FREAK SHOW LAYOUTS




















Dec.

Hello all. Some might remember, months ago, i mentioned i was working on a Freak Show short story. If not, just click here. I didn't want to elaborate at the time, but it was a short story for the small press section of the JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE. Well, i can now announce that said story will be published in this month's issue, Meg 260, out tomorrow. The story is basically a prequel to the ongoing Freak Show series, featuring Jack in a solo adventure.

I hope it'll stand out as one of the better small press stories that have featured in the Meg. In any case, it'll be great to follow in the footsteps of Bob Byrne and the Sancho boys. Above, is the meg cover, available in your local comic shop, WH Smith, etc. To all my Irish friends; Go to Easons.

Below is the first page of the story...





















Dec.

THE FRENCHMAN


A commission of the Frenchman character from 'The Boys'

















Dec.

ELECTRO STRIKES!


A new commission. Quite enjoyed this one actually. Wasn't sure how i was gonna depict him, but ended up with an interesting pose, and got to playaround with some drybrush.


Very happy with the results.










Dec.

YOUR ROUND AVAILABLE TO BUY ONLINE




















Your Round: Tequila is now available to buy online, like i just said in the title.
For those who don't know, Your Round, is a new anthology series (created by myself, thankyouvewymuch) of pub stories, and sure who doesn't like pub stories?. The first issue; Tequila, is filled with highly entertaining pub stories written and illustrated by shameless Bob Byrne and very lovely James Hodgkins and of course, myself. It is now available to buy via the Asylum Books and Games website, just click here

Sound.

Dec.

INKS



















Here's the finished inks to the last panel i posted. I noticed i never drew any feet for the onlookers to the left of the pick-up truck, so i fixed that in the inks, as well as simplifying some background faces. I could have inked every last bit of detail, but sometimes what you leave out is as important as what you leave in.


Still not sure if i should have filled in the writing on the banner (top of panel) in black. I went with leaving it open in the end. Don't thonk it makes much of a difference in the end.


Dec.

FREAK SHOW PENCILS




















Howdy. Here's some pencils for a panel of Freak Show. I consider these finished. Since i ink my own work, i don't really need the pencils to be ridiculously tight. This is as detailed as it needs to be, because i may still change things in the inks.






















This is earlier, when i was underway with tightening the pencils, and adding more details.



















And here is the initial rough pencils i did. Here, i've worked out the perspective and more importantly; the composition, which can be the hardest part of sequential storytelling. Working out the best way to compose an image is a key part of telling a story with images.





Dec

COMMISSION


Did this commission today. Pretty happy with it. It's a portrait, but not a traditional headshot. If i'm doin' a portrait, i try to depict someone's personality rather than just draw their face.

Hopefully, the girl in question will be happy with it.








Dec.

MID-INKS









This is an unfinished panel, but most of the work is done. At this stage, i will have figured out exactly where i'll place my blacks so i get my pens and go over all the linework on the page. In the end, it looks like this.

Next, i take my ink and brush and fill in the blacks; my favourite part. Once i work on my blacks it feels like the page starts to 'pop', whereas before the page looks more like a map to me.

Anyway, to see the finished panel, buy the next issue of Freak Show you cheapskates!!!

....whenever it comes out, that is.

Dec

IT'S ALL IN THE EYES....







A couple of panels from the next chapter of Freak Show.


Dec.

BACK TO FREAK SHOW








Hello all, just back to Aberdeen today after a brief Irish excursion. Did a signing in Galway with FREAK SHOW writer Rob Curley and my collaborator in all things offensive, Bob Byrne. Seriously, on the train from Dublin to Galway, me and Bob were doodling, and between us we came up with some pretty messed up stuff; not fit for public consumption. The signing was admittedly a bit slow, but i'm told that was down to the obscenely glorious sunshine that reigned down on Galway that day. Man, i had a lot of ice cream that day, i can tell yeh......

The rest of the week entailed visiting friends and family, except for Will Sliney.
I pretty much met up with everyone else.
Yep, except Will Sliney.

Also got to hang out with "The MoonDog" and co. at his studio too, and finally got to see Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time, which was sweet.

All in all, a good week.

