A close call

Julia may have underestimated the passion in Western Australia and Queensland, which stands to loose most under the Mining Super Profits Tax and the uneasiness with all the ongoing corruption and naivety in the state labour governments

Behind the "real" Julia

IF :: Art Official

Lila takes her responsibilities as a gallery guide very seriously

For illustration friday's topic artificial

Dissapointment

Alvin is dissapointed by his soufflé surprise invention ...he dreads it will not be enough to get him into the next season of masterchef.

IF :: Double Dipping

Lila decides it is time to start a twitter campaign against double dipping on masterchef ...and she is also a bit distressed by lack of table manners at government house

For IllustrationFriday 's topic double

Alvin is out

Alvin is distraught that his namesake was eliminated from masterchef, & he retires to his kingsize bed with his favourite tapas book.

Moving forward

Alvin instinctively moves forward to press the remote.

IF :: Alvin wants to close his diary

Alvin dreams of closing his diary, taking a few risks and really living his own life.

For Illustrations Friday's topic diary

IF :: Alvin was suddenly a Giant

Alvin knows he will use his height advantage wisely, to bring beauty to the world.

For Illustration Friday 's topic giant.

Big Step Forward

Julian Gillard’s big step forward …looking forward …way forward …(add lots more sound bites with the word forward)…didn’t strike me all that great (mining companies pay the same corporate tax rate as any other Australian company 30%), so the big reduction of the resource super profits tax from 40-% to 30% …yes the same rate it is now pays, does seem like a lot of spin, and a big back flip to me …but then again no one yet knows the fine details. Speaking of big changes to achieve exactly the same, this humble illustration is trying out new technology

Existing (interactive) Tablet

I like to sketch my cartoons by hand, usually on the back scrap paper on a neat drawing board of my own design. Its a bit of off-cut ply-wood,painted with a little undercoat and with a few of those big red rubber bands Australia Post use on your mail, holding the paper in place. I like to sketch while listening to music so I have added my MP3 player under one of the rubber bands. This is the most interactive bit. Its a wonderful design, not completely wireless, but I can use it anywhere.
I usually rough in something with a soft pencil and ink over it with a felt (or jell) pen, and then rub out the pencil (more interactive parts). Not very high tech but fast enough. I then scan the sketch and load it into Corel Auto-trace to convert it into a line drawing, sometimes after a little bit of fat-bit editing to clean up the scan and then colour it in Corel-draw.

New Interactive Tablet

Introducing my new Wacom Bamboo tablet, more wires on my desk and it is only as portable as far as the cable reached. The pen is wireless though. I’m still experimenting with how best to use it. But it is pretty natural and easy to use. My aim with these twitpic quickies is to be able to get the cartoon published on the internet with 5-10 minutes of scanning. To be honest I’m no where close to achieving that in corel painter essentials with the pen & tablet, little alone becoming proficient drawing directly on the tablet (see my first attempt). We are however moving forward riding the waves of technology, not necessarily moving as fast as our new prime minister.

IF :: serving a higher cause

Sputnik would never have volunteered if he had realized the true loneliness of a satellite's life.

For Illustration Friday's topic satellite

IF :: paisley becomes fashionable again

Alvin just knows he's not a Tie Person

For Illustration Friday's topic paisley

VBOPing is moving

As NING are closing down their free groups, the Venus Bay Observation Project, which relies on voluntary contributions and participation is moving. Firstly to a blogger site VBOPING, its free, no adds, no spammers (hopefully google has better tools to stop them and other anti-social types). Also the VBOP presence is being expanded across the WEB 2.0 Social networks (no plans to be on Facebook though). You can already follow VBOP on twitter or join the VBOP group on Flickr. Watch out for me over there, with an arty project or two!

IF :: Slither'cise

Lila discovers not to do her slither exercises on the rug on her newly polished floor again.

For Illustration Friday's topic slither

On-line Privacy

Alvin starts to worry about his identity's exposure within the social networks.

With thanks to profimagazin for the stylized social network logos

IF :: escaping the Early Bird

For Illutration Friday's topic early

If :: Subterranean

A wrong turn at the carrot patch and wilber finds himself in an angry bullant nest.

