Jon & Gorath 23

Missed a week didn't i? Sigh... And I was doing so well an' all. Ah well.

Working on:
Jon & Gorath 25-31: 25-30 all inked, started the tones on them and will be lettering as I get chance.

Latest from FQP:
Coming soon to the Birmingham comic show! I've got some extra copies ordered from the printer so please stop by and support us.

FutureQuake
I've got copies of the colour pages for A little knowledge and as soon as I can get the lettering assembled I'll be putting them on the website. This is to offset the fact that some of the copies printed were too dark to allow the lovely art to be seen clearly.

DogBreath
I collected a proof from the printer this morning and despite being coverless it looks fantastic! Visit the FQP Shop to preorder a copy.



Dave

Jon & Gorath: 22

Working on:
Jon & Gorath 25-31: 25-28 all inked.
DreddHeads: These now have a home! Coming soon to 2000adreview!
VC’s: One rule: Finished and awaiting checking by the writer. Then I’ll be sorting a step by step walkthrough for one of the pages, showing it as it progressed though from biro scribble to fully finished scrawl.

I’ve begun work on a new strip that is likely to appear on the 2000adreview site as well. Featuring a series close to my heart in a way I’ve not read about it before. More news as it happens.

DogBreath
Getting a bit tight now as It is only 2 weeks till we hit the latest I can get this to the printers in time for Brum con. Had a feature delivered last night that is an actual exclusive!

Dave

Jon & Gorath 21

Working on:
Jon & Gorath 25-31: Plodding along nicely.
DreddHeads 04: Some tweaking of the last panel then finished.
VC’s: One rule: Being toned with the brush tool that Dan made me. A treat to use, but I’m having to go back loads as I learn something new it’ll do.

My strip sub for the Mighty Tharg was turned down. Maybe next time…

However, this is the entry that Richmond Clements coloured for me for the 2000ad online messageboard comp…


Latest from FQP:
Latest batch of comics is being collected Monday. I have only one left of each of the recent run.

Heard back from one contributor who had received their copy in less than 48 hours. Which was even nicer as he lives in San Fransisco!

DogBreath
32 pages complete, with more to come soon!

Dave

Jon & Gorath 20

Working on:
NEW episodes of J&G, beyond those published in the latest Lost Property. Pecilling the third of 6and really enjoying them.

Latest from FQP:
FutureQuake 07 is going back to the printers this week, for another batch! Lancaster was a blast and we sold enough stock to cover the day. Next, Birmingham!

This weekend sees the rest of the contributor copies going out- so I expect to be spending a good hour in the post office!

DogBreath
Scripts are being actively sought, as plans for beyond just issue 15 are made.

Dave

Jon & Gorath 19

Working on:
Zarjaz strip: Inks all done. Hoping to start on the tones very soon. Dan is making me a custom brush to use as, he reckons it will add more ‘life’ than flat greys.

Dreddheads: All drawn, lettered and I started tones last night.

Latest from FQP:
Have you seen our new
Website! Massive thanks to Quakemeister Barny for all his hard work on this.

Also, for anyone in the Lancaster area I urge you to visit The Ashton Memorial on Saturday this week. I’ll be there selling the latest gear from FQP as well as as much other stock as I can find!

FutureQuake

Is ready to rock! All collected from the printer and they look GOOD!

MangaQuake




Dave

Jon & Gorath: 18

Working on:
Zarjaz strip: Inking page four, been waay busy
Had a cracking script through that I’ll be working on turning into a strip from 2000adreview in the near future.

Latest from FQP:
The Cd’s are in! There was a last minute problem yesterday with a font not working, but so far today I’ve not heard anything bad so I’m assuming that we are back on track.

DogBreath
Plans are afoot! Emails are being written and responses anticipated.

Dave

Jon & Gorath: 17

Hiya, bit of a rush at the mo, so just a short from me.



Working on:
Zarjaz strip: Inking page three, with three more to go.

Latest from FQP:
New comics go to the printers on Monday, all the files are wriiten and 95% ready to get the CD burned. Also, check next weeks Meg for ‘hopefully’ a taste of the new covers.

