Friday, January 13, 2012

MEET AND NO VEG

Look, I'm here now, and that's all that matters.

This week sees the release of the new Transformers Ongoing, MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE #1. Wroted by James Roberts and colourded by Josh Burcham, it's a comic I'm immensely proud of, and something that i think would catch they eye of the casual TF-browser, as well as comic fans in general. That's always how I approach anything I work on: make it a good comic first and foremost, and it's something to strive for when tackling Transformers. if you have any resistance to robo-comics or you've been burned before, I beg of you, for your own good, check out this (and its sister title, ROBOTS IN DISGUISE, out in two weeks) little peach and then make up your mind. Previews are on the web, but below is the un-coloured line-art for the first few pages. Love to hear what you think.









(Incidentally, Josh Burcham put in one of my favourite ever jobs from him on this issue. He's my go-to guy when I wanna look slick, and man, he nails it in this issue. Give it a Whirl...)

Sadly, this is my last interior work on TFs for the foreseeable, but I'm sure our paths will cross again. I love telling stories in that universe as it's easily as rich as any other franchise-fiction doing the rounds, and IDW have played a massive part in making it so. MTMTE & RID is good comics, folks. Don't be robotist: buy 'em.

I'd say you'd love to meet me, wouldn't you? I'd say you'd like nothing more than to scrutinise me from every conceivable angle and blow on my ear-hairs. Well tomorrow, 14th January 2012, you can flippin' well do that. I'm doing an in-store signing session from 2pm onwards in Dublin City Comics. All the factlets are here: http://www.facebook.com/DublinCityComics and I'd love to see you and your faces. I'll be flogging Wreckers prints too, so bring moolah! What larks, Pip.

If you're the sort of person who likes to avoid me, then go there anyhow, only not when I'm there. Ridiculous range of collectible toys and amazing service with your American comics. I recommend 'em, and that should be enough for you.

I think this ol' blog will get more of an airing in the next few weeks, mainly as I drum up interest in upcoming appearances; I'm at the Heroes and Legends Con in Belfast in February, so please pop along and say hi to me there. Sketch sessions and prints ahoy.

Oh, and also, there's a recent Q&A with me on the IDW Message boards. Head here for a mirthsome read. Any other Qs you'd like me to A, send 'em to this blog! It might keep me regular!

I tolerate most of you.

Nick

10 comments:

David said...

How do I buy some of those pages?

redconvoy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
redconvoy said...

Hi Nick! I am glad to see that you are drawing professionally. You do a great job :D Do you still do acting in the theatre?

Camille M.

Nick said...

David! I'm afraid these pages were all done digitally - sorry sir, but thanks hugely for the interest. Might be making some pages from Death of Optimus Prime available later in the year though, so keep 'em peeled. I'll be using this husk of a blog to make it known if I am. Ta!

Camille M! (I think I know you you are...90s Fanzines and penpallery, I'm guessing...?!)No time to trad the boards these days, I'm afraid. Had to give it up when I turned pro at the ol' scrawling, and moved out of the small pond I was an acting fish in. Nowhere else would indulge me, I fear! Love to get back to it some day though. I enjoy being a ham almost as much as I enjoy eating the stuff. Good to hear from you though! Hope you're well.

More soon? Who knows...

Botch the Crab said...

I haven't seen it mentioned anywhere else, so I thought I'd ask: why no more Transformers for the foreseeable future?

Nick said...

Ah, Botch, you amazing collection of resources, you. The obvious question that has yet been unasked. And now here you are...

Why? I just felt it was time. I had thought I'd have had a chance to write more TFs as well as dabbling in other properties as an artist in the time since turning pro. It seemed to me - and intimated as such by others - that being seen as a TF artist was hindering a lot of my opportunities to expand in other ways, so I deliberately took a step back, rather than grow to resent what everyone will agree is a kick-arse gig.

That's the thing with foreseeable futures...they come and go. I know what the end of the year holds for me, for example, and it features large shape-changing robots. It was never an 'I quit'. Merely 'I'm stepping out for some air'. In the meantime, I'm getting to do some concept art for a large toy company and am having a range of collectible Doctor Who vinyl figures released based on my style/designs. I should also be able to get a few months to start building up some of my own ideas and see if any of them are as ball-blazing as my cheese-infused dreams make them seem.

But good question, Botch! Keep up the great work!

Botch the Crab said...

Well, best of luck with branching out and expanding your professional résumé!

That said, your various contributions to TF comics over the last several years have easily been among my most favorite TF works ever, both art *and* writing. I hope you'll keep us abreast of your non-TF work, but I also hope we haven't seen the very last of Nick Roche in the TF universe. ;)

Nick said...

Wow, high praise indeed, man. I'm really touched. Thank you.

Once I can talk about stuff, I'll trumpet it for all to hear.

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

A tf related question: your design of Whirl in Death of Op Prime and the first issue of MTMTE shares some stylistic cues from a recent transformers toy, Tomahawk.

Was this intentional on your part or was it due to input from Hasbro?

Nick said...

mHey RSmith: No input from Hasbro at all on that one, and nor was it intentional on my behalf. Just one of those things, I guess.

Thanks!