For now though, I’m happy that the regular strips are all up to date. The End of Year Report can slip in whenever, but finally the regulars are up and in their correct order and positions. Now I can just put any future strips together and up date them normally without thinking about what date they should be and which number in the sequence they are, etc.

Anyway, more to come later, and not just concerning the comic.

I think I have to update one of the ongoing ’stories’ from last year’s blog posts too.

Later for that one.

Cheers.

G’day.

It’s been far too long, but I’ve decided to give this blog a second try. I think I’ll be setting it up somewhat differently and possibly changing the general direction of it as well. While I’ll still use it to write up about the various day to day adventures that might befall someone teaching in a primary school, I think I’ll also use it more specifically to tie in with the School Spirit comic as well.

So, to begin with, welcome to 2009 from School Spirit. The comic itself is almost back up to date after falling behind in late 2008 due to being snowed under by just about everything. The good news though, is it is still running, and will be for as long as possible. Below is the first strip of 2009, like each year a recount of the last year’s content.

I’ll have to see what I can do about rearranging the blog now. Clean it out and give it a good flushing. Set it up in such a way it can work better for what I now think it needs to be.

Until then…

Cheers.

Today, August 26th, School Spirit, the webcomic from which this blog site originated, completed it’s 50th individual storyline. In this particular instance it dealt with a Dress Up Day inspired by the recent Olympics. Things start to go pear-shaped when the kids misinterpret what they are to dress up as, and bottom out when others fail to fully come to grips with the Olympic Spirit.

If you haven’t jumped into the light-hearted, family friendly characters, story and humour of School Spirit, then there’s plenty of material to get involved with as the kids learn to deal with the spirits living in the cemetery next door to their school. The archive is designed in a bright, fun and friendly way to offer ease of storyline selection, complete with strip numbers involved, a small image from the story itself, and a brief description of that ‘chapter’.

So wander along, take your time, and make your way through the archive in your own leisurely pace. If you find it’s not for you, all you’ve lost is a little of your time, but just perhaps you’ll find something in the characters, the story or the temper of the strip that strikes your fancy.

Give it a go, eh?

With a bit of luck I’ll start updating the blog more often now too. There’s been some good news stories coming from the kids’ exploits these last few weeks you might enjoy reading about.

Cheers.

July begins today, and while I’d love to see it continue to grow each month, I’ll be happy to see it break through that 4000 mark a third time running. Let it settle a bit before I start entertaining thoughts of 5000, eh?

Back with more over the next few days, and this time focusing more on teaching and education themes again. Holidays have just started and reports and parent / teacher interviews are all done now, so there’s probably more time to share around again.

Technorati Tags: webcomics

‘The greatest poem ever known
Is one all poets have outgrown:
The poetry, inate, untold,
Of being only four years old.‘
- Christopher Morley, To A Child

Four years ago today, I officially launched my little webcomic, School Spirit. I’d never read a webcomic before, I’d never even heard of them. A friend had just told me ‘I’m writing a webcomic and you’re drawing it for me’. I said ‘where am I going to find the time to draw a webcomic, whatever that is?’ and half an hour later had emailed him a quick sketch of what would become the first School Spirit strip.

On June 12th, 2004, School Spirit was officially launched and here it is, four years later with 580 regular strips, 57 special ones, three new strips a week and an unblemished updating record.

Now it’s even spawned this blog site!

As you’d probably guess, it revolves around kids at primary school, with spirits living in the cemetery next door. It originally grew out of a primary school musical production I was writing at the time but since then has taken on a story and life of its own. If you’re interested in reading it, or at least having a look, go right ahead. I’ll let you decide whether you think it’s worth your time or not. I’ve been here four years now… I’m well past that ‘look at me and love me’ drivel.

Leave that to those who think they’re going to be the next best thing, eh?

Cheers.

June begins today, and I’m thinking it may be a bit of an ask to expect the strip to continue growing each month. We’ll just have to see how things go. 130 or more readers a day is a fair ask, considering just last December it was still only getting about 80.

Mind you, it will reach four years online on June 12th, so with a little bit of extra publicity I might manage to wrangle up, just maybe it will repeat the effort this month. However it goes, all I can do is keep those three strips coming out each week and enjoy spending my free time on it, eh?

Technorati Tags: webcomics

Either way, here’s the beginning of the latest storyline, The Easter Ferret. For those who’ve read this blog a few times in the last week or so, yes, this will feature a few of the events of our own Easter Fair during the last week of term – especially the events recounted in my previous post of the same name – The Easter Ferret.

Clicking the strip will take you to that particular strip on the site. Incidentally… I packed away my Christmas stuff earlier than this. I took it all down on Easter Saturday.

Technorati Tags: Easter, webcomic, ferrets.

The cartoon to the side is clickable, as always, and will take you to the School Spirit website. Specifically, it will take you to the page of this particular strip.

Meanwhile, the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal will run again today so no doubt I’ll have the telly running in the background so I can pop my head in and out and keep up with how much money Victoria has raised this year. I think they’ll looking at about $14 million or some amazing total this year. We keep seeming to beat the previous record each and every time lately.

Anyway… enough for now. Hope you enjoy the Good Friday humour, and all the best.

I don’t actually think I even have any hot cross buns in the house today…

Technorati Tags: Good Friday, Easter, hot cross buns.