Nick Davis's Blog, page 62

Concept Art for A Teddy Bear Tale Comic Tristan & the Cuddly Defenders – Down into the darkness they walked

Into the darkness – Tristan & the Cuddly Defenders Concept Art by Dan Nokes. Words by Nick Davis

Down into the darkness Tristan walked with only this strange Teddy Bear and his golden lantern as a guide. Outside their fragile halo of light there was nothing but the pitch-black of the caverns depths. This darkness was more than just the dark of an unlit cave, it seeped around him, sucking at his steps and seethed in his wake…

So Ben Affleck is going to be Batman in the World Finest Movie – Batman Vs Superman is this really a bad thing?

I just watched my entire Facebook/Twitter feed light up with the news of Ben Affleck being cast as the next Batman. While I say it was surprise that this name was even in the hat for this role. Pairing Affleck with Batman would have never been on my casting radar. But… You know he did okay as Daredevil, he portrayed a believable driven vigilante in a movie that was let down by poor plotting, pacing, direction, sense of story or purpose.

And let’s face it… Playing Batman isn’t really a huge stretch for an actor… Do dark and brooding, rinse and then repeat. Maybe… Just maybe DC will also surprise us and remember to bring  little joy to their next Superhero movie.  For me, I think Ben will do good as Batman so does this mean Matt Damon will be on-board as Nightwing  or Robin?

 

More Baltimore Comic Con 2013 News – The BCC2013 Exclusive Cuddlies Art Book a collection of Teddy Bear/Character Mash-Up’s

Pushed by the wife and kids, and inspired by the Yellow Goggled Mashies Minion Sketch book of Chris Flick. I put together a collection of my favorite Teddy Bear/Character Mash-up’s (the Cuddly Sketch Cards) into an art book of my own which I have called Cuddlies. This 48 page art book will be at Baltimore Comic Con and will be an event Exclusive; limited copies of Cuddlies will be available at the my Artist Booth A45.

If the book proves to be popular I may print more copies of this book for my next event, but that will be up to you! Looking forward to seeing you all at Baltimore Comic Con from September 7 to 8 – click here to learn more the event and how to find me.

More Live Action Anime Patlabor? More amazing pictures of the life-size prop Mecha from the Patlabor movie!!!

Bouncing around the Interwebs I uncovered more pictures of the Patlabor unit, these unofficial images via the Mecha Guy give a better sense of scale of this huge 1:1 scale prop. I am seriously amazed at the gumption of these film makers going all out to build one of these units. See the rest of the images after the jump.

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For I have sinned – Chapter Three from Nevermore, Book Three of the Tether Saga

Chapter Four – For I have sinned

*Translated from French

Father Francesco sat in the confession booth waiting. The day had been slow with only a couple of scared little old ladies confessing their sin of not going to confessional in the last thirty days. He tried to concentrate on the mass he would be giving late on in the day, but even through the cool stones of the church he could feel the warm Provence afternoon tickling the stained glass windows and it was gently wooing him to sleep. He knew the village long joked of the sleepy Priest of St Anna which was long-established tradition in this town, and who was he to argue with tradition? It was just another day in paradise for the elderly Priest as he played his role in God’s plan.

The sleepy Father woke up as the booth door shook signaling the arrival of a new confessor, he could see much through the screen a vague outline of a gaunt face with long straggly hair. Clearing his throat the elderly Priest began the confession, “*In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. You may speak my child…”

“*Forgive me Father for we have sinned it has been… An age has passed since our last confession, we accuse ourselves of the following sins,” said the stranger his voice out of sync. “*We have been found wanting. We’ve coveted another man’s ox. We have committed murder against our brothers. We have lusted. We have taken many men’s wives. We are an adulterer. We have taken the Lords name in vain. We have stolen and walked with demons… All this we have done and more yet we will do before the end of days.”

Father Francesco felt his stomach turn and then he felt a stab of anger, how dare someone disrespect the sanctity of the confessional, “*My son the sacred covenant of the confessional is no place for a prank like this. Be gone with you.”

“*Will you not forgive our sins Father?” said the voice, the octaves of it grating against the old Fathers hearing. “*We have many more to confess, this Vermus alone will test your faith. Can you lead this lost lamb back to the light?”

“*No I will not and I do not wish to hear more! Begone or I will call the Gendarmerie and have you arrested.”

“*Pity… You break the confessional Father and not hear our sins. For forgiveness may save so many and is next to Godliness.”

“*My son you have to leave now,” said the old Priest feeling uncomfortable and beginning to sweat, it felt like someone was squeezing his heart in a vice. The voice was hurting his ears, it was unnatural to hear and he started to breathe heavily.

