PROPAGANDA Reviews: Marc Ellerby's Ellerbisms

Ellerbisms Volume 2 & Volume 3

by Marc Ellerby

Ellerbisms is Marc Ellerby’s webcomic, updated three times a week with each page covering a little bit of Marc’s life; comics, music and the general day to day stuff of a 20 something features pretty heavily. I reviewed the first volume with some of Marc’s other comics a while back, and I praised it within reason, complaining that Marc’s scattershot approach to detailing his life page by page was entertaining but flawed. I wanted more detail, less jumping about from page to page, subject to subject.

But it stayed with me enough to be one of the few webcomics I have in my feed reader and will read every new episode immediately. There are maybe 10 or so webcomics that I rate this highly. And much to my delight over the months since the stuff in volume 1 came out Marc started putting more and more detail in his work, started linking pages, making more of a story from strip to strip. It just got better and better.

But something happened to Ellerbisms along the way whilst I was reading it, something absolutely remarkable and absolutely fascinating. Marc fell in love:

And, fool that he is, this love affair is being chronicled through Ellerbisms. So in Ellerbisms volume 2 we get to meet Anna who quickly becomes an integral part of the whole Ellerbisms experience. At first it was a series of sweet and interesting strips which may well have become tiresome in time. But then Marc did something incredibly brave and absolutely fascinating with his webcomic. It happened over the course of just three pages in the middle of a fun report on the goings on at Bristol Comiccon 2008. And those three pages made me realise that Marc was really onto something here, something incredibly personal and an immediate step up in how he dealt with his cartooning. These three pages proved to me what I’d been thinking for some time; that Marc had decided to try new things, to be more truthful and complete with his autobiography and to attempt a new, ongoing narrative.

And here they are; the three pages that made me sit up and really pay attention, I’ll meet you back here after you’ve finished them:

It’s just so utterly painful to read. Little touches make the difference; Anna’s face in the first strip, the two tiny word balloons crossing each other on the second page, the anger and intense regret on the final page. Like I said, incredibly brave and absolutely enthralling stuff. Sure, there’s a voyeuristic element to all this. But there’s also a sense of real honesty in chronicling the ups and downs of his life and his love that just proves utterly fascinating, a little shocking and quite worrying. Terrifying even. I’m terrified for Marc (and for Anna): Is it too intense, is it too much to chronicle something so young and new? I don’t think I could have handled it as well as they do at such a young age having their lives on the page like that. But in case you’re too worried now, it does get better for them, but even as he’s putting down all the fun stuff, all the music and the comics and the general goings on, there’s still a courageous refusal to skip over the darker, more worrying aspects of their relationship.

And just as his writing has opened up, become far more interesting over time so has his artwork, with a cleanness of line and a style that’s instantly recognisable as an Ellerby page.

I really can’t say enough good things about Marc Ellerby and his Ellerbisms. In all honesty there’s no real need to pick up volume 1, that’s just prelude to what is to come, it’s volumes 2 and 3 where the artist really shows his stuff. But for just a few quid extra, it’s well worth picking up all three for an incredibly reasonable £8.50 and getting the whole story, so you’ll be as enthralled at Ellerby’s growth as I was. Of course, you can always take the cheap way out and not spend a penny and read Ellerbisms online. But don’t be cheap. Read them online and then spring the cash to have them in lovely comic form. Each one comes beautifully packaged in a pleasingly tactile cardboard cover and they’re an absolute must.

Marc’s stuff online: his website, his portfolio site, his live journal, his Ellerbisms site, his Ellerbisms store. And while you’re there buying your Ellerbisms three pack, make sure you pick up a copy of his latest - rather a departure - Chloe Noonan Monster Hunter - because it’s great as well.

PROPAGANDA Reviews: Chloe Noonan

Chloe Noonan - Monster Hunter

by Marc Ellerby

From Marc Ellerby’s website:

Who is this Chloe Noonan and why should I care?

