WEREWORLD LET LOOSE!

Well, it's out there. My wolf has left the cave and entered the wider forest. "Rise of the Wolf" was officially released yesterday into the wild and is now snaffleable by anyone who wants it. You can find it at any good bookseller on the high street or online so do let me know how you get on with it.

Yesterday was a splendidly surreal day, starting with champagne breakfast. Three glasses of bubbly in my tummy and I had to take my girls to school. We got there in the end, although I don't think they appreciated me stumbling through bushes and hedgerows and turning up at the school gates with nests in their hair. By 9:30 I was fit for no purpose and quietly sat down at the kitchen table to regather my thoughts and coordination. I was in fine fettle by the afternoon and Mrs Bling and I spent the evening having a splendid meal at TOM @ 101 in Stockton Heath, ending in a chocolate orange creme brulee which was indecently marvellous.

Thick head is subsiding this morning as I get back to work.

You can also get WEREWORLD on Kindle too - thanks to Chris Taylor-Davies @CTD on Twitter for sending me this piccy of his "first edition!" Its the Dark Arts to me, all smoke and mirrors!

Also, visit the Official Puffin Wereworld Website for all kinds of interactive goodies and exclusive articles. You can also become a fan on Facebook too on the Official Facebook Wereworld Page.

Currently preparing for the book tour, as mentioned in my previous post, where I'll be making whistlestop visits to schools and libraries across England in the middle of January. If you're interested in contacting me regarding availability to come to your school, college or festival please do get in touch either on here or via email to frankscat@hotmail.com and I'm sure we can sort something out - talks usually cover my work in animation as well as publishing.

Right, enough jollity - back to work for me. This is the first Christmas period I've taken off for years and, wonderful as its been, I'm itching to get writing again.

Bada Bling!

"SANTA? OH MY GOD I KNOW HIM!"

Tis the season to watch my favourite Will Ferrell film, sorry.

3 weeks away from publication date for "WEREWORLD: Rise of the Wolf" - 6th January - and it's all getting very exciting.

SPINEBREAKERS - Win Yourself Were-d
If you're a budding illustrator or you just like the idea of doodling a werewolf, check out the exclusive competition that Spinebreakers are running, whereby you send your own drawings of Drew, the lycanthrope hero of Wereworld, in to be considered. Be warned though, if you win you get a doodle sent back by me featuring your good self hairified!

WEREWORLD BLOG TOUR
All a bit thrilling and new to me, a BLOG TOUR where I'll be starting off a mob drawing of a werewolf and sending it on to a number of participating Young Adult/Fantasy bloggers. Check out the folk taking part on Once Upon A Bookcase's blog and you can chart the drawing's progression. This could be hilarious!

WEREWORLD BOOK TOUR
I'll be spending a week on the road in the middle of January promoting the novel all over the shop.
17th Jan AM - St Anne's RC High School, Stockport
17th Jan PM - Penketh High School, Warrington
17th Jan EVE - Waterstone's bookshop, Warrington
18th Jan AM - Our Lady's RC High School, Preston
18th Jan PM - St Mary's Hall, Stonyhurst College, Clitheroe
19th Jan AM - Wirral Boys Grammar School
19th Jan PM - East Manchester Academy
20th Jan AM - Moreton High School, Wolverhampton
20th Jan PM - Deansfield High School, Wolverhampton
21st Jan AM - Copleston High School, Ipswich
21st Jan PM - Catton Grove Primary, Norwich

Each event will feature a wee retrospective of my work in animation, a powerpoint quiz about werewolves (!), readings from the novel, therianthrope drawing and booksignings. Should be a hoot!

Putting my hairy hobbit feet up over Christmas having delivered the first draft manuscript of the sequel to Puffin this week too. Time to hit the Chocolate Oranges methinks!

Bada Bling!

Wereworlding

COUNTDOWN TO PUBLICATION: 36 days. Zoinks!

