That Is Not Dead...

My Top 10 Comics of 2011

2012-01-01T01:03:00.000+10:00

As someone who was basically just a Marvel-reader at the end of 2010, the year of 2011 has been a big turning point as Marvel now take up less than half of my pull list. So which Marvel titles remain? Which other titles made the cut? Let's see, shall we...

10. Red Lanterns (DC)

Before reading any DC, I knew that there were other colours of Lanterns than Green, but I knew nothing of who they were or what they did. I'm not sure why the Red Lanterns were the only ones to get their own series, but I'm glad they did. It's chock-full of brainless action—which I love—but behind this there is also a burgeoning story of trust and betrayal that is enough to keep me hooked and coming back for more. With the changes made to Bleez, she has become one of my new favourite comic characters.

9. Secret Avengers (Marvel)

I'll be honest, the reason I love this series is due to Moon Knight's presence. Sure he has his own solo series, but as you will have read in my reviews, that is not really Moon Knight but The Insane Cosplay-Man. The Moon Knight featured in Secret Avengers, however, is the real deal. It also helps that it features another favourite of mine, Beast, and is well-written... but mostly it's just Moon Knight.

8. Aquaman (DC)

I admit, before The New 52, I was of the Superfriends mindset that Aquaman was lame and useless, but right from the get-go, Geoff Johns' new series had me. Sure it was a self-parody, but each "joke" was answered with a display of awesomeness. I felt issue #4 slumped a little, but only due to its ramped-up pacing, and I have high hopes that Johns will continue the series as the fun ride it has been.

7. Daredevil (Marvel)

I've always thought Daredevil was an interesting character and yet I'd never found any of his stories to be particularly interesting. This all changed when his series was relaunched this year. The art is fun, as are the stories, and most interestingly, we get to see Matt's powers in different ways. No longer dark and depressing, Daredevil is quickly becoming one of my favourite characters.

6. Red Hood and the Outlaws (DC)

Once again, I had never even heard of any of these characters before the relaunch, and once again, they have become favourites. Well, Jason Todd has anyway. Since discovering this series, I have watched the "Under The Red Hood" animation and bought the trade it was based off, as well as "The Lost Days". I like that he's so similar to Batman and yet has no qualms about using guns or killing. He's a true anti-hero, which I love.

5. Avengers: The Children’s Crusade (Marvel)

There's not much I can say about this series that I haven't before. It is beautiful, well-written, and well worth reading if you aren't already.

4. The Flash (DC)

As I've mentioned before, The Flash is my favourite DC character, and this series has done nothing to convince me otherwise. The art is amazing and the story that is unfolding feels fresh and interesting. I think Barry will remain my favourite for a long time to come.

3. Thunderbolts (Marvel)

As I said in my "Best of..." list, I jumped into Thunderbolts at #144 when Luke Cage took over as leader, and I have enjoyed the ride ever since. The team has fluctuated since then, but there has never been a time when I've felt like a character's addition or subtraction was unjustified or gimmicky. Jeff Parker is doing such a great job with the series and I have faith that he will continue this through 2012.

2. Batman (DC)

What can I say about this series but, "Wow!" If Batman was DC's top player before the relaunch, then this series has just raised the bar forever. I'd always had a liking for Batman, but never so much as to chase down his comics. Scott Snyder's Batman changed all that after only the first issue. The mystery that is unravelling before us is exciting and new and is brought to life perfectly by Capullo's amazing art. This series would have been #1 if it wasn't for Jim Lee being on...

1. Justice League (DC)

I see Justice League as the comic book world's summer Hollywood blockbuster. Yes, there are better stories out there, but this book tops my list because it is over-the-top action and has all the big names. Not just the creators, Geoff Johns and Jim Lee, but all the top DC characters, together in a single book. Once Lee's tenure has passed, this title will no doubt drop down the list, but until that day comes, it's staying right where it is, at the top.

DC Comics - The New 52 - Week 4...

2011-10-04T11:18:00.000+10:00

If you're not aware, DC Comics have recently relaunched their entire line of books, and as someone who has never read any DC before, I thought this would be a good time to jump on-board. Once I started reading them, however, it occurred to me that I might lose track of which ones I do and don't like, so I've decided to do mini-reviews for each as I go.

I've rated each one I've read, given my quick thoughts, and a final verdict. "Subscribe" means I'm on for the ride, "Pull" means I'm not sold and will see how the next issue or two pan out, whereas "Drop" means I have no interest in reading any further issues.

Week 4
	All Star Western
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Red Dead Redemption has raised the bar for Westerns and this didn't meet it.
	Verdict:	Drop
	Aquaman
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Beyond every expectation I had, I really liked this this.
	Verdict:	Subscribe
	Batman: The Dark Knight
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Felt like the game. Make of that what you will.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Blackhawks
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	A-Team meets G.I. Joe.
	Verdict:	Drop
	Green Lantern: New Guardians
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Surprised to be liking these Lantern books.
	Verdict:	Pull
	I, Vampire
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Just another vampire story.
	Verdict:	Drop
	Justice League Dark
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Intriguing.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Superman
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Bit wordy.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Teen Titans
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Didn't grab me.
	Verdict:	Drop
	The Flash
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	This is what I want a Flash title to be like.
	Verdict:	Pull
	The Fury of the Firestorm
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Just terrible.
	Verdict:	Drop
	The Savage Hawkman
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Pretty damn cool.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Voodoo
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	I'm intrigued.
	Verdict:	Pull

DC Comics - The New 52 - Week 3...

