Grunt The Beserker - cover reveal!

 Me pulling my BEST beserker face after receiving my copies of the new Two Terrible Vikings book 'Grunt The Beserker' by Francesca Simon & me! There's NOTHING quite as exciting as seeing an ACTUAL PRINTED COPY!

It's a very funny book, Francesca has such a brilliant imagination & turn of phrase  - I found myself laughing out loud at various things I was drawing which is always a good sign (even if my studio mates think I'm going mad occasionally!

All the old gang are back, Hack & Wack the terrible viking twins, their baby wolf Bitey Bitey, Dirty Ulf, Twisty Pants, Elsa Goldhair & some brilliant new characters! I'll reveal more soon, watch this space...

You can preorder a copy here

Grunt the Beserker...sneak preview

 Psst...here's a glimpse of the brilliant bookmarks to go with the publication of the SECOND Two Terrible Vikings books - 'Grunt the Beserker' written by the brilliant Francesca Simon & illustrated by me. 

(If you look closer you can get a sneak peak of the cover of the book which is published on Thursday 3rd February by Faber Childrens)

Drawalong-a-Viking!

 If you're feeling particularly Viking-esque here's a video of me drawing Hack & Wack the Viking twins from my new collaboration with author Francesca Simon 'Two Terrible Vikings' which is available now!

You can also get some more draw-along action from the Book Trust where I'm showing you how to draw Bitey Bitey, the twins' pet baby wolf! Click here

You can even get a SIGNED copy from Daunts bookshop here

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

 

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

Matt Millz Stands Up - PUBLICATION DAY!

Matt Millz Stands Up the second book by Harry Hill about the experiences of a young stand up comedian is published today Thursday 18th October.
As before Harry's text gave me lots of scope to create new characters & to indulge in the odd bit of surreal nonsense too (which as anybody who's followed my career will know is a particular favourite of mine!)
'Matt’s TV performance seems to have given him the fame that he had always dreamed of: There are reporters camped outside his house – he’s suddenly in demand! But as the novelty wears off and Matt struggles to get any new gigs, it’s not long before he begins to doubt his friend and manager Kitty Hope. Would the stylish Excalibur  Agency turn his fortunes around? And could Matt ever bear to push Kitty aside?'
You can order it from here or even better get down to your local independent bookshop & get it from there! 

Matt Millz on BBC Breakfast

Inspired by letters from kids who want to follow in his footsteps @HarryHill's written about a boy who wants to be a stand-up comedian 📖 🎤 pic.twitter.com/J6IjJtWldq

— BBC Breakfast (@BBCBreakfast) October 12, 2017

Harry Hill reading from his new book Matt Millz on BBC Breakfast today with lashings of lovely illustrations by me!

Attack of the Brain-Dead Breakdancing Zombies

Just received a copy of the second in the series of Boy Zero books by Peter Millett which I illustrated the cover & the insides

You can score a copy here...

http://www.faber.co.uk/work/boy-zero-wannabe-hero-attack-of-brain-dead-breakda/9780571253234/

Boy Zero inside illustration

A sneak preview of some of the inside illustrations from new children's book 'Boy Zero Wannabe Hero - Mystery of the Plummeting Pants'(!) published by Faber
you can pre-order it here
http://www.faber.co.uk/work/boy-zero-wannabe-hero/9780571252473/

Boy Zero Wannabe Hero

The dreaded General Pandemonium - super villain from a new book 'Boy Zero - Wannabe Hero' which I illustrated the cover & insides for - you can pre order it at the Faber website
http://www.faber.co.uk/work/boy-zero-wannabe-hero/9780571252473/