On Science and Comics

Science finds itself in a tricky position when it comes to reaching out to the public.  To most people, science is seen as almost untouchable, a field that few can participate in or even have a say in.  There’s so much required knowledge, so much specialist training, so many facts and formulas, that to interact with and question science feels daunting.

From Hope Beyond Hype.

Stem Cell Comic - Colour

I'm currently putting in the colour for the comic on Stem Cell research I'm working on.  I've not coloured a project this big before, but it's been a lot of fun so far and I'm quickly getting used to the process.  I've been using a 64 colour palette to start off with, inspired by the advice of Tom Humberstone.  From there I've added more colours and shades as needed, but always while keeping an eye on limiting the palette.

Stem Cell Comic Preview

I'm currently working on a short comic about stem cell research for a client.  It's a fascinating subject, and I'm getting to work with a great team, including the lovely Edinburgh based sci-fi author Ken MacLeod, and my previous collaborator Jamie Hall.

Anyway, here's panel 1 from our story, which I'll be working on for the next few weeks.

Hourly Comic Day 2012

On a whim yesterday morning I decided to take part in this year's Hourly Comic Day, a challenge held every year on the first of February.  The idea is to draw a short comic about the last hour for every hour that you are awake.  By the end of the day you have a wee story about your day, and everyone shares what they've been up to and rejoices!

Anyway, it turned out to be a fun challenge.  It's been three years since I did '100 Tiny Moments From My Past, Present and Future' (where I drew an autobio comic once a day for 100 days) and it was nice to get back to doing some good ol' fashioned autobiography.  It's two very different projects, but I do feel that this glimpse of my life three years down the road is a nice counterpoint/afterword to the stories I told in '100 Tiny Moments...'.

If you enjoyed my hourly comic, I hope you'll have a look at '100 Tiny Moments'.  Even better, you can order a limited edition printed copy from my shop.  Also, don't forget to check out the entries by other people, which you can see over here.  Hourly Comics Day is a fantastic idea that is a pleasure to see in action - something that reminds you of what a great comics community there is out there, and reiterates the potential we have to make comics every day.

If you weren't following my hourly comic in real time on Twitter, you can read the comic in full below...

Filmish Review in 'Comic Heroes' + Solipsistic Pop 4 Reviewed by FPI

Another great review has come in for my series 'Filmish', this time from comic book magazine 'Comic Heroes', which is from the folks who create SFX magazine.  The magazine are big on supporting the small press, and my work features alongside some other top picks from the UK scene, including Andrew Waugh and Sean Azzopardi.

From the review:

"If Scott McCloud was a movie geek, this is the comic he would make.  [...] Educational and entertaining - never the easiest trick to pull off - with breezy artwork and an unpretentious wit, Filmish will fact you 'til you can be facted no more." - Rob Power

 'Comic Heroes' issue #10 is available, as they say, in all good newsagents.

Also today, Solipsistic Pop 4 was reviewed over on the Forbidden Planet Blog.  My 'Maps To Live By' was one of the contributions that were mentioned:

"Lovely, sentimental work yet never saccharin sweet" - Richard Bruton

Solipsistic Pop volume 4 is a must buy, available here.

Edwin Morgan Poem Illustration - In The Snack Bar

Here's the outcome of a recent commission by an old school friend to illustrate an image based on the poignant Edwin Morgan poem 'In The Snack Bar'.  I like the bald guy in the background, happily chewing on a burger.

The poem itself is below...

A Bigger Canvas - Parasites Exhibition and Banner in Glasgow

Last year I was commissioned to produce an exhibition and a banner for the Wellcome Trust Centre For Molecular Parasitology in Glasgow.  It was an amazing challenge, boiling down some very complex science into digestible, family friendly information.  Working with my collaborators Jamie Hall and Kat Lloyd, we pulled together the exhibition, which was on show at the Glasgow Science Centre throughout the Autumn of 2011.

It was really interesting working at this very different scale, and having to take account for the very specific benefits and drawbacks of the medium.

And below is a photo of the banner I designed for them in place at Glasgow University. It's pretty cool seeing something I illustrated is the size of a building!