The finished business...

You'll find no better pulp fiction than the fanzine we're planning on releasing next year, and even the cover illustration is finally finished!
To spare all you readers from scrolling way down the blog, I'll provide you with a direkt link to the excellent piece of fiction which inspired my to this illustration.

While waiting for Godot and us to finish the unfinished business(es)...

... I came up with an excellent idea for a new mission! I KNOW now is not the time, but I'll forget about it if I don't post it right now.
Ever wondered about the casting on a favourite film or tv-series? Well I certainly have, many times...
Was listening to Kate Bush 'Wuthering Heights' when I suddenly remembered how much wished they had cast Kate in the role of Cathy instead of Anna Calder-Marshall in the Timothy Dalton -version of Wuthering Heights from 1970.

So, we should right the wrongs and deal with these burried traumas once and for all. When we have the time.


Over and out.
/rama



Hang in there, Heathcliff!

Something new!

Further fixed lines

 When I last wrote that I'll post something new, I didn't plan for it to be quite this fast. But here we are. This started from a quick sketch I made at an office meeting. I have always loved firestarters like Liz Sherman out of Hellboy and BPRD. Now, I have no idea who this character is yet(might even end up being Liz), but am looking forward to finding out :D As you can see it is still very unfinished(and the arms are hidious...) but it'll get there.

***EDIT***
I added the fixed lines after realizing there's quite a few problems with her proportions.
And after that the fixed hair.

Fixed lines

Original sketch

Cleaned lines

Batman, part 5.000 000 000

Seems that we have all been very, very bad little artists last weeks and lazy in the posting department. Except for Rama who deserves a gold star for activity.

Here's a little update on Batman. And yes, I promise to post something new soon too. Seriously. Also posting something that was actually finished might be a nice change. Sigh.

The skin is pretty much finished, othervise it's still just flats.

A Brave New (Pulp) World...

Finally got some time to finish the inking, while waiting for a client to call back. What took most of the time was the tiresome cutting and pasting when scanning an A3 illustration with a A4 scanner. Also, some Photoshop-editing was needed since I managed to smear some still wet ink over the picture...

EDIT:
And here with flats. These aren't the actual colours, but they give a hint where we're going:

ANOTHER EDIT: The car starts to take form, bu Neda needs a lot more work...

”There is one thing you have to understand in order to stay alive...”

A rough sketch on Neda with her beloved GTO.
A fabulous girl always matches her accessories (cars, weaponry etc). A sensible girl chooses her footwear wisely, thus the trainers she's wearing (^_^)
And yes, she shoots as accurately with her left hand as with the right one.

Please remind me NEVER, EVER to do cars again. At least without a model...

Alice in... Steampunkland?

No, I'm still not finished with Batman. Partly because I kinda, sorta started re-working Alice... I'm hopeless, I know. Here's a little sneak peak of the direction I'm taking it (this time)

If you want to know more of the development of this piece, check out my blog

Mission 6 :Gotham City pt 2

Ok ladies and never that Gentle men.

You never asked for it but the story continues.

As before I just tell the tale, DC comics owns Gotham and it's inhabitants.

part 2 follows

----------

Major Crimes Unit took over and I spent majority of the day with Briers answering any question Gordon's top crew came up with.

This meant spending far too many hours in same space with Briers.

Up to this moment in life I had in my silent moments been ashamed by the fact the stench of burnt up human flesh brought broiled chicken to my mind.

Not something that comes out in any other conversation except those in a therapists office.

Or outside Arkham.

Until detective Brier decided to confide and tell how arson victims cause him to crave for kebab.

It wasn't a dark bitter joke unless one considers his life as such.

Worst was that this actually meant something to Briers. That we were almost friends. That after nine grueling hours at the crime scene and at police headquarters we bonded.

Under flourescent light in hallway right next to men's room you hear how charred people make someone you know from years back to desire fastfood.

I had no idea to which of us I felt more sorry, myself or Tom.

MCU had ID'd the victim from dentals, Dr. Patrick Peltway, and concluded that yes it was an arson homicide.

There was no immediate clear perp. Everyone was afraid that the trail might grow colder faster than it took the ashes of the penthouse to cool off.

And while they co-operated I got the full textbook ”ongoing investigation makes it impossible to reveal jadajadajada something something” speech.

I was almost on my way back home with copies when Briers caught me up.

”Crowne, sent some love your way”

I must have had something wrong with my hearing.

”Come again?”

”You'll see”

He smiled. There was no way this was anything good.

