Mothman's Christmas Message To You

Bah! Season's Greetings, I suppose.

The "good people" at Magic Beans Comics have told me that if I write a Christmas message against my will, then the next series of Mothman About The House will be along very soon. I couldn't be bothered to argue so here I am.

It's been a funny old year. Apart from that business with my shed I had quite a good 2008. The mighty Espana were victorious at Euro 2008, winning me over 600 quid in the process. The Beijing Olympics passed without incident which surprised me, as Springheeled Jack assured me he was going to "wreck the bastard".

Blu-ray beat out HD-DVD in the high definition wars, although no-one in the world cares. Except maybe George Lucas. The BBC reached season 8 in their marathon showing of Murder, She Wrote. A return to form after a few dubious years, Jessica relocates to New York and teaches criminology at a local University.

Also Obama, Terrorism, Global Financial Meltdown. Tell it to someone who gives a shit.

Of course the greatest moment of the year is yet to come. Jonathan Creek Christmas Special, BBC1 next thursday. Come between me and my TV and I will hurt you.

That is all.

Mothman

PS Chupacabra and Nessie told me to say Feliz Navidad, and Happy Hogmanay, respectively. I don't speak foreign so I don't know what they're on about.

What I do know is that Christmas In Hollis by Run DMC is the greatest Christmas song ever. Word.

The Stink-Christmas Special

Merry Christmas!

The Stink-Episode 7

Part 8 next week!

The Stink-Episode 6

Part 7 next week!

Horror at 37,000 Feet

[youtube=http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZcFFjAvbaI]

I'm sure that like me, you're all obsessed with watching crappy TV movies from the 70s and 80s, like the voodoo tinged Patrick Duffy vehicle Cry For The Strangers, possessed JCB on a rampage epic Killdozer, or the immortal William Shatner haunted house on a plane extravaganza Horror at 37,000 Feet.

After the seeming demise of my beloved B-Movies.com, my new favourite website is Veoh. It's a wonderland of choice films, TV and all kinds of videos, from The Cabinet of Dr Caligari to Reefer Madness. Worth a breeze any day of the week my friends!

Thought Bubble

I was at the Thought Bubble comics event in Leeds on saturday, it was a great day and an astonishingly well organised event. The hall it was in was huge, and for once at a comic con not unbearably hot and stuffy! 

My comics didn't do badly, I dished out about 40 or 50 copies of I Cashed A Dead Man's Pension, and gave away all my spare Battle doubles, they went down rather well.

I got some fantastic comics and books which I've been reading for the last week. Some graphic novels by Jason, a signed copy of Al Ewing's novel I, Zombie, and lots of small press.

A new issue of Banal Pig is always a joy, and number 4 might be the best one yet. I loved the apocalyptic tone towards the end, but poor old Truculent Strawberry!

The epic Can I Borrow Your Toilet? by Gareth Brookes was probably my favourite comic from Thought Bubble, it's funny and moving and quite brilliant, you really should read it. 

I was most looking forward to seeing the new issue of Mallard because I've got a story in it, and I'm really pleased with how it's turned out, it's a top issue. Tom England's The Escapist and Joe Baddely's The Adventures of Racist Jim are recommended too!

Also splendid new issues of Sgt Mike Battle and Monkeys Might Puke, and a preview of Cosmic Apple's new series, I always forget to get something though, and missed out on Ben Powis' beautiful looking comics. Ah well, next time!

ODB Remembered

Today is the fourth anniversary of the death of my favourite rapper, Ol' Dirty Bastard. There'll never be another one like him.

Russell Jones AKA Ol' Dirty Bastard 1969-2004 R.I.P.

The Stink-Episode 5

Part 6 next week!

My 24 Hour Comic

Tomorrow is 24 Hour Comics Day. That means all over the world people will be creating a comic in a day, and this year I'll be one of them!

I'll be updating this post through the day to report on my progress or lack of so stay tuned!

9AM: I've started! Well, I'm drinking coffee and shuffling bits of paper...

6PM: It's going pretty well, I've got eight pages done so far. Having a Dad's Army break and some food now.

1AM: Fourteen pages done. Starting to get weary...

8AM: It's done! The last section was tough. Now sleep...

