It's absolutely well deserved; the guy's a genius with colour, has worked on some of my all-time favourite books and is a swell guy to boot)

SANCHO: This Irish comic is up for Favourite European Comic for a second year in a row (congrats guys!)

CHRIS RYALL: As i said in a previous post, this guy has hired half of Ireland so deserves Favourite Editor just for that! Also, IDW are getting some great books out of late, and it's all due to the good work of this fella.

So, go vote for them ......and well, maybe me ......if you really want to.

Eagle Award Nominations List

Dec.

MY EAGLE AWARD NOMINATIONS

Best Newcomer Writer: SIMON SPURRIER

While Si is pretty established as far as 2000AD fans are concerned, outside of that circle, he may not be as well known, that's why he gets my vote. Si has had a huge break with his Silver Surfer; In Thy Name mini series for Marvel. I was chuffed to hear Si had landed the gig. Couldn't go to a nicer guy.

Best Newcomer Artist: KEITH BURNS

As tempted as i was to vote for myself (seeing as someone had alredy nominated me...), I had to support Keith, who drew Blood Psi for Andy Winter. Plus, he's from Ireland, so he deserves a vote, just for that.

Best Writer: ED BRUBAKER

It's no secret i love this man's writing. As you see more of my nominations, you might notice this.

Best Writer/Artist: BOB BYRNE

What can i say about this guy that hasn't already been said about Afganistan? He's bombed up and depleted. Ah just kidding, like i said in the last post, this is Bob's year, and i really hope he at least gets a nomination for this.

Best Penciller: RUFUS DAYGLO

Aside from being a top bloke, i was lucky enough to see Rufus' pencilled pages at the recent Hi-Ex con in Inverness. I really like his approach to storytelling, with a keen eye on design. That kind of work interests me more than a tightly-rendered pencil drawing.

Best Inker: STEFANO GUADIANO

Not a UK boy (actually, i don't know where he's from), but again, i really like this artist's approach to inks. Loose and textured, his inks add great atmosphere to Michael Lark's pencils on Daredevil.

Best Fully Painted Artwork: ESAD RIBIC

Have you seen this guy's work? I've seen simple line-drawings he's done, and they're amazing.

Best Colourist: LEN O' GRADY

Surprised i had to add Len's name to this list. Along with doing great colour work in 2000AD, Len's belting out great colours on his many IDW books. Plus, he's Irish. Let's see the award go to a Limerick-man!

Best Editor: CHRIS RYALL

Last year i voted for Matt Smith, who quite deservedly won, but this year i'm going for Chris Ryall. He's really going all out there with IDW, with his Angel and Star Trek books, but aside from that, he's employing not one, not two, not three, but FOUR irish lads. See a running trend here? If you're Irish i'll vote for you.

Best Publisher: IMAGE

Admittedly, Marvel are knocking it out of the park these days with top creators on top books. Dark Horse too, are bringing out some of my favourite books, but i voted for Image. Image really is where some great, original stories are being published and by god, that's a cause i'll support.

Fav American Colour Comic: CRIMINAL

Love this book. Love the story. Love the art. Nuff said.

Fav UK Colour Comic: 2000AD

2000AD can be tricky. There's some stuff in there i really don't like, but there's some really great stuff too. All in all, it's the best UK colour book i've read, so voted for it, i did (in Yoda voice)

Fav B&W American: THE WALKING DEAD

Have you read this book? Freakin' unbelievable. Without a doubt, the most compelling book on the stands these days.

Fav B&W UK: BLOOD PSI

Arrrgh! This was a tough one, as i really wanted to vote for PJ Holden's PREVIOUSLY (Sorry PJ!) but, i had to support Andy's Hero Killers follow up. A really, really great vampire story, that's recieved rave reviews. Oh yeah, i also did the cover for it. I urge you to vote for either book. They're both great.

Fav New Comicbook: TANK GIRL - THE GIFTING

Great book By Alan C. Martin, Ashley Wood and Rufus Dayglo.

