Random Miscellanea
What is Pingbubl?
Pingbubl is a social media app that I invented in The Shape of Us, and pops up again in With or Without You, and which caused my editor, copyeditors and proof-readers to scratch their heads and go, “what?”.
It’s basically a messenger/dating app, where you can only communicate with emojis. It’s going to be huge one day, mark my words.
Images commissioned for The Shape of Us
Here is the first commissioned piece, by the wonderful, talented artist Luna Miranda @lunamiranda23.
Some context – in the book, when Chris and Daisy first meet, Chris teases Daisy about being a crazy cat lady (“I bet you dress them up as Hollywood movie stars and post pictures of them online. Catalie Portman. Tony Purrtis,’ Chris pauses, thinking, ‘George Claw-ny!’) so when he’s trying to make it up to her later, he sends her a card with “a picture of a ginger cat on the front, the cat wearing what appears to be Scarlett O’Hara’s green curtain dress, complete with bonnet and drapery cord belt.” (yes, Chris is straight – some men are hopeless romantics who are also into old-timey films, okay?). I love how this turned out. Initially, Luna had the cat looking much friendlier (see second image), and my note was: “I wonder, should the expression be more Scarlet O’Hara’s classic bitch face?” I think she nailed it.
The next piece of commissioned art for The Shape of Us, this time from my talented designer brother @alexbermingham.
It’s based on another card Chris sends to Daisy – it’s too spoilery to go into why, but here’s the description in the book: “On the front is a drawing of the Underground logo in red and blue pencil, except the red circle part of the logo is heart-shaped. The blue pencil has been smudged, and next to the smudge, in black ballpoint, there’s an arrow with the word ‘whoops!’ beside it in block letters.” Alex did an amazing job, I totally want this as a poster now…
The last in this series of images inspired by The Shape of Us
“A postcard had arrived only today, a picture of a giraffe wearing a comically long tie – classic Chris.”
Oh Chris, you cheesy goofball. Thanks again to @lunamiranda23 for another cute design