Dig that vibe

I'm back from parts foreign where, as you can see here, I have been working hard... and not just on my tan.

Flexing my comic muscles again, I will be appearing with my fellow Dessinators this Saturday 16 August at Comica Comiket at the British Library.

And while I am posting it turns out I should have been at the Ladeez do Comics curator's tour of the Comics Unmasked exhibition. Sorry, Nicola. I am such an arse.

Comiket coming up

The Dessinators are back this time with a second helping of selected comics from myself, Sally Anne Hickman and Sean Azzopardi, and will be found at St Martin's College of Art in King's Cross at Comiket on Saturday 2 November. Having been firing off in all different directions over the last few months , we are coming together once more, with renewed perspective and inspiration. While I have mostly been attending to family business, Sean seems to have been popping up at events all over the globe, while Sally Anne is embarking on a M.A. in illustration at Camberwell.

However, being faced with the necessity to produce material, I managed to pull something out of the bag and seem to be back on track for now.

From Superheroes to Heroes

Last weekend, Sally Anne and I (wo)manned our table at MCM, having decided to brave the event again. It was not as gruelling as the last time – no drummers or sweltering heat – but still pretty exhausting. We had a great neighbour in the lovely Howard Hardiman, and there was a fair amount of space behind the stalls so it was not as uncomfortable an experience as previously. Check out Sally Anne's blog for more extensive coverage and Sean Azzopardi's for many more photos, but here is our table. And my favourite cosplayer with the bestest costume of the whole weekend... Wednesday evening was mucho fun: I got to (sort of) meet the incredibly amazing Jaime Hernandez at Gosh – well, stand quite close and sketch him anyhoo... and followed that high with winning a prize in the Comica Social Club raffle! Result!

Springing back into action

OK. I'm back. First more Angouleme report: before it all evaporates, I will mention some more highlights. Comes, master of black and white compositions and tales of witchcraft in rural Ardennes, was celebrated with an exhibition and saluted with a standing ovation at the closing ceremony. But as I check the Angouleme website for a link to his artwork, I find that we have just lost another great. There was a fascinating lecture from Jean Pierre Dionnet about mysterious italian fumetto artist Devi, a chance to catch Vuillemin in the flesh being quizzed about press cartooning , lovely nibbles and drinks at the opening of Brecht Evens'La Boite a Gand exhibition, and much hilarity at the polling booth when exercising our right to vote. Disappointments included the Spirou documentary and the Uderzo exhibition ( not enough original artwork among the blow-ups of pages and giant fibreglass models). And I never found my sketchbook. However I will move on. And draw more sketches. Like this. I will be appearing at Comiket next month, and have applied for table space at MCM London, along with my good friends The Dessinators.

Dessinators are go

It's been a while – I won't go in to the events of the last few months, suffice to say, Angouleme is upon us, and we are once again heading to foreign parts to spread the word of the London comics. We are now The Dessinators, a name which I believe will stick. Sean, Sally Ann, Dan, Oliver and I will be manning the table as usual. This year we will be flanked by none other than Paul Gravett, Peter Stanbury and the Comica Festival gang on one side, and the lovely Italians of Passenger Press on the other. Come and pay us all a visit in the Alternative Press tent. I have been preparing for the trip, as my kitchen bears witness.

Winter over

The 'look inside' feature is now up and running on my book in the AMAZON kindle store, so here's hoping sneak peaks might boost my sales.
I forgot to mention this review Rob Clough posted last month of the minicomics I sent him.
I have arisen from my winter torpor and got back to work on my contribution for Ink+Paper while gearing myself up for Comica — less than two weeks away now...


Seems like forever since Angouleme.

A grand day out in Bishopsgate

After five years of attending Comica's Comikets, the event has finally come of age.
Though previously held in some wonderful locations such as the ICA and the Pump House in Battersea Park, this the first time that the combination of venue and location has worked so well to bring in the kind of footfall that I'm sure made every exhibitor's day worthwhile. With plenty of passing trade, free entry and a magnificent continuous large-screen live drawing display kept visitors in the hall. A parade of talents, including such luminaries as Posy Simmonds, Woodrow Phoenix, Sarah Macintyre or the rockstar-like Brecht Evens, below, enthralled the punters and inspired them to purchase product.

