This blog began in 1997 as a single news page called Nucelus. In 2005, during a long wait to move into a new house, I decided to learn some php and MySQL and write my own blogging system, which became inkyBlog and which now powers this, my own Webbledegook blog.
Thank you to my brother, Murray Ewing, for help with some of the more challenging aspects!
It also features a wonderful spread of other brilliant comics - Bunny vs Monkey, Simon Swift, Gary's Garden, Troy Trailblazer, Von Doogan, and a fabulous Corpse Talk featuring yet more samurai - and ninja (plus a rather amazing board game!).
Here's a little spot for you - a teeny-weeny tribute to Tintin ...
There's also a terrific competition in which you can win a copy of The Complete Rainbow Orchid, as well as a fantastic bundle of Phoenix comic goodies.
1
How can I read The Secret of the Samurai?
You can take out a subscription to The Phoenix here. Alternatively, if you have an iPad, you can get the digital version with The Phoenix app. You can also wait for the individual issues to become available in the back-issues section of the online shop and buy them there (The Secret of the Samurai will appear in issues 75 - 78). The Phoenix is available across the UK in various book and comic shops, as well as many branches of Waitrose - find a stockist here (there's even one in Dublin). If you're in the US then you can contact Big Planet Comics who will order The Phoenix in.
Update: There is now a Samurai bundle available at the online shop.
Will The Secret of the Samurai be available as a book?
That is my intention, but as Samurai is just a 20-page story I have a 'stand-alone sequel' in mind to join it in order to make a complete album. This means a book will be some time off yet. Samurai will not be the next book - that is already planned and I will be starting it soon.
Will The Secret of the Samurai be available as a webcomic?
I'm hoping to make the first couple of pages available as an online preview, but I doubt it'll be much more than that. Its main home is The Phoenix and I do urge you to try and read it there - you'll discover a whole host of great British comics alongside Julius. Don't worry though, there are plans afoot for new Julius Chancer online.
Update: A preview is now available online.
Does The Secret of the Samurai have all the old characters again, Lily, Nathaniel, Evelyn Crow etc?
No - this story takes place a couple of years before the The Rainbow Orchid. The only characters you'll recognise are Julius Chancer, Sir Alfred Catesby-Grey, and Charlotte, the housekeeper.
What is The Secret of the Samurai about?
I don't want to give too much away, but I will say it has a bit of a detective story feel to it, a dash of mystery, and - of course - some good old historic artefact adventure! Locations include the Victoria and Albert Museum, an old library, some cavalry barracks, a women's ju-jutsu class, and a misty forest. All in twenty pages!
In the meantime I can tell you that The Secret of the Samurai will debut in issue 75 of The Phoenix (no. 73 came out today). To make sure you don't miss it (and a load of other fantastic stories), visit the Phoenix shop right here.
In other news, I'll be selling, signing and sketching at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in Kendal, which takes place 19-20 October. I'll also be at this year's Edinburgh International Book Festival - taking part in three events on Sunday 25 August - more on that soon.
Right ... back to the drawing board!
As already stated, this is a shorter adventure of 20 pages (four episodes of five pages each) and it takes place a couple of years before the events depicted in The Rainbow Orchid. Look out for more information soon, and in the meantime, go and check out The Phoenix's brand new website!
So, please excuse me if I'm a little slower than usual with emails, work and book orders for a while - I'll try not to be!
This is a shorter adventure (20 pages), though my plan is that one day I will do a connected but equally stand-alone story of the same length, so there's the possibility they could be published together as a complete book. I will try and post more art and more details over the next few weeks. This will not derail the full-length (60-80 pages) adventure I have plotted and ready to start - hopefully this summer.
Some recent Rainbow Orchid press has included a lovely review at Dancing With Skeletons, and an overview of the Spanish edition at Lina Clara Hoy. The French language edition has been out for a month now and I've seen mentions on Klare Lijn International, BD Zoom and Génération BD.
They were for some kind of monster book for the Crystal Palace Book Festival, though I never managed to get a copy so can't offer any more details. I only submitted the top one, but I think now I prefer the bottom one - especially as it seems to catch spiders!
1) Script. I tend to plot out the story in a notebook and then type it up. I use Scrivener to type up and revise my notes and final scripts.
2) Thumbnails. These are usually sketched out as I script and are used to rough out the page layout and general composition of panels. Very rough!
3) Master artboard. I use A3 Goldline Bristol Board. Here you can see all the panels ruled out for this page. All I have to do now is simply fill in each box with a complete drawing ... easy!
4) Lettering guide. I scan in the empty-panelled artboard (3), put on the lettering in Photoshop, and print it out so I know how much room each speech balloon will take up. If I have more time I sometimes draw a second set of roughs on this sheet as well, but often the thumbnails (2) are enough.
5) Ballon guide. Each of those cut out square corresponds to the space a different size speech balloon will take up - 2 lines, 3 lines, 4 lines etc., as dictated by (4). I use it to mark out the space on the master artboard (3) so I know how much room they will take up in the panel.
6) Sketchbook. This is where I will work out difficult poses and compositions etc.
7) Tools. This is where I keep in-use pencils, pens, erasers and rulers. I use a clutch pencil with an H or HB lead for drawing the first stage of the finished art. I use an Edding 8404 Aerospace marker for most straight (ruled) lines, including panel borders (this is also the pen I use for sketching at conventions). As well as block erasers (usually a Pentel Hi-Polymer) I also have an ultra-fine eraser 'pen' (currently a Tombo).
8) Ink. Just above the number (8) you can see my inkwell - an antique brass holder with a hinged lid containing a ceramic well-pot (ceramic is easy to clean). I refill it regularly from a large 250ml bottle of Winsor & Newton black India Ink. On the far right of the number you can just see a tin pen-tray where I keep my dip pens. I have recently changed from using a Hunt 107 nib to a Hunt 102. There are also two or three water receptacles, for black ink and for coloured inks and an old jam jar with an assortment of pens and brushes - I use the brushes for solid black areas on the art (mostly a Royal Soft Grip SG 250 no.2).
9) Nibs. Above the number (9) is a little tin box for new nibs (Hunt 107 and 102), a scalpel, and another tin tray of various pens, spare pencils, pencil leads (H and HB), sharpeners and extra erasers.
Not numbered, along the top, are additional items such as coloured inks, reserves of India ink, compass, dividers, stapler, glue, and various shape guides (flexi-curve, circle stencil, etc.). I have a small low table next to my art desk where I stack in-use reference books (often piling up on the floor as well).
As you can see, the scene is very complicated and it took a long time to do. I was a little worried when I came to ink it that it would be just an amorphous mass of chaotic detail, but also fairly confident that colour would sort it all out in the end. The main character has a slightly lighter tone than his fellow ashigaru, and the sky is at its brightest right behind him in order to direct the focus, even if it is subtle!
Two marvellous posters have been made, and both include Julius Chancer - on the left by Grant Perkins and on the right by Phil Buckenham.
Not much other news at the moment except to say that I am busy drawing a new (20-page) Julius Chancer story - more details to come in a month or two. In the meantime I'll point you to this very nice review of The Complete Rainbow Orchid by Lew Stringer on the final post of his Blimey blog (and do check out his new blog here).
previous