More bits o old comics

Today I decided to update my blog, I didn't really have anything to say in particular (I'm frightfully poor in the opinion department) and I didn't really have anything new that I thought I should show yet so I decided to put some old bits of comics, and maybe talk about them? Yeah? Sometimes an awful lot goes on in my head when I'm making them and sometimes I'm utterly blind about them so this might be awful..

Actually first I think there's something to be appreciated about churning out small comics. See I don't really consider myself an artist, as I'm a somewhat mediocre draftsman (to that I hear cries of dissent...? Right, fine.) and producing a picture that's meant to exist in isolation is a about as fun for me as giving birth to a very small but angry monkey. So when I see artists churning out illustrations for fun that's a thing I didn't really get, to some degree. At the time I believed it's basically because I lacked discipline (spoiler: I still do) and that I just needed to work at it. But the thing is this made preparing to make comics downright agonising. A part of me thought "If I can't handle pictures on their own, imagine doing hundreds! In sequence!" and that was definitely balls.

Then, for some reason I just started making comics anyway. I can't even really remember why or what got my ass in gear.. But I just started. They were really bad.. But I got something from doing them that I never got illustrating, I got a genuine rush! I was so excited by the notion of playing with a story, an idea, and it's characters that I kind of just stopped worrying about the other stuff. It was then that I learned that comics were really their own craft entirely. A strange amalgam that comprises of both writing and art, but somehow is nothing like either of those things, it exists on its own. And I was playing with the core aspects of them (clumsily, mind) and it was utterly thrilling, in those formative years I became both god and the devil of my own little world.

Now today I still take a break from carefully planned work to churn out rough comics, to tamper with ideas in their rawest state and more importantly to play with comics. I also totally get now how artists churn out illustrations for fun, and how writers throw out short stories. Since I'm doing the same in my own medium (even if nobody is reading them).

Anyway, I've blathered on enough now, here's a comic about a cute dog.

And here's an old comic about Batman since yknow.. Everyone loves Batman (and can relate to him? For some reason?), also featuring Superman (which is relevant since everyone gives a shit about Man Of Steel now). On another note I think Batman should always be drawn with pupils. Tiny ones.

And now two comics about Devilman, which have done better on Tumblr than anything else I've ever done ever. Which is both encouraging and concerning.

I should close this with something new, like, really new. Like drawn in last minute new.

Fuck it, that'll do.

The God Helmet and two other comics.

Here's a comic I did a while back for the Clanthology by the lovely people at the Galway Pub Scrawl. You should google them up until they don't know what or something. This one was a mad collection of thoughts I had, I’d like to visit the idea again. Apologies if it fails to make sense.

There's something so enticing about masks I think, I don't know if it's playing with the idea of what's behind it.. I prefer to think that they, like playing a character or dressing in a certain manner, transform us and fill us with an energy to express ourselves differently from behind the relative safety of another persona. I also like to tease myself with the notion that these masks hold a personality of their own and that in wearing them they take a hold of us. Wouldn't it be interesting to see the world from a perspective so alien? From the point of view of an entity that's not even living. It cannot even act it's own will upon the world, without you.

This short was meant for conceptart.org’s Panel of The Week thingy I told a friend I’d do. Long story short I missed the deadline (thought I had another week). I delved into it anyway. The original brief was meant to be about a thief hired to catch another thief, but I decided to use it to also explore the theme of masks again, like The God Helmet.

Once again it’s a bit muddy in terms of narrative, read it and make of it what you will. I enjoyed doing it.

This one kind of assumes that everyone's wearing a mask, a notion that I didn't give much thought of at the time. But now that I dwell on it it's kind of terrifying. But it does convey my feeling walking down the street. Nobody is anybody, are they really that featureless? Or do I do that to cope with sheer number.. I also didn't deal with the theme of stealing very well, but the second character did start out as a version of Lupin the third from the live-action movie in the original drafts. I'll leave it to you to decide I suppose..

And then there's this comic. I'll say no more about it than that I'm pretty sure things went down like this...

And here's a really stupid joke that I accidentally made. I drew it because I was being silly but I didn't notice the pun until a couple of weeks after, I giggled.

