A grand book
   Grandville is here...

   Postman Pat and
   his Rather Blurred Cat
   A new/old advert for Specsavers...

   Aardman get inventive
   A new Wallace & Gromit
   tv series!...

   Classic comic giveaway
   Free comics in The Guardian..

 
   news archive »     interviews »      giveaways »
 


    A grand book   (29.09.09)

    Bryan Talbot's latest endeavour, Grandville, is now upon us, and it looks
    like a doozy. It's an anthropomorphic Victorian steampunk adventure starring
    Detective Inspector LeBrock of Scotland Yard, and as you'd expect of Mr T, it's
    stuffed to the gills with wry historical and comic references and side-glances
    as the rollicking mystery unspools. The book even derives its own name and
    a major part of its inspiration from the anthropomorphic drawings of the 19th
    century French artist J J Grandville. But all cleverness aside, The Hound reckons
    the presentation alone makes this volume well worth a purchase, with that
    glorious logo, and the textured red dustjacket inviting you in to the adventure...

    

    If you know your comics, you know that Bryan Talbot is something of a
    legend on these fair shores. In recent years, The Tale of One Bad Rat and
    Alice in Sunderland have catapaulted his name into High Street bookstores
    up and down the country, and there's a filmed adaptation of Alice on its way
    any moment. But right here and now, we have Grandville, which was launched
    at the Cartoon Museum last night. And Mr Talbot's soon to embark on a
    signing tour, too.

    This Hound can't wait to get his paws on a copy!

                                                                               More: Bryan Talbot

  

    Postman Pat and his rather blurred cat    (15.09.09)

    This is fab. It's a UK advert produced by Passion Pictures, for Specsavers,
    starring Postman Pat and all his pals from Greendale. Poor old Pat is
    staggering all over the place, 'cos he should have gone to a that well-known
    High Street opticians. What's particularly great is that this is Old School Pat,
    not the new SDS (Special Delivery Service) version. Anyways, take a look
    for yourself:

    

    And if you want to see who made it and how, here's a handy "making of"
    to view too:

    

     Got that, then?- A three week shoot, utilising two sets, and the same
     cameras used for the orginal series, all shot on "doubles" (twelve moves
     per second) at half a day per 70 frame shot. And the end result is
     terrfic, right up there with Tandem Films' wonderful Paddington Marmite
     commercials, wouldn't you say?
     
    

     Of course, this is Specavers' second brush with nostalgia. Not too long
     ago, they put together a rather popular ad based on Thunderbirds.
     And prior to that, we've had other folks' ads starring Brains, Windy Miller,
     The Snowman and more. Which only leaves one question. Who's next
     for an advertising makeover?

                                                    More:  Passion Pictures  Tandem Films

  

    Aardman get inventive   (14.09.09)

    Here's some cracking news from Aardman Animation and the BBC.
    The Bristol studio is beginning production of a brand new tv series
    starring Wallace and Gromit!

    "Wallace & Gromit Present: A World of Invention", will take us on a
    jolly tour around the world to look at real-life contraptions, gadgets and
    inventions which have influenced our inventive inventor pals, the aim being
    to inspire a new generation of innovative minds. Each episode will adopt a
    theme, and the whole thing will be mocked up to make it look like it's being
    broadcast direct from a special studio in the basement of our duo's
    West Wallaby Street home. Our dynamic duo will be be filmed in new
    animated intros and segues to be dropped in between those live action
    compilations, and - well - is sounds like a winner, doesn't it?

    Look out for much more on this one as the production develops. And the
    show itself should reach our tv screens late in 2010.

                                                                   More: Wallace & Gromit

  

    Classic comic giveaway    (10.09.09)

    The Guardian newspaper is running a first class giveaway, starting this
    Saturday, 12th September. For seven days, they'll be presenting readers
    with reprinted editions of a selection of old school British weekly comics
    of the past. That's one free comic reprint a day, for seven days, being given
    away in The Guardian and The Observer (its Sunday companion title).