2011-09-28T12:09:00.000+10:00

Week 3
	Batman
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Brilliant.
	Verdict:	Subscribe
	Birds of Prey
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Pretty boring.
	Verdict:	Drop
	Blue Beetle
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	The latino made it hard to read.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Captain Atom
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Didn't hook me in the slightest.
	Verdict:	Drop
	Catwoman
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Apparently "controversial", though I don't see anything wrong with it.
	Verdict:	Pull
	DC Universe Presents: Deadman
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Had some interesting moments, but overall, a pretty dumb concept.
	Verdict:	Drop
	Green Lantern Corps
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Intrigued by the villain.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Legion of Super-Heroes
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Didn't like any of the team.
	Verdict:	Drop
	Nightwing
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Bit too "captiony" for my tastes.
	Verdict:	Drop
	Red Hood and the Outlaws
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Another "controversial" title that I liked.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Supergirl
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Curious to see where it goes.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Wonder Woman
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Still not interested in the character.
	Verdict:	Drop

DC Comics - The New 52 - Week 2...

2011-09-15T02:10:00.001+10:00

Week 2
	Batman and Robin
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	I just can't see Bruce putting up with Damien's crap.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Batwoman
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	The villain is the only reason I'm intrigued with this title.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Deathstroke
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	"Grizzled veteran showing the kids how to do it right" seems a little... tired.
	Verdict:	Drop
	Demon Knights
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Don't like medieval stuff.
	Verdict:	Drop
	Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Bit of fun, both that's it.
	Verdict:	Drop
	Green Lantern
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Has my attention.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Grifter
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	I like the set-up.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Legion Lost
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Exposition of characters' powers felt a bit too forced.
	Verdict:	Drop
	Mister Terrific
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	I wasn't expecting to like this title, but I did.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Red Lanterns
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Something new, so I'm intrigued.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Resurrection Man
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Interesting concept.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Suicide Squad
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Felt like a dark, violent Thunderbolts.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Superboy
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Was OK. Nothing amazing though.
	Verdict:	Drop

DC Comics - The New 52 - Week 1...

2011-09-10T19:07:00.000+10:00

Week 0
	Justice League
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Someone described this book as feeling like a video game, so perhaps that's why I liked it so much.
	Verdict:	Subscribe
Week 1
	Action Comics
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	The dialogue felt over-written and the events a little incoherent.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Animal Man
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Started a little slow, but got better towards the end.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Batgirl
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	I'd never had any interest in Batgirl before, but that's all changed now.
	Verdict:	Subscribe
	Batwing
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Loved it! Very Moon Knight.
	Verdict:	Subscribe
	Detective Comics
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Story felt a bit generic, but the hook has me.
	Verdict:	Pull
	Green Arrow
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Nothing too exciting here.
	Verdict:	Drop
	Hawk and Dove
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Nothing great.
	Verdict:	Drop
	Justice League International
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Kind of boring.
	Verdict:	Drop
	Men of War
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Good to see the DCU from another point of view.
	Verdict:	Pull
	OMAC
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	I don't know why, but this felt like a very old-school story.
	Verdict:	Drop
	Static Shock
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	The "teen speak" dialogue loses me every time.
	Verdict:	Drop
	Stormwatch
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Too expositiony and slow.
	Verdict:	Drop
	Swamp Thing
	Writing:
	Art:
	Overall:
	Thoughts:	Creepy. Awesome. Brilliant.
	Verdict:	Subscribe

My Comic-Writing Process

2011-08-14T17:47:00.001+10:00

I've only been in the comic-writing game for a short time, but I thought I'd run through my process for anyone else who might be starting out and is having trouble finding their feet. I was unable to find this information anywhere else, and pretty much pieced it together as I went, so I hope someone somewhere out there finds it useful.

Story Plan...

Obviously the first thing you need is an idea, but I can't really help with that aspect, so I'll skip right to the next step. Once you have your idea, you need to break it down into issues. Even if you are planning an on-going series, you should at least do this for your first arc. The number of issues is really up to you, but I've found that a standard length for a single story is 4-6. Next, I've found that listing each issue helps to lay out the plot. To do this, I write up the following in a notepad:

Issue #1
Plot:
Hook:

You repeat it for as many issues as you feel you need, though you can always add or delete an issue if necessary. The "Plot" is just a one-line description of what will happen in the issue, while the "Hook" is how the issue will end--the "I need to know what happens next" moment for the reader.

Issue Plan...

Once you are happy with the overall story progression, you need to flesh out the first issue. I do this by simply writing a list of 1 to 22 in a notepad and writing a single line for what will happen on that page. A good idea, I've found, is to draw a line between double-pages so you can visualise the layout of the comic, like this:

1:
-------------
2:
3:
-------------
...
-------------
20:
21:
-------------
22:

Pages 1 and 22 will always be on their own, but the rest will be paired. This comes in useful if you want a shock reveal, as it will have more of an effect if placed on an even number because the reader will only discover it after flipping the page. Another benefit of this layout is for the placement of double-page spreads.

Scripting...

Once you have each page of the issue planned out, it's time to start writing them. This is where my method differs from that of other writers I know. Because I'm a very visual person, I like to sketch my layouts before writing them. This gives me a rough idea of what the page will look like before I put the time into dialogue or description. Here is an example from a project I'm currently working on:

As you can see, it's nothing overly detailed, just the layout of panels and positions of objects and speech-bubbles within them. From this, I then begin writing. There are many different methods of formatting a comic script, but the essence remains the same: Page, Panel, Description, and Dialogue.

One of the biggest mistakes, I've found, is not writing enough description. The first panel of the page above could be written as, "A car is driving through a city," but unless you want the artist to just have free reign, this is not much of a description. Instead, you would be better writing, "An aerial view of a car driving down a city street. It is night, so its headlights are on. There are other cars parked along the side of the road." You could even add more specifics than that, if needed, such as the make of the car or the name of the street (if it should be based on a real one).

