Luke Pickett

Great Flying Moments of Man – Part Two

admin — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:13:45 +0000

A while ago I posted some artwork for Great Flying Moments of Man by Louisa Dent. Today I’m posting the next couple of pages of that story. Progress has been a little slow, but I should have a pages 5 and 6 finished very soon and ready for posting. I hope anyone reading this story is enjoying it, and until next time, cheers.

Postcards, Awards, and Newspapers

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 20:02:52 +0000

I posted recently about Macedon Ranges Postcard Competition, since then I’ve received several pieces of news. Firstly I won the Trouble Award (http://www.introuble.com.au/), which will see my entry printed in the Salon section of the magazine in beautiful colour in the near future (More information as I get it).

My Entry, "A day in the Ranges"

Secondly, a few of the local papers have carried the story, none more so the the Kilmore Free Press, which printed my entry as a full page as a cover to there weekend supplement, The Weekender, so thats very cool. Check it out below.

From the "Kilmore Free Press", Friday the 2nd of October 2009

Anyway that my news for today. Congrats to all the other winners.

Cheers Luke

Book Launch!

admin — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:13:01 +0000

Jame Andre and myself have a story in KAGEMONO vol 2. , Yum Yum its the End, details below on the event and the other books…..

Ladies and gentlemen, Blackglass Press, Milk Shadow Studios and Guzumo Comics are hosting party to launch their new books: KAGEMONO vol 2., YUCK! #2, THE GARBAGE TRUCK FAILURES, and EVERYTHING ENDS IN TEARS.

The vital details…

Date: Thursday, October 22, 2009

Time: 7:30pm – 9:30pm

Location: Loop Bar, 23 Meyers Place. Melbourne

Tango 9 – Preview and news.

admin — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 02:49:01 +0000

Good news, my submission to Tango 9: Love and War has been accepted. The story was written by my lovely girlfriend, Marita and will be printed in December, you can see the publishers website here. The story goes a little like this….

A parallel storyline of a young woman in Toronto, Canada who has organized an Amnesty International protest to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center. The parallel story is of young detainee Omar Khadr, a Canadian national who has been imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay since the age of 15, but never been tried as a young offender, and has been detained for 6 years without a fair trial. The story will follow the girl, and simultaneously Omar Khadr in prison, both youth of the same age, and will have an underlying theme of general collective human love and empathy, and how the care and concern of one girl can make a difference to a boy living in harsh and inhumane conditions. Her love and empathy helps to keep his spirit alive. (written by Marita Obst)

The story has been well received in Canada by the local Amnesty International groups and has even been put on to the official Amnesty.ca blog.

Now for a little preview of the comic (pages 1, 2, 5)…..

Anyway, thats just some of my news. More later.

Cheers.

take a peek

admin — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 03:27:51 +0000

I recently completed this for the Macedon Ranges Postcard Competition that they were holding for their new arts blog, takeapeek. It got a little screwed up on the printing, other wise, I reckon it came off well. It’ll be shown at a travel exhibition around the Macedon Ranges, starting at Mad Gallery in Lancefield and ending at the Kyneton Town hall in Mid-October.

PS: Prettiest Nightmare is on a brief Hiatus til I have time to draw a few more chapters.

Cheers Luke

The Prettiest Nightmare Chapter 15

admin — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:01:47 +0000

Beep.
BEep
BEEp
BEEP.

Elurghrrrgh, urrrgh, The mobile is ringing, somewhere, Crawling, my face is caved in. Feels huge and purple.

BEEP.

Stops.

You have one new message.

Click.

This is a (calming female voice) recorded message from the World Health Organisation. The W.H.O. would like to advise we are currently experiencing a stage six health pandemic. Insominitis Perenius is now affecting approximately ninety nine percent of the global population. The main symptom is the inability to sleep, with early known side effects include possible hallucinations and muscle pain. Please stay calm during this crisis. Friendly health officers will advise you shortly of your options. We would also like to advise people to stay as inactive as possible to conserve energy. Please only travel outside if absolutely necessary, and stay still in darkened rooms whenever possible. We will update you again soon. Thank you.

What’s the… time?

What’s…
The time?
Happening?

Words by James Andre Pictures By Luke Pickett

The Prettiest Nightmare Chapter 14

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:01:01 +0000

I could give you a couple of Xanax’s? Can you give me ten, need to come down. Yeah, But only take like two at a time max. Right, I want to sleep through tomorrow though Menace, be rested up for Thursday, then I’ll go see mum again after work. Sure man, sure, but only take like two though, yeah? Pop six and lie back down on the stained shed’s mattress. So cold I might have to sleep in the new suit. Heavy. Darkness. Smash! Grarblesnar. What the… Arrrghhslargah! What is that? Check the time on the mobile, Wednesday or Tuesday night? Sneak open the back slats of the blinds. Did I sleep all day? Who is that? I don’t know him. Teeth and bent golf club shining in the moon’s reflection. He’s looking for something. What are those dark stains on his shirt? Oh jesus. Oh jesus. He hasn’t seen me yet. Arrrghgrabhenstack! What’s he saying? Is this one of Menace’s friends? Where the fuck is Menace? Roll down the contact list to MENACE. Dial. Outside, he’s twisting his neck. It’s. Now. He. Sees me. Running. Ringing. Rattling, but the roller door’s locked, he can’t get through. Still. Ring- Shiny smiling, he’s backing up, now he’s charging in. -ing. Fuck! ARKENGRABLE! He’s not going to the door again, he’s going to the WIND-SMASH! Keep back man, keep back, what do you want, put down the club, shit, put down the FUCKIN CLU-RRRRGH, urrghh, urrgh…

