Japanese Video Tapes

I lived in Japan from 2001–2002, and in that time, I purchased a lot of VHS videos to watch at home. I got a lot of them cheap from ex-rental shops. But they do take up a lot of space, and I'm thinking of getting rid of most of them as I already have pretty much all the programmes on DVD now, or digital files. But here's a look at some of what I amassed. Some VHS sets come in different coloured cassettes:

The videos above are the set of 7 that make up the British comedy series The Thin Blue Line, from 1995–1996, starring Rowan Atkinson. The video covers are below. (By the way, the series was subtitled, not dubbed.)

Here's the set of 6 videos of the early 2000s anime series Burn-Up X. 

And finally the Mr. Bean series, with identical cover art to the original.

Now, git outta 'ere!

Airbury Academy IV: Now On Sale!

Here it is, Airbury Academy Volume IV – the comic I've been working on since November 2012, set about self-publishing in mid-February, got my proof copy of on March 6, and received 30 copies fresh from the printer today! I've had work published before in magazines, but never my own book, so this is pretty special.

If you want to buy a copy, you can click here to buy online. Or, you could send me an email and tell me your address, which is easy if you live in Australia. If you don't, the first option may be easier.

Thanks go out to Dave Piper who helped a lot through the pre-printing process and also with the logo you see on this very cover. Check his stuff out at Sunday ink!

Wall Or Nothing: Painting A Mural

Rob Scholten and I have been painting a mural in David Street, Preston, in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. Ben, the owner of an Eastern-themed home goods and furniture store called Funky Stuff, asked him to do it and supplied the paint. It was Rob's design; he has done murals before – I was just adding flourishes, but it was interesting to work on street art in public for the first time.

We started the work in December 2013 and Rob had just put the finishing touches to it. Here's a visual record of our progress.

The wall originally was bright orange, 30 metres long and 10 metres high. Rob started by making lines in spray paint.

  

It needed to incorporate Buddha, and this is Rob's preliminary sketch.

In the early stages, using the roller and line work.

Embrace the wall, man!
 

Almost there...getting to this stage took about 5 sessions, lasting until sunset.

And finally, in March 2014 it's complete.

Lino Carving: Airbury Logo

I'm gearing up towards the possibility of getting Airbury IV printed, so the cover art has to look decent. After showing the rough version around it became apparent that the logo or header needed to be improved. The rigorous precision of the words "Airbury Academy" in the Trajan Pro typeface looked nice, but didn't really stand out. And if anything has to stand out, it's the title, right?

So the other day I got this small piece of lino I'd had since my TAFE days and transferred the header onto it in reverse, then used my lino-carving tools to carve the lettering in relief.

Using black ink and a roller, I made a few prints onto cartridge paper. Each print was different, with its own 'character'. It gave a pleasingly rustic and handmade look, as befitting the titular Academy which started in the 16th century. The pages above were scanned and a comp image was made...

And dropped into Photoshop, the end result being quite satisfying. Maya will feature on the cover for Volume IV, holding a snowball, or rather a snowman's head with carrot attached. More news on the possibility of the book will be coming soon!

Instrument Cushions

A series of paintings I did on four cushion covers, with a musical instrument theme. The paintings were done in fabric paint, using a stencil brush.