Cartoon and Comic Arts

Web Comic Idea

2012-03-09T13:07:00.000Z

Web Comic attempt

As part of a bit of research, I've been looking at developing possibly ways to use technology to help tell stories in comic format. I must thank Graphics Guru Mark Garner for being put in touch with this piece of software. If you click the arrow, it will load up Chapter 2 of Tempus Noble. Then by clicking on it again it will zoom into the pages and hopefully allow you to use it and view it. Any comments, eg did you find it easy to use; drove you mad with the constant movement, felt sick at the twisty turns etc would be gratefully received.

Enjoy Tempus Noble Chapter 2 Web Comic

Cartoon and Comic Arts Trips

2012-03-06T09:32:00.000Z

Manchester 2012

Recently the Cartoon and Comic Cohort along with Illustration and Graphic Design students headed off into the depths of Manchester to see the delights of the rain drenched town.

Above is the Gang on their own getting lost around Piccadilly, below the gang with Graphics and Illustration Students from Staffordshire University.

Needless to say, you let cartoonist out of the studio and they act.....like cartoonists!

Our first aim was to discover all the comic shops we could, John Hudson had recommended Magma Books, if only he knew what was around the corner and across the way from this shop.

£100 lighter I finally emerged from the depths of the vast comic libraries load with books and comics and headed off to Media City

While there we discovered Daleks, who apprehended me.....

But I managed to escape in the Tardis!

Stolen Lines

2012-03-02T15:59:00.000Z

Stolen Lines

One of the main projects that the students undertook was similar to the comic competition that The Observer newspaper runs.
It was to produce a 4 page comic.
The basic theme here was that the students were given a line from a novel, these novels could have been anything at that was their starting point.
Here is some of the work the students produced.

Above Alice Ubino short comic.

Above is Claire Smiths Comic

Above is Millie Harrops Comic

Above is Tom Stephens Comic

I chose these comics in particular for their blends of different styles.

Edgar Rice Burroughs

2012-02-20T13:42:00.000Z

John Carter

A Princess of Mars

During my research for the Cartoon and Comic Arts Award at Staffordshire University I stumbled on the name John Carter while reading Alan Moores "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen." He appears fleetingly at the end of the first volume then is seen helping the Barsoomians to take on H.G.Wells Martians at the start of the second volume.

Alan Moores' book introduced a range of classical literary heroes but none more so than John Carter. This got me to research who this character was and what he was doing on Mars. There is also reference to Gulliver as well in the Dialogue, who brings his army to assist in the battle.

Having fought in the American Civil War on the confederate side, Captain John Carter leaves for Arizona in search of his fortune prospecting in the hills for Gold. A group of Apache Indians hunt him and while fleeing he hides in a cave from where he is mysteriously transported to a small Red planet called Barsoom, or Mars to me and you!

Barsoom is itself in a middle of its own Civil war between two differing factions. On one hand there are the Green Skinned, war like Tharks, and on the other is the more reddish kind that bare an uncannily resemblance to humans.

Written by Edgar Rice Burroughs as his first attempt to do something to gain a little money, the serialisation of his story made him enough to make a name for himself and also encouraged him to write Tarzan.

Tarzan is probably Burroughs better known work, but credit has to go to John Carter as this character and his adventures has influenced so much of the modern sci-fi genre.

The stories were always to epic to be made into a film, but provided Marvel with ample opportunity to develop the story and also introduce it to younger readers.It was from theses beginnings that George Lucas is said to have read about the all American hero and it is fair to say a few more as well.

It is easy to see how Burroughs writing has influenced a range of cinematic directors and authors. Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles owe a debt to Burroughs creation along with James Cameron's "AVATAR" as it was Burroughs who writes about creatures with 6 legs dominating the environment. Below is examples of how George Lucas has been influenced by Carter's adventure. With the golden bikini which came synonymous with Princess Leia's Slave costume!

Today Andrew Stanton of Pixar fame "Wall-E" has filmed a movie for Disney using the expertise that he developed with the Pixar company. I for one wait with abated breath for this to hit the cinemas soon.

Simple object Simple Message

2012-02-13T12:50:00.001Z

Last semester the students were given and object and 6 emotions for them to insinuate! A lot easier to say than do!!

Strong

Rejected

Saintly

Foolish

Aggressive

Brazen

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

2012-02-10T12:46:00.000Z

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

1st year Cartoon and Comic Arts students are already producing work. Here was a quick component of a module I ran that encouraged students to look at characters and develop them instead of drawing the first thing that entered their head.

The first job was just a basic introduction to the primative shapes and how they can develop your characters personalities. whether they are triangles which are pointed and dangerous and generally are shapes used to portray evil and untrust worthy characters. Or squares where the character are more solid and reliable. and circles are fun and cuddly.

The next element was shilouettes

This was done to get the students to think about stance and posture. When the detail was removed could the apperance of the character communicate what type of person they were suppose to be?

Overall the students seemed to enjoy the final stage of adding colour and deatil to their ideas, Below is The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

A Nerd

A Solider

A Lover

All 3 images were drawn by 3 different students on the Cartoon and Comic Arts Award 2011

Golf Challenge for Cartoon & Comic Arts

2012-02-03T10:00:00.002Z

Golf Challenge

Cartoon & Comic Arts

Recently we had a gold course asking if the students could design characters to demonstrate the correct attire for the golf course. After quiet a bit of laughing some ideas were quickly drawn to show the potential range of work available by the students. Here is how the Cartoon & Comic Arts Students went about answering the brief.

Cartoon & Comics and Illustration students work

2012-02-02T09:26:00.000Z

Image Making Techniques

the art of ...Hands

A recent project set by Bobbie Jones for Cartoon & Comic Art & Illustration students was to create an animal from their hands in a 2 hour workshop. I think you will agree that the effects are quiet astounding what students can do when they put their mind to it!!

Bristol Encounter Festival 2011

2011-11-26T10:00:00.009Z

Bristol Encounter Festival 2011

This year saw the Annual Animation trip to Bristol take place as usually. It was a great chance to meet people from industry and see what the latest animations were and more importantly catch up with old friends!

Jamie Bakewell from Aardman, was working on Pre Viz currently working in the digital effects department.

A picture of laura Weston discussing the old days with Kolin Humphries Animator and Illustrator, currently working out of Lichfield. He popped along to see what job opportunities there were out there and to network with people from industry. Kolin drew the picture at the top of the page.

All the ex-students were eager to divulge information and chat openly with 3rd years students telling them where the jobs were and more importantly what to expect out there in the big wide world.

While there Shelly Page from Dreamworks presented her best films from across the world, and mentioned that this was how they found potential employers for the company, and that they had film days there so the other animators and designers could be inspired by what was happening in education.

There was quiet a bit of queuing, especially for the best events such as the Aardman talk on Rapid Prototyping (See Daryl Marsh's blog on that) and also to meet John Krisfalusi the inventor of Ren & Stimpy. He spoke knowledgeably about the animation industry in general and in the dessert island flicks showed some of his favorite films, including one of my idols Tex Averys work! We're on the same level John K!! He also drew some excellent caricatures of people for a small fee!

2011-11-25T12:47:00.001Z

Rob Pointion

visit to

Staffordshire University

The other week before we set off for Bristol we had visiting lecturer and all round animator and illustrator Rob Pointon from BigRed Studio came to Staffs Uni armed with 2 Rock climbers to teach students dynamic drawings from different angles. In this short animation below, Rob left his art work of a model he drew in rotation to show the students how to draw people and maintain some consistency to their drawings.

The aim of the award is not to teach students to draw, but to get them experience different methods of mark making so they can develop their drawing styles.

Poltical Comment

2011-11-25T10:23:00.004Z

Satirical Cartoons

on the

Euro and Arab Uprising

I find it hard to believe that while the Arab world is fighting for democracy, getting rid of the unelected dictators who have ruled their live's with a ruthless fist, that we in the west are looking to have our democratically elected officials replaced by faceless bureaucrats! Put in place with no agenda voted for by the people, this is the way democracy dies, not with guns and explosions but with the quiet ching of the platinum cash tills! Long Live Democracy in Europe!

