I am John

Art Post

2010-04-04T17:21:00.000+01:00

Haven't updated in a while. Apologies.

The comic, new romances and WoW have kept me busy. Here's what you've missed...

A commission piece for AnxietyDecending.

Dude. A Raptor, with laser eyes and a jet-pack. Enough said.

Sketch of the Day

2010-02-15T23:21:00.001Z

After listening to Incubus - 'Anna Molly' in the car today, I was inspired to create a character of the same name. Those of you familiar with the song, will know Brandon sings it as 'anomaly' as opposed to the pronunciation of the name. So, a science fiction-esque genetic-experiment-but-still-inexplicably-beautiful type appears in my head, and I draw it when I get home:

However, I joyously realise that I forgot to switch layers. So, I have a background layer, an empty layer, and a layer with my draft sketch and my final lineart on, which should be on the now-empty layer.. So, I have decided to just post it as-is.

Terry also gleefully pointed out this is not the first time I have done this.

Sketches - Part 1

2010-02-06T16:03:00.000Z

Click on an image for a larger view:

Lecture notes from my first year at Uni. 120CT was Computer Architecture. Wherein I seemed to have drawn a sandle-wearing, lobotomised 'thing'. 2006

Can't remember the story behind this, other than not wanting to draw hands... c2004

Adult Link. c2004

While practising the human form, I found drawing pictures of people in specific poses helped. This here is Dido, from what I believe was the back cover of her first album. I may be wrong about that unimportant fact. c2003

Influenced by a start-to-finish re-watching of Spaced, I really paid attention to the art in the show. Guess what console I was besotted with at the time? c2003

I had picked up a copy of Newtype USA (which has sadly now ceased printing), an anime magazine, with a review of Samurai Champloo. The first page of the review had a full-page art shot of the character Fuu, which prompted this sketch. I never did get around to watching it all. Especially as it had so much promise, awesome characters and an exceptional pedigree to live up to (created by the people who did Cowboy Bebop)

Absolutely no-prizes for guessing who these two are/were the original designs for. There are features about this sketch that I prefer over the current incarnation of the characters.

That's all for now. I'll try and post 'actual' sketches with the next lot, as opposed to near-finished compositions...

Sketches, ho!

2010-02-02T22:52:00.000Z

Okay, so, moving house sucks, we all know that. However, in the same way that the bigger Corn Flakes are brought to the top of the box by shaking it, a few things have come together that will make this blog a little more interesting - namely, the big box of sketches I have from back since I was 17-ish, and my printer. Which has a scanner on the top of it.

You see where I'm going with this?

Once the Internet is all connected up to my house (no, not the other way round!) I will begin posting some of the ones that I consider to have aged better. And there are a couple!

Until then, dear friends. Until then.

JB

Shakin' it up

2010-01-26T19:57:00.000Z

I've been quite quiet recently. Thats because the cranks have been whirring. And the cogs? Well, they've been rolling. I basically can't leave the comic how it is. Otherwise the next 100 issues are going to look exactly the same. So, I can either draw every issue from scratch, which is not ideal, but I can deal with it if needs be. This will allow me to develop as an artist. It also means I can do stuff like this:

Its not perfect, and to be honest, its a little lop-sided. But this is what I want to do, or something similar. Take this as an example. This is Scarlet's first design overhaul, and I think she looks better for it. Added a funky new hairstyle, and added a little weight ('cos lets face it, even stylised, she looked waaay too thin..)

I don't know when I will do all this, and how I will bring it in, but I would definitely like to add eyes - proper eyes - to my characters.

I will keep posting concepts on here in the meantime. However, to keep things simple, the comic will continue as normal until I've worked out what I'm doing with the characters.

The Final Fantasy XIII trailer

2010-01-19T21:49:00.000Z

March 9th. I know what I'll be doing:

As trailers go - perfect mix of gameplay and cutscene. Even if Youtube's 720p resolution dies on its ass in the more heated moments of the video, its plenty enough to make me shell out money for this. I obviously reserve opinion of the game itself until its release, as I'm not a wailing fanboy.

Oh, wait, no - I am. zomfgwtfbbq BEST GAME EVAR LOL.

And, it wouldn't be a Final Fantasy XIII International Trailer post, without my mentioning Leona Lewis. I really don't mind. If the music fits the moment, then I can deal with it.

JB

WTLW.. Or YEAR

2010-01-12T13:41:00.000Z

So, it looks like someone has decided to stick an Apple logo on Iron Man...

