Ahhh! Book publishing, LFCC, and Covid! What the?!?

on July 22, 2022 at 7:25 pm

Okay, genuine excuses for the last few weeks of no posts but it’s a good one! (Checks last post, crikey! That was a month ago?!?)

So firstly, a month ago I had the idea that I wanted to get back to attending conventions and applied for a table at LFCC. All good, I’d sell my old books and left over prints and it would be stress free and fun, right? RIGHT? Nahhhh (because me)

So I decided to release a new Lloyd and the Bear volume as I had the issues all ready – of course, it’s not that simple as I had to get it all proof read, compiled and extras added! That… took time. AND STRESS!!!

And then we had LFCC which for those who remember my stories from YEARS ago I was against ever doing again but man I am SO HAPPY that I went! I met some super awesome people, had one guy asking me some super interesting questions that go me thinking about the process behind one of my art prints (this one)

And yeah, it was a great three days and a fantastic way of getting back in to doing conventions!

Now admittedly, I got Covid. Oof. For like, the FIRST TIME and ALSO during a stupid heatwave! I’m Scottish, that seriously sucked!!! Next time you see me I’m going to be masked up. Ain’t going through that again. Seriously.

Still. Worth. It. Though.

So yeah, going to be in Leicester at Forbidden Planet for Small Press Day on the 13th of August and so looking forward to it! I love Leicester and have such great memories of being at a convention there many a year ago! PLUS, I should have Fenton Hud #1 with me too! Yup, much like LFCC I’m ensuring I’m pushing as much work my way beforehand to stress myself out!

Work wise, I’m currently finishing issues #2 of Fenton Hud (sorry, can’t show you the page as it’s a MASSIVE spoiler) and about to start on the final page of Lloyd and the Bear #17 which I will TOTALLY show once it’s done! So far I’ve done a few sketches of the layout as it’s a splash page and here’s a wee bit of it!

Yay! Sketches! Thank goodness for PC art thingys to make it look better!

Okay, more soon and apologies for the lack of posts (again!)

Bear hugs!

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Final Star Wars/Kenner mini-rig!

on June 18, 2022 at 5:43 pm

My last Star Wars/Kenner mini-rig is the PDT-8 (yay……) Okay, why the ‘yay’? Because it’s a stupid vehicle! Like, if I was there on Hoth or wherever with the Rebels and we had to rush off to HQ I’d walk. It’s fine. Even if I had to walk a good mile or two across Hoth. At night. I. WOULD. WALK.

Anyways, it got released as a set and so I made it.

It’s not got the sharp angles of the original but I did build it out to give it some depth so I really hope that works. I even managed to get the stupid three feet to stick out like they did on the original like some kind of weird mutant duck that had trouble standing (can you tell I really don’t like the original rig?)

And hey! Unlike the original the doors to my set ACTUALLY REACH THE GROUND so the passengers can get off this stupid bathtub!!!

I was really happy with the result even though I know it’s a bit blocky but I do like to think it works. (Does it?)

Okay, and yeah, the photo I took here was from one of the other toy photo examples with Han and R2-D2 along with other Rebels. I did try copying the original using FK-7 using the one from the Hoth mini-set but it’s STUPID HUGE!

Yeah, that didn’t work.

But man, I really enjoyed doing these. Should I try doing the second series? There was some crazy stuff that came out with that!

So this was a real passion thing for me but also a practice run for my big project plan (which I hope works) that’s about my favourite musical/play/movie/opera (and maybe book? Cartoon? I dunno…) Anyways, I’ll say more soon if the integral/mechanical part of the set works… Sorry, early days and I like being secret dang it!

More soon! Bear hugs!

Lookit! It’s the INT-4!

on June 12, 2022 at 10:33 am

The second (and final) Star Wars minirig I had when I was a kid was the INT-4. I remember buying this while on holiday along with a couple of Imperial figures. The battles were a bit odd if I remember rightly until I got home and launched a fight with my Rebels.

And here’s my Lego version of it!

Sadly with my design the door is situated at the front rather than on top so I wasn’t able to recreate the Kenner picture. The other thing I wasn’t able to recreate was the lever control for the wings (including the little arms that moved/held them) but other than that I figure it’s a pretty decent replica (no?)

The INT-4 was a really weird design and yet the original minirig actually managed to fit inside the AT-AT! That was kinda cool but not something I managed to do with my rig and Lego AT-AT – maybe with the Ultimate Collectors AT-AT? Does anyone fancy buying that for me?

But yeah, as I mentioned the door is situated at the front;

So a slight change but hey, it’s a weird ship and a tough one to have come up with! I didn’t have too much struggle with the design but the cockpit was certainly the toughest part. But yeah, I’m happy with it – what do you think?

More soon! Bear hugs!

PS. I mentioned before that I ended up selling it as I wanted a new set and needed the cash but I seriously cannot remember what I bought. It was the only Star Wars set I sold and I don’t know why but I clearly had little attachment to it. Man, I wish I could remember what I bought in it’s place!

Behold! The MLC-3! (who?)

on June 5, 2022 at 3:36 pm

I’m back with another of my Lego versions of the old Star Wars Kenner mini-rigs and this time I went with the MLC-3!

And hey, this one has some comic lore to it too!

Unlike the other sets this actually appeared in the original Star Wars Marvel comic – specifically issue #78 ‘Hoth stuff!’ (not… a good title name.)

But check it! It even got named in the comic! Anyways, here’s my version of it;

In a lot of ways it was this set – or at least finding the dome as part of a cheap City aquatic set – that got me working on these rigs. I found this one pretty easy to put together although originally it was a lot larger but as with previous sets I just kept taking bits off until I could make it the right size. Although you can’t see it in the photo the set does have tank treads and is seriously tough… (almost… tank like?) The original set looks so wee and light but this one is a beast of a thing for sure!

I did try creating my own gun turrets and making smaller ones but they just didn’t look right. Maybe something to come back to but for the moment I’m happy.

But seriously, I felt this came together super easy and for some reason I thought it would be a lot tougher. Mind you, that’s just my view point – what do you think?

I did have some fun and try recreate the original box packaging although without the cool snow background – something to try again at some point!

Three down and two to go! Next will be the INT-4 which was the second, and final, of the mini-rigs that I owned (although I sold it so I could buy something else but then that’s a story for another time!)

More soon! Bear hugs!

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Quick Fenton Hud update

on June 4, 2022 at 9:00 am

Hey, not must going on here but just wanted to let you all know I’m in the closing stages of finishing off issue #2 of Fenton Hud.

Also I really wanted to show you this terrible panel with my terrible effort at drawing Fenton (the bottom panel is my second – and better? – attempt)

That top panel was just nasty. So, so, sooooooo nasty.

And that’s it! More soon! Bear hugs!