<transcript>

(The Nostromo crew have brought the recovered Kane into the mess area to have coffee—but what about the food? I mean, why 'Coffee'?)
1. 'CHAPTER 5—COFFEE. 'So you did turn the page after all! Well I hope you've got a good stomach for it!'
2. "Har!" says one of the crew, pointing, "Remember Parker—ha-hah tripping over that bluddy cat called Jones!" "Humph!" snorts Parker, in response, "We should. I nearly broke ma kneck." Kane, changing the subject shovels another forkful of food into his hungry mouth and says, "Boy I wuz 'ungry—sheesh—thing is, ya never know what this artificial (food) is!"
(I think we know what's going to happen next...)

Commentary Below

Start
«
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
»

col-left

Time for Coffee—and Some 'artificial food' [26]

AAAGHHH!!!

So, you did turn the page after all! Only to find - EEEEK!! - that it'd be a chapter about someone spilling their coffee on the Nostromo's new carpet - knitted by nervy Lambert.

splosh - spill - stain - ruin! AGGGGGGHHHH!!!!!

Ok, that's my under-grad humour quotient fulfilled for today's issue. Oh, so funny...

Efficiency!

The page on the left, from 1979, looks like it took about 10 minutes to scrawl! (Now, if I could only get back to that way of working - and sufficiently lower my critical faculties, I'll be bashing out comics like be-Jesus).

chestburster scene alien photo from the novel

The sole reference for the scene you are now reading

"Boy I 'wuz' 'ungry'
- sheesh
- thing is (comma inserted) ya never know wot this artificial is'"

Kane - speaking a mix of American and Cockney

It's interesting: in the future, people will speak in a weird hybrid of stereotype Duelling-Banjo 'American' and lazy (London) Cockney. It makes sense doesn't it? Think about it.... You see? Perfectly logical (author hiding face in shame and embarrassment). NO. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WAS THINKING.

I - WAS - ELEVEN - DAMMIT!

Who is that supposed to be on the left? Brett? Brett's a total unknown character in this version of ALIEN. I kept on seeing him in that photo - as a kid, without realising it was him! Kane's sort of generic too. I wouldn't have ever even heard of John Hurt at the time. It's funny: I probably first saw him in the much more - crawl inside your brain forever - horrific 10 Rillington Place late at night - on my own - before I ever saw ALIEN. The irony.

Parker looks quite comical sitting so low behind the table-top like a little kid. He certainly doesn't exude any of his usual macho cool. (I first saw Yaphet Kotto in Blue Collar)

And illustrators drink lots of it

i m g comic evil boss

Work driving you mad?

I spent 5 happy hours on Saturday night/Sunday morning, while I had the house to myself, attempting to draw page 1 of a brand new comic that I plan to publish online. To see what happens and where it takes me creatively. It's a shocker when you realise the time involved. Of course, much of it comes down to experience, but also to style and how picky you are as an artist. Anyway, 5 hours gave rise to a black-inked page with speech balloons. Apparently that's pretty average, but I have a full time job and a family!

More from the '70s on Wednesday!