Carlos Ezquerra posted on Facebook that he has a judge Dredd colouring book coming out soon with 50 images from some of his commission work. this does not seem to be a official 2000ad book as it looks like it has the Millsverse logo on the cover
https://www.facebook.com/carlos.ezquerra.1?hc_ref=ARQD2BCZ8BKFM34bh4ZVpEN7QvDVKsgF5usHQ58wtl0kVTtBofOHvC5PlAV_tSssk2c
Quote from: rogue69 on 10 September, 2017, 01:28:29 AM
... it looks like it has the Millsverse logo on the cover
And so it begins.*
Genius move branding it a colouring book rather than a portfolio. I bet they have an unusually high proportion of orders for two books going to the same address - one for scribbling, one for nice.
* Mills's recent Facebook chat revealed he was keen to test whether the model established by his prose ventures in self publishing could be adapted for sequential work. This seems like a way of establishing the logistics and costs for future ventures. A Millsverse Accident Man movie tie-in comic by Carlos would be fantastic.
Yeah, Carlos messaged us about it since he was using a couple of our commissions - best of luck to him making some Euros off the hard work he's put in.
Bah, that must mean mine isn't going in it :'(
Much like Boo's problems with using the likeness of Olivia Thirlby, I imagine there are similar licensing hurdles with Greggs.
Nice, but he could really do with someone to proof the text (color and colour mix-and-match a go go) and a designer.
Actually, looking at what's there now doesn't fill me full of any hope. If you can't spell 'colouring' properly (is it colouring, coloring, or – most bizarrely – couloring?) in a colouring book, you need to hire someone to proof the thing. Also, What's With Using Caps On Every Word, Like Some Mad Person On The Internet? And that gradient background... oof.
And I love Carlos's art, too.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 10 September, 2017, 06:00:27 PM
If you can't spell 'colouring' properly ... in a colouring book ...
The spelling is certainly the most important aspect of a colouring book.*
* This sloppy back cover blurb may stop the target audience of a few hundred devoted fans - who have worshipped Ezquerra as a cross between Santa and Lee Marvin since they were six - from buying and enjoying this novelty item. Which they will definitely buy. And enjoy.
Oh, give over. When you're paying for a product, you should at least be able to expect a little professionalism. Just pass the thing by someone who can proof it. Or just leave it looking like an amateurish thing knocked up in five minutes that really will restrict it to a tiny hardcore. Or people who like 'creative' spelling. Here's hoping Pat's book doesn't have similar issues.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 10 September, 2017, 07:05:07 PM
Oh, give over. When you're paying for a product, you should at least be able to expect a little professionalism. Just pass the thing by someone who can proof it. Or just leave it looking like an amateurish thing knocked up in five minutes that really will restrict it to a tiny hardcore. Or people who like 'creative' spelling. Here's hoping Pat's book doesn't have similar issues.
Also, if you actually
do intend to colour the thing, you need to know that the product has been produced by someone who knows what they're doing.
Unless the paper stock has been chosen with great care, taking any kind of marker pen (never mind something alcohol-based, like the Copic range) to the pages will see your lovely colours spread like blotting paper on the page, and bleed straight through onto the pages beneath.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 10 September, 2017, 07:05:07 PM
When you're paying for a product, you should at least be able to expect a little professionalism ... looking like an amateurish thing knocked up in five minutes (will) restrict it to a tiny hardcore
It's a novelty item for a niche audience.
As far as I know, this is something Carlos knocked up in his shed, which is part of its appeal. If mine has a cigarillo burn on the cover, I'll be cock-a-hoop.*
* As cock-a-hoop as when I noticed the unprepossessing folded A5 'sketch book' Cam Kennedy produced had been sent from his house on Orkney. I mean, Cam Kennedy - THE Cam Kennedy - might have taken it to the post office by himself. He might have licked the stamp. I've still got the envelope.
I thought the forum was for fans!
Being a fan does not mean you must offer unbridled enthusiasm for everything we see, no matter the condition. As Jim noted, without the right paper, this book won't even be fit for purpose.
I like Ezquerra. I like the idea of this book. That it's niche makes no odds to me if its creator can't even be bothered to use a spellchecker.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 11 September, 2017, 07:55:43 AM
Quote from: Frank on 10 September, 2017, 08:06:33 PM
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 10 September, 2017, 07:05:07 PM
... looking like an amateurish thing knocked up in five minutes (will) restrict it to a tiny hardcore
It's a novelty item for a niche audience.
