YOUNG GODS JOINS THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION!

New sci-fi action/adventure comic to be distributed FREE online!

"I haven't been this impressed by an independent team of teen-to-twenties heroes since Valiant's HARBINGER." - Project Fanboy

Orang Utan Comics Studio today announced a bold new move into the realm of digital publishing as they revealed their plans to release their highly anticipated sci-fi action/adventure series Young Gods for FREE online.

The Young Gods series, which sees a team of teenage “Extra Humans” employed by a government agency to police the Extra Human community, will be available to read in a purely digital format via the ground breaking online publishing platform myebook. Orang Utan Comics Studio were the first organisaton to sign up to myebook’s publishing partnership plan when it went live earlier today.

“I think we recognized the huge potential of myebook about thirty seconds after first being shown it,” said Orang Utan Comics Studio’s Managing Editor and Young Gods’ creator, Ian Sharman. “It’s an ideal solution for small studios like ourselves who want to get our work in front of as many people as possible but don’t have the capital to finance large print runs.”

Ian Sharman has been working on Young Gods since he was a teenager, gaining the initial inspiration while listening to the Little Angels album of the same name. However, the road from original idea to the comic book page has been a long one, and finding the right creative team to bring his ideas to life proved very challenging. “I think we went through seven artists, including at one point myself, before we found Ezequiel Pineda. His unique style was exactly what I was looking for, allowing the focus to shift from the overblown superheroics to the diverse characters that make up the team,” added series writer, Ian Sharman. The addition of Mauro Barbosa on colours proved that lightening can strike twice, as his dynamic colours proved to be the perfect complement to Ezequiel’s art. “I’ve been incredibly fortunate,” Ian continued, “finding not only one, but two extremely talented artists with the same passion for this comic that I have.”

Orang Utan Comics Studio plan to make the first part of the Young Gods graphic novel available via myebook in the middle of November, but until then you can get a taste of what’s in store by reading a six page preview, available on myebook now.

However, for people who prefer to read their comics on the move, rather than sat at a computer, Orang Utan Comics Studio are also exploring other areas of the digital revolution in comics, making Young Gods available to download to your mobile phone via ROK Comics.

The success of Young Gods will almost entirely depend on fan support, on word of mouth and the book spreading across the internet in a viral fashion. With this in mind, Orang Utan Comics Studio have produced a promotional video which they are encouraging their fans and supporters to put on their blogs and websites in order to spread the word about this ground breaking release.

To find out more about Young Gods, read character bios and creator profiles, please visit www.younggodscomic.co.uk

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS! Insomnia captures the Beast!

I'm pleased and so very proud to announce that my ongoing personal project, a graphic novel/ 'scary-tale' named `UNBELIEVABLE (The Man Who Ate Daffodils)' has found itself a home at Insomnia Publications!

Head on over to The Red Eye for further details of how this came about and what's in store!

Simon

More Young Gods...

Well, Simon has some Unbelievable news which I'm sure he'll be sharing with you all soon, but until then the build up to the release of Young Gods continues as we announce the launch of the official Young Gods website.

You can access character bios, creator profiles, and read the comic itself by visiting the site at www.younggodscomic.co.uk

Keep checking back for regular Young Gods updates!

Young Gods

The online release of Young Gods via myebook is fast approaching and to get you all in the mood we've produced this promotional video.

Please help us to spread the word about Young Gods by posting this video on your blog or website and sharing it with your friends.

If you'd like to download a high res version of this video, please visit the Young Gods page.

BICS and pieces!

Here are some photos taken from the OUC's recent visit to the Birmingham International Comic Show 2008, held over the weekend.

The sketch challenge - Part one, John Charles' pencils for Batman with Simon Wyatt's inks!

Here's a big fan of Danick Drakesbane (from Eleventh Hour Volume 1)*

*Danick that is, not the fan!














Iz Macauliffe poses with a sketch of Tank Girl! (Good enough to eat, Iz?)














Here's the finished sketch!













Ian Sharman and Peter Rogers at the OUC table sharing a giggle and gearing up for the onslaught of fans!










The sketch challenge part 2, Simon Wyatt inks over John Charles' pencils of Batman!










John Charles inks over Simon Wyatt's pencils for Batman!

Ian and Pete (not sketching or inking, just posing for another pic!)










Simon and John had great fun sketching for all the OUC fans at the show and would like to say a big thank you to all who dropped by the table to say hi and discuss their work!

The OUC Studios would also like to thank all of the fans who bought our books over the weekend!

And to finish off, here's the final Batman Sketch challenge, Simon's pencils and John's inks! (These sold like hotcakes!)

See you all in Bristol next year!

Si

And in the wonderful land of non-Birmingham...

Hi, everyone,

I am guessing that a lot of you from the UK are in Birmingham right now, getting ready for a weekend at the

 convention that we comic-book-people fondly call BICS - aka the Birmingham International Comics Show. Me, on the other hand? I stayed home.

I have not been feeling too well lately, so I had to give this one a miss, but I believe that the rest of the British OUC-types are present, so if you are at the show this weekend, or strolling through Birmingham, do pop by the stand and yell "

hey" at them for me (feel free to buy a comic or two while you are there :-p), wont you?

Anyway, what am I doing that merits a Post? I decided to take advantage of my quiet Ian Sharman-free house and write until my heart's content... (Which is great, since my heart is never content, so bring on the eternal writing spree!)

Now I know that you may have heard of Project Raven, as there is a whole page dedicated to it on our wonderful website which you are now viewing, so I thought that I would pay special attention to that project (no pun intended) this weekend and actually get the first issue drafted (I redesigned the entire plot, so it needs rewriting), along with a prequel story entitled 'Zombie Nation' which pitches Raven against an army of zombies* (cool, huh?). To your right** is a special sneak-peak at Raven's darker side, which you will be seeing more (or possibly even less! ;-p) of soon enough...

But what you haven't heard of are my new projects...

The Virgin is a one-shot comic which mixes elements of The Omen with Groundhog Day to make a creepy anti-Christ thriller, and The Reaping is a butt-kicking mini-series in the style of such television series as Ghost Whisperer or Medium but with a hotter lead, a grittier, darker plot, and, um... it's written by me.

The Virgin is halfway to completion of its first draft, and The Reaping #1 is in its first redraft, and Project Raven: Zombie Nation is just about done and dusted so I can start fishing around for an artist for all of those soon enough...

I may not be as active as active as other Studio members, but it doesn't mean I don't work ;-)

* Special thanks go to my good friend and colleague John Charles for the inspiration behind that story, and indeed the title. I do hope he will pencil it, too!

** The pencils were commissioned from Rantz. Who is awesome by the way.

Page 3 stunna

Here is the third page of RTP (working title) with painted art by super talented Azim Akberali.