Happy 2009 All

Been a strange year. Much good and much bad. If not for the economy affecting us all I'd say 2009 was going to easily beat 2008 as a much better year. Let's hope it still does.

I need to give a special shout out to all you guys who read and buy my work, be you the people who grab it off the shelf, special order my work in or even more importantly, the fantastic retailers who get my work into the stores so people even have the chance to see it. Thanks to all you guys, I'm one of the luckiest people on the planet. Thanks for sticking with me. Have a safe and happy 2009!

And now for no apparent reason, here's me trying to lick a blue mohawk.

Animal Farm

I drew up another one of those"do your own cover" classic books from Penguin. For me, out of the whole range of blank covered books Animal Farm is my favourite. Even more than Dracula ( which I also have a copy of I need to do a cover for )

Put it up on ebay if anyone wants to take a look before the auction ends.

Happy Holidays all

No matter what you believe or not believe in, have a good time one and all. 2009 is right around the corner...

And so, it begins. GROOM LAKE

Chris Ryall writing. Ben Templesmith ( moi ) art. Aliens. Mutating crotches. Probing. Smoking. Tourism. This is all you need to know.

Coming in March. More stuff to come.

At the largest size on Flickr ( if you click the link ) this one is pretty big. Feel free to take it, print it out, spread the deviancy etc etc as you wish.

Doctor Who: The Whispering Gallery-UPDATED

The cover! (Now including a bunch of work in progress shots... )

Finally I get to indulge a little of my own nostalgic geekery ( I don't really get that so much from superhero comics....though maybe a little but I'm not drawing those am I? )

Leah Moore and John Reppion are writing it, I'm drawing the thing. A one-shot from IDW Publishing. Would make a cool tv episode if it weren't a comic.

Since it's damn hard to get things from the smaller publishers, if you want the book you may have to get your retailer to order it in specifically for you. Tell em it's Previews catalog order number is: DEC084084 and tell them you know some Daleks with abnormally sized genocidal plunger weapons...

You can also find an interview with Leah and John talking all things Who here. Check it out.

Sneak Peeeeeek- 30 Days of Night: 30 Days til Death #3

My variant cover thing for the third issue of Dave Lapham's miniseries.

Wormwood Gentleman Corpse: Down the Pub out today!

Totally forgot that yes indeed, Wormwood Gentleman Corpse: Down the Pub should be out in all good book stores today. If not, you can still ask your kind retailer to get it in for you by giving them such magical things as the Diamond order code: OCT084219

Or THIS code for a special sketch variant cover: OCT084220

Remember, much of the time with the smaller comics like mine you have to *ask* them to get copies in for you, otherwise they'll just stick to the superman/spiderman stuff they know people know about!
For those that do pick it up, apart from my thanks, I really hope you dig it. ( And the new "explanation page" at the front which should be on all future issues too. )

30 Days of Night cover

I put up an original cover to the special 30 DAYS OF NIGHT Fear.net one-shot from a ways back on ebay, if anyone want's it.

It's actually two images, the original base drawing -Ink, Acrylic paint, watercolour, pencil and tonal marker measuring 8.5 x 11 inches as well as a print, further painted and worked on, also 8.5 x 11 inches. Yes, as I was working on it I decided to flip the image too. Not sure why, I just thought it looked better!

Millard Fillmore

Yeah, one of the ones I'd never actually even heard of before I did the book!

And that whole thing about the bathtub was made up by a newspaper columnest in 1917.

Let your retailer/book store know "PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES" has a diamond order code of: NOV084121 or that it's ISBN number is: 1600103448 if you actually want a copy to come in. You have to be proactive with these sorts of books or it'll never even make it to many stores for you to look through!

If all else fails you can always find it on Amazon here.

Hope you dig them.

Wormwood Pint Glasses!

A quick note on the Pint Glasses!

