Julio Ribera!

I awoke to the clarion call of the postman this morn, delivering a parcel from France...

I went to a Lisbon Comic Convention last year, where I met Julio Ribera, a Catalonian Comic book artist in his 80s who grew up in Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War.

As a child he and his classmates helped welcome the International Brigade to the city with bouquets of flowers.
We conversed (through another artist, who translated for us!) about the Civil war , comics, long into the night.

He was also great friends with Jesus Blasco, one of the most influential Spanish Comic Book artists of the 50-60s. He lamented he'd never asked Julio for any art, as a momento and as he was such an inspiration to Julio.

So..on my return home to London, I sent Julio some Blasco art I owned, as a surprise Christmas present.

I hadn't heard back, and I wasn't so much worried about the art arriving as to whether Julio was ok....

So..this morning at tube arrived with a beautiful letter (Which he'd got a friend to translate into French, of all things! LOL) , thanking me, telling me I was his artistic grandson, and to visit him.

He also sent a HUGE page of art, from the late 1970s as a present..

I'm quite overwhelmed..what a lovely man.

Acrylic ink

Acrylic ink sketch..yes..I know another boring profile..it's just ink practise.. It's great stuff. You water it down and apply in thin coats. Like Watercolour..but it's waterproof.

I have a long standing Dredd Commission to do (For which I can only thank the client for their God like patience) , and I want to try and do it in this technique, to add grit, and give it a vintage look.. I want to do a barricaded street corner in the Apocalypse war, with Dredd mounting a last ditch defence.

I'm moving next weekend ..then I want to get it done as soon as I'm set up...

Krank Tank!

Christian Krank, our top secret weapon aboard Team Tank, sent me this DPs coloured up this morning...what a great way to start the day!
This was my favourite part to draw, so I'm really pleased that Christian has done such a stupendous job on this.

Hurray for Us! ;-)

The horror..the horror..

.. to quote Marlon Brando at his bloated best.


In what can only be described as an email that cheered me up no end, my ol' buddy Simon Morse sent me this photo.. Circa early 90s

Michele Perry, Simon Morse, James Morse, Gilbert Best, and yours truly Rufus Dayglo outside our flat in an old warehouse.

Our downstairs neighbours' incontinent dog did the World's evilest biggest diarrhoea mid summer right in that glass doorway.. It cooked in the heat..
You took your life in your hands braving those stairs!

See kids..this was punk rock when you had to make fun yourself.. LOL

Thanks Simmy, You made my day.

Friends Electric/Robotic

When I was little, I was lucky enough to live in Tokyo.

I was obsessed with Gundam, a TV series that spawned a deluge of model kits, toys, stickers, and ephemera which even today is a colossal merchandising empire.
I watched Gundam on TV and at the Cinema, but due to my sheer stupidity, and inability to get to grips with Japanese, I had no real idea of the complexities of the machiavellian storyline.

It's only recently seeing them on DVD as an adult (well.. errr..yeah) I've realised how complex the storyline was.

I've had a crap couple of weeks, and in a moment of work induced procrastination I looked up the toys I had/wanted as a kid.
I was always very lucky in that my parents were incredible indulgent and generous towards their pestering son's obsessions.... so..Thank you.

God bless Ebay.. and now I have new plastic friends.

Welcome fellas..







and a bootleg..Hurray!

The Mythid.. revisited...

Here's the final art for The Mythid cover... It's only got a temporary title..as that is not my dept!

Tankie vs Dee Dee

The race continues... and our heroes are back in action..but for how long?

Did anyone remember the sliced cheese and pickle sandwiches and Um bongo?

Is Dee Dee's bass guitar in tune?

Does Jet Girl have clean boxers on?

The Mythid

Here's a Cover Rough I've done with Brett Ewins and Scott Brown, for their new Project 'The Mythid.'

The picture is just a thumbnail picture coloured up.

45 page

Just finished a One page pin up for COM X's next project, by new writer, Andi Ewington, 'The 45'.

Andi has his own project blog..check it out!

http://thefortyfivecomic.blogspot.com/

Here's the pin up.. It'll be opposite a page of text, which are interviews withe respective superhero... in this case Captain Magnificent, Master of Water.

Tony Hart.... A Thank You

I've just heard the news that Tony Hart, artist, presenter, and childhood hero, has passed away.

Some of My earliest memories of Vision On, and Take Hart...and Tony's free and easy style certainly made an enormous impression on my tiny mind.
Tony wasn't a showy raconteur, like Rolf Harris,( who always freaked me out with his over the top delivery ,I always felt he was just showing off. ).
Tony was a quietly spoken man, who made you believe he was imparting little secrets on how to draw... especialy for You.

I loved Morph, and the Professor, but for me...it was always about Tony.
He truly inspired generations of artists..and I'm certainly one of them.

Thank you Tony. RIP.

Love and Tanks,

Rufus

Sneak peek at Judge Dredd Concept art by the mighty Jock

Jock has posted a few concept sketches for the forthcoming Judge Dredd film project up (check out link below)

I'm so happy and relieved it's Jock who's on board to design this film.
His design ability is outstanding, he truly loves the characters and concept, and he has such a clarity in his art. His work is utterly inspiring.

I'm genuinely excited now... I feel like a ten year old again.


http://io9.com/5125143/he-is-the-law-your-first-look-at-judge-dredd-movie

One for the road..

Well finished my pages for the day.. z z z z zzzz

Here's a panel from one of them..

7th of Jan... Art du jour

Here's what I've been working on today..

I start with a thumbnail sketch (Usually drawn on the script), scan and enlarge it onto photocopy paper, correct in biro, then do a clean version..scan and photoshop.

Just like that.

There's gotta be an easier way. LOL

Panel by Panel 2

With added shadow, to add a bit of tonal warmth

Panel by panel

Christian (Our über colourist) is sending me constant updates of his colouring of Tank Girl - Skidmarks. He's doing a great job.

Here's a panel from the first episode. It's unfinished..but just to give you an idea of work in process...

Tank Girl on Twitter!

Just because We don't have enough to do already... LOL

http://twitter.com/TEAM_TANK_GIRL

Bit of colour on a drab day!

Another page recoloured by the lovely, talented, and extremely patient Christian Krank.

Any other person would've killed me by now... I can't wait to meet the Mighty Kranktank in person, and get us some drinks!

Thank again Christian...

As the great german punk band the Spermbirds hollered all those years ago...

"My god rides a skateboard!"

Suicide Girls - Tank Girl #3 up on site!

Our third Tank Girl Pin Up is live on the Suicide Girls website.
This one has a festive Tattooine edge to it.

Here's a B&W version....

and a link...

http://suicidegirls.com/news/culture/23479/

Doodle..

Playing with acrylic ink on a pencil sketch... I'm going to experiment with photoshopping over ink washes.

Onwards..

Well..into the New Year..and starting as I mean to go on.. I was working.. LOL
I gotta get a life..

I'm working on Tank Girl - SkidMarks, but I took the night off to go to my good friend Lorenzo's Birthday on the 3oth, at te Griffin Pub in Old Street.

Lorenzo had manage to select the only premises in the UK where it was COLDER inside than outside..result. LOL We had a great night, and it was great to catch up with a bunch of ol'friends.

Belatedly.. Happy Birthday Loz!