It’s the festive season again. Boy that snuck up on us didn’t it! So I though it was high time to take a short break from scribbling the “top secret project” to wish you all a very merry midwinter celebration and a very happy new year.
Once again I was honoured to produce an image for the Christmas card that Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust sent to their members and supporters. This years image depicts Good King Wrenceslas is setting off though the moonlit snow with his fledgling page. I would like to thank my Mother in Law Janet for a suggestion which lead to me coming up with this image.
Times are tough right now, but if you are able to spare some support for an organisation which does so much to protect our wild spaces, then do consider joining or donating to your local Wildlife Trust. You can look up the trusts which covers your area here https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/get-involved/membership
Work is continuing of the TOP SECRET PROJECT. In the mean time, there is a new way to stay in touch with Idol Scribblings. You can find me at on Mastodon at https://ohai.social/@IdolScribblings . Come on over and say “Hi!”
Hello Idollers everywhere! I can finally tell you why I have been away for a while, and why Idols Scribblings and Second Bestiary are going to be on a break for a while longer. The reason is very exciting. A couple of months ago, a local community organisation approached me and asked whether I would illustrate a project for them. It is going to be an educational children’s book. Since then, the last couple of months has been a whirlwind of creating characters, deciding on styles, producing test pages.
I had to keep absolutely quiet about this project until some funding was secured for the physical production of the book, and we knew it was definitely going to happen. I still can’t tell you much more about it! The book is going to be pretty much unique in the niche it will fill. As well as creating an educational resource, the organisation would like to raise money from the sale of the book to fund the education groups they run and hopefully produce more resources in future. They are worried about the concept being copied by a publisher. As we all also have full-time jobs, this is probably going to take us about a year to complete, so a publisher could easily beat us to produce a similar book first. Therefore, until we are almost ready to publish, I cannot say any more about the project. When we are ready, I will be shouting about this from the rooftops, but for now it is hush-hush, nudge-nudge, wink-wink, say no more. What I can do is show you a couple of the illustrations that I have done so far, which are too obscure to give anything away! (The book is not actually about birds).
I will be dropping in here every now and then to update the blog and let you folks know how things are progressing, and maybe share a few more teasers without giving anything away! Rest assured that, once the project is completed, the Gods and Goddesses will be back! Until then, there is an extensive back catalogue pf divine beings to browse through at https://IdolScribblings.blog/the-pantheon-find-a-deity/ . My normal stream of eccentric drivel will continue on Twitter, follow me @IdolScribblings if you don’t already. Oh, and if you like your deities printed and bound, I still have a few copies of both of my books left (not many now though), available exclusively at https://idolscribblings.blog/the-book/
Stay fabulous! See you all soon. With love from the Idol Scribbler.
In 2020 I was given the honor of drawing the artwork for Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust’s member’s Christmas Card (The Wraptor). You can imagine my delight at getting another opportunity to produce the Christmas Card artwork again in 2021. This year we chose one of the most recognisable and beloved of all UK birds, the Kingfisher. These three wise and noble Kingfishers are on their way to visit a stable somewhere east of here, with gifts of Frankincense, Myrrh and Goldfish.
Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust do amazing work in my local area making a space for wildlife to thrive in a picturesque, but heavily industrial part of the country. Their 15 reserves are open access and are located in a variety of habitats from the city centres to the moorlands. Throughout the repeated lockdowns, these beautiful spaces have remained open to all. Somewhere to enjoy exercise and fresh air and restore the soul with plenty of space to do so safely. Their education team do essential work supporting schools and teachers, and creating experiences which engage young people with nature and their environment. Not only this, but they work on a larger scale with other Wildlife Trusts to campaign protect our environment as a whole and fight environmental crime.
Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust’s reserves at Blacka Moor, Centenary Riverside and Greno Woods and many, many more.
If you have a few quid to spare this festive season, may I suggest joining or donating to Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust (or your own local area Wildlife Trust). You can also gift membership. It makes a wonderful present! Click one of the images below to find out how. You can also follow their work on twitter through @WildSheffield and @WildlifeTrusts respectively.
Thank you for reading Idol Scribblings in 2021, and for all your support, social media likes, retweets, plugs and shares. You are the best supporters an artist could have. Merry Yuletide and a Happy New Year to you all.
Idol Scribblings Volume One
A collection of 52 deities, ancient and modern, for all occations from Idol Scribblings. Produced in 2019-2020. Order your copy here https://idolscribblings.blog/the-book/
Hello to my lovely readers and irreverent spiritual questers. As you know, several weeks ago, I let you all know that I was having an operation and would be away from cartooning for a little while. The operation went well, but during the proceedings they picked up on a secondary problem, which requires further surgery. This is happening at the end of this month. Please don’t worry. It’s nothing too serious, but I will once again be laid up for a while, and unable to sit comfortably to draw.
