Tony Cliff
@tangocharlie.bsky.social
Author/illustrator: the DELILAH DIRK series, LET'S GET SLEEPY, BUBBLE.
Currently making an epic tale of 19th-century adventure, PRACTICAL DEFENCE AGAINST PIRACY, or #PDAP
🎨 tonycliff.com
⚔️ delilahdirk.com
✨ patreon.com/tonycliff
Currently making an epic tale of 19th-century adventure, PRACTICAL DEFENCE AGAINST PIRACY, or #PDAP
🎨 tonycliff.com
⚔️ delilahdirk.com
✨ patreon.com/tonycliff
Pinned
Tony Cliff
@tangocharlie.bsky.social
· Sep 27
Hello New Folks!
I made the DELILAH DIRK BOOKS (for everyone), LET'S GET SLEEPY (for kids), and illustrated BUBBLE (NOT for kids).
Currently making an ambitious, full-colour, full-throated, no-slop new GN which I am sharing online as I go.
Behold, a webbed site:
👉 www.tonycliff.com
I made the DELILAH DIRK BOOKS (for everyone), LET'S GET SLEEPY (for kids), and illustrated BUBBLE (NOT for kids).
Currently making an ambitious, full-colour, full-throated, no-slop new GN which I am sharing online as I go.
Behold, a webbed site:
👉 www.tonycliff.com
Reposted by Tony Cliff
November 25, 2025 at 4:44 AM
Stopped by the local bookstore. A young teen boy wanted a WINGS OF FIRE. His mom refused, saying…
“Graphic novels don’t have proper sentences in them.”
I have never more wanted to become a teen’s illicit pusher. “Here, kid, take this PLAIN JANE AND THE MERMAID to the counter, it’s on me.”
“Graphic novels don’t have proper sentences in them.”
I have never more wanted to become a teen’s illicit pusher. “Here, kid, take this PLAIN JANE AND THE MERMAID to the counter, it’s on me.”
November 25, 2025 at 2:39 AM
Stopped by the local bookstore. A young teen boy wanted a WINGS OF FIRE. His mom refused, saying…
“Graphic novels don’t have proper sentences in them.”
I have never more wanted to become a teen’s illicit pusher. “Here, kid, take this PLAIN JANE AND THE MERMAID to the counter, it’s on me.”
“Graphic novels don’t have proper sentences in them.”
I have never more wanted to become a teen’s illicit pusher. “Here, kid, take this PLAIN JANE AND THE MERMAID to the counter, it’s on me.”
Reposted by Tony Cliff
… ALSO also, some simple, practical tips for grounding your characters within their setting, thus improving the "sense of place."
Little things like, "have them interact with the furniture," and "kick up dust when you walk," and "always lean on the door frame."
👉👉👉 www.patreon.com/posts/143946...
Little things like, "have them interact with the furniture," and "kick up dust when you walk," and "always lean on the door frame."
👉👉👉 www.patreon.com/posts/143946...
November 20, 2025 at 12:40 AM
… ALSO also, some simple, practical tips for grounding your characters within their setting, thus improving the "sense of place."
Little things like, "have them interact with the furniture," and "kick up dust when you walk," and "always lean on the door frame."
👉👉👉 www.patreon.com/posts/143946...
Little things like, "have them interact with the furniture," and "kick up dust when you walk," and "always lean on the door frame."
👉👉👉 www.patreon.com/posts/143946...
Reposted by Tony Cliff
New PRACTICAL DEFENCE / #DD4 Production Diary, attempting a tenuous connection between:
- Sauce, Spice, and Fuzz,
- "adding important detail" versus "noodling,"
- and a topic that is near and dear to my heart: "sense of place."
Ungated!
www.patreon.com/posts/sauce-...
#PDAP
- Sauce, Spice, and Fuzz,
- "adding important detail" versus "noodling,"
- and a topic that is near and dear to my heart: "sense of place."
Ungated!
www.patreon.com/posts/sauce-...
#PDAP
November 20, 2025 at 12:34 AM
New PRACTICAL DEFENCE / #DD4 Production Diary, attempting a tenuous connection between:
- Sauce, Spice, and Fuzz,
- "adding important detail" versus "noodling,"
- and a topic that is near and dear to my heart: "sense of place."
Ungated!
www.patreon.com/posts/sauce-...
#PDAP
- Sauce, Spice, and Fuzz,
- "adding important detail" versus "noodling,"
- and a topic that is near and dear to my heart: "sense of place."
