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.