Wizarding Wednesday #10 - Christmas

 Maybe you celebrate Christmas. Maybe you don't. Either way, I hope you all have a lovely festive time!

The Wizarding Wednesday gang probably celebrate a wizard-related holiday. Between you and me, those wizards better enjoy their holiday because I'm going to make them work pretty hard next year! Oh! And say hello to their latest pal - the as-yet-unnamed pixie! In fact, I haven't given any of the Wizarding Wednesday gang actual names yet. How awful! I guess I wasn't expecting them to hang around for this long. Shame on me! Maybe they'll have names when they appear next - I've got a whole week to think of them. 

Yes! That's right! I won't be updating the website again until January 3rd! It makes sense since I imagine everyone will be too busy doing holiday/family things to come visit the site. But that doesn't mean you should forget about me! I promise to upload some super neat things in the new year (especially if I can get the Secret Project done in time) if you promise to come back...

Anyways, I'm just rambling. Thanks for reading throughout 2010. I hope you all have a lovely time and a brilliant New Year! 

Let's get magical!

Hair! Hair! Everywhere!

Hello! I know what you're thinking - is this even a comic? What the eff? Why is it in front of my eyes? Where am I? Help!

Well, let me tell you! I realised that a lot of haircuts/styles are named afted animals. Why is this? And I wanted to document all the ones I could think of...but then I realised I was running out and just made up the rest. If you can't work out which ones I made up then I won't ruin it for you. I find the whole thing terribly funny.

And more importantly - why aren't more people asking for a Unicorn Horn!? It looks so cool! And I wish I could grow my hair out for a Jellyfish Twist! Oh! Maybe you know someone that has a Lion Perm! That would be pretty ace.

I did loads of drawing for that Secret Project I don't want to talk about just yet. But give it time! I did pretty much all the pencils for it! Exciting!

Weird Food Names

Hahahaha. Good work guys! I've officially moved my festive special to Friday - so I'll finish this week of updates and return on the 3rd or 4th. HOORAY!

Speaking of HOORAY - I've spent the day drawing. So much drawing! I made seven new strips for the New Year and some of them are quite long and one of them is even pretty "serious." You're probably thinking that seven new strips isn't much but that's because I also did about twelve pages of my NEW idea! I want to have it ready to go in January and it's exciting and I hope you like it. It is also very mysterious. No information for you!

Also - I watched a lot of CSI. Too much CSI.

And here is today's drawing. I don't know about you, but I find some food names so silly. And I'm not even that keen on eating or cooking - I just think the names are amazing. Eaton mess? Baked Alaska? Toad in the hole? Oh! When I was little, we used to have Knickerbocker glories! What the eff is that?

I guess that means it's time for AN IMPORTANT QUESTION then... what weird names of food can you think of?

A Christmas Gift!

Yeah! It's Mike Dolphino! You may remember him from that one time! Or that other time! I think this will be Mike's last appearance for a while since he's Philippa's BFF and I feel bad for borrowing him...although at least we got to smooch before the year is out.

So Monday sucked balls. The snow makes everything six times harder than it really needs to be. I made some Christmas cards for someone to use so I had to pay to have those printed and then I had to deliver them but getting to where I needed to be was a proper pain - lots of cancelled trains and ruined shoes. Then I delivered them and some of my plans went up in smoke. Which made me sad and a little angry... but not as angry as trying to get a train home. Seriously - the first train was too crowded to get on so I had to wait for the next one. I was lucky enough to grab a seat but then it got super busy and everyone was yelling at each other and pushing and shoving and I just wanted to go home. Boo hoo hoo.

On the plus side, I've started drawing some stuff. And by stuff... I MEAN PIXIES!!!! Yeah!

IN OTHER NEWS: Rather than having Wednesday as my last update of 2010, I'm thinking of at least finishing the week. How would you feel about that?

Emma: Victoria

It's Monday and guess who's on holiday! Yep - me! Woooooo! And to celebrate - here's a drawing of Emma! I think this is her third drawing so she's pretty much a regular character now, right?

Anyways - hello! What an odd weekend. It mega-snowed on Friday night and all through Saturday so my plans were mostly ruined. On the plus side, I did lots of planning for my next project. I've got three on the go now, which is a lot of work. I'm even asking someone to help out with one of them so I hope 2011 ends up being as exciting as I'm planning it to be... if that makes sense?

And Sunday was Sunday! And now it's over. I caught up with some episodes of Misfits which is ace if you haven't already watched it. There was more snow. I tried to finish my Christmas shopping. All terribly thrilling.

THE BIG QUESTION: How do you feel about Victoria Sponge? Is it your favourite cake? Your second-favourite? Your least favourite? I would like to know!

Review of 2010: Thought Bubble

It’s Friday and it’s the last entry of my Review of 2010. Wheeeeee… Unless you didn’t enjoy it, in which case…I’m sorry? But yes – it’s the final instalment and it’s about Thought Bubble!!! YEAH!!!!

