Be Seeing You...

You'll never guess who's back in a little over three weeks... go on, have a guess...

Alternate Universe

This week's Beano has a shiny Robot cover- but that was only one of the options. Here's an over-the-top colour version I did for fun, but offered The Beano anyway just in case they liked it, but of course, it wasn't very Beano-like! I had in mind those 1960-63 Monster comics by Jack Kirby! Who, interestingly, I discovered this week, has another famous fan!

Bid for a Beano

Your chance to own an actual painting by The Beano Artists themselves! And all  for a good cause!! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151794160764904&set=a.443017789903.215507.93648394903&type=1&theater

Hold Everything!

I've just been informed that I can no longer make the announcement on August 27th. Sorry about that, but it's out of my hands. As soon as it becomes possible to mention it, I will, factors permitting. But I am looking forward to it very much, and let's hope it won't be long delayed.

Starting soon!

I've been a bit nonplussed at the strangely hostile reaction to fact and revelation about comics by 'comics fans' on the internet. Not all, by any means. But a few seem to be under the impression that their supposition about a comic strip that, for the sake of argument, let's say I draw, carries more weight than anything I might say about it. In this topsy turvey world of 2013, opinion and speculation is worth the same as documentation and information.
Well, as some corners of comicdom clearly have a very unsure grasp on how, why, where and when comics are made, I thought I'd share a few valuable insights into what goes on, what went on, and what will go on. All for free. Ready? OK, let's go!

Today started with Channel 5 turning up...

First thing this morning, Channel 5 turned up and set up a huge hot arc light and asked me to 'just act natural' while taping me for their feature on the 75th anniversary of The Beano. Channel 5's Ruth Liptrot went over to the Beanotown exhibition at Southbank, London at the same time, while I made her into a Beano character.

 So that's what I did today.

 

Looking For Leeds

Been a busy week!

On Wednesday, that Beano cake couldn't eat itself you know; on Thursday, secret, and then on both Friday and Saturday Ruth and I wowed the many Dennis The Menace fans of Yorkshire with our many appearances at the CBBC Big Event with our demonstrations of how to draw Dennis, Gnasher and their chums- the most popular of who, by far, is Pie-Face. By FAR.

So here I am in the middle of drawing Pie Face on Friday (it was hot in that tent!) and amusing he vast crowd with my hilarious and witty banter.

"Anyone here from Leeds?"

Wednesday Was Beano Day

Last Wednesday was a big Beano day - the Beano's 75th anniversary was celebrated by some of publisher DC Thomson's finest sipping champagne and gorging on tempting foods - and also some of us freelancers- here you can see me, with Mark, Beano designer, and Gary Northfield and Laura Howell, famed cartoonists, clearly trapped in a cage of some sort and held for future deadline insurance.
And then I was trundled out to meet and greet some Beano fans too and sign stuff as if I was someone who should be signing autographs. I met a lot of nice people, like John, Gary, Claire, Elaine and Mike from The Beano (I already knew Craig, Craig, Iain and Gordon well), the lovely Claire, top designer from Doc Marten's boots, and the titanic twosome, fellow cartoonists Wilbur Dawburn and Alexander Matthews, and Paul Palmer and Kev F Sutherland, who I already knew, top blokes all. I'm sure I've missed out about a dozen people who I met, but I've just done what felt like a Tour Of Britain drawing Dennis The Menace and there are this week's deadlines to meet too and now a TV appearance to have a haircut for so goodnight for now.

Drawing Dennis The Fast Way

Want to see how a Dennis The Menace page is drawn? No sooner asked than answered:
Last week I was very artistically filmed by Glen Milner, documentary filmmaker, drawing a new page. See it HERE






I don't actually do a page in 1.40... a little artistic licence here...

This is the week!

The week of the 75th anniversary of The Beano comic.

This Wednesday's star-studded special issue is extra big and extra fun, with lots of surprises.
And, the same day, comes the first issue of the new Dennis The Menace and Gnasher Megazine!
As you may guess, I've drawn a few pages for both, but you should have a look at them anyway.

And, looking at this official 75th emblem (left), I suddenly realized the other day that, yes, I drew that, too.

On Friday and Saturday I'll be in Leeds at the CBBC event, showing how Dennis The Menace is drawn. I'd better find out.