Red Sky Diary

[Tim Bradstreet 0]

Excerpt from the Red Sky Diary page on MySpace, the current "official" home for RSD.

 

"The idea for Red Sky Diary was hatched back in 1993, or 1991, depending on how you look at it. The concept for "Gallows", and Red Sky Diary evolved from an idea I had to do a prequel to a comic story I worked on with Writer/Artist Timothy Truman in 1991 called "Dragon Chiang." I wanted to do a spin off prequel book featuring a "Young Dragon Chiang, lean, mean, and badass. I worked up some visuals that really turned me on and sent them over to Truman. He was very supportive but alas, he was too busy to do anything with the material for a while.

 

As time passed these images kept gnawing at my subconscious and I found myself compelled to draw the character every chance I got. Pretty soon I had amassed a decent number of illustrations that meshed together very well. By 1993 Gallows began to force his way into my consciousness. The idea for the character came flowing out of my mind and onto the page one evening as I sat looking at a new illustration I'd just finished featuring the character (see my pics). I soon realized that the nebulous young Dragon Chiang would be swallowed whole by the fierce warrior known as Kerulan Ulaanbaatar, AKA Man Gallows.

 

I had some card stock photo copies made of the illustration immediately and sat down to figure out once and for all who this character was and what he was all about. I made notes and little sketches all over the copies I'd made. That was the night that Red Sky Diary was born.

Over the last 14 years I've had the story in my head, every once in a while I'd take out my notes and add more. Every once in a while I'd find myself drawn back to the character and have to do a new illustration. I've thought about doing it as a comic, an illustrated book, a film, or a series of portfolios. For the last 5 years I've been thinking that film will be the ultimate destination for Gallows. A screenplay and prose novel are in the works and while that stuff is being worked on I continue to work on Red Sky Diary illustrations and am cooking up ideas for a comics series. After years of gestation I think I can safely say that I'm about to let this guy loose on the world. Stay tuned."

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That's the quick version. If you want more information please check out the Red Sky Diary MySpace page ------> http://www.myspace.com/redskydiary

There you can learn more about the character and check out some visuals in my slideshow. Here is a piece to wet your appetite.

 

 

This is the official thread on the subject, so please address any Red Sky Diary questions or comments here.

Thanks - Tb

[James O'Brian 0]

I saw a picture of it on your myspace page and had no idea what the hell the thing was. So, I went to the page you have set up for it and did a lil' snooping around and basically am fascinated by the thing. It's hard for me to put into words the way the artwork and storyline just jumps out at me. Keep up the good work, Tim. You've got my support.

 

JO

[Punisher75 0]

Would love to see Gallows on screen! Good Luck Tim!

 

Aaron

[xNLx 0]

Tim, in case you didn't get a chance to check it out, here's my Gallows sketch:

 

 

Can't wait to see what you do with the character!

[Guest AdminGuyX]

You mentioned an artist you were interested in for the book on the podcast, a few actually. I had not hear of him before, any links to his work you could provide us with? I certainly hope you at least ink the book!

 

I didn't know you were planning to have someone else draw the book. I have to admit a bit of disappointment, but I really enjoy your sequential work, so I was hoping.

[johnpweber 0]

From the sound of the podcast, it sounds as if Red Sky Diary is going to hit the book shelf soon, or at least in a year or two. Was that just a wish list for the future or can we expect something real soon?

 

I've been really pumped about seeing this come to life. As for a film version, I say to hell with it. This is your baby, force the studios to let you direct. Red Sky Diary directed by Tim Bradstreet. You've got to admit, it sounds bad ass.

[kwiat_skye 0]

Gallows doesn't HAVE to have black hair.

 

http://www.amcho.com/amazon.com/apf4/amazo...emId=B0002KQOCG

 

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/case_amazon/index.html

 

Just thought I'd throw that in there. Warrior genes could come from both sides of the family.

[_C_ 0]

Red Sky Diary echoes my noggin'

[h518may 0]

tim, have you ever thought about a punisher/gallows crossover where Gallows would be introduced? that would rock. or, how about a punisher/cal mcdonald crossover? THAT would be sooo cool!!!!

[Tim Bradstreet 0]

Interesting idea but it wouldn't work . . . For me anyway

Different worlds. The Gallows story begins in the 19th Century.

It's period all the way, and I would never want to cross the character over into the urban.

Red Sky is a world of it's own.

 

Cheers - TB

[h518may 0]

Interesting idea but it wouldn't work . . . For me anyway

Different worlds. The Gallows story begins in the 19th Century.

It's peiod all the way, and I would never want to cross the character over into the urban.

Red Sky is a world of it's own.

