Latest news with #SamCox
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Carlisle United man signs new deal with National League opponents
Obiero, right, made six Carlisle appearances in 2020/21 (Image: Barbara Abbott) Former Carlisle United loanee Micah Obiero will face the Blues early in the new season after signing a new deal with Wealdstone. The 24-year-old forward has agreed to remain at the Grosvenor Vale club for a third season. Advertisement And the decision will see him come up against Carlisle in the fourth game of the National League campaign, when the Blues head to Wealdstone on August 23. Obiero said he was happy to sign a new deal with Sam Cox's side. "Ever since I've been here, I've loved it," he said in a club interview. "I'm excited for the new season." Obiero's spell at Carlisle came in the 2020/21 season under Chris Beech. He joined on loan from Huddersfield Town and got his first taste of senior football with the Blues. Obiero made four league outings, one in the FA Cup and one in the EFL Trophy, scoring in the latter in a 3-1 win against Aston Villa Under-21s. Advertisement He left Carlisle in the new year and went on to play for FC Halifax Town on loan. After permanent switch to Boston United, he joined Wealdstone in October 2022. Last season he scored three league goals as the Stones finished 20th, avoiding relegation on the last day of the campaign. Wealdstone host Carlisle on Saturday, August 23 in the clubs' first ever league meeting, with the return game at Brunton Park coming on January 3. The games will see new United midfield signing Josh Grant come up against his former club, Grant having been on Wealdstone's books since last November. FLASH SALE: Get unlimited access to every Carlisle United article by subscribing to the News & Star for £6 for 6 months or a full year at half price - click HERE for details
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews The Trouble With Mr Doodle: Sensitively drawn portrait of Mr Doodle's psychotic breakdown
The Trouble with Mr Doodle (Ch4) Rating: Doodling at work made Roger Hargreaves a multi-millionaire. The advertising executive drew cartoon characters in idle moments, which evolved into the Mr Men — Mr Tickle, Mr Greedy and many more. But Hargreaves never thought to create Mr Doodle. That manic persona sprang from the perfervid brain of art student Sam Cox, who had been doodling obsessively throughout his teens, up to 15 hours a day. Mr Doodle, though he looked like a bundle of fun in his white suit and hat covered in squiggles, was not the benign Mr Man character he seemed at first. His demented extrovert personality took over Sam's life, enabling him to make a small fortune in the art world but gradually shredding his sanity, until he was sectioned for his own safety in a psychiatric hospital. This two-hour documentary, directed with sensitivity but also humour by Jaimie D'Cruz and Ed Perkins, depicted the stages of Sam's psychotic breakdown, which seemed to be building up in waves for several years. Mental health, no longer the taboo subject of a decade ago, is now frequently discussed on TV, but it's rare to see the development of such severe illness shown so clearly. The Trouble With Mr Doodle deserves to join the case histories of Oliver Sacks, who wrote up his patients' symptoms in a series of bestselling books, as a model of psychiatric study. Sam has been fortunate to have a close and loving family to sustain him. His compulsion to doodle over every available surface was so extreme that he fantasised about covering the entire planet in his artwork, and then zooming off in a rocket ship to discover new worlds to daub with jaunty graffiti. Though no one was interested when he tried to sell individual pages of doodles at £1 a time, his fortunes changed after a Hong Kong art dealer began marketing his work to the cartoon-crazy Japanese. One sprawling canvas sold for $1m (£730,000), enabling Sam to buy a large, secluded he then proceeded to cover in doodles. The documentary began at the moment Sam, filmed by his Ukrainian fiancee, Alena, explored the house, after it had been stripped of all its cupboards and carpets, with all the walls, floors and ceilings painted bright white. Then, he got his marker pens out... His breakdown occurred halfway through the project. Incredibly, after he left hospital, he returned to the house and finished every inch of doodling. Loyal Alena never stopped supporting him, and the one genuinely happy moment in this portrait of fraught, hyper-intense jollity came at the end when their first child was born. But weighed against that were the interviews with Sam, who seemed deeply anxious to be facing the camera and whose face was sometimes a vacant mask. These silent close-ups were a reminder that there's so much we simply don't understand about mental illness.
