I found yet another old project in the vaults… so to speak. Way back in the 70s, I started my first novel. It was a post-apocalyptic adventure that took place in a world decimated by an asteroid strike. The catch was that it took place in three different times, but the three main characters, who were all related, could communicate with each other telepathically… even though they were not alive at the same time… (It makes sense in the story)…

What may be interesting to you is that this story, which I plan on finishing someday, has crazy bikers that live in clans and ride around the old United States collecting tribute. This sounds a lot like the Mad Max movies, doesn’t it? But I started mine first. Also, my bikers were a cross between Apache’s and Hell’s Angels, and made those Aussie bikers look like wimps.

I started an illustrated version along with the typed version… (this is before word processors)… just to get a feel for the characters…

Here are some early sketches of Slasher, one of the main characters, who, not coincidentally, looks a little like my old friend Conan…

Again, multimedia abounds… I was writing a novel, but it was turning into a graphic illustrated novel…

As the characters became more real and I could picture them as real people, it helped bring the story to life for me…

My drawing skills were still improving, and it was another chance to practice…

Art feeds the story, and the story feeds the art…

I also did sketches of characters that did not play a big role in the story. I was just playing with ideas of how they dressed. What would the extras in a scene look like if they made a movie of my novel?

What about their clothing, their tattoos, their weapons, their jewelery?

I actually used to hang out and party with some Hell’s Angels in the Bay Area… My God brother used to be one…  I have always had a theory that being a writer requires having a crazy life full of adventures. You can imagine living in a native village in Africa, but if you really do it for a while, you can write a much better story, because you know that there are small lizards running around inside the thatched roof, and you know what the food smells like, and what the children do to alleviate boredom. Imagination is not a substitute for an adventurous life.

There are scenes in the book, particularly ones that take place during a week-long party/festival, that are drawn from things that I observed hanging out with real bikers.  I am not suggesting that you do so. Do not show up without an invitation. But do have an adventure or two.

Of course I did some sketches of more important characters as well. Here is a guy I called One Eye, who turns out to be something of a jerk…

And here is a chief of one of the clans…

I did do some full-page illustrations depicting some of the more exciting scenes. There was a battle where the clans were attacking a fenced in city…

It looks better in full size, but there you go…

Then, there was the scene where Slasher and his friend are captured by a tribe of cannibals and are being prepared for torture… Do not fret, Slasher manages to escape in the nick of time…

So there you have it. The various forms of artistic expression that form the kindling for the fire inside your artistic soul. Just keep feeding the fire and it will soon blaze out of control. Just be sure that is what you want your fire to do.

Because having the fire rage inside you can be a real pain in the neck…