January Summery

I don't have the time to update this diary like I was once able to. The main reason being, of course, is that I'm concentrating my time on drawing comics instead. This is the way it should be, I think. However, I thought I'd at least set myself the task of doing a monthly update. A brief summery of events which I'll write up at the end of every month.

Here's January. Snow, snow, snow, as we all know. Fun for a while and then a tiresome endurance test.

I'm continuing to do agency work, mostly at a local care home, with occasional shifts thrown in at the hospital (surgical wards). Hard work. I limit myself to a maximum of three shifts a week (because I can). Mostly two. It's not bringing me in much money, but I don't need a lot because I'm holed up here at my parent's house for the duration. And, of course, I can spend time drawing up stories and working on various art projects which will make me money down the line (somewhere).

The publication of Psychiatric Tales from Blank Slate is due quite soon. Bloomsbury will be publishing a US edition in 2011 (which seems like a long way off, I know). An interview with me, done by the excellent Matthew Badam, has just appeared in the Big Issue. A full transcript of this interview will be appearing on Matthew's blog later this week. The book itself will be launched at the UK And Webcomic Thing at the end of March (London). Please come and meet me there: UK And Webcomic Thing

I've had some difficulty with volume two of Psychiatric Tales. I did a few pages, but have put the whole project away for the time being. I think I'm just exhausted with this subject and need a longer break before going back to it. It's not that there aren't plenty of other subjects to tackle, so much as I feel that from an illustration point of view, I've used up my bag of tricks and need to develop new approaches. In the mean time I'm working on the last third of the Activate webcomic strip The Streets Of San Diablo. I've now reached page 67.

See the two new pages of The Streets Of San Diablo. See a rain of arrows and big red cannons with feet. Up now at that fine web-comic collective Activate