Sadly, thus far there's not been enough orders to justify going ahead with production of them. ( Curse you financial crisis, curse you! ) And in order to meet the manufacturing costs they need at least another couple hundred orders...I know there are several good retailers out there seeing what they can do, but if you ever wanted to see these things, now is probably your last chance to make it happen by putting an actual order in for them with your retailer as soon as possible. Like I said, it's not a profit thing, it's all about simply meeting the costs of production. If IDW can't do that, no pint glasses alas. So check the info below and see what can be done if indeed you peeps want these things to exist.

Remember, it's a set of 4 for $20 USD.

You can even order them from online places like here way cheaper than that.

Let your kind retailer know it's Diamond order code is: NOV08 4122.

George W. Bush

Because NO ONE demanded it ( well maybe the 16% or so who still think he's doing a good job )...I give you, George Bush Jr. Possibly one of the worst Presidents. (Certainly he's right up there with Harding etc ) I had a tough time being impartial with him, and not because he's quite loathed throughout much of the world and quite a bit domestically in the US too.... I mean, what could I put in the background as events during his presidency...?

No one can argue that 9/11, The Iraq and Afghan invasions, Katrina, the financial meltdown and current economic crisis all didn't happen on his watch. I tried looking for something positive, there really just wasn't anything easily illustrated that could be done! So I hope people don't see his entry in the book as attacking him. I'm not. I tried to stick to factual events that are undeniable, good or bad.

Let your retailer/book store know "PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES" has a diamond order code of: NOV084121 or that it's ISBN number is: 1600103448 if you actually want a copy to come in. You have to be proactive with these sorts of books or it'll never even make it to many stores for you to look through!

If all else fails you can always find it on Amazon here.

Hope you dig them.

I'm an Iron Gelatomettista Challenger

Over at the Wildstorm Gelatometti blog I'm taking on none other than the great Carlos D'Anda in a draw off. Y'know, like Iron Chef but with less food, less English subtitles and less blatantly sexual shots of women's lips eating fishy things rather slowly. It's with drawing instead.

Check out their blog and add your imput on what we should draw if you like. ( Some villain of some kind would be nice ) The drawing begins this afternoon Pacific US time, and we get one hour to do our best before you guys judge the results. I'll post another link so you know where to go vote.

Thus far it seems most people want us to draw Warren Ellis.

Update: It most definitely won't be Warren. Besides, I already drew him while in France.

Welcome to Hoxford TPB Cover

You may have seen this image up on my blog header recently. ( Depending on which blog of mine you're checking out. )

Yep, the proper GN version of Hoxford ( Kinda the way I prefer it than as a chopped up bunch of issues ) is coming out in the next couple of months. Which means you sort of have to order it now to make sure stores will get a copy in for you. Tell your friendly ( I hope ) retailer it's order code is: DEC084112 and/or that it's ISBN code is: 9781600103742

Or, if desperate, places like Amazon most definitely will be carrying it.

Designed the book myself and added a ton of material to the volume too, so am quite chuffed with how it's turned out thus far. Hope you guys enjoy it in long format, the way I intended!

"Raymond Delgado isn't well at all. He's the newest inmate at the Hoxford Correctional Facility and Mental Institution. He has no hope of release, parole, rehabilitation, or decent conversation. On a good day, he'll tell you he's Zeus and only bite your arm off. Literally. On a bad day, you won't have time to scream to the prison guard for help. But Dr. Jessica Ainley, his doctor for five, years wants to help Ray and can't understand why the newly privatized, corporately-run prison won't give her access to her patients. And why are people always transferred into Hoxford, but no records show anyone ever transferring back out?"

Groom Lake #1

It's a little early, ( Doctor Who: The Whispering Gallery One-shot needs to get done before this, ) but...

One of the covers to the new miniseries I'm doing with talented Chris " Zombies vs Robots, Zombies vs Robots vs Amazons and Zombies vs everything including the kitchen etc etc " Ryall.

It's going to be a humour/quirky horror type sci-fi book about probings and crotch powah. Yes.

Do Your Duty

Check it out here if you can't see the video on my main website page. I'm just rather into Fallout3 lately.

http://bentemplesmith.blogspot.com

Presidents of the United States Interiors

Two more!

More Presidents Book...

