Pear

Today’s still life sketch – a pear!

 

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Strawberry

Back to drawing practice, friends.  I’m using still life drawings to practice my skill with and there are no shortage of subjects.  Here’s one sketch I did of a strawberry.

I’ll have more up in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

Bad news and good news

I have some good news and some bad news for everyone.

First, we’ll do the bad news.  My anthology sequel to Von Herling, Vampire Hunter will be delayed significantly.  I will not be resuming work on it for quite sometime and it may not be ready until 2017.  Why is this?  I’m busy right now with Sunnyville Stories and must do significant work to not only promote & sell it – I aim to get the fourth volume out by the summer of 2017.  For that, I have to stop work on everything else.  I’m sad that I can’t develop the other ideas I’ve had but Sunnyville is very important to me.  For more news and updates regarding the saga of Sunnyville, tune into my primary blog.

Now for the good news…this blog will not be simply tossed aside.  I intend to continue posting drawings here.  Some of my detractors have viciously attacked me for being lousy at drawing.  To an extent, they have a point.  In spite of how much better I’ve gotten at drawing, there’s still so much more than I’m capable of doing.  I aim to keep working on basic drawing skills.  While there are life drawing classes offered nearby for cheap (I plan to check those out), my aim is to start posting up still life drawings here.  I have several instructional books on these and I intend to start reviewing them for information.  Plus I will draw some of the still life exercises inside – fruit, candles, glass bottles, buildings, boats, cars, etc.

Stay tuned to this blog for more drawings.  My drawing will just keep getting better and better.

Get Von Herling, Vampire Hunter for Christmas!

Tell me…are you a horror fan?  Do you know someone who is into horror?

If that’s the case, then I’ve got a superb Christmas present to offer and that is my graphic novel Von Herling, Vampire Hunter!

Von Herling, Vampire Hunter page 45

In the tradition of the original novel by Bram Stoker of Dracula and the acclaimed Hammer Films of England, Von Herling is a superior horror comic on par with the Walking Dead, Vampirella, Hellboy and the Tomb of Dracula.

Set in the remote village of Richten in Eastern Tennessee, a locale combining the elements of the South with Transylvania, a youth named August Von Herling has arrived in town.  But this outsider is here on business – he has tracked a sinister vampire here, Vlad Magnus.  Can Von Herling destroy this unholy scourge before it’s too late?

Von Herling, Vampire Hunter page 84

Created by Max West and published by Different Mousetrap Press LLC, Von Herling’s gripping Gothic adventure has won critical acclaim!

Author Max West is a connoisseur of classic horror movies and novels, in which vampires were a menace to be rightfully feared, and it shows in this excellent tale of suspense. – Midwest Book Review

Von Herling is a classic vampire tale that sports thrills and chills all the while being acted out through anthropomorphic animals done is Max’s patented style. – A.P. Fuchs, Independent Author

Von Herling, Vampire Hunter (ISBN 9780989069618) is available for sale at Amazon in both trade paperback and in Amazon Kindle format.  Any retailers wanting to carry this book should contact Ingram or Baker & Taylor.

Well, what are you waiting for?  Christmas is almost here so go get your copy of Von Herling today!

Von Herling and Gothic fiction

Work is progressing on Von Herling’s further adventures.  I consider Von Herling to be a work of the Gothic genre, specifically Gothic horror.

When I saw “horror”, many of you readers out there conjure up images of Freddy Krueger, Jason, Leatherface and any number of characters from movies where there’s lots of blood and gross ways of dying.  That is one kind of horror (known as “splatter”), but it’s not the kind I use in Von Herling.  What I do is Gothic horror.  But what is Gothic horror?  

Review: Time-Life’s Mysteries of the Unknown

Today, I’d like to talk about one of my sources for research.  For my Von Herling anthology (as well as his original adventure), I read the original book of Dracula by Bram Stoker and watched vampire films to no end such as the various Dracula movies from 1931, 1979 and 1992.  Other horror comics like Hellboy were sources of inspiration.

While there’s nothing wrong with these, the genre of horror needs to be kept fresh so I decided to go do some research in books.  I did talk on my main blog about how handy libraries are for research.  One of the series I can recommend for anyone who writes horror (as well as fantasy, science fiction, paranormal or the supernatural) is the Mysteries of the Unknown book series from Time-Life Books.  

Von Herling Update December 2, 2015

Work is slow but steady on the Von Herling sequel.  I’ll have more news to share next week.  I do want to remind you that copies of the first adventure with August Von Herling is available on Amazon, both in print and in Kindle format, as well as Indyplanet.

If you are a retailer who wants to carry Von Herling, Vampire Hunter (ISBN 9780989069618), the title is available through Ingram and Baker & Taylor through BCH Distribution of New York.  If you are a library interested in adding this title to your collection, it is available through Brodart Company.

As a reminder, the planned sequel will be release in digital format initially.  A print copy may be released in the future.

Von Herling Returns

Some Von Herling artwork to share with you…

“Von Herling Returns”, Pen drawing on 8×10 paper

That quote is from the works of Robert E. Howard and that particular work is in the public domain.

Inspiration and notes for Von Herling

Work is progressing on gathering the ideas for “Von Herling Returns”.

Writing notes & story ideas for Von Herling

When I want to do a story, the first order of business is to get an idea.  Once I have an idea, I’ll actually write things down.  I keep notebooks where I jot down ideas like my concept for “Von Herling Returns”.   

Von Herling to return!

Hello, my friends.  It’s been eons since I’ve updated this blog.

I have some announcements to make.  First, most of the action is on my primary blog of Sunnyville Stories so anyone wanting to see what I’m up to should check that blog out.

Second, I’m planning a new book starring my vampire hunter August Von Herling.  His debut title Von Herling, Vampire Hunter (ISBN 9780989069618) is still for sale on Amazon.  (Newer editions of the book will be printed in the future.)  While you’re at it, be sure to check out my other titles like Sunnyville Stories Volume 1, Sunnyville Stories Volume 2 and Sunnyville Stories Volume 3.

Anyway, the working title of this book will be “Von Herling Returns”.  It will be an anthology consisting of about three stories and maybe more with a framing device connecting the various stories.  The book will be initially released in digital format, both for Kindle on Amazon and in PDF to be sold on DriveThru Comics.  A print edition may eventually follow.  We’ll keep you posted.

I will be giving periodic updates via this blog to report on my progress as well as to share sketches, concept art, character sketches and other material.  So stay tuned.  This blog is back in business and there will be more of August Von Herling in the future!