ZOMBIE BITES

Infozombie Podcast: Skin Crawling Comics

2013-05-23T04:44:00.000-04:00

Here is an excellent podcast from Infozombie where Carl Boehm, Paul Chapman, Rachel Pandich chat about Skin Crawling Comics and publishing in general. Check Out Carl at Infozombie and Paul at The Greatest Movie Ever! Podcast and The Silicon Chickens Project.

As I type this, I've finished coloring all the pages for Buried and I'm working on the title page. I'll be finished with everything, hopefully, tomorrow. However, keep watching this space. I will be posting new and interesting Skin Crawling bits as I discover them. :-)

The Buried team:

Bryant Dillon - Writer Chris Thorne - Artist

Adam Wollet - Letterer

Rachel Pandich - Editor Gerald Rathkolb - Editor

From the Archives: Vampire Hunter

2013-05-22T01:11:00.003-04:00

Here's a vampire hunter from a story world I was developing some time ago. In this world, most of the protagonists and antagonists were vampires. He was to be a bit of an ass and difficult to get along with.

The tragedy of his character was that the only reason he was disagreeable was to keep others at bay to protect them from being killed because his line of work was so deadly. My intent with him was to also make him a little greasy and dirty from being on the run so much of the time. Poor fella never really even had time for a proper haircut. I may still use this guy, but the world he'll end up in will have much greater menaces than vampires.

{Graphite}

Featured Creature: Slave of Vz

2013-05-21T05:55:00.000-04:00

Following is one of the 911 call records from the Santee 57 Incident that occurred the evening of May 1st, 2012 at 9:12PM EST:

"Dispatcher: 911 Where is your emergency?

Male Caller: There's been an accident!

Dispatcher: What's your location Sir?

Male Caller: I'm at the Santee 57 Motel. A woman just crashed her suburban into the side of the motel. She was thrown out, She's lying face down.

Dispatcher: Can you tell me where she is wounded?

Male Caller: Wait . Uhm - she's gettin up. She's smiling - I think she's drunk or something. Oh man. She's stumbling around. She's all messed up -

Dispatcher: Sir I need you to keep her from moving -

Male Caller: There's a trucker here too he's trying to get her to sit down. She leaning up against the wall. Uhm - She's not right. There's something wrong with her.

Dispatcher: Can you see where she is wounded sir?

Male Caller: Her hands, she - she's got black stuff all over her. It looks like oil or something. She's sick or something. Oh my God...there's uh, there's stuff growin' outta her skin!

Dispatcher: Sir please keep her from moving, I've got EMS on the way.

Other Male Voice: (garbled) -ey lady you need to...HEY!

(screeching)

Male Caller:   -OHMYGOD! She's freaking out! She just grabbed him. They're fighting man.

Dispatcher: Sir! Sir!

Male Caller: (garbled) He just clocked her! She's -

(wet spraying sounds)

(man screaming)

Dispatcher: Sir! Sir! I need you to calm down and tell me what is happening.

Male Caller:   WHAT THE HELL! She -

(Wet spraying noise)

(Screaming)

(Gurgling / wheezing noises)

Dispatcher: Sir! Sir! I need you to tell me what is happening!

Male Caller:   She just puked black stuff all over him. HOLY SHIT! HOLY SHIT! OHMYGOD!

(Vomiting)

(heavy breathing)

Male Caller:   He's down! HE'S DOWN! HIS FACE IS MELTIN OFF!

(heavy breathing)

Male Caller:   OHMYGOD!!!

(Screeching)

(Running)

(Wet spraying Sounds)

(Scream)

Male Caller: NO NO NO NO NO

(Heavy Breathing)

(Running)

(Keys rattling)

(Keys on Pavement)

(Scream)

(Keys rattling)

Male Caller: Fuck Fuck Fuck

(The following portions spoken by the woman were transcribed to the nearest phonetic estimation. Matches to known languages have not been found at this time.)

Woman: (Deep Voice, Chanting)
Vinproky dayetsyav kozhnomu zenas! Vin prykhodyt!
Vinproky dayetsyav kozhnomu zenas! Vin prykhodyt!

Male Caller: cmon cmon cmon

(keys rattling)

Woman: (Louder) Vin prykhodyt! Svyatynya Vz , ya staty svyatym. Velyky vyttya nazavzhdy.