One of the greats, TR, from the up coming Presidents of the United States book I'm doing...

The Presidents Of The United States

The text with these is in no way finalized and needs to be cleaned up in all probability, but here's how the interiors of the book will pretty much look!

Let your retailer/book store know "PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES" has a diamond order code of: NOV084121 or that it's ISBN number is: 1600103448 if you actually want a copy to come in. You have to be proactive with these sorts of books or it'll never even make it to many stores for you to look through!

If all else fails you can always find it on Amazon here.

Hope you dig them.

Commissions!

So behind right now...if you're waiting for an email from me, be patient, I will get to them. Just came off a big deadline with yet more things needing to get done straight away so am quite exhausted and dead in the head. Though with the latter, I am like that most of the time anyway.

Here's some commissions I did while in Texas recently. I have more photos but have to format em and find the time to put them up yet...

Basically I don't do commissions, I sadly have to say no or I'll never get any work done and don't like charging what I'd have to to justify putting them on par with the work that pays my rent! BUT, when at cons where I'm just sitting at booths all the time I will probably start doing some, after such a positive experience in Texas, so if you know you'll be at a show and want one, those would be the rare times I'd be open to doing more proper commissions in the future. I did these ones for $250 a pop. ( Well except the first one )

So far, upcoming cons I'll be at where you should be able to get one off me would be: Phoenix con in January, New York Comic-con in Feb, Heroes con in...June I think it is. San Diego Comic-con as well probably.

Starscream

Done for a cover that was not to be...it can be found in the back of the Transformers: The Reign of Starscream movie sequel TPB from IDW. ( Which incidentally was written by all around good guy, Chris Mowry. )

No time to even think straight lately as I finish up the Presidents book. Going to show some interiors real soon!

Being naughty in Texas or something.

While in Texas recently for Wizard World/Splashpage Art the fine folks at FanboyVideo decided to interview me. What you don't see in the video is that just before, Scott was sitting on my knee. I insisted we do the whole thing that way but nooooo. Ah well. Very nice chaps they were.

If you can't see the video on my main webpage, it's here also.

A Presidential Orgy

Yep, the art book is still coming. Let your retailer/book store know it's diamond order code is: NOV084121 or it's ISBN number is: 1600103448 if you actually want a copy to come in. You have to be proactive with these suckers or it'll never even make it to many stores for you to look through. Stay tuned for a bunch of finished interiors though.

This Week: WELCOME TO HOXFORD #4

Yep, the final installment should be hitting all good comic stores this week. So as a public service announcement, if you wanted one and you don't see a copy on your shelf or in your box, ask your retailer why...and arm yourself with the order code ( SEP084111 ) )you need for them to actually get the thing in. You have to be proactive rather than reactive with the smaller indy stuff. Alas, it is the way of things for the smaller books who are not superman or spider-man. You have to impress upon them that you'll buy the product just so long as they make it available to their customers. I'm sure in these rather worrying economic times they'd appreciate the business to!

If all else fails and you want to know how the story ends, you can grab copies from the IDW Online store ( #4 will be available once it hits stores soon ) or even good online retailers.

Anyways, should be out this week. Hope you like the ending! Thanks hugely to all those peeps who've picked it up and said such kind things about it thus far. It's been a fun ride.

Missed some of the previous issues? Well, the order codes for them are:

#1 JUN084025
#2 JUL084075
#3 AUG084155

Galacticast: A Commercial Break: Tony Moore Comics!

Look what the fine folks at Galacticast have been up to.

Wormwood: Down the Pub Work in Progress

This one seems to be popular so here's a shot as I was working on it...

Wormwood: Down the Pub Sneak Peek

I just got my advance copies of Wormwood: Down the Pub so figured I'd share a little. It won't be out til December in stores.

If you want to make sure you can get a copy, tell your fine comics retailer to order it in for you with this code: OCT084219

Or THIS code for a special sketch variant cover: OCT084220

Remember, much of the time with the smaller comics like mine you have to *ask* them to get copies in for you, otherwise they'll just stick to the superman/spiderman stuff they know people know about!