If you are writing your comic for submission to a publisher, chances are that you will only need the first 5 pages scripted to give to your artist, but if you feel so inclined, there is no reason not to write the entire issue.

Art...

I have written plenty of comic scripts, but it wasn't until recently that I actually found an artist for one. This, in my opinion, is the hardest part of the process. First of all, you need to find an artist whose style suits your comic. Every artist has a different style, so this is actually a lot harder than it sounds. There's no point in contacting an artist for your gritty, noir story if their style looks like Scott Pilgrim.

This also brings up another issue: contact. When you do find the perfect artist and throw them an email, you'll find that many don't do comics, or want to charge crazy page-rates, or simply don't reply at all. I think the only solution is perseverance. You need to keep looking, and keep asking.

To Be Continued...

So there you have my little summary of the initial stages of comic-writing. The next step, where I am currently residing, is playing the waiting game as your artist draws your pages. Once you have your sample pages, you can then begin the submission process. I've heard this too can be particularly gruelling, but again, I think perseverance is key.

Just as a matter of closure, here is a preview of pencil-work my artist has sent me for the page I sketched above:

My Top 10 Comic Characters

2011-08-07T11:02:00.000+10:00

Every comic reader has their favourite characters and I think you can tell a lot about a person from who they are. Here are mine:

10. Emma Frost

This slot was actually tied with Ms. Marvel. While both are sexy, powerful woman, Emma won out because she also commands authority, which is a huge plus when working in a team such as the X-Men.

9. Rocket Raccoon

I'd never heard of Rocket until my recent foray into Guardians of the Galaxy, but he quickly grew to be a favourite. His role is purely comedic--he's witty and smart-assed with a serious case of short-man syndrome. This is also played up by the fact that he often totes massively-oversized guns. He's just an overall fun character.

8. Beast

Beast (along with Gambit) is one of those characters that I've liked since watching the X-Men cartoon all those years ago. He is primarily a man of science--one of the Marvel universe's smartest people--and yet possesses great strength and ferocity, which he only uses as a last resort. It's this contrast of brains vs brawn that make him an interesting character to me.

7. Daredevil

The fact that Daredevil is blind automatically makes him unique, but then you add in his enhanced senses--including an extra radar sense--and you've got yourself one interesting character.

6. Hawkeye

Besides being really good at firing arrows, there's nothing "super" about Hawkeye. Sure he can hold his own in a fight, but it's his array of "trick arrows" that make him interesting to me. The only limitation to their variety, is the writer's imagination.

5. Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange is capable of almost anything with his magic, which many people see as a negative due to its deus ex machina implications. However, this is not a flaw of the character, but rather his writers. A decent writer will write their story to serve his powers, not the other way around.

4. Man-Thing

Man-Thing is only a recent addition to this list, after having read the latest iteration of Thunderbolts. What makes him cool? Well, for a start, he's practically immortal. He can be destroyed, but as long as there is plant matter around, he will just reform (I haven't read any of his older stuff yet, but I believe that even if he did "die", he would just be resurrected back at his swamp). The thing I most like about him though, is his stoic nature. You never know what he's thinking, which is intriguing, and despite his monstrous appearance, he always does what's right.

3. Spider-Man

Everyone loves the web-head, and for good reason--he covers all the bases. He has unique and interesting powers, he's witty, but more importantly, he's flawed and makes mistakes. This makes him both relateable and exciting.

2. Hulk

Hulk was the character that lured me into reading comics. It may sound strange, but I can relate to him. I won't go into the details here, but let's just say that there are many times I've just wanted people to leave me alone.

1. Moon Knight

Despite Bendis completely ruining the character that is Moon Knight, his past ventures are enough to keep him as my favourite character. It was Huston's run that caught my attention, and is still the best to date. R.I.P. poor Moon Knight. Hopefully once Bendis is through with you, a better writer will resurrect you to your former glory.

The Lapsing of Time

2011-07-24T14:22:00.000+10:00

Not everyone may know this, by I am a Photographer by trade. I am not currently working in said profession, but I do still enjoy dabbling when the chance arises. My latest purchase was a time-lapse controller, and I've spent the last few weeks learning how to utilise this new tool.

Beginnings...

The day the remote arrived, I set up my camera pointing out of my study window while I went to work. This is what resulted:

There are several problems with first attempt. But it was more a test of the remote's use than anything artistic, so I wasn't too concerned.

Next...

This next video was my first actual artistic test. Shot from the back of my house, I let the camera run from about midnight to midday, and then clipped it to the most interesting segment--that being sunrise:

Unfortunately, it was an overcast day, so it wasn't an overly dynamic scene. Another mistake I made was to use auto white-balance, which made the colouring flicker.

Learning...

Looking for a more dynamic scene, I found a day that had sporadic cloud-cover, and set my camera out in the backyard:

My only complaint with this attempt was that I think it's a little too fast.

If At First You Don't Succeed...

Unhappy with my last attempt at a sunrise time-lapse, I jumped at the first cloudless night I had, and once again set my camera pointing out the back room window:

I was a lot happier with this one. You can see the stars setting and the sun creeping its way across the landscape.

Getting Creative...

Finally happy with my understanding of the process, I decided it was time to try some creative applications whilst on vacation. The first was a sunset:

I got really lucky with this one, in that there were sailing boats passing by in the foreground, adding that little bit of excitement to the scene.

The next was taken from our room's balcony:

I really like the motion of the cars in this one. Not only can you see them flying by in the foreground, but you can see them coming down the hill in the background. On top of that, the waves coming in make the whole scene feel alive. I couldn't have been more happy with how it turned out.

Where To Now?

