David Kirkham contributed “The Amphibians and Reptiles of the Black Country” to Awesome ‘Possum 4, now on Kickstarter. He is a freelance writer and cartoonist whose work has featured in Forbidden Planet and the Desert Island Discs Fanzine. He is the author of the graphic novel Tripped Electric.
How did you pick your topics for Awesome ‘Possum?
After writing about animals that no longer exist in volume 3 [”Preserving the Silurian Age”], this time around I decided to go the opposite direction by exploring the lives of creatures that are presently living. I chose to write about the amphibians and reptiles who live in my local area as they are very elusive and I wanted to highlight their existence so that eventually future generations can be aware of them.
It was far more challenging to write than my previous piece as I picked a very specific topic and there was very little written information available, so most of my research was compiled by visiting local habitats and gathering first hand knowledge of the subjects.
What is your favorite animal or plant?
Gosh, that's a tricky question to answer, as I'm a great fan of nature and adore all its flora and fauna in equal measure. Right now I'd have to say the slow worm is probably my favourite, after spending so much time studying them for this comic!
(Photo of slow worm by DuncanFoto - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons)
Why do you think talking about nature is important?
I feel it is important to acknowledge what goes on in nature as a lot of really cool things happen in it. Plus it plays a much bigger role in our everyday lives than we think. For instance, we wouldn't be alive if there weren't any trees. I grew up living in a small village on the outskirts of the main cities, and I felt very privileged to be surrounded by lots of woodland and wildlife that I could easily access by simply stepping out my front door.
Unfortunately, a lot of people nowadays are too caught up with their own interests and day-to-day routines that they rarely stop and appreciate the beauty of what's really going on around them. I really hope that this book will inspire others (especially young children) to be more aware of some of the amazing creatures that live alongside us.
What are your favourite drawing tools?
When drawing I'm not really picky about what I like to use, though I must admit nothing beats a good old pen and some paper, as that was how I was taught to write and draw. In my spare time I've recently gotten into inking a lot lately, and I've been having a lot of fun trying out Pentel brush pens. For a beginner, they're so quick and easy to use. I also do a lot of artwork on computer with the aid of a Cintiq graphics tablet, which I used to create the silhouettes for each reptile and amphibian.
FreedomWorks to Hold First Tea Party Debt Commission Field Hearing in Salt Lake City
Amplify’d from www.marketwatch.com
WHAT: FreedomWorks will host the first field hearing for the newly-formed Tea Party Debt Commission in Salt Lake City. Local activists are expected to attend, and encouraged to bring their own proposals for specific cuts to the federal budget. FreedomWorks will also present the initial findings of its online poll ( www.TeaPartyDebtCommission.com ) that allowed voters to prioritize spending cuts over the last month.
The committee consists of twelve members, paralleling the structure of the super committee created by Congress as part of the debt ceiling compromise. Committee members are volunteer Tea Party activists from a variety of states across the country, including CO, CT, IN, NH, NV, NY, OH, PA, UT, and VA.
WHEN: Thursday, September 1, 2011, from 7-9pm MDT.
Agenda: 7:00 Call to order & Welcome (David Kirkham) Pledge of Allegiance Opening Statement (Matt Kibbe, FreedomWorks) 7:15 Introductions and Opening Statements 7:30 Presentation on America's Fiscal Crisis Dean F. Clancy, FreedomWorks 1) Scope & Nature of the Crisis 2) Possible Ways to Address the Crisis 3) Early Results of TPDC Crowd-Sourcing Efforts (Adam Brandon, FreedomWorks) 8:00 Commissioner Discussion 8:30 Q&A and specific budget-cutting suggestions from the audience 9:00 Adjourn