AFTERMATH: Was too tired to do much of anything yesterday! Overall I'm pleased with how it turned out though. I've put it away for a few days but I'll be printing it for Thought Bubble in a few weeks. Then the world will witness The House On Murder Street...

Thanks to everyone for the support and interest!

The Stink-Episode 4

Part 5 on Sunday!

The Stink-Episode 3

A double episode to get things back on track! Sorry for all the delays.

Destroy All Monsters

I've had a lot going on in the last few weeks, so sorry for the lack of comic strips! Part 3 of The Stink will be up at the weekend though, as things at The Co-op go badly wrong.

In the meantime, here's a video of giant monsters fighting each other.

 

The Stink-Episode 2

Part 3 on Sunday!

Zenith has left the building

This is my entry for the current art competition on the 2000AD message board, the theme was the death or final panel of any 2000AD character. I thought that self regarding popstar/superhero Zenith would want to go out like The King...:)

Walter Wilson Lives!

After a few months break Walter Wilson is back in action with Episode 4 now up at the ROK Comics Website!

http://www.rokcomics.com/full_player.php?comicid=6202459453

The Stink-Episode 1

Episode 2 on Sunday!

Vague Announcement

This week I will be starting a new comic strip, a shortish series about a new character, and new episodes of Walter Wilson and Clown Shoes will be up at the ROK Comics website. And after that will be the semi-triumphant return of Griefbringer, and a new series of Mothman About The House. So keep this frequency clear!

Dare you peak into the... Toilet?!

A new issue in my series of tiny little comics is now available! It's called Toilet, and it features plumbing, monsters, negative equity and social exclusion. And monsters. As always it's FREE! So if you want a copy email me your address and I'll send you one, or come and say hello at the Thought Bubble event in Leeds in November.

benclark2007@btinternet.com

Gasp... CHUDs!!!

 

For no apparent reason I'm currently obsessed with 80s horror film C.H.U.D. They're cannibalistic humanoids! And they dwell underground! It's bloody great.

Edinburgh Zine Fair

If you're in the area today the Edinburgh Zine Fair is on, I can't make it unfortunately but it looks like it's going to be a great event!

Mothman-The Philadelphia Experiment 13

That's all folks! Thank you to everyone who has been reading The Philadelphia Experiment, I hope you enjoyed it. Don't worry Mothman will return!

In the next few weeks I will be starting a new comic strip, watch this space and thanks again to you all.

Ben

Metropolis rediscovered

I'm a huge fan of the great Fritz Lang. The Dr Mabuse films, M and Metropolis are masterworks of early cinema, and his Hollywood career one of the most highly regarded and influential of any Director.

I was astonished to hear that the long lost original version of Metropolis was recently rediscovered. This much longer version, the only existing copy in the world, was found earlier this year in a Buenos Aires film archive.

You can read the story of the rediscovery here.

Sometimes you think you've heard it all :)

Mothman-The Philadelphia Experiment 12

Be here for the final part on Sunday!

Manu Chao

I watched a lot of the Glastonbury coverage at the weekend, by far the best performance I saw was from Manu Chao. He was the singer in the group Mano Negra who you might remember, I think he's better than ever now though. I've been listening to his album Radio Bemba Sound System all week, it's amazing, beautiful music. My new mission in life is to see Manu play live!

I'm man enough to admit Neil Diamond was great too! I muted the TV when that tedious stroker Mark Ronson came on though.

Mothman-The Philadelphia Experiment 11

The penultimate episode 12 will be here on Sunday! Honest!

Facebeans

If you're on Facebook, there is now a group for Magic Beans Comics. Started by escaped mental patients, it now has an astonishing SIX members :) There are some comic strips and stuff so have a look if you get time!

Mothman-The Philadelphia Experiment 10

Part 11 on Sunday! The devastating conclusion to The Philadelphia Experiment draws close...

Prestonpaftermath

Prestonpandemonium 3 was a huge success, we had a great time! My new comic I Cashed A Dead Man's Pension went down pretty well, and Omnivistacope 4 did too. (There's a review of OVS4 on Down The Tubes here by the way!)

I got some great comics and books too, like Graeme Neil Reid's One Last Time, Magda Boreysza's Toastycats, and Gavin Inglis's Crap Ghosts. All highly recommended!