(Car door slams)

(doors locking)

(keys rattling)

Dispatcher: Sir, Are you safe? Sir?

(Car ignition trying to turn over)

Male Caller: Come on Come on Come on -

(Thump on car window)

(Scream)

(Car ignition trying to turn over)

Male Caller: COME ON GODDAMNIT!

Woman: (louder): Prydit do Mene Vz povynni potsiluvaty teb!

(Car Starting)

(Car window breaking)

(Screams)

(Wet spraying noises)

(Struggling)

(Car horn)

(Screams)

(Car horn continues)

(Car horn stops)

Woman: (faint chanting) Vin prykhodyt! Vin prykhodyt! Vin prykhodyt!

(Wet Noises)

(Car idling)

---

(Call ends)"

{Sharpie and Uni-ball Vision Elite Pen with color added in Adobe Photoshop}

New Abstract: On The Verge

2013-05-20T01:11:00.004-04:00

Unforeseen and unremarked, the moment of revelation approaches.

Recommended Listening:

Faun

Oyneng Yar

from Eden

{Digital Images manipulated in Adobe Photoshop}

New Abstract: Wizard in The Blue Room

2013-05-17T01:11:00.000-04:00

He swims the infinite sea.

Recommended Listening:

Sjellos

All Hope Gone

from Transmission Lost

{Digital Images manipulated in Adobe Photoshop}

Skin Crawling Comics Update 05.16.13

2013-05-16T11:11:00.000-04:00

Here's the inked cover image for Skin Crawling Comics by NJValente. You can also check out more of his artwork at deviantart: NJValente.

Hopefully by the time this posts I'll be at the tail end of completing the coloring for Buried, or at least that is my hope / plan. :-) I've just put the finishing touches on page six and it's my favorite one so far. I'll post more info when I can, but for right now enjoy this cool cover while I go wash scary images in creepy tones. Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha - cough - cough - cough - I gotta get some sleep.

The Buried team:

Bryant Dillon - Writer Chris Thorne - Artist

Adam Wollet - Letterer

Rachel Pandich - Editor Gerald Rathkolb - Editor

Somebody Got My Letter: Fist of Jesus

2013-05-16T01:11:00.000-04:00

Support the Fist of Jesus, You know you want to.

From the Archives: The Phalman

2013-05-15T01:11:00.001-04:00

"Androgynous but with a high level of brute strength, the Phalman is a savage and dangerous entity. No one knows exactly where it came from or if its species is other than human. Some speculate that it is a demon in the form of a man, others say that is like a werewolf but in a perpetual state of madness and savagery."

I drew this creature to be part of a larger comic book world I was creating long ago involving vampires as the primary antagonists and protagonists, but the creature itself is not vampiric. In one scene I wrote, two men look directly into the eyes of the Phalman and go mad with fear. I never did decided exactly what was going on here, but I knew that this thing left behind a bloody trail wherever it traveled.

I enjoy the hair design, but I've always enjoyed a good hair stripe. Hmph...maybe I'll have to reinvestigate this idea for the Featured Creature. I never did do a full figure piece of this creature.

{Sharpie}

Featured Creature: Prisoner of Vz

2013-05-14T05:55:00.000-04:00

From Marge Hollander's Digest of Demons and Devils:

The Chornoho Zabuttya, the hood of oblivion, is described in the ancient Die Tür Des Bösen as a curse of the highest order. It is considered a Doom. The exact method of creation of a Prisoner of Vz is unknown as there are no recorded survivors of this curse. There have been only five recorded sightings of a prisoner of Vz.

One prominent incident from the early twentieth century involved a circus owner who had unknowingly crossed paths with a Priest of Vz. The recent discovery of the diaries of Ms. Cheyenne Svitlo, an amateur reporter and occult detective, brings us new evidence of the incident. She recorded one carnival man's testimony of the dark event:

"Cecil had been been missing for well on two months. Everybody thought he'd gone back home to Missouri, but one morning in April, bout the time that the skeeters cum back, we found him near the main carriage tied up and screamin. Nobody could figger how he got thar. Just all of a sudden there he were.

