Do you have any advice on how to encourage your kids to get into art? You say you got the art gene from you mum & grandfather; did they teach you how to draw/paint, or take you to the gallery?

Well, you can only encourage so much I guess. Either they take to it or they don't, in the end I guess. I was always happy to sit in a corner & get my imagination out onto paper... It was really just something I *had* to do. It came from within.

I'd say just show them fantastic art that enriches their imaginations. That doesn't have to be galleries, it could be as simple as a comic. ( which worked for me) & showing them amazing visual things like dinosaurs & space things. ( which also got me drawing! ) When I said I got the art gene from my grandfather & his daughter, my mother, they didn't teach me, I just knew they had artistic skills above the norm.

Ask me anything. Typing actual english words helps though.

What did you like to draw the most when you were a kid?

Dinosaurs. Always dinosaurs.

Until I reached 13 or so and then it was drawing naked wimins. Well, tracing them off comics ( they weren't naked initially in the comics mind you, that's where I got *creative* obviously )

Ask me anything. Typing actual english words helps though.

Name a book, a movie and an album that would introduce someone to "who you are."

Book: "Millennium: The End of the World and the Forging of Christendom. " by Tom Holland

Film: "Mad Max2."

Album: "Mule Variations." by Tom Waits

Ask me anything

Another Squidly Girl

If you saw me work on this as I tweeted, well, it's now up on ebay. Actually quite like how this one turned out. Done on a piece of paper nicely borrowed from the great Dave Johnson!

Comicspipeline

If you've not heard me scream it yet, or seem my tweets, I'm actually part of this Comicspipeline thing.

What is it? Well, a bunch of really good and some quite well known comics artist types are doing a sort of private site where we show off exclusive and never to be public images, our process and sneak peeks on new things coming up.

Me? Well if you sign up and check my bit out, you'll see a bunch of original art commissions I'm doing but won't be making public as well as a complete behind the scenes process on a new zombie book I'm putting together. From rough sketches and writings to the final actual book ( if all goes to plan! ) It's a sort of horror comedy thing, tell the story of...

Well, sign up, stick around and find out. I'm a teasing bastard that way.

I do a lot of work in progress type blog entries, and give a lot of content I generate away for free online... I'll still be doing that, but the real good stuff and the more frequent stuff? Well, that's likely to wind up in my pipeline in the future. For a small subscription fee, you can see a whole bunch of us mad buggers doing our artistic thing.

LOBO

Had to get this image out of my head and try to stay sane amongst the mountain of real work needing to get done. Always had a soft spot for Lobo. If you dig it, the finished result is also up on ebay.

SQUIDGIRLS: EROTICA TENTACULAR is now available online!

Yes, after what feels like forever, after many many email requests and queries too... and just in time for Christmas... I've put the first batch of SQUIDGIRLS: EROTICA TENTACULAR up online in a new online store. Eventually there's going to be much more in the store but for now, just the first batch of Kraken Editions. So get them before they're gone. Once sold out, I'll do up another batch and proceed until supplies run out. Humboldt and Colossal Editions will eventually be online also, just not yet. If you're interested in purchasing all three at once for some reason, best to hold off for now. Otherwise, get them while they're hot!

BLACK SKY

The first teaser trailer is out, from the very fancy chaps at Halo-8.

Trust in the power of the Squid.

I could go all Mark Millar on you and make a ton of claims about this being possibly the first truly game changing "illustrated film" where only paltry half arsed motion comics have come before, that it'll crack the internet in half, cure lung cancer, give everyone free unlimited energy and solve hunger world wide... but I won't.

Once I'm working properly on this thing ( Which I can't wait for, ) things will get very interesting. We've got to do voice casting and deal with the animation and all that stuff. I find the story telling possibilities fascinating. It's going to be a real journey of learning for me.

So let's see if I don't arse this up!



Black Sky Teaser - 120110 from Halo-8 Entertainment on Vimeo.

I'm on French bloody TV!

I'm on French TV.( France 24, their culture show ) Arsing it up & yapping comics & horror.

