Which Witch

Remember that time I asked for your short and sassy suggestions for witch names? Well, I went through the suggestions and made a mini survey with my favourites. I added in a last minute idea myself as well but it's up to you lot to decide.

I think you can vote for as many names as you like...but voting closes on Wednesday the 7th of March. You'll find out the most popular choice on Friday's comic! HOORAY!

There are some bonus questions too so please answer them! I'd love to know what you think!

Off The Wall Post!

Hello!

A few weeks ago, I was on a podcast. It is called Off The Wall Post and is about the internet and social media. You can listen to the episode by clicking this link - although you have to promise not to laugh at me. I didn't realise my voice was so...duck-like. Quack quack quack! Except at the start when I try talking with a Dick Van Dyke-accent... Then I just sounded like an idiot.

That's how I roll!

Anyways. So, I talk/quack away about a bunch of things. The lovely Dan, Baz and Kat are in charge of the whole thing and were really lovely. Especially because I'd hardly slept at all - it was a crazy week and I was mostly powered by Mini Eggs.

Listen to the podcast and you will discover:
- what my Dick Van Dyke impression sounds like
- how People I Know started
- what pen I like
- the phrase "cray cray popular"
- how gross my laugh is
 - AND LOTS OF OTHER THINGS TOO!!!!

But you will also discover other things that aren't about me. Things about QR codes and Google Ads and all sorts of things. If you're interested in the Internet, I would officially recommend subscribing to Off The Wall Post. It is a good way of learning what is going on online and also a good way to have some fun. Plus they have some ace guests in too!

There was an awkward moment (that got cut out) where I had to explain that I didn't have 12,000 Twitter followers, but we won't talk about that.

Before the recording, I had a panic about not having anything to talk about...so I did what I always do during a panic and made a survey! The response was amazing and made me laugh a lot. Thanks to everyone that had a go and I'm sorry that we didn't talk about it on the podcast.

Here are some of my favourite answers:


What does the Internet smell like?

• "Robots. Possibly the none-too-friendly kind, too..." - Estragon Helmer
• "Musty cat fur and shame." - Euan
• "Troll blood, unicorn pee and Eau d'Ordinateur aftershave" from James
• "The chocolate cake stuck between the letters of my keyboard" from Not Bazza
  

Do you remember the noise that dial up made during connection? How do you spell that noise?

• "BrrrrrrBoopBoopBoopBoopReeeooooreeeeooooochchhhhhhhchhhkkkhhhhh" from Rebecca
• "eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-eeee-e-e-e-eeeeeeeeee its like george of the jungle but autotuned" from Corpius
• "Yes, it gurgled like a turkey. Gluhaaaark-huaarghkl-huraaahuraaghkl-gluh-gluh-klaaaaaghkh-huh-huhkluh-gluh-buhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-kuk" from Krikri
• "rrr beep beep beep boop beep beep boop...zzzz bmp. weee weee weee weee waoaoaoa ena ena eeee haaaaaa ccccccc ena ena eeeee bmp" from Anna

DAN Acronyms

• "Delicous Animals Near" from Alma
• "Do A Noise" from Kat
• "Dinner at Nando's" from JulieNotLaura

BAZ Acronyms

• "Boltonians Against Zebras" from Trevor
• "Brain Adjustment Zone" from James
• "Bacon Addicts of Zimbabwe" by Bits

KAT Acronyms

• "Kestral Analysis Team" from Phil
• "Ketchup and Twin" from Izzy
• "Not sure but I bet it's dirty." from Seb

Obviously Dan, Baz and Kat aren't really acronyms! They are the names of the Off The Wall Post! Oh how we laughed!

I also did a drawing for the gang! Here it is!

So yeah... that was my first experience of being on a podcast. I hope you enjoy listening to it and I hope I get to do something like it again! Thanks to Dan, Baz and Kat for inviting me along and thanks to everyone that filled in the survey!

In other news, I hope you're enjoying the current Matchmaker storyline. It's back to three updates a week next week... but what a journey we've been on since Valentine's Day! And there will be a survey about the Witch too so we can all vote on her name. Exciting!






IN MORE OTHER NEWS! I have a table at the London Super Comic Con this weekend! It is the first time they have run the event so I'm not sure what to expect (or even what forms I need to bring along) but I hope it all goes well. Come and say hello - I'll be wherever the small press comics are.


Have an ace weekend!

Stay out of trouble
TWx

Witch Alert!

So...in today's drawing, the Matchmaking Witch has decided to go on holiday. Don't worry! Someone will take over her Matchmaking business and she'll be back soon enough... but until then, I had a thought!

I was going to give the Witch a name at some point but now I've decided to let you lot get involved too. HOORAY!