I haven't had any ideas lately of where to go next, but then again, I have started back at work and have been focusing on getting to the gym and writing in my free time, so haven't been actively brainstorming. I think I would like to try something with my macro lens next. Possibly a plant, or the clichéd melting ice cubes? Who knows...

My Top 10 Comic Artists

2011-05-17T14:17:00.009+10:00

Art can make or break a comic in my eyes. If the art is bad, then the most amazing story in the world isn't going to get me to read it. So in tribute to this great responsibility, I present to you, in alphabetical order, my current Top 10 Comic Artists...

J. Scott Campbell

It’s no revelation that comic characters are all about the cultural ideal. The men are either tall and muscular, as in Captain America, or slim and toned, as with Spider-Man. At the same time, the women are uniformly slim and buxom. This is where J. Scott Campbell comes in. Even though he has worked on titles such as Gen 13 and Danger Girl, it is fair to say that he is better known for his pinups. Those such as this:

Clayton Crain

Though not to everyone’s tastes, I found Crain’s work in X-Force to be amazing. I really like the dark, dirtiness that it has. Just now, in researching this article, I’ve seen that he has a Ghost Rider mini, so I may just have to check that out.

David Finch

Now sadly DC-exclusive, I originally fell in love with Finch’s art in New Avengers. Then when I started reading Moon Knight, I discovered that his style suited Moon Knight’s dark, gritty world even more. Once he (and Charlie Huston) had left the title, it was just never the same…

Alex Maleev

I’ve only recently discovered the marvel of Alex Maleev, once again, thanks to Moon Knight. I was very impressed with his work in the new Moon Knight #1. I had heard from some that his art is “too muddy”, and from what I’ve seen of his Scarlet and Spider-Woman work, I would probably agree. However, he only did the pencils and ink on Moon Knight, so this may be where the problem lies--perhaps it’s his colouring that is leading people astray.

Ed McGuinness

When I was starting to get back into comics, I downloaded the Marvel iApp, and Hulk #1 was on there for free. I read it, and loved it so much, primarily due to Ed’s art, that Hulk became my favourite character (though has now been taken over by Moon Knight). There was just something about the semi-cartoonish style that really appealed to me.

Steve McNiven

Steve McNiven is a new-comer to the list. Having just read Civil War, I found I not only loved the story, but the art as well.

Jefte Palo

Another Moon Knight discovery, Palo drew the arc “Down South”. Most Moon Knight fans consider this the worst arc of the series, but I really liked it, thanks in no small part, to Palo’s art. I’ve since learned that he also did the Taskmaster mini, which I’ve heard a lot of good things about, so that’s another one to add to the list.

Paul Pelletier

I was never a fan of the cosmic comics… until I read Guardians of the Galaxy! Man, that it one fun read, and the art lives up to the story. Anyone who can make a raccoon look badass must be a damn good artist ;)

Humberto Ramos
I first encountered Ramos’ work when reading any issues I could find in which a favourite of mine, Blindfold, made an appearance. This included the arc “Blinded By The Light” in X-Men, which Ramos drew. I loved the over-the-top cartoon style. It just felt so dynamic and fun.

Kevin Walker

Yet another newcomer to the list, Walker won me over with something simple: How he drew Man-Thing! Man-Thing is one of those crazy characters that can be drawn any way, and normally looks ridiculous, but Walker makes him look so so cool. His rendition of Ghost is also the best I have seen, and with the help of writer Jeff Parker, has not only made both of these characters favourites of mine, but also made Thunderbolts my favourite current title.

(in)sanity

2011-03-12T23:21:00.004+10:00

It's been a while since my last post, and to be honest, I haven't been up to much outside of comics. I've been reading them (Digital and Trades), talking about them (Twitter), and writing them (Thoughtballoons). I've dabbled in some of my own ideas, but nothing that has really excited me, and if it doesn't excite me, then how can I expect it to excite anyone else.

This all changed recently when I remembered an old idea I had for a TV series. I instantly realised that the episodic nature of TV is a perfect analogue for comics... and then I got excited! So much so, that I even created a mock cover for said idea:

The Premise

A psychology graduate from the Miskatonic University approaches the infamous Arkham Sanitorium about interviewing their patients for his research thesis. He wants to write a study on delusion, to see if there are any commonalities inherent within them all. His study delves deep within the insanity contained between Arkham's walls, and finds not only the commonalities he was searching for, but something far more horrific... truth.

Thoughtballooning

2010-08-05T12:30:00.001+10:00

Lately, I’ve been writing for a website called Thoughtballoons, where they pick a different comic book character every week, and anyone can write a single-page comic script for that character. I’ve been finding this very fun, and so thought I would just take a quick look back at my own pieces, to see what made them work… or not:

Spider-Man…

A favourite of mine, Spider-Man, was the first character off the blocks, which was a good place for me to start. It should be noted that the site had already featured Iron Man, Molecule Man, Mephisto, Doctor Doom, Superman, and Blonde Phantom by the time I started playing along.

Anyway, in thinking of an idea, the first thing that came to mind was his costume. Now Spider-Man’s not exactly the think-and-ponder type, so what I ended up with was a script called, “Idle Hands”, about Spidey pondering the idea of the super-hero costume… but overlaid upon a bit of trademark mischievousness.

Because I was new to the game, and thinking about it frequently, I also wrote a second script that was a cross-over with the Lovecraft Mythos, specifically, “A Shadow out of Time”. In reality, it was more the Lovecraft part I wanted to show, so the character could have been any super-hero. It just happened to be Spidey seeing as he was the star of the week.

Aquaman…

This was a hard one for me to have as only my second character because I’ve never really been much of a DC Comics fan, so I knew very little about the character. All I really knew was that he lived in the sea, so I started tossing up any ocean-related ideas I could think of.