FutureQuake
Still waiting for one last strip. This weekend is deadline though, so I’ve got a replacement ready for just in case.

MangaQuake
Almost there, the last pages ‘should’ make it in time.

Lost Property
Actually sold a copy! Woo and indeed HOO

DogBreath
This week I received three pages commissioned by Dr Bob, and after some tweakery these will be sorted!

Dave

Jon & Gorath: 16

Available from the FQP shop, LOST PROPERTY 03. 36 pages of funnies and not-so-funnies by the tip-top talent of the UK Small press.

Including:


This is my entry on the 22000ad Messageboard comp this month.


Working on:
Zarjaz strip: Inking page one, with four more to go.
Dreddheads 04: All inked and waiting for the chance to get it toned & lettered


Latest from FQP:

FutureQuake
Just waiting on one late strip before I sort the running order and get to press!

MangaQuake
All filling up nicely now, with some late amendments being made.

Lost Property
See above for pimpery!

DogBreath
This week I received three pages commissioned by Dr Bob, and after some tweakery these will be sorted!

Dave

The Mighty Yammer: 60

Working on:
Zarjaz strip: All pencilled and ready to ink.
A single page for the 22000ad Messageboard comp of the month
Dreddheads 04: All pencilled and the inks are underway.

Next week: New Jon & Gorath

Latest from FQP:

FutureQuake
The cover query I’d got has been sorted, as the strip relating to one of the covers is now delayed. On the plus side, I’ve now got the cover to next issue sorted!

MangaQuake
Received pages: 13

Lost Property




Available, hopefully, this time next week! Expect pimpery soon.


Dave

The Mighty Yammer: Crossover 9

Working on:
A new six page strip written by Richmond Clements that will eventually see print in Zarjaz. Featuring one of my personal favourite 2000ad series. I’m pencilling my third page this week and having a blast!

I’m also working up a single page strip for the 2000ad messageboard competition. Good fun these and this is a chance to try something completely different.

Latest from FQP:

FutureQuake Completed pages- 35
Pages to be lettered- 15
The cover query I’d got has been sorted, as the strip relating to one of the covers is now delayed. On the plus side, I’ve now got the cover to next issue sorted!

MangaQuake
Received pages: 6, including a sublime back cover.
The new covers are in the printers, and I plan on collecting them and having a postal run this weekend.

Lost Property
Printing! I’m all go for this now, with any late strips being carried over to next issue. I’ll sort a cover scan for next week.

DogBreath
Been contacted by some of the contributors to earlier issues, and hopefully will be receiving strips shortly, bit of a bonus that!

Dave

The Mighty Yammer: Crossover 08

Working on:
Father Whiplash- Finished inks and the pages have now gone to Richmond Clements for toning. Really pleased with the result of this strip, think it could be some of my best work yet.

Latest from FQP:

Taking place on October 28th is Lancaster comics con and FQP will be there.

The website is going to be getting a new look. No definite date yet, but the work has begun on redesigning the imagery and layout.

FutureQuake Completed pages- 25
Pages to be lettered- 17
This issue has two covers on the go, as we are unsure of the final running order. We have seen a preview of one of the images and it promises to be a stunner!

MangaQuake
Now available from the FQ Shop!
Received pages: 3

Lost Property
Strips completed- 50 so far, with the last few arriving soon. I can also reveal that if all goes to plan, this issue will be all colour printing where the strips need it. All for £2.00!

DogBreath
Nowt new but I’ve heard that there may well be some original art in the offing soon…

Dave

The Mighty Yammer: Crossover 07

Bit of a ramble this week, I’ve been asked about how Bryan and myself actually put the mixed art episodes together. The truth is not that well on my part, as I was impatient.

I sent Bryan rough pencils for each of the strips, showing who was where and what they needed to be doing.



After this I inked the epiode and waited for Bryan to send his part. What I should have done was wait for Bryan before inking.



