Turns out you don't have to be online to get pimped sometimes ;P

Hey Soldiers!
Sometimes it's fantastic to know that I'm not just on a desert island, lobbing bottle after bottle into the ocean, wondering if anyone really gives a *** about the comic books I cram into that little glass "vessel". Thankfully, apart from you more vocal readers who touch base with me, or the lovely folk who appear at the conventions around the country, there are some great folks in the national pop culture scene who give you faith that perhaps I'm not marooned after all.

Over the weekend, the awesome crew from 'Gifts for the Geek' in Geelong, posted the banner for the upcoming appearance with good buddy Paul Abstruse for FREE COMIC BOOK DAY. Should be loads of fun, and I'm very much looking forward to visiting Geelong again. Last time I was there, was for the 2007 World TKD Championship Australian team selections (I can't remember the year, but poor Peter Brock had passed away that day, and that sticks in my mind).  It was also freezing. I'm sure that time of year, it will be a little warmer ;D

I'm a 'Cover Girl' :P
Thanks to the nice guys of 'Geek Speak' who surprised me with this pic on their Facebook cover page, taken at a recently recorded interview. That should drop in a few weeks I believe. Thank you again, gents. It's a hard slog, and I appreciate the support and kindness.

Then again, I haven't listened to this yet, that I was recently tagged in...I'm sure it's good, because they know I'll find them ;P

Speaking of Geek Speak, the brains behind Kaboom Comics in Toowoomba also posted this promo pic of all their Aussie titles. Have a read here :D

Anyways, Troops; it's time I get back to it. Please support your local comic stores- Ace Comics and Games recently stocked some Soldier Legacy titles, so you have no excuse either, Brisbane ;P

As always, Thank you again :)

We soldier on.

UPDATE: Oh yeah, there was of course, this...

 Worse. Cameo. Ever!

(Thanks Mr Black and co. ;P)
Filmed during the more recent appearance on the Late Nite Show.

Soldier Sightings: OzComic's 'Australian Comics' Drawing week.

Last week, Australian drawing community Facebook page OzComics chose 'Australian comics' as their drawing topic for the week, in honour of the recent Australia Day weekend, and Whatcha podcast's Australian comic special. To my surprise, some of the locals in the OzComic community chose to scribble their renditions of 'The Soldier' from ww2, featured among other Australian-made characters in the album, such as Trevor the Bull (from 'Greener Pastures'), McBlack, Southern Squadron, Cyber swine, Dark Nebula, Winter City's 'The Reaper', Zed Mercury, Buzz Mandible, Killeroo, and Billy: Demon Slayer, just to name a but a small few.

View the whole album of entries here! And below, are the kind appearances of 'The Soldier'. Click the links for the bigger pictures/source of origin, and thanks again to all the kind folks who feature here- it's fantastic to see everyone's take.

By Thomas Tung

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.529938153704030.119258.241043559260159&type=1

By Emmanuel Hernaez

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=530046780359834&set=a.529938153704030.119258.241043559260159&type=3&theater

By Emmanuel Hernaez

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=530441800320332&set=a.529938153704030.119258.241043559260159&type=3&theater

By Ken Best

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=535077066523472&set=a.529938153704030.119258.241043559260159&type=1&theater

By Drew Bird

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=535467546484424&set=a.529938153704030.119258.241043559260159&type=3&theater

By Jacen Carpenter

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=535467526484426&set=a.529938153704030.119258.241043559260159&type=3&theater

By Dean Giles

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=536038866427292&set=a.529938153704030.119258.241043559260159&type=3&theater

(Please remember  all art images featured in this post are copyrighted to the artist, and feature here as part of a blog entry/educational purpose only. Characters are copyrighted to their respective copyright holders.)
Thank you all :)

Post comic deadline week drawings inc. Batman

So, in the wee hours of Easter Sunday morning, I officially completed and sent through to the publishers the final files for 'The Soldier Legacy #4' and 'Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes #8'. Count the Soldier trade paperback, and you have 3 months of non-stop, intense comic book making. Not just penciling, but writing, colouring, lettering, and book production. I can't wait to see if I pulled it off ok when the printed versions arrive in Melbourne for this weekend's convention.

I am very much looking forward to the next couple of weeks, as it is my first time as an official comic book guest at Supanova for Melbourne and Gold Coast. I am a little embarrassed, sure, as I have yet to crack an american gig (my goal), as opposed to everyone else on the comics guest list. But I humbly remember that this time last year, I was still a little self-publisher with a little creator-owned, Australian comic book. Realistically, it was May/June 2011 was when I officially went onboard with Black House, and the approach for the TV commercial wasn't until August/September, if I remember correctly. Now, with the first collected TPB out this week, and issue 4, AND a team up in Black House's Sherlock Holmes series, it's still all a bit of a whirlwind which I feel I've yet to sit back and enjoy, as I've been chained to the drawing board/computer since January. But, having said that, only I am in control of if I get anywhere at all in this crazy, volatile field, so it's probably best that I continue to press on with the process, and be polite, hardworking and persistent as I can. I am very thankful to be a guest of the cons due to this creator-owned title, and I am also grateful for the help and support I have received from guys like Chris Sequeira, Baden Kirgan, and the rest of my Black House family, plus the Supanova team for the opportunity.

Anyway, it's 2.30am so I'm probably rambling more than I intend to. Two things I'd like to post here. One is a sketch cover commission I was invited to partake in for the recent launch of the latest Killeroo comic book "Killeroo: Gangwar". I had a lot of fun, and it was great to be a small part of a talented Gallery of Artists with different styles and mediums.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=360159970701629&set=a.339345682783058.98281.123322107718751&type=1&theater

Also, it's not "live" yet, (as I only just sent it in, due to the fact that my body clock is still ruined from the weeks of late nights/little sleep), but this week's OZcomic Drawing challenge was one I couldn't ignore- 'Batman'. Being one of the only DC Comics I purchase (thanks to the beautiful work of Greg Capullo), I was previously a huge fan of the trades. I have all of Jeph Loeb/Tim Sale's works on the character, no doubt because it feeds directly from the story threads/universe established in Frank Miller's 'Batman: Year One', which is one of my favourites. But, I couldn't go past the chance to do one of my all time favourite Graphic Novels, and a homage to Frank Miller/Klaus Janson's "Clint Eastwood-ish", grizzly, bulky, no-holds-barred Batman from the many layered 'Dark Knight Returns' from 1986. There's so many great scenes in the book, I almost did the mud hole fight ("This isn't a mud hole, it's an operating table, and I'm the surgeon!"...or something to that affect). But, since I still have a few commissions to do before Melbourne, and since I'd already started drawing the cape (:P), I decided to stick with it, cut time by NOT having to draw mud all over him, and whack that mutant in there he busted through the apartment wall to take out. So scribble and a slap around of colour, as this is what I got.

I'll stick a link up when it's up on the OZcomic site. Until then, I've gotta run. Thanks for putting up with the nonsense, talk about something substantial soon ;)

UPDATE: Link here :D http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=386267194737794&set=a.385599681471212.90204.241043559260159&type=1&permPage=1

Paul.