My first instinct was to go with Lovecraft’s Deep Ones, but I didn’t want to go with just a straight-up cross-over seeing as I had already done so in my last script, so I thought I’d add in a little reality and include The Bloop… though still ended up with Cthulhu and the Deep Ones.

I wasn’t entirely happy with that effort, so I tried to come up with another idea as well. It occurred to me that Aquaman’s “jurisdiction” was actually quite big—70% of the planet in fact—so I decided to run with that. Another writer had written of in-fighting within the Justice League of America (JLA), so I also took that on board as well and wrote I piece where an angry Aquaman makes a deal with the devil so that his colleagues can “understand” his efforts. I liked it more than my first one, but only wished I knew more of the DC universe so that I could have picked a character other than Lucifer.

The Penguin…

Another DC character had me out of my element again, and I started tossing up any idea I could think of to do with penguins or umbrellas… and then my girlfriend jokingly suggested having him fight with Catwoman over a fish… so I did! I wrote a page where Catwoman brings a “fish” to the Penguin’s house and it is only revealed on the last panel that they’re referring to Aquaman. This may have been subconscious payback for being such a terrible character the week before, I’m not sure, but no matter, I was quite happy with this one.

Again, I wrote a second piece, and again it was more the gag I wanted to show than the character. It was called, “I Couldn’t Draw To Save My Life”, but as one commenter suggested, it would have suited The Joker better. I wonder if he’ll ever pop up as a character of the week?

The Punisher…

I know of the Punisher, and I do like him more than the last two characters, but I still don’t know that much about him. I know his family was killed and he’s taking it out on… well, everyone… and he has a thing for guns, but that’s about it. My first instinct when dealing with unfamiliar characters is to turn to humour—as the Penguin’s week shows—because people don’t expect continuity when they’re getting a laugh out of it.

My first idea tied with the character’s gun obsession, and I was going to write something about him having a Customer Loyalty Card at the local gun shop, but as I sat down to write it, another idea came to me which I believe was the funnier option. It was called, “Hunting Season”, and featured a scene that was clearly—subconsciously—inspired by the film, Predator.

I only wrote one script this week—probably to everyone’s relief—because I drew some art for the site.

Gamora…

Unlike the previous “unfamiliar” characters, this was one I’d straight-up never even heard of, which made things quite hard. I did a bit of research, and found out that she’s a green-skinned, barbarian-like, alien woman… and that was about it. No powers, no nothing—even harder!

Again, being well out of my comfort zone, I went for the comedy route, and wrote a piece about the only interesting feature of this character: her green skin.

Where Now?...

Hopefully we’ll get back to some characters I know of—or have at least heard of—so that I can break away from these comedy sketches I’ve been falling back on lately. Only time till tell. For now, it’s all in the hands of the Tenures…

The Horror in Clay

2010-08-04T17:00:00.001+10:00

—Part II—

As part of an on-going effort to find an artistic medium I feel comfortable in, I have recently started sculpting, and I'm writing this series to track my progress...

And A Shape Takes Form...

So the next step from the wire armature seen in Part I was to simply encase the frame in clay. As you can see below, doing this makes it much easier to visual the end product:

From here it's time to start adding some details. I decided to start at the torso and work my way out. I don't have a very good understanding of anatomy, but I figured that working on a fantasy creature such as this, it would not matter too much if the physique was slightly off. So in this picture you can see that I've added back, neck, and shoulder muscles, as well as a spine:

I also detailed the under-side with pectoralis muscles (a.k.a. "pecs") and a rib-cage. You can also faintly see abdominals as well:

Once I was satisfied with the torso, I moved out to the arms. These turned out to be quite difficult as the clay kept twisting around the smooth wire inside it, so I'll have to find a way to counter this in the future. After the arms were as good as I could get them, I started on the head...

Because the creature is simply called The Three-Lobed Burning Eye, I wanted to make sure that I put as much detail into the head as I could, so I started with the Lovecraft-obligatory tentacles:

As you can see, I also whipped up some claws just so I had them made in advance.

And Time Goes On By...

All of the above happened in the space of 4 days back in June, but due to my re-found love of comics and writing (thanks, in part, to Thoughtballoons), my sculpting activities were put on hold...

So here I am, 6 weeks later, on holidays, and I've just decided to start back on it. I felt I at least needed to get the head finished, so in the time it took for Muse's Absolution to once again play through, I had finished off the beast's head, which now includes the titular three-lobed eye:

So now all that's left are the wings and tail...

See you in Part 3!

Ideabubbles

2010-07-15T00:00:00.005+10:00

DISCLAIMER: They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and if that is the case, then the team over at Thoughtballoons must be really chuffed right now because the whole idea behind this Blog entry is ripped directly from them! Thanks, guys :-D

So anyway, I wanted to write a piece about one of my favourite Marvel characters because I don't feel he gets the props he deserves. He goes by the name of Omega Red, but unfortunately, outside of Wolverine circles, he is pretty-much unknown, so here is my spotlight on him:

Omega Red's first-ever appearance.

Why Omega Red?

Omega Red (aka Arkady Gregorivich) has always held a place in my heart, in that he was my first-ever comic book villain. Back in the early ‘90s, my first (and possibly only) comic was X-Men #4, which featured Omega Red as the lead antagonist against the X-Men. I’ve since learned that this was in fact his first ever appearance, so if you think about it, Arkady and I came into the world of comics together.

And so it begins.

He was quite the villain too: He appears to have a “Healing Factor” on par with Wolverine’s, except that his needs to be recharged from time to time by draining the life-force from others, and is therefore referred to as his “Death Factor”. He is also able to secrete pheromones that are deadly to anyone in his immediate vicinity and has long Carbonadium tentacles that he can extend and retract through openings in the undersides of his wrists, which “serve as both conduit and stabilizing factor for his mutant pheromones.” So basically, he’s just a serious bad-ass!

