Had an amazing weekend in LA attending the Agent88 launch [link] with dA founder Angelo. Great to catch up with old friends, particularly Kevin Eastman (creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) who is one of the most generous, good-natured people in the industry, and the very talented Mr David Mack, amongst others. Digger T. Mesch, the director of the up-coming web series, is a force of nature and an old friend. He really knows how to throw a party! A book with 88 illustrations by 88 different artists (including me) was put together by Heavy Metal magazine. It's worth getting a copy of.
My new profile pic is me on the red carpet - very cheesy! And there's the dA logo to the right of my head - as always, they are fantastic sponsors of all things artistic!
Every once in a while all the years of hard work seem worth it. This was one such night.

Twice I have seen this, in maybe 30 years - somebody improving at such speed it belies belief.

The first time was Chris Weston, a year my junior. I landed a job as assistant to the late and very great Don Lawrence when I was 17, just edging out Chris. A year later Chris replaced me, and a year after that he was working for 2000ad. Today he's one of the finest comic strip artists in the business, as well as the best storyboard artist I have ever seen.

The second time was Ben Wolstenholme.

Don't get me wrong, Ben already had chops. He is an incredibly talented guy - and way too good looking for my liking too. He formed Moving Brands (a progressive, distinguished and award-winning branding agency) right out of college. He and I were both art scholars at the same school - he seven years my junior and following in my footsteps. He used to come round for drawing tips, and I'd draw him a Batman, or Judge Dredd, then get rid of him with a ruffle of the hair and head off down the pub.

Now he's my CEO at Madefire. Deeply annoying.

Yet this isn't about his achievements in general, it's about his sequential storytelling. Ben is, as I said, very talented - but his art was very idiosyncratic, and a little rough around the edges. His figures were squat, tending towards the ugly. His linework distinctive and characterful, but unresolved and sometimes directionless. He was not, in my opinion, ready to jump into a major narrative sequence alongside some of the most formidable names in comics.

But over the weeks, then months, then couple of years it took for us to pull all our resources together and get Madefire going in earnest, something happened - You see, something else Ben is extremely good at is listening to advice! I pointed him at great storytellers, classic inkers, the best of the industry stylists. The first few pages he drew were ripe with character, but were not - yet - professional level. They felt illustrative, but tentative. However, they had a quality, a charm, that made it clear the work was going to be all right. It was going to work!

Literally five or six pages later and Ben was producing some of the most wonderful drawings I'd seen in comics for quite some time. His panorama in MONO episode 1 (check it out - it's free, right here on dA in the new Motion Books section) is, quite frankly, gob-smacking. And everything after it drips with panache, style, energy, and a will to be brilliant. It's like Clemente Coll mixed with Frank Miller via Barry Smith. It has the pure class of Gary Gianni, with the solid, weighty storytelling of Richard Corben.

I envy Ben. I envy the fact that he has come into this with a youthful will to be the very best he can be. He's untarnished by decades in a work-heavy, under-appreciated industry. He has the eye and wisdom of experience, but the energy you only get in those first few years as a pro. I wish I had that patience still. I long for that level of concentration, that concerted drive to make every. Page. Count...

I am also honoured to be the one writing his scripts for the motion books. Seeing my words come so vividly to life is thrilling. I can't wait to write more. And I know that whatever I throw at him he'll be able to handle. He really IS that good.

Go check out his dA gallery and say hi! [link]

Cheers!

L.

I'm never very bothered by my age. Truth be told I've generally enjoyed each new decade rather better than the last! There's a genuine pleasure to be derived from the slow and steady accumulation of knowledge, the subtle improvements and refinements of whatever skills you possess.

AND - people stop treating you like some jumped-up kid (of course a bald head and grey hair help in that regard.)
 
But on Thursday I'm 45.

And for the first time ever that's kind of hit me - oh Christ! I'm actually getting old! My 40th surely can't have been half a decade ago? My 30th looms large, clear, and seemly very very recent in my memories.

45?!!?

How the HELL did that happen?!!?

There's a point - and I think I may have reached it - where far-flung dreams wither. The band I wanted to start, the album I wanted to cut... those are young-man's dreams. Directing a feature film seems less likely, as Madefire is going to keep me busy for quite a few years to come. It could happen, but the fire that burned in my belly ten years ago isn't as bright.

Then there's being hip, current, knowing what the youth of the day want. I'm finding myself step by step removed from that as the arbiters of these fads and fashions grow ever younger. It gets tougher and tougher to stay cool.

BUT - I'm here, in the US, chasing one almighty dream. My motion book stories contain words I wrote with my wife, tunes I composed on my computer, and art I drew. I even did most of the building, and much of the lettering myself. THat's pretty exciting for an old fella!

I feel 25.
    
So needless to say, perhaps, I intend to enjoy my birthday non-the-less! Some people choose not to make much their birthdays, but for me it's always been an excuse to have the best time possible. I'm always glad to find another reason to celebrate something, even if it is just getting older.

Maybe I'll make a whole week of it...

"I hate motion comics!"

"I'm not interesting in comics unless they are print. I'm sorry, I just love print. I really HATE these motion books. Pointless, disorienting... too slidy and synthetic..."

Sigh.

I'm getting REALLY bored of hearing these old chestnuts. Without change there would never have BEEN comics. Comics did not appear, fully-formed, at the dawn of creation, and then stay exactly the same. They evolved out of excess newsprint and a combination of other factors. And they continued to evolve.

So when a whole new space opens up - a virtual space of amazing new possibilities - do we treat it like a piece of paper, or do we dive in and see what it can do?

There's this attitude that just standing on the sidelines shouting 'it's crap' is somehow productive. Or cool. Or something! I haven't figured out what yet. But by just doing that how are you helping anybody?

Motion books - even motion comics - are words and pictures, but also sound, and also panoramas, rack-pulls, living text... whatever you want them to be. They are a growing, evolving medium. They are built by the creators themselves in many cases. They are all unique, and all reaching for something fresh, exciting, new. They are NOT comics, though they share some of the tropes.

If we didn't try new things the world would be a very dull place indeed.

I wish people would be more creative and more open-minded. Every new medium takes time to get right. So participate if you know better! Be part of it! Help us learn, and most of all - be excited! How many new mediums arrive in one lifetime? Not many!

I can tell you that we old and crusty men of printed comics are having a great time playing with this - getting some things wrong maybe, but judging by the feedback getting a lot more right!

Comics are all about the imagination. It is a place where new myths are birthed, and the universe is without limits. How funny, then, that so many people who share this medium have so little vision.

Reading through my last journal I feel it might have come across a bit harsh, and not really covered the heart of it - respect.

When I say 'do your research' I mean:

Make sure you have read about the person you are reaching out to.

Make sure you know who they are, what they do.

Make sure you are writing something personal, not just copy and paste. Let them see that you are aware of their history, the projects they have worked on. That way you are more likely to have their ear. They will feel that their work has been appreciated, and that they are being sought out because of WHO they are, not because a quick glance of their gallery had some pretty pictures in it.

NEVER suggest you can help them.

NEVER suggest that you can improve their work, or that you know a way to make them loads of cash.

After many years slogging away in the industry most pros know all there is to know about comics, their cost, their production, their sales. They know it is bloody hard, and it takes months and years.

Lastly - the best thing you can do is impress them with your own work. That means you need to win their trust first. If they have a moment to check out your work and feedback (and don't assume they will, or get angry if they don't!) you may be lucky enough that they fall in love with your inks, or your writing, or whatever else you might be offering. Then there is a small chance that a collaboration may happen. It usually happens between two creators that respect each other, or are good friends.

What you want to avoid is any sense you are trying to ride their coat tails to greatness. There is no quick way in. It can take 20 years to become an over-night success. Great work will trump all, so more than anything - MAKE YOUR WORK GREAT. If you can do that you may not need anybody else.

Hope that helps!

Best,

Liam.

Usually I smile, gently shake my head, and sometimes send a reply to put things in context. I realize at the heart of it lies enthusiasm, passion, a will to create. But it's boarder-line insulting, especially after so long trying to build a name, a brand for myself.

If you haven't guessed, I'm talking about those requests that many artists get online from ill-informed writers and would-be publishers.

Here's how they go:

Hey! I think your work is quite good! I'm writing a 12 part graphic novel series and would like you to do the art. I don't have any money but would be happy to share some of the royalties with you when it has been published...

