Boris Exhaustion

So, I now have three Boris related books on the way from ebay – I was very picky, there are a few more that I didn’t bother with, I have several lengthy videos on youtube to sit through, and I dabbled with a few family ones, since that is the point I am at with the book.  I am already suffering from Boris exhaustion.  There is an awful lot of material and associated reading to do.

On the plus side, I see that my approach is totally radical, and may make readers weep a bit.  Presumably this is a good thing.

It has been incredibly difficult to get the feeling of the thing across to Twisty, who knows my work and knows me extremely well.  He is making a lovely job of the cover, but it is not easy to convey the flavour of the thing even to a friend who knows exactly what I am up to.

The first idea was a very strong yellow, black and white newsprinty type cover.  I have seen a few union jack type renderings of Boris, and whilst they are very nice and have that 1960s Carnaby Street optimism that we like from Boris, this is absolutely not what is going on in the book.

I suggested a pale primrose was nearer the mark, and we now have a slightly satirical cartoon with more delicate colouration, which again is very nice, but still not quite there.  Lucifer Ogilvie is not exactly Boris, he is just built from similar bones.  Who knows where I shall drag him eventually?

Generally speaking, I prefer to binge read before deciding on a project, so this is all out of order for me.  It is the equivalent of catching someone’s eye at a party, and then suddenly spending a month with them and nobody else.  A little bit awkward, with flashes of sort-of-ok.

My academic reading is happening, slowly, but there is an awful lot of pop-conservative crap out there, which is no use at all for this.  I kind of know what I am going to end up saying anyway.  My weird brand of conservative communism runs pretty deep, having listened to fairly strong and dearly held opinions from ma and pa.

Still sewing like mad, and, family rows permitting, we should have some new art material shortly.  Still no emotional visions on Boris – maybe there won’t be any, who knows? Maybe this is a brief aberration, just for fun?

My Slovenian friend, a political journalist I have done some creative stuff with in the past, is delighted at the new project, so perhaps we can fire a few in that direction once done.