Despite some determined humbuggery from curmudgeonly participants, myself included, December’s NDC had a real festive air. Guest artists and friends of the group, Cryoclaire, Adam Willis, D’Israeli, Sally-Jane Thompson and (briefly) Brick put on a live drawing show that was less seedy than it sounds and did not feature any jolly old men with bellies like bowls full of jelly (thankfully). Astonishingly all the projection tech worked perfectly and we got to see cool and disparate artistic styles appear like magic before our eyes – from tiny stylus to huge fat marker the artistic tricks on display were numerous. You could literally hear the wheels turning in the heads of aspiring artists in the crowd, assuming you weren’t chewing a mince pie too loudly. There was also an opportunity to explain monosyllabically exactly how our pen-smiths wrestle with Photoshop to achieve at least some of the wonderous effects modern comic books display. Thanks to all who contributed to the fuddle and the excellent doodle wall, which exhibited some strikingly good drawings from audience members who had clearly been hiding their light, along with several nasty caricatures of members of the group.

In the end – Futuristic 90’s slacker vied with ferocious “extreme close up” Zeus and Victorian mummy Panya for the rooms affections. The real winner was Christmas…..ho ho ho. As an aside I think D’Israeli coquettishly teased the group with news he is now drawing enjoyable Hellboy spin-off Withchfinfder – seems like a match made in heaven, with all those Victorian monsters to play with! Exciting stuff for the old school geeks in the room.

Carlos Mancheg0