For IllustrationFriday 's topic subterranean

IF :: Brave Enough

Alvin worries he will not be brave enough to tell the truth.

For illustration Friday's topic brave

On :: life's awkward moments

Alvin no longer fears those awkward
"Mine is bigger than yours"
moments at the Camera Club

On :: Network Intelligence

The Maths is simple

Twitter + Celebrities = Dumb Net
Buzz + Geeks = Smart Net

IF :: only we all had proper gates

For Illustration Friday's topic propagate

Whats this Buzz about

Google have just announced Google Buzz which is built into gmail. I'm not going to go into all the technical stuff, Gina Tripani of Smarterware & TWIG fame, does a much better job of explaining it, and a good run down of how to do everything in google buzz (including turning it off).

What it offers me, as a cartoon character, might be a better way to put my cartoons out there, in the social media clouds. In the short term I will post my TwitPIC quickies on Buzz as well, but expect to see different stuff via Buzz soon. One problems is I don't have any followers there yet, no problem, you should be able to figure out my new gmail name, alvin.people at gmail dot com you can even send me an email there if you like. Imagine that, a cartoon character with his own email name.

Well it also gives me yet another button to push.

IF :: Muddy

Lila's Fashion Rule #17 Don't wear stilettos to a picnic on a rainy day

For IllustrationFriday's   topic Muddy

IF :: in the Wilderness

Lila begins to worry about the wisdom of her Weekend Walk on the Wild Side Adventure.

For Illustration Fridays Topic Wilderness

IF :: breakfast was just a croc

For Illustration Friday's Topic Hatch

IF :: red tape

Oh what a tangled web we weave ...
Lila discovers the complex bureaucracy associated with claiming liposuction on medicare.

For Illustration Friday 's topic entangled

On early arrival of summer

If :: blur

Alvin's plan to avoid further housework begins well.

For Illustration friday's topic blur

if :: skinny

For illustration friday's topic skinny

15 seconds of (Twitter) Fame

Alvin is not ready for all the hits from his 15 seconds of twitter fame.

• Andy Warhol noted everyone has 15 minutes of fame
• In the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen people
• Alvin notices anyone can get 15 seconds of fame on twitter

IF :: Frozen

Alvin understands he has been late home for diner, one too many times this week.

For IllustrationFriday's topic frozen

ON Christmas shopping

Having found the last Nexido 2000X in stock, Alvin realizes he still has to make to the checkout.

Yes folks the christmas stuff is out in the shops already!

IF :: flying

Alvin knows that it is just a dream, but he still is really pleased he can fly

For illustration Friday's topic flying 

IF :: Girl Germs

[Flashback] After being caught by Laura in a playground kiss chassy game, Alvin experiences his first infection of girl germs.

For illusytration Fridays topic germs

Espresso comes to the coffee wildness

Meg gets to server her cafe's first every short black,

but is still unable to understand what it is?

IF :: always welcome

Aunty Vi's welcome is a little bit too exuberant (as usual)

For Illustration Friday 's topic welcome

IF:: a little strong

Alvin confidently cuts the cheese knowing it will be all his.

For Illustration Friday's Topic strong

IF :: Over Magnified

Alvin is puzzled by the ants sudden apparent look of terror?





For Illustration Friday's topic Magnify

IF :: Caution

Too Late, Alvin realises what he has just done!

for Illustration Friday's topic Caution

IF :: Wrapped

Alvin is pleased with his first attempt at self gift-wrapping.

For illustration friday's topic wrapped

On Jon Faine's Conspiracy Theory

This was originally meant to be uploaded to twitpics, but I could not log in? (Not another DoS I hope?)

Just a comments on Jon Faine's conspiracy theory (I thought you didn't entertain them Jon) about the Twitter DoS, Denial of Service Attack, being commercial interests trying to exploit and commercialise the net!!

The best comment on the Twitter DoS attack comes from Sighmon

IF about to modify

Lila discovers it is difficult to modify her beauty regime!

For illustration Friday

IF dancing

Just one step too many

For Illustration Friday's topic tango

IF in a shaky situation

Suddenly, it dawns that more than one Alvin is required to change the light bulb

For Illustration Friday's topic shaky