Happy Christmas!

Hope you enjoy the festive-themed cartoon! Basically, have a great Christmas!

All being well, I'll be back in the new year, but after a good holiday...

Chris

Milky Goodness

Ah yes, the trick of trying to come up with a title for the post which has enough of a link to relate to the cartoon, but doesn't give the game away before you read it...

As you may have noticed, today's cartoon features a visiting bovine, resident of Mike Maihack's whimsical 'Cow and Buffalo' comic, who happens to be teleporting into other peope's comics... it's great stuff, and the book's worth a punt too.

Through its Paces

Thanks to Mr Dave Heath whose idea sparked in banterous conversation became the cartoon you see before you above. If that works as a sentence. Nice one!

Apparantly though, as I found out after drawing this, you can actually get crutches with springs in which act as shock absorbers. Obviously not for launching people into the air. Which is a shame. It could be adapted for military uses, like to launch troops over compound walls, make the enemy laugh, and when they're distracted.....

So far, 'pies' are winning in the WHAT'S BEST poll to the right, so may I urge you , if you think this is an injustice, please address it, and vote for what you know to be good and right. Thankyou.

Tournament....

Hi ho,

It's been a few days longer than I would've liked since the last update, but that's the way it is...

Matt from Chewing Pencils gave me a plug for the animated short I'd made with some old friends. His site is here, and is a good way of seeing what other cartoonists are up to. Thanks, Matt!

Must be off, doing an animation- themed evening at me church...

Should get another cartoon on in the middle of next week...

Bye

Chris

Bunch of Crooks

Apologies for being a bit late this week, but I am on holiday...

Have a look here, it's a video some friends of mine (from Quirkymotion, link on the right) have done for a band for the BBC's recent Electric Prom. It's got a cool style, and can be used with 3D glasses! Nice one, chaps!

And now, to design a website for my wife's florist business.... (the link for her blog's on the right as well...)

LOTR

May I recommend to you the webcomic of a Mr Jeremy Gonzales and Friends, entitled 'Knights of the Nexus'? It's one of the comics I read regularly, and is one of those stories where things actually happen instead of the villain going 'Bah, I'll get you next time!' after his latest inept plan for world domination/ to destroy his enemies and their pet dog fails and the reset button being pressed so everything's the same as it was by the end of the episode. 'Trigun' and 'The Mysterious Cities of Gold' come to mind, a big story unravelling over 25 or so episodes....

Anyhow, take a look, it's at http://www.knightsofthenexus.com/. I think Jerms is the best character....

They really should release Cities of Gold on DVD.

Make sure you vote for WHAT'S BEST in the poll, bottom right of the screen. Very important stuff. Cheers!

Vegetation

This one's based on an actual road sign I saw on the way back from a family do. Not sure it refers to greenery though.

Castle

Twas my birthday recently, and Sarah and I went to see Ratatouille, which was quite simply art. Brilliant. Made by people who's skill makes you weep.
One of the reviews I saw though said 'Not enough laughs', which is a stupid criticism--- the director, Brad Bird, did 'The Incredibles' too, which was fantastic in the way the danger to the heroes was real, and the action scenes were of a more serious tone... and Ratatouille was more mature as well. It didn't race through the story and hit you with a joke or parp gag every 2 seconds in a bid to desperately keep your attention. Just because it's animation doesn't mean it has to be all out comedy...

Wedding

Not based on actual events, might I just add.
(Click on the cartoon to get a bigger version)

First Rockhopper Post

Here's the first post I did for my more general comic site, www.rockhoppercomic.com....

Hello

and welcome to the first post on my new webcomic! This is something I've been wanting to do for a while-- I'd like to get started on an ongoing story (the 'Rockhopper' bit ), yet end up drawing whatever I find fun at the time, so in amongst the 'big adventure' will be a fair chunk of randomness and going off on tangeants: basically, whatever entertains me at the time.

I'm hoping to update once a week, but to start with I've put up a selection of cartoons I've done over the last few years. Two of them feature a character called Dr Dart, created by a friend of mine, Dave Skipper, who wrote the cartoons. Dave's last album 'Convoluted Substances' was stonking and Dr Dart featured in a comic strip which was found inside it... you can find out more at www.skippymusic.com.

And a big thanks indeed to Jon Taylor at www.taylormation.co.uk, one of my good uni mates who designed and made the site. He's a gifted designer and does animation, film, webdesign, and puppetry, and I would thoroughly recommend you hiring him for any of those things. Not, however, for hot air ballooning lessons.

May I also plug Worcester Sauce flavour crisps... they're my favourite flavour at the moment.

Finally, be good to hear your comments-- email me at chris@tenfootgerbil.co.uk

Chris

Youth Group

Today's cartoon is an idea my brother, a church youth worker, had. I'm hoping to add a new cartoon at least once a week, but in light of the fact I'm going to need a good number of cartoons to make a good sized book in a year's time, I expect to have some cartoon binges going on.

May I draw your attention to the poll at the right-- yes, this is your opportunity to decide, once and for all, WHAT'S BEST. Make sure you cast your crucial vote. Voting will close by Christmas, so make sure you have your say! It really matters.

Greetings and All That

Hi there, and welcome to the first post for my new cartoon blog! I already have a comic website at www.rockhoppercomic.com, but this provides a way to find out what you think and get your comments.

The master plan is to let the rockhopper site have whatever comics I draw on it, taking in a wide range of stuff (and maybe the 'Rockhopper' comic itself someday), but for this site to have single frame cartoons, which I'm aiming to release in a book by this time next year.

Better get drawing then....