Thought Bubble, for those who don’t know, if a sort of like a massive high five for comic-makers and comic-lovers…and anyone else in the area I suppose. It’s in Leeds and there are lots of talks and things to get involved in – not forgetting the amazing convention on the Saturday.

I have heard people harping on about Thought Bubble for ages…but due to a bunch of reasons, this was my first time attending. And what a lovely time I had! But where to start?

So, the delightful Philippa Rice and I got the train up to Leeds on Friday afternoon. We found a place to hide our suitcases and talked about hats and other sassy things. Once we got to Leeds, we met up with the lovely Lizz Lunney (cute as a button and twice as useful) and got a taxi to our hotel. I had my own room but there were two beds! I assume the other one was for a ghost or something?

So on Friday evening we met up with some other lovely people and went to the Christmas Market! There was a Nut Man who sold nuts, and some other stuff and then we went to this lovely Mexican place for burritos! They were lovely! It was so nice to hang around with nice people eating nice food (thanks for the eagle-eyes DC!). Then we met up with more nice people and headed back to the hotel.

Saturday was the actual convention. We headed over to the venue to set up and the rest is pretty much a blur. An amazing blur. The whole thing was brilliant. I didn’t have any new items but I met so many new people! From roller-skating zombie girls to bearded gentlemen who teased me for not being able to grow a beard (see the above drawing), Thought Bubble seems to draw all sorts of people together. And there were cosplayers! Here are my favourites!

Professor Layton is ace – but he’d be nothing without his Number One Apprentice!

I have no idea who the one-who-isn’t-Rorschach is, but he made his glove with LOADS of duct tape.

Finally, it’s Princess Peach! I think this lady was a professional cosplayer so that’s why the costume is so fancy – but still, an amazing job! Didn't think much of the guy dressed as Toad though... He must have eaten too much food because he looked so stuffed!!!! Hahahahahaha--

*ahem*

So many people came to chat! Or were bullied into chatting! My obsession with giving out flyers returned with a vengeance so I’m sorry for anyone that ended up with one against their will. And I’m sorry if I wasn’t at my table if anyone came to visit – one of the ace things about Thought Bubble was that I could actually have a look through the convention myself. Not that I couldn’t do that at MCM, but this time I had someone to look after my table (thanks Simon!) – and goodness me, I picked up some amazing stuff! You’ll have to wait until a later blog post to find out what though…

I didn’t get to see any of the talks but I bet they were ace. And next year, maybe I’ll ask if I can run one… although it would have to be on something like “how to be sassy,” or “drawing hands is tough so don't bother.”

So yeah – then it was the evening and after a bit of a kerfuffle (which made me sad) we settled down to eat food before heading over to the casino (!!!) for a party. That’s right – there was a party for comic-people! The dancing was as amazing, if not more so, than you could possibly imagine. There was meant to be a DJ-rivalry or something but I didn’t really understand who to cheer for. What I *did* understand was that they played some brilliant songs: a Beyonce/Ciara mix, Don’t Falter by Mint Royale and Hounds of Love by The Futureheads. They played a bunch of stuff I didn’t know and a fair amount of stuff I couldn’t dance to (I’m quite particular), but I gave it a good go and had an ace time.

Then it was Sunday and I sat around and drew. Well, I was meant to draw but I didn’t do that much really. And before I knew it, it was home time. Philippa was kind enough to sit cross-legged so we could fit my case under the seat – because there was nowhere else to put it. I really need to pack less. Maybe that should be a New Year’s Resolution?

Obviously I’m already looking forward to the next Thought Bubble. I guess it combined two of the things I was already excited about this year – new comic-making pals and adventures to new places, but the fact that it turned out to be just as brilliant as everyone had told me… well, that was just ace. Mega thanks to Clark, Lisa, Mikey and everyone else that helped to organise it. I officially owe you cake or something.

And that’s pretty much it. My Review of 2010 is over. It’s been a weird year but looking back at it like this sort of makes it all feel worthwhile. Hooray!

Oh. I should end on a musical note. Here are some songs I’ve enjoyed this year! They all get honourary mentions in the Review of the Year! Well done guys!

The Piney Gir Country Roadshow

James Yuill

Robyn

Allo Darlin'

Emilie Simon

Review of 2010: Adventures

It's Thursday and it's another instalment in my Review of 2010. This one gets a special mention since I'm typing it on my phone instead of the computer. This is because I went to another Christmas Party and I need to save time! That is two Christmas Parties so far and there is another one on Friday! Anyone might think it's Christmas or something! How will I cope?! Also, typing on the phone is a bit of a pain.

Anyways. Yeah. I've already harped on about how lovely it has been to make comic-making friends and this is sort of related. Because in 2010, I went on a good few adventures - often with those new comic-making pals.

The drawing is about that time my pals and I went to Mount Superfun and saw a lumpy deer. That was great fun! But I went to other places too - notably Caption in Oxford, an exciting work thing in Edinburgh and Birmingham Zine Festival in... well... Birmingham, obviously? There's Thought Bubble too but that still needs a proper entry.