Irish Independent
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Today's top TV and streaming choices: Don't Forget to Remember, Don't Look Now and Shifting Gears
Poisoned: Killer in the Post Channel 4, 9pm Two-part documentary charting journalist James Beal's investigation into the deaths of young people from the UK, US, Canada, Germany and Australia who all had one thing in common — they took a lethal dose of poison obtained on the internet. The Trouble with Mr Doodle Channel 4, 10pm A profile of Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, an artist from Kent who sprang to fame thanks to a viral clip of him drawing, and whose work is now sought by collectors and institutions around the world. NORAID: Irish America & the IRA RTÉ One, 9.35pm New two-part documentary about the organisation run by Irish-Americans that raised money for and offered support to the IRA during the Troubles. Among those interviewed are FBI officers tasked with infiltrating the group, underground gun-runners and unrepentant clergymen. Don't Forget to Remember RTÉ One, 10.35pm Moving film authored by Ross Killeen, aka street artist Asbestos, documenting his relationship with his mother, who is living with dementia. It details not only her worsening condition, but also how he is using their shared past to help her hold onto her identity. Don't Look Now BBC Two, 12am Wonderful supernatural thriller based on a Daphne du Maurier story. Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie portray a couple visiting Venice while trying to come to terms with their daughter's death. However, matters take an unexpected turn thanks to a psychic and a series of bizarre spectral visions. Shifting Gears Disney+, streaming now Kat Dennings and Tim Allen have joined forces to star in this new sitcom set in a classic car workshop... Now that's what I call a production meeting. Allen plays the widowed patriarch who has his daughter (Dennings) and her child move back in with him. Ballard Netflix, streaming now Inspired by Michael Connelly's bestselling novels, Detective Renée Ballard (Maggie Q) returns to lead LAPD's cold-case unit, facing decades-old crimes, a potential police conspiracy, and — the purview of all onscreen cops — a luggage load of personal demons. Ziam Netflix, streaming now Yet more South East Asian zombie fodder. For something less brutal and more bloom-fuelled, other foreign language fare includes French offering Under a Dark Sun. Alternatively, there's Gringo Hunters from Mexico. Trainwreck: The Real Project X Netflix, streaming now It's the weekly episodic that keeps on giving. This time, the good people at Trainwreck recount the fallout from a Facebook event posted by a Dutch teen. In 2012, she posted an invite for her 16th birthday, which accidentally went viral, drawing thousands to the small town of Haren. Inspired by Project X, the unplanned crowd overwhelms the area, and with no preparations in place, things spiral into chaos. Quarterback Netflix, streaming now Season 2 of the hit series offers rare access to three NFL quarterbacks — Joe Burrow, Jared Goff and returning favourite Kirk Cousins — as they navigate the highs and lows of the 2024/25 season, on and off the field. All The Sharks Netflix, streaming now If you're wondering, 'Why all the shark-related viewing of late?' Well, the simple answer is that we're currently in the run-up to July 14, which is Shark Awareness Day. This summer also happens to be the 50th anniversary of Jaws, so one should expect an inordinate level of shark-themed programming over the coming weeks. A lot of it, however, does seem somewhat at odds with itself. For instance, last week saw the release of Shark Whisperer, which featured a herd of conservationists expressing concern about people, like Instagrammer Ocean Ramsey, interfering with endangered sharks. Now, Netflix is proffering an almost oxymoronic competition show, where conservationists infiltrate the oceans to tick all the sharks off their assigned apex predator bingo cards. If you favour more traditional shark viewing — ie. without a nigh-dystopic gameshow element — Sharks Up Close With Bertie Gregory has landed on Disney+. Have you ever considered a parallel universe where Idris Elba is the UK prime minister and John Cena is the US president? Well, now's your chance! For context, their 'special relationship' is under threat on account of their huge egos, but — once confronted with a common adversary — the pair must learn to rely on each other.
Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I was so obsessed with doodling I drew all over my £1.35m mansion - but after 36 hours without sleep I thought my mum was Nigel Farage and I had to be sectioned
A world-renowned artist who doodled all over his £1.35million mansion has revealed how he went from earning huge sums to being sectioned on a psychiatric ward. Sam Cox, also known as Mr Doodle, rose to fame in 2017 when a video of him using a marker pen to draw all over a shop was viewed 46 million times in one week on social media. Soon after, his doodles were selling for one million dollars each and he was being commissioned by big name brands such as Adidas. And in 2019, the 31-year-old's dream came true when he purchased a property in the quaint town of Tenterden, Kent for £1.35 million. He planned to draw all over the house, starting in the main bedroom with dream-themed doodles. The compulsive artist started working for 36 hours straight to finish the project, which he now thinks sparked a mental breakdown. Sam began to think that his mother was Nigel Farage and that President Donald Trump had asked him to graffiti his 'big, beautiful wall' between the US and Mexico. In a new Channel 4 documentary 'The Trouble With Mr Doodle', he reveals that he had to be restrained by six nurses after he was sectioned in February 2020. Sam told The Sun: 'I felt like I was in a game. You think health professionals and even family and friends are trying to hurt you. 'Donald Trump or other celebrities took the place of other patients in the hospital for me. 'I remember thinking my mum was like Nigel Farage.' Sam, who grew up in Kent, spent six weeks in hospital and has now fully recovered. Speaking about his 'Doodle House' project back in 2022, Sam said he was determined to finished it on his own. He told The Sunday Times: 'It's the longest project I've done. I wanted to say I'd done it all myself.' Sam left no surface untouched, with every wall and ceiling and all amenities - including the television, hob and bath - covered in monochromatic doodles. Despite admitting he did not plan any of his drawings, Sam gave every room its own theme. For example, the hallway was covered with Noah's Ark creations, while the stairs were decorated with Heaven and Hell drawings. Sam said: 'I had a rough idea of the theme but the individual doodles are spontaneous. 'My main inspiration still goes back to when I was kid watching Tom and Jerry, Wacky Races and SpongeBob SquarePants, and video games like Crash Bandicoot. I always wanted to draw characters for video games.' For the indoor doodles, the 31-year-old explained that he used black acrylic paint and a bingo marker-pen in four different sizes. Sam and his wife Alena previously planned to make the living artwork their permanent home in the coming weeks. The couple met on Instagram after Alena commented on one of Sam's videos prompting them to meet up in person in Berlin in 2018. Alena, who moved to the UK from Kharkiv, Ukraine in 2020, said she finds the monochromatic doodles 'calming' and even drives a doodled Tesla.
The Irish Sun
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
How ‘Mr Doodle' artist went from earning millions to being sectioned in psychiatric ward & thinking mum was Nigel Farage
FOR most people, doodling is a harmless distraction. But for Sam Cox it became a dangerous obsession that led him to believe Donald Trump wished he'd graffiti his 'big, beautiful wall.' 6 Sam Cox, in a bath with wife Alena, has recovered from his ordeal Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 6 Sam outside his doodle mansion Credit: Alamy The Kent artist became a worldwide sensation in 2017 when a video of him using a marker pen to draw over a shop gained 46 million views in a week on social media. Soon Sam's doodles were selling for a million dollars and big name brands such as Adidas and Samsung commissioned him. That provided the funds to buy a £1.35million mansion, which the 31-year-old compulsive creator wanted to draw all over. Working for 36 hours without sleep, though, sparked a major mental health breakdown in which he believed he was his alter ego Mr Doodle. Read More on UK News Sam thought his mum was Nigel Farage and that US President Trump asked him to doodle all over the planned 2,000 mile wall between Mexico and the USA. A new documentary on Channel 4 reveals how he had to be held down by six burly nurses after being sectioned in late February 2020. His delusions included fearing the doctors were trying to poison him and that his parents were trying to kill him. Sam, who has now recovered, tells The Sun: 'I think in black and white. Most read in The Sun 'I felt I had to be the character. 'It was becoming more 100 percent or nothing. Artist at war with council over plan to build seaside home laser cut with DOODLES in 'Britain's only desert' 'When I was sectioned it was really frightening. 'In my mind it was like being in the Truman Show. 'I thought everyone was conspiring against me. 'I felt like I was in a game. 'You think health professionals and even family and friends are trying to hurt you. 'Donald Trump or other celebrities took the place of other patients in the hospital for me. 'I remember thinking my mum was like Nigel Farage.' Thankfully, after six weeks in hospital he was able to return home and is now fully recovered. The documentary titled The Trouble With Mr Doodle, which airs on Wednesday, allows Sam to figure out how he got into such an altered state. His parents Andrea and Neill knew early on that Sam was different to other children. Growing up in picturesque Tenterden, Kent, he showed no interest in outdoor pursuits. Instead, Sam just wanted to draw all day long, even doing so under his bed covers when he was supposed to be asleep. 6 Sam's uncle painted the walls white ready for doodling Credit: ABACUS 6 Even the toilet is covered in graffiti Credit: ABACUS Andrea says in the documentary: 'You don't want to think there is anything wrong with your child. 