Sean retires

Sean Connery, probably the most recognisable Scotsman on the planet, has announced he is retiring from films after a career spanning half a century. Connery, a one time milkman in the Fountainbridge area of Edinburgh who rose to play James Bond and, memorably, a Spanish immortal opposite a French actor playing a Scotsman in Highlander among many roles, has been recovering from tumour surgery. According to the Scotsman newspaper he will make one final film, providing his distinctive voice (which rarely changed regardless of the character he played, but we love dhim for it anyway) for Billi the Vet in an animated film by Glasgow Animation.

How odd this news should come this week as Sean's cartoon caricature has been beaming at me on my desk in the form of the cover art for the new collection Fizzers, which is just released. The exhibition of the art from the book by the Glasgow Cartoon Art Studio will be on show at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery on Queen Street, Edinburgh and I was lucky enough to receive an invite to the private viewing tomorrow night via the coolest invite card I've ever seen: Sean's caricature on the front in colour, inside repeated but in black and white along with some coloured pencils so you can colour it in yourself! No doubt I'll talk about the exhibition next week.