Quick Mack Attack

Comin’ atcha like an art-ninja, flinging out his scribbles on an unsuspecting mob…

Yeh – we’re all snowed-under and work-deadliney again. Don’t worry, though – we’re still firing all-guns on the comic.

First up this week: Jian got a haircut…

Jian & topknot

Next up: light roughs of pages 6 & 7. Very much a work-in progress, these ones, but Mack has sent me this pic twice, so I guess he’s fairly eager for me to post it.

page 6&7 roughs

See you in a week, if I tear myself away from Twitter long enough to order a Chinese, clear some junk off the PVR and write some all-new crap

More layouts: 1-6

Just a brief “hello” this week and more layouts for iss.1 Here’s pages 1 thru 6. Page 7 is nearly locked and the ‘finished’ versions are already underway.

Layouts for pp.1-6

See you in 7!

From the scketchbook: SHIV

Shiv

Well, that’s the last of the major characters locked-down. The work is coming thick-and-fast from Mack’s mighty pen – we’re up and running and raring to roll out issue one.

(just as soon as I’ve got this alliteration out of my system)

I know we’ve teased the launch out a bit further than even we expected, but we’ve got day-jobs, you know!

Right now, Mack’s doing his usual pencil-snapping and throwing toys out of the cot routine over this sketch, but he always does that when he locks a character. That’s the trouble with being a couple of perfectionists. He’ll get his chance to mock me when I’m tweaking dialogue right up to the last minute of a deadline, panicking over a misplaced comma, or somesuch.

So, here’s Shiv in all her finery. I wonder where she’s hiding her knife?

Coverage

We’re back!

After a much-needed break, it’s all hands on deck, nose to the grindstone and other anachronisms standing-by as we lurch headlong into the new year with the first roughs of the covers.

That’s Jian, Shiv, Jo and The Corsican gracing the fronts of Iss. 1-4.

There’s one character noticeably absent from these covers, and that’s the City of Urbn itself. Mack assures me that she’ll be there in the final versions.

And for more of Shiv, here’s some early costume notes.

Like one of those actors who has to find the right shoes before they can find the character, Mack often works from the outside-in. “Clothes make the man” and all that jazz.

Mack said “Neon Gothic.” I fired back, “Victorian Punk.” Let’s see where that leads us…

Cops & Cars

Y’see – this is what happens when you leave the artist unsupervised. I leave him on his big-rubber-tyre-swing for five minutes and the crazyness takes over.

Cops and cars, he said. Cops and cars.

Mack scares me.

First look: Kassel

Nick-nack Mack Attack!

Just the one piece this week, as our resident art-monkey is heads-down over the first pages of Urbn. So here’s a preview of someone he’s working on for Page 3:

Kassel - barman, boxer, sage. Landlord of the Köwhanga Bar, you’d be wise to make him your first port-of-call when you’re fresh out of the joint.

Kassel - concept art

First Look: Shiv

Mack is spoiling you this week, as pages tumble out of his sketchbook and onto the site. He’s been scribbling like a furious art-monkey, while battling deadlines at work – an heroic effort!

First up, is the initial character sketch for Shiv – data trafficker, pachinko addict, street kid, survivor. She’s a major player on the streets of Urbn and always seems to be around when Jian gets in trouble.

Shiv - early concept sketch

Next, the very latest in Urbn pret a porter. This season’s must-haves for the denizens of downtown.

URBN street style

And finally, the latest pencils of our ‘hero’, Jian:

Jian headshots

First look: The Corsican

It’s Wednesday, it must be time for some Mack artwork!

This week, it’s the turn of URBN’s resident ‘bad guy’ – a swashbuckling oligarch.

He’d probably tell you that he’s not really the bad guy – he just does what he does for the good of the City. He’s just misunderstood…

…then he’d feed you to his dogs.

In Mack’s own words:

Ok. Here you go…V.rough version of The Corsican…I see him very Errol Flynn like…swashbuckler type…pompous/vain, but very dangerous.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you… The Corsican

First Look: Kris

I’ve been raiding Mack’s portfolio and I came across this piece. Those of you who are already fans of Mack’s concept art blog might recognise her from way-back-when.

I needed a face to fit a name and he’d already beaten me to it. I was looking for a tough lady with an absolute moral compass, who could lead a pack of feral hunters by sheer force of will. It’s clear that we share the same tiny brain, as this is perfect for that character.

Mack was a little surprised to find me rummaging around in his old work for inspiration, but more than happy to that I’ve found a home for this character.

For some of you, this is a blast-from-the-past. For the rest of you… meet Kris.

A ghostly figure…

Help! Someone has stolen Mack’s crayons and only left him with a pencil.

At least I think that’s what’s happened. But what do I know? I’m just in charge of the words.

So, consider this Page 1 of the “URBN colouring-in book.” Bring your own crayons to the party. Remember – try to keep within the lines.