Way better than the Fox "news' bit I did a few years ago. Their studio was third world compared to the French one & they were completely disorganized. France 24, by comparison was slick, ran smoothly and the set/studio was state of the art. Was awesome. Skynet controlled the entire studio, all cameras were handled from some room elsewhere in the building.

And apparently we shared the green room with one of the biggest musicians in France... but he's unknown in english so, he was just another hobo looking guy to me. Forget his name anyway. Ah well.

I'm All French And Stuff

Further info

The Gallery website

Hope it goes well. If you're in Paris drop on by! Contrary to what many believe, I don't "paint on computer" at all. Come see the originals before they hit photoshop. This will be a pretty big retrospective of my work. Pretty much all the best stuff I've still got. Over 100 art pieces including FELL, WORMWOOD, WELCOME TO HOXFORD and oh yes, some 30 DAYS OF NIGHT ( But only RED SNOW, since the older stuff isn't fit for exhibiting I think )

Delcourt France Trip 2010

 

I'm going to France, again, to work, drink wine & draw things for fantastic French people. ( And a few Belgians too ) thanks to my French publisher Delcourt and Galerie Daniel Maghen. I'll be all over the place but here's the details I've got for now. Most excited for my first ever Paris exhibition...well, not that I've done many exhibitions before but people are coming out of the woodwork wanting me to do more internationally so who am I to argue?

Anyway, if you're in the area, come on out and say hi and I'll chat and sign anything you want!

I'll be at:

November 13th-14th
Bédéciné - Illzach

November 16th

Signing session
« Multi BD » bookshop
122 – 124, boulevard Anspach
1000 BRUXELLES

November 17th

« Album Comics » bookshop
67, boulevard Saint-Germain
75005 PARIS

November 18th

Exhibition opening night
Galerie Daniel Maghen
47, quai des Grands Augustins
75006 PARIS

CHOKER FIVE

It's been an age since I've posted much about CHOKER...but it *IS* coming! Here's some WIP's on the cover to next issue.

Why I'm still on Livejournal

Awesome comments like this. I like the way I draw women too. Thanks Skullyflower.


" I really like your female characters. They are still sexy (as is required
 by the world) but they also always seem like they could really do a
 person harm as well. They also seem to have a little depth to them. Some
 mental illness, maybe. Anyway. I like it. "

Batwoman

A Batwoman I'm actually quite happy with.

Put it up on ebay too, after people were complaining I didn't have anything up for a day. Bloody hell! The public must be sated.

I won an Eagle Award! And Happy Halloween

Apparently I won an Eagle Award for "favourite Colourist" the other night, over in the UK. The ceremony for the Eagles being at the MCM Expo which I try to hit at least once a yeah but already did in May so had to miss this one, bugger!

Huge thanks to everyone who voted. Means a bit since it was a more public vote, so *you* crazy people actually think my colouring is somewhat interesting. Cheers!

Congrats to the other winners too, Especially happy about Warren Ellis ( Favourite writer ) and Jamie McKelvie ( Favourite new artist )

I Thank Squid for us all.

Oh...now, it's also Halloween and I just got sent this by Bryce ( or Spider, that's the name I have ) Many, MANY thanks man! So have a happy one. I shaved Marvin so I can be a 10th Doctor Who tonight. I now have the RIGHT sonic screwdriver and Psychic paper, so I'm set thanks to an awesome guy who GAVE me these things at ZomBcon, which I'll be at all day today.

Have a good one guys.

Templesmith at ZomBcon

I'll be there at ZomBcon! All 3 days, most of the time. Come say hi to Stephen and I! Don't eat my brain please. I'm saving it for later.

The Death of Marvin.

Due to Halloween, he sadly had to go.

But he will return.

Like a phoenix, rising from the ashes, soaked in unicorn blood, he will be back in full bloom soon.

I miss my beard. The things I do for Doctor Who.

Darth Vader

It's been two weeks without a Templesith Tuesday, due to travel crap and the fact I really need to finish some comics... but it's back with VADER.

