Featured Creature: Reunion at the Merrimon Library Part I, Alan's Research

In light of my delay getting this one posted, I'm going to do a little something different this week.  In addition to the actual Featured Creature piece, I've created four other mood and setting pieces to go along with this story.  This way I can hold onto the creature reveal until the last possible post and in the meantime you get story and images at regular intervals.  I hope you enjoy the additional pieces.  On with the show!

Reunion at the 

Merrimon Library:
Part I, Alan's Research

Alan stood and stretched his arms high over his head then left and right in turn.  He had been sitting in the library for most of the day and his back had begun to hurt.  He moved away from the table and his stacks of books, papers, and notebooks.  Looking out the large windows facing Merrimon Avenue, he continued to stretch.  The sky had grown overcast in the last hour.  In the grey light, a couple of cars moved languidly down the street like giant dull colored beetles.

Saturday Sketch: Classic Joker

A quickie of DC Comics clown prince of crime, The Joker.  I've always been fond of the creepy combination of clownish vulgarity and psychopathic unpredictability present in the Joker.  When he shows up, it is always trouble.  I'm glad I don't live in Gotham City.

Exhumed: The Old Blue Man

Here we have an old blue man.  The color here is a little closer to my original vision for this piece.  Although I enjoy the roughness of his face in the original drawing, I feel that the softer edges of the color piece make him more "celestial".  Also the color gives the piece a greater visual depth.  Maybe it is merely comparison, but with them side by side the black and white looks very flat.

{8x5.437,  Sharpie with color added in Adobe Photoshop}

Skin Crawling Comics UPDATE

The next stage of Skin Crawling Comics has begun!

I just found out that the new Skin Crawling Comics website is up and running! Pages from the anthology stories will be posted every Tuesday and Thursday.  The Basement is the first story to go up and is up to page two.  Please drop by and check it out!  Also, if you haven't already, please check out Skin Crawling Comics on Twitter and Facebook! 

From the Archives: Primordial

Here's a sketch of some monstrous primordial tentacled thing.  You'll probably see something along these lines again as I'm not completely satisfied with how this image turned out.  It is supposed to be gigantic, but this has no scale to it.  As it is here, it seems kind of cute.

{8.5x11,  Ball Point Pen}

Featured Creature Delay

This week's Featured Creature is going to be delayed a day, maybe two.  Research for the story has taken longer than I anticipated.  Here is a bit of teaser art to tide you over until I get the story finished.  Soon.

Psyche Delectus: An Understanding of Darkness

The flesh is only mask to the spirit.

Saturday Sketch: Classic Morpheus

Here we have DC Comics' Dream King, Morpheus.  I started out drawing this in a very standard comic book style, but half way through, Morpheus took over and everything became much more muted and lyrical.

{2.5x3.5,  created in Adobe Photoshop}

I claim no copyright for the properties represented in the Saturday Sketches.  All copyrights and trademarks are retained by their respective owners.  I make no money from what I am presenting here.  It is presented for portfolio purposes only.  

Exhumed: The Visitors

Here we have another image that was originally posted at Trail of Breadcrumbs, but I feel like this one is just creepy enough to fit in here at Zombie Bites.  I don't know if it's because I've watched The Thing too many times, but there is something about a snowy landscape that fills me with an innate sense of dread and fear.  I guess it's that life is minimized in that climate.  Most everything is either asleep or dead.  So who are these figures come across the snowy wastes?  Are they the sleeping or the dead?  Who goes there?

UPDATE: Writing Gallery

I've added a new section and a host of links to the Writing Gallery.  The Serials section has links to the continuing sagas of the Disc of Abrasax and The Chronicles of Vz as well as links to the all of posts from this past Halloween's Night of the Cauldron.  Check them out and let me know what you think!

From the Archives: Lapine Suspicions

Here's a recent quick emotional graphite sketch.  I wanted to do something more with this piece, but it never expanded beyond this simple image.

{8.5x11,  Graphite}

Bristol 

Featured Creature: The North Ridge Fence

The day had started overcast and temperate, but a heavy wind had blown in from the west around lunchtime.  The trees shook and swayed all afternoon as the cold air had settled in.  By evening, the sky was mostly clear except for a thicket of clouds to the north.  Now the last vestiges of clouds struggled to maintain their forms against the harsh cold gusts.  Glen watched several smaller puffs just above the horizon dissipate as they slid across the sky.  The sun had begun to set, but he had one more task before heading back to the house.  He turned his Jeep onto the dirt road that led to the north ridge pasture.

UPDATE: Writing Gallery

A quick note to let you know that I've just uploaded a fresh set of links to the Writing gallery.  I have also added several new sections: Short Stories, World Building, and Poetry.  Check it out and let me know what you think!