Zak Simmonds-Hurn

Workers at three major publishing houses tell WIRED that LLMs are being used for publicity, cover art, back cover copy, and emails, as some execs push junior staff to champion the tech.

This Saturday! Taking a break from tearing around the country to do a Local Event For Local People. I’ll be at the very fun and cool sounding Oxford Canal Festival, along with a load of great storytellers and music and cool CANAL RELATED STUFF www.oxfordcanalheritage.org/oxford-canal...

This Saturday (19th September) You can find me signing and sketching at @cecomicsuk.bsky.social 12-4PM Free sketches for kids!

…which is basically #1, if you don’t count the Gruffalo. 🤷

💪💪💪

Col. Kusanagi (loving the new show - Ghost in the Shell)

He's only gone and written 2,500 more words about how game devs feel about generative AI. Latest piece quotes around two dozen different people with an indie background. When asked how they feel about gen AI, not one, but two devs responded, "Fuck that shit." www.gamesradar.com/games/it-cre...

I'm on my way to London for my first book signing tour! It feels very surreal, I still have to pinch myself when I remember that I have a book in the world. If you're in London and fancy a signed copy of Legacy, hopefully it shouldn't be too hard to find one after today! 🤞

I picked up @monstrouscomics.bsky.social new book, you should to (I completely understand if you were waiting for volume 3).

Pick up Legacy volume 1 now! Epic adventure stories by some awesome people!!

Zak is an absolutely stunning artist, I recommend this HUGELY! 👇

Out today. My class are already loving this! @monstrouscomics.bsky.social @dfbstoryhouse.bsky.social

Get this, it's off that Phoenix I'm always banging on about, it's by a friend-of / guest-on-the-podcast from way back, and it's dead good

Genuinely, GENUINELY, a brilliant comic 🤩

It's publication day of Legacy: The Shadow Rises! If any of you pick up a copy, I really hope you enjoy it! 🙂

youtu.be/wKuqzR-iMas?... I'm playing through the remake at the moment, but this battle theme from the original is so good. This is my current fave bit of music to draw Legacy to!

In case anyone who follows me here is interested, I'll be at Bedford Library and Close Encounters Bedford this Saturday. It will be the first time outside of Phoenix Fest to pick up my new book (out next week!) 🙂

I'm delighted to see how much everyone seems to be enjoying the latest issue of The Phoenix with our April fool's soup edition! Here's my little contribution, which I enjoyed drawing far more than I expected to be possible. Stats and words by @soupgh0st.bsky.social

Greatest comic book cover of the year so far

Can confirm this absolutely destroyed in our house. My son handed it to me with a shit-eating grin and I confess that, yes, I did MOMENTARILY think it was some sort of genuine mix-up before realising it was a beautifully executed prank. 10/10. Subscribe to thephoenixcomic.co.uk

SOUP-erb edition of @the-phoenix-comic.bsky.social this week (in disguise for April 1st). An absolute joy.

Hello and welcome to my unboxing video

The House of Lords Digital & Communications Committee just published their report on AI, copyright & the creative industries, and their conclusions could not be clearer. 🧵 1/5

THIS SUNDAY, The Sunday Times has brought back The Funday Times as part of their reading campaign and The Phoenix is involved! The Funday Times was a weekly comic supplement, all big and newspapery, an absolute joy to read and an instrumental part of a lot of our childhoods 🤩

Eek! Less than one hour to go…!⏰😅

This style of light doesn't really appear in animation anymore. You know it when you see it -- it's bright, hot and almost dangerous. Our new issue explores the tricks behind it, and how one artist has revived the look for the digital age: animationobsessive.substack.com/p/dangerous-...

Today tickets go on sale for Phoenix Fest! www.phoenixfest.co.uk

Me and Kate (co-author on The Firelight Isle) both love playing with unconventional panel layouts, so here are a few from across the story! Finally collecting all three volumes in print right now! www.kickstarter.com/projects/pau...

I have an advance copy of my upcoming book, Legacy! I cannot tell you how thrilled I am to have my first book in my hands at last!

We don’t need AI training sponsored by the tech firms selling it. We need AI education to help people understand what it can’t do, and what dangers lie ahead if you entrust your life to it

Does anyone have any albums or playlists that are their go-to 'Work Faster' music? I just realised today that when I need to pick up my drawing pace I play the Ridge Racer Type 4 soundtrack and my output increases. I'd listen to it every day, but I worry that it would lose it's power if I did 😂

Nah, I'd rather sit on a bear trap, thanks.

This is a fantastic article with a lot of simple explanations in it of everyday counterintuitive bullshit, just as you’d expect from Cory Doctorow. Yeah AI is a bubble. But what sort of bubble? Who puffed it up? And what do we do? www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...

Get 10% off everything on my comic store with code GIMME10 - including all physical comics, digital editions, tees, hoodies and stickers. Check it out while stocks last! davecookcomics.bigcartel.com

Every artist wishes they could go back in time to deliver a swat to the back of their own head and say, “Don't do that!” None of this is universal, but here is a protips thread of some things I (and many of my peers) would try to stop ourselves from doing.

In what's now become an annual tradition, I've written another piece for The Gist about how and why I hate A.I. On a bubble about to burst, a future rotted to its core, and the limits of the Mrs Doyle Theory of artificial intelligence. www.thegist.ie/guest-gist-2...

Happy 51st birthday to the talented ‘One Piece’ creator Eiichiro Oda.

I've finished work for Christmas! Very excited to chill out for a couple of weeks now, it's been a busy year!

"AI presents a threat to UK comic creators, but it can be harnessed too, and businesses exploring that from within the industry need support." Yeesh. Yes, it does. No, it can't and no, they do not.

Today is the two-year anniversary of the day I found out I was going to be a father! Otherwise known as the anniversary of the day that my girlfriend unexpectedly thrust the positive pregnancy test in front of my face to hear me gormlessly respond "Whu-?? Covid??"

I don't know what it is about this panel, but I'm so happy with how it turned out! From Legacy in The Phoenix. Absolutely beautiful colours as always by @fiverarts.bsky.social And background assists by the awesome @teamsmithy.bsky.social ! Written by Tom and Will Fickling, lettering by Kate Brown.

Just a heads up that @dfbstoryhouse.bsky.social are running the most insane giveaway of Neill Cameron books and related STUFF on their Instagram today. A complete set of Mega Robo Bros! Donut swag! The new donut squad book which ISN’T EVEN OUT YET! incredible scenes www.instagram.com/p/DR__h07Ddr...

Looks like you've got just a few days left to pick up a fantastic game that you know you were going to play eventually, the ludicrous action-melodrama that Shenmue evolved into, before they ruin it and increase the price from less than a tenner to fifty quid. Here's how they'll be ruining it:

I've seen the McDonalds ad and of course it's hideous. An uncanny, misanthropic, artless nightmare. Also extremely funny to see its generators (I refuse to call them creators because they didn't create shit) cry about slaving away for three measly weeks. Whoa, take a break Michelangelo!

Here’s my Spotify Wrapped 🎵✨

youtube.com/watch?v=wJ82... This just popped up on a playlist and I forgot how great it is, so had to share. You're welcome 😂