Wednesday 22 December 2010

Year of the Tiger: December 2010



Santa Tiger.

Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to you all.

Saturday 4 December 2010

Animal Bubbles

Item! Comical Animal has launched, "a bi-monthly online publication for comic, cartoon and kids books afficianados" that is, as you might guess from the title, all about animals.

I've got a couple of strips in it that have been coloured especially for Comical Animal (or in one case, recoloured since the colour version was lost to a computer mishap).

Item! While at Thought Bubble, I was filmed by Geek Syndicate where I got to plug Bahala Na! and Square Eyed Stories. Video at the link.

Monday 29 November 2010

Year of the Tiger: November 2010



November's tiger is dedicated to all those people working to tight deadlines.

Monday 22 November 2010

Bahala Na! 10



Bahala Na! 10 is officially available and made its debut at the Thought Bubble comic festival.

The atomic number of neon is 10.

Thought Bubble 2010

My brother and I were at the Thought Bubble comic festival again this year. A Bad Event on Friday night kind of put a downer on the weekend, but we stuck with it. We were late to set up on Saturday, but I arrived to find a box of Bahala Na! 10s waiting for me so I was able to have something new for the table.

I didn't get to take many photos, but here are some tiger sketches I drew:

Some of these were given away free with purchases. There were a few more, but I didn't record them.

And that's that for convention season 2010. Now to start preparing for next year.

Sunday 31 October 2010

Year of the Tiger: October 2010



Halloween pumpkin.

Monday 25 October 2010

The Call of Cthululu



Saturday 23 October 2010

Tuesday 19 October 2010

British International Comics Show 2010

I managed to get a table share for BICS 2010, with Soaring Penguin and the Comics Creators Guild. Sales were abysmal- traffic seemed to be very low and the few people who passed by were just browsing. On the plus side, I got some more tigers for my Year of the Tiger sketchbook, got a bag full of loot, and got some help shaping an idea into a viable form. So things worked out well in the end.

Photomographs:
British International Comics Show 2010

Thursday 14 October 2010

Fragments

Friday 1 October 2010

Sunday 26 September 2010

Year of the Tiger: September 2010




The White Tiger is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. It represents the west and the autumn season.

Monday 20 September 2010

News: BICS, Bulldog Clips and Furrlough

Long time no update. What news do I have?

Hopefully, I'll be at the British International Comics Show again, where Bahala Na! 09 will be on sale.

BN!10 is still in the pipeline, but coming perhaps a little sooner is Bulldog Clips, a new collection of Captain Bulldog strips by Jason Cobley and several artists, including myself:


If you really can't wait for a funny animal fix, out NOW is Furrlough #190 from Radio Comix in a bigger, perfect bound collection of strips by myself and others.

Trip Trap: Day One




Script by Jay Eales.

Friday 27 August 2010

Year of the Tiger: August 2010



More playing with Photoshop brushes.
Jim McGee suggest Cubism, but it ended more abstract.

Friday 6 August 2010

Caption 2010

Photos from Caption 2010

Caption 2010

Wednesday 4 August 2010

Mad Science




Produced for the Caption 2010: Mad Science programme booklet.
I think all the (currently) scientifically impossible technology in Science Fiction should be called Space Magic instead.

Thursday 29 July 2010

Year of the Tiger: July 2010



Mad Science tiger, in honour of Caption.
Trying another brush.

Wednesday 14 July 2010

Recently Read: The Anime Club



Recently Read: The Anime Club by KC Green.

The epic adventures of a group of dysfunctional nerds. Also a great source of Reaction Images.

Tuesday 29 June 2010

Year of the Tiger: June 2010



Tiger cub with an incredibly wonky back leg.

Still experimenting with different brushes.

Sunday 27 June 2010

Mad Science Caption - teaser



Teaser for a 2 page strip for Mad Science Caption 2010. Work in progress.

Tuesday 8 June 2010

MCM Expo 2010

After hearing how great it was, and being told that our stuff would fit right in, we decided to give MCM Expo 2010 a try. Normally, we'd go one year as visitors, just to get an idea of what it would be like, but this time I jumped straight in and booked us a table.

Arriving on Friday evening for set up, we discover how big the Excel actually is. The place is huge, compared to previous convention locations (bigger even than the Bristol train shed), and I'm already beginning to feel overwhelmed. Our hotel is conveniently located next to a Docklands Light Rail station, so it's easy for us to get there. The DLR goes up and down and shakes like a rollercoaster, sans loop-the-loops.

