Wonder Abbie Vs Steve #2

Wonder Abbie Vs Steve #2
 

WONDER ABBIE Vs STEVE #1

Wonder Abbie Vs Steve #1

Whoa! This one took a while to get up here on the blog. I think we can blame frantic Xmas shopping and over-indulgence at a couple of Xmas parties for the lateness. #2 should be up next Sunday. Enjoy! 

More Rough Stuff

Rough version of Wonder Abbie Vs Steve Page 2
 

Here's the thumbnail for page 2, introducing the Steve of the title. I think I'll refrain from posting the thumbnail for page 3 as that's where all the good stuff happens (wouldn't want to spoil that for ya).

Brand New Format, Same Great Read!

Thumbnail for Wonder Abbie Vs Steve

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've been re-working the format for Wonder Abbie so the art fits better in a web browser. Up there is the rough pencil layout for the first part of Wonder Abbie Vs Steve (Steve is Abbie's creepy workmate in her regular day job but is also something of a nemesis too). Once I'm happy with the layout I'll scan the image into Paint Shop Pro and/or Manga Studio and ink over it digitally. I should then be left with a much cleaner image than the previous Wonder Abbie mini-comic.  Manga Studio is very useful in saving time scanning and cleaning up pages but I still prefer the feel of pencil and paper. Oh well, you can't stop the march of technological progress, I suppose.
Anyway, more layouts and behind the scenes stuff to come.     

WONDER ABBIE - PAGE 3

ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA SHOW 2012

Popped along to the EMS in London last weekend to see what it had to offer. It's organised by the same people that run the London Film and Comic Con, is set in the same venue and features a lot of the same exhibitors. And yet it felt like it was a much smaller convention. Not all of the venue space was used and there didn't seem to be the same numbers coming through the doors as LFCC. I hope it was financially worth it for all the exhibitors and small press guys.
Cosplayers were there as usual but nothing outstanding bar the Alien costume and old school Cylon shown above. There was a cool Psylocke there but I think she must have used her ninja skills to avoid my camera!

One thing you can usually rely on at these conventions is a few "cool finds". I met the super talented Huy Truong (www.huy-truong.deviantart.com/) and found this very sexy Wonder Woman colour sketch amongst the art he had for sale. If he was on the Wonder Woman series I would definitely start reading it.

Then I found this stall that had what seemed to be bootlegged DVDs. Not only did I pick up a copy of the 1970s Dr Strange movie but I also found a whole bunch of live action super heroine DVDs by  Cult Retro (www.cultretro.com). They feature the awesome Nicola Rae as Stormy Tempest and Nyoka The Jungle Girl in fun but sexy heroine peril adventures. I think I picked up what amounts to Stormy Tempest  season 1 (I think season 4 is currently in production) and I cannot recommend it highly enough. "Smokin' Rockets!" has already become my new catchphrase (not that I had a old one).

Anyway, EMS doesn't really have enough going for it to make it worth attending both this and LFCC next year; not unless the organisers can expand on the comics side of things for 2013. Having guys like Chris Claremont and Dan Slott attend is great but we need more of that calibre of guest as well as lots more small press guys.

Hmmmm.....is that convention season done now or are there anymore?  

WONDER ABBIE - PAGE 2

WONDER ABBIE - Page 1

Crikey! Just where has the time gone? And I haven't even been having much fun. So much for that old sayin'. I have not just been glued to the telly watching the London 2012 Olympics, by the way. I've been tinkering around with the format for the first issue proper of  Wonder Abbie, having decided that the standard comic book page format does not necessarily work best for a web browser. So ish # 1 continues to be a work in progress. What we have in the meantime is a Wonder Abbie mini adventure - Wonder Abbie in Peril! There will also be some new charcter sketches up here real soon, too. Enjoy!

KAPOW 2012

I attended my first Kapow Comic Con this weekend and had an absolute blast. I think Kapow is a little bigger than my usual cons (Bristol Expo & BICS) and certainly seemed a lot more crowded. But what a crowd! What a nice venue! I liked the way the small press booths and artists alley were set up along the balcony away from the hustle and bustle of the main convention floor. I had a great time meeting lots of small press guys and picked up looooads of small press comics. I also got a nice Harley Quinn sketch from the super talented Amano Jyaku (www.amnojyaku.net). I also picked up a couple of signed sketch books Huy Truong (www.huy-truong.deviantart.com/). One of the things I really enjoyed about this con was the sheer number of cosplayers in attendance. It was great to see so many people get really creative with costume making and design. And there were different levels of costume design on display too, from people with very professional looking custom made costumes to a guy in a papier mache Thing costume (bet he was baking under there!). I think it's great that so many people of varying body types can pull on a spandex outfit and walk around without feeling self conscious. Cosplayers - I salute you! My favourite cosplayer was this awesome Ms Marvel, who was at the con with this very lucky Captain America. She had a really good costume, a combination of store bought items and homemade stuff. But she ain't a lady to mess with. Her red sash was from her martial arts outfit (can't remember if it was Tae Kwon Doe or Jujitsu) so she can pack a Ms Marvel size punch! There was also an amazing Wonder Woman at the con, decked out in the classic Lynda Carter costume. She was very tall and really looked the part. Unfortunately I only caught a glimpse of her from afar so didn't get the chance to take a photo. There was also a lovely lady dressed up as the May Parker Spider Girl but alas there was no opportunity to take a snap. There was a rather nice female Scarlet Spider (I think that's the right name) there with what seemed to be a league of Spider-Men. There was a cool Scarlet Witch and AoA Rogue too. I wish I took more pictures!


A very lucky Cap

My only real complaint is with the Panels. I go to cons for two things - small press comics and panels (and after yesterday maybe three things - snapping lovely cosplayers!). The panels I attended were good but I was disappointed that I couldn't actually see Quesada, Miller et al as there was no stage set up for them to sit on. Unless you were sat in the first two rows all you got to see were the back of peoples heads. Not cool. I hope they sort it out as I am definitely going again next year, although hopefully I'll be there selling copies of Wonder Abbie. Now if i can just find someone to dress up as WA....           

WONDER ABBIE

Here we go with the star of the show! Abbie Thomas, the central character in Wonder Abbie, is a sexy stockroom worker by day - and a super sexy super heroine by night (or by day if it's, y'know, her day off or something). She loves indie/alternative music (Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes, Florence and the Machine), American genre shows (Smallville, True Blood, Vampire Diaries), impractically short skirts and colourful tights. What she doesn't love is being ogled by her creepy workmate, dealing with her moody boss, her annoying customers and her Rogues Gallery ( who seem to be more interested in copping a feel than world domination).
When she puts on her special (and mysterious) belt and bracelets she acquires super strength, invulnerability, x-ray vision and the power of flight. With these powers and her cunning disguise she dedicates herself to fighting crime!.....Actually that's not quite true. Being a busy gal, y'know, working, going to gigs and festivals, watching DVD box sets, keeping her boyf all sweet and keen, she doesn't really have time for crime fighting. But that does not stop trouble from finding her - and it's a trouble that seems to be a bit....grabby!

Wonder Abbie Vs The Maniac Mannequins #1 - coming soon!