@marclaming.bsky.social is one of the many pro's I've met online & at cons who've been incredibly kind & supportive to my work, so if you're at all nervous about getting a portfolio review at @thoughtbubbleuk.bsky.social don't be! Get in there & talk to the guys who can give you the best advice!

To all utility suppliers, insurance companies & vendors of goods I'm forced to pay money for. When I have to phone you, my name is Mr. Doree, not Pete or Peter. I won't be putting you up in the spare room after a night in the pub with me. We're not going to be meeting up later. We ain't pals.

Harvey Kurtzman was once called 'The Grandfather of Undergound comics' and he responded by asking for a blood test. The makers of Airplane & The Naked Gun also owe him a cheque BTW. What are they but Kurtzman & Elder's MAD in movie form?

Unless of course, you're Alex Nino, who once did a 16 page strip for Warren consisting of double page spreads that, if you bought 16 copies of the same comic, made one entire picture. And trust me. You're not Alex Nino.

Rush when they were kids doing the whole of 2112 and earlier stuff. Attention all planets of the solar federation - We have assumed control. www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-uo...

Current re-reading: John Jakes' late '60's Conan pastiche Brak The Barbarian, who had a blink-and-miss-it comic career in the Bronze Age. Actually quite good, with the odd interesting edge ( in this fantasy world, Christianity sort of exists ). Love these covers too, which in no way look like Brak.

Thanks to @jonnycannon.bsky.social of this parish, who clarified that Kubert was an assistant to Mort Meskin, who was also a big inspiration for Ditko! Makes total sense 👍

On Joe Kubert's birthday: I always liked how you can sometimes see Ditko in his style, and sometimes Kubert's in Ditko's, and how if you mix them, you sort of get Moebius.

Well people look and people stare Well I don't think that I even care You work your life away and what do they give You're only killing yourself to live Look around you what do you see Pain suffering and misery It's not the way that the world was planned It's a pity you don't understand

RIP Robert Redford. I remember at school, every last day of term before the summer holidays, the teachers put on Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid as a special treat. Laughable that people today who've barely started their careers are described as legends next to giants like him.

🌙Artists, QRP with you favorite portrait you've drawn!🌙 Always liked this one of the late great Gene Day. Even if you don't know who he was, it's an atmospheric piece I think

Been re-listening to a lot of the late great Ronnie James Dio. Here he is with Rainbow, all great of course. But equally, fast forward to 11:16 where Ronnie riffs & shows why he was one of the greatest singers we ever had, in any genre. No auto-tune, genuine talent. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpgu...

Always remember: a bunch of American Nazi sympathizers showed up at his workplace to "have a word" with Kirby about his anti-Nazi art (Captain America). Kirby went to confront them (beat the shit out of them). They had run away by the time he reached the sidewalk.

BOTD: Young Jack Kirby, looking for all the world like Ben Grimm.

Big John Buscema, to accompany a fanzine interview. Probably took him ten minutes.

BOTD: Remembering the eternal Ray Bradbury. Here he is surrounded by his collection, and the wisest thing he ever said about collecting ( and he said a lot of wise things )

Don't read if you haven't seen the new FF movie yet: That Jack Kirby quote at the end is absolutely someone at Marvel saying: 'Yeah, we put created by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby on the screen earlier, but we all know it was Jack really.'

Don't read if you haven't seen the new FF movie yet: That Jack Kirby quote at the end is absolutely someone at Marvel saying: 'Yeah, we put created by Stan Lee & Jack Kirby on the screen earlier, but we all know it was Jack really.'

Yet more Sabs ( still in their 'early 20's don't forget ) ripping it up in 1970, literally creating Heavy Metal in front of a crowd of kids who have no clue what they're experiencing, but loving every second. Literally primal. The whole gig's on youtube BTW www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYpJ...