So yes - for someone that rarely ventures out, this year was great for adventures. I saw new places, got creeped out by new things and forgot to take photos of new buildings. I really hope I can do a bit more travelling in 2011 - even if it's within Great Britain. And I wouldn't mind visiting Canada again or California or anywhere you suggest.

I could probably write more but typing on the train is annoying and pretty weird. The guy next to me is sleeping and his head is gravitating to the lady opposite him's lap. I don't think she approves. Awkward.

Review of 2010: Scott Pilgrim

I've already gone on about how much I love Scott Pilgrim... except it turns out I never got round to writing that review of Volume Six. Awkward.

But yeah - 2010 was a big year for whatever Scott Pilgrim fans call themselves. Pilgrims? Scottaholics? Whatever. Yeah - 2010 saw the release of the final volume in the series as well as a sodding movie! The final installment in the epic tale of twenty-something Scott and his slacker life was pretty much brilliant. I'd go through it page-by-page but it's late and I'm not too sure where my copy is. But pretty much the entire thing was amazing - from *SPOILERS* Envy's outfits to Knives' general sassyness. If you haven't read it then we probably can't be BFFs - sorry. But you can fix that by reading it.

And there was the movie too! It was actually fun! I know I'm meant to hate it for not sticking to the comics (where the eff was Lisa Miller?!) but it was still worth watching. Twice, in my case.The soundtrack was cool, The Clash at Demonhead were ace, the fights were epic and I especially love Ramona's hammer making a hard-hitting (chortle chortle) appearance. Like the comic, you should give it a go if you haven't...

And, in case you haven't figured it out, both the comic and the movie made great use of sound effects - as demonstrated in the above drawing. "BOP" is still my favourite (it's somewhere in Volume Four) and I enjoy using it in real life. Or "IRL" as no one says anymore. It's a term of endearment - a sound to be made whilst affectionately (and gently) punching someone in the arm.

Obviously I'll be sad that there won't be any more Scott Pilgrim to look forward to. I'll never get to see Kim Pine fight or how Knives copes with university or what amazing special move Scott is working on next - but I suppose that's the mark of a good book. Someone with an excellent beard once described the Scott Pilgrim series to me as "our generation's Harry Potter," but I disagree - it's our generation's Scott Pilgrim and that's more than epic enough.

UPDATE: I did an interview here! Promise not to laugh!

Review of 2010: Comic-Making Friends!

It's Tuesday and that means...well...it's not Monday or Wednesday or any of the other days of the week? But it also means that it's another day of my Review of 2010! And this is an odd one since it's not so much of a review... rather, it's a sort of 'thank you.'

I've been making comics for a few years. They started off as some pen and paper stuff that bypassed the computer and went straight to the photocopier. I made them for friends and for fun and I'm really happy with how it all went. But it's been something like four years since I made the first issue and only one year since I've had a proper website and been paying it proper attention, and in that one year I've met some really great people.

I mean, I didn't really spend those other years sobbing or anything. Sorry. I have amazing friends! But I *am* really glad that I've had the chance to meet people that like making stuff, just like me. I hope I get to meet more lovely people in the New Year. And the ones I've drawn above - well, you should be able to recognise yourself. Obviously, my drawings are so realistic, how could you not?

So yeah - thanks to everyone who came out for burgers, or played board games or took part in Jessica Fletcher Week or went on a mega walk with me. I really appreciate it!

Review of 2010: Poto and Cabenga

Hello! It's Monday and as promised, it's my Review of 2010 - a week of drawings about things I've enjoyed this year. First up, it's Poto and Cabenga - a computer game drawn/designed by the wonderful Dick Hogg.

I can't urge you enough to go play the game - it's fun and simple but also difficult. You only need one button to play it too! And it's so pretty! Plus, there is a new game on the horizon called Hohokum! Hooray! I think I might start planning a computer game - it sounds like fun.

I had to guess at which one was Poto and which was Cabenga. Either way, I don't think they would be pals with Toby. Sorry Toby! Maybe you should stop crying so much and toughen up? Ha, I should probably take my own advice...

IN OTHER NEWS: The weekend is over! I had a haircut on Saturday and was sadly informed that my lovely hair cutting guy is moving away! Boo hoo. And in the evening I went to a friend's birthday party. On Sunday I just went over my answers for The Comics Bureau. I don't know if/when they'll go online so please don't laugh at me too much. But excitingly, I previewed a page of my new project, If I Was A Wizard... and here's another preview page of it! I hope you like it! It's based on that animation I did a while ago but I've redrawn everything from scratch.

Real Life: Wrap Up Warm

Hello! It's Friday - which means I've got a weekend of drawing to look forward to! Hooray! Except I have exciting things planned like getting a haircut and going to a birthday party! And I might even visit a jumble sale on Sunday! Wowsers! Check me out and all the crazy stuff I get up to. If I was any wilder, Ke$ha would be worried about her position as the #1 Wild Person on the Planet.

