S K Y L A R K I N G

I THOUGHT THE CAPTION WOULD WRITE ITSELF.

2012-01-24T20:53:00.000-08:00

I found this picture and I thought: That needs a funny caption! Something slightly racy, perhaps. Something about trailer trash? Or perhaps something about a honey trap. Never mind I'll post it and the caption will come to me.

Damned if my mind ain't a blank.

Fortunately you guys are smart and very funny and so I leave it to you to caption this photo.

I look forward to see what you folks come up with.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

THE DARK WORLDS CLUB AND THE DREAMQUEST

2012-01-20T21:41:00.000-08:00

Here's my cover for the first issue of THE DREAMQUEST. Which you can have completely free (and all issues afterwards too). All you have to do is go to http://www.gwthomas.org/chuckindex.htm and sign up. The first issue features an interview with best-selling author Rick Hautala. (Rick is receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from HWA in March!) Also you could win this groovy little piece of monster pottery sculpted by G. W. Thomas:

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

I'M NOMINATED FOR A PULP ARK AWARD!

2012-01-19T19:37:00.000-08:00

The Pulp Ark Award Nominations were announced and the cover art I did for Joel Jenkins' book STRANGE GODS OF THE DIRE PLANET, has been nominated! I'm sure it's all a horrendous mistake and I have absolutely zero chance of winning, not just because all the other nominees are so fantastic, but because among the nominees are Michael William Kaluta and Joe Devito!

Nevertheless I am absolutely ecstatic to be nominated and to be in such illustrious company!

You can see all the nominees here.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

DARK WORLDS NOMINATED FOR PULP ARK AWARD

2012-01-19T17:37:00.000-08:00

The 2012 Pulp Ark Awards were announced and once again Dark Worlds Magazine has been nominated for Best Pulp Magazine. Dark Worlds is nominated alongside Wildcat Books' Startling Stories and Pro Se Productions' Pro Se Presents.

Available in Paperback or as a digital download.

Another fine product from RAGE MACHINE BOOKS.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

FOLK POP FOP: KING CHARLES

2012-01-19T12:17:00.000-08:00

Here's a quirky song from a quirky new British Artist. King Charles has been described by the British newspaper The Guardian as a: "dandy in the underworld" and goes on to say that he is "...part of a tradition of uniquely English, psych-inflected pastoral whimsy"

He does look like a bit of a prat, but his song Ivory Road is kind of cool. Here is the video:

CARICATURE OF THE ARTIST AS A 47 YEAR OLD MAN

2012-01-13T07:36:00.000-08:00

Because that's what I am today.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

GINGER ON THE STAGE

2012-01-13T06:54:00.000-08:00

One of my favourite bloggers is Ginger Ingenue. Her blog, Asleep in New York, features her thoughts on old movies and occasional stream-of-consciousness flights of fancy. After a long hiatus she returned with a wonderful post about performing on the vaudeville stage, playing her accordion during the intermission of the Marx Brother's show.

Her imagery is always amazing and while reading her post I came across a picture by Edward Hopper of an audience in front of an empty stage. So I decided to paint Ginger into the empty space.

Head over to her blog and read her post and it will all make sense. Maybe.

Even if it doesn't you will be entertained.

And she smells nice.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

MUJINA!

2012-01-12T06:47:00.000-08:00

My oldest and dearest friend, G. W. Thomas, is a writer and an illustrator. Here is the first page of a two-page story he illustrated for a 'zine called Rowrbrazzle back in 1991.

You can read the second page over at his blog, Genre Writer.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

DELLA DIXON

2012-01-08T16:49:00.000-08:00

This was part of concept package I was preparing for a local sports bar. I'd heard through the grapevine they were looking for a new image so I prepared this character. Unfortunately before I could make my pitch they got bought out and became a biker bar, so this concept never got seen until now.

Although I also heard that the bar is for sale again so Della Dixon here may get another chance.

UPDATE: I heeded the very good comment by illustrator Erik Johnson and made some changes. I think I managed to bring a little more life to the face (at least I made her look a little happier to be at work!) and changed some colours. I also did some judicious erasing including getting rid of most of my obsessive shirt wrinkles. As always, less is more.

What do you think?

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

NEW BLOG I FOUND

2012-01-08T10:21:00.000-08:00

So there's this doctor who returned from to London after serving in Afghanistan and he has a blog where he talks about his friend all the time.

It's mad but fascinating at the same time.

Check it out:

http://www.johnwatsonblog.co.uk

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

CONTEMPLATING THE DROP

2012-01-04T07:39:00.000-08:00

NEW COVERS FOR 2012!

2012-01-02T20:22:00.000-08:00

Both of them painted in 2011, actually, but the author, Joel Jenkins, just made an announcement at his website, so I'm posting them here.

LOST TRIBES OF THE DIRE PLANET and THE ISLAND OF LOST SOULS will both be available sometime in 2012.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

MONDAY MORNING

2012-01-02T07:46:00.000-08:00

Ugh... Back to the daily grind after a lame New Years (after the Canucks got spanked 4-1 by LA I lost interest in celebrating). Sunday we cleaned the house and managed to go for a walk.

This morning all I managed to get in was the little bit of practice you see above. Well, they say it makes perfect. I haven't seen that happen yet, but I do it all the same.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

FAREWELL TO THE OLD YEAR...

