Black Tower Comics & Books

 

https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/hoopercomicsuk/

Maakika Art and its Origins and the Book

Whenever I try to explain to someone the origins of The Maakika I get odd looks. I have no idea why, unless the people I'm explaining this to have no artistic minds and have never known a fevered mind!

However, the story I told on the original Maakika Art site in 2008 is factual. These pieces have been called some of the best work I've done -my comic work getting swiftly dismissed! I'm also told, though I never saw it that way myself until I went through all the pieces again, that the pieces seem to form a type of mythology or at least hint at one.  I'll let YOU decide.

The Origins

"What is Maakika Art?"  I get asked that a great deal and to be honest it is a very brief story!

In 2006 I had a serious respiratory infection.  It came and went but,in 2007,it came back with a vengeance over several months and with complications I thought it would see me shift this mortal coil -and I am NOT joking!

Around May, 2007, it got really bad.  Then, suddenly,pouring with sweat, while seated on a bus, my mind started getting a rush of images -maybe 50-60.  I got home exhausted but I sat down and began to draw.  Honestly, at 50 years of age I had drawn many things but these new images were so out of my usual frame of image reference that I was stumped.

I drew a few, sat back and thought "What the bloody hell have I drawn?!" Almost instantly the word "Maakika" [pronounced "Mah-kee-kah"] came into my head.  At the same time I got the definition "solid black and white art under guidance from the Maakika".  Ahh, a fevered mind -and no drugs involved!

I've searched the word on the internet, in books and anywhere else I can but it seems not to exist. I cannot find anything similar.

And with each came a title or description.

So,a divine gift from the Maakika pantheon seems credible!

And lucky.

The original images are all 21x29cms and though I've not parted with the first "inspired" drawings which look crude to my eye, several were sold for between £150-£300 each.

I still have the original images in my mind [they won't shift!] but I've been inspired to work on larger images [60x42cms]. 

So,if you have any questions or comments get in touch! 

And remember:only one person does Maakika art -me (and I have absolutely no idea what's coming next!)

The Maakika Art ~ you can buy the book!

Paperback, 

A4

32 Pages 

Price: £10.00 (excl. VAT)

Prints in 3-5 business days

http://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper-scharf/maakika-art/paperback/product-21849434.html

According to comments:

 J Stransky

"Unique and eye catching. It is equal parts disturbing and wonderful. I've cut a few out and put them in frames on the wall in my work room. They are, I tell you, really quite though provoking. Recommended to someone with an interest in primitive art or hypnosis-state painting. Look at these images deeply for a while, they will seep into your soul."

SMITH

"i said in another post that these make me think of some hinted at mythology. you should do a book of these with just title s to hint at things so we can read them and let our mind run wild!2

GUEST

"I love the way these are all part of some implied story or mythology. Just enough info suggested to make you think about what the story is and let your mind make up all sorts of fabulous things"

Guest

"Seriously, these are the best things you do and you should concentrate making more or using them as a design project (T-shirts, posters whatever). Clean 'em up just a little and they'd be incredible." Molly Williams "These Maakika pieces are wonderful Terry!! I find them really fascinating."

Five Years

Five years and over 5000 views and no comments or interest and I have certainly not sold any of the Maakika art nor the book that is available.

Therefore this blog closes Tuesday 28th May.

If you need to contact me after that just look for me online -I'm everywhere including Instagram, Twitter and Deviantart.

Sad but time to go

Maakika Art and its Origins and the Book...and comments!

Yes, the book is STILL available.  Also, I was surprised to find that the Art Wanted page had 5, 331 views and 14 comments -mostly from female artists who appreciated Maakika.

Here are some comments:

"i said in another post that these make me think of some hinted at mythology. you should do a book of these with just title s to hint at things so we can read them and let our mind run wild!"

"Seriously, these are the best things you do and you should concentrate making more or using them as a design project (T-shirts, posters whatever). Clean 'em up just a little and they'd be incredible."

"interesting.. kind of tribal... - the shapes down the left hand side, do they symbolise the moon phases, by any chance? :)"

"These Maakika pieces are wonderful Terry!! I find them really fasinating."

"So charming! A real treasure!"

"very cool"

Pity that none of the art was ever purchased -and neither has a single copy of the book.  Artists really do need support you know.

Whenever I try to explain to someone the origins of The Maakika I get odd looks. I have no idea why, unless the people I'm explaining this to have no artistic minds and have never known a fevered mind!

However, the story I told on the original Maakika Art site in 2008 is factual. These pieces have been called some of the best work I've done -my comic work getting swiftly dismissed! I'm also told, though I never saw it that way myself until I went through all the pieces again, that the pieces seem to form a type of mythology or at least hint at one.  I'll let YOU decide.

