Friday, June 26, 2009

Carnival Of Ideas 2: A Carnival Too Far?

The Scary Go Round tshirt shop continues to creak, but I am determined to prove that I have still got it. I have opened up the Carnival of Ideas once more! Red dot indicates a terrible idea, amber dot denotes one that is merely misguided, and green means that, with hours of work, there might be something here.



All is quiet as the carnival opens. Ideas thin on the ground. Some of these are not strictly ideas at all but simply a loose agglomeration of lines.



Mandrill Fever an early hit. Sloth Time has its followers. The rest don't make a jot of sense.



From the sublime to the ridiculous. Anatomy Of A Wasp probably too good for this world.



Energy levels decreasing. Appearance of bean-shaped "Judge Jules" indicates that it is time to put the pencil down.

Please feel free to add you comments; when the carnival is open, I welcome them with open arms. If you disagree with my rankings, say so!

Monday, June 22, 2009

You see them everywhere

I have named a phenomenon and as a result I will probably be given the Nobel Peace Prize. I hear what you are saying, John you are nuts, there will be no prizes for you. But listen!

Around Manchester there is a kind a of man, he is perhaps 37-43 years old, he is wearing a duffel coat of some sort zipped up to his chin in the style of 1989-1998, his hair looks unwashed and there is a short fringe. Like the last remaining teddy boys in the 1960s or the tragic, dislocated British punk of 1987, they are the ghosts of a long dead movement. The man I am speaking of is categorised henceforward as ANORAKULA!

DIAGRAM TIME:



There is nothing wrong with this of course, let men be men in their own way. But has Anorakula been spotted outside Greater Manchester/Cheshire (many have migrated outwards to raise their chicks)? Are you an Anorakula?

Key Anorakulae:
Doves
All of Elbow except Guy Garvey (he wears a suit jacket)
Terry Christian

Friday, June 12, 2009

Patriot (A Single)




Pelotons have landed in the Dumbrella warehouse and are on their way to customers in North America as we speak. It will be a few weeks before I have my copies for UK and Europe and personalisations but we are on the move, lurching in the general direction of your letterbox.

Sunday, June 07, 2009

Des Fish Paint



It's impossible to take a good photo of a painting in my house with my crummy camera, I have decided. But here is what I painted today, my first canvas in more than a year I think!

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

T-shirt workshop part 2

Contrary to every instinct I have, my "I done a murder" badges sold out in mere minutes of the MCM Expo beginning. I have listened to the market and "had a go". You may think that this design does not apply to you but remember, as was daubed on a wall near Ilkley station throughout my childhood, "meat means murder" too.



The following is something that several readers of the comic actually wrote to me and asked for! Something that probably hasn't happened since 2005 if I was being really honest. I have emphasised the vintage of this joke by drawing it in the style of the jet age.



I also messed around with Pangaea but I'm not sure I like it better. Feel free to tell me either way.

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

T-shirt workshop part 1

I am in the tshirt workshop today trying out some ideas. As always I will take good ideas and make them much less appealing through selective design decisions on typography and colour.

Do you remember in 1982 when Pangaea got back together? It was insane. Eurasia and Australiasia all snuggling up while North America complained that South America's feet were a. cold and b. in its ear.