Saturday, 30 October 2010

Dandelion Radio

Don't forget to vote in this year's Festive Fifty! The good folk over at Dandelion Radio are broadcasting the chart in December! You can also win a copy of my book if you vote!
If you don't win (or can't wait!), pop over to ebay and buy a copy for yourself or someone's Christmas stocking!

Saturday, 21 August 2010

Sunday, 4 July 2010

Facebook Promotion

I now have a Facebook page to try and get more people interested in the book.
Come and join here and tell everybody to buy a copy!

I've received very favourable feedback from everybody so far, so if you already bought the book - thank you!

Saturday, 26 June 2010

Thank you!

I'd just like to say a BIG thank you to all the people who have bought my book.

Sales really picked up last week, and went from selling like warm toast to the proverbial hot cakes. Considering I didn't expect to sell more than about 5 copies, I'm thrilled and delighted that more than 60 copies have flown off the 'shelves'. Your patronage and support is much appreciated.

If you haven't bought a copy yet, what are you waiting for?? Get your signed and numbered copy here!

Tuesday, 15 June 2010

Ready for posting...

Yes! The reprinted books arrived today and they're fine! I'll be posting them out next Tuesday to the 30 or so people that have preordered them, just need to sign, number and package them up.

Don't forget, you can still buy your copy here!

Sunday, 13 June 2010

Crisis averted

Okay, the printers are reprinting the books and they assure me the same mistake won't happen again.
Hopefully the books will be ready to post out to people before the end of this month - two months ahead of schedule!
Thanks for your patience and support.

Wednesday, 9 June 2010

AAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

I just got my books from the printers and they've put all the covers on UPSIDE DOWN!!!! I checked my files and it's THEIR fault not mine, so hopefully I'll get a replacement batch, but who's to say they won't make the same mistake again. I sat down, pen in hand, ready to sign and number them when I realised the signature plate wasn't there, it was on the 'b side'. I'm seriously pissed off!!

Thursday, 3 June 2010

Buy, buy, bye!!!!

Everything is now completed. The mailers arrived today too and they fit everything perfectly. In the next couple of weeks, I should be posting a few copies out to those of you with the good taste to order early and a few promotional copies to Dandelion Radio and other people who might give the book a bit of much needed exposure.
Buy the book here!
The portfolio looks like this:



and you can buy it here!

There are also a few limited edition prints of Neko Case and John Peel that I'll be putting up, so grab 'em while you can!

Monday, 31 May 2010

Portfolio



To promote the book, I'm releasing a (very) limited edition portfolio containing 16 high quality prints. Each one will come housed in a custom designed 7" record mailer and will be signed and numbered by me. Get it here.

Thursday, 27 May 2010

Tactile

Here's a few pictures of the book... 







...and me finishing the final drawing...

The Nightingales

Serendipitiy.

I received an email from The Nightingales' lyricist/singer Robert Lloyd yesterday. He's going to self publish a book of his lyrics and wondered if I could offer any advice.

Back in 2008, I produced a 68 page book of Robert Lloyd's lyrics (complete with collage illustrations) and sent it to him. I heard nothing back. Until now. At last, he's given me the go ahead to sell and distribute the book and I've ordered 40 copies to send to him to sell at future gigs.

You can get your own copy here.

Thursday, 20 May 2010

Buy it now!

Now the book is completed, make sure you get in early and buy a copy from here.

Wednesday, 19 May 2010

Woo-hoo!!!!

The last page is now completed! All I need to do now is tweak the covers a bit and upload the whole thing to the publisher. I'm hoping to have a proof copy in my hands by this time next week, although there's bound to be something I missed that will need correcting!

Tuesday, 18 May 2010

ONE MORE TO GO!!!!

Okay. Tomorrow evening, after a long and gruelling day at work (including a staff meeting that I have to run) I shall come home, sit at my drawing table and carefully, painstakingly ink the final picture for this momentous book. I can't wait!!!!

Monday, 17 May 2010

God bless the Cuban Boys!

Perfect timing! With the book due to go to the printers on Friday, I was worried that I may not get the Cuban Boys' intro in time, but I received an email from Skreen last night so everything is now ready (apart from the final two pictures needing to be inked - The Delgados and the Sex pistols) Woo-hoo!

