Wind turbine cartoon

Here's a cartoon from the current Reader's Digest. Royston Robertson's handy tip for publishing these gags on a blog is to retype the caption underneath, in case people are using an iPhone or something similar. Good idea! So, here to save your eyesight, is the caption.

"You're right, they look a lot bigger from the road..."

Thank Dai It's Friday

Click on the strip for a larger version

Here's a old strip from 30th April 2001. This one's pretty autobiographical. We used to have a car which made a strange whirring sound somewhere near my footrest. I cured this by kicking the panel where the noise was coming from. It would fix it for a day or two but then the noise would return. Cue some more kicking from me. Noise went away. The car packed up not long after.

They should have a 'kicking' section in the Haynes Manual.

Strange Looking Bloke Wednesday

Just back from the pub. Enjoyed a nice lemonade and a few games of cards. I live the rock n roll life! Managed a secret scribble of the bloke sitting at the bar while pretending to write down the scores.

Secret Scribble. Sounds like a 70s cartoon series....

Thank Dai It's Friday

Click on the strip for a larger version

This is strip 2643 from Feb 2007.

The Welsh Snooker Open has been on this week in Newport, so here's a strip from a few years back on the subject. Snooker's about the only sport I've ever enjoyed playing - It requires no running which is always a bonus.

**** A Never Say Dai Collection ****

You can order the book via Lulu.com or for a signed copy (for only £6.49 including postage) go directly to www.neversaydai.co.uk (Due to Lulu's currently high postage costs, you'll also save a few quid going to my site!)

Tesco Pyjamas

So there I was reading my good friend Royston Robertson's excellent blog, and his latest post discussing life imitating cartoons, when I got my own sudden feeling of deja-vu.

Tesco ban on shoppers in pyjamas

And here's the strip I drew in Jan 2009 and put up on the blog in Jan 2010, with the following text:

Is this just a local phenomenon or does it blight every other part of Britain? It's the end of civilization, mark my words!

Click on strip for a larger version

Glad to see Tesco are listening to me.

Strange Looking Bloke Wednesday

Here's another bloke - just a random face picked from a magazine about Newport. After adding a messy splash of colour, I cut holes in the paper and stuck the brush in his hand and now he looks a tiny bit like a cartoonist I know called Paul Hardman.

Nib Nerb Section: Done with Pentel brush pen and watercolour.

Thank Dai It's Friday

Click on the strip for a larger version

Here's strip 2862 from 25th October 2007.

I never understood why a penny brought good luck. I think my outcome is more realistic. I should give this strip to my chiropractor...

**** A Never Say Dai Collection ****

You can order the book via Lulu.com or for a signed copy (for only £6.49 including postage) go directly to www.neversaydai.co.uk (Due to Lulu's currently high postage costs, you'll also save a few quid going to my site!)

Strange Looking Bloke Wednesday

Here's a bloke from 2003. taking an educated guess, the illo was something to do with directions or the like, but I could be wrong. I can't remember what happened a week ago, never mind 7 years...

Nib Nerd Section: I was using a cheapy Papermate nylon tip pen to draw this kind of stuff in 2003. I liked the way you could vary the line slightly by applying pressure, but the ink wasn't water proof - it practically smudged it you merely looked at it the wrong way. Used to do a lot of cleanup in Photoshop!

A new Sherriffs in town

Back in December, I took a trip to that there London, spending an extremely enjoyable day in the company of cartooning pals Ger Whyman and Royston Robertson. We visited the Viz exhibition at the Cartoon Museum, which was an outstanding collection (particular highlights were the full colour covers by Simon Thorp).

We also visited the Chris Beetles Gallery which was holding an exhibition entitled 'The Illustrators 2009 - The British Art of Illustration 1870 - 2009' This was the exhibition's 27th year and there were familiar names on display - Thelwell, Giles, Emett, Hoffnung, and the artist I'd especially gone to see - Robert Sherriffs. (I've blogged about Sherriffs and his work before - you can read my post here.


The exhibition was a selling one, so I also had the chance to purchase an original. After much deliberation (thank you Ger and Royston for your patience!) I chose this 'Rear Window' illustration featuring Grace Kelly and James Stewart. It featured in the 2oth October 1954 edition of Punch, and is one of many produced by Sherriffs to illustrate Punch's film column.

It's now hanging proudly in my house, next to a Banksy print - most unusual but enjoyable bedfellows!

Thank Dai It's Friday

Click on the strip for a larger version

OK, back to normal posting duties after my hols. Here's strip 3378 from June 2009.

