Friday, 20 November 2015

Hurricane Barney, an online chat


A Facebook post that attracted lots of comments:

Not wanting to be unsympathetic to anyone hit by Storm Barney. But.... Barney? Is there any male name beginning with B that doesn't a bit, well, unthreatening? Hev & I just discussed this, and all male B names are essentially comedy names or the names of friendly uncles. Bob = case in point. Billy? Bertie? Brian? Basil? Benny? Is there any B name that you could really use for a villain? Or, indeed, a storm?

Steve Noble
Steve Noble Brutus....Boris...
Like · Reply · November 17 at 3:27pm
Kev Sutherland
Kev Sutherland Sounds like a baby name for Oliver.
Like · Reply · November 17 at 3:27pm
Kevin Lyons
Kevin Lyons The The Stainless Steel Rat is called Bolivar!
Like · Reply · November 17 at 3:42pm
Kev Sutherland
Kev Sutherland As was the bloke who invented the Sentinels in X-Men
Like · Reply · November 17 at 5:06pm
Kev Sutherland
Write a reply...
Kev Sutherland
Kev Sutherland I will give you Hurricane Brutus. Cos it would smell like Henry Cooper.
Like · Reply · 3 · November 17 at 3:28pm
Kenny Gibson
Kenny Gibson Everytime i hear it it reminds me of that bloody big purple dinosaur I had to sit through when 21st Daughter was little.
Like · Reply · 1 · November 17 at 3:29pm · Edited
Catriona Hamilton
Catriona Hamilton Balthazar or Behemoth
Like · Reply · 1 · November 17 at 3:36pm · Edited
Simonetta Avossa Carvell
Kevin Lyons
Patrick Gallagher
Patrick Gallagher Beelzebub. "That's a devil (hell) of a storm!"
Like · Reply · 3 · November 17 at 3:37pm
Joe Matthews
Eva Perkins
Eva Perkins 3 more to go then choose the deity of your choice to help you because it'll be storm EVA!
Like · Reply · November 17 at 4:02pm
David Spence
David Spence First was AbiGAIL, now 'storm in the barn' (Barney). I would have suggested Buster (Bluster)
Like · Reply · November 17 at 4:03pm
Steve Bright
David Leach
David Leach Baxter would make a good name for a storm.
Like · Reply · November 17 at 4:10pm
Patrick Gallagher
Joe Matthews
Joe Matthews not after Anchor Man
Like · Reply · November 17 at 4:11pm
Kev Sutherland
Write a reply...
Paul Smith
Roderick McKie
Roderick McKie Hurricane Bastard.
Like · Reply · 1 · November 17 at 4:13pm
Richard Hayes
Richard Hayes In 2014, a study came to the contentious conclusion that female-named storms caused more deaths because less people thought they were dangerous and so didn't take precautions. Still, "Barney"?
Like · Reply · November 17 at 4:13pm
Roderick McKie
Roderick McKie Can't wait for the next one, Hurricane C.
Like · Reply · 1 · November 17 at 4:13pm
Steve Bright
Steve Bright Will Hurricane Fred follow eventually?
Unlike · Reply · 1 · November 17 at 4:17pm
Felicity Harper
Tardy Byrd Wattinger
Tardy Byrd Wattinger Bryce sounds like a tosser?
Like · Reply · November 17 at 4:45pm
Kev Sutherland
Kev Sutherland Baxter is a good name for a wall.
Like · Reply · November 17 at 5:07pm
Kev Sutherland
Kev Sutherland So we, in fact, agree. No male name beginning with B - that any normal human would ever be called - sounds that scary?
Like · Reply · 1 · November 17 at 5:08pm
Kev Sutherland
Kev Sutherland Except Battersby. And Bubba. And Biffa.
Like · Reply · November 17 at 5:10pm · Edited
Peter Hogan
Pete Shilton Godwin
Pete Shilton Godwin . in keeping with the paris theme .. Bertrand.
Unlike · Reply · 1 · November 17 at 5:17pm
Kev Sutherland
Kev Sutherland That'd only make a rustle.
Like · Reply · 1 · November 17 at 5:18pm
Kev Sutherland
Write a reply...