Funny, I recall seeing something like that last July... Must just be me.

Also, on an unrelated note: decals on Macbook's are generally a really bad idea. Not only do they look tacky, but; can you say... 'Resale value'? Oh, wait, that's completely related to the thing I just said.

JB

Game of the Decade

2010-01-04T21:10:00.000Z

As I hinted last year, I have been planning and considering this post for an entire year.

So... how the hell am I supposed to summarize ten years of video games in ten neatly formed lines? To emphasise this point - lets consider some candidates:

Halo, Counter-Strike Source, World of Warcraft, Half Life 2, Guitar Hero , Grand Theft Auto 3 (onwards), Dawn of War, Peggle, Team Fortress 2, Battlefield 2, Unreal Tournament, Homeworld 2, Fallout 3, Far Cry, Freelancer, KotOR, Deus Ex, Bioshock, Doom 3, Supreme Commander, Age of Empires 3, Mass Effect...... I'm stopping here, because my brain hurts.

The thing that makes it so difficult is that some games that you may have played 'a long time ago' may include titles released in 2000/2001 etc. For example, Warcraft 3, a game I remember playing while I did my GCSE's. Which means it was released in 2002 (I checked, it was) - but its stuff like that that really throw me here. How can I quantify, then classify, games that have blown me away recently, and games that I played 8/9 years ago - and then how to adjust the grading to scale for both...

Therefore, to make it easier, I'm going to list this by a few personal factors: time spent playing, enjoyment, replayability and nostalgia. Yes folks, this could get a little rose-tinted.

#2: Half Life 2
#3: CounterStrike: Source
#4: Homeworld 2
#5: Halo
#6: Freelancer
#7: Elder Scrolls 4 - Oblivion
#8: Left 4 Dead
#9: Supreme Commander
#10: Guitar Hero/Rock Band

Okay, so, thats my list. Lets work our way through it. Do lets:

Guitar Hero was a game I never thought I'd get into (a similar story with a few other games here.) However, the game, and several songs from 3 and World Tour, now actually almost summarise my entire 3rd term at University. I mean, one word almost encompasses my friendship with Chris - Everlong (as in the song by the Foo Fighters, that at one point, we could play on hard/expert, looking away from the TV..) Next we have Chris Taylors superb Supreme Commander, a strategy game like no other. No other game makes you think through every decision with such depth and, well, strategy. Each game takes a good few hours to play, so in a LAN situation, you are there for the long haul. Dare I say it, it is almost perfectly balanced, with each unit having a counter-unit, unless you're fighting a cheating AI, who launched 12 nukes at once. Messy, but fun. Speaking of messy - Left 4 Dead - another LAN favourite. Again, the focused requirement of teamwork and skill makes for an exciting and sometimes terrifying experience. I am always guaranteed an edge-of-the-seat experience, or at least a bloody good laugh. The 4th Elder Scrolls game, Oblivion, was one of the most atmospheric and beautiful games of the decade. Even now, it still looks fantastic, and features a wonderful musical score, and voice acting. I spent months playing that game, through the story, and a vein attempt at role playing ("Hello, I'm a mysterious Elf..." - okay, cybering with some AI, whatever you want to call it).

I've always been under the impression that Freelancer was a hidden gem. The concept of do-what-you-will space shooting was a game I have enjoyed since Colony Wars on the PlayStation (...1). Yes, I know its basically Elite, with better graphics, but it certainly worked as a game on its own. I recall pulling an all-nighter playing this game, while listening to U2 - Best of 1990-2000. And I'm still not sure why. Halo, whether you love it or hate it, simply has to be mentioned. One of my first 'LAN session' experiences was with a couple of original X-Box's, 2 massive CRT TV's and some mates, just kicking back and shooting the crap out of each other all night and morning. It also has a single player experience that, in all honesty, is probably better than Half-Life.. (At least Master Chief actually spoke!) Another throw back to my school days was Homeworld2, which was quite a slow-paced strategy game, but set in space - therefore you had the pain in the ass z-axis to deal with. But then, few things in gaming have ever been as awesome as flying low-health interceptors at an enemy mothership, dragging out their defences, only to drop several huge battlecruisers above, below and behind. Again, tracklisting to this game mainly included Matchbox Twenty's album, 'More Than You Think You Are'.

