Thoughts bubbling 3 & 4

I’ve posted about Solipsistic Pop #3 previously and finally got my hands on a copy at last Friday’s launch party. A poster and stickers, a pencil and sweets – it was all rather lovely. I spent the following Saturday morning happily rotting my teeth and reading brilliant comics.

To complement the release of SP3, there’s also PS3: Matt Sheret has produced a new edition of the newsprint comic Paper Science. Paper Science was one of the first of the recent wave of newsprint comics that have taken advantage of the services of the excellent Newspaper Club – I’m hoping to produce something of my own with them in the new year.

(pic stolen from Matt Sheret)

This edition of PS aims to be SP3’s naughty vajazzle-wearing sister – containing strips with a slightly more adult sensibility than its all-ages sibling. Naturally, this means a bit of Queen Mum action!

It’s sort of like a ‘summer special’ story, just right for warming up the chilly November days. Paper Science has a load of excellent contributors from across the small press scene – it’s a very funny read and only £1!

Both SP3 and PS3 will be on sale at Thought Bubble (and most of the creators will be there too) but you can read more about them (and order them) from the SP site and We Are Words and Pictures.

Thoughts bubbling… 2

“Royal greetings on this rather lovely day, Queen Matrophiles! It gives me great pleasure to announce that my great-grandson (the dull, balding one, not the saucy ginger one) has finally popped the question to his gold-digging, social climbing bimbo beautiful girlfriend! As part of the National Festival of Rejoicing, all Queen Mum Adventure comics will be half-price at the Thoughtbubble Festival this Saturday, and will be accompanied by some hand-crafted commemorative piece of collector’s item crap that I’ll be hastily knocking together on Friday afternoon. You may now continue with your unbounded joy.”

Previously: Interview with Ellen Lindner.

Interview with Ellen Lindner

© Ellen Lindner

Next Saturday I’ll be at the Thought Bubble comic festival in Leeds, a great event with a nice mix of mainstream and small press comics. Just the right size to be fun and sociable (and profitable) – I’m really looking forward to it.

As part of the build-up I’ll be posting about a few projects where my comics are appearing, but first I’m turning the focus towards my table-buddy for the day at Leeds: Ellen Lindner.

Ever since I first met Ellen, I’ve been fascinated by her comics work with its variety, dynamism and strength of purpose and so it was a great pleasure to spend some time interviewing her in order to learn more. The resulting discussion was particularly interesting because although I think of Ellen as a friend, I discovered that a lot of assumptions I’d made about her and her work were incorrect. It just shows you should never assume anything, even about those you think you know well.

Make yourself a cup of tea, sit back and read the interview.

MCM Expo Report

I’ve got out of the habit of reporting on events as they are often little more than “I sat at a table and sold things and talked to nice people” which doesn’t always make for an exciting read, especially if you don’t remember to take any photos. However, the MCM Expo is an event that has made me stop and think on both occasions that I’ve been there.

Although it’s very well organised (and many thanks in particular for the warm welcome that the comics village organisers provided) it’s an event where comics are only a part of a much bigger show. And if I was a teenager who liked dressing up with my mates, I suspect I too would breeze past the strange people selling bits of stapled-together paper on my way to something far more interesting, interactive and sparkly like a cosplay parade, wrestling demo or a new game/tv show launch.

I sold as much as I had at the last Expo I attended and, thanks to a bit of cost-cutting, I increased my profit which was very satisfying. However, most of my comics sales went to other creators and my sales to the ‘public’ were primarily my prints of superheroes/TV characters. It will come as no surprise that a run of a print of Totoro sold out pretty quickly on day 1 and a hasty overnight reprint run sold out by lunchtime on day 2 (hope Studio Ghibli aren’t reading this).

And I suppose this is what makes me pause for thought. If people aren’t here for the comics (or at least my comics) then why should I be here? It’s lovely to see someone buying one of my pics but that’s not really why I’m sitting there all weekend (and Friday, if I’d wanted). Is it to keep my profile visible and make sure I’m seen on the convention circuit? Is is to nerdwork with industry types and make connections?

Thankfully, one of the many nice things about MCM Expo is that it’s cheap enough for exhibitors to attend without having to ponder these things too hard (if I lived some distance from London it might be a different matter). As my bus home scooted across a rainy Tower Bridge I decided I was overthinking things, and should be grateful that comics are included at all. It’s a really enjoyable weekend, great for people-watching and catching up with friends and making new ones (along with committing the usual faux pas of forgetting names and faces, which I managed rather too spectacularly in one particular instance).

And I did enjoy myself, thanks primarily to the good company of my table-mates Cliodhna Lyons and Joe Decie, who made the times of quiet trade much more bearable with their chat and good humour (my contribution to our collaborative Hallowe’en giveaway comic below), and to the generous and good-spirited small/medium/large press stalwarts of Sarah McIntyre, Gary Northfield, Timothy Winchester, Warwick JC, Garen Ewing, Dave West and Colin Mathieson, Anna Jay, Neill Cameron, Luke Pearson, David Lando, Joe List, Claude Trollope-Curson, Will, Lou and Nikki, Jess Bradley and others (phew!) who I chatted to, drank with or just admired from afar.

The moral is: sometimes, it’s just nice to get out of the house for a bit.

MCM Expo

It’s the MCM Expo in London all this weekend. And that means fan art – you know the type of thing:

Come join the comics/tv/film/games/cosplay madness! Here’s my review from last year. There’s a very interesting mix of comics stuff this time around, loads of which I’m unfamiliar with, so I’m bringing my pennies in the hope of making some discoveries. I’m sharing a table with small press/big laugh stalwarts Cliodhna Lyons and Joe Decie. See you there!