”But really...Crowne..” he was sombre”You know...the corner of Lark and Mahnke”

”Yeah, you too Briers. The corner of Lark and Mahnke.”

I turned and walked away. It was good to know I had any friends on the force.

I took the bus home. As I live just about the exactly opposite side of Gotham from police HQ it takes a long time to get there. But it gave me ample opportunity to go through the files.

Public transport in Gotham has undeserved bad reputation. Gangs and petty crooks mostly know better than to cause trouble. During the 28 years I've lived here there has been just two threats of bodily harm while in a bus. In fifth grade Lem Stone tried to bully my lunchmoney to impress his friends and Sally Rothchild and a few years back two junkie mooks wanted my laptop.

Lem got his nose broken, I got suspended from school for two weeks and on to the first and second base with Sally. The junkies took the next stop once figuring out that my colt .45 auto most likely beats their switchblades.

There was just one big problem taking the bus, but if I was lucky it wasn't for the next few stops at least.

My own pics and those of GCPD made it sure the fire was intentional. Unknown powerful rapid accelarant had burst the main living space into an utter inferno within fractions of a second. As the autopsy hadn't yet been performed it was unclear whether Patrick Donald Peltway had burned alive or died instantly from concussive trauma caused by force of the blast. And behind door number three was everyones favorite: suffocated to death as the air burned out.

Victims file was short.

Patrick Donald Peltway, male, caucasian 49 years old. Married with Nora Jean Peltway, 35. No children, no siblings. Parents dead. No criminal record, one parking ticket.

No known criminal contacts.

But there was an obvious catch.

The man was loaded.

He was full partner in Lee,Cho &Hughes, one of biggest clinics of Gotham's boom industry: cosmetic surgery.

Now cosmetic surgery isn't first thing people think when you say Gotham city, but it is quite logical once you think about it. We have our rich and famous people here. You honestly thought that all those socialites and models throwing their selves at Bruce Wayne and his ilk just have good genes and slap on some maybelline?

Really.

And since this place has extremely high freak per capita that has it's own fallout too. The top guys have been flown in by Wayne to work on Two-face's ugly mug. And his victims. And those of others.

Most gothamites live ordinary life, minding their own business and every once in while you go out on an evening to seven-eleven to buy few rolls of toiletpaper, few beers and detergent you bump into homely overweight mother of two. And scream like a little girl once you see her face twisted into a permanent sickening grin and hear her wheezing breathing....yeah there are survivors of Joker's laughing gas attacks but they or their life aren't the same.

Ever.

This makes Peltway and his collagues very rich professionals indeed. And as an added bonus their line of work appeals also to those criminal elements who want a new start.

I get pulled out of my thoughts as the worst thing that can happen in Gotham's public transport happens: the doors open and endless hordes of japanese tourists fresh out of connection to Giardino airport pack in with their cameras and videocameras. They chatter and shriek and chant while constantly taking pictures. I swear there are more pictures of Gotham's stark steel skies and drab rooftops in japanese harddrives and polaroids then there probably is actual sky in Gotham itself.

One of them looks at me, nods politely, smiles with all his pearlies, shows me thumbs up and declares ”kohhh-moh-lee” and coyly returns back taking snapshots of skyline through the window.

As they excitedly run to the other side of bus yelping either that or the other japanese word every gothamite knows I try to delve deeper into the files.

But to no avail. The japanese just keep on going.

”Kohh-moh-lee! Kohh-moh-lee! Bat-to! Bat-to!”

Yeah. Right. Welcome to Batcity.

I step off at Miles O'Hara square and walk last couple blocks to home. People who know Gotham tend to jump a bit when you tell them you live on Park Row.

”Crime alley? Isn't there like a firefight every night?”

Those people never come down here. Sure, loads of no-good junkies, pimps and gangbangers and they like to flash their stupidity and proneness to violence. But most folks here are just hardworking average joes and janes. Bluecollar people providing food, services and construction to those better off.

I make a shortcut via Breyfogle street and get inside my building.

In the downstairs lobby there's beatup sofa that almost disappears underneath Big Mattie.

Mattie used to play defense in Gotham raiders before he became ”personal safety coach”. Both me and Stu call him a bodyguard but not to his face.

”tha man wit' tha Crown. You have a visitor”

”I do?”

Mattie's steakpans, that he for some reason calls hands, formed vintage coke bottle shape into air in front of him.

”Oh please, not one of Stu's groupies again?”

There is one significant problem living next-door neighbour to a successful Gotham city glamrocker. While vicinity of Park row cuts down the paparazzi(and Big Mattie folds the rest)it's that once you make friends with the guy and he gets into his onetrack mind that his buddy needs to get laid more consequences arent as fun as one might imagine.