Ungated!
www.patreon.com/posts/sauce-...
#PDAP
New PRACTICAL DEFENCE / #DD4 Production Diary, attempting a tenuous connection between:
- Sauce, Spice, and Fuzz,
- "adding important detail" versus "noodling,"
- and a topic that is near and dear to my heart: "sense of place."
Ungated!
www.patreon.com/posts/sauce-...
#PDAP
- Sauce, Spice, and Fuzz,
- "adding important detail" versus "noodling,"
- and a topic that is near and dear to my heart: "sense of place."
Ungated!
www.patreon.com/posts/sauce-...
#PDAP
November 20, 2025 at 12:34 AM
New PRACTICAL DEFENCE / #DD4 Production Diary, attempting a tenuous connection between:
- Sauce, Spice, and Fuzz,
- "adding important detail" versus "noodling,"
- and a topic that is near and dear to my heart: "sense of place."
Ungated!
www.patreon.com/posts/sauce-...
#PDAP
- Sauce, Spice, and Fuzz,
- "adding important detail" versus "noodling,"
- and a topic that is near and dear to my heart: "sense of place."
Ungated!
www.patreon.com/posts/sauce-...
#PDAP
Don’t threaten me with a good time
AI advocates have warned that if every author in the class action filed a claim, it would "financially ruin" the entire industry.
Authors celebrate “historic” settlement coming soon in Anthropic class action
Advocates fear such settlements will “financially ruin” the AI industry.
arstechnica.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Don’t threaten me with a good time
Reposted by Tony Cliff
Heads up, everyone, it's a Free Worldwide Shipping weekend over at INPRNT —
www.inprnt.com/gallery/tang...
IME, the prints look gorgeous (and I'm *really* picky), and have always arrived in perfect condition. Take advantage of that free shipping!
www.inprnt.com/gallery/tang...
IME, the prints look gorgeous (and I'm *really* picky), and have always arrived in perfect condition. Take advantage of that free shipping!
November 15, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Heads up, everyone, it's a Free Worldwide Shipping weekend over at INPRNT —
www.inprnt.com/gallery/tang...
IME, the prints look gorgeous (and I'm *really* picky), and have always arrived in perfect condition. Take advantage of that free shipping!
www.inprnt.com/gallery/tang...
IME, the prints look gorgeous (and I'm *really* picky), and have always arrived in perfect condition. Take advantage of that free shipping!
Heads up, everyone, it's a Free Worldwide Shipping weekend over at INPRNT —
www.inprnt.com/gallery/tang...
IME, the prints look gorgeous (and I'm *really* picky), and have always arrived in perfect condition. Take advantage of that free shipping!
www.inprnt.com/gallery/tang...
IME, the prints look gorgeous (and I'm *really* picky), and have always arrived in perfect condition. Take advantage of that free shipping!
November 15, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Heads up, everyone, it's a Free Worldwide Shipping weekend over at INPRNT —
www.inprnt.com/gallery/tang...
IME, the prints look gorgeous (and I'm *really* picky), and have always arrived in perfect condition. Take advantage of that free shipping!
www.inprnt.com/gallery/tang...
IME, the prints look gorgeous (and I'm *really* picky), and have always arrived in perfect condition. Take advantage of that free shipping!
Reposted by Tony Cliff
hey, comps. this turned out appropriately disorientating as a physical object
November 14, 2025 at 3:56 PM
hey, comps. this turned out appropriately disorientating as a physical object
I try hard to believe “it’s a poor craftsman who blames his tools” but… maybe not.
I’ve been trying locally-available alternatives to the W&N Series 7, but even my beat-up old S7 — 100+ pages, tough cleaning regimen — still holds a better point than some of these *came with.*
I’ve been trying locally-available alternatives to the W&N Series 7, but even my beat-up old S7 — 100+ pages, tough cleaning regimen — still holds a better point than some of these *came with.*
November 13, 2025 at 6:18 PM
I try hard to believe “it’s a poor craftsman who blames his tools” but… maybe not.
I’ve been trying locally-available alternatives to the W&N Series 7, but even my beat-up old S7 — 100+ pages, tough cleaning regimen — still holds a better point than some of these *came with.*
I’ve been trying locally-available alternatives to the W&N Series 7, but even my beat-up old S7 — 100+ pages, tough cleaning regimen — still holds a better point than some of these *came with.*
Reposted by Tony Cliff
Meanwhile, in Canada: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Man who took Hamilton bus on joy ride 'did a great job' driving, left no dings, say police | CBC News
He made several stops along the way, allowing passengers to get on and off, police say. He was then arrested.
www.cbc.ca
November 13, 2025 at 4:22 PM
Meanwhile, in Canada: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Tony Cliff
New DD4/PRACTICAL DEFENCE Production Diary up now!
