Whats Your Pleasure,Sir?

                                                                      Pinhead?
                                                                      Nail Face?
                                                                      Hell Priest?
                         Did Clive Barker ever actually name his most infamous and enduring creation?
                                                      I did. I call my wee Cenobite Niall.

Village Of The Folk'd.

I did a couple of drawings, at the authoor's request, to accompany a great Folk'd short story/novella by Laurence Donaghy called Village Of The Folk'd. A stunning wee tale that turned my spine to jelly and which built  to a nail-biting conclusion. If you were one of those people who ran out of the cinema screaming when Shelob tried to turn Frodo into a Hobbit kebab you will struggle with this wee nightmare yarn. Set in 1972 it expands on the Folk'd mythos in a way that will surprise and entertain in equal amounts.
              Laurence, being the innovative person that he is, turned my drawings into a pastiche of the much loved Ireland's Own and into a comic book cover which possibly exists as a full issue in some alternate reality. He green lighted the use of them for my own page so here they are.
              If you have as yet not tried The Folk'd books today would be a good day to start them.
              And you will have them finished before you know and probably find yourself on a quest to read this great wee one-shot story.
              Keep your eye on Laurence's web site for details of its availability.

Dark Matter.

Just read the most haunting(No pun intended)ghost story I have read in some time. A real Boys Own Yarn telling of an Artic expedition, a journey to the land of the midnight sun(What a fantastic expression.) which becomes a teeth chattering tale of terror. Twenty eight year old Jack is a lonely young man determined to better his life and break free of his inner city isolation by engaging in a scientific adventure in one of the loneliest and remote areas of the planet. The year is 1937 and the world is about to plunge into the most horrific conflict in the history of humanity. The eagerness with which the five brave young men embark on this expedition is a mirror to youthful optimism which is about to endure a world wide seismic shock that will change it forever.
              The Bay Of Gruhuken is a haunted shore and what walks there is a wretched diseased spirit twisted with hate. An almost primal fury manifest as a dark shape in a land filled with silhouettes.
              I loved this book and yet came across it quite by accident whilst searching for a book of an altogether different hue.It has made me remember the great classics I discovered as a kid. Books full of adventure, telling of journeys through distant lands, unexplored jungles, misty mountain tops, mysterious coral islands. A classic tale that feels thoroughly modern and actually delivers on the promise extolled on the cover jacket.
                Dark Matter has that unsettling quality Alien has. The way the crew of The Nostromo drifts through space towards a wind swept nightmare landscape where something dreadful lies silently in wait. The lonely Artic Michelle Pevin writes off feels very real as does the character at the center of events Jack. Poor lonely Jack. My heart ached for him as he scribbled frantically in his journal not knowing if anyone would ever hear the voice screaming in his head. Not for the first time I felt myself falling in love with a fictional character. Mind you, I do not think I would have the courage to trade places with him. The thing padding softly behind him is too terrifying to contemplate.
                 Give this book some time and a space in your collection. You too will feel the icy touch of the unquiet soul that haunts the shadowlands of Gruhuken.

                                                  (National Geographic Northern Lights.)

You Know You Love To Hate Him.And Her.

No Tardis library is complete without a copy of this new publication. This Masterful Tome is a complete and comprehensive history of The Doctor's oldest chum and possibly deadliest enemy. From the swarthy Charm of Delgado through the leprous madness of Beevers to the head scratching nuttiness of the Poppins like Gomez every rotten box is ticked.
               He..Er, She is The Master..
               You will obey him..er,Her!

Portraits Of A Timelord.

Stick on a bit of the sublime Murray Gold and take a dander around this small gallery of portraits of The Doctor by the wonderful Daryl Shaw. Are they not grand? The masterful clean and gentle line work that encourages the eye to rest fuss free. The sketch work so deceptively simple but which nails The Doctor's personalities as each image melts into the other as you slide your eyes over them. All with a knowing confidence telling us we are looking at four faces of the same man.
             They really are a joy. I feel as though someone has opened a window in a fusty room to let in some fresh air. Really lovely.
              Many many thanks to Daryl for sharing these with me and allowing me to do the same with you.

Wee Fly Man.

        In the company of Agatha Christie The Doctor found himself caught between a Unicorn and A Wasp.
                                                What on earth would he make of this?

We Are All Completely Folk'd Now.

Oh What A Night! The launch for the third book in Laurence Donaghy's Folk'd trilogy was a big success with a large turn out and a friendly crowd on Thursday night at the FPI store in Belfast. Laurence was particularly chuffed at the cosplay of his character The Morrigan. She will cut a bloody swathe through a blood drenched battlefield with her spear whilst I could tidy up behind her as she goes with my duster of Tir Na Nog.
             There is nothing more unsightly than a blood drenched body strewn battlefield.
             This trilogy of books by Laurence has really raised the bar high for anyone following in his wake. Let them be a rallying point for all the talent out there who have considered entering the story telling field and have found up until now they lacked the inspiration and the motivation.
               A new voice has truly risen in the North Of Ireland.
               But there is no reason he should be the only one.