2012-01-01T13:15:00.000-08:00

...say hello to the new one.

Happy New Year, Fellows!

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

SUPERGIRL AGAIN

2011-12-29T17:30:00.000-08:00

JACK THE GIANT KILLER

2011-12-28T22:05:00.001-08:00

Here is a piece of production artwork from the new version of JACK THE GIANT KILLER. The artwork is by the amazing Justin Sweet who is an illustrator and has done pre-production artwork for fantasy movies including the NARNIA films.

JACK THE GIANT KILLER is a remake. The original was made in 1962 and starred Kerwin Mathews and a host of stop-motion animated creatures. This new version obviously relies heavily on CGI (does any new movie not rely on CGI anymore?). Nevertheless, this one piece of artwork makes me more interested to see the film than all the CGI that is on display in the trailer.

I think it says a lot that a single image, produced by an artist of obvious talent and imagination, has more power to stir the imagination then all the technical whiz-bangery on display in the trailer.

SHERLOCK HOLMES: A Game of Shadows

2011-12-27T14:25:00.000-08:00

Went and saw this last night. Not sure if I liked it better or not quite as well as the first one. It was on a par with it, nevertheless.

However. I have read all of the Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes stories and I can tell you that the original stories did not contain a lot of explosions, gattling guns, urban camouflage, martial arts and slow-motion-MATRIX-like fight scenes. If you really like that stuff then you will be fine with this movie. If, on the other hand, you're a bit of a purist when it comes to Conan Doyle, you might want to give this a miss.

Despite the Victorian atmosphere (sometimes a little overwrought) and Stephen Frey as a flamboyant Mycroft, these films don't really capture the essence of the Conan Doyle stories as well as Stephen Moffat's excellent series SHERLOCK.

Despite being transported to modern day London, SHERLOCK captures the feeling and the essence of the Conan Doyle stories in a way that hasn't happened since Jeremy Brett was still alive and playing the great detective.

Nevertheless if you don't mind the "Big Screen Experience" overwhelming everything, then by all means go and see A Game of Shadows. You will be entertained, if not educated.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

LATEST ARTWORKS

2011-12-26T12:49:00.000-08:00

Cover art commissioned by C. J. Burch for his novel "Empire and Dissolution"

Cover art commissioned by C. J. Burch for his novel "Foolish Gods"

Cover art for Jack Mackenzie's forthcoming novel "The Mask of Eternity"

OH LOOK...

2011-12-25T20:15:00.000-08:00

Santa filled your stockings.

Merry Christmas, guys!

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

PERFECT (MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS)

2011-12-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

If all goes according to plan as you read this post I will be drinking rum and eggnog and making rather merry (or I will be happily insensible from said activities).

All the best of the season to all my followers and my blog buddies. You guys are the best and I hope you're all having a swell time!

To celebrate here is a video from Greg Sczebel. He is a Juno Award winning singer/songwriter and he's a local boy. He played two great sold-out shows in town just the other night and I saw him shopping at the mall the next day. Among the songs he performed was this one which I leave you with in hopes that you are having your own perfect Merry Little Christmas.

NIGHT OF THE MEEK

2011-12-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

Rod Serling. Twilight Zone. Art Carney.

Need I say more? Merry Christmas!

THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL

2011-12-22T12:31:00.000-08:00

I've posted this before but... what the heck, it's Christmas.

Merry Christmas Star Wars Fans!

IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THIS IS...

2011-12-22T07:55:00.000-08:00

...hand in your geek card.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

FIRST THE OCCUPY PROTESTS, NOW STORM TROOPERS?

2011-12-21T22:01:00.000-08:00

...when is New York ever gonna catch a frickin' break?

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

THE HOBBIT TRAILER!!!!!

2011-12-20T21:15:00.000-08:00

And I believe I speak for fanboys everywhere when I say: Squeeeeee!

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

Wonder Woman Sketch

2011-12-19T07:27:00.000-08:00

Just a quick doodle in between commissions.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

CAPTAIN MAL by DON DOS SANTOS

2011-12-15T22:22:00.000-08:00

Don Dos Santos is a great painter and here is his take on Firefly's Captain Malcolm Reynolds.

And here is an article from his blog outlining how Dos Santos went about creating this image.

Shiny.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

THE CHRISTMAS EVE KILLERS

2011-12-15T18:28:00.000-08:00

Here's an early Christmas present for you all courtesy of Joel Jenkins over at Pulpwork Press!

The Christmas Eve Killers features a high octane adventure from Joel Jenkins, and a supernatural adventure from Joshua M. Reynolds, all with a Christmas-y theme!

Oh yeah, and cover art by yours truly!

Here's a little more about it from Joel:

PulpWork Christmas Special 2011

Two tales of Christmas deviltry and destruction by Josh Reynolds and Joel Jenkins. First occult investigator Charles St. Cyprian uncovers the ancient Christmas evil behind the legend of merry John Mock and then icy-hearted assassin Monica Killingsworth undertakes a Christmas Eve killing with treachery lurking around every corner.

Did I mention it's free? Just right click on the links below to download your preferred format:

pdf

I also have it in epub and Kindle formats. If you want either of those just leave a comment telling me where to send it to you. BUT DON'T WAIT because this offer will only last until the end of December!

