Tilaweed Fan Art Pixel Doll

Seems to be Tilaweed week this week – we featured the tattoo a few days ago and we're bringing you a great-looking pixel doll today and in the next couple of days we'll bring you another Tilaweed surprise. The artist goes by the name of stytchid and you can check out the pixel doll with a black background on her DeviantArt page. The art was created for the trappedartist who has an entire self-created original WaveDancer pixel doll collection of her own. 

Like Minded Collective (Sydney) – A Day of Sketching and Painting

There's a great initiative happening in Sydney for artists (including the comics kind) who want to practice their craft. The Like Minds Collective, a group of artists, designers and illustrators who want to draw and paint characters and architecture can spend a day in the city with others who share their passion. There will be an afternoon and a night session. Kim Taylor and Adam Paquette will be demonstrating Live Digital Painting, Evan Shipard will be doing Alla Prima Oil Portraiture and everyone else can be involved in an all night creative jam so bring your laptops and easels.

Date: Saturday 18 July 2009

Outdoor Sketch Session Time: 12pm

Outdoor Sketch Session Location: Chinese Garden of Friendship, Darling Harbour, Sydney

Evening Session Time: 6:30pm

Evening Location: Warehouse 308, Hibernian House, 342 Elizabeth St, cnr Kippax St, Surry Hills (opposite Central Station)

Cost: $5 donation

Pinocchio the Avenging Punk

Came across a weird concept today that really did my head in – Carlo Collodi's famous marionette Pinocchio has been turned into a vampire slayer! I read The Adventures of Pinocchio (originally published in 1883) when I was a kid and I have a gorgeous hardback edition at home with illustrations by Attilio Mussino who interpreted it in 1911. It really is a dark story and not as cheery as the 1940 Disney animated film – for one thing the Cat and Fox characters disguised as assassins in chapter 14 and 15 are quite ghoulish and have no compunction in stabbing and then hanging the unfortunate puppet. And by the way, Disney substituted a whale for a shark in the climax. I have yet to see the 2002 Robert Benigni version, but am looking forward to an upcoming stop motion feature developed by Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) and the Jim Henson Company (The Dark Crystal). It's my understanding that brilliant illustrator Gris Grimley who did another picture book of the tale in 2002 will be the concept artist. Why all this set up? Well, SLG Publishing is about to release a graphic novel where Pinocchio becomes an avenger after his carpenter father and creator Geppetto is murdered by vampires – thought you might want a taste of it. The writer is Van Jensen and the artist is Dustin Higgins. It's a screwy but strangely fascinating concept all at the same time ... the artwork looks good and Pinocchio looks like a punk with a curl in the middle of his forehead. The tag line cracked me up –  " He's got a nose for evil". The concept may very well work.

Pinocchio Vampire Slayer Graphic Novel from SLG Publishing on Vimeo.

Tilaweed Tattoo

Tilaweed fan Nikki T asked us for permission last year to get a Tilaweed tattoo on her side and hip. It took a year to complete. Here's the result – this is the Tilaweed of old sourced from the original WaveDancers. The tattoo artist is Chris Depinto of Shotsies Tattoo in Wayne, New Jersey, USA. It looks terrific but boy it musta hurt. You're a stronger person than we are, Nikki T.

Supernatural Comics Creator Prophet

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Anyone catch last night's Supernatural episode called "The Monster at the End of This Book"? We're not regular viewers but when we read the setup we just had to check it out. Here's how the Sunday Telegraph TV guide summarised the plot:

While visiting a comic shop as fake FBI agents investigating a possible haunting, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles) are mistaken for fans of a cult series of books entitled Supernatural about two hunters who also happen to be called Sam and Dean.

Intrigued, they buy the full collection and find that each novel accurately details their demon-hunting lives.

The brothers soon track down and confront the reclusive author Chuck Shurley (Rob Benedict) who shows them a draft manuscript of the next book which describes future events ...

The episode was half tense and half tongue-in-cheek, especially when the Chuck comics creator character discovers that he can psychically predict what happens to the two brothers and then pronounces himself to be a god.  However, he turns out to be a divinely protected prophet instead. Also LOVED the idea that the Winchester brothers will get their own Gospel of Winchester in a future edition of the Bible. We liked the spin on the entire episode and are interested to see how the producers and writers handle the rest of the story line. More info, trivia and episode quotes on tv.com and the Supernatural Wiki. 

Jozef Szekeres ASA Postcard Art

The Australian Society Authors asked Jozef a few months ago to do the artwork for the organisation's new official postcard and he agreed. The brief given to him was to go a bit surreal and put in a winged typewriter. Jozef also got his signature mermaids into the pic. Here's the result. First recipients were the comics creators attending Supanova Sydney last weekend.

aussieBum Superheroes

Spotted a great one-page advert in last weekend's papers for the "soon-to-reach iconic status" Australian men's clothing label – aussieBum. The company has just launched a new limited edition range of superhero underwear for men available in briefs and hipsters. There are four superheroes in the Hero series – Exterminator, Hunter, Oceanman (he'd be our pick for obvious reasons) and Wolfman. The video is masculine, aggressive and sexy. Love the tattoos on one of the model's backs and the bubble sound effects for Oceanman. The artist is John Royle. Great concept all round. Go order some!