BICS...and the world's most expensive Iceberg Lettuce.

Okay friends, here's my little BICS rundown (this section has nothing to do with lettuce). As usual the Birmingham show was very busy indeed, I love the venue and I think Shane and crew do a fine job on the organisation side, this year there were talks I wanted to get to see, but as usual with sketching and everything the Saturday went like wildfire, it was great to meet all the old faces and a whole raft of new ones too---thanks guys, seeing/talking to you all make it all worthwhile.

I normally nip back home at night as I'm only 40 miles away, and it's cheaper to get a couple of trains than fork out for an hotel;) but this time was different, yes I was staying over (courtesy of my good mate Shane Oakley, who had booked his hotel, but couldn't make it) boy, this guy knows how live! It was quite possibly the swankiest hotel I've ever stayed in ---cheers Shane, thanks for that. I met up with the Accent UK chaps,Gary Crutchley, Jason Cobley and a few others, the general concensus was 'let's go a for a chinese'...once in there, it was a set menu lark, cheapest being 20 notes going upto 40! So, there we were with our 20 note dishes...it was a bit shit to be honest:( I was actually still hungry (as I'd gone through the whole day with nothing, cept a bite on a sausage roll here and there) bearing in mind I'd had about 4 beers---I don't drink normally, so it was a first. Anyhow, not got to the worst bit yet, Steve, the chap next to me at the table asked for a veggie option. Which consisted of Starter: A lettuce leaf, with a bowl of brown rice. Main course was an Iceburg lettuce, taken apart, washed and then placed carefully back together, to resemble... a foo-king lettuce (actually that COULD have been the name I guess). Jeez, by the time we'd finished, we ended up putting 30 each in the bill bowl! Never again.

Anyhow, it was approaching 12 oclock and I'd got a few painted sketches to do, so I decided to retire. The rest went for more beers. I should point out that Shane Chebsey (BICS organiser/Scar publisher) had offered a free meal for guests, but I'd already made plans---bugger. I was a great night of course, except the meal. Got back to the hotel, out with the paints, started sketching away, by the time 2oclock came I'd done four nice ones, but still got more to do...then I felt a bit rum! Best have a lie down I thought, anyhow as soon as I hit the pillow the old stomach started doing a tango, then before I could get to the toilet, up came the beers and bits of rice, and me in the swankiest hotel an' all! quick clean-up and felt loads better--I think it was just the fact I'd gone the whole day without anything to eat that did it. That may have been too much info for you (apologies) but I'm trying to paint a picture here...which is what I went back to doing. Don't worry folks there's no sick anywhere near the sketches;)

Next day, bright and early at the show, I had a chat with Simon Tofield, a really nice chap who was on the table next to me, you will know him from the hilarious 'Simon's Cat' shorts on YouTube. Went to the Charles Vess talk, but couldn't get to the Jonathan Ross TURF talk, turns out it was fully booked anyhow, with a long queue to get in, that's the only problem with these shows, indeed any convention---waiting to get in certain areas, it can't be avoided. This was made more difficult by the fact that I was left on my own, to man Scar's table as well as sketching/talking---big thanks to Owen who offered to step in, then and any time in the future, what a great guy, and I might take you up on that at some point my friend. The other 'must' for me, was to see superstar Bryan Hitch, which I didn't do again, however, in the meantime I was asked for a sketch, and as I started it I noticed the chap I was doing it for had a load of Bryan Hitch's books, I said 'I'd like to see him, but can't get away---he went and got the book, signed to me and gave it me in exchange for the sketch...wow, thanks Yosu:)

All in all a great weekend, as they normally are, it's only at these shows where you can generally get feedback and it helps to boost creativity for weeks to come - thanks everyone. The amount of folk asking for Madam Samurai book 2 was overwhelming. Not long now till ThoughtBubble:)

Well, it's been a while since I got back from Paris Manga, can't believe where the time goes, having said that I've been a bit busy finishing off a short story submission for CLiNT, more pages for book two of Madam Samurai and a few random illos.
Anyhow, Paris, apart from meeting loads of new people, artists, writers and fans alike, the icing on the cake must have been my meal with the Aaltair gang (which consisted of publishers Patrick Chaduc and Guillaume Bresch, Charles Vess, me and Charles' wife Karen----here we are at a very swanky restaurant. Cool.
The show itself was huge, mainly featuring Jap anime/manga stuff (of course) which I think alienated us comics lot a little---Bob Layton, Clint Langley, stacks of european artists, me and Mr Vess, and other were coming and going all weekend, as usual the two days were a sea of faces and names, loads of Springheeled Jack sketches were produced. After a whistle stop tour around Paris I made my way back to the airport, arriving way too early, but better getting to the airport with time to spare I always say.