A more recent incarnation.

Anyway, since his appearance in the story arc of X-Men #4-7, he had a steady stream of cameos for the next 2-3 years, but these soon dwindled to yearly appearances. From the start of 1999, there was a 3 year gap where ol' Red was laying low, until he popped up again in Wolverine #170 for a brief arc, and then returned to a 4-year-long hibernation.

Through this time he has not only fought Wolverine and the X-Men, but the likes of Iron Man, Chamber, Sabretooth, Daredevil & Black Widow!

Ultimately, however, it was his buddy Wolverine who plucked him from the archives to feature in a Wolverine: Origins arc lasting 5 issues. There was then another year’s break until finding a few more sporadic gigs, and even popped back up in Wolverine: Origins… only to be killed! Poor Arkady…

That's gotta hurt!

Will we ever see Omega Red again? Who knows? If the past has shown us anything, it is that if a comic book character dies… it doesn’t necessarily mean they are dead!

In keeping with Thoughtballoons' tradition, I've also prepared a comic script based on this character. I'm not sure where it would fit into his chronology, or even if it could, but I feel it sums the character up pretty well, so I hope you enjoy...

"JUMP START"

PANEL ONE, PAGE-WIDTH
We see a close-up of Omega Red looking straight at us with flaring red eyes. He has a slight grin on his face.

CAPTION: Most call me a murderer.
CAPTION: Which is an accurate-enough title, I suppose.
CAPTION: You must remember, however, that I never asked for this...

PANEL TWO, PAGE-WIDTH
We see that he is sitting on a self-made throne of sorts, his carbonadium tentacles hanging off the ends of the armrests. He is now smiling.

CAPTION: I admit, I do enjoy it.
CAPTION: But only so much as a smoker enjoys a cigarette--or an alcoholic, a bottle of whiskey.

PANEL THREE, PAGE-WIDTH
We can now see the whole scene with two energy-giving mutants on the floor before him (e.g. Gambit). He has a tentacle wrapped around each. They both look malnourished and barely conscious. Omega Red is now laughing.

CAPTION: The good news is--
CAPTION: --I've discovered a way that I no longer need to kill.
SFX: AHHHHAHAHAHA

The Horror in Clay

2010-06-15T01:30:00.001+10:00

—Part I—

As part of an on-going effort to find an artistic medium I feel comfortable in, I have recently started sculpting, and it occurred to me tonight that it would make a good blog topic to show my progression as I go.

Beginnings...

As a frequent browser of DeviantArt, I had come across various sculptures before, and so looking back on some I found that the most common medium was a product called Super Sculpey. My first instinct was to buy some off Amazon, but as it turned out, they cannot ship it to Australia. I'm not sure why, but nevertheless, I had to find another supplier. I found it at my local art supply, though it was $39 ($33US) for 454g (1 lb)—much more than the $25US it would have cost from Amazon!

Anyway, one night after work, with Muse's Absolution playing on my iPhone, I sat down and just started playing with a piece. By the time the album had finished (roughly an hour), I had created this:

Though obviously no masterpiece, I was quite happy with the result of this first ever sculpting attempt, and was inspired to continue.

The Next Step...

Due to my Lovecraftian proclivities, it did not take a mind-reader to know that I would be wanting to create one of his beasties as soon as possible. As shown in my previous post, I have seen many renditions before, yet one I found very few images of was the Haunter of the Dark (aka the Three-lobed Burning Eye). Coincidentally, there had been talk of this very creature on the H.P. Lovecraft Literary Podcast forums only recently, which only fuelled my desire to create its image. So I set about drawing a few sketches...

First was a rough isometric:

Then I did some slightly more detailed plans:

As can (hopefully) be seen, I had the creature simply "perched" on the ground. However, after a few days to stew over the idea, I realised that this pose was really very boring, and even though this is to be my first ever full sculpt, so should be fairly simple, I still felt it needed a bit more... character.

Through most of the related story, the narrator only knows of the creature due to its motions in a small room above his head, so it came to me that I should try and make it kind of low, as if stalking or listening through the floor-boards, and so I came up with this modified front-on sketch:

From this, I then drew the armature "skeleton" pose design:

It might appear slightly confusing, but they are actually the isometric, side, and top-down views of how I wanted the armature wire to look.

Which then brings me to tonight, when I got home from work and actually made the armature:

You can see in this photo that I have made one wing out in front, low to the ground, while the other is upright, supporting the weight. At the back is the arch of the body/tail, that will continue to snake along the ground (the foil is there to bulk out the body a bit as well as hold the wire together a bit tighter).

And so there you have the lead up to what will eventually become a clay sculpture of Nyarlathotep/The Haunter of the Dark/The Three-lobed Burning Eye. I hope someone out there has found this interesting and that you will keep an eye on my progress and the sculpture takes form.

See you in Part 2!

Mythos Art

2010-06-10T00:40:00.000+10:00

As I've mentioned before, the thing that keeps me hooked on Lovecraft is actually not his stories (as I've read them all now), but their potential for being used in various other media. There are not many Lovecraftian films being made, so when they do sprout up, they are fairly easy to get a hold of and watch. This infrequency means that they do little to quench my thirst. One outlet I've discovered, however, has the regularity to make up for this: Art!

With tools such as Google Images, and sites such as DeviantArt, you can find all sorts of Mythos-related imagery. Every once and a while I do just that, and thought I would share some of my favourites with everyone. In alphabetical order, here they are:

—Beings of Ib—

Though I do like "The Doom That Came To Sarnath", I wouldn't say it was one of my favourite stories. However, this picture is particularly well-made, so won me over.

