Downloadable Zooniverse Comics!

Over the last few years I've been searching for a way to make my comics available for download. Here's the best solution so far, it's nice and simple itch.io. You can choose your own amount to buy starting at $1+, and I can set their percentage for hosting, 10% seems fair to me.

Buy it below or click on the image above.

Zoonitoons App is Live!

For those of you who have an iPad, good news!
We have finished our Zoonitoons app and it's FREE!
Click this link to preview (even if you don't have an iPad this link will give you an idea),
or search "Zoonitoons" in the Entertainment section of iTunes.

Yes we hope to release it on other platforms like android, but we are starting with Apple. One step at a time. This is the result of six months working with two programmers, my brother Tom and his friend Paul Sagor who is an app veteran. Please support our venture, as this is where I will be releasing my NEW Zooniverse comic which I am feverishly working on.

My comics are formatted to the iPad screen because I'm not impressed with the whole pinching to enlarge a full comic page. I find zooming in and out disruptive to the immersion of reading a story. I've also noticed that readers tend to leave the page full size and don't zoom in, scanning the pages without taking time to enjoy the art. It seems like a waste of artwork to me, so I've prepared everything to fit the screen. I've done this more with the upcoming issue which is called "Kick Off".

Superficial Surgery is the free comic we are offering through our Zoonitoons app.

I will continue to release printed comics, but the app makes the work much more immediate and accessible to the whole world. Postage out of Australia is expensive and slow, printing in color is costly and printers are a bit of a hassle, so this is a preferred alternative.
I hope that you enjoy it.

Zooniverse Minicomic #2

It is official! Helen Maier and I now own a publishing house!  
We took the plunge through our new Australian company Zoonitoons, printing two comics:- Zooniverse mini #2 and a reprint of issue #1. Launching them at the Armageddon Comic Expo in Melbourne. Halfway through Saturday we recovered our printing costs.
We are sincerely grateful to everyone who supported us by buying copies! 

Introducing Zooniverse minicomic #2 . . . a little bit of Australian comic history
This issue collects some my pre-Zooniverse comics published in Melbourne around 1983-84 and nine illustrations I did for the UK at the same time. All of the artwork in this issue was rescued last June after 15 years mouldering in a Queensland garage. Back in our possession we were shocked to discover the poor condition of what remains. Luckily we found a few old bromide copies and although most of the out-of-print mint copies I had of Australian comics containing my work were nicked a decade ago by our light-fingered ex-employees, a couple of original comic magazines survived. It was important to get this work scanned and printed before the originals deteriorated further, becoming unusable. 

Please keep in mind that all the line art was done before computers, using brushes and metal nibs dipped in ink bottles!

The Cover of Zooniverse mini comic #2 Available at www.zoonitoons.com

The cover for Zoonimini #2 is a huge coup to finally have this art printed after waiting almost three decades. It was originally done, when I was 21 years old, as a wrap-around cover for Inkspots issue #5 back in 1984 (the year Helen and I met). Unfortunately the comic magazine was abandoned by it's publisher and the original art was either lost or stolen. All that was left to work with was a single twenty eight year old bromide. I was so happy to finally scan it and digitally colored it! Seeing as we were getting posters printed we have an A3 version that will be available for purchase on the Zoonitoons' website. The poster includes the 3 zoons that were cropped out so that the Kren Patrol could be featured on the above cover.

Here is how the Inkspots cover looked back in 1984...

Unprinted wrap-around cover for Inkspots #5

The stories inside Zoonimini #2 include "Sproat Fanbunder & Spleen Sphincter: the infamous repairmen" which was originally printed as a two parter in Reverie comic magazine issues #6 in 1983 and #7 in 1984 (I did the second installment while working on the original Zooniverse series). Below is the front page for the story, the original art was never returned from the printer, so I assume that puts it in the stolen category.