Good evening all

Been busy sketching on 20+ sketchbooks for the Paris show, got quite a few more to do during the week also. Yesterday I completed a short story for inclusion in an upcoming issue of CLiNT, assuming it's still going strong after six months. Can't show you the page I did yesterday coz it would spoil the twist ending, but really looking forward to seeing it in print--I'm hoping it might appear in colour too:) It's written by a good mate of mine called Mark Peyton. Here's a half-done page to peruse.

Back later this week

Bonjour mon petit pois
Yes, as you can see I've been brushing up on my French. Just yesterday I got my sketchbooks delivered, and last night began the task of producing an original sketch in each one. There will be just fifty books available for the ParisManga show next weekend (18&19th Sept). Here's the first few...

Hello folks
...or should that be 'bonjour'? Yes, my trip to Paris is looming large on the horizon and I've been preparing a 50-page sketchbook for the event. Springheeled Jack is being released in a French edition by the good folks at Aaltair---a fledgling publishing company with big ideas. I've heard that the european market is much larger than the UK so we'll see what happens. Aaltair are producing two limited books initially, SHJ and Peter Pan by none other than the legend that is CHARLES VESS, who will also be in attendance. I've been a fan of his work since the early 80s, I just hope I don't gush all over the place (a little bit will be okay, but I don't want to make a mess):) Here's a new SHJ peice I've done for the sketchbook. The plan is to do 50 copies, all of which will have a painted sketch of somekind. But...I still have to send them to the printers so time is short.

Greetings gang

Just finished a cover for a short story which I illustrated earlier this year. Written by John A Short, it's a tale of tragedy from the streets of Liverpool. THE SIXPENNY MURDER is a true story of a gang of 'cornermen' whose violent antics took a turn for the worse. It's an attempt to try and warn young offenders of today, through the pages of a comic strip, to show how one simple action could lead to tragedy, not just for themselves, but for friends and families too. The brief for this cover was to focus on the boots (cornermen wore worker's boots - a kind of gang motif) and the victim. I wanted a very dynamic viewpoint...this is it, stage by stage.

Greetings all,
Just a quick update this week, here's another drawing featuring everyone's favourite bat-like crime fighter, tussling with TwoFace and some goons on a rooftop. I'll be revisiting SPRINGHEELED JACK again soon... but only for the ex-libris bookplate in the French edition, which will be coming out in September I believe. I'll keep you all posted.

cheers for now,
Dave

A big thankyou to everyone who showed up at the MADAM SAMURAI book launch at Infinity and Beyond last weekend. It seemed like everyone enjoyed themselves, including Gael, Gary and I, Shane had been helping in the shop and organising drinks for everyone, lots of favourable comments and sneak peeks at book two, plus original pages to gleg at. If you intend getting the book it's out everywhere now (Diamond shipped copies in the US are out too) or you can buy direct from Shane at Scar Comics on the address below

http://www.scarcomics.com/madamsamurai/buy.html

Hello all
A week since the Bristol Comic Show already? Although these events are always great to attend, you can never get round everyone that you want to see, despite the fact that it was about a quarter of the size of what it used to be. I was there on the SCAR Comics table with a some advance copies of MADAM SAMURAI, it seemed to sell pretty well over the weekend, I'm gearing up for the launch event now at INFINITY AND BEYOND in Shrewsbury on the 12th June. Hope there will be more than two people there else I'll sulk.

Got another Batman commission whilst at the show, here it is...

I should really be in bed! At 4.30 this morning I'll be getting up to set off to the Bristol Comic Show, on the SCAR comics table, if you get there early enough and buy a copy of MADAM SAMURAI, you could win yourself this framed peice of art! Generous to the end, that's me:) Hopefully see some of you there over the weekend.

