Murder of Soggy Crows!

 Recent commission based on the view from my kitchen window (pen, ink & wash on 300gsm watercolour paper)

(based on an original digital drawing)

Monster Fun!

AAAAAARRRGGGHHH! Very excited to receive my copy of the Monster Fun Halloween Spooktacular last week. It's the first issue of a brand new British comic for kids of all ages! Great to be included with some stellar comic talent in here - here's the strip I drew, Teddy Scare written by Maura McHugh with lettering by Ferre Schutz. You can order your copy from here

 

The Incurable Oaf™

 My spirit superhero. (Hark! Is that Marvel & DC Comics on the phone I hear?)

MORE made-up comics you say? Go here!

A Murder of Soggy Crows.

 

While I was sitting in my kitchen drinking coffee yesterday I became aware of being watched by a murder of very soggy crows on the wall outside in the rain

Cats, buses & harmonicas...

You know they talk about herding cats? Imagine driving a bus full of 'em?

(from an original idea from the great Bob Mortimer!)

Happy Thor's Day!

 From the REAL Thunder Cat!

Happy St David's Day!

Here's a little Welsh dragon for all you ALL you dragonophiles* as it's Saint David's Day. (no, he didn't fight a dragon, that was George, keep up!)

In my opinion, any country that's an official** unit of scale AND has a dragon on it's flag is pretty cool by me! *Not strictly a word.

**Might be a bit of a fib too.
 

Two Terrible Vikings - PUBLICATION DAY!

I'm very excited to announce that my first collaboration with the brilliant Francesca Simon (bestselling author of Horrid Henry among many other things!) Two Terrible Vikings is published today 4th February 2021 by Faber.

It follows the exploits of the terrible twins, Hack and Whack, who are PROUD to be the best worst vikings. Along with the wonderfully named Bitey Bitey the baby wolf nothing stops the marauding pair as they steal boats, loot a birthday party, track a troll and sail off to raid Bad Island with their friends Twisty Pants and Dirty Ulf.

Well, almost nothing... 

I've always had a soft spot for all things Viking & a spot of Norse mythology so this felt right up my street (fjord maybe?) you *might* just spot Hugin & Munin, Odin's ravens lurking throughout the book & I found myself looking at Runic script to see how a Viking might have written 'No Spitting' - nothing like doing your research eh?

I found myself regularly laughing out loud as I drew this which is testament to the brilliance of Francesca's prose. The book just romps along & especially as a formerly rather timid kid I immediately wanted to be in Hack & Wack's gang! Particular favourites were Bitey Bitey the twins' pet wolf & their friend Dirty Ulf - I had a ball drawing this book & hope it shows.

 
The majority of the book was drawn on my kitchen table during the first lockdown in Spring 2020 which was mainly a horrible, difficult time for me but I felt like I could live vicariously through the twins' joyous anarchic spirit which was a wonderful tonic.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed drawing it.

Anyway don't take MY word for it, here's a couple of nice reviews

“As joyously anarchic as Horrid Henry himself, these two little boy and girl Vikings will have your children laughing out loud.”

- CRESSIDA COWELL

“Viking twins Hack and Whack make me thank Thor and Odin and the whole Norse pantheon that I don't have to play with them in real life! A treat for kids who wonder what could happen if they broke every possible rule, but so ridiculous that they'll forget to try because they're laughing too hard. Steve May's illustrations burst with wild energy; I genuinely guffawed at his drawing of a pin-the-tail-on-the-ogre game. A wonderfully absurd, anarchic romp.”

- SARAH MCINTYRE

 

Trump issuing pardons on Zoom this morning...

Listening to Radio 4 this morning hearing about Trump's last day in office I sketched this on my kitchen table this morning & figured I'd colour it in. I like a bit of colouring in! Here's before & after for your edification...

 

Puddles...

 Wisdom from Anorak Cat!

Two Terrible Vikings by Francesca Simon - first peak at the cover!

Here's a peak at the final cover for Two Terrible Vikings written by the brilliant best selling author Francesca Simon & illustrated by me. I'm extremely excited about this series, this book was great fun to illustrate & I fell in love with a lot of the brilliant characters. If I catch myself laughing out loud when I'm working it's ALWAYS a good sign & Francesca's text is so funny & warm (despite all the snow inside) I think readers will really fall in love with Hack & Wack & their friends!

Two Terrible Vikings is published by Faber & you can pre-order it here

You can see the earlier cover here

2020 (SL)AD(E)VENT Calendar! (day 25)

 

2020 (SL)AD(E)VENT Calendar! (day 24)

 

2020 (SL)AD(E)VENT Calendar! (day 22)

 

2020 (SL)AD(E)VENT Calendar! (day 21)

 

2020 (SL)AD(E)VENT Calendar! (day 20)

 

2020 (SL)AD(E)VENT Calendar! (day 19)

 

2020 (SL)AD(E)VENT Calendar! (day 18)

 

2020 (SL)AD(E)VENT Calendar! (day 17)

 

2020 (SL)AD(E)VENT Calendar! (day 16)