As the release date looms ever closer for Sidekick Issue #3...here's a little preview page...!

Robin is having some problems taking in the weirdness, trying to understand what is going on around him and then a hoard of zombies show up to make his life even more difficult than it already is. Always the way!

Six more pages to scan, level and re-letter (the pen I used for the lettering didn't come out well in the scan)...but it shouldn't take me too much longer. Here's to a decent time frame for release of this book!

Cheers!

SIDEKICK #3 OUT THURSDAY 05 JANUARY 2012 (or there abouts!!)

Issue 3 of Sidekick is well on the way to completion...looks like it will be on time for a January release...although Christmas is in the way and I will still need to get to the printers! It may be out in the first week of January - still better than what issue 2 did!!

Look out for more news soon!
Cheers.

Issue 2 of Sidekick is now out...you can catch this at ABSTRACT SPROCKET in Norwich or if you are at Thought Bubble in Leeds this weekend, I will be floating around trying to get some issues sold!

Cheers!!

Below, a few taster pages from issue2!!

Upon request from Ben Franklin over at Bloody Cuts Films, I have created some illustrations based on my one-page comic strip of Stitches, their latest filmic offering. This may be used on T-Shirts and/or poster designs.

Click the image below to check out Bloody Cuts Films and, more importantly, help them with their fundraising campaign for the rest of their series of films...UK talent in the Arts and Film industry at it's absolute best...http://www.indiegogo.com/Bloody-Cuts-a-short-horror-anthology





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Now playing: BBC Radio 5 live - Kermode: Lynne Ramsay, Steven Soderbergh, 21 Oct 11
via FoxyTunes

Here's a little piece I did inspired by STITCHES...the latest short horror film from Bloody Cuts Films...PLEASE CHECK OUT THE FILM BELOW AND CLICK THE LINKS TO GO TO THEIR WEBSITE!! Bloody Cuts Films is a little group of creatives working in Film, Design and Art that are putting together 13 short horror films because they want to! I am involved making story boards, creature and monster design and other production designs. There will be more for me to post about after episode 3 comes out in a few weeks time!!!

Bloody Cuts Films are currently trying to raise money to fund the rest of their series...PLEASE CHECK OUT THEIR FUND/HAIR RAISING VID HERE!! Please find some cash to give generously to their cause...it's a great opportunity to support up and coming talent from the UK Arts, Film and Television industry...speaking from the perspective of a teacher, an industry which has been suffering from Government interference, taking away money ergo jobs (oh damn, used a bit of Latin there, Mr. Gove will be proud ;D) and narrowing the curriculum meaning fewer children are able to make the choices for their career that they want. A Government which has done this with no consultation from those on the front line which it affects the most!

Anyway, I promised myself before I wrote this that I wouldn't end up ranting about the state of UK education...but hey, sorry folks!

Cheers, kel.

Happy Birthday Mum

Yes, it is my mum's birthday and to celebrate...I drew this card!!

SIDEKICK #1 OUT NOW!!

Today is the Day of release for SIDEKICK #1 you will be able to purchase it in print this evening from Abstract Sprocket in Norwich for just £2.00!

I am currently investigating adding a proper BUY section to my website www.kelwinser.com and if all goes well you can get your very own signed copy! I may even throw in a free sketch!

SIDEKICK is a bi-monthly comic serial about a young man trying to find a place in a world that is changing every minute around him. Issue 1 is out September (now!) and issue 2 due for release in November (in time for the Thought Bubble comic convention). The comic story will be available to read only next month on this very blog.

From the Comics Desk...

So I'm prepping Sidekick #1 which will be in stores September now, a month later than anticipated, but I hope it's worth the wait...

I am working on Sidekick #2 to get ahead of myself, even though I am planning to release an issue bi-monthly as I have a day job and all that jazz...just trying to squeeze everything in that I want to get done so I thought a bi-monthly book would be slightly less pressure!

To keep you going, here are a few snippets of panel pics from issue #2...fresh!

Drawn using Manga Studio, and a Wacom tablet...digital styling!

Cheers.

YO! So I have finished working on some storyboards for Bloody Cuts, check them out HERE.

In other news, I will be finishing off issue #1 of Sidekick, available in print first, £2...come on that's well cheap for a printed 22-page comic!! And then it will go online, here and on my website to read for free!

Cheers!

Florence Goes To School

This is the children's book that I drew with Oliver Garwood for his son.

Check it out, have a flick...!

Cheers,

Open publication - Free publishing - More children

Check out this new ISSUU

Been experimenting with the Issuu website I joined for free...it turns PDF versions of my books into digital flip books!! It's brilliant and I think I will be using it from now on to display my comics. I am so happy with the quality of the read and the layout it provides that it means my comics will be available FREE on the blog but will cost to get in print (only £2 or so, so still really well worth it to have a print version for old time sake!)...!

Check out the PRELUDE I did a few months ago...I originally posted it as separate pages, but this issuu has really made it cool with the page turning and full screen effect!

Open publication - Free publishing - More comic

SIDEKICK #1 out this month!!

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Now playing: Weezer - Viva La Vida
via FoxyTunes

Story boards!

So some slightly different project news...I've been working with Bloody Cuts who, if you take a look at their site, are currently creating 13 short horror films (3-4 minutes plus in length) and I have been drafted to help them with visuals for their stories.

Mostly I have been brought on board for my story telling prowess in comics to create story boards for them, but also I have been and hopefully shall continue to create some creature/monster designs.

