56 replies to this topic

[mattgarvey1981]

Hi Guys,

A good friend of mine and fellow Millar worlder Valentin and I have just finished a 5 page preview of a Sci-Fi book we are trying to get off the ground.
Valentin has really done me proud with the the design of the characters and the world they inhabit.

As always you guys are the first to see it.
We’d love to know what you think about it, good and bad criticism is always welcome.
But we’d really like to know if it makes you wanna read more!
Has it grabbed you?

Cheers in advance

Matt

[Kavanagh]

Love the look of it! Very nice design and the story seems very intriguing.

Unfortunately it wouldn't load so I had to read the blurry zoomed version, but looks nice.

Let us know when it comes out!

[Steve Sensible]

I like it. The art is great, and the story is engaging.

The only thing I'd say is that the cover isn't that strong - boring composition, and it's hard to tell what's meant to be happening - there's no indication that he's a cop on the cover, so he just looks like a weirdo with a gun. If he's the main protagonist throughout, then perhaps just a close-up of his face would be a much more arresting (pardon the pun) image, what with his big single eye. The interior art is much better though.

Also, you could use a proof-reader - there were a number of spelling and punctuation errors. A minor quibble, but annoying to a spelling Nazi like myself.

[mattgarvey1981]

you could use a proof-reader - there were a number of spelling and punctuation errors

Thats why i got you guys!

[Adam Balson]

I seriously loved it. Like Steve said there were a few typing errors and the cover doesn't quite show what kind of comic it is but other than that I can't fault it. Like, at all. Great art, great story, great dialogue etc
I like the upside down red A too, that's a pretty awesome logo/trademark. Reminds me a bit of how in Breaking Bad they throw elements from the Periodic Table into the cast and crew's names.
And I like the Judge Dredd vibe I'm getting from the main character while still keeping him unique. I have a soft spot for good guys that aren't nice guys.

EDIT: One very important thing: There HAS to be an X-Ray of his head at one point even if it's just on a tiny screen! I'm really intrigued what his skull would look like and where his rain would go/the shape of it

Edited by Adam Balson, 24 January 2012 - 07:53 PM.

[mattgarvey1981]

Great art, great story, great dialogue etc
I like the upside down red A too, that's a pretty awesome logo/trademark. Reminds me a bit of how in Breaking Bad they throw elements from the Periodic Table into the cast and crew's names.
And I like the Judge Dredd vibe I'm getting from the main character while still keeping him unique. I have a soft spot for good guys that aren't nice guys.

such lovely comments.
Thank you Adam, you are a true gent.

Unfortunately it wouldn't load so I had to read the blurry zoomed version, but looks nice.

i'm sorry you couldnt see it fella.

[Gibsonian]

Agreeing very much with everyones comments here. Where did you find the artist? Find something juicy on them and impose blackmail to ensure that they don't leave you! Excellent stuff and loving the colouring/shading technique used!

Really do love the logo on the front page but yeah, needs a stronger visual. And aren't typos a bitch? I'm married to someone where part of the job is proof reading but still mistakes get through. Very annoying....

[mattgarvey1981]

Find something juicy on them and impose blackmail to ensure that they don't leave you!

didn't work on you!

Where did you find the artist?

Val used to be a member on here.
i helped him script a few things because English isn't his first language.
Being the bloody nice fella he is, He had some free time and as a thanks for helping him out he asked if i had any previews i wanted to get done.
I sent a few over and he liked this idea best.
I think it was a great choice because his style really suits the horror and Sci-fi genre.
and that's how it happened in nut shell.

I'm gonna re-letter it over the weekend and take all the mistakes out, but i stuck it on here because i just like to know what you guys think.
Plus a fresh set (s) of eyes can never hurt.

[Stephen Galvin]

HI Matt,
Lovely work and a very interesting story so far. The only reservation I would have is the caged child. Using clones will not allow a creator to bypass the moral restraints we all work under regarding gratuitous mutilation, or the placing of human like creatures in situations we would find morally reprehensible in real life and something you might want to reflect on. I self censor myself all the time in regards to who I will work for and the type of situations I will show in the adult comics sphere. Yours is general release I presume, so you will have to be even more restrictive on what you show.
I know this has probably not occurred to you, and I was hesitant to mention it in case it was an over reaction to a minor plot point, but many might object to it. (I would, and would not continue to read something that had caged children being grown into sex slaves.) I know this is not what you intended, so I make the point before someone else does.

The lettering on 'Infraction' title bar looks amatuerish compared with the rest of the work as well (Sorry). Again, I know you are looking for a particular faux naive look, but it jibes with the professional level of the rest of the work. Exciting stuff other than those two things.