This leaves us with 3 more games. I have split #2 and #3 between Half-Life 2 (and its episodes) and CounterStrike: Source. Even though I complain about Gordon Freeman not speaking, the storyline in Half Life 2 really shone through, without the protagonist saying a word. So much of his character is projected onto by the player, meaning instead of stoic grunting (we're looking at you here, John 117), Gordon Freeman is literally the players character - you are him, and in turn, he is you. That's how I have always chosen to look at it. Others may tell you its 'lazy game-making'. Opinions, eh? No game has come close to toppling Half Life 2 in quality and majesty since its release, and the Source engine it all runs on has aged very well. CounterStrike was my main route into multiplayer gaming - full stop. The updated version, on the aforementioned Source engine was stunning, and blew me away. I occasionally return to it, even now.

So, you cunning folks who have made it this far may have noticed only 9 games mentioned. Well, that's because I have left the number 1 game spot until last.. And, you probably already know what it is.

Released in 2004, looking 'dated' even on its release - let alone in 2010 - this is probably going against everything I said earlier about nostalgia and enjoyment, but I honestly have my reasons. Yes, I know there are plenty of other games in its genre that are probably 'better', or offer a up-to-date visual experience, or a different setting, but to be honest, the story, the lore, the characters - their struggles and triumphs drag me kicking and screaming back to it time and time again. I am currently on hiatus from it, as I find that I swing between franticly addictive playing (staying up 'til 3am) and not being bothered by it at all, in any way.

However, I always know that it is one of the most creatively designed, well tuned and supported games in existence, allowing me on one day to grind through levels and quest to my hearts content, and then another day, just fly around looking at stuff, visiting characters that I have read about (7 books worth... Seriously), or even sometimes, every now and again, chat with a bunch of well-rounded, interesting... (okay, 14-year old school kids, and Scandinavians) players. This is backed up by my spending an entire day talking to a guild-mate about Life, the Universe and Gregory House M.D. (Hi Maria! - look, I mentioned you by name! True story!)

I am of course talking about Blizzard's cash-cow magnum-opus, and what was once called (accurately, I'd like to add) 'the Cocaine of gaming': World of Warcraft. Nothing has ever instantly captured my attention so strongly and thoroughly, and I'd like to take this opportunity to both thank and chastise Terry, for both patiently guiding me through it, and getting me hooked.

There you have it. You may disagree with it - so feel free to comment any of your own suggestions. It'd be great to know what others think. I will update this post/article/essay, with a link to Terry's post of the same nature when he gets his written.

JB
Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-20T21:43:00.000Z

As you'll see over on the main blog tomorrow morning, I have the new festive 'postcard' comic up. However, due to boredom and impatience, I'll go ahead and post the art-only version here - and in much higher resolution:

A high-octane action sequence from a recently commandeered sleigh.

All that's left to be said, is Merry Christmas to you all, and thanks for reading either blog. As ever, I welcome any and all comments on anything I've done.

[Something in Japanese]

2009-12-17T22:05:00.000Z

A wonderous video by the ever-creative Japanese, with a fantastic chiptunes-y musical number:

Thanks to Chris Heaton on Facebook for the post.

JB

Cowgirl

2009-12-16T17:46:00.000Z

Very - very - loosely based on this:

With faux-sepia tone, for added ~~laziness~~ authenticity.

Southend-on-Sea - My Weekend

2009-12-13T20:43:00.000Z

As I have done in the past, myself and a good friend, visited another good friend of ours this weekend in that darling town of Southend, where it smells of fish, and also chips. It is for this reason the comic is late this week - however; care, I do not.

I listened to Chris' brother, Dan, sing his little heart out in front of a bunch of people, which was awesome. We went on a Bakery Crawl (a toned down, more savoury, pub crawl). I watched a 'Football' game on the TV, and ate some pretzels with Chris' Grandad, who, is also awesome. I ate heartily, and enjoyed fine hospitality from Chris' parents, which also included opening twist-top beer bottles, and subsequently consuming their contents, despite a mild-ish cold/fever. Then, though not immediately after, went fishing in what felt like Antarctic temperatures, on a pier made out of the most untrustworthy concrete and iron I have yet encountered in my life.

400 miles later: Weekend well spent.

