It's been a long time

Well, it has been, and I thought I would give a quick update.

Myself and my friend Jeannie have been working on a comic the past few months, I haven't finished issue three yet, but as soon as it is done, Jeannie, bless her, will carry on working her magic on the artwork.

So much has been going on and I haven't had a chance to do a good update, but I will try in the coming days.


Night to you all.

Here comes Hogwarts!!

Well, tomorrow is my Graduation!!! I get to wear all the get up again, cap and gown, but this time for a Masters!!

So, expect me to be leaping around like Batman, or shouting spells as I run around pretending to be Harry Potter. Yep, a big day is ahead, and I am so tired, I am unbelievably tired, we've done so much work at Munky it's unbelievable, we done things like 20 hour shifts to get an order done, I think I am done for.

Well, I am off to have a rest and some tea.

The Further Adventures....

Once a street preacher, he met....









Till next time....Enjoy

For those new to this blog...

This evening I went to the theatre with my friend Cat. The play was called Lilly in the Dark and was written and performed by The River People. It was incredibly beautiful, fantastic performance, perfect puppetry and a fantastic world created.

Now, this adds to this blog again. As I am back in the drawing mood, I am thinking about resurrecting an old short story and illustrating it. PLUS!!! There will be more adventures with Feraz!! Where will he end up next? How will he return after being vaporised by the Moon people?? No, sorry.."Ousted". HOW WILL HE RETURN?????

I have an idea, stay tuned.


As for now, I leave you all to dream once again, a great adventure in the lands or Rapid Eye Movement.

Feraz, or Ferocious, or whatever the hell his name was!!

Today, after work was cancelled because of Portsmouth's mass power cut, I went to the beach with some friends, and some guy was with some of them and he was quite the comedy character, even though he didn't realise it, here is a story about him.

For my good friend Jeannie.

After introducing her to one of my favourite bands, I thought I would dedicate my post to her. So my wonderful comic partner in crime, this ones for you...

And Alison Mosshart is super cool!

Idea for another project.

Well, the shop is beginning to take shape, and my boss Rich is getting less stressed by the minute, funny thing working for a friend, you need to keep both friendship and employing relationships together at the same time. Anyways, that's not what this is all about.

Whilst helping hang some pictures yesterday (by hang I mean hold whilst Rich does the work :)..)I had an idea, it's been floating for a while, but it took shape. Basically, I was looking out of the window and watching the pass-a-bys, and I was wondering what they all did, so as always, my mind starts rocketing, and a project was born. Not sure exactly how I am going to lay it out, or how exactly it will work, but I am sure it will come together.

So for your enjoyment I add this.



If only I was as good as Mr Gaiman.




Well, that's about it. Have a good day.

No work till Noon!

Right, I don't have to be at work till midday, so I thought I would enter a quick entry.

The store is coming along, I need to put my camera on charge so I can take some pictures today, so I better do that in a minute.

Well, this was inspired by my Youtube recommendations. Occasionally it picks out a wonder, and today it did.



I also face a big question....do I buy a Macbook? Everything at Munky is Mac, so do I bight the bullet and get a macbook? They are convenient, their will be no issues of compatibility at work, I can use it only for image work, interesting me'thinks.

It will however set me back about £1000, but after reading all the information, the amount of extra software you get makes up the price. Hhmmm, I shall have to have a good think, but I am beginning to think they are worth it.

Well, that's it for now.

Catch you all later.

I am sorry.

I have been so busy with the new job that I haven't managed to blog anything, and honestly, I can't think of anything exciting..well, I can , so I will write.

A little while ago, my wonderful friend Jeannie sent me the first layout of our comic. It's strange to call it "our" comic, but it is, I mean, I wrote it and she's illustrating, which means it's a collaboration, so it's our comic. It's the brainchild of both of us, obviously I had concept for the look of the characters, but she has created some wonders with them, and made them who they are, I gave them thought, she gave them a look. It's so exciting!!!


I am thinking about working out how to give this blog a look unto itself. I am bored with it, and after looking at what San has done with hers, and what my super cool friend Lindsey has done to hers, I feel I need a new look.

I am also going to plug Martin and his girlfriends blog (I have yet to have the pleasure of meeting her). They are comics journalists and write and awesome blog called Avoid the Future.