It's been a busy few weeks in Casa Bling as the whole family has been paid a visit by that delightful seasonal scamp, the Winter Vomiting Bug. Cue two weeks of every one of us catching the lurgy in turn, ending on me being the last to fall. All just about back to normal on the health front.

The second Wereworld books is written! Well, it's written but not yet edited. I need to go at it with a flymo to get the wordcount down - currently its sitting around the 130k mark which is at the limit of where it should be. When you consider book one, Rise Of The Wolf, was 85k then it seems very obvious that I have to hack it back. It's taken a lot of time to go back through the story firstly and make sure everything ties together properly. I've been advised that the best way of getting the wordcount down is to remove those words that aren't really helping the plot move along - "and," "they", "he", "she", that kind of thing. Should have it down to a manageable size in no time.

I've also been working on the WEREWORLD WEBSITE which is looking great. There's a LOT more to be added there yet, including interactive maps, quizzes, Q&A's and even a test to discover what kind of Werelord you'd be. Follow the link and take a look at the great trailer that was produced by QURIOS ENTERTAINMENT and you can also take a look at an extract from the novel, a complete chapter, "The Visitor".

I'll also be linking my blog, yes, this, badablingthing, to the official Wereworld Website, and I'll be updating it more frequently as an author diary, just so people can keep up to date with my movements at festivals, tours and the like, as well as any illnesses that I'm mopping up at home...

I've also been doing a lot of Tweeting and getting to meet some great bloggers who have a vast knowledge of Young Adult, Fantasy, Scifi and Horror literature. It's terrific to be able to reach out and start hooking up with these folk, albeit in a virtual way for the time being. Must recommend a few of them:

Dave Brendon - great blogger, bookseller and writer who is based in South Africa and has his finger on the pulse of all that is Scifi, Horror and Fantasy. If you follow the link you'll see a lovely review Dave did for Wereworld (squeaky bum time from Mr Bling after reading that, I can tell you).

My Favourite Books - a UK trio of avid literati, Liz, Mark and Essjay run this site which is about as comprehensive as you'll find online. Jump in and follow them and enjoy the banter - just don't get them started on Warhammer 40K!

Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books - UK based again, run by the talented Mr Ripley and covering all modern childrens books. You'll also find his awesome Book Cover Wars there too - do take a look and make sure you vote for the one with the hairy-bummed Werewolf on the cover! ;-)

There are more that I've come across on Twitter but I'll mention them on here as I remember. Do sign up, log in and follow all my developments on Twitter as we near the publication of the novel.

Bada Bling!

Closing in on Release Date

It's been a funny couple of months as the momentum builds on Wereworld. In one breath I'm working hard on the manuscript for book two (more on that later) and with the next I'm doing my bit as we ready ourselves for the launch of Rise Of The Wolf on January 6th. There's been a lot of to-ing and fro-ing on the manuscript but that's all been put to bed now - expecting the finished version of the novel to be ready in the warehouse in December when I should hopefully receive an advance copy. The one I've had up until now has been a bound proof, not the finished novel, with plenty of typos, errors and the odd name mistake. The finished version now has these areas cleaned up in addition to black and white chapterhead illustrations added.

The other thing I've been working hard with Puffin on is the marketing side as we arrange not only a book tour for schools, libraries and booksellers in January but also develop a Wereworld website, which shall go live soon. This will be an interactive affair, ensuring that the most avid fans will be able to dig even deeper into Drew Ferran's world and unearth all manner of secrets.

Book Two is, well, almost done. The first draft, anyway. I've one chapter to write now, the epilogue "Fractured Family" and then I need to work back through it, editing it back pretty heavily. It currently runs to around 130,000 words which is right at the top end of the expected word limit suggested by Puffin. Can shave a bit off that and then hand it over to my editor Shannon to hear her thoughts. Squeaky bum time, though, handing over such a big body of work to someone, regardless of her being a chum. Emma, my wife, will have a butchers too and give me her thoughts on it. I just hope it has a similair impact to the first book.