“Frendo suus pectus pectoris,” said the voice as the Priest witnessed the shadowy figure leave the booth. A moment later Father Francesco felt a sharp pain in his chest, he gurgled and fell back against the wooden wall of the confessional.

“Now walk with your God Vermus, your pitiful animus will not be noticed,” said the voice again, the source of the voice was a gangly looking man in a dirty brown long coat, who replied in a much more normal human sounding voice, “Master, are we in the right place?”

“Yes, yes… Now we have had our fun it is time to go to work… Down to the crypt to the grave of the Sir Robberto. We will have time for the joke of the sleepy Priest of St Anna is generational and we not won’t be disturbed as we work,” said the voice.

The gangly man-made his way to the back of the church, passing the prayer candles and found a moment of delight snuffing them out, giggling as each one sent up a pyre of black oily smoke.

“Come Christian, no time for play… Our task is far from complete.”

Following directions of the Dark, Christian worked his way to the back of the church finding a hidden star well behind the altar that was illuminated by a huge stained glass window depicting the Crusading Knight Robberto slaying a large white worm with a thunderbolt clenched in his fist. As he followed the stairs down into the crypts the cool air brushed against his skin soothing the itching sensation he had been feeling; which had been getting more intense since the Dark took direct possession of him. The stone passage soon gave way to a tunnel hew straight out the foundation rock before he came to a rotting wooden door, “How much further Master?”

“Just beyond the door the Vermus who built the church did so a score of yards from the resting place of the Knight. Falsely claiming St Anna as holy ground.”

Christian put his shoulder to the door but it wouldn’t give, the door was soft and spongy that told of its age, and the metal of the ring-shaped handle flaked in his bony hand.

“Open it Vermus, apply your pitiful animus to the lock.”

As the Dark needled at him Christian tried to clear his head, the Dark scratched at him like nails down a blackboard. It was getting harder to concentrate, to be able to form the words of the indice and direct the flow of energy; he was beginning to feel less and less like himself. Finally grasping the words he spoke them while applying pressure on the old door.

“Adflictus Porta.”

The door creaked in its frame and the wood cracked, grasping the handle, Christian cleared his head and spoke again, adding more power to the words.

“Adflictus Porta.”

This time the door just snapped, a clean break around the iron handle and Christian, a little winded pushed the wooden door open fighting down an unfamiliar pins and needle feeling in his arm. He had never before felt the strain of an indice before and the discomfort surprised him.  Beyond the wooden door the stone hewed passage gave way to a large earthen room, on the far side of this room on shelf was a stone casket engraved with worn looking markings. Carefully Christian stepped into the room which was knee-deep in muddy water from recent rains and poor drainage. A sudden feeling of weakness washed over him and he stumbled forward, flailing for his balance before dropping down onto his knees in the dark water cursing.

“Vermus get up!”

“Sorry Master,” said Christian getting up and wading over to the stone casket, what was going on? He didn’t feel this weak when dispatching CT or that foolish fat man in the silly mask. Although physically he was getting thinner this was the first time he was feeling any effects of the Dark joined with him. Clearing his swimming head, he leaned against the stone casket, his vision enhanced by the Dark he could see the markings were a mix of heraldry and Angel signs meant to ward off evil. Christian found himself chuckling, the vitality of the markings had worn with age and there use as wards had long since fallen aside.

“Vermus.. Do it now!”

The Dark screamed in his head and Christin shuddered, breaking the door had spent more energy than he thought it would he wasn’t sure if he had the strength to break the casket, “Master please one moment of pity… I feel weak.”

“Pity? You want PITY?!? We are close to gaining everything and we will lose it because your animus is weak? You Worm… Vae! Break the casket now or do you not wish to stand by my right hand in the new orbis…  For I can easily find another vessel to use.”

No Master… Forgive me…” said Christian hurriedly now he was so close to ultimate power he would not let his body let him down. Summoning up all his strength Christian tried to clear his head, as the Dark pushed down on him. The pressure he felt was intense and he could barely form the words before the power of the verse ran around his mouth trying to trip up his tongue to release it. Biting his tongue he raised his right fist that was clad in the burnished metal gauntlet and fastened to the vambrace; he could feel the devices vibrate with the building power.

“QUASSO!!!”

The word shook the room, and Christian went light-headed as his punched the stone casket with his gauntleted hand. His hand spasmed with pain and the stone under it shattered like brittle candy. The sheer feedback from the force of the blow knocked him of his feet and he flew across the room as the casket exploded around him .

