Monday, December 29, 2008

In Brightest Day!

My Friend Martin is a massive Green Lantern geek, and I too enjoy the character of Hal Jordon. I was a bit miffed they didnt have him in the Justice League cartoon because they needed a 'Black Guy' so tell me who would have sold better as a toy Hal or John Stewart?? Well although we may never know the fact the Green Lantern figures were the ONLY ones left on the shelves might prove this theory of debate.

Anyway back to Hal, I think once DC got over the lets make him go insane storyline and everybody else started doing it they realised what an integral character he was in the Universe and began cleaning up their mess.Darwyn Cookes main use of Green Lantern in 'The New Frontier' I think solidified that Hal was a man to be reckoned with.

So this will be my last picture post for this year tomorrow I'll look at 2008 as a whole and review the personal highs and lows!

Thursday, December 25, 2008

The Year Without an Xbox360!

This Picture of me was taken at Disneyland I think it was called 'Animation Studio' but that was a bit of lie. All you did was copy an artist drawing a character no animation was to be used. For this session it was how to draw Jack Skellington! Thanks to Mona for the Photo!!
I hope everbody has a great Holiday season this year, despite me spending it at home on my own well thats not totally true I have my dog to keep me company. I got some presents left for me but I knew what I was getting before I opened them! A couple of video games for my Nintendo DS Wario: Master of Disguise and Super Mario Bros. And the only dvd I recieved was the Platinum edition of the classic 101 Dalmations. Billie my dog didnt miss out either he got a new Squeeky Toy to play with!

I still don't have a new X-Box 360 I guess that will come next year.

So prepare yourselves..........It is with heartfelt regret that I inform everyone that my Perhapanauts cover will not be out in January 2009 in fact not for awhile. This is nobodies fault no-one is responsible. I'm upset yeah who wouldn't be but you know crap happens and worse things are going on in the world today to give a damn about a stupid cover.

I was emailed today by Todd and he told me the news and the reasons behind the decision and it makes alot of sense. I'm not the only one to have lost out in this, I only worked on the outside but a bunch of people worked on the inside of the special Halloween issue and now it will be skipped and may be released september of 2009. If I had to look at an upside my name will be published again in a future previews heh!

So what for me now? I have always tried to keep an honest blog. If something happens I tell it as it is! I'm totally Broke, Broker than Broke really. I've been calling around trying to get work one thing as an artist is that everybody wants something for nothing that your art is just a hobby and you should feel honoured they like it and want to use it. But nothing doesnt pay the bills!

Quite a few times have I been in this trap. A few years ago a friend of my fathers came up with a grand plan for selling t-shirts my dad told him that I was an artist and he wanted to see me. I didn't want to do it I could smell a waste of time. But on my dads constant harping I agreed to look into it. After five minutes in the meeting I knew this was just crap and wanted nothing to do with it. But my dad wouldnt let it go so I did the work, and then the guy turned around and said we've decided to no longer pursue this. Man was I pissed. The guy was a Locksmith and if he put some locks in for me and I turned around and said hey you know I've changed my mind and am not gonna pay you It would be just EXACTLY the same but no they do not understand this for anyone who is not of an artistic nature.

Well my christmas movie tonight was Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein. This is believed to be the first time that Frankenstein's Monster was referred too as 'Franky' But as we know he was really called Herman hahah. Funny Movie though Been a longtime fan of the Wolfman too so was great to have Lon Chaney Jr back in the role and a great cameo by Vincent Price!

Saturday, December 20, 2008

A Christmas Spectacular!!

Its been great to actually DRAW again after so long, I'm beginning to get the angst of is it 'good enough,' once again which isn't a feeling I've had for well over a month! I've really missed it, well the Drawing part!
As you can see from the above image my Christmas Card is finished and been sent out to most of my online friends. I say most because I have so many thanks to myspace and facebook I'm bound to forget someone, If you never recieved one my apologies its been so difficult remembering everybody!!

Watched a few films lately, I finally watched the Sinbad: Eye of the Tiger. Seeing a young Jane Seymour was very funny know what a cold and heartless woman she is in real life. What was the point of the Minotaur character or 'Minoton' as they called it seemed totally wasted!! I also found out later that Peter Mayhew 'Chewbacca' was the guy behind the Bull Mask prior to doing chewie! The blonde girl was certainly fetching but when a girl falls for a Baboon you need to ask questions. Serious Questions....

Dellamorte Dellamore this is right up there with my all time favorite horror movies, Made in Italy and going under the name of Cemetary Man in the US I caught this on late night television on SBS years ago. I love this film so much I imported this dvd especially from Italy because it still hasnt seen a release here for whatever reason.



Also as a special Christmas treat our local digital station ABC2 on Saturday Night gave us a screening of HR PufNStuf The Movie! One of my earliest memories as a toddler is seeing Jimmy Battle it out with Witchiepoo for that magic flute on saturday mornings every week. I only ever saw the movie once in a school hall. So it was cool to see Jimmy in the real world first before he landed on Living Island! I felt I was reliving my childhood in those two hours too much fun! One think that always bothered me was when Pufnstuf was on other shows he never looked the same he always seemed off unless it was on the show. I dont think they ever got the extra puppets right for him.

My new phone came with a redeemable voucher for a 'free' wireless pre paid access usb dongle thingy so I will be able to use that whenever I am visiting Melbourne, Bruny Island or out and about from now on with my laptop. Unless I dont have any money for credit then I'm screwed!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

The Cartoony Bettie Page Tribute!