”uh-huh, no not this time. And hey, be honest: what was wrong with Stacy bro? Huh?”

”Not funny Mat, not funny at all”

I climb the stairs up.

”mr. Crowne you have a lady friend waiting for you” Mrs. Majarowzski croons out. Most tenants believe the super needs to repaint second floor thrice a year solely on account of Mrs. Majarowzski's voice.

”I know mrs Majarowzski, I know.Thank you”

I had hoped to pass with just that. No such luck.

”She looks decent and smart” the piercing howl strikes my back and sends nasty shivers along my spine ” not like those usual floozies of his”

last word sends some phglem to accompany spite and yet manages to raise my interest on my visitor.

I live on the third floor. She waited by my door.

The mystery woman lived up to promises. Shoulder lenght auburn-tinted hair popped her face out. Quite striking and beautiful but not in the conventional way, high cheekbones and dark eyes make you notice her nose. It's hawkish and quite prominent in oddly appealing manner. She carries herself well. Not an athlete but in good shape. Smart off-the-rack navy blue jersey blazer with matching pencil skirt and a white blouse state business.

They also hug her figure so that most will never notice low-cut hiking boots or the surplus military parka flung over her arm.

A whole another set of business there.

”Hello mr Crowne.My name is Dolores Grange”

”Nice for you, something I can help you with?”

Brief smile flickers at her lips, the kind that has ability to cloud men's minds. And quite likely some women's too.

”I sure hope so mr. Crowne I'd like to talk about your case and do an article about it for the Gotham gazette”

Dry laughter escaped from me before regained my composure. I will kill Briers.

”look lady it's a police investigation and my line of work...”

”I have checked it with your employers at GFL and signed an NDA with Eliza Patterson”

Why did life hate me?

”Just wait” I told her and fumbled out my mobile.

Eliza answered on the second ring

”had a feeling you might call me”

”Seriously, a reporter?”

”She agreed to the NDA and her editor talked with Phil. They see it as a way to get good publicity for us for once.”

Eliza must have heard my sigh

”I tried explaining we are talking about you”

”Gee, thanks Liz”

”You are welcome. And oh by the way” there was shuffling of papers ” she is 29,single, graduated from Star City University and has done out of seas work for Daily Planet, covered the elections in Corto Maltese, uprising in Bialya and did a series about Qurac.”

Great , nothing like a warchaser.

”so basicly that's her in a nutshell. Sent the same to your e-mail but you haven't read it have you?”

”No” she knew me far too well

”Basicly she is smart and esteemed writer. Please T, make an effort. I'll get you bonus for it ok?”

”Ok Liz, I'll try”

Dolores flashed that man-eating confident smile of hers as I hung up.

”So, partners?”

”maybe” I said looking for my keys” but only if lady of my life agrees on it.”

I started to open the door. It might get ugly. She wouldn't be the first woman Trudy chews up.

Mission 6 :Gotham City pt 1

As I am having technical difficulties with scanning skeleton armies I give you little sprint from today.

It is the first part of my Gotham city tale.

Made by me and naturally I do not own properties owned by DC comics.

Sit back and hopefully enjoy:

-----------

The explosion lit up the sky all the way across Miller harbor and it's boom was heard over the continuos traffic of Aparo highway.

The penthouse wasn't even on one of the highest buildings on Gotham's fashion district but the things that had made it prime property in life made it's fiery death all the more spectacular.

The pillar of flame and billowing statue of smoke reached up to heavens and all the way over Finger river, spewing ash down to Robinson park.

The blaze raged for hour and a half before fire department got it from contained to put out.

I was on my second cup of coffee that I had picked up on the way here from a deli.

Eliza had woken me up with her call about the fire and made me leave Trudy home sulking. There was no point explaining that Eliza's calls ment money.

Trudy is , no matter how nicely you put it, a jealous bitch.

Yet, she loves me.

Emotion not givenly shared by Gotham's finest.

”Sir, please step away. This is a fire scene and maybe a crime scene”

The uniform is almost a decade younger than me, wet behind the ears and quite clearly a newbie.

I start to make my snappy comeback when low voice behind him interrupts

” Deav´ let the man pass, just make sure he doesn't leave with the evidence”

”Aye Sir”

I snapped plasticbags on my shoes while passing the uniform and nodded to Briers.

Back in the day Briers was a half-decent arson investigator, but years and divorces hadn't honed his skills to perfection.