But, what of the things we have learnt:

- Whether they be revels or rebels, Luke Skywalker would be both.
- Regarding the M25 motorway (and my quote-of-the-day): "Fuck the M25." - Chris
- Everyone poops. And always need to.
- Songs that have new names:
  * Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey - "The Contraflow Theme"
  * Theme from Jurassic Park - "The A414 is a Bloody-Wonderful-Road (I Love the A414)"
  * Don't Stop Believing by Journey - "The Service Station (A New Road)"

Oh - and yes - there are 3, maybe 4 people in the world who will 'get' this post.

And it's probably not you!

JB

The Writer

2009-12-07T19:18:00.000Z

As I have mentioned before, but still, perhaps not enough; one of my friends has a book, which he wrote. He is currently working on the tentatively titled 'Book 2', which, as far as I know, is a sequel to With his Head in the Clouds. I am very much looking forward to it, as Rich really nailed the ending of the first book - and I made sure he knew this. However, as I gather from his blog posts - things are not going well.

There is little I can do to help, other than perhaps giving him an early ChristBirthMasDay present:

Yes Rich, this is exactly how I picture you writing your book. Good luck mon frère.

Rich's personal blog: http://magicmoir.wordpress.com/

'A Novel Update': http://anovelupdate.wordpress.com/

Willbot

2009-12-06T11:05:00.000Z

The last of my little spate of alternate character drawings:

click to make 'le grand'

Scarmurai

2009-12-04T23:09:00.000Z

And to add further to tonight's arty madness:

Click to biggerise.

Terry suggested this. So, Terry, I hope your happy.

Now, I'm going to lie down over there and die for a bit... O_o

Jayocalypse

2009-12-04T20:31:00.001Z

No art posts in a while:

Click for biggerness.

You were saying?

This is either in homage to Fallout 3, or in homage to the no-doubt flop-to-be; The Book of Eli.

JB

Project: Laptop 7:7

2009-12-03T19:50:00.000Z

Fancy name, huh?! I just came up with it. I amaze myself sometimes.

The jist: My Dad bestowed upon me his old Dell Latitude C840 - a 7 year old beast from a nether-time. Being basically a walking Windows 7 advertisement at the moment, I fancied testing my new love out, on what I assumed to be a real challenge.

Now, if I were some high-flying blog writer, I would go into paragraphs of detail regarding the processes, my personal thoughts, and the troubleshooting. Needless to say, I am not, and this is only a summary. Basically, the install went perfectly. A laptop that sometimes used to struggle with Windows XP, flew through the install and setup. Only minor issue was with the network/sound drivers, which was resolved with a little tinkering, and, well, resolve. To my glee, the sound drivers were found online and automatically installed, allowing me to experience the full power, of what I can only assume to be at least 2000W of amplified sound. Or perhaps less. Maybe less.

My next steps - get a wireless card plugged in an running. Possibly source a replacement battery. Maybe replace the hard disk (I would ideally be spending no more than £40 on both). One of the other checkboxes I had on a non-existant list, was to get some games running - however, a brief glance over the dxdiag output shows very little. Working on some graphics drivers at the moment.

Anyway, if you read that expecting some magnum opus of weaving story telling, then you should probably re-evaluate your life and your expectations. Also, if you don't 'get' the title of the post, read the first paragraph again, sloooowly...

Geeking out,
JB

Word-of-the-Day

2009-11-30T22:38:00.000Z

'Flustercuck'.
from Gizmodo

JB

Quote-of-the-Day

2009-11-28T11:43:00.001Z

Okay, its a little early to declare anything 'of the Day', but this amuses me:

"Make no mistake - 80s nostalgia is almost over, and 90s nostalgia is on its way. We're already running out of 80s culture to obsess over, so we're going to have to relive the nineties one way or another. So I have to ask: if we're going to put up with an insipid recreation of nineties life, why shouldn't it be set on a runaway moon hurtling into the vast and dangerous cosmos? Honestly, that sounds like a fair assessment of what happened after 1999 anyway. Keep the original theme tune, and I think we've got ourselves a winner."

From io9.com

JB

Screenshot-of-the-Day

2009-11-26T17:45:00.000Z

www.googlegooglegooglegoogle.com

Oh...

2009-11-25T19:25:00.000Z

And another thing - I graduated today. (You know, the sort of thing that 'slips your mind' and you end up posting a Final Fantasy XIII trailer instead. We've all been there, done that.)

I will post some choice photos of the dotGif 'team' in our ~~Batman outfits~~ ceremonial gowns, just as soon as I get them, which might be easier said than done..