It weren't right what was done to that man. Tha' Devil hisself only could done that to 'im. His face - his face - well...They sewed a black hood on his head like what they use for hangin. They sewed right into his skin. He was bleeding through it and screamin'. It was sewed so tight and in so many places we couldn't get it off without takin his face off with it. It weren't right. Lord, it'd take a mighty hateful soul to do that to anybody.

He was sickly too, that was for sure. I reckon maybe he had an infection from what was done to his head. His skin was all pale and blue and you could see his veins all dark beneath. He weren't long for livin'. We tried to find out what'd happened, who took 'im, but all he did was scream for Barnabas, the owner. We tried to give 'im some whiskey for the pain till we could get a doctor, but he went crazy and broke loose.

He started running around the camp looking for Barnabas. Something was changing in him. His skin had started splittin' and oozin' out this horrible black stuff that smelled like - well it smelled like death is what. Nobody would go near him after that. He just kept screamin' for Baranabas. I hid behind a booth. Pardon me for sayin so ma'am, but I was so skeered I just bout pissed myself.

Barnabas had gone to town and had just cum back when Cecil started running around. Something happened then when Barnabas got close and saw Cecil. It was like somethin passed tween the two a 'em. Cecil stopped screaming and just kinda went slack like a shirt with nobody in it no more. By then his hands had already melted and that balck tar was pouring outta him like a firehose. He started making a sound like a creaky old wooden gate and he walked right up to Barnabas and then, well, they both exploded. I ain't never seen nothing like it. They both went up like two sticks a dynamite.

I wish I could say that were they end of it, but it weren't. That black stuff that was oozin' out a Cecil before he died got all over when he exploded. Luckily, I was hidin behind a booth, but a bunch a others got hit hard with it. Everybody that got hit with that stuff or even touched what was left behind took sick the very next day. They all turned pale and was vomitin'. I din't have no lady friend nor family in the circus, it was just me. It seemed like everybody what had kin to care for or was married got sick too. First time I ken say I felt lucky being all alone.

By the end of that week they was all actin' weird and started gittin' boils and tumors on their faces. Everybody started talkin funny like I ain't ever heard a'fore. It weren't no English and it weren't French neither. I used to know a French gal over in Tupelo. I dint know what and I dint care. I packed up my bindle and got outta thar. Sure I was gonna be a hobo, but I weren't scared of that. I'd been on the road a fore, but I weren't gonna get eat up by the Devil's black tar. I heard later they all got up and wondered off one night. Left all the carriages and animals and the tents. Left all their belongins. Just went.

Ma'am, the Lord was lookin' after me when he told me to pack my bag. It's only by his grace that I never touched any of that tar. Otherwise I'd be out thar right now wandering the night."

{Sharpie and Uni-ball Vision Elite Pen with color added in Adobe Photoshop}

New Abstract: The Empty Man

2013-05-13T01:11:00.001-04:00

Chaos swirls around him
consuming even the most simple of moments
in an escalating conflagration.

Recommended Listening:

Coph Nia

The Lord of Air

from Shape Shifter

{Digital Images manipulated in Adobe Photoshop}

New Abstract: He Bears His Light

2013-05-10T01:11:00.000-04:00

The weight of understanding creates the necessity of its own strength

Recommended Listening:

Eden

Rain Washed

from Gateway To The Mysteries

{Digital Images manipulated in Adobe Photoshop}

My Skin Crawling Comics Update

2013-05-09T11:11:00.000-04:00

Just a quick update on my progress with the work I'm doing on the Skin Crawling Comics Anthology story, Buried. I'm digging in deep with the coloring and learning a lot as I go. This is my first experience with coloring comic book work to be printed. In the past, I've done lots of print work for newspaper and some penciling and inking for comics, but this is my first opportunity to do coloring. There are so many things to learn my brain itches...or maybe it's just time to shower.

As I type this I've just wrapped up pages one and two and I'm on the verge of finishing up page three. Not very exciting I know, but I don't want to spill the beans on any of the story or images until the book comes out. I will mention that the color work I'm doing for Buried is very similar to my greyscale tonal work I've done on many of the Featured Creatures.

These are the cool people I'm working with on the Buried creative and editorial team:

Bryant Dillon - Writer

Chris Thorne - Artist

Adam Wollet - Letterer

Rachel Pandich - Editor

Gerald Rathkolb - Editor

UPDATE Night of the Living Dead: Barbara Zombie Greyscale

2013-05-09T01:11:00.000-04:00

Here we have the greyscale of an earlier drawing of Barbara from the original Night of the Living Dead, after we see her dragged into an undead horde. With there being no living flesh left at the old farm house, she is wandering off into the night to find something fresh.

