DAVID O'CONNELL
Writer & Illustrator
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Custom 3
  • RSS
Menu
Skip to content
  • News
  • Portfolio
  • My Books
    • The Smidgens Series
      • The Smidgens
      • The Smidgens Crash-Land
      • The Smidgens United
    • The Dundoodle Mysteries Series
      • The Chocolate Factory Ghost
      • The Dentist of Darkness
      • The Revenge of the Invisible Giant
    • Grandpa Frank’s Great Big Bucket List
    • Snoops Bay Mysteries Series
    • Breaking News
    • Dr Ranj Series
      • How to Grow Up & Feel Amazing
      • Brain Power
      • How To Be A Boy
    • The Naughtiest Unicorn Series
    • Boyband of the Apocalypse Series
    • When I’m a Mummy Like You!
    • When I’m a Monster Like You, Dad!
    • Creature Teacher Series
    • Jampires
    • Monster & Chips Series
      • Monster & Chips
      • Night of the Living Bread
      • Food Fright
  • Activities
    • Comics & Drawing
    • Colouring
    • Book-related Activities
  • Bio & Contact
  • Bookshop.org

Category Archives: Art

Genesis of a Villain

14th June 201813th June 2018

Book 2 of the Dundoodle Mysteries has an important role for the villainous Mrs Puddingham-Pye. I thought I’d write about her for my newsletter, The Dundoodle News, as not only is she a favourite of mine (I love a villain!) but she also has a bit of a history. (If you want to read more of this kind of thing before everyone else, as well as other exclusive stuff, you can sign up for the News here.)

Back in 2014, I worked on a picture book with the brilliant Sarah McIntyre, called JAMPIRES, published by David Fickling Books. Sarah had an idea for these cute, little characters that were like vampires. But instead of blood, they loved to eat jam and other sweet things! It took us ages to come up with a story that worked for them, and the book went through many, many revisions before we found a story everyone liked (Psst! Available to purchase here!).

In one early version, I came up with  a character called Mrs Puddingham-Pye – I can’t remember if she was meant to be a goodie or a baddie (she was probably both at one point or another). Georgie and Portia were a pair of nasty pets cats originally, rather than nasty twins. I imagined Mrs P-P to look like a deranged Jackie Onassis. Sarah even created this lovely painted study of her, based on one of my sketches.

Mrs P-P didn’t last very long in Jampires, but I liked the character and the pun of her name, so stored her away for future use. There were a number of occasions when I thought I might use her, but the projects I was working on didn’t feel right. Eventually, as I wrote the first draft of The CFG, and needed an antagonist, I knew this was her chance! Several characters in The CFG have food-related names, so it was the perfect fit.

When I’m creating characters, I often draw them to get a feel for their personality. Here’s my design, complete with malevolent handbag, which I recycled as a character for the Inktober daily drawing challenge (a whodunnit) in 2016. It just shows it’s always worth hanging on to ideas you like – you can find a use for them somewhere eventually!

Of course, Claire Powell has created her own fabulous version of Mrs P-P for The CFG, and I was really pleased that she picked up on the deranged Jackie O vibe, without any interference from me!

(This post originally appeared in my newsletter, The Dundoodle News.)

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Who’s Who in Dundoodle?

3rd April 20183rd April 2018

The Chocolate Factory Ghost is out this week – it’s so exciting!

In this post, I thought I’d introduce the main characters of the story. Presenting the Dundoodlers (artwork by Claire Powell):

We meet Archie McBudge at the start of the story, when he discovers he has inherited not only the McBudge Fudge and Chocolate Company, with its factory and shops, but also the strange old house of Honeystone Hall in Dundoodle. Archie is unsure of his place in the world, and uncertain if he’s up to the challenge of taking on this huge responsibility. He’s quiet and thoughtful, but smart and with a steely side to his character.

Fliss Fairbairn doesn’t understand why Archie should get to inherit everything when he’s a seemingly undeserving stranger, but when Archie needs help she’s the first to come to his aid. Unlike Archie, she’s full of confidence and passion but also has a logical mind that’s great for solving clues.

