Mike Smith (Illustrator)

Tag Archives: update

An update

Five years ago I wasn’t drawing for a living, and this blog was a pleasure to do in my spare time. Now I scribble all day long, so I prefer to do something else in the evening. It’s not just the drawing, it’s also the whole process of having to work through ideas. That’s why the blog has dried up recently. I’m quite relaxed about this, as I feel that ten years without a break was a good run.

However, since Eddie died I have missed the blog as an outlet for my thoughts. It can feel a bit like therapy. More so as I get older. So I think the best approach will be to pick it up from the current date; and in future, instead of forcing myself to post weekly, I’ll just do it when I feel I want to say something. That will mean I’ll dispense with the cartoons sometimes.

While I’m here I might as well mention that I have often thought about trying to get these diaries published in book form. Publishers, however, don’t share this desire and never respond to emails. So I have plans to do this myself. Two things I can’t make up my mind about: firstly, whether to have it printed actual size (pocket diary); secondly, whether to do a ‘best of’ compilation or go the whole hog and do the annual volumes. I’d be really interested to hear anybody’s thoughts about this.

Thanks for reading.

You wait ages for a bus…

The Hundred Decker Bus is currently on its second printing, which is a good thing. What’s not so good is that many sellers are reporting the paperback out of stock. So I have listed on the right some other places to try. Hopefully you’ll have a nearby local bookshop (here is a good place to find out), but if not you might like to buy online from a company that pays UK tax.

There was an issue with the fold-out in the first batch — namely, it was perforated, so easily fell to bits! — which apparently will be put right in the second print run.

Right, that’s it about the bus for now!