I thought I might post a few of my previous short stories here - to give you a flavour of what I've been writing, as I thought it might be hard for alot of people to take the plunge on a comic if they weren't sure if they would like the writing. Have a read then of the first tale below and I'll post a few more as the week progresses.
"My Favourite Bars Are The Ones Where The Clocks Have All Stopped"
I get on my bike and free cycle down the hill through Paletine and then onto the dual carridgeway into city centre where I always go past this bit which is blocked off to cars but bikes can go down and on a sunny day you'd swear you were in L.A, or at least the parts of L.A which you see in movies or sitcom stock footage seques with its spagetti junctions and billboards and the like, and for one very brief instant you could forget where you really were.
Today though, its raining again, the drops feel like tiny barbs on my gloveless hands, my knuckles tiny white lslands surrounded by a sea of angry red and frosted pink. I pop one hand, Napoleon like, into my coat making a mental note not to do this when cylcing through the rough estate in Hulme as I'm liable to make some poor soul thnk they're about to get shot.
There's no rush on to meet Leonard, he already texted before leaving that he was going to be late so I take my time, peddling slow and sloshing through claggy dishwater puddles.
Eventually buildings hove their way into view through the thick grey grease fog and suddenly I'm at the bar without even really thinking about where I was headed.
***
Pulling at the wisps of his thick black beard, giving his best stage-mournful look to the outside world, Leonard is sat at the bar nursing a barely touched pint, although to be honest it's likely to be his second or third.
I slosh my way over and he turns to look for the source of the squeaking sound my trainers are making on the pockmarked marble floor.
"Hot date with poseidon?" he heckles as I near, great white teeth snaking out between the strands of Wile. e. Coyote beard.
"I may not look it but I'm gasping for a drink" then getting the attention of the barmaid I order a matching pint.
Leonard puffs his cheeks together and pops his eyes wide following the girl the length of the bar till she starts pouring the Stella. He slowly turns his pufferfish gaze back onto me and then exhales a cool jet of air in my face. He must fancy her.
"I've been trying to make moves with her for a while now. Shes quite fit."
I've seen her about here before too and when you look at her properly, she is beautiful, her hair is dyed deep cherry red, pulled proudly back revealing very charming sticky out ears and perfectly khoaled eyes. You have to catch her when she's scowling though or else the effect of placing your hopes and desires upon her isn't quite so devastating.
"I tried to do the same a few weeks back' I say, turning my gaze back to Leonard finding him still tugging on his hair. "I couldn't think of anything else so I just talked to her about the flowers"
Looking unimpressed Leonard pointed to the now empty blue vases set amongst the debris of the bar which usually contained a fresh bouquet. I nodded ruefully and his face lit up. As the barmaid did another lap he quickly caught her attention with his galactic smile, cooing;
"'Scuse us, me and my mate were wondering, whatever happened to them flowers from the other week then?"