Steve Bright
Steve Bright I knew a very scary Brian once.
Like · Reply · November 17 at 5:23pm
Steve Bright
Steve Bright Then there was Benny from Crossroads...
Like · Reply · November 17 at 5:24pm
Martin Cox
Martin Cox Ballistique? Bludgeon? ( you may b right)
Unlike · Reply · 1 · November 17 at 5:28pm
Pete Renshaw
Pete Renshaw Bane, oh I suppose that's not really a name.
Like · Reply · November 17 at 5:33pm
Martin Cox
Kev Sutherland
Write a reply...
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett Barney Rubble makes it seem more threatening
Like · Reply · November 17 at 5:35pm
Pete Shilton Godwin
Vicky Stonebridge
Vicky Stonebridge If they start naming all the storms that hit NW scotland we'll be back to Z by next week or so. c'est normal, we call it November.
Like · Reply · November 17 at 6:22pm
Ellie Yates
Pete Renshaw
Pete Renshaw Beelzebub, not sure how many little Beelzebubs there are running around the school yard. But, I checked, parents are going for Bain, oh dear. 'Storm Beelzebub will be hitting the NW coast of Scotland' might get you battoning down hatches Vicky.
Like · Reply · November 17 at 6:33pm
Kev Sutherland
Write a reply...
Stewart Perkins
Annette Tweed
Brian Gorman
Andrew Ness
Andrew Ness · Friends with Nick Xylas
Bobba Fett?
Like · Reply · November 17 at 8:49pm
Robert Shearman
Anthony Aloysius Amis
Kev Sutherland
Write a reply...
Benjamin Francis Elliott
Benjamin Francis Elliott Benjamin can be a scary name. Ben is too quick for the impact, but Benjamin has a force.

As for Barney, remember - he ate the kids. Trying watching it with your children or grandchildren now. wink emoticon
Like · Reply · November 17 at 10:10pm
Mark Parmenter
Mark Parmenter Bawbag ? Oh hang on, we a named a hurricane that about two years ago.
Like · Reply · November 17 at 10:26pm
PJ Holden
PJ Holden Storm Beelzebub seems too strong in the other direction...
Like · Reply · November 17 at 10:29pm
Graham Exton
Anthony Aloysius Amis
Graham Exton
Robert Shearman
Robert Shearman Bilbo Baggins, the Bastard Buggering Bilgebag. From Brighton.
Like · Reply · 4 · November 17 at 11:00pm
Anthony Aloysius Amis
Anthony Aloysius Amis Bruce Banner Hulk Hurricane
Like · Reply · November 17 at 11:04pm
Alex Donald
Anthony Aloysius Amis
Tiki Swain
Tiki Swain · Friends with Robert Shearman
Benedict.
Like · Reply · November 17 at 11:12pm
Sean Brightman
Sean Brightman Wait 'til we get Steve and Nigel.
Like · Reply · November 17 at 11:44pm
Al Davison
Al Davison Boris is scary, Johnson even more than Karloff!
Like · Reply · 1 · November 18 at 12:06am
Helen Baxter
Helen Baxter Beelzebub? Which does sound quite cute.
Like · Reply · November 18 at 4:42am
Kev Sutherland
Kev Sutherland Really? I get no likes for "Baxter is a good name for a wall"?
Like · Reply · 1 · November 18 at 5:02am
Paul Grist
Kev Sutherland
Anthony D Lee
Bennett Arron
Mark Broad
Mark Broad · Friends with Tony Bennett and 1 other
Bastard
Like · Reply · November 18 at 11:26am
Andy Wass
John Earwaker
Tim Bateman
Tim Bateman on-comedic and non-avunculr names surely include Barnabus and Benedict?
Like · Reply · November 18 at 5:49pm · Edited
Tim Bateman
Tim Bateman Is that how 'Barnabus' is spelt
Like · Reply · November 18 at 5:51pm · Edited
Kev Sutherland
Write a reply...
Al Davison
Al Davison
Al Davison Badrik, Balder, Barrat,
Like · Reply · November 18 at 6:32pm
Richard Starzak
Neil Nixon
Neil Nixon Bruno, Butch, Boris (before that blundering tory toff ruined it), Brett, Brent, Brandon, Brady
Like · Reply · November 18 at 9:09pm



My Books And Where To Find Them...


