Tales from the Back Desk

Li'l Beethoven

2011-02-13T16:30:00.001Z

(Originally published in Music Teacher, January 2011)

Happy Christmas!

2010-12-22T14:30:00.004Z

It's been quite here lately, sorry for that. I'm working on a new project which should be unveiled soon.

Now that I'm middle aged and can't quite cope with basic tasks anymore, I'm going to post future Back Desk and related material over at Big Dog's Kennel. I hope having all my drawing in one place will make me look slightly more busy than at present, as well as justify the money I spend on the URL.

Brahms and Liszt with Bruckner

2010-06-03T15:15:00.002+01:00

Commercial Break: Brahms

2009-05-17T13:20:00.001+01:00

The Russians are Coming (2)

2009-04-04T15:35:00.001+01:00

Brahms and Liszt: The Russians Are Coming (1)

2009-03-28T16:33:00.002Z

Secrets of Creativity

2009-03-19T20:37:00.002Z

Quis custodiet ipos custodes?

2009-03-12T20:05:00.004Z

Who's watched Watchmen?

Secrets of Success for the Unsuccessful

2009-02-18T19:38:00.003Z

(originally seen in the 2009 British & International Music Yearbook)

A Sure Thing

2009-02-07T14:06:00.002Z

(First seen in Classical Music's 2009 Competitions supplement.)

Brahms and Liszt at Christmas

2008-12-22T13:07:00.001Z

A very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Back Desk.

Brahms and Liszt at night

2008-12-17T20:57:00.002Z

Normal service will be resumed shortly

2008-11-22T16:59:00.002Z

Sorry about the extended break, it's been a difficult time.

I've not been entirely inactive - I recently did a cartoon for Music Teacher magazine, and I'm going to be doing some more full-page strips for Classical Music, and another one for the British Music Yearbook.

There will be a new strip here soon, when I can fit it in between the paid (and hence higher priority) drawing. Talk amongst yourselves while I crank myself into work mode.

Intermission

2008-10-29T17:07:00.001Z

Sorry, no strip this week due to personal circumstances. Back soon.

Brahms and Liszt again

2008-10-20T11:57:00.002+01:00

Budget music

2008-10-12T13:39:00.001+01:00

Brahms & Liszt

2008-10-08T23:03:00.001+01:00

The soloist

2008-09-28T21:55:00.000+01:00

Paper tiger

2008-09-22T22:31:00.002+01:00

New Mozart manuscript discovered.

Barracuda bother

2008-09-14T20:58:00.002+01:00

Follicly challenged

2008-09-07T15:52:00.001+01:00

Rehearsing thoughts

2008-08-31T16:35:00.006+01:00

(click the image to enlarge)

Crossing Over

2008-08-25T19:16:00.005+01:00

(click the picture to enlarge. Click here for more information.)

Couch Maestro

2008-08-19T17:03:00.002+01:00

(Click the picture to enlarge. Click here for more information.)

What's it all about, then?

2008-08-18T22:50:00.000+01:00

Last year, through a sequence of events both too unlikely and dull to recount here, I found myself drawing three one-page comic strips for Classical Music magazine's supplements detailing competitions, summer schools and festivals for 2008. It happened by accident, but all three ended up featuring the antics of the same character, a down on his luck musician whose chief characteristics were a dogged faith in his own abilities, a raging bitterness against the world, and in particular the wold of classical music, and an overwhelming and all consuming stupidity.

Having drawn these three strips, it seemed logical and entirely a splendid idea that this idiotic Everyman should continue his adventures in some kind of regular strip, possibly just some modest 3-panel affair tucked away in the back of a magazine where no-one would object to it, or even notice it. However, I'm still waiting for the publishers to call me back and agree what a brilliant idea this is and offer me a ton of money to do it. So their loss is the inter-web's gain, and this is intended to be a reasonably regular web comic (at least once a week, if I can maintain the enthusiasm), at least until that lucrative contract comes my way and I remove it all from here and flog it back to you in some exorbitant novelty book. Enjoy!

The Best Laid Plans

2008-08-18T15:24:00.001+01:00

( originally published in Classical Music's Festivals supplement 2008)

Precarious Liaisons

2008-08-18T15:23:00.001+01:00

(originally published in Classical Music's Summer Schools supplement 2008)

The Image Game

2008-08-18T15:17:00.000+01:00

(originally published in Classical Music's Competitions supplement 2008)