Before I get rants and raves, yes I realise that Britain is under the control of a government selected without a mandate from the people. I've always wondered what a coalition party would be like and now I know I'm quiet happy to say never again. The only good thing to come out of this, is I understand why the political parties have different colours. Blue for the cold and dead conservatives, Red for the way Labour bleeds the public's money and Yellow for the line that runs down the back of Liberal Democrats.

Weekly Cartoon word

2011-11-24T10:00:00.004Z

Well done to Cartoon and Comic Arts students who thought they didn't have enough on their plate, so started a Weekly word 3 panel Cartoon. Using words created randomly this is the starting point for the cartoon we have to produce.
The first entry was eyebrow, and the last 2 weeks have been Marker and Stumble. I hope they keep this up as it is just a bit of Fun. Here are my contributions to the wall!

1st Year of Cartoon and Comic Arts

2011-11-23T21:08:00.000Z

Cartoon & Comic Arts

at Staffordshire University 2011

The first trip for Cartoon and Comic Arts students from Staffordshire University took place earlier on this week and was deemed a success. Not only was there plenty to see and do while we were down there, we also met Rob Cureton of the independent print company "Orful Comics" and chatted with animator Jo McLellend and the award leader met up and coming stand up comic and script writer James O'Brien.

While in London the students arranged visits to London Zoo to sketch and also Madame Tussuad's for the Marvel 4D Experience

We also visited the National Museum to see the Elgin Marbles which could be interpreted as a form of comic art. We also visited the V&A Museum where there was an excellent exhibition on the first 50 years of Private Eye

Reading Material

2011-08-23T14:02:00.000+01:00

Moriarty

Image Comics

Over the last couple of months I've stumbled on this publication (above) Moriarty. Now I'm not an offical type of reviewer but I thought I'd write a few comments down to try and explain why I picked this off the shelf.

Written by Daniel Corey, drawn by Anthony Diecidue and published by the independant Printing press of Image Comics, it stood out on the shelf for both the content and the style. I've always been a big Sherlock Holmes fan and I've mentioned a few times in the blog about the BBC (Steve Moffat & Mark Gatiss) updating of it, and of course there has also been the Robert Downey JR and Jude Law remake directed by Guy Richie. So here on the shelf was Sherlock Holmes Arch enemy with his own publication. Would it tell the Sherlock stories from his point of view? would it be based in his younger years and show how his down fall (if you could call it that) happened?

Closer inspection lead to the realisation that it was based 20 years or so after his an Holmes final confrontation, and the super villian had fallen on hard times. His greatest victory seemingly left an empty hole now in his life, where crime held no alure for him.

Now he's approached by the British Secret Service on the eve of the first World War to find Sherlocks brother Mycroft Holmes who has mysteriously dissappeared! There is a big step of faith here as a super villian turns into willing civil servant. It's a little like Osbourne being in charge of SHEILD! Anyway this pans out ok as Moriarty thyinks that this is more a trick laid out by the British than an honest plea for help in the case of the missing Mycroft!

Needless to say a few things happen where Moriarty discovers his hunger and appitite again. He discovers that there is now a new Underground criminal element that controls London and he seems driven to prove their new master isn't as good an under lord as he was!

Anyway, I dont want to give away anymore of the plot. I mentioned about the artwork that stood out on the shelf to me. Anthony Diecidue Produces some lovely dark images of old London Town.

There are also so some guest star roles in characters from other literature novels, "Oliver Twists" Fagin appears when Moriarty is trying to find some information out from around London Town.

The lighting and atmosphere captured in some of the panels is breath taking, though as the book does go on, some of the detail is left behind a bit, almost as working to a deadline the artist ran out of time.

I loved the Photomontage scenes, such as the ones above where images of well known London Landmarks are used to great effects in the backdrops. I wish I thought of this while doing my comic book!

The layout is spectacular as well, here are a few screen grabs to give you a taste of the quality of the artwork and also how the pacing and timing flow.

Overall this was a very good read and I would recommend it to anyone. I also think giving the audience an already established character and doing something slightly out of the ordinary with him that is new and refreshing.

Drawing my own Comic Strip

2011-08-18T10:50:00.000+01:00

Tempus Noble

Over the last couple of months I've been drawing my own comic strip and posting it up on http://cartoonandcomicarts.tumblr.com/ as well as doing regular posts on Twitter Cartandcomic. The aim was to get me being creative again, coming up with a story and getting some feedback about how Comics work as a vehicle of Visual communication. Along the way I found some interesting things out about writing comics and putting them down on paper and how they do draw a lot from film, or film draws a lot from comics.
Ed Hooks says always make sure your character is doing something, and this is the same for comics. No one just sits there! If there are walking some where, where are they walking too? You might ask why should we think of this?
Well this determines how you draw the person, how you get the idea of their character across to people. After all it is about visual communication!
I went to a conference once in Bradford Film Photography and TV Museum held by directors and one in particular gave some very helpful tips on how shots should be composed. Using "Dangerous Liaisons" he showed how the main characters descent into madness was portrayed visually, not be having the character shout "I'm going mad, I'm going Mad!" but by tilting the camera, so all the verticals in the shot were off angle. I notice it done in so many films now! looking at comics, I can draw a comparison with this technique and that of film, how the panels are structured or how the image is framed or drawn to put the reader/viewer in a particular uncomfortable position.

Anyway I hope you enjoy the comic if you get round to having a look on tumblr.

Scribbles of a Mad Man 07 Summer Blues

2011-08-04T14:00:00.001+01:00

Scribbles of a Mad Man

Whats on TV

Draw, Draw and Draw again.
But what shall I draw?
I think everyone should try this and it's drawing from the TV, try and get a sense of character and proportion of whats going on down on a piece of paper as quickly as you can. It's one of those things where you need to practice and that is what drawing is...it is a skill. Anyone whose done PE knows "skill is the learned ability to bring about the predetermined result with the maximum ability and the minimum outlay of effort!"
Drawing is no difference!
Don't worry about making mistakes and messing things up, have a go and get some feedback from it.
Here have a look at what I was doing last Thursday.
Torchwood & Dexter

Quick sketches of the character of Dexter on FX. OK some work some don't but nevertheless I've had a go. I'm surprised by Dexter's Sister. There is something ever pixie about her, elf like. parts of her face don't match up yet she is some one who you just stare at to try and figure out why... Or maybe it's just me!!

I started to plan out a page for a comic book. One of my recent failing has been the fact I never do a big page spread where the background bleeds in with the other panels. I tried to do it here and give a sense that the reader was in the room and acting as a voyeur on the above scene. The perspective went a bit wrong, but I thought I'd include it so you could see all the mistakes as well as the final image. Maybe you agree with the scene, maybe you'd have drawn it from the victims point of view, you never know till you do it!

Finally a sketch from Torchwood. I've never drawn Gwen Cooper before and while I was watching the program it came to my notice she continually pouts, aka posh spice style. 2 interesting characters. Hope you like?

Scribbles of a Mad Man 06 Summer Blues

2011-08-03T14:00:00.000+01:00

Scribbles of a Mad Man!

Well it's that time of year the students have all gone, some forever as they seek their fame and fortunes in new pastures and I'm sitting in the office, planning new lessons and setting new goals. The aim of the summer break was allow me to do some more drawing get use to pushing out ideas and learning new techniques, but alas, once you become a home owner all that slips away! The only good thing to happen is my plastering technique has really taken off! (Maybe another career beckons!)

So... watching 9th Gate last night with that heart throb Jonny Depp (I can't see it myself ladies) and I got thinking about all things supernatural!

I got thinking about "The Four Horse Men of the Apocalypse" and here are my initial sketches. Those who don't know the Horsemen were/are from the book of Revelations and are suppose to arrive to announce Armageddon or the end of the world. The Four are War, Death, Pestilence and Famine. So I was thinking that must be a cool name for a band, and what happens if the 4 were the lead members! so I got drawing, the first idea was everyone should look a little like what they were, so war was a bit of a heavy metal nut, death a skeleton, pestilence was dirty and scruffy and famine was also a bit of a skeleton. Then I got thinking, why not reverse it a bit, may be there is always a famine going around with this bloke because he eats all the time, death might not be this sad morbid character but the life and soul of the party, Pestilence immaculate in presentation and War a Hippy!

