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

Maakika T-Shirts?

I can't really see that much interest in Maakika t-shirts -the books and prints haven't sold a single copy so making t-shirts seems a bit pointless.

 Store -T-Shirts!

Currently working on a few more Men t-shirts but also including designs for Women t-shirts.

Yes, now the Black Tower T-shirt online store is open!

https://shop.spreadshirt.net/Blacktower/men?noCache=true

Apparently Owls Do NOT Teleport!

Trying to finish some art pages and two images will NOT go away. No idea what they are or why the titles but drawn and out the way and...back to work.

In the upper left hand corner of the first image I put a silhouette of a church. It was not in the image in my mind but I thought it would look good. No. Removed it and...done.

Owls Do NOT Teleport

Sigma 351

The Creeper

Another piece.  This time The Creeper.  You know when you think you've heard something outside but put it down to imagination?

Maybe it isn't imagination after all....

(c)2016 Terry Hooper Scharf

The Mystery Hominid

Another piece of "Negative Art" -this time Mystery Hominid...Sasquatch...Yeti...?

(c)2016 Terry Hooper Scharf

Herne The Hunter

What I call "Negative Art"!

(c)2016 Terry Hooper-Scharf

It's Weird But.....

I keep getting asked "Why no more Maakika art?" or "Why no up-dates?"

There have been 3,305 visitors to this blog (and some have tried to steal the style but there is only ONE Maakika artist) and yet not one Maakika book sold.  No comments.  No interest when I offered prints for sale.

And yet THOSE questions?

The reason I'm commenting here is pure and simple.  I need to eat and pay bills and my books and art are all I have. The online store will remain but, I have to be honest here, this blog and others probably will just rot on the internet because I do not -absolutely DO NOT- make enough to pay bills and internet is not cheap.

Anyway, I thought that the All Time views of this blog were interesting so here are the countries in order -and please consider supporting a struggling artist!

United States	1066
China	772
Russia	328
United Kingdom	203
Ireland	167
Germany	163
France	125
Ukraine	94
Poland	46
India	24

Maakika Art and its Origins

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! The best email address to use is:

hoopercomicsuk@yahoo.com

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

The Maakika Art

 

Maakika Band -The Makinii

 

The Maakika hatchlings played under the watchful Mother Tree Timipu

 

Kathassi knew the time was coming

 Tinikia knew that the egg was special

 

The Divine Beholder

 

Falaasoo the Radical

 

Idembo The World Shaker was angry

Mabwaanaa shouldered the burden

 

The Waltz Was Sweet -The Makini

 

The Rebel

 

Mkeeni Danced In The Lightning

 

The Lizard And The Fox Watched Tikipii Dance

 Maapulu The Moon Went For A Walk With Tiiki The Wandering Star

 

It Was The Last Thing Uutu Expected

 

Umbutu Danced For The Moon

 

Miipi Wondered What It Was? It Was Takas' Tail.

 

Bratutu Danced Beneath The Rani Tree

 

Banitaa Weighed Up The Choices

 

For Maakasuu Time Was Running Out

 

Saami Guided The Makini

 

Maapu Sat Thirsty At The Water Hole!

Kefuu Knew Other Things Lived There

 Kamibbeewaa stared at Unnunko the bound

ALL ARTWORK IS (C) 2014 Terry Hooper-Scharf