I'm sure it's the same story all over the UK - we've got a lot of unfinished development sites standing empty due to the finances drying up despite assurances that everything was going ahead. At least I got a strip out of it. Hurrah for crippling financial woes!

**** A Never Say Dai Collection ****

You can order the book via Lulu.com or for a signed copy (for only £6.49 including postage) go directly to www.neversaydai.co.uk (Due to Lulu's currently high postage costs, you'll also save a few quid going to my site!)

Strange Looking Bloke Wednesday

So... I'm back from hols. All this snow has got me thinking back to my school days when this was the type of coat to wear when it got a bit nippy.

Of course, the correct way of wearing it was in this fashion....




Actually, I remember wearing it like that in the blazing sunshine too. I must have been a sweaty child.
Do kids still wear snorkel parka's to school these days? I'm so out of touch....

Nib Nerd Section: Linework done with a Pentel Brush Pen and grey added with Pitt Big Brush Pen.

Snow Looking Bloke Wednesday

Apologies for lack of posts - I'm currently on holiday and trapped in a snow covered Center Parcs. Here's a pic I just drew of me enjoying the weather here. Brrrrr.....

Thank Dai It's Friday

Click on the strip for a larger version

Strip 3237 from Jan 9th 2009. Is this just a local phenomenon or does it blight every other part of Britain? It's the end of civilization, mark my words!

**** A Never Say Dai Collection ****

You can order the book via Lulu.com or for a signed copy (for only £6.49 including postage) go directly to www.neversaydai.co.uk (Due to Lulu's currently high postage costs, you'll also save a few quid going to my site!)

Strange Looking Bloke Wednesday

Here's this week's bloke as featured in a quite bizarre but catchy song you can find at the link below:

Prisenencolinensinainciusol!

How strange!

Competition Winner

A hearty congratulations to a Mr Hugh 'Shug' Raine of Dewsbury for correctly answering the question in the 'Shug Looking Bloke Wednesday' competition. The prize will be winging it's way to you shortly.

Thanks to everyone who took part.

Shug Looking Bloke Wednesday

Here's today's SLB - it's my attempt at capturing the essence of Hugh 'Shug' Raine. I met Shug at the Web and Mini Comix thing earlier in the year and more recently at a cartoonists weekend away where he entertained one and all with his mad ukulele skillz!

For any nib nerds reading (I count myself as one!) it was done on an A4 envelope with some PITT brush pens and a little splash of white pencil. Cheeky!

Check out Shug's work at ReetComic. Well worth a look!

Win this artwork!

Yes, for your chance to win this artwork free of charge, simply answer this easy question correctly.

Q: Are you Hugh 'Shug' Raine, comic creator and illustrator?

If you can answer this question in the affirmative, send an email entitled 'Yes I am Hugh 'Shug' Raine, honest' to tim@timharries.co.uk

Small but beautifully formed

Click on image to get a better look!

Here's a selection of small 'Sun Fun' gags (plus a Star gag) I had published in 1996/97. These were some of the first things I had published. Funny to think that these gags probably had a bigger readership than anything else I've ever done!

There's a few interesting* things to note:

1) If the Sun took it now (highly unlikely since they've stopped taking gags!) I imagine the Pamela Anderson gag would now have Jordan as the subject, Hmm - perhaps a rewrite and sending off to Cartoonstock is in order!

2) Having the words 'No Fun' written under your cartoon can look quite bad when taken out of context!

3) Some of the gags were printed really small! The British Heart Foundation gag is under 3 cm wide and requires a magnifying glass to see properly.

*possibly

Thank Dai It's Friday

Click on the strip for a larger version

Here's strip 2949, from 6 Feb 2008 in honour of the nippy weather that is upon us. Brr! etc...

**** A Never Say Dai Collection ****

You can order the book via Lulu.com or for a signed copy (for only £6.49 including postage) go directly to www.neversaydai.co.uk (Due to Lulu's currently high postage costs, you'll also save a few quid going to my site!)

Strange Festive Bloke Wednesday

Today's bloke is Santa's Angry Little Helper. I don't know why he's so upset, but it could be those tight trousers he's wearing.

Thank Dai It's Friday

Click on the strip for a larger version

Strip 3220, from December 2008. This one is pretty accurate - I saw a lot of these hats last Winter, just about every other person walking along Cardiff's main shopping street had one on. I'm writing this while wearing my own daft flat cap, so can't really complain...

**** A Never Say Dai Collection ****

You can order the book via Lulu.com or for a signed copy (for only £6.49 including postage) go directly to www.neversaydai.co.uk (Due to Lulu's currently high postage costs, you'll also save a few quid going to my site!)