Maybe they just want a break on earth of the good time.

Anyway it was an idea that I quickly put down on paper. I wanted them to do an X-Factor thing in Heaven for a chance to make in big down here and in winning they start off the end of the world. Ideas in the making and it's always good to share!

Staffordshire University Graduation 2011

2011-07-19T10:17:00.000+01:00

Staffordshire University Graduation 2011

Friday 15th July 2011 saw the Staffordshire University Animation cohort graduate and in time honoured tradition we had the photo shoot afterwards to show how delighted we were!! Above is the old 3D Character Animation & Special Effects Award who were mixed together with the animation cohort. Some did departed to VFX as well, though to me they'll always be 3DCA, I shaped and modelled them (there is a pun in there somewhere for 3Ders!) Unfortunately Dave Gower and Chris Leonard are missing from this photo but from Right to left
Dan Waterman (Creative producer for Carse & Waterman, google them and see what work they've completed while at university!)
Mitch Taylor (Brilliant 3D modeller and you can watch his film Beachcomber on Vimeo)
Chistopher Hazeldine (Another excellent modeller and a source for unwanted knowledge!)
Adrian Tooth
Devon Stewart (our own course DJ and has more fingers in different pies than anyone I know, he's moved to Bristol to be closer to the animation scene!!)
Iain Batchelder (already as a few freelance options signed up, so good luck with that!)
Colin Kaszynski (One of the hardest working individuals I know whom Microsoft Games at FMX wanted to talk to! I hope one day that he discovers his bed and has a lie down!)

This is the whole cohort along with Barry Purves who was awarded a honorary doctorate by the university for his work in the field of media and art. Barry has worked on many TV shows from postman pat to Wind in the Willows, and films as diverse as Tim Burtons Mars Attacks and alongside Peter Jackson on King Kong.

Well done to the Class of 2011

Cartoon and Comic Arts at Staffordshire University

2011-06-30T15:34:00.000+01:00

Cartoon & Comic Arts at Staffordshire University

Just to let you know the wheels are turning and the new cohort is getting ready for the imminent arrival at Staffs uni in September. I've started to deck out the new Comic Arts studio with Ikeas finest, starting off with the comfy area, a place where the great minds can relax and contemplate! I'm very keen to make this into an actual studio rather than a teaching room, I want the students to come in a feel that there is a definite step up from further Education into a more professional based curriculum aimed at developing a work ethos!

Anyway enough of the big words, just have a look at my spotty sofas!

Degree Show up date.

2011-06-14T15:26:00.001+01:00

Degree Show

Staffordshire University

The degree show has been running for a couple of days now and there seems to be a never ending supply of the public, teachers and school parties making there way through the building.

here are some high light that I've put together of the show from my point of view.

First of May Jowd, Tom Grainger,Alex Young and John Colenso film that I storyboarded on a little earlier on in this Blog.

You can have a look at the images I drew off their designs and how they ended up in real life!!

Above and below from concept in the storyboard process to the finished article, Alex Young became a dab hand at the creation of Latex foam puppets.

John Colenso's Fox, there was an offer of £40 for the final model

Same Edwards life size Robot brought to life in his animation.

John Fox received an award, not for the home made Spiderman Suit but for one of the best and imaginative CV's. He did his as a comic strip!

Scribbles of a Mad Man 05 Space Cops

2011-06-13T13:42:00.002+01:00

Space Cops

I must admit the idea came to me early last year whilst I was reading Tom Strong and sort of developed from there. Having said that the more rounded concept above was shaped by a 2nd year 3D student who produced these 2 Characters for a module I run on Character Animation & Implementation. It is about designing character understanding characters and being able to animate them because they have goals objectives and aims. I never understood just animate something and then animate it doing something else!! Ed Hooks gives an excellent talk, which I'm not going to try a replicate here in this blog spot, but if he comes to Staffordshire university, I would strongly recommend you see him!!

I would have loved to try and come up with a story and filled the book from beginning to end in this style.

Above is the original concept art for the main bad characters, a robot and a Darth Vader like creation!
Below is how the ideas developed and show you some of the places where the influences came from!

Obviously Darth Vader played an important part in the development of the character on the Right. I wanted a scared figure who has to hide himself, so to make himself loathing and wanting to take revenge on the world for the curse that befell him! The other Character, I was reading in a book by Scott McCloud, how people draw human faces and how they try and pull out those things that make faces faces! So close up of spiders and flies repulse us! I went for a more Cyclops view, while this doesn't really demonstrate McClouds' view it is a realisation in the same way that Darth Vader is scarred and has to hide behind a mask!!!

Scribbles of a Mad Man 04 Primeval & Fringe

2011-06-12T10:26:00.001+01:00

Sky Viewing

Primeval & Fringe

I notice that Watch in showing the new series of "Primeval" (Series 5). I've been a big fan of this since it started, in fact it's origins were born out of the "Walking with Dinosaurs" series by Tim Haines who went onto develop other Prehistoric shows where paleontologists went back in time to see under water creatures or the birth of mammal's etc. I think the idea is a good and simple one. there are rifts in time and instead of us going through them, what would happen if things started coming through to us!!
It is almost the basis of every "B" Movie from "Godzilla" to "The Beast from 20000 Fathoms" The only problem the writer had was to come up with a half believable idea about how the creatures got here. In this series Time has come up with a credible answer (I use credible in a flight of fancy way!!) so that each week he can reintroduce different monsters that occupy different environments! Which brings us round to Fringe. I do like Walter Bishop, reminds me a lot of the Doctor, a genius with something missing! Once again Fringe looks at parallel universe's and the conflict that would exist if 2 worlds tried to occupy the same space and time! Scary!!
Below is a small comic strip I was doing for Primeval.

Scribbles of a Mad Man 03 Tourchwood

2011-06-10T10:19:00.002+01:00

Touchwood

Think I got the inspiration for this from the cover of SFX Magazine. Captain Jack, looking a bit older if I must say and I don't think my drawing has done him any favours!! Seems like both Doctor Who and Tourchwood have been given a cash injection as they've both been filmed in the USA this time... You would have thought that USA would have had it's own Touchwood, after all it's got a "Fringe" or "X Files" department.

More Scribbles of a Mad Man 2 Doctor Who

2011-06-09T14:02:00.003+01:00

Scribbles of a Mad Man

just to keep the theme going that I started a couple of months ago. I've decided to add a few more drawing from my sketch book. I brought the Sketch book about November time last year and it is one of those that you fold out similar to a Constantina!

Anyway, I've almost filled it, some with good drawings others with not so good!! But nevertheless I thought I'd show what I've been doing and what has taken my fancy in the past few months!

A new series of Doctor Who, where they killed of the main character in the first 15-20 minutes, which I thought was a masterstroke and then reintroduced him from another point in time! Steve Moffatt does like to shake it up a bit. I wasn't to sure about the 11th Doctor at first but Matt Smith has grown on me and I prefer Amy Pond to the winging character Donna played by Catherine Tate!!

Anyway Doctor Number 2 appears in this sketch as I was reading an article by Neil Gaimen who says that Patrick Troughton is his favourite Doctor!! Unfortunately before my time!

My Favourite was Tom Baker, he was completely nutty and self assured in himself. I think he gave Moffatt the template to which he's told all the other Doctors to work from! Peter Davidson sort of sent the Doctor into a world of self doubt where he seemed to continuously question himself! Anyway Amy! Some sketch's as I've tried to get her face right, make your own opinion on that, but anyone who wears skirts as short as hers and runs around space and time cant be all bad!

Staffordshire University End of Year Degree Show

2011-06-08T11:34:00.000+01:00

Staffordshire University

Degree Show

Friday 10th June 6pm

College Road

Stoke-on-Trent

Hey it's that time of year again when the 3rd year students show off there work to the general public and also visiting professionals and industry guests. Starting this Friday (10th June 6pm) the Degree Show Opens.