Or:

I would like to commission you to draw my online comic. I have a budget of $300 an issue. It's a personal, erotic comic...

Or:

You're quite good, but you need an assistant/inker/finisher/painter, and I can make your work better. When do I start? We can split the payments 50/50...

You get the picture.

The point is so many of these requests seem based on a cursory look at my gallery, and seem to not take in my biog, my history, any of the other information on my page. They talk to me as though I were just starting out, not a professional of 26 years who has drawn some of the most iconic titles in comics, worked on movies, even had personal commissions by people like George Lucas. The implication is I'm beginner level, that I need a break. Isn't it obvious I'm a professional?!!? Because if it isn't, then that's pretty worrying!!!

So here's my advice to you wonderful, enthusiastic, soon-to-be story-masters, writers, project managers, publishers, etc. - PLEASE research the artists you are reaching out to before you send them a request. Many of them earn thousands of dollars per single commission. They are incredibly busy. They have a long history in the industry. They are names. Please respect that, and know who you are talking to before you blindly reach out. Otherwise you're in danger of insulting the very people you want to befriend.

Cheers!

L.

UPDATE!

Not the colour, clearly - the phone company. Normally I would not write about this kind of crap on dA, but it shows how out of touch corporations are getting when it comes to customers - you and me. This stuff HAS to change. We have to stand up for ourselves.

A few weeks ago, after a year of negotiating, I was compelled to write this letter of complaint to Orange -

Dear Orange,

I would like to make an official complaint about the way Orange has handled the closing of my account due to a move to the US.

It is my understanding that the customer is always right, and should not be made to feel that they are engaging in deceitful practice or defrauding Orange of the grand sum of £50.00 - a sum which seems entirely arbitrary.

This process has caused us considerable stress and anxiety at a difficult time as we moved our family to a new country. We have been supporters of orange, and as a well-respected artist and writer I've applauded Orange's commitment to the arts. We have never missed a payment and are not the type of people that would dream of such. A service is a service.

When it became clear that the move to the US was imminent we wrote a letter to Orange saying we would be cancelling the rolling payment of £15 per month foran iPad 3GB bundle, which we were informed we could cancel at any time. We duly cancelled the standing order. My wife, Christina, attempted to call too, but after half an hour of not getting through she gave up.

We were extremely shocked to receive a letter, forwarded to us in the US,demanding £50, followed shortly after by a demand from BCW acting on Orange's behalf. We tried again to call, but the worry of the call cost from the US to the UK meant we again had to hang up after not getting through for a considerable length of time.

We have been at pains to help at every stage, forwarding copies of the communications we sent - including the initial letter, which we did a screen cap of showing the date it was written as clearly being 26th June, 2012. We cancelled the July payment of £15 after that.

It is shocking, and distressing, that the response to all of this is that we can't prove we actually sent the letter, implying we are lying and deceitful. There is no trust in the customer, no benefit of the doubt. We have now spent literally hours of time, and accrued costs that likely exceed the demand, trying to come to an amicable arrangement. We have been made to feel frustrated, angry and hugely disappointed in Orange. All for the sake of £50.00.

Our sense is that we are merely being pushed until we pay up through a combination of frustration and fear that it will lead to bigger things if we don't. Orange has been unreasonable, completely closed to our case, and frankly intimidating.

We urge you to look at this very seriously, and also at this practice in general. 

Sincerely,

Liam McCormack-Sharp

Their response via BCW (a collection agency who bought the HUGE debt off Orange)?

I can advise we referred your comments to our client, Orange PCS Ltd. They have responded to confirm they can only reiterate their previous comments and their stance remains unchanged. Our client advised you cancelled the Direct Debt on 3 July 2012 however did not contact Orange directly to cancel the account. Our client therefore remain satisfied the outstanding balance of £50.05 is correct and due. In the absence of documentation supporting your contention of non liability, collection activity will resume until the account has been settled or reasonably queried.Please contact the office to discuss repayment.

So we are in the wrong. Did not write a letter to cancel, despite the screen cap that evidences it. And we must pay this trivial amount because... Orange.

Cancel your Orange accounts asap. They care not a jot about their customer. They will hound you, and make you feel responsible. They will set a collection agency on you.

I'm VERY bloody angry about this. Such a waste of time. And BCW said this happens ALL THE TIME.

L.

When I first got into comics I was told there were rules. There was actually a method, a set of guides about what you should and should not do. I'm not going to write them all here - you can find a huge amount of info online and in books about establishing shots, full-figures, etc. They can be very helpful, and also an excellent framework to build your stories around.

Some people build their stories with great care and skill, like an architect. Everything is planned, every detail carefully placed, ever move nuanced and subtly essential to the ongoing story. This is true of both writers AND artists. You get the skilled draftsmen.

You also get the fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants, throw everything at the wall and see what sticks type of artist and writer. Vaguely controlled chaos.

There is no wrong or right - though editors and publishers generally prefer the former, as it's less of a risk, and much more controllable. But for me there's something wonderful in the free-fall nutso creativity engendered in the later, and that I definitely gravitate towards.

Looking at a few classics of fearless invention it's hard to find their equivalents today - at least not in any significant numbers. Moebius's dream-like and enigmatic Arzach, Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz's dense and complex avant garde break-out Electra Assassin, Phillippe Druillet's star-spanning epic Yragail/Urm... all reinvented the medium drawing on inspiration from former masters. Moebius from pulp illustrators like Virgil Findlay, but channeling 60's psychedelia. Miller channeling Chandler, Sienkiewicz channeling Baron Story, Ralph Steadman and Toppi, Druillet channeling Barry Smith, Homer, Morcock, and lord knows what else...

The point is, all of these guys did something breath-taking and ground-breaking. And they broke the rules. Big time. They just charged blindly into uncharted territory armed only with their passion for other great creators and creations, and a sense that there was something else out there.

My whole career I've been looking to do something like that, and in Captain Stone is Missing... I finally feel like it's truly paying off, becoming something new. You can see my influences - chiefly Bill Sienkiewicz, but some Bisley, some Dave McKean, even a little Travis Charest. I'm aiming high!

So, if I was to leave you with a take-out it's this -

Sure, learn the rules. Learn how to draw. But then go break some eggs. Comic art is getting DULL!!!! We need more visionaries. We need change. There will always be superheroes, and great, pure, mainstream genius. But go the distance, and push yourself. Throw some paint around and see what you come up with. You might just surprise yourself!

Best,

Liam.

You won't believe this - I've worked hard to disguise the fact. With midland bloody-mindedness, and teutonic tenacity, I've carked a facade of cheery Viking confidence.

But that's all it is - a sham.

A big fat lie.

For all my shaved-headed, meaty tattooiness I remain, and, I suspect, always shall remain an introvert in showman's clothing; shy behind a stoic and enforced grin.

I'm not looking for sympathy here. I don't think being shy makes you weak. I don't think this is inherently bad, or that I'm being brave writing this. But it's true - There's not a room I step into that doesn't cause me anxiety. Not an outstretched and friendly palm that it isn't a challenge to heartily grasp. Not a warm and expectant face that doesn't fill me with the dread of a dry mouth, an awkward silence, a sentence struggling to be said.

Every seemingly casual conversation I have at a convention is a fraught with the fear of stuttering incoherence, witless banality, the terror of falling into a monotonous drone - nice enough chap that Liam Sharp, but Christ is he boring!
Every complaint, every cold phone all I have to make, every panel I'm on, every talk I give, every party I've ever hosted has behind it a gargantuan gathering of will, a heroic resolve to just 'do'. I have to build it, will it, bully it into being. It is never easy, and it is something I always dread.

In the past at shows I would hold back, wishing the witty line that would allow me to be part of a perceived 'scene', gift me the free pass of the eternal wag, would pop into my head when I needed it - not ten minutes too late or the following day. I would lurk on the fringes with a surly expression, that was really a manifestation of frustration and a battling of will - 'just say hello you idiot! Just smile and hold out your hand...'

Even this New Year's eve I spent four hours unable to engage at a community party we were invited to. Dry mouthed and grinning I couldn't connect - until enough beer loosened my tongue, and I got behind a guitar and blasted out a classic rock standard, which has, it seems, become my catch-all way to get a party started and show I'm a - y' know - fun-loving kind of a guy. Throw in a silly dance and suddenly all is well with the world! But not without the hours of awkwardness at the start...