Chloe Noonan is a monster hunter (duh) but it’s tough being one when you don’t have any powers and you have to bring your friend along with you. She’s not even that bothered about saving the world really, as running around gives her a stitch. It’s a tongue in cheek look at fantasy and puts the b-list character in the foreground. It’s less about hunting monsters and more about getting the bus.

This is what I love about comics. Marc Ellerby’s been sat on the sidelines for a long time now making his fabulous mini comics of love and penguins (not together - see the review here) and watching as his friends get big time gigs (yes Gillen and McKelvie - I’m looking at you). But here’s the book that should, if there’s any justice in the world, make Ellerby famous (well, okay, maybe not famous, but maybe get him a nice graphic novel series).

Chloe Noonan, Monster Hunter is just such a fantastic idea, done so very well, that I just can’t help but think that if he gets the right bit of luck with it he’ll have a huge hit on his hands. It might not have the emotional intensity of his Ellerbisms, but it does have heaps of Scott Pilgrim style goings on; young folks, funky dialogue, bit of weirdness and smart cartooning. Chloe is a monster hunter (no, not like Buffy). She’s English, doesn’t have any special powers and frankly thinks this monster hunting lark is rather getting in the way of playing in the band she sometimes plays in. Not that she really likes the band that much, but it beats running around the woods trying to capture all these stupid monsters. Worse still, she’s still finding her way around this monster hunter thing, so she makes little mistakes like letting her best friend in on the big secret as well. Ooops.

It’s a great start to what could become a great series. This 15 page intro mini comic isn’t any more than a fun introduction, a little action, a few character intros and some great lines. Ellerby’s art just keeps getting better and better with every page he delivers and Chloe Noonan is some of his best work yet; his line and detailing is much more refined than Ellerbisms (what do you expect though - Ellerbisms is a diary webcomic), as you’ll be able to see from the three page preview a little below. And it’s all wrapped up in that lovely full colour cover shown above. It’s rather a departure from the usual Ellerby comic and it’s nice to be able to say that he handles a longer story really well and the storytelling is just lovely.

Chloe Noonan might look like it’s an adventure series but Marc’s not going to let that get in the way of including some cracking funnies and his usual line in self-depreciation plus an uncanny ability to get some song lyrics in there (this issue has the Pixies - “Hey. I’ve Been Trying To Meet You” - shouted at a monster she’s been chasing and is about to hit with a stun bomb).

This is the first time we’ve seen the character that Marc’s been going on about for ages. This is just a 15 page mini comic, but it’s just a taster for the proposed graphic novel series he has in mind. I know the comics biz is going through the same crap the world is going through at the moment but someone out there really needs to give Marc the money to make this a big, big series. It deserves to be a monster hit. I gave it to Molly to have a look at - figuring a monster hunting girl would be just up her alley and she decided it was very cool. That’s the 9 year old girl market sewn up right there.

Now, time for a treat; the first 3 pages of Chloe Noonan coutesy of Marc Ellerby’s Live Journal.

Okay, now you’ve read the first 3 for free, head over to Marc’s website to buy one for yourself. Hell, buy two or three and give them out as presents. And if you do happen to be a big time publisher type reading this - I’d like a Chloe Noonan Volume 1: the graphic novel for Christmas please.

PROPAGANDA Reviews: Andi Watson's wonderful Glister in The House Hunt

Glister: The House Hunt

by Andi Watson

Walker Books

The second Glister book from Walker Books, released earlier this month along with Glister: The Haunted Teapot (review). To be honest everything I said in that review could easily fit here.

Glister is such a delightful work, full of marvellous moments and sumptuous artwork that I could almost wish Andi just spent his time making these stories from now on. I say almost since I’m acutely aware that Andi’s more adult orientated work (for example: the wonderful Breakfast Afternoon, Slow News Day or Little Star) is just as good and I’d love to see more of that sort of book from him as well. Maybe I can just hope for a few Glister books a year and then one adult work as well?

