Friday, September 30, 2011

The Soldier Legacy in Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes!

The Cover for Soldier Legacy #3, heading to wrap up production in a week :D Meanwhile...

The cat's out of the bag!
But what part will the Soldier Legacy play in this month's release of Black House Comic's 'Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes #7' ?
Check out the new website for the DDSH series http://www.thedarkdetective.com/?p=1 where you will find Oscar Winner Dave Elsey's fantastic cover mentioning the Dr Nikola story inside!
More to come ;D

Monday, September 19, 2011

OZCOMIC Entry: The Hulk!

Ok, when you have a DD: Sherlock Holmes deadline due that day, and a Solider deadline due in 2 weeks, you really have to focus on your work.

What's that? OzComics is holding a drawing challenge on 'The Hulk'?! Jack Kirby's Hulk?!

An Hour of frantic scribbling later:

2 Hours of frantic scanning and colour slapping:
Ummm. Settle down Paul :P Get back to work.


Thanks for putting up with my nonsense and obsession all :)

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Colour Snippets sneak peek

Our Heroes from the upcoming Issue 3: Didn't want to give too much away by posting entire pages, so this is all you get...for now :D

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Tribute to Gene Colan for Future Cover



Just wanted to share the penciled version of the future cover for 'The Soldier Legacy #4'. As one of the artist greats of the Silver Age of Marvel comics, the late Gene Colan, passed away earlier this year and I wanted to pay tribute to his wonderful and iconic 'Invincible Iron Man #1' cover from 1968.

The coloured version will feature in the upcoming release of Soldier Legacy 3 in October.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Great little article from QCA :D

http://www.qcagriffith.com/2011/09/paul-masons-the-soldier-legacy/

Really have to get back to it, but just wanted to post this nice article about the great news I received regarding my comic book series. I really appreciate the Uni being enthusiastic about the news.
The support is very touching. Thank you.

The Soldier goes international! at the 5th Jilin International Animation and Comics Exhibition, China 2011




Thank you to my associate uni project supervisor Andi Spark for arranging the images and providing me with photos from her recent trip to the 5th Jilin International Animation and Comics exhibition in China this month. I am very appreciative to have the work exhibit overseas at this event and for her to arrange this to occur. These images were part of the recent Gympie Regional Gallery exhibit "Drawing and Animation" arranged by QCA, taken straight from issue 2 of the comic. I believe there was talk of the entire exhibition moving up to Mackay, unsure if these is going to occur, or has already occurred, but I will find out.

Anyways, thanks all :D

More good new today! Black House comic official page

http://blackhousecomics.com/the-soldier-legacy.html

Baden from Black House comics has uploaded the info related to 'The Soldier Legacy' comic series, including issue synopses as they occur :D

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Colour Sneak Peek of the Kirby tribute page from #3

A couple of months ago, I showed the pencil version of this page, and felt considering the TV Ad news, I was compelled to show the coloured version. Composition-wise, it's my tribute to all those wonderful Jack Kirby war comics, and panels that feature the soldier/citizen in the foreground, normally yelling orders to an (off page) army, with the great Kirby Mechanical menace plowing through the background. The horizontal full page spread is a convention I've noticed in some of John Romita Jr's work, and really liked the idea of utilizing the page in this regard to convey part of the story that needs that orientation. The image will be published in next month's 'Soldier Legacy #3', published by Black House comics.

I've been trying to find the right page to show an example, but Google let me down :P I believe a good example was in this issue of Sgt. Fury, plus bits and pieces from 'The Losers' below. Kirby fans know what I'm talking about ;) Anyways, back to the grindstone :D Thanks guys.


The beans are split! Soldier Legacy to be in TV Ad!


My boss Baden Kirgan has split the beans today on Facebook and Twitter courtesy of the Black House Comics Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=216084821781182&set=a.125927350796930.19582.121050057951326&type=1&theater

The quote reads:

Time to spill some beans.

A few weeks ago we were approached by an advertising agency who wanted to use Paul Mason's The Soldier Legacy in a campaign.

Negotiations ensued with the end result being that last Monday a TV spot was filmed for a major national brand using the Soldier (and his eight foot tall standee). I can't tell you the name of the company yet but the spots will air from October 9 around the country and will provide the widest exposure for any Australian comic that I can recall.