 

Cheers - TB

 

i understand, tim. but, a guy can dream, can't he? how about a punisher/cal mcdonald crossover? or cal mcdonald/anita blake crossover? yes, i am a dreamer, and sometimes dreams come true. right?

[Guest AdminGuyX]

Yeah, just doesn't seem suited to a crossover since the RSD story itself hasn't been told yet.

[h518may 0]

Yeah, just doesn't seem suited to a crossover since the RSD story itself hasn't been told yet.

 

you're right, of course. hey tim, RSD is really going to be awesome. great concept and you can tell a lot of thought went into it. can't wait, man.

[Guest AdminGuyX]

I would never want to cross the character over into the urban.

 

Tim, I'm curious when you made that choice, because I know a lot of the older drawings you've done of Gallows take place in an urban setting with modern weaponry and gear. One of my favorite pieces of Gallows, and one of my favorite T-shirts, has Gallows standing in front of a bloody cross on a wall, cradling a shotgun, and holding a MAC-10. You also did that awesome piece with Fred Fields, which had a touch of cyberpunk!

 

Anyway, just curious.

 

 

[James O'Brian 0]

Tim, I'm curious when you made that choice, because I know a lot of the older drawings you've done of Gallows take place in an urban setting with modern weaponry and gear. One of my favorite pieces of Gallows, and one of my favorite T-shirts, has Gallows standing in front of a bloody cross on a wall, cradling a shotgun, and holding a MAC-10. You also did that awesome piece with Fred Fields, which had a touch of cyberpunk!

 

Anyway, just curious.

Yes I know what piece you're talking about for Gallows. I thought that was one sweet fuckin' sketch. I wish I could find print of it.

 

JO

[Kohse 0]

Hey Tim.

 

You cannot believe how excited I am that RSD will be coming out finally. Ever since we first talked about the story in San Diego so many years ago (going on 7 years I think?) I have wanted to see it completed. If you recall, I asked at every convention or signing we did together if BloodFire Studios could publish it. I am sad that BloodFire Studios wont be doing it (I really would have loved to work with you, what can I say) but WHO CARES? A great story will be coming out and that is all that matters.

 

Good luck and its about damn time.

[Guest AdminGuyX]

I just felt like throwing in a request for upates on this project, artwork, ANYTHING Tim . . . anything?

 

[SonOfTheDark 0]

I love the artwork, Tim and the story sounds interesting! Looking at the pictures, there is sort of a ambiguity of time and place, which I like. I think it could work in many different settings (and there is a Red Son in every generation). When I saw the image in your first post (before reading about the character and the story), I thought it would be some kind of post-apocalyptic Dieselpunk stuff... ^^

 

Any news on it?

[Tim Bradstreet 0]

First let me answer Noeland's question which has been left floating for a while -

Over the years I've gone back and forth on period. At first it was more contemporary.

You'll see shots of Gallows with automatic weapons and other advanced weaponry here and there for sure.

As it is now, I'm pushing everything back to the latter half of the 19th century so a lot of that imagery is no longer completely valid.

The last major photo shoot I did featured a lot of contemporary weapons so sometimes those leak in.

 

The cool thing about the world of RSD is that because Gallows' Clan has effectively been at war for 700 years, their own technology is slightly ahead of the curve, and specialized.

Which basically means that even though the period is pre-20th century a lot of the weapons the Clan will employ will have certain fantastical advancements

Not crazy ones, nothing ridiculous . . . a perfect example would be that a true incendiary (white phosphorous) grenade would not have existed as we know it today back in the time I'm telling this story, BUT, in the world of RSD these guys have been making discoveries and advances like any country would (albeit on a smaller scale) during a time of war.

We're not talking V-2 rockets, but we ARE talking modified, retrofit, more advanced weapons than existed at the time. Let's say more IMPROVED weaponry.

The Clan has their own 'specialists', metallurgists, men of science, armorers, gunsmiths, and they forge a lot of their own stuff.

A lot of it is one of a kind, no real mass production, a series of prototypes.

 

I've got some more news brewing but I'll add all of that to a new post.

 

- TB

 

PS - The Dragon Magazine cover and some illustrations I did for GDW's Dark Conspiracy was me just taking advantage of some cool photo ref of the character.

Cyberpunked-out in both cases but those were the early days. My feeling is that they are just cool characters starring my best mate Joel Stinton (Gallows).

The Dragon cover is less Gallows (no doo rag, no goggles) than the Dark Conspiracy shots which are basically Gallows but made to look like an Android or a guy with robotic/bionic enhancements. They could be considered part of the RSD lexicon but in more of a tertiary way.

[Rifleman 0]

Been following the development of this project for years. Glad to hear that it's still simmering.

[Tim Bradstreet 0]

Well I think this is certainly a best case scenario outcome for "all good things to those who wait".

