The Soundtrack To My Life. 09/04/2014.

Record: “Werewolves On Wheels” (OST).
Year: 1971.
Artist: Don Gere.

I discovered this music and then later, the film, through Rob Zombie. I think ol’ Rob gets a lot of inspiration from “Werewolves On Wheels”. As a film, it didn’t really do a lot for me because I was expecting lots of Werewolves. On wheels! And well, there’s not a lot of that but the soundtrack is great!

Listen To This…

Record: “Blatantly Offenzive”.
Year: 1978.
Artist: Wayne County & The Electric Chairs.

I have no idea how I found out about this band.

Listen To This…

Record: “At Home”.
Year: 1969.
Artist: Shocking Blue.

Shocking Blue. I definitely discovered these folk through Nirvana’s cover of ‘Love Buzz’ on their album, ‘Bleach’. Apparently, Shocking Blue didn’t care much for that cover version.

Listen To This…

Record: “In Heaven”.
Year: 1981.
Artist: The Meteors.
Listen To This…

Record: ‘Perfect From Now On’.
Year: 1997.
Artist: Built To Spill.

A pal of mine recommended Built To Spill for me when i mentioned that I was on the lookout for bands that sounded like Grandaddy.

Listen To This…

Record: ‘The Stray Cats’.
Year: 1981.
Artist: The Stray Cats.
Listen To This…

Record: ‘Mozart’s Requiem, K626’.
Year: 1992?
Artist: Sir George Solti & The Wiener Philharoniker Orchestra.
Listen To This…

Record: “Back In the Game”.
Year: 2011.
Artist: Satan & Adam.

Satan & Adam. I fucking love these guys! I only got into them last year or so. I’d never heard of them before! Except, I actually had! I just didn’t know it. You know that clip in U2’s movie, “Rattle & Hum”, of the two guys jamming out on the street as U2 walk past? Yep. That’s Satan & Adam!

And Here It Is…

Record: ‘Big River’ (7″ Vinyl Single).
Year: 2010.
Artist: Secret Sisters (Featuring Jack White)

On my continuing and endless search for new music, I found myself delving into the signed artists on Jack White’s Third Man Records label. I love Pokey LaFarge, The Black Belles and Beck etc… so that seemed like a good way to find new music. That’s how I found the Secret Sisters. They sound a bit like The Chordettes to me.

Listen To This… Soundcloud Link HERE.

Record: ‘Ocean Floor’ (7″ Vinyl Single).
Year: 2010.
Artist: Hell Beach.
Listen To This…

Record: “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath”.
Year: 1973.
Artist: Black Sabbath.
Listen To This…

Record: ‘The Bootleg Series Vol. 10. Another Self Portrait (1969-1971). (Deluxe Edition).
Year: 2013.
Artist: Bob Dylan.

A lotta of Dylan fans don’t like his ‘Self Portrait’ album very much. As a matter of fact, a lot that I’ve spoken to don’t like his ‘Nashville Skyline’ album much either. I think those folk are nuts. I’ve ALWAYS loved that period!
‘I Threw It All Away’? Loved it. ‘Country Pie’? Loved it. ‘All The Tired Horses’? Love it. ‘Alberta’? Love it. ‘Days Of ’49’? I fucking love it. I fucking love it all, understand?

This latest Bootleg Series album is a MUST as far as I’m concerned and if you go for the ‘Deluxe’ version, you’ll get the previously hard to find 1969 Isle Of Wight Concert Bob did with The Band.

A Preview…

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* The Soundtrack Of My Life. 14/02/2014.
* The Soundtrack Of My Life. 09/01/2014.
* The Soundtrack Of My Life. 08/05/2013.

My Tragic Fridge: An Update.

Yep. The inside of my fridge these days is still very much tragic…

…Even more tragic than the last time…

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* My Tragic Fridge

GLASGOW. A Sketch Book By John Nisbet.

“I remembered how you love Glasgow and I always see you doing your drawings, Al…” she’d said as she handed me the small brown A5 book. She’d found it whilst cleaning out her loft.