JB

Another Reason to buy a PS3

2009-11-25T16:37:00.000Z

The decision may have been made on this video, but I think this video may have sealed the deal.

Gone Fishin'

2009-11-16T21:50:00.000Z

I'm enjoying drawing more than gaming at the moment. This is good and bad - as the artist on a comic, it is a good thing. As the artist on a gaming comic, not-so-much. Instead, I spend my evenings wallowing with my tablet, which is very fussy at the moment as to when it will let me draw. This evening has been one of those times:

This is based on an actual sitting position, and actual witnessed sunset, the last time I frequented a good friend of mine, who lives near the sea. Of which the plans have been laid for another visit, before Greatfather Winter arrives once again to wreak havoc on children's sleeping patterns. (That's a round-about way of saying 'Christmas'.) You may have noticed the fishing rod in the scene, of which there are no observational rewards - which is the reason for the title of this blog post. As long as that's all wrapped up, I'll get back to drawing. Or watching Derren Brown in '3D', of which my mighty scepticism weighs down on me, like a very large sceptical bear. Or any mammal for that matter.

I wonder what other things I can immortalise in faux-electro-charcoal?

Buying a Hero

2009-11-13T22:30:00.000Z

Upon purchasing for myself, a HTC Hero (Touch G2 - whatever you want to call it), I have had many people come up to me in the street and generally shower me with praise, money and gifts, for having such a generally awesome phone. Read: lies. Okay, so far, 2 people have showed major interest in the possibility of themselves purchasing one, and so far, I have a 50% sell rate - my brother now has one.

Therefore, you could construct that this blog post is written entirely for that 'other party'. I would counter with the fact that I do a poor job of advocating a good device. Let us begin.

Firstly, I'm going to try to stay impartial. From the odd times I have used one; the iPhone has indeed impressed. So, if you want the style and snappiness [and app cost (more on that in a minute)] buy the iPhone.

However, I'm going to assume that as you are still reading, you have considered an iPhone, but either have been put off by the frothed-mouth hordes of users of the iPhone, or just want to be a savvy consumer and check what the crack is elsewhere. Oops, that last paragraph wasn't very impartial. Oh well, moving on.

Firstly; Symbian... Seriously?

Okay ignore that, secondly; Android - the mobile offspring of Google and Linux. For muchos detail and the history, I refer you to another impartial and always true source of information - Wikipedia. For the case of this post - Android is what runs on the Hero. And the G1. And the new Droid, the Cliq etc. etc. It is a relatively quick, solid operating system and its got a lot of extensibility - in that many manfuacturers will slap their own user interface over the top - hence why some Android phones seem 'different'. HTC's 'Sense' UI seems to have been born out of a blissful marriage of Apple-design and intuitive usability. Ergo - using it is piss easy. Before I actually get into a review - see these guys; they do this shit professionally:

http://www.slashgear.com/htc-hero-review-2149880/
(Skip to 2:50 for the phone-switchy-on bit)

http://androidcommunity.com/our-htc-hero-review-goes-live-at-slashgear-20090721/ Now, one issue this 'other party' - ...Okay, its Ben - his name is Ben and he writes a blog about complaining; enough with this 'party' crap... Moving on. BEN'S main issue with getting a Hero, is that there is nothing to use in-store. All the mobile phone shops have walls decorated with dummy units, as if they have been placed there as macabre trophies from some sort of hunt. I also expect the staffers to be wearing riding boots, and speaking like toffs. I digress. These dummy units give almost no feel for the phone, as most have stripped innards, so are lighter and, more than anything, don't have a working interface.

So, what I did, was to watch the videos of the Hero being unboxed/reviewed/played-with like a hawk, and watch the subtleties of general use on the phone. Its important to note, that for me, by that time; I was sold - I was going to get this phone. However, you can then match these observations with the dummy unit in store - or if you ask super nicely, the staff may have one around somewhere (unlikely, but you don't get anything without asking). Its also worth asking their opinion, especially in a place like Carphone Warehouse, where they are trying to sell you PHONES, unlike the operator stores, where they are trying to sell you a CONTRACT from themselves only.
Couple of things to bear in mind, now you might be getting a Hero:
- Smartphone batteries 'suck', especially when you migrate from a normal handset to one. Hope for 24 hour battery life. Expect 15-18. - Signal on Orange is a little iffy for me, that goes for phone signal and 3G. But 2G is almost always there as a backup.
- Android 1.6 is good, and HTC's update pretty much irons out most the issues with the original phone. Look out for the update - as it will wipe your phone if you apply it at a later date. Get it updated as soon as you unbox it.
- Similarly, Android 2.0 (shipping on the aforementioned Droid in the US) will be out soon, and equally rock the boat a little.
- You WILL spend money on iPhone apps, because everyone wants in on the 'get rich from an app' dream. Due to its Linux background, most apps that actually serve a decent function are free on Android (you know, 'cos the Linux guys dig that open-source bandwagon). Also, Google make some immense applications.

