Shake your FUZZY BOTTOMS!

Not got this week's Dandy yet? Well HURRY! 'Cos it's got a perlexing puzzle in it by yours truly featuring none other than dear ole' FANGLES!!

Look at his little fuzzy dance moves!

Lorenzo!

Pesky humans...

Another month, another bout of Autobot vs. Decepticon delight!

Issue 3.4 of Titan's ongoing Transformers comic has just hit the shelves! HURRAH!

What's that? You want it to include free toys, free posters and an all-action strip featuring Ratchet, Ironhide, Starscream and Barricade? And you want ME to write the story?

Well, alright then - your wish is granted!

Head to your nearest newsagent today to grab your copy, or place a subscription online HERE, and never miss another Cybertronian smackdown again!

- Robin!

Baggage: Exclusive peek inside the book!

Right, here you go, you lucky things! An exclusive peek between the covers of Baggage, which goes on sale everywhere in just EIGHT day's time!

Which also means of course that there's just 8 days for you to BAG the ultimate prize and win an original page of art from the book HERE!

Oh, and don't foget, you and all your friends/family/pets are all welcome to come join the celebrations at our London and Bristol book launches! Details below!

Lorenzo!

Brand New Art: World War Weird: One

Ain't sayin' NUTHIN'!

Lorenzo!

Original Art auction is live NOW on Ebay!

Okay folks, you now have just TEN DAYS to get your bids in on the ultimate comic art auction!

CLICK HERE TO GO CHECK OUT THE AUCTION ON EBAY!

PLEASE NOTE: THIS AUCTION IS AVAILABLE WORLDWIDE! WE WILL DELIVER TO ANY LOCATION ON THE PLANET FOR FREE!

Okay, here we go! To celebrate the launch of our new book, BAGGAGE, we're giving you the chance to scoop yourself not only an original page of Lorenzo's comic art from the book itself, but also a whole heap of super-rare Etherington Brothers swag! If you're a fan, or you know someone for whom these goodies would make the BEST Christmas present EVER, then read on, 'cos we're only going to do this ONCE!

The artwork itself is the original inked page which appears as page 9 in the UK hardback edition of Baggage (Released the day this auction ends!). It is the FIRST and ONLY page of original comic art Lorenzo has ever sold.

But that's not all!!

The lucky winner will also be bagging themselves a seriously tasty bunch of additional "rare as hen's teeth"swag from the Etherington's own archives, including:

1) An original "Chunky Robot" Sketch by Lorenzo!
2) A signed and numbered (from the original run of 30) copy of the gloriously glossy MOON! WORKSHOP print.
3) A signed and numbered (from the original run of 20) copy of the gloriously glossy MALCOLM MAGIC IN THE MIDDLE  print.
4) A copy of issue 22 of the DFC comic featuring the VERY RARE "Galleonpocalypse" Monkey Nuts cover.
5) The original PROOF copy of the discontinued El Sketchbook Lorenzo Volume 5.
6) An ink-dot ESCAPE postcard (seriously RARE! Never released!).
7) Your very own Malcolm Magic sketchbook to draw your doodles in (V, V, V RARE! only ten ever made!)
8) A signed copy of the 11th MOON! mini sketchbook, only available at the Birmingham comic con in 2007. The final MOON! sketchbook we made.

Whew!

But wait! It just gets better! As this is an auction for YOU, the fans, there is NO Start price, NO reserve, and we will deliver the prize ANYWHERE in the world POST FREE!!

Happy bidding, and may the best fan win!

The Etherington Brothers

Find Baggage at a Festival Near YOU!

As we enter the exciting Autumn season (sorry Summer, but you had your shot) we're delighted to announce the first dates on our Lost and Found Baggage tour. We'll be taking to the road and visiting as many schools as possible over the next 12 months but there will be plenty of public shows open to ... er ... the public!

And here are the first THREE, with details on where/how to get your ticket.