Strange Looking Bloke Wednesday

Today's bloke is nestled in among a group of Gorillaz. He's got a touch of the blueness seen in last week's bloke too - probably due to an excess of leftover paint.

Save Boggins!

For anyone with no idea what this is about, head to Adam and Joe
Save Boggins!

Thank Dai It's Friday

Click on the strip for a larger version

Strip 1237, from Aug 2001. The Eisteddfod was on at the time, so I did a week's worth of them travelling to get there, and a weeks worth of the actual event. I could really stretch out an idea when the deadlines were nearing!

**** A Never Say Dai Collection ****

You can order the book via Lulu.com or for a signed copy (for only £6.49 including postage) go directly to www.neversaydai.co.uk (Due to Lulu's currently high postage costs, you'll also save a few quid going to my site!)

Strange Looking Bloke Wednesday

Just in before midnight! Phew.... Strange Looking Bloke Thursday doesn't have the same ring.

Aaaanyway, here's today's bloke. I've named him Mr. Blue Hair. I've even written him a theme song. It's sung to the tune of 'Mr. Blue Sky' by popular 70s rockers ELO.
Here are the lyrics:

Mr Blue Hair, Mr Bluuuue Hair, Mr Blue Hair -air.

No, I haven't been drinking.

Bloghorn's Artist of the Month

Here's the last part of my stint as Artist of the Month on Bloghorn. In this post I discuss the artists I find inspiring and wonder what the future holds for cartooning.

Unfortunately I forgot to include Gren Jones in my list of inspirations. You can read more about Gren in this previous post of mine - Gren remembered.

Bloghorn is the digital cartoon blog of the Professional Cartoonists' Organisation and well worth a regular visit for cartooning articles, interviews and news.

Thanks to the PCO and Bloghorn for choosing me this month. I look forward to seeing their next choice.

Thank Dai It's Friday

Click on the strip for a larger version

Strip 3287, dated 9 March 2009. Walkers were running their 'Do us a flavour' competition at the time. The finalists were Builders Breakfast, Onion Bhaji, Cajun Squirrel, Fish & Chips, Chilli & Chocolate, Crispy Duck & Hoisin. They were all revolting.

I believe Builders Breakfast, (which seemed to taste of plaster and brick dust) actually won.

Come back Pickled Onion Monster Munch, all is forgiven...

**** A Never Say Dai Collection ****

You can order the book via Lulu.com or for a signed copy (for only £6.49 including postage) go directly to www.neversaydai.co.uk (Due to Lulu's currently high postage costs, you'll also save a few quid going to my site!)

Strange Looking Bloke Wednesday

Been a bit rushed today - sorry for the short post.
Here is today's Neanderthal Bloke. He's a quick sketch with a dab of Photoshop gray.

His mood: "Hmm, fancy going clubbing tonight..."

Cartoonist of the Month

Here's part 3 of my stint as Artist of the Month on Bloghorn. In this post I offer some tips to would-be cartoonists.

I didn't include my No.1 tip which is 'don't drop your Wacom pen down the loo'

Bloghorn is the digital cartoon blog of the Professional Cartoonists' Organisation and well worth a regular visit for cartooning articles, interviews and news.

Look out for more of my posts throughout November.

Thank Dai It's Friday

Click on the strip for a larger version

Strip 2881 from 16 Nov 2007. Today is Children in Need, so here's one from 2 years ago. I think Pudsey is really milking his eye injury now - he's had that bandage on for decades. Probably doesn't want to scupper his disability benefit.

**** A Never Say Dai Collection ****

You can order the book via Lulu.com or for a signed copy (for only £6.49 including postage) go directly to www.neversaydai.co.uk (Due to Lulu's currently high postage costs, you'll also save a few quid going to my site!)

Strange Looking Bloke Wednesday

Here's another sketch done in front of the telly while I was watching The Wire. Shading added in Photoshop.

It's my attempt at a character that appears from Series 3 on, named Thomas Carcetti and played by Irish actor Aiden Gillen. I thought his American accent was very convincing... certainly fooled me!

Foghorn Magazine

Just a quick reminder that you can read back issues of Foghorn magazine online at http://issuu.com/bloghorn

It's chock full of great cartoons and articles. Plus more great cartoons.

A six-issue subscription to the printed version of Foghorn is available for £30. For more info, email foghorn@procartoonists.org

Bloghorn Artist of the Month Part 2

Here's part 2 of my stint as Artist of the Month on Bloghorn. In this post I talk briefly about how I produce my cartoons.

Bloghorn is the digital cartoon blog of the Professional Cartoonists' Organisation and well worth a regular visit for cartooning articles, interviews and news.

Look out for more of my posts throughout November.