I've been meaning to get the greyscale for this piece finished for some time. Other things kept jumping in front, but I finally sat down and put on Night of the Living Dead and stayed until the greyscale was complete. With this being Barbara, I wanted to do something a little special and give her a fancy background.

{Sharpie with tones added in Adobe Photoshop}

From the Archives: Neon Vampire

2013-05-08T01:11:00.000-04:00

Here's something I recently drew at the library in between other things. I hadn't done any fresh sharpie work in a bit and decided to play to loosen up and pass the time. I've been so focused lately on more realistic lighting for the Featured Creatures that on this one I just wanted to cut loose and go more emotive.

{Sharpie}

Featured Creature: The Spawn of Vz

2013-05-07T01:11:00.002-04:00

"Slowly, I moved into the room. The smell of mildew and rot was overwhelming. I covered my mouth and nose with my shirt sleeve, trying not to gag. The floor was a sea of trash: half eaten pizza crusts, emptied soup cans, a bicycle tire, myriad candy bar wrappers, a soiled shirt, empty soda cans and bottles, a child's stuffed animal, wadded paper and boxes, and several filthy overturned buckets. As I crossed into the room, large dark shapes skittered out of my path, disappearing into the canyons of trash.

There was an altar set up against the adjacent wall. It was as dirty as the rest of the house and covered in a cacophony of objects: a mean looking handmade knife crusted with suspicious stains, a open soup can overflowing with writhing shapes, a small pot with some black liquid in it, and several ugly figurines that appeared to be carved out of bone. Large runes had been painted on the wall in what I could only assume was excrement and bodily fluids. On the altar, only two candles remained burning. Their dim flames flickered and danced, casting odd shadows. At the edges of the altar were the scores of candles that had melted and burned out some time ago. The wax had dripped off and onto the floor in rippled layers. I heard the soft splat of something wet hitting the floor to my left.

The door angled back towards closing, revealing the spawn. On the floor was a pile of bones and wet furry chunks that I tried not to look at too closely. The priest had obviously been caring for it and feeding it live tribute. The wall was splattered with layers of its expulsions and a portion was covered in a swath of black mold. The spawn hadn't formed fully yet and was still growing. Its bulbous black cocoon pulsed and dripped. It had been nestled in the corner when I entered, asleep I guess. It stretched its face out toward me and hissed softly.

It made a choked gurgle and spat out a thick stream of black fluid. I barely dodged in time. I moved quickly behind the door. The spot on the floor where the black tar landed began to smoke and deform, filling the space with acrid smoke. I fled the altar room and stood just outside, composing myself and trying not to vomit. Trapped in its cocoon, the spawn was vulnerable. There was only one thing to do. In the other room, the thing knew my intent immediately. It began to scream and thrash against the wall.

I grabbed the container of gasoline I'd brought with me and began dousing the floor and the walls of the abandoned house."

{Sharpie and Uni-ball Vision Elite Pen with color added in Adobe Photoshop}

I usually don't attach recommended listening to the Featured Creatures, but I was listening to this repeatedly while working on the image and story. It seems fitting.

Recommended Listening:
Lamia Vox
Descend
from ...Introductio

New Abstract: The Observer

2013-05-06T01:11:00.001-04:00

Gently, from the cocoon of the past, the future emerges.

Recommended Listening:

Nordvardr

Pyrrhula One

from Pyrrhula

{Digital Images manipulated in Adobe Photoshop}

New Abstract: Becoming Stranger

2013-05-03T01:11:00.003-04:00

My past is not my future,
my mind is not my heart,
my skin in not my soul.
The temple of my life's meaning
is the full action of my existence.
It cannot be measured by me
until my passing into silence
and even then
I have no assurances of truth.

I am a stranger to myself,
but sometimes,
through the clouds,
I catch glimpses.

Recommended Listening:

Emme Ya

The Backward Path

from Atavistic Dreams and Phallic Totems

{Digital Images manipulated in Adobe Photoshop}

The Evil Within Trailer

2013-05-02T01:11:00.001-04:00

New from Bethesda.

