2018 has been a very good year. I’m so lucky to work with some immense talent, have submissions accepted by great indie labels and some amazing mainstream publishers whose output I've been avidly reading since I was a kid (more on that later.) So, much love & thanks for all the positive support. But also for the scathing critiques and rejections from editors and friends alike. These toughened me up and increased my endurance and desire to get my work refined and accepted. If you can hang on when times are tough, take criticism on the chin and force yourself to get better, and help others where you can along the way, then you can be a writer. At least, that’s what I’ve taken from it.
Bruce Lee famously said; don't pray for an easy life, but for the strength to endure a hard one. Life is hard, there is a long way to go yet, but today I'm having a quiet break with my wife (who’s working busily on her PhD) and preparing to keep pushing in 2018.
For the next 2 days, we will relax and recharge. Then it’s back to the marathon, and keeping her lit, as they say ;) #writing #writersofinstagram #writinglife
My wife & popped in to grab my weekly comics @comicbookguysni & drop off a few trades when we got talking to this young guy & his pal about #comics . They were just starting out as readers & were trying out some #Avengers books. I happened to have some #Xmen books that I was going to trade with Aaron, but I hate to miss an opportunity to get folks into comics, so I gave them to the young readers to try out. Hopefully they’ll enjoy em as much as I did & come back to check out more! #comicsforkids #getkidsreading #marvelcomics #comicbooks #comicreader #movetheneedle
One of my great interests in life is #philosophy . It’s been a tremendous asset to me, to be able to think critically & outside of the box. Sometimes people think I’m arguing with them, when in fact for me, it’s lively debate in an effort to get to the heart of the matter. The truth, you see, is the ultimate philosophical goal. Which is increasingly difficult in our current age of opinion. So, I’ve been putting my books in order lately & it occurred to me that we live in troubled times where misinformation runs rife. Biologically were inclined to pick a side, rather than to look at the bigger picture. Opinions are given the same weight as facts. Post-modern doctrine threatens to eradicate universal truth. That might be worrying. But you see, we’re also engineered to be curious. It’s this curiosity that asks the questions that may lead to the answers to the great mysteries, problems & vexations of life. Science has a tendency to take the baton passed from philosophy & run with it. So what am I getting at? I’m suggesting a simple solution to today’s miasma of pseudo-intellectual hysteria. It’s this:Think critically. Ask questions. Don’t trust everything you read. & most importantly, stay curious. Because in today’s age of agenda it’s more important than ever that we know the truth, before we blindly rush in 😉 #philosophical #philosopher #truth
Today I turned 37, so want to say thanks to everyone for the lovely Birthday wishes! Now, as most of you know I’m a life long #comicbooknerd . I’m actually very lucky because I’ve always been able to afford #comicbooks , one way or another. But I’ve noticed that sometimes they can be quite expensive for younger readers like my next-door neighbour Annie here, so I thought a nice thing to do for avid younger readers & to get more people involved in comics, is to give a gift sometimes. Something you’re not going to read again, or in my case, will buy the tpb of at some point. I know Annie loves #Batman & @dccomics so I left her over my complete set of #darkknightsmetal to enjoy. I’ll buy them in trade down the line, but in the meantime it’s more satisfying to know someone else will enjoy them, & help keep the ole comic business afloat in the future. If anyone else wants in, all you have to do is donate those back issues to someone you think might love them. It’s nice to pass it on 😉 #comicbookgeek #comicbookcollector #lovecomics #movetheneedle
A very #happyeaster everyone. Instead of eggs, I’m enjoying a coffee & some #comicbooks courtesy of my lovely wife this morning, sat in bed surrounded by our little feline pals. @dccomics continues some incredibly fun books with #dcnewageofheroes . I’m loving #silencer & #theterrifics . @insta2000ad have produced one of the most beautiful books I’ve seen in years with #thefallofdeadworld . It’s also a really great read. & finishing @idwpublishing’s #thecrow Memento Mori was brilliant, upholding an interesting legacy of characters called back for revenge. A great day to relax & read comics. Thanks for that @comicbookguysni #comicbooknerd #movetheneedle
I often reflect on #TheCrow as one of the most formative films I’ve watched. In later years I’d realise how much it influenced me as a writer. A macabre tale of injustice, reemergence, revenge & ultimately reconciliation. It’s a dark romance of the soul & I always find myself thinking about it, melancholically. Channelling it into my own, unsettling, sometimes overwrought tales with unexpected outcomes. Perhaps because the star of the film, Brandon Lee, son of the legendary Bruce, tragically passed away during its filming. The sad lore of the post-production makes the film even more affecting when the credits roll. It’s the Anniversary of Brandon Lee’s passing today. March 31st, 1993. I was coming twelve at the time, & about to watch his final performance. In a film that has affected me ever since.