Not wanting to give too much away, I will be posting story board illustrations from some of the less-action orientated scenes to show you all my sequence ideas and the way I go about story boarding. There isn't really a right way or wrong way to do it. For my methods I use 3 page-wide comic-style panels to suggest widescreen. It's not actual widescreen ratios, but it's close and quick to create to help the director get an impression on camera angles and shot sequences.

Check out some of these below and their website too...going to be some good stuff happening pretty soon so stay tuned!

Cheers.



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Now playing: dccomics.com - Vertigo: The New Classics
via FoxyTunes

Some Sidekick #2 News

Been sketching away...literally on the second issue of Sidekick...I want to make this a 6-part story and get at least halfway before releasing issue 1. My deadline will be towards the end of August, so even if I haven't finished three parts by then issue 1 will still be released. And in print form only!

Here's some digital sketches. I'm also now attempting to do the whole thing digitally. No 'real' pencils or inks anywhere!

cheers!

NEW LOOK, NEW POST

Here's some latest project stuff to get you going...

Up first, the first 2 pages from SIDEKICK#2:


And now the next two pages from UNDEAD that I am working on with ol' pal and writer, Joel Morgan:




Enjoy, laterz!

Digital inking (and lettering)!

I've been toying around with Manga Studio which landed in my lap a few weeks ago now...

The virtual inking techniques it is capable of are far superior than anything on Photoshop or Illustrator (sorry Adobe, but they are...I still love you dearly!). Especially when using a Wacom tablet or similar (other tablet and pen sets are available!).

As well as digitally inking my comics with Manga Studio, I can also letter it as well. A little clunky at first as I am learning how to do it and there are more intuitive aspects to it than I originally thought, like trying to join 2 word balloons, just erase the line!! I still think Illustrator is a better prog for lettering - but to be able to do everything in 1 prog is going to be a massive time saver...even if I am having to learn something new.

I highly recommend Manga Studio for all forms of comics making and cartooning, not just Manga styles - but the Manga-specific tones incorporated are also very nice.

Of course, this still doesn't beat the good ol' pencils, pens, brushes and drawing board, but the digital creations are good for more 'mainstream-looking' comics.

By the way, all this stuff illustrated, comes from a comic I am working on for fun (maybe publication) written by Joel Morgan. It's called UNDEAD and it's about zombies. Surprise surprise right? Well, this does have a twist...who are the zombies? Is it subversive TV-watching types? Is it so-called 'wrong-doers' society has now turned their back on? Or is it the dead, risen to feast on the flesh of the living? All of the above? We'll see. More as it happens!

CHEERS!

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Now playing: Death Cab for Cutie - Doors Unlocked and Open
via FoxyTunes

Been a couple of weeks or so since my last post and that's because I have been working on a secret project!! Above is a Children's Book which I have been working on with my pal Oliver Garwood.

Originally intended as a birthday gift for Oliver's wife, it now serves as an actual storybook for their Son, Noah, who was born 7 weeks ago! When he is old enough, Noah will be able to enjoy 'Florence Goes To School', a wordless picture book starring their pet rabbit!!

There is also a cover and some fun bio pages to accompany the story pages, but on display here is the dummy book which included endpapers at the start and finish. The whole book, inlcuding front covers will be available to view soon on my website: Kelwinser.com

Cheers!

PROJECT NEWS: Sidekick

Latest on my upcoming project SIDEKICK...this is a digitally inked page 2 from issue #2.

Trying out some new software and inking techniques!
cheers!

So here is my FREE comic for FREE COMIC BOOK DAY. It is a prelude to the issue #1 of SIDEKICK which will be released later this summer (JULY/AUGUST). As of now I am getting halfway through issue #2 and getting issue #3 well under way so that I can get ahead of myself for release dates...! This is truely a monumental task, creating a comic book on your own, but this is a story that started 8 or so years ago and I recently had a brain wave on getting it started.

The story here has my main character ROBIN GRAYSON (a play on both the superhero character of ROBIN and his alter ego DICK GRAYSON) getting some free comics for FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! It's a tongue-in-cheek poke at the comic shop world ) of which I have been a part of in the past as well as a glance into our main characters goals and ambitions which as we'll find out are what makes him so bitter as a person! To all intense and purposes it's semi-autobiographical in that I have taken aspects of my life, friends and quirks or whatever from people I have known or met over the years and jumbled them all into the people in this series.

As this was a FREE COMIC, you may print, staple/assemble this issue to your heart's desire! If you were in Norwich on Saturday 7th, especially at ABSTRACT SPROCKET comic shop, you may very well have picked up a copy among all your other FREE COMICS!

Comments welcomed, many thanks!

Hope you like it!
CHEERS!

Well it was free comic book day today and I sent out a load of freebies to my local comic shop Abstract Sprocket today, this is the front cover and you will be getting the inside pages tomorrow for full display and readability!
'Til then!

PROJECT NEWS

Due for release in about a month's time (aiming for end of May!) is:

SIDEKICK: A Cautionary Tale
Written and Illustrated by Kel Winser

The story stars Robin Grayson, a rather angry young comics artist who has tragedy strike his life and an adventure ensues. Rescue, intrigue, mayhem and cock ups! This book has it all. It will be available from Abstract Sprocket in Norwich and some other outlets I have yet to investigate (hopefully!) otherwise you'll be able to buy it from my website www.kelwinser.com

Intended to be a continuous saga with no ending planned, I'm starting off slowly with an issue every two months. There may be an end, there may not! Here are a couple of pages from the story...



---------------- Listening to: BBC 6 Music - AdamAndJoe: Denny Different - 02 Apr 11
via FoxyTunes