McMarvel

Brendan: "I think I'm starting to move into a 'digital fauvist' period in my work. 'Digital' in comics is similar to 'Electronic' in pop music - in its effects on the visual impact of the art, especially on the color."

Design > Zyboria

Some revamped ZYBORIA designs, with a digital 'wash 'n brush-up' by 2000AD's Boo Cook

Design > Batboy

Brendan: BATBOY was a pitch for a 'Larry David' kind of slacker approach to the superhero thing. DC Comics turned it down and also, Mark Millar's recently released KICK ASS was a bit too close. Sometimes a good story and good character don't make it, just because of bad timing. But I think there's something about BATBOY that I'd still like to tinker with... and see if I can get another 'take' that works.

Ditko Dr Strange remix > part 2

New Comic > Dr Strange & Spider-Man

Brendan: I've been commissioned by Marvel Comics to write and draw a new Dr Strange and Spider-Man three issue mini series. I'm just getting into it and I expect it to be finished early next year. It's quite a thrill to finally get to draw the Doctor, my favourite Marvel character - and Spidey too.

To harmonise myself with the sublime 'Ditko Dimension', I have been digitally remixing some of his original 60's pages, trying to get a feel for them from another 'fresh' visual angle... And in doing so, realizing just what a total genius he is.

And if anyone hasn't purchased the new Blake Bell Fantagraphics Ditko book - I strongly recommend it.

Site Update > Gallery

A 'rough cut' of the Gallery section is now online > here

Design > Totem

Brendan: I lived in Vancouver for about 4 years on and off when I was designing REBOOT and all those animated mainframe shows... I created a 'first nation superhero' based on the totem culture of the Pacific Northwest native Amnerican tribes. The art of this region is stunning, especially the masks and mythological sculptures. Even Vancouver airport has a amazing sculpture of Raven creating mankind.

The photographic images in this presentation are not by me, but I was using them as reference for the TOTEM cgi animated TV series I had proposed. I may even turn TOTEM into a comic series... I think it could be quite a bit different to the usual stuff out there.

The Dark Knight review

The Dark Knight review by Brendan

******** SPOILER ALERT *********

I thought it was pretty good. Much more substantial a film than IRON MAN, or any of the Marvel efforts so far, including the SPIDERMAN movies.

But it was too long. I got a bit bored here and there. Bales' Batman is a bit dull, frankly. I didn't get any emotional feeling from him when the girl dies at the end, for example. Robert Downey Jr was better 'hero' in IRON MAN - more of a focus for his own movie.

I would have cut out those "Batman packs it in, empties the Batcave" sequences and the oily accountant who rumbles that 'Bruce Wayne is Batman' too. They didn't work and weren't vital at all. Obviously I didn't buy Jim Gordon is dead either... His death was so blatantly underplayed that they tipped the plot twist too overtly.

Heath Ledger really was great, lolling tongue and all! But those cut-aways when the Joker is driving the big truck felt like the usual movie padding... But I LOVED the Joker giving different explanations of how he got his scarred grin to each victim, making a mockery (!) of the 'abuse' excuse so beloved of our over-therapised culture.

The fight scenes were very average... I'm not sure that Nolan is very good at fight action really.

In the end, the most exciting thing for me was the anarchic chaos of the Joker. The film was actually 'saying something' about society... The two ferry boats idea was good too: Maybe people are smarter, more reasonably humane on their own, without psychpathic and corrupted 'leaders' generating conflict and wars etc. (Hey you, Listen to me, I gotta plan: Let's nuke Iran!)

And the role of a 'hero' was soundly looked at too - and with a fair amount of genuine insight.

That's my two penneth worth, Nora!

By the way, has anybody seen WALL-E? Great first third, then it nosedives badly... "The Citizen Kane of animation?" I thinkest not, true believer!

Also, worst movie I've seen of the year must be PERSEPOLIS... The most boring bollocks I've ever had the misfortune to sit through.. I lasted about 25 minutes and had to bail out! A complete waste of my time and money. How some critics gave this tedious animated bilge five whole stars is beyond me...

That's it.

Nuff moaned.