BICS (Birmingham International Comics Show)

I'm not going to Birmingham myself this year but my comics will be on sale at the MCC table. Look at the nice preview poster Adam Cadwell has made... there's some very nice comics there. I've sent some of the 'Pasty Anthology' and some 'Great Deeds Against the Dead'. Thanks MCC!

Great Deeds Against The Dead Review

Richard Bruton has written a nice review of 'Great Deeds Against the Dead 1' on the Forbidden Planet blog today.

Winshluss - Pinocchio

Look what I bought in France, I could only afford one comic book so i bought 'Pinocchio' by Winshluss. I've been wanting to get it for a while. Winshluss is also the director of the Persepolis film, and he did those Mr Ferraille things you might have seen on the internet. This is a massive great big full colour book and it's awesome. It's his retelling of the Pinocchio story, it's not very Disney...

Above there's the cover, an amazing page of Pinocchio fighting the army, and the seven very peverted dwarves waking up Snow White. It's all a bit wrong. It has Jimminy Cricket in it too as a drunken writer who lives in Pinocchio's metal head. It's mostly wordless so a great buy in French.

In this version Pinocchio is created by a scientist to be a killing machine for the army but he wanders off and has adventures through a very twisted fairy tale world. Very highly recommended, the drawing is amazing and he uses many different styles for the different segments of the story, from Disney-esque, french underground, childrens illustration, autobiographical style comics and lots of other stuff.

Paul Rainey - There's No Time Like The Present 10

Paul Rainey's 'There's No Time Like The Present' comics are coming out very reguarly now, hurrah! Here's issue 10 and it's great. One of my favourite issues, lots of things happen and we find out more of what's going on. Like issue 9 it's more science fictiony as the concequences of time travel and the ultranet are further explored through the very interesting characters. This one was very poignant I thought. Cool, can't wait for the next one...

I've been in France for a weeks holiday which was nice. It was hot and sunny. Now to get back to drawing 'Great Deeds 2'. I am having ideas for my next project after that which will be called 'Sealand Blight' (hopefully it will be a graphic novel sized comic, though I'll probably bring it out in normal comics as I go along) so I'm starting to do some character designs for that. I want it to look different from my other comics.

The Green Shoots of Recovery

My comic sales are up at the moment which is greatly pleasing me. Sales are up both in shops and through the internet and e-bay. Could it be the end of the recession? Anyhow it is making me very hopeful for the future, and my many plans. I am slowly getting through drawing 'Great Deeds Against the Dead - 2' which should be out before Christmas.

Maybe my increased sales are due to my new subtle and cryptic advertising campaign which I have been rolling out across the Mid West of America...

More China Photos

1- the Great Wall (2000)
2- my hotel bedroom in Shanghai
3- me, Tiannamen Square (2000)
4 & 5 - Shanghai street scenes

More China Photos

1- fancy new buildings Shanghai (also used in 'Train to Shanghai') I was planning that comic while I was there and took loads of photos and did sketches too.
2- a theatre in Shanghai
3- ancient Chinese KFC in Shanghai
4- Shanghai
5- taxis in Harbin (can you spot this picture in 'Train to Shanghai' too?)