Bad Librarianship Now!

James Hance's Tank Girl/Princess Leia mash-up.

2012-01-26T11:30:00.000Z

This has been doing the rounds this last couple of days, and you may have seen it already, but it fits the BL-equation, so it runs. The relentlessly cheerful James Hance's Tank Girl/Star Wars mash-up.

Bonus: dig the Fraggle Rock/Star Wars mash-up from a couple of weeks ago. Doozer is my home-boy.

Hard Times.

2012-01-24T22:37:00.000Z

If you want to kick it old school like we've crashed the DeLorean in 1983, how's about Walter Simonson drawing a THOR cover again for Marvel?

The Invisible Artist

2012-01-24T21:51:00.002Z

Dunno if anyone outside of Northern Ireland will be that interested in this, but here's a tight little social history of comics 'round these parts. It brought back a few memories.

The Invisible Artist from Northern Visions/NvTv on Vimeo.

Pete Fowler's Nemesis The Warlock.

2012-01-24T19:59:00.001Z

Music fans of a certain bent and vinyl toy collectors alike are probably already following the blog of Pete "Monsterism" Fowler. Here's the two cute-as models Pete has designed of 2000AD's Nemesis The Warlock for Togetherplus. This design is something of a recurring theme for Pete, I remember he put out a t-shirt with this on it a while back, originally for the Zarjaz Exhibition in 2005 (I think). Gorgeous - I look at that "subject to licensor approval" sign and hope that is a mere formality - Tharg, we all need (at least) one of these for our mantel shelves.

Alan Davis draws Captain Britain, again.

2012-01-22T21:12:00.000Z

I've been in an Alan Davis-y mood all day, since seeing this, this morning.

One of the reasons I love an Alan Davis illustration of Captain Britain above those of any other artist is the fact that Davis draws him with a default facial expression of confusion. And when he's not confused, he's scared. Or occasionally furious. But seldom stoic.

Thank Merlin the original Davis-era costume design is back. That MI:13 Hitch-job was too (inadvertently, I presume) kinky, turning the Union Jack motif into an arrow pointing directly to the wearer's wedding tackle.

Oh, this is glorious.

2012-01-21T22:35:00.002Z

Henry Flint invents the one page graphic novel. I was born somewhere around the border of "falling skulls" and "rabid geese".

Daniel Krall on DC. "Hope you like our new direction".

2012-01-21T20:40:00.001Z

My interest in the Nu-52 DC ended with the cancellation of Giffen's OMAC and the realisation that Simon Bisley probably wasn't going to do any more of those hilarious STABBY-MAN covers. But I do like this illustration Daniel Krall has done on the subject for McSweeney's.

Brendan McCarthy & Pete Milligan's SUMMER OF LOVE

2012-01-17T20:08:00.000Z

After I mentioned how I'd only ever seen one installment of Pete & Brendan's Sunday newspaper strip SUMMER OF LOVE (in Rufus Dayglo's Comicartfan gallery), David Rees emailed me with a scan of a second. Here's both, and if anybody comes across any more, email 'em in and I'll post them here, too.

Everyone involved with THE NEWS ON SUNDAY usually roll their eyes when the subject is brought up. It may have been an amateurish set-up, a total misfire and a grand failure, but one thing they got right was commissioning comic strip talent. The second strip that ran there was SCATHA, by Pat Mills and Glenn Fabry - you can see four of the seven published strips at this Bear Alley entry from 2008.

Bat Out Of Hell

2012-01-15T23:47:00.001Z

Saw this a while ago on Rico Renzi's Twitter fee - Jakob Westman's Batgirl. A poke around Westman's DeviantArt page reveals an illustrator with a McKelvie-esque line and an attractive way with colour.

I knew the name was familiar, and realised where I'd heard it before - he was the guy who came up with the custom Hellboy Playmobils that were doing the rounds a while ago - remember these?

Milligan/McCarthy's THE ELECTRIC(K) HOAX

2012-01-15T20:01:00.002Z

Again: for anyone watching my blog but not following David Hine's - and if not, why not? - tonight he's ran a bunch of scans of The Electrick Hoax, the 1978 strip Pete Milligan and Brendan McCarthy did for long-deceased music weekly SOUNDS. It was of-its-time and fairly terrible, but of ~~hysterical~~ historical interest to a lot of you, I'd presume. There's a few visual clues there to the later preoccupations of this team.