IN OTHER NEWS: I am really proud of this drawing. It features a rap, for goodness sake! I highly recommend doing the rap whenever you're bored - it's good fun. Maybe try out some sassy moves whilst rapping? Yeah! Give it some attitude! And let me know how it goes...

Also, this drawing might look a little different than usual since I'm using a new pen! It's a fountain pen with a proper nib recommended by the lovely Dan Berry.  I was getting really fed up since the pens I was using, although cheap, had a nasty habit of getting wonky nibs - which meant the lines kept changing size on how you held them. I just want a nice constant line. And this fancy pen does that. And it makes me feel like a grown up. I'm still getting used to it though so I'm sorry for any wobbly lines.

Actually, I'm not sorry! I just uploaded a rap! You should all write raps too! We can be rap twins.

The Doughnut Dilemma

You know what I love? I love a good doughtnut. My favourite type of doughnut is one with icing and sprinkles/hundreds and thousands. I think I prefer a doughnut with a hole in it because they are easier to eat. And they usually don't have gunk in them.

You know what I don't love? That horrible guilty feeling you get when you've almost finished eating the doughnut. Half of you is still greedy and thinking "Yeah! Doughnut!" and the other half is going "You are a fat pig and an awful person. Look at you - stuffing your face with all that sugar. You are disgusting."

So yeah - here's a drawing about that very specific feeling. You know how much I love feelings, right?

IN OTHER NEWS: I'm not feeling great at the moment. Boo hoo. And next week is going to be my Review of the Year! I did it last year and it was fun - but it's a bit earlier this time round. Oh. And I rarely have a lot of self-confidence about my drawings...but Friday's drawing is pretty ace and features a rap! Oh. Em. Gee. And it also sees me debut a brand new pen!!! Wowsers.

Wizarding Wednesday #9

Don't worry guys, it's Wizarding Wednesday! Those terrible jokes from Tuesday have been and gone... Although I'm more than a little surprised that the comments were so positive. I'm assuming that you're being kind and not wanting to upset me. If so - thank you very much. Maybe I'll turn Tuesday into Terrible Tuesday or something? Maybe not. Either way, I've got more of those terrible jokes to upload. Just you wait!

But more importantly - look! Today's drawing features a wizard and some nerds. I assume the nerds are teenagers - otherwise, why did I draw them so small? As for autotuning - I was talking to someone about how it's getting to the point where every funny clip I watch online is autotuned. When I rattled off some examples (I even tried to sing some of them) - they looked confused and it turned out they hadn't heard anything the Bed Intruder song or Double Rainbow! What the what?

For future reference, one of my favourites is this:


IN OTHER NEWS: I went to a Christmas party and it was on someone's boat! A boat which was also their house! A house boat! Wowsers! That's almost as exciting as the fact that I actually went to a party...

Terrible Jokes. Worse Drawings #1

I have a confession to make. A TERRIBLE CONFESSION! Are you prepared? Will we still be friends? I hope so... A while ago, I went on a binge of terrible jokes. Not rude ones - just really bad ones. And then, even worse, I DREW THEM! I've had them in my folder of drawings to upload for quite a while, but have felt too guilty about uploading them. I mean, they're just silly! But I never felt right about uploading one.

So, what is the logical answer to my worries? Obviously it's to upload three of them at once in the vain hope that if you don't find of them funny, there are still two other potential laughs. And I drew a crocodile-thing! That's impressive. Look how realistic it looks! Don't even get me started on the bull. Wow.

But yes - here are three terrible jokes for the price of one. And to be fair, this isn't the first time I've done really awful jokes. Remember the Long Weekend of Awful Jokes? You guys should be used to it by now. Oh! And if you enjoy terrible jokes then I've got more up my sleeves. So many more. Some of them are almost funny.

*awkward silence*

Anyways. I was pretty stressed out today but I'm meant to be seeing pals soon. They always solve everything. And I think I've worked out what's going on with my website over the Christmas break. So far, it looks like I'll upload a drawing on Wednesday 22nd of December, go away and return on maybe the 3rd or 5th of January. It means I'll have the time to get a good start on People I Know #12 - which is going to be epic. EPIC!

MORE IMPORTANTLY - how are you?

Jessica Fletcher Week 2010: Epilogue

It's Monday and Jessica Fletcher Week 2010 is finished. Well, it should be but my pal asked me to judge an Angela Lansbury Drawing Competition that she is having in the office. I'm not making this up. Seriously. I could show you the email if that wasn't creepy. So I obviously said yes and here are the three entries. Oh - and I'm sorry but my scanner wasn't keen on the pencils used. In fact, I think it hated them. Sorry!

 

ENTRY ONE: This one makes lovely use of smooth and flowing lines to really give a sense of Jessica Fletcher's grace. It is also festive, depicting a bloody corpse under the Christmas tree. That's so Jessica. The only thing I'm not keen on is the way they've done her hair. Jessica Fletcher had splendid hair that was never anything less than perfect. She did not just have a hat made of hair. Harrumph.

