Monday 23 March 2015

The Music of Erich Zann: page 3


Ah, "talking heads" scenes. Great for developing the plot, not as fun to draw. But at least I get to introduce new characters.

Thursday 5 March 2015

The Music of Erich Zann: page 1 & 2




For my first comic here, I offer my own take on one of H.P. Lovecraft's most celebrated non-Mythos tales (and one of my personal favourites). Some have criticised “ The Music of Erich Zann” for being too vague, but that very vagueness invites you to fill in the tantalising blanks with the spectres of your own imagination. So this will not be “The Music…” as Lovecraft meant it and probably it will not be the story as you read it either. But it is “The Music…” as I read it.
Progress may be a bit slow at first, but I’m hoping to present a new page at least once every two weeks. Also, you might have noticed that I’m not a native English speaker, so if I make any hideous mistakes in the dialogue, please let me know. You have my thanks!
Also, I’d be remiss not to point out that I misquoted the phrase “a street like a fjord” from the magnificent song “Adieu Sweet Bahnhof” by The Nits.

Tuesday 3 March 2015

The Opening Statement


Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen, and welcome to Albin Eigengrau's House Of Malpertuis. Albin Eigengrau, now there’s a pompous, ominous-sounding alias. What is that all about? Well, close your eyes for a moment and look. No, I mean exactly what I said: look while holding your eyes closed. You’ll notice that what you are seeing is not exactly absolute blackness, but rather a dark grey haze. And it’s not just a question of light filtering through your pupils, because you will experience a similar visual effect when sitting in a completely darkened room with your eyes open. That dark grey colour is called “Eigengrau” (“own grey”) in German. It’s a delicious example of how German can make the most mundane thing sound mysterious and foreboding.
Now then, for a first name to go along with it. How about Albin? No, that is not the leader of some band of chipmunks, suffering from a peculiar speech impediment. It is of course a tip of the hat to Albin Grau, the producer of the original Nosferatu movie. Both an artist and an occultist, he was quite a fascinating guy, and looking at the artwork he produced for further planned movies makes you regret that Prana went bust right after Nosferatu was finished. You really should have had a better understanding of copyrights, Albin.

You might notice a tendency towards horror and dark fantasy in the tone and themes of this blog, but do not take that as a given. Although the first comic on here will indeed be a horror story, you may expect other types of artwork and different genres popping up. Mostly, I’m making all this up as I go along and I’ll just have to see myself where my tendencies take me. Enjoy the ride, Ladies and Gentlemen, and do not forget your guide!