Nick Davis's Blog, page 46

A Must Watch “I’m Here” a Short Film By Spike Jonze

I just sat down and watched a short movie by , (Director of Her,) called “I’m Here” a powerful little short with an interesting message about love, acceptance, technology and perhaps what makes us human.  You can view the movie after the jump, it really is quite good and worth 30 minutes of your time.

Go Cuddly Defenders Go! A new mixed media print for Tristan and the Teddy Bear Tales

Go Cuddly Defenders Go by Nick Davis

If you’ve been following my Twitter feed over the last couple of days you’ve been watching my Cuddly Defenders in Action illustration take shape. I finished the illustration last night, and today through the morning and using Creative Suite I put together the final parts of this artwork. 

This illustration came to me as an idea of having Tristan throw his shield, and then I morphed it into a superhero style cover featuring the rest of the Cuddly Defenders. This piece will be available as a print at my upcoming shows should anyone wish to purchase it. 

Materials Used

The Cuddly Defenders were penciled on Bristol paper, then inked with Faber-Castell pens and colored using inktense Derwent pencils. Background, page tear graphic and text added with Adobe Photoshop and Indesign in Creative Suite. 

Work-In-Progress

 

The Girl’s on a role – New International Trailer For Luc Besson’s Lucy Starring Scarlett Johansson

This seem’s to be Scarlett Johansson’s year in movies. With a strong presence in Winter Soldier, providing the voice for ‘She’ which turned out to be a captivating movie about human relationships, and now playing the next evolution of human (albeit accidentally), everywhere you look she is there. Check out the international trailer to what looks like an interesting movie – Lucy – after the jump.

Leaked Picture from the Batman Vs Superman set featuring Batman and Batmobile #Batfleck

Batman and the Batmobile from the Batman Vs Superman Movie Set

A picture has been leaked from Zack Synder’s upcoming Batman Vs Superman DC movie event. The picture features Ben Affleck (or stand in) in a Frank Miller style Dark Knight Returns Batsuit, and part of the Batmobile upper canopy.

While I have no interest in this movie, especially after the crapfest that was Man of Steel  and the way DC seems to be just lost in Marvel’s wake – the imagery is interesting and shows that Ben as I’ve always said will make for a good Batman.

The Death of White Dwarf Magazine? I guess with time everything ends…

White Dwarf I started working on… Well, at least it is the right cover.

I know I’m really out of the loop on this, but I’ve recently learned that White Dwarf Magazine – Games Workshop’s in-house magazine has finally died.

Or from what I can gather is morphing into weekly Visions book that will concentrate on Warhammer Fantasy Battle (WHFB), Warhammer 40,000 (WH40K and Lord of the Rings Strategy Games (LOTRSG). I feel kinda sad about this and seeing White Dwarf as I knew it finally end.

You see I used to write and do production work for White Dwarf magazine during the Paul Sawyer era, three years (or was that four years) of my life that were truly a remarkable journey for me.

Why?

Because I finally go to do what I wanted to when I first picked up White Dwarf 96 ten years previous – read it cover to cover, poured over the pictures and started my journey into the Games Workshop hobby. I got to work on White Dwarf.

I started working on White Dwarf Magazine around issue 213 – the Lizardmen issue that spotlighted my terrain I built out of cardboard, garden wire and other leftovers you would find in the garbage – like bottle tops. (You can read the article and more here)

It was a surreal experience stepping onto the White Dwarf team and becoming one of the Paul Sawyer’s crew.  He gave us our collective mission, we were going to make the Hobby fun and show with our passion for the toy soldiers, the games and convey it in our articles.

And boy did I try…

It was unfamiliar ground for me, I had never written for professional publication and the learning curve for me was huge. I was a Graphic Designer, working hard in the Production department, and although I wanted to work on White Dwarf, I never really thought I had the talent to write at this level – it frankly scared me to death every-time I submitted something.

I kept swinging at it, making our Copy Editor Graeme cry at time as he molded my mangled English into something that could be read.  A thankless task I constantly thanked him for.

I like to think I managed to show the Gaming Hobby in a more entertaining light, that I brought some joy into the games. I had the honor and privilege to work on a Magazine that touched thousands of Gamers, and what was considered now the Silver Age for White Dwarf.

It was a Silver Age for me too, starting me on a road of adventure. Without that spur that writing White Dwarf gave me I never would have had the courage to write the stories that I do now. Thanks to Paul Sawyer’s do it approach, his faith in letting me find my voice and tell it as it is, it pushed me to find my own words and I thank him for that.

I think my last White Dwarf article was for the USA version and was published back in 2001 just before I was ‘let go.’ It was a LOTRSG article talking about terrain building for the life of me I cannot remember the number and although it was my last article for White Dwarf I got to fulfill one more dream. I got to write about something for Lord of the Rings – the books that started my journey into fantasy over 31 years ago.

So, so long White Dwarf thank you for your gifts.

