27/04/09
OK, so I’ve now grabbed hold of the sword of exercise to slay my fat frame of shame. I cycled to work Wednesday to Friday last week, I’m cycling today and I even cycled first thing (8am) Sunday Morning. I weighed myself this morning and… I’ve lost two pounds! Hooray!
OK, this lives firmly in the land of ‘Big Deal, Fatso’ but it’s a start. If I manage to keep the exercise going, people might start calling me ‘Steve the K’ again, instead of ‘Jabba the Hutt’.
Tags: dieting, weightloss, cycling, jabbathehutt
24/04/09
Yesterday I received some lovely promotional posters from Heart and it got me thinking about another favourite illustrator of mine, Andy Martin. Why’s that, I hear you ask? Well, years ago, I commissioned Andy to illustrate the cover of a magazine I was working on and just after he delivered the artwork, he invited me along to the newly-formed Heart launch party.
Andy Martin was among the first illustrators like John Hersey and J Otto Seibold to wholeheartedly (no pun intended) embrace the Mac and begin working digitally. He has since branched out into film making and one of his films, End of The Street, was nominated for an British Animation Award. Also in Andy Martin‘s Film section, check out the brilliant 3G ringtone movies produced for the Japanese mobile network, DMOVE.
And he has to have the coolest signature of any illustrator I can think of.
All images © 2009 Andy Martin.
Tags: heart, illustration, andymartin, johnhersey, jottoseibold, applemac, film, animation, 3gringtones
20/04/09
So I stood on the scales yesterday and they said ‘AAARRGGGHHH!!!!’ before I did. I have gained THREE POUNDS and I’ve been good! It must’ve been the holiday indulgence finally showing up. Mind you, last nights fish and chips won’t have helped.
Now off for a power walk and a bit of a cry.
Tags: dieting, weightloss
17/04/09
There was no Fri-llustrator-day last week folks, ’cos I was away for Easter. Anyways, it’s back and this week I’m featuring one of my favourite illustrators.
John Martz is a Toronto-based cartoonist/illustrator and is also the editor of one of my favourtite blogs, Drawn! which is a must-see if you have any interest whatsoever in illustration or cartoons (see link in ‘Groovy Gals And Geezers’ on right).
His own work ticks all the right boxes – fab drawings (check), fab colours (check), fab lettering (check) and fab website (check). His site features not only his finished pieces, but sketches, warm-up drawings and free fonts – there’s even a online store should you want to treat yourself.
Check out the wonderful world of John Martz at robotjohnny.com. Lovely stuff!
Images © 2009 John Martz.
Tags: toronto, canada, illustration, cartoons, johnmartz, drawn!
16/04/09
Yesterday, after dropping off Joe’s guitar for repair, I slipped into Abstract Sprocket, Norwich’s best comics emporium. Glancing around the shelves, one particular cover just leapt out, grabbed me by the throat and barked “Buy me, motherliker!”
Incognito is the new series by Eisner award winning creators Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. I bought it on gut instinct because the cover of the first issue (above) was such a fantastic image. However, I read inside that this comic has been such a runaway success that the compelling cover I fell in love with is actually the SECOND printing, as the first run (with a different cover) sold out in seconds flat. My gut instinct proved right about this title, however – I love Film Noir, Raymond Chandler and complicated superheroes and Incognito is a brilliant mash-up of all three.
Taking a hero who’s a baddie with a creative direction from pulp magazines, the result is a hard-boiled, cliché-free, amoral tale of a perveted kind of derring-do you don’t usually come across in comics. And there’s plenty of swearing too. There’s a quote on the back from Ain’t It Cool News which reads ‘…INCOGNITO bitch-slapped my senses and left me questioning the lines of morality, a pretty f**king spectacular feat in 22 pages.”
One thing, however – Is Dr. Lester supposed to look like evil Dr. Sivana from Captain (Shazam) Marvel?
Here’s the first version of the cover (below).
I’m now going to check out Criminal, the multi-Eisner award winning series also by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips.
All images © 2008-09 Basement Gang Inc.
Tags: comics, abstractsprocket, norwichcomicshop, incognito, edbrubaker, seanphillips, eisneraward, filmnoir, raymondchandler, pulpmagazines
14/04/09
I’m back from a little Easter break at the Norfolk coast and I’ve just had my weekly weigh-in. It’s not good news. Unfortunately, I’ve gained the pound I lost last week. Mind you, considering the amount of food and drink I consumed while away, I’m surprised it wasn’t more – maybe all that walking about helped.
