"Where do you get your ideas?" #605

I know someone who has an awful habit of ringing me while they're eating and it drives me crazy. Every crunch, munch, chomp and slurp is amplified in my ear.

Got a joke out of it though so I shouldn't complain.

AWOL

Here thursday's quiz. Can you spot which letter has mysteriously vanished from today's comic? It was there when it left here so I'm guessing it's on the run, probably in some sleezy bar somewhere (I know it enjoyed karaoke) so keep your eyes open. If you see it can you tell it to get it's a** back to it's strip. Thanks.

Approval

Every week I speak to my clever editor at King Features to go through the roughs I've sent him for approval. Most go through without change, a couple may need a slight amendment but every now and again one might be rejected. This is fine, there's usually a good reason not to run the odd one. However we couldn't agree on this strip. My editor didn't want to go with it, not for reasons of taste (as I feared) but because he was worried readers might not get it. I disagreed so we've decided to run with it. To me it's all very obvious what's going on here. C'mon, did anyone NOT get this?

Original Artworks

I've been thinking about whether or not to sell original Ollie and Quentin Comic Strip artworks. I have hundreds of them stuffed in a drawer which is stupid. They're no use to me so why hold on to them? I guess the obvious reason is in case they're worth something one day but surely if they were it'd mean my strip was a roaring success and consequently I wouldn't need the money anyway. I can't see a reason to keep them beyond greed and sentimentality. I'm neither of those things. In fact, to date I've given them away to anyone who's asked. It's all good PR and I'm happy that they might end up on someone's wall somewhere.

Of course one other reason to hold on to them is because no-one wants them. In that case my kids have a worthless attic filler to look forward to when I croak... or a decent bonfire. Hey, perhaps they could combine the two... the fire and the croaking, I mean. A kinda Viking Cartoonist Funeral. What a way to go.

O&Q New Samples Page

I've updated the Ollie and Quentin Comic Strip Samples page to include a few new favorites as well as some of those oldies. Click here to have a look.

Google Image Search

I use Google Image Search a lot for reference. Recently I had to do some cartoons for a private medical insurance company. The first bit of reference I needed to Google was "airport" then "airport security" followed by "airport x-ray machine" then "passenger planes" and finally "bio hazard suit".
Searches like those could get someone in big trouble. It's a wonder I'm still h

Some other work

I don't often like the artwork I do in my day job (it's all a bit too commercial) but I'm happy with this guy I drew today. That hair looks familiar.

Dilbert and Syndication in 2009

I'm a big fan of Dilbert by Scott Adams and have a day to day Dilbert tear-off calendar (IMHO the best way to read a comic). Anyway yesterday's very funny strip could well be applied to my experience of syndication in 2009 if Dilbert's first panel was to read:

"Today I completed my week's worth of comic strips and launched them into the miasma..."

Sunday "BOOM!"

Twitter

I'm gonna get such ribbing for this from my mates but I've succumbed to Twitter. http://twitter.com/ollieandquentin
I have no idea if I'll be any good at it and if I'll remember to do regular updates but let's see.

Strip Order

"How do you decide which order to put your strips in?"

Of course I try to make every strip fantastic but, in reality, there'll always be stronger and weaker ones in every weekly batch.

I always put my favorite on a Wednesday. I'm only guessing here but I think the middle of the week might have the highest readership figures. A strong Wednesday may also make up for less strong Monday and Tuesday strips and help carry you over any less strong Thursday and Friday ones.
Second best goes on a Monday. Start the week with a laugh and maybe they'll read you for the rest of that week.
Friday is where any slightly controversial strips go. Readers have the whole weekend in which to get over any disgruntlement.
Saturday must be child friendly because that's when kids are more likely to pick up the paper.
That leaves Tuesday and Thursday for the others.
Sunday obviously has to be the larger Sunday strip although I've just learned that in Canada they use those on a Saturday!

That's how I decide anyway.

Running

Last week I hosted a couple of kids cartoon workshops. At one point I spoke about drawing a running figure and how the right leg moves forward as the right arm moves back. I told them that it was a good idea to act out actions to see how our bodies move (I often check to see how I might hold something etc). Anyway looking at today's strip you'll see I c*cked up! Quentin (or is it Ollie?) is running into the room in the first frame with right leg AND right arm both going forward! What a twit!

