White River Junction sketches

Done back in 2006, the day before starting the summer workshops at the Center For Cartoon Studies. I'm posting these as an excuse to point you towards their regularly updated blog related to their Schulz Library, the worlds most magical place! Staff and students seem to take it in turns showing you particular items of interest - simple but brilliant.

Wuff, Snuff and Tuff

Another bookshop find, a collection of William Timyn's strips originally seen in WOMAN magazine. Not sure what year this is from, but it looks like 40's or 50's judging by the print technology. The strips themselves are nothing special, but the design and layout is something I'd like to try to emulate sometime -

Seems they also inspired a puppet from Pelhams, though I can't tell if they produced all 3 identical pups.


'Tim' also created the more familiar Beep and Booster from Blue Peter (- thank you Toonhound!).
Right, back to work, Jim.

Update

Well, not really an update, more a bunch of stuff I've scanned (as well as putting off doing some inking).


Bought a copy of The Beano the other week, just to see what it's like now. I think I'd been a bit down on it since I last looked - full of dreadful adverts, crappy art and stories - but I was pleasantly surprised. Yep, still adverts, but I guess that's how they do it for £1.25 rather than £3. But I was actually quite entertained and wasn't offended by any of it.
Highlights -

Gary Northfield's Derek the Sheep, (whose book compilation is to be featured in the list of free ones they give to kids to get them reading, which is great),


and Rasher. I've just looked up the artist as it represents how Beano strips ought to look in my opinion, and it turns out they're reprints of older David Sutherland strips. I'd like to shake this chap by the hand - Gary can you introduce me? He's 75 apparently, and still producing the odd strip.

In other news, this was found in High St Books, New Mills -


Never seen this guys stuff before, and he probably deserves a post of his own, but this cover will have to do for now. Fantastic colour, blurb and lettering, but why is it so off-centre?

Next is a picture of a police dog, done by someone during one of my sessions. I rescued it from the bin as I think it's a very nice police dog.


And finally, a retirement cake produced for Manchester Art Gallery curator Melva Croal. The painting in the background is Ford Maddox-Brown's Work, hence the funny joke.

Garden Funnies no.2

Well it took me a while, but it's finally available. Featuring cover art by Gary Northfield, and contributions from Ed Syder, Steve Tillotson, Adam & Hilary Steel, Lizz Lunney, Duncan Bourne, Francesca Cassavetti, Alex Potts and me.
You can buy it for £3 here in my magical shop, or from any of the contributors (contributors - they're going in the post today!). I believe Francesca will be taking a handful down to London Underground Comics on the 27th. When I'm in Manchester next I'll call in Travelling Man with a bunch too.

I know I'm not going to make a penny on this as I don't think any smallpressers ever do, so rather than trudge around different comic shops seeing if they'll take a few copies (then trudging round again a few months later to find I've made £1.50 for my efforts), I'm 'empowering' the contributors with 15 copies each. They can do what they want with them, including trudge round comic shops if they want to. Any takings are their pocket money - the least I can do when everyone has contributed for free.
If I sell around 70 copies myself then I'll break even. The main thing is that hopefully it serves as a useful promotional tool for all involved and possibly leads to some proper paid work for some of us.

And it's got rounded corners.

Hey 4 Eyes!

I was chuffed when CCS tutor Robyn Chapman asked me to contribute to her fantastic and highly specialised Hey 4 Eyes! spectacles 'zine. Especially as it was for the cover.

first idea

much better idea

final screenprinted version of full wraparound cover.

coptributors include ellen Lindner, Joseph Lamberty, Colleen Frakes, Harry & The Potters, Alec Longstreth, Tom Kaczynski, Robyn Chapman, Hilary Florido, Jon Chad, Scott Urban, Nate Beaty, Adriana Yugovich, Karen Sneider and Jeff Sharpe.

It also features my very own article on Colonel Blink (of The Beezer) - but you'll have to buy it to read it. But it's not for sale on her online shop yet, so I'll keep an eye out for when it is (or you could contact Robyn to pester her personally).

Racing cars and kittens

Last month we went to Buxton Raceway, and it was amazing. Tucked up behind a hill near the pretty spa town is what feels almost like an illegal gathering - dead exciting. And it was non-stop - race after race, crashes, kids driving, bangers, souped up performance cars, tractors putting the victims off the track - brilliant. £11 for 25 races. The tea was the worst I've ever tasted though, so take a thermos.

Last week I was helping out with the half term family activities at Manchester Art Gallery, which was fun too -

Banal Pig

Got a page in the brand new special Banal Pig Landscape Anthology, put together by the very talented Steve Tillotson.
I've drawn a handful of baby animals falling over, this being one of them -


A truly delightful package, super nice quality, featuring loads of people far better than me - available here for £5.50.