Recovering from COVID-19...

I'm writing this a few days before my 65th birthday, and a week into (finally) falling prey to COVID. So many of my work colleagues have fallen ill over the past two years, that it was only a matter of time for me to become so smug that I didn't think I would fall ill for it to happen! In retrospect, I'm not surprised. I'd worked fourteen days (out of sixteen) in the leadup to contracting the illness, and I'd also pushed myself in the month beforehand by attending the annual National Cartoon Gallery's Rotary Cartoon/Australian Catoonists' Association's Stanley Awards, working in the garden, trying to maintain a daily schedule with the launch of my Patreon site, among all the other personal family things that make up my life ... that it simply lead to me getting too, too fatigued. So, looking back, as I said, I'm not surprised...!

So, I'm presently pausing my Patreon site. I really need to be able to commit to it on a daily basis. And that is clearly not possible at the moment. That's not to say I don't have a few comic plans ahead. Because - and I am sure you can hear my wife sighing in the background, right? - there are a few. (Some that I even picked up at the Australian Cartoonists Association's conference...)

First of all, let me be clear. This (above) is a work in progress. And, yes, I does seem like I am going back to the future. I began last decade by publishing a John Dixon-Air Hawk book ... and here I am again? Yes, I did. And, yes I am. ...And there are many more comic surprises ahead. Some I have flagged earlier, some I have not. Stay tuned!

Before I get too far ahead of myself, though, maybe I ought to share the details of the Stanley weekend. I drove down with Gary Swamp Clark, and we shared a room together. There's nothing finer than getting to know someone better than by sharing life in such close quarters: and although Gary and I have known each other since ... yes, since 1981 ... this was a particularly wonderful opportunity to really get to know each other.

Our room (among the bushes, native wildlife)...

Left to Right: Myself, Rob Feldman, Gary Clark. Ready for the night.

Scene from our balcony

One of the funnier things to happen (and I won't publicly share them all!) was driving back to the Motel from the Rotary Cartoon Awards at the National Cartoon Gallery on the Friday night ... to find that the road was so dark we didn't realise that we were in fact heading in the wrong direction ... until we were almost thirteen kilometres closer to Sydney ... !
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Here are some of the visual photographic highlights I took of and on the Saturday Stanley's night: 

Chuffed to win his very first award: animator Andrew Iffland.

Badiucao and David Pope, before he was declared the recipient of the Golden Stanley for Cartoonist of the Year!

Dr Paul Mason and Amanda Bacchi were pleased to share the news of their recent engagement. It was lovely to see Dr Paul's pleasant shock when it was announced he was the recipient of the comic book award ...

Clockwise (from upper left): Secretary/ and Inkspot Editor Steve Panozzo with President Cathy WIlcox; the newly engaged couple of Dr Paul Mason (comic book award recipient) and Amanda Bacchi; Melinda with Judy Nadin (recipient of caricature award and jointly, with Leigh Hobbs, book illustrator award); Deputy President David Blumenstein who put on a great programme, although I didn't see Sarah; food; Rob Feldman, Mr and Mrs Tony Lopes celebrate the comic strip award; Andrew Weldon is rapt to be the single gag award recipient. 

Marie and Roger Fletcher beseech the committee to have a band play at the next Stanleys.

The colourful Dr Philip Norrie, son-in-law of Ron Vivian (who, with others, was inducted into the Hall of Fame).

Committee Member Judy Horcek with Brenton McKenna share a secret.

Surely not! Lindsay Foyle asleep ... or checking his phone? With partner, Jan.

Present Cathy Wilcox shares her Twitter secrets to ACA media promoter, Tharini Rouwette, who is suggesting Cathy at least gives Facebook a try ...

Surprised Silver Stanley Recipient, Fiona Katauskas, chews the fat with Andrew Weldon.

Just before Gary and I headed off to the Stanley's, we allowed Rob Feldman to use our room to change into his suit. My wife Carlene (who, as many of you know, is not really fussed with the whole cartooning thing) had opportunity to speak to Rob before the Staley's event, and suggested that if I should dare attempt to purchase anything at the Silent Auction, that he had her permission to slap me silly....