Here’s to a weight-less next week – watch this space (geddit?).
Tags: holiday, norfolkcoast, dieting, weightloss
08/04/09
I first heard about Electric Sheep (the deviant view of cinema) via magculture and I remember thinking how cool it looked. We received a copy at the Virgin Money Studio thanks to Stack and I’ve just had a good read of it and I have to say, I enjoyed it thoroughly. It’s got great art direction by Emerald Mosely, who I think was, or still is, a Flash designer who worked alongside great web pioneers like Mike Slocombe of Urban75 fame.
In the latest issue (spring 09), Electric Sheep reviews The Watchmen with an absolutely superb comic strip by underground star Mark Stafford. Not only is it an astute review, it is also a great illustration of the versatility of the comics medium. It’s also a mark of how sophisticated and creative Electric Sheep is. Great work all round!
Oh, and Heidi, if you’re wondering where this issue is, I’ve taken it home. I’ll bring it back soon, promise!
Image © 2009 Electric Sheep/Mark Stafford.
Tags: electricsheepmagazine, magculture, magazines, stack, emeraldmosely, mikeslocombe, urban75, webdesign, thewatchmen, markstafford, comics
07/04/09
Great news!!
Continuing the tradition of this blog breaking exclusive stories a week after they’ve happened, I can reveal that Norwich is to get it’s own Apple Store. And I heard the news from that well-known source of Apple gossip, my children’s hairdresser.
I’m now off to start queuing so I can be the first to get the Apple Store Norwich T-shirt and whatever other goodies I can get me sweaty mitts on.
I wonder what Norfolk resident and famous Apple fan Stephen Fry thinks of the news?
UPDATE 23/09/09: Apple Store Norwich opens 26/09/09!
Tags: applestore, norwich, t-shirts, stephenfry
Yesterday was the weekly weigh-in and I can reveal that I have lost a staggering one pound and ten ounces – IN ONE WEEK!! WHOOOO! YEAH!! ALRIGHT!! (SOUND OF STUDIO AUDIENCE CLAPPING WIDELY).
I’d like to thank God, my parents, my wife, my children, Bella the dog, everyone who has been there for me (STARTS CRYING), the lady on the salad counter at Sainsbury’s, I’d like to thank salad itself, water too, (THAT’S ENOUGH THANK-YOU’S, THANK YOU – Ed)
Tags: dieting, weightloss, salad, water
03/04/09
Featured Fri-llustrator-day artist Chris Long kindly sent me a small selection of new pieces he’s been working on, including this charming illustration above. Nice work, Chris!
Visit Chris Long Studio to see more.
Image © 2009 Chris Long.
Tags: chrislong, illustration, aprilshowers
This week’s entry is a bit of a cheat as he isn’t really an illustrator, he’s a cartoonist, but I’m including him, because I ab-so-flipping-lutely love his drawings.
Jean-Marc Reiser was a controversial French cartoonist who drew with a fluid, straight-from-the-brain line that made his work as spontaneous and funny as a off-the-cuff wisecrack. And, believe it or not, if I could draw like anyone, it would be like him.
I can’t show you much of his work, ‘cos it’s a bit rude and it won’t seem funny if you can’t read French. (I’m not being elitist, I can’t read it either - thank gawd for Babel Fish, eh?)
Sadly, he died of bone cancer the same year as Barney Bubbles. And as with Mr. B, it would’ve been interesting to see what he would’ve been doing today.
Read the Jean-Marc Reiser biography at the Lambiek.net site to learn more.
Image © 1985-2009 Reiser/Éditions Albin Michel.
Oh, and the cartoon above translates as “Goat violated by three hooligans” and the policemen says “You provoked them”.
Tags: jean-marcreiser, french, cartoonist, illustration, babelfish, barneybubbles, lambiek, goat
01/04/09
In all the excitement of last weekend, I completely forgot to tell you about my weekend weigh-in. It wasn’t good, ‘cos I havn’t lost a thing. I think that because the weekend before last was so calorific, it kind of cancelled out my good behaviour last week. And the slap up meal me and Mrs. K enjoyed on Saturday night at the No. 1 restaurant at the Mad Moose didn’t help either.
Let’s hope that when I report next Monday, that I would’ve put a dent in the 12st 3lb (171lb to my American readers) hanging from my frame.
Tags: dieting, weightloss, eatingout, no1restaurantnorwich