I had a fantastic weekend at the Lawless Comic Con and I'll blog about that tomorrow when I've more time. Deadlines beckon now so after this quick post it's back to the drawing board.
Here's a preview of this week's Pup Parade, which appears in Beano No.4138, out on Wednesday 1st June (cover dated 4th June).
As you can see from the cover by Nigel Parkinson, it's the special Jubilee issue! A collector's item to be sure.
I'll be bringing along a few copies of Combat Colin 2 and 3 (and a couple remaining issues of issue 1 I've dug out), and the Derek the Troll special, and anything else I can fit in my case. I'll also be doing sketches of comic characters of your choice (in my style). I'm only accepting cash payments as I don't have a card reader yet, but it'll all be banked and declared as income when I get back.
Here's the list of panel events over the weekend. Hope to see some of you at The77 Panel at 12.30 on Sunday! As always, click / tap on the image to read it full size.
For more info see the Lawless Comic Con website at this link:
https://lawlesscomiccon.co.uk/
Here's my banner to look out for at the show. I'll be doing a new banner sometime this year.
Since its launch in May 2020, The77 is a UK independent comic that's proved to be a success, with issue 8 due this summer. Back issues have been selling well too, and as No.1 has sold out there's now a reprint of its "best bits" in The77 Reissue 1.
The Reissue has 32 pages selecting a bunch of the first episodes including my Sgt.Shouty strip. There's also a brand new Sgt.Shouty pin-up on the back page, a new strip by Mamode Ognewele and Samuel Iwunze, and a coloured version of V. It'll be available to buy at this weekend's Lawless Comic Con in Bristol where contributors will be happy to sign it for you, or you can buy unsigned copies from the publisher at this link:
https://the77comic.bigcartel.com/product/the77-reissue-no-1
Quite a collector's item issue as it features the new Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa, on the cover for the first time and there's a feature relating to it inside, plus the return of Dr Who - the Peter Cushing version! What? Find out all about it by buying the mag!
The Kickstarter campaign for issue No.8 of The77 went live yesterday so your support for this great anthology comic would be appreciated. In case it's new to you ('cos I know not everyone reads every post here) The77 is an all-new independent comic featuring creator-owned strips pitched at an audience that enjoys action, horror, SF and fun! Like the comics of old but in a modern style and for a slightly older readership.
With over 60 packed pages it features work by established professionals and newer creators. In my personal opinion it gets better every issue and it already started out with a strong first issue.
My contribution is Sgt.Shouty of the Moon Force, a synthetic soldier gone wrong, finding himself in a situation that's not what it seems. The mystery begins to unravel in issue 8!
Although The77 is an indie comic we are paid for our contributions in a profit-sharing system, so the more readers we have, the higher our modest page rate rises. Therefore when you pledge to support The77 you're not giving money to some huge corporation, you're helping the actual creators earn a living. So it's all appreciated very much!
To find out more about The77 issue 8 go to its Kickstarter page here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/the77comic/the77-comic-8
 |
| MARK MONTAGUE's variant cover for issue 8. |
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Comic fans might assume that Animal Planet is set in a future where animals rule the Earth (and would that be a bad thing?) but, no, it's a splendid 68 page mag featuring articles and photos about the animals we share our world with and the environment they live in.
Official site:
https://www.animalplanetmagazine.com/
You can also buy the digital version from PocketMags:
https://pocketmags.com/animal-planet-magazine
Something different from me. I bought one of those blank sketch cover varants and did an original sketch on it. Marvel's Dark Ages No.1. The Thing on the front, and the Invisible Woman on the back (as a white outline). As the background was solid black I used Caran D'Ache colour pencils. A different style for me so I hope it works.
Just to clarify, this is my original artwork drawn onto the outer covers of the actual Dark Ages comic. Bidding starts at £25 (including postage) and the auction ends a week tonight (23rd May). Here's the link where you can see more photos....