In summary, i'd like to thank both Rob and Brian Curley, who invited me and Bob to Galway, and put us up too. Would also like to thank everyone who came to the signing, picked up a book and got a sketch

...............including my mammy.

Dec.

DOCTOR STRANGE


Finished this last night; another comission. I'd never drawn Doctor Strange properly before, so this was a lot of fun to do. Off to Ireland today, to do a signing in Sub City in Galway this saturday from 12 O'Clock. Come if you dare! Looking forward to a few days home and seeing friends. Probably no posts for a week.









Later, as the kids say,

Dec.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh......


Feels good. Andy Winter (Hero Killers writer) just sent me this. Makes it official. Also, all the work i've done over the last few days ain't up for public consumption yet, so i might as well post somethin.



Dec.

THE SHADOW --FINISHED


Here's the finished Shadow commission. Since i liked the original sketch so much, i magnified it and lighboxed it onto the artboard. I wanted to keep the image looking 'fresh'. Sometines when you re-draw an image it looks stale, or just not as exciting as the sketch. So by lightboxing the sketch instead of re-drawing it, i thing i manages to keep it feeling loose, while still having a finished piece.




Dec

THE BOYS


This is a commission i did yesterday, but when scanning, i just couldn't register the scans together right, so, pissed off, i fecked off home and scanned it this mornin' instead. Well, that was more information than you needed to know. Come back soon for more ramblings kiddies.










Dec.

The Shadow

Just a sketch today. Doing a commission of The Shadow, and did a rough to work it out. It's only a little doodle, but i really like it.














Dec.

EUREKA!





















Freak Show inks.

Dec.

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED











No, this isn't a petty way of mentioning the EAGLE AWARD again, this is a panel from a Freak Show page i finished today. It harkens back to a scene originally drawn by Stephen Thompson in Freak Show, Vol.1




Did i mention i won an Eagle Award by the way.......?


Last saturday, me and Rob Curley, Freak Show writer/creator did a signing in Aberdeen for Volume 2. Went quite well, did some decent sketches, and had a good auld night with Rob afterwards. Thankfully, no signing for me this weekend (don't think i'd have handled 4 in a row; 3 was just fine, thank you very much) but i do have one in Galway the week after Sat 9th of June) with Rob and Bob Byrne. Should be good fun, really looking forward to it.


Dec.

TEQUILA!

Greetings All. No posts for the last week cuz Declan has been rather busy. Last saturday was the launch for my own self-published book; YOUR ROUND: TEQUILA. It arrived in Aberdeen on the Thursday, two days before the signing. YOUR ROUND is an anthology book based on drinking stories. It features stories by myself, Bob Byrne, James Hodgkins and Mike McLean. Jaysus, i must have gone on about this a rake of times already, you should all know bout this by now.





Bob Byrne, my on-off boyfriend came over to share the signing duties, bless him. We signed and sketched from 10 AM till 6PM. We were fairly knackered at this stage, and we were more than happy to stop. Unfortunately, we couldn't. We had a launch party to go to an hour later which included even more signing and sketching. Sigh. We finished up around 11PM!!! Christ, we were knackered. Still, i had a blast with the Bobster.

Oh yes, here's a 'Zombie Gambit' sketch i did for a girl at the signing.






My favourite bit was when i was sketching something for a fan and someone asked Bob if he was doing requets for sketches. He flatly responded 'No. Here, have this one.' And gave the guy a drawing he'd done 5 minutes beforehand. i reckon he was scared of someone askin for a Spider-man. In fact, i'm sure someone asked him for a superhero sketch, but sent 'em straight onto me. No bull, i must have done over 50 sketches that day. Another fun bit was a sketch request Bob made. To draw a Teenage Mutant Hero Turtle. I'd say i hadn't drawn one in 10 years, and knocked one one out, lookin the same as i drew them back when i was a kid. But, the absolute highlight was a competition between me and Bob as to who could draw the best 'Zombie Care bear.' I lost, obviously, but it was a close race. Bob took a photo, i'll post it once he sends it to me.






Bob doing sketches at the launch.















Me and Bob, signing our lives away.......

















Me, sketching with come issues of a great comic in front of him.

















