Very stoked to tell you that my People Watching project is being collected into a book. 956 drawings of 1462 awesome people from all around Aotearoa. Out November 3rd, from Allen & Unwin NZ. Thanks to everyone I drew, can't wait for everybody to see it.
Toby Morris
@xtotl.bsky.social
Cartoonist, illustrator, occasional writer and animator
There's a particular magic that occurs between text and image in a great picture book ... We asked the finalists in the @nzcyabookawards.bsky.social Bookhub Picture Book Award how that magic happened: www.thesapling.co.nz/nzcya-2026-o...
Made myself a new website for the first time in about 15 years. Bet you $3.79 there's at least one thing on there you didn't know I drew... xtotl.com
Last day for pre-orders for this new tee, putting the order in to the printers tomorrow morning. Big thanks to everyone who has ordered so far, appreciate it! Orders at: xtotl.bigcartel.com
A new tee - I wanted to make something positive for stormy times. I'll take pre-orders up until March 10th and print them after that. Pre-order means it takes a little longer than buying something off the shelf but it'll be custom screenprinted, sent directly from me to you. xtotl.bigcartel.com
So, today I'm wrapping up People Watching. Massive thanks to everyone who has supported it & all the cool people I've met and drawn. I wrote an article in the Sunday Magazine today talking about the lessons I've learned doing it - and there were so many. www.thepost.co.nz/culture/3609...
People Watching: Backstage preparations at Auckland Academy of Dance's end of year show, Playhouse Theatre, Glen Eden, on a Thursday evening
People Watching: Dan's Traditional Barber Shop, Karangahape Rd, Auckland, on a hot Friday afternoon
People Watching: HomeGround - Auckland City Mission's housing, healthcare & social services centre, central Auckland, on a Tuesday morning
Pūkeko Who-keko is in The Listener’s ‘50 Best Books for Children’ for 2025! If you or someone small you know likes the sound of ‘sassy assemblage of outrageously rhyming constructs will have you cracking up’ - it might make a good Christmas present, just saying quietly…
Fun job to get: can design for a new Garage Project beer celebrating the incredible work of old mates Capital Kiwi Project bringing brown kiwi back into the hills of Wellington. Legends
People Watching: Opening party for 'Pop to Present: American Art from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts' at Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki on a Friday night
Love this so much - kids at Hamilton East School have been reading my book Pūkeko Who-keko, and one class decided to write and illustrate their own version. A few favourite pages here but the whole thing was great
People Watching: Lining up down Shotover St for Fergburger, Queenstown, on a beautiful Saturday evening
People Watching: 'Mega-strike' - Healthcare staff, educators and firefighters march in central Auckland on a Thursday
People Watching: Waka Ama at Māngere Bridge Boating Club - Māngere Bridge to French Bay Regatta, on a Saturday morning
You might have seen that Siouxsie won her legal battle against the UoA, but even after the damages were awarded she ended up massively out of pocket. So she's asking for help - There's been lots of support already, which is cool to see - Siouxsie deserves it! www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/852...
Support Dr Siouxsie After She Supported Us! | PledgeMe
Support Dr Siouxsie to recover some of the money she spent fighting her legal case to protect employees experiencing online abuse
pledgeme.co.nz
People Watching: Royal New Zealand Ballet, St James Theatre, Wellington, as they prepare for their new production of The Nutcracker
People Watching: Rainbow's End theme park, Auckland, on a drizzly school holiday Friday afternoon
@xtotl.bsky.social 4yo loves Pūkeko Who-Keko? and decided to draw his own version of his favourite page 💙 (numbers in the top right are unrelated) Thank you for writing such a wonderful, funny book!
People Watching: Metlifecare Bayswater Retirement Village, Mt Maunganui, at lunchtime on a sunny Thursday
People Watching: Smokefree Rockquest 2025 National Final, ASB Waterfront Theatre, Auckland, on a Friday night
People Watching: All Blacks vs Springboks, Eden Park, Auckland, on a Saturday night
People Watching 100: Auckland LARP (Live action roleplaying) Faire, Panmure Community Centre, Saturday afternoon
People Watching: NZ Fashion Week opening party and 'Into the Archive' showcase, Auckland city, on a Monday night
People Watching: Soundcheck for Vera Ellen & Neil Finn, night two of the MUFGAL (Make us feel good about life) concert series, Roundhead Studios, Auckland
People Watching: Livestock auctions at Pukekohe stockyards on a foggy Saturday morning