(Strange things happen around Glister Butterworth. Andi opens The House Hunt just the way he did The Haunted Teapot, with a lovely little introduction to Glister and her world. From Glister: The House Hunt, (c) Andi Watson, published Walker Books.)

Anyway, Glister: The House Hunt features all of the stuff that made Glister: The Haunted Teapot so wonderfully fun; Glister is still an energetic, effervescent sparkle of quaint Englishness, a perfect heroine for the young girls Andi’s writing this for (and one of Molly’s favourite characters she’s met in comics so far). But with the Haunted House Andi opens his work up a little more. Instead of a deliberately self contained story, we get to explore a little more of Glister’s world here.

Glister’s village is taking part in the annual Village-In-Bloom contest, complete with pompous and oh so marvellously English chairman; Mr Leonard Swarkstone, the Lord Lieutenant of Whixleyshire and head of the Gravehunger Moss Bonny village taskforce. He’s determined to have everything in the village looking “just-so” and he’s none to keen on Chilblain Hall, especially after Glister gives him the guided tour, taking in the Troll bridge (complete with real Troll), underground railways, the robing room with her dad’s minibeast collection and much more.

(Chilblain Hall. Weird and wonderful, but never going to win awards from the bonny village taskforce. From Glister: The House Hunt, (c) Andi Watson, published Walker Books.)

Chilblain Hall, you see, is no ordinary home, it’s a magical, wonderful place, constantly changing and never settling on any one layout or look. You’re equally likely to find your bedroom transformed into a cinema overnight or discover that the Masonic Lodge has taken up residence in the wine cellar. But this magical beauty holds no appeal for Mr Swarkstone, he’s a man of order and straight lines so the raggle taggle architecture and delightfully mismatched rooms of Chilblain Hall don’t appeal in the slightest. Which is when he makes his serious mistake. He tells Glister what he really thinks. And he does it within earshot of the hall:

“It’s a health and safety disaster waiting to happen, a veritable deathtrap in the heart of our rural idyll. On top of which it’s an eyesore, a Frankenstein’s monster of follies and anachronisms hastily stitched together in the style of… of…. ”
“Neo-gothic?” (suggests Glister)
“In the style of a dog’s breakfast”
“The best thing that could possibly happen is for this ramshackle lean-to to be shipped brick by brick across the Atlantic and pieced back together in some Texas rancher’s theme park.”

(Chilblain Hall, in all it’s splendour, given genuine character and life throughout The House Hunt. It isn’t just a house, it’s written brilliantly to be as real as the people in Glister’s life. And just like them, it can be hurt by the unkind words of others. From Glister: The House Hunt, (c) Andi Watson, published Walker Books.)

Chilblain Hall takes it all to heart. Glister does her best to assuage it’s wounded pride, talking up it’s handsome tower, explaining that rustic is in this season and that there’s no need to be so sad. But her words fail to cheer the poor old hall up for very long and one day it simply ups and leaves the way only marvellously magical residences can.

The rest of the book deals with Glister’s heartfelt attempts to bring her home (and her friend) back to where it rightfully belongs. Along the way we get to see Glister and her dad realise that finding temporary accomodation may be harder than it seemed; the Troll’s taken up residence in the wishing well, Long Meg the witch was in the shed for the summer and there’s a battle swine in the Goat house. Eventually the find respite in a swiftly grown tree house, but it’s not Chilblain Hall, not Glister’s friend and she’s missing it terribly:

(Watson’s art, so light and fun throughout, still manages to capture a moment of sadness perfectly. From Glister: The House Hunt, (c) Andi Watson, published Walker Books.)

Watson fills The House Hunt with fantastical and funny characters and situations around the central story of the wonderful Chilblain Hall and it’s self-imposed holiday / exile from Glister’s life. But there’s also time to darken the story a little, adding in a real sense of loss and friendship as Glister realises that she’s missing her friend. And the artwork. Wow. Andi Watson pulls off something that looks uniquely English and modern and lovely and quaint and just plain great. And I trust you can all see that from the examples here. Beautiful work full of moments of artistic brilliance.