As you know a few weeks ago I recieved the most degrading comment I have ever recieved at an interview the word 'Cartoony' is an insult I will not soon forget and indeed it continues with other comments I have recieved since then on numerous forums and email rejections. So Bloody What?? I just dont get the justification that something HAS to be PHOTOREALISTIC!!

Am I alone in this? Should I bow to pressure and look at just trashing a style I have honed and nurtured and that people seem to like That I Like!! To start again and draw like Alex Ross does? I dont think So......

Please Let me know what you think of my Bettie Page tribute yes its 'Cartoony' grrrrrr.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Frank Castle

One day Frank Castles family were brutally murdered. As he held his bloodied wife in his arms he promised that day, he would avenge their deaths by systematically killing everyone involved in the slaying. Which He Did......

But it never stopped Franks 'One Man War' against every Scum continues and the only way it will stop is if he's dead first!

From all accounts the new Punisher film 'Warzone' hasn't done too well at the US Box Office, I personally believe theres been an overload of Comic Book related works this year. And I think this may be the major reason reason for its failure. I havent even seen the Original Thomas Jane film as yet. Yes I have seen the Dolph version dont hold that against me.

Despite this I always liked the character of Frank ever since I read my very first punisher story that was a reprint of his first appearance in Amazing Spiderman. Remember 'Marvel Tales' ?

When I was at comic con this year I picked up a Punisher figure that was supposed to be a representation of his first appearance but to be honest its very generic looking they didn't even put those weird eyebrows he originally had. With that in mind my versions more in line with the latest take. No weird eyebrows But I love the classic costume so it stays and those weird web things behind him are supposed to be bullet holes yeah I know they look like retarded webbing oh well..........

and Yes I have been feeling guilty of not posting artwork for awhile.

Death Blow!

I finally began the arduous task of designing my Christmas card this weekend. For those in the know I've been suffering from chronic Back and Chest pain this past week believed to be the after effects of my very bad cold I have had. It was getting to the point of ridiculous and I needed to get out of the mindset of 'I'll be alright' to actually going to the Doctors. So I have and thankfully it wasnt pneumonia but an infection. I have all the necessary pills now to hopefully clear things up!

'Last Rites' has been set back quite alot because of my health, so much I know I'm not gonna make my self-imposed deadline at the end of the month for it. So I've had to extend and delay working on it a little longer and it will be January now.

This week I also lost Two people in my life in the spate of the same day, First My step-grandmother who passed away suddenly my parents and I were at her house the other day we couldnt do much as the police were there with Forensics and Police detectives which seemed surreal. We were trying to find stuff to contact her relatives she had left it up to my mother to do all the work of organising that which was really unfair of her. My Nan was a very selfish woman she always seemed bitter and towards the end she got just nasty to everyone. I remember being five years old and her giving me a Boiled Lolly I swallowed it whole and almost choked. They also had ducks and chickens I used to always visit and say hello too.

The Man she was married to my fathers dad, I loved dearly he died 8 years prior. I remember visiting them and he would always start throwing punches and wanting to fight me, this went on for years until one day I punched him back and it stopped hahaha!! I miss him so much.

Her relatives and neighbours are what you would call vultures, as soon as they heard she had died they began calling wanting to know where the will was and how much the house was worth.
As we are not blood related we get nothing when my pop passed it all went to my nan so as she never had children it goes to her relatives.

The second was Bettie Page, I first learnt drawing women from pictures of her. I have two books one was her Autobiography 'A Life Of A Pin-Up Legend' and the second was a release of artworks for Dark Horse Comics.

You should check out the first book she had a very hard life and was totally a very nice lady. I really wish I could have met her, but it seemed it was never meant to be.

Artists like Olivia and the late Dave Stevens both used her for inspiration. She meant alot to alot of people. Atleast in her pictures she will forever be the Immortal Bettie Page!

Sorry for their being no happy post this time around I hope that next one will be more cheery!

Monday, December 8, 2008

Saving a Princess

I haven't updated in a few days, I've been a bit of aloof while I work these things out, that which I hate most that being 'Life'. From this weekend I will be spending the rest of my Christmas alone. No chestnuts cooking on an open fire and No Jack Frost nipping on my nose. Oh well its not the first Christmas and it wont be the last!

I got myself a new phone as the other was 2 years old and despite being good for what I needed. My contract was almost expired and it was a better option . The fact it came with a great gift certificate didnt hurt so I got a Nintendo DS with it.
So with my birthday money in hand I got some games Professor Layton and Zelda. A friend had one and since I'm such a Nintendo Addict wondered why I never bought one (main reason no money). When I got the opportunity a few weeks back at the video game expo to play some games it was the DS that stood out. So I had a friend who works at the store show me the best valued which turned out to be the Guitar Hero Version! So I have been rescuing princess' all weekend and having fun playing with the stylus!

I also had a big blowout with my ISP recently they screwed my account well and good this month and have had nothing but problems with them since getting back home. They act as if its my fault but they screwed up!!

Been trying to catchup with my Summer Glau Obsession, I'm almost up to date with the all the Sarah Connor Chronicles and also fell behind on the new season of Heroes which lets face it, has gone major down hill since all the actors have become famous and the stories rubbish!



Finally saw Mysterious Island, it was very different to how I had remembered it. One thing that annoyed the hell out of me was it took 20minutes to get onto the island, as most of that was set on the balloon. So the pacing could have been better, I'm glad they got some of the monsters in it as they werent going too.