The front page for the "The infamous repairmen" in Zooniverse mini comic #2

Below is the cover for issue #7 as it was printed in 1984. I had to do the colors by hand separation, which meant a separate piece of art for each CMYK color, it was tricky to guess the right combination of values to make a subtle color. I no longer have this original art or my mint copies of Reverie, so I relied on the help of fellow veteran cartoonist Ian Thomas to send me a scan of the cover which I repaired as shown above. Without Ian's gracious help this art would have been lost forever.

The original Reverie #7 cover featuring "The infamous repairmen" from 1984

The story for the infamous repairmen on the surface seems to be a flippant and shameless plug I did back then for the upcoming Zooniverse comic, but it is actually deeply personal allegory for my childhood. With Spleen representing my father, Sproat my mother, Snok as me and the Clone-a-gram as my art (Zooniverse). My two younger brothers don't make an appearance but they were essentially treated the same as me, so Snok could easily represent them too. I'll leave you to figure out the rest should you get your hands on this story. 

The first appearance of a Clone-a-gram from "The infamous repairmen" 1983

The second story in Zoonimini #2 is "Sacred Stripture". For this one I set myself a ludicrous challenge. I wanted to combine old illustrations with my recent "History" animation so that the story looped between the comic and the animation. The animation shows the Sacred Text scrolling in the background and the comic is the Sacred Text! I had to turn the old illustrations from 1983 into a Holy Stripture, within less than a week due to the printing schedule!

Below is the introductory page. I had trouble incorporating it into the story until woke up one morning realizing that the artist portrayed in the image is the Notator:- the zoon who wrote the Stripture! I've always loved this image which at the time summed up my personal feelings about being an artist. It was a bold experiment before I found my "Zooniverse" style. I was choosing a direction here, the pig drawing was an old comfortable look that I'd used for my earlier "TimeTree" comic. The spooks were an entirely new style of mine that has never been published and the "Notator" character was halfway between my previous Asphyxiation work and the emerging Zooniverse technique. Again, the original art was never returned from the printer, and presumed stolen, so I scanned and restored the image from the printed cover.

The front page for the "Sacred Stripture" in Zooniverse mini comic #2

The image above was originally published in 1984 as the cover for Fox Comics issue #4 shown below, I'm pretty sure that I did the art in 1983. Obviously I've flipped it for story flow, but I've always liked that the original cover made little sense until the back cover revealed the artist character...

Original wrap-around cover for Fox comics issue #4

"Sacred Stripture" includes new art that I took from the "History" animated loop, I also made new panels with assets created in Flash (below left). The Rector and his innocent Supplelicant are recent artwork, the rest (below right) was originally done in 1983 when I was twenty years old for two publications in England. These random images were pre-Zooniverse and gave me a chance to experiment with inking styles while creating strange environments over which the publisher pasted badly photocopied code for the Spectrum (an early home computer that was released in the UK).

Old and new art combined in "Sacred Stripture" the second Zoonimini story.

Below is the second book of "Astounding Arcade Games" which was published exclusively in England in 1984. I had finished the art a year before for issue #1 and the publisher reused my art without my permission for the second book, this time cutting images up to make it look like new work. The cover below is a mash up of two pieces of art, and no I didn't color it. I once possessed a mint copy of the first book but it's long gone now so I can't verify it's exact name.

Cover for Astounding Arcade games for your Spectrum issue #2 printed in the UK

I now have the original illustrations in my care and used most of them for the Sacred Stripture. I scanned them shuffling them around until some semblance of a theme came into view. I now have a Zooniverse based Holy Scripture to form religions and philosophies off with Zoons misinterpreting and misquoting the texts. This is going to be fun!

Spak's back story

[Edit 2021 - The shockwave file is available HERE at my Patreon]

The Loop De Loop animation challenge for this month was "Mad", so I had to do something on Spak! 
[SPOILERS AHEAD...]

