December 07, 2013

Yogscast Simon DLC

The UKs most watched Youtube channel; The Yogscast are doing a charity drive this month in aid of Special Effect, a UK based charity that specialises in providing support for gamers who aren't as able-bodied.

A really cool part of this drive is a piece of Downloadable content for SONIC & ALL STARS RACING TRANSFORMED for PC(a game I highly recommend)that puts Yogscast favourite - Simon Lane, right into the game as a playable character. It's extra cool because I've been working with Studio Flashback on the videogame Yogscast And The Mystical Dream Tower and for the charity character they have used our design. Think I speak for everyone at Flashback that helped to design the characters- we're chuffed to have added in some small way to a piece of special content going towards an amazing cause.


Small World

Out of all the 'timewasting' websites and social media you can expose yourself to nowadays, there is one I feel is more useful than many give it credit.

Twitter!

It's not just food pictures and self-indulgence, far from it!
As a creative, Twitter is the ultimate source of inspiration, advice and promotion.

Ever since I joined twitter, the working comic professionals on there have been nothing but helpful and supportive. I've been able to talk at length with them about every intimate detail of pitching your own comic to the daily life you can expect if you're successful. Simply by tweeting them to ask. They're open and honest and always willing to share the information you might of thought was a 'secret'. I can't recommend it enough for networking with those who have earned a seat in the halls you're aiming for.

As a teenager I felt like Northern Ireland was a dead end for comics and it wasn't until I joined twitter a few years ago that I realised we actually have so many talented working professionals here and even more down South. Not only are there so many, I also quickly learnt they're not out for blood; they actually want to help each other succeed.

So thanks to Twitter, not just a waste of time!

June 08, 2013

Magpie'd



So since deciding I was going to do a Magpie comic(which I'm starting work on in the latter half of 2013)I've been tweaking and developing the character design alongside brainstorming the script. It's been a very on and off thing, in between all of the work dividing my attention right now but it's also been pretty fun! My Magpie design was always one I was pretty happy with and is certainly my most popular character on DeviantArt so it's been a new kind of experience to try to evolve the design, given I've already had some people voice opposition at certain design tweaks I wanted to make(over the top eye-goggles seem to be a design feature I really shouldn't change.)

It's been really interesting too because I've found myself needing to make some edits because the design must now be informed by the narrative. Example! I did a redesign a little while back that I was going to try to stick to- one of the new additions to this redesign was a much more sporty-shoe heel to her boots. The idea was that her costume should be althletic and not get in the way of her momentum and freedom when moving- something I'd established early on would be a definite aspect to how I would show the character in action. As I started to develop the various scenarios in the script I was left with a pretty common problem of the character needing to get from her house to Lisburn, or Belfast or any place that you'd basically need a car to get to. This was when I introduced Roller-blades to the character which quickly became one of my favourite things about the visual element to the design- the action scenes and abilities the roller-blades give her in the script will be a really awesome and unique aspect to the book when I get to drawing it. I'm looking forward to that!

-Adam


April 19, 2013

So I promised myself I'd pitch something in '13


I'm going to be using everything I've learnt and hopefully with any luck create and pitch the best child-friendly adventure comic I can manage. It'll be a busy few months spending all the free time I have on it(I may be more of a hermit than usual!)I'll continue to do Felicity every Monday and Scoundrels will still see my contribution, not to mention there are a few freelance commitments I've already signed on for but aside from that! It's straight down the line to develop this idea and getting it out there.


Why a Child-friendly book?
I've never been especially interested in hyper gore, or zombies and horror and that's mostly all I see in comics. And for kids? There really isn't much of the same substance and meaning as there is to be found across the board in all other kids media. There are some truly fantastic cartoon shows and television shows that have proven appeal to all ages, even though they're made for kids. I don't see that so much in kids comics. Can I try to change that?


Sometimes, especially with kids comics, I feel like a comic book is limited to the genre- it's not as grand or epic and sprawling as a good kids book, or a good movie. I know it exists, so I know it's possible- I just don't understand why there aren't more of them. Can it be possible for a comic book to be as imaginative and captivating as other mediums? Can it be possible for a comic book to transcend all age brackets and just tell a great story?


I'm going to try to find out if I can answer that, that's the goal at least. I'll aim high and hopefully where ever the arrow pierces- will be a worthwhile read.

-Adam

April 14, 2013

Thumbnailin'

Think it might be fun to come back to this and add in edits and line work as it all develops to finished work. For now here's the first pass thumbs and second pass thumbs!