This weekend, tomorrow in fact, i've another signing. Robert Curley is coming over here to Aberdeen to do a Freak Show signing. So it'll be another weekend of sketching. etc for me.

Some people have weekends off........


Dec.

BRISTOL COMIC EXPO 2007 MEGA POST!!!

Hello all, this post is a whopper.


Last weekend was the Bristol Comic Expo. My first Bristol convention was in 2004, where i arrived with a portfolio and a bucket full of dreams. It went quite well, got some nice reception to my work and a lot of advice on how to improve it.

Cut to three years later, i have a job drawing comics, a lot of good friends in 'the biz' and an award nominated book under my belt
















This years Bristol Expo was my first time attending as a 'pro.' This was first year where i was a guest, rather than a fan, so i was really looking forward to it. Obviously, there was the whole Eagle thing, so i was nervous about how that would pan out. I'd love to say i was sure we'd win it but in truth i had no idea, the competition seemed pretty stiff.

Well, i got to Bristol on Friday, and once i'd met up with my friends Pádraic and Will, some copious amounts of drinking took place. Which, was probably not a good idea considering the state of me the next day. Was great meeting up with everyone, including Andy Winter (Hero Killers writer), Stephen Mooney(former Freak Show artist who's moved onto bigger things) and his lovely fiancé Jackie, Rob and Brian (from Atomic Diner), John Hendrick and the Millarworld crew, Birmingham's favourite sons Ben, Andy and Shane, as well as Your Round collaborator James Hodgkins.

That night was the Eagle Awards. Myself and Andy had consoled ourselves to the fact we wouldn't win and predicted a FutureQuake win, just so we wouldn't get our hopes up. The dinner and preceeding awards were absolute torture. I was going quietly mad. The closer to the result we got, the more nervous I got. I just wanted to know the result, good or bad. Lot's of people came up to me at our table, wishing us look, which i really appreciated, even if it didn't seem like it at the time.



Then, the nominations list for our catagory. The strangest thing happened. When the Hero Killers nomination was announced, there was this big cheer from pretty much the whole room. I expected a cheer from my mates at the back (at the bar, of course) but lots of people who I don't know (and can only assume don't know me) were cheering for us, and then the next nomination was announced, followed by complete silence. I couldn't believe it. People really liked our little book. The comic i'd drawn in my bedroom in Limerick had just gotten a huge cheer. Wow. I was still in shock when Hero Killers was announced as the winner! Huh? What? Urm? Andy went mental. I was just in shock. We went up to the stage, still in shock. Andy said something to the crowd. Can't remember what he said, but it was quite lovely. All that was running through my head was "What'll i say?" Then it hit me; a mate of mine said something class in a 'thanks message' before. It read 'Thanks to everyone who helped, and to those who didn't? Thanks for nothin!' Thought that would be something funny to cap it off. Unfortunately, everyone was still applauding what Andy had said, so all the heard from me, was "THANKS FOR NOTHING".............

I should have just kept my mouth shut.

Declan Shalvey; Award winning asshole.

I soon brushed that off and had a blast that night, with a permanent grin on my face. Got back to the hostel at five in the morning. I didn't need drink that night, i was buzzing from the whole awards experience.

Sunday was great, was in much better shape to do sketches, did some really nice ones actually, caught up with some more people, got a lot of congratulations off a lot of people, which meant an awful lot to me. Had a very promising interview for future work. Got to finally catch up with David Bailie and spent a great evening with him, Joel Meadows and co., which included a fine steak for dinner.



Finally collapsed from lack of sleep, having had the best Bristol ever.

Here's some more photos....





David Bailie and Joel Meadows on a romantic nature stroll.


















VikThing bringin' sexy back.



















Ben McCool and ...eh i can't remember this lady's name, but she was very nice.














And this my friends, is what an Eagle Award for Favouritr British Black and White Comicbook 20006, looks like. No, not the Magners bottle, the silver thing.















I'd just like to say thank you to everyone who voted for mine and Andy's book. I am so absolutely chuffed. To get this award so early in my career has given me such a boost, and a drive do do the best work i can. I'd also like to thank everyone who wished us well, who congratulated us and a big thanks to the guys at our table for listening to us moan about how we weren't going to win.........

....guess we were wrong.

Dec