Sunday, 16 May 2010

The Damned

Only two and a half pictures left to ink! The Damned (below) seemed to take forever! I started it on Friday night then tried to carry on with it on Saturday morning but seemed to be getting nowhere. The reason? MUSIC! For some strange reason I'd failed to carry out my usual practise of playing albums by the band I was drawing . Each portrait has taken me between three and four hours from start to finish, usually encompassing a listening session to most of the band's recorded output in the process. This morning, as soon as I put on the Peel Sessions by The Damned, it was easy! I finished up The Beatles today too (the first four albums being my company) and I'm half way through the Beach Boys (although listening to the Beach Boys is not my favourite way of passing time, as you'll see when you read the book) I 'll be done by Wednesday next week (all being well) and if Skreen of the Cuban Boys comes through with their introduction it'll be off to the printers at the weekend!


Thursday, 13 May 2010

The end is in sight...

I pencilled the final three pictures this evening, which means I now only have five pictures to ink and I'm done! Also, Skreen got back in touch and The Cuban Boys are still on for the B Side introduction - I just hope he can get it to me before the end of May! Here's one of the pencilled pages (The Delgados)...



...and here's my work space. I'll be inking The Damned at the weekend.


Wednesday, 12 May 2010

The Fall, Birmingham O2 Academy, Tuesday 11th May 2010



I’m not very good at reviews, but here goes…


 Whenever I go to see The Fall play, I’m always reminded of going on family holidays to Swanage with my parents and younger brother. The drive there seemed to take forever, but after what seemed like hours of ‘Are we there yet?’s, my Dad would say ‘Who’s going to be the first to see the sea?’ At this point, my brother and I would crane our necks over the two front passenger seats, looking intently at the horizon for that first glimpse of blue water, until eventually one of us would excitedly shout ‘There it is!’ and all the travelling was made worthwhile.

 Mr Smith kept us waiting for over an hour before the band shambled onto the stage and began the riff for the opening (and title) track of the brilliant new Fall album You’re Future Our Clutter. All around me, people were craning there necks and looking past the person in front of them to get the first glimpse of the legendary Mark E Smith. After only a few bars, our patience was rewarded as he walked nonchalantly between the musicians and, wonder of wonders, treated us all to a beaming closed lipped smile! I’m sure I heard somebody shout ‘There he is!’

 It was a great performance by a band I’ve been going to see since 1985!! Okay, it’s not exactly the same band, but it’s still The Fall and, as MES once pertinently pointed out: ‘If it’s me and yer granny on bongos it’s a Fall gig.’

 The wrinkly one was quite playful tonight, giving us a great display of ‘onstage mixing’, cranking the guitar up to full blast during a couple of numbers, then cutting it out altogether during parts of others. The sound was good at the Academy and MES made full use of the acoustics. Poor Elena was left without a mic as the band thundered into Theme From Sparta F.C. but carried on regardless until her husband noticed he’d removed it and quickly replaced it with a cheeky grin on his face. In fact, I don’t ever remember seeing Mark E Smith smile so much during a performance, even playfully taunting the guitarist with his own mic when it was time for him tos sing backing vocals. We were even treated to a blistering rendition of Psykick Dancehall and a final encore of Strychnine.

 On the way into the gig, my girlfriend and I were astonished to see a little cat outside the venue, milling around the throngs of punters outside. Even stranger, he looked exactly like the cat we had who died back in February. When we came out of the Academy, the cat was still there, so I scooped him into my arms, hailed a taxi and took him home. We’ve called him Spooky.



Monday, 10 May 2010

Nearly there...

Only 5 more pictures left to do! Woo-hoo!

The first part of the book is now completed, formatted and ready for the printer!

I'm off to see The Fall tomorrow night and, on the strengths of their brilliant new LP Your Future Our Clutter it should be a bloody good gig! I'll let you know what I thought of it on Wednesday night and maybe post a picture of MES too!

I shopped around for a different printer, but the only one I could find that does short print runs gave me a quote of £1,071 for 100 books (working out at over a tenner to produce each book!) Although it would be printed at my preffered size of 7"x7", I'm gonna stick with Lulu and print it at 7.5"x7.5", otherwise the price will have to be hiked up higher than anyone would be willing to pay!