This is my curse. I've battled it all my life. Without the fear-inhibiting miracle of beer I'd probably have never met a girl, sang a song, danced a silly dance. Without resolve and a will to fight this curse none of what I've done would be possible. It's ALL been extremely hard - but equally, worth it.

I don't know why I'm so painfully introvert, or what causes the dread. I just know it can't hurt me, so I face into it, do my best to just 'do' anyway. I won't let it win. And because of that I've done things I would never have dreamed possible.

So anybody else similarly afflicted - be brave. Fight it. Don't let fear paralyze you. It's a cliche, but you won't regret it.

See? I told you you wouldn't believe me!

I've been really wrestling with this, but I'm pretty sure I need to change the cover of my book 'Captain Stone is Missing...'

Why?

Well - because I think it might be putting readers off! They might, judging by the cover, think it's all about a testosterone-fuelled, early 90s style over-blown meat-head. And it's really not - though it nods at that, hopefully cynically and with good humour as the story progresses...

I'm thinking of making the Charlie with a dead deer image the cover...

Let me know your thoughts!

Cheers all!

L.

...and 'Captain Stone is Missing...' Because that's what this is REALLY all about.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to do a big sales pitch here for my book, rather I'm going to tell you WHY I think this partnership between Madefire and dA is so exciting, and that all hinges on my experience with Captain Stone!

OK, at the risk of repeating myself, I've been on dA quite a long time. Six years. Not to be sniffed at! I've posted journals that have, at times, been deeply personal, or instructive, or sad or angry - but all human. I've bared my soul a bit, and always tried to be honest above all.

I've also shared my journey in print, then the slow move to digital. The development of Cap Stone ([link] and my move from the UK to the US. You've always seen the inner-working of my life as a pro here, and it's been my honour to share it with this fantastic community.

When it comes to creating stories, getting them seen is hard - especially in print! Over my 26 year career I've tried again and again to get my own stories published, with pretty much no success at all. I've drawn so many mainstream books, most of the BIG heroes - from the Hulk, to the X-Men, to Batman, Superman, and Spiderman - and I've pitched all the these companies hundreds of times with my own stories. I once calculated, rather bleakly, that if all my pitches had been accepted it would have been sixty years worth of solid work - and this was over ten years ago! I created a publishing house to try to address this, and Mam Tor did really well critically, but lost money in the long run. Also the act of running that company meant the time left for me to produce my own work was woefully small. There was so much MORE I wanted to do, but couldn't.

Increasingly it was starting to look like digital comics were the way forward, but I couldn't figure out how you could monetize a PDF and distribute it. Plus it was obvious that it could easily be copied and distributed free, and that actually if you were going to go digital you should really make full use of the digital environment, and do something exciting. (If you've spent any time in my gallery you'll know I like to push myself and try new things whenever I can... I've never been good at maintaining one style!)

This was where meeting up with my old mate Ben Wolstenholme - a fantastic artist in his own right! - in London made all the difference. He KNEW about digital innovation. He knew the leaps that were being made, and he was the CEO and founder of Moving Brands - an incredibly progressive branding agency. We knocked our heads together and started to formulate a plan - which became even more of a believable reality when the iPad came out. It was obvious comics would look great on there! So we started to build towards that.

And so... Captain Stone was born.

And this time I wanted to make it count. My wife, Christina, and I spent many weeks working on the complex, generation-spanning plot - kind of a story in reverse. The assumption is that Captain Stone is a household name, and after a horrible, embarrassing fall from grace he's gone missing.

Is it a publicity stunt?

How will it impact on the world?

Do we care?

I started posting my Cap Stone art on here a few years ago. I was, funnily enough, more nervous about posting this art than anything else I've ever done! What would people think? Would they buy into it? Would they care? But then this whole endeavour has assumed that tone - we were pioneering. We had no clue what the future held. But as we progressed, and our third founder at Madefire, Eugene Walden, introduced the tool element - then things got REALLY exciting. It was starting to become clear that this could be REALLY powerful - creators could make their own content, and publish it to the web!

I started to experiment in the tool, uploading my assets, creating Madefire's very first pages, our first animated sequences. I was hooked! This was new - you 'read' it, you didn't 'watch' it. You were involved, sucked in. The story seemed to grow even more epic. It was so incredibly thrilling to have so much control over my own material - from the story, to the script, to the art, to lettering, to the way it was built in the tool... And I could keep changing and refining it, adding stuff and taking it away... Amazing!

After 26 years I had control over my own material FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME EVER.

I really hope you enjoy 'Captain Stone is Missing...' It's a slow burn, so stick with it. I can absolutely promise you it is going places you will not expect. It's the work I am most proud of, and I've thrown everything I have at it artistically, choosing not to try and cash in on mainstream super-heroics. It owes it's inspiration to the great visionaries of the 80's - Frank Miller, Bill Sienkiewicz and their ilk. It's not slick, and it's not all about action. It's a mystery, a thriller, and then... well. I won't spoil it.

Read it here on your browser if you haven't already: [link]

This is where we're going though - bringing Madefire to dA so you can share the experience I had, and may it be as thrilling and exciting for you as it was for me.

Warmest regards,

Liam.

I know, I know...

I've not been a good friend.

You guys hung out, waited for me, but I became more and more erratic. Occasionally I would reappear, fire off a few lines, maybe even show you a picture or two I've been working on, but it just wasn't the same. I was becoming unreliable. Distracted. My mind was - I know you've noticed - somewhere else.

I've mentioned change, I know. I've talked about the 'big adventures' I've been having elsewhere. But that didn't help, because... well... I wasn't HERE any more, not really. Not in the same way.

And that was sad, you know? Because there was trust, community. We had built something together on here.

Well, that's going to change.

I'm back.

And I'm back in a big way, because everything I've been working on I can now show RIGHT HERE! I've been able to bring it back home with me, and I'm absolutely delighted about it!

So if you haven't already, please go and read my story Captain Stone is Missing... right here on dA. Then read MONO, Treatment: Tokyo, and all the rest! You can see them in the brand new category on here called 'Motion Books'! Just SOOOOO DAMN exciting!!!!

[link]

Please let me know what you think - you may recall, from my gallery, that I've been working on this for a very very long time!

So, forgive me for my absence! I've been here in spirit and longing to get back.

Damn it! I've missed you guys!!!

Best always,

Liam.

When digital comics were first imagined we just had the web. It was a blank canvas, of course, and it was crying out to be scribbled all over, desperate to burst open the long-slumbering narrative modes we had all taken for granted and formed habits around.

The questions were multiple:

- How long will it take to kick old habits? (To paraphrase Douglas Adams, when will people really stop mistaking the food for the plate?)

- What will these new mediums look like? What will the grammar be? Will we be participants, or passive watchers?

- How will we build them? Flash? After-effects? What?

- How do we stop the pirates if it's a basic PDF reader?

- How will we reach people, and how will it make any money?

- Can we do it like Spotify or Pandora, and have it supported by advertising, giving everybody the content for free?

These were things Ben Wolstenholme and I were wrestling with when we first started talking about Madefire several years ago. Other pioneers had faced boldly into these issues as much as a decade earlier, producing visionary, but clunky work. The answers were not as clear or simple as they seemed. It was a quandary, but it was so enticing we just persisted – indomitable will and dogged determination was required. We kept chewing on the bone.

And then – iPad!

Here was a device that was smarter than paper. It was near enough comic-sized. It glowed. It knew where it was, which way was up. It had a powerful memory. It was instantly covetable. The kids loved it. Nobody knew for sure if it would catch on – it was a giant iPhone! – but we all thought it was pretty cool. This would be where we set-up base camp.

And so – Madefire!

It was perfect, and it worked. The audience began to trust digital, we found the grammar, we made a tool that built the new medium, and we created something far more sophisticated than a PDF reader. We reached people.

And yet… The web.

We owed the web something. It had changed everything after all. It changed all aspects of life, from how we communicated, to how we shopped, to how we learned, and sought out entertainment. But computer screens were sadly lacking the kinetic beauty of a Kinman Chan Treatment episode, the majestic sweep of a MONO panorama, the slow-burn saga of Captain Stone is Missing… all of which could be read and experienced (for free!) on Madefire—but only via the iOS app.

Until now!