Fliss introduces Archie to Billy Macabre (real name ‘MacCrabbie’). He’s an expert on all the weird and magical goings on in Dundoodle and the surrounding countryside. He’s slightly disadvantaged by being terrified of anything remotely spooky but his sharp intelligence is invaluable. He’s often the referee between Fliss and Archie’s sometimes antagonistic relationship.

There are lots of other characters too: funny, silly, magical, ghostly and just plain villainous. Meet them all in The Chocolate Factory Ghost.

This post first appeared as an article in my bimonthly newsletter: sign up for it here.

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Chocolate Fact Chunks

29th March 201829th March 2018

It’s a week until publication day for The Chocolate Factory Ghost! And it’s Easter, the chocolate version of Christmas! Did you know that chocolate is part of the UK’s national curriculum? Me neither! Here are some fascinating chocolate-y facts.

Click on the image for a bigger version. I’ve a black-and-white pdf for easy printing, if any teachers are interested.

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Q&A with Claire Powell

15th March 20184th September 2019

I met illustrator Claire Powell for the first time yesterday – we had a lovely chat over tea and cake in the café at Foyles. I was so pleased to finally be able to tell her in person how much I loved the illustrations for The Chocolate Factory Ghost!

She’s kindly answered some questions for a mini-interview. There are some sneak peeks of her work below, and you can see more in the online preview of the book.


Where are you from?

I’m a Northerner! Originally from a town called West Kirby on The Wirral, which is a peninsula sandwiched between Liverpool and Wales.

It’s a beautiful place with long coastal walks and spectacular views. It’s extremely peaceful and has a much slower pace of life – when I’m stuck on the tube in rush hour I often wish I was there instead!

My parents and school friends still live there and I visit regularly. My dad has been a printer all his life, though he’s now retired, and I worked for him when I was a teen in his factory. I loved it.

The smell of the ink, the sound of the machinery – sometimes when I buy a new book it has that ‘factory’ smell and it will remind me of that time. It’s no surprise that I’ve ended up in a print based job.

In ’98 I went to uni in Preston and studied graphic design. It was a very traditional course, weighted heavily toward typography and layouts. I lost count of the hours I spent hand drawing typographic layouts! It was an excellent foundation for the work I do now. I spent a few years as a graphic designer in a Preston agency and, moved to London in 2005 to study an MA in motion graphics. At the time, I wanted to work in TV which is what I did for almost ten years. I worked for an agency called Red Bee and I rebranded TV channels – CBBC, BBCThree, Nickelodeon (India), Dreamworks Animation to name a few. I enjoyed my time there but, as the years went on, I knew I didn’t want to do it forever and I started exploring different avenues. I dabbled in animation before signing up for a picture book course which changed the course of my life!

Where do you work?

I work upstairs in my flat in Acton! My commute to work is exactly eleven stairs 🙂

I’m lucky as my flat has a mezzanine level which I use as my little studio. It has big windows and a fairly decent view over west London. I’m so happy whenever I’m in there, it’s my sanctuary. I’m not very good at working in cafés, though I’m trying to be better, I end up watching people and doing no work! There’s a yoga studio close to my house and I go there several times a week in an attempt to do some exercise.

What are your influences?

Goodness, this is always a hard question. With social media, we have exposure to so many great things, it can be overwhelming. I think it’s important to take your influences from a wide range of sources and I often take photos of random things and file them for when I need them. It might be a carpet with interesting colour combinations or a tiled floor with a cool pattern, the other day I screen grabbed a picture of Keira Knightly wearing a fabulous retro dress – that will probably end up somewhere…

At the moment I’m researching interior spaces and I’m being influenced by Tony Duquette, a fantastically flamboyant interior designer. I’m starting to put more pattern and detail into my work and I spend a lot of time on Pinterest looking at fashion and interior design. I’m always pinning things ‘just in case’.