ENTRY TWO: Remember - this is an Angela Lansbury Drawing Competition - not just Jessica Fletcher. They've gone for the lady from Bedknobs and Broomsticks - who has a name that I can't be bothered to look up right now because it's late and I'm tired. We shall just call her Susan. I like the loose lines used for the bed. They become a bit too angry during the brush - perhaps a comment on gender stereotypes withing modern society?

ENTRY THREE: This is a simple yet effective portrait of one of the finest actresses ever. With a show like Murder, She Wrote under their belt, it would be easy to forget Ms. Lansbury's other classics. Beauty and the Beast! Mrs 'Arris Goes to Paris! The Company of Wolves! This drawing has such confidence, it almost radiates fame. The lines are assured and the composition is direct. This drawing commands our attention, just like Ms. Lansbury commands respect from everyone ever. A fine work.


But alas. There can only be one winner. And that honour goes to ENTRY ONE! Not because they drew Jessica Fletcher rather than Angela Lansbury, but because they made an effort with trying to draw a hand. It's a pain that I can really sympathise with. And it's Christmas time. Congratulations to whoever drew it!

So yes - thank you very much for asking me to judge. And thank you for drawing stuff. Whilst I'm thanking people - I'd like to (once again) thank everyone that took part in Jessica Fletcher Week 2010. The response was amazing. I had something like over sixty Jessica Fletchers sent in! That's AMAZING! And also, double thanks to everyone at the Manchester Comix Collective for their fine work! Finally, thanks to everyone who came along to read it! I'll pay you back one day!

Jessica Fletcher Week 2010: Day Five

I'm sorry to report that today is the last day of Jessica Fletcher Week 2010. I hope you've enjoyed it. I know I have - it's been great seeing all these exciting submissions. And maybe you've even found some great blogs to read or websites to visit along the way? I certainly hope so! As for today's drawing, anyone who has watched an episode of Murder, She Wrote knows that every episode ends the same way - with Jessica laughing. It sounds like nightingales singing a classic Celine Dion number - yes, it's *that* beautiful. What a lovely noise... *sigh*

But enough about me - here are today's submissions for Day Five of Jessica Fletcher Week 2010:

First up - it's David O'Connell! As well as being a mega-talented drawing-dude, David is also an old pro at Jessica Fletcher Week: he sent in a rather spooky Jessica last year! I didn't think he could really improve on that drawing - but check out this lot! We've got four lady detectives in the same drawing! And look how cute they are! You could almost mistake this drawing for a screenshot of America's Next Top Model or something. Jessica Fletcher would easily win that too, especially in that suit. But yes - a brilliant drawing. Thank you so much David!

What's that? You want *more* cute? Well then, how about some Lizz Lunney for you? Like David, Lizz was kind enough to send in a drawing for last year's Jessica Fletcher Week - and just like David, Lizz has managed to surpass her previous submission. I mean, a Jessica Fletcher theme tune?!?! Yes please! I would listen to that. I would dance to that. All together now: Jessica Fletcher - so wise! Jessica Fletcher - so old! Jessica Fletcha-cha-cha - so coooOOOOooool!

Right then - enough with the cute - if  you want a Jessica so sassy that she makes Beyonce look like a wet mop, this is the Fletcher for you! Sent in by the hideously talented (and lovely) Felt Mistress, I think we can detect some 80s influences with this Jessica. I'm talking about the era, not Jessica's age in years. Yes - look at the bright pink background, the giant collar, the earrings. I would say that this Jessica Fletcher is about to solve a murder in Dallas (the television show) or something. Ugh - I would pay good money to see that crossover. I would also pay good money to buy Felt Mistress some cake to say thank you!

So we've had cute and we've had sassy - but how about puntacular? Because this drawing by the lovely Nick made me wet myself and kick myself at the same time. How have I never thought of this pun before? Why was it someone else that has drawn Jessica Fletcher dressed as Gandalf? Ugh. I am such an idiot. Or maybe Nick is just a genius? Yes - that must be it. Phew. As proof of Nick's genius, he also sent in a Monster during the Summer event I did. Thanks Nick - I acknowledge you as my superior when it comes to puns.

This lovely Jessica was sent in by Lex. Look at the details on that hand. It makes me sick. One day, I'll be able to draw hands - then you'll see! But until that happens, we can spend more time with Lex's lovely Jessica. You're all familiar with the hat and magnifiying glass by now (you better be!) but I also think Lex has done a very good job of depicting Jessica's determination. She is going to solve the living daylights out of this mystery! You can do it, Jessica! We believe in you!

You know how they say that eyes are the window to the soul? Well, this Jessica Fletcher makes me feel like a Peeping Tom - showing her soul off to the whole world! Only kidding - this super cute Jessica was sent in by the super cute Camila. Camila is the Queen of Comics in my mind - she knows what's going on, who makes what and what Jessica Fletcher would say in my dreams. As well as knowing about comics, Camila is also super nice. I will do my best to make good comics next year so we can talk about stuff. Thanks for everything Camila!!

