Design > Batboy

Brendan: BATBOY was a pitch for a 'Larry David' kind of slacker approach to the superhero thing. DC Comics turned it down and also, Mark Millar's recently released KICK ASS was a bit too close. Sometimes a good story and good character don't make it, just because of bad timing. But I think there's something about BATBOY that I'd still like to tinker with... and see if I can get another 'take' that works.

Ditko Dr Strange remix > part 2

New Comic > Dr Strange & Spider-Man

Brendan: I've been commissioned by Marvel Comics to write and draw a new Dr Strange and Spider-Man three issue mini series. I'm just getting into it and I expect it to be finished early next year. It's quite a thrill to finally get to draw the Doctor, my favourite Marvel character - and Spidey too.

To harmonise myself with the sublime 'Ditko Dimension', I have been digitally remixing some of his original 60's pages, trying to get a feel for them from another 'fresh' visual angle... And in doing so, realizing just what a total genius he is.

And if anyone hasn't purchased the new Blake Bell Fantagraphics Ditko book - I strongly recommend it.

Site Update > Gallery

A 'rough cut' of the Gallery section is now online > here

Design > Totem

Brendan: I lived in Vancouver for about 4 years on and off when I was designing REBOOT and all those animated mainframe shows... I created a 'first nation superhero' based on the totem culture of the Pacific Northwest native Amnerican tribes. The art of this region is stunning, especially the masks and mythological sculptures. Even Vancouver airport has a amazing sculpture of Raven creating mankind.

The photographic images in this presentation are not by me, but I was using them as reference for the TOTEM cgi animated TV series I had proposed. I may even turn TOTEM into a comic series... I think it could be quite a bit different to the usual stuff out there.

The Dark Knight review

The Dark Knight review by Brendan

******** SPOILER ALERT *********

I thought it was pretty good. Much more substantial a film than IRON MAN, or any of the Marvel efforts so far, including the SPIDERMAN movies.

But it was too long. I got a bit bored here and there. Bales' Batman is a bit dull, frankly. I didn't get any emotional feeling from him when the girl dies at the end, for example. Robert Downey Jr was better 'hero' in IRON MAN - more of a focus for his own movie.

I would have cut out those "Batman packs it in, empties the Batcave" sequences and the oily accountant who rumbles that 'Bruce Wayne is Batman' too. They didn't work and weren't vital at all. Obviously I didn't buy Jim Gordon is dead either... His death was so blatantly underplayed that they tipped the plot twist too overtly.

Heath Ledger really was great, lolling tongue and all! But those cut-aways when the Joker is driving the big truck felt like the usual movie padding... But I LOVED the Joker giving different explanations of how he got his scarred grin to each victim, making a mockery (!) of the 'abuse' excuse so beloved of our over-therapised culture.

The fight scenes were very average... I'm not sure that Nolan is very good at fight action really.

In the end, the most exciting thing for me was the anarchic chaos of the Joker. The film was actually 'saying something' about society... The two ferry boats idea was good too: Maybe people are smarter, more reasonably humane on their own, without psychpathic and corrupted 'leaders' generating conflict and wars etc. (Hey you, Listen to me, I gotta plan: Let's nuke Iran!)

And the role of a 'hero' was soundly looked at too - and with a fair amount of genuine insight.

That's my two penneth worth, Nora!

By the way, has anybody seen WALL-E? Great first third, then it nosedives badly... "The Citizen Kane of animation?" I thinkest not, true believer!

Also, worst movie I've seen of the year must be PERSEPOLIS... The most boring bollocks I've ever had the misfortune to sit through.. I lasted about 25 minutes and had to bail out! A complete waste of my time and money. How some critics gave this tedious animated bilge five whole stars is beyond me...

That's it.

Nuff moaned.

Artoon of the Day

Paradax meets Mirkin

Brendan's contribution to the 1986 UKCAC Comics Convention Program

Facebook McCarthyism

Shaky Kane (another favourite artist of mine) has started up a Brendan McCarthy group on Facebook. Here’s the link.

Site Update > Design Work

A quick site update. I've added the artwork that recently appeared on the Blog to the Design Work page as well as adding two new sections with artwork 'The Hat Man' and 'Lost in Space'.

Design > Yogos

Brendan: Some kind of advertising commercial that I did for the London based animation company, TH1NG. Not sure if the designs were ever used...

Design > Pinocchio

Brendan: Steve Barron's finished film of the classic story didn't really gel, but it was fun to work on the project though, and I enjoyed storyboarding and designing all sorts of odd stuff for the movie. Steve is a good and talented director to work with.

Design > Horrorville

Brendan: Designs for a surreal horror game and movie project. Sort of Mad Max meets Nightmare Before Christmas... So keep yer eyes peeled!

Design > Captain Cracking

Brendan: This was a spin-off from the Freakwave comic. An attempt to put a pitch together for an animated mini-series, sitting inside the TV series The TUBE - an 'anarchic' music show that was the hippest thing on TV in its day... It all looks so quaint now, though, doesn't it? Treading the inevitable path, from 'Rad' to 'Dad'... Oh dear.

Site Update > Design Work

If you point and click to your right, you'll now find the freshly revamped Design Work section. Please let me know if any of the links aren't working

Matt Fraction's Summer Strange Days

Matt Fraction (writer of the new ongoing ‘Iron Man’ series and ‘Casanova’) recently picked Strange Days as one of his must reads this summer. You can read the full article [here]

Matt Fraction: "Strange Days" by Peter Milligan, Brendan McCarthy, and Brett Ewins. Three issues like three atom bombs. Post-RAW, pre-Acid House, and ten thousand years ahead of anything else ever. Certainly the Tigris and Euphrates of Vertigo and everything after -- unapologetic psychedelic sci-fi and an absolutely fearless, contextless anthology. Warren Ellis told me the other day that "there's a whole alternate history of comics in "STRANGE DAYS," and he's right. "STRANGE DAYS" is the kind of comic book Casanova Quinn would read, and it's the kind of comic I want to make.

Artoon of the Day

Bank Holiday Blog Blitz

SOLO Cover Sketch

The original sketch for the cover of Brendan's issue of SOLO.

Artoon of the Day