In summary - impartiality out the window here - iPhones suck. Buy a Hero.

If any of that helped or made sense, then by God, something amazing just happened.

JB

More...

2009-11-09T23:30:00.000Z

As I mentioned yesterday, I'd post a couple more things today.

One, has an unfortunate tale:

I started doing this, but neglected to create a new layer for the pen work. What that means, is that instead of drawing onto a transparent layer (which allows colour to be seen from underneath), I did this straight onto a white layer. This means, no matter how much I want to (due to laziness) I cannot colour it. I can however, put a layer over the top and set its opacity down to about 9%, and add shade. Sorry, I forgot to mention, there is a bunch of technical art terminology here. Words like 'layer', 'opacity' and 'pen'.

If you're still wondering what it is; its a Night Elf Death Knight. If you're still now wondering what it is; its a 'WoW-thingy-ma-jigger'.

Secondly, a high-def version of panel 3 from yesterdays comic (well, technically panel 5):

I'm pretty sure most people don't realise how big the image you end up seeing actually is. I probably work to an unnecessary scale, but it seems to work aright - and you don't broke what ain't fixed. Or something. Anyway, no doubt further to your amazement, the image you get when you click above is fifty percent the size of the original. 4000x5600 pixels for a full 3-panel comic, which gets scaled to 12.5% when its saved for the Internet.

Righto, sorry to rabbit on. Hope you enjoyed the little dip into my life there.

JB

New Tablet FTW

2009-11-08T22:01:00.000Z

Well, turns out I did, and didn't need to buy a new tablet.

I didn't - because it turns out, as everyone (including my Dad) told me it was driver issues. Hell, even I told myself that it was drivers. But, I mean, c'mon - 1024 pressure sensitivity levels!

I did - for the reason above. The 'Pen & Touch' Bamboo doubles the pressure levels from the first Bamboo I had, which really makes a big difference. Consider pressure sensitivity in the case of the mouse you use. You have 2 pressure sensitivity levels - either clicked, or not clicked (try it now!) With a pen tablet, you can control the 'depth' of the line with the pressure you apply - yes, like a real-life pen! The original Bamboo had 512 - which is enough to distinguish between a thick and very thin line - but its recommended use is for people who want a different way of interacting with their PC; which, as an artist using one, is downright depressing.

Anyway, I ramble, I bought a new tablet, it was £80 including the shipping, and it is fantastic. The feel and pressure is much much better than what I was using before, as the following images will hopefully show:

This is an attempt at a slightly different art style - you know, with eyes and noses and that. This young lady would no doubt be a pilot or something, in some sort of interesting story that could one day be written. Who knows these things...

This was the first major go at using the new tablet, but, as another art project came along (soon to be released) I settled on getting some colour and finishing on what I had already done. I want to say I will come back and finish this, but we all know that's an outrageous and downright lie. I think it looks cooler in the whole 'finish-to-beginning' effect from head-to-toes. Read: Lazy.

Well, this post was brought about by my about to do some more sketching, so hopefully I'll post again later this week. I will also post a high-res version of panel 3 of tomorrows comic, which I was quite pleased with.

Gunnerkrigg Court

2009-10-29T18:39:00.000Z

While perusing the Internets recently, I found this little gem of a comic; Gunnerkrigg Court. Its a story about a young girl at a boarding-school... (I'm only up to chapter 7...) I'm also trying desperately hard to not describe it as 'Harry Potter-y' because this comic calls on a much more darker, film noir, Neil Gaiman-esque approach - but it does star a young schoolgirl, with a lot of mythical/strange goings on. Though in my opinion, its actually better than that rose-tinted, overly-Britishised, kid's book/film/toy line.

Don't let the amount of work done put you off - yes, there are 600+ pages - but the chapters are quite self contained and wrap up in 10-15 pages (some at 25). The humour is dry, and the main character is both bland and very interesting at the same time.

I absolutely love it.

