For those of you who haven’t seen them yet – here are the covers for HERO.COM 4: CHAOS EFFECT and VILLAIN.NET 4: COLLISION COURSE – Available in Jan 2010!

And the breaking news is that there will be HERO.COM 5 and VILLAIN.NET 5 coming in Jan 2011!

In the meantime, don’t forget to check out HERO.COM 3: CRISIS POINT and VILLAIN.NET 4: POWER SURGE – both of which have a great discount on Amazon.co.uk!

My brother Jack just sent me a link to something rather disturbing:

Two alternatives. Either this is one of the most brilliant art installations I’ve ever seen — or the news from outside the caves is even worse than we feared. Has the invasion begun, at last? ;p

I have been silent for far too long!  Initially, it was  because I decided to lick the moisture from the rocks down here in the caves and my tongue grew to about two metres in length and my fingers swelled so I couldn’t type.  Then, the Monsters let me go to Monster Land… better known in human circles as Comic Con in San Diego, USA.

This is the place for comic book and sci-fi fans.  There were more than 150,000 people there… most of whom were dressed up in full costume.  You had to shove past Spiderman, Catwoman, some Barbarians and Yoda… and that was just to buy a coffee.

On saturday, two screenplays I’m writing were announced by non other than Ray Bradbury – the godfather of science fiction.  He’s 89 and still as sharp as a pin!

Anyway, here’s the article that was in Variety…

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006506.html?categoryid=1350&cs=1

Spirit seeks out King Kong story

Film unit picks up rights to ‘King of Skull Island’

By MARC GRASER

Spirit Pictures is looking to breathe new life into King Kong and a project initially developed by effects legend Ray Harryhausen.

Producers at the shingle have picked up the rights to the book “Kong: King of Skull Island,” a prequel to the well-known tale of the big ape.

Penned by Joe DeVito and Brad Strickland, book focuses on the backstory of Skull Island and how the giant gorilla became king there. It introduces other giant gorillas and dinosaurs only hinted at in the previous films.

The book was published at the same time Peter Jackson was producing his remake of “King Kong.”

Rights to make the movie were brokered with the Merian C. Cooper family, who own the Kong property. Cooper co-directed the original “Kong,” released in 1933.

“We’re very concerned with honoring Merian C. Cooper’s legacy in Hollywood. We want to make sure that whatever we deliver will honor his memory,” said Spirit’s Steve Iles, who worked on videogames for the “Star Wars” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchises through his Pocket Studios game company.

The plan is to produce the film using motion-capture technology such as Robert Zemeckis used to make “The Polar Express,” “Beowulf” and the upcoming “A Christmas Carol.” Spirit’s own facility would produce the CG work.

Spirit also is developing “War Eagles,” a project Cooper and Harryhausen had developed together and were nearly set to produce before the outbreak of WWII. The period actioner is set in 1939 and revolves around an ace fighter-pilot who tests a new jet and winds up crash-landing in the arctic, where he encounters a lost civilization that’s been thriving there for centuries.

“It’s one of those films that a certain level of the industry is aware of,” said Arnold Kunert, producer on both “Kong” and “Eagles.” “It’s a combination of all the things that have worked in adventure films for the last 70 or 80 years.”

Andy Briggs is working on the scripts for both films, with Spirit also developing offshoots like graphic novels, videogames and toys.

Iles and Kunert will produce both pics through Spirit, which is still seeking production partners on the projects.

Over the weekend I devoured (or was devoured by?) this:

Blood Water by Dean Vincent Carter is a brutal blast of bio-horror in the pulsing vein of classic shockers by James Herbert and Shaun Hutson. In (heh!) more ways than one as you’ll discover if you read it, it’s perfect for a rainy afternoon.

I’ve been a fan of Dean’s writing since his debut novel The Hand of the Devil and he just gets better and better with every book. If this is the first time you’ve heard his name click here for a short story Dean wrote exclusively for TBM. You like your YA fiction fast and bloody? Dean Vincent Carter is for you.

