[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-animated-exeter-2013":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"Hurrah! \u003Ca href=\"http://philipreeve.blogspot.co.uk/\">Philip Reeve\u003C/a> and I were hoping we'd get back into \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/519177.html\">The Phoenix\u003C/a>, and we did! But a different Phoenix this time, the hub of \u003Ca href=\"http://www.animatedexeter.co.uk/\">Animated Exeter\u003C/a>, a brilliant festival and a great reason to head over to Devon. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_sarahphil_phoenix_zps563b8b0d-c17c022a9b.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe launched a new book, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/9867828/Philip-Reeves-story-for-Exeter.html\">\u003Cb>\u003Ci>The Exeter Riddles\u003C/i>\u003C/b>\u003C/a>! Here I'm perusing the lovely little tome over breakfast. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_riddlesbreakfast_zps8e32fed1-796eeb6534.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/SarahReeve3\">Sarah Reeve\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nI should add, \u003Ci>The Exeter Riddles\u003C/i> is mostly Philip's book - he wrote it - but I illuminated a letter in it and provided the image for embossing the front cover. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_exeterriddles_zps961764af-26f2fbe760.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nPhilip drew his inspiration from the odd little carvings on Exeter Cathedral, in particular, this little grotesque, below on the left. The front of the cathedral is a bit like a comic strip, with its panels filled with characters. Philip imagined what would happen if the characters came alive, and different points of Exeter's history started leaking into each other. The resulting tale is startling and funny. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_cathedral4_zpscf12ae9f-fccf369d72.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd the story didn't stop with a book! Animated Exeter put on an interactive game, called \u003Cb>Time Winders\u003C/b>, based on Philip's idea of History Leaks, and you can \u003Ca href=\"http://sparksinelectricaljelly.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/the-exeter-riddles-finale.html\">read about here\u003C/a>. Which explains the odd appearance of Romans in town. \\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for more photos and comics under the cut!-->\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_historyleaks_zps46b14260-8f792e9c32.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/SarahReeve3\">Sarah Reeve\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nPhilip and I led a Comics Jam stage event, talking about how real-life places can inspire stories and comics. While researching \u003Ci>The Exeter Riddles\u003C/i>, Philip was intrigued by this saint who's carrying his decapitated head, but has a second, reserve head on his neck. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_philip_2headsaint_zps88b2fcdc-ca5bf908b4.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/SarahReeve3\">Sarah Reeve\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nI talked about my comic book, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/vern-lettuce-book/\">\u003Ci>Vern and Lettuce\u003C/i>\u003C/a>, set in the nearby real-life neighbourhood of Peckham, but featuring animal inhabitants instead of people.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_vernlettuce_stage_zpsd0d3dd61-969c2e7e53.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/SarahReeve3\">Sarah Reeve\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nSo I was thrilled when, after the event, I got a brand-new \u003Ci>Vern and Lettuce\u003C/i> comic from a young animator named \u003Cb>Jordan\u003C/b>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_jordan_verncomic_zpsf6dd470c-c8346953b3.gif\">\\r\n\\r\nCheck out his \u003Ca href=\"http://www.youtube.com/user/Jordanimations1\">Jordananimaton1 YouTube channel\u003C/a> for some fab short films! Here's one:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Clj-embed id=\"2360\" />\\r\n\\r\nPhilip and I took suggestions from the audience to design characters:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_comicjam_stage2_zps4fd35382-6dea01640b.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/SarahReeve3\">Sarah Reeve\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nHere's one character drawing I was given at the end. Thanks, Ethan!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_supercat_zps74b2a4dd-6a5d17294e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd then everyone took part in a Comics Jam session: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_comicjammers_zpsc4e170aa-985588f772.