Illustration wise, I love the work of David Roberts – his patterns and attention to detail are stunning and, the fact he does it all in watercolour Blows. My. Mind. My favourite illustrator is Arthur Rackham. His work is so exquisite, I could look at it for hours. I especially like his goblins and elves! I recently discovered the work of Melissa Castrillon and I thought her limited colour palettes were beautiful – I always use too many colours so it’s inspiring to see someone create stunning work with a small palette. I also went to the Tove Jansson exhibition recently and it was magical. I didn’t read her books as a child so it was a real eye opener for me. Such a huge volume of work, a real talent – you can’t fail to be inspired and influenced by people of that calibre.

You’ve worked in animation and graphic design – tell us about some of the projects you worked on.

Well, I wouldn’t class myself as an animator, though I have dabbled in it. It is a craft I have huge respect for. It’s time-consuming and you need to be an excellent draftsman with a lot of patience. I know this because I made a short film a few years ago and I massively underestimated the task! It took me four years to make, all whilst working full-time. There were times I thought it would never be finished but I was determined not to abandon it. It isn’t perfect and, if I did it again (which is unlikely!) I’d do it differently, but I’m proud I made it.

The film is based on true events. Set at the turn of the 20th Century it follows George Edalji, a young man who, after a series of disturbing events, is accused of a ruthless crime. He appeals to Britain’s most famous crime writer, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, for help. He embarks on a passionate campaign to clear George’s name and, well… I won’t give the ending away!

How do those experiences influence your illustration and book work?

Hugely!

Training as a graphic designer has definitely informed my illustration work. I was taught a very traditional approach, tight grids and layouts, lots of typography, often drawn by hand and the simplicity of ideas was drilled into me – it shouldn’t take more than a short sentence to explain your idea. Those things have stuck with me and I see them appearing in my work now.

I think I have a natural aptitude for showing character expression but working in TV taught me how to tell a story in a short amount of time. Storyboarding, sequencing, composition – all directly translate into my illustrations, especially children’s books where I’m telling a narrative over a series of page turns. I often think of my characters moving, I imagine how they would walk or react to a certain situation (sometimes I act it out!) and then I try to capture that in a single illustration. Expression is so important to me and I want it to be at the forefront of my work.

[From Have You Seen My Giraffe? text by Michelle Robinson, Simon & Schuster (July 2017)]

Even working for my dad, in his factory, has been incredibly handy – I understand the print process which helps a lot when you’re making books and delivering files. I never would have thought, when I was fifteen, that what I was learning would turn out to be so useful.

I used to feel disappointed that I was arriving at illustration a bit later in life, but now I see how the years of training in design and TV have been great ground work for where I’m at now.

[From Octopants, text by Suzie Senior, Little Tiger (July 2018)]

How do you approach illustrating a chapter book like The CFG?

It was my first chapter book so I was beyond excited. I’d done samples of the characters and one full-page illustration (the greenhouse) so when I was commissioned I already knew how the characters looked.

Bloomsbury sent me a detailed brief, for the forty interior illustrations and the cover. I enjoyed the process of working to a tight brief. There was heaps of room for me to play with but it made a nice change from working on a picture book where there’s a lot more freedom.

I started by roughing out all the illustrations, doing research as and when I needed to. I even used a monopoly house to help me draw the school from a top view perspective!

The roughs were sent for approval and then I started the finals.

Some illustrations I created as one drawing. Others, the cave and boat drawings for example, I did in layers, drawing the characters and backgrounds on separate bits of paper. I wanted some freedom to experiment with textures so I’d scan everything and then play around in Photoshop.

I used pencil, charcoal and graphite and I found it so enjoyable to be creating by hand, not on the computer.

The cover was a little tricky, but they do tend to be the hardest bit. I did quite a few versions until we settled on the final idea. I wanted to colour it all dark and spooky but Bloomsbury wanted it less Gothic so we settled on a fresher, friendlier colour palette which focuses on introducing the characters.

What else are you working on?

I’m working on two picture books at the moment – both top secret, of course! They’ll be finished in the summer. Then I’ll be working on CFG part deux and I’m scheduled to do another, top secret, picture book starting in October. I’m hoping I might get September off! Shock, horror! It would be nice to spend some time on my own projects, it’s hard to find time for them at the moment, though I’m not complaining.

