Goin' Native....

Well things are moving again. The flow is starting to return at a regular rate. Last night I started working on some natives of KiGor's Africa. Martin and I both want it to be a very primitive and scary place. I think we both thought of Skull Island as an example. I also thought of the great Burroughs novels. Also sometime in the last couple of days TCM showed 'Trader Horn' the original. Well the Harry Carey one anyway. And such great footage was shot for that film it is an artists feast looking at all the different natives. I will probably pull out some of the Weissmuller Tarzan's today too and watch a couple of those again too. Even tho those natives are a bit tamed down, costume wise than the ones in Trader Horn.

I do plan on doing this KiGor strip to the best of my ability. As you can see I am experimenting a bit with thinner body types, I plan on working with age and tribal markings like scaring and all too. Should pull out my copy of 'King Solomon's Mines' too, the Stewart Granger one.

KiGor's jungle will be a dark, scary, primitive, mystical, prehistoric primeval place, I hope. So stay tuned here for KiGor concepts and things also, along with Captain Spectre stuff as I finish up Chapter 4 and move on to the stand alone issue. I was thinking about trying to post things about the stand alone step by step, but I also want it all to be a surprise to the readers and Loyal Legionnaires.

So tell me Loyal readers, would you want a blow by blow account of each strip as I go along, or would you rather be surprised all at once? I will leave it up to you fans.

Oh also, it is kind of tough thinking and drawing Africa when it is still snowing outside. Sure wish it was summer weather right now, sure would help.

Traditions but no resolutions....Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone....and especially Loyal Legionnaires out there in Internet land.

At a time when people have traditions, and make new year resolutions I thought maybe I would come clean about a few I have. Not resolutions, because I never make those. I used too but something always got in the way and they never worked out. So started feeling what is the point. I really only ever wanted to do one thing in the world, even as a kid, and that was to make comics. Or maybe better stated to earn my living off of making comics. Well no matter how hard you try sometimes wishes don't work out. But, that shouldn't stop a fella from trying. So rather than resolutions I tried traditions. I have a few that I have developed over the decades.

One is to be at my drawing board working when midnight strikes. Another is to watch King Kong, and King of the Rocketmen on new years day, while I work. Sounds simple right? Well this year they were. Most people I know don't understand my passion for working on comics and such. But, it is me...it is what I am, what I do, and what I want to do.

My mom used to have a couple of traditions. One she adopted when we moved to Texas when I was a kid......black eyed peas, yuck. She would always fix them for new years, said we would have luck. Well black eyed peas is not one of my favorite bean creatures, so I guess why I never had much luck, other than Floyd luck - which in not a good thing sometimes.

So Loyal Legionnaires whatever your traditions are, I do wish all a Happy New Year!

Also an interesting note is I am finally pulling out of my creative funk, depression, whatever you wish to call it. I am moving toward the end of Chapter Four of the strip. Working on the stand alone story, the writing so far. Since I am not really a writer, I find this process the hardest next to finding the time to do all the other work. I am also beginning to design things for the Moonstone KiGor story. Which I just received from Martin Powell, the writer. So things are cooking and brewing around here, and moving. The Secret Headquarters of the Lightning Legion is up and running again....a bit slow but running.

Now off to cook some food for the day....work at the drawing board....watch Kong....and enjoy the entire serial - King of the Rocketmen!!!

Have a great new year all!!!!!!!!

White Christmas is a two sided coin!

Well I guess it is all my fault! I will admit I have been wishing for that white christmas thing for years. Yea, ok we have had snow on the ground for christmas - but never actual snow on christmas day like it is supposed to do for a 'white christmas'. We folks the weather gods must of been saving this one up for me. I am officially snowed in. Which as I mention is a two sided coin. On one side I am snowed in. I can't get out and no one can get in unless you walk. And use snow shoes. We know, because it has been tried. So if someone knocks at my door tonight, as the past couple of nights, they will be a crazed serial killer looking to hide out. Cause on one else is crazy enough to try it. The tractor couldn't even get around good enough to get the snow off the road.

The road in front of the house is covered with about three to four feet of snow and they haven't plowed it yet. I am sure this road is about last on the list of roads to get too. I may not be out of here until after new years!