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Deranged Suicidal Beavers - comics by kids in Amman


This week I have had the pleasure of teaching my Comic Art Masterclasses in Amman, Jordan, and it's been a marvellous week. Across three days at the American Community School I taught six masterclasses and gave three talks to the younger pupils, while being wonderfully looked after by the school and particularly by their excellent librarian Jessica Levitt, and her lovely family.

Having not known what to expect from Jordan, fearing the worst of a country which, I was aware after a bit of Googling, borders Syria, Egypt and Israel, it turns out to be very western and not in the slightest bit scary. As for the kids, they were a mix of nationalities, and all English (well American) speaking, and as you can see came up with the kind of ideas kids come up with all round the world.


The top pair of comics were produced by the 6th Graders while the two above were by kids from 7th Grade. 7th Grade is Year 8, unless you're in Scotland where it would be 2nd Year, or posh school where it would be the Lower Remove, or would it be the Upper Third, I honestly can't remember (I've done one posh school this year that still used that bizarre old system of upper and lower forms, but it didn't stick in the memory). As for what they'd all be in Ireland, you'd think I'd know by now. I also did lectures to the 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade, which you can work out for yourself I'm sure.


And having started the week thinking I was going to be in a strict Muslim country with harsh laws, I not only found myself at a party drinking beer which I'd not only bought at one of their many liquor stores, but which had been brewed in Jordan's own micro-brewery, but also sent the kids home with a comic called Fifty Shades Of 8th Grade, about which title their teachers batted not one eyelid.

Oh, and do you see what I've done with the sequence of covers? Amazingly, when I've worked in the same school over successive days, I've never linked the covers together like this before.


The celebs they chose to tread on a worm were, not unsurprisingly, free of Simon Cowell, who I'm delighted to report is almost unheard of in the American Community School in Amman and, I dare say, across the rest of Jordan. They chose instead Will Smith, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Miley Cyrus, Michael Jackson, Donald Trump and Morgan Freeman.



Kev F Sutherland, as well as writing and drawing for The Beano, Marvel, Doctor Who et al, runs Comic Art Masterclasses in schools, libraries and art centres - email for details, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter. View the promo video here. 

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Wednesday, 18 November 2015

Comic Art Masterclass 2016 Calendar - on sale now



Available for the first time ever, here's a treat for anyone who's ever enjoyed Kev F's Comic Art Masterclass - a calendar with 104 of the best covers from the kids comics from the past year. And for less than a tenner? Literally no better Christmas present, I'd say.

In glorious colour, over the full 12 months plus the cover, there are comics from all points in the globe. Well, most points in the... okay a number of different points in the - do you want to know all the schools that are featured? Really? Okay, here goes. There are comics from...


Jan: Kinlet Bewdley, Mendip Green Worle, Phillipstown Gwent, Fagley Bradford, Beaufort Ebbw Vale, Milton Lilbourne private party.

Feb: Portland Place London, Malvern Parish, Castleview Slough, St Patricks Denny

Mar: Aldenham Herts, Alec Reed Academy London, New City Academy London, Rough Hay Wednesbury

Apr: Alton College, Ovingham Northumberland, Harpenden Library, Miers Court Rainham, Dyson Perrins Malvern, Nylands Swindon

May: Colmore Kings Heath, Healing Lincs, Dixon Kings Bradford, Bradford College, Dorchester Festival, Bradford Literature Festival

June: Thornhill Croydon, Blakehill Bradford, Sunderland Wonderland Festival

July: Backwell North Somerset, Bonner Bethnal Green, Ruskin Swindon, Newton Ferrers Devon, Testwood Totton Hants, Romsey Hants, Shire Oak Walsall

Aug: Cottesmore Crawley, Copthall Barnet, Sion-Manning London, Fortismere Muswell Hill, Harris City Crystal Palace, Auldearn Nairn

