[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-happy-fathers-day":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"Hello, Dad! *waves* My godfather used to have an enormous and rather terrible portrait as King Tut that he was given upon retiring, and it used to glare down at us whenever we visited. So I thought Dad needed his own version. Here's the \u003Cb>All-Powerful, All-Seeing, Mighty Provider of Biscuits, Bicycles & Hugs, Papahotep I\u003C/b>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/mcintyre_papahotep1_zps4bcf54a4-7ecc89b3d4.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nMy parents took me to the British Museum when I was a kid; it was one of the places I most wanted to visit in the whole world. I bought a papyrus painting from some street vendors and Dad framed and mounted it for me when we got home. (Do sign up for \u003Ca href=\"https://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/events_calendar/event_detail.aspx?eventId=426&title=Create%20a%20travel%20comic&eventType=Digital%20workshop\">my comics workshop at the British Museum\u003C/a>, happening \u003Cb>Sun, 21 July\u003C/b>.) \\r\n\\r\nA few other things. Some beautifully painted graffiti I saw on Friday night in East Dulwich, by Goose Green:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/eastdulwich_graffiti_zpsb2d1dc80-14993b4697.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI stopped by the SelfMadeHero book launch party at \u003Ca href=\"http://www.goshlondon.com/\">Gosh! comics shop in Soho\u003C/a>, and picked up a copy of \u003Ca href=\"http://dinlos.blogspot.co.uk/\">Rob Davis\u003C/a>'s Volume 2 of his \u003Ci>Don Quixote\u003C/i> graphic novel. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/rob_davis_donquixote_zps975ee942-32ed8daef3.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click for lots more under the cut!-->\\r\nIf you don't know Rob from the comics world, you probably know him as one of the main illustrators of the Horrible Histories. The first volume of \u003Ci>Don Quixote\u003C/i> was awesome, so beautifully drawn and Rob adapted the story is such a gripping way, really making it come alive. (I gave it to Dad for his Christmas prezzie.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/don_quixote_zps196c1e38-1061773822.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI love this picture Rob's drawn of himself working on \u003Ci>Don Quixote\u003C/i>:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/rob_davis_quixote_zps19c289af-2ac2cdb8d3.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nYou can see this and more in an interview with Rob \u003Ca href=\"http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2013/directors-commentary-our-favourite-windmill-tilting-artist-talks-don-quixote/\">over on the Forbidden Planet International Blog\u003C/a>. Rob was also one of the two editors (with Woodrow Phoenix) of our \u003Ca href=\"http://www.blankslatebooks.co.uk/our-books/nelson/\">NELSON\u003C/a> graphic novel, and it was great working with him.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/don_quixote_davis_zps59a0dc69-ed90305b14.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI have no idea what the book will be like, and the cover of this one's a bit scary, but I was pleased to see \u003Ca href=\"http://www.hocus-baloney.com/\">Mark Stafford\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.waitingfortrade.com/\">David Hine\u003C/a> launch their new adaptation of Victor Hugo's work, \u003Ci>The Man Who Laughs\u003C/i>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/david_hine_mark_stafford_zps6dde021b-fe4ff65e74.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nSome beautiful artwork by Mark:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/stafford_hine_laughs_zpsfadabdd9-278b7777aa.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nAgain, you can read about \u003Ci>The Man Who Laughs\u003C/i> \u003Ca href=\"http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2013/preview-the-man-who-laughs/\">over on the FPI blog\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\nAnd congratulations to \u003Ca href=\"http://www.strangeplanetstories.blogspot.co.uk/\">Ian Culbard\u003C/a> on the launch of the lovely HP Lovecraft adaptation, \u003Ci>The Shadow Out of Time\u003C/i>! You can read an interview with Ian about it over on the \u003Ca href=\"http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/comics/interviews/a490157/inj-culbard-on-the-shadow-out-of-time-and-the-joy-of-lovecraft.html\">Digital Spy blog\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/ian_culbard_gosh_zps956b48ad-79f155da8f.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nYou may have noticed all three books are adaptations of classic texts. \u003Ca href=\"http://www.selfmadehero.com/\">SelfMadeHero\u003C/a> has been carving out a niche for itself in this territory, and here's some of the gang at Gosh: Managing Director and Publisher \u003Cb>Emma Hayley\u003C/b>, Editorial & Production Manager \u003Cb>Lizzie Kaye\u003C/b> and Editor & Writer \u003Cb>Dan Lockwood\u003C/b>. (You can read more about the team \u003Ca href=\"http://www.selfmadehero.com/about.php\">on their website\u003C/a>.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/selfmadehero_gang_zps26756e1e-41694e1e9d.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nRight before I went to Gosh, I met up at \u003Ca href=\"http://www.claridges.co.uk/\">Claridge's Hotel\u003C/a> with one of my best illustration clients, writer \u003Ca href=\"http://www.piccadillypress.co.uk/teen/damian-kelleher/index.html\">Damian Kelleher\u003C/a>, tBk Mag and Templar's \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/tbktweet\">Helen Boyle\u003C/a> and we celebrated Damian's daughter finishing her A-level exams. Hurrah! I've worked with Damian on several advertising campaigns and we're gearing up for next year's \u003Ca href=\"http://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/\">Summer Reading Challenge\u003C/a>, where I'll take the reins from Chris Riddell and come up with some artwork. But I've not started that yet. Tea first. Of course, I was the first one to show up at Claridge's, eager beaver that I was. I passed some very pleasant time reading Gary's copy of \u003Ca href=\"http://titan-comics.com/news/sstankgirlpress/\">\u003Ci>TANK GIRL\u003C/i>\u003C/a>, drawn by \u003Ca href=\"http://warwickjohnsoncadwell.blogspot.co.uk/\">Warwick Johnson Cadwell\u003C/a>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/claridges_chihuly_sarah_zpsf871a196-12781d055b.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nCheck out those beautiful flowers in the back! Those are supplied and designed by Damian's wife, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.mcqueens.co.uk/about/kally.php\">Kally Ellis\u003C/a>, who runs \u003Ca href=\"http://www.mcqueens.co.uk/index.php\">McQueens\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/claridges_teagang_zpsdf676fa4-5f9d528b47.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHa, I just spotted this video on her website, where they create a portrait of Lily Allen with 1,800 lillies!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Clj-embed id=\"2397\"/>\\r\n\\r\nI've had Afternoon Tea at several places around London, and I think Claridge's wins top prize. I would very much like to be their Author in Residence; just putting it out there.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/claridges_cakes_zps597273fe-586a901996.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThey even gave us gift bags to take away! Again, spot Kally's lovely flowers. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/claridges_helen_sarah_zps509fba56-84264cbd95.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nFabulous day. Thank you, Damian, Helen and Sophie!","2013-06-16T12:10:00.000Z","happy-fathers-day",[],"happy father's day!",1776628725259]