Later!

Thursday, 6 May 2010

Three more drawings that need to be inked...



As it's voting day, I find myself with the day off work (yipee!) so I've drawn four of the remaining 8 (yes, 8!!) pictures in one morning. I usually don't start a new drawing until the previous one is completely finished, but I didn't feel like inking today for some reason.



This will be my last post until the book is completed. I've not had any comments for weeks and I feel like I'm talking to an empty room at the moment, so goodbye for now, I'll be back again in a month or so.


Wednesday, 5 May 2010

Jello Biafra

I'm currently thinking of switching printers. Lulu don't do the 7" x 7" format (it's actually 7.5" x 7.5") so I'm getting a quote from another short print run company who can do the size I need. Maybe I can even bring the price down!

I've heard back from Jello Biafra (via a third party) and it seems like he's still interested in contributing (woo-hoo), but The Cuban Boys and Neko Case haven't responded to my last two messages so it seems like they've dropped out of the project (boo!)

Tuesday, 4 May 2010

New Order - the last one!!

I wasn't going to post any more inked pictures on here ('buy the book if you want to see them' being the idea behind only posting the pencilled versions), but I'm really pleased with how this one turned out. I'm breaking in a new brush and it finally started 'working' properly whilst inking this. Ironically, the same thing happened with the last brush on the Ian Curtis picture I drew in January. Spooky...

Monday, 3 May 2010

The final New order drawing...

Saloon inked. Velvet Underground pencilled and inked (and very good it is too, even if I do say so myself!)
And, finally, the last of the New Order pictures. I shall ink this tomorrow as I feel the need to get wrecked on white wine on this glorious bank holiday evening...

Sunday, 2 May 2010

Saloon

This is gonna be a tricky one to ink. It's a very poor quality photo and those Moogs ain't easy to draw either!

Saturday, 1 May 2010

Inspiral Carpets featuring Mark E Smith

Too much to do to write anything on here...

16 pictures left to do

Portraits still to do as of May 2010...


Number Ones:

Inspiral Carpets

Mark E Smith

Saloon

DONE!!!! (9th May 2010)

All Time 2000:

Beach Boys

Beatles

Velvet Underground

Damned

The Fall

Sex Pistols

Delgados

Sugarcubes

New Order

My Bloody Valentine

Full steam ahead!

Friday, 30 April 2010

Competition 1

I'm too tired to do any drawing this evening (it's been a loooong week), so I thought I'd share a nice little picture I did back in 1989. I'll send a free copy of my book to the first person to identify all of the personalities...

Thursday, 29 April 2010

Jarvis Cocker

16 pictures left to go! I inked the Belle & Sebastian one this evening and now I've got this gorgeous hi-res b&w picture of Jarvis to ink tomorrow and a nice long Bank Holiday weekend to look forward to...now if only the sun would come back out...

Wednesday, 28 April 2010

Belle & Sebastian

Yet another book sold last night! I'm so looking forward to getting this printed. I'll give you a rundown of the pictures I still need to do on May 1st (hopefully not too many by then). Here's the Stuart Murdoch pencil draing I did this evening after inking the last but one New Order picture. I think I'll be putting a picture of Isobel on the cover of the book he's holding...

Tuesday, 27 April 2010

Chumbawamba & Credit To The Nation

Another book sold on ebay today - woo-hoo!
Here's tonight's offering, the first of two 'collage collaborations. The next one will be Inspiral Carpets and Mark E Smith (giving me yet another drawing to do!)

Monday, 26 April 2010

Credit To The Nation

Pavement inked. This one drawn. Need to add Chumbawamba to it as well somehow...

Sunday, 25 April 2010

Pavement

Okay, I've inked the Robert Wyatt picture and sketched out Pavement. Now I'm gonna relax with Thornton's Summer Desserts chocolates (mmmm), Unbreakable on DVD and an early night.


Planning...

A big thank you to Steve over at Teenage Kicks for including a very nice write up of the book and blog.

