Sock It To Me

A while ago one of my friends (Abi Stevens) did a design for 'Sock It To Me', and since I'm a fan of socks and textures, I decided to create some as well. I don't know if they'll consider them for their collection, but it was fun to do.  'Totally Alien' was inspired by an old stamp I made from a rubber years ago on my foundation. If you flip it sideways it kind of looks like a squid, hehe.

'Panda'

'Tiger Stripes'

'Totally Alien'

Folktales From Ancient Japan - ON SALE

My 'Folktales From Ancient Japan' is finally on sale now. Please excuse my tardiness to those who wanted a copy of it.

Folktales From Ancient Japan by Georgia Warley-Cummings | Make Your Own Book

Drabble - For My Next Trick

Everything was supposed to be fun, pretty and perfect for Sarah’s 8^th Birthday party. There was a princess cake, a bouncy castle, a DJ, pony rides, cool presents for the guests, as well for the birthday girl. Heck, her rich parents loved her so much; they even got her a magician. They should’ve stuck with a clown.

“Man, you suck! I bet you couldn’t even make me disappear!” shouted Sarah. The children jeered at the poor sweaty magician in agreement.

Later that night, the magician pats the earth with a shovel, “I’ll make you disappear, my dear, but only forever”.

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*Drabble: A short story that is exactly 100 words.

Dribblecast host Clay Dugger reads 'Under The Bed' drabble

There's something really nice when someone asks to record / read your work out. Just had my *drabble 'Under The Bed' read by Clay Dugger from the Dribblecast. Go take a look. It's a great place to pick up short funky stories, and even better if you're that kind of illustrator. ; )

http://www.dribblecast.org/2011/07/29/dribblecast-132-under-the-bed/


*Drabble - 100 word stories. 

Drabble - Laser Cereal

Dr. Fu had the best evil plan yet. He would dominate the world by enslaving children’s minds, using cereal. Sugar is the evil genius’ best tool. The snap-crackle-pop noise would force the children to listen to his subliminal orders. He had created self-destructive laser devices which had been broken down into ‘prize’ parts, which the children would slowly build it in their own homes.

It would have worked too, if it hadn’t been for his Cereal Company’s policy of testing on animals. Dogs and cats discovered they could use it for world domination. The canine and feline war had begun.

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*Drabble: A short story that is exactly 100 words.

Drabble - 'Under The Bed'

While some children hug teddies, Tommy prefers a spiked baseball bat. As he reaches for it under his bed, a five fingered fleshy pink hand reaches out towards him. It paws the carpet in search of something. Tommy screams and The Hand quickly retreats back to the bed’s shadows. He curls into a ball repeatedly muttering, “Humans do not exist, humans, do, NOT exist.”

On the other side of the multi-dimensional bed, the monstrous ‘Human’ only heard a gargled growling squeak. Whatever her imagination had told her it was; it was not having the spiked baseball bat back anytime soon.

Shippeitaro & The Phantom Cats

This was the last story for my Japanese Folktale book. I didn't manage to make a book for it, but I will have one made with all three stories in it. I'm still pondering on the title for it though, hehe. Anyway, this one is about a samurai who helps stop a village being forced to sacrifice their maidens to the mountain spirit ( which turns out to be a bakeneko or 'monster cat').

  

Samurai Sleeps At Ruined Haunted Temple

 Samurai Wanders Down To The Outskirts Of Village.

  

A Village Mother Tells Of Annual Sacrifices To Mountain Spirit

 Shippeitaro, The Prince's Dog

The Bakeneko Is Slain (cropped)

  

Shippeitaro & Samurai Slay The Bakeneko And His Followers

Still choosing...

Yes, I'm still choosing out of my prints which one works  as a card for New Designers / degree card. I've now narrowed it down again, and it's between 'Bronze Buddha Of Kamakura & Followers' and 'The Chrysanthemum Sisters'. This may sound egotistical, but the reason why I'm having this problem is because I'm so pleased with all the imagery I've produced this semester. Bad, right? Please drop a comment with yor 'vote'. :P

 

'The Bronze Buddha of Kamakura & Followers'

 'The Chrysanthemum Sisters'

Card for Thought Factory?

 I still haven't made a final choice for my New Designers card, but I'm favouring between 'The Bronze Buddha of Kamakura & Followers' and 'The Chrysanthemum Sisters'. Which one do you think works best out of this lot?

'Whale & Shark'

'Chrysanthemum Sisters'

 'Head Priest Meets Whale & Buddha'

 

'Bronze Buddha of Kamakura & Followers'

Drabble - Jazz Chicken

Flynn was going to kick the cluck for the last time. He had finished with being just a ‘chicken’. Clucking wasn’t enough for him, nor just belting it out each morning.