Hello gang
Well, with Bristol on the horizon there's not much time left to get anything new done, but I will be bringing some original art to browse through. Here's peek at a promo peice I did for MADAM SAMURAI, I went back to it this weekend and fleshed it out a bit, not finished as yet but I'll have it with me at the show.

I'll be signing Madam Samurai Vol 1 at the SCAR comics table. 80 pages for £7.99Looking forward to seeing you all there.

QUACK!

Well, I'm not certain what kind of noise a penguin would make... but this one's not happy! Just started a comission for a collector who is picking up his penguin at Bristol in a few weeks. See you all there, I'll be at the SCAR Comics table with MADAM SAMURAI.

Good day all
I was just scrolling through some of my images and thought this one might be a good one to post. It's from a fair while back, a couple of years I reckon. I really like doing gothic versions of Batman, tweaking the costume here and there although thinking about it I don't think he's be able to hang onto those roof tiles in those boots. Just had a comment on my last post where someone in the US had just bought my first book SPIRIT OF THE HIGHWAYMAN from their local comic shop...wow, that book is a rarity nowadays. Thanks Lynn, hope you enjoy it :)

Hello everyone...Testing, testing, one two, three...well, it seems like I'm still here (although, technically speaking there is still one hour to go before May 1st is yesterday's news) The warning message is still there, but hopefully it seems ok...whew..

Now I can tell you I did TWO pages of art today, yup a mammoth 13 hour stint at the drawing board....must go an rest my aching hand.

Hello all

The other week I went to the TURF signing in London. Jonathan Ross and Tommy Lee Edwards were signing their new comic at FP on Shaftesbury Avenue. Mr Ross was an absolute gent and, as most know, heavily into his comics. We had a (very) brief chat about Jack Kirby art and his collection and I gave him and Tommy a copy of my newsprint comic GOTHIC, which they wanted signing. Cool.

On the subject of vampires (very tenuous link) here's that Dracula blank cover I did a while back.

As you all know I'm busy on book two of Madam Samurai, however I cannot show anymore development work from the project, very sorry about that but I'll find something else to fill the space with:)

all the best...

Hello all
I'm not sure what's happening with this ftp lark. For a while now, anyone who has a blog here will have noticed the 'Migration alert' on the intro page. FTP blogs are no longer supported after May 1st--which means I needs to shift , ahem, 'Migrate' my stuff for it to continue, however I've hit the 'start migration' tab and nothing happens, it doesn't really give you a guide as to what to do either so I'm stumped. Anyhow, I'll blog until I can no longer blog.

Recently I was asked if I fancied illustrating a victorianised kid gang tale, written by John A.Short. It's being used as part of a teaching module for the NSPCC, it was set in victorian Liverpool and recalls the Tithebarne Street Outrage, in which a man was killed for sixpence! It's a very strong tale about how things can get out of hand and ultimately end in grief. Hopefully it will give the wayward teens of today something to think about. Thanks for getting me involved John.

I'll be back again soon...

And now for something (a bit) different. I've just started work on a short story aimed at wayward teens. I can't say much about it, but the aim is show how things can get out of hand in a gang-related incident. Our tale begins in Victorian Liverpool (see, it's not just London) with the condemned 'villain' of the peice being abruptly awoken from his last night's sleep by the visage of the Grim Reaper....what a way to wake up eh? Must be a Monday.

Yes, friends it's true, I'm officially Addicted to Amazon co.uk (and sometimes .com) I first started noticing there was something wrong when my local comic shop closed down last year. I needed that weekly fix, flipping through those fresh pages, smelling the paper ahhh... you can't beat it. The nearest comic shop is about 20 miles away in Nottingham, so I don't get there very often. I'm so out of touch with the comics scene and I always like to 'look before I buy' (there's nothing worse than buying a comic with a great cover, then finding crap interiors) so it rules out ordering online.

Now I'm forced to buy collections, which is good in a way as I stacked up comics on a weekly basis and only got to reading a few. So, you see, in a round about way I'm saving money. Well, that's what I tell my wife each time the next cardboard packet/ large box arrives:)

This is a my most recent stash....

