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Aaahh, what are those marvelous goodies in the window of Daunt Books???



It's BAGGAGE, the Etherington Brothers' brand-new addition to the DFC Library series of AMAZING comics for kids, adults, aliens, cowboys, whoever craves pages full of lush story goodness. Here's writer Bob Etherington, our fab publisher David Fickling, and artist Lorenzo Etherington at their madcap launch on Thursday night in London.



Lookie, lookie, isn't it lovely? And at the party, we had not only The Brothers, but two other creators from about-to-be-launched DFC Library books! From the left, here's James Turner, David, John Aggs and The Bros.



So let's have a little peek, shall we? (Am I allowed? Heh heh... apologies, these are merely snapshots, you can probably get *proper* scans from the publicists or artists themselves.) But a little peek, just for yoooou....




The back cover reads: Meet Randall, a happy-go-lucky but disaster-prone lost property officer with an impossible task. In order to save the job he loves he must locate the owner of the oldest item stored in his immense warehouse... in just one day!

So begins an adventurous journey through a wonderous city. Clues are uncovered when Randall leasts expects them, and help arrives from the strangest of quarters.

But whereever Randall goes, trouble is sure to follow. And even if he succeeds in his mission, just how much of the city will be left standing?

Oh, and would'ya look at this title page?! Beeyootiful.



Okay, and a sneaky little peek at the action-packed, highly caffeinated world inside those Etherington Brothers' heads.



Warning: book includes MASS DESTRUCTION.



Moving on to another of Thursday's party's very special guests! Here is the magnificent James Turner with his journalist partner Akanksha Awal.



I've been waiting SO LONG for this book to come out. Do you remember these wacky little guys? They ran at the same time as my Vern and Lettuce in The Guardian, and I am a huge fan. James is possibly the funniest writer I know, and his drawings perfectly capture the spirit of the characters' banter.



Every book needs an exploding pirate ship.



A cunning escape ruse... involving... pumice? Whaaa...? Ha ha ha...



And our next very special guest, John Aggs! Here is is with one of our fab DFC editors, Will Fickling, who currently is commissioning work for the Phoenix Comic. (Comic creators and readers, if you don't know about the Phoenix Comic yet - which launches in January -

This morning I drew the main character from Philip Reeve's book, Fever Crumb. Fever didn't turn out exactly like I'd pictured her, particularly the face, but good enough for now. Here's the pencil sketch and the inked version:



I met the writer and illustrator Philip Reeve at the Edinburgh Book Festival last week, and he recommended I start his Mortal Engines series with Fever Crumb, which is a prequel to the Mortal Engines quartet. He's written a second prequel, A Web of Air, and I think I'm going to read that one next. I can see these books becoming very addictive. Fever has been raised by a reclusive group of engineers who live in a giant head sculpture. She's been taught to prize reason and rationality above all else, and when she comes out of the giant head for some mysterious work placement, the whimsicality of London throws her for a loop. As it does all of us, really. Except this is a distopic London in the far-distant future, with fearful inhabitants ready to riot at any movement, either from strangers within the city or from the mechanised foreign army looming on the city's outskirts. My studio mate, Lauren, just read it and now we're both hooked.

And Philip's son, Sam, is hooked on Vern and Lettuce! Philip writes: Other than Asterix and Tintin you're just about his first experience of comics, & I think he's rather smitten.
Hurrah! I'm hoping a lot of people who haven't read many comics will catch the comics bug when they read mine. We at The DFC Library are plotting to take over the world... one comic reader at a time! Here's the Vern and Lettuce Sam ssent back to me. Thanks, Sam!



Speaking of The DFC Library, I popped into Foyles on Charing Cross Road yesterday and was thrilled to see copies of Monkey Nuts! The fabulous Etherington Brothers are throwing a launch party this coming Thursday, 7 Sept Thurs, 7 Oct (Edit: Doh... thanks, Garen!), at the Kew Bookshop in southwest London. I wouldn't miss it, come along if you want to find out what all the fuss is about!


Click the pic to see a larger version and details about the launch! Be sure to RSVP if you're coming!

