Click on the image above to jump to their website, see some of the photos, and read some nonsense we’ve said about how much we’re both basically addicted to Twitter.

Back in the olden days we used to use pictures we’d taken ourselves, which was okay but not all that professional. Then, in 2009, we had some photos taken for an interview in the Liverpool Echo which, somehow, managed to make us look like proper writers. Naturally then, we’ve been using those pictures for all our official press stuff ever since. However, emailing them off for umpteeth time, it dawned on me that we should probably, finally,  stop using them. They’re fantastic pictures but, perhaps unsurprisingly, neither of us actually look very much like we did two years ago. This meant that we had to do a really weird thing – we had to try to get some new professional photographs taken.

I say weird because… well, because  it’s weird. We’re pallid, stay at home writers – why would anyone want pictures of us? But, as I’ve explained, sometimes people do. They really do. So it makes sense. But it’s still weird.

So, anyway, we did what any self respecting electra-magnetically radiated, shut-in, keyboard-jockeys would do when faced with uncertainty about anything -  we asked Twitter for help.  One of the first replies came from our old e-chum author Mr Adam Christopher (lots more info about him at www.adamchristopher.co.uk) who suggested we get in touch with Stockport based photographic duo Diana Steinway and Chris Cawthorne AKA DC Sterne (see examples of their wonderful work at dcsterne.posterous.com) who had taken some great author shots for him. So, we did and they, very nicely, said they’d love to take some photos of us. That was it. That simple. That’s why it’s cool living in the 21st century. All we’d need to do was sort out a location.

When we were just beginning work on The Thrill Electric a little over a year ago Leah and I -  along with Emma Vieceli, Kit, Fez, Nina and Alex from Windflower, and Andy and Jonathan from Hat Trick – were given a wonderful walking tour of some of Manchester’s extant Victorian sites by Manchester Metropolitan University’s senior lecturer in Social & Economic History Dr. Terry Wyke . One of the many places we visited was the Portico Library on Mosley Street (www.theportico.org.uk) and it left a lasting impression on us both.

The library, which opened in 1803, is housed in a Grade II neo-classical listed building with an impressive Georgian glass and plaster dome. It’s a truly beautiful building housing an amazing collection of books and is well worth a visit (open 10am-4pm on Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th September 2011 as part of the Heritage Open Days if you’re in Manchester this weekend). So, after a bit of googling, we got in touch with Librarian Emma Marigliano and asked if there was any way we might be allowed to have some photos taken in the Portico. And, because she’s lovely, she said yes. Easy peasy.

We had our shoot (I don’t like calling it that…) a couple of weeks ago and, as you can see from the few I’ve posted here, the pictures came out really, really well despite having us in all of them. We’re very pleased with them and amazingly grateful to Diana and Chris for all their hard work.

That’s not all though – when Ms Marigliano kindly agreed to let us use the library she also asked us if we could do her a “favor”. Throughout October and November The Portico will be home to Journey through Wonderland – Alice in Multimedia - an series of events and ongoing exhibitions based around Lewis Carroll’s Alice books and related works. Emma asked us if we’d be willing to give a talk on adapting Carroll’s books into our Dynamite Entertainment series The Complete Alice in Wonderland as part of the events and we, naturally, said yes.

So, please join us at the beautiful Portico Library on Wednesday the 12th of October 2011 for a talk, a Q&A session, and wine and nibbles. In a beautiful Georgian Library that also happens to have a really nice Real Ale pub below it. Come on !

I love it when things just work out.

For the whole of July, Manchester’s award-winning pub The Lass O’Gowrie (conveniently well within easy stumbling distance of  Manchester Oxford Road train station) becomes a one venue fringe festival, hosting an amazing 100+ events.

Pub Fiction is a week (and a bit) long literature event running from Monday the 18th featuring talks, Q&As and readings with a some of the region’s best and brightest writing talents.

Full programme:

• Monday 18th – Ramsey Campbell
• Tuesday 19th -  John Reppion
• Wednesday 20th – Tom Fletcher
• Thursday 21st – Nicholas Royle
• Friday 22nd – Al Ewing
• Saturday 23rd -  Bryan Talbot
• Sunday 24th – Steven Gallagher
• Monday 25th – Paul Magrs  and George Mann

The Lass is a lovely pub with great ale and is well worth a visit even when the Lass Fest isn’t running. As well as being there for my own talk on the 19th  (which I really hope you can join me for), Leah and I will definitley be doing our best to attend at least three of the other talks next week. Hopefully we’ll see you there.

This month we’re doing something a little more special than usual, the MCC and Sandbar will be hosting the first BIG Drink n’ Draw on the very first day of the Not Part Of Fringe Festival!

As always the Drink ‘n’ Draw will be FREE to attend, and we’ll have the usual drawing games, FREE snacks AND pizzas, FREE comics at the Comic Swap table, materials provided and 10% off at the bar! But that’s not all…

As part of the BIG Drink ‘n’ Draw we’ll have a LITTLE Comic Fair! We will have tables set aside for selling YOUR comics! We’ll have a few of table for creators with lots to sell and one communal table for anyone’s comics, minis or zines! Tables are FREE but limited, so please leave a comment to show your interest and I’ll be in touch! If you can’t make it but would like to sell your comics, please drop them off at Sandbar with a note saying “For the BIG Drink ‘n’ Draw”.

As if that wasn’t enough Matt Badham will be hosting an informal chat and Q&A with Andy Diggle, writer of The Losers, Daredevil and former editor of 2000AD! This will start about 6pm and last about an hour.

Our second talk of the day will be with acclaimed writing duo Moore & Reppion about The Thrill Electric and their many other projects. This will start at 5pm and be followed by a Q&A.

AND the BIG Drink ‘n’ Draw will be continuing late into the night. There’s a comedy event starting at 8pm and after that a short film night running through the evening, but all the while the DnD will continue in a reserved area of Sandbar with a BIG Comic Jam on a Wall!

It’s going to be a brilliant, creative and social day and I hope to see as many people there as possible!

RSVP on the Facebook Event page and see who else is attending! Join the Drink ‘n’ Draw Facebook Group while you’re there too, for updates of all future events.

Venue:

Sandbar
120 Grosvenor Street
Manchester
M1 7HL
0161 273 1552
(Map)

More info at travellingman.wordpress.com

Full details at Upcoming Events

Signings at Leeds’ OK Comics the following Saturday and Dublin’s SubCity Comics the Saturday after that.

Hope to see you there.