Here's a thing. A few nights back I got home from work and there was a packet from Amazon. I thought 'that's weird, I'm trying to kick the habit' anyhow I opened it up and there was a blank cover copy of DRACULA, with a request to sketch on it. It was a fun thing to do, and I may well do some for myself sometime down the line----here's the initial stage, I've finished it, put some colour on it and sent it back, but as it was requested as a B'day pressie I don't want to show it here just yet..just in case

Shredded Shirt: Week 1

Good evening lady and gents, here's a strange one... this drawing is in the process of being done for comic colouring veteran Tom Smith (he's worked for all the big comic companies over his twenty+ years in the business). Tom asked if he could add some colour to one of my recent peices and it kind of sparked a possible idea, which I'll tell you more about if anything ever happens. I've called this blog 'Shredded shirt' simply because Doc Savage could not possibly buy quality when it comes to his shirts. No Saville Row for him. Can't be Primark either coz they're good shirts they are. So, this begs the question, where did he buy his trousers?

As I was drawing this a horrible thought occurred to me... I've (nearly) spent twenty years TRYING to get into the comics biz!

Be back soon with 'Shredded Shirt:Week 2---Wolverine'

What's this....TWO posts in the same day?? Here's a drawing I've done over the past three nights, I'll call it Ferocious Twiglets for the hell of it. I've been reading the Horror Stories of R.E.Howard on and off for a while now, mainly before I go to bed. The other night I read a short tale about forest people, it wasn't a Solomon Kane story, but it sparked off a little idea for a drawing. There's a Solomon Kane film coming out soon and the little bits I've seen look pretty good...fingers crossed it will be a good one.

Parlez vous Francais?

Greetings everyone, this is just a quick note to let off a little excitable steam. June of this year will see a French version of SHJ, to be published by a fledgling company. I have heard great things about the european comic market and I shall be experiencing a show in Paris around June/July when they release Springheeled Jack: Strange Visitor to the masses. Just as a comparison for you, here in blighty a comic show would be considered a mass success if it had 2,000 visitors over the weekend, over in Europe it's 40,000....yikes:)

Happy 2010 everyone:) It's cold outside and with the odd nearby tree ready to go supernova I thought it best to stay inside and do some drawing.

Welll...end of the year again eh? Where does the time go? It's been a while again, so I thought I'd post my last blog for a year. 2009 - It's been a busy one... consisting of about ten A3 pin-ups, 10 Dark Avengers sketch covers for a retailer in the US, 50+ individual painted sketches for my OBSCURA sketchbook, 81 pages for the gn, 156 rough layouts (again for the gn) and a few other odds and sods along the way...that's not too bad considering I can only hit these things at weekends, though recently I have started trying to do something in the way of sketching in the evening here and there too.

Just finished a page that I really liked, here it is in the ink stage...with an additional panel after the shading stage.

Also managed to snag a pic of one of the dark Avengers covers (after being CCGed).
Hope you all had a great Christmas and here's to a Happy and prosperous New Year to you all.

Hello all,
It's been a pretty busy month, not many pages of the book done, but I have roughed out the whole thing now. I normally do an A4 size rough to help with layout etc and now I've finished those, the book will now be a massive 156 pages long, split into two volumes as I speak.

A few weeks ago I went to the Thought Bubble show in Leeds, met up with my buddy Graeme Neil Reid who was showing me some great work from a TV ad he's been working on...cracking stuff, can't wait to see the finished thing. Also met up with Jeremy Briggs, who contributes to DownTheTubes reviews website, Andy Bloor, Dave West and loads more folk.

The good folk at ORBITAL COMICS in London sent me a pic of my Batman postcard on a section of their display, right next to JH Williams3rd and David Hine contributions, I'm in great company there. See the full gallery over at ebay.co.uk and type in 'capedcrusaid' for the full list of original art postcards.

Hello yet again

These posts are getting far too regular:) Last week I made contact with a fantastic comic shop called ORBITAL COMICS in London, they were having a James Jean signing, I asked if I could pre-order a book and get it signed as I couldn't get there. They were really good and not only did I get it signed but a got a sketch in there to boot...that made my day.
Anyway, I scanned their website and noticed that they have loads of art exhibitions and signings all the time----what? A comic shop actually interested in the medium? Wanting to promote it to the masses? Willing to help and make sure the buyer has a great experience...that's new to me. I then saw that they were running an exhibition of original art for a charity, I contacted them and did the above postcard.

http://www.orbitalcomics.com/ The auction will take place on ebay soon.