Favourite sweet?

This is the hardest question…. I’m going with my childhood classic – toffee nut crumble. If you took a Twix, bashed it into pieces and then remoulded it into tiny log shapes you would have toffee nut crumble. It’s delicious. I also like chocolate covered peanuts. Oh, and fudge. And chocolate mice…

Find Claire online: Website | Instagram | Twitter

Images © Claire Powell

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Quick Post

23rd November 2017

Sharing a very sneaky sneak peek of a wonderful illo from #DundoodleMysteries by the fab @misspowellposts #kidlit #kidlitart

A post shared by David O’Connell (@davidoconnelluk) on Nov 23, 2017 at 4:51am PST

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Quick Post

10th May 201716th May 2017

Fan art of the gloriously villainous Lucretia Cutter from Beetle Boy by M.G. Leonard.

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

From the drawing board:

3rd May 20174th July 2018

Baleena for #mermay #mermaid #blog

A post shared by David O'Connell (@davidoconnell.uk) on May 3, 2017 at 5:29am PDT

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Wrap-up

20th December 201612th January 2018

2016 is rapidly coming to its end and most people seem to be quite happy about that, as far as I can tell. It’s been a bit of a bumpy one, current affairs-wise, but 2017 promises more of the same. Let’s hope that cooler, wiser heads will prevail and that it’s not too troublesome.

For me, the second half of 2016 (as it’s been that long since I updated this blog!) was quiet, book-wise.  I was focused almost entirely on writing, something that makes me very happy! I can report that the first draft of the first of my two books for Bloomsbury has been handed in, and I’m awaiting the editorial verdict. I’m expecting lots of red pen as even I could see the flaws of this draft, but I’m looking forward to fixing things up with my editors’ help. I love the world I’ve created in this book and really enjoyed writing it, in spite of a few uneven sentences paragraphs chapters. I have to finish this book and hand in the first draft of the second book by June next year, so I’m expecting the first six months of 2017 to be spent tapping away on a keyboard…

…apart from January/February, when I’ll be working on the illustrations for this book written by Tom Nicoll. It’s very funny and I’m looking forward to getting my hands dirty on the drawings. There are some great, quirky characters in it, which are always very satisfying to do. More info on that when I’m allowed to show it.


Speaking of quirky characters, I drew a whole bunch of them for Inktober. This is an internet community thing set up by artist Jake Parker. It encourages artists to create an ink-based picture every day for the whole of October. It’s a chance to draw just for fun, without the aid of a computer, and not be too precious about the splats and smudges. I’ve posted all thirty-one pictures on my Instagram account .

The Suspects no. 31 for #inktober #inktober2016 Phew! Finished – hard but good fun.

A photo posted by David O’Connell (@davidoconnelluk) on Oct 31, 2016 at 2:56am PDT


The last Creature Teacher book was published in July. It’s now out in six languages (English, Turkish, Danish, Slovak, Hungarian and Vietnamese) which is very pleasing.

Writer Sam Watkins is currently working on a new series from Egmont: The Fintastic Diary of Darcy Dolphin which is out soon, and I’m sure will be… well, fintastic!


Jampires has become something of a Hallowe’en book – not quite what Sarah McIntyre and I intended, but I love hearing about little Jampires turning up at costume parties in October – there are more and more each year!

On the subject of Jampires, here is Mrs Coventry from St Joseph’s School in Keighley, Yorkshire, reading the book aloud for us:

Aliquam Tempus – Jampires from Albus Cubus on Vimeo.

A very impressive performance! I went to a workshop for children’s writers in October on how to inject a bit of drama into book presentations so I’m hoping my reading skills have buffed up a bit. It was hosted by the Golden Egg Academy who mentor up-and-coming authors through the writing and publication process. It was an excellent day and the Golden Eggers are a lovely bunch of people too. I’ve a big couple of presentations in March (among other things) where I need to step up my showbiz side a bit more.