Arriving early on Saturday morning, the queue is already long. I have no idea how long they've been waiting. There is no-one at the VIP booth, but we have the entry tickets/badges so we can go straight in. We've brought nearly all our stock with us and we're hoping to shift some of the older titles this weekend.

There are lots of browsers over the day, but not many sales. Certainly, not as many as I'd been over-optimistically expecting. Perhaps this is because we are unknown first-timers and our books aren't strictly anime/manga material.

The Anime and Manga presence at MCM is immense. Most of the merchandise dealers seem to be selling Japanese pop-culture goods of one form or another. MCM is also about the cosplay, more so than any other con I've been to. While the Stormtroopers make an appearance, most of the cosplayers seem to be Naruto/One Piece/Final Fantasy/Schoolgirl/Maids and many of them carry "Free Hugs" signs. I keep my eyes and camera ready for some of the less common costumes. However, having to watch a table for most of the day, I'm limited to those who pass by or are within chasing distance.

On Sunday, we decide to brave the trains back instead of staying over until Monday, which means we have to pack up before official closing time. The bekilted Gary Erskine generously distributes doughnuts in the morning. The Sunday sales we'd been hoping for don't emerge. Things are as slow as Saturday. I'd heard there would be Furries present, so I've brought a heap of Furrloughs in which I've had strips printed - but only a few get sold! It seems the UK Furries aren't into print comics any more.

In the end, we made our table costs back, but it wasn't the sales success we'd been hoping for. It was all so overwhelming as well! I couldn't get it together enough to have a proper look around and forgot to get sketches and buy stuff. Or perhaps I was experiencing convention burn-out, with SPExpo only the week before?

It was an interesting experience, but sales weren't so good. I'd have to think hard about going again - certainly I don't think we'd be back for the October Expo! Now, back to the drawing board, to prepare for the end-of-year conventions...

Thanks and acknowledgements to Emma Viecelli, Al Davison, Gary Northfield, Karen Rubins, Willie Hewes, Gary Erskine and everyone who bought something or stopped for a photograph.

Pics or it didn't happen:

MCM Expo 2010

Tuesday 25 May 2010

Year of the Tiger: May 2010



It's comic convention time, so here are some comic and cartoon tigers: Tygra, Tigra, Shere Khan and Hobbes.

Monday 24 May 2010

Small Press Expo 2010

We were back at the Small Press Expo in Bristol this year. This time it was on all weekend, instead of just the Saturday.

Again, the convention was split over two hotels - the mainstream comics in the Ramada, and the small press and independents in the Holland Mercure, although Nintendo had a display in the Mercure too. I think the Mercure is the better of the two venues; it's bright, with actual windows, and the air conditioning makes it nice and cool - just the thing for a hot and sunny weekend (although it got a bit too cool and slightly chilly in there!). We were also staying in the Mercure this year which was very convenient, especially as we missed the Friday evening set up time due to a delayed train. Certainly, our room was very nice.

Sales wise, on Saturday we managed about as well as we did last year, which was okay. Sunday was a much quieter day, but we managed to shift a few things.

Photos:

Bristol SPExpo 2010

SPExpo time is over.
MCMExpo time is now.

Friday 14 May 2010

Convention time

It's time for the summer comics conventions, and naturally, I'm leaving everything to the last minute to get ready. Not to worry too much, though, I've already got my tables booked so I can sit back and relax until two days before I have to leave. And then the panic sets in.

So where am I going?

Small Press Expo - May 21-23. The Bristol Comic Expo has split into two parts, the mainstream comics event in the Ramada and the Small Press Expo in the Holland Mercure. Naturally, I'll be in the SPExpo all weekend, sharing a table with Square Eyed Stories.

And one week later is London MCM Expo - May 29-30 - where I will again be sharing with SES.

I'll have copies of Bahala Na! 09 on sale, as well as back issues and other comics.

Saturday 17 April 2010

Year of the Tiger: April 2010



An attempt to emulate Chinese Watercolours in Photoshop.
I think I need to find the right kind of brush.

Thursday 15 April 2010

Recently Read: Tozo #3



Recently Read: Tozo the Public Servant #3, by David O'Connell.