Hi Folks Here's another Batman commission, the chap asked for a graveyard scene with Bats at his parents grave, but when I actually got to the headstone a little lightbulb lit up...wouldn't it be cool to put his creator's name there instead?

Last week a good friend of mine from the U.S. managed to get a copy of GOTHIC in front of the legend that is Stan-the man-Lee. It was at Pittsburgh Con and Stan had a list of 900 folk who had paid for a signature ticket...as you can see by the picture they moved things along pretty quickly, and they wanted to rid Stan of the item pretty sharpish by the look of things;)---still I guess that's what happens at the top of the tree, but he still has time for the fans and that's pretty special for a guy of his stature in the biz, I reckon he must have found a way to bottle Jack Kirby's pure Cosmic energy while he was working with him in the 60s.....Kirby himself ran out of it in '94 as we all know, but what kind of queues would he have if he was still around eh? Long Live the King. Thanks a lot, Brian, for jumping in that rather small window to get my stuff in front of the great man.

Other news at Black Boar Towers, the next page I'll be doing on the samurai story, will be no.60, by the looks of things this MAY be the halfway mark---I know I mentioned a month or so back that I'd pretty much hit half way back then, but judging by the amount of script left I've a ways to go yet.

That's all for now folks,

Dave

Hi gang
Just a quick update here, got no graphic novel done this past weekend, but I took the time up with this commission instead. I don't normally get many requests for commissions, but I do have a little backlog building now (so if you have asked in the past, apologies that I've not gotten to it yet). In the meantime check this one out.
cheers for now,
Dave

I recently stuck a few things on that well-known auction site and actually SOLD one of them, yes lady and gentlemen someone was actually looking for my name to crop up. The item in question was one of my sketchbooks. The request was for a Ripper sketch on the cover. It was purchased by a girl...for her MOTHER as a birthday gift!! Apparently her mother has the newsprint edition of WHITECHAPEL FREAK also, she obviously has great taste (if a little unhinged in parts). Anyway, best get back to the drawing board.

talk again soon.

Here's the finished article chaps. I'm pretty pleased with the outcome, and it takes a lot to make me happy nowadays.

A MATTER OF GRAVE IMPORTANCE

A good few months back a fellow in the US asked if I'd be interested in doing a commission featuring the world's greatest detectives. I thought that sounded pretty original so I accepted. What with the graphic novel I'm drawing I've had to put any commissions aside just lately, and concentrate on the job at hand. I fancied a change of subject matter so set about the task of planning it out during the week...here's the peice so far. As of this writing it's actually completed, but I'll be updating once I get a flatbed scan of it. I'm pretty pleased with, and today I can get back to the book, so a productive weekend methinks:)

Here's a quick post to let you folks know I've stuck a few things on ebay.co.uk Check em out!

Hello everyone
Last weekend I got to the drawing board, did a few odds and ends, and (nearly) completed one page from the samurai gn--- here it is. The last few panels need finishing off, but you get the picture. This page is a flashback sequence, depicting the end of the Satsuma rebellion and introducing the main character (as a young girl) for the first time. The script called for a ravaged battlefield, with crows swooping for any rich pickings (or finger ends) and the gradual arrival of raindrops, next few panels show peasants foraging for gold or other precious items no longer coveted by the dead.

GRAEME NEIL REID is a hero. Why do I say that? Well, he's just illustrated a best-selling book, which I happened to see on the shelves at ASDA at the weekend http://www.asda-entertainment.co.uk/asda/7066670.product It is a very lush volume by the two authors of the best-selling 'DANGEROUS' series. HEROES through the ages bought to life in superb detail, there's well over 100 pen and ink drawings within this hefty tome. Well worth this £10 tag at the above link, between 10 and 20 notes elsewhere. Go out and get your hands on one today, but beware... it's heavy!

Anyway, in news from Black Boar towers, I've been beavering away on the gn over the past few weekends, as well as doing other stuff. I'll have some stage by stage pics soon...stay tuned.

I've just started work on AccentUk's VICTORIANA cover... featuring my old pal, Jack. Avid blog readers will know that WHITECHAPEL FREAK (a Ripper tale with a twist) was my second self-published work, and this image is a revisit to one of the interior pages. If you didn't know about WHITECHAPEL FREAK (and want to desperately own one)I have a few copies of the colourised version which I picked up at Bristol recently.