Madefire has come full-circle, right back to the place that we started, and the virtual environment that spawned the original concept. We have managed to replicate the Madefire experience for the web, making it available to everybody with a home PC for the very first time within the world's biggest creative environment – deviantART. We haven't sacrificed any of the interactivity. It's still reading, not watching. You control the stories on the web just as you did on the app.

Soon you'll be able to build and read your own Madefire books all on one platform. Fan/ artist/ publisher – the same. And also within one domain. We don't know where this next stage will take us – we're pioneers! Nobody has seen these mountains before, let alone what's on the other side of them! – But we DO know it's one hell of an exciting endeavor to be undertaking.

And also – It's great to be home!

- Liam

[link]

Dear all,

Please come and join our Madefire group - open today, with HUUUUUUGE news coming tomorrow. Anybody interested in the future of storytelling on dA will want to be part of this from the get-go, so hope to see you guys there!

[link]

Exciting!!!!

Best,

Liam

Six years is a long time. In some ways it has flown by. In others it seems forever. Cliches, of course, but true - when it comes to my six years in this wonderful, vibrant, progressive (and a little bit naughty) artistic community it feels like only a year ago that I posted my first deviations, and yet I can hardly recall a time before I came to be here.
How did I manage before dA?
Like mobile phones, home computers, the internet, dA has become part of the pattern of my life. It's my gallery, the best visual representation of who I am; a reflection of my soul. Through journals, art, and conversation, it has kept me sane at times. It has shown me the wealth and breadth of creativity in the world. It has inspired me. It has moved me. It has, on occasion, slightly scandalized me. It's fed and nurtured me. It has become, in short, my true home on the web.
This is a community quite unlike any other I've come across online. Where are the pointless flame-wars? The nasty-for-the-sake-of-it trolls? It gives me faith in people, being here, because what I see is positivity, and goodwill. Sure, every city has it's nut-jobs! Even here the odd shuffling fruitcake will stagger through shouting abuse and causing upset and outrage! But dA doesn't feed the disquieting mad. It doesn't encourage that kind of grand-standing attention-seeking lunacy. It encourages discussion, consideration and support. Community is right, because that's what it is. And in communities people look after each other.
Thank you dA! It has been, and long may it remain, a pleasure.

Oh! - and PLEASE go join the Madefire dA group! today! Now! madefire.deviantart.com!

Liam Sharp
Founder
CCO
Madefire

Hi all,

I thought you might be curious to see what I have been working from all this time... so here is the script right up to now...
As I was writing (with Christina) and drawing you'll see how I let the text SUGGEST the images, rather than being completely pinned-down and dictating the process. I wanted the experience to be fluid and alive so I could be in the moment... THe eagle-eyed amongst you may notice a few editorial calls I made along the way!

Hope you find it interesting!

Best,

Liam.

CAPTAIN STONE IS MISSING…
By Christina McCormack & Liam Sharp
Art by Liam Sharp


'CAPTAIN STONE IS MISSING…'
An elaborate and elegant tale of celebrity, high-society, sexual-politics, war, fashion, and the media - via an askew version of the superhero conceit - 'CAPTAIN STONE IS MISSING…'is at once a generation-spanning soap opera and a science fiction epic told over 300+ pages.


Page 1. CHARLIE CHANCE VO.
CHARLIE CHANCE as a child, in bed. There's a chessboard on her ceiling, a Barbie in a ski-suit (looking a lot like The Pet).

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: I always liked Chess - at least, I liked the idea of Chess.
Some people can maintain a Chessboard - all it's pieces, every move made - in the form of a mental construct. They can enact a whole game, lasting days, entirely within the confines of some liminal space, shared with a single adversary.
That is real Chess.
All good Chess happens predominantly within the mind.
And I understand this - in much the same way that I understand an abstract conception of, say, String Theory – and I see the form, but still, the subtleties and endless complexities escape me almost entirely.
(Christ, you know, I'm not particularly accomplished even when I can see all the pieces lined up in front of me! No. When I picture a Chessboard in my imagination there are never any pieces on it.)
Most often Daddy won - except for when he let me beat him. He'd have liked me to be really good, to be much better than he was. That would have been fine with him.
Wasn't to be.
But I did, though - I liked the aesthetic.
(When I was about six I asked if we could paint my bedroom ceiling just like a Chessboard, and have giant upside-down Chess pieces hanging from hooks. It never happened, but I remember it clearly, just as though it had.)
I liked the elitism of Chess too (for my sins.)

Page 2.  VO continued.
A soaring Eagle.

CARLIE CHANCE VO: But what I loved was the hunt.

For a long time I have lived in the mountains above Santa Barbara.
I relocated from the UK over a decade ago. It is a big enough space to lose yourself amongst the rocks, the valleys, the scrub and undergrowth.
There are bald Eagles. Mule Deer. Mountain Lions – It can be very dangerous, if you don't know what you're doing.
You should always take a rifle, a knife at least, and make sure you're loaded up with provisions. There are so many different ways to die out there.
You should do these things.


Page 3.  VO continued.
CHARLIE CHANCE hunting.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: But then - I've never been much good at doing what I should.

In Chess the hunt is symbolic - and it could be that that is where I get it wrong.
The King, my father would say, is uniquely weak. Defensive walls must be raised all around him. This is where he derives his strength. It is a game for generals.

But I was the Queen, and I hunted.
I hunted to kill.

Each piece you take delivers you closer to that kill which must, inevitably, close the battle.

But I hunted for real, and that is something else entirely.

It is instinct.
It is scent.
Adrenalin.

The deep tattoo of the heart.


Page 4.  VO continued.
CHARLIE CHANCE hunting.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: It is patience.

Stillness.

It is fearlessness and raw animal power.


Page 5.  VO continued.
The kill.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: It is also life.

And death.

And I couldn't stop myself even if I wanted to.

Page 6.  
Title page.
Charlie's House.

TITLE: CAPTAIN STONE IS MISSING…
By Christina McCormack & Liam Sharp
Art by Liam Sharp

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: Frank Lloyd-Wright designed the house. It's called 'Roaming Water'. I believe it was a prototype for 'Falling Water'.
For some reason nobody has ever heard of it.
It's preternaturally quiet there, but that suited me perfectly. I could write my books in peace, which is mostly how I occupied time for all those years. I have quite a cult following now.
(You may have seen my work. My pseudonym is Vincent Van Goth, writer of Vampire fiction.)
The land is all locked up. There's a high, electrified perimeter fence, and most people think the area is something to do with the military - a training ground, something like that.
But it was far more dangerous than they would have imagined:
I lived there.

Page 7. VO continued.
CHARLIE CHANCE in the shower.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: Blood.

No matter how much I scrub myself – and yes, I know it's an old cliché, but all old clichés are fossilized truths. Dead poetry. So – well, you'll know. You'll know what I was going to say about the blood, the blood on my hands.
The taste of iron in my mouth.

But it's not Mule Deer I'm talking about.

I know.
I should clarify.
It's a loooong story!

(There I go again – clichés!)

CHARLIE CHANCE: E uscito dalla folla cittadina,
un uomo, un picciol punto
s'avvia per la collina.
Chi sarà? chi sarà?
E come sarà giunto
che dirà? che dirà?
Chiamerà Butterfly dalla lontana…

Page 8. VO continued.
LORD CHANCE, AKA THE CRAVEN PANTHER.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: My name Charlotte Chance. Everybody calls me Charlie.
CHARLIE CHANCE: 
Io senza dar risposta
me ne starò nascosta
un po' per celia
e un po' per non morire
al primo incontro…
My father, LORD CHARLES CHANCE, was what they used to call a 'Playboy millionaire'. In other words he liked to f**k around - a lot - until he met my mother. She was a model, a real 70's beauty. I think that it must have been genuine old-school love.
(It shouldn't, but that upsets me even now. In my experience the world is not constructed to deliver that kind of equilibrium. Am I bitter?)
My father was also a gentleman jewel-thief. I use the 'gentleman' qualifier because he insisted on only robbing those he deemed 'bad sorts'. I believe there were genuine beneficiaries of his charity too.
(I think he fancied himself in a pair of green tights.)
He was dubbed THE CRAVEN PANTHER by the press.
At the age of six I became his accomplice.
(And no, my Mother did not know a thing about it. If she had there might have been hell to pay! Though it's just as likely to have barely registered. My childhood seems, retrospectively, to have been forever wreathed in clouds of pot smoke.)