Unlike fictional detectives who just are rough but loveable behind their ruggedly handsome features and have accustomed sagely knownledge from university of life Briers had just gotten more sagging and did nothing to hide his comtempt to all things alive and dead.

”Aye sir? Really?”

”Shut it Crowne, the kid hit academy right after the core. Remind you of any other numbskull?”

”Right” there was no point to make Briers snarl any more than necessary.

We treaded softly taking pictures of soot and water drenched walls of the hallway. It was merely smoke and heat damage so we followed the trail etched by fire, followed the trail of destruction pass molten wires and charred plaster.

It had been designer bi-level living space with a glorious view opening to riverfront and park across, but now it was ground zero filled with debris.

And an unmistakable corpse.

The frail figure layed slightly off-centre of the room. Blaze had scorched away clothes leaving merely blackened skeletal remains locked eternally to a familiar pose: legs and arms clenched against the body, like a puglist. The deceased really did look like a boxer. Exactly like any other featherweight boxer who had gone full fifteen rounds against Mike Tyson made out of napalm.

”Christ”

”Yeah tell me about it. No end to paperwork now”

Briers, the very picture of compassion.

I took photographs of the bodys position.

”You got ID yet?”

”Nah, havent reached either of the owners yet, typical rich” Briers coughed and continued ”one pager and four different mobiles and they are still unavailable”

”Could this be the husband?” I asked

Briers raised one side of his almost unibrow

”Could be.Or the wife. Or the maid or the pope. Can't really say from that coalstick over there”

”It's a man Briers, see?”

I pointed at the body, while it was burned quite horrendously I had seen enough dead bodies to regocnize difference between male and female hipstructure.

”If you say so, I 'll wait what the dental says once it's been taken down to Fields's place”

”Can you ask them to send me copy too?”

Briers grunted something inaudible. I hoped that for once it was a sign of agreement. Having to fight over coroner's statement and copies of forensic studies wasn't an icing I wanted on this flambed cake.

”Whatever”

I kept taking pictures of the apartment, of destroyed paintings, a former high-end home entertainment system and burned-up library as I spotted it.

It was one of those things that just click.You know like when you get those eureka moments and all of the sudden instead of a tree you see the god-damned forest?

And then you wish you ever hadn't.

”Briers”

He ignored me.

”Briers, really”

”What?”

”you see the teeth?”

”teeth?”

He looked at me like one does at a seemingly crazy person.

”Listen, no actually, don't listen. Just follow where I point, ok?”

I pointed at the corpse and once I was sure I had his attention I let my finger span out at the burnt floor towards the broken out window-walls.

He still looked perplexed so I made him follow my hand as it did a semi-circle and came back and began another arc sweeping across the ceiling over to the other side.

”Oh crap...”

He saw it too.

It wasn't natural. The accelarant had carved out a path, an inverted image into the room.

Someone had scupted an image of a skull out of fire.

A death's head if there ever was one.

”I think we need to call MCU”

I was certain that the barrage of four-letter words coming out of Briers was him agreeing with me.

Mission 6: Gotham City

Well, this is a first! I actually have a sketch for the newest mission and I'm posting it one day EARLY ;)

I blame the fact that our X-Box broke on the exact same day as Batman Arkham City came out. As I had pre-ordered it I now have to just sit and stare at the beautiful statue, book and all the great stuff that came with the collector's edition of the game. But I am not able to actually play it. Talk about suffering.

On top of that we just show'd my boyfriends 10 yr old son Batman Begins for the first time tonight. I somehow ended up doodling, without even attempting or planning to do something finished. I had an image of a very classic Scarlett and Rhett pose in my mind and somehow I just ended up drawing Batman and Catwoman in the same one.

This might turn into something cool so I think I'll just finish this one and keep the original idea I had for this week for some other time :)

***Edit***

Ended up starting to ink this one already.
Thought I'd post the steps as I make them. So here's how it's shaping up.

Aaaaand then changed the pose complitely. These things happen. At least to me. Sigh.

Steampunk Batgirl

After last weeks mission turned into an excursion over to steampunk I almost made this weeks challenge Steampunk Gotham City. The amount of reference and awesomeness I found last week is really making me want to do something from that genre.
Maybe I should have, just look at the awesomeness of Mahmud A. Asrar's Steampunk Batgirl that I just bumped into.

This post has nothing to do with anything really. Just being a fangirl here. Cough... Correction, trying to find serious inspiration for you guys. Cough...

Mission 6

Okay sweets, it's time for a new challenge.

