Ballad Of Halo Jones poster

From 2nd-7th of January a play of The Ballad Of Halo Jones will be playing at the Lass O' Gowrie pub in Manchester , home to the infamous Dr Who Pubcons as well as many other worthy events. I was asked to draw an image for the poster/flyer. I'd not read Halo Jones since when it debuted in 2000AD so had to do a little research first. Inially as you'll see from my rough I thought the *Ring* was a space station ! It was suggested I use the spaceship Clara Pandy instead ( which worked much better). I liked the idea of Halo walking out of the circular motif whilst the ship took off from the Ring city.

Original artist Ian Gibson has a very cartoony and decorative style and I concentrated on getting Halo's features close to his whilst evolving her clothes to be more practical ( whilst still having style). I wanted the city ot feel a bit grim and dirty and so used a hot slighty grubby palette . Something more monochromatic and modern in contrast to the more colourful work of Gibson.

Event details at :  http://www.wegottickets.com/f/3688

Here's the steps:

                                                           Pen and marker rough.

                                  Refined pencil drawing squared up by hand using grid method.

          Inks using pen and brushpen before being refined in Manga Studio and effects added to clouds.

   Mid colour point showing how I build the colouring up in blocks before highlights and sfx added.

                                                        Final image sent to the client.

Merry Christmas!

Don Sharp 1922 - 2011

Aussie director and writer Don Sharp has died. He directed Hammer's RASPUTIN THE MAD MONK , THE DEVIL-SHIP PIRATES and KISS OF THE VAMPIRE. Among his other genre work was THE FACE and BRIDES OF FU MANCHU , WITCHCRAFT , CURSE OF THE FLY and DARK PLACES. He directed the 1974 CALLAN film starring Edward Woodward and episodes of THE AVENGERS ( Invasion of the Earthmen , The- Get- Away and The Curious Case of the Countless Clues) and one episode of THE CHAMPIONS ( Project Zero in 1969). Never really accorded the acclaim he was due because he worked outside the studio system - Don was a director who could direct any genre including comedy. To end this short piece I must mention a  favourite - PSYCHOMANIA - ride free Don , you've earned it and thankyou.

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England Expects !

Blackpool Gazette covers my involvement with NELSON,

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/daily-feature/england_expects_1_4011245

Parting Of The Ways

Here are the pencils and finished artwork for this month's lead Timeteam illustration for PARTING OF THE WAYS. I wanted  the Dalek Emperor to really impose over the forground figures but not use the head on shot seen in the show. I exaggerated his dome and eye and made sure the Dalek creature itself was lovingly in shot!

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Vworpabix Cards

Here are the sets of cards I did for the Vworpabix game ( free with the issue two of Vworp Vworp! out now). Based on the iconic Weetabix giveaway of the 1970's . Designer Colin Brockhurst did an excellent job replicating the look of the earlier series. I urge any fans to pick up Vworp Vworp! at the earliest convenience. It has some excellent interviews with many high profile Dr Who comics artists and editors.

Flesh n Blood pinup

Flesh And Blood is a new 4 part series out from Monsterverse , heavily indebted to British horror films especially Hammer , I've this pin up in issue 1 and will have a back up strip in 2-4. Read more at :http://vokesfolks.blogspot.com

Torchwood: Unplugged

B/W art inked in Manga Studio for Unplugged fiction in Torchwood Magazine.

Old Enemies ...

I've not much new I can post that I've done recently - I finished my Lovecraft adaption for SelfMadeHero , next month's Timeteam for DWM and am working on Baron Frankenstein for Monsterverse. Here's a commission I coloured last week of some of the Doctor's old enemies. Makes me want to break out some Tom Baker and the much missed Lis Sladen...

Take care ,

Ade

Ade at The Monster From Hell reunion

Saturday  15th October , I'll be at this event being being held at The Round House , Old School Rooms , Powercroft Road , London E50PU . I'm not a guest as such , but Shane Briant who stars in the FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL will be there plus other Hammer luminaries.

I'll have A3 posters of my Little Shoppe Of Horrors BLOOD ON SATAN'S CLAW cover  for sale with me ( below) , and original LSOH art that has featured in the magazine.

