I wanted to do something a bit special for the tenth cartoon in the series, so here is Zounds’ first sonnet, and the return of Will himself to centre stage.

I performed sonnet 29 as part of a Shakespeare’s birthday performance last year, and as the Zounds project developed, seized on the idea of doing an illustrated version. I just loved the idea that even Shakespeare needed someone to screw his courage to the sticking place now and again (although thankfully without the accompanying regicide). I know that I certainly do.

This was actually the first time I’d drawn Shakespeare for the series, although I’d already had the idea for his first appearance. (Which I sneakily inserted his lady friend into when the time came to draw it. I think we might see more of her in the future…)  It definitely marked the point where I decided this was something worth making public.