Bryan sent me drawings to fit the roughs I sent him, which always delighted me. His work is so good. After I inserted Mike into the Yammer strips I transferred the file to greyscale, which in the long term was a mistake, as I’d love to be able to show the high contrast in the initial images. One of these images was also used on the cover for Lost Property 02, and was a good part of where the idea came from for that cover.



After this it was over to be lettered and voila!



Bryan sent me a rouch idea of what he needed Yammer to be doing for his strips, and if he’d got them, a rough set of images to match.



After that I’d draw the Yammer to fit the images and mail them to Bryan.



To my delight, I’ve found the versions of the strips that Bryan originally sent me, so I can now show the final couple of episodes in colour. Enjoy.



You’ve all seen the results of the strips over the last few weeks, and I hope that the above gives a bit of an insight into how I handled the technique. I apologise to Bryan now for showing some of his work without making sure, but it wouldn’t be complete without showing it.

Working on:
Father Whiplash- inking page 4.

Latest from FQP:
FutureQuake Completed pages- 25

MangaQuake cover saga- nothing from Mess studios for 4 weeks now. Even allowing for holidays this is not good.
Received a replacement cover from Mongoose McCloud which I’m prepping for print, along with a new inside cover containing a brief ’why?’ about the cover.
We’ve begun receiving interior pages for issue 03, and they have given us an idea for a very different cover.

Lost Property:
Covers done (wonderful colours by the mighty mini-Bolt) and a lot of the strips formatted.

DogBreath:
Received the line art for the opening strip, and mighty fine it looks. Hoping to have this ready for Lancaster, but it might have to wait for the Custard factory.

Is this the longest post I've done? Could be...

The Mighty Yammer: Crossover 06

Working on:
Father Whiplash- inking page 3.
Jon & Gorath- Greytones on part 23, pencils on part 24.

Latest from FQP:
FutureQuake Completed page- 25

MangaQuake cover saga- nothing from Mess studios for 3 weeks now. Even allowing for holidays this is not good.

Lost Property:
After last weeks push I’ve now got a lot more strip on the way, and I’m planning on starting to put the book together in the next two weeks.

Sorry for the rushed post, but I'm up to my eyes in real work. Should have something actually worth reading next week

Dave

The Mighty Yammer: Crossover 05

Some weeks are productive, and other weeks aren’t. I’m still inking Father Whiplash, but I’m only on the second page. Life is just too damn busy sometimes.

I’ve begun a push to get strips organised for the next issue of Lost Property, as I’ve only gotten approx 15 pages of strip so far. For those out there who don’t know what that is, you know the strips I run each week- three or four panel jobs, sometimes silly, sometimes not? I put out collections of those every so often and I’m prepping for another. If anyone wants to have a go, get in touch.

The MangaGate saga is still open and festering, with no communication during the last week, but a shedload of reporting being done. First I saw was a piece in Lying in the gutters and after that I saw links to several other forums as well. Thankfully the readers get that we are also victims of a wrong, and we’ve had some nice support. No sales though, which would have been a bonus.

Ah well, enough moaning, here’s the strips…




Dave

The Mighty Yammer: Crossover 04

This week I’ve been majorly busy trying to get all of Father Whiplash pencilled during a weeks leave. It is amazing how many ways there are to fill your day before you actually get round to drawing anything. However, I’ve managed it, and am now inking page 1.



My entry for the latest 2000ad online comp. Colours courtesy of my longtime collaborator Richmond Clements

For those of you who read this and do not read message boards, we’ve been subject to a rather fudged up piece of work, which is resulting in yours truly doing a lot more work for nothing than he’d like to.

MangaQuake message board

Read from about half way down and on through. At the moment we are trying to sort out a deal that will let us spin this into something positive and try to improve the vetting process in future!

Dave

The Mighty Yammer: Crossover 03

The Mighty Yammer: Crossover 02

This week the crossover gets going properly. If I've ordered these right then you 'should' be able to follow the plots through both strips.

I've also had the pleasure of having Richmond Clements colour a pic for me for the 2000adonline website.



I've also rejigged the logo and ID badge for FutureQuake, to be unveiled as time goes by.

As for other drawing I've just completed line-art on the last page of the first part of the new Whistler strip for Dogbreath. Just need to add tones and letter the complete thing then that is my main contribution done!