The rest of my year will hopefully look like this:

May: finish drawing and inking the last 18 pictures
June: get the book formatted and sent to the printers. Get a proof copy then correct any mistakes (there's always something I miss!!)
July: send a few comp copies out to various radio stations and publishers
August: send out the preordered signed copies
September: promotion, promotion, promotion
October: try to sell a few copies at the British International Comics Show
November: make a start on the next book (keep watching this blog for details)
December: copies to be given away as prizes during the broadcast of the 2010 Festive Fifty broadcast on Dandelion Radio

No picture today I'm afraid, I've been over to Leicester for the weekend to dance and drink with a few old friends. Hopefully my hangover will have subsided enough by this evening to get that Robert Wyatt picture inked!

Friday, 23 April 2010

Robert Wyatt

I thought I'd just post the initial pencil drawings from now on...never thought to scan them before...

Thursday, 22 April 2010

Buy it now!

Preorder my book here.
Here's PJ Harvey!

Monday, 19 April 2010

John Lydon

Well, after two sun drenched days sitting in the garden and returning to work today, I'm back at the drawing board this evening about to pencil the final Ian Curtis picture. I just finished inking Mr Rotten...

Sunday, 18 April 2010

The Wedding Present

Good things:
  • One more book sold
  • David Gedge introduction done
  • Computer fixed
  • Drawings looking good
  • Beautiful sunny weather
Bad things:
  • Back to work on Monday
  • No more replies from 'stars'
  • Hungover
  • Can't find a decent picture of Saloon
  • Still 2 more New Order pictures to draw!


Thursday, 15 April 2010

Mark E Smith

The week from Hell continues apace. First, the phone line went down outside our house and had to be replaced. Next, my computer was infected with a virus so I spent most of today with a Dell engineer and have been reinstalling all my applications myself for the past four hours! I've also had to try to rememeber all my passwords for various sites! Plus, next door's big dog knocked down the fence and came into our garden, terrifying our cats. Grrrr.

Wednesday, 14 April 2010

Nick Drake

I've got to have my computer rehauled due to a virus that even McAfee couldn't stop so I may be away from the blog for a while; storing stuff on my external hard drive, reinstalling all my applications etc. I'll still be busy drawing though! In fact I spent the afternoon inking a picture of Culture while talking on the phone to a Dell representative as he checked my system over. I got this one done last night...

Tuesday, 13 April 2010

The Sundays

Blimey, I'm getting slow...I thought this one would be a quick and easy one but it seemed to take forever! I've still got 25 pictures to draw (27 if I decide to include Led Zep and The Motors, which I should really, so that means two more pages to write too!) The book is coming along nicely though and I'm grateful for the massive support I've received from the Castles In Space and Always Searching For Music blogs - thanks guys!
Don't forget: the limited (1000 copies), signed and numbered edition can be preordered on ebay at any time, or if the link is dead by the time you read this, simply type in a search for John Peel Festive 50 Illustrated intro by David Gedge. You can also preorder direct from me via Paypal to my email address. Only £10 (+ £1.50 postage and packing) for over 150 pages of Festive Fifty memories and illustrations. Don't miss it!

Monday, 12 April 2010

Jimi Hendrix

I managed to get the last of The Smiths pictures drawn today too...

Sunday, 11 April 2010

New Order (again!)

Two days with no internet - boo! Two more books sold - yay!


I've still got to draw two more pictures of these guys (plus one more of Joy Division too)!

Friday, 9 April 2010

The Smiths

Not so sunny today, but I still managed to catch a few rays. White wine this evening. David Gedge emailed me his introduction for The Book (and very good it is too). Spent the morning drawing the picture below...

I sold another book on ebay today too - let's hope the interest keeps up! Having a few internet problems of late, think I need a new router, it keeps cutting out. I can't seem to do anything on my beloved Facebook either - bloody cyberspace!!!!

Thursday, 8 April 2010

Laurie Anderson

Yet another picture that won't be making it into the book!

I'm thinking of producing a limited edition portfolio of my ten favourite drawings, printed on high quality card stock and housed in a hand made 7" envelope, signed and numbered, limited to 100 copies. It might make a nice addition to the the book; watch this space for details.