In between the two operations, I have had so much to catch up on in my work, home and family life. Add to this needing to get things get done so I can recuperate afterwards without having to impose on my lovely spouse and family too much for assistance (other than keeping me amused). The upshot of this has been no time left for drawing or writing.
You will be glad to know that my sense of humor is still exhibiting vital signs. I am planning to take a replica canopic jar with me to surgery so they can plop the offending bit of me in there to take away with me. I will be taking a jackal-headed “Duamutef” canopic jar. Sort of like an Ancient Egyptian doggy-bottle. When I told my surgeon about this, they asked me if it was going to be for my pyramid. I replied that I only had a little mastaba, and they said that kind of thing wasn’t recommended for the next four weeks.
I promise that Idol Scribblings and Second Bestiary are not over yet. I am noting down lots of ideas (including some fabulous ideas from the hive mind) to work on when I am recovered. I will post on Twitter (@IdolScribblings) and Facebook to let you know how I am getting on. The cartoons will be back as soon as I am able. Until then, take care of yourselves and one another my wonderful readers, and remember to only use your powers for good.
Soccerates, the god of football, has origins deep in the mists of time. Originally his rites of worship were violent melees between two rival villages as a kind of pseudo battle which resulted in a marginally lower body count than all out warfare. Over the years these savage, barbaric rituals gradually evolved into the beautiful game that is loved all over the world today. For example, not many people know that in medieval times, prior to pig’s bladders being used, early footballs were made from inflated cockerel scrotums. This practice was quickly abandoned because it resulted in a lot of fowl balls.
The core followers of Soccerates are devout fans who turn out every week, rain or shine, hell or high water, defeat or glory to praise the god and loyally cheer on third division Forest Wonderers United. Each wearing a coloured shirt to display their affiliation to their chosen sub-sect or “team”. Every Saturday afternoon from August to May, they stalwartly perch on precarious stands made from old scaffolding poles and milk crates with only a dubious pie for sustenance and comfort. They endure by raising their voices together in song. The cult of Soccerates is famous for its beautiful hymns such as the haunting barcarolle, “Stercora Estis et Noscitis” by Offenside*.
The priests of Soccerates are known as “Pundits”. The key requirements for becoming a pundit are; a reasonably successful football playing career, a general lack of optimism and the ability to wear a bad suit and keep your knees at least six feet apart at all times whilst manspreading the good word. They play almost no role in the actual running of the religion; their job is to discuss everything that has gone wrong with football since they stopped playing. The cult is also renowned for its miraculous faith healers, known as the “Physios”. A player can flop like a sack of wet cement, and the Physios are seemingly able to raise them from the dead with the Sacred Wet Sponge.
The great high temple of Soccerates is located in Wembley. This is where the faithful gather on the most holy occasions to raise their voices as they watch their team Kane the opposition into submission. Visitors always enter the temple by the south gate. Here you can see the sacred beasts of Soccerates, three lions that are called leopards that are actually lions. At the centre of the temple lies the “hallowed turf”, which is diligently re-hallowed every week without fail by a fully qualified turf hallower. High above this veldt, the Pundits sit in their suspended glass box, which creates the illusion that they are on the Sky.
Once every two years the ranks of Soccerates faithful swell exponentially in number when an international football tournament takes place. Most of these occasional worshippers are simply enjoying the fun, the sense of occasion and the festive atmosphere (a bit like folks who go to church once a year at Christmas). However, there are a few of these part-time worshippers who seem to feel that, at these times, they need to compensate for their intermittent dedication with excessive public displays of devotion. They form a heretical cult known as “Ingerlaanders”.
Ingerlaanders are typically people who aren’t bothered about being involved in European affairs when it comes to the serious work of cooperating as an international community, but don’t want to be left out at playtime. They often seem to be confused about whether this is all about sport or international tensions. It is the Ingerlaanders who sometimes rudely confuse unfortunate Germany fans by singing “Two World Wars and One World Cup” at them. If a full-time true devotee of Soccerates witnesses this kind of appalling abuse, they will be enraged and give the Ingerlaander a red card (which is no small matter, there will be penalties). If ever they are not there to step in, fortunately, every German knows that the correct response to this is, “Actually, Germany has won four World Cups”.
An Ingerlaander is easily recognised by their red and white face paint, £45 football shirt and general state of inebriation. The leader of the Ingerlaanders, Mr George Crosse, has festooned his home with so many England flags that, from a distance, it looks like the whole house has been draped in a gingham tablecloth. When the wind and rain get up, the snapping of wet pennants sounds like a free-for-all towel fight in a locker room. You may spot George as he drives to the pub to watch the match in his official car, which is ornamented ambassador-style with even more little flags. During the match and ritual imbibing of many pints of ale, the landlord will quietly hide his car keys, so that George has to put his Best foot forward as he wends his merry way home.