“Hurry now Vermus get the device before the chamber comes down on us!”

Unable to move Christian clawed at the earthen wall. All his strength was spent and he could barely keep his head above the muddy water. The chamber was slowly starting to cave in, already one corner had collapsed and the earth from above was pouring down.

“Get Up VERMUS!”

It was no good Christian fell into unconsciousness and was slipping under the water. Then like a puppet on a string Christian stood straight up and walked in a froglike pattern over to the broken sarcophagus, his head lolling to one side. A moment of stiff limbed fumbling with the long dead Knights body and Christian’s bony hands were wrapped around a large piece of shoulder armor decorated with a dark gem. Two tugs and it was free and Christian lurched towards the door, stepping through just as the chamber collapsed, the sudden rush of air knocking his body to the ground and Christian didn’t move anymore…

To be continued…

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles… Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles… Heroes in a half shell… Turtle Power!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Nick Davis

When I was a kid I ran across the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Roleplaying Game about these Ninja’s that were also Turtles I loved he upside down concept and borrowed a couple of comics from a friend. It wasn’t long after that the cartoon appeared in the UK and they were renamed Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles as you were not allowed to call kids things Ninja related names. But I digress…I used to draw these guys all the time when I was a kid and amazed an IT class mate, then the entire class and my Teacher with a surprisingly good impromptu demonstration on how to draw using Super-Paint (anyone remember that?), using simple shapes and a Ninja Turtle as an example. Now over 25 years later I picked up a pencil with the goal to draw these guys again. This illustration is of Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Donatello, and is finished in black ink, marker pen and charcoal pencil on tan paper.

Sneak Peek at a new page the Ballard of Fernando from Tristan & the Cuddly Defenders

The Ballard of Fernando from Tristan & the Cuddly Defenders. Art by Dan Nokes, Story by Nick Davis

The upcoming Tristan & the Cuddly Defenders 48 page comic is going to be a mix of comic book and illustrated tale story telling that links together to tell one epic tale. While in some ways it acts as an origin book for the Cuddly Defenders, it also will cover the first story of Tristan’s encounter with Moorlock. But also it throws light on Fernando the Mouse Lion, the technical wizard of the Defenders who has a very big secret that he knows nothing about… See if you can guess from the sneak peek page above from the Ballard of Fernando…

Patlabor Live-Action Movie Update – Official images have been released

I am very excited about this, after discovering the unofficial pictures of the life-size Patlabor, the official movie images are starting to turn up. This is fantastic evocative use of the prop with luck we wont be too far away from seeing a trailer [image error]

These images were first published over on BleedingCool.com they seem to be just as excited about this movie as me.

More Guardians of the Galaxy News – Vin Diesel confirms he will be voicing Groot

I heard the rumor, but now it is official Vin Diesel will supply the voice of Groot from Guardian of the Galaxy. Now while there isn’t a lot of dialogue to learn ‘I am Groot’ is the only line the character says, he does say it with many different emotional inflections. I think the bass tone of Vin Diesel’s voice is a good match for the character. Taking on a smaller role, the star says, allows him to just give the audience what they want. Said Diesel, “That’s the thing — I’m so busy. The audience wanted Vin and Marvel, Vin and Marvel. But I’m too busy to do a six-month role. So what Marvel came up with was really interesting. … I am watching a social wave influence and in some ways guide their thinking.”

So… We know who is voicing Groot now… Leaving only fan favorite Rocket Raccoon to find his voice.

Live Action Anime Patlabor? Check out this amazing life-size prop Mecha from the Patlabor movie!!!

I am a huge fan of the Mecha Anime that comes out of Japan, not the super-robot stuff, but the realistic mecha anime like the Police procedure Patlabor, the UC0079 Gundam and Armored Suit Votoms. There is something about the genre I really like, maybe because it is more grounded and the situations are much more realistic because of it.

Now the most grounded of these anime is Patlabor, which is the story of the Mobile Police Patrol Labor Special Vehicles Second Division that is used to combat rogue Labor units.  And I’ve just learned via Bleeding Cool News that they are making a live action Patlabor movie!

What makes this really cool, is they are using a life-size prop of a Patlabor. Now while you expect a certain amount of CGI in these type of movies the fact they have a traditional life-size prop with Labor carrier is pretty amazing. Most production companies would only build a cockpit or the head. I wonder if this can actually move? That would be awesome! The following pictures were posted on the Anime News Network of the Patlabor out in Yokohama City.

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The new Patlabor called Next Generation is set for release in 2014, I don’t know if we are going to see it over here in the USA but I will be looking out for it! Checkout the official website.