Happy Christmas and New Year Everyone

Happy Christmas and New Year everyone! I'll be back next year.

The Return of the Bus

More panels from my new comic.

Trains and Soup

Here's some more panels from my new comic. There's lots more going on but I don't want to give all the story away.

Trains and Kitchens

Here's two more rows of panels from my new comic. This is a bit set at Halloween.

Pumpkins

Here's some pumpkins from my new comic.

Trains and Clubs

Here's another train and a row of panels set in a club, from my new comic. It seems to be going well at the  moment. I don't know yet whether I will bring it out as a few episodes or as one long comic.

What I Have Been Reading

Here's the comics I have bought or swapped recently. I haven't been to any shows for ages but I'm still keeping up with cartoonists I know.

Paul Rainey's 'Pope Francis Goes to the Dentist' is a collection of the short stories and satirical comics he has been drawing. They are very good. The 'Pope Francis' stories are very funny as he tries to go about his papal work while worrying about his teeth. I also really like the '14 Year old Stand up Comedian' tales.

Robert Brown has brought out 'Killjoy 5', the penultimate issue of his series. It's a good story about going to Bournemouth with his grandparents. It sets up the last part of the series really well. It made me feel old though as he goes there in 1997, and is still at primary school. I was at university then.

Lydia Wysocki has brought out 'Departures' and 'Junk'. 'Junk' is a cool little collection of sketchbook and diary comics. 'Departures' is a very fancy handmade comic which opens two different ways, one way is a comic about travelling, with many airports. It is made from remixed and cut up travel sketches. The other way is sketchbook drawings from her travels. The drawings are really lovely.

Simon Moreton brought out 'What Happened' from Kilgore Books. It is some very nice poetic comics about childhood. Watching a scary film, wandering in the woods and on the beach, having a fight with a friend and sitting in a parents car listening to music.

Vintage Bus

Here's a vintage bus from my new comic. I'm up to page fourteen now.

New Rob Clough Reviews

Hurray, Rob Clough has wrote a new review of my recent comics. He reviews all four issues of 'Flying Sausage Academy', 'Ragnar the Cheesemonger', 'RhiZome 3' and 'RhiZome 4'. Thanks Rob! All the comics are on sale at my website and my Comicsy shop.

'Bus Conductor'

Another row of panels from my new story. I walked into town in the rain and bought more paper so I've got going again.

More Trains

Another row of panels from page eight. I've been on holiday in Berlin this week but I'll get back to drawing this on Monday.

More Panels

Here's another row of panels from my new comic. I'm up to page eight now.

More Panels from my 'Trains' Story

Here's another row of panels from my trains story. I'm up to page six now.

Scary Story

Here's a six page story I drew to submit to the Kus anthology. Sadly they didn't chose it. I still like it so I'll put it up here, if anyone wants to put it in another anthology let me know. Click the pictures to make them bigger.

'Trains'

I am drawing trains for my new comic. It is going to be set at a preserved steam railway, in the present day. I don't know what it's called yet as I only started it yesterday. These will be on the first page.

'Flying Sausage Academy 4' Now on Sale

'Flying Sausage Academy 4' has just come back from the printers. it is 24 pages, A5 sized, black and white with colour covers. It is priced at £3 with free postage in the UK, rest of the world please add £2 postage with the button at the top of my website shop page. It finishes the series off nicely (I think) and is the final part. I've put it up for sale on my website.
I won't be at any more shows this year so if you want these comics the only way is from my website, until I go to shows again next year. I am also happy to trade comics, get in touch. Thanks! 

'Ragnar' Drawing

A Ragnar drawing with the coloured pencils.

'Flying Sausage Academy' Drawing

A scribbly drawing I did from 'Flying Sausage Academy' to play around with my new coloured pencils.

'Flying Sausage Academy 4' off to the Printers

I've just sent 'Flying Sausage Academy 4' off to the printers. It is the final part of the series, I think it wraps things up nicely. Here's the finished front cover.

Derf Backderf - Trashed

I really liked the other Derf book I have read, 'My Friend Dahmer' so I bought this one a couple of weeks ago. It's a fictionalised version of his time as a binman in the small American town where he grew up. It's really good. Even though he has fictionalised the stories they still feel very real, and he must have used a lot of real events. There's stories about picking up foul bags of rotten stuff, filled with maggots, working in the freezing winter, and his strange co-workers. They are cool and interesting. I wonder if they have wheelie bins now in America, I guess not in the small places.

There's also a bunch of stuff about where rubbish goes and landfill sites. I would have liked more of the stories instead of the factual stuff, but thats because it's all about rubbish in America and you can just think 'I bet it's not as bad here in the UK' and not have to think about it.
Here's Derf's blog, they are making a film of 'My Friend Dahmer' so he talks about that.

