Dear Miss Helena, one time host of children's show Romper Room, now, most likely, methadone addict, you have a lot to answer for. Yes, squeaky clean Miss Helena of wholesome blouse and values, I have not forgotten those childhood years spent patiently glued to the television waiting for you to call out my name through the magic 'looking glass' - that portal to 'good' children everywhere. But not once amongst the John's, the Michael's and the Leroy's (Leroy? Seriously!?); the Gavin's, the Craig's and the Philip's was the name Zolton ever uttered. Was I wrong to expect you to see me there, just inches from the screen? Was my incessant stream of threatening mail a little over the top? Ah, the pain cuts deep. Yet I was never deterred. Despite the false promise that each new dawn offered, I would still rise in hope, my little heart pounding in anticipation that this might be the day that I join my generically named friends in the realm of 'goodness' But it never happened. Instead I was relegated to the world of the unruly, typecast as a troublemaker - a rabble-rouser. Personally, I blame it more on the Pepsi and sherbet diet I enjoyed at the time. But if I can hold a grudge for my ill disciplined adolescence then I will. And a bird-like television host seems as good a target as any. Yes, Miss Helena ... the shame, the shame.

It was good to get an email during the week from an Egyptian designer - Mohammed A. Fahmy - plugging his website. He works out of Cairo across a number of mediums and has done some really interesting creative work. Check it out at the Ganzeer website. I also got an update from Bea (Kumako), a Swedish illustrator who has been living in Tokyo for the past four years. Her blog's very nicely written and her work is a colourful mix of cute Genki style art with grittier pop anime. Check it out at the Kumako website. Another artist whose work I'm really into at the moment is Taeeun Yoo. She's been doing a lot of etching recently but still does the odd pencil drawing in her distinctive, understated style. On a different tangent altogether, I got a great tip-off during the week on a short comic series called White Ninja. It's kinda like a Far Side for the attention deficient generation (and, yes, my hand is raised firmly in the air). Meanwhile, photographers should have a peek at online magazine F Stop, which features an impressive selection of black and white work from a random bunch of relatively unknown but world-class photographic talent. Similarly, the Mooncruise website is always worth an extended look. Each issue features a handful of new photographers from around the world whose work is displayed to a rotating soundtrack of beautiful electronica-based music.