I'll be the guy with the portfolio.:)

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The Dance

The Doctor Dances illustration seemed a straightforward idea. Captain Jack riding the bomb with Rose and the Doctor holding the Empty Child in the forground . What could be simpler? I liked the idea of Rose's Union Jack T shirt being prominent and went for an ambitious low angle shot you see in the first pencil. Editorial came back to me with changes. Jack needed lifting higher so as not to look like he was tiny on top of Rose's nose and Rose's face needed work . I duly reduced Jack and tidied up Rose. Editorial still weren't happy and I knew it was time to reassess the art. Instead of tweaking her face I needed to do something radical I learned from an illustrator called Tom Stimpson.

Tom ran an illustration agency and one week he was on vacation. A piece of his art came back needing corrections. A hand opening a blind didn't look right. It fell to me to tackle it. I basically fudged what he'd done and the client still didn't like it still. So when Tom got back , he took it away and completely redrew a new hand from a different angle and pasted it on. Experience had taught him sometimes you just need a new approach to fix something. Too many artists try to save their precious drawings rather than jettison when appropriate. It's made my life easier knowing this.

So I redrew Rose from a new angle and quickly too! Editorial was very happy and I progessed to inks and colour without a hitch. When I saw it printed I realised it had been cropped at the bottom and my favourite bit of drawing - the kids' shoe was gone. All part of the dance I guess...

I wouldn't drink that ...

Here's my very first professional comics page , written by John Freeman , it's page one from Karyn : Skinner which ran in the Megazine. I remember working on this after I came home from my day job ( as an artists rep) . I think I got 3 pages into the script before I downed tools and went into Fleetway to show the editor the pages I was that nervous. Luckily he loved them and this style has been the backbone of my career...

Dance Of The Vampires

Aka Fearless Vampire Killers - for next issue of Little Shoppe Of Horrors.

Babs Steele ( Mask Of Satan)

                                                               Woof ! - for a pal's mag.

Father's Day turning point

Here's the pencils . inks and colours for the Father's Day Time Team art. After playing around on previous TT pix with a more cartooned look recently I finally threw up my hands and went back to drawing in a more real way , albeit still blocky. I was trying to capture that feeling I got when I started this series way , way back. There are definite hints of that earlier blockiness in evidence , the Doctor and the Reaper both felt *right*. Both Rose and her father were drawn more realistically because they were forground figures. I've been drawing a strip for the next SMH Lovecraft anthology recently as well , on paper trying to get something back I felt the digital drawing had stolen from me. It's not about being old skool or any of that bollocks , more about losing the facility digital seems to give my work and bringing some struggle into my drawing again. It's been strenuous but not unrewarding. You'll see with the next few Time Team pics a darker feel to them.

The Cybermen at the Cartoon Museum

Two pages from the 24 part The Cybermen ( serialised in Dr Who Magazine) are on show amongst many other Dr Who comics art at the Dr Who comics exhibition at the Cartoon Museum. http://www.cartoonmuseum.org/ 

New Weetabix style card

I've done a fair few Weetabix style cards over the years , for Dr Who Magazine , recently for Vworp Vworp and here's a private commission ( still to be coloured). Fans love the old Weetabix card format bringing back many happy childhood memories. Fun to draw too.

Panic Moon!

Pencil and ink stages for illustrations for Panic Moon fanzine. I did these because I'm a fan of the classic Auton stories and this was a chance to do something akin to the Target book illustrations you used to see. Visit http://panicmoonfanzine.blogspot.com/  for details on ordering.

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Boss!

Vworp 4

Hope to see you there!

END OF THE WORLD ?

I was really pleased with how this one turned out. After having *nerves* drawing ROSE , I relaxed here and I think I did a better job. Particularly pleased with Eccleston this time and Boe was a dream to draw in my style.

Hartnell hmm ?

All the William Hartnell Timeteams were pre digital. In some rare cases I made colour copies  before selling the originals. Here's the DALEK MASTERPLAN art , based only on telesnaps , a few stills and mostly my imagination. This was drawn before a lost episode was found that showed the alien delegates.

Two colour tests on photocopy paper for DALEKS INVASION OF EARTH. Looking at the art now I'd be inclined cheat the scene and have the Dalek further back rising out of the Thames...

