Sunday Daily

I wrote and roughed up this strip back in the summer of 2007. I like it and it's been approved by King's but haven't found the opportunity to use because it would involve explaining why Ollie's Mum is there. I'm sure, one day, I'll do a series when she visits but this week it occurred to me that I could explain it better in a sunday format. So here it is.

PS. I really wanted to use my mum's name for Ollie's mum but I've already used Barbara in a previous strip, as a baseball bat wielding attic pigeon! My poor lovely mum, she deserves better.

One for the guys...

I tried to sneak this one past my editor at Kings today but without luck. Can't say I'm surprised.
Brrrr

Self Editing

I'm working on a series of "Incredibly Exciting Adventures of Supergull and Wonderworm" and wanted to have an envelope exploding in Ollie and Quentin's faces. Trouble is, I knew I'd never get away with it. The spring loaded boxing glove was an ok alternative but not as much fun to draw.
(That's pigeons laughing).

Year 1: The Good and The Bad

Ollie and Quentin turned one yesterday so I thought it would give me the opportunity to look back at my first year in syndication. Here are the good and the bad of year one.

The Good:
1. The writing. I've enjoyed this much more than I expected.
2. Other cartoonists. They are all wonderful, kind, generous and particularly beautiful people. My thanks to the gorgeous Alex Hallatt (Arctic Circle), the very wise John and Anne Hambrock (The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee), the ludicrously gifted Richard Thompson (Cul de Sac), the delightful Sandra Bell-Lundy (Between Friends), the heroic Kieran Meehan (Pros and Cons), the scarily clever Mark Tatulli (Lio), the godfather Mike Lynch and the genius that is Dan Piraro (Bizarro) who all got in touch this year.
3. Brendan Burford. My brilliant editor at King Features (and only just out of shorts).
4. Comics Kingdom. A chance for us small guys to be seen and heard (and O&Q looks sooooo much better in color).
5. Fans. Make those late nights worthwhile.
6. Janine Pineo at The Bangor Daily News.
7. The dollar. Worth so much more against our weak pound here in the UK.
8. The Daily Cartoonist. Invaluable.
9. King Features sales guys. What a terrible year to be doing that job.

The Bad:
1. Comic Polls.
2. The state of the newspaper industry.
3. Comic "Experts" who aren't.
4. Nasty commenters. C'mon guys, it's just a comic strip.
5. My dwindling stock pile.
6. Strips past their sell by date.
7. My other cartoon illustration work. It's a nightmare to fit in and I'm really bored with it.
8. My family still don't really understand what being syndicated means.

Finally, if you're thinking of trying to be a syndicated cartoonist make sure you have a very understanding wife, husband, partner, girlfriend, boyfriend and kids because a comic strip is like introducing a new and particularly demanding member to the family. It shouts "Me Me Me" all day, every day. It's loud, selfish, nagging, frustrating and, in my case, not potty trained.

But it's worth it.

Ollie and Quentin are 1 today!

...and a Happy New Year too!