 He had heard jazz from the farmer’s radio, and it was calling him. Not just from ba-da-boom of the drums, the zazz of the trumpet, the silky underbelly of the bass and twinkling peal of the piano.

That’s why the next morning he let his trumpet rip into the air. He was no chicken, he was... jazz chicken.

Well, he was… till the farmer shot, cooked and ate him.

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*Drabble: A short story that is exactly 100 words.

Drabble - For Damaged Hair

I've really taken to writing short 100 worded stories called 'drabbles'. They were initiated by a website called 'Drabblecast' which run a podcast of science-fiction / fantasy stories, and I absolutely adore them. Go check them out when you have a moment.


http://web.me.com/normsherman/Site/Podcast/Podcast.html

Anyway.... this is my third drabble which I've posted on their site. I think it's a touch better than my last one which I'll post at a later point.

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For Damaged Hair

‘X shampoo: 5 times less split ends, intensive repair, with micro moisture serum and fibre actives. Reconstructs hair from inside damaged hair.’

I roll the bottle in my hand and dial their helpline. An Irish man’s voice responds with a, “…hello this is the X company, how may I help you?”

“I was wondering if you’ve had any complaints for your latest shampoo,” my scaly hair coils round my neck in response to the question.

“No. We’ve had no complaints. Do you wish to forward one, madam?”

 “Bloody yes, your product turns hair to snakes!” I hiss into the phone.

The Angry Whale....

I've been cutting away frantically for this new story, and I'm stuck on a design decision. The image that I'm stuck on is where the whale becomes furious from all the rumours about the giant buddha. I'm happy with how the whale looks, but wondering whether I should get rid of all the 'mini-buddha's that represent all the rumours he's heard. With Buddhas.... or without them, which look better?

Japanese Folk Tales...

Trying to relay Japanese folk tales / legends to someone is rather hard when they've never encountered them before. I'm currently reading  "Myths & Legends of Japan" by F. Hadland Davis (Forgotten Books), and it's got a barrel-full of weird tales. Take the example of the recent story I'm working on, which is called "The Bronze Buddha of Kamakura & The Whale". 

It's about a whale who wants to know whether he is bigger than this acclaimed 'giant' bronze buddha statue that is apparently fifty feet high. He becomes enraged with jealousy anytime he hears rumours and praises about this 'giant' statue. Eventually he becomes so angry that blows a paddy in the sea. Left all alone with only the company of a 'kindly' shark (exact phrasing from the tale) he explains his insecurity woes to him. The shark agrees to go off and discover just how big this bronze statue really is.

However, just as the shark nears the shore he realizes he can't cross onto land, but with luck he meets a rat running along a junk. The shark charms the rat (not sure how) to see the Buddha and report back to him how big it is. The rat agrees and scampers off to the temple, only to be shocked in awe at how massive the statue really is. He works out that if he counts his paces he can figure out how big it is. After doing this he returns to the shark who reports back to the whale of the buddha's exact dimensions. 

After hearing the Buddha's 'exact dimensions', the whale still can't believe how big the buddha is and decides to 'put on magic boots' to walk on land. Under the cover of darkness he walks to the temple and knocks on the door to which he hears ' a voice that rang like the sound of a great bell', "Come in!" The whale replies that it cannot, because of the small doors and asks if the Buddha could come out. Unbelievably, the Buddha steps outside to be greeted by the whale's large presence and the whale shares its insecurities with him. 

While the two chat, the head priest of the temple has half sleepily gone to check the Buddha statue, only to find it gone. Hearing voices he goes to investigate the noises, only to be met by two massive figures...the giant buddha statue talking to a whale wearing boots. The pair explain the whale's problem, and the priest decides that best way to resolve it is to measure the two by using his rosary. They finally discover that the whale is bigger than the Buddha just by two inches, in which he happily returns to the sea more vain than ever.

However, the way the story is phrased towards the end is particularly weird. It goes on to say... "Dealers in dry goods and dealers in wood and iron agreed from that day to this to differ as to what was a foot – an the difference was a matter of two inches."

I sure know how to pick them, don't I? 

V&A Illustrator Awards

I've applied my Angela Carter 'The Werewolf' linocuts to the V&A Illustration Awards. No idea if I'll be considered, as there is so much talent on there.

"The good child does as her mother bids - five miles trudge through the forest; do not leave the path becuase of the bears, the wild board, the starving wolves."

"The child had a scabby coat of sheepskin to keep out the cold, she knew the forest too well to fear it, but she must always be on her guard."

"Now the child lived in her grandmother's house: she prospered."