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THE MCMAHON EFFECT

So I planned to write a quick post to highlight that artist Mick McMahon has his own blog now called 'Tugging Your Coat' - it's on my recommended blog list. Then I realised 'how could I just leave it at that?' . Mick has been the biggest influence on my work of any comics artist  this side of the pond. It's an influence that goes to my very core - let's see where that leads us?

I first saw his work on Judge Dredd in 2000AD , when the comic launched. I'm not sure I was that struck initially , his tough drawing style didn't fit with the other artistic influences in my life , American artist Bernie Wrightson and England's John Bolton were my blueprint for great comics. Mick was more like a musical influence , there was something punk about it , disrepectful , edgy. He evolved quickly too , shucking Carlos Ezquerra's blueprint off and making his own mark on Dredd bringing in the big chin , big boots. BLOCK WARS was the last Dredd he did from that period  - blocky indeed. The crowd scenes reputedly killed it for him  and he left Dredd.

ON INFLUENCE.

Everybody's favourite McMahon work is SLAINE it seems. Everytime I ask this question I get the same answer. 'Sky Chariots ' is like the Rosetta Stone. It's also responsible for more McMahon-alikes than practically anything else he's done. Okay maybe Dredd has influenced a fair few. I've no issue with being influenced , except maybe a little when an artist fails to step out of the SHADOW. I'm as guilty as the next with regard to Mick , though my influence comes from a little later in his career. After returning to comics with the THE LAST AMERICAN ( after a being ill) , his work had evolved yet again. Mick has said in interviews that though he wasn't drawing , he  still was in his head. TLA is a tour de force ( go get a copy of the ComX album) if you don't believe me. Pretty grim too. The art has a level of detail not seen in his work before ( okay maybe SLAINE is a contender) , marker pens on watercolour paper with Magic Marker colours were used ( I know I sold him some at a shop). I remember seeing some pages in COMIC SHOWCASE and being stunned , my eye practically against the pages. All this detail was held together by extremely strong linear drawing , a style of drawing that became paramount to his work whilst detail was pared down. This work is my biggest influence. It taught me to try and see clearly , forget flourish and fancy mark making , simple direct drawing/storytelling rule. Sometimes I forget this lesson. Sometimes I need reminding and this page just did that. 

So today I run across a full page from HELLRAISER # 10 . I'm floored.Seriously. I'm reproducing it here with his consent. Clarity of drawing is the key. Just look at Pinhead's hands. Not a wasted mark. None of the flourish of SLAINE - this is the drawing of a new level. The composition is also worh noting - sexy without being sexist - I love how Mick has drawn her hair - shape and form , but not dead geometrey , there's that slight punky edge ( from DREDD) still there. 

Mick's next project is KESTRELS which could be his most personal too. I like what I've seen - the genius is still intact like I had any doubts...

A

The Unearthly Child Returns...

This artwork is identical to the very first Time Team except David Tennant replaces William Hartnell . I was trying to think of an original idea for a piece of art for a charity auction and this image popped into my head! It was an interesting exercise to revisit a style of drawing I'd not done for years again. Memories flooded back of that first call from Gary Gillatt ( then editor) asking if I'd be interested in illustrating a new feature for the magazine. The money's not good he said ( 40 quid) but it will be 7 years worth of work! So right he was and more. At the time I was driving a van delivering newspapers in the day and drawing what little jobs I could get. This was a creative lifeline that I'll never forget - so thanks Gary.

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NEW Terry Sharp

Pop over to http://damned-to-darkness.blogspot.com/  for exclusive look at new Terry Sharp art plus letters for the ongoing DAILY strip I'm working on...

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Dexter

Shhhh....

Horror double bill

Found this horror double bill design in the archives recently. As a kid I became a lifelong fan of the genre through the BBC2 horror double bills of the late 1970's. Usually a Universal monster flick in b/w followed by something lurid in colour - a Hammer or Tigon picture if you were lucky. This probably explains my obsession with drawing this stuff today...

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NELSON is coming ...

I'm lucky enough to be one of the artists chosen to help tell Nel's life story . My five pages written by the genius that is Rob Davis. Here's Rob's b/w cover art.

http://www.blankslatebooks.co.uk/2011/05/nelson/

There's an FB page too.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nelson/191899917529184?sk=wall

I'm coming for you Witchfinder General ...

Richard ( Ian Ogilvy) hunts for Matthew Hopkins from the great Brit horror WITCHFINDER GENERAL.