Cogg and Sprokit in: 'Friendly Fire'.

HIGH FIVE! This week marks the start of my next Cogg and Sprokit 7-part mini-series, 'Friendly Fire',  in The Phoenix! I have been working my proverbial socks off on this extended adventure (don't worry, my actual socks remained firmly on my feet throughout the entire production), so I really hope that any readers who happen to stumble upon this adventure really do enjoy it. It revolves around a race between the world's top adventurers for the fabled treasure 'The Sapphire Sun'. But as tensions grow, so too does Cogg and Sprokit's partnership, and our favourite boy and hippo double-team decide to go their seperate ways and find new partners. GASP! 'It cannot be!!!', I hear you cry, well, perhaps a quick subscription to The Phoenix Comic or journey to your local Waitrose is in order so you can pick up some copies and get a few damnable answers!

But seriously - (and I know I'm biased), but The Phoenix is constantly supplying the ultimate in top quality children's comics, every single week, and what could be cooler than getting kids into comics, right? The creators are doing incredible things in that comic, the artwork is sublime, and the stories gripping, so if you haven't, please do check 'em out! It really is an honour to be in a comic alongside such talent. If you're having trouble finding issues, the Phoenix website has a great list of stores that stock the comic, and a list of back issues you can order direct, too. Convenient, huh? But yes. I shall stop preaching my sales pitch, and leave you to enjoy some awesome comics.

BIRTHDAY ILLO.

An illustration I did for the ever wonderful Laura Anderson for her birthday. It's an in-joke, but I thought you guys might still enjoy a baby monkey, riding on a pig.

The (very) Dark Knight

A current obsession of mine...

And speaking of Batman, check out who's looking on in wonder at Cogg's athletic abilities in this weeks' Olympic themed Waitrose Weekend Magazine. If you have a Waitrose nearby, do try and grab a copy, they're free and the pages are littered with everyone's favourite Phoenix characters having a rather splendid game of catch around the articles!Just what I would do if I were 2D.

Another Alien and Pop Up!

Gutentag my little rockafellas!
Man - still (STILL) waiting for permission before I can reveal any of the artwork I've been working on so hard this year (and last) that isn't Cogg and Sprokit related, so here's another piece from one of my on-going fiction ideas. That alien is most CERTAINLY feeling left out. But I guess you would, wouldn't you? School is hard enough without antennae's complicating things.

Oh, and also, last (last) week I took part in the incredible Pop Up Festival Comics Big Top of Awesome...which was, well, pretty awesome, actually. You know what, I'm really starting to dig these workshop and live drawing thingies. Whilst the nerves are still there, I actually find the enjoyment completely overrides the fear! So...HUZZAH for sure. Thanks to everyone who turned up and made the day so awesome, and all the kids were great and so willing to get stuck in with comic making. There's some absolutely fantastic talent out there, let me tell you. Us older illustrators had better watch out. Here's some photo of the evnt, courtesy of Sarah McIntyre!

Here's me just hangin' with felloe Phoenix comic artist extraordinaire Niell (Pirates of Pangaea) Cameron, just doing our thing.

And the whole comics-pro team that made the day so successful (and such a pleasure it was to be counted as a professional amongst these people!) From left to right: Niell Cameron, Nana Li, Sarah McIntyre, Gary Northfield, Myself, Jamie Smart and David O'Connell. All in all; a brilliant day, and I'd really like to thank Sarah and David for inviting me to such a thing. I always think two guests called Jamie adds a certain special 'something' to an event, too. As a finishing note, here is a link to Gary Northfield and I battling it out with just a pen and the most vicious of marine animals...

Pop-Up Fest Event - 30th of June!

I will tell you something. Something right now. This Saturday coming (June the 30th, for those reading this later in the year. I'm so sorry - I think you may have missed it) I, alongside a veritible bunch of awesome, inspiring comic creators, shall be taking part in the Pop Up Festival Comic Big Top of AWESOME. And yes, it SHALL be awesome, you can bet that pound in your hand right now. Basically, we shall be there to help children, teenagers and adults alike to make comics, we will be doing portfolio viewings and signings, and big, rousing illustration battles, how-to's and workshops! It should be really fun, the tent (what I've seen so far, at least) looks great, and the festival as a whole will have many inspiring authors and artists taking place, including the stupendous Guy Bass, author of my first fiction series 'Atomic!' I would write more, but the ever concise and literate Sarah McIntyre has written a great summary over here. There will be action, suspense, laughter, emotion and the possibility of one or two explosions of joy. So if you're in the area, please do come on down and say hi! (I'm also very new to these workshop/event thingies, so even though I will be the nervous artist shivering in the corner, I will be most pleased to see you loverly people!)

Children's Fiction Ideas are EVERYWHERE.

Hello hello!
Here's another illustration for a children's fiction idea I have floating around my head. One day...one day...

In other news; I shall be making a comic workshop appearance alongside many other fantastic British creators at the 'Pop Up Festival of Stories' on Saturday, 30th of June. I'll do a proper blog post all about it, but I thought I'd mention it now...y'know, in case you had a diary handy or something. Ahem. I'm so excited about it - and completely terrified. I have never done anything like it before, so the butterflies are building up already. Should be a great show, though, and it's about time I got out of this studio and witnessed the world first hand, right?

Until then!

Vuun!...ah ah ah...Two!...ah aah ah

Today has involved lots of lots of Cogg and Sprokit ideas being made, raked through and disgarded/stored away for later use. But I think I'm finally onto a winner for the next one-shot! Waheeeeey!
I have also started on a new cover comission for Hachette - all in all - A FINE day. And to celebrate, here's a vampire. In its bat form, of course. See, I can get in on all of this vampire action too! Can't I? No? Okay.