Celebrating May The 4th Be With You with a Luke Skywalker Cuddly Sketch #maythe4thbewithyou #starwarsday

May The 4th Be With You Luke Skywalker Cuddly Sketch by Nick Davis

It is May 4th, internationally known as Star Wars Day and to celebrate I’ve kicked out a Cuddly Sketch version of Luke Skywalker, the last of the Jedi. May the 4th be with you!

The Original Cuddly Sketch

Original Luke Skywalker Cuddly Sketch by Nick Davis

Work-In-Progress

Sketched on Canson Watercolor paper, outlined in black ink and finished with blended Faber-Castell watercolor pencils.

 

Tristan goes to Free Comic Book Day at Collectors Corner Bel Air #FreeComicBookDay #FCBD

Tristan the Teddy Bear and the crowds at Collectors Corner Bel Air

Today was Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) and I spent it at the comic book store Collectors Corner, Bel Air who graciously hosted Tristan and myself for this celebration of the sequential art. 

The Teddy Bear Tales limited space set up at Collectors Corner

A New Direction

We (Tristan and me) arrived early, set up, and got ready for FCBD – I had decided to use this day as a test of my new approach to my Teddy Bear Tales setup. We were going completely Teddy Bear themed with the art and prints, totally embracing the Teddy Bear mash-up (with some pop culture exceptions) and Tristan’s world. With Deadpool Bear, BatBear and the recent Star Bears piece.

Star Bears by Nick Davis – Exclusive #FCBD #May4thbewithyou print

The idea worked, and released from a confused pitch of showing regular human designed characters with my art, the prints complimented by books, everything felt more streamlined, and clicked. The day turned into a good day with nice turn over of prints and books. Plus I snagged some cool free books for myself.

Thank You

Free Comic Book Day at Collectors Corner Bel Air turned into the most successful FCBD I’ve ever had and being able to spread the word about the Teddy Bear Tales to a new audience is priceless.

Thank you to Dave (Store Manager) for hosting us, thank you for Randy (Collectors Corner Owner) for letting me join their FCBD event, thank you to all the Volunteers who worked tirelessly to make all the Creators comfortable, thank you to Dan Nokes (Teddy Bear Tale Artist) for making the sharing of our small space easier, and thank you to everyone who picked up a Teddy Bear Tale book, or print today, enjoy the books, the prints and I hope you come back for more, and explore Tristan’s world further.

Today has been a Stonker

Pick up my Exclusive #FCBD Star Bears Print at Collectors Corner Bel Air this Saturday #may4thbewithyou

Star Bears by Nick Davis – Exclusive #FCBD #May4thbewithyou print

Tomorrow Tristan the Teddy Bear and me will be spending Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) at the Collectors Corner Bel Air Outpost from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Along with the usually Alt World and Teddy Bear Goodies (learn more here) I will be bringing an Exclusive FCBD print – Star Bears, plus anyone who buys a Teddy Bear Tales book will get a FREE Hug Therapy Print (while stocks last).

Hug Therapy with Tristan the Teddy Bear by Nick Davis

See y’all in Bel Air Tomorrow!!!

New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Trailer and a closer look at the Turtles #TMNT

Another trailer has been released for the upcoming live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (TMNT) movie – August release. While the elements in this trailer are essentially the same, what we are given is a closer look at the Turtles themselves. I know the TMNT fandom is divided on the look, myself I don’t really have a huge axe to grind, (even though I’m a huge fan of the Turtles,) my only compliant it they are just a little too tall. Anyhow, the trailer is after the jump.

Close up of the new TMNT Turtles

Meet Tristan and Me on Free Comic Book Day May 3, at Collectors Corner, Bel Air MD #FCBD

Tristan coming to Free Comic Book Day at Collectors Corner

This weekend Tristan and I will be attending Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) at the  Collectors Corner Bel Air outpost, this is my first FCBD at such a large store, so I hope you can come along and say hello, this is going to be pretty cool

How do I find you?

FCBD is on May 3, 2014 at Collectors Corner – Bel Air from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. The store can be located at 17th North Main Street, Bel Air MD 21014 look for the Teddy Bear Tales Banner and of course Tristan the Teddy Bear. I will be near Dan Nokes, of 21st Sandshark Century Studios and of course the artist for the Teddy Bear Tales books.

What I will be bringing

My space at FCBD will be more limited than what I would bring to a normal convention, so I will only be bringing

Tristan and the Cuddly Defenders Graphic Novel – Friends
The Teddy Bear Tales Illustrated Adventure Books One and Two
Tristan the Teddy Bear Goes to the Moon Imagination Adventure Story book.
The Wonder Tales – Archer, the Horse and Other Stories Compilation
The Wonder Tales – The Daughter of Frost Illustrated Edition

Plus

The Cuddly Sketch Cards Prints
Exclusive Full Size Prints Deadpool Bear, Bat Bear, Giant Size Man Thing and more
Original Cuddly Sketch Art

That is about it,  of course tonnes of Free Comic Books along with all this Teddy Bear goodness, so I hope you join me you can RSVP this event for the Bel Air store on Facebook. See you there!