Gavin also very kindly gave me a copy of The Cocoanuts, the Marx Brothers first film and the only one I didn't have. Hence the gratuitous Marx-tastic clip above :)

Bargain of the day was getting issue 23 of Groo The Wanderer for 50p, a true classic and the first appearance of those mendicants Pal n Drumm. Sheer joy!

So a big hello and thanks to Graeme, Jeremy, Tom, Bruce, Paul and his adorable son, Kerry, Gavin, Magda and everyone else I saw. And a mega-thanks to Nigel and Jan for putting on such a great event!

Mothman-The Philadelphia Experiment 9

Part 10 next sunday!

Events, Dear Boy...

Just a reminder that this saturday, the 31st, I will be attending the third Prestonpandemonium comics event in Scotland. It's a great day out, and as it's part of the larger Three Harbours Arts Festival, attracts all kinds of interesting people. I've got a new comic out for it called I Cashed A Dead Man's Pension, which is so awesome I'm giving it away free. :) Come and say hello if you're going!

On the same day at the other end of our Green and Pleasant Land, the first No Barcodes event is taking place in Camden Market. London Underground Comics have assembled some of the finest small press creators in the UK, and it promises to be quite a day. So if you're in London on saturday go to No Barcodes!

I wish I could go to both, but I'm not Madrox The Multiple Man!*

Ben

 

* For non-geeks: He's in the X-Men and can make duplicates of himself. I'll shut up now...

World's Best Webcomic

One of my favourite online comic strips is the World's Worst Webcomic, which is updated 5 times a week. It makes me laugh out loud so much, I just absolutely love it. Even though most of the jokes are about YOUR MOM. Yes, YOU. :)

Check it out!

Mothman-The Philadelphia Experiment 8

Part 9 on Sunday!

Mothman-The Philadelphia Experiment 7

Part 8 on Sunday!

Look at my Bristols

I got some superb comics at Bristol this year, so I thought I'd share. They're all highly recommended!

Mr Amperduke

Banal Pig Funnies

Sancho

Sgt Mike Battle

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Zombies

Iron Man-Noble Defender of Fascism

Tales From The Flat

Guide Dog Detective

 

 

To be continued tomorrow!

Me so knackered

I'm home from the Bristol Comics Expo, and totally worn out after a long weekend of sleep deprivation and heavy drinking :)

I had a fantastic time, it was great to meet up with new friends and old, and to see all the talented mofo's out there! I'll have more to say when I'm less knackered, but it was a superb festival. So many kids there again, passionate about comics, it really is wonderful to see. On a personal note I'd like to thank everyone who was down with the Magic Beans, and especially those who have been reading Mothman. It really means a lot, cheers.

Today I plan to chill out and read some of the comics I got at the weekend, Mr Amperduke, Duke Etrange's World of Weird, Banal Pig, Sgt Mike Battle, and Al Ewing's Iron Man-Noble Defender of Fascism, among many others, and listen to my new favourite band Justice.

By tomorrow I'll wish I was back at Bristol with all my friends.

Ben

Mothman-The Philadelphia Experiment 6

Mothman will be taking a break next week as the Magic Beans roadshow hits the Bristol Comics Expo! I hope to see some of you there, come and say hello and grab some comics! Part 7 will be up in two weeks.

Mike Neville Online!

Mike Neville's epic adventure Return of The Mecha Mikezilla is now available to read at my Comicspace page. Hope you like it!

Mothman-The Philadelphia Experiment 5

Part 6 on Sunday!

Welcome to Liberty City

For Videogame fans, today is like birthday and Christmas rolled into one, as it sees the long awaited release of Grand Theft Auto IV. It's predecessor GTA III is my favourite game of all time, and the best game ever made. So to say I'm excited is a bit of an understatement! Judging by the reviews that have emerged so far, it looks like I won't be disappointed. IGN have given it their first 10/10 review in almost a decade, the sense of anticipation is palpable. The very idea of the online mode seems almost unbelievable. If you're on XBox Live my gamertag is MagicBeanz by the way! 

You might not hear from me in the next few days... :)

http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/#?page=bellicN&content=video0

Mothman at Comicspace

I've started to upload some of my older comics onto Comicspace. Mothman's 'epic' minicomic is first, and the Mike Neville adventure Return of The Mecha Mikezilla should be ready by the weekend. Hope you like them!

http://www.comicspace.com/magicbeans23/

Mothman-The Philadelphia Experiment 4

Sorry for the delay! Part 5 on Sunday.

