The hinterland (Patreon)

When Bad Machinery was finished, Giant Days was entering its final year, By Night was coming out and before I started work on Steeple, I should have taken a rest, but my mind was a factory making nothing, a machine that would not turn off after 20 years. I have a whole folder marked simply '2018' full of failed experiments, one-off comics, oddments called things like "line experiment 15", re-draws of ancient comics. Not a good time for the mind. There's a series pitch I came up with (on request) for artist Erica Henderson, so confused that hopefully no one will ever see it and she has destroyed the files. There's a Marvel treatment I did with Wil Moss that, while interesting, probably would not have impressed the faithful. I eventually had to go into a meditative state for nearly two weeks, repointing brickwork, day after day, until my personality healed. I'm a dab hand with a mortar trowel now - but at what cost?

Here are a few bits and pieces from what I refer to as "the hinterland".

You know my mind has gone when Shelley starts talking about Batman.

Like a British prima ballerina, Claire has a future in cyber.

"Dessing the classics"

A re-do

Maybe I'll put the Marvel stuff up one day. Though I have a strong feeling that I'm not allowed to. Just ask me about it in person. I don't want a cease and desist from Michael the Mouse.