G'day, Mate!

Okay, so this week I made a decision - Mugwhump the Great will take another short hiatus once the current chapter is finished, which will be in about a month. I've got a trip to New Zealand coming up - I'll be there for most of April - and trying to get ahead enough before I left was proving too much for even my considerable powers. Best to worry about it after I get back from the Old Country. I'm determined that there will be content updating at the Hotel Fred of some kind or another during its absence - so stay tuned as I work out what that actually is.

Anyway. Having made that decision, I've had to get cracking on some scripts that are due. I'm currently scripting, tag-style, Muppet Show #8 (which I'll be back to drawing full-time after Amy Mebberson's wonderful run concludes) and, er, something else. Sorry to be a tease, but I saw the cover for the first issue yesterday and I just about wet myself. It should be something wonderful.

Kids Read Comics!

They've announced it on their website, so it's time I made some noise about it here: I will be attending the Kids Read Comics convention in Dearborn, Michigan on June 12th & 13th - one week after attending Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC, actually, so it's going to be a busy old time for a couple of weeks there. I'm excited about both events, but Kids Read Comics is kind of unique in that, as the name implies, the focus is on child-friendly and all-ages comics. Which is the end of the comic industry where I'm spending pretty much all my time these days. In addition to the opportunity to meet a lot of younger readers I might not otherwise get a chance to see, there'll be a whole bunch of great cartoonists there who I'm really looking forward to meeting as well. So - a good place to go and a good time to go there.

According to Graham Linehan's blog, he's actively looking for "cool stuff" to spread around the set of the new series of The IT Crowd, currently a strong contender for Britain's Best Sitcom in my humble opinion. By "cool stuff" he means all kinds of things, but particularly comic-related things - in previous series he's had Jim Woodring posters, Daniel Clowes books and, oh yes, Fred the Clown comics. It helps if you own the rights to the things you send him, but it's not essential. So if you think you can help, head on over.

In other news, I just clocked up another year on this dirtball we call Earth. My birthday presents reflected my rapidly-advancing age - a box of licorice, no doubt intended to ease my bowel movements; a David Sedaris audiobook, to aid me with my failing eyesight; and some Art Jazz by Bill Frisell, because I'm not into all that hippety-hoppety stuff they do nowadays.

Pass the toffees.

Police Box

Doctor Who fans, epecially fans of Doctors past, might like to know that there's a publication focusing on the history of the comic strip in Doctor Who Magazine to which I contributed a part of the cover and a short interview about my days as DWM's regular caricaturist. It's called Vworp Vworp! (after the sound the TARDIS makes in the strip - no, I don't know why it does that either) and you can get it here.


Here's a closeup of my bit on the cover, a "jam" featuring a veritable Who's That of Who artists past and present. The full spread is glorious to behold. And there are free transfers by Paul Grist of the Eleventh Doctor attached to the cover, which makes me happy in a way I can't tell you.

Bastards!

I've been noticing this thing turning into a sketch blog lately. This may be a welcome development. Here's one I did for someone which they then kindly posted on the internet so I could steal it back.


I've recently discovered the work of a guy called Chris Samnee, who I understand is big shakes in the world of superhero comics. He's bloody great! Like the bastard child of Alex Toth. And what drew my attention to this fine fellow, I hear you ask?

Ah, now. Well. Patience, grasshopper. Patience.