I've also had my eyes opened recently to the book bloggers out there, specifically the ones who tweet on Twitter - have a look, you'll find me there. If you tweet be sure to check out the very excellent @Enchantedbooks @LizUK and @DavesFandSFW and many more. A great way to keep in touch with what's happening in the world of both YA and science fiction, fantasy and horror. The last chap, Dave, has published the first review of Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf. Read it here.

Bada Bling!

Shenanigans...

Late update on the goings on of the Bling but here goes.

WEREWORLD - although I've been working on the first draft of Book Two in the last few months, that's been put on hold by the developments with the first book. "Rise of the Wolf" is getting picked up by a couple of other territories in addition to the UK, including the US - due to this I'm trying to incorporate the comments from across the pond into the finished manuscript, which although time-consuming will make for a better book, and ensure that the UK and US editions are the same, bar the obvious spelling diffs (colour vs color, realise vs realize etc) It's all tremendously exciting and is totally new territory for me. I'm starting over, regardless of previous publications in picture books. So the additional edit is now complete and my m/s is with Puffin. Back to writing Book Two...

RAA RAA - rumbling on like an afro-headed monster, the preschool show is looking, quite simply, beautiful. The animators, set builders and modelmakers have done a stellar job and the air date is creeping up bit by bit. Spring next year - zoinks! I've written a couple of scripts myself and have put my hand up for a few more too. No werewolves in this mind....

AOB - development is continuing on a few of my other shows but, as you may imagine, WEREWORLD and RAA RAA are demanding an awful lot of my attention, in between the regular day job of being dad. Last six weeks have been chaotic as we had the kids on their school summer break and they go back on Monday (can I hear a WOOP!) Bad dad that I am I was smuggling my sketchbook and laptop with us as we went camping here and there.

Bada Bling!

WEREWORLD jacket art

OK, so it has been a while since I posted any news on here but, as I mentioned in the last post, the lure of Twitter is a powerful one. If you're looking for updates of what I'm working on that's the best place to check - follow me as curtisjobling

In my defence it's been pretty hectic here, with pace picking up on WEREWORLD. Went down to meet with the Puffin Sales and Marketing team last month, expecting to meet with 4 or 5 people around the table, and it was more like the Imperial Senate from Star Wars. There must have been 30 folk from various international territories around the table, which was thrilling to see as they're all right behind WEREWORLD. Book One is pretty much edited and am now 27,000 words into Book Two. If I could write these stories all day and all night I would be a happy man.

Here's the cover art, above, for you to have a sneaky peek at. Love to hear thoughts!

RAA RAA is rolling into production finally - first five weeks shooting completed now and it's looking rather luscious. Lovely to see animators working with smiles on their faces while they get to know a new cast of characters. The sets and puppets look awesome, thanks to the modelmakers at Chapman Studio and the puppetmakers at Mackinnon & Saunders. And yes, the name did change from RAH RAH to RAA RAA - on account of that original name being taken by a certain international pop mogul.

Bada Bling!

Developments left, right and centre...

First up - you can follow my work and other goings-on on TWITTER from now on. Have a butchers!

I've been missing from the blog for a couple of months as we've had an eventful time in Casa Crayon. Mrs Crayon gave birth to a new shaving last month, Constance, who (6 weeks old today) is doing marvellously well. Older siblings are all very much in love with her so let's hope things stay that way!

On the work front I've been wrapping up on the preproduction design work for my new CBeebies preschool show RAH RAH:



Background artwork all delivered now so my role on continued production is all designwork and general input on the creative direction of the show with the team. Its looking pretty special I have to say - off to Chester Zoo next week for an introduction of the show to the wider team (publishing and merchandise partners) so there's a real momentum. It'll be airing in Spring 2011.

Other animation work has been the development on a new HIT animated preschool show, which I've been collaborating on with Ian Carney (superscribe) and Studio Liddell (superstudio) - that's looking great too and I'll be able to talk shortly about it on here after a few press releases start to appear.

