Everything in order

Oh boy, where have I been? I've been right here, rabbiting and squirreling and hedgehogging away at a comic for this competition that is being hosted by Random House and the Observer and some other interesting players. I made a two-page story about an eagle that snatches a human infant and yet, for some reason, does not devour it immediately. I tried to make it as realistic as possible.

Anyway, I finished it this morning after literally trillions of years spent getting incredibly fussy over everything in Painter. Now I'm going to have to find something else I can talk about to everyone I know. Maybe I'll do another comic? Comics are kind of my thing, I guess.

Okay, here's the first panel and another panel that also appears in the comic.

This part is based on the true story.


But this part is entirely fictional.

I'm pretty sure that I'll win the competition. I've spoken about it so often that to not win would be bad narrative flow.

In other news, The Nervous Polymath's brain has melted, so I've recruited an entirely different troubled genius to work on the website and do all that stuff I promised all those months ago. I'm going to carry on calling him The Nervous Polymath though. It's like a Pharaoh name.

Also, I went to Birmingham at some point back there somewhere. Here is some evidence of that:

http://nygma.blogspot.com/2008/10/small-press-publishers.html
http://nygma.blogspot.com/2008/10/newcomer-review-of-bics-part-1.html
- This pair is from a comics journalism site of good quality and sound taste. And oh god, I haven't mailed back Gemma yet and thanked her for the kind words. I'm the king of all jerks.

http://black-rider.deviantart.com/journal/20904787/
- This is from one of our neighbours, Inspired, who were a bunch of sweet kids who should be loved by everyone.

http://placentafordinner.blogspot.com/2008/10/there-was-no-big-tittied-woman-dressed.html
- This is a report from my own brother, who takes time out to make fun of the sweet kids mentioned above. Way to go, Paul. Now -you're- the king of all jerks!

Oh man, I am going to be late for dinner.

- Tom saves

While in a hot debate with the Nervous Polymath today on the topic of The Website And All That Is On It, he mentioned to me, in a voice as soft as pity, that he'd been making some graphs and that I could see them so long as I didn't tell anyone that he'd forced me to. He said that the graphs told a story.

Listen people, the graphs tell the story of a man's feelings before he opens right up and hugs someone. Maybe he is hugging them goodbye. Maybe he is hugging them hello, or thank you. The story is kind of open that way. I think you should see for yourself.

Click for larger image (230 KB)

The Nervous Polymath was delighted at my decision to put his graphs up on this blog. He says that he's hard at work on a series of jellies or membranes or something and he'll put speech bubbles in the next one. I think this is the start of something light and special.

- Tom