Joe Decie is 2c00l 4 sk00L

My cartoonist friend from across the pond Joe Decie just drew his version of one of my comic panels!

This is Joe's version

This is mine

It's pretty obvious Decie should always draw my comics from now on

"Please"

Does it Make You Happy?

SPX or Bust!

95% sure I am going to go and have a table at SPX this year. It is expensive to travel that far and take so much time off work but I think it is a necessary step to make connections. I'm going to early bird register as a commitment to make myself go!

Solipsistic Pop 01

The first thing that stands out about Solipsistic Pop 01 is how professionally bound and printed it is. From what I've been able to gather from the first issue and the website this new anthology seems to be printed out of the pocket of the editor, Tom Humberstone,  and possibly some of the artists within. Which blows my mind. It has colour printing! It is perfect bound! It has a fold-out Sunday comic style insert! I don't even want to think about how much this puppy cost to print. As far as design issues go, this book rivals anything being put out by the big indie houses. A very handsome volume indeed.

The contributions range widely from the more established linear narratives and art styles to the obligatory experimental pieces and stand alone art pages. I liked probably about 60% of the pieces which is a rather good ratio as far as these type of publications go with several of those being all out home runs. I don't really want to get into reviewing the individual stories but some of the standouts were:

Julia Scheele, My Year as a Christian
Anna Saunders, Insomnia
Robbie Wilkinson, Meanwhile
Stephen Collins, Exit Music, Sunday Columnist Adventure Stories, Bedlam, Back Page Funnies
Joe Decie, Rozbity
 Tom Humberstone, Special Guest Appearance, The Adventures of Chicken With It's Head Cut Off


The price might seem a bit steep at first blush but the end product well justifies the outlay. I really hope they sell the whole first run. Just the blatant love of printing and sequential art that exudes from the entire volume makes it an endeavor well worth supporting. And while I rejoice that there is now a quality UK comics anthology to highlight all the great and largely unknown (at least in US indie comic circles) talent. I am hugely jealous that I will not be able to submit anything to a rag of this quality!

Well done Mr. Humberstone. I am now a faithful believer.

"Unsung" Pages 31-35

 

 

 

"Unsung" Pages 6-10

 To be continued . . . .

"Unsung" Pages 1-5

Eleanor Davis Post-Its

It's official! Eleanor Davis is STILL one of my favourite all time artists!

Don't we all?

Comics Reporter!!

Wow I got a mention on The Comics Reporter! I think I actually squeaked out loud when I saw it. Thanks Tom!!

Unsung mini comic finished

Finished the "Unsung" comic. It is 35 pages, 8 1/2 x 11 and sports hand cut mountain ranges as part of the cover. I had to rush to get the first draft done printed and assembled in time to mail it off to the Isotope mini comic contest so I wasn't entirely happy with the way the printing looks. There is some messy copy speckling along some pages and a few errant grey pencil marks that need to be cleaned up, but I guess an entry is better than no entry. I'm going to go back and clean it up, redraw the cover and maybe use a heavier weight stock for the cover before I print a larger run for sale. Should be able to have that done in a week or so.

Check out Mark Leicht

Mark Leicht is reaaally good. He does all the layout and design for HIVE: A Somewhat Quarterly Comics Journal and has a piece in HIVE NUMBER TWO. I love his brush strokes and the composition in general with the heavy black roughs.

You've changed

Various Mice

"We Need to Talk"

"Hi!"



"Just keep walking"

Mouse Dream

Sometimes at night . . .

I'd like to think. . . .

Hug?

from HIVE ONE