Star Gazing

I've been doing a fair bit of this recently. I even saw the International Space Station, 3 other satellites and a meteor. If that's not a good reason to get a sore neck, I don't know what is.

The Treasure Hunters Will Return!

Today is the release of The Phoenix issue 15, (for subscibers, at least) and marks the end of my first published extended adventure 'The Hunt', for my series Cogg and Sprokit. Man, that went by so fast. I learned a LOT whilst creating it - loads of things not to do again, things I should keep doing, what people liked, what they didn't and the long, intense, back-breaking, tear-inducing, social-life depraving amount of work it takes to write, draw, ink and colour a comic yourself. But I loved it. I really did, it was so fun, and I really, really hope anyone who read it enjoyed the ride too. If you did; you may be glad to hear that there is more 'Cogg and Sprokit' to come over the next few months, more cheeky one shots and *whisper* another extended adventure...all of which I've been trying my hardest to apply what I have learned from this first batch I have made. I may be new to this comic malarky, but it's all a rather swell learning curve! Until then, comrades!

Pirat.

Nyyyyaaaargh, 'tis a ROUSING sea-shanty.

Story Time

An illustration before we all head off for the weekend! This one is more in the style of the recent children's book I've finished; using loose pencil and watercolour. It's a really refreshing, relaxing way of working, and is nice to do alongside the more detailed 'ink and digital' approach I use. I'm also not as used to it; so every day I'm doing it is that little bit more exciting. Like an adventure. Into the terrifying grips of the unknown void, with only a torch and a chocolate bar as my weapons, and a juggling squirrel as my wise-cracking companion. But it's all fun, and that's what counts! I hope you like it!

Magician

I'm grabbing this brief down-time I find myself having by the horns to enlarge my children's book portfolio a bit. Even though I've been doing some children's books, I've realised a lot of them involve mainly animals and various critters (I love drawing them, but admitting it is the first step), so I'm going to try out a few more pieces involving children or at least some anthropomorphic (AARGH, that word again. It needs one less 'O' I feel. Or at least, one more.) animeaux's. And I'll tell you want; these chances to draw whatever pops into my head is rarer and rarer these days, and I'm completely LOVING it! It's like being unleashed in a playground of truth and wood, where you can't touch the ground, otherwise you fall in the lava. You know. Ahem. I've been sketching quite a lot, I'll try and get a few more up soon!

As always; thanks so much for stopping by!

Cogg and Sprokit Again (but more regular!)

Have Cogg and Sprokit met their match?! *GASP* This week launches the first of (hopefully many!) Cogg and Sprokit extended adventures that will be featured in The Phoenix! I have also begun writing the next extended story, so hopefully Cogg and Sprokit will be regularly spreading their adventurous wings in these longer stories, which is always cool, as more space means more action and even cheeky amounts of character depth! This one is called 'The Hunt', and will be a 5-parter running over the next 5 weeks, and it involves some rather vicious Genghis Khan-esque wolves and lots and lots of rope. Seriously didn't see that much rope being involved. But you know what they say; the more rope involved, THE MORE AWESOME AN ADVENTURE. It's true, I know.

But seriously; I hope that those of you who catch it enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it. I have also been scouring my sketchbooks and have found lots of character designs for both Cogg and Sprokit and Atomic!, which I will post up hopefully next week for your perusing pleasure. If only I could show some stuff from my children's book too. I'll ask Hodder very nicely and see what they say...

The Phoenix Issue 9.

Hello guys!

Just a quick blog post to say that Issue 9 of The Phoenix contains the next thrilling installment of Cogg and Sprokit, available to all subscribers, people who venture to Waitrose AND other assorted comic shops around the island as of this weekend.

I'm really happy with the mini-story in this issue; it's the first one that really sets Cogg and Sprokit off on their treasure hunting adventures, and I got to draw a weird sabre-toothed cat chasing a boy and hippo, which is basically why I got into comics. I hope you guys enjoy it!

I've been busy again recently, hence the lack of blog updates; but the good news is; I finished my debut children's book with Hodder Children's Books this week. High five! The bad news: it won't be available to buy until next year. BUT it's done, I loved doing it and I am very proud of it. Lots more to come throughout the year. I'm also currently rounding off a 5-issue longer story arc of Cogg and Sprokit, which will be hitting shelves soon - and in this baby the action REALLY heats up for the unfortunate yet heroic duo. Until then, team, fare ye well.