Including:
- the purpose of teenagers (to shake you up),
- why I'm so grateful for Patron readers (one example of many),
- the completeness of pencil drawings for Chapter Six (very),
- and THAT'S ALL! (No it's not!!)
www.patreon.com/posts/143098...
Including:
- the purpose of teenagers (to shake you up),
- why I'm so grateful for Patron readers (one example of many),
- the completeness of pencil drawings for Chapter Six (very),
- and THAT'S ALL! (No it's not!!)
www.patreon.com/posts/143098...
November 8, 2025 at 8:45 PM
New DD4/PRACTICAL DEFENCE Production Diary up now!
Including:
- the purpose of teenagers (to shake you up),
- why I'm so grateful for Patron readers (one example of many),
- the completeness of pencil drawings for Chapter Six (very),
- and THAT'S ALL! (No it's not!!)
www.patreon.com/posts/143098...
Including:
- the purpose of teenagers (to shake you up),
- why I'm so grateful for Patron readers (one example of many),
- the completeness of pencil drawings for Chapter Six (very),
- and THAT'S ALL! (No it's not!!)
www.patreon.com/posts/143098...
New DD4/PRACTICAL DEFENCE Production Diary up now!
Including:
- the purpose of teenagers (to shake you up),
- why I'm so grateful for Patron readers (one example of many),
- the completeness of pencil drawings for Chapter Six (very),
- and THAT'S ALL! (No it's not!!)
www.patreon.com/posts/143098...
Including:
- the purpose of teenagers (to shake you up),
- why I'm so grateful for Patron readers (one example of many),
- the completeness of pencil drawings for Chapter Six (very),
- and THAT'S ALL! (No it's not!!)
www.patreon.com/posts/143098...
November 8, 2025 at 8:45 PM
New DD4/PRACTICAL DEFENCE Production Diary up now!
Including:
- the purpose of teenagers (to shake you up),
- why I'm so grateful for Patron readers (one example of many),
- the completeness of pencil drawings for Chapter Six (very),
- and THAT'S ALL! (No it's not!!)
www.patreon.com/posts/143098...
Including:
- the purpose of teenagers (to shake you up),
- why I'm so grateful for Patron readers (one example of many),
- the completeness of pencil drawings for Chapter Six (very),
- and THAT'S ALL! (No it's not!!)
www.patreon.com/posts/143098...
I only recently learned that when people talk about “their deck” in the context of a presentation or pitch, it actually just means “PowerPoint presentation.”
November 7, 2025 at 10:27 PM
I only recently learned that when people talk about “their deck” in the context of a presentation or pitch, it actually just means “PowerPoint presentation.”
In his newsletter this week, @austinkleon.bsky.social unintentionally captures the spirit of my current project. It’s comforting to not feel like I am alone in believing this.
austinkleon.substack.com/p/even-the-m...
austinkleon.substack.com/p/even-the-m...
October 31, 2025 at 4:14 PM
In his newsletter this week, @austinkleon.bsky.social unintentionally captures the spirit of my current project. It’s comforting to not feel like I am alone in believing this.
austinkleon.substack.com/p/even-the-m...
austinkleon.substack.com/p/even-the-m...
I laughed, I cried.
I remember having one of these arguments with a relative, about the value of Wikipedia. They decried it, identified it as a threat. I was ambivalent-but-in-favour. Now, though? Haa ha ha ha ha wooo ugh
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/hi-...
I remember having one of these arguments with a relative, about the value of Wikipedia. They decried it, identified it as a threat. I was ambivalent-but-in-favour. Now, though? Haa ha ha ha ha wooo ugh
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/hi-...
Hi, It’s Me, Wikipedia, and I Am Ready for Your Apology
“Wikipedia, the constantly changing knowledge base created by a global free-for-all of anonymous users, now stands as the leading force for the dum...
www.mcsweeneys.net
October 31, 2025 at 1:51 AM
I laughed, I cried.
I remember having one of these arguments with a relative, about the value of Wikipedia. They decried it, identified it as a threat. I was ambivalent-but-in-favour. Now, though? Haa ha ha ha ha wooo ugh
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/hi-...