WATCH OUT KITTY! Jessica Fletcher is after you with her laser eyes! And it looks like she means business! What did you do? You must have murdered someone - that is the only explanation as to why such a sweet-natured woman would try to microwave you. Oh dear. This dangerous drawing was sent in by Crispin Finn - who you may remember from last year! This drawing gets bonus points for using white text on orange - I'm a sucker for that. It's like the lemon drizzle cake of design! Love it. But now I'm hungry and thinking about cake...

OMG OMG OMG! Yes - I'm OMGing at the brilliant Jessica, as drawn by the tremendous talents of Amber, but I'm also OMGing at my own stupidity. Although I had a system so I knew what Fletchers got uploaded when, new Fletchers kept arriving and I got confused and totally forgot to upload Amber's amazing Fletcher. Until now. Amber - I'm sorry. You know it's not because I'm an awful person. It must have been my subconscious feelings getting revenge for the fact you never took me to the drive in. Boo hoo hoo. But also, HOORAY because this Jessica is super fancy. And I love her magnifying glass background. That's so Jessica! In other news: Amber and I met in California so this Jessica has winged it's way over here from the good old US of A! What an international week this has turned out to be. Thanks (and sorry!) Amber!

We've seen typewriters! We've seen magnifying glasses! But have we seen Jessica Fletcher wielding a gun? No we have not. At least, not until Pablo got a hold of her! In Pablo's mind, Jessica is quite the angry lady. She's had enough of people reading other mystery books. She doesn't spend all day at the sodding typewriter so you can NOT read her books! It's for this reason that I have not read any book ever - just so as not to upset Jessica. I haven't even read a Stieg Larsson book! And even if I wanted to, I can't now since Pablo has shown me what will happen! *gulp* Oh! And I forgot to mention that Pablo is the final member of Juan's elite crack squad of Spanish drawers! Juan says that Pablo is super cool and that they've been friends for ages. I don't know whether Pablo has a beard or not so I can't comment on that. Either way, thanks Juan! Thanks Pablo!

After all that anger, how about a nice cup of tea? What's that, Jessica? You've already got one? Why, you are a smart gal, aren't you? Well, you're a smart gal as drawn by the lovely Dan. Dan is a super-talented drawer who is doing a great Advent Countdown at the moment. I can't wait for him to make a comic - just like he promised me he would, right Dan? I mean, Jessica Fletcher wouldn't want you to waste your talent - and would you really want to disappoint her? No you would not!

Remember that time I got a review? Well, Christian, the guy who wrote it, was kind enough to send in this Jessica Fletcher! I might not know a lot about colour design or anything, but he has clearly gone for a super directional look that embodies the eternal quest for truth that Jessica undergoes. Or...um...something? Either way, this Jessica also includes a rude joke for you! Everyone's happy! Thank you Christian!

Believe it or not, I went to Oxford this year to attend Caption! I had a great time and was excited about seeing somewhere that wasn't London  (or my bedroom) - but the real exciting story was that I met some nice people! One of them was Jack! And look - he's even sent in a Jessica Fletcher Week, that's how nice he is! Thank you Jack! And yes, Happy Jessica Fletcher Week everyone!

It looks to me that this Jessica Fletcher is out to solve a mystery... a mystery in your pants! That's why she's totally giving you sexy eyes! And if you want further proof, she's even put on her best earrings and done her make up all fancy. She's totally after you. I'd be jealous if I wasn't busy being in awe of Dan's incredible drawing talent. He's a super nice dude but also one of the hardest workers - I don't think he ever stops, to be honest. And he was also nice enough to help me with some pen questions. What an all-round brilliant guy. And what an all-round great Jessica. And by 'great,' I obviously mean 'arousing.'

You know how I love orange? You know how I love Jessica Fletcher? Well, someone had the smart idea of putting my two favourite things together! And that person is the lovely Palmer! He's drawn everyone's favourite detective as a svelte glamazon - ready to solve mysteries with her trusty magnifying glass and a sensible sweater. She can do anything she wants! Thank you very much for this, Palmer! You are owed so many pancakes, it's not even funny!

As well as loving the colour orange, I believe I have already expressed my love for Dr. Mark Sloan from Diagnosis: Murder. What a great guy! He would be the perfect match for Jessica - they're both super smart, hardworking people of a mature age who happen to be able to sing Disney songs! Well, Philippa Rice agrees with me on this so it must be true... oh... hang on...

Oh no! The perfect couple! The dream team! Boo hoo. But no one else is good enough for her!!! Is she destined to grow old(er), all alone? What an upsetting thought. Boo hoo hoo. Thanks for breaking my heart, Philippa!

So... this is nearly the final Jessica Fletcher drawing for Jessica Fletcher Week 2010. And isn't it a corker! Drawn by that rising-star Luke Pearson. This drawing has everything - a typewriter, a confused-looking Jessica, a WHOLE BUNCH of murder and even a cameo by me! Can you spot me? I hope so! But yes - Luke has once again worked his magic on something. Thanks Luke! I can't wait to high five you whilst you draw more pictures for me. Lots of pictures. A million pictures! All for me!!!