If you like what you read then head on over to Pulpwork Press's website and check out what else they have to offer. It's all great stuff!

Enjoy! And feel free to pass this post on! Don't be shy! Share the love!

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

MUSINGS ON THE APPROACHING HOLIDAY

2011-12-14T06:05:00.000-08:00

Because there are bloggers out there who I think of as friends. I just wish we lived closer to each other because it'd be swell to get together in some dark pub with a roaring fire and hoist a few together, swap stories, bullshit, laugh and bask in the warm glow of the season. Maybe a place on this street in Quebec City's Quartier Petit Champlain.

It would be swell to sit and drink with my electronic friends -- you've all been putting time into blog posts and I wish I had more time to read and respond. You guys are great and I love reading your posts.

At the moment I have two commissions with tight, tight deadlines, plus this whole Christmas thing. My time is not my own at this point in the year.

Anyway, I just wanted to let all you know that I'm still here and still visiting, laughing at your jokes or commiserating at your sadness. Hopefully before long I will be able to posts some of the artwork I've been slaving over.

For now, just imagine yourself in that cosy pub, with a great group of people having a wonderful time. I know I will

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

UNIMPRESSED ASTRONAUT

2011-12-11T11:24:00.001-08:00

Here's a meme that makes me laugh uproariously and so completely puts things into perspective at the same time. By extension it also says that what goes on between your ears is more much important than what happens on your ipod or smartphone. I think a lot of kids need to be reminded about that now and again

You can see more of them here.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

IRON DAD and CAPTAIN DAUGHTER

2011-12-10T17:42:00.001-08:00

Me and my daughter in a photo taken just moments before security escorted us off the premises...

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

DARRELL K. SWEET: 1934-2011

2011-12-06T07:12:00.001-08:00

Fantasy artist Darrell K. Sweet passed away on December 5th at the age of 77.

I have to make a confession that I was never a great fan of Sweet's work. Having said that, the man deserved a lot of respect. The man could paint a fantasy or SF book cover like nobody's business. His work graced more than 3000 different titles including Piers Anthony's Xanth books and all of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series.

I did not know that Sweet was also an accomplished Western artist. He was talented and prolific and I am saddened to hear of his passing.

GOODBYE MY LOVE

2011-12-02T07:35:00.001-08:00

An old piece re-posted for no other reason other than that I found it in my computer and remembered how much I liked the way it turned out.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

CAVEGIRL CHIC

2011-12-01T07:23:00.001-08:00

Just a quick painting. Corel Painter. About 3 hours.

Referenced from a photograph by Marcus Ranum.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

Two Branches, One Fruit: The Tree of Heroic Fantasy

2011-11-29T20:54:00.001-08:00

G. W. Thomas has an interesting post about Sword and Sorcery over at his Genre Writer blog:

Joseph McCullough did a pretty good job of looking at the mark between S&S and other forms of Fantasy in his article at Sword&Sorcery.org.The more I research, comics especially, the muddier the waters get. I've poked fun at this before but the question still tortures me. Is a definition, a line, really possible? Is it a spectrum? Is it even important to mark off one sub-genre from another?

You can read the rest of it here. While you're there, check the place out. There's lots of interesting facts and opinions to savour. You'll be glad you did.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

CALVIN'S CANADIAN CAVE OF COOL

2011-11-29T19:38:00.001-08:00

My compatriot, fellow Canadian, Calvin from the Cave of Cool, curates a curious collection of cultural oddities, incisive insights, beautiful images and an eclectic taste in music as well as occasionally and coquettishly displaying pictures of decidedly delicious culinary delights.

Lord Admiral Fluffy, with his indentured human, Cal in the background.

Calvin`s Cave is more than cool, it is a creative combustion of cracking good posts, culled from the chaos that is our online world, kicking out in every direction and yet retaining a cohesiveness that culminates in a whole experience that encapsulates all that can be called "cool".

Do your brains a favour and click here to visit Cal's colossal Canadian Cave of Cool.

And while you are there hit the follow button and keep the good times rolling! (Seriously -- the guy craves followers. He's obsessed with his numbers.)

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

JOHN CARTER

2011-11-29T06:12:00.001-08:00

You know the more I see of this movie the more I feel this strange churning in my guts. I grew up with Edgar Rice Burroughs in my head. Burroughs' Mars was a place of wonder and danger and part of me is really glad that it is getting a big-screen treatment now when the technology is ready for it.

On the other hand it's like my worst nightmare that it's being done by Disney. Every time I see new stills it just confirms the worst and this new batch is no exception.

The design of the CGI creatures, especially the tharks, is just so cartoony, so... frickin'... Disney! And what's with all those clothes that Dejah Thoris is wearing?

I'm sorry. You can pump all the money you want into this thing but this will always be Barsoom to me:

GANTLET BROTHERS GREATEST HITS

2011-11-28T07:17:00.001-08:00

Here's a cover I did for Pulpwork Press.

Pulpwork Press has just released Joel Jenkins' book THE GANTLET BROTHERS GREATEST HITS. Not a sequel, per se, but featuring the same characters from his previous book THE NUCLEAR SUITCASE.