I remember having one of these arguments with a relative, about the value of Wikipedia. They decried it, identified it as a threat. I was ambivalent-but-in-favour. Now, though? Haa ha ha ha ha wooo ugh
www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/hi-...
It blows my mind, the fact that the current discourse and hype around "AI" exists alongside the continued practice of sending emails with a footer that says, "PLEASE CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENT BEFORE PRINTING THIS EMAIL"
October 30, 2025 at 7:37 PM
It blows my mind, the fact that the current discourse and hype around "AI" exists alongside the continued practice of sending emails with a footer that says, "PLEASE CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENT BEFORE PRINTING THIS EMAIL"
Seeing a new bsky app icon made me realize I forgot to turn off Automatic Updates for the App Store on this phone, something I recommend if you don’t want to be one of those people posting, “aww they ruined the thing I liked.”
(bsky ruined the reply button, somehow.)
(bsky ruined the reply button, somehow.)
October 28, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Seeing a new bsky app icon made me realize I forgot to turn off Automatic Updates for the App Store on this phone, something I recommend if you don’t want to be one of those people posting, “aww they ruined the thing I liked.”
(bsky ruined the reply button, somehow.)
(bsky ruined the reply button, somehow.)
New PRACTICAL DEFENCE AGAINST PIRACY / “DD4” Production Diary up now! Drawings, drawings, drawings!!!
⚔️ 🏴☠️ www.patreon.com/posts/141988...
⚔️ 🏴☠️ www.patreon.com/posts/141988...
… oh, and also, lots of nice pencil drawings from the current Chapter-in-Progress.
October 25, 2025 at 7:00 PM
New PRACTICAL DEFENCE AGAINST PIRACY / “DD4” Production Diary up now! Drawings, drawings, drawings!!!
⚔️ 🏴☠️ www.patreon.com/posts/141988...
⚔️ 🏴☠️ www.patreon.com/posts/141988...
A new PRACTICAL DEFENCE AGAINST PIRACY Production Diary is up, touching on:
- who has the best Hallowe'en costume ideas,
- staying vigilant against the same stupid compositional mistakes,
- and why are those big glue bottles ganging up on the little one?
✂️👉 www.patreon.com/posts/141988...
- who has the best Hallowe'en costume ideas,
- staying vigilant against the same stupid compositional mistakes,
- and why are those big glue bottles ganging up on the little one?
✂️👉 www.patreon.com/posts/141988...
October 24, 2025 at 10:48 PM
A new PRACTICAL DEFENCE AGAINST PIRACY Production Diary is up, touching on:
- who has the best Hallowe'en costume ideas,
- staying vigilant against the same stupid compositional mistakes,
- and why are those big glue bottles ganging up on the little one?
✂️👉 www.patreon.com/posts/141988...
- who has the best Hallowe'en costume ideas,
- staying vigilant against the same stupid compositional mistakes,
- and why are those big glue bottles ganging up on the little one?
✂️👉 www.patreon.com/posts/141988...
Is there a reason a book designer would specifically choose NOT to use ligatures? It was an option. This font (“Archetype”) has them.
(A ligature is a special character designed to make - for example - the lowercase letters “f” and “i” look nicer when they’re next to each other.)
(A ligature is a special character designed to make - for example - the lowercase letters “f” and “i” look nicer when they’re next to each other.)
October 18, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Is there a reason a book designer would specifically choose NOT to use ligatures? It was an option. This font (“Archetype”) has them.
(A ligature is a special character designed to make - for example - the lowercase letters “f” and “i” look nicer when they’re next to each other.)
(A ligature is a special character designed to make - for example - the lowercase letters “f” and “i” look nicer when they’re next to each other.)
I Laughed Out Loud.
some guy just left the airport bathroom urinals chuckling and saying "that went well" to himself. what is his story
October 17, 2025 at 5:53 PM
I Laughed Out Loud.
On our way out the door to school,
Kiddo: “Before we even go I need to say goodbye to our beloved pumpkins”
Kiddo: <kisses pumpkins goodbye>
Kiddo: “Before we even go I need to say goodbye to our beloved pumpkins”
Kiddo: <kisses pumpkins goodbye>
October 15, 2025 at 5:00 AM
On our way out the door to school,
Kiddo: “Before we even go I need to say goodbye to our beloved pumpkins”
Kiddo: <kisses pumpkins goodbye>
Kiddo: “Before we even go I need to say goodbye to our beloved pumpkins”
Kiddo: <kisses pumpkins goodbye>
Why can’t anything just be simple
October 14, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Why can’t anything just be simple