Magic paws

End of story, end of November. Next week, we begin the long run up to Christmas.

The soot thickens

The soot's been a real pain to generate in Photoshop. I think next time I have to do anything like this I'll go back to creating the effect on the original drawing using a chinagraph pencil. I'm starting to rely on post-production too much.

Aaaaak!

A sequel to a strip from a month ago - the one that started the train of thought that led to this set of strips...

Millie Week 64, Mon 25 - Sat 30 Nov 1991

Back to the hypotenuse of our eternal triangle. One again, a strip is missing. The script is reproduced at the bottom of this post.

Mr Byrite was a very low end menswear shop, famed for the kind of suits that would only ever be worn once, usually at a court appearance:

It's strange to think there was once a time when Channel 4 was the intellectual pseud's TV station. Alas, no longer; Big Brother put paid to that.

Thursday's script:

1. Richard challenges Gemma outside the tuck shop. Gemma is eating bonbons out of a paper bag.
RICHARD: YOU'RE REFUSING TO GO OUT WITH ME BECAUSE I'M NOT TRENDY ENOUGH?
GEMMA: UH-HUH.

2. As before. Gemma finishes her last bonbon.
RICHARD: OK, TELL ME WHAT I HAVE TO WEAR TO GO OUT WITH YOU AND I'LL DO IT.

3. Richard now has the paper bag over his head. Gemma has one of those little smiles of triumph.
RICHARD: ARE YOU SURE THIS WAS IN i-D?

i-D is a fashion magazine, originally started in 1982 as a youthful street-level alternative style magazine. The neat thing about i-D is that it invented the emoticon 15 years early. Turn the title on it's side and it's a wink and a smile, and the model on the cover has always had a matching wink and smile to match.

"Yt's a Jollye Ollyeddye wiv yoo, Mayrye Popppinssss."

Sometimes it's good to go full out silly. (By the way, did I mention that Perkins, the cat that inspired this set, was owned by Charles Dickens' Great Great Grandson, Gerald? That has nothing to do with P L Travers and Mary Poppins, but has a tangental relationship to kids being bunged up chimneys.)

Whumpf

I used to live on the top floor of an old Victorian house. In the flat on the floor below me there was a cat named Perkins. When his folks decided to open up their fireplace and start burning solid fuel again, Perkins found the tunnel this uncovered to be fascinating. Before the chimney had a chance to be swept he decided to try it himself by climbing up the flue. With the results you see here. 

The pattern of the fireplace surround is a tribute to the ranch style fireplace Samantha had in her open plan house in 'Bewitched'. One day I will have a house with that fireplace. One day...

(PS. Ssssshhhh. I'm 49 today...)

Come home to a real fire

The strips for the next two weeks were partly inspired by this delightful old advert - but we're going to go off in a completely different direction. Enjoy...