Splash page

...from Vinyl Underground 4.

Why the sky is blue

Tom Spurgeon at The Comics Reporter kindly interviews me about Paris here. I'm looking forward to reading the other interviews he'll be posting over the festive season. Anyway, here's *yet another* pic from the book, one of the "extras". Paulette starting the day with a good solid breakfast.
Also, my sincere apologies to anyone who's inadvertently come here in search of the origin of Rudolf's red nose (but thank you for staying longer than comic fans do), especially if you're a young 'un. Kids, I promise you that Santa doesn't look like he does in those images.

He actually looks like this:

Rudolf's red nose explained

Old pics for Metal Hammer to get you feeling Christmassy.

Ball Tampering

W.G. Grace, who according to folklore once stood his ground having been given out, saying "They came to watch me play, not you umpire". I was gonna put it on the back cover of Paris issue 3, but in the end didn't. I did actually draw the ball too, but seem to have misplaced it. There he is again, on the wall:

"Bloody kids"

Unused Paris related pics.

Femi from Vinyl Underground issue 3...

... slipping on a bar of soap. Inks by Cameron Stewart, colours by Guy Major.

Thrilling Competition

Here's a little bit of good-natured fun. The first 2 people to post the correct answer in the comments win a Vapid t-shirt, details of which are here. If you're one of the 2 winners, simply email me your postal address, wherever you may be, and specify the shirt type and size you want me to send you. As with all the images on this blog, click to enlarge if required.

If no one responds I'll be really upset, but you know, don't enter if you don't really want a shirt either, it is winter afterall.

Anyway, that competition was originally drawn 14 years ago, depressingly. Here's another old thing. The moral: at least he tried. Hmm, but look at the panel borders, they almost look deliberately wonky (but they're not).

Give To The Paw

Sketches for Bath Cats and Dogs Home, celebrating its 70th birthday and in need of financial support and dog walkers.

Slow News Day

I think Paris is out today, but I don't know.Also available to buy is the brand new edition of Andi's masterful Slow News Day, again published by SLG. And check it out - I'm lucky enough to own the original of this page from it. Pure class:

Unreadable Palms

Some more panels from the Mark Twain adaptation. The first is a view of Menton, on the Côte d'Azur. It so happened that I camped there shortly before commencing this story, in a beautiful orchard above the town. As soon as we arrived at our pitch some ripe fruit or other fell from a tree directly onto my head, allowing a nearby Dutch family to have a great chuckle at my expense. Which is fine.*
*As luck would have it, a night spent sampling the regions' rosé and the snoring that allegedly followed, would inadvertently redress the balance.

Lucky Millet...

A panel from Is He Living Or Is He Dead?, a strip I drew in '03 for Graphic Classics: Mark Twain. It's being reprinted in a revamped volume available on December 1st and features 36 whole pages of Rick Geary greatness.

The Pillage People

Paris is hopefully out next week, not this, as I incorrectly stated. Here's a panel from it. I'd like one of those hard boiled egg holders you see in French cafes. Infact I'd like two, the second would be ideal for displaying plums, lemons and other mid-sized fruits.
Staying with the continental theme, here are a couple of strips I've drawn for Metal Hammer, scripted by their managing editor, Alex. I don't know what Turisas sound like, but as you'll see, they dress as Vikings, complete with warpaint, swords, axes and so on. Not the most sensible group to parody, in retrospect.

ROM!

A drawing for Portland's Floating World comic store. I'm intrigued by Portland, how come so many cartoonists live there? Anyway, they're organising an exhibition and comic in honour of Rom, or more specifically, the writer of that series and others, Bill Mantlo. The original drawing, as well as tributes by loads of other cartoonists far better than me, will be available to buy from Floating World and proceeds go to Bill and his bro. Details here.

I wanted the focus to be on Bill's writing rather than simply the visual nature of the character, hence this take on the final scene of the final issue.

An old pic...

...of a woman with a disturbing E.T.-shaped head.

Paris drawings

Opening pages from the Paris book, which I believe is in stores next Wednesday, October 24th.

Ugh, and a thankfully never-to-be-seen image of one of the characters from it:

Ikea sketch

Or: a Metal Hammer picture. I gave them all axes because they're more fun to draw than swords, and fittingly, the axe is of course a rock term for the ol' guitar. Don't know why I drew drunk giraffes in the background, though.
An accompanying image:

Inner City Lollypop Lady

One of a few illos for a Metal Hammer feature. He's from a full page picture I'll post once (if!) approved.