Decadence #11

I really enjoyed the new Decadence anthology, number 11.

It's a book length anthology of weird science-fiction comics. It's very good. I particularly liked 'Eclipse 2056' by Inechi, with its Starbucks sponsored lunar eclipse, and 'Modern Box' by Lala was cool too. There's a lot of very different drawing styles and ideas throughout the book. It's for sale here.

New Short Story

Here's the first row of panels of my new short story, 'What We Talk About When We Talk About Plinkity Plonky Plink'. Needs more pencils on these panels yet, I think.

Rejected Story

Here's the short story I drew the other week. It was rejected but I'm not surprised, I only found out about the anthology I submitted it to on the very last day, so I had to rush it. I was going to leave it, but than I had an idea so I thought it was worth seeing how it would turn out. I am drawing a new four page story for submitting to 'Dirty Rotten Comics' this week, it's much better.

Review of 'Flying Sausage Academy 1'

Here's a new review of 'Flying Sausage Academy 1' from Optical Sloth.  Thanks Kevin!

Another Short Story

Here's a couple of panels from another short story I've drawn. I'm trying to draw stuff to submit to all the anthologies I can find. I think it's a good way to get drawing again. Later this week I'll start scanning and cleaning 'Flying Sausage Academy 4' and then I can send that to the printers.

I'm not going to any more comic shows this year so if you want to get hold of some of my comics the best way is to visit my website. Thanks!

Short Story

I've been drawing a six page short story, here's a few panels from it. As you can see it's all in colour. I've sent it off to an anthology. I like it, the colour has come out how I wanted.

Optical Sloth Anniversary

It's the 15th Anniversary of Optical Sloth this month! He's doing a retrospective of cartoonists who've been going for all those fifteen years (or so). I get a mention today in his list. I've sent him a couple of my new comics so hopefully I'll get a couple of reviews. I haven't sent many for a while due to the high price of postage to the US. He's done a lot of reviews of my comics over the years.

'Ragnar' Sketches

I've been drawing these little Ragnar sketches on the lids from the foil trays I make cheese and potato bakes in. I am happy to find a use for the lids, there are hundreds piled up in my cupboard. I will give them away with copies of 'Ragnar the Cheesemonger'. It's on sale at my website.

'RhiZome 4' Interviews

Kyle Baddeley-Read is interviewing all the artists from 'RhiZome 4' and putting the interviews up on the RhiZome tumblr. Here's the first one, with Desmond Reed.

'RhiZome 4' is on sale at my website.

Cover Artwork for 'Flying Sausage Academy 4'

Here's the cover artwork for 'Flying Sausage Academy 4'. It's all finished now. I'm going to bring it out in the Autumn. This finishes the series. Now I can start a new story, I don't know what it will be yet...

'Clap Clap Clap Clap'

Here's the last row of panels I'm going to put up from 'Flying Sausage Academy 4'.

'I Wonder Who It Was Who Knocked Me Out'

Another row of panels from 'Flying Sausage Academy 4'.

New Comics- 'Ragnar the Cheesemonger' and 'RhiZome 4' Now On Sale

My two latest comics have just arrived back from the printers. I'll put the details below.

 'Ragnar the Cheesemonger' is a 52 page black and white comic with colour covers. It is halfway between A4 and A5 in size. It is priced at £6 with free postage in the UK (overseas customers please add £2 postage to your order) and is on sale at my website and my Comicsy shop.

It's about the troubles of a Viking cheesemonger and cheese maker. Here's the first four pages so you can have a look...

'RhiZome 4' is the final issue of me and Kyle Baddeley-Read's science fiction and fantasy anthology.

It is 48 pages, black and white with colour covers, and is sized halfway between A4 and A5. it is priced at £4.50 with free postage in the UK (overseas buyers please add £2 postage). It is on sale at my website and my Comicsy shop.

Here's a preview of who is in this issue. 

The artists are Desmond Reed, Kyle Baddeley-Read, Rob Jackson, Nick Soucek, David Shenton and Adam Smith.

Thanks!

PS- Here's a little review of 'Ragnar the Cheesemonger' from Colin Mathieson. Thanks Colin!

'Ha Ha Ha Ha'

Another row of panels from 'Flying Sausage Academy 4'. I'm now up to page fifteen.

'RhiZome 4' and 'Ragnar the Cheesemonger' are at the printers and will be back this week. I'll put them on sale here as soon as they turn up.

'RhiZome 4' Preview

'RhiZome 4' is at the printers now and will be out soon, so here's a preview of who is in it.

 Desmond Reed

 Kyle Baddeley-Read

 Rob Jackson

 Nick Soucek

 David Shenton

Adam Smith

Thanks! It will be 48 pages with colour covers.