Mission 6 is... *drumroll*

Gotham City 

 The city of Batman, Robin, Joker, Harley, Catwoman, Penguin, Scarecrow, Ivy, Killer Crock and all the other sweet maniacs. In this city no-one is safe.

Feel free to create any of the characters, or perhaps just the city itself, which is quite a character on it's own. The style is free.

Sketch/ draft by next sunday and the finished piece for the week after that.

Week 5

25 minutes after midnight is still counted as Sunday, right?

This is nowhere close to what I wanted to do but as I had decided to return this one in time, whatever happens, I had to settle with something small. I have to draw the huge steam-/cyberpunk worlds that I had envisioned some other time. *Le Sigh*

This started as a digital version of the doodle I posted before but ended up somewhere else entirely. As it is I kinda like it and it was a nice and relaxing little piece to do. I had planned to color it but in the end decided that it wouldn't have given any added value to it, on the contrary it might have lessened the high contrasts.

Oh and I have no idea what her name is. Sorry. So it's fanart of... Hot chicks? Krhm, yes grasping a bit here.
And yes, I'm completely aware I ventured over to Steampunk with this one. Apparently both me and Rama have an acute case of Steampunkiatus ;D

Mission... 4 and 3/4?

My actual sketch for this week is so complitely unfinished that I'll just post a doodle I did this week instead. I blame migraine, Sephiroth and Berqerac for this. But this is kinda cybery. Right?

I solemly swear to post something proper asap.

*Wobbles back to bed to giggle at her toes. These new migraine meds are interewsting*

Mission 5... goes boink!

I was so excited just tasting the word. Cyberpunk. Brave new mutated worlds, here I come. I knew at once I wanted to do chaos and Jin Uzuki from Xenosaga, and started happily sketching away.
Then, after a couple of hours, I noticed something: it wasn't cyberpunk anymore, I had lept to the uncharted territories of... STEAMPUNK! OMG, what should I do?! I really liked the way picture was building up. Hey, I told myself, steamPUNK is almost like cyberPUNK, right? People might not even notice...
So, I happily sketched away one more hour, then pushed my chair back and took a good look at the picture...
... AND MAD HATTER WAS STARING AT ME! Why was Jin the Mad Hatter??! Was this some kind of cosmic kamma, a punishment for not having finished Mission 3?

The background obviously need a lot more work (the big gear has to be moved etc), as the clothing, but basicly, the stage is set!


P.S. BTW; the nightsky is showing some spectacular meteor showers tonight in the Orionids constallation!

EDIT 120403
Finally on the steampunk fanart again. Inking in Photoshop. Boy would I kill for a Cintiq21!

EDIT 120408 Some progress:

EDIT 20120415: Hm, Jin is progressing fairly as is the background, but chaos doesn't look quite right yet...

The Sindiecate

Seems that there's copycats all around! ;D

Check out The Sindiecate by such small and unknown talents as David Lafuente, Jorge F. Muñoz, James Harren, Ryan Ottley and Mike Choi.

A little something by Mr. Mike Choi. Unfinished but beautiful never the less.

The next mission...

This is very selfish of me, but I've being DYING to do something cyberpunkish for a long time. AND, since both fanart and cyberpunk are close to my heart, we're combining the two.
Thus, the mission of the week is: take a favourite character, one of your own or someone else's, and draw it/him/her in full cyber punk -gear. OR: write something punkish with a fav character of yours.

Deadline:
Part 1, this Sunday: sketch or some kind of synopsis for a story
Part 2, next Sunday: complete art/story

What say you?

/r

Hello sweets!

So any ideas what we'll do with the sceletons? I for one have still not found the time to even start with that one. As the "deadline" is already long over due and there's nothing posted for it I suggest that we either make a new final deadline and then post a new mission, or just post a new one right away. What do you guys think?

S

Gamut Mask Tool

I'll share this here too. Mr. Ossi Hiekkala, Illustrator extraordinaire, suggested that I'd try this out as I was getting a nervous breakdown with the Alice pic. Still haven't had the time to test it properly but it looks promising. I think it could help all of us.

Gamut Mask Tool 

Free Interactive color harmony tool for painters and visual artists 

"What is it?
The Gamut Mask is a great way to created harmonic color schemes. It simplifies your color choices and saves you lots of time and paint in achieving unified color palettes quickly and easily.

Who made it?
This Gamut Mask Tool was developed by me (Richard Robinson) and is provided to you free to use. The original concept of the Gamut Mask was developed by James Gurney (www.jamesgurney.com), artist and author of the fantastically illustrated Dinotopia books (www.dinotopia.com).

