Just over two years ago, I got in contact with an amazing woman – writer Julie K Taylor. She had an idea for a new strong, black female superhero, someone young women of colour could look up to.
Now, two years later, we celebrate having released the first promotional issue of Lady Phantom.
We hope to make the Lady Phantom comic inclusive and diverse, focusing on deeper issues in addition to providing four-color superhero comic book action!
My first reblog of 2018 is a six years old, but still very relevant, blog post by comics writer Jim Zub (whose excellent blog Zub Tales you should check out if you are interested in comics creation) – so check out if you want some advice on how to find an Artist for your comic, or if you are an artist looking for some insight into the writer’s side of things:
Inktober is over…
…and with the exception of falling a day behind for a few days I managed the goal of one inking drawing a day.
Here is a collage of some of my favourite illustrations:
You can see them in their full versions over on my Instagram
Inktober is here and this year I’m participating for the first time.
Of course, one could day In creating as I am busy inking Lady Phantom anyway – but hopefully I will manage to share some other things as well!
Ink is a medium I have fairly limited experience in.
I’ve always preferred pencils and various colour mediums and when I accepted the Lady Phantom project I had to think long and hard about whether or not I wanted to do traditional inks or take another approach. As you can see I chose ink. I figured my first proper comics project should include as much as possible of the craft.
And inking is a valuable skill to have as an illustrator.
As with everything, I’m trying to approach inking from a very personal angle – learning from but trying not to copy what others do, and still adapting my technique to the requirements of whatever I am working on.
You can follow my progress for inktober on instagram: @rallwin
Work in Progress – ink on paper ca 20x20cm
This is a commission I am currently working on – next step is digital colouring.
Welcome back to Hopeless, Dear Reader! This, my third installment about the brilliance of Nimue and Tom Brown, is part of a blog tour to celebrate the release of Hopeless, Maine – The Gathering. So hop on and get a glimpse of what Hopeless has to offer!
Hopeless is a strange, gothic island off the coast of Maine, cut off from the rest of reality for the greater part. Hopeless Maine is also a graphic novel series, the peculiar child of Tom and Nimue Brown. Here’s a little taste of island life:
Residents of the island Hopeless Maine call these creatures ‘creepy and annoying’ when they notice them at all. Agents of Change is more a description of what they are, than anything they’ve ever had said to their ominous absence of faces. The Agents tend to gather in flocks, and mob other life forms. They don’t kill their victims, but anything in contact with them will be affected in some way. They may be the cause of the island’s many oddities.
Cooking instructions: Don’t. Cooking does not cause them to cease being agents of change, you really don’t want to risk what that might do to your innards. A popular ingredient in food for unloved relatives.
Hopeless, Maine – The GatheringCollecting the first two volumes of Hopeless, Maine as well as The Blind Fisherman, this is one graphic novel you don’t want to miss out on! You can order it at your local book store or comics shop, or buy it online here (with free shipping to most civilized, uncivilized and not-civilized-at-all places around the globe:
http://www.bookdepository.com/Hopeless-Maine-Volume-1-Nimue-Brown-Tom-Brown/9781908830128
I just received word yesterday that my copy is on it’s way, and with a bit of luck I will be spending Christmas on the island of Hopeless this year!
If you missed it, here’s the interview I did with the creative couple behind Hopeless:
Interview: Tom and Nimue Brown
Here it is – finally – as promised and teased early last week:
“Welcome to Hopeless, Maine. An island steeped in evil—I mean—steeped in history.
Meet Salamandra, an ordinary orphan girl, just one of many other orphans on the island (come to think of it, where did all the grown ups go?)
Sal faces the normal, everyday struggles of growing up in a small town—avoiding fell creatures of the night, trying not to get eaten by the aquatic fauna and mastering her supernatural powers.
Like all young people, Sal can’t wait to get out of her dead-end home. If she doesn’t get out she probably will wind up dead, after all.
At least Salamandra has a best friend! It’s a shame that no-one else can see or hear her friend, but then nobody’s perfect are they?”
Created by Tom and Nimue Brown, published by Sloth Comics, and you can buy it online here:
International:
http://www.bookdepository.com/Hopeless-Maine-Volume-1-Nimue-Brown-Tom-Brown/9781908830128
Or why not pop over to your local comics store and ask for it?
If they do not already have it in stock (they should, and be sure to tell them so) I am sure they can order it for you!
(Did I mention it makes a great christmas present?)
Now excuse me while I go off to secure a copy for myself!
Dear Reader –
I haven’t been posting much lately, and there are three reasons for that:
So what is Lady Phantom, you may wonder?
Lady Phantom is the title and main character of an upcoming superhero comic, written by Julie K. Taylor and drawn by R. Thomas Allwin (that’s right – me!). Now, don’t run off and try to find it quite yet, though – we are just starting out. For the past six months, we have been busy refining the original concept, working out the script, doing concept art and storyboards – now, we have all the preparations done and we are ready to start in earnest.
It’s going to be a while before the first issue is available.
I am just now putting pen to paper and starting the actual interior art, and between my day job and my family there’s only so much time to put it. Our plan is to start with a six-issue mini series and go from there.
Everything else will be in your hands, as readers and critics.
You will be able to follow our progress on the facebook page:
We will post updates, teasers, news and information about ourselves there – though of course there will be updates on here as well – so if you want the latest info as it happens, swing by and follow us there. Who knows, there may even be some surprises popping up there later on!
Welcome to Costa City!
Second teaser for the project I’m working on – the reveal is probably not far off now!
Pencils and ink by hand, colours in Corel Painter.