Way back in the day, when Sonia and I were working on Romeo & Juliet and Hamlet respectively, we created a livejournal workblog to chart our progress on the books….well, a couple of years later it’s time to dust that blog off and fire up the engines as I can now announce I’ve started work on Much Ado About Nothing for SelfMadeHero!

I think some of you may have guessed this and some have mentioned the title and left me desperate to tell you, but yes - that’s the one!

I’ll introduce the first of our key players here, but any further updates will be at the workblog only for a while as it feeds through to the official Manga Shakespeare ning.
Click the thumbs for larger images, and check the workblog for details on who these four are. ^__^

I’m working on the rest of the coloured section and will be meeting up with the fabulous Richard Appignanesi in a week or so to start bashing script ideas around. As with Hamlet, it’s a play I know and love well and we’ll work hard to make it the best we can!

Time for a bit of an update and some info if you fancy coming and saying hi in person. ^_^

First off - Violet! The Guardian mini series hurtles towards a conclusion with just two more weeks’ worth to go. If you’ve not caught any of the mini series yet, head along to The Guardian Online to catch up. You can catch episode #5 in this Saturday’s edition of the paper. And to those of you weeping into your cereal at the mere idea of there being no more Violet to read (I can always dream), fear not! Violet and her friends will soon be doing a little house move and settling into the pages of the DFC itself. I’ll update closer to the time. You’ll be able to reread the mini series and then dive into Violet’s story a year later….oooooh!

Appearances:

Stratford-upon-Avon - Home of the Bard! I was very honoured to be invited along to talk at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust on the 2nd July. The talk will be looking back at the creation process of SelfMadeHero’s Hamlet, and looking forward to the early stages of my new Shakespeare adaptation. Please check here for details.

Kingston - I’ll be running an hour long workshop for Tokyopop at Hook and Chessington library on Saturday the 2nd August. Details can be found here.

If you haven’t got the paper itself, you can check the comic at the Guardian’s online section; though the resolution on their online pages looks a little strange. Click the banner below to be whisked there:

It’s weird to think that the pages I’m drawing now won’t be seen for so long. Even when I’m working on something serialised it’s like GNs all over again, hahah. The DFC crew are thinking they’ll be repeating the Guardian mini series in the DFC itself now as a lead-up to the actual arc, which takes place a year later. It’s a shame in a way because the arc is the story I want to tell, while the mini series is really just a bit of fun, exploring the times when Vi first got her power…Still, the mini-series is fun, and does work as an intro for people who didn’t see the Guardian. ^_^

So, 6 weeks in the Guardian’s COMIC section start this Saturday and some time after that, Violet and the gang hit the DFC - and a bit more after that - the actual arc will start….poor Tyler gets ignored for so long. He’s a main character in the arc, but doesn’t appear in the mini series, poor boy.

Yes Tyler, I know hon….you’ll have to be patient. You’ll be a star soon. ^_^

Details will be going up on the Ning tomorrow morning: http://mangashakespeare.ning.com/
Head there for details.
You can pick up entry forms at the SMH stand at Expo this weekend. Stand D9.

Very exciting!

So - where to begin? Well, let’s start with releases, shall we?

I have finally been able to see a copy of Princess Ai:Rumors from the Other side and it looks pretty spiffy. I have a 9 pager in there, written by the marvelous Sarah Winningham. It’s very silly, but works nicely alongside the varied collection that this book offers. Some great talents in there, and my own widdle story too - check it out! ^_^

Arriving through the post earlier this week was this shiny offering from Spacedog, the production company behind Tokyopop’s eV. I provided the front cover and some pinup lineart for this book, but beyond that didn’t know what to expect. I’m happy to report that it’s fantastic! James Farr has done an amazing job with the writing and Alfa Robbi’s art carries that through nicely. It’s a brilliant little sci-fi manga. I couldn’t put it down! Definitely more to it than the pretty, pretty cover. hehe