How do I use it?
Below are some samples of harmonic color schemes achieved by using the Gamut Mask. First I designed an image with a limited value study. Then I decided my most powerful color would be the orange in the foreground and I made a triangular mask with yellow orange as the dominant color, supported by a grayed red and a grayed green. I could have mixed intermediary colors located midway along the sides of the triangle, but I decided to keep it simple and mixed just three color strings of five values each. Then I removed all other colors from my palette so I wouldn't be tempted to dip into them, and painted the first little study (just 2.5" wide). Satisfied with that, I made two more studies, and you can see what different color schemes were achieved by the different gamut masks. Each painting is harmonious, yet each has a slightly different mood. "

Bring Your Own Virgin or rules to comicpunkery

The point of the exercise here in Comicpunks is to have fun and create stuff we love, to improve our craftmanship whatever it may be.
But like all good anarchists we need guidelines.
One has to have rules to break them, right?

So here goes: every one should do at least one post in a month to avoid treading water. And commenting the work of others is highly recommended.

Anyone can (and should)comment stuff but submitting stuff once a month is by no means asking too much, ok?

If you don't have time for that do remember we do enforce these rules with Trolls.
No, not the internet-user kind but actual god-damned Trolls.
We clear?

Alice in Updateland

Just a tiny update on Alice. And yes, I know, I'm totally blocking the feed with these :D

Think I'll just go with painting instead of vectors. Made a quick color test last night and kind of like it.

***EDIT***

As I don'twant to block the whole blog with these I'll just post some updates on Alice here. Sadly I still haven't had the time to finish the pic, not to mention starting the sceleton armies... But I'll get there. Some day, LeSigh.

This is my first attempt at Alice. I'm pretty happy with the muscle tone on the arm but everything else is just somehow... off.

So I did another try with a complitely different palette. I like the cool almost dead pallor of her but it doesn't fit the mood of the pic.

So then I decided there's a problem with the whole composition and kinda re-did it... I got this idea from the dead colors in the last try. Nothing makes you look as strung out and gray as the subway lights.

I love the composition and the "story" in the image now but am so fed up with painting her face at this point that have no idea if I'll actually finish this or not :D

And yes, the White Rabbit does have a Cheshire Cat button in his jacket. As one does.

More steps here

Week 3: Sweet little Alice...

Simply loved this mission, and the image has been in my head ever since Sari posted the theme for week  3!
There are several ways of interpreting this picture, all of them as good as the next one. One thing is certain, thou - I've been spending much too much time with Catherine (the video game)...

Colour coming as soon as I manage to find the time!

*UPDATE*

Here's an update to Alice, started colouring now...

*UPDATE*

All the ground colour almost there...

*UPDATE*

Now starting to work on details.

*UPDATE*

Getting there... soon!

Week 3: Alice in Wonderland

As it seems I won't have time to finish this any time soon, I'll just post the line art for the Alice in Wonderland piece. As you can see the idea is for this to be a new banner for my blog. Whenever I get around to finishing it.
Haven't yet quite decided which style to use with this one. Loved making the vectors so much that I kind of want to do this like that too. Then again I could make it really magical with Photoshop and shading like hell...Yeah, this might take a while :D
I'm also totally open for suggestions so if anyone has any strong feelings about the style then now is the time to open it :)

Anyways, here's my Alice and my personal favorite character of the books: the White Rabbit.

Frank's bride and maid of dishonor

This is what happens when I can't sleep. I made the Zombie a little friend.

***Edit***

Updated the files as I felt the white parts in the zombies hair looked like maggots. It would have been kinda fitting, but eww anyways.

What's in your heaaad, in your heee-e-eeeaaad

I'm posting this as a sort of a proof of life. Remember the zombie I was making for week two? The ”Something old, something new, something borrowed” mission? The one that was supposed to be a tattoo? Yes, that's it.
Well, in the end it didn't become a tattoo after all and I got this genius idea to make a vector out of the pic. Mainly because I almost never make vector pics and wanted to try it after a long break. That should have also told me that I'd be bloody slow with it, but nooo, I happily started vectoring away. I might finish this some day in the near future. Or not. So just in case it's the latter (and to keep this thing going)I'll post it the way it is now.

Mmm, yeah, this is really not finished so plese don't mind the "blood", I know it looks ridiculous :D

And a close up.

Steps to the pic can be found in my blog

Who wants to live forever?

Ok, so while there is still time for Alice in Wonderland's to appear I issue the next challenge/mission for us punks.