Arriving at the final book in a series can be both exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time – a little bit like waiting to find out what’s in the soup each Friday lunchtime here in the monsters’ caves.

Sometimes the final episode of a tale is nothing more than the tying up of loose ends or a rush towards a blindingly obvious resolution, and can occasionally be something of a let down for loyal readers (I would expain further but Fningbok the bewigged, the monsters’ legal adviser, has asked me not to mention any particular series that end this way – although I’m sure you’ll all have read such a book).

So, when a copy of Aurora – the final installment of Mark Robson’s wonderful Dragon Orb series – dropped through the hatch in my cell door, I wasn’t sure whether to begin reading or not.

The three proceeding books had been among some of the best stories I had ever read; a brilliant mix of classic fantasy and surprise twists.  I’d followed the dragons and their riders through some action-packed adventures – adventures which had to end in this final book.  But, would I find the conclusion to the characters’ quest as gripping as I had their earlier outings?

I needn’t have worried.  Mark has worked hard to make this book even more of a journey for the characters than the first three titles.  In fact, there are more twists and turns in this book than I ever expected – especially towards the final chapters.  The ending literally had me reeling from paragraph to paragraph as events moved along at breakneck speed to a fantastically surprising climax.  I wish I could say more – but I don’t want to give anything away!

I can’t recommend this book enough and – if anyone from Simon and Schuster is reading this… we want more Areth adventures very soon!

A parcel from my agents arrived in the caves today. I have no idea how post manages to find us when rescuers don’t. I sometimes wonder whether our agents have realized that we’ve been twice as productive since getting incarcerated, so they’ve made a lucrative pact with our publishers and families to keep us down here…

Anyway – huge excitement! Shapeshifter: Running The Risk and Monster Makers: Stinkermite – in CD format! The caves will now ring with the dramatic tones of Glen McCready telling the second Dax Jones story – or the hilarious timbre of Daniel Hill delivering the second mites and taurs adventure in a slightly camp way.

I love being read to. I have tried to make Andy and Tommy read to me from time to time, but I’m a southerner, and their thick north-western twang is completely unintelligable… <sigh>

Anyway, I found a couple of Andy’s books on audio too, and one of Sam’s. Probably there are others too from your favourite TBM authors. Great for long summer holiday journeys… You can order via www.audible.co.uk - or iTunes for some – and also try your local library.

Another day, another great story cooked up by the young people of Northamptonshire. Today I visited the libraries in Thrapston, Rushden and Irthlingborough. I gave the first group the option of carrying on the story started by the young people in the group of libraries I visited on Monday, or starting a fresh one of their own. They chose to do a new story. Once again, they’ve done a fantastic job. They’ve called it:

SHADOW PORTAL

As soon as Elaine entered the trees she could feel her anger begin to drain away. The crisp greenness of the leaves swallowed her in a sea of calm, and the damp, earthy smell of the forest made the day to day trivia of being a princess seem a world away.

Riding on Erillion made her feel truly alive. The rhythm of his footfall, the smell of his sweat rising from his strong back and the sense of freedom that she felt when on his back all combined to make riding him her favourite pastime. Even though the sun had set and the shadows were lengthening, the warm Spring evening tempted her to be just a little reckless. Heedless of her father’s warnings about the forest, Elaine pressed on, delighting in the growing distance between her and the castle.

Erillion danced nervously as he weaved between the trees. Reaching down, Elaine patted his neck.

‘It’s OK, boy,’ she said, her voice soft and calming. ‘Don’t be scared.’

Something moved ahead, flitting and fluttering in and out of the branches. A sudden High-pitched screech split the air. Startled, Elaine eased back on the reins, slowing Erillion almost to a halt.

‘Oh it’s only a bat,’ she whispered, chiding herself as much as the horse. ‘Let’s not get spooked over nothing.’

A path seemed to be opening up ahead. Elaine steered Erillion along it, drawn by the bubbling sound of water in the distance ahead. Just the sound of the stream made her mouth feel dry and, glancing down, she could see that her horse had foam around his lips. A drink would be more than welcome, she thought.

