HAPPY NEW YEAR

Forgive the scribbly nature of this offering, but I think I'm the illest it's possible to humanly be without wearing a toe-tag. Great theme week this week, and very apt, with Indijons clogging up the schedules as he does every Christmas. Lovely stuff.

And unless I get press-ganged into Pictionary or Cranium later tonight, this is my final doodle of 2010. Here's hoping for more unbidden weekly offerings in 2011! Stay safe, Mick-Lickers. N'Night!

X

"We're not sinking, we're crashing!"

Fortune and Glory Kid. Fortune and Glory

HENRY JONES JR.

Funny Story, as i was drawing this, i went downstairs to make a cup of tea and caught the last 5 mins of 'The Last Crusade' on TV.

COINCIDENCE......?

Yes. But a funny one.

Dec.

Indiana Jones

This was my pick for a theme week, so I've tried to put the effort in. That said, I couldn't finish it in time. I've put over 2 and a half days into it already, it's like an artistic black hole.

Two of the biggest influences on my young life have been Raiders Of The Lost Ark( and of course the sequels), and the work of Drew Struzan. It's hard to decide which inspires me more. So this is my attempt at an homage to both the Indy movies(original trilogy, though I did really enjoy most of Crystal Skull) and Drew-Stru. 

It's full of stars!

I've had this one in my head since forever- nice to finally get it out. I used to have the Kirby adaptation as a child- made no sense to me at the time, but still remember being arrested by the imagery.

Gentlemen, you can't fight in here; this is the War Room

Merry Nickmas, Mick-Lickers!

X

2001

Snowed in

Apologies for my rare missed day. But i have been snowed in on a flight home and made to land in glasgow. Pic coming as soon as i get home

FULL METAL JACKET

Full Metal Jacket is the first Kubrick movie I ever saw. Maybe the first war movie I properly watched. That whole section with the Marine training is pretty intense stuff. I rewatched the movie recently and the scene with Private Pyle going mental is still very gripping and chilling; the acting, the colour palette, the music, etc. Great stuff. To end; some of my favourite lines...

"You had best unf*ck yourself or I will unscrew your head and shit down your neck!"



"I don't know but I've been told, Eskimo pussy's mighty cold"



God has a hard-on for Marines because we kill everything we see! He plays His games, we play ours!

Dec.

Kubrick Week

My Internet connection is down at the minute, so this is basically a place-holder that I can update with my(weak-ass, you're not missing anything) sketch once the line gets repaired. Snow has stopped play at the moment.
Normal service shall resume soon. I hope.


RELUCTANT UPDATE:

Finally got the 'net up and running again, So here's my crappy 'Kubrick' piece. Yes, this is the best I could come up with. Believe me, I toyed with the idea of not putting it up at all, but my stupid sticktoititveness won out.
Ugh, I'm so ashamed....

Blue Note Bebop

I entirely missed out on the TMNT cartoon, though the comics were fun. For something so oddly subversive and underground at the time, it was weird to see them get turned into wholesome Saturday morning cartoon fare. My doodle was of Bebop, the warthog Mutant (apparently he was created for the show, which was a bit short on other mutants). He was typical inoffensive cartoon stuff: closer to Miss Piggy then the real thing. I had precisely zero time to give to this- wish I had more time to hammer this into a decent idea, but there you go.

Sharpie Shredders

Hey chaplings! Blogging from the past, as this week I'm in NYC. Dec and Will invited me over to stay with them, so by now, I guess I'll be hanging out with them. Can't wait! It's been ages since I'm seen them. I dunno why they specified this time of year to come visit them, but as you read this, all three of us will be palling around together; Three Amigos coming at you from the gates of dawn.

Knocked these sharpie doodles off as I was scrabbling to get my plane. Mick First, air travel second. that's what we all have tatooed onto our perinea.

Back next week with exciting tales of hanging out with my favourite Midweek Micks!

Krang by Stephen Thompson

I was the perfect age when the Turtles came along and so naturally I embraced them with open arms. I watched the cartoon, bought the toys, wore the t-shirts; I even got a couple of drawing published in the British Turtles comic. And it was Turtles comics that first got me to venture into an actual comic shop and eventually lead me to a career drawing the things.

Duuuuuudeeeee!