—Cthonian—

These creatures are pretty simplistic—worms with tentacles—but again, the quality of the artwork was enough for me to be impressed.

—Cthulhu—

As you can imagine, being Lovecraft's most famous creation, there are endless pictures of the ol' Cthulhu. Here are a few that I think are particularly noteworthy.

And a few scupltures:

—Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath—

These creatures, although not actually Lovecraft's creation, are probably one of my favourites. With their 3 legs, multiple mouths, and mass of tentacles, just are just so creepily cool. I have a few pics of these guys, but only one is of a decent standard. If you're a fan of the Mythos, you've more than likely seen it around.

—Dhole—

Much like the Cthonian, there is not much to this beast, but I just think this image really sells it.

—Dimensional Shambler—

This is another of my favourite creatures, not so much for how they look—wrinkled ape—but what they do. They are described in the Mythos as appearing from another dimension, abducting someone, and then returning back to their dimension, with no known reasons or motives. Creepy!

—Flying Polyp—

These creatures, from "The Shadow Out of Time", are just plain weird, and I've found that the majority of renditions look much like this one from a well-known book.

—Gug—

The Gugs are from Lovecraft's "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath" and are particularly interesting due to their split arms and vertical mouth. I've seen many pictures of them, but most are rather poorly done. This is probably the best of the lot.

There was also a cool 3D model I found I liked due to the pose and thought of it being in a computer game of some sort:

—The Haunter of the Dark—

Though not an image of the actual "haunter", I believe this image captures the essence of the story more than any I've seen.

—Mi-Go—

The Mi-Go are another favourite, again, due to their strangeness. This is probably the best (and goriest) rendition of one I've found.

—Yog-Sothoth—

One of the "Gods" of the Mythos, Yog-Sothoth is described as "only a congeries of iridescent globes, yet stupendous in its malign suggestiveness", so is pretty-much open to creative license, but these 2 images are the closest I've found to how I, personally, imagine it.

And so there you have some of my personal favourite Mythos imagery. If anyone has any of their own favourites to share, please feel free to leave a comment!

11,000 Days...

2009-11-12T12:18:00.006+10:00

Last Tuesday, 10th November, 2009, marked a milestone for me: It was my 11,000th day on this planet! That's right, I've been around the axis of the Earth 11,000 times. Compare that to the mere 30.12 times I've been around the Sun and it starts sounding a lot more impressive.

With 1,000 days working out to just under 2 years and 9 months, it means that my 10,000th day passed by, unnoticed, on the 14th February, 2007. Looking back, about the only thing of note that happened then, was that it was roughly when I started reading Lovecraft. I ordered the book, H. P. Lovecraft: Tales (Library of America), from Amazon on the 7th January that year, so it would have arrived around the start of February. I don't know the exact date of arrival, but I still think it's quite a cool coincidence.

The average male lifespan in Australia is approximately 29,000 days, which means that I'm only about 38% of the way through my life. I'll most certainly be looking forward to the remaining 18,000!

Tainted...

2009-09-08T13:44:00.010+10:00

Early in 2008 I had the idea to create a screenplay based on H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos that wasn't like the rest. Most simply adapt Lovecraft's stories or are just horror films using various elements from them. I wanted to leave the cosmic horror behind and create a story that was more of a personal and character-based drama, though still having its roots in the Mythos. And so was born, Tainted...

Beginnings...

The screenplay began small. I wanted to write something that could be made on a shoe-string budget because I thought that some independent film-maker would be more likely to pick it up if they saw it was affordable. It had just two main cast, and only one or two supporting, and was set in only a handful of easily-found locations. There were no effects shots at all, though it did require some minor make-up effects. Everything seemed OK until I gave it to a few people to read and they had no idea why certain things were happening. It was only then that I realised I'd written it solely for Mythos-familiar Lovecraft fans. It made no sense to the rest of the world. So I decided to add a prologue.

Prologue...

I wrote a whole introductory scene for the screenplay that explained the necessary missing details, but in doing so, had added a handful of extra cast and the need for a boat, which I'm sure would pump up the budget considerably. Regardless, I handed it back out and everyone loved it... except me. I didn't like the intro. It seemed clunky and hammy. However, despite my dislike for it, I had no better ideas, so just left it. All 30 pages.

Coming Back...

It wasn't until over a year later that I came up with a new and improved intro. I'd given up on the idea of anyone ever wanting to make it, so just thought I'd create it with no considerations of budget. I was still sticking with my initial concept of a character-based drama, but I now thought I'd spice it up a little. I scrapped the whole intro and re-wrote a new one, which now included a life-sized Deep One costume! The budget was now most certainly out the door. However, I finally had an intro I was happy with. I had to make a few other minor changes for this new intro to tie-in, and in doing so, ended up changing a few scenes I also wasn't that happy with, and eventually ended up with the resulting 44-pages. Now this in itself proved a problem because short films are generally less than 30 pages and feature-length films are at least 80... so mine, with its 44 pages, was in film limbo. Despite this, I handed it back out to a few people and they all came back with very positive comments. So not only was I now happy with the new story, but it seemed everyone else was too.

Note: If you're interested in reading the screenplay at this stage of writing, it can be found here, on Google Docs.

The Director's Cut...

Despite the fact that I had resigned myself to the fact that this screenplay would never be made, it irked me that it didn't fit into a specific length category. I knew I wouldn't be able to trim it down, so I decided to aim for a feature. I didn't want to re-write the whole thing, so I drew up a timeline of events to see what I could see. It turned out that there were three rather large gaps in time that I had not included. They were alluded to in other scenes, but the "viewer" would never see them. I decided that these would be my best shot at extending the screenplay so I jotted down what would have been happening during the missing time. I've currently written in the middle gap, but have yet to finish off the other two. I'm hoping I can scrape in 80 pages once I'm through.

