I got out of the habit of making sketches since I guess I was so wrapped up in finishing F&C. I did one today though! I was totally fired up after reading loads of Dylan Dog comics Emma lent me! They’re in ENGLISH!! We had lots of Martin Mystere/Dylan Dog/Nathan Never etc. comics to look at in uni, but they weren’t in english, so honestly I didn’t really know what was going on. It’s great to be able to read the Dylan ones, finally. He’s so sweet, I really like him. The comics are enormous fun to read. I don’t really understand why they aren’t widely available and more popular over here…! We are missing out! I do hope that the advent of the DD film might drag out some new translations… but who knows? I suppose most people who go and see the film won’t even realise its legacy… through no fault of their own…

He looks a bit morose. And perhaps a tad mature. Hmm.

The tentacle, by the way, is a result of a Twitter exchange between Howard Hardiman and myself. I must draw more tentacles. They’re very cute!

Oh god, I’m… dead under all this. I just have a little bit more to go on Fish & Chocolate… but I think I’m out of my first, second and third winds already. I’m desperately trying to find a fourth.

10 min sketch ’cause I’ve not had time to draw anything for weeks and I don’t feel right when I don’t draw SOMETHING.

I’m really looking forward to going to a secluded cabin for Christmas (this is actually happening) and spend a bit of time in front of a fake fire with Paul & my lovely friends… but I know I need to really chill the fuck out for a couple of days before I go, or I’ll just be a juddering lump, which won’t be fun for anyone.

I made a quick self-portait, as a very quick warm-up cartoon sketch, prompted by the self-portrait experiment thread on Sweatdrop (here).

I’ve done a few self-portaits over the years. I guess all artists do! These days I always aim to make mine amusing… my comics are not fun, usually with a high degree of misery, but I want to try and entertain somehow with my artwork, so, usually it gets taken out on self-portraits and other funny, quick drawings.

Perhaps it’s a bit cute, but oh well ^^;

I’ve been told frequently that, unless I’m interacting with someone, I tend to look furious or miserable as I stroll down the road. So, there we go. Here’s something for all those annoying fucks who feel the need to say, “Cheer up! It might never happen!” to random strangers.

I would like to point out I usually think about food when there’s nothing else to think about. That miserable face? That’s me thinking about some serious cake.

I’m catching up on Ulysses 31 after not having seen it since I was, like, three years old. It’s actually really good. Seriously awesome stuff happens in it. Like, Ulysses has a fucking laser-gun-sword. I mean. That’s awesome. It’s nicely structured and only occasionally borders on silly. It’s pretty sophisticated. It’s got actual long-shots, and lingering shots on characters’ faces to show emotion. I may sound like I’m being sarcastic, but you don’t get that stuff in cartoons these days.

I don’t think it’s as good as Mysterious Cities of Gold; it doesn’t have the charm, and the characters aren’t anywhere near as strongly realised. But, it is more focussed than Mysterious Cities, and suits the episodic format a little better. (But MGoG will always rule my heart…)

I’m one of those people who bang on about how shite cartoons are these days. But I don’t think kids can HANDLE THE AWESOME of stuff we had back when I was growing up. Also parents/the government would go batshit over something as cool as a laser-gun-sword. (You know it).