Hello all
Got a few more samurai pages done this weekend, only a 100 or so to go now;) I was speaking to a comic-reading friend of mine at work recently about how things are progressing with the story... I need to go off at a tangent here, most of you will know that I work in the newspaper industry, which, like many others, has been badly affected by this recession. The aforementioned comic-reading friend and 11 others who I have worked closley with for the past 15 years plus will be laid off at the end of this week, it won't be the same and I'll miss them all. I still have a job for now, so I'm thankful for that, but I can't help feeling guilty that I'm still there.

...Anyhoo, back to the samurai tale, the script is great and has some really powerful moments in it and as it is totally different to the stuff I normally work on I feel it is stretching my ability somewhat, I'm learning new tricks as I go along, which I guess is the way to progress. There's nothing much on this page here, but I'm really pleased with the layout and the whole scene in general. It goes from a serene and peaceful moment to severe violence in a matter of a few panels.

Not long now until the Small Press Expo in Bristol, I've started work on producing a sketchbook, 50 copies and I'm looking at perhaps doing a 'custom' sketch on every cover to make them a bit more special. More soon....

I'VE BEEN FRAMED!

Hello gang
Has it been touted round that I'm paying for 'followers'?..jeez I've got seven. Yay, anyhow here's some news for you seven (thanks, mum). I've recently had the good fortune to get an opportunity to do ten 'sketch covers' for the Comics Guaranty (US spelling)Company, or CGC as we know them. To be precise Sean McCloughlin of NYComics asked me to scrawl on blank covers of DARK AVENGERS No.1. drawing requests ranging from 'Swampthing carrying Cap America' to Christopher Lee's Dracula and Venom, Spidey, Wolverine, Hellboy etc. These will be slabbed and graded by the good folk at CGC. What a coop. I'll post one as soon as I see them in these sealed goodness.

I've done a few commissions also, the image above is the finished custom-framed articles. The guy who asked for them was really pleased with the results (he has no internet access so everything was organised by his work buddy, including sending emails back and forth and choosing the frames, so take a bow Patrick). I loved how the framer got that brickwork effect into both frames, great stuff.

I've also completed a Hellboy commission to be picked up at the Bristol show, some of these images will appear in a sketchbook if I get chance to do one, but this time it will be a very limited run of 50. Again, more on that nearer the time.

Signing off for now,

Dave