In publishing I'm about to start work on my first picture book in a few years, working with UK publishers Tick Tock Books - very excited about this as it's a story that is also an animated series concept. Be great to get it out there as it was first envisaged, a pop-up book!

And with "Wereworld", the team at Puffin have started sending through some rough ideas for cover art and the like (I won't be doing this - I don't for a minute want to be accused of Dennis Waterman-syndrome). Very eye-catching and is going to really brand the whole series of books in the long run.

Bada Bling!

PRESS RELEASE - "Wereworld" novels picked up by Puffin!

TWO-BOOK DEAL FOR YA FANTASY NOVELIST

Puffin are very excited to announce that we have acquired two fantasy novels in a new series entitled Wereworld by British author and artist Curtis Jobling. Shannon Park, Executive Editor at Puffin secured world rights for the series from the John Jarrold Literary Agency, for an undisclosed five-figure sum. The Wereworld novels are due for publication in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

WEREWORLD follows the story of fifteen-year-old Drew, a shepherd’s son, as he comes of age and discovers he’s the last of the long line of Werewolves, and rightful (yet reluctant) ruler of the land of Lyssia, where lycanthrope ‘Werelords’ reign. Before long he’s hurtling headlong into an epic journey of fantasy and horror, from one deadly encounter to the next, meeting exotic Werelords at every turn as he’s drawn inexorably towards his destiny.

‘When Curtis approached me with the first volume of this series, I could immediately see the strength of his imagination and invention,’ said John Jarrold. ‘Much respect to Shannon for seeing how wonderful the idea was and getting it through the system at Puffin, including giving editorial guidance even before she could formally present it in-house.’

Shannon Park says, ‘I am so thrilled to sign up this series, which blends themes of traditional fantasy and contemporary horror within an action-packed story. Werewolves are hot property right now, and this series has huge appeal for the 10+ fantasy market.’

Curtis Jobling designed the Bafta winning BOB THE BUILDER and is also the creator of FRANKENSTEIN’S CAT, the BBC's hit children’s animation series based upon his book of the same name. In addition he has numerous shows in development with Disney, the BBC and others. His website is at: http://www.curtisjobling.com.

The first novels in the Wereworld series are due for publication in 2011 and 2012.

For further details, please contact John Jarrold or Jayde Lynch on:
John Jarrold - email: j.jarrold@btinternet.com phone: 01522 510544
Jayde Lynch - email: Jayde.Lynch@uk.penguingroup.com phone: 020 7010 3072

PS: Yes, I know, it's a Rick Baker Werewolf image. But then, he is the King.

New show in development

It was exciting to hear one of my new shows in development get a mention in Animation Magazine - Max Helsing: Monster Hunter. I've been working with the team at Disney XD for a while on this show - indeed most of my spare time is currently being taken up working on the bible - so it's a thrill to see it get a mention by Disney in the Press. It's very much a "watch this space" as we progress, but it's been a pleasure working with their development team thus far.

Off down to London on Monday to have a writers' meeting @ Chapman Entertainment for my new CBeebies show Rah Rah. That's also now well under way as we march into preproduction proper. It's been a long time coming, this show, but it's got so much heart we're really excited to be making it now.

Had a great visit to Middleton Technology School in Manchester yesterday to help their Year 8's with a project on Witchcraft. A great example of cross-media creative projects, they've incorporated their English, History and Art Departments as well as crayonboy here, a storyteller and a herbalist (!) as they create their own spellbooks. I don't often visit secondary schools - I'm usually an obvious choice for primary school visits - so it's a great buzz to go along to work with older students and see them engaged and enjoying art. Thanks to everyone there for making me feel so welcome!

Bada Bling!