Who are the Gantlet Brothers? They are East German brothers who escaped from behind the Iron Curtain and have formed a heavy metal band. They also take on spy missions for the government on the side. Think a James Bond adventure but instead of the British Super Spy it stars Motorhead.

Here's what the book's back cover says:

From the broken and dusty terrain of Egypt's Qattara Depression to the grimy underbelly of New York City, erstwhile rock musicians and guns for hire, the Gantlet Brothers, use charm, blades, bullets, and fists to plow a path through amorous starlets with ill intentions, bounty hunters, a deranged serial killer and terrorists hell-bent on bringing down nuclear annihilation.

These are the Gantlet Brothers' greatest hits collected for the first time and including two never before published stories.

They're fun adventures and a great read. Go here and you can pick up a copy at 30% off the cover price.
___________________________________________________________________________________
I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

MAYBE I NEED AN ASSISTANT...

2011-11-17T06:20:00.001-08:00

"Experimenting" Oil by Ron Swanson

...someone to carry my brushes and canvasses? No?

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN

2011-11-17T05:54:00.001-08:00

This one kind of caught me off-guard. It looks really cool and one of the production designers was artist Justin Sweet, who is one of my favourites. That having been said, the concept is kind of goofy. What if the Evil Queen hired Thor to kill Snow White and instead he trains her to become a kick-ass warrior?

Oooookay.

And another thing: In what universe is Kristin Stewart fairer than Charlize Theron? Not mine, that's for sure.

I guess that's where that "willing suspension of disbelief" comes in.

THE BIG RED ONE

2011-11-11T10:41:00.001-08:00

It's Remembrance Day here in Canada, Veteran's Day in the U.S. and Armistice day in the U.K. I have nothing to say on the subject that hasn't been said by others and in a much more eloquent way then of which I am capable.

I do, however, have a movie recommendation. If you have the urge to watch a war movie on this day (some do. Go figure) try seeking out Samuel Fuller's THE BIG RED ONE. It stars Lee Marvin and a young Mark Hamill as World War II soldiers in the 1st Infantry Division. The title refers to the red patch that the division`s soldiers wear on their uniforms.

The film is exciting, sometimes funny and at times touching. The film doesn`t preach or hit you over the head with a MESSAGE, but it does say a lot about war and its dehumanizing nature. Ultimately, however, it is about the triumph of humanity despite war.

You can find the film on DVD or likely online somewhere. Here is the trailer:

SPACEGIRL

2011-11-10T07:43:00.001-08:00

I Just can't seem to focus on anything since November started. The time change hasn't helped. This is a work in progress, obviously. I don't know if this will become a finished painting or not. Don't even know why I started it considering that I still have other commissions to do that I haven't even started.

Gotta get with it.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

BARBARIAN

2011-11-08T07:38:00.000-08:00

Because when you've just finished a big project and you don't know what else to do, you draw a barbarian.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN -- Day 31

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Let's go out the way we came in:

Happy Halloween by Matt Dixon.

Matt Dixon is a UK artist who has a website, a blog and a Deviantart gallery.

And that's all she wrote! Happy Halloween everyone!

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 30

2011-10-30T08:00:00.000-07:00

HALLOWEEN IMAGE DUMP!

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 29

2011-10-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

THE MONSTER MASH

Since it's release in 1962 when it became no. 1 in 8 weeks, Bobby "Boris" Pickett is the only active performer whose original recording reached "the top 100" on three different occasions.

Over the years Monster Mash has been heard on every top 40 and oldies station on the planet and such popular T.V. shows as the Simpsons, Cheers, Roseanne, Doogie Howser and CNN, not to mention its use in several movies including "Halloween III" and Sweetheart's Dance." Its co-creator and vocalist, Bobby "Boris"Pickett, has been hailed as the Guy Lombardo of Halloween and Monster Mash has become the national anthem of this fun holiday.

How did it all come about? Well, according to TheMonsterMash.com:

Lenny sat down at the piano and began futzing with various four-chord progressions and I stood next to the piano. Like me, Lenny was a major horror movie fan from childhood. He loved Bela Lugosi as Dracula. He knew I had the Boris Karloff voice pretty nailed, although in reptrospect, I feel that what I actually had was a very cartoonish rendition of that wonderful actor's voice. In any case, we'd both seen how the audiences had loved it when I was with the group and we'd sing “Little Darlin'” and I did the monologue in the middle of the song in Boris's voice. We agreed that the Karloff voice was the most obvious one to tell the story. And what was the story?
“Well,” Lenny suggested, “Maybe the Frankenstein monster should start a dance craze.”

“That's it!” I said.

...and the rest, as they say, is history.

Here is a video of Bobby Pickett performing the song from a TV special from the late 60's:

JUDGING A BOOK BY ITS COVER (ART)

2011-10-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

The old axiom about not judging a book by its cover notwithstanding, I am going to judge the merits of various book covers that wrapped editions of heroic fiction. This is not a scholarly article, nor do I pretend that it is complete, lest someone accuse me of being reductionist. I just want to take a brief survey of the history and trends that have shown up on the covers of heroic fantasy books.

