[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-dressing-up-new-comics-and-library-lobby":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"This morning, I was looking at photos of people's costumes from last night, and drew one of my most home-made costumes from childhood. In the UK, people mostly seem to dress up as ghosts, zombies, monsters, scary things. But in the USA, we dressed up as anything, so it's not quite so odd that I dressed up as a chicken. If you're looking for something to draw today, why not \u003Cb>draw yourself in one of your Hallowe'en costumes\u003C/b>? (Post a link to your picture in the comments, I'd love to see it!)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/mcintyre_chicken_costume-006f8c0ad2.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThis morning I found this photo on my Facebook wall from a friend (also named Sarah) in California. She writes: \u003Ci>My little pirate inspired by Captain Waffle. (That is a treasure map he is holding, treasure was buried in the garden). All his idea.\u003C/i> Hurrah! If you'd like to make your own treasure map, I have a \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/you-cant-scare-a-princess/\">free template on my website here\u003C/a>, and you can also find out \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/447175.html\">how to draw Captain Waffle here\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/capn_waffle-3f94ea1111.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd some news! Do you remember when I was drawing weekly \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/vern-lettuce-book/\">\u003Ci>Vern and Lettuce\u003C/i>\u003C/a> comic strips for The DFC comic magazine? Well, sadly, that fine publication only ran for 42 weeks before the larger publishing house pulled the plug. But \u003Ca href=\"http://www.thephoenixcomic.co.uk/\">The Phoenix Comic\u003C/a> sprang up out of its ashes and now soars high with amazing comics every week. And it's about to go one issue beyond The DFC, to \u003Cb>Issue 43\u003C/b>, and I'm going to have a strip in it! Yay! I wrote it together with my friend (and collaborator on \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/tag/seawigs\">\u003Ci>Oliver and the Seawigs\u003C/i>\u003C/a>) \u003Ca href=\"http://www.philipreeve.blogspot.co.uk/\">Philip Reeve\u003C/a>; he drew it and inked it, and I coloured it. If you haven't subscribed yet to The Phoenix, why not consider doing it now? It's aimed at kids age 7-12, but I know just as many adult fans as kids; it's really an all-family comic. Go \u003Ca href=\"http://www.thephoenixcomic.co.uk/subscribe/\">subscribe now\u003C/a>! And look out tomorrow for our four-page strip in Issue 43.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.thephoenixcomic.co.uk/\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/phoenix_jinks_peek-4cc9194574.jpg\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nNow some business. A few days ago, a bunch of librarians and fellow book creators marched with me to Parliament to fight for every school to have its own library with a trained librarian. The MPs are responding, and it would be great if you could get yours to sign \u003Cb>Early Day Motion 647\u003C/b>. \u003Ca href=\"http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/647\">Click on this link\u003C/a> to see if they've already signed, and if not, could you get in touch with them? We need for them to know how important this is to us.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2012-13/647\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/earlydaymotion647-62ad04f849.jpg\">\u003C/a>\\r\n\\r\nHere's firebrand librarian \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/bcb567\">Barbara Band\u003C/a>, who's been organising the lobby campaign! \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/libraries_lobby-0084d084d7.jpg\">\\r\n\u003Ci>Photo of Barbara by \u003Ca href=\"http://www.candygourlay.com/\">Candy Gourlay\u003C/a>; photo of me by \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/PhilipArdagh\">Philip Ardagh\u003C/a>)\u003C/i>\\r\n\\r\nAnd one more thing! Fab Phoenix Comic contributor \u003Cb>Jamie Smart\u003C/b> has just created a new blog post for people who want to learn about making comics. Read his \u003Ca href=\"http://www.fumboo.com/category/blog/\">Advice for a Young Comics Artist here\u003C/a> (and I've added it to the end of my own \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/faqs/\">FAQ page\u003C/a>, along with a few other helpful links). \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.fumboo.com/category/blog/\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/jamie_portrait-e2f04effaa.jpg\">\u003C/a>","2012-11-01T09:46:00.000Z","dressing-up-new-comics-and-library-lobby",[],"dressing up, new comics, and library lobby",1776628724386]