Task Force Germany and D-Gruppe

 Task Force Germany was part of the plan by multi billionaire (he's got more money than the "Ketamine Kid") LeCorbeau to set up national crime fighter teams around Europe after the failure of Task Force Europe. Some of the original pencilled pages by Enrique were in a post yesterday.

It was set in Germany of  the 1990s and so is still going in 2020s. This was shown when they appeared in The Green Skies and particularly in the chapter The German Front.

Here are some of those pages and a strong hint that something is not right with D-Gruppe's Waldmeister!

 

Huge White Columns Rising Into Infinity (bet you thought I'd write "thrusting up"!)

  Writing about images just flooding into the mind at odd hours... This sketch I had to do bleary eyed because as I was just dropping off to sleep I had a flood of comic images of characters from different parallels suddenly appeared in a all white "place" with tall white columns that rose into infinity. 

Nightbird who was involved in the Return of the Gods story thinks she is back on Neo Olympus and has a panic attack. I have most of the story and scenes loosely worked out so if I ever get to draw it then it should be fun!

Tiger, Tiger burning bright

 In 2005 I was on a Yahoo group and the reaction to my mentioning writing an article on Atlas Seaboard periodicals was hostile and ridiculous -showing how pointless these forums were. Jeff Rovin persuaded me to reconsider leaving but it was all childish and ridiculous.

In 2014-2017 I was chatting with Jason Goodman (via emails) about reviving the old Atlas characters that were not disputed. Again, long and for most people boring, conversations but I was doing preliminary sketches and most are lost now except this one of Tiger Man.

I still love the Atlas Seaboard comics and it is just a pity that everything never panned out (possibly due to creator/legal problems).

(c)2025 Atlas Seaboard/respective copyright owner/T. Hooper

Mr Stransky -Regent Park Ghost

I lightened the cover  and look at it those gel pens certainly give a strange effect. Looks nice and colourful.

 

Marvel Legends Fantastic Four Mr. Fantastic Invisible Woman Thing Human ...

Mr Stransky -Approve?

 

"Dawn in the Burn Pits" (see what is written on the bin with the cat on it?)

Behold! The Clawed Hands and Red Eyes (or:I'm editing again)

 

As I noted over on the Black Tower blog I was scanning until 0130hrs this morning and as I could not sleep I was trying to think out designs for covers to get my mind off the constant stream of story ideas (that will never ever get drawn!).  

At 0415 hrs I had the design fort the Special Globe Guard covers sorted as this is the 41st anniversary of BTC and I wanted something that stood out.   

I need to finish the last three pagers of SGG lettering and then get the back up feature sorted (I know what it is going to be and sorted the images).  I know, I must not forget D-Gruppe but there is only pair of hands here!

No Rest For The Weary Old Publisher

  Well, I re-lettered the SGG pages up to page 19 and if that was not enough I just finished scanning the next book which is scheduled for August release -Johnny Neg 2

Now I am aching all over and my eyes are bleary so time to....go through more pages of art!

unedited art

Slick Fun 1 -WAHOO!

 

Pages

34

Binding Type

Paperback Saddle Stitch

Interior Color

Black & White

Dimensions

A4 (8.27 x 11.69 in / 210 x 297 mm)

£8.00

https://www.lulu.com/shop/terryhooper/slickfun-1/paperback/product-gjymqp2.htmlq=&page=1&pageSize=4

You like your Fun to be Slick? You like your Slick to be slick? Well her you have Slick fun -and with a little added "Wahoo!" from the star himself -Dr Atomutt! You will also see The Iron Boy on his never ending quest to find and consume metal. Not to mention GoBo And Gobo and Captain Cardiff Oh, and if you like your Westerns anthropomorphic then there is Sheriff Merrybark! As GoBo says "Pi Quo Bo Bo!" -wise words (which means there is more inside)

1998 Hand Lettering and 2025 Computer Text

I was going through Black Tower Adventure 51, August 2000 and I found it odd that some of the art looked different to my style at that time. Turns out I drew the strip, Special Globe Guard, in 1998 well in advance of issue 51's deadline.

The strip was a tribute to Golden Age British artist "Ramon" aka Bob Monkhouse!  There is an explanation in the issue as to why.

I thought I could publish and just leave my awful lettering as it was (now you know why the PC was a welcome gift! However, if I expect people to spend their money on a book then they should expect legible text (sorry, Moebius but in this case the artist's lettering destroys the look!).

One day and quitting at 2100hrs saw 14 pages re-lettered and you can see the difference with original above and new lettering below.

I will not lie but admit that my hands after the typing are painful, however, what I enjoy is the fact you can add more text and add to character conversation. Will I complete page 22 by tomorrow? If my hands and eyes hold up I hope so!