Page 9. VO continued.
CHARLIE CHANCE and LORD CHANCE jet setting.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: My father would often take me away during the holidays - ostensibly to see some avant-garde performance, or the Opera.
Once we travelled all the way to Houston to see The Panther (ha ha!) by Phillip Glass at the Grand Opera House, back in 1981 – but instead we stole a priceless diamond necklace from a notorious oil tycoon.
(We memorised the reviews in the papers together on the flight back home, just in case we should be quizzed.)
Another time we planned a trip to Milan to supposedly see Verde's Falstaff at La Scala - but instead relieved a ruthless Milanese developer of the burden of one or other of his most valuable stones.
It was a ridiculous ruse. I was, realistically, far too young to appreciate the shows we never attended, and my father did not particularly like the opera, but we enjoyed the pretence – and it kept mother, who hated opera, oblivious.
I vaguely recall playing old classical recordings at home - probably trying not to laugh too much as I tunelessly attempted to accompany famous arias in a querulous and faltering soprano.
(I'll admit it - I still warble 'Un Bel di Vedremo' in the shower sometimes. It's not pleasant.)
We were great together, my father and I. I could get in to spaces he couldn't, and he taught me everything he knew.
We were fast, we were silent, we were feline.
We were the best.


Page 10. VO continued.
CHARLIE CHANCE and LORD CHANCE on a job.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: We were. And then…
(We see Charlie about to get taken down by a massive, vicious guard dog. LORD CHANCE intervenes. She turns to see him kill the dog in a brutal way. He turns to his daughter, hugs her.)

LORD CHANCE: Charlie? Charlie? Are you all right sweetheart? That was damn close wasn't it? It's OK.  It's OK my love. You're safe now darling. Well done you for being so very brave!
(Close on Charlie's face over her dad's shoulder as he hugs her. Tears flood her eyes.)
CHARLIE CHANCE VO: I was 12 years old and everything was changing.


Page 11. VO continues.
CHARLIE CHANCE watches as her dad goes off fox hunting.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: In a child's eye what he had done seemed utterly brutal to me.
I started to see through different eyes. And something inside me began to rebel.
(LORD CHANCE wakes Charlie. He's tooled up.)
LORD CHANCE: Come along darling. Going to be a long night so we need to get moving...
CHARLIE CHANCE: No dad.
LORD CHANCE: Sorry dear?
CHARLIE CHANCE: I… I'm not going this time. You'll have to go alone. I don't want to do it any more, I…
LORD CHANCE: Come along sweetheart! Don't be silly now. I've been planning this for weeks. You won't let me down now will you? Come on. There's a good girl…
CHARLIE CHANCE: I won't do it father! You can't make me! You can't!
(LORD CHANCE seems shocked, taken aback.)
LORD CHANCE: No. No of course I can't. I wouldn't. The very idea…
(CHARLIE CHANCE turns her back to her father, hugging her pillow. He stands, stricken, looking down at her – seeing for the first time that she's changing. She's becoming a woman.)
LORD CHANCE: You just… you just, just go back to sleep now darling. It's no bother. No bother at all. Really.
CHARLIE CHANCE VO: He never asked me to go with him again.


Page 12. VO continues.
CHARLIE CHANCE creeps into her parent's bedroom. She stands over her father now, a mirror image of him standing over her. His eyes are closed. She is a little Gothy looking with heavily made-up eyes.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: I announced over dinner one day that from then on I was going to be a vegetarian – something my mother heartily approved of, which rather defeated the object.
I started to wear some questionable outfits, stole from my mother's stash -
But I never gave up what I learnt from my father.
I was strong, and I was silent.
(Same shot. CHARLIE CHANCE now walking away. Her father doesn't move but his eyes open. He looks sad. Soon she is outside, scaling the walls of their grand old pile.)
CHARLIE CHANCE VO: And I still needed the thrill of a little fear.

Page 13.
CHARLIE CHANCE crouches, Batman-like, smoking a joint on a gargoyle and looking up at the night sky. Carved into the stone are the words "Charlie Chance loves Patrick Swayze xxx'.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: Even then, looking back at it, there was something of the animal about me.


Page 14. VO continues.
CHARLIE CHANCE is now a model. We see her on the catwalk.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: By 16 I had pestered my mother enough to pull some strings and get me seen by some modelling agencies. Doors opened quickly. I was petulant, spoilt no doubt. I certainly had no appreciation of my circumstances. Rather I expected what I got.

CHARLIE CHANCE naked for a PETA campaign.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: And I sent a rather unsubtle message to my father.


Page 15. VO continues.
CHARLIE CHANCE asleep. Very recently.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: Terrible things happened after that. Things I can never forget. Even now, when I sleep, there's blood.
Blood everywhere.
And broken glass.


Page 16. VO continues.
CHARLIE CHANCE dreams.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: I steal through such dreams like a cat.
Heightened, predatory - but entirely without conscious will.
(You see? I'm really not a general.)
I'm hunting. Acting on instinct.
And I know these spaces well, the landscapes.
There are variations in light, season, the hour of the day, even the year - but I know what's coming and am wary, as I cannot stop the inevitable.
Usually I'm on the South Downs in Sussex, stalking Beachy Head.
Sometimes there's a cave -
Sometimes there's a strange, squat octagonal building -
That I'm suddenly entering.
And down a long, turning staircase I find the subterranean jungle, within which they always wait for me.


Page 17.
CHARLIE CHANCE dreams. The apes!

APE 1. She's back. Again.
APE 2. Too late. Always too bloody late…
APE 3. Must you do this?
CHARLIE CHANCE: Yes. I'm so sorry. Yes. I must…


Page 18. VO continues.
CHARLIE CHANCE is being yanked from the dream by a ringing phone.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: The last time I had this dream – not so long ago in reality, though it seems like something from another age – I was spared the horror that generally follows, that would have driven me, sweating and gasping out of sleep.
Instead my waking life yanked me free.

My phone was ringing.


Page 19.
CHARLIE CHANCE wakes, answers phone still half asleep.

CHARLIE CHANCE: Uh. Just a… H… hello?
ADA CLAYTON: Charlie? Charlie Chance?
CHARLIE CHANCE: Uh. Yuh. Speaking… who is this?
ADA CLAYTON: Have you seen the news?
CHARLIE CHANCE: I'm sorry? Who am I speaking to?
ADA CLAYTON: Ada Clayton. Have you seen the news?
CHARLIE CHANCE: …
CHARLIE CHANCE: Is… is this a joke? How did you get my number?
ADA CLAYTON: That isn't important right now. You know who I am. It's… It's about my son…
CHARLIE CHANCE: Your son? Do you mean… Captain Stone?
ADA CLAYTON: Yes! Captain Stone!! Captain Stone! My poor boy… He's… he's missing… Oh god.

Page 20.
ADA CLAYTON on the phone talking to CHARLIE CHANCE.
CHARLIE CHANCE: What? What did you say?
ADA CLAYTON: …well, of course, really your half brother…
CHARLIE CHANCE: What do you… ?
ADA CLAYTON: …was very long time ago…
CHARLIE CHANCE: Sorry, Stop. Stop. This is all a bit… a bit…

Page 21. ADA CLAYTON VO.
JAMES CLAYTON attends a function in MEXICO CITY during the 1968 Olympic games.

ADA CLAYTON VO: Please. Please… just listen to me.
I met Jim, James Clayton at 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. He was there on business, expanding his empire, his great news network – something, something like that. I don't really remember the detail.
They were keen to show him good time - I guess he was entertained in one of those executive boxes they have at some of the events.
I was gymnast for Czechoslovakia – maybe you know this already?
Anyway…

Page 22. ADA CLAYTON VO continues.  
JAMES CLATON spots ADA CLAYTON amongst the gymnasts and is captivated.

ADA CLAYTON VO: I must have caught his eye.


Page 23. ADA CLAYTON VO continues.
JIM CLAYTON and ADA CLAYTON meet at an executive dinner party.

ADA CLAYTON VO: So - I won four gold medals, but, you know, I was outspoken.
I wanted change, a political voice, rights, freedom… Russia had invade my country, and that regime – how you say? - did not support such a radical views, or views of any woman at that time. I made silent protest - when they play Russian national anthem I turn my head away. I was fighter, you understand? And I was told I would never be allowed to leave my country again, would never be Olympian, or sportswoman…
So you see… Jim Clayton offered me a way out – and I took it.