While investigating a murder and the disappearance of a scientist, Detective Inspector Tozo enters a world of political intrigue involving several powerful factions within Nova Venezia and the Spider Empire.

Wednesday 14 April 2010

Quest




Manga Studio.

Wednesday 7 April 2010

Recently Read: Gunnerkrigg Court vol 2: Research



Recently Read: Gunnerkrigg Court vol 2: Research, by Thomas Siddell.

Between science and magic, man and nature, stands a very unusual school compound - and in the middle of it all is Antimony Carver, her best friend the technological genius Kat and the shape-shifting Reynardine.

Joke about a dog



Manga Studio. Looks like I can get grey shade tones as well as dots/shapes.

Tuesday 6 April 2010

Dinosaurs




Produced for and printed in the UK Web & Mini-Comix Thing Anthology 2010.

Sunday 28 March 2010

The UK Web & Mini-Comix Thing 2010

Back from the UK Web & Mini-Comix Thing 2010. Sales were good, we met some new people, got some sketches, fun was had.

UK Web & Mini-Comix Thing 2010

I was on door duty for an hour in the morning, collecting entry fees. My partner was a first-time exhibitor who had only got into drawing comics recently. Passing by his table later, his comic had space to draw custom character faces, so I opted (naturally) to get a tiger.

While on door duty, a girl comes in. She's not here for the show, she just wanted to see what was going on. She marvels at the scene for a few moments, then leaves.

Sunday morning we passed by the British Museum to see some prints and political posters from the Mexican revolution, then to the Cartoon Art Museum for a Ronald Searle exhibition.

Thursday 11 March 2010

Year of the Tiger: March 2010



Chalk-type brush in Photoshop.

Wednesday 10 March 2010

Aggadon on Myebook

My 24 Hour Comic from 2004, Aggadon, has been out of print for a while but is now available on Myebook.

Myebook - Aggadon - click here to open my ebook

(I really ought to get round to doing another one.)

Monday 8 March 2010

Candyman



My first attempt at a full strip using Manga Studio debut.
I've still got a lot to learn, but I think I'm getting it.

Tuesday 2 March 2010

Bahala Na! 05 on Myebook

First published in 2005 and long out of print, Bahala Na! 05 is now available on Myebook.

Myebook - Bahala Na! 05 - click here to open my ebook

Friday 19 February 2010

Why The Little Frenchman Wears His Left Hand In A Sling - promo

Promotional sampler- the first two pages of my submission to the Comics Creators Guild 2009 Annual, adapting a short story by Edgar Allan Poe:




Also printed in Bahala Na! 09. The annual should be out soon.

Monday 15 February 2010

Catgirl Comicbook Convention Crisis! on Myebook

My 2006 mini-comic, Catgirl Comicbook Convention Crisis!, has long been out of print, so I've made it available through Myebook. I'm still figuring everything out, but I'm planning to have some other comics available in the near future.

Myebook - Catgirl Comicbook Convention Crisis! - click here to open my ebook

This was the first appearance of the Crisis! catgirls.

Sunday 14 February 2010

UK Web & Mini Comix Thing 2010 - Dinosaurs

The UK Web & Mini Comix Thing is coming up, March 27th.

This year, the anthology's theme is Dinosaurs. Have a promotional sampler for my submission:


I'll be there on the Zip Gun Comics table (#42), where you'll be able to buy copies of Bahala Na!, Square Eyed Stories and other comics.

Year of the Tiger: February 2010

Kung Hei Fat Choy - it's the Year of the Tiger!


Maganda and Malakas (also works for Valentines day).

This is my own personal zodiac and will be my convention sketchbook theme for 2010.

Wednesday 3 February 2010

Website Updated

Finally got round to making an update to the website.

My 2010 convention schedule is in place, keep watching for updates.

The comics are now arranged by the issue in which they appear. As Bahala Na! 05 is now out of print, all the strips are available on website.

I'll eventually get round to putting some of the other strips online too. But should I put up the very early strips, now that my art has progressed and developed so far?

Sunday 3 January 2010

Recently Read: Beanworld vol 1



Recently Read: Beanworld: Wahoolazuma!, by Larry Marder.

A small community, a peculiar ecosystem, and a journey of discovery.

(Actually I'm re-reading it, and rediscovering why I love it so much.)