[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-tom-watson-and-the-deptford-monsters":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"So what was \u003Ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Watson_MP\">Labour MP Tom Watson\u003C/a> doing when the news broke about \u003Ca href=\"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-17599269\">James Murdoch resigning\u003C/a>? He was drawing a monster!\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tom_watson_drawing-b5bdaf2fa6.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nI first met Tom \u003Ca href=\"http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/241021.html\">at the British International Comics Show\u003C/a> in Birmingham, when I was launching my new book, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/morris.php\">\u003Ci>Morris the Mankiest Monster\u003C/i>\u003C/a>. He's \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/#!/tom_watson\">@tom_watson\u003C/a> on Twitter, and I was pleased when he tweeted, asking if it would be all right to bring his kids round to the studio. Here's Tom and his kids at the \u003Ca href=\"http://fleecestation.co.uk/\">Fleece Station studio\u003C/a> with my studio mate \u003Ca href=\"http://www.garynorthfield.co.uk/\">Gary Northfield\u003C/a>, signing a copy of his book \u003Ca href=\"http://www.amazon.co.uk/Derek-Sheep-Beano-Gary-Northfield/dp/0747594244\">\u003Ci>Derek the Sheep\u003C/i>\u003C/a>. Gary knows a lot more about politics than I do, and he's a big fan. (Mostly what I knew is that Tom once called someone 'pipsqueak' in Parliament and had to mind his manners and take it back. That made me laugh.)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/garynorthfield_tomwatson1-ce6bc4ef43.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe studio's too cramped for everyone to have space to draw, so we decamped to Deptford's Rail Carriage cafe and took over their biggest table. Tom's son loves Moshi Monsters, so our monsters had a definite theme to them. His dad and I were talking about making books, since Tom has a book coming out with Penguin about this whole \u003Ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leveson_inquiry\">phone-hacking scandal\u003C/a>, and his son wanted to make a book, too. I told him that wasn't a problem; all you need is a bit of folded paper. (And then we discussed the intricacies of photocopying and distribution.) So here's the front cover to \u003Ci>MOSHI MONSTERS MASH-UP GUIDE\u003C/i>.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tom_watson_sarahmcintyre-7cc13cf526.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nLooking good, I hope he keeps going with it. Here's his sister's monster. She got a bit irritable at one point, and Tom drew a picture of a smiley face, and said, 'What's this?' and she said, 'a smiley face'. Then he drew a picture of someone frowning asked, 'What's this?' and she said, 'THAT'S ME'. And she got a big, cheeky grin and everything was better. \\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for more pics under the cut!-->\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/tom_watson_monsters-63028bdff9.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nHere's Tom's son drawing a big green fart on my monster picture, oh yeah.\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/monster_drawing-9d2c15e558.jpg\">\\r\n\\r\nThe news about the Murdoch resignation came in while we were having lunch among the monster pictures, and Tom mentioned it, then switched off his phone and picked up his coloured pencils. Which totally rocks. He told me about this app called \u003Ca href=\"http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/free-all-monsters!/id427282678?mt=8\">Free All Monsters\u003C/a>, which I totally have to get. You create a monster, then upload it and go around collecting everyone else's monsters. Loads of people have drawn them! Tom very kindly reviewed \u003Ci>Morris\u003C/i> on \u003Ca href=\"http://www.tom-watson.co.uk/2009/10/morris-the-mankiest-monster\">his blog\u003C/a>. He loved the Rail Carriage and I hope we'll be seeing more of him in Deptford, that was fun. Good luck with the book, Tom!\\r\n\\r\nHa ha, here's the pipsqueak comment. And there's a lot more footage of him on YouTube giving Rupert Murdoch a harsh grilling. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Clj-embed id=\"1442\"/>\\r\n\\r\nSpeaking of monsters, have you seen my friend and soon-to-be co-author \u003Cb>Philip Reeve\u003C/b>'s blog post about his brand-new book \u003Ca href=\"http://www.philipreeve.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/goblins-are-here.html\">\u003Ci>GOBLINS\u003C/i>\u003C/a>? I've read it and it's FABULOUS. Lots of rude monster jokes, but also a ripping good story set in a world of goblins, cloud maidens, trolls, a middle-aged princess, all sorts. \u003Ca href=\"http://www.philipreeve.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/goblins-are-here.html\">Go on, have a peek!\u003C/a> \\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"http://www.philipreeve.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/goblins-are-here.html\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/skarper-d17a067f4a.jpg\">\u003C/a>","2012-04-03T14:34:00.000Z","tom-watson-and-the-deptford-monsters",[],"tom watson and the deptford monsters",1776628721644]