ADA CLAYTON: Be careful! You must understand Mr. Clayton, is not like here! I am watched all time. Even now. It will not be easy to go home. But I will fight them! They will not silence me!
JIM CLAYTON: Call me Jim. And frankly darlin' I don't give a rat's ass if they're watching or not. See, I have a proposition to make, sugah, if an' you'll hear me out…
JIM CLAYTON: Jeezus H! Nobody tells Jim Clayton what the hell he can and goddamn can't do!

Image of JAMES CLAYTON and ADA CLAYTON married.

ADA CLAYTON VO: You must understand - I was very young and angry. I did not love him, but it was… acceptable relationship. We were soon married.


Page 24. ADA CLAYTON VO continues.
ADA CLAYTON meets LORD CHARLES CHANCE at a swish event in Europe.

ADA CLAYTON VO: Was not long after we married that I met your father - I hope is not too difficult to hear.
Was lavish fundraiser in Monte Carlo.
Your father, he was beautiful - so charming. I was swept off my feet. He was somewhat a rogue when he was younger…


Page 25. ADA CLAYTON VO continues.
ADA CLAYTON and LORD CHANCE in a romantic clinch.

LORD CHANCE:  …
ADA CLAYTON: Polib mě.

ADA CLAYTON VO: Was hard for me to say goodbye – very hard - but I had, as you say, made my own bed.
And he did gave me one lasting and perfect gift – my only son. Your half-brother:
Captain Stone.


Page 26. CHARLIE CHANCE VO.
CHARLIE CHANCE on phone with ADA CLAYTON.

ADA CLAYTON: So, I am begging you… Please. You have to find him. Find out what happen to him!
CHARLIE CHANCE: I… I need to think… about this.
ADA CLAYTON: I know it must be shock but there is no time! I have to know! I have to know he is OK!
CHARLIE CHANCE: What makes you… what makes you think I can do anything… at all?
ADA CLAYTON: I know… Charlie! I know everything! What you are!
CHARLIE CHASE: Now that sounds a lot like blackmail, Ada. I don't like being threatened…
ADA CLAYTON: What can I do? Kurva dr t! I am just crazy old mother of Captain Stone! Who else? Nobody! Nobody! It is not threat, Charlie! Is just I know you are strong. Is just he is your brother… I can do nothing! Nothing! I have nowhere else to go, nobody else to turn to…

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: Have you ever taken a stand about something on a purely ethical basis?

Page 27. CHARLIE CHANCE VO again.
CHARLIE CHANCE talking at a PETA rally. She's become an out-spoken activist.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: I remember so clearly the sense of righteous bloody anger I felt when I was part of PETA in the early '90s. We were going to fix the world.

CHARLIE CHANCE: These people - these monsters! - want us addicted… No, seriously. I mean it: ADDICTED to their produce.
These supposedly civilized individuals are impregnating meat with an artificial enzyme – and the set of enzymes made in a cell determine which metabolic pathways occur in that cell.
Now, the pathway these particular enzymes produce is similar to that found in carnivores, only tenfold.
So what I'm saying here, what PETA is saying, is that Falcone-Marx Industries And the Univex Meat Corporation franchise are creating products that will make us dependent upon meat!
We will be addicted!
What's more, what's more is - they are doing it, they are testing their results on our closest genetic neighbours – Chimpanzees. They have made feral meat-eaters out of chimps!
Can you believe these bastards?!!?

CHARLIE CHANCE watching the news at an event. There is champagne and lots of beautiful people.

NEWSREADER: CHARLIE CHANCE, the model and PETA spokeswoman, was today said to be delighted at the conviction of the FMI chairman and the head of the Unvex Meat Corporation for conspiring to cause an irreversible meat dependency in their customers…
CHARLIE CHANCE and others: Yeah!!! Take that you fucking bastards! I hope they hang you!

Page 28.
CHARLIE CHANCE dancing with her model friends and celebs. We notice a furtive looking guy behind her. She reacts to something we can't see, but he's vanished. A friend shows concern.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: That night everything changed for real, just-like-that. Not some teeny hormonal shit, nothing so pedestrian.
This was war-zone change.
This was loose-a-limb, cancer-diagnosis change.

CHARLIE CHANCE: Ouch! What the fuck? What was that?
FRIEND: You OK honey?
CHARLIE CHANCE: Some bastard stabbed me in the arse with a needle or something… Jesus. Fucking freak!
FRIEND: Oh Christ… Charlie…
FRIEND:  AIDS… ?

Page 29.
CHARLIE CHANCE on the phone with ADA CLAYTON again.

ADA CLAYTON: Charlie? Are you still there… ?
CHARLIE CHANCE: …
CHARLIE CHANCE: I'm here.
ADA CLAYTON: …
ADA CLAYTON: So…?
CHARLIE CHANCE: I have to… I have to speak to my father.
ADA CLAYTON: I think… I think he may have guessed by now.
CHARLIE CHANCE: He knows?
ADA CLAYTON: I think so. I think he must. Yes.
CHARLIE CHANCE: Shit. OK Ada. I'm hearing you. Let me think. Let me think. Tell me… what happened?
ADA CLAYTON: Just… turn on the TV. And please, it's not just for me… he is your brother, Charlie! Your brother! Why would I make such a thing up? Please. You must try to find out what happened…
CHARLIE CHANCE: Try and stay calm Ada. Look, I just woke up. It's, ah… It's all a bit much to take in…
ADA CLAYTON: Charlie? Thank you. For listening. I was afraid you would just hang up…
CHARLIE CHANCE: Well, you know, when it comes to my father – I guess nothing really surprises me. I'm not promising…
ADA CLAYTON: Of course.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: When change comes in my life, my god is it fast!

Page 30.
CHARLIE CHANCE watches the news.

MIKE NEWEL: …the source of the blast at approximately 2.00am this morning is still unknown, but we do know that CAPTAIN STONE is still missing.
PILOT MOUNTAIN, the well-known North Carolina landmark, appears to have contained a secret network of tunnels that early reports reveal to be the remains of CAPTAIN STONE's secret base of operations - formerly believed to be in Ohio.
CAPTAIN STONE has been a controversial figure throughout the last two decades, from his support for the war in Iraq, to his single-handed capture of Saddam Hussein.
Public support for the self-proclaimed superhero diminished significantly when his true identity as Flint Clayton, son of the billionaire network news mogul Peter Clayton, was revealed. There now follows a special report by JOSS FREEPORT. Joss.

CHARLIE CHANCE VO: Captain Stone.
Bloody Captain bloody Stone.
I'm a snob, I guess. I mean – I've had time to reflect. I paid my dues. I've been some kind of a prisoner for almost a decade. But I was a spoilt little rich girl. I made A LOT of money looking beautiful, and I got to indulge in my pet obsessions.
But CAPTAIN STONE?
Really?
The guy made me laugh from day one. The stupid costume, the muscles, the vulgarity - he was everything I hated about American culture. There was nothing classy about the man.
But, you know what? He produced results. What he did counted. And in that first decade the whole world got used to him, even kind of fell in love with him. He was bigger than Michael Jackson, Elvis, Madonna, God.
Liberals had to grudgingly concede that he made a difference, was a force for good. Conservatives loved him. Drug barons and gunrunners feared him.

And then it all went wrong.

Page 31.
JOSS FREEPORT, a young black female reporter, stands before the still smoking Pilot Mountain. We see images to support her report of Cap Stone.

JOSS FREEPORT: Thanks Mike.
CAPTAIN STONE first made his mark on the world when he appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, saving lives with the Stone Corps after the devastating earthquake in Manila in 1990, and during the aftermaths of both the cyclone that hit Bangladesh and the Montserrat volcanic eruption in 1991. For the next few years he established himself by always being the first on the scene of any disaster, quickly and efficiently providing medical attention, food and protection where it was needed.

Page 32.
More CAPTAIN STONE images supporting report.