You know how I've spent quite a lot of Jessica Fletcher Week 2010 talking about Jessica's eyes, chin or magnifying glass? Well, please indulge me just one more time, OK? Because this Jessica Fletcher was sent in by Michael Kupperman - a proper drawer who even has his own Wikipedia page! He's used his drawing skills to pay homage to Jessica and her magnifying glass - but in particular, her wrinkly eyes. It's a little known fact, but I read once that Jessica often uses these eye wrinkles to hypnotize people into confessing to murders they didn't commit. It makes sense when you think about it. I'm really excited that Michael sent this in and I'm sorry that I pestered him on Twitter about it. But it was totally worth it. Michael - I promise not to badger you for another drawing of Jessica Fletcher for at least 11 months! Until then, I totally owe you one.

This is officially the final Jessica Fletcher of Jessica Fletcher Week 2010... and it's pretty fitting that it is from Juan - the guy who submitted the first Jessica Fletcher last year. Not only that, but he sent this in the mail from Spain and even got the lovely Juanjo, Pablo and Jose to send in brilliant drawings. Now that's dedication! And look at his Jessica! She's in Madrid and you just know that she's about to solve a murder. And that camera around her neck will help somehow - because that's the sort of gal our Jessica is. A brilliant one. Who solves murders and goes jogging and can type like a demon. But yes - Juan, thanks for all the hard work! I can't wait to see what you do next year! Maybe you and your friends could make a musical or something?



So yeah...that's it. Jessica Fletcher Week 2010 is officially over! And wasn't it a blast? And if you still want to draw a Jessica, then maybe I can schedule in a special bonus day next week? It's up to you. The important thing is that everyone had a nice time. I know I had a brilliant week - it was amazing to get so many submissions. Amazing and a little surprising! Also, I really do recommend Murder, She Wrote as a television show. It is good fun. Stop being such a snob and enjoy it!

Thanks again to everyone that submitted something! I hope I included everything - it all got a bit hectic! And thanks to everyone that swung by to read it! Like my drawing says at the top of this page, you best start preparing for next time...

Jessica Fletcher Week 2010: Day Four

Bonjour! It's Thursday - which means we're onto Day Four of Jessica Fletcher Week! And it's December as well! How did this happen? Considering all this time has gone, I figured that it's only fair to give Jessica a birthday. I hope the cake was tasty... although, in my mind, Jessica Fletcher is far too sensible for cake eating. She would prefer a low GI diet or something.

But you don't care about what *I* think Jessica Fletcher would eat - sit back and prepare to be amazed by the next lot of submissions!

First up - it's Kayla Hillier, Queen of the Dancefloor at this year's Thought Bubble. Drawn during the Manchester Comix Collective's drawfest, Kayla has gone for a Sherlock Holmes-inspired Jessica - making excellent use of the infamous magnifying glass and crime-fighting coat. I especially like Jessica's chin in this drawing - it's spot on. And there's even a hint of her spooky neck just peeking through! Don't look at Jessica's neck too hard or you'll be enslaved! Or something. Either way, a brilliant Jessica! Thank you Kayla! The Tim Horton's doughnuts are on me!

If you're worried about too much neck then don't worry - this Jessica by Alex is safe! By putting Jessica in a high-necked blouse, we should be fine. Thank you Alex - I totally owe you one. Alex came to visit at Thought Bubble. Due to a misunderstanding, I thought he was part-man, part-horse...although he assures me that this is not true. I wish I could say that this was the first time I've made such a mistake...*sigh* Anyways! You know who doesn't make mistakes? Jessica Effing Fletcher. If she says that chocolate, friends and the theatre are the important things in life then you should listen!

Next up - we've got a Jessica Fletcher-themed strip - thanks to Savage! I was excited to have two submissions using similar quotes - I've put them together so they can be BFFs. Not only is this a fun strip - but it involves two other daytime detectives - Dr. Mark Sloan and Columbo. I LOVE Diagnosis: Murder but...I'm not a fan of Columbo - so I'm glad he got lasered in the face (but only in the context of this strip - I wouldn't want him to be actually lasered). And if you think about it, it makes sense that Jessica keeps her typewriter in her head. I mean, she always seems to have it but you never see her carry it with her... Hmmm....

I've been saving this brilliant Jessica for Thursday! Why? Because it's by the lovely Joe List who is well-known for his work on The Annotated Weekender - which comes out every Thursday. Which is Today! See what I did there? Joe has drawn a murder-obsessed Jessica at her typewriter. Look at her go! In my head (uh oh) she reminds me a bit of Marrina from Marvel Comics - but I think that might just be the colour-scheme. Although, they both fought crime in their own ways... maybe they're sisters or something? Regardless, this is ace and Joe is my hero!

