The Invisible Artist, a documentary film made by Andy Luke and Carl Boyle for NVTV on the history of comics in Belfast, which I appeared in and helped out on the research for last year, is now online. As well as Andy and myself, there are contributions from Davy Francis, PJ Holden, Stephen Downey, John Farrelly, John Killen of the Linenhall Library, and many others. Go watch, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.

The Invisible Artist from Northern Visions/NvTv on Vimeo.

ComicBuzz have done a review of 2011 in Irish comics, in which I’m mentioned, in splendid company it must be said. Although they do seem to believe The Cattle Raid of Cooley “looks like it will soon come to its end”, which isn’t the case. I’m probably past the half-way stage, but there’s a way to go yet.

In other news, The Economist run an obituary of the great Ronald Searle, who died just before New Year, written by Molesworth himself.

Apologies.

Well, that was 2011.

One notable development this year is, as a blogger at Irish Comic News and Belfast Comics, and still the main contributor to the Irish Comics Wiki, I’ve been making much greater use of Google Alerts. And, naturally (I’m an artist. I’m vain) I have an alert set for any mention of my own name. Which means I’ve been inadvertently following the career of Patrick Brown, a reserve offensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings, quite closely. Spot the difference…

What I will, with a certain amount of generosity, call my “career” as a cartoonist has gone from strength to strength this year. I won an award (best Irish webcomic in the Irish Comic News awards – and while I do blog there, I wasn’t involved in counting the votes and I didn’t vote for myself). I found myself listed on the Lambiek Comiclopedia, the rather prestigious Dutch dictionary of international comic artists. I’ve been going to conventions as a guest rather than a punter – TitanCon in Belfast in September, Comics West in Galway in November. I’ve done some interviews with proper journalists, on Dublin-based online magazine Rabble, and Northern Irish news and culture blog EamonnMallie.com. and was even cited in an academic journal – a Dutch one on Celtic matters, the name of which I forget, in an article about hurling. And I’ve appeared on TV, in “The Invisible Artist”, a documentary on comics in Belfast by Andy Luke and Carl Boyle on local channel NVTV (it’ll be online some time in the new year – I’ll alert you when I know).

Glossing over my personal life (as you were) and day job (least said the better), 2011 was also the year I got old. I turned 42 in October, but well before that the ravages of time have been creeping up on me. I’ve finally inherited my mum’s family’s bad knees (well, one of them) (I suspect my younger brother Simon only works as an aid worker in Africa because the hot, dry climate is good for the joints). I also had a bit of a scare in the summer, when I collapsed from intestinal bleeding. Several months of unpleasant medical tests failed to find anything particularly alarming, but it was worrying at the time. On the plus side, I had an eye test and my astigmatism (meaning I don’t manifest the wounds of Christ, and also that my eyeballs are a funny shape) has actually improved slightly, and I’ve lost a bit of weight. If this keeps up, by 2015 I’ll be slim and trim with 20/20 vision, but unable to walk without a stick.

Anyway, happy new year to all my readers. Hope 2012 brings lots of good things.

2011 has been a bit of an ordeal for me in a lot of ways, but making my comics, the appreciation of my readers, the recognition I’ve received from various quarters, and not least the friends I have in the Belfast and wider Irish comics community, have made it a very good year in others. So merry Christmas to you all, and thanks for sticking with me.

The calendar new year’s still a week away, but in celestial terms the old year’s already passed. The solstice was on Thursday, the days have stopped getting shorter and are gradually getting longer again. The old sun is dead, and the young sun is starting his rise. I have high hopes for this one. I’m sure he won’t let me down.

I’ve done an interview about The Cattle Raid of Cooley with jounalist Matthew Symington over at Eamonn Mallie’s website – go read!