That it's niche makes no odds to me
Your concern appeared to be that poor spelling would affect sales. I don't think that will stop fans buying something directly from their hero, but I have no evidence to support that opinion.
I suppose it depends on what you're trying to achieve. I've no doubt that many of the absolute hard core won't care. And if all you're appealing to are people who'll buy anything, regardless of it being littered with errors, looking amateurish, and possibly – as Jim notes – not being fit for purpose, bully for them. But it would have literally taken someone ten minutes to proof that cover, and I imagine a ton of designers would have happily helped make the entire thing look superb.
The fans argument also baffles me, given the niche concern that a lot of comics falls into anyway. No-one would be happy with a replica badge saying "DREED", or a fanzine that randomly spelled words in different ways. But pointing this kind of thing out for this particular project is somehow off limits.
Well, unless you're just being a wind-up merchant, obviously.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 11 September, 2017, 10:28:49 AM
... pointing this kind of thing out for this particular project is somehow off limits.
I'm moderating the thread.
Ezquerra says the image was just a Frinstance and Mrs Guvnor is aware of the spelling errors. Now everyone's happy.
Quote from: Frank on 11 September, 2017, 01:07:35 PMMrs Guvnor is aware of the spelling errors
Probably because I pointed them out on Facebook.
This due out in about 2 weeks at £12.99 from Amazon also Lisa has corrected the spelling so you can all sleep easily about this
this is now available from amazon for £12.99
they are giving away 5 sample images for you download via https://www.millsverse.com/carlos
along with a new Facebook group "Colour Like Carlos" where you can show off your attempts at colouring Carlos' images
There lovely images aren't they?I certainly won't be ruining it with my feeble felt tips.
Just ordered it... ;)
Quote from: rogue69 on 30 September, 2017, 05:17:52 PM
this is now available from amazon for £12.99
they are giving away 5 sample images for you download via https://www.millsverse.com/carlos
along with a new Facebook group "Colour Like Carlos" where you can show off your attempts at colouring Carlos' images
You can buy
the whole book as a PDF (£10) and finally put that dodgy copy of Photoshop you downloaded (but never really used as much as you thought you would) to good use:
https://gumroad.com/l/carlos
The next logical step is for Rebellion to release COLOUR YOUR OWN digital versions of
The Pit and
Fading Of The Light.
A logical step would be to see whether the deal Marvel struck with Pixite is exclusive. If not, get them to do a digital colouring app. Pigment is so far beyond its rivals, it's not funny. And although the Marvel take (Marvel: Color Your Own) is laughable in terms of the access demands, the basic premise is strong.
Let the tongue out, crayon in fist colouring Begin!!
Quote from: Frank on 30 September, 2017, 08:04:03 PM
The next logical step is for Rebellion to release COLOUR YOUR OWN digital versions of The Pit and Fading Of The Light.
Naturally I've ordered it but I must say, I'm surprised at the year 7 school computing production values on the cover! I thought the gradient fill with bevel and embossed text image was a placeholder, alas it is not!
However, it's all about the content, I doubt anyone is actually going to colour this and folk just excited to get a book full of lovely Carlos Dredds, Alphas and more. Wonky production values aside, and at the risk of opening a can of worms, this is infinitely preferable to the patronising all female characters book that came out earlier this year featuring, quote, "the toughest, strongest, most defiant and sometimes meanest action heroines in comics. Intricate and bold, be mindful that these are the most determined characters you will get to colour this year!"
Erm...
Hmmm, I've got whingers remorse now. I can see that the official book was released at the same time as the Wonder Woman Movie so I suppose they were going for that zeitgeisty doo dah. I shall check my white male privilege and stop bemoaning the lack of Dredd (colouring!) books immediately.
I-is that a Rigellion Hotshot I can hear? Aaaaaagh!!!
Carlos with a Bob Ross perm painting happy little mushroom clouds.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 11 September, 2017, 07:55:43 AM
Being a fan does not mean you must offer unbridled enthusiasm for everything we see, no matter the condition.
BURN THE HERETIC!!!
:D
Typically a card machine ate my card the same day this was released, but a buddy has ordered me a copy for my birthday.
Had a shipment delayed message from Amazon this morning, which I guess is good news for sales?
