More Muscles...

Another three approved Unapproved designs for U.C.C.......

Muscling in...

The first couple of decades of my career were moderately predictable, with little deviation from a select few paths (kids' comics, newspaper editorial cartoons, and feature illustrations just about covers it). However, for the past few years, through increased use of the Internet and my website in particular, I've discovered many more cartooning opportunities than I ever gave any thought to beforehand, and I love the diversity of new challenges that regularly come my way as a result.

The latest of these has been unfolding over the past couple of weeks after I was contacted by the head honcho of a new Internet-based clothing company, soon to be launched, supplying gear specifically aimed at the body-builder market. I was initially asked to draw one design (above), but it was so well received, and so much fun to do, that before we knew it, my one design had become half a dozen, with more to come.

Of course, being a fitness fanatic myself, and having the body of a bronzed Adonis, certainly helped, along with a full-length mirror for reference purposes. Oh, all right - it's one of those fairground mirrors that sucks stomachs in and puffs chests out, and my exercise regime involves lifting heavy sandwiches, pushing my luck, and stretching the truth, but I got the job done, and here's the proof...

If you want to find out more, and if you have a Facebook account, drop in on U.C.C. (Unapproved Clothing Co.) for upcoming news of all their gear and the impending launch.

Karacktiteshure (bless you!)...

We've just had the latest Caricature Contest over on the Cartoonists.co.uk forum, with none other than the face of TV football, Adrian Chiles, providing the inspiration for this month's sport. I thought it was an inspired choice, and a gift for caricaturists. You can judge for yourself, but there was no doubt about the runaway winner this week from Hugh 'Shug' Raine, who left all the others trailing in his wake, with a huge 50 point tally.

Thanks to Scotty, my co-admin on the Competition forum, I intend taking part in next month's challenge (Sir Alan Sugar is Shug's choice), so I'm looking forward to that. Normally, because I get an advance viewing of the entries, I exclude myself from competing, but I still enjoy taking on the challenge in the background. Scotty has decided not to play this one, so we'll change things around a little this month.

Here's this month's effort...

Glad Tidings...

Okay, so here it is - the moment you've all been eagerly awaiting for the past twelve days. We have reached December in the Sheep Calendar, and the caption that has given rise to speculation and eager anticipation throughout the globe...

Okay, so Martin guessed it with the first go. I didn't promise you Mastermind, did I? Here it is...

DECEMBER

Congratulations, Martin - a signed print shall be winging its way to you presently, in time for you to flog it on ebay before Christmas (good luck with that :-/).

And thanks to all who kept it alive with their guesses. There were some highly entertaining suggestions (for a variety of reasons), including a good few I received by text and email. But for me, in the end, when all is said and done, at the end of the day, taking all into consideration, and any other cliché I've missed, I have to award the prize for the most amusing alternative to Jim Barker for his suggested scene of an old sheep celebrating the New Year 'Bells' with a young sheep, and the caption of "A Ram, A Lamb, A Ding-dong". That was truly inspired, Jim, and a print shall also be in the post to you shortly.

Thanks to everyone for looking in and taking part. I hope to have more silliness anon.

Almost there...

Here we have it - the penultimate in the Sheep Calendar series. Tomorrow, the great anti-climax will be revealed when December's image takes the stage, and I announce the winners of signed prints for guessing its title, and also for the funniest guess. We actually do have a winner for the first category, but the second one is still in the balance, if you'd like to post a suggestion before tomorrow's reveal.

Okay, here's November, meanwhile...

NOVEMBER

Olé...!

Day Ten in the sheep calendar series. Don't forget, I'm offering a signed print of December's image to the first person to guess what the title of that month's image might be. I'm also offering the same for the suggestion that makes me laugh most. It'll be November tomorrow , but for now...

OCTOBER

Ram Already...

Day Nine in the sheep calendar series. Don't forget, I'm offering a signed print of December's image to the first person to guess what the title of that month's image might be. I'm also offering the same for the suggestion that makes me laugh most. It'll be October tomorrow , but for now...

SEPTEMBER