Drabble: No Ordinary Woman

The competition was fierce, but Cindy knew she would win with her smoky looks and witty personality. She felt confident, but she couldn’t stop all six of her legs from shaking.

She heard her rival’s song end and mentally prepared herself, “…So don’t you bring me down today.”  

Cake’s song played next and Cindy spun violet strands of silk about her like feather boas. The crowd made entranced sounds whilst she stomped her black stilettos across the stage. She toyed with her jacket’s lapels and let the air dance under her short skirt. She would show them true monstrous beauty.

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Side note: Working on the title, but just wanted to share with you some thoughts. I didn’t realize just how many songs make women sound like they’ve got a secret monstrous side. Just go and have a listen at Billy Joel’s ‘Just Another Woman’ which I literally stumbled onto today.

http://youtu.be/UHfBXHari34

*Drabble: A story of exactly 100 words.

Drabble: Something Funny Walks This Way

Sherbet the burlesque clown ran for his life, chased by two blurry figures cackling in the night. There was little hope for escape, as his opaque makeup streamed down his face onto the pavement leaving a steady white trail behind him.

Suddenly the shadows become solid and gore down on his throat and wrists. One of them stops and furiously spits out Sherbet's hot blood. "Adrian, don't ingest its blood!" but it was too late for his friend. His nose blooms red and spherical, his hair frizzes bright orange whilst his feet rupture his leather shoes. He had become...a Were-Clown.

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

Drabble: Elf Checkout

‘Every little helps’, Taffy beams her elfish smile to her last customer, whilst she massages the back of her short aching legs. Her shift was almost over and the night was starting to creep in.

 A middle aged pot bellied man lurches up her lane with aged booze in tow and slams it down on the counter. The glass bottles quake and jingle as the man lets out a toxic belch. Taffy wrinkles her nose in utter disgust. "Well pardon me. Sorry for wantin' a bit of 'Elf Help," the man chuckles heartily. "Actually Sir, I'm a Munchkin.," Taffy growls. 

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

2013 Bologna Children's Book Illustration

Strange to think that my trip to the Bologna Children's Book Fair and time with the Cambridge School of Art  is all over now. I saw so many fantastic illustrations and received great (if sometimes curt) advice from publishers. What have I learnt so far? Well...I'm not 'commercial' enough, that's for sure. I really need to travel a bit more in terms of my 'style'. The whole trip taught me that simplicity is a child's best friend when it comes to learning the world around them, and how to engage stories with them. I guess it explains why there are so many picture books where characters are living in a constant flux of white limbo (ahem... Emily Gravett's 'Orange Bear Apple Pear', you have been poked). Seriously though, I need to learn how to tone down the texture, but that's going to be so hard as I adore it so much. Some of the publisher's liked my work, but they said it wasn't for them as it was too 'mature' (which they assured me isn't always a bad thing). I don't know if I'll get a contract or anything out of this, but it's really opened my eyes. 

 

Book cover for "Guzzler The Greedy Dragon"

It's been a long journey with Guzzler, I still don't know if children will take to him, but he's flying off to Bologna next week. I'm going to the Bologna Children's Book Festival and will be trying to catch the publisher's eyes, which will be incredibly difficult! I know I haven't added a name down the middle where the spine would be, but this is just to show you what it looks like. Please tell me what you think about this. I take criticism to heart and I really do want to improve. 

Flying my dragon.

Quick little sketch of a mini-me flying Guzzler the dragon from my children's book. It looks weird without its scales, hehe.

MA Exhibition at Foyles Bookshop.

I'm happy to have been part of the MA, Children's Book Illustration exhibition at the Foyles Bookshop. In a way, I'm sad that it has ended, as it marks the end of my time with the Masters lot. There was a lot of fantastic art there. I hope that we get some good jobs out of it (ahem, publishers, I am talking about you there). Here are a few photos of the show...

My work.

 Andrea Ramos' work

Andrea Ramos - "Wolfodile"

 Khuyen Le Thi Minh's work

Left: Tamsin Gilbert's work
Right: Victoria Turnbull's work

Courtney Dicmas' work

'Rooster Loses His Voice' (pending picturebook)

Story about Rooster who loses his voice and has to use alternative means of waking up the farm animals. This was partly inspired by Eddie Izzard's 'Jazz Chicken' and had an idea of creating a back story as to how or why this chicken / rooster wanted to play it.

Left: Animals tell Rooster to stop waking them up with his 'rude' methods
Right: Rooster walks off dejected, but hears some jazzy tunes on a radio. Hmm... inspiration?

Rooster  uses things he finds round the farm such as party horns, banging on buckets, blowing in empty bottles and other musical ways.

I know this is a repeat image, but I wanted to indicate a light source and experiment with mono-printing under the linocut.

Adventure Time: Ice King's Penguins

Yes, I have *quite* recently become a big fan of the show and was inspired to add a little personality to each one. Technically there are eight official penguin names on the show, but thought I'd only do six of them. I love all of them, but my eye always goes towards Gaunter, Ginther and Gunter. 

Sketch / Illustration dump

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.

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.