I love comics and horror, listen to metal and to me REH is one of greatest authors ever in existence. So the next mission, should you choose to accept it is to do your vision in picture(s) or writing of following sentence:

Alone against the Skeleton horde/army

The idea/image keeps haunting me so that's up.
Any version or genre goes as long as it is according to that phrase.
Say one and half weeks to create?

Hey Ho, Let's Go !

Hey all!

It seems that this week is a bit of a slow one. Curtvile was fast enough to post his brilliant Alice story but Rama is in a flu and I've been computerless most week. So I'd suggest we postpone posting a new subject at least for a few days? We could make this post the ones you're missing (if any) or just share some of your personal work week? And Curtvile, who's the next to choose a subject, could just post it in the end of the week or something?

I'd also like to take this opportunity to welcome our newest "member" Mr LasseLasse to this club of monsters and miscreants. Haven't had time to add his info here yet so why don't you all just flock to his page at the Goldeneyetattoo.com

And on account it being Monday, I think an ode to coffee is in place

http://www.toothpastefordinner.com/index.php?date=033109

week 3: Alice

I got a kick out of this.But alas I will not rob room from the ladies glorious art.
Instead I opted to go writing.

Operation Jabberwocky pt 1

go on follow the White rabbit. It might bite.

Mission 3: Alice in Wonderland

"I'm late! I'm late! For a very important date! No time to say hello, goodbye! I'm late! I'm late! I'm late!"
-White Rabbit

Originally, I added that quote just to start off with an apology about my tardiness, I meant to post the mission yesterday. But then I got thinking. However much I love the mission I had planned, I can just do that next time. As Alice in Wonderland is something I've personally wanted to delve into for ages. The book is full of fantastic characters for us to pic from and with the recent butchery of the story by Mr. Burton, I think its time it was given some of it's grandeur back. So Alice in Wonderland it is. Have fun in the world of flamingo croquet and grinning cats!

Alice and the White Rabbit by John tenniel

Also, as it seems we are all quit busy at the moment, this will be a two week challenge.

My blaxploitation piece

Well mission was ”Something old, something new, something borrowed”
so I went to my usual HC violent prose(old) and borrowed Rama's sweet blaxploitation babe and as i have not done blaxploitation I guess that is new.
So take a comfy position and let's go...




There is one thing you have to understand in order to stay alive.
Chicago is a modern metropolis, shiny, hi-tech, respectable.
And be it after dark or plain daylight, on a wrong street you say the wrong thing to a wrong person and your swift death is considered mercy.


The civvies go to their nine to five-lives, commute to suburbia, kiss the wife/husband and get the kiddies to school en route to their lovers.
To them it's an imaginary world from news and TV's series.
There are parts of town they instinctively stay the fuck out.
That's common sense.


Those streets are white spots on a map. Filled with nomads, warlords, barbarian hordes and yes, there be Dragons.
One of meanest firebreathing lizards was Afanasy,a hulking georgian who came to US to build a crime empire of his own.
He aspired to be a modern Al Capone, hence Chicago.
In a decade his merciless rule spread through-out the city feared by any sane people.

While somewhat sane, Thomas Coyne actually believed that his status as a journalist would provide protection from physical harm. He followed his story and the trail of money and drugs far too far.
This he found out a bit too late while meeting his contact in a carage on the North side.
The blued menacing pistol was the first sign of danger, his contact's burly companions the second.
After short but exceedingly brutal beating the four russians tied the unconcious reporter and tossed him in the trunk of sleek black Chrysler.
They rode out in high spirits. Afanasy would be pleased at them and that meant money and girls.
No one noticed GTO rolling silently without lights after them.

Russians stopped after an hour. In a few years this would be a flourishing suburbia, close chitown but at a safe for middle-class distance.
But every white picket fence needs a foundation.
And Afanasy loved some traditions.


They pulled the reporter out. The small white man was awake, gagged and his eyes filled with desperation.
”Oleg, video”
One of the men pulled out a small handheld videocamera ,flipped the light on it on and pointed it at bound Thomas.
The men forcemarched him to plasticsheet next to construction pit.
One of the russians switched the concrete mixer on.
”any last words for camera mr. Reporterman?”
they chuckled hyena-like.

”How about you comrades call it a day and piss off?”
Russians turned at the soft voice their guns raised.

She was alone, sporting red leather jacket and blue top above skimpy latex miniskirt that fondled her ample curves.
Her long dark cocoa-toned legs were captured in large-holed fishnet stockings and ended in high-heeled shoes.
Pulling her shades down with single index finger she tilted:
”You boys hard of hearing? Go back to your mama's and there wont be none. Ok?”