Plus, since their blog looks cool, I may try and request their help.

What else have I done. Well, been busy at the new Munky HQ, Martin and Rich have been allot busier than me, but, I have been pushed for time, so I feel a little guilty. I must say, they are doing an awesome job, and the store looks amazing, I just need to sort out my desk now in the shop, needs a little touch here and there, I have plans, and it's all in keeping with the theme.

I am slowly getting used to Illustrator, it's taking time, but I am learning, and I like it. I still prefer Photoshop, but, must learn it.

Well, that's all for now.

Good night.

Down and down and down and down and down we go....

Today I went to see a play by Two Truth's Theatre Company. This small company is the FMP of some friends of mine and their friends.

The play was called 'Descent' and was inspired by 'Dante's Inferno'. To say it was a good play is to not give it it's due. It was absolutely fantastic. It was eerie, disturbing, fearful and unnerving. It was that amazing!!

My friend Kat played only what I can assume was the Devil, a long coat, high heeled, dominatrix inspired guide through the depths of hell. Jaz was a strange victim of her own sins, trapped in this world of horror, and Becky was the same.

A few elements really got to me, firstly was Rosie, or Rosy, not sure how she spells her name. I've met her once or twice, but she played a small girl, and two things with her really weirded me out. The first was when we first really met her, she was sitting on the stairwell humming to herself, like a small child, the second was the General, he shouted and gave us numbers, really removed out identities and, well, was plain scary. The poor lass who was suffering for her gluttony, she freaked me out. I don't do things with loads of food , I mean, I have a thing about buffets, too much food to look at just makes me feel ill, and she was looking ill, and I really felt for her. Another was the barman. He was quite fun and jovial (played by the same chap as the general), he told a few jokes, and then he switched, told a violent story and then shouted at us, only for us to be met again by him as The General again.

This time we were in dark room, and we were told by the General to stand and look at the wall, now previously I had picked up a toy doll, as asked by The Devil Lady. I'd carried it around and looked after it, and as I stood staring at the wall, trying not to piss of the General, who now had a victim in the room (played by Jaz) this small person peered around my left side, it was Rosie (or Rosy), then she moved across my back and then whipped the toy out of my right hand. I felt really unnerved by it. Then she, and Jaz began screaming.....real blood curdling screams.

Every member of the cast did an amazing job, all the minor characters, the background characters, it was so well thought out. You would be taken to the next character and whilst you followed the Devil Lady on your descent, there were people being tortured, some sitting alone repenting, others just staring at you. It was like an asylum, it truly was a representation of hell.

This was Theatre, but it wasn't a play, it was an experience, an adventure, something I would love to participate in again.

To my wonderful friends that were in it, and too all the other fantastic members of the cast and crew, Thank You for such an amazing experience.

An Midnight Feast

Well, thought I would give you a quick update.

This evening I have had conversations with my friend Kat and my newest friend Martin, and both have been rather enjoyable. Not only have we managed to cover the convergence of alternate realities, but also the pros of Tim Gunn reviewing Super Hero Costumes.

But, here is something more to the point. I have received some designs from my good friend Jeannie of the characters in the comic book I am writing. Jeannie has kindly offered to illustrate it for me, and I obliged because she is awesome, and it means I get to work with her.

Issue Two is going well, I am on page 17, so doing well. I am about to finish up a flashback scene for the main male character, and then I will write the one for the main female character.

It's been really hard writing this issue, dealing with experiences that I haven't dealt with before makes it really hard to make it sincere. Also, writing things that are quite personal are also quite hard, but also good to vent. It's ironic because it's not the same as a blog, but in a strange way it is.Whatever happens, I am hoping it works and that when it is done, it will be enjoyed.

I may do the covers myself, I haven't decided yet, but this doesn't mean it's open for people to offer their services. If I decide to get someone else to do it I will contact someone because I have a few ideas. I know it sounds rude, but I have a thing about people trying to get involved with things that are so personal. I have a tendency to offer my talents sometimes, so I know that is can be quite improper.