'It did cross my mind that there might be something different about him.' It was while studying illustration at the University of the West of England, Bristol, that his distinctive style started to develop. One day he turned up to class in a white suit and fedora hat with black marker pen scribblings all over them and his lecturer nicknamed him the 'Doodle Man.' But getting other people enthused about his art was not so easy. Dressed as Mr Doodle he found few customers willing to buy his A4 sized individual sketches for one pound each. Gradually, though, he started to earn money by having his creations on clothes and buildings. It was a video of his doodling on a pop up shop in Old Street in east London in 2017 that skyrocketed his reputation. Images of his work also attracted the attention of Ukrainian artist Alena and they started chatting online. Sam, whose mum thought he was so obsessed with his art that he'd never get married, kissed his love interest as soon as they met up for the first time in Berlin, Germany. He recalls: 'It was one of the first times I wasn't really drawing and it felt like a good experience.' It was the purchase of a 12-room house near his childhood home in December 2019 with the sole aim of doodling all over the Georgian style property that was to push Sam beyond his limits. 6 Sam's son Alfie scribbles on the windows Credit: Instagram/babydoodle2023 6 Sam thought Trump asked him to doodle all over the planned 2,000 mile wall between Mexico and the USA Credit: Getty With a builder uncle having painted and tiled the whole house white, Sam quickly started to feel mentally unwell as he started drawing on it in February 2020. This was the time that Covid 19 was sweeping across much of the world and having travelled extensively to the Far East, Sam did wonder if it was connected. He smiles: 'It was so weird. 'Covid hadn't really reached the UK entirely then and I had spoken about my work a lot as a Doodle virus. 'When it reached the UK was when I went into hospital.' Suddenly, everything spiraled out of control. It was clear that this was something other than a virus. Hallucinations and panic attacks put him in fear for his life. When his dad Neill turned up, Sam told him 'I love you but you are trying to kill me.' When I was sectioned it was really frightening. I thought everyone was conspiring against me...I remember thinking my mum was like Nigel Farage Sam Cox Sam also told Alena that he didn't love her and loved someone else, which wasn't true. A psychiatrist told the family that Sam had to be sectioned for his own safety. But he only pretended to take his medication once on the secure ward, so half a dozen nurses had to hold him down while it was injected. Sam says: 'Your mind goes into a dream or nightmare state and your mind can't grasp what reality is until you've recovered from it. 'I couldn't even watch television without thinking it was talking to me.' Sam spent six weeks on a psychiatric ward in Understandably, his parents didn't want Sam to return to his His mum says: 'I hated that character he created. 'I just wanted him to go away.' Sam also considered killing off Mr Doodle, but then decided this character had brought him some of the best things in his life such as Alena who he married after recovering from his illness. He has found a safer half way approach allowing time for both Sam and Mr Doodle. Sam explains: 'I realised there was room for grey areas and for colour in my life. 'It doesn't have to be so extreme.' On September 18 2020 he began drawing on the mansion again and completed the project 743 days later on October 1 2022. We love the house. It has never triggered anything since what happened. I live there with my wife and my son and our dog. It doesn't make us dizzy like people think Sam Cox His home gives a whole new meaning to drawing the curtains, because not only are the drapes covered in doodles, so are the bedsheets, the towels and everything else you can think of. That includes the toaster, the toilet, 2,000 bathroom tiles, the window panes and his Tesla car. Most people can't believe that Sam actually lives in such a visually stimulating environment, but he insists that he loves it. Sam says: 'We love the house. 'It has never triggered anything since what happened. 'I live there with my wife and my son and our dog. 'It doesn't make us dizzy or give us headaches like people think. 'It is busy but it doesn't feel like that when you are there.' The problem is that his two year-old son Alfie has started to colour in the walls. Sam says: 'He draws on the characters and I don't have the heart to tell him not to because I feel it is too ironic to tell him not to draw everywhere. 'The difficult thing is when we take him to restaurants and they give him crayons and he doesn't realise they want it to just be on the colouring in sheet.' His next major project is in There are other ideas in the pipeline and he says: 'It's always about making it bigger or more walls and things. 'I love kind of big, endurance-based doodle activities like making a really big doodle.' But with Sam insisting on drawing everything himself, rather than roping in assistants like some artists do, it will all take years to complete. There has been snobbery in the art world about The always polite Sam says: 'It would be amazing to be exhibited in the Tate, but the thing for me is that someone who never goes into a museum and sees my art on the way to work is equal to someone who goes to a gallery.' It is remarkable to think that Sam ever had a dark moment, considering how upbeat he is during our interview. This is an artist whose intention is to make the world smile. He concludes: 'There is no hidden message. It is what you see, it is happy faces and doodles. 'I proudly say how my art doesn't have a social message. 'I like it when people smile about it.' The Trouble with Mr Doodle airs on Channel 4 on July 9 at 10pm.
