The colour poster I did overnight for a charity books to raise money after the 2011 Japanese tsunami. Rejected, of course!
Thursday, 26 February 2015
Monday, 23 February 2015
Sunday, 22 February 2015
Dr Synthe The Alien From The Planet Mo!
Dr Synthe made only two appearances in Centaur Comics -Stars & Stripes #3, July, 1941 and Stars & Stripes #4, September, 1941. The script was by Francis Campbell and Pencils & Inks Taylor. Just who Taylor was beats me. I've tried a search but no luck!
This is almost a Mr Impossible (Marvel -Fantastic Four ) type character and he does have a really impish look to him quite reminiscent of the GA Sub-Mariner.
His second outing was a doozy -maybe one day......I tease....I tease....
Coming next........who knows?
This is almost a Mr Impossible (Marvel -Fantastic Four ) type character and he does have a really impish look to him quite reminiscent of the GA Sub-Mariner.
His second outing was a doozy -maybe one day......I tease....I tease....
The Black Panther Strikes!
Now, this Centaur Comics character from Stars & Stripes, July, 1941, was one of those comic characters who appeared out of nowhere. No origin. No secret identity and...no second appearance. Created, written and drawn by Paul Gustavson -who continued into the 1970s in comics.
Later on, Australian creator Paul Wheelahan created a Panther character -he drew his creation again in the 1990s.
"So what the hell has this got to do with Black Tower?" you ask. Well, I was working on a third volume of Centaur Heroes but it wasn't to be. I combined volumes 1 & 2 into The Ultimate Centaur Collection. But I do really love these characters and, yes, I really want to use them. Maybe another Centaur book or included in another title In black and white of course!
Now, I have absolutely no idea where all the scans I have on disc come from. I was sent a lot my a German comic fan in the early 2000s but I cannot even recall his name. Others have come to me via collectors. But who scanned what?? No idea but I do sincerely THANK them.
So here is the Black Panther's first and only appearance.
And how an edited page looks in black & white!
UP NEXT.......
Later on, Australian creator Paul Wheelahan created a Panther character -he drew his creation again in the 1990s.
"So what the hell has this got to do with Black Tower?" you ask. Well, I was working on a third volume of Centaur Heroes but it wasn't to be. I combined volumes 1 & 2 into The Ultimate Centaur Collection. But I do really love these characters and, yes, I really want to use them. Maybe another Centaur book or included in another title In black and white of course!
Now, I have absolutely no idea where all the scans I have on disc come from. I was sent a lot my a German comic fan in the early 2000s but I cannot even recall his name. Others have come to me via collectors. But who scanned what?? No idea but I do sincerely THANK them.
So here is the Black Panther's first and only appearance.
UP NEXT.......
The Incredible Dr Synthe!
Saturday, 21 February 2015
Friday, 20 February 2015
Time For This Blog To Close?
Out of 11 postings to this site only two have even been checked out -9 views in all. The blog total views since it was opened in early 2013 is: 3695
The Anomalous Phenomena blog has exceeded over 22,000 in far less time. On CBO postings relating to Black Tower do not get many views. But those views are still better than seeing 0. 0. 0. 0 on a daily basis.
So, I may just leave this blog as it is with future up-dates only going on to CBO. After all, no sales, no interest -keeping a blog seems a little insane!
The Anomalous Phenomena blog has exceeded over 22,000 in far less time. On CBO postings relating to Black Tower do not get many views. But those views are still better than seeing 0. 0. 0. 0 on a daily basis.
So, I may just leave this blog as it is with future up-dates only going on to CBO. After all, no sales, no interest -keeping a blog seems a little insane!
Thursday, 19 February 2015
Well, Folks -The Green Skies: Dene Vernon
Okay, Comickers: I've taken a deep breath and clenched my teeth.
NOT scans but digital photos -yah! Boo! Sucks! You'll note dialogue pasted on scraps of papers. These are just the rough unedited pages. Much more in the way of solid black and cross-hatching is to be done. But WHAT is going on in 1942 London?
NOT telling!
