Where has all the time gone?

Blimey ....it's been a while since my last post .... good news is because I've been busy with work, bad news is because I've been under the weather [literally]. I hate Winter ....why can't we hibernate ...but after thinking that for more than 50 years ... I become convinced it wont be something I'll be doing [lol] much as I'd love to.


But that's the thing about time  ... it always seem to 'vary' depending on what we do, and as I certainly, get older,  it becomes difficult to find more when you need it. Where are those halcyon days of long summer days that stretched on for ever it seemed when I was a boy? Although correctly the halcyon period refers to the Winter time. But not this period where Winter lingers and spring waits to be sprung .... and waits, and waits. I know, probably a warm house would help. Lol.


I had an email about a past event and thought, because it amused me at the time, that it might amuse some others ... well, I hope so.


Jim [Fleet] emailed and asked,

May I ask you about something in one of the pictures you did for the game book The Warlock of Firetop Mountain in 1982?

I copied this image from the book off the internet, but what I wanted to ask was why you illustrated the whip hand of the tall goblin in the way you did.

Jim continued, 'the only reason I ask is because the raised hand of the Goblin creature with the hat is drawn as though it were a left hand; so it's the wrong way around for a right hand!Just out of interest, I've always wanted to know if this was deliberate or a mistake?'

My reply was as follows ...

As to your question about that particular drawing done so, so long ago... is answered as follows:

Well, This is a clear case of notorious Goblin surgery going wrong [again] and resulted in the replacing this fellows hand, struck off in an earlier fight, the wrong way round. The wrist band clearly hides the scars. Goblin surgery isn't what it was sadly, as is our present NHS, if reports in the paper's are to be believed.

Or .. it might have been because...

I'm left handed and just cannot tell my left from my right [sigh] and often get things back to front .. but luckily till now not upside down [or do I speak too soon ....].

Or.. 

it might have been because...

This particular illustration although 'created' for The Warlock of Firetop Mountain and first printed in 1982, was in fact based on a similar drawing that I'd produced nearly 10 years before which I did just after I left college .. So you see, I was young; I was foolish; I was dim [grin]. Also when sent for checking and editing ...nobody at Penguin spotted the error [grin], unlike in other later books when there were later gaffes [grin] and I had to do redraws. I had noticed this 'error' myself afterwards .. but liked to think of the 'otherness' of Goblins ....at least, that's my story. 

Be proud though Jim, as you're the first to point it out! Though not necessarily the first to notice it [grin]. As in the days of old Marvel .. definitely worth a No Prize!

Someday, if I can ever find a publisher I might produce the 'Book of Goblin'.

To conclude, another 'blast from the past', having been contacted by James from darkest Hamilton who,as he remarks, serendipitously stumbled upon my blog last night and thought he'd email as I'd posted on my blog already a small section of a painting  that he'd commissioned from you many moons ago! 

                               So here it is.... Thank you James!

Next time I'll discuss my latest rejection [sob], show off a 'new' Brain eater, and begin to show off some old robots and beasties .. the original 'roughs' that is. Promise it wont be too long [grin].

Also wondering if I should revive [if that's the right term] my old sex comic strip ... which also saw light of day many moons ago and which I'd forgotten about till recently when I found an old copy. 

Oh and don't get excited ... it was mostly dreadful puns.