Much of what is classified as heroic fantasy, specifically, sword and sorcery, was born in the pulp magazines from the early 20th century. The covers of these magazines were often lurid and, in some cases, somewhat clumsily executed. One of the standout artists of this genre, however, was J. Allen St. John. St. John was notable for painting lush and colorful covers for the earliest appearances of the fiction of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Another notable artist of the time was Margaret Brundage. Brundage was unusual, not just because she was a woman working in a male dominated industry, but because her artwork, mostly done in pastels, had a beautiful sense of color, Her work seems to glow from the front covers. Given the early state of print technology that is a fair achievement.

Brundage is also notable for being the first artist to depict the works of Robert E. Howard. In this day and age when every fantasy artist depicts images derived either directly or indirectly from Howard's work, it is easy to forget that at one point he was just another Weird Tales writer and not even one of the magazine's most popular ones. Howard's stories rarely were depicted on the covers, but when they were it was Margaret Brundage who brought them to life.

Today we have a different expectation from fantasy artists so it is easy to miss the significance of these early Brundage paintings. They were designed to fit the needs of the magazine, nothing more. They were designed to titillate, to tease the hard-earned, depression-era dimes out of the pockets of readers. They must be forgiven If they do not overwhelm us as subsequent artists from the later decades have done.

After the death of the pulps came the rise of the paperback. Quick and dirty publications, the luridness of the pulp covers easily made the transition to smaller format. In these early days there was not a lot of examples of heroic fiction being published. When Weird Tales folded many writers were faced with the challenge of transitioning away from the genres that put money in their pockets. It seemed that the fledgling genre of heroic fantasy might have died out as well if not for Gnome Press.

Founded in 1948 by Martin Greenberg and David A Kyle, Gnome Press managed to bring Robert E. Howard's writing back from the obscurity in which the death of the pulps had left it. These new Howard editions needed cover art, naturally, but the results lift a little to be desired. The cover images, although finely executed by Ed “Emsh” Emshwiller, did not have any of the luridness of the old Weird Tales art, nor much of a visceral impact that would be developed by later artists.

Fast forward to the 1970's. A struggling comic book artists had moved on to painting covers for science fiction and fantasy paperbacks. Frank Frazetta's interpretation of Howard's Conan visually redefined the genre and had an enormous impact on succeeding generations of artists. At this time there was an explosion of fantasy paperbacks and an explosion of fantastic cover art. Aside from Fran Frazetta, Howard and other heroic fantasy authors had editions with covers graced by artists such as Jeff Jones..

These mass market editions flooded the public consciousness, fixing forever in the minds of impressionable youths the “flavor” of heroic fantasy. When one thinks of Sword and Sorcery the first images that spring to mind are likely painted by Frank Frazetta. Frazetta's work had a visceral impact. Many of his paintings seemed to roar to life in front of you, even when reproduced on a tiny paperback cover. Jeff Jones' work matched that power but also had a lyrical beauty. Other artists like Ken Kelly and Michael Whelan burst on the scene and added to the symphony.

This publishing trend continued into the early 1980's, then slowly began to fade away. Books still had fantastic cover paintings, but they began to become contained. No longer did the image dominate the covers but were reprinted in smaller and smaller boxes which were dominated by type. New publishing technologies allowed raised lettering and gold foil inks and these elements soon began to dominate the books covers.

Before long cover art began to disappear altogether from fantasy book covers. This trend is not endemic to fantasy books, but is a spillover from mainstream books. Cover art is not the dominant concern of book publishers any more. Minimalism is the watchword and beautiful cover art seems to have been pushed into irrelevancy.

To be certain there still are many wonderful artists producing artwork for many fantasy editions. One only has to visit a bookstore and stand before the fantasy section to see that this is true. For my money, however, something of the wild excitement of cover art in the 1970's has been lost in today's market conscious world. With more emphasis on market research the packaging has become more generalized. The artist no longer roams free over the cover, he is only a contained part of a carefully constructed whole.

Take for example a recent edition of George R. R. Martin's GAME OF THRONES. Earlier editions sported cover art, but as the book crept further into bestseller territory, the cover art was reduced and eventually done away with almost completely. As fantasy books move their way into the public consciousness there is, it seems, a movement by publishers to neuter them of their power. The covers are watered down, excised of any elements that may offend delicate sensibilities or, indeed, any elements that smack of fantasy.

Before I am accused of being absolutist, I know that it isn't all bad news. There are some wonderful books on the shelves that still sport traditional fantasy paintings. A recent sword and sorcery anthology, SWORDS AND DARK MAGIC sports a cover by Benjamin Carre (although only on the mass market edition. There is a limited edition of the anthology sporting a darker, more lurid and, in some ways, better cover). That seems to point up the problem in publishing. As editions become more widely distributed, the darkness, the wildness and in some cases the magic of the cover art becomes washed and diluted to suit the public taste.

Fortunately the internet has changed all that, as it seems to have done with everything. Fantasy art is on display everywhere online. It is almost as ubiquitous as porn and LOLcats. Computer technologies and programs like Photoshop and Painter have resulted in an explosion of fantasy art that shows up all over the web and very occasionally printed on the cover of a small press edition.

Heroic fiction is no longer the sales leader that it was in the publishing industry, but much of the imagery associated with the genre has moved on and mutated into role-playing games and into movies and television. Indeed, for fans of the genre this is a great time to be alive. With the advent of CGI fantastic images assault us from all sides. The fantastic explosion of our imagination made real has moved from the covers of the pulp magazines and paperbacks onto our theater, television and computer screens. Even a recent commercial for Coca Cola was redolent with heroic fantasy images.

