Before I kick off this post—which probably won't be as interesting as the last couple—I’d like to talk about what happened after York. Well, nothing really. When I got home, I was immediately struck down with an awful cold; I've spent my days off sneezing and coughing through a forced standstill that I’d hoped would have been productive. To make matters worse, my large Viking-inspired mug that Morticia bought me at last year's Jorvik Viking Festival was involved in a bit of an accident and smashed on Tuesday. I am absolutely distraught at the loss of my favourite drinking vessel. The irony is that had this happened last week, I could have replaced it at this year's festival.
For my 50th birthday (almost five years ago), I used some money gifted by my parents to invest in a Samsung tablet with a generous 12.5" screen. It came with what I thought was the ultimate game changer: the S-Pen. I’ve been perfectly happy with that setup for five years, but recently, I found myself curious about what else the market had to offer. I’m not quite ready to splash out on a full hardware upgrade just yet (though I wouldn't say no if the opportunity arose!), but I wanted to see if I could enhance the experience.
My research led me to the world of third-party styluses. After looking through countless options, I decided to treat myself to the Staedtler Noris Digital. Honestly? It’s a revelation. It looks and feels exactly like a traditional pencil in the hand, which feels far more natural than the standard plastic alternatives.
Creating my comic strip is something I deeply enjoy. While I’m never quite sure how many people actually see the final result, the process itself is incredibly therapeutic. Lately, I’ve been moving in a more serious direction; I’m currently working on a piece about depression. It’s important to me to show that cartooning isn’t always about punchlines or funny situations—I’m not afraid to use my art to face the darker moments too.
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A sneak peek at my current work-in-progress, 'Northman', coming mid-April. |
My tablet remains one of my most treasured possessions, almost exclusively for its drawing features. It is my digital anvil, where I hammer out ideas and sketches. Imagine my surprise, then, when returning to the room following a brief errand, I found this unexpected pic in the image gallery.
It seems my grandson, Atreus, found the allure of the glowing screen too much to ignore. He knows he isn't meant to touch, but like a true explorer, he just couldn't resist. It’s a perspective only a curious child could capture—a little bit of domestic mischief caught in the frame.
To wrap things up, I have some truly fantastic news to share. We have officially booked our next journey to Cymru. In just 100 days, we’ll be crossing the border and returning to our "happy place." There is a specific kind of peace found in the Welsh landscape that resonates deeply with my Celtic leanings. The countdown is officially on!
If you want to see my current drawings then check out my webcomic, Northman, which chronicles "our hero's" adventures through the rugged landscape of Jorvikshire.
You can read the latest chapter here:
Stay Connected For updates, behind-the-scenes content, and hopefully a few photos of me back on the bike soon, you can find me on social media.
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