Hey Hey We're, er, on the Simpsons.

In January, I was here:

I was given a copy of this.



And I recorded my part here, with Producer Matt Selman directing me as hard as he could.


And now, eleven months later, here we come... walkin' down the street... we get the funniest looks from... No, that's something else. Anyway, I like this shot because I am wearing a suit and tie.



If you're in the US, then the episode of The Simpsons with me in it, "The Book Job", goes out tomorrow. 8 pm or 7 Central.

If you're not in the US, then you may have a while to wait until it's on.

No, I haven't seen it yet either. I am hoping to watch it tomorrow with a daughter, her friends, and probably doughnuts.

...

I learned from Mark Evanier's blog that Les Daniels had passed away. Here's the New York Times obituary. I had Les's book "COMIX. A HISTORY OF COMIC BOOKS IN AMERICA" as a boy, and loved it and learned from it. I didn't meet Les until I was a guest at NeCon, in Providence, Rhode Island.

I really liked him, I got to thank him for COMIX, and it's good to say thank you. My obsession with Jack Benny really started when Les and I were talking about radio, and I was saying that the best radio comedies were all British, pointing to Hancock's Half Hour and the Goons and Round the Horne and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Les agreed that they mostly were... but then there was the Jack Benny Show. And a few weeks later, he sent me some cassettes, so I could hear for myself. And I was both convinced and hooked. Thank you, Les.

Labels: Jack Benny and his Show, Les Daniels, not being crushed by The Simpsons, Topiary, Why is there no label about topiary already?

I will be animated (yellow).

I'm in a corner in Sydney Domestic Airport Terminal 2, trying to stay awake. I've already signed a copy of The Graveyard Book, for someone who'd figured out where I was from Twitter. My plane takes off for Tasmania in 2 hours. I just have to keep going until then.

I'll be appearing on Saturday Night at the Mona Foma festival in Hobart, accompanied by the amazing Four Play String Quartet, and MORE paintings by Eddie Campbell, reading The Truth Is A Cave In The Black Mountains. And perhaps other things.

I meant to write a proper blog about the wedding, and I shall.

Until then, a quick recap. I went home. it was cold.

I went to San Diego and spoke to Nancy Pearl in front of an audience of librarians.

I went to LA, and recorded my part in an episode called "The Book Job". It was written by Dan Vebber (and the many Simpsons writers, some of whom I met, and one of whom stage-whispered "So that was Banksy!" as I left) and masterminded by Matt Selman, who is the most nervous person I know. Matt was my director, and was terrific and reassuring (Him: "Can you do an American accent that would sound to Americans like Dick Van Dyke's English accent sounded to you?" Me: "Er...")

Matt and I can be seen looking terrified in the studio at http://twitpic.com/3p6myi

Me and Topiary...

The view from the recording studio...

I play myself. I play a very different version of myself to the me I played in Arthur, though. For a start, I do not appear in anyone's falafel. Also, I expect I will be yellow.

Probably this is all I shall be remembered for.

It'll be out in about a year. I still hope to be a head in a jar on Futurama one day.

I did a charity photo project for photographer Allan Amato, that you will find out about one day, said hello to Amber Benson in a coffee place where I was meant to be meeting my agent (but didn't).

We met. We were extremely serious, and planned a prison break and world domination together. (See photo for proof.)

And then I flew here. Bought a SIM card for my phone.

Couldn't have survived the trip without Cat Mihos making my life work and getting me from place to place. (Go to Neverwear.net and tell her she is wonderful, because she is.)

We'll board soon. I should buy a neck pillow.

Labels: not being crushed by The Simpsons, Topiary, Why is there no label about topiary already?