Anyone out there got any scans of THE NEWS ON SUNDAY's Summer Of Love by Pete and Brendan, from 1987? I think I've only ever seen one week's edition of that strip, and damned if I could be bothered heading over to Colindale Avenue to view 'em.

Blog watching

2012-01-14T20:28:00.001Z

The latest theme at the What Not blog has been video games, which is something of a pet subject for Duncan Fegredo. Normally not the most prolific blogger at the site, he's posted four times in two days - and it's all good stuff. The last three follow the progress of a commission a few years ago from EDGE magazine. Shame they didn't run with the composition in the original sketch, it's a belter.

And WJC tweeted a load of sketches influenced by RETURN OF THE JEDI last night. Handily, he's published them in digest format at his blog today, saving me a load of copying-and-pasting.

Unclog yer blog.

2012-01-13T20:53:00.003Z

Time to dump all this stuff clogging up the tabs in my browser by sticking it all here.

Lee Bermejo's cover for Vertigo's adaptation of THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. Bermejo was recently on the receiving end of a rather complimentary discussion of his work on the always-amusing Sunnyside Comics (yes, I'm another one who's still listening). No point complaining about this piece being unnecessarily sexualized, 'cuz presumably everyone on the planet knows by now that the entire, mystifyingly successful, Steig Larsson schtick is built on a queasy hypocritical take on sexual violence. "Ooh, isn't this awful? Let's keep looking!"

Meet Diego Gerlach, he's, uh, like a Brazilian Shaky Kane, I suppose (via Seneca).

That date-stamp at the bottom makes me suspicious. Is he a (*gasp*) secret librarian? SECRET LIBRARIAN is also the name of a new crossover series from Marvel, written by Brenda Bendis and drawn by Probably Mike Zeck, debuting June 2012.

Saw this guy over at Joe Bloke's gaffe: Loston Wallace.

His work clearly wears its influences on its sleeve, but he does a nice line in Joe Sinnotty-inks. Cheers, Joe.

It has long been stated that the quickest way to get a mention on this blog is draw Tank Girl. But Eric Canete and Jim Mahfood know that's a right load of old bollocks.

Sean Phillips draws Edgar Allen Poe as a guy either trying out as a new bassist for The Horrors, or really in need of a haircut.

Nothing like a day freezing one's arse off on a mobile library in a supermarket car-park to make you dream of escaping to Brazil. That, and the fact that Fabio Moon has left me under the impression that the girls there are in a constant state of undress.

Rufus Dayglo draws Tankie for a Tankie. Rufus need never know what awful Freudian keyboard slip I just made while typing his name (what is a Gayglo anyway?).

Assorted linkery: buy Corto Maltese in English! Watch a proud-looking Alan Moore visiting the Occupy kids (and it's not often BBC's featherlight The One Show beats Channel Four News to a story, but let's remember they got there first a few weeks ago with David Lloyd)!

Been caught Soliciting: Dark Horse Comics for April 2012

2012-01-12T00:17:00.001Z

Every time I feature an Eric Powell piece, I always suffix it with "never feature enough Eric Powell, must run more". I don't make the rules, I just enforce 'em with a huge dopey grin on my face.

Mignola always gives great werewolf. The Wolves Of St. August is probably the high-point of his artwork in that first phase of Hellboy. Y'know, back when he really tortured himself with the detailed inking.

Duncan Fegredo draws a pair of recurring BPRD weirdies going at it. C'mon Daimo! I don't trust that fecking Wendigo.

Dark Horse's iteration of Conan has finally gotten around to the Belit stories. Always loved John Buscema's design for that character, looks like Becky Cloonan has gone in a different, maybe even more sexualised, direction. And if having Becky Cloonan draw it wasn't enough to sell it to you, there's a cover by John Paul Leon.

All yer proper solicitation text, as usual, is over at CBR.

Blogging about blogging.