Carlos leafs through the book.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=16&v=mlIsk13TcpQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=16&v=mlIsk13TcpQ)
I probably shouldn't be dumbfounded that there's still a mis-spelling of 'colouring' in there, but there you go. Good grief. You'd think someone might have at least done a 'find' across the entire file for that.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 03 October, 2017, 01:54:29 PM
I probably shouldn't be dumbfounded that there's still a mis-spelling of 'colouring' in there, but there you go. Good grief. You'd think someone might have at least done a 'find' across the entire file for that.
;) Oceania had always been at war with Eastasia.
Hat's the Spaglish spellink.
Colour/color - Who gives a fuck...
Prime thrill-power goodness from Dredd and Johnny's Daddy. I hope Carlos had a ball doing these commissions, certainly we fans have every reason to be eternally grateful that he did undertake this work.
Quote from: Steve Green on 03 October, 2017, 12:43:41 PM
Carlos leafs through the book.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=16&v=mlIsk13TcpQ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=16&v=mlIsk13TcpQ)
And that's such a sweet video. "I love her" :)
I think i'd be happy to watch a ten hour video of Carlos leafing through his work and muttering gems like that.
Here Here Spikes.
Great book!
I recently acquired this Ezquerra commission (I can die happy now) and was wondering if it was included is the Carlos' Colouring Book. Can anyone confirm?
Thank you!
(https://i.ibb.co/xzDx6mD/20210409-105824.jpg) (https://ibb.co/L98V1Q8)
I don't know, but if you want to send it to me, I'll have a bash at colouring it in if you like. Felt tip okay?
Quote from: Dandontdare on 16 April, 2021, 07:19:51 PM
I don't know, but if you want to send it to me, I'll have a bash at colouring it in if you like. Felt tip okay?
(https://i.imgur.com/VjY2cFc.png)
I genuinely appreciate the kind offer dandontdare! I'll hold off for now, as nice as felt tip sounds ;)
Haha that's great Funt! Hard to believe that actually happened!
(https://i.imgur.com/iTCdjCe.jpg)
filippo
Always good to see Johnny Alpha with his nose done the right way, like a fish finger.
Great, thanks filippo! I appreciate you taking the time to take and post the picture. I'll be purchasing this book soon.
Agreed Dash, that is a mutant nose that has been punched in a few times.
Out of curiosity - do the pages in the book say that these are commissions done for private sale? Also, did the folk putting the book together get asked if it was okay to have a piece of art that you commissioned and paid for included?
For what it's worth - I don't think any of the squaxx who made the original commission would say no to being in a project meant to bring a few galactic groats to the artists family, but it would be interesting to know.
I doubt the artists of the strips would be allowed to make their own collections of strips by Rebellion featuring their work, so what is different here? I see a credit to Rebellion, so presumably this book was done with the copyright holder of the character.
Quote from: Dandontdare on 16 April, 2021, 07:19:51 PM
I don't know, but if you want to send it to me, I'll have a bash at colouring it in if you like. Felt tip okay?
A couple of years ago there were some Dave D'Antiquis Brigand Doom pages on eBay. Someone (his nephew?) had coloured them in with felt tips. They were distressing to look at.
Careful, Bolt. When I had the audacity to criticise any elements of this book (even noting major typos that I suggested be corrected), I ended up being hounded by certain 'fans' online for months.
Cheers IP - I remember that.
Quote from: Dash Decent on 17 April, 2021, 12:54:20 PM
Always good to see Johnny Alpha with his nose done the right way, like a fish finger.
Heh! You're dead right. It's quite a uniquely-shaped schnozz, even for a broken one. But I think Carlos' Dredd had pretty much the same one, as did Big Al Bestardi. Nice to see Henry Flint carrying on the fecked nose tradition these days.
Quote from: Bolt-01 on 19 April, 2021, 08:00:12 AM
Out of curiosity - do the pages in the book say that these are commissions done for private sale? Also, did the folk putting the book together get asked if it was okay to have a piece of art that you commissioned
Good questions Bolt, I was wondering the same thing. When I get it I'll let you know of any notes etc. in the book. To read how this book was brought together would be interesting. And like you say, as a fan I'd be thrilled if they reached out and asked to publish a commission I owned.
Another question, could Rebellion use any of these pieces for 2000AD publication? For example, could they use one of these commissions of Dredd/Alpha for a new TPB collection? It's their characters but Carlos art...just curious to know how these things work.