Clown Shoes

Sorry episode 4 of Mothman isn't up yet, I'm right in the middle of printing my comics for the Bristol Comics Expo which is only a few weeks away! Mothy will be up tonight or tomorrow, in the mean time this is my latest strip on the Rok Comics website. It's about a suicidal clown :)

http://www.rokcomics.com/full_player.php?comicid=620111778

Cakenstein

Just what is Dr Cakenstein up to in his laboratory? A new comic strip I've done on the Rok Comics website!

http://www.rokcomics.com/full_player.php?comicid=620104636

Mothman-The Philadelphia Experiment 3

Part 4 next Sunday!

The Wrath of Spamface

Over at the 2000AD message board Stephen 'Buttonman' Watson has done a comic strip showing what happens when his character Spamface meets Mothman and his friends, it's class!

Mothman-The Philadelphia Experiment 2

Part 3 next Sunday!

Walter Wilson 3

Episode 3 is now up at the Rok Comics website! Lamberton Butler is the only person who knows Walter's secret...

http://www.rokcomics.com/full_player.php?comicid=620940943

The Bumper Book of Solar Wind

The complete Solar Wind is now available in a two volume set! Solar Wind was an anthology comic I was involved in, a tribute to the great British comics of the 70s and 80s, and it won a National Comic Award, as well as an Eagle Award nomination. All eleven issues are reprinted in their entirety, and each book is around 250 pages. All the details are here.

Stay Cosmic!

Mothman-The Philadelphia Experiment 1

 

Part 2 will be up on Sunday!

The Philadelphia Experiment

Part one of the new Mothman comic strip will be here at seven tomorrow night! After that I'll be putting up a new episode every Sunday. I hope you like it!

This is not an April Fool's joke :)

Barnabas and Me: Part Three

One of my favourite things in the world is the 1960s TV series Dark Shadows. I just love it. This is the story of my relationship with the show and my ongoing quest to watch all 1,225 episodes. 



This is a clip of the pivotal episode where scumbag Willie Loomis accidentally releases the vampire Barnabas Collins from his captivity. The spooky sixties vibe of the show in all it's glory!

I watched the 40 episodes of that first DVD boxset three times. I just fell in love with this mental horror soap opera, and made the decision that, however long it took and how difficult it would be, I was going to watch every single episode. Which is where the problems started. Well not exactly problems...

The DVDs are only available in America, though the discs themselves are region-free. Twice now I've been stung by the 'extra tenner and no-one gets hurt' tax those gangsters at Customs add. They were bloody expensive enough to begin with!

Dark Shadows is almost unknown in Britain, at the recent Inverness Comics Expo a grand total of one person recognized my Dark Shadows T-shirt. ( it was The Beano's Kev F Sutherland, fact fans!).

I kept going on and on about this 40 year old TV show that no-one had ever heard of. The whole world was full of wrong except me! My first attempt to join the massive online Dark Shadows fandom was disastrous. Five minutes of surfing and I accidentally saw spoilers for episodes I hadn't seen yet. And soaps thrive on shock endings, so I had to keep away. I don't even look at the Dark Shadows wikipedia entry these days!

Salvation was at hand though. I lent the first DVD to my friend Paul Scott, and he was as enthusiastic about it as I was. He watches every DVD after me now, and it's great to have someone to discuss it with. Even now after a couple of years of this we're barely a third of the way through the marathon, at Episode 457. It's been quite a ride so far, but the show's golden years still await us...

Walter Wilson 2

Episode 2 of Walter Wilson is up now at the Rok Comics website! It features Walter's rumble with the evil Death Nuns, and a shocking revelation!

http://www.rokcomics.com/full_player.php?comicid=620823926

Whither Mothman?

If you're wondering where the promised new Mothman story is, fear not I haven't forgotten about him! I've joined Rok Comics, Drunk Duck and Comicspace in the last two weeks, and my webcomic horizons have suddenly expanded massively. I still haven't decided what to do next, but I have some big plans. You'll be the first to know, dear sexy reader.

As for Mothy, don't worry, The Philadelphia Experiment is coming. Someone has stolen Mothman's collection of Dallas memorabilia, and he is really upset.