If you've got an idea for a short and sassy name for the Witch, please go and leave a comment on this comic. I'll select my favourites in a few days and put them up in a poll. Then, we can all vote for your favourite name and that will be revealed when the Witch returns. Spoilers: She comes back from holiday at some point.

Remember: short and sassy! Short because it saves space and sassy because she's a sassy gal. Her tears today were just because of her inability to find a date for Toby...

IN OTHER NEWS: I hope you're enjoying the Valentine's Matchmaking Story! The twist in the storyline begins tomorrow! TWISTY!!!!

UPDATE! Voting is closed. The witch's name is revealed here!

(Unhappy) Valentine's Day!

I made you all a Valentine's Day card that you can send to people you love! As you can probably guess, I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's Day. And I don't think the Green Blob is either.

Valentine's 2012 - Matchmaking Like Crazy!

Don't freak out or anything...but it's Valentine's Day tomorrow. If I could plan my life better, I'd probably be going on a super romantic adventure or something. Not really - organising dates is tricky and talking to people you like is hard! But that's not what this blog is for.

Remember last year's Valentine's Day story? I was really happy with it and I wanted to do somethine similar (but better) this year. My main brief was that it had to tie in with something that was already happening within People I Know - which ruled out the randomness of last year. With this in mind, I've been building towards this year's Valentine's Day story for a few weeks using the Matchmaker storyline.

For the next two weeks, I'm uploading a new part of the story from Monday to Friday. After those two weeks, the story continues on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The week after that...well...WHO KNOWS? Hahaha - I know! You'll have to find out.

Another brief I had - one that I've been working on for the last year in general - was to make the most of existing characters instead of creating lots of new ones. So I'm happy to say that you'll see a few familiar faces that I feel I've been neglecting. Well, three familiar faces. I hope you'll see more of them one day.

So yeah - that's what is going on over the next three weeks! I really hope you enjoy the story! And I also hope you have a nice Valentine's Day.

Hourly Comic Day

 I haven't finished colouring in the final page but here is my attempt at Hourly Comic Day! It was a very stressful day but everything got done in the end so that's OK!

UPDATE: I've added in the final page! HOORAY!

A QUICK SURVEY

I made a survey for a secret reason. Would you mind filling it in please?

THANK YOU!!!

New Year's Resolutions

So...it's 2012. When did that happen. Today, I remembered that I had a Neopet and when I tried (and failed) to log in, it turned out I set it up 11 years ago! 11 years! What the what? I wish time would stop moving - there's loads I haven't achieved!

So, with a new year comes some resolutions. I was originally planning to make a diary comic about what my plans were over the Christmas break...but alas, I got lurgy. It was really annoying as it meant I spent Christmas coughing and snotty. The snot bit has mostly gone but I'm still coughing. I suspect I'll visit a doctor or something. But that's besides the point. Here, in poster form, are my resolutions for 2012:

I think those are main ones. I need to sort my life out too - do normal things like go on dates and talk to people and go to parties. In fact, I just booked my train tickets to visit a pal who lives at least two hours train journey away! That counts as being grown up and seeing new places, right?

I'm also planning to use this blog more. I'm not quite sure who yet...but you'll know when I do.


Stay out of trouble
TWx

Review of the Year: Music in 2011

So, I covered some of the comics I enjoyed in 2011...which can only mean that music is next. Normally I would agonise for a long, long time about when to put on here. I mean, you want to seem cool but not like you're trying too hard, right?

Except! 2011 clearly belonged to one person and one person alone...and that person is Ms Rebecca Black:

And it's not just Friday that cements her at the top of the 2011 charts. She has other songs...which aren't as catchy as Friday but are still ace:

My Moment

Person of Interest

Hooray for Rebecca Black! 

As for other, non-Rebecca Black songs, here are a bunch of other things I enjoyed listening to this year. You're not allowed to laugh at me!

My pal Martin sent me this Disney...thing. It's amazing and I don't know how to explain it, but it's ace.

Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers

I don't know if this officially came out in 2010 or 2011 but I listened to it a lot so it is making the cut. Hooray!

M83 - Midnight City

An amazing video as well as the theme tune to Made In Chelsea? Double thumbs up!

Yelle - Safari Disco Club / Que veux-tu

I'm late to the party with Yelle but it's good fun. I don't speak French though so when I singalong, I just make noises and hope it sounds right.

Songify - Can't Hug Every Cat

The Gregory Brothers are ace and responsible for some of the catchiest songs ever. Auto-tune The News #12 is still brilliant. You know what, that is going on the list too, I don't care if it came out in 2010:

Game of Thrones theme 



I know it doesn't really count as a chart smash...but the theme from Game of Thrones is ace. And it's so catchy! If I had a theme tune, it would sound like this...




