I Hit My Bum Bum Teatray Hit My Bum Bum - comics by kids

A week of Comic Art Masterclasses in the North continued with what I'd thought, when planning it, was a really well scheduled itinerary. Yorkshire to the Lake District to Northumberland to Yorkshire and home. On screen, at first glance, these places look so far from home that, in contrast, that makes them look quite close together. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Having been in Wakefield on Monday, I then headed off for Haverigg School in Cumbria. Three hours away. Of course, how could it be any less. It's in the Lake District, and about as far west in that area as it's possible to get. Luckily the kids were a delight to work with and came up with these marvellous comic covers for me to draw (as well as each producing a comic strip, and going away with a caricature by me, as every class gets).

From as far west as you can get, to as far east, I then made my way to Seaton Sluice, near Whitley Bay in Northumberland. The last time I went there (apart from Zoom classes during lockdown) I flew there! Another three hour drive, inevitably. But the kids were great, of course, and gave me the title that inspired my favourite cover drawing of the week. I colour these in the hotel room that evening and email them back to the schools.

From Seaton Sluice, I was then down to Huddersfield, to Golcar school. Wasn't meant to be a three hour journey, but it ended up that way. But by golly, the title the kids came up with in the morning more than made up for all those miles. I Hit My Bum Bum Teatray Hit My Bum Bum? Beat that.

The journey home from Huddersfield was predicted by satnav to take another three hours. In the end, thanks to a blockage on the M5 that had us all sitting there for ages, it took over five hours to get home. You never know, sometime I might get round to finishing these damn crime novels and making my fortune, and I might cut down the classes. So schools, you'd better book me now, while you still can. (Confidently predicts he's going to be available well into the next decade.)

The celebrities these six groups chose to appear in my demonstration strip were Michael Jackson (twice), Johnny Depp, Bob Ross, Billie Eilish, and Nicki Minaj.

My Books and where to get them:

Findlay Macbeth - Amazon  - Etsy 
Prince Of Denmark Street - Amazon - Etsy 
Midsummer Nights Dream Team  - Amazon - Etsy 

Shakespeare Omnibus Collection (all 3 books) - tbc

Tales From The Bible - Amazon -  Etsy (signed)

Eurovision Colouring Vol 1 - Amazon -  Lulu £10.94 - Etsy £6.99
Eurovision Colouring Vol 2 - Amazon £15.32 - Lulu £10.72 - Etsy £6.99

Eurovision Colouring Best Of British - Amazon
Doctor Who Colouring - Amazon £11.84 - Lulu £9.98 - Etsy £6.99
Punk Colouring - Amazon £15.61 - Lulu £10.98 - Etsy £6.99
70s Pop Star Colouring - Amazon £10.98 - Lulu £10.98 - Etsy £6.99
60s Pop Star Colouring - Amazon £12.69 - Lulu £10.98 - Etsy £6.99