Due to commitments coloring Rex Vectar, another comic of mine, for Clubhouse Comics and the Australian government making me run around for a week so that bureaucratic boxes could be checked, I ended up with only four days to produce this entire loop, including writing the script and editing the audio with Helen Maier's wonderful musical score. Somehow I got it done and two days later it was screened at the Loop Bar. I was overjoyed!

Spak in happier times. Still from the animation.

This animation deals with a some of Spak's back story: how his lover died 2100 years ago.
In the early stages of the War Between the Sexes, the four races of the Motherhood Empire escaped their domineering male counterparts to live peacefully on their fem-constructed worldship, they called Girlaxia. Being a single sex meant that clonebirthing was the Foremothers only means of reproduction, but biologically many femzoons needed male companionship and sexplay, so they created the Plastoid race, a genetically obedient population of synthetic malezoons. Using their own DNA the Foremothers batched male duplicates of themselves in living plastic, the game was to find their copy. Girlaxia was so enormous that it dwarfed giant gas planets so often the copies never met, some found each other and formed deep friendships, but quite a few bonded.

Althra was clonedbirthed into flesh from her own ancient genes when Spak was over 900 years old. (Plastoids are non-biodegradable by the way). The two copies found each other and fell in deeply in love.

A moment of horror. A still from the animation.

Spak and Althra were both Scy-Borraine warriors, fighting side by side during the height of the War Between the Sexes. When Girlaxia fell they were still holding back hordes of fleshmales on the planet Asu-Assala. Plastoids don't eat or sleep, Althra simply couldn't keep up. Overwhelmed she was skewered and paraded around until Spak could reach and protect her shredded corpse.

Above is the original panel from issue #3 of the Zooniverse series from 1986 (Entox is in the foreground by the way). I traced a lot of this comic art for the animation, trying to keep it as acurate as possible. The image on the left is the original painted art that I've scanned and not adjusted in any way, yes the paints have survived for twenty six years. The image on the right I scanned from the comic so that you could see how it printed. For the animation I took my color cues from the printed version. The deeper red suggested a bloodbath without me having to stoop to showing gore.

Spak seethes. A still from the animation.

I love the above image, the moment when Spak cracks!
I made a last minute decision to include the image below in the animation. Meeting the deadline, meant that I had to work all night. The image was traced from my 1991 roughs for page 30 of the unpublished book Age Old Enemies. I'm glad that it has finally seen the light of day!

Spak takes his revenge. A still from the animation.

 Above is another panel from issue #3 of the original Zooniverse series. It shows Spak during his banishment on Asu-Assala by the Plastoid Society who decide to hide until the Foremothers return. Spak is worshiped as the Dead God Krantrak by the locals, who Spak ritually kills.... it's an even longer story. Again the original paints on the left, the printed version on the right.

The Birth of the Zooniverse

[Edit 2021 - The shockwave file is available HERE on my Patreon]

Last month's Loop De Loop animation challenge theme was "elements" which gave me the opportunity to animate the birth of the Zooniverse.

The scientist who becomes the Zooniverse. Still from the animation.

The animations were traced from comic panels from Lifeworks. For more background on the origin story go to this earlier post.

Missy Mossy

[Edit 2021 - The shockwave file is available HERE on my Patreon]

I've just completed a new animation for Loop De Loop.
I recommend that you watch the animation before continuing reading this post....

A still from the Animation for Loop De Loop for the theme "Play".

If you've had a look and my animation, here is some background info....
The Voidhauler Captain first appeared in his bath of Kloob Fluid in issue two of the original Zooniverse series. His job is to lug uninhabited planetorbs across the void for attachment to the Animoid Rimworlds. It's boring work as most of the flight is done on auto pilot, so the driver has to find ways to occupy his time. This Captain plays with puppets while inebriating himself by sucking on Kloob Fluid fermented by his own perspiration.

The Voidhauler driver from issue #2 of the Zooniverse series.

