Hello everyone hope you’re doing well!
I don’t have much to say this week (crazy right?) but I do have some comics for you! I’ve been trying to get better at digital drawing and colouring so the first three are just silly ideas that I’ve made partly as little exercises and partly for the lolz. The strip at the very bottom was actually published in Kerrang! magazine last month! Woo! Click on them for bigness.
Well let me know what you think!
Take care
Neil
Yea I know I’m always a bit behind on stuff but still, happy world book day yesterday folks!
World book day is a charity that celebrates books and reading, every year millions of children are given book tokens to spend on new books and are encouraged by schools and libraries to come together in reading and enjoying books.
I think it’s an absolutely amazing thing as it gives kids a chance to own their own books as well as find out about other new and exciting material.
Anyways, I got a lovely email the other day from the teacher of class 5/4 at Camstradden primary school in Drumchapel.
As part of world book day the class project was to make their own bookmarks about what books mean to them based on my Pushpin bookmark design. Look!
How cool is that?! Needless to say this totally made my day. My original design (below) was me trying to illustrate what books mean to me and how they can take you to amazing far off lands and plunge you into adventure and it’s just so nice to see another person’s take on that.
The original bookmark is available for £1 from Pushpinzines.co.uk .
In the meantime keep reading everyone!
Neil
They are just the best. You’ll remember a while ago I was posting about tea, well now I’m back and I’m going to give you a run down of my favourite biscuits in no particular order(there’s no way I could make a decision on my favourite biscuit).
Right let’s get started. Bring out the biscuits!
The pink wafer is a classic addition to any biscuit tray although it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. It’s sweetness and unusual colouring has been known to divide biscuit connoisseurs the world over. What I will say is DO NOT DUNK THIS BISCUIT it just wasn’t built for that.
The bourbon. A classic. A favourite. I’ve yet to meet someone who says no to a bourbon. It’s tasty, it’s chocolatey and it’s dunkable. Goes well with tea and coffee. Solid choice.
The jammie dodger is a delicacy. It’s basically a biscuit sandwich with jam in the middle. Highly dunkable and also quite filling! A rare treat.
The taste of childhood parties is the taste or a party ring. They’re bright and eye catching as well as sweet and surprisingly dunkable. On the other hand they can be fairly sickly after a couple. On the whole a nice nostalgic treat in moderation.
The chocolate digestive is a sturdy, reliable biscuit. It’s always there and will never let you down. It’s highly dunkable although don’t put it in your tea for too long (I suggest 1-2 seconds no more). Great with tea or coffee or even as a stand alone snack. This should be permanent feature in anyones biscuit selection.
Last but by no means least is the finger cream. It’s a bit like an elongated custard cream except with a vanilla filling. It’s nice and light as well dunkable, but only just.
Well I hope you enjoyed reading about my favourite biscuits!
Do you have a favourite biscuit? let me know in the comments!
Neil
Hello!
Just a short note today,
I recently finished illustrating a book called ‘A Student Abroad: The Ultimate Guide.’
I’m not making this up look.
The book itself is a lovely little guide to travelling/working or doing a placement abroad. I know it’s aimed at the student market but I’d say the information in there would be handy to anyone embarking on a big trip.
The book is available here or from most Glasgow universities.
Until next time!
Neil
Hello!
Hope you’re all well! To celebrate Valentine’s day I’d like to show you a wee five page soppy comic. Enjoy!
Happy Valentine’s day, whatever you’re doing.
Neil
Just a short wee update today.
Last week I got a phonecall asking if I wanted to do a comic strip for Kerrang! Magazine and I was like ‘Hell yea!’
For those outside of the ukelele (that’s what the U.K is short for) Kerrang! Is a widely distributed weekly rock/metal magazine.
Anyways my strip is about metal singer Oli Sykes and his pet dinosaur. Here’s a wee sneaky peek!
The magazine is in most U.K newsagents until Wednesday.
Take care!
Neil
Hello! Hope you’re well!
As some of you may know I’m Scottish and today is Burns night (an annual celebration of our favourite bard Robert Burns). Some of you may also know that the traditional Burns night dish is haggis!
And for the benefit of those not familiar with haggis I have taken the time to illustrate one for you.
Above is your typical wild mountain haggis. Typically a haggis has 4 feet, 2 are shorter on one side. This is for running up mountains sideways. Haggii are also extremely tasty and because of this are extremely rare so they’re only hunted during the first month of the year and you need a special haggis licence.
Anyways, happy Burns night everyone!
Neil
I wouldn’t really call myself political. I mean, I have my views and opinions obviously but I don’t tend to voice them over the internet or put them into my pictures. But to contradict myself entirely I’m going to vent a wee opinion right now: I don’t like political cartooning. You know the one’s you find in newspapers with caricatures of politicians and celebrities? I have no love for them whatsoever. Although there is something I hate even more and that’s guns. I hate all the guns. Every single one, especially people behind guns that think it’s okay to shoot other people.
So I made a comic presenting a possible alternative.
Now, I should point out here that I don’t approve of violence towards animals. However, if I could choose between animals being shot or given a fair fight I’d much rather they were able to defend themselves.
Until next time!
Neil
Tea eh? Tea is just great.
I love tea so much I made a comic about it.
That right there is a prime illustrated example of the beneficial effects of having a nice cup of tea. Personally I like coming home, sticking the kettle on, getting that tea bag in there (with a sweetener as I am an old lady) putting the hot water in and squishing the hell out of that tea bag like there’s no tomorrow before putting in a wee bit of milk. Y’know sometimes a nice cup of tea just sorts you out. That’s what inspired the comic actually. Maybe it’s the effects of being somewhat a caffeine addict but after my first sip I tend to feel a lot more focused, relaxed and ready to do whatever work I’ve got on that day.
Jings I could bang on about tea all day, actually nah, I’ll just draw another picture. I actually used real tea to illustrate this.
Actually the other day I got an offer to exchange one of my pictures for a box full of tea from Chash Tea and as you can imagine I wasn’t going to pass that up JUST LOOK AT IT ALL.
I’ve sampled most of these and I have to say this is grade A tea which has been superbly made with care and attention.
Right I’m off to put the kettle on.
Next week: Biscuits.
Neil
It’s been a bad year for astronomy and space fans. It doesn’t seem that long ago I was blogging about Neil Armstrong and now I’m back to talk about Patrick Moore.
I guess it’s one of life’s great truisms that you don’t know what’s there till it’s gone. I grew up listening to this big wise owl of a man talking passionately and eccentrically about all things spacey. In my late teens I had bought a telescope. I devoured Sky at Night episodes and bought the magazine every month to see what planets were where and how to find galaxies or what meteor showers to look out for. I was also a big fan of Patrick’s articles, which at the same time were intriguing and informative but more importantly they were accessible.
Most of all he had a fantastic talent for inspiring people (probably every British astronomer for the past 50 years) and talking about space in a way that almost made it magical.
I just wanted to say thanks, in the only way I could.
Right I’m off to have a wee bubble.
Neil