With a gentle kick to encourage him, Erillion broke into a trot and they threaded through the trees faster, looking ahead for the water they could hear so clearly. The trees to either side of the path thinned, opening into a wide clearing. The stream was at the far side, but as they moved to cross the open space, Elaine sensed something in the air that made her hesitate.

She didn’t see it at first, for it was not very big. A strange shimmer, distorting the air like a heat haze. But this was no illusion. The blur was little bigger than her fist. It was hovering in the air at about chest height and constantly moving in a slow, vertical circle.

‘What’s that?’ she wondered, curiosity pulling at her mind with as strong a pull as the reins she used to guide her mount. The anomaly was irresistable. Thirsty though she was, she could not help herself. If she went for a drink first, it might disappear, never to be seen again.

Flipping her right leg over the saddle to join her left, she slid down Erillion’s side and ran to investigate. Erillion wandered on alone towards the stream. The blurry haze continued its slow circle as Elaine approached cautiously. She reached out to touch it, pausing just short as a sudden wave of icy fear raced through her body. Her hands began to tremble and uncontrollable shivers ran up and down her spine.

‘What IS that thing?’ she whispered aloud. ‘And why am I feeling so scared?’ She reached out again, but even as her fingertips approached the surface, the blur suddenly expanded and a hideous dragon-like head burst out from it, knocking her from her feet.

The creatures’s head was almost skeletal. It looked to be all scales, bone and horns. It’s scales were a deep crimson and its horns were twisted. A vicious row of spikes ran up its neck and a collar of spikes, joined by a thick membrane flared out from the back of its head. Elaine instinctively reached for her silver dagger, but she had no time to draw it as the dragon lunged towards her again.

For the briefest instant, Elaine felt sure she would be torn apart by the wicked teeth that filled the creatures mouth, but to her surprise, the creature did not strike. Instead it stopped a mere fingertip’s width from her, it’s eyes glowing with hypnotic power. Inside her head a whispering voice began to call her name over and over again.

‘Elaine … Elaine … Elaine. Follow me … follow me … follow me now!’

With the words still going round and round in her mind, the creature began to withdraw back into the strange portal. To her horror, Elaine suddenly discovered she had no choice but to follow. Her body was no longer hers to control. With slow, jerking movements she regained her feet and moved forwards. One step. Another. As she did so, the shimmer in the air expanded to meet her.

She felt empty inside, as if the creature had sucked all of her emotions from her body. No sooner had the haze swallowed her than it was as if the earth had been pulled from under her feet. Her stomach lurched up towards her throat as she fell, spinning out of control into a hazy void.

With a thud, she landed on hot, dust-covered rock and promptly vomited. She couldn’t help herself. The fall and the sudden overwhelming smell of dead, rotting animals combined with the stench of rotten eggs turned her stomach.

Dust and hot ash filled the air. She wiped her lips with the back of her sleeve smearing the mucky mix of vomit and gritty dust across the soft material.

‘Where am I?’ she breathed, coughing as the dusty air began to tickle and burn at the back of her throat.

The landscape was bizarre, and unlike anything she had ever imagined in her wildest dreams. Gone was the forest of green and the cool stream. Now she was sitting on the side of a volcano with a large cave looming behind her like a gigantic open mouth. Thoughts of the dragon creature and its strange, hypnotic call suddenly filled her mind. Why was she here? Why had the creature not killed her instantly?

A distant roar made her heart leap. Further down the rocky slope, two enormous skeletal beasts were facing up for a fight. One had great plates of boney armour all over its body, with what looked like great random shaped sheets of bone sticking up in a line along its back. The other stood tall on enormous hind legs. It was hard to get a sense of scale at this distance, but both creatures looked to be at least five times the size of Erillion …

The young people at Daventry Library decided to add a bit more to this story today, but it would be great to see an ending or two for this story. Have a go and send one. I’d love to see your ending.