It was filmed in Kings Comics in Sydney, closing the store for the day. The entire shop was decked out top to tail with Black House Comics books, posters and merchandise - The Dark Detective, EEEK!
, After the World, Terra, The Twilight Age and of course The Soldier Legacy everywhere Marvel and DC would normally be. If only it was like that every day!

I will post photos from the shoot as they come to hand and once the ad airs a copy will be onwww.blackhousecomics.com - but stay glued to your sets October 9 - it'll be a big day!

And the sneaky photo from the King's comic Facebook page from Monday 5th September. Speculation was rife, I'm just hoping the fans aren't disappointed that the DiCaprio film 'The Great Gatsby' was not the reason the store closed for filming :P (photo from King's comics: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=207370135992464&set=a.135212919874853.25320.135187129877432&type=1&theater


So we all wait with baited breath until October 9th to see the little Aussie-hero-that-could make his debut on national TV.

Ok, it's time to get personal here. It's something I never do but I feel as though it's quite prudent in this case. So confession time:
This time last year, I was very concerned with the future of my work. I felt very stagnate, was very unsure of what the future held for my comic art. Towards the end of last year, I didn't even believe I would have the second issue printed due to some external topsey-turveiness, and I believed that I was invisible- that the style of artwork I was producing was not that appealing or marketable. I let people inadvertently get into my head that I wasn't going to get anywhere by myself and I needed to wait on them to organise things or write things or whatever. Thanks to one of my best friends and mentor Chris Sequeira, and the support from guys like Jan Sherpenhuizen, 'Chewy' Chan, Baden Kirgan, and a hell of a lot of sleepless nights and work at the drawing board/computer, I sit in a much brighter position with the series today. I have a scholarship to study my Doctorate, thanks to The Queensland College of Art (and my supervisors Paul Cleveland and Andi Spark), I have one of the only Australian comic publishers (Black House) printing and distributing my work, I was able to visit the 2011 San Diego Comic con with best mates and met some personal comic heroes and make new friends and contacts, I had work appear in the Supanova 'Tides of Hope' charity comic for the Queensland flood appeal (thank you Tim, Danny and Chris), I have work to appear in the next 'Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes' and a concept that is very close to my heart both in development and learning for me, to be in a national TV commercial for a major Australian Company. Tell me this at the start of this year and I would have laughed at you. Very hard. So I have to say I am very blessed. I'm generally not a religious man, and sometimes I feel like I've gone 15 rounds, but someone's definitely in my corner. I'm not saying it's been easy- my social life is lacking, and I probably can't kick someone in the head as easily as I use to (:P- I will get back into Taekwon-do eventually), but I figure if I keep my nose to the grindstone, I WILL get there eventually.

And if not, I'll teach it at Uni ;D

Thank you all, particularly my family and friends. Without those who pick up the book or post on the Social sites, I wouldn't have a voice. I hope these books entertain you in some way, I'm here to learn.

'The Soldier" reference shots and quick update


Hi All,

So these are reference images for 'The Soldier' character (1943)- Front, Back and Left side. There is a reason I did these, but I'm unable to divulge the full details of this. Let's just say I'm very excited. In the meantime, I use these to keep the character 'on model' as best as I can, as I always forget little details despite the simplicity of the outfit, and constantly need to double check- particularly if I haven't drawn the guy in a while. Anyway, I seem to be waffling for the sake of waffling, but I can show you that Black House comics may have this quite tall (told 9ft?!) fella appear at an upcoming convention- If not Supanova Brisbane in November, then for sure the next Sydney event in 2012.

Anyway, back to work. This month the third issue of Soldier is due to be printed in time for the next two cons. I'll be in Melbourne for Armageddon on the weekend of the 23rd of October, followed by a larger Black House Comics presence at the Supanova Expo in Brisbane November. At these shows, I will definitely have Soldier 1,2 and the new issue 3, the San Diego portfolio issue and Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes #7 featuring part 1 of the three part back up story I worked with Chris Sequeira on. Looking forward to a big tail end of the year. Plenty of work to do, I have much to to before this book is ready for print, plus a few things to produce to capitalize on the good feedback and contacts I made on my US trip. Comics wise, I'm feeling good at the moment, but I have to keep the momentum up and not drop the ball. It's all a massive learning curve and I pray I can pull it off.

I also need to update this blog more :P Thesis work needs to start creeping in here, I'll get there eventually.

Thank you all, will be back shortly, I promise :)