The Animation Awards are all under one umbrella and also in a new place inside the Henerion Building. There is also an awesome Stop Motion Display which I would strongly recommend everyone to pop along too! It shows what they have learnt and how good that particular award can be and will be in future years, it's a bench mark to be sure! Luckily we've got a few ex students currently working at Aardman on the feature Film "Pirates"on the way to have a look!

Anyway I hope to see you all there and if you see me come over and say hello, or at least get me a beer! Well done to all the students

Old Art Work

2011-06-07T16:07:00.000+01:00

OLD ART WORK

I was looking back through a hard drive the other day and found some of the life and object drawings I set as a module for 1st Year animation students at Staffordshire University. I'm still surprised that good work then is still good work now, and it is a bit of a shame how I never get chance to see any work of this calibre anymore! Curse you 3D!!

These images were taken on a 1st Year trip to Buxton, which is just up the road from the university. Unfortunately the trips may soon become a thing of the past with the introduction of the tuition fees and the onus will be more or less on the student to make their way to various places rather than wait for the institution to organise. Also health and safety has run amock so it is a logistic nightmare to organise, but listen to me rant and rave!

It was the pictures I wanted to talk about and how they were going to get used! The aim was to get students to do primary research and collect as much of it as possible. In Buxton there are some very interesting buildings with period architecture. The whole essence could have been set in the era of steam punk, around the Victorian times. Shame nothing other than these quick sketches came out of it!

Observational drawing of people in and around Bakewell market. This seemed like a good idea at the time. training animators having to quickly sketch poses of people they see. Obviously for some this was too much and the common cry was they never stood still long enough. It never occurred to the student that if they positioned themselves where they and the model didn't move it would be a good start! A Cafe or Bar, followed by going into the market and drawing people browsing! Rather than running across roads!

Life Drawing

Loved these quick sketches knocked up by a mature student who knew how to push the boundaries of a brief! I won't mention him in case I embarrass him but he was and still is good!

Having Jonny Duddle come in and talk to the Students was good as he got them to take the sketches, scan them into the computer and using either Photoshop or Painter, colour them in!

Various exercises, collage and negative space!

New Chapter

2011-05-24T12:31:00.000+01:00

The first page has been launched on Tumblr. http://cartoonandcomicarts.tumblr.com/

please go and have a look and pass some comments. Once again I will be printing some copies so if you want one get in touch.

Chapter 2 of Tempus Noble done

2011-05-23T17:30:00.000+01:00

It's been a long time since I posted the last blog and that because I've been on Holiday, had the Easter Break and generally been working hard writing feedback and marking students work. Some of it is of a very high standard. Well I've just finished off the next chapter for the Tempus Noble comic I've been doing so I'm going start to release that on hard copy or via the internet Tumblr site and see if I can get some comments. I've passed a few onto other comic artists such as Rob Cureton from "Orful Comics" and Pippa Rice who does "My Cardboard Life" if you haven't had a look at either of these, I can strongly recommend them.
Keep an eye open for teh coming blogs

Tempus Noble -Royal Wedding

2011-04-26T17:33:00.000+01:00

Well the first version of Tempus Noble has been circulated and some interesting feedback from the comic readers. There are still a few free ones, so if you want to have a look and comment drop me a line at beerade@gmail.com and I'll forward one to you and the understanding you get back to me with some feed back. I will be posting the comic book on the web when on the www.cartoonandcomicarts.tumblr.com website in the coming weeks so get across there and have a look!

To tell the truth about the first page, this was really a trial to see how the process works it was drawn in great detail on a A2 sheet then scanned in 2 parts.
In this I tried to do a comic page for a friend who is actually Tempus just to show him the idea, so from then on I was actually pinned to do a comic. Obviously the last time i did anything that even remotely resembled a comic I was probably 14 years old and at school, so this has bee a huge learning experience for me!
I attempted to do the writing myself, and that was one of the first criticisms about the comic, that the words were hard to read on there!

Obviously the woman who makes an appearance in the last panel of the first page is one of the main protagonist.

I'm sure the woman won't mind me using her as reference, especially as she has a copy of the comic.

I quickly learnt from the A2 incident and started to work at A3 size which gave me a bit of freedom. Some of the other criticism was about the introduction of the main character Tempus as there is a general lack of knowledge about him and who is his! To a certain extent this was sort of a little bit what i wanted, especially if you think of the opening scene fro "Raiders of the lost Ark!" where we aren't formally introduced to Indiana Jones, but then again he is in the thick of the action and maybe chapter 1 lacks this as I'm trying to evolve the plot.

Tempus Noble & the Royal Wedding

2011-04-14T17:24:00.000+01:00

After 4 weeks of staying out of trouble I've finally come up with my first comic strip based around a character I've been developing since Christmas on and off! I've tried to make the story a bit contemporary and this forced me to give myself a deadline and stick to it. In this case it was the Royal wedding!

I'll be handing out free copies of the comic in the base room to get some feedback. Also I might pop a few in the post to those a little to far away to get here.

I'll be posting the images on Tumblr in the coming weeks, I suppose by then I'll find out if there is enough interest or feedback to make Chapter 2!!

things to come

2011-04-12T13:57:00.001+01:00

Just a quick word to say I haven't done much blogging for the last couple of weeks as it's been head down to produce my first comic book since I was at school! Hopefully I'll get the first chapter done and published to show everyone and get some feedback, so watch this space!

Libya, Bahrain & Yeman, lets pick and choose who we help

2011-03-21T22:51:00.000Z

50 people shot by snipers in Yeman, Saudi Troops move into Bahrain to quell protesters and shots are heard ! So we're doing a good job at keeping Gaddafi's air force on the ground, not that there was much actually happening in the first place! What makes what happening in Libya different? Maybe it was Gaddafi's threat to go door to door and kill people who showed any defiance towards him! With Sarajevo still a reminder to everyone about what could happen when international opinion waivers it is probably the right response. But what about Yeman, where American has piled in money to help the government to fight Al Queada and the rich oil deals we have with Bahrain, should we be doing a little more to stop whats going on here!

Libya. Action Speaks louder than words

2011-03-20T18:15:00.000Z

Gadaffi on a crusie missle, one wonders how long it will take before he turns this to his advantage?

Libya, Gadaffi out manouvers the UN

2011-03-18T18:56:00.000Z

Better late than never!

Just heard the news about the No Fly Zone being set up by the United Nation and Gadaffi revealing the ceasefire! If there is ever one master of politics and diplomacy it is Gadaffi. He's made these new whipper snappers look like novices!

Image started at 6pm posted at 6.56

Libya what next! hopefully political satire!

2011-03-17T15:01:00.000Z

Political statement

While doing some research into characters for the Tempus Noble story, I began to feel a bit frustrated with what is happening in Libya. Now I'm not a political animal but I do find it absolutely amazing how suddenly no one has an opinion and is unwilling to do anything except talk. I'm sure I saw all this once in a Monty Python film! The other thing was the Con-Dem saying they wanted a No Fly Zone over Libya and in the same breathe saying they were axing 2 squadrons of Tornado fighters and cancelling and sacking all the new pilots being trained up at the moment. Am I the only who think we have been Con-Dem-med by this government with short sightedness in their attempt to help out all their banker mates, still collecting big bonuses in the City of London?

New Artwork

2011-03-08T15:53:00.000Z

Pop over to my tumblr account to view my latest artwork. This month I've stated a spy/detective series called Tempus Noble and the first page is available to view. Post a comment or just enjoy.

Ade

http://cartoonandcomicarts.tumblr.com/post/3722815690/after-some-time-ive-finally-got-down-to-producing

"Turf" Jonathan Ross & Tommy Lee Edwards

2011-03-04T12:03:00.032Z

"TURF"

Jonathan Ross the television and radio personality recently made his debut into comic writing with “TURF” from Image Comics. The actual publishing and acquiring copies of the comic have been very hard work because they aren’t regular, but I’m happy to say that Mark Millars Comic Anthology has managed to by pass this stage by serializing the comic in “CLiNT” The artwork has been illustrated by Tommy Lee Edwards who has adopted a distinct style to try and recapture the feeling of New York 1920’s where the action is set. It is at this point I must ask you to get a pen and paper ready to do a check list of the range of characters you will face in this miniseries.