JOSS FREEPORT: captain stone also distinguished himself by delivering some of the world's most notorious cocaine and narcotics Baron's to justice – something the federal agencies had striven for decades to achieve, and failed.
But even lesser criminals fell under the Captain's jurisdiction as the Stone Corps controversially recruited volunteers world-wide, providing surveillance equipment, and setting up a communications network that helped sequester evidence against thousands of corrupt individuals that might otherwise have carried on perpetrating their crimes unchecked.  
New York's Mayor Juliani attributed much of the rehabilitation of New York to the unseen hand of the Captain, and the former movie star and governor of California; Arnold Schwarzenegger famously had this to say:
Arnold: Tell him to come and work for me! I will be General Rock. He can be my sidekick!

Page 33 - 34.
More same.

JOSS FREEPORT: The Captain had become a fully-fledged institution.
Captain Stone comics, in the early 90's, led to novels, movies, and even an animated TV series documenting other more fantastical fictional events in his career.
For almost 15 years the Captain's reputation remained more or less untarnished, the numerous allegations that plagued him never amounting to anything lasting or substantial.

Page 35.
More same.

JOSS FREEPORT: But following the events of 9/11, which many people blamed Cap Stone for failing to prevent, this almost impregnable persona began to crumble.
His support of the subsequent War on Terror and the attack on Iraq in search of WMDs raised many political questions. Even his solo capture of Saddam Hussein was seen by many as an act no single man should have the right to undertake independent of military command.
The Captain was publicly honored for his efforts, but, it later emerged, was ordered to stand down from any further unauthorised activity – effectively ending the possibility for direct, spontaneous action in any war zone.


Page 36.
More same.

JOSS FREEPORT: The rapidly diminishing Stone Corps, who were revealed as mostly moonlighting C.I.A operatives in the Captain's pay, told another story: The seemingly endless funds at his disposal were finally drying up.
Allegations of bankruptcy, illicit funds and stolen billions began to circulate, but it was the shock revelation of his true identity that cemented his public fall from grace. On March 22nd 2006 Flint Clayton appeared on The JERRY CALDWELL Show and sealed his own fate:

Page 37.
FLINT CLAYTON/CAPTAIN STONE on The JERRY CALDWELL Show

JERRY CALDWELL: So, let me get this straight – you're telling the nation here, on live network television, that you, Flint Clayton, son of the late CNT network owner Peter Clayton, are in fact the superhero we know as CAPTAIN STONE?
CAPTAIN STONE: Ha! Yeah. Well. Guess that's correct, Jerry. I thought it was time folks knew the, ahm, well, the truth.
I mean, sure. Might be somewhat, y' know, hard to believe that I could be the cap! I mean – Flint Clayton, this longhaired kind of rock guy, right? Ha ha! Who would guess that bum could be the Cap? Hardest thing was keeping up the front without, like, getting arrested. I mean, anything could kick off at any time, you know what I'm saying? People always wanted a piece of Flint Clayton, so that's been rough. I had to be ready for it… Kept wanting to say - hey! You know, I'm the Cap! Chill out!
CAPTAIN STONE: Man, it's, ah… Is it hot in here?
JERRY CALDWELL:  Well, that's one heck of a claim, Flint. And is it really true that CAPTAIN STONE was never on steroids?
CAPTAIN STONE: Sweat in my eye… No. It's true. I never, never did no steroids. Believe it or not I'm just, like, naturally big.
JERRY CALDWELL: What, really? You never did any drugs at all?
CAPTAIN STONE: I ain't sayin' that. I mean… I've done, like, a little coke, weed - recreational stuff. Man, who hasn't? But not steroids!
JERRY CALDWELL: …
JERRY CALDWELL: Are you seriously telling me that CAPTAIN STONE used illegal drugs?!!?

Page 38.
Back to JOSS FREEPORT & supporting news imagery.

JOSS FREEPORT: Revealing himself as the never-popular son of billionaire TV mogul Jim Clayton, and confessing to illicit drug use on national television was the nail in the coffin for the former American icon. Many simply would not believe it, while others speculated upon unconfirmed reports that Flint and his mother, the former Czech Olympic Gymnastics Gold medallist, Ada Čáslavská, had secretly stolen millions from Jim Clayton in order to fund the Captain's activities. Flint's older brother ZACH CLAYTON, the son of Clayton's first wife, actress Brenda Fraiser, was now running the ailing network. It was conceivable, therefore, that the cover up had been orchestrated to avoid a legal situation - which would have revealed his true identity anyway – and instead opt for the ratings generating sensationalism of a network scoop.
Whatever the truth behind the mask, the Captain had been reduced to little more than a relic from the last century. It remains to be seen how the American people will react to losing their fallen idol.
Now it's back to MIKE NEWEL in the studio. Mike?


Page 39.
Cutting between MIKE NEWEL on the morning news and JOSS FREEPORT back in front of Pilot Mountain

MIKE NEWEL: Thanks Joss. Things haven't been great for CAPTAIN STONE in the last year or so have they?
JOSS FREEPORT: Oh not at all. Various ill-advised TV appearances followed the revelation - including Celebrity Spy Cam, where the public voted him out of the house after only 48 hours.
MIKE NEWEL: Didn't his ex-girlfriend Monicca Vaile accuse him of ''roid rage'?
JOSS FREEPORT: She did indeed Mike. That, and chronic paranoia. And there was the sex-tape distributed online. Flint Clayton – whom they've been calling 'Flint Stone' in the tabloids – seems very much to have been loosing his grip on reality as his world has crumbled in all around him.
A recent video, purportedly uploaded to the internet by Cap Stone himself, shows what he actually claims to be 'people from another world' appearing out of thin air!
MIKE NEWEL: Really? I'd like to see that. What's your take on it Joss?
JOSS FREEPORT: Ah. You know? I've seen it, and it just looks like a poor cross-fade edit like any kid could do on their home PC. But it could be a hoax by somebody else claiming to be the Cap, so I wouldn't really like to speculate beyond that Mike.
MIKE NEWEL: And what about the bodies that have been found so far?
JOSS FREEPORT: The police are still bringing them out Mike. They're mostly burnt beyond recognition but they seem to be the bodies of the few Stone Corps still loyal to the Captain. There's nothing to suggest that any of the corpses are the Captain, though, so the story is, for now, that he is still missing.
MIKE NEWEL: Well thank you JOSS FREEPORT for that exclusive report. Let's hope CAPTAIN STONE is still alive out there, somewhere. There will be an hour long special on CNT network tonight at 8.00pm, so tune in then for more. Meanwhile we're off to...

Page 40.
CHARLIE CHANCE back on the phone – this time to her father, who is drinking a glass of wine in the garden with his wife, DANIELLE. A little terrier runs about.

LORD CHANCE: Hullo?
CHARLIE CHANCE: Dad? It's me.
LORD CHANCE: Good lord! Charlie! How are you darling? Danielle, it's Charlie!
DC: Hullo darling! How are you my love?
LORD CHANCE: You're mother wants to know how you are?
CHARLIE CHANCE: I'm fine, fine. Listen, dad. It's ah, it's rather sensitive…
LORD CHANCE: How do you mean? Is everything all right dear?
CHARLIE CHANCE: No. I mean, yes. I mean, No, not really dad. I just had a phone call from ADA CLAYTON. Have you seen the news today?
LORD CHANCE: Oh.
LORD CHANCE: Oh. I see.
LORD CHANCE: No I haven't darling. We've, ah, we've been outside all afternoon. It's rather lovely, for a change. Look… what's happened sweetheart?
CHARLIE CHANCE: It's CAPTAIN STONE, dad. Flint Clayton… he's missing. Dad? Is he… is he…
LORD CHANCE: Hang on.
LORD CHANCE: Danielle my love! I'm just going for a stroll. The reception isn't that good here…
DANIELLE CHANCE: Why not use the phone in the house darling?
LORD CHANCE: Oh! No. No. Far too lovely for that. I'll just walk Caesar up the rise a bit…
DANIELLE CHANCE: Well, all right, if you must. I might just roll a cheeky one. Not too early is it? Charlie! Call me darling! Tell her to call me Charles!

Page 41.
CHARLIE CHANCE talks to LORD CHANCE on the phone while he walks the dog.