Such a brilliant, confidence-building day with @TheGEAcademy & the Enchant Your Audience workshop. Thanks @andrewweale & Kate Montague! pic.twitter.com/Ur4yvp8LuM

— Anthony Ho-Ho-HoBurt (@AnthonyJBurt) October 22, 2016

My most recent public gig was at the brilliant Brentwood Children’s Literature Festival back in July, organised by Natasha and Jim at the Chicken & Frog Bookshop. It was very well-organised for a first-time festival and there was a great crowd at the Brentwood theatre to see me do my Monster & Chips comic-making spiel. Some fab comics came out of it too, my favourite being about a prince and princess who meet, fall in love… and are eaten by a giant fly. (Pic below by Natasha.)

.@davidoconnell creating #supersteg with the children @chickenandfrog @bwdlitfest pic.twitter.com/vwqlL7gZeq

— JANE MILES (@MrsJaneMiles) July 29, 2016

Here are some more monster-y drawings that have been sent my way – firstly, this fearsome chap who comes with his own specials board (I love this colour combination!):

Son drew monster for Create Your Own Monster Competition but it’s closed, so thought I’d tweet you with it instead 🙂 #fanart @davidoconnell pic.twitter.com/W5N5qsNGTy

— Sophie Anderson (@sophieinspace) October 8, 2016

And also this brilliant comic featuring Fuzzby and pals (a couple of years old but which I only just found out about on the Imagination Project website):


Last, but definitely not least, I’m very excited about the next book from me and the amazing Francesca Gambatesa: When I’m A Mummy Like You! It’s out in early February (just in time for Mothering Sunday in the UK) and a bit later in the US – where it’s called When I’m A Mommy Like You! (obviously).

I can’t get over how super Francesca’s art is – there’s more at the book page. She’s done such a wonderful job with my rhyming nonsense and I hope people love it! There’ll be a launch party at some point which I’ll post about here when we’ve firmed up the details.

I’m going to be offline for the rest of the year but have lots of plans for 2017 so will be back refreshed and recharged in January.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a peaceful 2017!

 

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Croc Paintings

3rd March 20153rd March 2015

crocs

I went on a painting course recently which has encouraged me to be a bit braver about splashing real colour around rather than the virtual stuff. Here are some watery doodles.

 

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Goblins

26th January 2015

A very happy and belated new year. Here are some goblins:

goblins

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Autumn in Dave-Land

7th October 20141st March 2015

autumn_tree

conkers

treacle

Autumn had a gentle start in these parts: September was warm and lovely, and great walking weather for those of us with small, dog-shaped obligations. Now rain and wind threaten business-as-usual and the thermals and waterproofs come out.

I’ve been amazed by the abundance of conkers on the ground but then everything plant-related has had a good year, apparently. We’ve been lucky to have vegetable plot surplus from in-laws, and the community allotment in the park regularly leaves out an assortment of veggies and an honesty box for passer-by to help themselves.

There don’t seem to be many takers for the conkers – they would have been eagerly collected ‘in my day’, when the boy who lived across the road taught me the various methods for strengthening them in preparation for battle. There was a debate over whether this was considered to be cheating or not. I kept my champion 42-er for years until it finally disintegrated into dust, and I can never resist picking up a few of the shinier specimens just in case I receive a call to arms once more.

Although having a dog does have its downsides, I’ve really benefited from being forced to leave my desk for at least an hour or so each day. As well as getting some exercise and an important break from work, I’ve watched the seasons change, heard the gossip from all the other dog-walkers, seen what’s changing in the neighbourhood (new shops opening, seeing who’s having an extension built or garden re-landscaped, and, slightly more randomly, getting to watch the big top of a circus put up in the park).

It’s made me feel more connected to a city where it’s easy to feel isolated, especially if you spend your days hidden away in front of a computer screen.

