Better Than A Poke in the Eye

@betterthan.bsky.social

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Newsletter all about comic fantasy. We are an independant source of news, reviews, events and stuff. We also rock up to events and can provide photo ops/micro exhibition all about Terry Pratchett. Our editor is Rincewind!

We've run a yearly Disc-tober art challenge for the last 5 years and this year our prompts are words and phrases from the books themselves ! For those who are not familiar with our art challenge, we encourage fans of Terry Pratchett's works to create a piece of art based on our daily prompts. We publish a list of prompts for every day of October. It's a way to pass the time and have a go at producing something possibly a little out of your comfort zone. We don't judge the artwork, we just enjoy seeing it! The rules are simple. 1. Read the prompt of the day. 2. Produce a piece of visual artwork inspired by that prompt. 3. Enjoy the process - it doesn't have to be a Rembrandt! 4. No AI 5. Share your artwork publicly using the #Disctober2025 That's it. Here is the full list in text form : 1. A life for a life 2.Murder a curry 3. Imagine Dragons 4. Extra Socks 5. Nae Queen 6. Boots 7. Ripples 7a. A Wizzard's Hat 9. Job Market 10. Deep Bone 11. The Truth 12. L-Space 13. What Duck? 14. Bigger than Cheeses 15. Battle Bread 16. Music with Rocks 17. Celuloid Imps 18. Fetch 19. Trousers 20. Bees 21. Stocks 22. Golden 23. Mirror 24. Potato 25. Scones? 26. Opera 27. Brassicas 28. Revolution 29. Travel 30. Smoking GNU 31. Hard Boiled Egg! Don't forget to use the #Disctober2025 when sharing your work. Disctober/Disc-tober is an art challenge created by the team at BetterThanAPokeintheEye.co.uk (formally Discworld Monthly). We are the original creators of Disctober !
Malicia (a girl) and Peaches (a rat) on a bed reading a book whilst Maurice (a ginger cat) looks through the window at them
A pile of Cobolt blue leaflets with the wording Scheibenwelt Convention 2025, Willkommen in Tods Reich with illustrations of the Death of Rats, a Scythe and an Hour Glass upon them. The second pile of leaflets have the wording Bogenschiessen, schwertkampf, Rollenspiel, workshops, tastings. And Lesungen Vortrage and some obscured writing I cannot decipher for alternative text.
Image of the cover of Good Omens the Graphic Novel, placed upon a background of artwork by Colleen Doran which features Aziraphale talking to a bird and Crowley looking mean.
Background: yellow with a dark blue thin rectangular border. Foreground: Book Cover image of Terry Pratchett's Tales of Wizards and Dragons which is sky bue with a green dragon and a purple robe wearing wizard upon it Wording: Book Release News, release date 16/01/2025 contains the stories Edwo the boring Knight, Dragons from Crumbling Castle and Wizard War. Three Favourie Short Stories fully illustrated by Mark Beech
Backgorund: blocks of bright colours Foreground: 9 Small icons of infographics that have appeared on our social meida in the last month. Centre is a purple eye with the word POKE written through it, surrounded by a green watercolour wash. Top left corner has the words Better Than A and the bottom right corner has Issue 0001
Artistic representation of Terry Pratchett and an orangutan sat ina rainforest on a tree with the wording Terry Pratchett's Jungle Quest above it.
Five Envelopes flying with shining sparkly wings, flying across the moon which is set against a midnight blue sky full of twinkling stars. The Envelopes have New Newsletter and the Better Than a Poke In the Eye logo upon them.
Cover image of the book "Ghosts Brought to life" in a gold edwardian picture frame, hung on a wall that is covered in teal edwardina floral wallpaper
Maurice, a ginger and white cat, is smiling smugly with his paw outstretched over the gold logo which is the wording "Terry Pratchett's The Amazing Maurice The Waters of Life" At the top of the image is the tag line "Your Favourite Cat is Back"