2012-01-09T21:08:00.001Z

A blog chock-full of great art is David Hine's Waiting For Trade (not least because, along with Steve Cook's blog, it's your go-to place for previously unseen Shaky Kane). His recent entry on Gary Groth's early effort, Fantastic Fanzine, has some great illustrations and vintage con-photos. Cop these: Barry Windsor Smith's Silver Surfer, and Jim Steranko in a positively heroic shirt.

Pure nostalgia hit: Phil Bond

2012-01-09T19:07:00.000Z

Here's something I intended to post a few days ago when he linked to it on Twitter: Phil Bond revisiting Liz & Pippa from DEADLINE's Wired World. They're images guaranteed to bring a warm glow to comic fans of a certain age.

Linkatron 3000.

2012-01-09T18:55:00.001Z

1. My Best Of 2011 post is now up at the FPI Blog.

2. Classic Toth interview up at a website with an unfortunate URL.

3. Watch a decent documentary on the making of The Flaming Lips' classic The Soft Bulletin.

EAGLE AWARDS nom-nom-noms.

2012-01-04T14:27:00.000Z

The last time this blog made it to the first stage of nominations for an Eagle Award, I gave you the instruction "vote with your conscience". And look what you went an' done, voted for the usual load of old bollocks. Warren bleedin' Ellis and Rich fucking Johnston and all the usual fucking suspects.

THIS TIME! GO HERE! And vote for the following, or we won't be friends anymore!

Favourite Newcomer Artist: Tiernen Trevallion
Favourite Letterer: Joe Decie
Favourite Editor: Rob Davis/Woodrow Phoenix
Favourite Publisher: Blank Slate Books
Favourite British Comicbook: Colour: Nelson
Favourite European Comicbook: Long John Silver
Favourite 2011 Single Story: Nelson
Favourite 2011 Continued Story: Hellboy: The Storm
Favourite 2011 Original Graphic Novel: Nelson
Favourite 2011 Reprint Compilation: Cradlegrave
Favourite Comics-Related Movie or TV Show: Community
Favourite Comics-Related Website: Bad Librarianship
Roll of Honour: Mick McMahon

And vote with your "conscience" in the other categories, but no deviating in the above categories, no siree Bob! Democracy. Sheep! BAA! BAAA! BAAAA!!

Too damned cute.

2011-12-31T14:27:00.002Z

Zac Gorman's X-mas gift to his girlfriend. Here's hoping he flogs prints of it on Etsy.

I recently watched those two Deathly Hallows adaptations. Sure, I've always attested those movies meant nothing to me. They were nothing like the Harry Potter movies playing in my head as I read those books. No, I didn't cry when Dobby died. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar.

Happy new year from Edmund Bagwell.

2011-12-31T13:17:00.005Z

Let's see how long we can all hold our resolve.

Comics Group Comics are my new favourite publisher.

Interview: Rob Davis on NELSON.

2011-12-30T22:35:00.000Z

My interview with Rob Davis about NELSON is up now, over at Comic Book Resources. I'll try and make this my last word on the subject. Other than "it's my book of the year, from my publisher of the year, and you really all must try and read a copy".

Merry X-mas pt.V - Christmas past

2011-12-24T23:16:00.000Z

Mickey Mignola just posted this on Twitter. Which got me thinking of this, by Kev Walker, recently posted on Steve Cook's amazing blog Secret Oranges.

Steve's blog is a treasure trove, including of late lots of seasonal art from Christmas cards sent by Marvel, DC and 2000AD.

Merry X-mas pt.IV: More Christmas.

2011-12-24T22:48:00.000Z


From PJ Holden


From Dave Taylor


From Warwick Johnson Cadwell


From Craig Conlan


From Adam Law

From Louise Evans & Jonathan Edwards

From Phil Bond

Did I miss anybody?

Merry X-mas pt.III - music

2011-12-23T21:26:00.000Z

1. You've all heard The Klams' X-mas single Hey Rudolph, right?

2. Get Akira The Don's X-mas long player Saturnalia Superman down yer neck. Satan, Sexmas, Jimmy Saville... it's the good shit.

