The Right Brain vs Left Brain test

Introducing Betty the Ballarina. She's a famous old girl:


The question: Do you see Betty turning clockwise or anti-clockwise?

If clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain, the creative side.
If counter-clockwise, then you use the left side of the brain, the logical side.

Most would see the dancer turning anti-clockwise though some people can focus and change the direction with practice. For the first 10 minutes I could only see her turning clockwise, and thought it impossible how she could be going any other direction. Guess I'm more an artist than a scientist after all. After slowing the animation down, I could manage to switch between rotations after a few tries. This is an actual test, I've checked the gif frame-by-frame there's no trick to it.

Source

BICS Report part 5: Sketches

Sketches Gallery

Part 5 of our BICS coverage

a look inside my convention sketchbook. I try to get 4-5 new sketches in every convention, some from my big favourites who indulge me at every meeting (like d'Israeli, Bucky and Duncan Fegredo), and others from the special convention guests, if I can stomach the hour queues.

This year, I didn't bother asking for a Mignola sketch, as much as I love the guy, as the queues were massive and I felt bad for the guy who had to make the same Hellboy sketch 200 times that day.

I did queue up for Kevin Nowlan, only to reach my turn and be told that he won't be sketching any more until after lunch. When I returned later, I was asked to wait in queue all over again, which i really didn't have the energy for. Next time, mr Nowlan!

D'Israeli:
Matt is probably the first artist I see in every convention, as he always has a big surprise sketch in his mind for me. I just ask for 'something Greek' and he impresses me every single time!

This year it was a sketch of Achilles, along with the official Achilles theme song (you can sing it to the theme of 'Spider-man, Spider-man, does whatever...'


and as a bonus, the sketch he did for the previous guy in line: Monster vs Bunny


Dougie Braithwaite:
it took me two days to decide what to ask for, and Dougie was a gent, spending a lot of time to get the face details just right and then coloured it in graytone as a bonus! Meet Poison Ivy:


Random Zombie Sketch:
I feel so bad that I didn't get the artist's name, but he was making the greatest looking Zombie Sketches in the hall. The red ink was an especially nice touch! I did get a photo of their table though, and bought a fab 'break in case of Zombies' axe t-shirt


and finally, mr Eisner Award himself, Mark Buckingham!
I asked for one of Snowhite's 7 cubs from Fables, and he threw in an extra one for kicks! Ambrose and Ghost:


BICS Coverage Archive:

Part 1: the Convention & Arrival
Part 2: Comic Artists Flip Out
Part 3: Photo Parade: Creators
Part 4: Photo Parade - Indies

Bob, Agent of Hydra

In honour of last week's panel winner, the complete scanned page from the issue:

BICS Report part 4: Photo Parade - Indies

Photo Round-Up: Indies

Part 4 of our BICS coverage


Emma Vieceli (Manga Shakespeare) and Sweatdrop studios



Geof Banyard and Fetishman, the most disturbing cockytail of cute and kinky


Philip English and Genki Gear T-shirts, available also in their online store


Village People circa 2007, on skates, from Birmingham Blitz Derby Dames


Studio Blink Twice (duh)


Mark Ellerby (Love The Way You Love), scary beard-lover girl and Adam


The Cool Kids table, home of Zombies and the Ninja Bunny


ZipGun Comics


Orang Utan Comics


Selina Lock, and the Girly Comic



Seven Sentinels from Engine Comics


BICS Coverage Archive:

Part 1: the Convention & Arrival
Part 2: Comic Artists Flip Out
Part 3: Photo Parade: Creators

Vote for Panel of the Week 14.1107

What a race! Last week's voting had led to a TIE, between Ultimate Spider-man and the early favourite Bob, Agent of Hydra, until Bob narrowly cut the ribbon at the time of this writing. Each panel had about 32% of the votes.

It's catch-up time this week, running panels from two weeks to get back into the proper timetable. That means it's a record 6 panels running for the best spot this week:

CoolWebPoll

Panel A
Marilyn Monroe's got nothing on our Queen (ASTONISHING X-MEN #23)


Panel B

Low Blow (ASTONISHING X-MEN #23)


Panel C

Aaron Stack, Ms Machine Man (Ms Marvel #21)


Panel D

PWNED (Uncanny X-Men #492)


Panel E

Bizarro Dark Knight Returns (DC Infinite Halloween Special)


Panel F

M.O.D.O.K. = (Pinky + Brain) (Super-Villain Team-Up: M.O.D.O.K.'s 11 #5)

BICS Report part 3: Photo Parade - Creators

Photo Round-Up: Creators

Part 3 of our BICS coverage

Kieron Gillen (Phonogram) and Jamie McKelvie (Phonogram, Suburban Glamour),
winners of the charades award

Dave Kendall (Bad Planet) drawing on the ImagineFX booth,
winner of the second tallest -after me- award

Rich Johnston (Lying in the Gutters)
dedicating the newest -colour- edition of the Flying Friar


Guest-of-Honour Kevin Nowlan
sketching for his fans, and mrs Nowlan


Mike Carey... and Mike Carey on the limited edition cover of his first novel The Devil You Know,
winner of the fan-friendly award for his hours talking and drinking it up with our great unwashed lot


Alan Davis and Mark Farmer,
a penciller and inker team even in the sketch sessions


Adi Granov (Iron Man),
winner of the biggest sketch queue award (take that, Mignola!)


Staz Johnston (Underworld),
winner of the Best Hair award


Ilya (far right) and his army of writers and artists from the Mammoth Book of New Manga, vol. 2,
winners of the 300-UK award


Dean Ormston (Testament, Lucifer, Books of Magick),
winner of the bottomless pint award


Essad Ribic (Loki, Silver Surfer) ,
winner of biggest and sexiest artist award (phwoar)



Mark Buckingham (Fables) and Irma Buckingham,
winners of the friendliest bunch award


Dave Gibbons (Watchmen, Green Lantern Corps),
winner of the Friends of Budgie award

BICS Coverage Archive:

Part 1: the Convention & Arrival
Part 2: Comic Artists Flip Out

Ms Machine Man

Who cares about civil War, and the Initiative? Can't we just have comics like this every week instead:

It all kicks off in Ms Marvel #21, after Aaron Stack (the superhero robot stud formerly boringly known as Machine Man) loses his body in a cliffhanger explosion

Later:

I -heart- M.O.D.O.K.

That will be all for today.

(Source: Super-Villain Team-up: MODOK's 11 #5)

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