Myself, I am old school. Not exactly a luddite, but I still prefer paper over ipad, printing over pixels. I still hold onto early editions of heroic fantasy paperbacks and they are some of my most treasured possessions. One cannot match the feeling of sitting down with an early ace edition of Howard of other heroic fantasy author, admiring the cover art that should produce an excited anticipation of what awaits me within, then plunging in and being transported elsewhere and elsewhen.

I have spoken of generalities here. I know there are exceptions and I would be happy to have readers point them out. I also know I have likely glossed over a favorite artist. Again, I would be happy to have my omission pointed out to me.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 28

2011-10-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

ALL HALLOW'S EVE

Halloween was originally All Hallow's Eve, a Catholic ceremony held the day before All Hallow's Day (or All Saint's Day) on November 1st. All Hallow's Day was a time for Christians to say prayers for the souls of the dead who were stuck in Purgatory.

Although some people claim that Halloween derives from the Pagan celebration of Samhain, in fact, All Hallow's Eve has no connection with that pagan celebration at all.

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore:

"Certainly Samhain was a time for festive gatherings, and medieval Irish texts and later Irish, Welsh, and Scottish folklore use it as a setting for supernatural encounters, but there is no evidence that it was connected with the dead in pre-Christian times, or that pagan religious ceremonies were held."

Even the Jack-O-Lantern of today with it's frightening visage has its origins in the Catholic festival. According to the Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink and Halloween: From Pagan Ritual to Party Night, by Nicholas Rogers:

"Development of artifacts and symbols associated with Halloween formed over time. For instance, the carving of jack-o'-lanterns springs from the souling custom of carving turnips into lanterns as a way of remembering the souls held in purgatory. The turnip has traditionally been used in Ireland and Scotland at Halloween, but immigrants to North America used the native pumpkin, which are both readily available and much larger – making them easier to carve than turnips."

According to Mary Reed Newland writing at Catholic Education.org:

Begging at the door grew from an ancient English custom of knocking at doors to beg for a "soul cake" in return for which the beggars promised to pray for the dead of the household. Soul cakes, a form of shortbread — and sometimes quite fancy, with currants for eyes — became more important for the beggars than prayers for the dead, it is said. Florence Berger tells... a legend of a zealous cook who vowed she would invent soul cakes to remind them of eternity at every bite. So she cut a hole in the middle and dropped it in hot fat, and lo — a doughnut. Circle that it is, it suggests the never-ending of eternity. Truth or legend, it serves a good purpose at Halloween.

The refrains sung at the door varied from "a soul cake, a soul cake, have mercy on all Christian souls for a soul cake," to the later:

Soul, soul, an apple or two,
If you haven't an apple, a pear will do,
One for Peter, two for Paul,
Three for the Man Who made us all.

Here they had either run out of soul cakes or plain didn't care. Charades, pantomimes, and little dramas, popular remnants of the miracle and morality plays of the Middle Ages, commonly rehearsed the folk in the reality of life after death and the means to attain it. It is probably from these that the custom of masquerading on Halloween had its beginning. The folly of a life of selfishness would be the message pantomimed by the damned; the torment of waiting, the message of the souls from Purgatory; the delights of the beatific vision, the message of the Heaven-sent.

So when you hear someone opine that Halloween is a Satanic holiday and should be banned, or crazy talk about turning it into "Jesus-ween", you can tell them that All Hallow's Eve is a Christian Celebration and saying otherwise is disrespecting 500 years of Catholic tradition.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 27

2011-10-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Elsa Lanchester - The original Halloween Hottie!

WAREHOUSE 13's CLAUDIA DONOVAN

2011-10-26T15:32:00.000-07:00

We all love Claudia, the sarcastic hacker girl from Syfy's Warehouse 13. So does toy manufacturer Quantum Mechanix. But just to make it interesting, rather than a straight sculpt of Allison Scagliotti, the actress who plays her, QMX decided to do Claudia up in anime style.

The results look pretty sweet:

You can check out the actual statue, and maybe buy one for yourself, here.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 26

2011-10-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Halloween Party Poster by Serge Birault.

Serge Birault, otherwise known as PapaNinja, is a French artist who has a website, a blog and a Deviantart gallery.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 25

2011-10-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Broom of Doom by Matt Dixon.

Matt Dixon is a UK artist who has a website, a blog and a Deviantart gallery.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 24

2011-10-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

DON'T FEAR THE REAPER

Classic 70's rock band Blue Oyster Cult (http://www.blueoystercult.com/) are no stranger to songs with a fantasy bent. Here they are performing Don't Fear the Reaper from a live gig from back in the day.

I don't know about anybody else but this song still sends a chill up my spine every time I hear it.

I GOT YOUR SHAKESPEARE RIGHT HERE

2011-10-23T22:25:00.000-07:00

Intriguing, certainly, but is it real or an internet hoax?

Image can be found at http://muchadothemovie.com/.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

ANONYMOUS

2011-10-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

ANONYMOUS is a new film from Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, 2012). This film resurrects the old idea that William Shakespeare was not the real author of the plays that bear his name but that they were written by someone else. This is usually a debate among scholars and it crops up from time to time, but with this film the idea will get wider play.