Special Event: Paul Kidby in conversation with Kat Brown about the publication of Designing Terry Pratchett's Discworld by Paul Kidby. Date: Thursday 21st November, Time 18:30 at Waterstones Piccadilly, London.
Image of the cover of Terry Pratchett's A Stroke of the Pen The Lost Stories "Includes the lost story wot went missing" The cover features a gnome holding a lantern, a green dragon , a sword, a pen, a key and a lute
Join our Disc-tober art challenge. Use #Disctober2024 to show us your art! Here is the full list in text form : 1: Bad Ass 2: NoThingfjord 3: Skund 4: Leshp 5: Hunghung 6: Bonk 7: Sto Lat 8: Zlobenia 9: Djelibeybi 10: Copperhead 11: Dunmanifestin 12: Mad Stoat 13: Llamedos 14: Sto Helit 15: The Wyrmberg 16: Pseudopolis 17: Tsort 18: Worralorrasurfa 19: Fairyland 20: Death's Domain 21: Munz 22: Genua 23: Slice 24: Bad Blintz 25: Ephebe 26: Klatch 27: Koom Valley 28: The Chalk 29: Ohulan Cutash 30: Holy Wood 31: Ankh-Morpork Disc-tober is an art challenge created by the team at BetterThanAPokeintheEye.co.uk
A Mama Orangutan holding two baby orangutans in the sunshine, with the text"Happy International Orangutan Day" in the top right hand corner
Background: Faded map of Minnesota. Foreground: Cover of Winter’s Gifts by Ben Aaronovitch.
Photograph of the 1st edition of The Colour of Magic which features the Great A'Tuin.
Background: Faded photo of an Arabian city in a desert. Foreground: Cover of A Whole New World by Liz Braswell
Background: Bond style view through gun barrel with blood flowing from above. Foreground: Cover of Silverfin book one of the Young Bond series by Charlie Higson
Background: Faded photo of a quad bike. Foreground: Cover of Stormbreaker book one of Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz
Background: Faded photo of our real life tank girl sitting on a tank. Foreground: Cover of Tank Girl All Stars
Background: Black and white artwork from the cover of DragonLance Chronicles Foreground: Cover of DragonLance Chronicles
Background: Dark blue plain background Foreground: Cover of Pawn of Prophecy
Background: Graduated dark purple. Foreground: Shows book cover of The Nightmare Before Christmas (The Animated Classic)
Text : "I havfen't finiffed," he said, indistinctly. "Finished what, old friend?" "Rememb'rin'," said Cohen. "Remembering who?" "The hero who waff buried here, all right?" The Last Hero - Terry Pratchett Background : Field of red poppies at sunset
Foreground - Cover of the Book Ghosts: The Button House Archives. Background a photo of Button House
Background - 100 postcards with book cover images on them in black and white. Foreground - Box cover of Penguin Science Fiction Postcard Box
Alt Text : Background : Plain yellow background. Foreground : Cover of Tiffany Aching’s Guide to Being a Witch
Background: Black and White photo of a group of Slugs Foreground: White Cover of Shaun Hutson's book Slugs
Background: Map of Mordor Foreground : Classic Cover of The Hobbit
Poster showing a military hat complete with badge and feathers and the words Terry Pratchett's Monstrous Regiment.
Background: photograph of a Church Building Foreground: Book Cover of Jodi Taylor's Just One Damned Thing After Another
Background: red flames on a black background Foreground: Good Omens Tarot Deck and Guidebook box
An illustration of a cowardly lion who is clutching his tale whcilst looking sheepish, next to a copy of the Studio MinaLima The Wonderful WIzard of Oz book which is illustrated in hues of green
Image of a boxset of postcards with the wording Mr Men and Little Miss Postcard set. Wording Childhood Memories in pictorial form! Perfect to send to friends or to stick on your fridge ! 6 postcards are shown depicting cartoon daisies and various images from the Mr Men and Little Miss books.
30 Better Than A Poek in the Eye Gifts for the book lover in your life. A recommendation a day from our bookshelves for the whole of November. Background is a wooden slated table with red and cream wrapped gifts and baubles upon it