I'm planning on getting a few pages of JITB ready for Birmingham, to go with my character sketches and script synopsis. It will form part of my 'assault' together with LOTCH :)

This is page 2. It's a different way of working to LOTCH, as that was more in the style of animated cartoons, with outlines, areas of flat colour, and black areas used only where black was the colour. This is more traditional, with black forming both shadows and tone. I'm actually a bit slower with my output atm, as I get back into drawing this way.

Great fun though, doing the dark and gritty thing again!

Had a good life class today...first one in a while. I really need to do it more regularly.

Still, showed Jimmy Johns my comics stuff today (Chickenheads and Jack in Box) and was chuffed when he told me that my figure drawing had come a long way. He's the sort of guy who calls a spade a spade, and he's been quite critical of it in the past, so I know he meant it. Let's just hope the 3 companies I've sent LOTCH to feel the same :)

Jimmy also mentioned that perhaps I should get an agent....to get some illustration work off the back of my comics. Funnily enough I bought the Artist's Yearbook 2008/9 last week, so am geared up for such a push.

Lastly, here's a couple of galleries of my latest comics stuff:

Chickenheads.

Jack in the Box.

Back in May, during the Bristol Comics Expo, I chatted with my ex-tutor, a certain David lloyd, and he said he still remembered a story of mine called 'Jack In The Box'...from way back in 1989!!!

I was incredibly flattered, but also a bit gutted, as it IS the sort of wholly original idea that would stick in someone's mind...and I stupidly abandoned it in my 'losing heart' phase.

Anyway, since then (well since going to Paris in June) I've been mulling JITB over in my head, and have come up with what I believe to be a much better take on the core idea. I've had the characters (old and new) in my imagination for months, so have quickly sketched their portraits out, soon to be followed by full body shots.

Then I'll write a synopsis to pave the way for the script. Something else to hawk around the Birmingham Expo :)

'Last of the Chickenheads' has fled the coop.

This morning I sent it to 2000ad, Dark Horse Comics, and Platinum Studios, they of 'the Comic Book Challenge'.

That's 7 month's work sent off into the wild. And that's where my work on LOTCH ends...for now. Obviously I'll promote it at the Birmingham convention in October, but there'll be no more drawing of samurai chickens until I get some feedback.

My next move though....I want to start planning 'Jack in the Box' as I'm bursting with ideas. Character sketches first, then plot. But then again, perhaps I should start sending off 6 pages of sample art a month to 2000ad etc again? It's a tricky one, but for now I'll just start doodling again.