<transcript>

(The crew of the Nostromo look on helplessly as Kane convulses in agony at the mess room dinner table...)
1. "What is it?!?" screams Kane, blood now dripping from his mouth! 'Kane looked like a boxer who'd been hit in the gut -- fingers digging into the table, refusing to let go --'
2. 'The exec tried to rise from the table—and failed, screaming.' "Uhh..." he moans a blood now gushes from his mouth. Dallas simply looks on, eyes wide.
3. 'He could no longer control his body.' Ripley, staring, tears of panic in her eyes shouts, "His shirt. Look at --"

Commentary Below

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"His shirt—look at..." [28]

Holy crap! Ever wonder what a Turkey looks like when its neck is being broken? Well, wonder no more.

Ronald Shusett: He had four cameras running. Two guys, technicians, were under the table with a compressed blood machine. Nobody said a word, but Sigourney looked really scared. I said, "You're really getting into character." She said, "No, I have a feeling I'm going to be pretty repulsed right now."

Guardian.co.uk

chestburster scene from alien

Art Notes

I bet I was actually tensed up when I drew panel 2. I always did that - and I suspect other artists are the same (let us know!). It's as if, you sort of feel - or try to feel - how the person you're drawing feels. So if you're drawing someone who's trying to lift a car your pen strokes might became a bit more jittery - and strained.

I remember telling someone this in an art college interview when I was 19 "When I drew that calf muscle I could feel my own one tensing - you sort of flex - becoming aware of it." I think he was impressed. Looking back on those life drawings now though - I probably should have just used my eyes!

And in other news: Star Wars age 9

A very exciting thing happened recently. At the same time that this Aa11 webcomic was being bombarded by 5,000 visits a day, a nice journalist from Spanish cinema magazine CINEMANÍA gave me a telephone interview (don't spread this around: but nothing like that has ever happened to me before). I thought it was all part of the sudden interest in this comic but it was a total coincidence! Here's the result: a full page article.

Yes, I'm just as surprised as you are. And I can tell you that 9-13 year old me never would have expected a major magazine to feature his work on the world stage. Many thanks to Manuel Piñón and CINEMANÍA!

I'm also stunned at the mentions that THIS comic has received. Have look at the reviews page to see what I mean.

chestburster scene alien photo from the novel