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>\u003Cfont size=\"1\">Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/SarahReeve3\">Sarah Reeve\u003C/a>\u003C/i>\u003C/font>\\r\n\\r\nHere's one Comics Jam, with each panel drawn by a different person. It's so fun to create a character and then release it into the wild, to see what will happen to it. (On my website, you can see a 24-panel Comics Jam I did with \u003Cb>David O'Connell\u003C/b>, called \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/airship/\">\u003Ci>Airship\u003C/i>\u003C/a>. Incidentally, his first written-and-illustrated chapter book, \u003Ca href=\"http://scribblehound.com/monster-chips/\">\u003Ci>Monster and Chips\u003C/a>\u003C/i>, comes out today!) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_comicsjam_zps54e3f651-4cacf1e909.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe had a big signing session after the Comics Jam, and had the lovely surprise of stellar writer and illustrator \u003Ca href=\"http://www.babette-cole.com/\">Babette Cole\u003C/a> turning up! (Mostly likely you know \u003Ca href=\"http://www.babette-cole.com/shop/babette-coles-books/\">her books\u003C/a> \u003Ci>Princess Smartypants, Mummy Laid an Egg!, Hair in Funny Places\u003C/i> and loads more.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_babette_cole_zps0c4afd54-997e2fab1e.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe both drew little grotesques into people's books. Here's one of Philip's:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_signedriddles_zpsd3cf3ce7-826158e44b.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nIt was lovely to see comics that kids had really put time and effort into making. Here's one, and I don't even know the name of the person who drew it, so feel free to identify yourself in the comments if you like! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_kidcomic_zps92b81959-74e02f86de.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nDuring the event, I showed the Bunny Chart that I had stuck to the front of my computer, to keep track of the names and colourings of the bunnies in \u003Ci>Vern and Lettuce\u003C/i>: \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/bunnychart_zpsb55abeb2-d113560434.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSo 10-year-old \u003Cb>Harriet Wood\u003C/b> made her own Kitty Chart! Her dad, Andy, sent it to me, and wrote: \u003Ci>We also had our own mini Comics Jam last night which was great fun.\u003C/i> Hurrah!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_HarrietsCatChart_zps1135c2ad-a132bea3fa.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ci>The Exeter Riddles\u003C/i> has only been published as a very limited-edition book specifically for the festival (printed by \u003Ca href=\"http://www.shortrunpress.co.uk/\">Short Run Press\u003C/a>, but you can buy copies where we did our first signing of the day, at \u003Cb>Waterstones Cathedral Yard\u003C/b> in Exeter, just across from the cathedral. (In fact, the two-headed saint looks right at the shop!) If you can't get to Exeter, you can try enquiring on Twitter: \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/animatedexeter\">@AnimatedExeter\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_riddles_wstone_zps090698d5-0b201ba126.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nA huge thanks to fab Festival Director \u003Cb>Susannah Shaw\u003C/b> (in the centre) for all her hard work, and to the excellent Animated Exeter team, including \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/RubyFrankland\">Ruby Frankland\u003C/a> (right), who looked after us for the day. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_phil_susannah_ruby_zpsbec51329-9118396c52.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nYou can read \u003Ca href=\"http://philipreeve.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/animated-exeter.html\">Philip's blog post about the day here!\u003C/a> And I just had to include a few more snapshots of the amazing sculpture on the cathedral. Check these out! I totally have to go back and have a better look around. I haven't even been down into the tunnels yet. Here's two-headed \u003Ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Nectan\">St Nectan\u003C/a>:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_facade_zps2fd25d68-c7b1f2e708.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThese ones with the faces worn off look quite spooky, like something out of \u003Ci>Doctor Who\u003C/i>:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_cathedral1_zpsb1a072df-8546eb79cd.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_cathedral6_zpsfa3d19d0-1cddc64e30.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_cathedral2_zps1ecaded9-fbd978e611.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_cathedral3_zps9c2431da-d05ba4176f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/exeter_cathderal5_zpse3ad2f15-c404501b37.jpg\">","2013-02-28T09:49:00.000Z","animated-exeter-2013",[],"animated exeter 2013",1776628724818]