Dirk Maggs in Work Gently — A Comic

As you may know, I love audio plays as a storytelling format. I have the good fortune of being acquainted with the magnificent Dirk Maggs, who is a real champion of audio plays, and has produced more than you can shake a stick at. Some high-lights include the tertiary through quintessential phases of Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, adaptations of Adams’ Dirk Gently books, several DC superhero stories, a very entertaining UK version of the events in the film Independence Day (appropriate, since ID is a remake of War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, a story of great importance to audio play-history), and a an adaptation of Stephen Baxter‘s touching story of a mission to Mars; Voyage.

Last year, Maggs cooperated with Neil Gaiman to bring Gaiman’s Neverwhere to BBC Radio 4. Neverwhere actually started at the BBC, as mini-series on television, but in my opinion (and despite good performances by among others Peter Capaldi in the TV-version) the radioplay is much, much better. Apparently the collaboration was a success, and this year the two teamed up with Gaiman’s co-author Terry Pratchett, to work on a radio adaptation of their joint work Good Omens (which, by the way, I have a signed Swedish edition of!). All right, we’re getting there… To commemorate this, artist and cartoonist Ray Frisen drew a portrait of the production team as cartoon characters, which I thought prompted the need for a comic about the production. Two months (?) later I got around to making it. Hope you like it!

A comic about the production of Gaiman’s and Pratchett’s Good Omens for BBC Radio 4. Characters based on designs by Ray Frisen.

Read Full Post »

The Portmanteau Adventures of Mr. G and Miss C. Part V. “The Rodentarium”

[Notice that I have changed from Miss B. to Miss C., for a variety of reasons. The older ones will be renamed at some point as well, but I can’t be bothered to do so just now.]

Like most gentlemen my age, I take an interest in rodents. I am, of course, a member of the prestigious Vole Club in Bardshead – two times Acting Secretary or, as it is wittily referred to, ”Head Rat” – and in my youth, I was in a somewhat ”jazzy” little ensemble, alternatively called “The Glires Boys”, “The Rat Pack” or, when ladies were present, “The Gallant Gerbil Quartet”. I even penned a light – some say whimsical – poem on the subject, called “Ode to Rodents, or: Rode to Odents”; it starts thus:

To be a Rodent – oh! what joy!
The dream, I think, of every boy.
Their dreamy little whiskers – bless! –
A-quiver with adventurousness

Read Full Post »

Thirsty…

Another one from last year’s Pica pica challenge, this time the word was “gulps”. Not much to say about it, except that I am at least semi-fond of it…

Read Full Post »

Boiling water in Oxford

Last year I visited Oxford for work for a total of about a month. This week actually marks the one year anniversary of the first of the three visits. Time flies.

Read Full Post »

Eudaemonious

In an attempt to force myself to do some writing, a friend and I started a challenge that we, based on a more or less random word or expression, should create something (not necessarily anything of semi-literary nature, but that’s what’s closest at hand for me) in a short allotted time frame (a couple of days).

Read Full Post »

Autumn of the Pelicans #1

This is part of a very long project, and as I’ve finished a rough draft of the first part, I decided to post it here, possibly for some feedback (but will I listen to it?).

Read Full Post »

Ibland måste man tala om den tid som varit

Some time last year (or was it late in 2009?), Alexander Kandiloros approached Leo, who then approached me, with the request to contribute a piece of fanfiction for an anthology he was working on. The rules were that it had to at the most four pages and be centred on a film character that could be alive on April the 27th, 2010 (a Tuesday); the subject was to be that character’s doings on that day.

Naturally, we jumped at the chance, choosing Kusakabe Mei, the youngest daughter from Tonari no Totoro — arguably the greatest film ever made — as the character to follow, envisioning her as a kind-hearted woman in her 60s.

Read Full Post »

A book

(Go here to read the story first, if you prefer not being spoiled!)

A book, by Andreas Skyman

For longer now, than I care to count, most of my creative efforts have been oriented along the lines of creating a book for my brother. The idea was first born from an off-side remark by him, saying that he wanted to see something written by me in print. As I recall, it was said as a compliment for my christmas gift rhymes (one of the few traditions of that holiday that I can say without hesitation that I like), and — flattered — I decided this would make for a suitable birthday present, later christmas gift, later still birthday present, and so on… The book was finally finished in December last year, and though the stories stay with me, I must say that I am glad to finally be able to put the work behind me, as unfinished projects always tend to clog my creative pipes and give me a terribly bad conscience in the progress.

As per usual, I’m going write something about the creative process here; if you prefer reading without any imposed prejudice, I suggest you go here for downloads.

Read Full Post »

I dreamed I saw Jong Il last night…

The small conference room was impeccably clean; the oval table with seats for half a dozen shone, the windows showing the enormous playing-field below us where spotless and the smartly off-white hairs of broadloom carpet looked as if though no-one had violated them with shoes before we’d entered. It smelled like newly unwrapped plastic toys.

Read Full Post »

The Portmanteau Adventures of Mr G. and Miss B. IV: “The Two Ice-Cream Parlours, Part 1”

It was a lovely morning in Launcelot: birds were chirping in the hedges, flowers were slowly exposing their gentler parts by unfolding dresses of near-infinite delicacy, and greengrocers were climbing down from their over-night trees to begin their daily toil. The sun had just risen in the East, and in the Northeast, another one had followed shortly afterwards, to the puzzlement of astronomers across town.

Read Full Post »