OMG It's A Unicorn - new comics by school kids

Here we see a new selection of comics created by pupils in my Comic Art Masterclasses in schools in Newbury and King's Heath. All of them Year 5s, as it happens. And there are glimpses of just some of their faces. I draw a caricature of everyone in the class, which they take home along with the photocopied comic containing a strip by every single one of them.

If you'd like me to come to your school, library or art centre to share some of the wisdom I've gleaned from my 25 years writing and drawing comics, don't hesitate to get in touch.

The celebrities they chose for the whole "treads on a worm" demonstration (about which I'll tell you more some day) were Miley Cyrus, Matt Smith, Keith Lemon, Will I Am and Taylor Swift. (Simon Cowell was suggested in 3 out of 5 classes, as per usual).



As well as writing Bananaman and drawing Pansy Potter in The Beano, Kev F Sutherland has worked for everyone from Marvel to Doctor Who & most points inbetween, and runs Comic Art Masterclasses in schools, libraries and art centres - email for details, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter. He's been writing and drawing comics for 25 years, he must know something.

To see ourselves as others see us - me drawn by kids

O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!

That's Burns' exclamation mark, not mine, by the way. Here we see me, as drawn by a class of Year 5s at Colmore Junior School in Kings Heath near Birmingham, and who wouldn't be shocked by discovering they're actually that gorgoeous in real life. Shut up.



Kev F Sutherland runs Comic Art Masterclasses in schools, libraries and art centres - email for details, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter. He's been writing and drawing comics for 25 years, he must know something.
 

Cole Porter, Miracle Banana & more in this week's Beano

This week's Bananaman in The Beano is another of my favourite scripts - Cafe Hero. Stuffed full of juicy puns it not only features the return of Miracle Banana but also includes the revelation of his secret identity (a reference which comic fans will get, I hope). There's also the return of another of the recurring guest characters I've been using through the series, plus a variation on the Cheers theme, and a nifty plot twist I'm quite pleased with.

On top of all that there's a tribute to Cole Porter, with a snippet of Well Did You Evah (above) which appears, spooky coincidentally, just a day after I posted the Socks singing their version of the song on Youtube.

As well as Bananaman, I've written this week's Little Plum, Damon The Shaman (written as Damon's debut, it's appeared a week after last week's Mind Reading story which was originally the Return Of Damon The Shaman. These titles, by the way, only exist in my head). Also in this week is Pansy Potter 'Handshake' which was, I think, the first Pansy I wrote.

 And is it my imagination, or is the brilliant Laura Howell paying homage to Joe and Petunia from the old public information film Coastguard in this week's Tricky Dicky? I do hope so.

Kev F Sutherland runs Comic Art Masterclasses in schools, libraries and art centres - email for details, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter. He's been writing and drawing comics for 25 years, he must know something.

Well Did You Evah - new clip from the Socks

Small but perfectly formed, here's a clip of the Socks singing Well Did You Evah, from their classic Romeo & Juliet routine (which you can see, live and in full, here), which hasn't been in the live show for years but really deserves a revival.

We shot this as part of a showreel, working towards a TV project, and thought it deserved a wider airing. Enjoy.



The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre ...And So Am I runs from July 30 - August 22 2014 at 10.30pm in The Gilded Balloon at The Edinburgh Fringe. Tickets are on sale already.  

My acoustic guitar - on sale on eBay

Contain yourselves, don't get too excited but, this guitar is on sale on eBay. NOW! http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=291141026517 There's even a video:


This beautiful Hohner acoustic guitar - an LW400N Arbor (he says, as if he'd ever read the label until today) - was used in my comedy stage act from 1989 until the mid 2000s and still sounds great - see me demonstrate it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1doaS...

It was bought in 1989, after its predecessor got trodden on at a gig in London (as a result of which I had to borrow Mark Lamarr's guitar to do the show). This isn't Mark Lamarr's guitar, I hasten to add, this is mine. And soon it'll be yours.

