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!
We were in a number of stage productions together, but this one was Noises Off by Michael Frayn in 1995. Good memories as they always involved us laughing our heads off - particularly during one musical scene to Jailhouse Rock, where all the arrows fell off my costume as we danced, landing in various humorous places on us both. I must say I enjoyed all those plays I was in, but you wouldn't get me on the stage for anything today!
I did a picture of Julius (randomly picked by Ellen), and I got Sarah's delightfully surreal BLT (that's Burmese, Lettuce and Tomato!). Afterwards we decamped to the Ritzy cinema café for tea. Sarah has photos.
Of course that means re-drawing it in four or five other scenes as it appears elsewhere too, but it's such an improvement that I feel it's worth it. I'm also adding two new pages, and I did the cover a few weeks ago - but you'll have to wait to see that. (If you're a member of the Rainbow Orchid Facebook group, you'll have seen this new version previewed last week).
I received a lovely little package of comics from Peter Beare earlier this week containing four issues of Dangnabbit that feature various strips in the form of brief tales, sketches, vignettes and gags. Peter has a lovely relaxed style with drawings that ooze life and great observation, so I definitely recommend taking a look through his fabulous online archive (I love this one featuring a cat and a packet of Jaffa Cakes).
If it hasn't been enough that Neill Cameron's Mo-bots have been blowing you away every week in The DFC (what about that spidery-bot in the school canteen!), then you can get more Neill goodness over at his blog where he's giving you a Santa a day until Christmas. Today's, and my favourite so far, is Kung-Fu Santa.
Talking of The DFC, if you're a subscriber you'll be getting the special Christmas issue this Friday, which is really rather exciting - I believe it's a double issue, and there's all kinds of DFC favourites lined up. If you're not a subscriber, don't forget you can try a single issue (see here) or you can even get a mini four-issue subscription through Amazon. The DFC is doing great things for British comics, and even greater things for anyone who enjoys a decent comic strip or three. Coming soon are Frontier and Mirabilis. Yum!
Turning to a completely different area of things, two books came out recently on different aspects of the Second Anglo-Afghan War, of which I had some small involvement. The March to Kandahar concentrates on Lord Roberts' role in the campaign, and includes three images from my own private collection (including the front and back cover). And History Press have published a new book on Maiwand that focuses specifically on the 66th Foot. As well as chipping in on the research and doing some fact checking, I illustrated all the maps and plans, and (uncredited) wrote the introduction - which you can read online here.
Lastly, a couple of weeks ago I had a small drawing in a secret art sale run by architects Levitt Bernstein in aid of the charity Shelter. Can you spot my contribution? Laika author Nick Abadzis had one in there too.
So farewell to Oliver Postgate, the most ingenious mind of children's television - and go read about if such a thing, children's television that is, matters - in his own words.
If you're not aware of Tozo, go and get reading, and you can also see the interview I did with David O'Connell, the strip's creator, here.