[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-codename-comic-maker":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"Look, my \u003Ci>Jampires\u003C/i> co-author \u003Cb>David O'Connell\u003C/b> and I have been out on a \u003Cstrike>heist\u003C/strike> mission! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_sarahdave3_zps2351c7f9-a10f7a24cf.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe \u003Ca href=\"http://www.discover.org.uk/\">Discover Children's Story Centre\u003C/a> in Stratford, northeast London, has a fabulous new exhibition designed by writer-illustrator team \u003Ca href=\"http://www.andybriggs.co.uk/Home/Home.html\">Andy Briggs\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.peter-mac.com/\">Peter Mac\u003C/a> called \u003Cb>SECRET AGENTS\u003C/b>. I've always loved London's \u003Ca href=\"http://www.iwm.org.uk/exhibitions/churchill-war-rooms/the-cabinet-war-rooms\">Cabinet War Rooms\u003C/a>, and they've captured a whiff of that sort of atmosphere. And unlike the Cabinet War Rooms, you're allowed to run around and play and dress up and generally muck about. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_front_zps24d8255c-c81fdd092d.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click for more under the cut!-->\\r\nYesterday our mission was to bring a drop-in comics workshop - \u003Ca href=\"http://scribblehound.com/codename-comic-maker/\">Codename: Comic Maker\u003C/a> -  to the exhibition. Here was our team of agents: mission mastermind Agent \u003Ca href=\"http://scribblehound.com/\">David O'Connell\u003C/a> with \u003Ca href=\"http://www.garynorthfield.com\">Gary Northfield\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.alexmilway.com\">Alex Milway\u003C/a>, and yours truly. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_cctv_zpsc7729bab-2e84109923.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's Agent O'Connell handling a classic Matrix phonebox situation.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_dave_pbox_zps05f710bb-dffa644646.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOh no, I think the evil agents have discovered us, and the phone's not working! RUN, DAVE! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_sarahdave_pbox_zps8c0e4024-87325921c8.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThere's all sorts of fabulous stuff to explore, conveniently at kid height. Like this picture safe in the wall. Tip: you can also climb through the fireplace. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_wallsafe_zps912772c0-2de5a6ca84.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nWe had such gorgeous weather that we relocated outdoors, and then had our pens at the ready! I should add, I also had a \u003Ci>There's a Shark in the Bath\u003C/i> event, which is why my Secret Agent outfit has a tentacular twist. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_sarahdave2_zps532e2cf7-0315ca8829.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOur team drew all sorts of things to order. Here's Dave taking on a Vampire Giraffe. Dave's a great friend and the writer-illustrator of the popular \u003Ci>\u003Ca href=\"http://scribblehound.com/my-books/monster-chips/\">Monster and Chips\u003C/a>\u003C/i> books, and we have a book coming out together this autumn, called \u003Ca href=\"http://scribblehound.com/\">\u003Ci>Jampires\u003C/i>\u003C/a>. (Exciting!)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_vampiregiraffe_zps7a6203ba-ed78413d87.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd we did some Comics Jams, passing the comic around the table so everyone could draw a panel.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_comicsjam1_zps8c2a50e1-9911e7e608.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSome of the Comics Jams got quite dark and disturbing.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_comicsjam2_zpsf7d839f9-03f8ef82d9.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nVery dark, indeed.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_comicsjam3_zpsff70c598-3d5cac4fd0.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nTo lighten things up a bit, here's Alex Milway with his book \u003Ca href=\"http://www.alexmilway.com/tag/pigsticks-and-harold/\">\u003Ci>Pigsticks and Harold\u003C/i>\u003C/a>, which comes out in May. It has pictures, some comic elements, and very jolly animals. I'm definitely going to get this book for kid friends who love stories but aren't so sure about tackling pages with lots of text. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_alexbook_zps2006abc0-2f42756431.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's a result of one of Alex's Drawing Challenges:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_armourdillo_zpse8463c90-d4df0cb813.