     

    The selection includes both DC Thomson and Egmont/Fleetway titles,
    and it kicks off with a reprinted 1975 Valentine's Day edition of Jackie,
    (*sigh * swoon*). Here's the full rundown:
 
   Sat 12th - Jackie
   (1975, Valentine's Day edition)

   Sun 13th - The Beano
   (1980, 2000th edition)

   Mon 14th - Roy of the Rovers
   (an edition from 1981 where Roy Race gets shot)

   Tues 15th - Bunty
   (1972 Summer Special)

   Wed 16th - The Dandy
   (an edition from 1984 featuring the last app. of Korky the Cat)

   Thurs 17th - Tammy
   (a reprint of the very first issue from 1971)

   Fri 18th - Whizzer and Chips
   (issue not identified in The Guardian press release)

    Should be fun, eh? - Of course, Comic Converts like us don't need reminding
    of these titles, but the giveaway might just get a few lapsed fans reminiscing
    and reviving their interest in the genre. And no doubt, there'll be the same old
    discussions breaking out, about how we don't make 'em like we used to,
    blah, blah, blah...

    Well put away those frowns, as far as this reader is concerned, ANY debate
    however ill-informed, is a good thing. The Guardian must be applauded for
    their efforts here, especially as they're backing up the promotion with
    articles like this and this, to get us all Talking Comics again...

                                                                            More: The Guardian

 

    A bit distracted     (10.10.09)

    If you're a regular visitor here (and I think there might still be at least one),
    you'll probably have noticed a slowing down of additions and updates on
    the site, over the Summer and into Autumn, for which I must apologise.
    But you see, I've been indulging in a little "me" time of late, and it's
    distracted me somewhat from the day-to-day business of Toonhound.

    So what have I been up to? Well, it's my very own, very small, comic project.
    Smaller than Small Press, I'd say. If you've found me on Facebook, or you've
    stopped by my blog, you'll have already caught up with its development.
    It's called BLIP, and I've set myself a goal of getting the first 48-page tale
    drawn, inked, and coloured, ready for self-publication by the end of the year.

    

    I'm using it to scratch an ever-growing itch to be creative, and to prove to
    myself that I have the ability to see a comic project through to completion.
    You see, I've been far too distracted in the past, and there are umpteen
    half-finished endeavours scattered around my old attic. There's also been
    the little matter of Toonhound and its neverending need to be fed new toons
    and news. This place has been online ten whole years now. That's a long
    time, in web terms, and it feels a whole lot longer to me. I seem to have
    been chained to my PC for an eternity, and whilst I've been tapping away
    on my keyboard, my old drawing pad has been left to gather dust.
    
    Oh, but look, there's no need to panic. You might think I'm about to abandon
    Toonhound to the four winds. No, no, no. And once more, no. I've no such
    intentions. I'm just saying that I am a tad distracted right now and there may
    be a period between here and the end of the year in which the updates and
    the news stories don't get online quite as quickly, or with quite as much
    regularity. But these are "mights" and nothing more. I've broken the back
    of my comic tale as you read this, so I should be able to divide my time
    a bit more  evenly between pad and keyboard. Which all means that,
    with luck, you won't even see the join and this editorial ramble
    becomes redundant.

    I've keeping a running commentary on my progress with BLIP, over on
    my blog, if anyone's interested. And if you're not, well, yah-boo to you,
    'cos I'm continuing with it regardless!

    Till next time!

              thehound@toonhound.com
     

 
      home »   news archive »     Toonhound Q&A's ----------------------------- Q&A Archive ----------------------------- Mike Knowles Jason Tammemagi Astley Baker Davies Roger Mainwood Steve Maher J Edward Oliver Rick Cassman Lo & Alison Cole Graham Exton Colin Whittock Joe McCaffrey Mark Bennington Pesky & The Pox Tony Collingwood Trevor Metcalfe Snowden Fine Peafur Productions