In 1990 I composed a Missy Mossy poem and dearly wanted to see it in comic form.
Now, twenty two years later I have gone one step better by animating it.
Here is the poem as I originally wrote it...

The Missy Mossy poem as I wrote it when I was 27 years old.

So what is Kloob fluid made from? Kloobs of course! A race of sentient plantoids. Their berries are pressed into a juice that is sold through illegal markets. I've been working on a story where the Kren Patrol infiltrate the trade on killing Kloobs for their tasty and highly addictive juice.

A Kloob, poachers are pushing their population towards extinction.

Preparation for war

[Edit 2021 - The shockwave file is available HERE at my Patreon]

The latest animation has been posted on Loop De Loop for the theme "one".
For this loop I've returned to the Spirit Realm focusing on the behind the scenes preparations for the Talsark Wars. Soulbeings wishing to experience combat are congregating around the Gatherers. Two opposing sides have been created for the conflict, the older and more historic planets of the Inner Rimworlds verses the younger and wealthier Outer Rimworld planets. The twin Gatherers are ancient beings who rally souls for incarnation, they are neutral and care little for the outcome of the conflict ahead. The Gatherers only concern is to attract participants to the correct side before incarnation.

The Outer Rimworld Gatherer calls for Incarnates. Reworked from the animation assets.

Tensions and ill-content have been building up for the last few hundred years between the Inner and Outer Rimworld who are now about to erupt into multiplanetary conflict. These coarse emotions have been carefully fostered by the poisonous whirlpool of hatred fed by the Warweavers who mindlessly do the bidding of "The Empty". The Warweavers are transformers stepping down the will of The Empty knitting it into the fabric of the Zooniverse' Spirit Realm. These unintelligible beings originated from beyond the Zooniverse. Their whirlpool draws unwary soulbeings into their influence. These soulbeings incarnate bringing the poison to the Physical Realm, often lusting for power and fostering greed they become liars and misguiders seeking positions that hold the greatest influence over the masses.

The War Weavers do the bidding of "The Empty". Reworked from the animation assets.

War is nothing new to the Zooniverse, and many Soulbeings have killed and murdered for their various causes in past incarnations. These beings have become burdened with painful Karmabunkles and Lymphets which are molluscs native to the Spirit Realm that feed off negativity adhering to the bodyform of beings who have acted destructively towards other Zoons during incarnation. The burden of these feeding molluscs add up over life experiences to the point that multitudes of souls are weighed down, unable to move without pain.

Sketch of a Spiritbeing inflicted with Karmabunkles and Lymphets.

To remove their invertebrate burdens these souls need to balance each selfish destructive and hateful act with ones of sacrifice and love, which the molluscs dislike and detach. One way is to offer themselves as innocent victims in the upcoming wars, where the deed they did to another Zoon will be done to them. The Gatherer of Victims is the where they congregate to prepare for their life of sacrifice. 
 

The Gatherer of Victims. Reworked still from the 'One' animation.

The Mother Gatherer is not shown, but souls wishing to dedicate their incarnation to help build up the populations for all the participants in the wars will join her call. This path is viewed as one of the higher devotional sacrifices.

Observing the whole parade of souls choosing their roles for the conflict are Lokki and Alia. They are already incarnated at this point, but while their bodies sleep, they return to their true form to assess what is to come. Lokki is concerned that such a vast spectacle can be halted by his own actions. He is the only Zoon who is destined to stop the war.

Lokki and Alia ponder the future. Still from the 'One' animation.

These well respected souls have yet to meet in the Physical Realm, but they will fall in love as they have done before, marry and join the Pacifist Army as the Kren Patrol.

