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You are here: Home / Archives for Harold Hamster

Harold Hamster

Alice Anteater gets cuter

18 July, 2012 by Alex

Characters change subtly over time – look at early Snoopy compared to the one we know now – and it’s always interesting to look back and chart the evolution of a character’s style.

Pigsticks and Harold have both evolved over the past three years. They’ve become cuter and a little less weighty, and the line has become more fluid. The other Tuptown characters have also grown-up – or grown down.

Alice Anteater is a nice example of this. I recently spent a day drawing her to get her right, and she seemed to get younger and cuter before my eyes. With that cuteness also comes playfulness, and suddenly I found myself knowing her better. She’s incredibly shy of other people, but when they’re not around she gets up to all sorts of things.

Here’s a before and after!

There’s still much of the old character there, but I think she’s now much more part of the Tuptown team.

Filed Under: illustration Tagged With: alice anteater, Harold Hamster, pigsticks

Harold and the Goats

7 July, 2012 by Alex

I’m thinking this would make a super band name.

Filed Under: illustration Tagged With: goats, Harold Hamster

Pop-up Festival 9-10th July

27 June, 2011 by Alex

Last week I took part in the fabulous Pop-up Children’s Book Festival, which is running loads of school events plus a festival weekend in London on the 9-10th July. Just have a look at that line-up!

I was lucky enough to get to run my event at the British Library. I don’t spend enough time there, and for anyone who’s never been, you’ll be blown away by things such as Jane Austen’s writing desk, the Magna Carta and Captain Scott’s notebook (I was almost in tears reading the “I may be some time” entry).

There’s also a smart Sci-fi literature exhibition running at the minute, which my event was twinned with. It’s mostly made up of a selection of books and covers and, annoyingly, everything is behind glass. It’s like being led into a sweet shop and not being allowed to touch the sweets, let alone eat them! But that’s by the by. It’s simply great to have a timeline of sci-fi in book form.

If there’s one thing that makes it imperative that you visit, it’s the typed first page of the Day of the Triffids. I love seeing the workings of a writer, and this is brilliantly revealing, as it’s missing its most amazing first line:

When a day you happen to know is Wednesday starts off by sounding like Sunday, there is something seriously wrong somewhere.

I’m not sure if that line can ever be beaten.

And so, without further ado here’s a picture of Harold the Hamster. This time he’s dressed as Miss Marple.

Filed Under: Events, illustration Tagged With: British Library, Harold Hamster, Miss Marple, Pop-up Festival, Sci-fi exhibition

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Latest book out now!

Big Sky Mountain

By Alex Milway

Welcome to Big Sky Mountain: a home for everyone!

Rosa has come from the city to live with Grandma Nan in the wilds of Big Sky Mountain. And what surprises are in store for her! Grandma Nan is not exactly an ordinary grandma, and Big Sky Mountain is like nowhere Rosa has dreamed about before. Grandma Nan lives in an old wooden cabin with Albert the moose and Little Pig the pygmy owl, and spends every day out on adventures. From canoeing down rapids to making friends with the local animals, life never stays still for long on Big Sky Mountain!

An exhilarating new series set in the great outdoors, from HOTEL FLAMINGO author Alex Milway.

An excellent early reader book for children aged 4-8

Funny and charming; Alex Milway has made me want to fly right into Big Sky Mountain myself. – Andy Shepherd, author of The Boy Who Grew Dragons

I want to go to Big Sky Mountain! It’s the rugged wilderness, but much softened by a comfy bear who’s a travelling salesman, a moody architect hare and some busy builder beavers who still have to learn about how to get along with the rest of the community. – Sarah McIntyre, illustrator of Pugs of the Frozen North

This is a perfect, big-hearted adventure story, with pictures and laughs on every page and an environmental message delivered with the lightest touch. Once you have met the wonderful cast of talking animals, warmed to Nan’s peculiar ways and found your feet in the wilderness, like Rosa you’ll never want to leave Big Sky Mountain. – Clara Vulliamy

As a HUGE fan of feisty grandmothers I LOVED Grandma Nan in Big Sky Mountain! Wise, capable and fearless, she is the perfect role model for her granddaughter Rosa. A wild adventure with an important message, bravo! – Sophy Henn, author and illustrator of Bad Nana

The perfect adventure to rewild young readers – Benji Davies, author and illustrator of Grandad’s Island

Out now!

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