Glister is available wherever you can get good quality children’s books. Alas, it looks unlikely that it will be found in comic shops anytime soon as Walker Books don’t really deal with them. Shame. I’d hate to think the Andi Watson fans out there (and I know that there are many of us) would miss out on this.

The next Glister book: The Faerie Host is out in January. It’s the last of the stories previously published by Image and it takes the book to new heights. Glister is a rare thing, a comic designed for children that will amaze and entertain everyone who picks it up, young or old, boy or girl. Definitely one to pick up.

PROPAGANDA @ the FPI blog: Adam Cadwell's Everyday

Reviews at the FPI blog: Adam Cadwell's Everyday

Molly's 10th Birthday - what a wonderful day!

The birthday haul! Not many boxes this year, but the big one has a bloody great Nintendo Wiii in it, so I think that more than makes up for it! Also note the hand made card from Mommy and Daddy. Yes, we forgot the card this year and had to quickly design our own - but she liked it anyway!

We had an absolutely fabulous day. Friends and family round in the afternoon. But the great thing is that the birthday continues - we've got a special treat for her tomorrow. But in the meantime, have some pictures of the day:

PROPAGANDA @ the FPI blog: Manga Kamishibai

Review. FPI Blog.

Manga Kamishibai

Fascinating book on the manga precusor.

And why, oh why can't I ever type Manga properly - every time, every single time it comes out as Managa. No idea why.

PROPAGANDA @ the FPI blog: IR$ Volume 1

New review of great new Cinebook Euro comics at the FPI blog:

IR$ Volume 1.

Happy 10th Birthday Molly!!!!

My lovely, wonderful, incredible, beautiful little girl turns into a (as she so wonderfully puts it) double digiter today.

10 years ago I had no idea how much better my life was going to be with the addition of a tiny bundle of joy.

But every day of my life, I'm amazed at how much love I can feel for my Molly.

And every single day, from the 25th August 1999 to the day I die, I'll never love anything as much as I love little miss Molly Alice Bruton.

Happy Birthday Molly.

My job in diagram form

Well, most of the technical stuff anyway. (via Jez)

Molly Birthday - greetings from Andi Watson

This was so sweet. Molly thought it was marvellous. Her very own Andi Watson birthday card and recycled notepad from Andi's proof copies of his new Glister book.
That Andi Watson; not just a great cartoonist, but a very nice man indeed.

PROPAGANDA @ the FPI blog: Path

Latest Propaganda review at the FPI blog.

Path by Gregory Baldwin. Interesting stuff.

Sunday, Sunday.....

Good plan for Sundays;
Aim to get to cinema for early show so Louise can have the pleasure of taking Molly to see Bandslam and I get to go and have coffee and read for 2 hours.
Get the time wrong. Realise just before leaving that you have written times down wrong and have to go for later showing.
But because you're up and awake - spend the next two hours watching the women's marathon from the world athletics championships, reading and having coffee. As terrible as I am at getting up early in the morning I do really enjoy being awake early. maybe I need to change my day: up early, bed in afternoon, up all night, grab couple of hours sleep around 4am, then up early again. Having to go to work may mess this idea up.

Best bit so far in Marathon - Steve Cram commentating on those annoying little Berlin information films the organisers insist on putting on every 20 minutes or so. And theyy all feature the Bear mascot (the one who posed with Usain Bolt and dropped one of the women athletes the other day after piggy backing her). This one was in Berlin university and ended with Bear and student walking out. Cram (bless him) starts talking about exam results and wishing everyone good luck to all.

And then he signs off with - "and if you do walk through your university holding hands with a large bear, good luck with that as well."

What a great Sunday morning.

Blogging. lack thereof.....

Another week gone, and another week on the blog with very little going on. Like I've said before the big problem is that I'm really trying to get through the review shelf this holiday. The plan of a review a day for all 31 days in August is just about working. So far it's 19 reviews in 21 days. Pretty bloody good.