Solipsistic Pop launch party

Tom Humberstone has announced the details of a launch party for the new edition of the anthology Solipsistic Pop of which I’m a very happy contributor. Here’s the flyer (using some artwork from my story – I’m honoured!)

I went to the last launch party for SP at the late lamented Cross Kings pub and it was a lot of fun – comedians, bands and lots of nice comics people too. SP3 will be on sale so do come along and celebrate this fantastic book! (It’s also available for pre-order here).

Little Fish 2

I’ve been doing some comicking for a forthcoming issue of the Birdsong anthology. Here is a panelette for the purposes of intriguement:

What is going on here? There are many scenarios which naturally or un-naturally spring to mind. You’ll have to wait and see.

I’m reusing the characters I created for a short tale in the first Birdsong book. I really like using these chaps as, unusually for me, they have absolutely no back story.

Normally, I have whole biographies for my characters worked out in my head. But these fellows just get picked up and put down in a situation and I write how they interact with each other in that situation. It’s fun to do character pieces and not to have to worry (too much) about plot.

The first Birdsong book is still available from the lovely people at Failboat Press, containing comics from Warwick Johnson Cadwell, Sarah McIntyre, Nikki Stuart, Lou Ho and Will Kirkby. It’s one of the best comics to have come out this year (even if I do say so myself).

Meanwhile, I’m getting ready for the next London MCM Expo and Thoughtbubble. Lots to do!

Solipsistic Pop Previews

I’ve been very lucky to have been invited to contribute to the next issue of the UK small press anthology Solipsistic Pop, which is due out in November. Editor Tom Humberstone has been posting previews at the SP site including one from my story, The Squire:

The theme of the anthology was ‘Wonder’ with the intention of creating a book that could act as a primer for younger readers on the delights of alternative comic world. Tom chose the red and black colour scheme as a tribute to the old Beano style and Marc Ellerby’s cover also reflects that retro feel. There are great contributions from across the UK comics scene and it’s a fantastic looking book – I can’t wait to to see it in print!

APF 2010

This weekend saw the annual emotional carnage of St Valentine’s Day, the patron saint of unrealistic expectations, ready-meals for one and nights in with only the cold shoulder of loneliness on which to shed bitter, melancholy tears…

Anyway, back to me: I was at the Alternative Press Fair, celebrating its first birthday, and a jolly event it was too. Not as busy as last year, but I came away with more cash than the previous event, perhaps because I was selling more ‘big ticket’ items. It’s swings and roundabouts with these things I suppose.

It was a sort of pre-launch for the Birdsong/Songbird anthology (available here), which looked very fine and had a lot of interest, and I sold quite a few saucy Valentine’s cards (example above – one lady bought two even though she was single. Bless.), as well as prints and minis. Thanks if you came and bought something and said hello!

I was sat next to the master of ink and wash, Joe Decie and we put the world to rights with the help of a few beers and Al Maceachern later on, even the bits of the world that didn’t necessarily need righting. I also sat next to Will Morris, comics newbie, whose work was getting a lot of interest and who I’m sure is someone to look out for in the future.

Other discoveries: Kristyna Baczynski, who traded prints with me and does some lovely work. Also, the unofficial book of the show, The Static Revolter, by Kevin Ward and Lord Hurk. Beautifully produced – everyone seemed to be carrying a copy.

Congrats to Jimi, Peter and team on another great event – just the right cosy mix of social stuff and art stuff. The perfect antidote to romance.

PS. I’ll be catching up with my 100 days project shortly. Angouleme put a spanner in the works temporarily but I’ll be back on track soon.

Thoughtbubble 09

Lots of people have already written about how good the Leeds Thoughtbubble festival was – see here for a summary, including lots of photos. I can only echo those good reports: it was a well-organised (could have done with a floor-plan but that’s a small gripe), well-attended event. Even though the day seemed to go quite slowly, I had my best sales for any event – including the Thing which usually beats everything else hands down.

Here’s a few of the characters who were present:

Fourteen eyes
Fourteen eyes

Hugh Raine, Joe Decie and Al Maceachern, otherwise know as the Twelve Eyes collective, with table decoration Dale O’Flaherty. I bought a couple of comics from these chaps. Highly recommended reads and gentlemen all.

Phil Spence
Phil Spence

My table-neighbour Phil Spence of Ninja Bunny fame. I had an empty table on my other side which didn’t look too good. In front of me was the Forbidden Planet stall – who had put boxes of their stock on the floor, sticking out into the aisle – which meant I had the pleasure of staring at copious arse crack for most of the day, as people bent over for a quick rummage.

Garen Ewing and Dave West
Garen Ewing and Dave West

Garen’s been on the convention trail plugging his excellent book. Dave popped over to my table to say hello – always a pleasure to have a chat with him, which reminded me I’m doing a story for the 2011 Accent UK anthology.

Will Kirkby and Lou Ho
Will Kirkby and Lou Ho

Will and Lou showed me a mock-up copy of the Birdsong/Songbird Anthology they are editing (containing a little story by me). It’s going to be such a beautiful book with all the effort they are putting into the production, and Will’s work in it is his best yet, in my opinion. I can’t wait to see it. I also got to say hello to Warwick Johnson Cadwell, another contributor, who was visiting with the family.

Sorry if I’ve not included you (or maybe you’re not so sorry) – perhaps it’ll be your turn at the next convention….

Murder, She Gloats

Carnage in Cabot Cove

Jessica Fletcher, probably the most successful serial killer in history. The corpses pile up around her, and yet the police are quite happy to pin the blame on Lesley-Anne Down, Lorenzo Lamas or whatever Z-lister happens to be passing, gullibly accepting the old lady’s increasingly outlandish explanations. It’s all material for her books, of course. Though we never see her write a single word…

Drawn for funny chap Timothy Winchester’s Jessica Fletcher Week here.