It comes complete with soft guitar case and a couple of plectrums. And memories, so many memories. This guitar has been on stage with me for comedy shows all over the country, when I've preceded or followed such names as Peter Kay, Lee Mack, Tim Vine, Frank Skinner, Jo Brand, Simon Pegg, Miranda Hart and a hundred others. Why, many of them may have actually touched this guitar, while moving it out of their way backstage at such prestigious venues as The Comedy Box in Bristol and The Monkhouse Club in Leicester.

I wouldn't be surprised if Simon Pegg and Miranda Hart's fingerprints (and possibly even their DNA) is still all over this guitar.  It's played the old Comedy Store, the original Jongleurs, and dozens of comedy clubs that you needn't look for cos they're not there any more (the second Spinal Tap reference of the day, you'll find another in the demo video).

Collect only. I shan't risk posting this baby.

Guitar. On eBay. Priceless. But, for you, starting at £5.

 

Breaking Bad live - new from the Socks

(click to play) The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre perform a spoiler-free (and very short) version of Breaking Bad live at Leicester Comedy Festival. For your pleasure.



The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre are on tour... NOW!
May 9 - Exeter Barnfield
May 14 - Camden Head, London 
May 17 - Brighton Komedia
May 23 - Keighley Exchange
May 31 - Aylesbury Limelight
June 6 - Hazlitt Theatre, Maidstone
June 7 - Butlins, Bognor
June 11 - Camden Head, London 
June 19 - Phoenix Arts, Bordon Hants
June 20 - Derby Assembly Rooms
June 21 - Halifax Square Chapel
June 22 - Derby (family show) 
July 4 - Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham
July 9 - Bedford Fringe 
July 11 - Beverley Puppet Festival 
July 13 - Sheffield New Barrack Tavern 2pm
July 17 - Larmer Tree Festival, Wilts
July 18 - Leeds Carriageworks
July 19 - Cradley Heath Comedy Festival
July 22 - Comedy Den Cardiff
July 23 - Taurus Manchester
July 30 - Aug 25 Gilded Balloon, 10.30pm - Edinburgh Fringe 2014

'Heroin Moreish' gag is very moreish

I'm not saying this cartoon in today's Private Eye is unoriginal, but...

Don't I remember David Walliams saying "I can't be with you today, as I am busy taking heroin - be careful, it's a little moreish" in the guise of Lou Reed, at the 2002 NME Awards? (I can't find the clip, but here's an online citation).

And didn't Harry Hill famously have it as part of his act? This popular meme certainly thinks so...

It's a commonly used phrase, as this blog seems not to even need to mention its origin.  And it's already made its way onto a popular range of t-shirts:

Here's a forum where Russell Brand's being slagged off for using the gag, and here you can see Superhans in Peep Show saying it, but about crack.



It's so common, some people use it with no sense of irony. And here the Telegraph has decided, again with irony-filter off, that it's cocaine that's moreish.

And here's someone using the gag in a review about a football book.

Urban dictionary even uses the gag as the dictionary definition of Heroin!

So the lesson we've learned today is,  the "heroin is very moreish" gag? Well it is very - oh, you were ahead of me.

UPDATE: I'd like to apologise to cartoonist Jonesy, from whom I've received the following message that he'd like me to pass on :

Hand on heart, I had never come across this gag before. I'm not the first person to accidentally reinvent the wheel and I'm sure I won't be the last.
One thing I am sure of is that I don't need to resort to plagiarism to get my work published and I definitely don't need to "go online to find the next gag to sell to Private Eye".
You're welcome to visit my portfolio page on the PCO site:
http://procartoonists.org/portfolios/stevejones/
where you'll find a selection of my work which will, hopefully, assuage any doubts you have about both my integrity and ability to get original work published on a regular basis.
You may also care to visit my own website:
www.jonesycartoons.com
Just as I understand why you have written this article, I'm sure you'll understand why it should cause me great disappointment and no little offence.
Thank you for your time.
Regards,
Steve
(Jonesy Cartoons)

See also: Birth of an unoriginal original gag
and "A Site For Tired Eyes" stolen gag vs old idea



The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre ...And So Am I runs from July 30 - August 22 2014 at 10.30pm in The Gilded Balloon at The Edinburgh Fringe. Tickets are on sale already.