The Origins

"What is Maakika Art?"  I get asked that a great deal and to be honest it is a very brief story!

In 2006 I had a serious respiratory infection.  It came and went but,in 2007,it came back with a vengeance over several months and with complications I thought it would see me shift this mortal coil -and I am NOT joking!

Around May, 2007, it got really bad.  Then, suddenly,pouring with sweat, while seated on a bus, my mind started getting a rush of images -maybe 50-60.  I got home exhausted but I sat down and began to draw.  Honestly, at 50 years of age I had drawn many things but these new images were so out of my usual frame of image reference that I was stumped.

I drew a few, sat back and thought "What the bloody hell have I drawn?!" Almost instantly the word "Maakika" [pronounced "Mah-kee-kah"] came into my head.  At the same time I got the definition "solid black and white art under guidance from the Maakika".  Ahh, a fevered mind -and no drugs involved!

I've searched the word on the internet, in books and anywhere else I can but it seems not to exist. I cannot find anything similar.

And with each came a title or description.

So,a divine gift from the Maakika pantheon seems credible!

And lucky.

The original images are all 21x29cms and though I've not parted with the first "inspired" drawings which look crude to my eye, several were sold for between £150-£300 each.

I still have the original images in my mind [they won't shift!] but I've been inspired to work on larger images [60x42cms]. 

So,if you have any questions or comments get in touch! 

And remember:only one person does Maakika art -me (and I have absolutely no idea what's coming next!)

The Maakika Art ~ you can buy the book!

Paperback, 

A4

32 Pages 

Price: £6.00 (excl. VAT)

Prints in 3-5 business days

http://www.lulu.com/shop/terry-hooper-scharf/maakika-art/paperback/product-21849434.html

According to  one review:

By J Stransky

"Unique and eye catching. It is equal parts disturbing and wonderful. I've cut a few out and put them in frames on the wall in my work room. They are, I tell you, really quite though provoking. Recommended to someone with an interest in primitive art or hypnosis-state painting. Look at these images deeply for a while, they will seep into your soul."

Can you resist?

Please Read IF You Care

Apparently, 102 people checked out the closing notice last November.  Not surprising.  What is surprising is that 1766 people (without me doing the usual social media shares) clicked on to view a Black square.

A black square.  Nothing else.  It was just put there to signify closing of the site.

So why am I posting again?  Well, I doubt this will be permanent though that would be fun. You see, there is a very under rated British comics creator named Ben R. Dilworth. He keeps checking my blog stats (I don't) and told me of the number of recent views.

"Post something. See what happens" he said. Well, I had a headache and my joints were in pain so I was not doing much else so why not?

And a good few people visited the blog -and the UK Golden Age blog.  But this is the problem.  You see, I take time to scan and post here. The whole point of doing this was for fun but also to sell some of my books because, and people do not realise this, I need to eat and pay bills.

With my Comic Bits Online blog, Google+ and all the sites that pick up items as they are posted "I" have had around 8 million views. That is since 2010.

Now that takes a LOT of work and I normally do not care but no one ever comments. Items I post are stolen and used by others as 'their' work.  People pop on to whichever blog, read then go.

This I don't care about. But someone said "unknown,un-named faceless people read and take and probably do not give a crap about you and go".  All the viewshave resulted in sales for other publishers -they tell me how sales rise after a review or whatever on CBO. Me? I think I've sold ten books since 2010 due to a posting.

So, though this is fun, if only 4 people (who ordered those 10 books) out of 8 million buy...well, I think it makes my point to Mr. Dilworth. You cannot argue with the facts.

And you cannot force people to buy your books on a subject -say UK Golden Age comics- if all they want is to grab something free off the internet. I have books on the UK Golden Age with HUNDREDS of pages and Penguin Flight Osaka has mixed some in with its Come On! Comic. Also Black Tower super Heroesmixes Golden, Silver and modern strips. But to see that material people need to buy.  People will not buy.  They want free.

That doesn't work for me as I struggle to save my company (though it may be past saving) and earn money. This is how well I am doing: due to ill health I depend solely on a government benefit. Yet I have thousands of comic book pages covering different genres readily available for people to buy.

http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/hoopercomicsuk

Without the support of people who view these posts -you- via book sales then that's it. Look at it from my point of view: work like a maniac while rotting away on a low benefit or simply stop. No one is interested. What would you do because, after 40 years, I'm all burnt out.


ps. Yes, I know, "So what?"

I'm Guessing That It Has To Be ME.....

Just been checking some things and noticed that the highest viewed post on this blog was the one about publication of my Maakika art book.

A few hundred views.  Sales from those views?

0

Kind of puts into perspective how hard it is to try to earn a living as a publisher or creator -combine both and......just not good.

Another "Negative Art" Piece -The Hull Werewolf