[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-more-joy-in-the-post":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/davidroberts1-f9d73c7d30.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHooray, \u003Cb>David Roberts\u003C/b> is such a star! I just got this in the post, after \u003Ca href=\"http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l27/jabberworks/davidroberts3.jpg\">speaking on a panel with him last week\u003C/a>. When I opened the trollish parcel (the main character in his picture book, \u003Ci>The Troll\u003C/i>), I found his new book:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/davidroberts3-fe336726c5.jpg\"> \u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/davidroberts2-2b7dbac03a.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI was so tempted to take photos of the inside pages, but then I thought his publicist at Candlewick Press might throttle me, so I'll have to just say that the pictures are splendid! (Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less from David.) The story's sort of a meaner, sharper, more up-to-date version of \u003Ci>Emil and the Detectives\u003C/i>, and you'll notice shades of headmistress Mrs Trunchbull from Roald Dahl's \u003Ci>Matilda\u003C/i> in the teacher, Miss Breakbone. Have a look at her in her pink cocktail dress, it will send shivers down your spine.\\r\n\\r\nToday's been crazy, e-mailing back and forth with Giles Andreae and David Fickling and Lauren the publicist about our upcoming book, \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/tag/morris\">\u003Ci>Morris the Mankiest Monster\u003C/i>\u003C/a>. Giles moves in very different circles than I do, but he is incredibly nice and funny and we both have all these whopper ideas for the book, but we have to see what we can get away with. The book is absolutely, revoltingly disgusting, which gives a lot of leeway with what havoc we can wreak. But people in publishing offices tend to be quite neat and tidy, and say things like 'oh, goodness, shocking' even when you do not-very-revolting things like put gummy worms in their tea or make armpit farts while they are looking at your portfolio. \\r\n\\r\nAnd events! We have been planning events! And \u003Cb>I'm going to Dublin!\u003C/b> Thanks to \u003Ca href=\"http://ztoical.livejournal.com/\" class=\"lj-user\">ztoical\u003C/a>, I'll be leading a workshop, doing a panel discussion and bookstore signing on Oct 17th and 18th, as a joint event between Ireland's \u003Ca href=\"http://www.childrensbooks.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35&Itemid=108\">Children's Book Festival\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.irish24hourcomics.com/\">Irish 24 Hour Comics Day\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\nThanks to \u003Ca href=\"http://emmav.livejournal.com/\" class=\"lj-user\">emmav\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.garynorthfield.co.uk\">Gary Northfield\u003C/a>, I'll be selling copies of \u003Ci>Morris\u003C/i> (right next to \u003Ci>Derek the Sheep\u003C/i>) at \u003Cb>London\u003C/b>'s \u003Ca href=\"http://www.londonexpo.com/show_features/comic_village__expo.html\">MCM Expo\u003C/a> on 24 Oct, and the very next day, 25 Oct, thanks to \u003Ca href=\"http://www.sarahlightman.com/\">Sarah Lightman\u003C/a>, I'll be speaking on a panel with \u003Ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia_Alfasi\">Asia Alfasi\u003C/a> and \u003Ca href=\"http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/illustrators/?inc=details&id=106558\">Sarah Zaidan\u003C/a> in \u003Cb>Cambridge\u003C/b> for the \u003Ca href=\"http://www.art.newhall.cam.ac.uk/events/comics.html\">Women in Comics Conference\u003C/a>. (I notice Woodrow Phoenix is speaking as an honourary woman in comics.) I've posted my other \u003Ca href=\"http://community.livejournal.com/mcintyre_events\">events here\u003C/a>, hope to see you!","2009-07-16T15:14:00.000Z","more-joy-in-the-post",[],"more joy in the post!",1776628732943]