March 12, 2013

New Project - Concepts




I've been working on a Zelda-inspired project called 'The Journey' for quite a while and despite putting a lid on the story and design, I had decided I would shelve it for now, mostly because I couldn't meet my ambition for it just yet.

In the months since I saw the show Avatar - The Last Airbender which fell so perfectly in line with the worlds I had imagined for 'The Journey'. Some of that inspiration prompted me to expand on what I already had on the table and it has birthed a few ideas- one of which is playing with the notion of side-stories that might connect in some way with my eventual plans for 'The Journey'.
Additionally, one of my oldest projects and first ever world-building attempt was a story called 'Broken Falcon' which starred a bird-race who were driven to the edge of extinction by a powerful modern enemy. The designs above are the bringing-together of those two ideas into a new short story.

Early days an'dat.
This will be realized, whenever I can, as a short comic. I still don't feel ready to do 'The Journey' justice but I need to scratch my itch for a Zelda tribute and if I can nod my hat to the excellence found in Avatar - The Last Airbender all at the same time, then it'll be for better!

-Adam

March 03, 2013

Small Steps!


I find myself someone who nearly always focuses on all of my failings before any success. I don't think of myself as pessimistic but never an optimist either! At any rate, what matters in this journey more than anything is to remember the small victories. That's why I'll be making record of any I make along the way so I can look back when I feel glum!

First of which this year is a small feature on Crisp Comics which tries its best to share indie and creator owned comics with the world, I was chuffed to be asked if they could feature Felicity and I know it's not exactly TIME magazine but it feels really nice to know there's a reader who cared enough to think of featuring it.

It's right here!


-Adam

February 25, 2013

Doodle Dump Numero 7












All manner of doodles from the last little while.

-Adam!

February 21, 2013

Evolution


Just a visual record of some of the old 99 work to current, New Adventures style(Right click and Open in new tab if you want a closer look at the top one!)

-Adam

January 21, 2013

Start!





The first three pages of New Adventures, in case blogger folk have missed them.
There's new pages every Monday!

-Adam

January 18, 2013

Cartooning!


Taking what we see and stripping it to its core.


One thing that I hear a lot is that cartoons are easy to draw.
It's a really interesting point of view because they are deceptively simple in appearance but study it for any length of time and you open up a deep well of secrets that wind on and on forever after. It's something I wanted to blog about as I've got some experience with it now. Before that though- wanted to blab a little about how much cartoons and comics mean to me.

In my short lifetime (I'm 25), I've often experienced people who look down their noses at Cartoons. I had a primary school teacher who would make fun of me because I wanted to be a cartoonist. His mocking taunts still stick with me, not as a reminder of failure but as fuel for the fire of success.

Some though, some that one would expect to be more informed, go even further, dismissing cartoons as some sort of juvenile form of art adding the same distaste towards Comics or Animation- two fields of creativity that are already looked down on and never given their full due credit.

Truth is, for me- cartooning is much more difficult than any other form of art I've explored and as extension of that, one of the most impressive. I've studied art at a 'fine art' level because when I left school to pursue art, my only option was to enroll in a class that examined and took all of the 'mediums' of Art on board, except digital mediums or ironically; anything I use now to earn a living.

As such, Instead of learning how to draw storyboards or crafting character designs, we were looking at Fine Art History and its influence on culture as well as questioning the true meaning behind Modern Art, the only class I enjoyed was our weekly life drawing class, because it was freedom to interpret the body as you see it. And interpretation is something I'd later learn is key to being a cartoonist. It was during these two years of study that I met so much of the negativity facing any piece of art requiring imagination.

As a result, I struggled to even pass my classes because I fought tooth and nail for comics to be considered worthy as 'Art', writing dissertations on their worth and impact on culture and examining the process behind them. I know now, it was certainly the wrong place to be vocal about the art of imagination but it is still something that upsets me to this day- the lack of respect for the heroes of the comic world.

It could be born out of a sense of duty to the cartoons and comics that raised me- As a kid, I would  read a comic book and it would inspire my imagination to a world beyond wonder, I saw cartoon shows and wanted with all my heart for them to be a real place I could explore. When I got older, practically every authority figure over me scolded me for drawing things that weren't real, for using imagination- this always made me fight harder for my right to do so.

This was probably because of the incredible base of confidence my parents established in me as a child, they believed in my dreams and supported my efforts- especially if I drew something that didn't exist. I come from a talented family of artists, both on my mothers side (My grandmother was a tremendous poet) and my fathers side (My Grandfather painted beautifully)and so art is something our family has always respected and admired, a respect I perhaps mirrored onto my love for everything comics and cartoons.