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203951951898?hash=item2f7c7bd01a:g:k4wAAOSwdpZigrYb
I was asked to write and draw eight Biffo mini-strips in all and they'll appear throughout the book. It was fantastic to work on a character that was such a familiar part of my childhood. The iconic bear first appeared in The Beano in 1948, replacing Big Eggo as a cover star (Big Eggo being another character I've worked on, for the weekly Beano a few years ago).
Biffo is an interesting character to create stories for because he can do anything; gardener, plumber, clown, athlete... and they're just some of the topics I didn't use. As you can see, I've also revived Biffo's best pal, Buster, which means I've now drawn both the D.C. Thomson Buster and the Fleetway / Rebellion version. (No, they're not related.)
As I said above, Beano Annual 2023 will be out on August but you can pre-order it now from the publisher's webshop at this link:
https://www.dcthomsonshop.co.uk/the-beano-annual
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Not a print, not a facsimile, but the original hand-drawn art that I did 35 years ago. All bids appreciated. Good luck!
Here's the link:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/203944453782?hash=item2f7c096696:g:~f0AAOSwhcRieAw9
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Other artists involved are Russ Leach (who did the cover), Nigel Parkinson, Holly Bushnell, and George Sears, with all of us working from a script by Tim Quinn.
It's published now and although it's not available in newsagents you can email the contact name on the following link for info on how to get a copy:
https://www.liverpoolheartbeat.co.uk/contact
 |
| Cover by RUSS LEACH. |
Click / tap to see full size and zoom in.
I haven't shown a lot of my Viz material on my blog because the language in most of it isn't suitable for a family-friendly blog, - but here's one I did ten years ago that didn't have any profanity.
This Unlucky Frank half pager appeared in Viz No.219, back in 2012.
I didn't create the character. Others did previous strips with him but I was asked to come up with this one.
Here's what my original art looked like. I sold this a while back.
I haven't worked for Viz for ages, but at one time I was a regular contributor for many years. I hope I will be again one day.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Naturally, more space (and time) meant I could make it dafter than ever! I decided to make up a fictitious history of life before Doctor Who Magazine. Or maybe it's true? Who knows? Anyway, I thought that after six years I'd share it in full on this blog so here you go. I really enjoyed exaggerating the daft 1970s fashions we wore back then, and spoofing the titles of old comics. As always, click / tap on the image to see it larger and zoom in.
This issue had an increased print run and copies are still available to buy directly from Panini. Follow this link:
https://www.panini.co.uk/shp_gbr_en/doctor-who-magazine-500-gbdrw500-uk02.html
•••••••••••••••••••••
The Dandy Summer Special dropped through my letterbox this morning. 68 pages of fun including a new Keyhole Kate story from me, a new Dreadlock Holmes story by Wayne Thompson, 11 new illustrations to accompany historical notes about the characters, plus classic reprints by other creators including the very first Brassneck story from 1964.
It, and the Beano special, should be in the shops this week, or you can order it directly from D.C. Thomson at this link:
https://www.dcthomsonshop.co.uk/the-dandy-summer-special-2022
 |
| BRASSNECK ART BY BILL HOLROYD |
COVER BY STEVE BRIGHT.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
•••••••••••••••••••••••
To those who suggested Kickstarter; no, I won't be using any crowdfunding platform. Can't be bothered to over complicate things for myself with different pledge levels. I like to keep things simple; print the comic and then offer it for sale. Nor would I want anyone else to publish it, as the whole incentive for me in self publishing is to be in complete control of the comic for a change.
So... it's at the same stage it's been for the past couple of years. It'll be out sometime but I don't know when. My priorities have to be to my mainstream work as that's what pays the bills so self publishing is on the back burner for now. Sorry I can't give you more definite news about it as yet. I'm sure you can appreciate that we're all living in difficult times these days with the escalating cost of living. Although work is picking up a little with various one off art jobs I'm not out of the woods yet. (But I'd end up living in the woods if I blew it all on printing comics that don't break even for years.)
My apologies to those of you I was hoping to catch up with this weekend. Hopefully I'll get this sorted and will be active again this summer. I hope that those of you who are attending the Blackpool con will have a great weekend. Sonia Leong, Tim Quinn and Adrian Salmon will be there so check out their tables and say hello to them.
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