Anyway yeah bye.

The Chroma Anthology

Today myself and a about 10 other awesome artists are proud to announce that the Kickstarter for the Chroma Anthology is online!

What is that I hear you grumble? Well the Chroma Anthology is a book organised by the good people at Zenpop, a collection of 11 odd comics each based off a colour, as you can see I am contributing a brown story, about robots! Exciting, no?

“Great!” I hear you scream through the bag on your head with an added “what can I do to help?” probably. Awesomely, you can help fund this project over on Kickstarter.
Here’s the link: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/ellenwoods/the-chroma-anthology

Hell, if you only donate a tenner you’ll get a digital copy of the book. Which is pretty sweet considering what you’re getting!

I’m probably doing an awful job of selling this so just click on the link to find out more. I’ll post a couple of other links at the bottom too which I suggest taking a gander at.

Oh and for the folk with no money you can totally show your support by sharing the news about with your friends, news outlets, your dog or what have you..

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Chroma-Anthology/438214612927331

http://chromacomic.com/

http://zenpop.org/

Djinn Tales: A Life up Top preview

Back from Arcade Con! Phew…

Here’s a look at the cover along with a 6 page preview of “Djinn Tales: A Life up Top”, a comic written and drawn by yours truly based in the world of Djinn Tales. It’s still being worked on and this isn’t actually the full version of the pages themselves but more of an idea of what they will be like.

Some of you may have seen them at Arcade Con this week with the Djinn Tales display.

Q-con, Sharks and the burning soul

Drew this on Saturday out of boredom. Why was I bored? Well...

I was at Q-con in the Queens University Belfast this weekend selling my wares. The bus ride up north from my humble home in Mayo took a fatal 6 hours. In the end I didn't sell alot, I sold barely anything actually.. Anyway, this has caused me to look back at my stock, my presentation and myself and I feel a change may be in order, and an improvement definately so. A year away from the con scene may be in order.. In that time I will strive to make new work and improve the quality and range of stuff available. I think I'll also start taking suggestions a bit more, hell if you have any send me an email or note me or something?

Also! On that weekend I was selling these lil babys, little A5 prints, When you get them you Pre-Order the book. Like an IOU? I thought it was a good idea at the time, none of them sold.. Here they are anyway. The Artwork is actually taken from the comics themselves with the exception of the colour job.

Also while I was bored I drew this comic about the hard challenges life throws at you and the vaule of friendship:

But I really did have alot of fun on the weekend, I got to participate in a volleyball tournament (knew I should have got a wax before I left for Belfast..). I got to read a preview for a slightly less safe for work version of "The Earthbound God" and I got tips on how to cook steak from the guy next to me selling bead sprite things, check out his facebook here. They're awesome, I even got my own little Simon (Trevor). I also got to pick up Pearlmoon Productions three comics which were a treat to read. If only they were longer! Might actually review them if I find the time...

Also, English money confused me, you guys gotta make the numbers clearer on your coins!

Brian out.

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The Symmetrical Man
Djinn Tales
Tumblr
Twitter

I will totally be around the convention of Q for the entirety of the weekend, so pop by and buy my things or marvel at my conversation skills.

It’s on in Belfast and I’ll be there from the 22nd of June to the 24th! Also June.

More information on the con here.

I’ll be selling the usual things like last years comic, The Whole World, A4 prints, bookmarks and A4 commissions (done quickly and with a side of charming conversation). With the addition of two comic previews for The Symmetrical Man and Djinn Tales you can buy them for moneys and pre order them at like, the same time! I’ll also be doing little four page comics written and drawn on the day, on commission. They’re like an A4 page folded over and you’ll love them for the rest of your life. Here’s a diagram.

Here's another collection of stuff that ends up on my tumblr. With time catching up with me with "Djinn Tales" and "The Symmetrical Man" I'm finding less and less time to sit down and write something for here, never mind think of something. Well, something that isn't Charles Barkleys Shut up and Jam Gaiden...

Oh and extra delays on everything since I had to go to hospital for a small operation. Nothing major, its just taking ages to heal and it's being a major discomfort..

Links!

The Symmetrical Man
Tumblr
Djinn Tales
Twitter