Parallel Universe Take 2

The current Parallel Universe Story Arc is a reworking of a series I did years ago in my pre syndication days. Then, Quentin created a gateway to a parallel universe whilst making Yorkshire Pudding. This time they find it inside the sofa. I like to think I've improved the story this time but in this strip I believe the original is much better (despite the naff drawings). The top strip is the original one in the days when our Ollie (then called Eric) wore a white cap.

"Lio" wins Best Newspaper Comic Strip

Congratulations to Mark Tatulli for winning Best Newspaper Comic Strip at this year's Reubens with his great strip "Lio". How they decided between the three finalists is beyond me as they are all wonderful. My guess is a three sided coin. In fact, I can see the same three (Mark Tatulli, Stephan Pastis and Richard Thompson) sharing the stage again next year -if that's permitted.

Stars

Todays Sunday strip is "nerdingly" accurate. I used this star chart to plot the stars according to their position and brightness (magnitude). I'm hoping the astronomers out there noticed.

Whoa! Whoa!

I had no idea you spelled "Whoa" like that. My original said "Woah" I'm glad someone is checking my stuff.

Perfect Ollie

I must have drawn Ollie thousands of times and every time he's a little bit different. Sometimes he looks good, sometimes awful but never quite perfect. This week I managed it. This is the perfect Ollie...


...for now.

Update:
My daughter just read this and said "Looks like he's laying an egg!" Kids eh?

Correction?

Spelling mistakes (usually UK and US differences) are corrected by my syndicate before any strip is released but I am at a total loss as to why a hyphen has been added to Ollie's first speech bubble today. I can only assume this is a mistake.

Today's Sunday Strip In Its Entirety

This is the first Sunday Strip to include the revised Ollie and Quentin logo. If you remember I was having trouble with people referring to it as "Obble and Quentin".

Actually, I quite like "Obble" for a name. Too late.

"Where do you get your ideas?" #581

This may seem a bit macabre but there was a happy ending so I don't feel so bad.

To Story Arc or Not to Story Arc

I love writing story arcs. Developing a juicy topic over a number of days is great fun. The problem is I'm not sure the standard of every strip matches that of the equivalent number of single one-offs. In an arc I usually have a couple of 'good uns' but they need linking together and it's those link strips that I worry about. At the time I'm pleased I've managed to connect them but being happy about that doesn't necessarily mean they're good strips. This series about Ollie teaching Quentin to swim was fun to do but looking back on it I only really like a couple of them. The next few weeks see arcs on a Parallel Universe, Roach Rodeo and Cosmetic Surgery and I'd say the same worry applies here. The good ones are great fun but the link strips bother me a bit. Ah well.

Doodle Drawing

The difference between my 'instinctive, doodle' drawing and my other work is enormous! This is a page from my sketchpad and below is a speeded up movie of the same kind of drawing. I tend to draw like this when we're on holiday. I simply clear my mind, put pen to paper and watch what comes out. It's total free drawing straight from the heart or hand or head or somehere. One line leads on to the other, I have no idea what is going to happen. What interests me is the difference between this instinctive drawing and the kind of artwork I produce when I think about it. I really don't like most of the cartoon artwork I produce in my day job. It's too simple and well, boring, but thankfully, quite commercial so I can just about earn a living at it. I would say only one in a hundred pictures might be good enough to end up on my personal website. I do like the look of my comic strip but again, the linework is very different from the doodle work I enjoy so much.

Biggest Tintin Page in the World

I'm a huge Tintin fan so I was thrilled when Mike Lynch's excellent blog alerted me to this. It's a giant printed Tintin page from Herge's book The Adventures of Tintin: Destination Moon which is seen here in Brussels' Grand Place in Belgium. The 32m x 21m page is printed on a series of thermo welded sheets weighing 350kg and covering 672 sqm. I read that there's to be a new Tintin movie due for release in 2011 starring Jamie Bell as Tintin and James Bond actor Daniel Craig as the villain. It's co-produced by Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg. Don't know them.

The bit they chop off...

Talking Photoshop

Apple N.

I've noticed I'm speaking, well, 'thinking' in a different language when coloring my cartoon strip on computer. Having scanned my hand drawn artwork I then put everything together in Photoshop. The whole time I'm thinking Photoshop Keyboard shortcuts. As a Mac user I call the command button Apple ('cos of the apple on it) so I'm thinking things like: Apple O, E, Z, L, Clear, Apple Shift S, Z, Option Drag, Apple D, Space Bar etc etc, you get the picture. I guess all computer users are doing this but it's only just dawning on me quite how much of the day I'm just thinking in these, often, single letters. And who hasn't thought Apple Z (undo) when making a mistake in the "real" world?