Anyway, before I get obnoxious, Issue Three!! yes, it's being noted down, the finale of "The Last Train Home". Will it be a happy ending, or a sad ending, or an open ending?? Who knows??? I do know however that I want to explore some of the other characters. A few have popped up and don't really have any time to explore them, so I may do some one-shots with them. But that is something for a later date.

But, that's enough of that one. I have several other ideas I want to get writing soon. Most of them just as notes. I am also re-working my Script Frenzy failure into a comic form, I've been reading Warren Ellis's Ocean and Orbiter and feel it;s a better medium for the story. Basically, it has more chance of getting done.

Another thing that has been playing around is a web comic, but that's still in the ideas phase with someone, so I will probably surprise you guys at some point.

So, that about wraps all this up, I am off to check out prices on The Art of Jaime Hernandez.


Good Night, I shall leave you with one of my heroes.

A Trip to Brighton

That was a bit mad, a random trip to Brighton, an exciting Road Trip!!

I picked up Charlie and we went on the road! Music, Wayfarers and off we went.

Now driving to Brighton is quite the adventure, it's nice and simple once you get past Chichester, before then it's lots of stupid Round-A-Bouts.

When we got there we met up with KK and her friend Nikki and we all had a good wander around and looked in some cool shops, and I managed not to buy anything, I was quite impressed. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera, and Charlie's only had a small bit of charge, so there are not many pictures.

I had Japanese food for the first time, Chicken Raman, and that was fantastic. I wanted to buy a T-shirt from the restaurant, but I couldn't afford one at the time, so I am going to look online. I want a Wagamama's shirt!!!



I think I will learn to make Chicken Raman as it was so nice, and it's always good to expand your cooking knowledge...hmmm....Raman....

Prepping myself for when I manage to move out!!

And is Maximum the Hormone, just for you, they seem to go from Pop Punk to Hardcore, they seem to enjoy jumping genres.




Right, thats it for now, I have to make some tea to drink!!!

Spontanious Departure

Don't worry, I am not leaving, I am about to depart for a sudden trip to Brighton.

So I leave you with this piece of wonderfulness!!!

A Long over due entry.

Well, it has been some time hasn't it, a long perhaps.

Well, what have I been doing, I have been busy going to and from MunkyUK, helping here and there, and slowly but surely teaching myself Illustrator. I have been writing, writing like no ones business.

The current project is called "The Last Train Home". If you have read previous entries you will already know this was a short story. I have evolved the characters more and carried on with what happened before and after their meeting.

My good friend Surferartchick is illustrating it for me with various notes and description sent via e-mail. I look forward to seeing her work. I however am working on Issue Two at the moment, as well as preparing another story for another character.

This other one is my Victorian Detective, my Sherlock Holmes if you will. I know it's going to be a bit harder to write, but I do look forward to it.

When I have more on the comic I will post some of it, but for now I have none. But I will leave you with this.......





Doesn't it look amazing!!!

Busy Busy Busy

Well, I have been really busy these past few weeks.

I am in the process of changing jobs. Going from DVD monkey to trainee In House designer at Munky UK!! Yes, In-House designer!

Funny story, really.

I was in Chaos with some friends and I got a tap on the shoulder. It was Rich, a guy I went to school with and I hadn't seen him in 10 years. We had a chat, and he said he ran a company, and that he might be able to see what he could do for my current employment problem. I thought he was joking, you know, club talk and all, but low and behold, here I am.

There are 3 of us, and we all went to school together, so all is good.

We went looking at shops a few days ago, and that proved well. It's going to be a walk in portfolio, and all Steampunk themed, it's going to be great!!

Well, that's all for now, I have to do some bits and bobs.


Have fun in the sun!

Ben Folds Chatroulette!!!

Now, a quick entry while I compose my other one, here is a Ben Folds video that has some chap sitting on the toilet!!! YES, A CHAP ON THE LAV!!



Just for you San! SO no one thinks I am mad after her amazing cool Live web tutorial come Q&A.

Script Frenzy!!

Well, Script Frenzy is just around the corner, and the ideas are spinning, and I have given in to some Science Fiction. It's set in the mid 22nd Century and it's about the first Faster than Light flight. It seems rather well timed with the official launch of UKSA (UK Space Agency) on April 1st!

