making monsters

I was so chuffed when I got the picture from Molly Bruton of ‘Maggie, the 2nd Mankiest Monster’ that I had to go ahead and try to draw my own version! I started with the softer one below, but it wasn’t quite right, and then I painted the top one, which I like very much! Maybe I’ll name mine Molly for now, and she doesn’t look as manky as Morris, but she has some of her own bizarre habits. Hmm, will have to think about this.

You can see a review by Molly and her dad, Richard, on the FPI blog here, thanks, guys! I was also very chuffed to read reviewer Matt Badham‘s comments about the Michiru Morikawa interview over at Down the Tubes and the recap of BICS on FPI. Michiru and I were both really nervous about that interview, she was worried about her English (which turned out to be almost flawless) and I was worried that I didn’t know enough about manga to be able to ask good questions. I need to learn way more, but it was nice just to connect with her as another creator who gets a bit obsessive over drawing a good line.

And talking of good lines, I just got this fab drawing from the King of Good Lines, Warwick Johnson Cadwell. You might recognise his work from editorial illustrations in The Guardian, but he also makes comics and is one of the best people at drawing in Britain. Ha ha, I love the jar of Ginger Beard…

I was so glad to get the chance to see him at BICS, he’s very elusive because he’s usually working out somewhere on his boat. He’s contributing to the Birdsong anthology that’s hopefully coming out for Thought Bubble in Leeds.

18 Responses to making monsters

  1. Anonymous says:

    Warwick’s just great isn’t he? Did you get to look through one of his sketchbooks? Such a joy.

    I met him at Bristol this year and, being a big fan of his work (though only recently having become aware of it) was all effusive and happy at being introduced to him. Then he pointed out we’d actually been introduced by Jonathan Edwards at last year’s BICS where (though Warwick was too kind to draw attention to the fact) I’d more or less ignored him. Very poor on my part.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Warwick’s just great isn’t he? Did you get to look through one of his sketchbooks? Such a joy.

    I met him at Bristol this year and, being a big fan of his work (though only recently having become aware of it) was all effusive and happy at being introduced to him. Then he pointed out we’d actually been introduced by Jonathan Edwards at last year’s BICS where (though Warwick was too kind to draw attention to the fact) I’d more or less ignored him. Very poor on my part.

  3. eadesmust says:

    Molly’s looking pretty sharp, I like her.

    Thanks for the link to Warwick Johnson Cadwells site, I’ve not seen his work before, it’s all kinds of brilliant!

  4. eadesmust says:

    Molly’s looking pretty sharp, I like her.

    Thanks for the link to Warwick Johnson Cadwells site, I’ve not seen his work before, it’s all kinds of brilliant!

    • dan fone says:

      Molly’s been a total star, with the DFC and Morris. I am so going to have to name a character after her sometime.

      And true, WJC is brilliant in a multitude of ways! ๐Ÿ˜€

  5. dan fone says:

    Molly’s been a total star, with the DFC and Morris. I am so going to have to name a character after her sometime.

    And true, WJC is brilliant in a multitude of ways! ๐Ÿ˜€

  6. Anonymous says:

    Haha! Saw the monster book on the forbidden planet blog. ๐Ÿ˜€ I’m gonna buy it even though I don’t have kids. I’m from Denmark. Any translations planned yet? Looks like the kind of thing the publishers would be sure to pick up for translation. OH well, as long as I don’t have kids the English won’t be a problem. And I liked learning the word. ‘manky’. ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. Anonymous says:

    Haha! Saw the monster book on the forbidden planet blog. ๐Ÿ˜€ I’m gonna buy it even though I don’t have kids. I’m from Denmark. Any translations planned yet? Looks like the kind of thing the publishers would be sure to pick up for translation. OH well, as long as I don’t have kids the English won’t be a problem. And I liked learning the word. ‘manky’. ๐Ÿ™‚

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