Photoshop colouring? Is it a question? I have been using Photoshop for years on and off, I first encountered it way back in 1993 I think, when I was doing a foundation course in art and design but I didn’t really start to use it until 1997 when I got my first copy of Photoshop 4. That’s not to say I have used the program consistently for the last 10 years, with me digital art is a love hate relationship. A little wile ago I sent an envelope to rebellion who kindly sent me back a photocopy of a Sinister Dexter story called Vircade by John McCrea

The thing that surprised me the most is how good the artwork is, I remember the strip being printed mostly because I thought it looked horrible. The art and the colour just didn’t fit together. It’s not a standard strip and colourists don’t normally have the time or finical incentive to really work on a strip but not being paid I do.

It took me a wile to develop a method that I think compliments the art without overpowering or changing it and it’s a method I have never used before. I don’t know if tailoring the colouring to the job will help me in my quest for paying work, after all I’m not showing a general style. One thing I know for sure though is if I was to try and bend the art to a general style it would be a disaster just like it was for the printed colourist.

I'm currently revising a Walking Wounded script and facing a rather tricky dilemma. This is the origin story for Banzai, the bearded one who's not a medic, and who hates officers. I need to strengthen his motivation for this officerphobia by making some chinless wonder do something really crass.

No problem, you would, have thought, simply get some 19-year old Etonian Captain to shoot a few of his own men in the absence of foxes. Problem is that kind of thing smacks of class war and that's only kind of war action I really don't want to put into Walking Wounded.

Perhaps strangely, some of my principle influences on the strip are actually the films of Powell and Pressburger. The location for Island of Terror was partially inspired by Powell's Edge of the World. I really admire The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, which depicts the out of touch old general sympathetically rather than making him a psychopathic buffoon.

When I was looking for ideas for a contribution to The Thing Anthology I did consider putting just such a character into the mix, but in the end I really didn't want to portray the British top brass in the way. Also the story would probably have been a tad boring. Here's as far as I got:

The Lion and The Donkey

1) Dog standing to attention as a doddery old General speaks angrily at him.

Caption: The War Office, 1942.

General: Your platoon of cripples and retards is a disgrace to the British Army, Captain Tired.

Dog: We’re the best in the business, sir.

2) The General bangs his fist on the table.

General: From now on you’re the best in the potato peeling business!

3) In the WW sleeping quarters, Dog talk to Patch Man and Little Guy by their bunk beds.

Dog: General Candy has transferred us all to the Home Guard Catering Division.

Little Guy: The senile old buffoon!

4) Close on Dog, smiling.

Dog: Don’t worry I think I know how we can persuade the General ….

5) The General, as angry as ever, in his dressing gown talking to a butler.

Caption: Later that day…

General: I hate disableds! No use to anyone! Put ‘em out of their misery, it’s the kindest thing!

Butler: As you say, sir. Shall I run your bath?

General: Before my after dinner cigar? Are you quite mad?

6) The General sit in a big leather armchair, wearing a smoking cap, smoking a large cigar. There is a brandy by his side.

At that point I gave up and went with my Zeppelin idea instead!

Now Meg 262 is on the shelves and our little moment in the sun has passed. Getting published in Judge Dredd is definitely our finest moment to date, but hopefully we'll be able to earn ourselves some more positive exposure before too long.

I will put the Meg story on our main site, but meanwhile, here's the Flickr version:

One experiment of ours that hasn't done great is the mobile comics thing. Alas it seems that this is one trend that is going to pass us by. Still, least we can do is stop charging for our debut story and let people read it for free:

More Crusader is on the way eventually, but probably in a more conventional format!

Sod's law was implacably confirmed when the long-awaited (by me) publication of our strip Holt Bros in Judge Dredd The Megazine coincided squarely with events in my personal life that conspired to render what should have been a moment to savour basically irrelevant.

Ah well, it was at least good to see our work in a "proper" comic and I felt it didn't seem particularly out of place. I'd like to say that the story created a bit of a stir but in truth it seems to have passed pretty much unremarked upon by the general Megazine readership. The only mention of note coming from:

2000AD Review on Judge Dredd The Megazine #261

Even here the verdict seems to have been "ok", which is not that bad given that previous small press strips have come in for criticism but still hardly inspiring.

More happily, the first review of Walking Wounded #1 has now seen the light of day and it is considerably more positive:

Silver Bullet Comic Books on Walking Wounded #1

I was particularly pleased with "a very entertaining read" and "This comic won me over"

Ah well, I'll put Holt Bros up on the Massacre website in the next week or two so that everyone will be able to see it. There will definitely be more Holt adventures but for now the work on Walking Wounded #2 continues...