Sunday October 2nd - Bath Festival of Children's Literature (3-4pm Workshop and book signing)

Grab your ticket HERE!  If the show sells out you can catch us afterwards when we'll be selling/signing the very first copies of Baggage available ANYWHERE in the world!


Sunday October 16th - Cheltenham Literature Festival (4:45-5:45pm Workshop and book signing)

Grab your ticket to the show HERE!

Saturday-Sunday, 19-20th November - 'Thought Bubble' Comic Show, Leeds (signing ALL weekend)

If you're an adult you can buy your tickets HERE, but the best news is that all young readers under 12 get to go to the convention for FREE! 

To keep track of where we'll be appearing next, simply click on our CALENDER link in the right hand sidebar.

See you on the road!

Happy Bitrthday Ma!

Just coming in to wish our Ma a very very happy birthday!

Hope you're having an awesome day!!

Lorenzo!

Baggage goes on Tour!

We're going to be touring Baggage around the country (and maybe even abroad - stay tuned!) for the next 12 months or so, and along with all the ka-zillion school visits we're doing, dates are going in the diary of various public events around the country where you can come and meet us, have a chat and get your book signed and sketched. Just GO HERE to see where we'll be, and when! New dates will be added each month throughout the year to come!

Lorenzo!

Exclusive Art Auction includes mystery bonus!

With under a week until the beginning of the online auction for an original page from Baggage, I can now announce that the winner of the auction will also win a special mystery package of super rare Etherington Brothers goodies! Ooooh!

Stay tuned for more!

Lorenzo!

Baggage: sneak peek!

17 days to go until the release of BAGGAGE!

Lorenzo!

Professor Popalop Ep 7!

Well, okay, so I'm two days late, but we have so much to blog at the moment, things are getting on top of me. But ANYWAY, the current issue of the Dandy (No 3552) features episode 7 of Professor Popalop's Brain-Jellifying Puzzles! Enjoy!

Lorenzo!

Brand New Art: STRANSKI dime novel

 Something new from the world of Stranski today, my friends! Hope all your Fridays are starting out well! Lots to come very soon, including news of that auction, more sneak-peeks at Baggage, and some VERY new and exclusive art! Stay tuuuuuuuuuuuuned!

Lorenzo!

Baggage Launch Day is a DOUBLE Bonanza!

This is the one you've all been waiting for (I hope!) ... THE BIG BAGGAGE BOOK LAUNCH!!!

Last year's Monkey Nuts event at the Kew Bookshop (see pics here and here) was an absolutely huge success and a fantastic night. But like all followup projects we felt it vital to try something new, and so October will see not ONE but TWO book launches, in not ONE but TWO cities, featuring not ONE but TWO Etherington Brothers (...er...naturally).

BRISTOL - Saturday October 8th 
"Young Readers ROCK!" Day Event

Join us in the brand new and swanky Foyles Bookshop for an afternoon of comic-creating delight. 

From 2-3pm, Lorenzo and I will be running a FREE workshop session, where children and families can discover the hints and tricks we use to bring our stories to life. You can secure your place(s) HERE.

Click the flyer below for all the details! 

LONDON - Thursday October 13th
"Adults Rock Too!" Evening Event

The world is comprised of both younger and older comic book fans. This is a GOOD thing and it is important to provide a forum for adults to stand around drinking wine, talking nonsense and discussing the finer merits of cartooning. Thursday 13th IS that forum!

PLEASE join us at the Daunt Books Holland Park store, for a night of fun, frippery and friends.
The launch will run from 6:30-8:30pm. Be sure to arrive early to secure your copy!

Click the flyer below for all the details!

We look forward to seeing you all in October!

Stranski heads down to Exeter in Phoenix Exhibition

 Ink-dot, the team behind the fantastic print exhibitions I've been lucky enough to be involved in over the past few years, have just opened a retrospective show of some of their favorite works in the wonderful Exeter Phoenix art space. You may remember this is the same venue I had a solo exhibition in a few years ago. I'm proud to say that one of my prints has made the grade, and is showing alongside a selection of truly awesome works form a selection of Bristol's finest.