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nMaking comics in the sun with my excellent studio mate Gary Northfield (creator of \u003Ci>Gary's Garden\u003C/i> in \u003Ca href=\"http://www.thephoenixcomic.co.uk/garys-garden/\">The Phoenix Comic\u003C/a> and wonderful book \u003Ca href=\"http://www.garynorthfield.com/2012/07/24/teenytinysaurs/\">\u003Ci>The Terrible Tale of the Teenytinysaurs\u003C/i>\u003C/a>). (Photo by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/stephens_ben\">Ben Stephens\u003C/a>.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_table_zpsd8bfe730-afb2116729.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nDave and I both took the challenge to draw a Vampire Giraffe, and this kid copied them so expertly; they actually looked better in his drawing.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_vampiregiraffes_zps2fdd682c-f4ce256264.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe Discover centre had been lucky enough the previous day to host comic artists \u003Ca href=\"http://lauraellenanderson.co.uk/\">Laura Ellen Anderson\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://jamielittler.co.uk/\">Jamie Littler\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.tempolush.com/\">Richy K Chandler\u003C/a>, awesome. You can \u003Ca href=\"http://tempolush.com/blog/?p=1628\">read about it on Richy's blog here\u003C/a>! \\r\n\\r\nThere's so much fun built right into Discover. I'm always checking out the magic mirrors. Here's are stretched and squashed \u003Cb>Ben Stephens\u003C/b> and Discover's \u003Cb>Racheal Brasier\u003C/b>:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_mirrors_zps4f8c25c5-c92d79b6f3.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nOh my goodness, and SUCH a cool thing: I thought they'd chucked out all the stuff I'd designed for the \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/402367.html\">Monsterville\u003C/a> exhibition, but I spotted this sign over the toilets! I love it that the men's side is 'Beauty'. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_toilets_zps129e9e54-8a029e8047.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd this cupboard room is being put to MUCH better use now:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_wigfitting_zps0971ca8a-7bc4bd49e2.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nBefore I did my Shark stage event, I did some vocal exercises with my lovely Scholastic publicist, \u003Cb>David Sanger\u003C/b>:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Clj-embed id=\"2582\"/>\\r\n\\r\nBig thanks to everyone who came along and drew sharks with me! I got to see some wonderful sharks with loads of personality.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_sharkdrawings_zps01825026-d7a10d0ea2.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_sharkdrawings2_zpsa6559c82-6a1a3bbfcb.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd comics! A few kids really got stuck in making them; it was wonderful to see. This girl used themes from the exhibition as inspiration.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_spyschoolcomic_zpsb2368200-c4b148b4c9.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cb>Adam\u003C/b>, who was running the tech stuff for my Shark event came with a very appropriate tattoo. Not a shark, but I give him a 9.5 for sharkish effort.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_adam_zps2ce74302-707da21881.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAfter my event, CBeebies presenter-turned-picture-book-writer \u003Ca href=\"http://www.scholastic.co.uk/readeveryday/bookprints/cerrieburnell\">Cerrie Burnell\u003C/a> led another story session, and it was great to meet her. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_cerrieburnell_zps29e5d128-df2f5fe081.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHey look, it's illustrator \u003Ca href=\"http://guyparkerrees.com/\">Guy Parker-Rees\u003C/a>! He had been doing a \u003Ci>Giraffes Can't Dance\u003C/i> event upstairs. Giraffes somehow became a bit of an overall theme for the day.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_sarahguy_zps60dfba37-fc97ef4cfd.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nBig thanks to the Discover team, Dave (for organising the whole Comic Maker part of the day), Gary and Alex on the comics team, and David Sanger for looking after me. If you haven't visited the exhibition yet, it runs until \u003Cb>31 August\u003C/b>; \u003Ca href=\"http://www.discover.org.uk/\">details on their website\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/discover_secretagents_david_racheal_zps26d2e195-2160c3ae7f.jpg\">","2014-03-17T07:05:00.000Z","codename-comic-maker",[],"codename: comic maker!",1776628726231]