Personally I'm not a big fan of the concept. The argument usually goes that Shakespeare who was a country bumpkin of little formal education could not possibly write such great works. To that argument I, as a writer myself, usually say: Poppycock! I suspect most writers would agree with me, particularly writers of fantasy.

We have little trouble buying that a young man from Texas who never travelled abroad and had limited formal education could write convincingly about kingdoms and barbarian heroes from the mythical Hyborian Age. We don't doubt that a mere civil servant could have so convincingly written about a womanizing super spy with a license to kill, nor that a high school english teacher from Bangor Maine could write about the supernatural.

Why then do we doubt Shakespeare? As a writer myself I have no problem with the idea that the young man from Stratford-Upon-Avon with no royal connections could have an imagination gifted enough to write the canon that we all study today.

That having been said, I do like films about writers and ANONYMOUS does look sumptuous and rich and very dramatic and it is full of great English actors. It could do for Shakespeare what The Davinci Code did for Leonardo. Perhaps that film did Leonardo a disservice, but it did get people talking and thinking about it, which is usually a good thing. If this film gets people talking and thinking about shakespeare, then it's all to the good even though I think the idea the film portrays is a load of codswollop.

Take a look at the trailer and decide for yourself. The film opens October 28.

DARK WORLDS MAGAZINE BLOG

2011-10-23T14:19:00.000-07:00

The Dark Worlds Magazine Blog has had to move! Due to certain insecurities in the software that we used, we've had to move it from the host site, GWThomas.org. back to Wordpress.com. It's unfortunate, but we're not the only website who has been affected. Some websites have had to shut down because of it and the purveyor of the software seems unwilling to address the issues in a fashion that is not technically above most people's heads.

So we are back here and hopefully we will be able to get back to our schedule of posting interesting articles and other items. So if you haven't, please do check it out here.

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

GENRE WRITER

2011-10-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

Well, Dark Worlds Magazine tried out a blog on their website, but it just didn't work out. The website is still here, but now GW Thomas is back on Blogger with his Genre Writer blog.

For thoughts and ruminations on fantasy, SF, pulp, mystery and other genre writing check it out here!

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 23

2011-10-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

Dead Flesh Doesn't Tan (NSFW)

Hey! it's a world premiere! I painted this specifically for the 31 Days of Halloween. It's a silly picture and most certainly NSFW. If the sight of naked white flesh offends you, then don't scroll down -- just click away.

Here is the whole picture:

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 22

2011-10-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

BASIL GOGOS - THE MAN WHO PAINTED MONSTERS

I have posted this before but it seemed appropriate to run it again and make it part of the 31 Days...

If you're like me (and a surprising number of people are) then you love monsters. And where would you have come by your love of monsters? Well, I think perhaps this little magazine might have something to do with it:

That's right, FAMOUS MONSTERS, Forrest. J. Ackerman's beloved magazine which featured covers that featured wonderful portraits of famous monsters most of which were painted by Basil Gogos. So let's read what Wikipedia has to say about Basil Gogos:

"During the 1960s, Basil Gogos provided a steady stream of illustrations for a variety of New York-based publications. The majority of his work during this period was for men's adventure magazines for which he painted many scenes of World War II battles, jungle perils and crime as well as cheesecake portraits of beautiful women. However, Gogos' greatest impact as an illustrator was the work he did for Warren Publishing.

Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, created by publisher James Warren and editor Forrest J Ackerman, premiered in 1958 and was aimed at young readers who were then discovering the classic horror films of the '30s and '40s on television. The magazine's covers were usually eye-catching close-ups of horror movie characters. Gogos' first work for Warren was the cover of Famous Monsters of Filmland #9 in 1960 featuring an impressionistic portrait of Vincent Price from House of Usher painted in shades of red, yellow and green. Over the next two decades, he created almost 50 covers for Famous Monsters, many of which have become iconic images of that period. Gogos also provided cover art for several other Warren magazines including Creepy, Eerie, Spaceman, Wildest Westerns and The Spirit.

Basil Gogos' Famous Monsters cover art featured most of the classic horror characters such as The Phantom of the Opera, Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, King Kong, Godzilla and The Creature from the Black Lagoon and popular horror actors like Boris Karloff, Béla Lugosi, Vincent Price, Lon Chaney, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Gogos often captured his subjects in an array of vivid colors using a technique in which the artist imagined the character bathed in colors from multiple light sources. He enjoyed painting monsters more than most of his more conventional assignments because of the freedom he was given and because of the challenge of painting such unusual characters which he endeavoured to portray as both frightening and sympathetic.

In the late 1970s, Gogos gave up full time commercial illustration to devote himself more to his original goal of doing fine art. He produced personal art pieces in watercolor and other media, while earning his livelihood as a photo retoucher in the ad department of United Artists. While there, he also did occasional illustrations for movie posters. Gogos later moved into advertising where he produced presentation sketches and storyboards for commercials for a major ad agency.

Due to a resurgence of interest in classic horror films and collectibles, Gogos returned to the horror genre in the 1990s. During this time, new Gogos monster portraits appeared on trading cards, lithographs and the covers of Monsterscene magazine. He has also painted CD covers for rock stars Rob Zombie, The Misfits and Electric Frankenstein."