Robyn


Robyn was all over the place this year. Or was it last year? I'm not sure. But I remember listening to her a lot in 2011. I mean, you couldn't really ignore her with videos like this (which, is pretty much how I dance all the time...just so you know)






I think that's mostly it? I can always add in more songs? And now it's 2012 and there's a whole host of music to look forward to. My first official tip of catchy songs (besides whatever Rebecca Black releases next) is the theme tune from New Girl, for no other reason than I enjoy it?





Who's that girl? It's Jess!

Review of the Year: Comics in 2011

2011 was a year and now it’s over. In 2010, I did some comics about my Review of the Year but since so many of this year's People I Know comics have been about me and my life, I figured I’d do a blog about some of my favourite things instead. Plus, one of my plans for 2012 is to make better use of this blog anyway so everyone is a winner! HOORAY!

So, here are a few of the comics I enjoyed in 2011. There are lots more than this but these ones are jumping into my mind now that I’ve sat down to type…

The Case of the Lonely One (Bad Machinery)

by John Allison 

You know what two things I love? Well-paced romps of a mystery persuasion and stories about young people, trying to navigate growing up. Think Murder, She Wrote and most books by Diana Wynne Jones. Combined! It’s that sense of good fun that got me super excited about this Bad Machinery story.. Well, that and the onions.

Skimpy Jim

by Joe List

Skimpy Jim is the sort of comic I wish I had made. It even has a gatefold cover which has been my comic-dream for a long time. One day, I will have my own gatefold cover! JUST YOU WAIT! But yeah – read Skimpy Jim if you want to smile. It's a story about hair and monsters and being true to yourself.

Gunnerkrigg Court

by Tom Siddell

What the eff? It turns out everyone has been reading Gunnerkrigg Court and not telling me? Come on! Why didn’t anyone let me know? I was sitting nearly-opposite the Gunnerkrigg table at Thought Bubble and picked up the first (giant hardback) volume to read on the train ride home. It was really engrossing – lots of mysterious stuff going on, mixed with some ace characters. I imagine I’m not the first to say it, but it’s sort of like Harry Potter mixed with Lost. If I cared about Lost.

Hilda and the MidnightGiant

by Luke Pearson

The internet is awash with praise for lovely Luke Pearson – and rightly so. He works hard and is a good person. Hooray for him! In 2011, whilst I was busy crying under my desk, Luke was working his fingers to the bone on this masterpiece. It’s a tale about a girl named Hilda and also, there is a midnight giant. Or is there? It’s the sort of comic I would have demanded my local library order in. And I only did that for the good stuff.

My Cardboard Life

by Philippa Rice

My Cardboard Life is probably one of the webcomics I look up to most. It’s smart, fun and cute with a brilliant cast of characters. I’d be happy if just one of those words could be used to describe People I Know (let alone all three), so 2012 is all about knocking my webcomic into shape. Philippa also put out an amazing book this year, compiling LOADS of My Cardboard Life strips. It is A4 and in full colour and just ace. Keep it up Philippa!

Depressed Cat

by Lizz Lunney

I look positively upbeat compared to Depressed Cat – the ever-sighing feline from the brain of Lizz “Lizzbert” Lunney. I wouldn’t read this book if you want to see a happy cat. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read it…because you should. It’s funny (rhymes with Lunney!) and cute (rhymes with…boot?) and totally worth some time in front of your eyes.

Red Planet Ride

by Jim Stone

I picked up the first issue of Red Planet Ride at MCM Expo in October. I can’t remember how I got to talking to the creator, Jim, but it didn’t take much for me to buy it. It’s so pretty! Mysterious powers! Whales! Sassy teens! Bicycles! My favourite things! I’m expecting to see some pretty impressive things from this gentleman so keep your eyes peeled. And do yourself a favour by picking this up.

I’m still reading the odd mainstream comic and the weekly trip to the comic shop are a nice distraction after work. I’m still reading X-Factor which does a great job of juggling a large cast of characters. The X-Men line has been through some changes with Schism (which I thought was a great waste of time) but I’ve been picking up the odd title. The whole “setting up a school for young mutants” is pretty much my dream storyline so I’ll be following that for a bit. Mainly just because Quentin Quire is brilliant. And in non-X-Men news, Journey Into Mystery has pretty much done the impossible – it made me care about the Asgardian-section of the Marvel Universe. Plus the festive issue with the puppies was brilliant. The new series of Daredevil has also found its way into my buy-pile. It looks good and isn't boring! Excellent combination!

As for manga, Fairy Tail is still ace and will continue to be ace as long as they keep Lucy and her celestial spirits around. Oh! And Hunter X Hunter has started again! HOORAY! Bleach and Naruto are still doing a great job too but that goes without saying.

So yeah – there’s some things for you to read in 2012. And hey, maybe I'll make some cool stuff too for you to read! Fingers crossed!