GO HERE to learn more about the show!

Lorenzo!

And now for something ... SILLY!

You've really got to love the internet. I mean, where else would you discover THIS!

What a treat for a Wednesday!

Brand New Art: AMBUSH

As you may well know, Robin and I are currently waist-deep in an Epic New Series. The complexity of the world in said series is throwing up lots of exciting new art challenges, and so I'm simultaneously creating technical experiment sketches, which allow me to tackle new and unusual textures/lighting/materials etc before I approach them on the page. Here is one of them. It will appear in the next one of these.

Lorenzo!

The Telegraph's Culture Editor reports on the Big Blog Story!

More (digital) broadsheet ink this week! Martin Chilton, digital culture editor for the Telegraph, has been reporting on the Big Blog Story project we're involved in. You can read his article HERE, and then learn even more and join the adventure LIVE as it happens all this week HERE!

Lorenzo!

The Guardian's Book Doctor recommends you take a dose of Monkey Nuts!

A lovely recommendation by the Guardian's Children's books editor Julia Eccleshare that Monkey Nuts is well suited to those who enjoy their stories funny and visually exciting. Read the article HERE, and check out the other great books she reccomends in the article, they're all absolutely spiffing!

Lorenzo!

One Time only: Own a page of original Etherington Brothers' comic art!

Here's something we've never done before/may never do again (click the image to read the details)...

The Big Blog Story Chapter TWO!

As part of the upcoming Bath Festival of Children's Literature (which we're appearing at on Sunday 2nd October with Baggage!) we were asked to write a chapter for a remarkable children's story that is being created live, day-to-day, by 20 fantastic authors. Each chapter will appear on a different blog, so you have to follow the links to read the entire magical story. 

CLICK HERE to read Chapter ONE ... then read on for our installment!

The boy on the hillside was called Scribble. This may sound like a peculiar name but then Scribble was a bit peculiar, and he wore his name proudly like a shiny gold medal.

   When he was born, the doctors discovered that (a) he was covered in blue fur, and (b) he was unable to make a single sound - from his lips came not a scream, nor a squeak. But the blue furry boy was simply bursting with wonder at the world he saw around him, and so one day (when he was only six months old!) he picked up a pencil and started to write.

   He wrote all day by the light of sun, and he wrote all night by the light of the moon and before too long everyone (including his parents) had begun to call him Scribble. His real name was quickly forgotten … just like the poor moon. But Scribble had watched her tumble into the ocean and he knew this was a VERY BAD THING.
   He ran down the hillside and skidded onto the small wooden jetty that belonged to old Mr Catch, the legendary fisherman, who was busy writing his catch of the day on a large chalkboard.

   ...croaked Mr Catch, with a voice as crusty as stale bread, “is something the matter?”
   Scribble grabbed the chalk from his hand, wrote HELP! in giant letters on the board, and pointed out towards the sea. Mr Catch followed his finger and stared across the waves that he had known and sailed upon his whole life … waves that were now glowing, like a torch held up beneath a sheet.

   “Well, well. There’s something you don’t see every day,” said Mr Catch. This was not the reaction Scribble was expecting but Mr Catch was rather old and had probably seen a lot of odd things in his time.

   ...said Mr Catch, “so let’s see who we can find!”
   And with that, the pair set off for town in search of a moon-saving crew.

CLICK HERE, to read Chapter THREE of the story, which will appear on Annabel Pitcher's on the 12th September!

YORE! The FINAL Episode!

Well, 'tis true, this week's Dandy (no. 3551) features the last EVER* episode of YORE! We actually stopped work on YORE! quite a few months ago, so it's nice to see the adventure finally come to a (sort of) conclusion in print,

But while we all wait for October 6th (and indeed, January 7th ) you'll still be able to get a little Etherington fun on a weekly basis, as I have THREE MONTHS worth of Professor Popalop puzzles coming up in the Dandy soon. So keep reading!

Lorenzo!