UK Web & Mini Comix Thing 2008

 

This year's Thing takes place this saturday the 22nd, at the Queen Mary University in London. I wish I was going but I can't make it. Have fun if you're going you lucky blighters! And be sure to seek out my friend Aaron Smurf Murphy, he's at table 54!

Arthur C Clarke 1917-2008

 

The great science fiction writer Arthur C Clarke has died aged 90. His novel A Fall of Moondust was one of my favourite books as a kid, and his television series Arthur C Clarke's Mysterious World was legendary among children of the seventies and eighties. It was without doubt the catalyst for my lifelong interest in Fortean weirdness, and without it I would never have done my Mothman or Nessie comics, for a start.

90 is a decent innings alright, but I still feel pretty down after hearing this sad news.

R.I.P.

Benson, Arizona

This is a painting I did as my entry in the monthly art competition on the 2000AD message board, the theme was 'Set the controls for the heart of the sun!'

It's inspired by the great John Carpenter film Dark Star.

I don't expect to win :)

Walter Wilson

Another new comic strip on the ROK Comics website! Meet Walter Wilson, the violentest old man in the world.

http://www.rokcomics.com/full_player.php?comicid=620724617

Terry the Monster

This is my first comic strip on the ROK Comics website, I hope you like it!

I did it with the comic creator tool on the website, it's great fun and really easy to use. If you can work the Mii Creator on a Nintendo Wii I reckon you could easily manage to make your own comic strip, why not have a go?!

http://www.rokcomics.com/full_player.php?comicid=620698829

The Wire

 

The last ever episode of The Wire is on TV in America this weekend. It brings to an end five seasons of some of the boldest, most exciting and thoughtful television I have ever seen. Many people think it's the greatest TV show of all time, I would find that difficult to argue with. When it's finished I honestly believe that The Wire should be the first TV series to win a Nobel Prize.

It's far more than merely a crime drama. It's the most compelling portrait of modern American society in any medium. And while it highlights all of the social problems Baltimore faces, it does so with such a sympathetic ear you can't help but love these people, from both sides of the legal divide. You get a sense of the community of this city and it's people that would make Ken Loach feel like an amateur. Of all the places in America I've yet to visit, Baltimore is top of the list.

 

One of the most memorable characters is drug addict Bubbles, played by Andre Royo. It's simply one of the greatest screen performances of all time. Bubs' chaotic, self destructive life is about as glamorous as Amy Winehouse on a bad day. But you just can't help being on his side. I'm trying to be spoiler free, but he has a scene near the end of Season 4 that just broke my heart. I'm emotional just thinking about it.

Bubs is just one of dozens of unforgettable characters though. I could easily go on all day about Lester, Prez, Kima, Stringer Bell, Omar, Snoop, Prop Joe, or many others. I also hope I haven't made the show sound grim and depressing, because it's not. It's inspiring, and thought provoking, and laugh out loud hilarious too.

Farewell to The Wire. Thank you to everyone involved, from the bottom of my heart. We can only hope to see something as good again one day. But I kind of doubt it.

All in The Game...

Mothman About The House 5

This is the last episode of Mothman About The House I did. In a few days I'll put up part one of the all new Mothman story The Philadelphia Experiment. After that you'll have to wait and see! But there'll probably be monsters and punch-ups involved whatever it is.

Cloverfield

                                 

I went to see Cloverfield again today, and it was as terrifying and intense as the first time. As a connoisseur of the 'giant monster attacks city' genre, (and yes there are enough of them to be a genre, you should come round my house sometime!) I was hoping I might enjoy this film. But I didn't quite expect it to be one of the best films I've seen in years.

Yes it's a very simple premise, and yes the camera waves around all over the place. That's not the point. It's about ordinary people trapped in the middle of an unimaginable, horrifying situation, simply trying to escape with their lives. I don't think I've ever seen the old Lovecraftian nameless dread portrayed so well before. Just thinking about the monster makes me feel a bit funny!

Obviously the shadow of September 11th hangs over any story about New York being attacked. I would say it's about 9-11 in the same way the original Godzilla film was about Hiroshima; It's the tragedy and destruction, the death and the fear. The people in the middle of it all.

An absolute classic, and one of the defining films of the decade.

Barnabas and Me: Part Two

One of my favourite things in the world is the 1960s TV series Dark Shadows. I just love it. This is the story of my relationship with the show and my ongoing quest to watch all 1,225 episodes.



