"Endlessly barmy" - The Independent

The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre have just got their first quote of the year, courtesy of The Independent. "Endlessly barmy" they say, which is delightful because, for one thing, we didn't put the words in their mouth, and they're possibly the biggest paper yet to mention us (who's bigger? The Scotsman? Time Out? Who knows? We love them all). Here's what the piece, with our photo, looked like:



And here it is in the full page. What's that you say? We're one of their "Ten Best Comedy Gigs"? Well I hadn't even noticed.



Tickets are on sale for our Leicester Comedy Festival gigs, here. Get them quick, before they're snapped up by all those Indy readers.


Feb 4, 5, 6 - Leicester Comedy Festival
Feb 23 - Flavel Dartmouth
Feb 26 011 - Stafford Gatehouse
Mar 11 - Stroud Subscription Rooms

Mar 12 - Madcap Milton Keynes
Mar 18 - Palace Theatre Redditch
Mar 19 - Glasgow Britannia Panopticon
Mar 24 - Brecon Theatr Breichieniog
Mar 26 – Woodend Barn Banochry
Mar 30 - Bristol Thunderbolt
Apr 1 - Voodoo Rooms Edinburgh
Apr 4 - Leicester Square Theatre, London
Apr 7 - Rondo Bath
Apr 8 - Falkirk Town Hall
April 11 - Leicester Square Theatre, London
Apr 15 - Barnfield Theatre, Exeter
Apr 22 - Eden Court Inverness

Apr 28 - Milford Haven Torch
May 6 - Farnham Maltings(+Ali Cook)
May 7 & 8 - Brighton Komedia
May 12 - The Lowry, Salford Quays
May 13 - Halifax Victoria Theatre
May 14 - Chorley Little Theatre
May 21 - Norwich Fringe
June 22 & 23 - Harrogate Theatre
July 9 - Norden Farm, Maidenhead
July 21 - Eastgate Peebles

Socks easter egg from Doctor Who DVD

Thanks to Picturesque, I've finally found this, the DVD easter egg hidden on Patrick Troughton's Dr Who story The Dominators. I actually own this DVD and haven't worked out how to find this yet. So, let's enjoy it together.

Abu Dhabi Comics

Five days of Comic Art Masterclasses in schools in Abu Dhabi, and we get ten comics. All great, and full of smashing work. Here are the front covers, with titles devised by the kids, who all add to the cover itself, and a selection of some of their caricatures. And I've coloured a couple of them, because why not. Enjoy.



You noticed the titles in Arabic? You're welcome, I do try.

I travel all round the country, nay the world, teaching kids how to draw comics. By the end of a morning or afternoon they've produced a comic to take home and I've drawn their faces. If you'd like me to come to teach your kids, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

RECOMMENDED COMIC BOOKS & GRAPHIC NOVELS for Comic Art Masterclass students, teachers and librarians

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I'm on two comic covers this week

My artwork appears on the front cover of two mainstream newsstand comic covers this week. I honestly can't remember the last time that happened. Check 'em out, they are this week's...



Doctor Who Adventures 202 (see that Find The Daleks box in the top right hand corner? That's me that is, as is the corresponding double page Dalek spread inside, from which this is a tiny snippet:)



And I'm also on the front cover of Match magazine:



I draw Galaxy Wanderers, a strip that's in there every week (guess I'd better get drawing the next couple pronto, tonto!) You'll have to buy both magazines to see the work in its full glory. What's keeping you?

Mr Kev - He Draws Comics You Know

Socks in Abu Dhabi

The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre have just returned from Abu Dhabi, bringing with them the tiniest snippet of new video which they hope you'll enjoy:



And need they remind you the Socks Spring Tour begins with next week's Leicester Comedy Festival. Get booking now.

Feb 4, 5, 6 - Leicester Comedy Festival
Feb 23 - Flavel Dartmouth
Feb 26 011 - Stafford Gatehouse
Mar 11 - Stroud Subscription Rooms

Mar 12 - Madcap Milton Keynes
Mar 18 - Palace Theatre Redditch
Mar 19 - Glasgow Britannia Panopticon
Mar 24 - Brecon Theatr Breichieniog
Mar 26 – Woodend Barn Banochry
Mar 30 - Bristol Thunderbolt
Apr 1 - Voodoo Rooms Edinburgh
Apr 4 - Leicester Square Theatre, London
Apr 7 - Rondo Bath
Apr 8 - Falkirk Town Hall
April 11 - Leicester Square Theatre, London
Apr 15 - Barnfield Theatre, Exeter
Apr 22 - Eden Court Inverness

Apr 28 - Milford Haven Torch
May 6 - Farnham Maltings(+Ali Cook)
May 7 & 8 - Brighton Komedia
May 12 - The Lowry, Salford Quays
May 13 - Halifax Victoria Theatre
May 14 - Chorley Little Theatre
May 21 - Norwich Fringe
June 22 & 23 - Harrogate Theatre
July 9 - Norden Farm, Maidenhead
July 21 - Eastgate Peebles

Abu Dhabi & Dubai

My week here in Abu Dhabi, and yesterday Dubai, has been so busy I haven't even had time to write a blog about it. I've been teaching two Comic Art Masterclasses of school kids every day, and in the afternoons have been driven to various places of interest then in the evening debriefing in the bar with Dez Skinn, all concerning the planned Comic Festival which has brought us both over here. It's a fascinating city, about which I must tell you when I get home. In the meantime there is a host of photos up on Facebook, click this one to take you there:



And the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre have even managed to make the tiniest of videos while they've been here, enjoy.