New EdgyCute book

I'm very pleased to announce that I've been asked to include work in the new EdgyCute book from Mark Batty publishers, available in shops now from the seller or Amazon, or your local bookstore. The book covers what tends to be referred to as "lowbrow" art and pop surrealism, and features a fearsome list of artists and their work. I have a few of the Biteneck Beatniks paintings popping up in there - the book is compiled and edited by Harry Saylor, owner of the Orbit Gallery in the States and longtime chum and champion of my work.

List of contributors: Ana Bagayan, Gary Baseman, Becca, Mike Bell, Jeff Burnette, Robbie Busch, Michael Caines, Nicoletta Ciccoli, Alexis Covato, CRASH (John Matos), Chris Crites, Gerd Dagne, Kirsten Easthope, Jarrod Eastman, Greg Gossell, Rodney Alan Greenblat, Ryan Heshka, Brian Holderman, Angelique Houltkamp, Curtis Jobling, Jeremiah Ketner, Travis Lampe, Lex, Todd Marrone, Angie Mason, Hal Mayforth, Elizabeth McGrath, Brandi Milne, Motomichi Nakamura, Mitch O’Connell, Kathie Olivas, Emma Overman, Daron Parton, Brandt Peters, Lisa Petrucci, Mark Atomos Pilon, Judy Ragagli, Kevin Scalzo, Joe Scarano, Shag, Matte Stephens, Vivienne Strauss, Gary Taxali, Brian Taylor, Chris Uminga, Brian Viveros, Keith Weesner, Donald Roller Wilson, Derek Yaniger

Bada Bling!

THE GOOD FAERIES

Available for the first time as a strictly limited series of giclee prints comes Curtis Jobling’s personal homage to “Sleeping Beauty”; "Flora", "Fauna" and "Merryweather".

The triptych of paintings has been reproduced on radiant white watercolour paper, ensuring that they capture every magical detail of the originals. Brought to life on A3 sheets, each piece of artwork is 10” x 14”. The faeries are priced at £75 each or a bargainous £200 for the full set of three prints. The edition is limited to just 50 of each piece, with buyers to pay postage and packaging.

Ideal for homes, hallways, boardrooms and playrooms, "The Good Faeries" are the perfect gift for lovers of art, animation and alchemical aunties!

Please don’t hesitate in getting in touch for further details.

Bada Bling!

Curtis Jobling

frankscat@hotmail.com

Happy Birthday Bob the Builder!

It's been a funny old week on Planet Bling. Last week the BBC and HIT Entertainment celebrated 10 years of Bob being broadcast on the channel. That's quite an acheivement for any show, and one for which I and many other who helped to make the show are very proud. I was asked to appear on a Breakfast show to talk about the initial design of the character which although horrifically nerveracking still proved to be a lot of fun. Not least because I got to meet celebrity chef Brian Turner in the green room who, while the studio manager was walking us through what would happen, managed to shove a homemade scotch egg into my hand. Cheers Brian! :-D

Then it was on to a party at the Charlotte St Hotel where the new CGI version of Bob was screened/previewed. My personal tastes are still that you can't beat the original stop motion show (but then I'm biased as it's the medium of animation that I've always loved) although the CGI does I suppose breathe new life into the property. It's not like back in the days of Mr Benn when you'd make a dozen shows and that was your lot! Pictured above is the lovely Jackie Edwards, my old producer from Frankenstein's Cat and now VIP at CBeebies!

Off to MIPCOM in Cannes next month with Niel Bushnell from Qurios Entertainment. Great place to meet broadcasters, production companies and distributors, and generally get networky. Of course, with Mr Bushnell in tow, I'm suspecting it's going to be more like Morecambe & Wise in That Riviera Touch!

Bada Bling!

Ginges of the world unite

So, it's amazing what name-dropping Bob The Builder can get you. Emma and I went to see the rather fabulous Tim Minchin last night and much chortling occured when he started shouting out profanities during one of his songs about said-builder. On our way out my dear wife couldn't resist mentioning at the stage door to a chap (who turned out to be John, his tour manager) that the guy who DESIGNED that show was in the audience. "Hold on there, one minute," says John, disappearing. As a crowd of fans gather at the stage door he reappears to say "Bob The Builder's got you in!"