The russians gazed at each other then back at the black woman standing defying them.

”Listen you bitch, he's going go first and then we are gonna have some fun with you.” He brandished the pistol he pointed the woman with.
”See, four of us with guns and you all alone”

”yeah” She said ”odds aren't even”

”still, I gave you the chance and you really shouldn't have called me bitch so I am not letting you off easy”


The words had merely left her lips as she spun around, flipping twin derringers down from her leather jacket's sleeves.
Before the gangsters got their shots off her ”sissygun accessories” as she called them had barked.
Her second shot missed her target and blew one russians kneecap to oblivion, the first shot had struck it's mark and taken head clean off from the gangster next to Thomas.
Then again her derringers were singleshot 12 gauge. And matched her earrings perfectly

She dove behind the russians car as the remaining gangsters opened fire. She kept moving as cars stop bullets only in movies. The M-16 was back at GTO with Hendrix so she had to do with her Smith & Wesson.


Over the deafening gunfire she could hear one of them circling at her. She leaped up from the darkness and let it go zen: arm, eye, focus, flight.
The semiauto in her hand spat five pieces of molten lead out straight to center mass of the russian.
The videocamera guy lifted his handgun as her gun belched twice.
First shot tore the wrist holding the gun, second removed his manhood.

She walked gracefully as a lioness at Thomas seemingly untouched by carnage around and flipped a stiletto open.
”Relax Thomas” she said cutting his ties open ”you are safe”
Thomas pulled gag off his mouth
”Wait, who are you? Where..”
”Easy boy, you make Wanda's world go round and she asked me to look after your skinny white ass. You have any idea how hard it is to find a hairdresser who actually knows her shit?”
”Wanda's? But who..”
the woman tossed the stiletto straight behind her back.
It entered unerringly through the leg-wounded russians right eye all the way to his brain.


She helped Thomas up and went to sole russian alive.
The man whimpered and tried to hold his groin together. She took his videocamera, checked that it still records and flipped it at herself.
”Hi there Afanasy. Looks like I broke your boytoys. I leave one of them to give you this message: Chicago is not safe for you. If you aren't gone in two days I'll bring you down. Because I got some for you all. Nothing personal”
She blew a kiss at the camera
”Love, Neda Ebony”

And then she just dropped it and walked away.

Like I said in the beginning: in order to stay alive you DON'T mess with Neda Ebony.

I'm a zombie girl, in a zombie world

This weeks mission was ”Something old, something new, something borrowed”.

I right away thought of zombies. Wouldn't anyone? I mean they're kinda new and old at the same time, being both dead and alive(sort of) plus they borrow bodyparts from other people constantly. See, complitely logical.
Sadly I got the mother of all flu's and my ability to actually do something cool was pretty close to zero. So this week all you're getting is a very quick sketch.

The thing is that this design is not only a sketch for the mission, but also my future tattoo. (See how sneaky I was combining making these two!) And as the future is in fact in the very near future, friday the 26th, I need to finish this pic and fast. So I thought I'd not only post this sketch but also steps to the finished piece as I do them and pics of the tattoo when it's finished. Deal? Good, I'm glad you agree that that's very gracious of me ;D

Maintenance...

So, ”something old, something new and something borrowed”, was it? Hope you can spot which is which (^_^)
I was too tired to draw the essencial mink oil tin can (for the boots). The original work is bl/w, but I just had to play with CS5.

Colored version coming... soonish.

The next mission is...

... interpret freely ”Something old, something new, something borrowed”.  Sketchies, oil paintings, text, anything goes.

Favorite Cat Character

Pulled this one close, but done! This week's mission was "Favorite character".

I might have got a biiit excited with this one. It was originally meant to be just a sketch... And Batgirl... But after sketching her I realised that she was way too smirky, busty and mischievous to be Batgirl. So Black Cat it is.

And then I kinda started playing with the sketch a bit. Krhm.

I still might fix her clumsy hanging arm at some point. This is what happens when you decide to change character and pose halfway through :D

We are the law!

There is a reason I normally write stuff but I draw every now and then.

So to keep with women with guns I present first a nice quiet little girl whom you can bring to meet mommy...not.

The thorn in flesh of the investigative arm of Europol meet Jacquiline Daniels or as most know her, Jack Daniels.

I quite like her.

But I had tremendous trouble on picking from my many favorites whom to do injustice with ink. there's the Cimmerian, Frank Castle, Ghost Rider and and...and I picked man who covers Anthrax, he is the Law, that gentle heartwarming person and star of 2000AD.




Joe Dredd. the man, the jaw, the Legend.