I Never Said "Never Again"...and I am NOT James Bond

 

I always find it funny when things like LinkedIn tell you how long you have been on it (I joined LinkeIn when it was still a pro based site in 2010) and yesterday I was told that "You have been a Deviant for 16 years" -I hasten to point out that means a member on Deviant Art.

Art  Wanted, LinkedIn, Deviant Art and a few others with the oldest going back over 20 years and what has it all achieved? Nothing.

Oh, apart from the occasional person telling me they like my "old school style" (ie I DO NOT use a computer) and that they have a 120 or 150 pages graphic novel and "When can we get to work?" Let's just not get into that especially since the work is unpaid, there is no publisher interested and "Once it's fully drawn and lettered I can look at where to go next"....right.

I feel guilt pangs asking someone to draw 24 pages "on spec" but 120-150 with no plans for it?

I posted to Deviant Art and seemed to confuse someone so...

"So Am I Willing To Work With New Artists?"

My post from yesterday may have confused some so I will make it clear: I did not rule out working with artists on projects just that if I did I would expect as much commitment as I put into said project.

Getting rich quick in comics is not easy and some with experience would say that it is impossible. Too many projects have been cancelled (including ones that publishers were very interested in) because the artists decided that comics were too much hard work and vanished without explanation. About 10 years ago I got rid of around 8 fully drawn first issues. They were cluttering things up and the artists had gone somewhere.

I tend to be very loyal to artists (some say too loyal) and in return I expect nothing more than what they agreed to and, sadly, in many cases it proved to be the downfall of a project because one mad bearded idiot running around like a maniac to try to push or sell a project while an artist contemplates whether they can really draw that one panel this week...not a great combination!

Weekly Rewind! Ep81: Marvel GIJoe DC The Crypt Monster Force TMNT Footba...

Taking a look at WHAT Manga and More we got from Osaka

Cinebook Ltd: Gomer Goof 12 - Twenty-One Goof Salute

 

Authors: Franquin
Age: 8 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 48 colour pages
£8.99 incl VAT

ISBN: 9781800441613

https://www.cinebook.co.uk/gomer-goof-twenty-goof-salute-p-4576.html

At Spirou magazine, life goes on, punctuated by the occasional bouts of insanity of Gomer’s cats, attacks by Gomer’s gull, and disasters caused by Gomer’s latest invention … In other words, business as usual. And at least his coworkers can have some peace while he nods off at his desk! 

Outside of work, though, peace is not an option. Between Goof and Officer Longsnoot, the Parking Meters War has begun – and the winner will receive a twenty-one-goof salute! 

As is always the case it is hard to pinpoint exact "things" in a book that contain a lot of visual gags and humour as well as some very weird incidents. The pages, as always, are crammed full of art and I really do want to know what size the original art is drawn on because if even A3 it is crammed -at times almost insanely.

Gomer delivers as always and I always recommend giving any Cinebook title, particularly the humour books, at least a try because if you find the one that is "yours" you'll want the series. Stylish humour and art and colour work that just adds to the whole package. My initial response to seeing Gomer in a batch of books years back was "oh, gods, this looks frightful" (boring). That attitude changed quickly!

Cinebook Ltd: Spirou & Fantasio 22 - In the Clutches of the Viper

 

Author: Vehlmann & Yoann
Age: 8 years and up
Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm
Number of pages: 48 colour pages
Publication: June 2025

ISBN: 9781800441620

£8.99 incl VAT

https://www.cinebook.co.uk/spirou-fantasio-clutches-viper-p-4580.html?osCsid=m659099cballl8gnr7rigibes7

Back from their adventures on Zorglub’s lunar base, Spirou and Fantasio find themselves in a new pickle. Spirou Magazine is being sued for immorality and irresponsibility. The punitive damages bleed the coffers dry, and the two reporters have no choice but to sign a contract with an American corporation, the Viper, to bail the magazine out. 

But Spirou soon discovers that they’ve been tricked, and that in one stroke of the pen, he may have signed away his whole life! 

Everything I wrote about visual gags and crammed in artwork on Gomer applies here. However, despite it being a fun book there is always a semi serious threat awaiting Spirou and Fantasio.  "In The Clutches of the Viper" gets my attention straight away. Throw in a secret rendezvous with an old guy in a trench coat smoking a pipe who is identified as Gil Braveheart "The Detective Explorer" and you have crank up my underwear to warp 4! (Having written that, perhaps I should have chosen my words).

Anyway, when things seem to be going well you can bet that there is a very big kick in the pants coming (I need to stop referring to underpants). Oh, and if you throw in Batguy that trouble is bound to be a lot of fun. And it is. Things get better but then there's a twist.

In all honesty this has been a very fun series since volume 1 and there is one thing we need these days and that is more fun. As always I recommend this volume and the series so do not miss out!