LOOK OUT JESSICA! Jose has drawn a sinister Sherlock Holmes behind you and it looks like he means business! And not the sexy kind! If only you weren't so obsessed with that typewriter, maybe you'd be able to save yourself... Oh, who am I kidding? There's no way that Sherlock Holmes could take Jessica in a fight. Jessica is just playing dumb so the police can jump out and she can solve the whole case. Good work Jessica! Speaking of good work, this was drawn by Jose - another one of Juan's talented pals. Where does he find them all? Oh! I asked Juan for some exciting facts about Jose and here they are: Jose is a proper writer and loves old English ladies. I'm surprised that Jose isn't a proper drawer - but maybe he will see how ace his Jessica is and replace writing with drawing? Who knows?

We had a poem yesterday, so now it's time for a haiku! This thought-provoking masterpiece was sent in by Tom. Tom and I go way back and he bakes nice cakes. Although he hasn't made one in a while... what's up with that, Tom? Personally, I don't think Jessica has a great perm - she just has naturally sassy hair. Some people are born with great typing skills. Some have naturally sassy hair. Others look great with a magnifying glass. Jessica is just lucky enough to be blessed with all three skills. Just like Tom is blessed with cake-baking skills...which he should put to good use before I cry! Only kidding - thanks Tom!

Speaking of people I know (see what I did there?) - this next Jessica was given to me by Ben! Ben and I work together and he's ace. Except I shouldn't write any more than that since he might read it and that would be weird. Instead, let us talk about the tone and composition of his captivating submission. Ben made excellent use of highlighters, which my scanner can't replicate. And the copper colour is sparkly gel pen! Whilst the above image looks less bright than the original, you can see how Ben has used precision lines to make a bold statement about the state of society today. Or something? Personally, Jessica Fletcher is not bloated. She goes jogging in the title sequence!!! Regardless, thanks for being ace Ben!

Speaking of precision lines - check this Jessica out! It was sent in by the bearded wonder known as Matteo! I met Matteo at a We Are Words + Pictures event where I made him draw a pigeon. I've bumped into Matteo since then and he's lovely - not to mention talented - and bearded. I'm really looking forward to Matteo making a proper comic. It will be ace - especially if it features a certain pigeon... Thanks Matteo!

If you're thinking "that body looks familiar," then don't be alarmed! You are looking at the super special submission by Mister Mike Dolphino himself! Mike is a dreamy dolphin that was discovered by Philippa Rice." What a beauty! Thanks babe x x x!

Look at those big, beautiful eyes! Couldn't you just lose yourself in them? I bet you could! Don't worry about it, you're only human. This alluring Jessica was sent in by Brad - who was kind enough to LOL at my comics at Thought Bubble. What a nice thing to do. He's made the excellent choice of turning Jessica's infamous eyes into the focal point of his submission. Maybe you should stop looking at them so much though? It's starting to creep everyone else out...

You know what? I do not understand why people don't like Murder, She Wrote. It's a great television show! In an hour, you get Jessica Fletcher, solving murders and a brilliant theme tune! If you're really lucky then you get guest stars or Jessica's cousin, Emma. There are laughs! Twists! You'll learn stuff! What more could you ask for? Well, it looks like Joel wants much more. Huh. He must have watched a bad episode. Hey Joel! Watch the one where Cousin Emma sings the Spoon song! Or the one where Jessica gets locked in a lady prison! Come on! Give it a go! I'll buy you cake if you do! I'll buy you cake anyway for sending in such a well-drawn Jessica...

Did someone say Murder?! Did someone say Cake?! Did someone say MURDER CAKE?! Yes they did! And that someone is a sassy little Jessica Fletcher as drawn by my BFF Justin from Left-Handed Toons. Well, I say BFF - this happened because I yelled it across Twitter at him. But that still counts, right? I hope so. Anyways, Justin has done a brilliant Jessica. I really like her serious face in the final panel. What a woman. Swoon! And how ace does that Murder Cake look? Excellent work Justin! BFF!

Our penultimate Jessica Fletcher submission today really puts the ultimate (and the pen) into penultimate. It's brilliant! It was made by the terrifyingly talented Jonathan - who I had the good fortune of meeting at Thought Bubble. I think we're forming a band together (I'm on keyboards). Jonathan, like many others, is clearly in love with Jessica and her typing-charms. And with eyes/hair/a typewriter like that, who can blame him? Thank you very much for sending this in Jonathan. I'll do the Thank You dance when I see you next. Which I hope is soon.

Our final Jessica Fletcher for today is by the super ace David! David was at Thought Bubble and at MCM Expo and he's always mega nice to me. And he wore a suit for Thought Bubble! I have no idea why he isn't making comics (maybe he is and I just don't know about it) but this Jessica Fletcher is brilliant. It's creepy and spooky and I might have nightmares about it... but only because it's SO good. Thanks David! You are getting such a high five when I see you next...

And that's it for Day Four of Jessica Fletcher Week 2010... The submissions have been amazing once again. A huge thank you to everyone who has sent stuff in. You've all done a great job. The only bad news is that tomorrow is the last day of Jessica Fletcher Week 2010. Will you be OK? Should I worry about you?