Atomic!

BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!

I am very excited to introduce the twins, Jonny and Tommy Atomic!!
These two are the stars of my first ever illustrated fiction book 'Atomic! The Vengeance of Vinister Vile', written and created by the fantastic Guy Bass and illustrated by, well, me, soon to be released by Scholastic UK. (And the second book, 'The Madness of Madame Malice' will be soon to follow!)
I am SO excited about this series. Full stop. Super heroes, flying islands, monsters and one bad tempered crocodile; Atomic has it all. The story is exciting, action-packed and hilarious. And I have worked my derriere off on this badboy, and am very proud of it. This is the project I have been working on that made me disappear from the blog world for a while, but I believe it was well worth it. I will blog about it in-depth soon, but in the meantime, why not check it out over here? It would be most kind of you, and we can high-five each other whilst saving the world from Vinister Vile.

EXCITEMENT.

Phoenix has Landed!

Hello, hello!
Well, what a last few weeks! The Phoenix Comic launched (in a firestorm of pure joy and AWESOME AWESOMENESS) on the 7th at the Oxford Story Museum, and what a launch it was!

Photo 1: ISSUE 1, BABY!!
Photo 2: Wonderful illustrator Laura Anderson and myself, clutching onto the precious issue 1 and a rather spiffing folder to collect the issues into.
Photo 3: Phoenix comics! Can you see Cogg and Sprokit?!

So many people turned up, fans, industry folk, comic creators (including the wonderful Sarah McIntyre, whose photos I have cheekily used in this blog post) and children of all ages, and there was much talking, drawing, laughing and such a positive response to a comic that I, as well as many others apparently, think will go far. Not only far, into SPACE, somewhere. And also there was seriously, what, a billion cakes (which tatsed phenomenal)?! Just fantastic. The only thing I was sad about was the fact that I didn't get to meet Philip Pullman, of whom I'm a huge fan, but I was so distracted by beautiful, beautiful Phoenix Comics. And Phoenix cake.

If you don't know what the great Phoenix Comic is, be sure to have a look, why dontchya?! Here!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, space cadets!
May it be fruitful and full of fruit. THE PHOENIX IS BEING RELEASED THIS WEEKEND!! Sorry. I'm a tad excited. That's right; The Phoenix comic, Issue 1 shall be released this Saturday, the 7th of January. And long may it continue to soar. It seems to have come round so fast! I know, from the creators I've had the pleasure to meet and from being inside my own head, that we have all worked so hard on this baby, so I really hope you enjoy it!

If you don't know what I'm talking about (who ever does, wheeeeeee) or have forgotten the link or where you can subscribe to the comic, here's that link again. Here. I mean, here.
My on-going shorts, 'Cogg and Sprokit', will be starting in Issue 4, I believe, with a big ol' cover featuring our strapping adventuring duo. In the mean time, here's two sample sneak peeks to tide you over. Happy January, you guys!

Spokit says 'Good Day' (and other such Phoenix related news items)

And here is Sprokit! Hopefully you will become the best of friends.

In Cogg and Sprokit related news (totally freakin' AWESOME news, more like), The Phoenix comic is now available for subscription on the website (Jumping camels!!) Check it out, you guys, right over here!

And that's not all! Oh no! You can also get a free copy of the special, limited ISSUE 0 (cue thunder and menacing laughing) as of TODAY!!!!!! OH MY GOODNESS!!! With lots of samples of the incredible comic strips which will be appearing in The Phoenix as of this January. I am actually so excited, I could bake a canal boat.
To get your free Issue 0, best follow these instructions, which will explain it a lot better than I could in my ink-induced, half-salivating, half-dribbling, semi-sane state.

Ciao bellas.

Cogg says; 'Alright?'

Ssssssss'up.

As promised (ages ago, I know...), I shall now begin posting up some designs for my upcoming comic series 'Cogg and Sprokit'. Look at them go! Without wanting to give too much away, hopefully these drawings will just start to show a little about the characters. Maybe. Who knows, eh?! It's so weird looking back on these now that I am well underway working on the project and am used to drawing the characters...they were so new to me back then. I suppose that's because I'd never drawn them before. Did you know I am a part-time detective?

Aaaaaaaanyway, without further ado, here is Cogg! Tah daaaaaah! Sprokit will be soon to follow as well as a few other tidbits, and don't forget that January is when this comic will first see the light of day, like a dinosaur hatching from the egg. I can't wait!

I'm still here!

Hello hello!

I must apologize for the HUGE silence this blog has had, but rest-assured, it is still alive. ALIIIIIIIIVE I TELLS YA.

I have been very busy recently, very, very busy indeed, with work that, yes, you've guessed it...I can't show you yet. So to compensate, and to actually put something on this god-forsaken blog in the month of October, I have posted these concept pieces which for various reasons won't see the light of day in the book they were meant to be in. They're quite old now...from the beginning of last year, but I have so many of them I thought it might be cool to show them on this blog.

I have been working on many a project, comrades, many a project, including: 'Cogg and Sprokit', my very own mini-comic series which I have mentioned in the previous post which will be launched in The Phoenix this coming January (more concept art to come in the coming months! Oh yeah, I can almost cut through the anticipation with a knife, and serve it on toast to some very well-to-do guests in my toast resteraunt. Oh, and don't forget to sign up to their mailing list...it's chock-full'a good things, including all the incredible-looking new comics that will feature in The Phoenix), two children's fiction books to be released in February (links and more info to come soon, you eager beavers) and my debut children's book (I have been saying that for some time now...but this time it's FOR KEEPS) with Hodder Children's Books, which I'm currently working on but unfortunately won't be seeing the light of shelves until 2013...but still...EXCITEMENT. So...thought I'd say hi, touch base, have a chin-wag, and hopefully it won't be so long until my next post. But if it is, hopefully you'll understand. Until then, life long and prosper!

Introducing: 'Cogg and Sprokit'

Hello fine readers! And may I say you are all looking mighty fine today indeed. I have some splendid news! In fact...I should have revealed it last week, but I'm rubbish! At last; I can reveal one of the projects I have been slaving over recently...my very own comic mini-series! YEEEAAAAHHH!!

It is called 'Cogg and Sprokit', and will be serialised in the up-coming, awesome, splendid, FANTASTIC British story comic 'The Phoenix', which will be launching this January. I've seen some of the comics that will be within the pages of this weekly comic, and let me tell you; they look incredible. Why, you could see samples of them yourself, as there is a Phoenic newsletter which you can subscribe to on the site. Good times, ahead!

But yeah; Cogg and Sprokit! My very own story about adventurers Cogg (a rather gentleman-like Hippo with a penchant for gadgets) and Sprokit (a lively youngster with the incredible ability to wear a scarf no matter the climate or weather!) Together, they quest on many an epic adventure, discover many a forgotten treasure and vanquish many a devious, malicious foe. Sometimes. For the time being, Cogg and Sprokit will be a 4 pages long mini-story running roughly every few weeks (details to be confirmed), and let me tell you; I have had the time of my life working on it, I hope you guys enjoy reading it! I'll be updating this blog with more information as I get it, and with a few cheeky bits of concept art.

Until then: take care, amigos!