And he's for sale if you want to help fund the project too.

Abusing a Lomo Camera for Charity

A tentacled menace.

Yes, the kind Lomography folks gave me a Diana to abuse. So naturally, I added some quickly sculpted tentacles & tumours. Wanted to take a lot more time on it but between the travel, work & general life stresses, I had to be quick because I'm so behind. Completed this in about a day & a half.

Part of an exhibition I was asked to participate in. This thing is actually at auction now, proceeds going to the Humane Society. So have a look!

A new Squid Girl

And I'm releasing her into the wild via ebay too.

MONKEY!

So....yeah.

Oh Yeeeeeaaaaaah....that article...

I made it back from NYCC alive. Had a grand time. Will talk about it in a bit. So much work to do. Am so behind. Cannot apologise enough.

HOWEVER.

I just got shown this:

I had a good chuckle.

*** UPDATE: Yes, they've now taken down the image of me ( awwww ) and privately apologised to Aaron, who took the photo. I still had good fun though. 

I have to address the author of this fine piece of literature. Alex, I am the guy in the top picture you chose. I'm guessing you got it from a comic book related website, since that's what I generally do. So you're probably a geek. And a girl. I admire that. Geekdom needs more ladies. Embrace the geek. Even if you have no idea who the hell I am. ( I don't really know some times myself, ).

I am Australian. I have no idea about American frat boy culture, douchey or otherwise, apart from what I see on TV and movies. To me it's quintessentially American and rather cro-magnon.  The most I did in university was stay at the bar too long when I should have been attending a lecture. No frat parties or these clubs men all go and rub their half naked bodies over each other while consuming kegs of cheap nasty toilet water ( What Australians call American beer ) Frat boys and their little clubs always came off as rather homosexual to me. Not that there's *anything* wrong with being homosexual, I might add. It's all a bit US military contractor for me really. Since that's what they actually do with US taxpayer dollars, over at Xe ( Blackwater ). Not really my style. Just give me a few tequila shots and I'm likely to leave amusing messages on other people's phones because they think my accent is funny.

So, to address some of the finer points up for discussion in your article:

I wear suits. ( As in that image you've used. ) They are custom made for me, by a tailor. I also have cobra skin shoes custom made from a cobbler, if you're interested. I've even appeared on a fashion blog. Go figure. Life is strange that way.

I drink GUINNESS. This is not Coors Light, or Bud, or any of that pissant crap "macho" dudes can actually get drunk on. I mean, I drank shit beer at Uni but at least it wasn't that filth.

I DO smoke cigars. With guys. ALSO, with women. Women smoking cigars is AWESOME by the way. Sometimes Most of the time, they are also CUBAN. ( The cigars, not the women ) and yes, I do slightly consider myself of a little more class and means than the average young pup American frat boy who likes to get blind drunk and poke anything that moves with his probably less than average flacid man-meat in the brief period between drinking too much light beer and passing out with his shirtless, probably pantless piece of pudge lying on the floor ready for his friends to shave the eyebrows off of.

In short, you picked the perfect person to headline your article. Great job! I'll be posting this, or some other snarky type of rant, over on my blog. Because this has amused me no end. I apologise for all the traffic this article may get. It's not because it was particularly popular or anything. Obviously, it's because of the photo of me. I tweeted it because I think it's awesome. Which it is. And now I'm blogging about it because, well, I never in my life thought I'd wind up on a site like "College Candy" which already sounds soft porn enough to me. Please feel free to use any other pictures of me you may find. Many are taken by fans. And yes, I am in bars a lot, so there's plenty of fodder if you want to write anything on drunken artsy Aussies who draw comics and such.

But, you see, that picture was taken by my friend, Aaron Munter. He'd love a credit. Maybe you got it from his flickr even?  Cheers. I'm kind of miffed you couldn't find an image of me for every single catagory you wrote about. The sad thing is, you probably COULD. I've stood on top of school buses while flipping off passers by. I've danced in front of "God Hates Fags" types in a suit & I've had my arse painted on in front of a large group of people.