The more fans have access to enjoy/see unpublished Ezquerra and 2000AD works the better.
Quote from: Rogue Judge on 19 April, 2021, 03:18:50 PM
It's their characters but Carlos art...just curious to know how these things work.
Grey area. Technically, all paid-for commissions of characters an artist doesn't own are copyright infringements but publishers tend to turn a blind eye as a perk for the artists, as long as they don't take the piss — slapping your own drawing of Judge Dredd on a t-shirt or a mug and selling them at cons is likely to result in a polite "You need to stop doing that or the next communication won't be so polite" response no matter how big a name you are.
Sketchbooks and prints are usually subject to the same blind eye, provided they're small print runs.
I believe one of the covers to a Hachette collection was originally a commission (and the person who owns the artwork might not have been informed beforehand). Can't remember if I read that on the Hachette thread here or out in the wilds of the internet.
Quote from: sheridan on 19 April, 2021, 04:02:53 PM
I believe one of the covers to a Hachette collection was originally a commission (and the person who owns the artwork might not have been informed beforehand). Can't remember if I read that on the Hachette thread here or out in the wilds of the internet.
Given we know Kenneth Niemand's a pseudonym I wonder if he's practiced a signature for his pen names? feels like the perfect chance to do so!
I think it was Saint Eamonn's commission and I don't think they asked, the cheeky scamps (as if any of us would say "No!")
I would have assumed that the artist retains copyright on the work, and is effectively selling you a copy or a print of something they can reproduce if they wish to. Why would they need to ask you for permission to re-use? They haven't passed on the copyright.
Quote from: Funt Solo on 19 April, 2021, 06:42:36 PM
I would have assumed that the artist retains copyright on the work, and is effectively selling you a copy or a print of something they can reproduce if they wish to.
Again, not if it's an image of something they don't own the copyright to. In most instances, a drawing of the Millennium Falcon/Serenity/Enterprise A through Z would have more value to a commissioner than "random spaceship the artist made up in their head" and that value in part comes from the IP that someone else owns.
An artist can draw anything they like, but
at the point of monetising the work then, if it's a pre-existing piece of IP or demonstrably derives from one, then ownership of that IP comes into play and the artist
should only sell it to the owner of that IP, or to a third party with the owner's explicit permission, for which they would be entitled to demand a contract and a cut of the proceeds reflecting the added value.
It's grey area because of the long-established precedent of publishers/licensors turning a blind eye to one-off commissions and
very short run sketchbooks and prints, but different IP holders set the threshold for where their tolerance runs out at different levels.
Back in 2013 (blimey, didn't realise it was that long ago) I commissioned the much missed Nigel Dobbyn for an Illo of Kid Knee.
Nigel was an absolute gent throughout the process and once the final work was complete -- all digital remember -- Nigel sent me a couple of different resolution copies as well as a fantastic hi res print that he made sure showed his art off to its full glory.
Last time I saw Nigel we were chatting and he just casually told me that he'd deleted the files to the commission once completed. I was aghast but he laughed it off and said as far as he was concerned it was the best way to make sure that the single print he did for me was as close as possible to an original page.
His reasoning was that he viewed the piece as work for hire. He completed his part and passed the work to me as the owner to do as I wished.
Another view of this is the wide variety of covers commissioned for Zarjaz. As I'm sure I've bored you all before Zarjaz is a not for profit zine, so I can in no way afford to commission the glorious works on the cover at market rate, but I offer the droids a gratuity to cover oil and bribes for Mek-Quake to look the other way.
This has resulted in some of the most astounding work to grace a fanzine but the point is that all I'm asking these artist for is first use. What they do with the work afterwards is their business.
Not for nothing is Boltimo de' Fanzinci known as 'Dave the Magnificent'
Quote from: Bolt-01 on 20 April, 2021, 08:12:37 AM
Last time I saw Nigel we were chatting and he just casually told me that he'd deleted the files to the commission once completed. I was aghast but he laughed it off and said as far as he was concerned it was the best way to make sure that the single print he did for me was as close as possible to an original page.
His reasoning was that he viewed the piece as work for hire. He completed his part and passed the work to me as the owner to do as I wished.
He was a real gent.
To think that both he and the headliner of this thread are now gone when they were both chatting and sketching away goodo at the 40th event - which incidentally feels like it took place only a month ago - is just too sad.