Site Update
Following on from yesterday's post, I descided to make some changes to my Juniper Crescent pages. The main change is that from now on I'm going to be doing the strips at a larger size. If you take a look I'm sure you'll agree that they look much better. This has meant that the layout of the main page has had to be changed to accomodate, but overall I think that it sits well.

I've also updated the strips that go back to the beginning of the year and you can find them here and here.

Please let me know what you think.

A good birthday present
Got weighed this morning and found I'd lost some more weight. 14st 5lb - that's 11lbs so far!

The passing of time...
Tomorrow is my birthday. I'm a year older than I was this time last year. :)

Birthdays are a funny thing. When you're young it seems like a major triumph to become a year older and get all those presents (if you were lucky, of course) but when you're older it seems that they simply act as a reminder of how your life is slipping away from you and you still have all those plans and ideas that you have yet to undertake. I've still not written the great novel or the astounding screenplay. I've still not visited the US or Japan or Australia. I've still not been to the Moon (when I was a child this was something I was sure I'd do once I grew up - it's what comes of growing up in the space age).

Of course, I'm well aware that I have lots to be thankful for. My partner, June; my sons, Shaun, David and Jason; my granddaughter Caitlin; and the rest of my family who I have no major quarrels with. I'm thankful of my health, particularly when you think about the ailments that have afflicted some members of the family. OK, I'm a little overweight and have a wonky shoulder, but generally speaking I'm doing pretty well. I'm thankful for having a good career that allows me to use my creativity and which is always challenging and exciting.

Still, another birthday is a reminder that I'm moving further away from being a young man with young ideals and sensibilities. I no longer want to go clubbing (and haven't done so for some time); I'm no longer fit enough to play a sport (except golf or darts, should I want to) and I no longer can drink as much as I used to (save money there).

What I've realised is that I'm in danger of trying to cram too much into my life. I love doing my comic strips, but have I become too obsessed about getting them out on time every week? Am I neglecting the best of the bunch, The Sapphire Claw, because of the others? Should I take stock and ensure that I'm doing these strips because I'm doing the best I can? I want to continue to develop my writing - are the comic strips the best way of doing this? Am I really giving the reader something that they'll remember and tell all their friends about?

Answers on a postcard, please...

Acid Keg update
For those of you who like a little weirdness in your comics, visit Acid Keg.

For those of you who already know of the strip, the URL has changed so update your bookmarks/favourites.

The Sapphire Claw updates
Not a new strip I'm afraid, but lots of coloured versions of previously B&W strips. All of the prologue is now in colour and the first four strips of Chapter One.

To go to the first of the newly updated strips go here.

To go to the start of the Prologue go here.

To go to the start of Chapter One go here.

To view the whole of the Prologue on a single page go here.

To view the whole of Chapter One on a sincle page go here.

Nice Tits
Thanks to Supermum for pointing me to this site, Nice Tits.

I like to feed the birds in our garden and we always get plenty of tits as well as finches, robins and sparrows.

David Jason on TV violence
Although I agree with the principles of David Jason's comments, I think the way The Mirror has over-reacted is typical of much of the media at the moment. I read his comments as being one of a weakness in stories leading to a weakness in programmes which increasingly rely on violence to bridge the gap. The violence is the only thing that some programmes have going for them, which has a tendency to glorify the violence.

If, for instance, you have a strong story about battered wives, then it's clearly a story about violence. this doesn't mean that you have to show women getting beaten as part of the programme as it can send the wrong messages to people who watch the programme in the wrong way. The violence can be implied by the bruises that show, the terrified nature of the victim, etc. This can work to the advantage of the story as there's more for the viewer to think about in regard to the horror of the consequences of violence.

The main problem, as I've said before, is that the stories are known beforehand and printed in so many magazines that the draw of the programme is no longer the promise of a good story on its own so must be spiced up by violence or sex. The only way the we'll get better TV programmes is if the companies stop giving away the plots to the media.

Self-Reviewing
The morality of authors reviewing their own books on Amazon is discussed in this article from the Guardian. So as not to be accused of this myself, can you please be sure to sign your name to any favourable reviews of my site. :)