BarryHutchison.com

Right now I’m in the middle of putting together a submission for Image Comics, along with a very talented artist bloke from the US.

Image are the third biggest comic book publisher in the world (after Marvel and DC), but uniquely allow creators to hold onto their characters, rather than signing them over before publication. This means all rights to the characters I create will stay with me, unlike if I was to sign with DC or Marvel.

The main character of my mini-series is a private detective called Dan Green, who later assumes the nickname “Gangrene”, which is also the series title. Here’s the start of the synopsis, which will give you some idea of the concept:

Two weeks ago, private investigator Dan Green clawed his way free from a shallow grave. With his body and neck scarred by deep stab wounds, Dan was amazed to still be alive.

A few hours later, he discovered he wasn’t. A mysterious man-made virus had brought Dan back from beyond the grave, trapping his fully working intellect inside the rotting body of a murdered corpse.

Now Dan must take on his last case, and race to rescue a kidnapped child, before his body decomposes once and for all.

So that’s the general idea behind it all. As a special treat – and since I’ve been so evasive about what I’m currently working on for Egmont – I’m making the first 7 pages of the script for issue 1 available here. Just click the link below to download. You’ll need Adobe Reader to be able to view it.

Gangrene Script Pages

I find myself sitting in the sunshine with half an hour to spare, and it feels like blog posting time.

The last week has been filled with writing, parents evenings, cinema visits and the purchasing of spectacles. And more writing.

Business first – I finished off the first draft of my top secret and unbelievably cool children’s novel for Egmont. Submitted it last night, so now have a tortous two weeks to wait for feedback.

I’m pleased with the draft, but that doesn’t stop a numb feeling of dread filling my very soul while awaiting Egmont’s notes. The same thing happened when I wrote the Beastly books. Fortunately there wasn’t much which needed changed with those, so hopefully this will be the same.

Next month I start another book for Egmont, which is part of a new series, but that’s even more top secret than this one, so I won’t be giving anything away until it’s due for publication (June 09, so be prepared for a long wait for information).

In a move which wouldn’t be out of place in the 1980s teatime gameshow, ‘Busman’s Holiiday’, I’ve decided to fill my two week break from writing with some more writing.

Instead of kids books I’m going to be concentrating on the much more grown up world of comics. I’ve been a comic fan since I was old enough to read (think Marvel and the like, not The Beano) and have always wanted to write for them. Last week I knocked together the first three pages of a story featuring a character I created. So far the feedback it has received – including from professional writers and artists – has been incredible, so I’m going to take the next fortnight to write a complete 22 page comic script using the character.

I’ve also had a sitcom idea, so I need to get that written some point, too.

Anyway, I took a day off from writing last week and went to see the new Indiana Jones film. It was all right.  Not brilliant, but not The Phantom Menace I feared it was going to be. Indy looks old and tired for the first ten minutes, and there’s a ludicrous scene involving swinging through the jungle, but other than that it’s pretty good.

I also got new glasses. Two pairs. God bless buy one get one free. One pair looks much like my last pair, but the other is a big change for me. They’ve got thick, black plastic frames, and really bring out my inner nerd. I’m still undecided on them, but I’m wearing them now, so evidently I don’t hate them. Yet.

Oh, and I quickly put together a sketch for the DumbFUNDED competition. I’ll post a link to their site later when I’m not writing on a tiny screen a fold-up keyboard.

It’s been a couple of weeks since my last posting.  Sorry about that.

While I haven’t been posting, I have been making a few changes to the site.  Not big changes, or that, but changes all the same.  Before the changes I had it plastered all over the pages that I was a children’s author.  Which I suppose is fair enough, since I am, in fact, a children’s author.

But I’m not just a children’s author.  I ain’t no one trick pony, I’ll have you know.  I’ve written screenplays.  Screenplays, I say!

They’ve never been made or that, but I’ve written them all the same.  And I did a sitcom thing with the BBC.  The finished script wasn’t exactly side-splitting or that, but still …

Okay, so before the kids’ books my writing career wasn’t exactly a roaring success.  It wasn’t even whimpering mediocrity.  It was, it could be argued, a sobbing failure.  Let’s call a spade a spade, here.

But I’ve decided all that is going to change.  I’m writing more and more books for children, but am going to make more of an effort to branch out into all the other areas which interest me.  Sketch writing, for instance.  I’m going to have a bash at that.  And comics.  I love comics, so why don’t I at least try to write one?  There’s no reasonable excuse, so I won’t waste your time or mine trying to come up with one.

So yes.  I’m going to try harder.  I’m going to stretch my creative muscles.  I’m going to write, dammit!  I’m going to WRITE!

Just not tonight.  It’s too late, so I’m going to bed instead.