I've been considering making big lists of things for ages - my favourite illustrators, my favourite podcasts, my favourite films etc. The idea got outta control and I never got round to starting.
So instead, here's Favs. Small, semi-regular lists of things I like on a given day.
I've only recently discovered Bad Machinery, John Allison's follow up to Scary Go Round (which I never read, despite meaning to for the entirety of its 7-year run) and it's quickly become a must-read part of my routine.
I started sometime last year with The Case of the Missing Piece *, which is still ongoing. The characters have lovely, distinct voices (literally in the case of Claire's adorbs lisp) and, once you're hooked, the interweaving storylines are proper exciting - romance! crime! fights! It's like Grange Hill but good.
Last Monday I got so frustrated with our crappy tin opener that I straight-up Googled 'what's the best tin opener in the world?'. According to The Sweethome, it's the OXO Good Grips Magnetic Can Opener With Lid Catch (really it's this Zwilling J.A Henckels number, but I wasn't ready to pay £35 for a tin opener).
Anyway, the OXO is a beast and opening a tin of tuna without having to -snip- -snip- -snip- around the lid is the best thing in the whole wide world. £14 on Amazon.
I think I first found Asleigh Green's work on Ello (which I haven't used in about a year). Her deceptively simple illustrations and animations are really satisfying. They, like, click.
Throughout January, Ashleigh posted an animation every day on Instagram. The above video collects them together and adds a soundtrack. Super nice.
Sammy Bethune is a skateboarder from Glasgow. I don't know him, although I'm sure I've seen him skating Kelvingrove on some of my skate dates.
Clips of Sammy recently blew up. His approach to cab tricks - sort of a quickly whipped 180 whilst popping - is crazy. I've never seen anyone do them like that before. Fakie 540s on lock!
Also from Glasgow, one of my favourite podcasts: Bit Socket. Bit Socket is about computer games - it's good natured, weird and funny.
The hosts, Scott and Joe, regularly make quizzes for one another. They reached peak-quz on episode 19 where Scott attempted singing game soundtracks in the style of Auchtermuchty's favourite son, Jimmy Shand. The MGS3 cover'll be rattling round your skull on your death bed. Sn'keeta.
More Favs coming soon. Or maybe not!
* (a note to new Bad Machinery readers - John occasionally drops unrelated strips into the timeline. These come at weekends and holidays and can be confusing if you don't know what's going on)