SHTOINK!

BRRRAPP! Ah, that's better. 3 days of stuffing myself silly over Xmas and I can only just manage to move off of the sofa. FFFRRRAAPFT!

It's OK though as I've been sitting down enjoying my Christmas presents - An electrical box with 'Blue Rays' in it or somethin' (sounds a bit like a porno), a couple of 'hilarious' books of footy annecdotes, and a large tin of crumbling shortbread biscuits - helpfully washed down with some Mulled wine. CHOMP CHOMPLE SLURP GLUP

My best treat of all though has been...

The Completely MAD Don Martin (Mad's Greatest Artists Series)
This large, very heavy, two volume set is just gorgeous, and incredibly funny. I may have mentioned it before that, as a kid growing up, my sense of right or wrong was pretty much defined by reading Marvel Comics, and that my sense of humour was fashioned from reading MAD Magazine!

MAD had great artists and writers like Sergio Aragones, Mort Drucker and Al Jafee, but it was "MAD's MADDEST Artist" Don Martin that stood out for me. His wacky genius hit my giggle button everytime and I spent hours trying to copy his artwork and drawing his characters - their strange ears, big noses, bent feet and the gawky way they walked - his use of onomatopoetic sound effects, brilliant and bizarre.

I remember creating a short strip about an intrepid Buck Rogers style space hero called 'Otho Bludge'. Otho had to save his girlfiend 'Vera Lynn' from I don't know what. Anyway, it was rubbish and full of bad puns - my poor attempt at being Don, but it made it to my school magazine and I think a couple of people liked it. Don Martin was my inspiration but sadly I had no real talent to take it further.

Don Martin was the funniest comic book artist of his time, and part of my soul. Thanks Don. I thoroughly recommend this amazing collection of his work.

Visit The Don Martin Dictionary of Sound Effects to hear SNAP PLOOBADOOF! (Wonder Woman Releasing Her Amazon Brassiere) and others.