PRESS RELEASE: NYC's Big Apple Con Returns! 20th Anniversary Show March 7, 2015
COME CELEBRATE THE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF…
MIKE CARBO'S BIG APPLE CON
Comic Books, Celebs, Cosplay & more…
Saturday, March 7th 10am~6pm Penn Plaza Pavilion, NYC
In celebration of its 20th ANNIVERSARY, MIKE CARBONARO’s BIG APPLE CON, New York City's
longest-running comic book/sci-fi/fantasy/horror/Cosplay convention, returns to PENN
PLAZA PAVILION (401 7th Ave @ 33rd Street -opposite Madison Square Garden) on SATURDAY,
MARCH 7, 2015 from 10am to 6pm.
This amazing explosion of
pop-culture will bring together top comics creators, celebrities, pro
wrestlers, dealers, panel discussions, a costume contest & more in one
incredible day! There will be hundreds of tables of comics, toys, posters,
videos, original art, t-shirts & other collectibles, with everything from
the world's rarest comics as well as the newest and coolest books for sale!
BIG APPLE CON proudly hosts a full “Artists Alley” of comic
book, animation, and trading card creators, illustrators & writers,
including: Rich Buckler (Deathlok, Fantastic Four), James
O'Barr (The Crow), Mark
Bode (Cobalt
60, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Herb Trimpe (Incredible Hulk,
Wolverine), Ramona Fradon (Super Friends, Aquaman), Larry
Hama (G.I.
Joe, Bucky O’Hare), Basil Gogos (Famous Monsters of Filmland), Bill
Tucci (Shi, Sgt. Rock), Bob Rozakis (‘Mazing
Man, Joker’s Daughter), Bill Plympton (the “King of Indie Animation”), Bob Camp
(Ren & Stimpy, ThunderCats), Tom
DeFalco (Thor,
Spider-Girl), Danny
Fingeroth (Spider-Man, Daredevil), Jim Salicrup (Avengers, Papercutz), Sean
Chen (Iron Man, Valiant Comics), Jamal Igle (Molly
Danger, Green Lantern), Rodney Ramos (Punisher War Journal,
Transmetropolitan), and Brian Kong (Upper Deck, MLB, NBA, NFL).
The headlining media celebrity guests include: Pro Wrestlers “Rowdy”
Roddy Piper, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, and
Brimstone, Power Rangers Jason David Frank and Steve
Cardenas, The Walking Dead’s Chris Harrelson, Moses
Moseley and Theshay West, Paris Themmen (Willy
Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Star Trek: Voyager), Playboy Playmate Cathy
St. George, GinaMarie Zimmerman (Big Brother), Johnny
Brennan (Jerky Boys, Family Guy), John Altamura (Toxic
Avenger 2 & 3), and Mike Zapic, Ming Chen & Robert
Bruce from AMC’s Comic Book Men.
Captain Zorikh's Costume Contest will
once again bring the most amazing costumers and Cosplayers together for a
fast-paced, exciting show of creative excellence!
DATE: Saturday,
March 7th ~ 10am -6pm PLACE:
Penn Plaza Pavilion ~ 401 7th Ave. @ 33rd St.
TICKETS: $20
(adult) $10 (child) At the Door: $20/$10
TICKET PURCHASE & INFORMATION:
www.nycbm.com
The Green Skies. You Were Warned: Kathatakathalaka The Many-Eyed One IS Coming!
These photographs have been gathered by United Nations Outer Space Affairs Division (Unit X). These are NOT Photoshopped!
The Deception has begun. We are at 30 Seconds to Midnight!
The Deception has begun. We are at 30 Seconds to Midnight!
Monday, 16 February 2015
Return Of The Gods & The Cross-Earths Caper -Parts 1 & 2 Of The "Invasion Earth" Trilogy
The Return Of The Gods:Twilight of the Super Heroes
A4
Paperback,
Black & White
331 Pages
Price:
£20.00
THE CROSS EARTHS CAPER
Terry Hooper-Scharf
Paperback,
Black & White
107 Pages
A4
Price:
£10.00
Ships in 3–5 business days
Following the events on Neo
Olympus and the Boarman invasion of Earth, many heroes and
crime-fighters have withdrawn from activity.
Some are trying to recover
from injuries while others are fighting the mental scars left by the
events.
As heroes from other parallels who helped during the events return home,
members of the Special Globe Guard are shocked at the sudden appearance
of Zom of the Zodiac.
Very soon, a group of heroes find a quick rescue mission turn sour as
they become lost between parallel Earths and threats.