As an author and illustrator I’m often asked what comes first, the words or the picture. Well, in truth it’s a bit of both. I like to write lists, single words usually, that form the beginnings of a busy page of circled words connected with arrows and phrases, in an attempt to spark an interesting idea, or brighten up a dull one.

At the same time I use my sketchbook. And for me, as an illustrator who thinks mainly in pictures, this is probably my favoured starting point.

I’ll be posting more samples from my sketchbook very soon but I thought I’d show you a ‘thinking technique’ for want of a better phrase, that inspired me from the great Maurice Sendak. For many years he set himself the task of drawing what he called ‘Fantasy Skecthes.’ He called them Homework Drawings. The idea was to draw a sequence of doodles quickly in a set time  onto a single sheet of paper with the only thought that he would try and ‘tell’ some kind of story. The idea was that, without doing too much thinking, the drawings would open up curious ’stream-of-conscious doodles’ which in turn may lead to a new and exciting way of thinking, drawing, telling a story.

I tried this framework although without the music. His set time was the piece of music he was listening to at the time. I gave myself (a silent), 10 minutes. I like to play around with a simple scenario or character and see what happens. But the same principle applied. That is – to draw quickly and without too much time to reflect. I use a single sheet of  A4  paper and start at the top left, working my way across and down, with the one single notion that I will try to complete an idea or story by the time I reach the bottom.

What you see  here, are two examples. To be fair Maurice Sendak’s drawings are much more exciting than mine. But they are great fun to do and it’s an excellent way to really fire the imagination. What has surprised me is how easy it is to actual complete the idea on a single page. I had visions of needing two or three pages.

I thoroughly recommend you give it a go. And remember, getting the idea is the important thing – it doesn’t matter what the drawing looks like. This, of course is easier said than done I’ll admit (and I’m an illustrator!), but as an alternative way of brainstorming an idea I think you’ll surprised at what you might come up with. Give it a go.

More soon!

By way of the ever excellent Boing Boing, here are some moist, fresh tentacles for you…!

This is King of the Sea Monsters, by Davey Wong. It’s part of Monster?, a current exhibition of fabulous monster artwork: click on the link to see the whole thing online!

Now: How about making some monster art of your own? Send your vilest imaginings to this email address: readerart@theblacktattoo.com

If I’m sufficiently horrified, awed, nauseated and thrilled, I will post your art here on TBM for the whole world to shudder at. I’ll also send you a personally signed copy of one or other (your choice) of The Black Tattoo or Tim, Defender of the Earth. Over to you.

It’s been a while since the monsters have let me write a bit of blog, because they’ve been making me write flat out to finish my current adventure. Slibberflob Wartpop stood over me and periodically pressed my nose to a spinning grindstone that he’d made with cave rock and the spindle off an old record player (I think Sam had a vinyl deck about this person when we were first kidnapped). I have lost part of my nose by pressing it against the grindstone while I bashed out the final few chapters. Of course, some who have met me might argue this is a Good Thing. I had a bit too much nose to begin with.

Anyway, having now FINISHED (hurrah!!!!) the current book, I can now tell you that we had a FABULOUS time down at the Caves at Wookey Hole at the start of the month, launching DARK SUMMER. A mob of us went into the caves for a reading – including some fans who had travelled from as far away as Maidstone and Dublin!  

Guys, I think we should persuade the Monsters to bring in some audiences so we can all do a cave reading. It’s the best for atmosphere and acoustics. Your voice just floats around in a spooky way. I nearly scared myself. Sadly, I suspect the health & safety forms required by schools these days would be a problem. Especially on the Hazard Assessment bit which reads:

LIKELIHOOD OF A LIMB GETTING EATEN:

Unlikely

Quite Likely

Almost Guaranteed

I think we all know where the tick would go.

Anyway, there will be video on my website soon but for now here’s this ‘atmospheric’ picture (flash photography wasn’t allowed) of some of the audience with me, holding luminobes. And to find out what luminobes are you’ll have to ask Tommy – or read Dark Summer… available in all good bookshops and via the Trapped By Monsters on line bookshop link…