HOLY SHATNER!

2011-10-21T20:24:00.001-07:00

I am... speechless. I am... without speech!

I've been here and there. I've drawn a lot of pictures. I've written a bit, too. I'm not good at this self-promotion thing. Look, you want to know about me? just visit these websites. Okay?
www.mdjacksonart.weebly.com
http://mdjackson.deviantart.com
http://community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/mdjacksons%5Fportfolio

DyE: FANTASY

2011-10-21T20:24:00.000-07:00

Don't let this soft-core porn-type picture fool you. This video is some freaky-ass shit!

CRITICAL HIT

2011-10-20T08:17:00.000-07:00

Whatever you think of Rap music, you have to love Nerdcore Rap. And if you love Nerdcore Rap you have to love MC Frontalot. From his new album Solved! here is the video for Critical Hit.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 20

2011-10-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

EYE OF THE ZOMBIE

Eye of the Zombie is a 1986 album by American singer/songwriter John Fogerty. The video that accompanied the title track always managed to freak me out for some reason.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 19

2011-10-19T08:00:00.000-07:00

FRANK FRAZETTA

Well, you knew it couldn't be long before I got around to Frank.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 18

2011-10-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Even witches need their coffee in the morning...

Commercial artist Dave Dunstan (otherwise known as LoopyDave) painted this lovely witch. Check out the rest of his work here.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 17

2011-10-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

THRILLER

This is arguably the biggest (most expensive, at least) and most watched music video with a Halloween theme.

I'm not a huge fan of this artist, in fact I really have cause for a great deal of antipathy towards him. Now that he has passed, though, I suppose I should be charitable. Nevertheless, I have to say this (again): Sharing a name with this fellow while growing up was pure, unadulterated hell.

Here's the video, though. Directed by John Landis, zombie make-up by the legendary Rick Baker and narrated by none other than Vincent Price.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN -- Day 16

2011-10-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Wood Witch by Matt Dixon.

Matt Dixon is a UK artist who has a website, a blog and a Deviantart gallery.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 15

2011-10-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

SCARY BREAKFAST CEREAL

I don't know who at General Mills came up with this idea, or what the thinking was that led to it, but it was a bold stroke of sheer genius.

An Introduced in 1971, Count Chocula was the first chocolate-flavored cereal with chocolate-flavored marshmallow bits. Franken Berry was the only strawberry-flavored cereal on the market when it debuted. Boo Berry, introduced in 1972, was the market’s first cereal that tasted like blueberries.

Of course, some may argue (Stephen King among them) that it has turned the classic Universal Monsters into cuddly playthings loved by children the world over. That's true, but it has also given the children of the world a yummy sugary cereal that gets them bouncing off the walls.

And that, as all you who have raised children know, is the scariest thing of all.

Fore more info about the cereals (including a commercial and a little tid-bit about the Frankenberry that you probably did not want to know) check out Michael May`s Adventure Blog.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 14

2011-10-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

Web Of Horror

Web Of Horror was published by Major Publications (also publishers of Cracked and a host of men’s adventure magazines) and was the first serious rival to the Warren black and white line of the 1960s. It showcased many young professionals who would soon rise to prominence in the 1970s and, for that alone, should be remembered. Jeff Jones, berni Wrightson, Michael Kaluta, Frank Brunner, Bruce Jones to name just a few

The magazine only lasted four issues.

UPDATE: As I have been reminded I should point out that these cover scans are not mine. They originated from Mr. Door Tree`s supurlative blog Golden Age Comic Book Stories, which you should check out.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 13

2011-10-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Vampirella

Vampirella is a fictional character, a comic book vampire heroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and costume designer Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine.

I could do this all day.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN -- Day 12

2011-10-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Type OH by Matt Dixon.

Matt Dixon is a UK artist who has a website, a blog and a Deviantart gallery.

PREMAKES

2011-10-11T18:50:00.000-07:00

I have only just today discovered the concept of "Premakes. It is a wild concept that tickles my funny bone to no end as an unabashed fan of genre film and of classic cinema.

Premakes is a term coined by filmmaker Ivan Guerrero, also known as the pseudonymous "whoiseyevan", They are a series of mash-up trailers that combine a variety of vintage film and television clips that are then re-assembled as depictions of modern-day pop culture icons.

For instance, What if GHOSTBUSTERS had been made in 1954:

or if THE AVENGERS were released in 1952:

What about STAR WARS? Here it is from 1947:

It is fun stuff. Go here to see more.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 11

2011-10-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

Dracula Lives by MD Jackson.

Cover art for the novel by Joshua Reynolds. This was a digital painting done in 2010.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 10

2011-10-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Enoch Bolles (3 March 1883 – 16 March 1976) was an American painter of pin-up art. He was among the earliest and most widely circulated glamour illustrators.

Although not known for painting frightening pictures, he did occasionally tailor a glamour girl towards certain holidays. This is the only one that I know of that was done for Halloween.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN -- Day 9

2011-10-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Va Va Va Broom by Matt Dixon.

Matt Dixon is a UK artist who has a website, a blog and a Deviantart gallery.

31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN - DAY 8

2011-10-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

PEEK-A-BOO

Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bassist Steven Severin. While not exactly scary, their video for the song Peek-a-Boo has some creepy imagery.