Synopsis...

In case anyone is reading this and is curious what the screenplay is about, I'll give a brief run-down...

16 YEARS AGO - Two men walking along a beach on their way back from a night's fishing when they stumble upon an apparently dead Deep One. They debate what to do with the creature and decide to take it home and figure it out in the morning. As you expect, the creature wakes up, killing the two men, but leaving the wife of one of the men unconscious. She wakes up in a hospital and is later informed that she in pregnant. She is elated as her and her husband had been trying to a child for some time.

CURRENT DAY - A teenage girl meets up with a boy and they walk down to a nearby abandoned church. They ring its bell for fun and then head home. On the way they discover a black goo in the water. The next day the girl is having her birthday party when she falls ill. I escalates the next night and she is rushed to hospital. She escapes the hospital however and returns to her friend who looks after her. She quickly starts changing - skin turning bluish, eyes un-blinking, teeth falling out - and runs away. The boy tracks her down to the beach where it is revealed that she has turned into a Deep One herself!

Appendix...

The teenage boy and girl in the story are the main characters and their personal tragedy provides the framework for the whole story so I just thought I'd provide a little appendix, as it were, to describe and show you how I envision these two characters if you choose to (or have already) read the linked screenplay:

Marina:

She is one of the "popular" girls at school and despite her and Charlie's differences, the fact that she has known Charlie most of her life means that they are still best of friends.

Charlie:

Charlie is a bit of a loner and knows that if he hadn't known Marina for so long, they would otherwise have not have been friends.

Beginnings...

2009-07-28T12:32:00.010+10:00

For some time now, I've been mentally tossing over a Cthulhu Mythos-based screenplay idea. In fact, it basically is a re-telling of The Call of Cthulhu. The plot, though centering on only one main character, is quite grand in scale and is well beyond the scope of the usual fan-made fare. For this fact alone, I know it will never be used, yet I am still compelled to complete it, if only so it's out of my head and I can stop thinking about it.

Here is the introductory scene of the first draft for your perusal:

EXT. CITY RUINS - DAY

A MAN walks up to the edge of a lookout. Before
him lies the ruins of a large city. Most of the
city is rubble and the buildings that are still
standing have large sections missing. A giant
bipedal creature, the size of the tallest visible
skyscraper, is seen slowly ambling between them.
It is green, bat-winged, and has a face full of
tentacles. The creature casually brushes past a
building and its wall collapses.

The man watches on.

                   MAN (V.O.)
         This is what has become of the
         world: reduced to nothing more than
         rubble and dust. It has been this
         way now for over a year. Ever since
         that abomination and its army
         revealed themselves from beneath
         the waves to wage war on humanity.

The man watches the creature carelessly destroy
another building.

                   MAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
         I call it a war, however, truth be
         said, it was more like a massacre.
         For the most part, the attack was
         unexpected, unprovoked and
         particularly brutal.

The man looks saddened.

                   MAN (V.O.) (CONT'D)
         There were some who were forewarned
         of this apocalypse however. A
         select few who were sensitive
         enough to hear the creature's calls
         through their dreams. I probably
         wouldn't have believed it
         possible... if I hadn't been one of
         them.

From there it will cut back to the present day and detail how the planet came to be in this state.

The Thing about Lovecraft...

2009-07-23T16:08:00.017+10:00

I feel my first official blog entry should be about H.P. Lovecraft, the creator of the blog's namesake, and how I came to discover him and his writings:

Prologue

Back when I was in my teens, my Dad took me to a bookshop where I found a nice, thick horror-story omnibus. I had soon read a few of the stories within, one of which was titled "Pickman's Model" by an author I'd never heard of, named H.P. Lovecraft...

The Thing

John Carpenter's "The Thing" has been one of my favourite films since I first saw it. I can't remember when that was exactly, but I know that I have watched it many times since. It was at the end of 2006 that I decided to look the movie up online and try to find any information I could about it. It seemed that every website I came across had references to this H.P. Lovecraft fellow. At the time, I thought I recognised the name, but couldn't think where from, so I started to research further. I found a bibliography and noticed a story named "Pickman's Model"... and then it clicked!

An Obsession Begins

I began looking further into his writings and with the help of certain websites, in particular, Wikipedia, I started learning about his "Cthulhu Mythos" and quickly found myself fascinated. On January 7, 2007, I ordered a book of Lovecraft's works off of Amazon. It took me a while to get through it, but with each story I read, my obsession grew.

Modernising The Mythos

As with most major fiction writers through history, several of Lovecraft's works have been translated into film, and even into games. I quickly compiled information on many of these, trying to find the ones worth watching. It turned out that I had actually heard of a few of them in the past, the most notable of these being Stuart Gordon's "Re-Animator". Though I'd never seen the film, I did know of it. I sadly learned that most of the adaptations were rather bad, however I did discover a few gems amidst the dirt. As well as the films, I discovered a computer game called "Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth", and being an avid gamer, procured myself a copy post-haste. While not being the greatest game in the world, I did enjoy it, and thought it did more justice to the mythos than any of the movies.

I'm Not The Only One

Now with my obsession in full-swing, I found myself searching for "Lovecraft" in any avenue possible, and discovered a mass of fans, not just on dedicated forums, but on MySpace, Facebook, and now even Twitter! It seems that the bulk of these are from the U.S., which is understandable being that's where Lovecraft's from, but however limited, his reach seems to be global, which I think is truly deserving.

Epilogue

And so that brings me to this blog, titled from a popular line within H.P. Lovecraft's story, "The Call of Cthulhu", and which will most-likely have entries referring to him or his work at some point, seeing as my obsession certainly doesn't appear to be going anywhere any time soon...