[mattgarvey1981]

Lovely work and a very interesting story so far. The only reservation I would have is the caged child. Using clones will not allow a creator to bypass the moral restraints we all work under regarding gratuitous mutilation, or the placing of human like creatures in situations we would find morally reprehensible in real life and something you might want to reflect on. I self censor myself all the time in regards to who I will work for and the type of situations I will show in the adult comics sphere. Yours is general release I presume, so you will have to be even more restrictive on what you show.

Hi Stephen,

Thank you so much for stopping by and looking at the preview.
I am so glad you brought this up.
I can totally understand your reservations about the child in the cage.
I do too.
It’s a horrible subject matter to show and its disgusts me that into today’s day and age things like this still happen.
This book is intended for mature readers and I am I’m trying to approach a very sensitive subject in a mature way. I would never show any kind of physical abuse towards a child in anything I write.
Some people are going to be offended by that image and if I have offended anybody I am sorry.
Maybe showing a child in a cage was too much, but I don’t think that image is any more disturbing than any NSPCC advert that appears before the watershed.
I have donated to the NSPCC for years and I think more people should, it’s a charity that does amazing work.
The reason why I added the interaction between Creed and the little girl is because later in the issue the main character frees her.
This was my attempt to give the main character some compassion to a life form that in his world is at the bottom of the social order.

Hopefully that puts your mind at ease about the book.
But all criticism is welcomed and I do appreciate you putting you view on here.

Thanks

Matt

[Stephen Galvin]

Hi Matt,
It isn't that I'm offended. Only uneasy. Treated properly, it is a valid concept. These things happen, and we raise other species in captivity to eat them, so aliens might take the same view. It's just a word to the wise, is all. I have no problem with artists and writers offending people. It's part of our job. But that one is delicate in a visual medium like a comic. A good example of another delicate subject is rape.If you remember the whole 'evil that men do' saga with the spidrman and the Black Cat, you will know what I mean. Dodson does really sexy female characters, and so it became impossible to avoid accusations of titillation, even though the same man is a highly principled person, in a stable relationship with a female co-creator. You will have to be very clear in the moral message throughout if you are going to mix sex, slavery, the murder and mutilation of women, and have them shown being grown from presumably a baby. You should deal with these things, in my opinion, if it's part of the story, and you think it is neccesary, but it might be wise to imply, or refer to off panel stuff, rather than directly show it. I am totally on your side by the way, so there is no critiscism of you at all. It just struck me as an area where you would have to be careful.
Just an opinion, and other people might take a totally different view. Sorry if I have alarmed you.

[mattgarvey1981]

Sorry if I have alarmed you.

Hi Stephen,

Don’t worry you didn’t alarm me.
I just wanted to reassure you that I was trying to tackle a sensitive subject in the correct way.
I value your opinion and I am glad that you brought it up, like you said “before someone else did”

Thanks again

[James L. Sarandis]

I think it's a nice solid read and has me interested in more. Is this planned as a miniseries or ongoing?

[mattgarvey1981]

I think it's a nice solid read and has me interested in more. Is this planned as a miniseries or ongoing?

Hi James,

Thank you for the lovely comments.
Its planned as a set of 3 3 issue story arcs but could keep going as an on going because there is always gonna be crime!
I have the first nine issues planned out and the overall first nine issues would make a complete story, but i think it has the potential run forever!!!!!!

[brucegray666]

Oh God! That main character is hideous!

Love it!

How are you planning on releasing it? Single issues or as a OGN?

[mattgarvey1981]

How are you planning on releasing it? Single issues or as a OGN?

hey Brucey baby, thanks for stopping by
I'm gonna try and get it published or self publishit myself, like an old school undergorund comic.
but ideally i'f rather a company pick up the bill for printing it.
I'd love it to be an ongoing series, because i have some great ideas for it.

[Peter Singer]

Matt, your colouring is shit! (I'm starting to like saying that...)





Oh plz give us moar of that stuff it's really good!

Btw. I would offer to do a cover but you know how slow I am....

[mattgarvey1981]

Matt, your colouring is shit! (I'm starting to like saying that...)

Sorry buddy, not my colouring but you are always welcome to say that im shit!
Thanks for liking it, your cheque is in the post

[James L. Sarandis]

I didn't realize you had Mother Theresa on the cover. Ha!

I can't wait till you get this thing going.

[mattgarvey1981]

I didn't realize you had Mother Theresa on the cover. Ha!

yeah she didnt make it in the final cut of the script!