Admittedly he looks like he's going to kill us both, but in our defence he was talking at the time. At least when it's him and Em and I'm out of the picture he's grinning. Top chaps the pair of them and a terrific night topped off in the most unusual fashion :-D

And from divine comedy to crappy musings, here's a link to a podcast of myself and Qurios Entertainments Niel Bushnell, waxing unlyrical after a few too many shandies. Enjoy, or don't!

http://bushnellbling.jellycast.com/podcast/feed/2

Bada Bling! xx

Inside Bob's Belly

He doesn't post anything for three months then it's two in two days! Like a bus that Jobling fella...

TA-DAAAAA!!!!!!

Much weirdness. Cleaning out the garage and I found a box of old floppys (and no, that's not back issues of some kind of specialist geriatric magazine). This was a box from my days at HOT Animation designing BOB THE BUILDER. Checked the properties on these photos and it says the files are from February 2000. FEBRUARY 2000??? HOW OLD DO I LOOK ON THESE?!?!?! Anyway, crashing past the fact that I look like a forty year old tramp in these pictures (when in truth I was about 28 years of age) they're still an interesting flashback into my past and my 'umble days kicking off on Bob.

I've still got that Bazooka Joe tshirt upstairs. Heirloom, that. Heirloom........

Spinning plates

Developing original ideas isn't an easy business. Sure, an idea that might work for a book or a show can pop into one's head at the most unexpected moment, but to see that through into a finished, published book or broadcast animated series is another matter altogether. The majority of my time in the last few months has been spent keeping up the momentum on a number of new properties, as well as seeing others up to a level where they can be presented. This would be the spinning plates, for that's how it often feels, keeping the energy alive on one idea while picking the speed up on another. I suppose a better analogy for a short fat northern lad would be having his fingers in lots of pies.

Visited the Showcomotion Childrens Media Conference in Sheffield the other week which was terrific - a great place to catch up with writers, artists, creatives, producers and broadcasters. If you're in the business of developing ideas for television, in particular kids TV, I can't recommend your attending Showcomotion enough. It's the perfect sounding ground for potential collaborators as well as a great place to hear the ideas, first-hand, from broadcasters re: what they're looking for.

Just waiting for proofs back on the FLORA, FAUNA & MERRYWEATHER limited edition art prints. As soon as they're in I'll be opening up for orders.

Novel manuscript? Argh! Wish I could say more on that front, but we've got specific interest from one wonderful editor from a well established publishing house. Have to sit tight while we wait for a response. In the meantime I'm looking to crack on with my next attempt at a novel, this one a fantasy novel for girls as well as boys.

Bada Bling!

Flora, Fauna & Merryweather

A new series of paintings based upon my favourite Disney Movie, SLEEPING BEAUTY. Flora, Fauna and Merryweather (for those are their names) are the three fairies in the movie. Been wanting to do this triptych for ages now, and am expecting the originals to be going to an art gallery in the US in the very near future. These are also available as limited edition fine art prints - if you're interested just contact me directly, post on here with your details or drop me a line at frankscat@hotmail.com and I can fill you in with the details.

FLORA - the Green Fairy

FAUNA - the Red Fairy

MERRYWEATHER - the Blue Fairy

The High School Of Doctor Moreau

Here's a first sneaky peek at the new show I have in development, "THE HIGH SCHOOL OF DOCTOR MOREAU". I've collaborated with good chum and Spongebob Squarepants scribe Eric Shaw on the development of this, and the article shown above is from this month's Kidscreen magazine, a trade publication that features what's happening in the world of childrens television. Next week is the MIPTV trade fair in Cannes, which I won't be attending, but the lovely folk at Kidscreen asked if they could feature Moreau in the magazine in their "Cool New Shows" feature.

