A humbling experience

So... the 45 signing. To be honest, it was all really enjoyable, apart from one aspect- being asked to draw stuff when you've got Charlie Adlard on your left and Ben Oliver on your right.

Never let anyone bamboozle you into believing that drawing digitally isn't easier, because it is. Either that, or I've been doing it for so long that my 'proper' drawing skills have simply withered away. I genuinely struggled to draw on paper without all my references and other trickery. I couldn't judge line weights, I second guessed all my proportions and I really hated the results. When I stood my scrawls next to Charlie and Ben's superior efforts, I actually felt like crying.

Despite this horrific lesson in humility, It was really good to meet people that I feel like I've known for a while already- particularly Ben Oliver, Rob Williams and Lee Carter (Lee's live drawing efforts would also have kicked my arse, no doubt, but I didn't see him draw anything). I'm a big fan of Ben's work, so I was especially pleased that he brought a big pile of it with him for people to look at (although, naturally, it brought on further bouts of weeping). Also in attendance were Eddie Deighton, of ComX, Andi Ewington and their significant others- as well as John X. I'm calling him John X because I've forgotten his second name- but he works with Eddie and Andi and did some editing on 45. Also, having managed to foist the kids off on friends of ours, I was able to take Mrs T. with me as well and we all went out for food afterwards- which Eddie paid for. Thanks, Eddie!

I'm going down to the London signing on the 4th of Feb and I'm currently trying to decide whether to get some practice in, or buy myself a sling and feign some kind of injury, to avoid further embarrassment. Having a good six or seven years worth of bad habits to break in the next two weeks makes me think that I might be better off buying the sling...

:D

Now go out and buy '45'. It really is rather good. Especially my page.