changes

I had a cartoon appear in the Australian version of The Spectator recently. I thought it might be interesting to compare it with an older gag from the British Spectator- the settings are similar (family members in kitchen), but I think the styles are quite different.

I used to try and get a lot of details in a scene, as I thought that was the correct thing to do.
Here they are-

older toon
(you’d never guess I used a photo as reference, would you)

newer toon. I quite like the newer style- just a few strokes of the pen to suggest the background- signature looks a bit better too i reckon.

Jeff Albertson

Found myself in a comic store in London the other day (looking for some old Private Eye mags). Majority of the shop obviously devoted to modern comics and graphic novels…I’m not a fan, I must admit.

Odd, really- after all, I work in IT and draw cartoons- you’d think I’d be the archetypal fan ( I do have the belly you’d expect though).

(Edit- just changed one of the comic titles as I realised it was unpleasant)

(Edit edit- realised the amended pic was missing the caption, so changed it again- (far too much effort this for a cartoon that probably only appeals to me)

But it's my dream, Simon!

Oh dear- Britain's Got talent is back on telly.

I wonder if they'll have more children bursting into tears on stage like last year.

Still- it's all in the name of entertainment (and the parents' retirement plans), so that's alright then.

Evil

And the Pussycat, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!

Approaching menace

Professional Scotsman Sean Connery has appeared in a couple of films which feature the small town in which I live. One of them is the rather bonkers, but brilliant, Time Bandits.
At the end of that film the child hero's parents are destroyed by a piece of pure evil. In the film it resembles an overdone piece of Sunday roast. In real life the evil would take the form of a pussy cat.

NDC (next door's cat) has been on the hunt in my back garden again- about an hour ago he was seen running off with a mouse in his bewhiskered jaws of death.

Glue Factory Boy to win

It's the Grand National tomorrow- who's going to win? Probably not this horsey- unless you stick a pin in his backside- watch him fly!

I liked the daftness of this gag, based on the book by Mr Orwell- so was disappointed to see it get rejected by mag after mag (I drew it back in August). But! Never give up. It made it into this week's Spectator magazine.

I should just draw stickmen

I see there's a new version of the film Clash of the Titans out at the moment.
I wonder if they've kept the mechanical owl...
Not sure I'll bother going to see it as I doubt it'll be as good as the 1981 original. I much prefer Harryhausen's stop motion animation to this new modern computer trickery.

Here's a cartoon on a similar mythical theme.

I couldn't sell this one. I reckon I spent too much time colouring it in and not enough time on what I now see is a rather rubbish joke.