Going Orbital!

Space, and all that implies, seems to be the focus of this month...

I took my final masters class last week, leaving the huge empty space that is the summer holidays to finish my dissertation. I'm excited, because I'm having fun writing it.

This week also saw the Neil Gaiman Doctor Who episode, which was suitably thrilling...okay so it was one of the best episodes I've ever seen. Just brilliant writing. I also met up with Idris at Bristol comic expo, where the police box was just parked in the lobby of the hotel. As you do.

Although I only stayed for the first day, I had long chats with Andy Bloor, Tony Hitchman, Ben Dickson and Andrew Cheverton about various schemes and plots we plan to enact together. It was a lot of fun. The real joy of the day was discovering Orbital, a comic drawn by French creator Serge Pelle.



After chatting to him for a while (via his translator, the awesome Guillaume Rater), I bought volume one of the series, and got a sketch inside! The quality and production of these European comics is astounding, and I look forward to collecting more in the future.

Book-Worm Vs. Rock-Star

At seven, I decided I was either going to be a book-worm or a rock-star...

Just ask my parents about the hours of painful guitar solos they endured during my teenage years and i think it's a safe bet to assume they always knew my lack of musical talent or charisma left the rock-star path out of the running.
(A note to those who know me: if you read the titles of the books behind me, i think they explain a lot. Dinosaurs and fairy tales...have I changed at all?)

It's been a slow week work-wise, filled with odd-jobs and editing of one kind or another. Finished re-drafting the comic for Accent UK, only to start throwing around ideas for a new project via e-mail with editor Dave West (follow the link on the right to find yourself in his wonderful Strange Times blog).

I have been enjoying Matt Smith's debut as The Doctor, and I am reading Kafka. Wasn't sold at first but The Stoker short story has turned me around. Ray Bradbury is next. I haven't read a book of his since last year when I consumed Farenheit 451 and The Illustrated Man in a matter of days. Something Wicked This Way Comes is next on my list and I can't wait. I've missed him.

I also visited my friend Louise Richardson to talk about a mini-comic we want to make together, and I drew and inked a super-special-one-of-a-kind illustration for writer Max Deacon's birthday. If you ask him, maybe he'll show you.

I've promised a million times to have my installation photos up here, so that will happen in the next few days.

Until next time, when I have more exciting news than what I'm reading...