Yet more Sabs ( still in their 'early 20's don't forget ) ripping it up in 1970, literally creating Heavy Metal in front of a crowd of kids who have no clue what they're experiencing, but loving every second. Literally primal. The whole gig's on youtube BTW www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYpJ...

Rest in Peace Ozzy. Black Sabbath were such geniuses. They were still tweaking the lyrics here (It’s not entirely the brilliant & sadly timely anti-war prose here.)

Putting this up again after Ozzy's funeral ( Well done, Birmingham 🤘 ) The Elvis of Metal introducing 'a number off our new LP, hope you like it.' All of them just into their 20's & every one on fire. And no one was a bigger fan of their own band like Ozzy was. www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3b6...

Quick marker sketch, Black Sabbath. RIP Ozzy

The first gig I ever went to was Donington 1984: Motley Crue, Gary Moore, Van Halen, AC/DC and... Ozzy. Can still see him throwing buckets of water over the crowd and laughing like the maniac he was. #RIPOzzy

Just at the point when I started to explore my own music tastes as a kid, my cool uncle told me to listen to Led Zep 4 and this monster. Never looked back. Say what you like about all the shenanigans, but he and the rest of the Sabs basically invented Metal and several other genres to boot. #RIPOzzy

Vaughn Bode before he was Vaughn Bode, with self-portrait from childhood.

Everybody likes spotting comics in old TV shows, right? Was watching long forgotten cop show Strangers on youtube last night - Frances Tomelty was on stakeout with a copy of Howard The Duck for no reason. Not mentioned, not alluded to again.

Suzanne Danielle in the Hammer House Of Horror episode 'Carpathian Eagle'. Oh, you're welcome.

Teen band covers Rush and makes it look easy. The kids are alright @marclaming.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fFG...

A complicated legacy, but it could be argued that Jim Shooter steered Marvel in the right direction when it desperately needed it. And he wrote some of the best Legion of Super Heroes stories ever. RIP big man.

Hammer Time one more time! Check in to the House here!

Alex Toth.

Happy Alex Toth's birthday, all comic fans. I'm being handed a note...

Hammer time again with me, @docstrange.bsky.social and PETER CUSHING! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Ah! It's Hammer time again! Join me & himself as we continue our journey through the classic TV series and The Hammer House Of Horror That Bled To Death 🦇

I once stopped at a service station on the way to Birmingham for a slash, and when I walked into the toilets, every urinal was already occupied by all of Spandau Ballet.

Hammer time! Join @docstrange.bsky.social & me for some Hammer classics 🧙‍♀️🦇

Hammer time! Join @docstrange.bsky.social & me for some Hammer classics 🧙‍♀️🦇

Sean doesn't really need me shilling for him, but this'll be work as far back as when we were in ( British Girls comics artist ) Ken Houghton's comic art night class in 6th form, so as far back as you can go before proper childhood stuff. ( Yes he was always that good 😜)

Told her to precede & announce him every time they went to a restaurant? www.the-independent.com/arts-enterta...

Alex Toth did developmental work on an animated Shadow in the '70's. Imagine what could've been.

Peter Cushing's birthday yesterday & Christopher Lee's today, so here's the best fact about them. They loved Looney Tunes cartoons, used to phone each other & do Tweety Pie & Sylvester routines, and were once thrown out of a West End cinema for laughing too loudly and doing all the voices.

Spa-Foing! BOTD: Remembering the completely unique, one-off Madman Don Martin. Pffft-Fraack!!!!

Favourite thing I got on my US trip: Gahan Wilson hated what he saw as the saccharine of Charlie Brown, so did a darker version about the confusion & fear of a kid trying to understand the adult world ( Peanuts / Nuts, geddit? ) Great, twisted stuff and Harvey Kurtzman would've approved, for sure.

Driving around with a mate tonight and we were discussing why there isn't a satnav with John Le Mesurier's voice: 'I say, would you mind terribly turning left here?' 'You've reached your destination. Oh, it's rather lovely, isn't it?' Driving would be much better.