APT PUPIL by Nick Roche

Like some of my fellow Micks, I too am ill-educated in the ways of Ver King. To my shame, I've seen very few of his films, and read even less of his books. The only exposure to the written King I've had is the Different Seasons anthology. Assuming there'd be a barrage of Stand By Mes and Shawshank Redemptions, I opted to illustrate the War Criminal-Tastic 'Apt Pupil'. I've not seen the film of that either, so it's purely based on my reading of the story about five years ago. Really enjoyed cooking this one up though.

Happy Hallowe'en, Mick-Lickers!

you'll float too

After 1408, IT is probably my favorite King story.

Pennywise is such a horrific protean monster, even if you don't have anything against clowns. This is the eyeless version- one of my favorites.

Creepshow

I was going to draw King's face too like Thompson as it has been remarked that is his most disturbing work. He's one wacky looking man. He stars in Creepshow as a hick that turns into a plant. He wrote the screenplay for the film and my piece is from the Father's Day story from that film. Drawn hurriedly from memory and not the massive coloured and textured piece it deserves. I love that scene.

Another double dose of SPAZZMOID out now. Zombies, sucky sucky and micro machines

Stephen King by Stephen Thompson

My mother's maiden name is King so I came a hair's breadth away from being called Stephen King myself. I hadn't read any of his books until a few years ago, probably because I was put off by the 'horror' tag, but his he sneaks the supernatural elements in so slyly you barely notice at first. I've read about 15 or so of his novels and I think my favourite by far is 'The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon'. It's wonderfully simple, young girl lost in the forest trying to survive, but he builds a fantastic amount of atmosphere.

The Dark Tower

The Dark Tower is the only Stephen King book I have read so I figured I might aswell do my pic based on that. I would have liked to have had more time on this but its deadline day today for me and I have a few more panels to finish off before I can go back to drawing for fun.

We're well over 600 posts now up on the Micks blog and pretty soon well be launching the second volume of the sketchbook in Ireland.

If anyone wants copies of the first volume let me know on the blog here and I'll order more to be printed as its pretty much sold out.

Also, you may have noticed that the blog has become more theme centric. This is mainly to give us a bit more focus and remove the decision making process for a lot of us. Basically it makes us get up off our asses and draw something decent.

If any of you guys have any suggestions for theme weeks feel free to post them up here

THE MIST

I also have never read a Stephen King book. Well, actually that's not true; i read 'On Writing', but none of his fiction. I wanted to do The Shawshank Redemption for this week, but it wasn't working out so i went with The Mist. Really liked that movie. Thought that was a fantastic film. Very, very bleak. Right up my alley.

I'm really more of a Darabont fan then a Stephen King fan, when I think about it.

Handing this in a little late cuz i was messing around with some colours.

Dec.

Stephen King Week - The Dead Zone

Ended up having to rush this a bit more than i would've liked as I'm a tad under the kosh at the minute. don't think I managed the best likeness ever, but sure win some, lose some.
When I heard this week's theme I knew it would have to be one of the more filmic renditions of King's work that I 'd tackle, since shamefully, I've never read a Stephen King novel. hell, I never actually learned to read.
So of the various excellent King movie adaptations; Stand By Me, The Shawshank Redemption etc, there was only one real choice.

Walken.

Zombastards by Nick Roche

Here's a sample of some pencils from my upcoming Infestation stint. They're quite loose and scribbly, but you can get away with that when you ink yourself. So more gore and rotten flesh is to be added at the finishes stage.

So there.

Nick

UnLen

Needed a Eclectic Micks sketch and new profile picture for the season.

Two zombies with one shotgun shell.

DC Halloween Special by Stephen Thompson

I have a little story in the DC Halloween Special which is out today (or yesterday if you're in the States). It stars Superman and Etrigan and it was a blast to do. Even though it's only eight pages I got to draw the destruction of Krypton, Pa Kent, Jor-El, Lois plus Batman and most of his classic villains. Here's a couple of pages of pencils.

Running waay too late

Bah. My flight back to Ireland is in a few hours

NYCC SONGBIRD SKETCH

Here's a Songbird (original costume) sketch i did for NYCC. I really like this original costume and i like her with long hair too, so it was a pleasant surprise to get this sketch request.

Dec.

Batman Con Sketch

Big deadlines this week so just another sketch from the con, again inside a copy of the new Micks sketchbook.

Sketch Trek

Film 4 have been showing all the Star Trek Movies in a row this weekend, and I only had time to watch The Search For Spock (SPOILER: They find him) amidst my Infestation work. I was gagging to doodle something Trekesque, but this old page from a while back will simply have to do.

