This blog began in 1997 as a single news page called Nucelus. In 2005, during a long wait to move into a new house, I decided to learn some php and MySQL and write my own blogging system, which became inkyBlog and which now powers this, my own Webbledegook blog.
Thank you to my brother, Murray Ewing, for help with some of the more challenging aspects!
So if I'm a little slower with emails, if work takes a little longer over the next few weeks, and if I'm a little behind in getting orders out, I hope you'll understand why. Thanks, as ever, for your patience and support!
P.S. I've just noticed that this is my 500th post (on this incarnation of the blog, anyway).
Dodenrit naar Monte Carlo ('Death Ride to Monte Carlo') was serialised weekly in Eppo Wordt Vervolg in 1988 and published as a book later in the same year. It was written by Martin Lodewijk and drawn by Eric Heuvel. On his blog Eric mentions there are possible stirrings in the direction of a new January Jones adventure (after a couple of short stories in 2009) ... we'll have to wait and see!
Special thanks to John Wigmans for the heads-up.
Edit: The latest Silvester Strips catalogue lists De Regenboog Orchidee vol 2 as being scheduled for April 2011.
Alex Fitch's excellent Resonance FM show on comics, Panel Borders, has reached its fifth anniversary. Alex interviews a wide range of interesting subjects and always asks good questions, so if you like comics it's a must-listen. The latest programme is part of the Women in Comics month and sees interviews with Selina Lock, Jeremy Day and Philippa Rice. And don't miss the Trina Robbins Q&A as well.
Carter's Column, the weekly strip running over at the Birmingham Mail's Speech Balloons blog, ended its 52-episode run of Sang Ri La La La at the end of January, and this month sees the start of a "thrilling new epic", Brand of the Dragon. Creator Paul H. Birch continues as the series' writer and a new artist, Jon Edwards, is on board - you can see an interview with him right here.
Fans of Gary Northfield (ie. everyone!) should do a jig of delight because he's started a new webstrip, Burp the Caveman. So far Burp has moved into a giant apple, gone to sea on an enormous leaf, and met the cavewoman of his dreams. Each episode has made me laugh out loud, and that's a sure sign of fabulousness.
This news a bit late in, but quality web comic Tozo has had its fourth issue printed up as a comic book and is available to buy. If you don't have any of them, get all four! It's one of the best UK adventure/mystery strips out there, and a rare sibling to The Rainbow Orchid as a British-based ligne claire comic.
Here's a project worth supporting - Andrew Wildman, well-known for his amazing Transformers artwork for Marvel UK will soon be starting a new graphic novel called Horizon, but this one he's doing all himself, writing, artwork and publishing. He's using Indiegogo to accept contributions which will enable the book to become a reality - please check it out, it's going to be really good.
I get quite a few emails asking how to get into comics (and sometimes people are even nice enough to thank me for the time I spend writing back to them with advice!) - but there's never a straightforward answer. The Comic Academy is something that could be of great help to comic creators and aspiring comic creators all over. Phil Hampton, the man behind it all, has set up the Academy to inspire and inform, and he is currently previewing several interviews he's recorded with a wide variety of comics professionals. Yesterday you could listen to the wise words of letterer Rus Wooton and web comic creator Will Turner. Today (3rd March) there is artist and editor Diana Greenhalgh and, oh, me! The interviews are only available for 24 hours once posted, though you can pay a subscription to have access to all of them, and more (there is a special offer until Friday). Do sign up and check it out and spread the word.
Finally, I just had to share this marvellous Julius Chancer fan art with you. It was sent by Mary Lau, from Hong Kong, and she says: " ... he's watching the famous 'Spam' by Monty Python with Blake and Mortimer." And he is! Thanks very much, Mary - that made my day.