• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Alex Milway - Official Website

Children's author, illustrator, screenwriter

  • About
    • School events
    • Screenwriting
  • Books
  • Freebies
  • News
  • Shop
    • Basket
    • Your account
  • Hotel Flamingo
  • Pigsticks and Harold
  • All Books
  • Big Sky Mountain
  • Mythical 9th Division
  • Mousehunter
You are here: Home / Archives for pigsticks

pigsticks

Endings and beginnings. And Pigsticks

13 June, 2016 by Alex

robin background 2

Has it really been a year?!

Too much has happened and I have no excuses for not blogging. Well, apart from dealing with everything life throws at a person, of course. (And the fact I forgot my password log-in.) So, time for a catch-up methinks!

Young Robin Hood Series

I hadn’t talked much about it, but I’d been working steadily on a series of books about a young Robin Hood. They concerned BIG details about the character, such as him learning to fire a bow, light a fire, and survive as an outlaw – things that I don’t think we’ve ever seen before.

The trilogy began with Robin’s father dying, which proved problematic as during the writing I found out my mother had incurable cancer. I suppose the story and real life became intertwined in some way, and I found writing about a boy’s feelings concerning losing a parent was a bit too close to the bone. So when I used the word ‘steadily’ to describe my work rate, it was more stop and go. But the publisher and editor were really understanding.

Mum died, I grieved, things moved on, and eventually we were happy with book one. Book two, in contrast, was easy to write. It contained a huge battle at the end – one which I thought was probably the most exciting thing I’d ever written.

And earlier in 2016, I was close to finishing the final part in the series when I heard that the publisher no longer wanted the books. They were trimming their list.

It’s a very strange situation to find yourself in. The cathartic nature of battling through difficult work and finally succeeding in reaching the end was not to be mine. However, I do now sit with an unpublished trilogy of books about Robin Hood growing up in Sherwood. Who wants them?

So, that’s Robin out of the way.

What else happened? I set up This Book is Funny, which was successful, and is back on the road again for 2016.

I travelled the world. I visited the US and China, making school visits and talking about my books. I’ve been back to China once more in this time, and made some terrific friends. I also now know that Pigsticks and Harold will be published in China, which is a wonderful thing. I cannot wait to see how they treat it.

Of course, Pigsticks and Harold have a new book out – Pigsticks and Harold and the Pirate Treasure! We’ve started getting some lovely reviews, and I think this is my favourite of the series so far.

9781406346053

Now then, there is much more to say, but that can wait for a bit. Events are coming up, as well as new stories, and I am dead keen to write some ‘How-to’ posts about my model-making. I’ll be doing those soon.

So, for now, thanks for reading.

Filed Under: News, Pigsticks and Harold Tagged With: harold, pigsticks, Pigsticks and Harold and the Pirate Treasure, Robin Hood

Piggy Stardust animated!

14 March, 2014 by Alex

I’ve been allowed to use some short animations made by JAM Media – the production company working on the Pigsticks and Harold TV show.

Now this won’t work if you don’t have Flash, sadly, but it’s a marvellous little snapshot of Piggy Stardust and the Hamsters from Mars.

Filed Under: illustration, Videos Tagged With: harold the hamster, jam media, piggy stardust, pigsticks

Trottersky or Pig Daddy?

3 June, 2013 by Alex

pig-question

I don’t have space for all of them, so which should I choose? ARGH!

Filed Under: illustration Tagged With: pigsticks

Pigsticks and Harold off to a meeting!

13 March, 2013 by Alex

P&H-meeting

And Harold’s taking his Thermos flask full of tea! You never know how long these things go on for.

Filed Under: Books, illustration Tagged With: harold the hamster, pigsticks, pigsticks and harold

Spinning Pigsticks

16 October, 2012 by Alex

I’m just sitting here watching the pigs go round and round…

Filed Under: illustration Tagged With: pigsticks

Degas’ Pig Ballerina!

13 September, 2012 by Alex

I’m getting quite far into Pigsticks now, and starting to see what the book requires. (A lot of details!) So I’m heading back to the initial pictures and filling in backgrounds, adding objects and characters. It’s going to be a real mix of full on spreads and more basic character images.

There’s a lot to be done, but for now here’s a new addition to Pigsticks’ art collection. The Ballerina Pig, by Degas.

Filed Under: illustration Tagged With: ballerina, degas, pigsticks

Pigsticks and Harold face the jungle!

6 September, 2012 by Alex

I’m working flat out on Pigsticks and Harold, and this spread has taken the best part of a day to colour, but I think it was worth it.

Filed Under: illustration Tagged With: harold, jungle, pigsticks

Pigs in art

23 August, 2012 by Alex

A meeting at my publisher led me to spend yesterday evening drawing pig fine art masterpieces to go on Pigsticks’ wall. THIS is what I went to art school for…

My humblest apologies to Fernand Leger.

Filed Under: illustration Tagged With: leger, pig art, pigsticks

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

I send out a (very irregular) newsletter to all my subscribers. You’ll get exclusive little tidbits, competitions and freebies. Unsubscribe at any time

Subscribe to Milway Mail for my irrregular newsetter of freebies, news and giveaways

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!

Available in all good book shops.

Bookshop.org

Waterstones

Amazon

Read more about it here

View Book

Categories

Search

Footer

  • Books
  • School events
  • About
  • Shop
  • Screenwriting
  • Big Sky Mountain
  • Pigsticks and Harold
  • Hotel Flamingo
  • News
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Get my newsletter!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2023 · Author Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in