But with that and doing a few more articles and posts over on the FPI blog, I've rather neglected Fictions this summer. But there really are only 24 hours in the day and even with my crappy sleep patterns I'm having to cut something out. And for the moment, this is it. It's not going to be empty - there's enough comic related stuff to keep going for months, but the other stuff isn't going to be popping up every day like I used to do.

PROPAGANDA @ the FPI blog: A Drifting Life

Wherein I try to understand Manga a little more.

Review here at the FPI blog.

Molly's first premiership game. On the plus side she did see 6 goals.

But on the minus side all but one of them were for the wrong team.

Hull 1 - Tottenham 5. 19th August 2009.

Well, this was an adventure. A while ago Molly brought home one of the Hull City football in the community sponsorship things for a penalty shoot out. Lots of sponsors were tapped up and she got herself a pair of tickets for the Tottenham match. On 18th August. Or at least that's what it said on the letter. But inevitably, these things get buggered about with once tv gets involved. Which is why Molly and I ventured forth to the wilds of Hull today. The 19th August. Which just so happens to be Louise's birthday. Ooops.

Actually it wasn't as bad as that sounds. Luckily we had enough notice and Louise was alright with it. It did help that we celebrated Louise's birthday yesterday, with presents and cakes. Then we left more presents waiting for her on her return from work. And tomorrow we're off for a nice meal. So Molly and I think we've covered the missing birthday quite well.

Okay, onto the match. It was Molly's first premiership match. We took her to see England ladies play at Birmingham City ground many years ago. But this was the first time she's had chance to experience the huge roar of the crowd, the shouts, the chanting, the thrills and the goals. Such a lot of goals as it turns out. Funnily enough I was thinking this might be a low scoring match. Oh dear. 5 Tottenham goals against a Hull team struggling to stay in the premiership. And after the display we saw tonight, it's going to be really, really tough this year.

But despite seeing her team go down 5-1, Molly had a fab night. Loved every moment, from the park and ride to the crowds outside the stadium. From the queues for the horrible hot dogs to the queues for the park and ride on the way back. From the moment she realised it was not just okay, but actually encouraged to shout as loud as she could in support of the team there was no stopping her.

We arrived back home close to midnight. She practically crawled into bed. Tired but very happy. Looked at me with big sleepy eyes and told me she'd had a great day and she loved me very much.

I love being daddy.

PROPAGANDA @ the FPI blog: Return of the Ultimates....

And quite nice it is to have them back.

Review of both issues here at the FPI blog.

PROPAGANDA @ the FPI blog: Harker issue 6

The final issue of the first storyline in this great British comic series:

Harker Issue 6

PROPAGANDA Reviews: Andi Watson's Glister - The Haunted Teapot

Glister: The Haunted Teapot

by Andi Watson

Walker Books

Glister was a comic series that came out in 2007 from Image Comics; 3 issues of the series made it out before the plug was pulled. But in many ways the book was doomed from the start; after all, Image are hardly the ideal company to market a comic book story specifically designed for a readership they have no idea even exists, a readership that rarely ventures inside comic shops anyway?

Because with Glister Andi Watson has designed a beautiful and magical comic experience for young girls. It’s a brave and possibly foolhardy thing to do. However, the fact I’m sitting here, smiling from ear to ear after reading it proves it’s not only girls who will enjoy this. And the fact that Molly (age 9) has been reading her copy for days now and she’s desperate for more means the target market seems to love it as well.

First things first, Glister’s not with Image anymore. It’s now being published by Walker Books as part of it’s fledgling graphic novel line. Walker Books knows an awful lot about children’s books regardless of gender. If they’ve decided Glister is worth publishing, if Molly’s decided it’s fantastic and if I’m telling you it’s brilliant don’t you think it’s worth a look for yourselves?