Sometimes one Earth just is not enough.
The complete story published in issues 7-10 of Black Tower Adventure now
in...one handy dandy book!
I Found -Old Art!
While trying to skip through the current depression and crap I decided
to see what condition some of my mini war-gaming trees were in. You
read right. Anyway, I pulled the box out of the corner and lifted the
teensy trees out and saw.....
....ARTWORK!
Not gone through most of it but I found two items that brought back mixed emotions.
The first is ZAG 21 -which requires an explanation since I think in an old posting I showed the dummy cover to JAG 21. Basically, "back in the day", publishers loved to mess you about. Steve McManus at Fleetway once introduced me to other staffers as "A comic book carpet-bagger of the best kind!"
I ought to point out that carpet-baggers were profiteering businessmen who moved to the South after the American Civil War in order to take advantage of the situation. In the UK a carpet bagger was seen as a sales agent trying to sell goods -some times not honestly! I'm glad McManus added "of the best kind" after the intro.
I'd go to Marvel UK about twice a month -they really did love to mess people about. I was once summoned to London to talk about an editorial job. The day after talking to the head man by phone I travelled the 200+ miles to London to be told by someone the job had gone. It transpired the **** in charge had given the job to a friend and knew it was gone when he invited me to their offices (he, incidentally, was "out of the office" that day. Obviously heard about editors being held out of windows).
But on my rounds I would be asked to put a project together. Mainly I had to simply pick strips or cover illoes from my files and do a quick Letraset logo on a cover and that was it. Some times a comic had to be "tailored" to a request so an artist would produce a tailor made strip (or usually me since deadlines were very tight). It meant that comic strip inventory was pretty full.....and as an editor or publisher inevitably said "I've changed my mind" the work was never used -and no one got a "kill fee" because companies didn't like contracts or things in print that meant they might have to pay out.
ZAG 21 was a project based on a discussion with and then a request from an editor at Fleetway. and I shuffled things from JAG 21 and put in new strips and it became ZAG 21. It turned out that despite what he said he had not, in fact, been asked "by management" to put a new title together. I have no idea what was going on in his little mind.
But then another company showed a LOT of interest in the title but there came another hitch. Two of the artists who had begged, and I do mean "begged", me to take them on and write scripts for them decided they were too good. One wrote: "To be honest I should be working for Marvel Comics. I'm better than a lot of the people working there now..." and he said I could not use the strip based on my script for ZAG 21 "I don't want it to come back and embarass me when I'm working for Marvel" And the other artist had the same attitude.
Both left me in the lurch and, guess what? They never even got in the same building as Marvel Comics. I had to draw both strips making it clear other artists would be doing the final work.
The publisher was over the Moon with how it looked but "We've decided we want to go in a different direction" and what direction was that? Nowhere. I think the company moved into computer game mags and the vanished. Another publisher was all "Yeah. Wow. Cool" but he'd gone to a music club the Friday before our final meeting. When we met he had decided that music magazines was the ay to go.
Here is the funny bit. Five years after getting no work the two artists who were "heading for the big time" got back in touch. Tried going over the top on flattering me (like that has ever worked!) and asked whether I was looking for artists -perhaps I could write scripts for me as "you are a brilliant writer!" I pointed out how they had left me in the lurch and that I would never write for them again and certainly not represent them. "Stick with Marvel Comics" I wrote.
This image was the rough the colour cover (lost by the publisher) was based on and the "June 98" tells me this was done in 1997 -I always date my projects a year ahead and they are NEVER ready until the first six issues are completed.
Crap rough illo but a mixed memory.
The other cover is from, I believe 1992 -it would have been after the "All Finish" issue of Zine Zone International. It was to be the "All Russia" issue but apart from Zine Zone International in what would have been the title sub-bar and dialogue I cannot remember what else it says! The fellow in the checked suit has appeared on and off in Black Tower....and in a bath of custard trap set by Devilina (I think I posted that?).
The "All Russia" issue was to promote some of my comics getting to Russia -BUT there was some clamp down and the UK Government was also not happy with the idea. Big sigh.
Yeah, I had long hair. Yeah, I wore fingerless gloves. Yeah, I was a bit more "buff" back then -I had to be to hold editors out of windows, throw publishers in the Thames and rip doors off their hinges.
And the Berol pens used on these -the ink is still as black as it was in 1997 and 1992.