LORD CHANCE: Well, Charlie. What can I say? It was an awful long time ago… before I'd even met your mother…
CHARLIE CHANCE: So it's true then? He is my brother?
LORD CHANCE: Yes, I'm afraid it rather looks as though he is.
CHARLIE CHANCE: When did you find out? Did you always know? Why didn't you tell me?
LORD CHANCE: No, I didn't know… not for a very long time. Look, sweetheart – there's a lot we haven't really talked about.
CHARLIE CHANCE: Dad, I don't want to rock the boat. I'm not trying to hurt you any more…
LORD CHANCE: all that funny business with the, ah, the jewels, THE CRAVEN PANTHER and what not…
CHARLIE CHANCE: It was when you killed that dog, Dad. When you…
LORD CHANCE: Killed a…? Was that it? But the brute was going to attack you darling! You were so, so tiny then… it would have torn you apart! I would never have forgiven myself! That, my love, was probably the single hardest thing I ever did in my life… I love dogs!
CHARLIE CHANCE: But… the Hunt!
LORD CHANCE: The Hunt? Good lord. Well. Foxes are another matter, but I haven't hunted in years! That was just what we did back then. I never really considered it. It was in my blood. I was raised to it. Is that why you joined PETA? Became a vegetarian? I always… well I always thought it was just your age. Hormones. You know. Girl stuff.
CHARLIE CHANCE: It's so long ago. It really doesn't matter now. So dad - tell me then, when did you know… you know? About…
LORD CHANCE: Well I… I simply couldn't give it up Charlie. It was like an addiction, something about the jewels… it's rather hard to explain. So I carried on without you, right up until maybe 15 years ago…

Page 42. LORD CHANCE VO.
Capt. Stone hunts THE CRAVEN PANTHER.

LORD CHANCE VO: And then one night CAPTAIN STONE showed up.
It was a job in London – a rich Russian who had made his money through some extremely, shall we say, unsavoury dealings. He had invested in some beautiful diamonds, which I felt it was my duty to relieve him of.
So Captain Stone shows up. Gave me quite a fright he did. Just came out of nowhere. Anyway, I thought, right. I'll just out-run the fellow. Always have, you see? I took it for granted that nobody could ever catch me.
But I was wrong.
Chap just kept on coming, getting closer and closer. Now I know London like the back of my hand, but there was simply no escaping him.

Page 43. LORD CHANCE VO.
CAPTAIN STONE confronts THE CRAVEN PANTHER.

LORD CHANCE VO: When he finally caught up with me I was utterly exhausted. Flat beat, for the first time in my life. I honestly could barely stand up. And he… well, it was as if he had just been on a light jog!
Do you know, he lifted me off the ground with one arm – removing my mask and relieving me of my spoils with the other.
I was helpless. And, I confess, somewhat shaken!
What future was there for me now?

Page 44. LORD CHANCE VO.
CAPTAIN STONE leaves THE CRAVEN PANTHER.

LORD CHANCE VO: But - the damnedest thing…
He told me, quietly, that if I were to ever take up the mantle of THE CRAVEN PANTHER again he would come after me. He reminded me how easy it had been for him to find me, and also that he knew precisely who I really was.
And then he just walked away, leaving me unmasked to find my way home.

Page 45.
LORD CHANCE & CHARLIE CHANCE continue to talk on the phone.

LORD CHANCE: So, you see, when it became public, that he was the son of ADA CLAYTON, I simply put two and two together.
He had not turned me in to the authorities because I was his father.
CHARLIE CHANCE: It was the same for me. It all makes sense. As his sister. He must have know that all along…
LORD CHANCE: I'm sorry, darling. I don't quite follow you…
CHARLIE CHANCE: I have a confession of my own, dad. A big one. I'm not proud of it. Oh God. There's just no easy way to explain…

To be continued!

'Captain Stone is Missing...' was voted digital comic of the Year - details at the link below!
Thank you all for getting behind us! Great start to the year!

Very best,

Liam.

[link]

Happy New Year good people! May it be fruitful and wondrous!

Also - amazingly I've been in comics for 27 years, and I've never won a thing. Not a single award. Never make the fan fav lists. That's cool, I long ago decided not to think of that as a reflection on my efforts. So it's extremely exciting for me to be neck and neck in this poll for the best digital comic of 2012!!! Friends, family, fans old and new - please rally your troops for a final push! You just have to tick a box. We're against the might of a Comixology title, so it's kind of a big deal! Any little bit helps! Click the link, tick the box, and support this old war horse!

[link]

Huge thanks, and take care!

Liam.

Hi all,

Just wanting to chart my progress a bit as I haven't been able to get to this journal in an age really - or at least very sporadically!

It's been an amazing year for me. Truth be told I was on the cusp of getting set in my ways - a middle aged veteran of the comics industry, living a quiet life in the industrial heartlands of the UK. Pub on a Thursday night with my (none-comicsy) mates. Maybe a bit of a party at one of our friends and neighbours houses over the weekend, with only a few hundred feet to stagger home way too late to be healthy. A few party cigs (don't tell the kids!) and an unholy mix of beverages sloshing in my warm belly, a satisfied smile plastered below half-mast eyelids. Content, really. And in danger of taking root.

And then - BOOM! Suddenly there's this crazy, unlikely thing happening in the US. A dream I had been chasing for literally years - something that had become almost a hobby, or a habit. Something I doggedly clung too, like a belief or tradition - actually came to pass! I was, it seemed, going to have to leave all this security behind. Give-up my sheltered, working-solo existence. My beloved man-cave. Give-up the community that I had adopted and that had so very warmly adopted me. I would find myself applying for visas, taking trips to set up the company, the studio.

I was morphing into a founder, a CCO, an employer.

Oh god. I had a job! I was a boss!

Now my children go to three different schools in Walnut Creak. (Walnut Creak! Do you have any idea how a name like that sounds to an Englishman? It's like I live in an updated version of The Little House on the Prairie!) I commute to Berkeley, to our studio which is a 15 minute stroll from Pixar. I have a California driving license! I see the Bay Bridge and San Francisco rising out of the mist the other side of the bay as I drive in. I navigate crazy California freeway driving (really, you Americans drive like you own the roads personally! You never give an inch, never use your tickers/indicators, and you grab every damn centimeter you can get. You're making me a WAAAY more aggressive driver than I ever was. You have to survive out there!) I've had Praying Mantis, Skunk and rattlesnake encounters.

I mean, come on! This isn't Derby! How did all THIS happen?

The upshot is I'm loving it. It's very hard work, but I love my team. They rock, to use the vernacular. I'm really enjoying being a boss, leading a department. I won't lie - it's stressful as hell. Sometimes I want to curl up and be transported back home to Derby, but I know that this is my one shot to do something that could, in some fundamental way, change storytelling forever. We've created a new medium. It's not comics, it's not books, it's not motion comics, it's not animation - it really is something else. That is just SO exciting. And we're working with genuine greats. So I'm fighting every step of the way to make all this count. To take my 26 years in the comics industry and apply it to something truly dynamic and revolutionary.

Damn it, I'm a genuine pioneer! I may not be driving a wagon across the uncharted wilderness in the real world, but that's an accurate picture of what we're doing in the digital realm. There are dangers. We're finding our way. We don't have a map. But hell yeah - it's exciting!!!

www.madefire.com

Wish us well!

Best,

Liam

OK, here's a chance to get a paid gig alongside some of the greatest names in the imaginative arts industry - Dave Gibbons, Bill Sienkiewicz, Brian Bolland, Mike Carey, and more.

Madefire (www.madefire.com) are looking for a horror illustrator for a story that will go live on our 5 star rated app at Hallowe'en. The creature in the story is a Metawhal Alpha (as seen here - [link])

Please DON'T send me direct messages on DA. Simply post a link to your work below, and immediately go and check out our website and/or app to get a feel for what we're creating. You can also contact us at: contact@madefire.com

We won't be replying to everybody so would appreciate it if you didn't chase us up. If you're the lucky chosen artist WE'LL be contacting YOU. However, even if we don't contact you this time it doesn't mean we don't love your work, and you may well find yourself being contacted for other projects in the future - we have a LOT of material lining up over the coming weeks and months. So stay tuned!

What we want:

Pro-quality Visionary art. Creators that push the limits and boundaries of what is possible in illustration. Madefire is all about creativity and reinvention. The more pedestrian and uninspired your art is the less likely we'll be interested.

We're also NOT looking for a comic-book style!

So - have at it people! Show us your wares!

Very best,

Liam.

UPDATE!

The hunt is over! Thanks to ALL the amazing creators who put themselves forward, it's been fantastic discovering all your work. Please see details here: [link]

There were even more we loved but the link contains a selection of DA galleries singled out by Madefire.

Best,

Liam.