(Strange things happen around Glister Butterworth. Indeed they do. Wonderfully, brilliantly strange things. From Glister: The Haunted Teapot. Published by Walker Books. (c) Andi Watson)

Glister Butterworth is a strange magnet. Like it says right there: wherever she goes, strange things happen around her. In fact Glister’s life is pretty strange without anything happening to her. She lives with her dad, Mr Butterworth, in a dilapidated, draughty, ramshackle old home called Chilblain Hall that really does have a mind of it’s own, complete with rooms that come and go as they please, Trolls in the wishing wells, String Quartets in the salon and Questing Elves and Dwarves renting the dungeons at 10 gold pieces an hour. (But you shouldn’t ever let it hear you calling it ramshackle – it may leave – but more on that in the second volume of Glister; The House Hunt).

It’s a very English story, concerning itself as it does with teapots, stately homes, village sensibilities and ghostly victorian writers of particularly dull prose. When Glister finds a teapot on the doorstep it seems a lovely gift, since Dad does like a cuppa and the old one’s a wretched pourer:

(The mysterious teapot arrives. From Glister: The Haunted Teapot. Published by Walker Books. (c) Andi Watson)

Except this teapot’s haunted, not by a genie (that would be a lamp after all) but fittingly for this most English of things, a disgruntled old English ghost; Phillip Bulwark-Stratton who, when he lived was a determined but not very good author whose works are long out of print. He has one fervent wish, something he’s determined to see complete; one last, great masterpiece of a book; “Albert Buckle”. Which is where Glister, most unwillingly, comes in.

Trapped into transcribing the ghost’s words, whatever time of the day or night old Bulwark-Stratton feels inspiration strike. Poor Glister finds herself at the beck and call of her ghostly teapot dwelling visitor. But Glister’s no doormat and she takes it upon herself to solve this particular problem. When selling it to the second hand store backfires she finds the only way to get rid of this ghost is to finally let him take over and get the damn book finished. And this is when glister finds out the most unusual secret behind Mr Bullwark-Stratton and in the process gains another strange resident of Chilblain Hall.

(Glister’s dad knows what’s important in life. From Glister: The Haunted Teapot. Published by Walker Books. (c) Andi Watson)

There’s a freshness, an innocence and a sheer joy in Watson’s work here. All the better served by a slightly more relaxed and open style to his artwork that not only touches on Manga stylings but also the very traditionally English stylings of illustrated children’s books. Likewise Andi’s writing takes on a lightness of tone and touch very appropriate for both the subject matter and the readership. It’s perfect for it’s intended market of young girls. But it’s also something boys and girls of all ages will really enjoy. Even us old folks. And even the formatting of this new Walker Books edition works wonderfully well. The Image Comics edition seemed somehow throwaway, a thin black and white volume. But Walker Books have given it beautiful colour covers, with a matching pink colour shade on the internal pages. It all seems far more substantial and beautifully complete this time around.

If there’s any justice in the world, this will be a huge success. But it may be up to us to help it along. I’m going to be doing my bit and everyone with a child of a suitable age will be getting one this Christmas. Better than a crappy piece of plastic tat or the latest Hannah Montana cd; Glister will be something they’ll love for years and may kick-start a love of comics. As opposed to the Hannah Montana cd, which will probably put the little darlings off music for a long time.

Glister: The Haunted Teapot is available wherever you can get hold of Walker Books. From what I can gather this doesn’t yet apply to comic shops, but hopefully Walker Books will rectify that situation soon. I’ve said it often in the past; Andi Watson really is one of the brightest stars in the UK comics world. With Glister he’s given us something wonderfully English, a heroine who sits alongside the best in children’s literature and who should delight young and old alike.

The good news is that Glister: The Haunted Teapot is but the first in four (so far) Glister books from Walker Books. I’ll be here for as many as Andi and Walker decide to give us. I hope you will be as well.

Find out more at Andi’s Website and the Glister blog.