Fav Comics Story: CRIMINAL 6-10 (LAWLESS)

See 'Fav Writer'. Second arc of the series, and the best so far, in my humble opinion.

Fav Original Graphic Novel: SILVERFISH

Great noir thriller by David Lapham.

Fav Reprint Collection: CRIMINAL: COWARD

See 'Fav Writer' (again)

Fav Comics Hero (HERO): BUCKY (CAPTAIN AMERICA)

Captain America is another great book by Brubaker, but what he did with the Bucky character in the last year or so has been a fantastic read.

Fav Comics Villain: BARRACUDA

Loved the recent Barracuda run in Punisher, and his own mini-series. Great villain.

Fav Magazine: DRAW!/WRITE NOW

I don't get to read thse as much as i'd like, but when i do get my hands on them i read every inch of them.

Fav Comics Related book: PANEL DISCUSSIONS

Great book that interviews Scott Hampton, Mark Chiarello, Mike Mignola, Brian Stelfreeze,etc. A fantastic read for us artistic type, or any student of sequential storytelling.

Fav Comics Related website: INDIEREVIEW

A site dedicated to UK small press/indie books. They've been very supportive of Hero Killers, so the least i can do is send them a vote their way

Roll of Honour: JAMES REDINGTON

I'd like to nominate Steve Gerber, but to be fair, i've never read any of his work. James Redington however, i was fortunate enough to know. Again, a great supporter of Hero Killers (and small press books in general), James was at all the cons, supporting his own books and others too. He wrote the first interview i ever did and i was so grateful for his efforts to spread the word about our little book. He died tragically at a very youg age in mid '08 and the least i could do for him is to nominate him for the Roll of Honour.

So, there it is. Agree with me? Disagree? Tough. I've already voted, so there's nothin' you can do about it! Right, there's a lot of talk on this artblog recently, i'll post a whole Frankenstein page soon, to make up for it.

Dec.

EAGLE NOMINATIONS FORM

Noticed a couple of days ago that the nominations form for the Eagle Awards was up. Man, i remember this time last year, i was in Cork drawing at Will Sliney's house when i saw the list. And there it was; Hero Killers. I couldn't believe someone actually had voted for the book. Little did i know it'd go to make it through to the nominations list, and eventually win.
So, this year, i'm gonna vote for the little guy, as last year, Hero Killers was the little guy in question. At the awards last year, it was a shame to see most of the awards go to big-name American creators who weren't even attending. Someone told me lots of people were happy to see Andy Winter and myself accept the award, as we were one of the few winners to actually attend the event. So, in most cases, i'm gonna vote for more British creators.
I urge all who read this blog to vote for Bob Byrne as Favourite Writer/Artist. Everyone will probably vote for Frank Miller in this catagory, not to diss Mr. Miller at all, but the guy has gotten a lot of accolades over his career. Give the Eagle to an up-and-commer, i beg of you. This really has been Bob's year; With The Shiznit #4 out, his Twisted Tales for 2000AD, and opus; Mr. Amperduke all out within a year, he deserves to get some props. I noticed his name in the nominations form, and by god, THAT'S who i'll vote for.
(I also noticed there was some young fella by the name of Declan Shalvey in the nominations form for Favourite Newcomer Artist. I was very flattered that at least one person had already voted for me. Thanks, whoever you are, i appreciated it!)

So go forth and vote, gentle reader, and get your friends to vote, too!

http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/nominate.asp

Thanks,

Dec.

HERO KILLERS NOMINATED FOR EAGLE AWARD.

I'm thrilled to announce that Hero Killers, written by Andrew Winter and illustrated by myself has been nominated for this years Eagle Award for Favourite British Black and White Comicbook.
To say i'm pleased would be a huge understatement.
I'd like to thank everybody who voted for the nomination, really, thanks so much.
Maybe, if ye all voted for it to win .....it just might.....?

Here's the link;

http://www.eagleawards.co.uk/vote.asp

Thanks again,

Dec