The first episode of Dark Shadows I watched was the introduction of Barnabas Collins, the vampire. Though in a way he had been in the show since the beginning...

The matriarch of the Collins family, Elizabeth Collins-Stoddard, has a problem with unwanted houseguests, the extremely dodgy Jason Maguire and his lowlife pal Willie Loomis. She can't ask them to leave because Jason is blackmailing her. Eighteen years previously he helped Liz cover up the murder of her husband, Paul Stoddard. He's buried in the basement of stately Collinwood, the family seat. Liz hasn't left Collinwood since that night eighteen years ago.

Liz was played by Joan Bennett, who was the star of Dark Shadows. A massive film star in the 1940s and 50s, she appeared in half a dozen Fritz Lang pictures, Max Ophuls' The Reckless Moment with James Mason, and was Mrs Spencer Tracy in the original version of Father of The Bride. Her character is the heart of Dark Shadows, and gave the show a real sense of drama and purpose.

The loathsome Willie Loomis hears a story about Collins family members traditionally being buried with all their jewelry, and is particularly taken with the portrait of Barnabas Collins, who lived in the house in the 18th Century. He decides to find his tomb and rob his grave. Willie is played by a very young John Karlen, who would go on to play Harvey in Cagney and Lacey.  

Willie finds a secret room in the family mausoleum, containing a coffin sealed up with chains. He came for some jewels, and ends up the victim of a 200 year old vampire!



I was blown away by all of this when I first watched it. The next few episodes you find out that this is the original Barnabas Collins who supposedly went to England in 1795. Cursed to be a vampire, his own father chained him up in the coffin and he has been there, fully conscious, ever since. This immediately makes him a sympathetic monster, and audiences went crazy for him almost overnight. But how would the presence of a guilt ridden 200 year old vampire affect the balance of the show?

Coming Attractions

When someone steals Mothman's priceless collection of Dallas memorabilia, he goes on an epic journey to find the culprit. A journey that will take him from the back streets of Delhi to the highest peaks of the Himalayas. Be here next week for part one of Mothman-The Philadelphia Experiment.

Mothman About The House 4

Channel 4 don't even return his calls now.

Mothman About The House 3

Sasquatch earned millions in the 90s as an Executive Producer on The X-Files, and he thinks he's all that. So does his spoiled brat of a son Sasquatch Junior. Mothman thinks they're both dicks.

If you can't even remember who Mark Fowler is, just imagine Mothman is watching last night's Eastenders!

Prestonpandemonium 3

On Saturday May 31st the third Prestonpandemonium comics event takes place in Prestonpans, East Lothian. It isn't far from Edinburgh and is easy to get to.  I'll be debuting a new comic, which makes it a must for all! A few guests have been announced so far, and an exhibition of art by the brilliant Malcy Duff, but Organiser Nigel Barker clearly has some surprises up his sleeve, so keep an eye on the website and I hope to see you there!

http://www.prestonpandemonium.com/

Mothman About The House 2

Enter El Chupacabra, the mysterious goat-sucker...

Mothman About The House 1

The infamous Fortean fiend known as Mothman has grown weary of scaring people, and has retired to a remote cottage. There he spends his time watching daytime television and moaning about things with his monstrous mates.

This is the first of five strips I did for the comic B+B. Part 2 coming soon!

Barnabas and Me: Part One

One of my favourite things in the world is the 1960s TV series Dark Shadows. I just love it. This is the story of my relationship with the show and my ongoing quest to watch all 1,225 episodes.

 

Part One (of probably quite a few!)

 At the Bristol Comics Expo in 2004 I bought a shedload of cheap (and mostly rubbish) comics from one of the dealers. One of them was Dark Shadows no. 1 by Innovation Comics. I bought it mostly because by then the painted covers and licensed comics Innovation used to publish were making me feel nostalgic for my early days as a comic fan. It's a truly rubbish comic, but in the back was an article about the original TV series (the comic itself is based on a 90s remake) which was pretty interesting. I began to get more and more intrigued by the show. The very idea of a daytime soap opera about vampires, witches and werewolves seemed crazy but somehow inspired. So one day I took a chance and bought the first DVD collection off eBay, hoping for the best...