Work-in-Progress

I’m currently producing the illustrations for the first of two chapter books. I’ve not written these books and it’s been a lot of fun interpreting someone else’s text. The deadline for the first book has been very ‘ambitious’ in publishing-speak (‘insane’ in Dave-speak) but thankfully my Cintiq has really come into its own. I completed fifty greyscale illustrations in seven days – without any stress – and I’m personally pleased with the way they turned out, which is unusual for me. Let’s hope the publisher likes them too! Here’s a sneak peek:

class

Commerce

I’ve spotted Jampires in my local Sainsburys, where it’s part of their Hallowe’en seasonal promotion and is reportedly selling well. Jampires isn’t really a Hallowe’en book but I’m not going to complain! To see Jampires sitting so close to Monster & Chips in the same shop was pretty exciting for me. Also, Nectar points!

I watched Stephen Fry give a talk last week at the Festival Hall to plug his latest volume of memoirs. A lot of well-known authors do these big auditorium events for their book launches, including some children’s writers, and I was interested to see how he approached it. He spoke non-stop for over an hour, completely unscripted, which I suspect is not something that troubles him particularly. He is a non-stop anecdote machine – he said his memoir is very gossipy – with each sentence spoken triggering another reminiscence.

jam_sainsburys

It was all very fascinating but a little tiring after a while, a bit like being trapped at a party with a chatty person who keeps talking whilst you nod politely and scan the crowd for an escape. The main thread of the monologue (I think, as there were so many digressions) was about how an early love for the works of Oscar Wilde made him appreciate the power of writing to transport the reader. Something like that. Anyway, we got the book so job done.

Frankfurt

The international book fair in Frankfurt is this week, one of the two book fairs of the year that drive the children’s book market. I’m represented in a couple of places, but was very pleased to see my upcoming picture book in the HarperCollins Children’s Books catalogue: When I’m a Monster Like You – illustrated by Francesca Gambatesa.

This is the only image I’ve seen so far and it makes me very excited to see how Francesca’s interpreted the rest of the story! The catalogue says it’s not out until January 2016 which seems like along way off right now but I’m sure it will go quickly. More about this book (and the two others in the series) in the future.

frankfurt-HC

Feedback

Everyone loves a bit of fan mail – I do particularly! These letters and pictures have come all the way from Monster & Chips readers (and superb artists) Sammi and Olivia in Australia. Love the colours on these – I’ve not used felt tip marker pens in a long time but these make me want to crack open a pack and get colouring.

M+Creaders

Meanwhile, Duncan decided to review M&C on camera:

Brilliant! You can see more of his reviews here.

And here’s a recent and intriguing tweet about Jampires:

jamptrap

I wonder if they caught anything?

Social: Comic Launch by Richy Chandler

richy1

richy2

richy6

Finally, my talented and very busy friend Richy Chandler launched not one, but four comics at fabulous comics boutique Gosh! a few days back. He upped the bar for comic launches by performing song interpretations of the stories (take that, Stephen Fry!).

Richy gave a bit of background to the publications in a short interview with Alex Fitch of Panel Borders. They showcase his talents as a writer and artist (and, from what I know of making anthologies, his skill in wrangling comics artists), and his ability to work in several genres.

His teen-focused webcomic Lucy the Octopus has a new print edition. Poor Lucy gets treated miserably by everyone, but actually finds some friends this time (at least, temporarily). The webcomic updates every week here.

richy5

Then there is Rosie & Jacinda, a comic that started as a collaboration with artist Zarina Liew. In this bumper edition of the teenage romantic comedy several other artists join Zarina in art duties. It’s a beautiful looking book and a lot of fun to read.

richy4

Bang! Crash! Whizz! is a comic-sized children’s book, illustrated by Sally-Anne Hickman.

It’s very funny and the accompanying song that Richy and Sally-Anne performed has been buzzing around my head ever since.
Finally, Tempo Lush Tales, a chunky anthology containing stories from a variety of genres, illustrated in a variety of styles by a number of excellent comic stalwarts.
There’s buying information here, but do pay a visit to Richy’s table if he’s at a comic convention near you, as his table display is always very well thought out and eye-catching.

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Fish, the Gherkin and Comics!