Mucho love, please make me your frat boy mascot or something. It'd be a lot of fun. Maybe I can even tour South Carolina, riding a giant keg? think of the possibilities. You'll have created a monster, Alex.

I am actually sorry if you think I'm being mean, Honest, I'm not. I'm just having the most fun in ages fun pointing out how non frat boy I am and how much I loathe that sort of culture. And maybe check which pictures you use next time.

TempleSith Tuesday

It's Templesith Tuesdaay! ( Ok, I just made that up but Tuesday is a good time to always put a couple up. )

Won't be any next week though, since I'll be on my way back from the New York Comic-con.

And yup, they're on Ebay again. I'll put most of them up as I go. Go here for the Storm Troopers and here for the Rebel Fleet Troopers. Many thanks to all those who already bid on the droids!

Me in an Exhibition! Direct from Lomography.com

Taken directly from their website. Sadly I can't attend, though I'm participating but head on down and support some good charities. I'll blog the making of my custom Lomo at some point soon. 

 

 

 

The Diana World Tour has finally made its way to Los Angeles! Come to the Lomography Gallery Store LA on Thursday, October 14 to catch a glimpse of the world-famous Detrich Collection, feast your eyes Vignettes from the City of Angels photo exhibition, and start the bidding on our Custom Clones and Vignettes being auctioned off for charity. Team that up with a month of Diana F+ inspired workshops and LomoJourneys, all the greatest deals on Diana F+ products, and you’re in store for an all out Diana F+ riot!

The Customized Clones exhibition is a collection of Diana F+ cameras customized by some of the most interesting artists, illustrators, creative types, Lomographers and philanthropists that Los Angeles has to offer!
Participants include:

Ben Templesmith
BLIK
Brook Dalton of 86 Gallery/House
Courtney Riot
Dale Dreiling
Dave King & Bridget Regan of Flogging Molly
Emily Burton of Fireball Ministry
Jason Bentley
Jonathan Cathey for The Loyal Subjects
KILLSPENCER
Melissa Auf der Maur
Szandora LaVey
The World Famous Comedy Store
The Roxy Theatre
The Viper Room

So many of our Custom Clone collaborators wanted to be included in the Vignettes from the City of Angels exhibition, that a select group of artists have submitted Diana F+ lomographs to be auctioned off to a charity of their choosing.
Participants include:

Seth Rogen
Shadowscene: Ellei Johndro
Noah Webb
Matt Sharp
Lluvia Higuera
Courtney Riot
Dale Dreiling
Dave King & Bridget Regan of Flogging Molly
Emily Burton of Fireball Ministry
KILLSPENCER
Szandora LaVey
The World Famous Comedy Store
The Roxy Theatre
The Viper Room

“Vignettes from the City of Angels” features Lomographs captured with the plastic lens of the Diana F+ inspired by Los Angeles… be it our favorite people, places, or things; or an image that represents how LA makes us feel and the way of life it promotes.
Check out our winning entries!

By tirelessly searching its many hidden nooks and crannies – and by placing a hell of a lot of Ebay bids – Mr. Allan Detrich was able to amass what must be the most incredible, diverse, and mouth-watering collection of Diana cameras and Diana clones in the entire world.

Live entertainment c/o The Petrojvic Blasting Co. and DJ Jack Hughes, free gifts, delectable snacks and liquid libations await as well, culminating in a night sure to satisfy all your senses and truly kick off the month-long celebration of all things Diana with a bang!

 

The Petrojvic Blasting Company

RSVP: shopla@lomography.com
Thursday, October 14, 2010; 6:00 – 10:00 pm
Lomography Gallery Store LA
7998 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90046
(323) 301.1414
Open Hours
Monday – Saturday: 10:30 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday: 11:00 am – 7:00 pm
As always… don’t forget to Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and become a fan of our LomoHome!

Me at New York Comic-Con

What the image says!

Come by, say hi. I will have stuffs.