nics-blog

Flipbook version Temporarily Unavailable - however PDF version available in the meantime!

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 19:38:56 +0100

Sadly Issuu has started charging and didn't inform me my flipbook versions of The Green Man - in English, French, German and Spanish are no longer available!

As a stop gap, you can view them as PDFs instead, by clicking on a link.

Another alternative is to enjoy The Green Man in it's slideshow format on Vimeo or YouTube - with added background music and sound effects!

(Much of the music sadly has been taken off the YouTube versions for copyright reasons - when it's totally legal as it is being used for commercial purposes.)

I will keep you posted when a flipbook is again available!

Meanwhile progress on The Doomsday Tablet has been slow, whilst I create the necessary models of Housesteads - the Roman fort on Hadrian's wall.

ROBERT SENIOR: OIL PAINTING

Wed, 30 Nov 2022 09:39:08 +0100

This is a link to an interview with my great friend and artist Robert Senior, which gives a deep insight into how he works.
https://www.jacksonsart.com/blog/2022/11/27/robert-senior-oil-painting/?fbclid=IwAR0o9Aa9nVK_XPJbczrM8PcpXLIMic0XBA1zS_3g7mlidOPDnqlPLEcue8Q

Publicity photos for The Doomsday Tablet!

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 22:20:32 +0100

...and it's 2021! A sequel is coming...

Thu, 20 May 2021 18:29:33 +0100

We are still in the midst of the pandemic, and as hinted at in my last blog post, life has changed, and I have decided to start work on the sequel to The Green Man - The Doomsday Tablet! This will be a two part adventure - twice the length of the first one, and will see Thomas Swift time-travelling again, his first stop - Hadrian's Wall 160 AD. Romans will therefore figure prominently, but the second part will see him going somewhere very different...

The Green Man was first published as an eBook in the Apple Store - with Ave Comics, and then had a short life as a printed copy in 2011 ( - hence 10th Anniversary celebrations). However, when sale of the book became an impossibility, it then became available for free, as an e-book on ISSU, and as a video slideshows on Youtube and Vimeo, with added music and sound effects. The Doomsday Tablet will be published in a different way.

Instead of waiting for The Doomsday Tablet to be complete before I publish it, I will publish it chronologically, picture by picture, as I make it. It will be available here, and on Facebook, Instagram and probably other Social Media. This is because I feel I have already delayed it long enough.

Also, as this is not a commercial venture, I'm hoping by publishing it in this way, to draw people into the project, and hopefully encourage some support, from financial to the lending of Playmobil! All contributors will be acknowledged in full. Again, whether the book is translated, will be down to the level of support the book receives.

This is therefore the start of a long journey, and I hope to publish my first pictures in a couple of months :)

For the latest news on the sequel, see h ttps://www.facebook.com/TheDoomsdayTablet

It's 2020!

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 21:40:57 +0100

Work and other things took over 2016 onwards and Playmobil and writing sadly took a back seat. The Playmobil project I referred to - planned and submitted to the Playmobil Company was to celebrate the 950th Anniversary of the Battle of Hastings. The idea was well received and Playmobil UK were tasked with finding a location for the display, but for whatever reason that never happened and the project therefore remains just a plan.... maybe for the 1000th anniversary!

The last few months, like many people all around the World, I've been in lockdown at home, and took the opportunity to start cataloguing my Playmobil collection. This will hopefully make it a lot easier to pursue Playmobil projects in the future, and who knows, another Playmobil comic.

Update....

Sat, 23 Jan 2016 19:17:31 +0100

I've just realised it's 2016 and my last post was in 2014! Time flies.

Last year I was busy writing the latest Thomas Swift book. However, every day life and focus on work took over. I did however find time to update the Playmobil Hair page in May 2015, and purchase many more klickies with new hairstyles that I have yet to photograph....

It's now 2016 and although I still haven't sorted out my life / work balance, I successfully submitted an ambitious Playmobil project and I now have to create it. This will probably take up all my spare time the first half of this year. More news on this soon...

Playmobil Hairstyles!

Mon, 07 Apr 2014 17:59:38 +0100

After over a year I've finally managed to get around to updating the Playmobil Hair page showing all the bare-headed Playmobil hairstyles available and in what colours.

It includes new styles coming out in Germany in the Summer, and I think it's comprehensive... please tell me if you know of any more"!

http://www.thomasswiftproductions.co.uk/playmobil-hair.php

Woodsetton School Playmobil Display

Mon, 10 Mar 2014 23:29:53 +0100

I haven't blogged since September! The main reason is being back at work, but more recently it's because the house has again been overtaken by boxes of Playmobil as I prepared a Western display for the first Playmobil Exhibition at Woodsetton School near Dudley.

Phil, a headmaster responded to my suggestion at the Playmobil Collector's Club of having a Playmobil UK Exhibition, and very kindly offered his school as the ideal venue. He came out with his Playmo habit and soon he had the whole school involved and playing with Playmobil. A date for a two day exhibition was agreed and we had just over a month to plan and prepare our displays. The short notice meant we did not have many exhibitors and only around 200 visitors, but this was not our priority for this first exhibtion: it was to demonstrate what could be done and establish what we hope will be an annual event.

Indeed, as soon as we had finished setting up Phil was already talking about next year's exhibition (I hope he's not regretting it!) and the provisional date has been set for the end of the 2015 Spring half term.We already have more exhibitors on board and we'll have plenty of time to drum up interest.

You can see photos my Western display - 'Colorado Springs' here

To see the other displays go to our Facebook page! - https://www.facebook.com/PlaymobilWoodsetton

Playmobil Collector's Club (PCC) !

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 16:54:52 +0100

Have you joined the Playmobil Collector's Club (PCC) yet? If you have, your membership is probably soon up for renewal - it's already been a year! It's a great time to go and visit, as you'll see lots of the new Playmo coming out in 2014, including a new theme people have been dreaming other for decades!

http://pcc.pm/

Back to work!

Mon, 12 Aug 2013 09:46:42 +0100

It's been quite a while since I posted: I''ve been busy looking for a job, and I start work tomorrow! (..having just had two weeks holiday with the family in France!) This means that the updates to my new "Me and Playmobil" section have been delayed, but I hope to update the Playmobil Hair section again soon :)

I've also decided what my next writing project will be and will hopefully be able fit this around my full-time job and housework!