Thanks for stopping by...
cheers

Hello everyone
The other week I happened to catch Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame on TV, it has to be one of my favourite animated tales, all those 3d rendered cityscapes and old gothic architecture, beautiful stuff. But not only did it look great, the heart of it was great too... only top animators such as those who work at Disney could evoke emotion in only the tiniest of movements (this example being when Quasimodo takes the hand of Esmeralda, and the prince, and puts them in each others hand, despite the fact that he adores her too) this brought me to thinking I could do a 'Master of Storytelling' article every now and again. I have many, many artists and writers I could go on about.

One such extraordinary talent is the American artist/creator WINSOR MCCAY, he lovingly drew many editorial cartoons, strips and illustrations in the early 20th century. His most famous creation was Little Nemo in Slumberland. This stuff was UNBELIEVABLE for the time period, heck it still blows you away now. How he managed to produce large tabloid sized page every week is beyond me. Which brings me neatly onto this week's illustration by me...my attempt at recreating a dream-type illustration of Nemo...

Here's another small update,folks (just to keep everyone on their toes). Another werewolf drawing, it won't win any awards for being great BUT at least it's looking like what it should;) I've done about 4 werewolves recently and this one is one of the better ones. Gotta get back on the gn this weekend, I'll be back week.

cheers all
Dave

Good day everyone. Here's the Manbat peice, in progress and finished.

BY CROM! Hello all, after a relatively laid back Comic Expo last week I'm back at the drawing board today, here's something different for me, my first CONAN attempt done as a request for a French collector. Strangely enough I'm currently reading R.E.Howard's HORROR tales (superb Greg Staples illustrations dotted throughout) it's a cracker of a book, and it got me thinking it would be great to get the chance to illustrate some of his short stories one day. Are you reading this Dark Horse!!?;)

During the week I finished a ManBat peice for my good friend Brian Jones, his good wife must be driven totally bats by his insatiable hobby:) Aren't they all though eh?

Just one last chance to plug something before the SPExpo in Bristol... Cthulhu Tales issue 12 has my first ever (and quite possibly last) US published story. A 10 pager written by Shane Oakley, I've raved about it previously, I'll have some precious copies with me at the show. Also, I recently fought off the apaches to get my copy of WESTERN...in it I have a six page tale written by John and Leah, I don't have any copies for sale, but my table pals WILL... get 'em signed by numerous contributors at the same time. Talking of John and Leah they very graciously gave me a shot at a 'page test' for Dracula and Sherlock Holmes, very kind of them to put my name forward, but sadly Dynamite didn't like my style. I picked up SHERLOCK HOLMES today, to see what the chosen artist did... and I have to say it's a great job and the story unfolds very nicely indeed...go out and buy it now! Same with the Dracula comic, I checked out the artist...a very talented newcomer CORLTON WORLEY has PAINTED it. Why not order both, you won't be disappointed.

Hopefully I'll be able to get SHANE OAKLEYs (and Alan Grant's) CHANNEL EVIL this weekend at Bristol. Signing off for now.

It's official...I'm as crazy as a coot! Got 30 of these suckers done now, four are sold so far. For all those chaps that have requested I put one aside, I won't be taking all 60 (mainly because I probably won't do any more now, except those direct in front of folk at the show) there will be plenty left to scribble on later, so no worries there. Now I just need to sort out all the stuff I'm taking...

Hi gang
Been busy collating, stapling, trimming and sketching this weekend. So far I've done 21 painted sketches. This year I've decided to do a sketch on EVERY one of the 60 books...I must be insane (either that or just plain crazy). OBSCURA the 2009 sketchbook from Black Boar Press is 40-pages of art which you may not get chance to see. Cover sketch-wise I've done quite a few mainstream characters, Hulk, Batman, Joker, Hellboy, Wolverine as well as a few of my familiar old favourites (SHJ, the Highwayman, Ripper). These normally go pretty quickly, and are a great way to help cover the cost of the weekend at Bristol. I'll be sketching on some of the covers over the weekend of course, so if you are heading to the Small Press Expo next Saturday (May9) make you way to my table sharpish;) I'll be sharing with AccentUK. Sunday I'll be sharing their table at the main event (great idea Mr West). If you cannot attend the show then I can do a custom-made one especially for you, just send an email to me at black_boar1@yahoo.com with your sketch request.

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