This strip is from the second new-format Mega Robo Bros Book, Double Threat, and I kind of used this one as a little opportunity to link that series and the Freddy Vs School books together a little bit. Fernando’s been in MRB since the beginning, but he never got that much to do, he was always just kind of running around in the background with Freddy at school, with the vague sense that he and Freddy were getting up to their own nonsense and having their own adventures while Alex angsted away in the foreground. And it was such a joy when I got to write the Freddy books, to confirm that yes: they absolutely WERE having their own adventures. And their adventures were super fun! It was a real pleasure getting the chance to really flesh out Fernando, and his and Freddy’s relationship, as well as introducing Anisha and Riyad and Henrik and Aoife and ALL of Freddy’s various best friends / nemeses. (It seems like they all go back and forth in these roles. Like, y’know, ALL CHILDREN.)
I had to record a video the other day for the Lollies (VOTING STILL OPEN! I THINK?) about Freddy VS School, and it reminded me of two things: how much I love these characters, and also how much I hate seeing myself on video! Honestly it really does feel like a cruel trick, this kind of thing. You spend years and years trying to get as good as you can at writing and drawing, on the understanding that this is a job you can do sitting on your own in a room, where no-one will have to see your ghastly face or listen to your ghastly voice, and then suddenly the entire modern world Pivots To Video. Nightmarish! Anyway, it inadvertently reminded me that I do in fact have a long-unused YouTube channel, and I thought maybe I should start using it from time to time? So here is a quick video of me introducing the Mega Robo Bros series, and the Freddy books, and kind of talking about how the two fit together:
Anyway. Who wants another comic?
I don’t plan to make a habit of sharing whole DONUT SQUAD strips here - read it every week in The Phoenix! Subscriptions available at reasonable rates! - but I dunno, I just liked this one and seeing as how it is my most directly autobiographical work to date, I thought I would share it here.
If you, like me, like robots AND doughnuts, but are always wondering which is BEST, I invite you to join me at this year’s Phoenix Comic Fest at the Story Museum, where I will be appearing on the Saturday with a brand new LIVE INTERACTIVE SHOW TYPE THING aimed at settling this very question!
Tickets go on sale 6th March! And don’t worry if you can’t make it to Oxford, we will be streaming some sessions live online, so you can join in wherever in the world you are!
Oh hey, one last thing: happy World Book Day! The other day I received a completely adorable e-mail from a young reader who wanted to go dressed up as Alex and Freddy’s actual nemesis Robot 23 for it, but couldn’t find a good picture of him online to print out and use as a mask. So I made him one!
You can download a high-res copy, along with Alex and Freddy ones, and some other Fun Cool Things You Might Enjoy, from the brand new Downloads page of my website!
(Sorry, this all happened literally the day after I sent out last week’s newsletter, so I realise it’s a bit late if you’re only hearing about it now. But there’s always next year! I am already planning to make a Stupid Philosophy Penguin one for next year so y’know, stay tuned for THAT.)