Dark Issue 3 Sketchbook

Writing Issue 3 of “The Dark” called for a plethora of new and nightmarish characters. I honestly did wonder what artist-extraordinary Rick Lundeen would make of some of my requests …

Turns out, he’s even sicker than I am.

Without further preamble, I proudly … yes, proudly … present two of the horrors that are being created for Issue 3 of The Dark.

Doctor Needles

Doctor Needles

The Doctor is in; part doctor, part dentist, part cyborg, and part giant spider. He is, basically, every childhood horror and nightmare that you ever had.

Just don’t ask what Rick has hidden behind those glasses.

fungus

Fungus

Fungus is living (well, mostly living) vegetable matter. Puss, goo, ooze, and slime are his best bits. Try not to ask about the rest.

The Escape Artist in Murky Depths Issue 9

“The Escape Artist”, the first collaboration between myself and Rick Lundeen (artist on “The Dark”), is now available in Murky Depths issue #9.

A tale of magic, love, death, and ouija boards, it will hopefully chill the spine and warm the heart in equal measure.

For anyone who hasn’t seen Rick’s artwork on this, here’s a sneak preview …

Escape Artist Page 3

First review of The Dark, Issue 1 is online

The guys over at Sidekick Cast are the first take to take advantage of our reviewer’s preview, and have given The Dark four stars!

When I started the first issue I thought ‘Ok this seems like your standard dark avenger vigilate superhero story with a nice little sci-fi premise for the powers’. I was wrong. The main protagonist reads like the bastard love child of Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne with a hint of the tortured soul of Frank Castle. The idea of information as a weapon is taken to it’s literal conclusion in this story and although it may seem like the stuff of science fiction I suspect Lynch has been flicking through the pages of The New Scientist as liquid information is one of the next big steps in digital information transfer. This is very much on the fringe of science-fact.

By the end of the book everything I thought I knew had been turned on it’s head and I was totally sucked in.

It’s great to see the book already going down well, and hopefully people reading the review will be inspired to pick up that all important first issue.

You can read the complete review here: http://www.sidekickcomicsuk.com/blogs/blog4.php/2009/07/19/the-dark-descends-on-markosia

Thanks to guys at Sidekick Cast!

Markosia prove they are not afraid of “The Dark”

Dark Promo Image 3The first official press release for my new comic book mini-series “The Dark”, with AAM/Markosia, was despatched today.

The first issue should be available digitally from August, with the remaining four issues out by the end of the year, with a graphic novel version in the works shortly after that.

There is a preview version online that you rate and comment upon:

http://www.thedarkcomicbook.com

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Coming Soon: The Escape Artist

Escape Artist Page 3I received the finished lettered artwork yesterday for “The Escape Artist”.

Quite simply, it looks fantastic!

Sadly I can’t preview much of the art here without blowing the story, but hopefully my gushing praise for Rick’s work and the small sample we can make available will convince you to seek this story out when it appears in a future issue of Murky Depths.

Rick and I are now talking about partnering up for some new projects in the future, so hopefully I will have the opportunity to wax lyrical about his artwork again soon.