“TURF” It is a mob/gangster story that weaves its way through the prohibition of the 1920 America. A gang war breaks out between the booze smuggling mobsters and the blood smuggling operation of the Dragonmir! (Yep tick off Vampires on that list!) There is unrest in the Dragonmir Empire and soon family rivalries break out and the realization that New York is up for grabs and vampires take on mobsters to gain over all control. The only glimmer of hope for New York and mankind is the unlikely alliance between Eddie Falco a mobster boss and general tough man, and a stranger on the run from another planet. (Yes tick off Aliens as well!) stick this altogether with a mix of booze bullets and broads and you know you’ve got a story that will appeal to every comic book fan!

Having just acquired a signed copy of number 4 in the series, the tension is starting to pile up as alliances are forged and broken and the prophecy of the Vampires is starting to be realised. Issue one was mainly dialogue based which made the pace rather pedestrian at times, but you quickly realised that this was to give you time to learn the characters and absorb the environment where the action was to happen. One clear thing that stands out from this series is, Jonathan Ross knows his Vampires and has a distinct feel for pace and drama. Maybe this comes from years of watching films, but this is definitely building up to a crescendo!.

From King Kong to Clash of the Titans. Ray Harryhausen talk at Stoke Your Fires

2011-03-03T22:12:00.002Z

From King Kong to Clash of the Titans

Thursday 3rd March I attended an excellent talk by Tony Dalton the Curator and friend of Ray Harryhausen. During his 1 1/2 hour talk he kept us all amused with stories and antidotes of the legendary animator, as well as giving a comprehensive lecture on the masters work. Now at the age of almost 91 and suffering with poor hearing, Tony now does the circuits on Ray behalf and I would say that he has nailed it down superbly!

The talk started with a brief history of Ray, from his earliest influences, such as King Kong. Apologies for the above video and the shaky hand cam, but this is Tony explaining that Ray didn't create Monsters, but instead he created creatures!

Rays earliest influence was when he saw King Kong and was struck in awe at how the special effects were done. He did a lot of research and brought some magazines to see if they knew, but they revealed that it was all really a man in a suit! Ray knew better and started a search to find Willis O'Brien.

It was obvious that there was never a man in the suit, regardless of what the magazines said and soon Ray met with Obie (Ray's name for his mentor) and took with him his Stegosaurus. Obie gave Ray some advice when seeing his prize winning model and told him to go and study anatomy, and understand about how the body works! Does that sound familiar to anyone?

Above is a picture of Obie working on some conceptual art work for one of his films (Evolution?) It wasn't long before Ray was recruited by Obie to help on the movie Might Joe Young. Here Ray learnt from Obie that he needed to be in with the picture from the beginning and not to let producers push him around and dictate shots etc.

Above is some concept art, drawn by Obie for The Might Joe Young. This was Rays first taste of working in the film industry and in fact he didn't get paid for it! He just got his petrol money paid!

The fact was that most of the animation done on Might Joe Young was done by Ray.

Ray fell for the big time when a small production company asked him to do the Special effects for the Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. This was made on a shoe string budget, but it made it's money back and more. The Japanese saw Rays film started to produce their own monster film, called Godzilla! only they did put a man in a suit to play the monster. So impressed were other companies that Ray was approached to work on other "Creature Films" Ray hesitated at first but when the suggestion of having a giant Octopus attack the Golden gate bridge this was too much. The film was made on a tighter budget than "The Beast" but Ray managed to save the company money by producing an Octopus with only 6 tentacles!

I suppose the greatest of Rays films was Jason & the Argonauts. Tony brought with him one of the stars of the film, one the skeletons brought back to life by the hydras teeth

Overall it was a great experience hearing about the master a seeing a few of his props. Tomorrow I'm hoping to go and view some of his conceptual drawings for his films that are on show in the Potteries Museum in Hanley Stoke-on-Trent.

One of Tony's excellent books on Ray Harryhausen. Other books are available.

Danger Diabolik

2011-03-02T14:29:00.001Z

Recently in "Total Film" they had an article that selects the mightiest comic-book movies. I've used their list and wrote my comments alongside and added a few extra things myself. Initially I wanted to do a long page with 20 of the films highlighted, but this was proving a formidable challenge, so I decided to break the series down into bite size chunks.

Danger Diabolik (1968) Mario Bava's 60's comic strip curio about a leather clad super criminal. Dynamic, Camp, Stylish.

I'll be honest I've never heard of this so had to look it up, why they couldn't put something like The Incredible Hulk in here I'll never know! They probably liked the Ang Lee one, though the 2nd one was better with Ed Norton, but to me and everyone else it looked like 2 films glued together. One with a moody action packed chase in the darkest depths of South America and the other a great big monster film with 2 creatures beating one another up! Anyway I digress...

"IMDb" Quotes "Fey super-thief Diabolik runs around stealing jewels, gold, murdering innocent people, and being a nuisance to the government of a generic European country. "

From what I found out about the Diabolik, it is based on the Fantômas (France, 1913) and retells the exploits of a sadistic masked criminal. Originally written by Marcell Allain and Pierre Souvestre in 1892, these tales became a series of novels that have been adapted as films, a television series, and comic books.

In 1962, the Fantômas character was recreated in Italy as Diabolik, in a digest-sized comic book that’s still allegedly reprinted and sold at Italian news stands today. The comic is famed for it's adult themes and lurid depiction of violence and sex. The main character is a the Lycra-masked Diabolik, abetted by his lover Eva Kant, as the ultimate master criminal, ripping off the law and other lawbreakers with equal aplomb.

One can't help to think that these characters were to become the start of the anti hero which is now gripping hold of the nation. If you think of "Dexter" a TV series that makes you feel for a serial killer, or "True Blood" based on a more romantic version of Vampires, we have seen this pour into our comic stands with the likes of Mark Millers "Nemesis" or Garth Ennis "The Pro" or "The Boys!"

Stoke Your Fires, Oscar winners and animators!

2011-02-28T21:50:00.001Z

Oscar Winners and top world animators come to Stoke-on-Trent

Just a quick word about the Stoke Your Fires Animation festival this week which will have some of the most influential people in the current world of Special Effects and CGI.

One of the talks I'm interested in attending is on Wednesday 2nd March 3.30pm is by Double Negative, the Oscar nominated Special Effects company who recently won the Oscar for best Special Effects for the film "Inception" Other Films include the Batman Film "The Dark Knight" and Simon Pegg and Nick Frost latest outing "Paul"

Other people talking is an old favourite of Staffordshire University, Barry Purves. Barry recently delivered a master class at the university talking about his part on the Peter Jackson remake "King Kong" Barry played a major part in the now infamous scene of Kong fighting the T-Rex tag team. This time Barry is going back to his roots and has asked some of the students to help in the realisation of his new project based on the orchestra.

Other people who are giving a talk are from Britain's biggest animation studio Aardman. Tim Allen Model Animator gives a talk on the Friday along with the Aardmans CGI department Andy Lavery and Matthew Rees.

Also on the Thursday Tony Dalton the Curator and writer of one of the worlds best loved stop motion animator Ray Harryhausen. Also at the event is some of Rays drawn work some of which can be seen in Tony Daltons books.

Comics and Film Why?

2011-02-17T16:00:00.002Z

Comic Book Heros and Film?

A match made in Heaven

Why do so many films being made nowadays use established comic heroes stories? One view is that the stories are more rounded and complete and everyone likes an origin story. We all know Peter Parker gets bit by a radio active spider, we're all aware that Bruce Wayne witnesses the death of his mother and father. So these are stories ready made to be consummed by the public. Is this true though? Can we be that trusting of the Hollywood money making machine? I think a more acurate take on why Comic book heroes are turned into films is a lot more synical! Money. Comic books have done all the hard work for Hollywood, they have already established a fan base which Hollywood count on to support the film, they also have the advertising all tied up as well, all you have to do is by the next issue of Spiderman etc and they know they have a captive audience who if they pay £3 a month for an issue will surely pay £8 for the pleasure of seeing their hero coming to life.