*A genius who was, sadly, never really understood.
With thanks to Kate Durrant for, once again, getting me out of the “stercus” with my Latin translations.
Announcement
In about a week’s time I will be going into hospital for an operation. It shouldn’t be anything to worry about, but I am going to be laid up for a bit afterwards. Unfortunately, I am unlikely to be laid in a position that is comfortable for drawing. Therefore, after today, I will be taking the rest of July off from cartooning. My plan, all being well, is to be back for the traditional Idol Scribblings Yorkshire Day special on August 1st. I look forward to seeing you all again then. Wish me luck!
Idol Scribblings Volume Two OUT NOW!
Even more deities for every eventuality with a foreword by Gary Brannan of the Technical Difficulties ( TechDiff.co.uk )
Thank you for reading. If you have enjoyed this deity, please feel free to share it with your friends. New deities are published weekly. You can get alerted to new deities via Facebook through the Idol Scribbling Page or on Twitter by following @IdolScribblings . Catch up on the Pantheon so far here.
If you have a suggestion for a deity, you can suggest it by clicking this link. Alternatively, get in touch over on Facebook or Twitter. All due credit will be given.
Hello you bunch of beautiful reprobates. As I originally promised to be back with a new Idol Scribblings deity this week, and that is now not happening, I though I ought to tell you all why.
We had a lot of thunderstorms around our parts this week. During one of these storms we ended up with an extra cat. They came in through our cat flap to take shelter, and haven’t left since! Instead of drawing my cartoons I have been trying to track down his humans and acting as referee between him and out two existing cats. So far, to no avail. If we can’t find his humans, and he settles down a bit with our girls, he may well end up becoming a member of the family. He certainly seems to want to be with us. (In addition to this feline drama, work has been really busy this week as the UK prepares for the next stage of lockdown easing.)
Our Mystery Cat VisitorMaking himself at home until we can find his home.
The Wraptor uses its skill at hovering and deft talons to tie beautiful bows. Nature truly is a gift.
Merry Christmas from Idol Scribblings!
This year I was honored to have the opportunity to produce the artwork for Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust’s Christmas card, and the Wraptor has carried warm Christmas wishes to all their members on its swift wings. The eagle eyed amongst you will have spotted that the Wraptor is a Hen Harrier, one of the UK’s majestic birds of prey.
Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust do amazing work in my local area making a space for wildlife to thrive in a picturesque, but heavily industrial part of the country. Most of their 15 reserves are open access and are located in a variety of habitats from the city centres to the moorlands. Throughout lockdown these beautiful spaces have remained open to all. Somewhere to enjoy exercise and fresh air and replenish the soul, with plenty of space to do so safely. Their education team (who normally run events for schools and youth groups) have been hard at work providing resources to help lockdown home schoolers. Not only this, but they work on a larger scale to campaign protect our environment as a whole.
Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust’s reserves at (left to right) Blacka Moor, Centenary Riverside and Greno Woods.
If you have a few quid to spare this festive season, may I suggest joining or donating to Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust (or your own local area Wildlife Trust). You can also gift membership. It makes a wonderful present! Click one of the images below to find out how. You can also follow their work on twitter through @WildSheffield and @WildlifeTrusts respectively.
Thank you for reading Idol Scribblings in 2020, and for all your support, social media likes, retweets, plugs and shares. You are the best supporters an artist could have. Merry Yuletide and a Happy New Year to you all.
Idol Scribblings Volume One
A collection of 52 deities, ancient and modern, for all occations from Idol Scribblings. Produced in 2019-2020. Order your copy here https://idolscribblings.blog/the-book/
Idol Scribblings Volume Two is a collection of Idol Scribblings Cartoons taken from 2019-2020. 55 illustrated fictional deities for modern problems. Packed with humorous slants, satirical twists and terrible puns. Meet new Gods that you need in your life right now, such as Quarantina the Goddess of Lockdowns and Beelzebuble the God of Commecial Christmas Music.
I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported the project along the way. Especially all of you who made this possible by pre-ordering your copies.
More deities, ancient and modern for all occasions. Fifty three gods and goddesses to help you with almost any situation imaginable. Such as, Dicenysis the skeletal God of Boardgames who plays a very unusual version of Ker-Plunk with his ribcage, or Peebee the God of Arbitrary Sporting Achievements whose followers invented the term “to exercise religiously”.
Written and illustrated by Hannah Hudson-Lee with foreword by Gary Brannan of the Technical Difficulties https://www.techdif.co.uk/
You can pre order before November 14th 2020 for the special early bird price of £11.99 including UK postage an packaging. Everyone pre-ordering before November 14th will have their name included in the book as a patron and supporter.
Idol Scribblings 