Pirateers

[Edit 2021 - Shockwave file available HERE on my Patreon]

It is illegal to scour mine living planets in the Zooniverse, but that doesn't stop Pirateers from hiding in dust clouds picking off newborn orbs spat out by the Birthbone in the Nursery Region. Sifting through rock for precious minerals and metals, the Pirateers work in clans often made up of mercenaries. The most popular clans have the best medical benefits, the largest clan also offers dental coverage. The fact that most Pirateers are terrified of Dentists doesn't seem to be a deterrent, they just seem to like the concept of a dental plan even though none of them take advantage of the offer. It turns out that clanzoon Dentists are more bloodthirsty than the meanest Pirateer.

A still taken from the Zooniverse animation on LoopDeLoop's Rock theme 2012

Below is the original sketch for the Pirateer from the animation he is loosely based off a Studio Head that I once had the misfortune to work for.

Original design of the Pirateer.

Another still from the Rock animation at LoopDeLoop. Showing a scour miner in action. It was quite a big moment to see this image moving after having it in my files for so long. These giant ships, almost the size of a planetoid, are so vast that entire clans can live inside them. These factory vehicles often carry armies of craftzoons who produce dazzlingly beautiful artifacts from the raw ores. A steady flow of shipments are freighted from the Scouring vessels to the black markets and illegal auction houses. Any unusable rock dust is vented into the void, further cloaking their operation.

The original images below were printed in issue #4 of my self published Zoonimedia Magazine in 1995, the magazine was renamed Artopia Quarterly for issue #5.

Original art created in 1991, but published in 1995 in Zoonimedia Magazine.

Age Old Enemies: Book One

After completing the six issues of the Zooniverse comic I had planned to follow the three members of the Kren Patrol in a series of twelve albums. Upon leaving the planet Crastalla Spak, Lokki, and Entox, are besieged by Void Pirates who capture and sell them into slavery. The twelve albums follow their individual struggle back to freedom.

The first book I had planned was "Age Old Enemies", where Althra, a Shadanese agent from the Halls Of Record is sent to find out what happened to Zeroy and Larote's secret expedition. She goes to their last known whereabouts, the planet Crastalla, where she finds Larote Quoke, who has gone native and is leader/god of a village of Insectoids. Althra learns that Zeroy and the Kren Patrol went missing eight paraspan ago. Her journey leads her to Spak who she frees from sex enslavement and madness.

Althra is nabbed by Arachnoids.  This art was originally done in 1991 and colored recently.
(Click to enlarge)

So here's what happened to the book....
The timing seemed perfect, it was 1987 I had completed the first season as character designer on the animated ALF series and had met French publisher Guy Delcourt while in LA. He invited me to stay a few days with him in Paris during my return trip to Australia. In Paris, Guy discussed interest in my next Zooniverse book should he approve the story. So upon my return home I commenced work but was interrupted by the second season of Alf, and another trip around the world (this time with Helen), and back to Paris and Guy, I showed him some of the pages I had finished and left the first page in his care (doh! I guess I'll never see that art again). Back in Australia I completed inking up to the 16th page, and decided to send the finished pages off for review. Upon seeing the pages, Guy suggested that I show him roughs of the remaining 30 pages rather than allowing me to commit to finished art that he may not publish.

So I roughed the remaining pages at the same size as a French album. I sent them off to Guy. His response was that it was too hard to read, so he requested that I write a script.

I began scripting the entire 46 page book from beginning to end with my brother Thomas, who could type and use a computer, skills that I had yet to learn in 1991. Together we finished the tome, a process that took so many months that I probably could have completed drawing and inking the book within the same time. So in the end I held the script in my hand, but I had no passion for the project, all of my energy had been invested into what I considered to be a novel, the story was complete and I was creatively dry. I decided not to send it to Guy because I had no interest in illustrating the script.

I realized an important fact about my technique, I like to improvise and work by blending images and words, too much planning kills the spontaneity that I thrive on.

At this point it was early 1992, I was broke and disillusioned, there was a recession happening and I got a call to travel up North to Queensland to work in their film industry. To date, my work for "Age Old Enemies" remains unpublished and unseen, except for the panels on this blog.