From the Archives: Digital Zombie Self-Portrait

2013-05-01T01:11:00.003-04:00

In this piece I was trying to develop a digital style to help create comics more easily. This method turned out to be much more involved and time consuming than simple hand drawing. I do like the final look of this piece, but it took way too much time to get to arrive at this state.

When I created this I didn't have the Bamboo tablet I have now. I may revisit this idea again at some point later. Maybe I'll combine hand drawn elements with some of the effects shown here in the coloring process.

{Digital Images manipulated in Adobe Photoshop}

Featured Creature: The Devil's Square, Hooded Figure

2013-04-30T01:11:00.005-04:00

Excerpt from Liam Hofstadter's report for the Department of Extranormal Phenomena (DEP), Superhuman and Supernatural Threats in the New Millennium:

"This hooded figure has been observed on multiple occasions interacting with the Devil's Square team. We are unsure of its exact association with that group, but the creature is obviously other dimensional in origin. However, it does not match records of any known species currently operating within the earth sphere.

After each encounter with this creature, the Devil's Square level of recorded activity has increased and culminated in the theft of some ancient artifact. At this time, DEP has not correlated a connection between the artifacts the Square has stolen. It is this department's opinion that this creature may be the leader of the Devil's Square. If this creature is not the leader of that group, it is most certainly motivating them in their current quest. Whether that motivation is through threat or reward is unknown.

The department have lost several psychics during remote viewing attempts to access this being's thoughts and emotional emanations. Each has suffered intense mental discontinuity after the attempts and each has required involuntary commitment for their continued personal well being. At the time of this report, none have recovered."

{Sharpie and Uni-ball Vision Elite Pen with tones added in Adobe Photoshop}

The Devil's Square team was inspired by the From The Archives post, Heads.

New Abstract: Abrasax at the Door to the Realm of Mirrors

2013-04-29T01:11:00.003-04:00

He breathed a whisper upon the apparatus.
It shimmered and rippled,
its oscillations murmuring with a quiet ecstatic sigh.
Enfolding into his reflection,
the uncreated Father kissed himself into the world.

Recommended Listening:

Arktau Eos

Language of Embers

from Mirrorion

{Digital Images manipulated in Adobe Photoshop}

New Abstract: Fires of the Forsaken

2013-04-26T01:11:00.002-04:00

"In the distance, the clouds of their campfires could be seen, filling the air with oily black smoke. They were burning everything they could find, just to stay warm, just to stay alive. It seemed as though the whole world were on fire."

Recommended Listening:

Elend

Silent Slumber: A God That Breeds Pestilence

from Winds Devouring Men

{Digital Images manipulated in Adobe Photoshop}

Out of the Chaos of April: Skin Crawling Comics

2013-04-25T02:22:00.000-04:00

Within the turbulent chaos of the month of April, I was very lucky to have a shiny happy moment come to me. There were two actually, but you've already heard about my lifesaving laptop. My other bright spot is that I recently have joined the ranks of creators involved in the Skin Crawling Comics horror anthology.

I feel very lucky to be a part of this book. When I found the blurbs for Skin Crawling, I thought I'd missed my chance to participate, but when I contacted Rachel Pandich, she informed me that there were still coloring to be done for the book. After a short set of playing email tag with bits of my portfolio smack in the middle my computer crashed. So I spent several weeks literally chewing the back of my hand in frustration, but it was meant to be. My computer issues were resolved by a shiny new to me used laptop and I was able to say yes to Skin Crawling. I'll be doing the coloring for a story entitled Buried. I don't want to spoil anything before you see the finished product so I'll keep my mouth shut for now. Suffice to say, watch this space and I'll keep you posted on Skin Crawling. :-)

Here are some informative links about Skin Crawling:

Skin Crawling Press Release on Fanboy Comics

Rachel Pandich

Interview about Skin Crawling on Fanboy Comics

Skin Crawling Facebook

The CISPA Blackout May Be Over....

2013-04-24T01:11:00.002-04:00

Feeling uncomfortable yet? Wait until CISPA passes.

The Blackout against CISPA may be over but battle stills rages. If your privacy is important to you, I urge you to investigate the nature of CISPA and contact your representatives as soon as possible.

HELP STOP CISPA!

2013-04-22T22:39:00.003-04:00