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

Sea of Joy

Howdy chums,

Welcome one and all to my official pre-Bristol Expo blogpost.  You may be very slightly interested to hear that the Grinning Mask issue 3 has now arrived from the printers and it's looking super-duper.  You may also note that I've upped my printing budget and gone with a USA comic book sized format for this issue.  Not only has it given me more space on a page to fit in lettering, it's also saved me a great deal of dull time spent hunched over a stapler bundling photocopies together.  Can I hear a collective hurrah from the cheap seats?

I have sneaked in a loving homage on the cover and do you know, I'm going to offer a mini competition for the three avid readers of my blog.  First to spot it and get in touch 'wins' a piccie commission of their choice drawn by my fair hand.   If that doesn't cause a global internet sensation then I don't know what will.

Many thanks to the good people at Pulse Print for their patience, and very speedy turnaround times.  Be sure to push your custom their way should you find yourself with a comic to print.

Whilst I'm thanking people, the mighty Forbidden Planet blog ran a mini preview of meself and Mr. Bolton's forthcoming Bristol trip.  What splendid human beings they are.

If you happen to be popping by Bristol this coming weekend, I shall be selling the new Grinning Mask comic in bundles with the first two issues.  Do feel free to part with your hard earned cash at our table.  I shall also have some prints and greetings cards for sale.  I do believe that they make the perfect gift for your fair deserving acquaintances.

I'll also be trying my hand at sketches etc over the weekend, and so if there is anything that you'd like to see drawn in a particularly nervous, ham-fisted manner, then do pop by our table in Old Station.  (Although I know that most folk like super hero sketches in these situations and so I shall probably already be at a disadvantage in the drawing stakes....)

Hope to see you at the weekend in Bristol then gentle reader.

Your chum,
Ryan.

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!'

On the road again...

PHEW.

Can you Adam and believe that I have neglected to update this blog for nigh on two months?  Shame on me.

So in an unexpected twist from my usual hastily-scanned sketches, I shall update this blog with some exciting news - I shall be making a rare appearance outside this flat at the Bristol Comics Expo on 11th-12th May 2013.  Hurrah indeed for me.

I shall be sharing a table for the entire weekend at Brunel's Old Station with the very pleasant Mr. Adam Bolton.  I'm reliably informed that we've booked a 6ft table and so here's hoping that we don't get on each others nerves too much eh chums? 

We're both promising to bring some tip-top comics along with us, as well as any old tat we can fill our table space with.  I am of course joking and can assure you, my two gentle readers, that only goods of the finest quality will be on sale from us during this hopefully spectacular weekend.

Now then, with a good wind behind me and nearly four months, I am planning amongst other things to get another issue of the Grinning Mask ready for the show.  Expect this blog to be full of curses as my artistic temperament grows ever larger as deadlines loom over the next few months.

AND....while you're at it, why don't you go follow me on Tweeeeeeeter here?  For some reason, the 'gadget' I pasted to the top of this blog appears to have fallen out with me and so has been banished from these pages.

Happy new year one and all.

Your chum,
RT

I'm so glad

Phew.  Can you Adam and believe that it's been over a month since I've rambled on here about what I've been up to in the world of comics.  Time to put that right.....

I'm happy to say that the Empyre pitch is now winging it's way to some (hopefully) interested parties.  I'll attach a quick zip through of some of the process here.....

My pencilled layout (which the more eagle eyed reader may recognise).....

....and chum Adam Bolton's finished page, which I suppose slightly improves my scribbling.

My pencilled layout.....

....and chum Adam Bolton's finished page.

All good stuff and a great little project betwixt me, Stephen Aryan (writer) and Adam.

Also, if you're in any way interested Nostalgia and Comics in Birmingham now handily stock 'The Grinning Mask'.  Go buy if you're in the area and if you're like me, feel your wallet wince as you make your way to the till with the mini-pile of comics you happen to have grabbed whilst there.
 
What else?  Oh yes.  I had a tip-top time at the Birmingham Zine Fair the other weekend and do hope that it will be returning to the city next year.  I heartily recommend / endorse this event / product.  A great way to come across some new comics - hats off to Liz and the other people for organising a top do.

AND....I hear whispers and rumours that Too Much Sex and Violence number 4 is on it's way to the printers, featuring art by me (and several other talented folk).  Just keep an ear out for when the gentlemanly Rol Hirst announces it for sale.

Until next time folks,
RT

To the gangsters with pens...

What ho chums,

In all the excitement of Autumn approaching, I very nearly forgot to mention that the Empyre pitch is rapidly nearing completion.  Hurrah.  This will be winging it's way to semi-interested people very soon.

Empyre chum Adam Bolton is also excited for he is heading to the New York Comics Con where he will be revelling in the launch of his 'Where's My Shoggoth' book (wrote by Ian Thomas).  Do go and buy a copy of this super kiddies / Lovecraftian book.  I said that you would, and you wouldn't want to make me a big fibber now would you?

In other news, I've recently discovered the mightily splendid Procreate for the iPad.  If you are in any way interested in creating comics and own one of these infernal devices, then I strongly suggest that you make haste to grab an 'app' (I believe that's what the kids say?) of Procreate and a stylus pen - although it is surprisingly easy to use with your bare digits.  This is about as close as you'd want to get to a version of Photoshop on the iPad and is super-duper to use.
I've been tinkering with it for about a week, and really believe that I could put together a snappy comic with it - without having to trouble my drawing board.  From a screen resolution point of view, I think that I may struggle to get more than 3 or 4 panels to a page, but this may be down to my chunky scribbles.  It will be interesting to see the paper print quality of some of the stuff I'm putting together, but for a web comic it's truly great.  I only need someone to put together an IOS version of Illustrator and I might never turn my PC on again (only joking my trusty machine)....

I'm toying with the idea of a BIG digital project at the moment, and will attach a couple of quick jpegs from my initial scribblings.  This page and a half took me about an hour to put together - all without having to leave the comfort of the settee.

Wish me luck as you wave me goodbye.
RT

Stop Making Sense

....or how I've tried to make a 'Talking Heads' page more interesting.  I'm sure that I'm not the only comics artist out there who struggles with making panel after panel of folk talking look interesting?  Please tell me I'm not?

This is a layout page from the mini project I'm working on which I mentioned here previously.  I imagine that I'm fairly safe to announce now that it's with writer Stephen Aryan and fabbo artist Adam Bolton.  Hurrah indeed.  Go check out their stuff and hunt down a copy of Adam's rather lovely looking 'Where's My Shoggoth?' book what he has created with Ian Thomas.

This mini project is currently being worked up into a pitch and rest assured my gentle reader, that I'll keep you posted about this one as it nears completion.  

Toodle pip chums,

RT