I was asked to illustrate “A musical interlude with Mr Edward Lear “an, as yet, unpublished book and integral CD of his nonsense poems, set to music by Jonathan Hodge and Julian Littman with a galaxy of stars singing and Spike Milligan narrating (his last recording). I decided to make the key images as copperplate etchings, so, prior to publication, I would have the prints to show and sell.
I now have had 5 exhibitions showing the Lear suite of etchings. The Jumblies print even made the Royal Academy Summer Show a few years back, and sold like hot cakes!
Dorling Kindersley were on the point of publishing when it went bust, so, as far as a potential publisher is concerned, this project is ready to go. The spin off potential is enormous and it will readily go to animated film and a stage musical.
Spike wrote a book called “Frankenstein according to Spike Milligan” which I illustrated with him closely, changing details to weave the images in with the story as he wrote it. The drawings were suitably graphic and precise to his instructions. The monster kept dropping his trousers and so the question arose whether he was circumcised or not. It was plain, in your face, rude, but integral to the writing and a great disappointment to us both when his agent switched publishers at the last minute and the new Virgin editor left the illustrations out. Spike said he would have told them to “f*** off” with their deal had he been younger and bolder and not in urgent need of getting paid. I hope the book will be published again one day with the illustrations he wanted.
I am glad to say “Mr Podge the Bubble Monster” written and published by E. J. Lever and illustrated by me, can be found in all good bookshops now.