JB
Still don't know what that 'bird' is... must... keep... reading...

In Which I Worship the Occult Via Imagery

2009-10-28T23:42:00.000Z

While waiting forever for the Left4Dead 2 demo, I decided to do a one-off profile picture for Facebook, to celebrate - what I like to think is - Satan's Birthday (you know, like Christmas, only opposite...)

As ever, click through for the full version.

Also, yes, expect other holiday-themed profile pictures, as and when relevant.

So it looks like I'm getting a PS3...

2009-10-24T10:01:00.000+01:00

...Thanks to this:

My X-Box/PS3 decision has been made easy for me.

I'm gonna roll with the guys who have a department of 'Epic Footage'.

Daily Dragon

2009-10-14T21:18:00.000+01:00

While under stimulated at work, I decided to put pen to paper again, and draw a fucking big dragon. Success. Then, upon bounding home like a schoolchild, I settled myself for an evenings RSI-inducing drawing. 90 minutes later, I have this:

...which I post to Facebook in some sort of dazed fervour. Next logical step; color. Another 90 minutes:

Evening well spent.

I have since decided that this dragon, though somewhat red and imposing, does not possess the grandeur to be Alexstrasza, the Life-Binder and Queen of the Red Dragonflight. However, her little minon/mate/sex slave, Krasus, this could very well be. Obviously, he appears here as Korialstrasz. But you knew that already, right?

Moonocalypse

2009-10-09T09:19:00.000+01:00

NASA hates the moon. By firing a rocket into it, they hope to see if there is water there. Alternatively, my theories could come into play:

- They cut a hole straight through the moon. The moon becomes a celestial asshole.
- Alternatively, they split the moon in half. With comedic effect.
- The rocket gets lodged in the side of the moon and fires it across the solar system. With comedic effect.
- They miss.With comedic effect.
- They instigate the first Lunar Cry.
- The man-in-the-moon is all like, "Hay, screw you", and throws it back at Earth. Solar Pong ensues.
- In order to keep consistency, they aim for a location relevant to where the first moon landing took place (so this would be about 70 miles from a studio in downtown Hollywood?)

Who knows what will happen. NASA doesn't! (Probably...)

JB
I have nothing better to do than to post this. I'm waiting for the boss to finish a report so we can move a TV.

In other news, the comic for Monday is done, so, you know, woo.

MGS: Philanthropy

2009-09-28T22:01:00.000+01:00

Okay, this post is more for my benefit, but if you have the time, and can't decide which shitty Hollywood blockbuster to watch, try this instead:

http://www.mgs-philanthropy.net/eng/

A fan-made MGS film. Found on Kotaku

Bravo guys, cracking work.

JB

Proof of Concept

2009-09-26T21:28:00.000+01:00

Last time I spoke with Rich, face-to-face, we came up with the idea of making a comic based around something to do with his book (basically laziness - it means he had already written his bit...) Sadly, nothing came of that, as I was busy with Uni and dotGif, and he was, at the time, busy being under-appreciated and utterly shafted by a popular high-street retailer.

However, this is not the idea we had come up with, but is non-the-less, a comic, based on his book. Beggars cant be choosers:

You'll probably have to click through to actually see anything.

This is the first 3/4 of the first page of the book/novel. The opening scene. My reasoning for doing this:

I want to know what its like to make a 'normal' comic.
I was practising grey scale images (fail...) and I wanted to render Ben and Ethan on screen.
...Now you have read this bit, you'll be pleased to know its on sale at lulu.com, and is only £8.74, or £3 for the digital copy, so you can find out what happens next.

With His Head in the Clouds [Redux]

2009-09-22T17:59:00.001+01:00

My friends book finally arrived. Ear-to-ear grin came about upon reading my entry in the Acknowledgements in the back. Lunch is a powerful bargaining tool.

That's me by the way. You know, behind the book. IF you didn't know... "Hi."

Posted from a Graveyard...

2009-09-19T22:21:00.000+01:00

Quite a cool post over at io9.

My favourites in that gallery: Rowling, Moore, Adams and Gaiman

JB

In Case of Boredom; Break Glass.

2009-09-19T14:05:00.000+01:00

While the helpdesk at work is a new and interesting experience, the council only employs so many people. And, therefore, unless there is a fire, or 800kg Gorilla running rampant in the server room (don't worry, we haven't had any fires yet), the phone lines are relatively quiet. And sol.exe is now on the ban list.