I think I have the main concept in my head, I just need to flesh it out now with the characters and the beginning to end. I know I am starting on 1977 with the WOW signal, and then I am jetting forward 200 years.

It'll work.

I'll type more tomorrow.

Holidays come to an end..soon...

Well, my 3 weeks off are about to come to an end, and I have done fuck all with it, oh well, I tried, I did some stuff, hung out with friends, so really it's been pretty good.

My latest musical obsession is this person....



I am so addicted to her album!!

I'm still working away for the Library, I have some frames in the works, so if you live in the Portsmouth area you may find them in Albert Road, if things go to plan.


Well, that's all for this brief entry..

WUSHU and the next few months.

Well, I have a little while before I have my first WUSHU sessions. Well, I say first, it's my first session which is completely dedicated to Wushu. Usually we do a bit on Thursdays at Wing Chun.

I know it's going to hurt a bit, but well, no pain no gain is it.

I am entering Script Frenzy this year, so that should be good. Not sure exactly what I am going to write, but it's either a TV Pilot, Film, or Graphic Novel, I have a "coming of age" idea that I have been toying with for a really long time I think I would like to attempt. I think I need to do something a bit different from my usual Sci Fi and Fantasy.

It think the last really good children's aimed coming of age was Bridge to Terebithia. So with that in mind I though I would go back to some old notes and see what I had. To be honest, it needs some work, but it could be a great experiment.

People seem to forget what they are actually about, it's quite a sad genre, the death of innocence, that moment where you suddenly realise what the world is about, and where it could possibly go. It seems weird, it when summers were eternal, and playing tag was the best thing in the world, before you realise that to do everything you need money, and life get complicated.

I was going to set it all in 1994, but I think it's too specific, non descriptive is probably better, I'll see how it turns out when I start writing on April 1st.

Well, that's all for now.

Up Date Up Date Up Date!!

Well it's been a while, so I thought I would update.

Well, as always life is full of ups and downs. These being that I am back in CBT, I referred myself as I believe I need a little help again.

Employment sucks monkey bums, but!!!!! Yes, there is a but!!! I may have a puppeteering gig in June, but not just just as the puppeteer, but also as the designer and creator of the puppet!! My friend is hopefully doing a creature feature short, and has asked me if I want to do the creature. So I gratefully said yes...I'm not turning down a creature!!

I also dug out some of my old life-drawing from 2004-2005. I haven't photographed all of it, but here is some for your enjoyment.





More can be found in my Flickr

Rest in Peace Alexander McQueen.

Tag, you're it!!

Lindsey tagged me to write four interesting facts about myself, now I have to think.

So, here it goes.

1) I have incredibly dark brown eyes and hair. When I was born my hair was jet black, and my eyes turned from blue to brown in less than an hour.

2) I am a medicated depressive with anxiety and panic disorders, as well as a self destructive personality, this is where I believe my artist side comes from.

3) My favorite composers are Danny Elfman and Elliot Goldenthal.

4) Many of my peers at some point or another have questioned my sexuality, this also, not so obviously includes my parents, and it is down to my admiration and love of this chap.



He is my all time favorite fashion designer and I would love to intern with him and design clothes with him!!


Well, there you go, four interesting facts, well, I hope they are interesting, there are probably many more interesting things I could say, but I have been limited to four. So now I nominate.......

Jeannie

and

Katie



Tomorrow I am doing a shoot with a friend, it's all experience. I am mainly reaffirming myself with my skills and refreshing myself. So it should be fun.

Today I return to training.

Well, today I return to training, and it's going to hurt, I know it will, haven't been for 6 weeks, 3 as it was Christmas break, and the others because I was iced in, and injured.

Apart from that, it should be good fun.

AVATAR was amazing, I truely cannot think of any words that can describe how amazing it was.

I am getting ready to get my new laptop, and then I will be set. I have some friends that are going to model for me, so all is going well.

Soon I can mix video/ photography/ illustration/ art and writing into something full of what Katie would call "Awesomesauce".

After hunting through Youtube, I have found the video for Gaultier's autumn/ winter 09-10 women's collection. I love Gaultier, I really do, he is such a fantastic artist, and his new collection shows this off.

A quick entry

Well, here's a quick one to keep the motions going.