Words by James Andre Pictures By Luke Pickett

The Prettiest Nightmare Chapter 13

admin — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:59:28 +0000

Chris, Bright and early Monday morning! Jesus Christ I’m flying hi- Are you listening? –gh as a fuc- Yeah. –king kite, what is this strange green uniform? Cause this is the important part, What you do is after taking the meat from the grill, you put it into the microwave, Like this. Why, Isn’t it cooked already? …yeah, but we have to ensure all safety regulations are adhered to, see this kills all the bacteria. Oh ok. You want to try it? What putting the meat in the microwave and pressing the button? Yeah. Door slam and press the button marked meat. Good, excellent, We’ll make a masterchef out of you yet! The rest of the day passes in a flashing blink as I’m shown smiling instructional videos of how not to spread mayonnaise on a bun, introduced to the other burger flippers, and Benny the intellectually disabled boy who loves to work the fried chicken section, and meet Mel who works the register full time since she dropped out of school due to being knocked up by a drunken mechanic, hairnets, and hamster smells, sit and watch compressed patties sucked in crumbs soak up fat, and finally…You’ve earned it! He holds up a maroon apron with a cartoon character smiling with a plump burger. Fuck me dead, has it come to this? Crashing and coming down. Now. Great work, great work, now see you for a big meaty Thursday mmm mm!

Words by James Andre Pictures By Luke Pickett

The Prettiest Nightmare Chapter 12

admin — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 10:57:57 +0000

Shed, small window, sunlight, morning. Oh god where’s that bucket! That’s better. Standing then run my finger along the cracked chemical cylinder that leads to smashed pipes and shattered cookers, tubes and drippers. This is where his dad used to make it. Meth so clean it could keep Frankenstein’s monster fucked up for days. They’d all buy off him, the old boys that gather in the dirty Chinese eatery in the plaza, the bikies that hang round the warehouse other side of town, the clubbers, truckers, working girls, punks, cops, everyone. How are ya? You got any Panadols? Nah, you want some of this? Nah, thanks, You been up all night? Yeah reading conspiracy theories, how long you wanna stay? Just long enough to get some together to some dosh, Rent a place of my own. Cool, You want some? Nah. Opens a small cigarette packet sized tin, crinkles some plastic, takes out a clean pin. Pretty sure now he hasn’t slept in days. Shakes a sandwich bag of shards. Taps one out, crushes it down. Shoots the mix of liquid into a blue black hole around his elbow. Holds his bent arm over his head as he sucks at the hole. You gonna have some breakfast? He picks and rubs at his gums. Fuck no. You got anything inside? Puts his head back, a slight gum grind. Just some cornflakes, but they been there awhile. Milk? Nah. Light a cigarette. You starting that new job today? What new job? The one I lined up for ya this morning. Thanks heaps man. Pulls out a small pipe. Ahhh cool, you sure you don’t want some? Alright, fuck it, just give me a tas-

Words by James Andre Pictures By Luke Pickett

The Prettiest Nightmare Chapter 11

admin — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:56:14 +0000

Straight black hair over tanned face fresh white sheet pillows flaps up and out, over the dead red mattress. The colour of a tongue. As it settles she stops and looks up into my eyes and says sixty will cover it. I give her the cash. She says wait. Leaves. So I sit on the bed. The dimmed scarlet carpeted room is bigger than I first noticed. Almost a third bigger, and in one corner is another bed. But this one has a clear plastic sheet descending shower rail like from above it, encircling it. Someone is lying under covers in there. Then the madam comes in. Small cat like eyes close together and mean, a natural instinct to notice this. Evolution says she will be cruel. Short nazi tied up hair. She stares. Then disappears. I get up and go over and lift up the sheet and a man in a gown stares back and says he is in for an operation, he’s happy, and knows he will be hacked up. I say what I came for. He says good and laughs, desperate sick eyes. Now I know that the orgasms and operations are to be conducted simultaneously. And I start thinking of sterile lube, how this business is not healthy. Dirty. Then the madam is back again. I want my money back. Anonymous white shirts wheel in another patient. She says there is no way I can get my money back. At some point I see the first girl back again. But she disappears. Then I say I want my money back and the madam says I’m not getting it. No way. And even though on some level of consciousness I know this is a bad dream, and I am losing nothing. Slight anxious, easing. The money is not real anymore. And I wake up as I walk through the door, half arguing about the money. I wake -sweating- up now.

Words by James Andre Pictures By Luke Pickett