Some areas of the yard are almost bare, while some places have five foot drifts. All due to the amount of wind. It was amazing. We were in a blizzard warning for two days. Amazing for sure. Most of the state hiways around here are closed or down to a snails pace as only one lane is open.

But today, the horses got a new bail of hay, Chopper got too much exercise out in the freezing weather, as did I.

So it is good and bad at the same time, this two sided coin. Thank the gods the power hasn't gone off, because I couldn't get out of here to a warm place if it did.

So if I ever wish for a white christmas again, someone remind me of this one.

I miss Christmas...

I am posting this rough drawing at both sites...here and the Captain Spectre site. I actually have a new page done, but thought I would do something for Christmas. Mainly because I miss Christmas. That may sound a bit funny, but it is true. I miss the feeling of Christmas. Anymore it just seems a strange time to me. I don't know what to get my kids or grandkids for the holiday. I wish I could find the Christmas spirit. I lost it along time ago and it has never returned. I wish I could find those Christmas times like I had as a kid. Those feelings were so strong. And I don't mean the presents and all that. I just mean the feelings of the holidays. Now I just use the time off to do work...of course it is work I want to do. Creative work. It is so odd too, because I don't even know the feelings that I am wanting back. They are beyond description...I can't put my finger on it but, I would know them when I felt them. Christmas around my Mom's house was a magical time. Time actually slowed down prior to Christmas, then shot by like a rocket starting the morning of Christmas. Maybe it was because returning to my Mom's house was 'going home'. Maybe it was all the food that she prepared, or seeing friends I hadn't seen in along time. I remember the feelings I got when I got a present for someone and it was something they wanted or needed. I was never good at finding presents for people, but sometimes you get lucky. I don't get lucky anymore. So I just usually get gift cards or money for the people I buy for. That seems to cover all bases, but misses the feeling. But then again I am back to the fact I don't have the feeling anymore.

Anyway, I hope you people out there have a little bit of those feelings left so you can have a great Christmas and a great New Year. I guess that is why I did this little drawing today....trying to find the Christmas spirit in my pencil....cause I have looked everywhere else and can't find it.

Merry Christmas to all my Loyal Legionnaires out there......I do hope you have a great Christmas!!

The fog slowly clears.....

As my creative block slowly starts to wane, like a fog clearing just a little. My eyes see Eisenwald Castle. Remember it will Loyal Legionnaires because you may see it again somewhere. Hopefully sooner than later. Just a tease I guess. I have started putting together some of the material for a story I want to do. And if it turns out might be the one chosen for the stand alone Captain Spectre story I have been promising for over a year.

Mostly I just wanted to begin to let people know I am still kicking, just not very hard. The creative block fog is beginning to show signs of lifting. But it is a fight every day. Must have something to do with age too. I am slowing down it seems and have been at it a while, so not to sound like a totally depressed clinical case, I have been sleeping and resting alot. Everything seems to help a little, but nothing seems to help alot. Not to sound cosmic or anything, but it just takes time more than anything. So with updating here and a new strip over at the main site. I am slowly coming out of my self induced fog.

And again thanks to all out there sending your well wishes. I do appreciate it alot.

There might be a light at the end of the tunnel.... I hope

Well seems I am still battling my so called creative block, or whatever you might want to call it. But I do think there is a light at the end of the tunnel, as my Mom always used to say. Of course it was never about a 'creative block' she was talking about, just mainly life itself. And I sure don't want to get to the next saying she used to tell me. Ha. I always dreaded the 'just pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get on with it'. Honestly it struck fear into my heart most of the time. Most of the time I heard it later in life and I was back from overseas.

So anyway short of my Mom's ghost coming back to haunt me, I at least did some work today. Admittedly it was more costume, design, practice work.....but it was work.

Obviously it is of the fair Helene, KiGor's woman. Still trying to get a feel for her character, or how I think she would be. I finally decided to tie her hair to one side so it would cascade over one shoulder.....I thought a fairly sexy look and a good 'do' for long shots to identify her at a distance.

