Merry Christmas!

Dr Sketchy - Tis the Season to get Sketchy

Here are my images from the Dr Sketchy - Tis the Season to get Sketchy life drawing and cabaret at World Head Quarters on Sunday. Images in reverse chronological order, so the afternoon finished with....

The Creative Martyrs. Gustav and Jacob Martyr two splendid and somewhat terrifying fellows are quite, quite brilliant, and I advise you to see them if you should ever get the opportunity. This drawing I think I might have a go at inking and possibly colouring at some point:

Meg La Mania - the fantastic Dr Sketchy's resident singer. Tinsel is extremely hard to draw, but I was pretty pleased with these head and shoulder portraits:

Amelie Soleil is the chief and brains behind Dr Sketchy Newcastle, and I've inadvertently made her look possibly too strict here (that's a flower in her hand). Amelie performed an very splendid and hazardous looking magic act that involved very sharp edges...

Drawings wise, though, the top one seems a little too static, though I think I managed to get the low lighting around her face. The second, more sketchy drawing seems to have more life to it.

We arrived late, partway through a series of rapid poses from Trixie D Licious - hence the really sketchy beginnings that I'm actually quite pleased with. Moved onto pencil for the last portrait, but have far too many lines here.

Trixie's burlesque performance was quite frankly stunning. Through which the audience maintained a polite and respectful silence, possibly inappropriately so: it was a Sunday afternoon and I think she took us somewhat by surprise?

So, as Amelie Soleil later pointed out: it's cold up there, but despite our (or at least, my) struggling to find the correct etiquette for Trixie's turn, we had a great afternoon: all the performers were fantastic. We'll be there next time, possibly (having seen what is possible) with an iPad, and a Gin and Tonic might also be appropriate. Excellent.

• Photo's on the Dr Sketchy Newcastle facebook page.

Life Drawing from a while back at the Mushroom Works

Having attended Dr Sketchy's Newcastle this weekend, I was reminded to upload some older life drawing that I did last year at the Mushroom Works (I thought I already had) If you're in Newcastle and interested in doing life drawing, I recommend checking those two places out.

I'll get the Sketchy's set up soon. Here are the Mushroom works set:

 

Canny Comic Con : The Aftermath

Well, it happened: Newcastles many and various comics groups and fans finally got a canny comic con for this millennium.

Thanks to Alexi Conman, Newcastle city library and everyone who helped out, was a guest, did a talk, manned a stall, ran a workshop, helped people find what they were looking for and the five hundred or so people who attended, it was, to my mind, a very very fine day and most excellent success.

The Canny Comic Con is GO!

Highlights for me were many and various, but it's always a pleasure to have an opportunity to catch up with Ben Clark (Magic Beans Comics), Paul Scott (Omnivistascope), Graham Pearce (Sgt Mike Battle), Stacey Whittle (Small Press Big Mouth), Leonie O'Moore and Al Ewing (Zombo, Judge Dredd) and meet a great many people for whom up north is down south - in particular:

• Gordon Robertson and Luke Halsall of the Glasgow League of Writers who I'm now hoping to be working with at some point in the future.
  
• Ed Murphy of Rough Cut Comics, who I first ran into at Thought Bubble and whose enthusiasm for the con and comics knows no bounds that I could see.
  
• Gary Erskine, whose Roller Grrrls project lured me in with sexy and powerful artwork to reveal an extremely well thought out project with a very human core to it. Looking forward to this one.

Graham Pearce and Al Ewing

Gary Erskine

...and of course the Paper Jam Comics Collective, whose own Andy Waugh chaired or took part in several of the talks; Jack Fallows, who opened proceedings with the first talk; Mike Thompson manning the Travelling Man table; Britt, who I shared a table with; and Ian Mayor who acted as people wrangler in chief. Others running workshops I'll mention below. And this lot who heroically manned the Canny Communal table:

The Canny Table: Terry, Matt, Lydia and En

I didn't make many of the talks as I was mostly occupying my stand during the day. The two that I did make were excellent:

• Bryan Talbot's Grandville and the Anthropomorphic Tradition is a talk i've seen a few times and which I don't tire of: it's constantly evolving and always fascinating. See it if you can, and this time round he had preview cover artwork for Grandville: Bête Noire, which we're told will be a take on James Bond. It looked smart. Bryan is a class act and was the first guest to confirm for the con. You should all buy Grandville and see his talk if ever you get the opportunity.
• Dr Mel Gibson's talk Studying Comics: Where to start? demonstrated that there's a world of literature beyond Scott McCloud. My Recommendation is to check out her website: www.dr-mel-comics.co.uk

Ingi, from Tees Toons. With Isaac, Mark and Jacob

The atmosphere... for the whole day reminded me of HiEx, in being bouncy, easy going and family friendly, which is a sure sign of something going right.

• The all ages workshops and competitions from the fantastic Cuttlefish Comics, Tees Toons, Art Heroes and the lovely Brittany Coxon.
• Judge Dredd and the Readers of the Lost Art giving away free comics.
• Newcastle City Library whose staff were entirely brilliant, but also, just the fact of hosting in a community centre rather than a professional convention centre made for an excellent mix of kids and kurious.

Other notes: 

• The list of people I didn't speak to nearly enough and/or haven't mentioned here is enormous

Paul Regan has the power to make cigarettes
hover in front of his face awaiting their turn.

Spleenal by Nigel Auchterlounie, looks filthy.

One of Doug's first stories for an american publisher was one of my favourite Grant Morrison Doom Patrol stories.

Gary Bainbridge, who I typically
didn't get to talk to enough.

• Roll on Canny Comic Con 2012.
• More photo's here.

Update (read more if you like!)

• Alexi Conman's thoughts on the day and the celebration of comics
• I didn't mention the Viz, while I respect it a lot it's not really my thing. However: Ian Mayor's report for Bleeding Cool rightly addresses why their presence was essential and excellent.
• Cuttlefish's Canny Comic Con Roundup
• Ingi talks about the monsters
• Andy Waugh reports
  

The Canny Comic Con - It Is Nearly Time

This Saturday, it will be, as I shall never tire from pointing out, the Canny Comic Con. It will be magnificent. It's free, it's at Newcastle City Library.

Poster by Cuttlefish and I

So, what will it have? I'll tell you what it'll have:

• Family Friendly Workshops!
• Talks and Panels!
• A Drink/Draw Launch Party on Friday evening at the Tyneside Cinema!
• Guests! including (featuring even) but most assuredly not limited to:
  
  
  Bryan Talbot
  Nigel Auchterlounie
  Doug Braithwaite
  Alex Collier
  Paul Davidson
  Simon Donald
  Gary Erskine
  Al Ewing
   Steven Finch
  Mary M Talbot
  Suzy Varty

You should be there from about 9:50ish if you want to catch the first talks. It'll be great. Want to know more, follow @cannycomiccon and #cannycc

Tales of the Hollow Earth Issue 2: Entomology - 2nd Printing, New Cover

Coming soon to a Canny Comic Con near you.

Also, if you're a google+ kind of person, Tales of the Hollow Earth now has a page on that system.

Made in Newcastle Christmas Market

Why it's the Made in Newcastle Christmas Market this Sunday!

• The days are just packed:

 

The market is happening a the Royal Station Hotel, which is just beside Newcastle Central Station. 

 

Proceeds from the £1 entry fee will go towards future Made In Newcastle projects, workshops, exhibitions and events.

• RSVP our event on Facebook and help spread the word