We're already getting a good deal of interest in the property and will hopefully be able to announce a deal with a production company in the very near future. It's a show that I feel is really read to run, packed with ridiculous characters and a world of nonsensical experiments. In a line, it's Weird Science crashing headlong into High School Musical...

Bada Bling!

Blowing off the cobwebs!

If there is such a thing in the worldwide tinterweb of an organisation that protects against the misuse and neglect of sorry, sad blogs, then I suspect I should be looking over the shoulder right now, waiting for a booted foot to come crashing through the front door as the blog police come and liberate the poor Badablingthing blogspot. I have, of course, been a bit busy - which is grand - but that's a feeble excuse for not keeping up to date on here with my happenings and goings on.

Big news on the business front is that I now have a new literary agent, John Jarrold. I met up with him for the first time a couple of weeks ago in Lincoln and enjoyed a tremendously pleasant evening in his company, as we outgeeked one another over all things fanboy. John is best known in the literary world as uber-editor of all things fantasy, scifi and horror. It's quite a departure from Laura Cecil, my previous literary agent who specialised purely in childrens literature. John is a dedicated adult fiction editor/agent, but he's been very happy to take me under his grown up wing. Which sounds rude. But isn't. Do check out his website for more about the fellow and the staggering list of famous authors he's edited, not least Iain Banks, Tad Williams and Terry Brooks.

The Animex Festival in February was fantastic as always, this time round the speakers' highlight was dinner at the Dun Cow Inn in Sedgefield, the infamous pub where Tony Blair took George W Bush for a meal of fish and chips towards the end of his tenure as prime minister. I was the only Brit in a party of fourteen, most of who were liberal Americans and staunch anit-Bush types. We asked the owner if we could purchase the chair that "Dubya" sat in for his meal, but he declined. Then we asked for just a wee stool, and still he said no but seemed to waver. When questioned we admitted that we planned to burn it in the street. This put an end to the prospects of us acquiring any furniture from the Dun Cow that evening...

I'm about to embark upon a trio of paintings based upon the fairies from Sleeping Beauty: Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. If you're liking the look of these and are interested in the originals, let me know. It's the Biteneck Beatniks hurtling headlong into the Grimm Faerie Tales. They're red, green and blue respectively. Or at least will be when I'm finished!

My Art Show is now in full effect in that there London. If you're in the capital, be sure to visit the Animation Art Gallery in County Hall, next to the London Eye. The original Frankenstein's Cat paintings and the Biteneck Beatniks show will be hung together there for the next month until mid-April. There are also limited edition giclee prints available of the nine Cat paintings.

New properties in development include a show that Jetix are just about to option, plus HIT Entertainment have picked up a preschool show from me directly and are optioning another exciting property too - more on this in the coming weeks!

Belated New Year to all

I've been asked by my better half to put a post on the blog as it's our homepage for the home PC - whenever we connect to the tinterweb we get SNOWFALL blaring full volume from our speakers and it's driving her a bit loopy, especially as Christmas was four weeks ago now.

Been busy already this year with a lot of school projects kicking off, principally an ongoing arts project with English Martyrs School in Hartlepool. I'm booked up until the beginning of April with schools which is pretty splendid stuff. The kids at English Martyrs have been great, and it's doubley a pleasure to be working up there as I get to stay with Niel Bushnell of Qurios Entertainment, and generally goof around a lot like a big gullah. We met up for a quiet night's suppage with Chris Williams, director of the Animex Festival of Animation, on Tuesday and what started out gentle enough ended with me leaving the drinking den with a shadow firmly cast over my reputation. Tarnished, I'd go so far as to say. I apologise to the Barmaid, just in case she's reading this!


Will be up in Teesside for Animex next month holding workshop and talks (4th to 6th Feb) - if you've never been along, get yourself down there. Better still log onto the website to view Qurios's rather brilliant sting for this, the festivals TENTH year:

Bada Bling!

Merry Christmas!!!

(Removed for the sake of the family Bling's sanity)