Tumblr website up and running

2011-02-11T12:10:00.000Z

I'm just currently adding a bit of content to the new Tumblr website which will main host a lot of the art work for people to view and comment on. Have a look a

http://cartoonandcomicarts.tumblr.com/

Monsters Review

2011-02-09T16:13:00.000Z

MONSTERS

the changing tide of feature films in the UK?...

Discuss

I recently went to the Stoke Film Theatre along College Road to view "Monsters" Not really knowing to much about it I happened to update my status on Facebook to ask people what they thought of it. I went and I must admit though it wasn't what I expected, I did enjoy the film! I was surprised though by the number of people who ripped into it for various reason and it is because of this I actually did some research, and thought I'd write a little bit of a Review. It is by no means suppose to be a definitive account of the film, but hopefully it will high light some areas where students graduating from Art Colleges and schools up and down the breadth of Britain may choose to seek employment. The first thing that it is worth to mention is that it was made on a budget. Wikipedia states $15,000 was spent on the filming equipmet with the overall cost being under $500,000, nothing as much as the giant movie makers work too! Lets put it this way James Cameron would only be able to shoot one scene of Avatar on this budget.

Gareth Edwards the British born director of the film quiet happily confesses in SFX Magazine #203 "Monsters" definitely wouldn't have been bigger and better with an additional $300 million to spend" The other great thing about the film was the size of the crew and cast, with only 2 paid actors on the books the rest of the extras were locals of Belize, Guatemala Costa Rica and in Texas USA.

The special effects were also added by the director Gareth Edwards back in the UK using nothing more than an above average PC and software that we are all familiar with...
"It was mainly all Adobe. So it was edited on Premiere, the visual effects were all composited on After Effects, and most of it was painted using Photoshop. But for the 3D, which is mainly the creature stuff, I mainly used 3DS Max." ScifiNow Nov 2010

So as I said at the start it wasn't a big review about evolving characters arches etc, it was more to point out what is happening in the world of entertainment and possible areas where you might want to get jobs in .

Comics & Graphic Novels & Literature I've Read or reading

2011-02-08T13:35:00.000Z

I was recently recommended by some one (Bunny Panda) on the blog to look at "Y the Last Man" I really enjoyed the concept of the idea in this book, a disease as wiped out all the men in the world with the exception of Yorrick! We are lead to believe that the Y stands for the "Y" Chromosome the genetic make up of mankind, but it also could stand for "Yorrick!" as well! I was struggling to remember if there might be some cross over with the Shakespearean Character of the same name, but seeing as he died lets hope not! It looks as if every male creature in the world has died out with the exception of Yorrick and his pet monkey Ampersand. So a lone man in a world full of women, so like a potential dream, but not in the hands of Brian K.Vaughan. I liked it and will be looking out for the other books in the series!
Currently on the bedside cabinet is Jamie Hewletts "Tank Girl" I picked this up just because of the cartoonist Jamie Hewlett and hie impact on British Culture. I think that this is probably the closest think in style that crosses the bridge between Manga Art and British cartoon drawing. Hewlett know also for "Gorillaz" also did the animation for the BBC China Olympics Promos. Taking an old character "Monkey" and reinventing him in his unique style!

SCOTT McCLOUD

When I first took up the challenge of doing a cartoon and comics course, the one name everyone shouted at me was Scott McCloud! If you are serious in doing anything creative with comics there are 2 gods who you must read. The other is Will Eisner who I hope to write a bit on in future blogs. Scot has produced 3 outstanding books the first "Understanding Comics The Invisible Art" is an insight into comics that many of us have never thought possible. The way images are drawn and perceived, he explains in depth how the panels work to help to portray the passage of time, and probably the most important element is the bit the reader never sees, the space in between the panel!

Above is the "Making Comics. Storytelling Secrets of Comic, Manga and Graphic Novels"

His other book is

"Reinventing Comics. How to imagination and Technology are revolutionizing an Art Form"

Storyboarding Concepts to design

2011-02-02T12:41:00.000Z

This is just a quick outline of a project that was brought to me late on last week where a small crew wanted some one to knock up quick story boards to help them tell their story. From the initial out line with the director/producer these were her ideas.

Above is the quick sketches that the director brought after she had scribbled them down in her note book, I scanned them in to my computer to act as a starting point.

Above is my attempt at panel 3 of from the sketch book. In the first panel there is a dog, that we both felt is under used after the initial scene, but we both wanted it to make more of an appearance all the way through the production.

I liked what the director was doing with the final scene above, with the introduction of the Fox Character by silhouette. Below is my interpretation of that scene

The final scene needed to have a punch line after the Badger had repossessed all the items from the man, and I tried to copy an earlier scene where the Man having acquired all his goods with the money, is setting about plugging in his new TV. Obviously the joke is here that there is no power points in the forest!

2011-02-01T16:25:00.001Z

Results out for the Stoke Your Fires animation festival competition and I'm happy to say that one of Staffordshire Universitiy' sup and coming starts Chris Hazeldine has managed to get short listed with his minor 3rd Year film The Song of the Damned. The film was also shown to the Producers of "The Pogues" and Warner Brothers to get the use of the music ok'd. There were impressed and agreed to allow Chris to use their music "The Turkish Song of the Damned" as the films music. Well done Chris. A Full list of short listed films can be found on the "Stoke Your Fires" Website

Best ‘Made in the Midlands’

1984 - Rob Pointon, United Kingdom
Keep The Flags Flying - Adam Georgiou, United Kingdom
The Song of the Damned - Christopher Hazeldine, UK
Diglake - Christopher Butler, UK
The Demonic Furby - Robert Markland, UK
Run - Anderson West, UK

http://www.stokeyourfires.co.uk/news/awards-shortlist-announced/

Aardman Ads

2011-02-01T16:11:00.000Z

I've just been tweeted by Aardman Ads with an opportunity for up and comming artists and designers of comic characters.

AardmanAds Aardman Ads

by cartoonandcomic

looking for character designers who do Marvel/DC comic style illustrations for an exciting new pitch. send links to anna.harding@aardman.com

An Audience with Andy Serkis

2011-01-26T12:43:00.000Z

If you're interested in Motion Capture, I was lucky last year to be able to attend an Audience with Andy Serkis at teh Bristol Brief Encounters Festival. And kept us all entertained with his vision of where motion performance in now and where it might be in a few years.
Here is the link, there are some insightful comments and questions put forward by teh audience and you might recongnise one of the voices as yours truely.
Enjoy
http://www.dshed.net/bafta-presents-andy-serkis

Comic Heroes Magazine

2011-01-23T19:01:00.001Z

For those interested in All things cartoon and comics and cartoon and their associated worlds (Such as TV & Film) I would recommend Comic Heroes magazine. It is initially once every 4 months but there is talk to it going Bi monthly!! This month it looks at the 4th book in the Alan Moore series of League of Extraordinary Gentleman which is based in the 1960's! It features all the old favourites from Allan Quatermain (rejuvenated from the fountain of Youth) to Mina Harker (Count Dracula's first victim!) It also bring you up to date on the other books in the series.

Above is an image from the new League book which I love. Seeing as it is based in the 1960's they have been very clever with some of the iconology in there! Panel 1 starts it off with clear reference to "Steptoe & Son" and is that Hitler alongside? And is that Alfred Hitchcock making a guest star appearance? Panel 4 has a subtle reference to "Monty Pythons Flying Circus" because I swear that is the "Ministry of Silly walks!" so there is some thing for everyone hidden inside these images and you've probably seen a few more than I mentioned!!

Paul Gravett writes an excellent piece on the double life of Moebuis and Jean Giruad the two sides of one of France's most brilliant geniuses

Britain's Forgotten Heroes by Lew Stringer had me saying out loud, I remember them etc as well who?

21 Years before Bob Kane put pen to paper and created Batman, there was another caped crusader "Batsowl!" appeared in Illustrated Chips in 1918. By day this British hero was meek Desmond Devance, 20th Earl of Batsowl, and by night he became a masked being who flew with huge bat wings that folded into a cape.