Had I tried to do RSD back around the time I'd originally conceived it, or even in that first 10 years it would be another animal almost entirely.

Over the years the story has slowly come together. Like a good whiskey it needed to age.

I've had aborted start-ups before with other collaborators . . . as far back as Steve Niles back in the early 90's all the way to going 'round the bend with Todd Farmer on a possible screenplay a few years ago. The project always evolves.

 

I've still got screenplay very much in mind but first thing is first, get it out there, establish it as it's own entity, hopefully gain a larger following.

At the beginning of this thread I spoke of the "current" possibilities as they were in September of 2007, that too has evolved.

At the time I was working with Todd Farmer, and that had much pleasure. Before we got very far into sussing out a full cohesive story Todd was called away to get paid on something

I too, slowly turned my attention to more immediate concerns and there went RSD, over to the back-burner as it has so often done in the past

Well that's OK, the back-burner has long been my friend, there are a few sweet projects warming there even now.

 

But the issue here is RED SKY DIARY.

Things were rekindled a few months ago when I decided to work more on personal illustration (which I hadn't made time for in a loooong while).

I also tapped into another idea I've had brewing since the early 90's - Creating illustrations and then having writers take that and write a story around them, the normal creative process in reverse. I have a nice handful of those illustrations waiting in the on deck circle for that particular project. The idea was to have an RSD story (indeed, the opening act of my proposed film adaptation) act as the anchor for that book. I'd do 2 full page illustrations (not 1, as with the other stories) for the RSD entry which would also feature a slightly more expanded story than the rest.

All I needed was a writing partner . . .

 

Enter Mark Hosack.

I'd bounced some stuff off Mark about RSD in the past and he seemed to have a good grasp of what I was attempting to do with the material.

Farmer being way too busy to pick up where we left off I fired it at Mark, asked him if he'd want to write the short story with me for the illustration book (still no title

Mark and I hit it off from the get-go. He was very interested.

We began the journey together and have had some great chemistry. The farther we went with the skull/spit-ball sessions the more I realized having an RSD story as only a part of another book was not going to do it justice. Wouldn't be fair to relegate a chapter of this sweeping, epic story to the pages of a collection regardless of the quality of the other material.

 

So to get you up to speed here's where things sit.

Mark and I are planning a Red Sky Diary novel, the story of Gallows, though not a biography. It's all about the latest events of his life that lead him into the final leg of his Clan's journey, the crescendo to 700 years of open war against the Mudir. Mark and I are writing it as a novel, but that novel is two-fold. There will be two versions, the novel itself with a few illustrations (or not), and an oversized (coffee table style) ILLUSTRATED version. Then we see what the cards hold for us. Currently we're in the midst of making a deal with the right literary publisher.

 

So for you few who care to seek out RSD and populate this thread -

Here's a preview of some of the art, definitely the direction the illustrations will take. This is the latest, greatest vision for the character.

The first illustration was planned as the "Entre Act", opening illustration for the unnamed illustrated book. The second as the rear bookend illustration.

These will now be part of Red Sky Diary: A Tale Of The Mudir Hunters.

All of the full pagers will feature captions, selected passages from the text which have relevance to the image.

Here's a taste -

 

Precipice

Caption: "He scorned concealment and strode the rugged battlements ready to smite the foul reeking beasts. All veneer of civilization fell away, lost with the souls of his dearest blood.

That which was left him was primitive hatred, rage consumed, he was a merciless savage from a darker age."

 

 

Aftermath

Caption forthcoming.

 

 

I'll update as much as I can as we move forward.

 

- Tim

[johnpweber 0]

Cant' wait to hear the updates. I was just re-reading the chapter with RSD in Archetype last night. So, are you keeping the Mudir under wraps (ala Alien), or will we see them sometime in the near future?

 

EDIT: The book idea with Mark sounds amazing. I hope we get to see both forms.

[Tim Bradstreet 0]

There are varying distillations of The Mudir.

There are pure blood Mudir (original creatures), and then there are Mudir Hybrids, their 'children'.

 

The Mudir are as varied as the human race, from the beginning genus - protohuman, to the higher evolved of the species.

There are different classifications/subspecies, from feral, to the more evolved thinking predator.

Some, the 'low borns' are almost more animal than human, they're some savage, bloodthirsty motherfuckers.

Those are my favorite

 

Best not to reveal more than that for now.

Suffice to say there will be some supremely cool as shit creatures to conceptualize

 

- tb

[Rosella 0]

I love reading novels. And I think that the novel needs to contain illustrations. While reading, it would allow the reader to picture in his or her mind what you have visualized for it.

[johnpweber 0]

Suffice to say there will be some supremely cool as shit creatures to conceptualize

 

- tb

 

I wouldn't expect anything less