Anne had given me a book called “Glasgow. A Sketch Book By John Nisbet”.

I gave it a quick glance and thanked her very much. After all, It’s not every day that someone gives you a book of sketches from the 1970’s is it? Except this book wasn’t from the 1970’s at all! I’d just assumed it was! It just looked like a book from the 70’s. Very good condition but…old and…beige, y’know? Anyway, when I got home I properly looked at the book and discovered that it was from 1913! A sketch book of Glasgow from 100 years ago!

A few days later, I did the right thing and sold it on Ebay for a FORTUNE!
The End.

Just kidding. I actually tried to persuade Anne to take the book back. “It might be worth something! It’s a hundred years old!” I told her. But nope, the book was mine so thanks and thanks again Anne!

I remember once hearing that copyright expires after a period of 90 years or so. I do hope that’s true because I have decided to scan and upload each and every page of this wonderful book so that you can all enjoy it!

A lot has changed in Glasgow over the past 100 years and yet, looking at these drawings, Glasgow is still very recognisable…

You May Also Be Interested In…
* The Trongate, Glasgow
* The Tolbooth Steeple, Glasgow
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Behind Al Cook’s “Necropolis”: Nailing Him Up.

This feels like a wee secret art class!
But it’s not.

Today I’m going to show you the ‘Behind The Scenes’ drawings of “The Crucifixion“, the latest installment of Al Cook’s “Necropolis”, my comic strip. Actually, ‘Behind The Scenes’ isn’t exactly what this is. It’s more like a collection of daft and drunken squiggles and the illustration panels they turned into.

First thing’s first. I doodle ALL the time! Doesn’t matter where I am or what I’m doing. Whatever I’m doing, I’m usually doodling whilst doing it. I’ve been doodling images of Christ on the Cross since I was a wee boy and so it seemed like a good idea to use those as the basis for my next strip.

I usually don’t like to plan things out as much as I did with “The Crucifixion” and I almost never do any ‘preparation’ drawings but here’s how it all happened…

* 2 scribbly drunken sketches done at a bar:

* Planning for the layout of the first couple of panels:

* The completed first and second panel illustrations:

* Quick sketches to give me an idea of what should be in shadow etc…

* The completed illustration panels:

* Idea sketches for the look of the Roman headgear…

* Halfway through applying the biro ink to the pencil lines of the final illustration:

* The completed illustration:

* A layout sketch done very quickly by the looks of it:

* The completed illustration:

* I found it quite difficult to illustrate someone removing a Roman helmet. The angle of it bugged me for a week. I must have drawn it 20 different ways before sketching out this idea:

* The completed illustration (Which I’m still not happy with):

* I wrote the comic strip as I went along and one of the main problems with that is that I don’t work in order. Like my brain, I’m sort of out of order. For instance, the first panel was first one drawn and then I worked from the middle panel backwards and then from the end panel backwards. It’s just the way that works best for me but sometimes, …sometimes I get stuck for a line of dialogue and have to improvise on the spot…

* Note to self:

* The final illustration before I drew over it with black biro pen:

* Detail:

* The completed panel:

* I fished this out of the bin 3 days after I’d put it there. Sometimes the best ideas are the first ones!…

* The finished illustration:

You can view the fully finished strip HERE.

If any of this was of any help to you with anything drawing or illustration-related then please drop me a line.

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* Behind Al Cook’s “Necropolis”: Blood Test
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Al Cook’s “Necropolis”: The Crucifixion.

Awrite n’ that, big man?
Here’s the latest unfunny from my comic-strip, Al Cook’s “Necropolis”.
Share it with your pals if you have any.

View this as it’s meant to be viewed by clicking HERE.
Keep up to date with the twits on Twitter HERE and if you have any hate mail or death threats please ONLY use the Facebook Page which is HERE.

You may Also Be Interested In…
* Behind A Cook’s “Necropolis”: Nailing Him Up.
* Please Give Blood
* Cracking Open A Cold One