Slightly different sort of release is CNI’s latest podcast: the SelfMadeHero special! Poor Jimmy Aquino was trapped in a hotel foyer with a bunch of us when he assumed that he was only going to be talking to me. Muahaha - we are so evil! It was actually a sheer accident, but a happy one I hope. I haven’t listened yet, but plan to as soon as I finish this post ^_^

Almost in the same category - the DFC (that illusive mystery of the publishing world) finally hits doormats all over the world at the end of this month and, to celebrate, a fabtastic shindig was held at the BFI on London’s embankment on Thursday night. A comic and publishing extravaganza, much fun was had. My own series, Violet, won’t be in the launch lineup, but you may well spot her very soon if you read a certain newspaper….*sneaky look*
Had a great time with the likes of Pud, Paul Duffield, Kate Brown, John Aggs, Fehed Said and a whole host of other fun and funky people…far too many to name! ^_^

Bristol was amazing…I won’t do a full write up, but I had a wonderful weekend, so thank you to everyone who made it special for me. *hugs*

*phew* Am I done yet?
Oh, one last one is…remember this image?

Well, Dragon Heir 7 is now complete! The pages are all done and awaiting a cover and other bits and bobs…so expect to see it later this year.

Okay, I think I’m done…blimey. What a crazy month it’s been!

Jamie McKelvie’s Suburban Glamour gets its trade release tomorrow, and he’ll be at Forbidden Planet signing between 6 and 7pm. It also happens to be his birthday, so if you go and see him there, make sure to say happy birthday and embarrass him. ^_~
From there we all mooch over to a drinking establishment for what will hopefully be a spiffy evening with spiffy people.

Then, the next day, waving a fond farewell to Pud and Fehed, Jamie and I drag our sorry asses to the station to board the train for Bristol and the comic expo weekend - wooot!
I don’t have my own table this time, but you can catch me at various points in the day between:
SelfMadehero, Tokyopop, ImagineFX, the bar.
And if you’re a panels fan, then come wave a pom pom at me in the Manga to mainstream panel with David Hind at 1pm on Sunday, and the infamous Hypotheticals at 5pm on the Saturday. More details at the Bristol site, linked above.

Back on Sunday night and head down in work until Thursday brings with it the Media launch of the DFC, can’t wait for that partay, daaaahling. ^_^

So, busy week or so ahead…and some work flung in too. ^_^

yes folks - Dragon Heir liiiiives! haha. Poor baby.

I’m now up to page 7 of issue 7…I’m going to TRY and get issue 7 out for October MCM Expo. Finding time and motivation to do comicking in my time off from comicking has proved harder than I thought…but I really enjoyed tonight. Even the toning…kind of. God I need a toner! haha.

Here are a couple of highlights from tonight’s session:

This took SOOOOOO long and wasn’t referenced, but somehow the lack of referencing made me all the more pleased when I felt the pose come together….and don’t worry, they’re just training! haha.

Yay - cuteness. I’m so happy being able to finally draw these two interacting - can’t let Ella and Protus have all the fun

Expect a proper update soon as Bristol Comic Expo is round the corner! ^_^

Why did the above CBR page interest me? Well, the first thing to catch my eye was the rotating banner at the top - that image seems to be haunting me at the moment, but it’s one I’m proud of so I don’t mind. Yep, eV is getting some publicity, which is wonderful. Remember, I didn’t draw the interiors, Alfa Robbi is the comic’s actual artist, but it’s great to see my work (and Annette Kwok’s colours) being used like this.

Anyways, the ad was a bonus, as it’s the bit below it that I went to the site for.
Here’s the actual link for you:

CLICK FOR THE FULL STORY OF TORI AMOS’S COMIC BOOK TATTOO

I can now announce that I am one of the lucky artists to be featured in this amazing book! As some of you know, Tori Amos has been a huge inspiration to me throughout my life. It was her that made me start writing music way back when….so that I’m now able to take one of her songs and portray it (or an element of it) in a short comic is just incredible. I’m so utterly grateful to Rantz Hoseley and the team - not to mention Tori herself! - for inviting me on board this one. ^_^