Apple S, Apple Q.

Sense of Humor

If I had to choose 1 strip that sums up my comic strip I would probably choose this one. Not necessarily because it's the funniest (although I do like it) but for me it says a great deal about who Ollie and Quentin are and the kind of humor I like.

"Where do you get your ideas?" #568

I write my strips in coffee shops on a Thursday. I normally come home for lunch but a couple of weeks back I decided I'd buy a panini instead. Ollie's first speech bubble is exactly what I said to myself after I'd eaten it.

Today's Sunday Opening Panel

In case you read today's strip online here's the opening panel that (annoyingly) gets dropped.

Text and Voices

I like seeing my strip translated into Swedish. Somehow the language really suits Ollie and Quentin. It's a shame that they haven't chosen to use different typefaces for the different characters. I'm not sure anyone's ever noticed but I have different fonts to reflect the voices of the different characters. I think it's because I come from a graphic design background where I had to choose typefaces to reflect certain products and particular messages. Quentin's font is meant to reflect his slightly croaky shouty voice. Ollie's is a calmer quieter font. Nobby has a traditional comic strip typeface and all other characters such as eggs, cockroaches, flies, spiders etc have a childish scribbly typeface. As if they've only just learned to speak and their voices haven't fully developed yet.

Spot the Mistake

My daughter and I went to an open day at the fabulous Royal College of Music in London yesterday. (Boy is there some musical talent studying there). On our way back to the underground station we saw this London Bus on the road. Can you mot the spistake?

Earth Day

This is the first of two Ollie and Quentin Earth Day strips this year, the second being er...tomorrow. I quite enjoyed thinking about environmental topics so might try and do a whole week next year. Happy Earth Day Everyone!

Please recycle this strip when you've finished with it.

Animating Stand Up v Comic Strips

This is brilliant! Animating stand up comedy really works.

It got me thinking about animating comic strips. IMHO I don't think it ever works. Whenever I see an animated comic strip it just falls flat for me. I think our art is to make the reader work a little for the punchline. We set them off and there are a few pointers along the way but they should do the rest. They should fill in the movement, the voices, the timing, they have to 'get' the joke themselves not let someone else do the work for them. Animation is a whole different ball game and an art of its own. Of course you can take the characters of a great strip and turn it into a great tv or movie animation (I'm looking forward to seeing the Pooch Cafe animation) but, for me, animating individual jokes just isn't as funny.

PS. I hope the creators of the fantastic strips that are being animated at the moment don't take this as a criticism of their strips. Their work is the best out there and deserves any extra effort and attention given to it. It just doesn't work for me:)

Feathers McGraw

I don't mind admitting that I'm a huge fan of Wallace and Gromit, especially the incredibly brilliant "Wrong Trousers". Although not intentional (honest) I can see some similarities between Feathers McGraw and Ollie. Both look somewhat like a skittle or ten pin, have dots for eyes and no mouth. Ollie, however, is not so evil.

Wallace and Gromit Rocket

Now, where have I seen that rocket before?

"Where do you get your ideas?" #582

Today I took delivery of an iphone. Ooooooh!

Uncle Derek

Uncle Derek is my Uncle Derek, sadly no longer with us. Christmases just aren't the same without him.

(Oh, and that comma in the last panel was added by someone else which is why the "Ooh" is touching the keyline. Must have a word with them about centering text).

Me? Fussy?

Sunday Title Panel

Comics Kingdom and a lot of newspapers drop the title panel on Sunday strips which is a shame when you've gone to great lengths to produce such an enticing, attractive and detailed opening frame as today's.

Website Samples Update

Click here to see a whole load of new Ollie and Quentin samples.

Ollie and Quentin in Sweden

For the Swedes amongst you here's an Ollie and Quentin strip that's been translated and used as one of the samples for readers over there to vote on. The samples make me cringe as they are taken from my first few weeks in syndication. One or two stand the test of time despite the awful artwork. Can you guess what this joke is?

Update:
I think I got that wrong. It looks like O&Q are running continuously on that site. My guess is they're using the older strips to set the scene rather than come in where we are at the moment. My editor said that might happen sometimes.