*Technically, we did complete two additional YORE! episodes before we had to quit the series for other work, but as they relate to the beginning of the forth adventure, and don't really stand alone, I doubt you'll see 'em in the comic!

Found in Translation!

Holidaying in France is always a pleasure. It's a country crammed full of great scenery, great food, great drink, and more great comic books than you count on a LOT of fingers. As a devout lover of Asterix and Tintin and all things bande dessinée, it has been a lifelong dream of mine to see an Etherington tale translated into French. But I was not expecting to fulfill that dream in a sleepy fishing village in Brittany.

Imagine therefore, the emotional rollercoaster I experienced as I opened a copy of the French Star Wars Magazine (published by Delcourt) and found my own work staring back at me. Actually, dear readers, you don't HAVE to imagine it, as the moment was caught on film.

First came shock...

...then unbridled joy...

...and finally a strange sort of combination of the two. But it might just have been trapped wind.

Sacrebleu! C'est incroyable!

And things only got better when I discovered this month's BD contained a DOUBLE helping of Etherington action. 'Les Canons de Nar Hekka' (formally The Guns of Nar Hekka) and 'Espions et Epices' (originally Spices and Spies) were both illustrated by the ever-wonderful Tanya Roberts.

What a blast. Be sure to follow all the Clone Wars action here in the UK by grabbing a subscription to the monthly comic HERE!

Our National Schools Comic Competition begins TODAY!

Exciting news today, as we are finally able to announce that the National Literacy Trust (in conjunction with Renaissance Learning and we Etherington Brothers) has just launched a quite frankly AMAZING countrywide comic creating competition.

But how did this come about?

"As long-time comic book creators, my brother Lorenzo and I were delighted to be given the opportunity to work with the National Literacy Trust on this new competition. While the illustrated novel is generally perceived as an accepted form of literature, graphic novels or comic books are more often regarded as a very distant, very disreputable, grubby-kneed cousin ... but a cousin with whom everyone secretly wishes to play. The reason being, that a tale told in pictures AND words possesses the unique ability to rise bodily from the page and engage with its audience on both a verbal and a visual level…We hope this competition gives a new generation of creators a chance to stretch their creative and storytelling muscles ... whilst having a lot of FUN in the process." 

Interesting! I couldn't have put it better myself. But what makes this competition so amazing? The answers are threefold:

(1) We've produced a brand new character for the competition that has never been seen before!
Dorko is a boy who possesses a wild imagination but none of your typical super hero powers ... and he desperately needs a side-kick!

The first competition, open to every child in every Primary School in the country, is to design Dorko's new friend and write a short passage describing their first meeting (in no more than 250-300 words).

For more information on entering our Primary School competition, click HERE!

(2) Those children old enough to enter our Secondary School competition have a chance to see their winning entry turned into a professional comic page drawn by Lorenzo himself!

To enter you must complete a single page of story, using the picture we've created below as the opening panel. The trick is to use no more than 9 panels on the page.
Where will Dorko's first adventure take him? That's up to YOU!

For more information on entering our Secondary School competition, click HERE!

(3) PRIZES! Aside from the finished comic page, both the winning Primary and Secondary schools will receive a visit from the Etherington Brothers, where we will host a comic-creating workshop. Filled with tips, tricks and more giggles than you can fit in your back pocket, this is surely all the incentive you need to pick up your pencils and start creating.

The deadline for the competition is 5pm Monday, November 28th! 
Remember - you've got to be IN it to WIN it!

Further details of the competition can be found HERE.

Brand new art: Lorenzo vs DOCTOR OCTOPUS

Today's warmup sketch...

Lorenzo!

Exclusive First Look: Malcolm Magic DUNNY

 Well, I finally got the ole' paints out and did myself a Malcolm Magic Dunny!

Malcolm Magic is a 320 page comic book epic which can be bought HERE. Dunnys are bespoke vinyl figures by Kidrobot which can be bought either custom painted or blank HERE.

More soon!

Lorenzo!