Well done Paul and Peter and all the team!
And thanks for being such wonderful table companions, Sean, Sally Ann and Joe Decie.
Then we went to the pub.

Check out lots more pics HERE.

Next week Leeds Thought Bubble...

Come and get it

Things are gaining some kind of momentum as the convention season gets into its stride. This Saturday you will find me touting the old comicfare at Comica's Comiket at the Bishopsgate Institute, 230 Bishopsgate, London, 11am to 6pm, alongside my old muckers and fellow B.A.S.T.A.R.D.S Sally Ann Hickman, Sean Azzopardi and Oliver Lambden and many other eminent folks of the comic fraternity.

Cominget yours at Comiket

Next month I will be exhibiting at Comica's Comiket alongside my good friends and very talented individuals Sean Azzopardi and Sally Anne Hickman, as well as many other creators and publishers. It will take place at the Bishopsgate Institute and entry will be free.

Bastards, Gin and Science

Well all the copies of Bastards 2 have been distributed to the various contributors. Last Friday, Paul Rainey was up in town to check out the London Print Studio Gallery where he will be exhibiting in a couple of weeks as part of this year's Comica festival. We took the opportunity to get together with as many of the gang as could be mustered in Portobello Road, to hand out copies and drink beer.
In between the usual domestic duties, and some not so usual, somehow contributions to Solipsistic Pop 3, Paper Science 3, Gin Palace 2 and the Observer Competition got finished and delivered.

A lot of these publications will be launched at Leeds Thought Bubble next month where I will be exhibiting. For anyone impatient to get their hands on the new B.A.S.T.A.R.D.S 2 I will also be appearing at Comiket Independent Comics Fair in London on November 7th, although other contributors will be at Birmingham next week and at MCM Expo at the end of October.

Me and Dave Comiket 2009

The lovely Dan Berry from the Glyndwr Uni­ver­sity took this and lots more great pics at the ICA on Sunday.

Sexy norwegians

With two down and two more to go this convention season is picking up pace. Next up this Sunday is Comiket in one of my favourite settings, the ICA, such a gorgeous building, but also the place where I first made contact with a lot of my comic buddies.
Handmade and bound last Sunday was pretty successful. It was also the first outing for my new Tshirt and minicomic Foreign Bodies combo, as well as premiering my friend Schmurgen's venture into merchandising. I will most likely be promoting his wares at Comica, as he forgot to book space there. Drop by my stall and get your hands on you very own cuddly Norwegian to love and fondle. More info HERE

Comica Comiket

Saturday at the ICA. What can I say? GOOD DAY. Lovely venue, fantastic tablemates and shifted some stock.
Not so good that Lucy got her phone jacked by some pikey on her way out of work, but then Nick brought her to the after show pub and a couple of G&Ts put a smile back on her face.
Managed a few sketches – a couple of which I'm quite pleased with, and picked up a handful of comics I haven't yet had a chance to look at.
Last night we went to The Soho revue bar to catch the splendidly tuneful and musically eclectic Oh Atoms whose catchily poppy Sugar Mice should be huge. And I finally got round to reading Matter from Philip Barrett. I swapped a couple of mine for issues 1 and 7 with him at Leeds, both very accomplished. Issue seven has a Daniel Clowes vibe, a kind of Twilight zone story, creepy with a twist, and brilliantly drawn.
I have now produced four canvasses for the Christmas do at the Alphabet Bar

Publishing sensation

The complete edition of TMNTW is FINALLY ready and I am holding it in my sweaty hands.

It is already available on the LONDON UNDERGROUND COMICS stall in Camden Market, I will be at LEEDS THOUGHT BUBBLE on Saturday 15th and at the COMICA COMIKET at the ICA on the 22nd.


To purchase your very own copy CLICK HERE!!