I redid my piece yesterday, Firstly because I drew Leonardo, even though Mikey was always my favourite. And secondly because I missed the point of what the original turtles comics were, i.e. comic book homages.
This here is an homage to one of my favourite comic book images and to one of my favourite turtles images.The former being Jim Lees Batman poster and the latter being a rare Dreamwave teaser poster for the comic. (A poster I badly want by the way)
I love the turtles. I can remember seeing a picure of them in the Cork Examiner before the cartoon was released here basically explaining that these guys were going to be huge. And huge they were. If you havent seen it, and if you are a fan of comics, then I would highly recommend watching Turtles forever.
By the way. im on a plane Going to sweden right now. WHeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

TMNT: Old School!

Man, I loved me some Turtles back in the day.

It's crazy how tastes change, i used to hate any version of them that was not the cartoon; if they had nostrils, if they had pointed mouths, if their bandana colours weren't different colours, etc. Now, it's the original comic versions that would appeal to me the most.

Anyway, I wanted to spend a bit of time on this week's piece. Haven't been happy with any of my Micks pieces of late.

Dec.

Raphael

Was a little too old to fully appreciate the Turtles, although I always thought the original comicbook versions were pretty cool. I had a bit of a soft spot for Raphael, who was cool, but rude.

Long-time Micksters might remember the sketch for this way back in the blog's infancy. See it here.

Skeksis

Jim Henson's Fantasy Movies are just great, and I have special spot for The Dark Crystal and it's evil Gonzos: the Skeksis. Like all great kids movies, they weren't afraid to take them to some really dark places- he's been missed.

Bean Bunny wishes you a Furry Christmas

Inspired by the Muppets' definitive Christmas Carol, here's Bean Bunny's festive spirit being put to the test yet again. I love how he's a fall-guy and an in-joke for all things cute and cloying. Still doesn't stop him from melting my robotic heart.

Thanks to everyone who made the trip to Meet a Mick at Forbidden Planet today. I was unable to attend, but big hugs to all who came and supported the boys, and tummy-rubs to the lovely staff there too.

Sarah and the Fireys

So far everybody's gone with Muppets so I thought I'd show one of Henson's movies some love. Labyrinth is one of my favourite films and also the best thing David Bowie has ever done. It was hard to single out one of the creatures from the film but I went with a FIrey, those guys who could dismember themselves and yet still sing and dance.

Thompson and Shalvey

Ahem.... I mean Statler and Waldorf

THE MUPPETS

Yikes. Tough act to follow from yesterday.

Anyway, I've been up for 24 hours or so and am also jetlagged so when I wake up in a day's time, I really hope this piece still looks okay to me. I think it came out okay, but i might also be slowly going insane. You decide.

[EDIT] Here's a more Pop-Art-ified version.
















Dec.

Fozzie Bear

Had great fun with this one, whoever came up with Henson Week deserves a pat on the back.
Fozzie was always my favourite muppet as a kid, and when I got a bit older and realised he was brought to life by the great Frank Oz, I loved him even more. Henson creations in general are just magical. The muppets, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, all classics. I sincerely hope that CG effects never completely take the place of these beautiful, practical creations, as they just can't come close to the way the physical character moves with weight and momentum, emotes and has actual presence on screen.
Can't wait to see what the other lads come up with.

P.S.- I must point out that this sketch is obviously a bit of an ode to one of my favourite artists of all time, Bill Watterson. Bet he loves the Muppets too.

Cyclops

I love the Cyclops from The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad, but my favorite Sinbad was John Philip Law from The Golden Voyage, so it seemed to be a good idea for them to finally get acquainted.

Who's the Calibos?

Tony Danza.

I've known a librarian and a drama teacher who look like Calibos. Just the look for someone who works closely with children, I think you'll agree.

Deadlines: Shit 'em.

Medusa by Stephen Thompson

I had this pencilled before Dec put his up so I apologise for the doubling up. Harryhausen films are up there with Star Wars and Indiana Jones in terms of childhood influences with me. The Medusa from Clash of the Titans is one of his best creatures and I love how he pushed her design by making her a half-snake creature rather than just a woman with snakes for hair. The scene itself is a masterclass in moody lighting and suspense, two things modern genre film makers seem to have forgotten how to do. It's like they're terrified that if they slow down for a moment their audience will get bored and leave.

Monsters

Eeep, Im gonna get it here. But my childhood memories of Harryhausen movies are bad ones. If I was still inside on a Saturday or Sunday and I was watching one of them it meant the cartoons were over and the weather was too bad to be outside playing football. Infact, I have a strong dislike to them because of this. A shame I know. Still, I obviously respect the guy and what he did.
Take a look over at my own blog where I've posted up the first two of Eighty Eighties characters in my own little, non Mick related project
sliney.blogspot.com