Off work now for two weeks, so I'm hoping to get a whole strip done for submission to the Judge Dredd Megazine. If it is accepted, I'll make sure everyone knows!

Laters
Dave

The Mighty Yammer: Crossover 01

The above is the opener in Bryan Coyle's Cannibal Salad strip that we did for Lost Property 02 as a crossover with the Yammer. Starting next week I'll be running an episode of both at the same time so that the strips will hopefully make sense.

This week we got some nice reviews in comics International. Check the
forums for scans.

This week I have finished the third Dreddheads strip, and put a couple of pictures up on the 2000ad Online website.



It has been announced that there is going to be a two-day comics event at the Custard Factory in December! A result for me as it is a local happening. More news as it happens.

Dave

The Mighty Yammer: 50

This week sees what is possibly the last episode of Yammer that I will draw. I’ve been drawing this feller for over ten years now, and I’ve finally reached the end. I do have an idea for more, but that is for waay down the line.

Starting next week I’ll be running the Yammer strips that ran as part of last Octobers Lost Property comic, alongside the Cannibal Salad strips by Bryan Coyle.

This week I’ve learned that if you don’t save multiple layer documents before you flatten them, then close, you will be left with a hard time trying to amend any of the layers.

I’m half way through the inks on the third Dreddheads strip with Paul Glasswell, and really enjoying myself. Hoping these will continue.

I’ve also been tempted to start drawing 2000ad characters for the message board as well.


Matt Tallon from the Mean Arena; A strip that has yet to receive a proper reprint.


Ace Garp, designed by the Maestro Bellardinelli.


and finally Nick Stone, another Bellardinelli character and a sketch I’m quite pleased with.

Dave

The Mighty Yammer: 49

This week saw the climax of the Albert & Myrtle strip, and it's delivery to the editors. Hopefully it will be available at Mecon in Ireland in the next few months.

I've also reached page 4 of the new Whistler strip for Dogbreath, as well as signing off on commissions for the first strips for the new comic. Exciting.

On the FQP Front, the cover to issue 07 of FutureQuake has been commissioned, and artists have been approached for interest in strips.

Forbidden Planet have just added a UK Small Press section to their website, and if you look under 'F' you may find something familiar...

Lost Property 03 has had some attention this week as well, with some new strips arriving and news of other strips that might be actually happening now. All good news there as I stil lhave 3/4 of the comic to fill.

Laters...

The Mighty Yammer: 48

Been a strange week, here at bolt towers, with the exiting of a script editor the completion of a set of line work pages and the commissioning of possibly the most fantastic opening script it has ever been my delight to read. More on 'that' particular piece of comic strip genius as it arrises.

Those of you out there who remember Jon & Gorath will be pleased to know that the first ten spisodes have now been accepted for printing in an up-coming title. No details as yet, but I'm very pleased to see those strips out there again.

I've also had a new batch of scripts, so when the Yammer concludes (12 weeks yet) I will have a lot more J&G for you to read.

Thanks to a recent sale in Thargs house of loveliness (www.2000adonline.com) I am now the proud owner of a Strontium dog action figure. Or rather I was, my six year old won't give it back and has taken to shouting 'Number four cartridge!' whist pointing the little Westinghouse blaster it came with. Dead proud me...

Dave

The Mighty Yammer: 47

This week has been steady. Got Albert & myrtle almost finished (line-art wise), so that strip ‘should’ be delivered soon.

I’ve had some nice strips sorted for Lost Property 03, so I’m pleased to see work beginning to trickle in for that.

FutureQuake garnered a pair of mentions in the current Comics International, which I’ll post here, and one of which raises an interesting question: What is the best format for presenting comics on t’internet? We currently have pdf’s of 1-3 on the FutureQuake website, with 4 to follow this summer. I can just sort another pdf, but is it the right thing to do?





I’ve had to replace the home printer and scanner this week, so I bought a lovely new HP printer/scanner from PC world. The quality of the scans is markedly up on my previous machine so I’m well chuffed.

Dave