...and a Freddy New Year

News! Awards! Fun Things!

Happy New Year, everyone!

2023 is going to be a big old year for Mega Robo Bros, with lots of exciting stuff coming out and lots of dramatic developments. So I thought I’d try and use this (NOW OFFICIALLY WEEKLY) newsletter to check in with all things Alex and Freddy, giving you sneak peeks at work in progress, some Authorial Commentary, and share bits of news! And SPEAKING of news… here is some right now!

LOL!

I am DELIGHTED and indeed STAGGERED to share that my first Freddy novel, FREDDY VS SCHOOL, has been shortlisted for the Lollies - the Laugh Out Loud 2023 Book Awards, which celebrate the best and funniest children’s books in the UK and Ireland. I think this is a very cool thing in and of itself - as a culture and as an industry I think we radically undervalue children’s books, and funny children’s books in particular, so anything that celebrates them and helps shine a spotlight on some of the brilliant and hilarious work being done in this country is to be applauded. The fact that I’M included is, frankly, just nuts. If you’d like to, please do go and vote!

Oh my god, imagine if Freddy won an actual award. Just think how unbearable he’d be THEN.

I can’t tell you how much winning something like this would mean to me. I never win anything! It would make all my fragile-ego desperate-need-for-approval dreams come true. I mean, lol, come one, I’m not going to - have you seen who else is up for this award? Some genuinely AMAZING and SUPER FAMOUS people! Who am I? I’m just some guy! But please vote anyway! Both my fictional robot child and I will be forever in your debt!

SNEAKY PEEKY

Extremely Eagle-Eyed readers of the special festive Christmas & New Year double issue of the Phoenix may have spotted a feature hailing the return of Mega Robo Bros to the comic in 2023… for it’s FINAL SERIES! (It’s true! Apologies if this is how you are finding out. It’s going to be okay). And not only that, but giving a SNEAK PEEK AT THE ROUGHS for it!

Fortunately, I think it is a sufficiently small and carefully-arranged photo that not too many of the story’s EARTH-SHATTERING DEVELOPMENTS are revealed. But hold on tight, because they will be soon! I finished the roughs for the whole thing before Christmas, and - touch wood - we should be motoring ahead with it pretty soon. I’m so ridiculously excited with how this thing is shaping up, I can’t begin to tell you, and I can’t wait for people to get the chance to read it. More soon!

SNEAKIER PEEKIER

…and finally, because you’ve been good, here is a tiny glimpse at some of the good stuff inside the ALL-NEW Mega Robo Bros: NEXT LEVEL! (Available for pre-order now!) It’s out this spring and full of good things! Including: longstanding MRB supporting character Monsieur Gorilla getting his Starring Debut in one of the weirdest and silliest short comics I ever made!

ALSO more soon!

Okay, see you next Thursday (BECAUSE THIS IS EVERY WEEK NOW) for more robots and more fun things!