Two more classes today and then the flight home. I understand it's not 24 degrees in the shade back home. Not sure I'll be dressed for it.

Abu Dhabi Days

If it's Sunday it must be Abu Dhabi. And must feel like a Monday. I've just done two of my Comic Art Masterclasses with two groups of Home Schooled kids, mostly American, in Abu Dhabi (they produced comic called The Flaming Skull and Bombs & Destruction, now you ask, and the celebrities they suggested for the Character Walking Down The Street game were Michael Jackson and George Washington). And it's now 3.10pm in AD, though my time clock has lost track of time (that's 11.10am back home, and I got up at 6.30am or 2.30 in real money, so it's all a bit of a blur). In a moment I get picked up to go to the offices of ADMAF to photocopy the kids work, then you never know I might do some sightseeing. In the meantime, here are some photos, starting with today's first class:

This is the bathroom of my hotel room. It is as big as the hotel room itself:



And this is my hotel key card. They clearly think I'm a Basil Brush presenter:

What travel costs

The Socks forthcoming tour is intended to be a money making exercise, but I do a very good job of turning it into a money pit when I try. Today I've been making some travel arrangements and already I find I've left some of them a bit late to make good savings on.

The Socks' gig in Glasgow on 19th March entails a flight up on Saturday and back on Sunday and has just cost £94.98 (looks so cheap before you add the £18 for your bag and £5.50 for using a debit card). I still need to add overnight accommodation to that.

The following weekend's gig in Banchory is even madder. Luckily I've been offered a lift from Aberdeen to Banchory, and may have an offer of a place to stay. As for travel, I kept a note on Twitter as I went:

Booking flights Bristol - Aberdeen. Best so far £128 return direct Eastern. Daftest: all Tripadvisor flights cost £400+ & go via Paris.

Bristol-Aberdeen daftest flight yet: KLM costs £1500 and goes via Amsterdam and Brussels. And takes 8 hours. Slightly slower than train.

Fly.com manages £380 via Paris, and Direct Flights finds most expensive Bristol to Aberdeen flight at £1795. Looks like Eastern Airways win.

Do we have a winner in the Bristol to Aberdeen race? If I go easyjet to Edinburgh then train to Aberdeen it's £112 vs Eastern Airways' £128 >

> + Eastern Airways would need 2 overnight stays, this only needs 1. Yes! This gig might turn a profit yet (Socks Banchory Mar 26 book now)

Along the way I also checked out the train from Bristol to Aberdeen which, in order to get me there on time, would have been £80 one way, £45 the next and taken 8 or 9 hours each way. In the end easyjet Bristol to Edinburgh (£23.99) and back (£58.99 + £18 for bags + £5.50 for Visa debit) and train Edin to Aber (£10 one way, £11.50 back) comes to a total of £128.98 and saves one overnight stay.

And that is as interesting as I ever want my blogs to get (trust me, I'll find this useful some time in the future. Possibly when explaining why, if I'm so clever, why I'm not rich).

Tickets are on sale for all these crazy gigs, do book now.

Additional 20/1/11:

Edinburgh Fri 1st April, Easyjet £26.99 up, £23.99 down + £18 + £5.50 = £74.48. Accommodation to add.

Falkirk Fri 8th April, Easyjet to Edin £24.99 up, £27.99 down + £18 + £5.50, + £11 return train to Falkirk = £87.48. Accommodation to add.

Inverness Fri 22 April (not booked yet), Easyjet today stands at £50.99 up, £36.99 down (£112 minimum + accommodation)


Feb 4, 5, 6 - Leicester Comedy Festival
Feb 23 - Flavel Dartmouth
Feb 26 011 - Stafford Gatehouse
Mar 11 - Stroud Subscription Rooms



Mar 12 - Madcap Milton Keynes
Mar 18 - Palace Theatre Redditch
Mar 19 - Glasgow Britannia Panopticon
Mar 24 - Brecon Theatr Breichieniog
Mar 26 – Woodend Barn Banochry
Mar 30 - Bristol Thunderbolt
Apr 1 - Voodoo Rooms Edinburgh
Apr 4 - Leicester Square Theatre, London
Apr 7 - Rondo Bath
Apr 8 - Falkirk Town Hall
April 11 - Leicester Square Theatre, London
Apr 15 - Barnfield Theatre, Exeter
Apr 22 - Eden Court Inverness



Apr 28 - Milford Haven Torch
May 6 - Farnham Maltings(+Ali Cook)
May 7 & 8 - Brighton Komedia
May 12 - The Lowry, Salford Quays
May 13 - Halifax Victoria Theatre
May 14 - Chorley Little Theatre
May 21 - Norwich Fringe
June 22 & 23 - Harrogate Theatre
July 9 - Norden Farm, Maidenhead
July 21 - Eastgate Peebles

1st Comic Art Masterclass comics of the year

The year has kicked off with 4 days of Kev F's Comic Art Masterclasses, and the kids have been producing some great work already. Here are the covers from the comics produced by this year's groups so far (and the last two from last year).



I travel all round the country, nay the world, teaching kids how to draw comics. By the end of a morning or afternoon they've produced a comic to take home and I've drawn their faces. If you'd like me to come to teach your kids, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

RECOMMENDED COMIC BOOKS & GRAPHIC NOVELS for Comic Art Masterclass students, teachers and librarians

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Socks Angel 2008. Back for 2011?

This is how the Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre helped raise some of the money to take them to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2008. Through 2009 & 10 they decided against such an offer. But could it be about to return for 2011? Some details will have changed, only meaning bigger and better things for anyone able to help. Let's see. Stay tuned. (Click the picture to play the full Sock Angels 08 video)