Zak Simmonds-Hurn
@monstrouscomics.bsky.social
900 followers 460 following 220 posts
Comic Book artist at The Phoenix Comic!
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monstrouscomics.bsky.social
I've not read much stuff drawn by Boichi yet, but the little I have read made me love his work. These great faces are from Dr Stone vol 1. I need to read more!
monstrouscomics.bsky.social
Yeah, it's just junk, littering every spare inch of the internet.
monstrouscomics.bsky.social
I hate the way I start to doubt my own eyes. The way reality starts to get gnawed away at. I worry that if the lighting looks a certain way it's a tell. But maybe it's not! I stare at patterns in jumpers and posters in backgrounds for a giveaway. I miss being able to take what I see at face value.
monstrouscomics.bsky.social
One of the reasons I hate gen AI is that I can't trust photo ref any more. I've been trawling Pinterest to find some fun photos to do practise drawings of, but I find myself second guessing every image, is it real or not?
Reposted by Zak Simmonds-Hurn
estherschindler.bsky.social
I just saw someone use the abbreviation “AI;DR” and I’ll be laughing for a while.
Reposted by Zak Simmonds-Hurn
shortboxcomicsfair.bsky.social
It's that time: ShortBox Comics Fair is here!

Over 140+ all-new, original comics created by artists from around the world, gathered exclusively in one place -for October only!

And it's all online, with all digital comics: no shipping, no waiting, no travelling.

www.shortboxcomicsfair.com
Reposted by Zak Simmonds-Hurn
demontomatodave.bsky.social
At some point in my late teens I realised perhaps I should be proud I'd never smoked a cigarette. My fancy pink lungs never once clotted up with tar. Now in my 40s I still never have. Why break the streak?

Well I'm starting to think ChatGPT might be one like that. Keep our brains nice and pink.
lopatto.bsky.social
imagine relying on AI to write your bio and then having the nerve to say you're witty and full of personality
Anderson felt her bio was authentically her even if it was written by a chatbot. “My bio is 100 percent in alignment with my true personality,” she told me. “I don’t have a filter. I’m very witty. I’m full of personality.” Nor did she think using ChatGPT reflected the “bare minimum energy” she loathed. “It took me an hour and change to drill down my bio to be that good,” she explained. “I had to edit it, edit it, edit it down. I have to keep talking to it.” On the other hand, she admits that ChatGPT has sapped her motivation to write a first draft of anything herself, even though she minored in writing in college and described herself as a “wordsmith.” “I’m gonna be honest with you: Once you use ChatGPT, you don’t want to think for yourself anymore,” she said.
Reposted by Zak Simmonds-Hurn
patchworkofregrets.bsky.social
My newest book 'Toby and the Pixies: Pixie Pandemonium' is out NOW! I'd normally link to where you can buy it in the Phoenix shop but it has already SOLD OUT, so here's a link to Blackwells instead: blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/pro...
A boy in a red sweater sits at a dinner table, and he is shocked to see that all the vegetables have come to life with naughty little faces.
Reposted by Zak Simmonds-Hurn
demontomatodave.bsky.social
Never became as popular as "ET Phone Home" did it
A drawing of ET waving at us on the cardboard packaging for a 1980s product called "E.T. Punch Balls"

As this is a repost of a Feb 2023 tweet of mine, found here https://x.com/DemonTomatoDave/status/1623464715077795840?s=19 , I have taken this photo from the No Context E.T. account who posted it there, and who originally I retweeted.
monstrouscomics.bsky.social
Gross. Gen AI steals from real artists. By using it you are endorsing the theft and devaluation of the work of your artist colleagues.
Incredibly disrespectful.
monstrouscomics.bsky.social
Incredibly disappointing. This does the opposite of encouraging creativity. It teaches kids to skip creativity in favour of short cuts. This isn't how you learn or grow as a creator. It's a missed opportunity to teach youngsters something with actual value.
monstrouscomics.bsky.social
Couldn't agree more. I can't see how he thinks this will actually benefit anybody with an ounce of creativity.
Reposted by Zak Simmonds-Hurn
pauljholden.com
Any kid interested in comics this will kill it for them. The rest will dabble and move on to the next ai bauble as soon as they’ve made the same generic pap as everyone else.
monstrouscomics.bsky.social
I adored the books he made with Janet when I was little, and this first year of being a Dad, one of the great pleasures was rediscovering their work anew. My daughter loves turning the pages, as I marvel at how brilliant these books remain. What a huge loss.

www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j...
Allan Ahlberg, beloved children's author, dies aged 87
Working first with his wife Janet, and later with illustrators including Raymond Briggs and Bruce Ingman, he wrote more than 150 books
www.theguardian.com
monstrouscomics.bsky.social
Haha, thanks mate, far too kind! 😂
monstrouscomics.bsky.social
Sorry I'm a day late seeing this, but thanks man, you made my day!
Oh, and trust me, this was not the first attempt 😂
Reposted by Zak Simmonds-Hurn
nicholaskole.bsky.social
if you are a concept artist currently using Vizcom and believing that it's "just a tool", all you are doing is making absolutely certain you will shortly cease to be a concept artist
monstrouscomics.bsky.social
That's so great to hear! It's been a real labour of love working on it, I'm really happy that he enjoyed it so much!
monstrouscomics.bsky.social
Thanks so much man, that really means a lot!
I'm so happy to have a big series back in the Phoenix, and thrilled to be collaborating with such a talented bunch of creators on it! Really pleased to hear that you enjoyed it so much mate 🙂
Reposted by Zak Simmonds-Hurn
Reposted by Zak Simmonds-Hurn
jamiesmart.bsky.social
Absolutely thrilled to reveal the cover for FLEMBER book five
💛THE GOLDEN HEART💛
publishing this November by DFB (@dfbstoryhouse.bsky.social)
as we relaunch the whole series with brand new covers!
🤩 Available to preorder now (links below)!
Reposted by Zak Simmonds-Hurn
jessbradley.bsky.social
Join me for some Saturday morning doodle ridiculousness on the 12th of July! I can almost certainly guarantee some hilarity and maybe a dash of weirdness too! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/squid-bits...