Look into my eyes...

...the eyes, the eyes, look into my eyes...

You *will* buy my t-shirts...
...nnnnnnn-yaARGH!

>pant pant<...

Don't then.

!

Yesterday I was gonna write that I'd managed to complete eleven pages of the Conan Doyle strip in a week (productive for me, admittedly not for some others), thanks in part to drawing it whilst fast punk music played (and having no life, natch), but I thought that sounded dumb. THEN I happen across this wonderful video of Manu Larcenet, one of my favourite current comic artists, demonstrating the very same thing. Weird, huh?

Contrastingly, this panel took two (long) Neurosis tracks to draw and the rest of the album to tweak and tone. The struggle continues.

Phew...

...finished the Conan Doyle adaptation. A few more panels from it:

>KA-Tsch<

Some more panels from John Barrington Cowles. I haven't had the time to work on this in 9 months but ought to get back on it.

A page from Vinyl Underground issue 1, out on October 3rd. Cameron and Guy did a truly lovely job on this page imo.

Seine it all before

A discarded Paris picture. I drew this before redrawing it as that. I think I felt I shoulda stuck with existing characters instead of introducing unknown ones. Mind you, pretty much all I did was change their hair styles... I flipped them because...

(Notices reader has fallen asleep. Gently pulls blanket around reader, kisses reader's cheek and tip-toes out of the room, shushing a creaky floorboard)

John Barrington Cowles

This is a page from an adaptation of Arthur Conan Doyle's John Barrington Cowles for an upcoming volume of Graphic Classics.

Also! At a one day international a couple of weeks ago I shook England cricketer Monty Panesar's hand. Twice. The second time was to prove I'd done so the first time, and because 8 pints of 'Thorn had accidentally fallen into my mouth.

Beatnik T-shirt

2-colours on heather grey, available for men in sizes S, M, L and XL, or as a fitted tee for women in sizes M, L and XL. As with the Vapid design I've yet to get 'em up on my site, but do contact me via my profile if you'd like to buy one in the meantime. they're £10 postpaid to UK residents. Foreign orders, we'll work something out. My photos continue to suck, but please note the attention to continuity by way of the just visible French cafe chair "prop" ;) Even if I've failed to convey the lovely printing again...

Newsarama have a preview of The Vinyl Underground issue 1 up here, including this double page spread (but with the text in place). It's drawn in a more realistic style than I'm used to. It's been tough, but rewarding. I owe a great deal to Cameron Stewart's beautiful brush work and his overall artistry and experience. It's exactly the look I hoped for of such a collaboration. Also check out Guy Major's striking colouring, these low res files don't really do justice to it's sophistication. Anyway, it's out on October 3rd and monthly thereafter, and yes, I have got the fear ;) More on this title later.

Vapid T-Shirts...

...available for men in sizes Small, Medium, Large & XLarge and for women in either Lady Fit shirts or spaghetti strap tops in sizes Medium, Large & XLarge. Small sizes to follow.
They're £10 postpaid to UK residents. I've not worked out foreign shipping costs yet but will do so once Vapid writer Ian generously helps me set up the whole shopping cart thing on my website. In the meantime feel free to contact me via my profile should you wish to buy one. Unfortunately/obviously I'm in no position to give these away! And yeah, the print-quality is crisper than my shakily-taken photos suggest!

You know you're gettin' old...

...when you enjoy drawing net curtains. I don't think I meant to have the zip-a-tone style dots on them though. I think they were just meant for her cardigan, I can't remember. Ugh, another sign.

Peace is Sooooo 1990's...

... but what the hell.

Louvre

The back cover image for Paris using the same dodgy colour scheme as the front.

Paris Illustrations

The chapter breaks in the Paris book look like this. I hadn't established the exterior of Deborah and Billy's home, so took the opportunity to do so here.

Vapid

This is a new t-shirt design based on the cover of Vapid, a mini comic Ian Lynam wrote and I drew, back in '95. Should any American friends wanna read it, it was reprinted in 'Punk Strips', available to buy from Wow Cool!

Have a good weekend, people. I'm going to the glorious Kennington Oval to watch the Test Match.