August 2nd, 2008 / No Comments » / by bulent
I’ve written a 5-page script for the second issue of Bulletproof, a British comics anthology that’s due to hit the shops any day now. The story is called “Game Over”, and it’s a tongue-in-cheek yarn about a totalitarian Britain where videogames have been banned. It’s my first published work in the medium, and as such it’s a little rough around the edges, but I’m happy with the way it’s turned out.
To give you some idea about the creative process – but without giving away the plot – I’m publishing the inked and unlettered versions of the first three pages here, drawn by a talented artist named David Thomson. The final version of the artwork is much better than this, trust me, so think of it as a tasty appetiser of things to come.
A couple of weeks after the anthology is published and available to buy (and don’t worry, I’ll tell you when), I’ll put up a PDF of the script to contrast and compare with the finished result. The beautiful thing about comics is that it’s a collaborative medium; it’s a real buzz to see how your words and ideas can be interpreted to build a story that’s visually arresting. Hopefully we’ll be able to crank out something more ambitious in the very near future.
Posted in: comics
Tags: art, Bulletproof, comics, Game Over, preview, script
July 23rd, 2008 / No Comments » / by bulent
The festival guide for Latitude 2008 is around 260 pages long and priced at eight English pounds. The weight and cost is not inconsiderable, but in retrospect it was a very wise investment. Over the course of the four days between Thursday 17th and Sunday 20th July, I used it as a beer mat, a food tray, a makeshift pillow and as a lavatory doorstop.
And of course, it was the means by which I navigated the many delights laid out before 30,000 attendees or more. I sat up in my little tent each night and, before snuggling up in my sleeping bag and closing my eyes, I’d use a pen to cobble together a makeshift timetable on the inside front cover. All of this done by torchlight, naturally.
So, what did I do? Plenty, dear reader, plenty. In no particular order, I saw literary talents like Jon Ronson, Antonia Quirke, A.L. Kennedy, Hanif Kureshi and Iain Banks. I heard music from the likes of Beth Orton, British Sea Power, The Go! Team, Martha Wainwright, Amadou and Mariam, Beth Rowley, The Guillemots, Elbow, Sigor Ros, Joanna Newsom, Blondie and Tindersticks.
I tried and failed to get into the comedy tent to see Bill Bailey, Ross Noble and Omid Djalili. I danced to cheesy music in the forest, I drank lots of cider, and I paid far more than was reasonable for a burger and chips. I cursed my phone for its pathetic reception, and relied on intuition and chance to find my friends each time we were separated. And oh yes, I caught a bit of sun when I wasn’t sheltering from the rain.
I’ve been back home for a few days now, and the festival feeling has finally worn off. I’ve caught up on my sleep, I’ve had a long bath and I’ve done all my laundry. But already I’m feeling a little nostalgic. The demographic of the attendees was broader than I expected, there were people of all ages and all walks of life enjoying themselves, and for a brief period of time my only preoccupations were which band or which author or which film I should go see next. It was a nice feeling.
Would I go to Latitude again next year? Most definitely.
Posted in: music
Tags: books, camping, cider, festival, Latitude, music, summer
June 28th, 2008 / No Comments » / by bulent
Petrol prices are skyrocketing. The roads are jammed and congested. The environment is in terminal decline. And I’ve decided to become a motorist. My timing couldn’t be better.
I first got a driving license waaaaay back in 1997, after three miserable attempts at passing the test, but I never got a car because I was a poor student and couldn’t afford to keep one running. It seemed like a needless luxury, and I was happy to rely on public transport and the generosity of my friends. Plus, getting inebriated was too much fun.
But then my kindly parents offered me their old banger, a Peugeot 106, and I figured I might as well take it off their hands. What better way to learn again than with a crappy old car that no-one’s going to miss? It’s got a diesel engine, which means it’s supposed to be economical, and it’s relatively safe and steady on the road.
It’s been an interesting experience, so far. Getting used to the dimensions and quirks of the car is one thing (reverse parking is a bitch), and in particular I’ve grown to like the reassuring sound of the engine. It’s a low, grumbly rumbly noise, like a quartet of cats purring in harmony.
But the strangest thing is how much smaller my world suddenly feels. The physical geography is exactly the same, but getting from Point A to Point B is so much quicker. Now I’ve got a set of wheels, I’d be extremely reluctant to give them up.
Footnote: A funny thing happened before I took possession of the Pug. My dad had an accident where he parked the car at the top of the hill and forgot to put on the handbrake. It rolled downwards, nose first, and pranged into a parked car at the bottom of the hill. There’s a giant dent in the bonnet, and the paint is all scratched up. The insurance should take care of the repairs, but it’s ironic that my dad had an accident in it before I did. He’s the one who’s been giving me lessons and lectures on road safety.
Posted in: personal
Tags: accident, car, congestion, diesel, driving license, petrol, Peugeot 106, road
