Resonance Prologue 02

Read Resonance Prologue 01 here, then watch Resonance trailer here.

Grendel

Hello All!

Just wanted to post a little hello and welcome to our new readers around the world and to say a big THANK YOU ALL for your support!

There's more good stuff on the way, so be sure to check in here for more news over the next few weeks...

Agatha Harkness

Last of three illustrations, done for fun as part of The Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe REDUXE Edition curated by Calamity Jon Morris. See the finished colour version here.

Jarella

Second of three illustrations, done for fun as part of The Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe REDUXE Edition curated by Calamity Jon Morris. See the finished colour version here.

Diablo

First of three illustrations, done for fun as part of The Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe REDUXE Edition curated by Calamity Jon Morris. See the finished colour version here.

Adele Blanc-Sec - In Colour!

 

See the black and white version here.

Judge Anderson - In Colour!

See the black and white version here.

The Rocketeer - In Colour!

See the black and white version here.

Adele Blanc-Sec

The Rocketeer

Judge Anderson

Harry Palmer

It Girl - In Colour!

See the black and white version here.

The Shadow Knows! - In Colour!

 

See the black and white version here.

Super-Escape Artist - In Colour!

See the black and white version here.

It Girl

Master of the Mystic Arts - In Colour!

 

See the black and white version here.

The Shadow Knows!

Super-Escape Artist!

Gee Gee Storyboards

Written and directed by Peter Straughan (screenwriter - ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’, ‘Men Who Stare at Goats’) and starring David Morrissey, Gee Gee is a short film (35mm) funded by Film4, UK Film Council with the support of Northern Film and Media.

Adapted from a John Cheever short story, the film follows the unsettling effect of drunken and riotous new-comer Gee-Gee on his neighbours in a fashionable block of flats. The closely-knit, respectable community finally force the trouble-maker to move, but one of them - the previously happy and respectable Michael - shows alarming signs of infection…

Below I have posted the storyboards that I produced for Peter in order to help design and problem-solve a key sequence in the story.

Praise Gonzo!

Gosh! Bookplate, limited to 200 - SOLD OUT

 

Some praise for GONZO:

“Text and image interact and collide with audacious, intuitive logic, capturing the essence… And when you get to the end, you realize the whole damn thing was pulled off without a single cliché.” 
– Michel Faber, critic and author of The Crimson Petal and the White

“Hope-Smith’s art is beautifully realized. Thompson is rendered not as a the hedonistic outlaw superman of legend but as a twitchy and surprisingly sensitive human being…Those readers who are familiar with Thompson’s work will see certain scenes played out from a new perspective.” 
- The Wall Street Journal

“Sensibly, Hope-Smith's dark, energetic and rather splendid illustrations and Bingley's sharp words (a fair few of Thompson's are thrown in to good effect) focus more on the creativity of the 60s and 70s than the decline of later years, dedicating just a few tortured pages to the remaining years.” 
– The Guardian

“With taught and evocative writing from Will Bingley and superb black and white illustrations from Anthony Hope-Smith, Gonzo is a meth-soaked journey down the path of self-destruction that defined 20th century counter culture.” 
- Esquire

“Rigid, intense copy by Will Bingley and evocative black and white artwork from Anthony Hope-Smith Gonzo – A Graphic Biography of Hunter S. Thompson brings this enraged, politically charged romantic’s life into full focus documenting him from birth foul-mouthed and full-circle through oddball activism, misplaced love and “king-high” drug abuse to his untimely, tragic suicide. We’re calling it “a must” ” 
- Maxim

“Gonzo is an excellent, entertaining and informative biography, a great read and an intriguing calling card from creators to watch out for.” 
- Shiny Shelf

“The graphic novel is a hugely satisfying read, whether you have an interest in Thompson or not. And for someone unfamiliar with Thompson it’s an excellent introduction to his life and work.” 
– ComicsBuzz

“All in all, Gonzo does exactly what I was hoping it would, it’s a fascinating biography, a triumph of a graphic novel and a beautifully realised picture of a unique man. It may be a late addition, but Gonzo has easily made it onto my best of year list. SelfMadeHero really have a knack of putting out some of the best original graphic novels around.”  
 - Richard Bruton, The Forbidden Planet International Blog

“In a partnership and style reminiscent of Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, Hope-Smith complements Bingley’s texts with strong brushwork and predominantly widescreen compositions. The team make good use of the gaps between what is said and what is shown to create irony and counterpoint. Theirs is the perfect language to evoke Thompson’s fierce, angry intelligence that made him one of the modern world’s most outspoken and courageous commentators and defenders of liberties. As those same liberties still come under threat these days, let’s hope that it will be Thompson’s no-bullshit attitude to hypocrisy and authority and his persistent search for truth that inspire rebel readers and writers to follow his trail. That is a legacy even he might have been proud of.” 
- Paul Gravett, The Man At The Crossroads, freelance journalist, curator, lecturer, writer and broadcaster, one of the worlds foremost experts on the Graphic Novel in all it’s forms, author of  (among others) MANGA Sixty years of Japanese Comics, GRAPHIC NOVELS Stories To Change Your Life and 1001 COMICS You Must Read Before You Die

Many thanks go out to all who have shown an interest in, and offered kind words and feedback regarding, our first graphic novel! 

Cheers!

Post-Christmas Wrap-Up...

...post features my design for the GONZO wrapping paper, a clever little piece of promo given that the book came out just a few weeks before Christmas 2010. The design went down so well that a modified version became the end papers for the book itself.

I would also like to draw your attention to a series of guest posts that I did for the SelfMadeHero blog in which I share process and, in the last post, inspirations for my work. Here are the links in chronological order -

Post 01

Post 02

Post 03

Post 04

Post 05

Hope you enjoy (and apologies for the typos, many that there are)!

Isabella

Paper Anniversary Gift

Master of the Mystic Arts!!!

Norma Desmond

Blam!

Hello! Up to now I have been happy to merely post the odd image, intermittently, without any accompanying explanation beyond that which can be gleaned from the title and keywords. Well, as of this week I will be posting on, at least, a weekly schedule. The posts will still be light on text, for the most part, but then this is an art blog and not the place for me to play at the frustrated writer. I will also share any news pertaining to the pieces posted here.

The image above is a piece of concept art for an upcoming comic project that I am very excited about! To say much more than that, and to talk about with whom I will be collaborating, would at this stage be impolite, but rest assured that I will be delighted to share more illos and information as and when appropriate.

Finally, many thanks for popping by and, indeed, for your interest! Keep an eye on this page as I have some cool bits lined up for the next few weeks, and further beyond!

Gonzo Trailer

GONZO – a graphic novel biography of Hunter S Thompson from SelfMadeHero on Vimeo.

ISBN: 9781906838119

Korridor GN "Trailer"

Story - Jay Basu 

with Colin Teague

Find out more here.

Gonzo Spreads

Out now!

Available from all good bookshops!

Gosh! Bookplate Edition - limited to 200!

Being Human - Series 2 Storyboards (BBC)

                                                                                                                                                                

And here, as an extra "treat", are a selection of boards from Series 3 -