See now the problem with my brain is it won’t sit in one place. I get all excited about stuff and want to get it DONE and then do the NEXT thing before the first was DONE. I appreciate having this enthusiasm for what I do, but I’ll admit sometimes it’s frustrating trying to concentrate. It’s like sitting a four-year old in front of a hundred tv screens and demanding he pick one, and though you’d really like to faceplant him soon as his focus wanders you know you can’t because you’d just be giving yourself a brain aneurism. That’s my analogy. Also my kid analogy.

2009’s been a pretty good one I’d say. Personal highlights of the year, moving in with the delovely Sarah and all the wonderful people I’ve met, and buying a scanner big enough to ride like a sexy donkey. Work-wise, the highlights for me would be the Ubu Bubu and Fat Chunk 2 books, the two signings I did at the Science Museum and Forbidden Planet and getting to draw a poo-loving vampire in Toxic comic. Alongside that my own personal projects, particularly hauling Find Chaffy into a living breathing campaign, cataloguing all the Bear strips onto bearfoo.com, and everything else besides. A mountain of characters, pitches, comics and websites rumbled along to maybe one day see the world.

But to be honest, it’s been very slow in terms of actually making a living. Like everyone I guess, but particularly these last 6 months there’s been barely any paid work and obviously that would be concerning to someone with common sense. Fortunately, I’m intensely stupid, and choose to be all like OH HEY I COULD DRAW SOMETHING ABOUT A PIG STITCHED TO A MONKEY AND THEY HAVE ADVENTURES instead of all like oh noes money gone. And he’s like DOES THE PIG/MONKEY HAVE A NAME EACH, OR ONE COLLECTIVE NAME and I’m all like hey man it’s a metaphor for terrorism and he’s like OH.

Point is, 2010 is already shaping up to be an action-packed one. Upon this altar I’ll cut out the hearts of every project planned, should you be so inclined to see them beating.

The SECRET KIDS BOOK which probably isn’t a secret if you’ve heard me gibbering about it is coming along well, I’ve been putting the hours in over Christmas and to be honest I think I’m over halfway. Looking good to meet the February deadline, and excited about it’s release in July! Excited to share more when I can.

KOCHI, my 4-years in the making pencil comic, WILL be a webcomic in 2010, hopefully in spring. I’m planning to make it daily, for 100 days. I tried making a few books of it and after all the work gone into it, I just wasn’t happy, so I’m trying to get it exactly right before I offer it up. But if you like kids calling each other swear words then dying, you’ll like Kochi.

FISH-HEAD STEVE if you were lucky enough to catch FHS in the now greatly missed The DFC, then you may be glad to hear I got exciting news on xmas eve. I’ve received an offer to adapt Steve into medias new, more than that I can’t say but soon as it’s signed hopefully I can announce it.

BEAR I’m so glad bearfoo.com is up and running, and really plan to work on some exclusive new strips to sit alongside the existing ones

DR.WHO again, alas, something very secretive I can’t talk about so there’s probably no point me mentioning it. I can say I was honoured to work on something associated with Dr.Who last month and, if it’s well-received, could become something proper. News soon!

FIND CHAFFY there are a whole bundle of Chaffy sightings I just haven’t had a chance to post up yet, but in 2010 the search for Chaffy is going proper big-league. Keep yer eyes open! ^_^

WHUBBLE yes I would love to draw some more Whubble strips. No I can never find time. But yes I will commit myself to doing more in 2010. Or may my eyes fall out and my arms grow inwards.

CORPORATE SKULL here’s an interesting one. If you’re familiar with the few CS strips I did some time ago, you may think the bony-headed swearing office worker is a bit of a one-joke pony. I certainly wondered. But over this year I’ve been formulating a very large, complicated and rather outlandish story for Coporate Skull, and I think it’s nearly getting there. And as it gets there, I get more and more excited to start work on it. I don’t think I could commit to doing a full graphic novel but maybe if I did it as a webcomic, a page a week, slowly telling this story it might motivate me to keep going. I’m proper psyched to explore CS so am committing myself to starting it in 2010. Maybe I’ll work on some promo posters soon, get myself in the mood.

And all this aside, there are other things still bubbling under. Space Raoul’s getting some interest from telly, I’ve got my first ever custom toys to work on, and hopefully I’ll keep churning out more Desperate Dans throughout next year. I also hope to create a new dance. A Jamie Dance. I will do it when I enter the room, and people will talk of it.

So whatever you’re doing for the sham bullshit pressure-rubbish bastards celebration that is New Years Eve, have a great one! I can’t wait to get 2010 started ☺

Jx

Ps. Io9.com voted the Ubu Bubu 3 cover in their top covers of the decade? I am honoured, flattered, confused and would argue against it ^_^ thanks io9!

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