I have my new camera, I have bought two lights, the next on the list is a new laptop.

I am going to start shooting some stuff soon enough, and I am also back to writing shorts again, properly. I am going back through my old Sci Fi short ideas and reworking one of them, and another one I am going to rework into a trailer. There going to take some time, but the end result should be worth it.

Tonight however I am off out with people from work and finally, my dreams ocan be fulfilled...why? WE ARE GOING TO SEE AVATAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am going to wet myself!!!!



Catch you all later, but for now, I leave you with this...

Thank you WETA!!!

Flickr is up and running!!!!

Yes, I paid for my Pro account today, so I can upload all of those photos that I have been taking lately, and there have been allot, so click here to see a new set.




It was a really glorious, yet bloody cold walk home.

Just remembered I have a Vimeo account!!!!

I have just remembered that I have a Vimeo account, so I present you with a video, one of a few, but here's the taster.

Myself and my friends Charlie and Mark went on a Extreme Tarping adventure on Portsdown hill where I live. It was dangerous but bloody good fun.

The main voice is Mark, he held the camera, Charlie screams, and I swear.

Extreme Tarping GONE WRONG!!! from Daniel J Cook on Vimeo.

We did manage to loose the camera for a short while at the end, hence the sudden cut off...painful, but fun!!

GO TEAM!!!! from Daniel J Cook on Vimeo.

We went a bit higher up the hill, and it was awesome!!!

Extreme Tarping Take One from Daniel J Cook on Vimeo.

It was a glorious day of dangerous experiments on an Ice covered hill

Only a few more days

Yes, a few more days till I get paid, then I can upgrade my Flickr and grace you all will new pictures and such like.

Well, at this moment in time it's really cold, and the heating is on, and I am watching some dire straight to DVD thriller/ action film, why did I rent this??? Probably because it was free. BUT!!!! It does feature that gloriously underused actor Michael Biehn.

Well, here is my plan for the next two weeks, these are providing I can get out of suburbia and into town. My plan is to go and buy my new camera, and then go and look at new laptops. My intention is to be able to go out and take photos and then automatically download them to my laptop and see what they look like before I start screwing around with them. I am also thinking I will need a new laptop to help my future prospects.

I also need to go and sort out my PC and remove all the crap that is on it clogging up the hard disk, there is so much junk on there that it needs a real clean up!

Well, that's about it for this afternoon, if I can grace you with more, then I will.

From Ian to Deborah

I finally found it, it's printed in the front of 'Toutching from a Distance' and said by Sam Riley in 'Control'. So, I thought I would share it with you.

I wish I were a Warhol silk screen
Hanging on the wall
Or little Joe or maybe Lou
I'd love to be them all
All New York city's broken hearts
And secrets would be mine
I'd put you on a movie reel
And that would be just fine.

St Valentine's Day poem
From Ian to Debbie, 1973

I felt inspired at work today, so I grabbed some paper and a pen and scrawled something down, I won't post it for a while.

See you all soon.

Snow becomes Ice!!

Yes, the snow is now ICE!!! And as much fun as it was throwing myself down sheets of ice on the hill I am now pretty pissed off with it, it's now really hard to walk to work!!! Damn it!!

But well, I have taken shed loads of photos walking too and from work, and as soon as I update my flickr account I will post them, my free account is now full, so I need to wait till I get paid to upgrade it.

I will get my new camera soon!! I am looking at the Lumix G1, something I can take work with that has manual focus and the DSLR capabilities.

Almost finished making my journal too, it's been a while in the making, but all is well, just need to start writing in it now. It has a few bits and bobs inspired by San, so should go well.

But for now you will have to wait till I get some cash, no piccies..sorry.

SNOW DAY!!!!!

I couldn't help it..I just had to!!

SNOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes my dear readers, there is SNOW!!! We haven't had snow like this since I was 11. So here are a few pictures, there are more on Flickr.

Touching from a Distance

For those who aren't in the know, but I am sure you are all taken by the wonders of this band, here is the trailer for quite possibly the most honest biopic ever made.

The Eleventh Doctor.

For my fellow "Who" fans.

Happy New Year

Well, January 1st is almost at an end, so I thought I would post a photo of our Christmas tree.



For comedy photo's go and look in the set.