7th August 20141st March 2015

fish

I’ve been drawing a lot of fish lately. Here’s a quick ink sketch. I do like fish, although they always look a bit worried considering they have a fairly simple life.

Dinner at the Gherkin

I’m a London geek and am always keen to visit the city’s iconic locations (as well as the hidden, out-of-the-way places) and there’s nowhere more iconic than 30 St Mary Axe, more commonly know as The Gherkin. The restaurant and bar at the top of the building are not normally open to the public, just the building’s occupants, although they are available for hire. However, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of The Gherkin’s construction they have been open for bookings for a short spell. I couldn’t resist a visit, having been to the top of the Canary Wharf tower (One Canada Square), the BT Tower and the Shard. It was another landmark to cross off the list.

The food wasn’t up to much, if I’m honest, but no one was there for the restaurant: it was all about the view. It had been a stormy day so the skies were pretty dramatic.

gherkin01

gherkin02

gherkin03

gherkin04

gherkin05

It was great to see all the tall buildings of The City, including the brand new ‘Walkie-Talkie’ at 20 Fenchurch Street, which is also on the list to visit at some point.

It was a great evening and a spectacular sunset was the perfect finishing touch.

Upcoming: Comiket

Saturday August 16th sees the Comiket come around again, and this time it’s being held in the atrium of the British Library, to coincide with the Comics Unmasked exhibition.

I’m sharing a table with the brilliant Cliodhna Lyons, a table-mate of many comic events past, so it will be a jolly time.

Bryan Lee O’Malley will be opening the show and doing a book signing too. There should be quite a buzz about the place as his books are super-popular. I think it’s the last weekend of the exhibition as well. Hopefully lots plenty of comic-buying people about!

comiket14

Although I’m going to a couple of comic conventions later in the year, this will be my last time as a table-seller, at least for a year or so. I’ve decided to take a break, for 2015 at least, from being a seller and will be very glad to visit conventions as a buyer for a change (although my wallet won’t thank me!). I reserve the right to change my mind, of course…

All details for Comiket can be found here.

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Battling Boy!

5th February 2014

battling_boy

 

Deadlines done and dusted, I escaped into the real world last night to go and see Comica Festival director Paul Gravett interview US comic artist Paul Pope, who had been visiting Europe for the Angoulême festival. I love the fluid and inky brush technique he uses (contrarily, I’ve drawn my fan-art of his character Battling Boy with a pen, but only because it’s new and I’m trying it out).

It was a fascinating talk, as Pope is a candid speaker with an uncompromising attitude to his art. He spoke of the his time working with a Japanese manga producer and their terrifyingly strict corporate approach to producing comics, and his rejection of working for the big mainstream US comic publishers in favour of  book publishers who tend to be more experimental in the type of material they’ll publish. He also talked about his experiences of working with the film industry (a Battling Boy film is apparently in the works) and how writing the screenplay at the same time as writing the comic could  potentially affected the course of the book. He did a bit of live-drawing too, which was fun to watch. He is obviously someone who loves what they do and it was a pretty inspirational evening – lots of thought-provoking stuff for the journey home.

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Thought Bubble 2013

22nd November 201315th June 2014

thought_bubble

It’s the biggest comic convention of the year at Leeds this weekend! The super-spectacular Thought Bubble is back and I’ll happily be seated at Table 61 in the New Dock Hall for the whole of Saturday and Sunday.

For sale I’ll have Monster & Chips books, ink+PAPER (with NEW issue #4!), Tozo, Christmas cards, notebooks and a new selection of prints (including Mr & Mrs Vampire and family above) – and I’ll be making little mini-artworks at my table too. Hope to see you there!

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Cosy penguins

24th October 201315th June 2014

penguin

I thought one of my Inktober sketches might make a good Christmas card. I plan to have some of these for sale at conventions soon.

Leave a comment
Share
  • Pin it
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

Posts navigation

1 2 3 … 6 7 Next Page
Privacy Policy. All contents © David O'Connell
Angie Makes Feminine WordPress Themes