Ophelia

click to enlarge

Really pleased with how this worked out - a single page now on display in Manchester Art Gallery, in front of Arthur Hughes' Ophelia 1852 -


Our response was created by myself and a young people's mental health group of from Wigan. They chose the painting which provoked the most discussion and comments amongst them, which we then drew using the basic comic skills we'd covered in the morning. The background and layout I completed afterwards.
I'm excited by this as it seems such a simple way of responding to a particular artwork: depict those stood in front of it in discussion, so you see what the artwork would see looking back at the viewer. Now I'm keen to try this with other paintings or sculptures in the collection, before the Tory-led government has the place converted into a detention centre or abbatoir.

Masterchef - the bromance

Here's what happens if you get eight strangers together in a room for a weekend and teach them comic skills -




Nothing to do with me - I just gave them the tools.

My arms ache

because I've been painting this for the past 3 days. Needs another day I reckon, but it won't be until later next week. This is just part of it -

May Queen 2010

Johnny took part in last weeks Hayfield May queen procession, as an occasional attender of Hayfield playgroup who all dressed up as Mr Men characters. Seen here chaperoned by Grandpa Pete.



This years theme - Cartoon Fun - for which we built a 9ft high Top Cat. Craftily we were able to use him yesterday for Furness Vale scarecrow day too, though he kept falling over so I removed his shoulders and just propped his head on the rim of his bin. Need to get rid of him now, as he's on someone else's back deck.


Current task - Manchester Art Gallery's Heroes & Monsters imagery, exhibition starting 10th July. More to follow.

Playing Out

Ice cube fight

OK, feedback so far has been that the rough is good, but there's just not enough of it to consider a book. I think I probably agree, and so need to start thinking about making something happen to Connor, Kieran and Jamal that's a bit meatier than getting kicked out of Footlocker. This may take some time, but that's fine - I'm still positive about the task. All I need is a well paid commission or two to buy myself some drawing board time.

Race though Debenhams

Finding amusement in the way the Northern Quarter trendies look

Anyroad, Playing Out is on the backburner for a while as I tackle the Greek gods, monsters and mortals for display this summer. I have controversially decided NOT to depict them all as cats - radical huh!

Ooh - in other news, it's been announced by David Fickling at the London Book Fair that the DFC comic shall return in 2012, so that's pretty good to know. Especially as when the tories get in us comics teachers will be first against the wall.

Update

I'm having a trial period with Twitter, and not sure what I make of it yet. I abandoned Facebook as a depressing waste of time so we'll see how we do. Anyway, I'm there known as catdrawerjim if you've time on your hands. And if I have.

Today I was asked for my autograph, twice. I was photocopying children's mushroom pictures at the gallery and a couple realised from my badge that I'm the one that did them cats.

Found a lovely set of 2nd hand A3 steel shelves for a nice price. So nice in fact that I'll probably post a photo of them as soon as I get someone to help me carry them up into my loft. Not got desk or anything sorted yet, so that's why I've not been particularly productive with drawing or this blogging.

Forthcoming - I'm doing some murals on the walls and associated illustrations for Manchester Art Galleries Superhero Summer show and events. It's all based around the classical/Greek myths and heros in a handful of their Victorian collection, and will be lots of fun for kids and parents alike. And quite a bit of work for me, which I'm not complaining about.

I've had an idea for a new Jim Medway book - a silent woodcut (well linocut) novel, working title The Olden Days. I shall do absolutely no research into historical accuracy, just to see if it matters or not. Place your pre-orders now!

Wolfy & Jack

Well, both of the Hey 4 Eyes prints have sold, pretty quickly too, but the actual zine is available from the States - let me know and I'll pass on Robyn's email address to you rather than put it up here. As Christmas draws nearer I'll see if I can dig anything else out of the back of the plan chest.

in other news, yesterday was spent at Manchester Art Gallery with Steve, Mike and Dan attending the second day of my Create Comics weekend. following in the great tradition of Lumberjack and Mountie comics in Manchester -



- we created the following Connect the plots comic -

Joshua & Alex in Night at the Gallery

Just completed the final of 4 very enjoyable mornings of comic workshops at the Ark Pupil Referral Unit in Whitefield. One of the mornings was a trip to Manchester Art Gallery, which inspired our connect-the-plots comic (planned, drawn, printed and stapled in about an hour!) -
Joshua the Lion is taken from Landseer's amazing lifesize painting, and Alex is a fictional member of out group that gets left behind and locked in overnight.

click images to enlarge-


Congratulations to all the children and parents that took part - all have been brilliant in creating such a funny and skillfully drawn story. Keep drawing, everyone!
Also, thanks to all the staff for looking after me so nicely, and awarding me this great certificate -

They're the first place to ever have me back (last year's Bob & Bonecrusher comic posted here), so I'm chuffed about that too.

Weekend Course

On the weekend of the 26th and 27th of September, I'm running a Create Comics course for adult beginners. It'll be dead good.

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.

Mural at St Matthews RC High

Just got a disc in the post from the very kind Mr Tamburro, containing his great photos of the finished school mural - thanks Sir!
See how many scenes of Moston past and present you can identify -




-and here it in in it's entirety as seen from the assembly/lunch hall below -


I must thank Joanne Davies at Manchester Art Gallery for organising the whole project, Carmel Hardy for looking after me so nicely, Mr Pirelli for the coffees, Mr Tamburro for the pictures, and all the students who gave their time (during Science, Maths, RE, English...) to help complete the mural - a very nice bunch of young people to work with.
I should also credit Fr Brian Seale's The Moston Story and Central Libraries brilliant Manchester Image Collection, where I found almost all the original images to work from.