Traded my #transformers CW #Bruticus for the Heavy arms Shadowfisher upgrade version, & what a monster he is. This is aesthetically my favourite version of the character, I think. Great trade #3rdpartytransformers
#cathedral #derry
#derry #bogside #architecture
#derry #guildhall #architecturephotography #architecture
2018 has been a very good year. I’m so lucky to work with some immense talent, have submissions accepted by great indie labels and some amazing mainstream publishers whose output I've been avidly reading since I was a kid (more on that later.) So, much love & thanks for all the positive support. But also for the scathing critiques and rejections from editors and friends alike. These toughened me up and increased my endurance and desire to get my work refined and accepted. If you can hang on when times are tough, take criticism on the chin and force yourself to get better, and help others where you can along the way, then you can be a writer. At least, that’s what I’ve taken from it. Bruce Lee famously said; don't pray for an easy life, but for the strength to endure a hard one. Life is hard, there is a long way to go yet, but today I'm having a quiet break with my wife (who’s working busily on her PhD) and preparing to keep pushing in 2018. For the next 2 days, we will relax and recharge. Then it’s back to the marathon, and keeping her lit, as they say ;) #writing #writersofinstagram #writinglife
After many years hunting forums & eBay for #transformers classics at a reasonable price, I finally completed the full set of #transformersseekers : #starscream & his brood. There’s an extra Henki #Thundercracker & #acidstorm for show. It speaks volumes about the obsessive mind of collectors that we’ll go after a single master-mould with different paint jobs, but they sure look good on display. #transformerstoys #skywarp #thrust #ramjet #dirge
I really appreciate a good #horror title, so my interest in #Infidel from @imagecomics was piqued when my retailer @comicbookguysni mentioned it last week. I’m also wary of anything overtly political, that sacrifices story for point scoring or virtue signalling. So I reigned in my excitement for this title, for fear it would be tiresome handwringing at the state of modern cultural divisiveness over a well crafted scare-yarn. It wasn’t. Infidel by Pornsak Pichetshote & Aaron Campbell is a very well realised & an intensely scary book. Highest recommendation for appreciators of good horror. #horrorcomics #comicbooks #imagecomics #movetheneedle
I’ve seen the #simonbisley layouts, (soon to be fully painted by @ryanbrownart )for part 2 our #esthertherelique story & they’re looking beautiful so far. Stay tuned for more #esthercomic updates as they come in. #comicbooks #comics #comicbookart #indiecomics
Lovely tribute to one of the guiding lights of science & culture #ripstephenhawkings
#dusk #scary #trees
#mist #woods #dusk #scary
Just reblogging @ryanbrownart’s update on #esthertherelique concerns what’s happening with the comic. I can’t say anything as the next big statement will likely be from the company itself. Just to say thanks to everyone for all the continued patience & support for the project. We can’t wait to tell you more 😊 #esthercomic #comicbooks #simonbisley #indiecomics
@liammccormacksharp’s #braveandthebold has to be one of the most stunning books I’ve seen all year. The art is his best yet I think, & the colouring so subtle & effective. What I liked as well, is the writing has a loquacious style that I tend to favour & everything happens at an easy pace. A beautiful book. Big recommends! #comics #comicbooks #comicbookart #comicbookartist #dccomics #irishmythology #celticmythology #movetheneedle