PROPAGANDA @ the FPI blog: Tripwire Annual 2009

The latest Tripwire magazine is out now and the latest tripwire review is on the blog right now:

Tripwire Annual 2009.

I’ve said it before and no doubt I’ll say it again, but Tripwire is a bloody excellent magazine and certainly worth the £9.95 cover price. It’s substantial, and it speaks about comics, films, TV and more with an enjoyable yet accessible tone – something the world of comics magazines in particularly has never done particularly well. The magazine’s full of good writing, is always careful not to overwhelm the eye with a simple, clean and effective design and most importantly manages to talk about the past, present and future of the medium we love with equal interest and enthusiasm.

Amanda Palmer was at the Edinburgh FPI today....

That's a great look.
Joe Gordon was there taking photos - more at the FPI blog and Flickr.

More holiday stuff.... the week we've had.

Another holiday week down, 4 already gone. How can that be? Only 3 weeks left? Insane.

The last week has been spent having fun. Back to normal holiday times, after the Anglesey Holiday and the week virtually trapped in the house with the painter at work. So it was back to the Holiday planning sheet....



You'll notice it's a little fuller now than it was last time.

This week has consisted of:
Monday: Mummy surprise
Tuesday: Chill day, market and grandparents
Wednesday: Ikea and Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Thursday: Cruckley Farm with Molly's friend
Friday: Cruckley Farm with another friend - Molly's choice!

Okay, Monday was a big surprise for Louise. Molly and I had been sitting on this for days and days. Our friends and the children were heading up for the day since they couldn't make it up for either Louise's birthday or Molly's. The day was spent at Burnby Hall, running around, feeding fish and running some more. Louise had been led to believe we Molly and I were at the cinema so we picked her up from work (since we were already allegedly in the area anyway) and had great delight in seeing the disbelief on her face as we rounded the corner to see our visitors on the doorstep. Wonderful times.

Wednesday was lovely. The main thing we had to do was go to Ikea to get a couple of bookcase expanders - those things that sit on top of the billy bookcases we all know and love. The reason we need extender thingys? Too many books and graphic novels. My fault, all my fault.

After getting to Ikea and doing the inevitable thing of spending far more than I'd intended to (storage boxes, kids plates and cups - the sorts of things they may as well make compulsary for an Ikea visit really) it was off to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, somewhere I'd meant to go since moving up here. And it was everything I hoped it would be. We had a great few hours there. Could have easily spent many more - we only did about a third of the place in our time there. But it was really lovely.





(Part of Babara Hepworth's Family Of Man and then the photo that everyone seems to take of it)





(Jonathan Borofsky's Molecule Man 1+1+1)



(Some Henry Moore with Molly doing her best impression)



(Part of the Peter Randall Page exhibition that Molly thought was really wonderful, this was "Multiplication By Division")

And after the Sculpture park, into the cafe for a much needed rest and a bit of experimental photography (her idea, not mine!):







She was very tired by the end of the day.

Then onto Cruckley Farm for a couple of days. We'd arranged a couple of play dates for Molly with a friend coming round on Thursday and Friday. And Molly decided she wanted to go to Cruckley Farm with both of them. Cows, pigs, goats, sheep - standard farm stuff really, but lots of open pastures where you can walk through and feed the animals by hand - one day Molly will grow out of these places but I'm glad it's not quite yet.

A good week.

PROPAGANDA @ the FPI blog - Buck Danny

Another day, another review. Not that I want you to think I'm getting complacent about these things - each and every one of them is my brain at work and we all know how badly that goes don't we?

Okay, latest is up at the FPI blog;

Buck Danny

PROPAGANDA @ the FPI blog: The Banal Pig Landscape Anthology

Reviews, reviews, reviews, reviews....... So many reviews done, so many more still to do.

Latest one is up at the FPI blog right here:

The Banal Pig Landscape Anthology

PROPAGANDA @ the FPI blog: Orbital Volume 2

Review of the second volume of Orbital now up at the FPI blog:

Orbital: Ruptures