The DFC Librray's Mo-bot High creator Neill Cameron just drew a fab picture for his son's third birthday, giving him a swing around town with Spiderman. Lucky kid!


My co-writer, co-illustrator on an upcoming book, David O'Connell (tozocomic), has come up with a clever way to review a film that I'm not sure if he liked or not. He didn't review it, he had the Queen Mum review it instead! Doesn't matter that she's already dead...

One last thing, I just saw this animation. So simple but so funny. (Bird Box Studio link thanks to the Drawn! blog.)

Oh my goodness, you have to see what Lorenzo Etherington has been getting up to, over on the DFC team's blog, the Super Comics Adventure Squad. Lorenzo, you rock!

It's fan art for our DFC colleague Jamie Smart (foo5), who's Find Chaffy book comes out THIS THURSDAY! Find out more about it here! And keep an eye on the Super Comics Adventure Squad, there's a whole heap load of things happening with these people.
(Oh, and here's Chaffy and me in Chinese.)

Hurrah for Robin Etherington and his girlfriend Mimi, who just ran off to the Little Chapel of the Flowers in Vegas and got hitched! Wouldn't have expected him to do it any other way, really. Really looking forward to his upcoming DFC Library book with his brother, Lorenzo:



And, of course, I'm sure you've already got your copy of the amazing Kate Brown's Spider Moon! If you want to order extra copies as gifts, you can get it at Forbidden Planet International, at bookshops, Amazon, etc. And there's a brilliant 'walk through' of how Kate put together the book, over on the FPI blog here. I love my copy, such haunting, beautiful artwork. I wish I could colour half as well as Kate, she's incredible. You really do feel like you've entered some sort of magic kingdom and are looking around in awe. Yay, Kate!
(Find out more about the DFC Library here and over on our group blog.)

See that little cube that Ben Haggarty's holding? It's a special mineral that naturally occurs in huge silver cube shapes, and when Ben found it, he wondered what people would have thought if they'd come across it 10,000 years ago... and then the stories of Mezolith began to uncoil in his storyteller's brain. (I've forgotten the exact name of the crystal, I'll get back to you about that one!)

Hurrah for Ben and one of Britain's most remarkable artists, Adam Brockbank, the authors of the second installation in the DFC Library. And man, Mezolith a corker. Adam's mostly been working in film (he created a lot of the Harry Potter monsters) but I'm so glad he put himself on pages this time.



Our DFC publisher, David Fickling, gave one of his trademark rousing speeches, and made everyone laugh when he said people ask him what ages these books are suitable for. His reply: six... 'til death!

I was excited to see a whole bunch of the DFC Team! You can see what we've been getting up to and visit websites over at the Super Comics Adventure Squad.


Adam Brockbank and Ben Haggarty (Mezolith), back row from left: Lorenzo Etherington (Monkey Nuts), Dave Morris (Mirabilis), Sarah McIntyre (Vern and Lettuce), Emma Vieceli (Violet), David Fickling (publisher), Patrice Aggs (The Boss), James Turner (Super Animal Adventure Squad, John Aggs (John Blake, The Boss), Robin Etherington (Monkey Nuts)

Some wondefully atmospheric pages from the book. My favourite story is the one about the swan maidens. Gary and I were laughing at how much some of the characters look just like Adam. (Which makes sense, he modelled the main character, Poika, on his son.)





Adam in conversation with children's book legend Shirley Hughes, still a great regular on the party circuit. I had a big grin on my face listening to Paul Gravett and Ian Rakoff trying to convince her to make more comics after being so impressed by Bye Bye Birdie, Hughes' first graphic novel for adults.


David's wife, Caro Fickling, and Adam and Ben's agent, Suresh Ariaratnam, examining the mysterious crytal.


The Etherington Brothers and John Aggs. Look out for the Etherington's Monkey Nuts, which comes out a month before my Vern and Lettuce!


Shirley Hughes talking with John's mum Patrice Aggs. (The mother-son team wrote and drew The Boss together.)


Random House team, editor Helen McKenzie-Smith, publicist Lauren Bennett and new publicist Random Rosie. (Right, Rosie, I really AM going to