So, I occasionally take up my trust steed; 'Bic', and take its moist tip to the unsuspecting notepad I have next to me. Now with amusing results:

Hah! He simply doesn't understand!

Don't act surprised that this was drawn.

...Clearly. (Loosely based on this, and the successor to 'Battle Pigeon' a creation of Joe Riches)

Answer enough calls and you will enter Nirvana. Or your money back.

So, as you can see, I have been swamped this week.

JB

Wow, that book looks good!

2009-09-13T16:14:00.000+01:00

Whoa!

http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/with-his-head-in-the-clouds/7538814

A book by my friend, Rich, which is awesome [but enough about the book] because I know an author!

Buy it and read it!

JB
...Or I will start killing the puppies.

Updation - the art of Updating.

2009-09-11T18:36:00.000+01:00

Mondays comic is done. As far as I am aware, it's our first scriptless comic, and, if Terry has anything to do with it, possibly the start of something different. The 'preview' panel appeared - as if out of nowhere - on Facebook recently, and it can still be found here. (I plan to remove it come Monday.)

I am looking forward to posting it. [Yes, I'm that sad]

Hope you all like it. [Or else...]

[Or so it may seem...]

Apparently...

2009-09-07T21:18:00.001+01:00

Or, roughly translated into English: "Fuck you, pencil jockey"...

Thanks to my University dissertation, I know that this message completely flies in the face of a design principle called 'Conviviality' [which I still can't spell without help], which dictates that user interfaces should be polite and helpful. Well, lets just say my 'translation' kind of sums that up.

ALSO, CAPS LOCK MAKES YOU LOOK LIKE A TOOL. LOL.

JB
Don't worry comic-fans, I have not - to the dismay of Roy from the IT Crowd - tried turning it off and on again.

Wallpaper!

2009-09-02T22:13:00.001+01:00

And for my 2nd post; Wallpaper. An abundance of it. (Providing an 'abundance' is defined as 2 versions of one design...):

Dirty standard-aspect users:
This is the 4:3 (normal monitor) aspect ratio version (1024x768, 1280x960, 1400x1050 yada). It should fit all 4:3 sizes. Woo, yay, etc. How lovely for you.

Direct link: Click me...

Widescreen users:
This is the much more awesome 16:10 (widescreen) version (1200x800, 1680x1050 etc.). See, you shelled out all that money on the widescreen monitor, and now look - you get extra cloud and hills! Who's laughing now! Yes, its you, you cheeky little monkey.
Direct link: Click me...

I would offend you and say - "click the images then when the image loads, right click and choose 'Save As'", but to be honest, if you have gotten this far on the internet and not downloaded wallpaper before, then you're undercover disguise is slipping, YOU DIRTY LUDDITE'S.

Ah, I think I have offended people enough for one post - regards from on-high, in my blogosphere perch, high above the unwashed seas of the Internet far below me, waiting for someone to put me in my place...

JB
Facetious.

Fresh!

2009-08-31T15:35:00.000+01:00

Ahh, that's better. [stretches]

Due to the increased posting on the dotGif (capital G guys...) blog, I have set up a little space for myself to be further ignored. If anything, I can keep funny videos of cats chasing torch lights around.

Everyone needs a repository of such things.

But, like, seriously, I am going to keep my doodles here - especially since the blog has received a lot more hits recently for the comics, and is much easier for visitors to browse when there are less videos of robots or Linux-child-hacking - as they are there for the comics..

But, as we are now talking about me now - let me begin. I was born in 1987, to Sue and Simon Baylis - 2 traveling circus superstars, whose life had taken a crazy turn after a run in with Craig Charles (during his well documented crazy 80's period), and who were currently harvesting rapeseed oil from a 2"x3" 'field' in the back of a Ford Scorpio. Then, a montage occurred, and I am now 22 and making a comic with a friend from my University days. You might be familiar with it - as I doubt you would have been bothered to read all this crap, without actually knowing me (and acknowledging my pure unadulterated skill as an elite artist (seriously, I'm in a club, and we have cards and handshakes and everything...)).

By now, I'm hoping you understand why I don't draw and write the comic. 48 comics of random shit like the above, would probably drive my Facebook friends total to less-than 20 (that number seems to be the most important metric to my self-respect).

I also do not own an iPhone, and to me, anything written in the 'Georgia' font is immediately more funny that nearly all other fonts.

Expect more uncensored drivel from me in the near future.