So hope you enjoy, and bare with me as I continue to claw my way out of my self made abyss.

Ki-Gor, Lord of the Jungle

One of the things I have been meaning to post, and comment on is KiGor, The best Tarzan knockoff of the Jungle. I have always liked the KiGor character. He had a long journey from pulps to men's magazines into the 50's. He comes complete with a female character, Helene. Like Jane, at the first she wants to get KiGor back to his english roots. She always seemed a more solid character than Jane to me. Jane, now don't get me wrong, is great - especially when she goes missing from Tarzan and has to stand on her own. But Helene starts out a strong character by falling out of the sky as her plane is in trouble. She is a pilot, a good shot and of course the typical reason for alot of situations KiGor gets into. As the stories went along she becomes a much more sensual character than Jane ever did. This may be as the stories moved from Jungle Stories magazine into more of a men's magazine format later in the run.

Joe at Moonstone has given Martin Powell and I more or less a free reign with the stories, which will be eleven page back up style stories. We are going to do a couple and see what happens.

Martin and I are on the same page with these, mainly because Joe at Moonstone wanted to know what makes KiGor different from Tarzan.

We are going to play up a little used item from KiGor's history. He was raised by a shaman after his true father's death. Also we plan to make KiGor's Africa a very strange and scary place.

So hang around for some good old solid Jungle Action!!!

Easing into the flow....with something a bit sinister.

When the going gets tough, you design Nazi flying robots!

I have had this kicking around in my brain for awhile. Seems like a logical villain for Captain Spectre when the war breaks out on the western front. I guess there should be a Japanese version also, since they exchanged technologies at the end of the war.

Anyway I tried to keep the image and all of the German infantryman during World War 2, including the famous 'potato masher' in the boot, only on a large scale. I figure he should be about 12 ft tall, to make them scary on the battlefield and in the sky.

Yet another of the weird world war two weapons that are so fun to make up.

Thanks for all the kind words and concern...

To all my loyal Legionnaires....Thanks. I do appreciate all the kind words and concern over the recent events.

It will still be awhile before I get back to the Captain Spectre strip. Mainly for two reasons.

One: I was kind of on a slump the last few weeks. I was running out of my very small backlog of strips, and to be honest I have been in kind of a creative block. Nothing seems to be flowing as far as creativity is concerned. I haven't been able to do good layouts, or storytelling. The drawing seems ok, just putting it all together and down on paper seems to be the rough part.

But I am sure that things will work out in a short time and all will be back on track sometime soon. I am sorry, because I was wanting to get this chapter wrapped up sometime soon and move on to the stand alone book shortly.

Two: I had been tired and fixing to start my vacation when the wreck happened. So on the top of needing some time to decompress mentally....I now had to contend with some physical pain from the wreck....it took a day or so but finally these old bones started hurting quite a bit. I am still limping around a bit. Plus now without a vehicle I will be homebound, which in my opinion is a great thing. But all the insurance stuff and arranging the repair of my totalled vehicle took some time and mental energy doing the vacation. So for the next week mostly, I will be working at home on work things. I wish it was on my things. But alas those bills must be paid. No government handouts seem to come my way.

So again thanks to all the Loyal Legionnaires for tuning in and for posting and sending kind words. Without the help of friends in times of need, where would we be.

Thanks to all my friends, and one in particular -- you know who you are.

Also to keep me company this next week, is my constant four footed companion - Chopper, seen above in one of the many drawing assistant positions.

Deer season opens!

Well the title to this post might be misleading. I mean it as a little joke since Friday night on the way home, to start a working vacation to get caught up on a few things, I broadsided a huge buck! I counted seven points with two or more broken off by the weapon of choice - My TRUCK.

The entire front end of the truck is crushed and destroyed. Thank goodness for seat beats and air bags, because I didn't even have time to blink. The buck came out of an approaching vehicles headlines as he bolted across the highway. I hit him full force and he flew to the other side of the highway as I slid into a ditch right in front of a cemetary. Sliding because the fenders were wrapped into one of my tires and I couldn't stear. Ha. The grim reaper missed me again.

So sore, in one piece, and without a vehicle I start my vacation with a bang!!!