Right then. I’m away to visit my parents for a few days in the Far Distant North, when I get back on Friday I’ll be trying once again to work on things that are Waiting instead of things that are New. Till then here’s the start of the second instalment of Pizza Ninja:

This fell out of my brain over a couple of breaks at work:

I’ve got to tell you, the last couple of weeks haven’t been so good on the drawing front. The dayjob’s been getting me more worn out than I’m used to, and I’ve just come off a set of early early shifts that would have left me plenty of time for drawing if they hadn’t also turned my brain to mush. Well, I’ve just got my first decent amount of time off since March and I’m using it to go on my holidays. I’ll be back in a week, with any luck my brain will have had a chance to un-mush and I can get back to the stupidly long to-do list I’ve built up. Till then, here’s a couple of sketches and work-in-progress hints as to the things I’m halfway through just now, as well as what’s been happening in general:

First thing that’s happened is my boots have died. Big deal, yes? Yes! They were about four or five years old, with nice hard toes for the many times a day I drop heavy things on my feet. I’d even managed to stop them smelling too much like there was something dead in there, and then the soles go and crack on me. I can put up with a lot, but boots that squeak like somebody’s squeezing a hamster with every step just have to go. RIP boots, you were awesome. Next up:

These pictures are all from my camera, on account of my scanner getting really shy all of a sudden. Now here, I’ve been mucking about with Zombie Kitty, there’s gonna be some news about the miniature bastard soon. Next!

Drawn watching an old Hitchcock film the other night. Lastly!

I probably shouldn’t have watched Batman Begins in quite that state of mind…

See you all in a week!

Something a bit different for you today, I’ve been collaborating with Mr. Van Dom this week and this was the result:

Rough sketch of a new character, I’m getting so much done right now:

I need to start using colour more often, this was fun.

There’s a new idea on Whitechapel. From Warren’s description:

You are an artist/designer. You have to put together the cover for the first issue of a weekly science-fiction anthology comic called 2000AD.
You don’t know much about what’s in it. You’ve been given the following pieces of information to include on the cover somehow:

“featuring the new DAN DARE”

“M.A.C.H. 1 – his incredible hyperpower will amaze you!”

“SPACE-AGE DINOSAURS! Read ‘FLESH’ ”

“STOP PRESS! GREAT BRITAIN INVADED!”

The cover must include a logo and the numbering, which you’ve been told is not the usual “issue one,” but “Programme 1.”

And that’s it.

I couldn’t possibly resist something like that now could I?

Damn right I couldn’t. 2000AD, prog. 1, circa 1840.

I’m afraid Zombie Kitty is going to take a break now. Having a dayjob means my drawing time is stupidly thin on the ground SO for the next couple of months I’ll be shelving the comic to work on my linocuts and getting a decent comic browser set up for the return of your favourite undead kitty.