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Blew a gasket last weekend and couldn't toil any more. I'd worked myself to a standstill. It's not been a very holidays-ish period over the last year and a half, has it? When people start saying "you're so prolific", I should remember that that means I've gone mad.

Anyway, here are the drawings I did this week as I sought mind peace, recovery, and renewal. As you will see, they speak to a certain discombobulation, then a mild bounce back. 

I have found a talented colourist to aid me in completing Steeple volume 3 so peace can return to my belfry hereon.

Thick necks. These were a bad sign, a sign that it was time to stop.

In periods of despair, my mind will call out, "I want to draw with a dead line". I used to do it all the time but it's not 100% compatible with my current way of working on comics, so I tend to go quite deep into the quarry of madness.

A search for renewal. I didn't find it in any of these troubled images but it's clear that the hunt was on.

A brief visit with Nicholas Cage's crazy Superman. A large blue area. Some new shorts. 

After some concerted rest and recuperation, a page of very enjoyable pencil drawings done at the same easel I drew the first Bobbins strips at. A sense of purpose. What is "Brian's Insides"? Maybe one day we will dig into this. I have a few Steeple stories that require standalone specials, perfect for anthology titles, convention one-offs, collaborations, and art experiments.

I hereby promise not to accidentally burn myself out again, again!

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Comments

Brian Ward

But I'm Brian... Are they MY insides? 🤔

Brian Perler

Wait... if YOU'RE Brian... who am I???

Thomas MacColl

Is it... could it be... was there a Sxauna in there? You can leave her hair uncoloured to throw us off John, but we're onto you.

Sean Kinlin

Maggie has a baby beef with someone? Surely she is capable of the full cow?

William Cole

Now *I'm* imagining the unimaginable horror of Brian's insides (possibly even Brians' insides), and I can't say I'm delighted with the experience.

Elsie Sea

Do I see a reference to that fine podcast The Beef and Dairy Network?

Richard Kirk

Just back from dinner in the back garden with the brother-in-law's. His builder neighbours are full members of the thick neck gang. We could hear them cheering on Ing-UR-land. I think the UK should stay united, but Ing-UR-land should be independent.

Pierpaolo Di Camillo

Stay safe John! That "Purist Cartoonin" advice has something that make me worry very much (and the neck study too). By the way, I like "Steeple" more and more!

Coffee Minion

I’m unsure what Baby Beef means but you’ve piqued my interest.

Rob Cottingham

I relate the dead line to a very specific kind of early 1970s front-cover illustrations on school textbooks (with a heavy keyline to boot). Do you have any particular dead-line inspirations?

Karl Ruben Weseth

I'm glad to hear you're feeling better, John; not so glad to hear you were feeling the dreaded burn-out to begin with, though. As only a low-tier patron, I know my word doesn't weigh the heaviest, but for what it's worth: please take the time you need any time the grind gets too much. My paltry [cannot be bothered to calculate how many] cents will stay pledged to the Allison cause even if the comics output should trickle to a stop for a time. Take care of yourself, and as always, thank you for the music.

Jason Clements

Agreed - take it easy, and thanks for the pleasure all your work gives (possibly excepting Onion Dan?). I love the picture of Lottie in the red coat.

Elsie Sea

Glenjamin, is that you in the Mitchell's truck?

Egg

What's a "dead line"? I had trouble finding anything online. I'm guessing: drawing with a line of uniform thickness?

scarygoround

Yes, exactly that. "Ligne clair" is the technical term for it, I think.

scarygoround

Onion Dan isn't meant to inspire pleasure, more awe and dread.

Jacob

Coloring is a beast of a job for sure. Hopefully getting some help in that department brings more balance to your life John! I'm looking forward to seeing it!