I don't really know why I was so stubborn about comics getting respect when I was younger. I got a B- in my Art GCSE exam, the lowest grade any one in my family ever got for Art class because the teacher and I locked horns from the moment we were together. Art at GCSE was basically projects that were centered around a single word and up to the student to produce work inspired by what that word meant to them. She never liked what I turned in because I'd always find some way to twist that word to my favour- to allow me to draw planets or animals or something other than a flowerpot on a table. I know now she was trying to guide me to getting the grade I deserved, by setting me particular tasks or dismissing my own ideas for hers but I never backed down.

Silly goat, I was.

I'm very happy to say I've long since eradicated that stubborn streak but I think it speaks volumes about how I feel about cartoons and comics and informs my own opinion on the matter.

Now that I've my first years under my belt, I think cartooning is so impressive to me because of the sheer challenge. Drawing is a skill, as is every aspect of what we consider 'art.' It all requires discipline and practice, studying everything we might otherwise take forgranted. With a cartoon though, I feel there's that added challenge- you can't just reference the object or person, you have to draw from your minds eye. It's about reconstructing what we all see and recognise then stripping that down to its bare core, it's essence, so you can reimagine it as something new. And it's in that process, that I marvel at the skill of others I admire, their ability to create imagery that awes and inspires because it's not real- but it's informed by reality and brought to life by their unique vision.  So maybe That's why I love comics and cartoons, that's why I fought in education to have them earn some respect- there's a whole world we can't see. With comics and cartoons- suddenly, we can.

-Adam


January 17, 2013

What's in 2013?

I haven't decided to make any over-the-top goals for 2013, or set myself targets that I'm not confident I can achieve. This may fly in the face of what a New Years Resolution is supposed to be(something challenging?)but there is challenge enough in what I will try to achieve.

  • Bring back Felicity.

This has already happened, with a brand new website launched at the very beginning of the year and pages uploaded every Monday. How has it been going so far? At this stage pretty good! I'm enjoying working 'part time' on Felicity and producing one page a week is a fun exercise that so far has been without any stress(I've pencilled around the first 10 pages and every weekend I ink and colour them in time for Monday morning uploads.)


  • Pitch something.

I've got three major books on the go at the minute- Felicity, Scoundrels and Magpie. They're all projects that I do in my spare time, for free. With no promise of much success anywhere a long the line. I don't see this as a pointless endeavour and never have- they all exist to help me practice and help me to become a better artist. That all said though, I've made a promise to myself this year to put together a pitch to send to a publisher. I've had my eye on a few Comic houses that I feel I'd fit well with and even have developed some new projects purely for them- this year has to be the year I actually show them.


  • The Magpie.

The last goal of 2013 is to bring The Magpie to life. I've had the storyline bouncing around in my head for a year now and I've been developing it slowly but surely into a visual form I can see clearly. By the end of the year I want to have that book sitting on my shelf, completed! More importantly- I will not be uploading Magpie online in its entirety(or perhaps not at all)because I want to strictly pursue publishing for it. I feel it'll be the best chance I have at getting my work published when examining the contents of each of my projects. A super hero comic is going to have quite a challenge to actually stand out but it also has the immediate advantage of fitting in.

That's it for me in terms of art goals! I am still currently doing contracted work on a game that should wrap up this year at some point, as well as the odd trickle of commission and of course my non-art related job! The only other thing I plan to get done this year is get Married. I don't know the first thing about weddings, I'm a wedding nooblet. But I can't wait.

-Adam

January 12, 2013

Who you gona' call?



I painted these last year for a merchandise company to add to their Doctor Who line of prints, I'm fairly sure that I won't be paid or see them as prints now due to the guy handling my input there stopping all contact with me since then. Yay freelancing!
So here they are!

Maybe it'll still work out!

-Adam

January 10, 2013

Doodle Dump ..6?








Up to my eyes with contracted work at the moment so keeping busy, also doing New Adventures on the weekend and warming up the Scoundrels frying pan for some delicious new recipes coming later this year.

Cheers.

-Adam

January 04, 2013

New Felicity Site Launched!

http://felicity.thecomicseries.com/



The third incarnation of Felicitys homepage goes live today, having uploaded all the old strips(took a lot longer than I thought it would to re-border them with white and just simply add each of them). I'm excited to work part-time on Felicity throughout the year as it has a one-page a week update schedule.

Woot.

-Adam