 After a few episodes I started to realise it was something special. The beautiful 60s black and white cinematography and amazing Gothic sets,  coupled with the haunting theme tune and incidental music, soon had me hooked. The character and sheer drama of it, and the bloody audacity to do a soap opera about a 200 year old vampire. It's like they made it just for me, I remember thinking. I was a hopeless Dark Shadows addict within a few days!

 The DVDs actually start at episode 210 (I'll explain later) but contain a 15 minute segment giving the story so far. Orphan girl Victoria Winters gets a job as a Governess to the wealthy and mysterious Collins family, so influential the town of Collinsport, Maine is named for them. There she gets caught in the middle of a feud between the Collins family and the debonair Burke Devlin, who has served time in prison for a crime he didn't commit. Then she encounters the supernatural entity that is Roger Collins' ex-wife, and is kidnapped by crazy Matthew Morgan, only to be rescued by a ghost, all at the same time as trying to discover details about her mysterious past.

It was one nutty ride, but not a great success on original transmission. With cancellation looming, creator Dan Curtis and his team decided to change perspective. The supernatural elements of the show had until that point been relatively low-key compared to the more traditional soapy storylines. All of that was to change, however, with the introduction in episode 210 of Barnabas Collins, the vampire...

Urge to kill... rising...

Sorry there's no comic strips yet, I'm working on it! I won't bother you with the details but it's either ditch Vista or buy a new scanner. Either way so help me God, tomorrow there will be Mothman!

Samurai Showdown

Ghost Dog-The Way of The Samurai is one of my favourite films, and I would say one of the ten best films of the 1990s. One of the things I love about it most is the extraordinary music score by The RZA from Wu-Tang Clan. The soundtrack album was disappointing though, it's good but more of an 'inspired by the film' affair. Not what I wanted!

I recently discovered that RZA's score for the film was available in Japan, so I ordered it on import. It was expensive, and took forever to arrive, but it was worth it. I'm listening to it non-stop, (apart from a little Calexico here and there) I find it hugely inspiring and it's without question my favourite soundtrack album ever. A masterpiece.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ue_UDHH-EzY

The Mothman Cometh

In the next few days I'll be starting to upload some of my comic strips, starting with Mothman About The House.

The first few are strips I did for Gary Wilkinson's great comic B+B, but after that they'll be all new material.

So keep an eye out for the shadowy Mothman...

Reviews

Here's a rather good review of the festival. It mentions me on the scriptwriting panel too!

http://www.hi-arts.co.uk/Default.aspx.LocID-hianewnfj.RefLocID-hiacg5005.Lang-EN.htm

Hi-Ex! Report

Over the weekend of February 2nd and 3rd I was the at The Highlands International Comic Expo in Inverness, it was a great event. Organised by Vicky Stonebridge and Richmond Clements, it was the first event of it's kind ever to be held in the north of Scotland.

It was a fair hike on the train for me, six hours each way roughly, but the scenery on the way through the Highlands is breathtaking. As is Inverness itself. On saturday morning I saw a huge seal swimming in the river, not far from the town centre.

Unfortunately the weather was pretty grim, and some of the guests, including Alan Grant, didn't make it. Which resulted in me standing in on the scriptwriting panel alongside writer Al Ewing and artist Declan Shalvey. Naturally we were inspirational and insightful!

I created a new mini-comic just for the event to give away to people, and because I wanted to support Vicky and Rich in their crazy endeavour. Nessie Vs Dracula it's called, and to my astonishment all the copies I took along were gone by 2.00 on saturday afternoon. I had to make a mailing list for people who still wanted a copy. In it's own small way this shows what a success Hi-Ex was. There were so many kids, and people who hadn't been to a con before. The atmosphere was wonderful. Hi-Ex 2009 has been announced, I'm looking forward to it already.

So hello to everyone I saw at the weekend, and thanks to anyone who bought one of my comics. You're the best!

http://www.hi-ex.co.uk/

Hello world!

Hello!

Blimey I've got a blog! My name is Ben Clark, and I create my own comics. I write and draw my own daft mini comics and also write scripts for various other small press publications. I'm going to be using this to upload my comic strips, keep people informed on what I'm up to, and of course talk a lot of rubbish about anything and everything!

I'm extra new to this so bear with me while I figure it out!

cheers,

Ben