Strange but True! Anyway go out and buy and more importantly....Enjoy

2011-01-14T12:37:00.000Z

The story continues, just to get to grips with doing a few cartoon strips and developing a strip. I still haven't officially named the characters yet, but I'm sure about how they will develop and interact with one another in the next few coming pages. I was trying to give the appearance of claustrophobia in these few panels, using tight shots to make it look as if the characters were on top of everyone. (Click on the image for a bigger view by the way!) I really started to like how the 2 images played off against one another in the final panel, white against black, I should really go in there and start to darken the character, make it look as if she is appearing from the shadow too!

This is one of the best 2 page strips I've done to date. I think the dark black is really working and more important is I'm getting slightly better at the cross hatching, things are starting to come a live by adding a bit more detail in the background , so I'm happy with this.

New Year.. New Ideas

2011-01-10T22:24:00.001Z

A New Year has started an I've been sitting at home filling up sketch books left right and centre!

Above is an image I sketched a little off the back of "Primeval" the ITV series. I wanted to do something similar but I was calling it "Time Holes" and it is basically a story of all these strange creatures that you've all heard of, from the Loch Ness Monster to Big Foot & the Yeti, how come they keep getting reported and yet no one has ever managed to capture one. This is one of the ideas that they may have come through a time hole and then escape back into them.

Above is some rough sketches I did for the Loch Ness Monster and how they were going to try and capture it!

The cast is made up of a young woman who is a zoologist, a Doctor type character who is the brains and a military guy (mercenary) whose is the unknown, we don't really know whose side this character is on as he is in the employment of the mad bad character whose aim is to create a zoo in which these creature will reside.

I know it is a bit of a rip off, but sometimes you've got to just start to do something to get your creative juices flowing and also give me a bit of practice, drawing and in layout. I'm basically experimenting in public here. The one things I don't actually like is the use of boxes in which you have to work, so I seem to spend most of my time reverse engineering the boxes as I'd rather draw the image unhindered by space. I suppose if this was in the real world, I'd draw free hand and then scan the image and scale it down to fit into a box!

Stoke Your Fires

2010-12-06T15:48:00.004Z

We've just had a visit from Stoke Your Fires Animation Festival Who pitched their event at the end of Feb beginning of March next year. They also spoke about the possibilities of getting some Graphic Illustrators in to perform some workshops. Hopefully I wanted these to be based on drawing skills and possibly visualising the narrative. The poster above is a new one and shows the new hand in is 24th December now for short animated films, but there is also an option of entering the 48 hour film competition which I think would be excellent for animators to help them build up their speed while animating, it will stop them being to precious over the design and an over long and complicated storyline, Simple is smart!!

Paul Wells from Loughborourgh Animation Academy also did a talk at the event. I've already written a short bit on him at the Bristol Encounters and will probably expand on what he has said in future posts as I do believe in what he says about script writing and how, especially animation students don't actually understand the format that they are using. Anyway I'll leave that for the future

To get us back on track of cartoon and comics and a possible area that students over look as an area where they may actually break into the industry is story boarding. Above Curtis Jobling one of the lead storyboard artist for Bob the Builder scribbles a character down at last years Stoke Your Fire Event.

Last year saw an increase in Stop Motion Films being plugged as Coarline and the Fantastic Mr Fox were released. Above one of the lead model makers from Coraline. Below are 2 legends of British Animation Brian Cosgrove and Mark Hall, to show my age again, they brought us Chorlton and the Wheelies and Dangermouse to name a few.

Finally the Event will take place in the Hanley Museum and also the "Air space" Art gallery. Last year Stop Motion Students puppets were exhibited at the event

The Spanish Invasion

I'm also happy to say that mark Webster from the Arts and Culture part of the university is introducing me to Nacho Casanova (http://nachocasanova.blogspot.com/) a Spanish illustrator along with Nacho is Rosa Martí (http://www.edicionesglenat.es/) and Peri (published novelist and writer of children’s books) and his partner all of whom I'm hoping can help out on the content of Cartoon & Comic Arts Award and also build some international ties with!! So the new award is going from strength to strength and hopefully will soon have some international recognition as well.

The scribbles of a mad man

2010-11-30T22:03:00.000Z

While being away for the last couple of weeks I've taken my sketch pad with me and I've been frantically drawing away and I thought I'd post some of the stuff up on line and write the ideas behind the concepts.

When I popped down Forbidden Planet in Bristol I was surprised to see Wacky Racers and I ended up thinking to myself, "Now there is an Animation due to a make over, after all they made a live action Flinstones!" OK maybe not the best choice as an example but I'm sure you get the idea!
Dick Dastardly was the main protagonist and he reminded me a lot of Graham Hill or Leslie Philips in appearance at least! I also thought about his car and thought that must be due an update as well!

Another idea basically lifted from Jonah Hex, I brought the Blue Ray disc to watch, while it wasn't a half bad film it did lack a little punch and the main characters flaws weren't really given the air time they needed. The main character is a mercenary, a hired killer not a nice bloke who basically confronts death and realises that he's heading for a nasty place when he dies. He tries to change his life, but he is what he is, a murderer and hired killer. The film doesn't really pick up that these are the skills that God has given him and there is more than one way to be redeemed, by using these skills for good.... as good as killing gets! Anyway, rant over, but in one scene he gets crucified and what really struck me was the look of the human figure hanging there, how do you draw weight in a character, I know a bit morbid and yes my feet have fallen off the bottom of the page!

I was recently on line seeing what Mark Millar of Kick Ass fame was doing, and he's running a new comic called "Clint" (Yes as in Eastwood!) But one of the things he's offering is for everyday folks to have a 4 page spread included in the Mag! The theme this week was based loosely on "The Twilight Zone" (This is where I start to feel old) as I remember these. There were one off stories not interconnected in anyway where something paranormal would happen! I was watching "Primeval" where all these dinosaurs come in from these parallel universes, and there was an hint that this may have happened a hundred times through out mankind's existence and this is what things like the Loch Ness Monster are and why we can't find them, same with the Yeti and Big Foot!

This is a quick comic strip I knocked up, I had a new pen that draws excellent lines and you can quickly colour in big areas in pure black. I'll write a bit more about that characters in time as I've got an urge to go and drink beer!

Interest in the New Cartoon & Comic Arts Award

2010-11-26T09:04:00.000Z

I've just come back from London where we went to pitch and recruit people for the Cartoon & Comic Arts at Staffs University. I'm happy to say that after a slow start there were actually people there who had done a bit of research and found the award and asked some interesting questions about the award! I'm off to Manchester Monday 29th November - Tuesday 30th November for the UCAS fair there! This is the main recruiting area for the university so I'm hoping the award will take off there, though I need to get a bit more of a presence on the internet and website!
I'd just like to write a few notes down that I took about script writing that applies to both Animation and Comics, as these 2 forms of media do share a common form. Paul Wells delivered an excellent lecture that though brief was very insightful.
The main problem that scriptwriters seem to forget is the fact that there are writing for a medium that has some many possibilities, so why animated a man walking into a room and talking when there are some many other possibilities. Our art form allows us to travel in time! We can control how fast things happen! We create incredible and impossible characters (though they need to be rooted in reality so we can relate to them!) Symbols can represent the invisible, think of a wind or a force field. An arrow on a map can represent a marching army. Our art form allows us to penetrate the impossible, to see the internal workings of the human body or view the smallest microscopic element or the largest and most incredible construction ever. Some time people forget these basic principles and fall into a indifferent story. So bare this in mind when designing characters in future and what they do!

John Charles Ill

2010-11-22T22:20:00.000Z

I've been informed today that John Charles will not be able to come in to the university this Friday due to illness. I can only hope he has a speedy recovery and wish him all the best. Hopefully we will arrange this for next semester.
Get Well Soon

Andy Serkis talk

2010-11-19T19:35:00.008Z

Here I am blogging live from the andy serkis blog. Peter Lord is in the building along with a few members from the Aardman CGI department.

I had a great time in Bristol and it was great to catch up and talk to some old friends about what they are doing.
Above is a picture Peter Lord drew for me while we were propping up a Sailor Jacks Rum Bar. The one thing I always remembered about the Bristol event is how much alcohol flows freely and I mean freely. The first time I met Peter he had just finished shooting Chicken Run and he was planning his next feature film that was the Hare and the Tortoise. Unfortunatley this never happened and Flushed Away was made in the USA. Anyway this is one of the characters from Aardmans new film Pirates to be realesed sometime next year. Quiet a few ex students are working on it so fingers crossed for it being a success.