Sept: Rosebank Nairn, Wester Hailes Edinburgh, Morningside Library, Central Library Edinburgh, Darlington Library, Balerno Edinburgh, County Care Woking

Oct: College Du Leman Switzerland, Beau Soleil Switzerland, St Anne's Bewdley, Bewdley Primary, Snape Maltings, Manchester Literature Festival

Nov: Nettlebed Oxon, St Pauls Waterford, Tallaght Dublin, Enniscorthy Vocational College

Dec: Our Lady's Coventry, Hilperton Wilts, Darley North Yorks, Eastern Green Coventry, Kentisbeare Devon

So, if you want to see it for free, or to buy one, you can check out the whole thing with no obligation by clicking here. It's on sale at the discount price of just £8.99. Order now to avoid disappointment.



Kev F Sutherland, as well as writing and drawing for The Beano, Marvel, Doctor Who et al, runs Comic Art Masterclasses in schools, libraries and art centres - email for details, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter. View the promo video here. 




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Wednesday, 11 November 2015

Voldemort vs Aliens - Comics by schoolkids


After a break of a couple of weeks writing and drawing for next year's Beano and Dandy annuals, I'm back in the saddle of Comic Art Masterclasses. Above and below you see the fruits of two days in the primary school in Nettlebed in rural Oxfordshire. And a wonderful range of imagination it demonstrates. These, of course, are the covers of the comics that they each take away with them, containing a strip by every one of them and an individual caricature by me.


It's a treat to work at a school that can give me good long sessions with the pupils, and after two days where even the afternoon class was 2 and a quarter hours long, and the morning lasts over 3 hours, it makes me wonder why so many schools have so few hours to spare. Enjoy it when it's on offer, that's what I say. The front covers are a testament to the extra few minutes available to indulge myself in my doodles.


And here a couple I'd almost overlooked, from the Manchester Literature Festival at the end of last month. A smashing pair, nice to see them again.


The celebrities chosen by these six groups of pupils for my demonstration strip were Simon Cowell (twice), Taylor Swift, Ronaldo, Elvis and Michael Jackson.



Kev F Sutherland, as well as writing and drawing for The Beano, Marvel, Doctor Who et al, runs Comic Art Masterclasses in schools, libraries and art centres - email for details, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter. View the promo video here. 
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Friday, 6 November 2015

Dandy Strictly - a week at the drawing board


A visual gag that no-one will get to see for a year, and most people won't even notice when they do, these are a couple of backgrounds from Sickly Come Dancing, a 4-pager I've just finished drawing for the 2017 Dandy Annual.

There are few things as satisfying as delivering a finished piece of artwork last thing on Friday night, getting home in time for tea, and this week I had that pleasure. A 4 page strip shouldn't take 4 days to do, but I enjoyed putting in the details, and had fun throwing Dandy characters into the backgrounds, so the colouring took as long as the pencilling and inking. And I drew the whole thing as A2 pages, God knows why, just giving myself elbow room.

So, as well as getting Fowlers Christmas card roughed out on Monday (I'm awaiting instructions to totally redraw it from scratch next week, it's an annual ritual), and redrawing one of my recent Bible Society cartoons (there was a theological issue over elephants in Noah's ark so I had to replace them with cows), it took me two days to layout, pencil and ink the 4 page strip, and a further two days to colour and letter it. Drop-Box to the Dandy and home by 6, joy.



It is a rarity these days for me to spend five consecutive days in the studio drawing, with no schools, no Socks gigs (the October mini-tour ended last Friday in Canterbury), and no Socks videos (I could have, but art deadlines are art deadlines, and I'd forgotten how much I like meeting them), and I have enjoyed this week. Next week three days of Comic Art Masterclasses beckon, and after that we have international travel to look forward to.




Kev F Sutherland, as well as writing and drawing for The Beano, Marvel, Doctor Who et al, runs Comic Art Masterclasses in schools, libraries and art centres - email for details, and follow him on Facebook and Twitter. View the promo video here. 
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