I know -crap art but all covers start somewhere (ZAG 21 had six -6- dummy covers so that if one cover never worked another might or......
fun times.
....ARTWORK!
Not gone through most of it but I found two items that brought back mixed emotions.
The first is ZAG 21 -which requires an explanation since I think in an old posting I showed the dummy cover to JAG 21. Basically, "back in the day", publishers loved to mess you about. Steve McManus at Fleetway once introduced me to other staffers as "A comic book carpet-bagger of the best kind!"
I ought to point out that carpet-baggers were profiteering businessmen who moved to the South after the American Civil War in order to take advantage of the situation. In the UK a carpet bagger was seen as a sales agent trying to sell goods -some times not honestly! I'm glad McManus added "of the best kind" after the intro.
I'd go to Marvel UK about twice a month -they really did love to mess people about. I was once summoned to London to talk about an editorial job. The day after talking to the head man by phone I travelled the 200+ miles to London to be told by someone the job had gone. It transpired the **** in charge had given the job to a friend and knew it was gone when he invited me to their offices (he, incidentally, was "out of the office" that day. Obviously heard about editors being held out of windows).
But on my rounds I would be asked to put a project together. Mainly I had to simply pick strips or cover illoes from my files and do a quick Letraset logo on a cover and that was it. Some times a comic had to be "tailored" to a request so an artist would produce a tailor made strip (or usually me since deadlines were very tight). It meant that comic strip inventory was pretty full.....and as an editor or publisher inevitably said "I've changed my mind" the work was never used -and no one got a "kill fee" because companies didn't like contracts or things in print that meant they might have to pay out.
ZAG 21 was a project based on a discussion with and then a request from an editor at Fleetway. and I shuffled things from JAG 21 and put in new strips and it became ZAG 21. It turned out that despite what he said he had not, in fact, been asked "by management" to put a new title together. I have no idea what was going on in his little mind.
But then another company showed a LOT of interest in the title but there came another hitch. Two of the artists who had begged, and I do mean "begged", me to take them on and write scripts for them decided they were too good. One wrote: "To be honest I should be working for Marvel Comics. I'm better than a lot of the people working there now..." and he said I could not use the strip based on my script for ZAG 21 "I don't want it to come back and embarass me when I'm working for Marvel" And the other artist had the same attitude.
Both left me in the lurch and, guess what? They never even got in the same building as Marvel Comics. I had to draw both strips making it clear other artists would be doing the final work.
The publisher was over the Moon with how it looked but "We've decided we want to go in a different direction" and what direction was that? Nowhere. I think the company moved into computer game mags and the vanished. Another publisher was all "Yeah. Wow. Cool" but he'd gone to a music club the Friday before our final meeting. When we met he had decided that music magazines was the ay to go.
Here is the funny bit. Five years after getting no work the two artists who were "heading for the big time" got back in touch. Tried going over the top on flattering me (like that has ever worked!) and asked whether I was looking for artists -perhaps I could write scripts for me as "you are a brilliant writer!" I pointed out how they had left me in the lurch and that I would never write for them again and certainly not represent them. "Stick with Marvel Comics" I wrote.
This image was the rough the colour cover (lost by the publisher) was based on and the "June 98" tells me this was done in 1997 -I always date my projects a year ahead and they are NEVER ready until the first six issues are completed.
Crap rough illo but a mixed memory.
The other cover is from, I believe 1992 -it would have been after the "All Finish" issue of Zine Zone International. It was to be the "All Russia" issue but apart from Zine Zone International in what would have been the title sub-bar and dialogue I cannot remember what else it says! The fellow in the checked suit has appeared on and off in Black Tower....and in a bath of custard trap set by Devilina (I think I posted that?).
The "All Russia" issue was to promote some of my comics getting to Russia -BUT there was some clamp down and the UK Government was also not happy with the idea. Big sigh.
Yeah, I had long hair. Yeah, I wore fingerless gloves. Yeah, I was a bit more "buff" back then -I had to be to hold editors out of windows, throw publishers in the Thames and rip doors off their hinges.
And the Berol pens used on these -the ink is still as black as it was in 1997 and 1992.
I know -crap art but all covers start somewhere (ZAG 21 had six -6- dummy covers so that if one cover never worked another might or......
fun times.
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