While in Bristol I caught up with Jon Lendrum from Aardman modelling department and here I am with some of the goods. Recently Dave Sproxton from Aardman came and did a talk on the making of the Ware Rabbit. I'd actually saw he do a similar talk at the IBC Conferance in Amsterdam a few years earlier when there was a buzz about it's realease! Jon is above with my Collegue Laura Weston.

I also attended the Andy Serkis talk on Motion Capture, Sorry, Performance Capture! I managed to get a talk with Andy and asked him if there was ever a conversation during the filming of Kong where they thought about putting a Gorilla into a motion capture suit.
"Know Peter (Jackson) I'd be surprised if there wasn't! After all you put dogs in motion capture suits! But I don't think you would have gotten the performance with the emotional archs with a real Gorilla!"

Andy has set up his own motion capture studio to help games companies to employ actors who can use motion capture.

Bristol the saga so far

2010-11-18T14:44:00.000Z

just to bring you up to speed, we arrived in bristol with out much to report, though I few people got side lined because of ticket problems... We all got here in one piece. Result! Unfortunately yha didn't have list of staff and we were initially put in with students. After much disagrements between staff n students the problem was resolved and we headed off to our first function and first party. Meet up once more with Peter Lord straight from the set of Aardman feature film Pirate. I need post up some of his artwork once I'm back in the office. Met with jamie. Typing this from iPod hence the spelling mistakes.

Leaving for Bristol

2010-11-17T10:15:00.000Z

As we speak I'm just getting ready to head of to Bristol in teh pouring rain. I'm Armed with my trusty pencil case and a new A5 Sketch pad and a rolled up copy of SFX for the train journey. Already we've been networking and been invited to several after festival drinks....sorry networking dos! I'm going try and keep this blog up to date while at the festival to see if it is possible to blog on the go, so wish me luck. Hopefully I'll post something when we get there!

Missing FMX 2011

2010-11-15T15:51:00.002Z

One of the things I'm going to miss next year is teh FMX festival in Stuttgart! Over the last few years I've gone in my capacity as an Award leader for CGI, but now with me taking on the new Cartoon & Comic Arts Award I'll have to aim for more comic based conventions... San Diego... If you're going do comic conventions you might as well do it right! But I'll still miss that little bit of geekishness, finding out how the special effects have been done etc Whats coming next, having access to free movies Sigh!

Anyway, while at FMX I broke away from the normal party.... I think there was something going on about steroscopics or something, and found myself walking around a small exhibition of German students work. I decided to take out my camera and shoot some stuff which has until today lay hidden somewhere in MyPicture Document folder on the laptop. I got a bit inspired by these images and felt a bit sorry as a lot of teh people there just ignored them as they weren't moving, jumping around, produced in sterosopic etc ! But I thought I'd post them and discuss what I liked about them!

Cover design for a comic book, Film Nior Detective story. I never thought students looked to close at this stuff and the visual impact it can have. The reason why I'm saying this is because I knew at 20 I didn't really look at this stuff and it's only later on when you've travelled a bit and seen something of the world that you try and find something new and different!

What Pre visualisation display would be complete with out the obligatory Steam Punk Robot?!! THough this isn't the best one by miles, it does demonstrate a bit of thought as gone into the composition and character. I sometime think that the character is in the detail. I like the chiminey, some thought has gone into how the character would be powered! So often stuff like this is missed out....till someone does it and then it appears everywhere. I often say that in the remake of Godzilla, one of the best bits it where the monsters tail smashes into the windows after it has long since departed from the shot. Simple, effective, beautiful!

Colour. If Supermans weakness is Krytonite, mine is colour. This image is blue! So many shades of blue it's impossible to understand, but it works, and the areas where it isn't blue are subtle enough that they actually stand out and draw your eye into the shot!

This image above got me thinking. What came first the picture or the quote..."I said ... I think you know my Father!" It tells a story, something I feel is actually lost when students produce portfolio's. Nothing ... well hardly anything makes me ask, how did we get here or what happens next in the picture, there is no sense of character and no story being told.

Another area that cartoon and comic arts is looking into is storyboards. Once again strong colours but probably more importantly dramatic shots and great composition. Is it possible to teach someone this?

Cartoons, characters. I love the style this is finished in, the black and how the shadow morphs. A character with the weight of the world on his shoulders... or is it just washington DC?

I don't know if you can actually make this out as it is a bad photograph and I'll take full responsibility for it! But this once again comes down to storytelling. It is a character crouching down behind a metal truck, two guns loaded as he's being shot at! Something like this makes me want to know about the character. How did he get into this situation and how does he get out of it?

So just finally, here is the stand at last years FMX festival.

Getting Ready for Bristol Animated Encounters

2010-11-15T14:57:00.002Z

I've included the link to the web page below.

Only a couple of days left till we depart to the Animated Encounters Festival in Bristol. As you may know Bristol is one of the main areas in the UK for the Animation industry and after a recent email from a collegue, it looks as if the BBC might also have it ear marked for their new animation department as well! Apparently London is getting to expensive so they are looking for somewhere outside of it to make an impression. Bristol was one of those places mentioned along with Manchester! So some good news for animators!!

Above Jamie Bakewell & Kolin Humphreys

While at the event, we are hoping to meet up with a range of ex students from the university who have made it big in the animation industry from Jon Lendrum (Model Maker!) Jamie Bakewell (CGI-PreVis) Artist, Kol Humphreys (was freelance 2D Flash designer but now on contract) to Liam Wardle (Space Cadet!) No I joke, he's working at the British Space Agency (Yes there is one) PreVis and concept designer in 3d. (Now how cool is that!!)

Liam Wardle at FMX

http://www.encounters-festival.org.uk/babelgum-player/animated-encounters-2010.html

Walking Dead

2010-11-13T08:55:00.000Z

Another one of the best Graphic Novel is Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore which I started reading over the summer and tells the story of a group of people who are trying to stay alive in Zombie run land. Its quiet political as peoples allegiances change and it focuses on the group of other survivors along the way and how their attitude may differ from the groups!

It's recently been made into a TV show being aired on FX & FXHD (For posh people!) and so far it looks very good! Friday 10.00pm watch it if you can!

One of the best thing about the Graphic novel is that it has great Black and white illustrations and have not sub come to the bright and colourful style of a lot of its contemporaries. It relies on the story as the main selling point, but the style is excellent!

Today is also an open day at the university so hopefully there will be some potential students to show around and talk to!

John Charles to Visit Staffs University

2010-11-12T12:36:00.000Z

Just a Quick note that John Charles graphic cartoonist/illustrator is coming to Staffordshire University Friday 26th November 12.00 in the film theatre. Many thanks to Mark Garner for setting this up.

Reading Material at the moment

2010-11-12T12:26:00.000Z

Just thought I'd write a little bit about what I've been reading at the moment. As far as Graphic Novels go, a big thank you to Chris Hazeldine who introduced me to Garth Ennis and the Peacher series. It's about a Priest from a small Texas town who's basically lost his faith and who is now the in possession of the ultimate being made up of evil and good and so powerful even God is a bit wary of him! Along the way Jesse the Preacher meets up with Casidy an Irish Vampire...Is this ticking all the boxes yet, if not, there is a hot blonde, a religious cult, the saint of killers just to keep you topped up!

Off the back of this, enjoying Garth Ennis sense of humour there is The Boys. This is basically a group of CIA backed people who police the Super heroes. Excellent read and one of the characters Hughie who bears an uncanny resemblance to Simon Pegg!

Cartoons

2010-11-11T15:04:00.000Z

This is my attempt to try and get an image up on the site....

Excellent, I've managed to get a comic page up on line! This image is my attempt at doing a Zombie comic book, especially off teh success of the Walking Dead Series that's appearing now on FX Channel Friday nights. THe image is actually drawn on an A3 sheet and inked in using a combination of Ink and fine liner, (Laura would love that!!)

Starting Out

2010-11-11T14:47:00.000Z

This is the first Blog for the new Cartoon and Comic Arts Awards at Staffordshire University.