I sat outside in the sunshine today, drinking red wine and drawing Morrissey (still 3 more Smiths pictures to do!!)

I also heard from Rocker, who presents a show on Dandelion Radio, the internet radio station that has carried on the tradition of the Festive Fifty since 2005. I'd been meaning to contact Dandelion Radio anyway in the hope of offering a few copies of my book as prizes when they do this year's countdown. Fingers crossed...

Wednesday, 7 April 2010

The Only Ones

Yay! Great news! The wonderful blog Castles In Space (see my links on the right and take a visit - you won't regret it) has put up a special guest post bigging up the book! Thanks Nolan! I also received The Only Ones' contribution today; some of their thoughts on John Peel and about being voted to number 18 in the all time Festive Fifty 2000 which will be appearing in the book.

Tuesday, 6 April 2010

Bang Bang Machine

Woo-hoo! At last! I managed to track down a decent photo of the band Bang Bang Machine (on last.fm of all places!) Now if only I had a hi-res picture of Saloon I'd be sorted...

Monday, 5 April 2010

Elastica

Well, the last.fm John Peel group seem to be ignoring my posts and messages for some reason...all I want is to spread the word and get some feedback/opinions on my forthcoming book...if they're not interested, who else is going to be? Am I just wasting my time?


The above picture won't be in the book. Not that anybody cares...

Sunday, 4 April 2010

Ian Curtis (again!)

Full steam ahead! Two pictures in one day! Here's one of them...


The other one is of Morissey and Johnny Marr, but you'll have to buy the book to see that one! Ha ha ha!

Saturday, 3 April 2010

Billy Bragg

I'm currently at work on the remaining 40 or so pictures I need to do that WILL be appearing in the book. Meanwhile, here's another one that won't be!

Friday, 2 April 2010

Ian Curtis

I've still got another five Joy Division pictures to draw!!

Wednesday, 31 March 2010

Nirvana

Okay, here's a picture that actually WILL be appearing in the book! I completed two Joy Division pictures last night and knocked this one out this evening; a bit of a 'pointless suicides' week I suppose...

Tuesday, 30 March 2010

Nick Cave

Another one of my favourite artists who won't be appearing in the book!

Oh yeah, I sold a copy of the book today. 'How is that possible?' I hear you cry, 'It's not even finished yet!' Well, I'm putting the book up as a presell on ebay, the limited edition signed and numbered first printing of 1000 copies, check it out here.

Monday, 29 March 2010

Side B Cover

Okay, so much for my 'week off'! I decided it was high time I created the cover for the B side of the book so here it is! I drew and inked the Peel picture this evening...


You can flip the A side over and then read side B side! Clever, eh?
I got a very nice email from Boff of Chumbawamba with his contribution to the book. Hopefully I'll get a few more bespoke star quotes before the deadline is up. I might bring the release date forward to 30th August (Peel's birthday) instead of waiting for December...watch this space!

Sunday, 28 March 2010

My ebook

Spent the evening putting a few sample pages on myebook.
View it here:
http://www.myebook.com/index.php?option=ebook&id=31272

Cuban Boys

Yay! Back to the drawing. I've had this sitting uninked on my drawing table since the end of February. Finally inked it this morning. The background was done in photoshop from the original photo (I hate drawing backgrounds but as Skreen says, the Thames barrier does look splendid in this shot)

Saturday, 27 March 2010

The Pogues

Here's another one that I drew back in January.



I've had a rethink on the launch of the book and I'm now thinking of August 30th (Peel's birthday)

Friday, 26 March 2010

Lydon & Sioux

I've decided to take a break from the book for a week. Working a full time job and then coming home and working on this until bedtime has been taking its toll on me, 'burning the candle at both ends' and all that. I've got a couple of weeks holiday coming up so I should get a shedload of drawing done in that time. Later!

Thursday, 25 March 2010

Sonic Youth

Yet another picture that will not be appearing in the book! How many did I do?


I finished the writing, editing and redrafting side of things last night so it's full steam ahead with the drawing side of things. Ironically, Fifty more pictures to complete!

Wednesday, 24 March 2010

The White Stripes

Yet another drawing that will be ending up on the cutting room floor!

I'm spending this evening trying to attract potential followers...