'Smith' is...

Met 'Smith' again this week and decided to we can now dispell the whole 'Smith' mystery and put his name and autobiog up in the blog.




So 'Smith' s real name is Tony Spencer(No.1 in the clipping). Originally from my old town of Coventry and whilst making considerable money in legal businesses has wandered into ilegal activity occasionally, and this has resulted in a few prison sentences - most notably 10years for armed robbery, 11years for counterfeiting american dollars and 6years for smuggling hashish in Spain for which he was recently released. He's certainly the ideal criminal consultant for the Smuggling Vacation book.

With his criminal past firmly behind him he now lives and works on legal cases from Ireland. Though he's also in touch regular about how the Smuggling vacation book is coming along and providing research material for the second and third books which are now in the planning stage.

(insert image)

So with that resolved, our story continues with our smugglers in mid-southern France being stalked by Customs and Excise. But it's time our smugglers got their act together, got professional and got moving.

I'm busy here with 'T' getting ready for print. The test print pages look fantastic. We've some good leads for distributing, selling and perhaps a serialisation. Off to a good start then.

EDIT forum is back on our links as an EDITOR reasonably requested so.

Regards to all the encouraging comments and support this month.

'till next blog - keep reading.


Wilson

Hi all.

The big news first. Remember the cartoon of Him, Her and Mikey meeting Howard Marks a few weeks back?



Well Howard saw it the other day and commented on his forum:



If only Mikey could see the pic and read the old smuggling legend's comments. 'Fuck me!' I think would be his reaction.

Anyhow, back to the business at hand. The story reached nighttime last week and a new euphemism was coined, 'crackers' as I now come to think of it myself at times. And following that night scene comes the final charge up France. But before they need to meet up with Mikey and check all is good.



Got the mugs printed up but due to my old camera not taking pics so close and small I've had to wait for a decent xmas digital camera to arrive before I could post the pics up. A few are looking very good and a few can be improved. This of course all adds to the little printing experience I have and as we have just two months before print date I need to get on top of such skills.

So what happens next? - Hopefully 'T' all roll out the schedule for the final leg of our story this weekend and I can have a good smoking weekend as a day off is sorely needed.

Till next week - keep reading.

Jas

Here's some news.

Thought you might find the above interesting! This is the clipping given to me by 'Smith' from when he was arrested in Spain on Hashish charges. Following this he got the 6 years for hashish smuggling and 6 months for travelling on a false passport. It was during this we of course, we put together the first rough version of Smuggling Vacation which was read throughout Alhaurin and Valdemoro prisons in Spain. Good news is he's now still going straight and doing legal work from Ireland now. I'm hoping he'll be over for the launch of Smuggling Vacation the book, which is just a few short months away now.


Back to our story and the night draws in and all seems safe at last. Time for some 'Crackers'? - Next Monday it all kicks off again and they begin the run up France with the wisdom and experience of brother Mikey, which they'll need, as the police surveillence is never too far away.

We have more links for next week. Had some great e-mails which tell of Smuggling Vacation flyers being distributed around the coffee shops of Amsterdam. For now I'm back to the drawing board.

Keep reading


Wilson

Back to the drawing board...

It's now back to the drawing board and it's full steam ahead.
I'm now working on the strip every day as is 'T' as we now pencil in 21st March as day one for the first print run, which means it should be there to buy on the 28th. Where will it be brought? The Amsterdam coffeeshops and the bars and shops in the Costa del sol look likely, and off the site of course, but I'll be looking elsewhere over the following three months and posting progress up in the future blogs.
To change the subject, prior to Xmas, we linked to our first webcomic site at http://www.howtobebulletproof.com/ which is written and drew by artist-writer Kirt Burdick in San Fransisco. Is worth a look if you're a comic fan and like more real life work
However, back to our story and with the spanish and french customs passed through the real risk is over, or is it? As the night closes in the second section completes and the third and final section opens up which has it all - Police surveillence, testing the gear, meeting with Mikey, a booze cruise warehouse, British customs and Excise, undercover officers, smuggling techniques and the whole smuggling finale of course.
So keep reading and I'll keep blogging.

-Wilson