Diary of a jobbing.. whatever it is I do.

(Thanks to Marie Baer at the BBC for these photos, of which there are more on Facebook, of the Socks performing in the BBC's pink tent at Edinburgh)

It's a fair indication of my level of busy-ness that I've hardly written a blog post this month. Sometimes I'll have time to kill (or think, maybe that's a better way of putting it), and sometimes I'll have spleen I want to vent (though even this year in Edinburgh I had fewer reasons to get on my soapbox than in previous years).

This month I've been busy, doing a little bit of pretty much everything on my CV, which is delightful.



Most excitingly, I've been working for The Beano for the first time in ages. Back at the peak of my Beano output, it was making up about a third of my income, but a couple of editors ago they changed what they were using, and my style of long stories disappeared for a while. Then back in July I was brought in to do comic art masterclasses at Beanotown, of which I did a couple more last weekend, and I've been representing The Beano doing caricatures in Dr Martens stores and, yesterday, in The Entertainer toy shop in Kingston. And now I'm back in the comic itself, writing last week my first Bananaman scripts, and this past week my first Biffo The Bears. I've not got a drawing commission yet, but let's see how things go.

I have completed one drawing commission this month, producing all the illustration for the second volume of Laurence Smith's business book Strategies, which is a treat to do, And I've pencilled and half-inked the 12 pictures that will make up the Socks' 2014 calendar, which is going to look great again, you'll be pleased.

The comic art classes have started their new season, with two days in Beanotown followed by two days at Monks Abbey In Lincoln; and the Socks have got back into their stride with two shows in Belfast and Derry followed by comedy show slots at The Mill at Rode and, last night (after a day at The Entertainer in Kingston) at Bryanston School in Blandford Forum in Dorset.

And though that's left a few days in my studio, it's meant the last 10 days has so far been characterised by travel. Allow me to measure the mileage between Clevedon and Belfast, Derry, The South Bank, Kibworth, Lincoln, Rode, Kingston, Blandford Forum and home... nope, can't be arsed.

Coming up, the Socks play Braintree (if, and keep this to yourself, if we sell enough tickets by Monday, stay tuned) then Nottingham then the world's our oyster.



SOCKS IN SPACE - The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre are on tour... NOW!

Sept 21 - Braintree Arts Theatre
Sept 22 4pm - Nottingham Comedy Festival
Oct 5 - Farnham Maltings
Oct 11 - Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham
Oct 24 - The Capitol, Horsham
Oct 25 - Tom Thumb Theatre, Margate
Oct 26 - Canterbury Festival
Nov 1 - Ace Centre, Nelson
Nov 2 - Leeds Carriageworks
Nov 14 - Hull Comedy Festival
Nov 15 - Ropewalk, Barton On Humber
Nov 16 - Chorley Little Theatre