Swamp Thing, Tucker and exciting news

Here's this months entry to the Stockport Comic Collective blog. The theme for this months was errrmm... Swamp Thing

I've also ran up a logo from Buck Tucker Enemy of Love which will be featured in Vanguard #3 coming soon!

Now the exciting news - but I don't want to give too much away. 

Myself and Matt Soffe has been given the OK to ink (me) and colour (Matt) some pencils by an absolute UK comic book legend! Therefore I have called this little project 'Operation Gods Work'

You wouldn't let these two look after your kids!

Bloody hell, two blog posts in a day!!

Some quick fun sketches of Buck Tucker and Cruz from Vanguard dressed as a teddy bear and a bunny for some strange reason!

Happy 50th Birthday Sergio Pani

My boss and all round top bloke, Sergio Pani turned 50 this week. 'Happy Birthday Serg!'

His family have has a fantastic book produced celebrating the life of Serg. I was asked to send a birthday message that was going to be featured in the book. But because I'm crap at words I thought I'd draw a few personal pictures for him.

Serg is a massive AC Milan fan, so I asked his son, Raff who his favourite all time AC Milan player was and the answer was BARASI. So here's Barasi and Sergio together. Two legends together. The text behind Serg translates to 'A True Legend'

I also found out that during Espania '82 Serg buggered off to Spain to watch Italy win the world cup. So I though it might be a nice idea to immortalise him as a member of the Italy 82 winning squad as a Panini Football card

Now I don't see much of my stuff in print, so it was really nice to see the above pics printed out. Thanks to Scan Plus in Manchester for printing them off.

Hellboy & Tucker

Over at the Stockport Comic Collect blog this months chosen character is Hellboy!

And here's a little taster from the up and coming Buck Tucker - Q-Pids story for Vanguard #3 It looks like Tucker has been up to his old tricks! Vanguard #3 will be out in the Autumn

You Lucky Tucker!!

Supremo writer and editor of Vanguard Comics, Mr. Dirk Van Dom is giving four special edition collectors cards as a freebie for Vanguard #3.

As Dirk is currently in Japan, each of the cards will have a Japaense theme to them. Dirk asked me to come up with something featuring Buck Tucker and his would be victim - Katarina Cruz (see Speed Date 2).

Buck Tucker will also feature in Buck Tucker: Q-Pids which is an action packed 2 pager with a cracking cliff hanger at the end of the story.

Dirk says "Buck Tucker was a pretty messed up, intense and emotionally unstable guy in life, filled with hate and twisted to the core. Now that he's dead, he's much more relaxed about everything. Well, you would be wouldn't you? Here we find him getting all hot and bothered while receiving a massage from old 'flame' (read: attempted murder victim) Katarina Cruz in a Mount Fuji onsen, in the fourth and final "Vanguard in Japan" postcard image."

Vanguard #3 - COMING SOON (A bit like Tucker really!)

Dennis the Chav!

This months character for the Stockport Comic Collective blog is Dennis the Menace... chosen by yours my very good self.

Now Dennis the Menace has been around since the 50's and is a British institute. However, little has changed since then... until now. Thinking about it Dennis is nothing more that a an anti-social bully. So here is my take on Dennis 21st century style. Now with a potty mouth!

Old school inking vs Manga Studio EX4

Now I've never ever had any confidence when it comes to inking. I think because when you put ink down on paper it is permanent. So you really only get one chance to get it right, or use a hell of a lot of tipex sorting your cock-ups out.

For the last few years I've been using a great programme called Manga Studio (EX4 version) which is used by pros and amateurs alike. As well as being able to use layer, their version of tipex is a simple 'Ctrl and Z' away, so you can make as many cock-ups as you like!!

A very talented artist called Matt Soffe has been raving about a brush pen that he uses to ink which is made by Pentel. Check out his blog here. So I bought one to try out and have destroyed quite a few pencils trying to get the hang of it.

The following is a picture I pencilled then inked in Manga Studio and then inked 'trying' to use the brush pen.  There's no reason for the different backgrounds other than me titting about on photoshop. This was done for a new blog call Stockport Comix Collective which I'm participating in.

Old school Ink 

Manga Studio ink