Black Sheep Boy

Once again folks, I have returned from Thought Bubble and feel compelled to say how absolutely super it is.  I have just spent a weekend surrounded by some very inspirational people and really can't compliment the organisers and volunteers enough on putting together what has (for my money) got to be the UK's best comics show.

If you've never been before, then you really owe it to yourself to get along next year.  I can't quite frankly imagine how the team will top this year's event, but nonetheless I'm confident that they will.

Can you tell that I had a super weekend of it?

(Obligatory photo of my table before the show)

I was happily debuting the 4th issue of the Grinning Mask which seems to have gone down very well with the comic buying public.  If you missed it, then I've updated my Comicsy store where you can order stuff and read freebies PDFs.  Go seek.

Amongst other scribblings over the weekend I was jolly chuffed to be asked to do a commission of that super character the Shadow.  Being rather unsure how to tackle this one, I actually did two piccies - a comical version and a more serious one.  See if you can tell which is which and then go and visit the comic art gallery where these now hang in pride of place amongst some other very talented artists.  Do take a browse and see the fantastic body of work that is being collected here.....

(If you're interested in commissioning me, then do get in touch at theboytaylor at hotmail dot com)

A great weekend, and here's to the next one.....

Your chum
RT

Oh you pretty things

Quick note for you chums.

Following a handful of requests, I've started to put together a pre-show commission list for Thought Bubble.  If by any chance you'd like to pay me to draw you something ahead of everyone's-favourite-Leeds-based-comics-show, then do drop me a line at theboytaylor at hotmail dot com, and we can have a hopefully pleasant chat about the whole thing.

(Ziggy commands you)

I shall leave you to it then chums.  Some exciting news about the next edition of the Grinning Mask will be appearing here in the coming weeks.....

RT

The Wagon

How splendid is Thought Bubble then gentle reader?  The answer (in a superlatives fail me type of manner) is wonderfully splendid.

This indeed was mine and chum Bolton's first trip to the festival and we had a tip-top time.  The whole shebang was well organised, there was lots to see and do and best of all, there was a fabbo 'chum-like' feeling to the whole weekend.  Huzzah for the team of volunteers on hand at the show - from their careful managing of the queues for signings that threatened to overwhelm us small-pressers tables, to the merry distribution of drinks and sarnies to us over the weekend.  It's quite often the case that the work of the folk behind the scenes at these sort of shows gets overlooked, but their work was indeed invaluable. 

Huzzah also then for the folk who organised and put the show on.  I know that I'm not the most experienced of convention-comic-seller, but I'd be massively surprised if this doesn't become my favourite show of them all. 

(Am I managing to sell this to you yet?)

Like I said, we had a grrrrrreat time.  I sold a fair few comics (and brought a whole lot more), talked to a whole load of lovely people (far too many to mention) and got simply overwhelmed by the amount of fantastic work that is being done in the comics world - all handily gathered in Leeds the past weekend.  I've come back from up north nothing but inspired by the work I've seen and really can't wait to get cracking on with new stuff of my own.

The only criticism then (and hardly a fair one), is that there was almost too much to see there.  I did only nip away from the table for an hour or two over the weekend but have come away kicking myself about the people I was keen to meet and talk to, but simply didn't find the time.  I'm looking at you, Paul Rainey, Rob Jackson, etc, etc, etc.

So, some piccies then......

Meself and Bolton's table - just up the road from the very pleasant Peter Doherty and equally lovely Geof Darrow.  I do hope that they weren't too intimidated by sitting this close to my humble scribblings gentle reader.

The obligatory bag of swag what I came back with....

I'm not going to list these in too much detail (they're all worth your while picking up), but honourable mentions here to Laura Howell's always-super Gilbert and Sullivan, the second issue of the fabbo Hitsville, the spook-tacular Boo! anthology, and my personal hit of the weekend - the fantastic Fever Dreams by Adam Murphy.

(Top also to catch up with chums Steve Quirke, Kel Winser, fellow MC2ers and Stephen Aryan, amongst other peeps)

Our only task now is to sort through the pile of cracking entries what we had to our drawing competition over the weekend.... Leeds was indeed full of very talented young (and not so young) artists.  Watch this space for news on the winners.....

 Yippee for Thought Bubble then chums.  I'm already looking forward to next year's.....

Your chum
RT

The wage don't fit

Oh fiddle de dee eh gentle reader?  My once-mighty blog is getting more and more neglected with each passing week.

Whilst I seem to struggle to find time to update this part of the web, rest assured that I'm still fairly active with my ramblings on curtain twitcher.

To you, my dear reader, I shall update you with what I'm up to over the coming months.

I shall be sharing a table with pesky Bolton at Thought Bubble in Leeds on 23rd-24th November 2013.

I shall also be sharing a table with pesky Bolton at the Volume book fair at the new library in Birmingham on 5th-7th December 2103.

AND.... I've just booked a table at this very lovely looking show in Birmingham in August next year....

It's all go.....

RT

Solomon bites the worm

What ho there my gentle reader. 

Once again I make my merry way to my oh-so neglected blog to try to make up for the lack of stuff on here.  I must blame that pesky twitter thing for this.  In this day and age, it often seems easier to hastily post stuff on there leaving this once-mighty blog to quietly weep bitter digital tears to itself.

Still, I return here to happily report that myself and Mr. Bolton have booked an exhibitor table at the (I'm told) splendid Thought Bubble convention in Leeds.  This on top of our previously reported table at Bristol Expo in May.  Blimey.  I may get some tour t-shirts printed up with these two gargantuan dates.

I'm also happy to report that I've now finished pencilling issue 3 of the Grinning Mask.  I may well be dooming myself to failure but I should get it ready for Bristol.  Form an orderly queue now.....

Your chum

RT 

'Quick! Let's get out of here before he witters on some more!'