seaside fun

A friend was telling me how, next week, she's off to see Rihanna, at the O2 in Greenwich.

She last went along to see Beyonce, and the time before that, she'd also been to see Beyonce. But the time before that was eleven years ago, and she was visiting the O2 in its previous incarnation: The Millennium Dome.

What was it like? I asked. Rubbish, she said, all of the stuff inside was just dreadful.

Oh, I said. I did some of that stuff.

At the time, I was working for a set building company in South London and, as a break from the work we were doing with Disneyland Paris (more here) a few of us began work on something for the Dome called (dreadfully) 'The Living Island Zone'.

The idea was that we would replicate a kind of candy-striped, end of pier, seaside look. And then we'd contractually plaster it with incongruous messages about the environment. A quick google turned up a couple of things I'd made with my friend Greer, in a warehouse in Woolwich.

It all looks pretty ropey and amateur now, twelve years later. To be honest, it didn't look that amazing back then. The mermaid's right hand is on backwards, for God's sake. But it's still funny to think that someone has a family photo of their daughter, beaming away under a sign that says '24,000 deaths are linked to air pollution each year' (I've no idea who the kid is).

unfinished street scene

I found some pictures (from the tail end of 2007) that I hadn't seen in a while, the other day; pictures that I'd zipped into folders and then burned to CDs. That's one of the things about working electronically, I suppose; there's no physical piece, and it's all too easy to mislay what you've done. Anyway...

This was one of them. It was an exercise really, and wasn't really heading anywhere; rather, it was an excuse for me to try out a simple colour scheme and to mess about with 'layers' option on Photoshop. I quite like it, though.

It's nice to have a bit of a break from a drawing sometimes; and to be able to come back to it with fresh eyes and a bit of perspective. Only when what I've done isn't complete bloody rubbish, of course.

vegas types

From the Time Out Guide to Las Vegas.

cherries

This was for an article on Cherry Red records, from the now defunct Plan B magazine.

woman, pear, robot

Another old flyer, from two or three years ago, I think.

lightbulb

A Stars of The Lid poster from November 2007, that I just found lurking on my computer.

three old drawings

Jim from The Royle Family (christ, look at those poorly drawn legs) and a couple of others from about -ooh, 10 years ago? Something like that anyway.

(All found between the pages of a long-unopened book).

soldier

I found this sorting through some old discs. I can't remember what it was for exactly (it was for some back-room sized record label or something) and this was a rough idea. Actually, I don't think the job got past the 'rough ideas' stage.

It's from two or three years ago, I think.

red book

From two or three years ago.

big train

This sketch is from the second series of Big Train. I did the caricatures that Kevin Eldon's 'drawing' in it, back when I was - I dunno - 25 or something. I remember how when the coffee-stained piece of A4 with the script on was biked over, my flatmate looked at it and said 'that doesn't sound very funny'.

I can only look at the drawings through my fingers, now; they make me cringe so much. Given a second chance I'd do a much, much better job but hey - they only gave me half an hour or so to get them done, and they never actually paid me in the end. So I guess we're quits.

(Thanks to Rhodri for ripping it from the DVD).

grifter

Here's an 'old' one...



... by which I mean 'I did it ages ago, but it's only just come out'.

Grifter are a band from Plymouth. They make that kind of balls-out rock (I think that needed to be in bold) that's influenced by Black Sabbath, Scissorfight and Clutch. My mate Phil plays bass for them -and at the end of 2006(!), he asked if I'd draw a picture for the cover of the band's new CD. I said yes, Phil. I'll draw you a picture if you like.

That new CD finally got a release (of sorts) a month or so ago. In this interview, Ollie from the band explains the delay, and also mentions the cover and how the character I drew has been adopted as the band's mascot.

Be warned though, he does a swear.

birds

From a couple of years ago, and still on my letterheads and invoices....

plan b

There's a picture of mine in the latest issue of Plan B.

They printed it bigger than I expected, and now I wish I'd spent more time adding details (not that it's their fault; I was on a 'simplicity' kick at the time and I feel I over - or is that 'under'? -did it). But ho-hum ... another something to add to my 'do better next time' list.

If you can't make it out from the photo, the pic's over on my flickr account, too.

in the woods

An image from an old (2006? 2007?) concert poster.

chimp

An old flyer, from 2007.

pluto

Now here's an old one.

In 1999 I joined a great team of people and helped make some carnival floats for Disneyland Paris. Each float represented a different continent - Donald Duck was South America, for example, and Minnie Mouse was Asia.

Pluto, as you'll see from these photos below, represented Europe. That's why there's a Eurostar train wrapping around his throat, and why Big Ben's clocktower is sticking out of the back of his head.

Each float was made from a mix of steel and polystyrene and painted resin, and once complete, stood around 60ft high. Unfortunately, I never got to see the parade in action. But god bless Google, as I found this page online.

spoof board games

I was asked to rip off some classic board games, for last year's 'The Internet, Now In Handy Book Form'...

... that last one's my favourite, I think.

1000 songs to change your life

Here's some snaps of my advance copy of '1000 songs to change your life'.

Rather than a book of lists (as the name may suggest) it's actually a collection of essays, which focus on topics from learning to love jazz-improvisation (think Eric Dolphy) to the role played by gender-bending in rock (think the New York Dolls).

I got to illustrate the ten lead essays from the book. So, from the top:

• The cover (not by me)


• An essay on how urban environments have shaped music


• An essay on impossible-to-defend-yet-still-exhilirating rap
  

I know I would say this - but it's a great read. It'll be in the shops in a month or so, and you can pre-order it from amazon here.

smoke

Hey look - it's another smoking woman. From a year or two ago, this. It wasn't for anything; I just wanted to try out the colours.

post it

I've hung onto this inconsequential doodle - scribbled on a post-it note - for years now.