Quick update

So, long time no see readers.
I'm thinking through my new comic strip as we speak, it includes the new character from the last issue (the lollipop lady) and possibly even more I'm not quite sure yet. Still, keep your eyes peeled, I believe this one's a cracker.

Badges!

The festival went brilliantly. The badges were very popular and we raised about £30 worth of donations. Here are the finished products and then drawings once they'd been 'digitalised':

 
 I drew the comic for the next issue whilst I was there which includes a brand new character, she doesn't say anything but 'Hi' but she is the punchline and I reckon the joke's a pretty good one:

Here are the main badges for you to enjoy close-up:

 

Enjoy!

Edgar Lowman 

Abbeyfield Festival

Today's the day! George and Brian are at the Abbeyfield festival today, exclusive badges are available and even a new book with a compilation of the newest comics.

For details click here and pop along if you can.

Festival!

Hello there,

Currently, George and Brian are preparing to be immortalised into badges... and maybe even another book!

The Abbeyfield Multicultural Festival, in Burngreave Sheffield, happens I believe every year and is great fun. To add to the Burngreave Messenger's stall(s) there will be space for promoting the comics by way of a new book with some of my newer comic strips in, and EXCLUSIVE badges to take away!

I have started work on the eight different pictures that will feature on the badges; four for George and the same for Brian. Among these feature Brian's classic head slap, a brand new pose for George, and a couple of the pair's most famous guises.

Watch this space for the final badges in a few weeks. In the meantime please enjoy these preliminary drawings as they're being done.

George and Brian badge drawings. Without colour.

Glad you could drop by

Edgar Lowman

The makings of a comic...

To begin drawing even just a three frame strip is very hard. It begins through thinking of themes even before imagining it on paper.

To start a good idea is brainstorming what it could be, according to: what is happening in the local news; seasonal ideas; what holidays are nearby... but then there's thinking of the joke!

This is my foundation to every comic, which I build up through George and Brian's tiny faces. This is quite difficult in terms of finding the right emotional and humour balance, especially as The Burngreave Messenger has such a wide group of recipricants and readers.

After a search through books, the internet, or my brain, I can settle on a joke or one-liner. Then it's down to sketching the characters and any other objects needed to bring it to life, I tend to keep it to a maximum of four frames (another challenge).

After adding colour, text, and going over fine details, I send it to the messenger's 'HQ'. They scan it into the computer and transform it into a suitable format for print. There is something so amazing about seeing your work fully published and on paper.

Thanks for reading
Edgar Lowman

Evolution

George and Brian started through inspiration from a Christmas 'Beano' magazine in 2010, which was filled with tiny characters getting up to a myriad of activities at the edge of the page. I tried sketching them, putting some of my own inspiration into them.

Since then they've evolved:

At the start they were roughly drawn, but over three years they've become cuter, more colourful, and a bit chubby. And although they usually wear the same outfits...

...they often change to suit the occasion: like George's winter or Valentine's gear, or Brian's autumnal or Birthday accessories:

And there are even new characters arriving into the comic strips like Father Christmas:

There's always more to come

Edgar Lowman

Originals

These are two of the very first strips that were published to the Messenger's website. Just by scanning in, not with any computer wizardry.

Hope you enjoy these, more to come soonish.