Slugboy

Thompson's alien put me in mind for this wee concept I cooked up about a decade ago. Slugboy was found in a jar by his family, at a mad scientist's garage sale. Much kooky adventure would have ensued once he went to school...

Clarence

Been watching all The Sopranos this week and they all have such cartoony faces. Paulie is my favourite. One of the first episodes he's in he says his name is Clarence and it cracked me up.

Double issue of my webcomic up today

Alien by Stephen Thompson

This is a design I did for a grey alien when I was planning on doing a comic strip a few years ago. Never got beyond the writing/design phase though.

NYCC

DAREDEVIL .....(again)

Another TuesDec, another Daredevil. This is another sketch I did for New York Comic Con, which was absolutely brilliant. Thanks to everyone who came by the Eclectic Micks table over the weekend, and to the signing at Jim Hanley's Universe yesterday; we all really appreciate the support.

The above piece was actually for artist extraordinaire Nick Runge. Go check out his work; it's phenonemal. I was more than happy to give this to Nick and was glad that he seemed to like it.

Dec.

He Likes To Watch.

Greetings from New York. The Con was a big success this past weekend, with insane attendances of 90,000 people on saturday alone. All a bit overwhelming and insane, but loads of great comicbook goodness. We were selling the new sketchbooks with sketches included inside, I drew this one of my favourite watcher Wesley Wyndham-Pryce for Angel uber-fan and splendid chap Pat Shand.

The Micks have a signing this evening at famous NY comicbook store Jim Hanley's Universe, so hopefully we'll shift the last few sketchbooks so we don't hafta lug the bastards home. Anybody still around the New York area please do drop by and say howdy.

New York Comic Micks

Jumping in here to give our recovering Micks a bit of slack time wise. (Although Im still expecting the Moondog to post up or hell be getting an earfull at our signing tonight in Jim Hanleys)

OCTONAUTS by Nick Roche

This week saw the premiere on Cbeebies of OCTONAUTS, a pre-school animated series produced by Oirish cartoon purveyors, Brown Bag Films. My sisticles was a production assistant on the blimmin' thing, so I watched it out of duty. Only now, I've become properly hooked by it. The series is based on a series of books by design company Meomi, and the whole things is ridiculously cute, with the most child-friendly, Nintendo Wii-esque design aesthetic you'll ever see (www.octonauts.com). A style, you'll notice I haven't tried to emulate here. I gave 'em a more superhero team vibe, so here as you'll never see them again, is Captain Barnacles, Kwaazi the Pirate Cat and Peso the medi-penguin. Like Thunderbirds for toddlers, but with more marine biology lessons, the Octonauts patrol the ocean, protecting all manner of sea life. Check it out daily on Cbeebies at 4.50 pm every weekday.

Spling Blake

Double dose of SPAZZMOID this week where I visit myself from the future

Magnus Robot Fighter by Stephen Thompson

Just sneaking this one in under the wire, but everyone's at the NYCC so I don't think they'll notice. More fun with the brush this week.

Sketchbook Preview

This badboy makes its con Debut tomorrow at the New York Comic Con. (Which hilariously has mistaken myself as an Actor from Farscape and put me in the Media guest section along with Tricia Helfer and Katie Sachoff)
Heres a spread from each Mick

DAREDEVIL

Sorry for the crummy photo; I've no access to a scanner at the moment, but when i do i'll update with a proper scan.

This is another pre-order sketch for this week's NYCC show. I still actually have to add some stars in the background, but it's 99% done.

Dec.

New York Comic Con Baby!

The Micks will have a table at next weekends NYCC, number R-12 in artists' alley. Please do drop by and say hi. Myself, Dec, Will and Len will be there representin' the auld country. We'll be hawking the new Eclectic Micks sketchbook, and also will have a very limited quantity of the first volume with us.  They're both super-aces.
Can't wait to get over there, always a blast and a half. Join us, won't you?

Here as promised last week is the finished Shadow piece that i drew as part of an art swap with Angelic Nick Runge. He's good people.

SUPERJAWS by Nick Roche

This was my first stab at creating my own character, aged three or four. Superjaws was a superhero shark who flew around righting wrongs, and who fed on the chum of crime. Forgot all about this guy until a conversation during the week (with myself) reminded me of the efforts of 26+ years ago. Oh, to be that creative once more.

Enjoy NYCC, Micks!

The Doctor is Sin

I have an old 2000AD Annual somewhere that features this character (I think by Pat Mills). The story had a great Devil Rides Out kind of vibe, which made an impression. He turned up once more in the '90s, but Doctor Sin remains one of the great untapped characters of the 2000AD canon.