3. It's about this time of the year when I unleash my Spotify playlist of my favourite tracks of the year, innit? So here it is - Tunes I've been humming in 2011 (Bonus link - 2010's is still damned fine, too)

Merry X-Mas 2011 pt.II

2011-12-23T17:01:00.000Z

From Chris Weston

From Edmund Bagwell

From Tiernen Trevallion

From John Hoffman

From Kev Levell

From Colin Lorimer

From Simon Allison

Merry Christmas from Brendan McCarthy

2011-12-15T01:03:00.000Z

As usual, Brendan proves to be the earliest with his seasonal E-card.

Been caught soliciting: DC Comics for March 2012

2011-12-13T16:56:00.000Z

Some nice cover art this go-around, including my monthly dose of Biz's STABBY-MAN! Stabby-Man, Stabby-Man, stabs whatever a stabber can!

I was tempted to run an earlier version of this image when the lovely Dave Taylor ran it at his blog a while ago, but I waited, and here's the finished cover for his and Chip Kidd's Batman OGN, DEATH BY DESIGN. It's a beauty.

I'm not the world's biggest Jim Lee fan, but I do like this piece, it's got character, even if that's a most unladylike pose.

Rafael Grampa drawing the cover of a Denys Cowan comic? Even if it's complete bollocks, it'll be great looking.

I've been avoiding spoiling myself on SPACEMAN at all, all the more so to enjoy the inevitable collected edition. Love this cover by Dave Johnson, though.

You know the boom in UK graphic novel publishing must be making some impact with US commissioning editors when they start poaching talent, and Ian Culbard has been snatched up by Vertigo. The comic he's working on, THE NEW DEADWARDIANS, sounds like a hoot - a class struggle between posh vampires and proletariat zombies, written by pun-king Dan Abnett, of whom any 2000AD fan will tell you has been in a rich vein of form for the last couple of years.

Vampires - vein. Heh. I don't just throw this shit together, you know.

Lovely stuff found knocking about my desktop/browser/the internet.

2011-12-13T14:45:00.000Z

Sir Duncan Fegredo's Dark Hellboy sketch he posted recently on Twitter. Seems entirely wrong to call it a "sketch":

From his blog earlier today, Neill "Mo-Bot High" Cameron's giant robot Judge Dredd:

Robert Valley is getting back into the swing of blogging. After his work on trailers for GUITAR HERO and ROCK BAND: THE BEATLES, Valley has became something of a go-to guy for rock illustration. Here's his Zep...

...and here's Mike Avon Oeming's Pagey, from the What Not blog. It's a suitably thunderous composition, but there's an obvious problem with this image - he's stuck Percy Plant's rune on a drawing of Page The Mage. Change it to a Zoso, Mike!

George Lucas has commissioned some great new STAR WARS art by some top comickers for a new book from Harry Abrams. Which reminds me, when are Harry Abrams' new Corto Maltese translations coming out? Haven't heard much about that for a while. Anyway, stay off the tangent, Mark - here's a lovely piece by Frank Quitely:

STAR WARS also remains a rich vein of inspiration for the man we call WJC:

...and for Phil Bond, too, heading into JAKe-ish territory:

..and remember Patrick McQuade's "Hothy Christmas" from last year? He's got new designs joining it this year, including this - "You've Lando-ed On The Nice-List This Year":

And PJ Holden linked to this classic piece of Wood-work on Twitter last night. I'm guessing this was a lifestyle mag for hip astronauts-around-town.

Hey, I've just turned forty.

2011-12-07T00:01:00.001Z

It's my birthday. Edmund Bagwell has sent this along to help mark the occasion, bless him. The likeness is uncanny.

What do you want for Christmas?

2011-12-03T11:56:00.001Z

Me, I wouldn't mind one of Rufus Dayglo's gyclee Tank Girl prints. Preferably the least expletive-laden one, justin casey.

Dredd heads

2011-12-03T11:42:00.001Z

Robert Ball posted this lovely bit of vector art up at his blog recently, as good a redesign of Dredd's headgear as I've ever seen.

Francesco Francavilla has made good on his promise to post more Dredd work up at Comic Twart:

And one more for good luck - Dave Johnson's bobble-head Dredd. He's an angry little man with a huge head and a zip that goes right down to his balls.

And I see Rebellion have a new Dredd game out for yr fancy phones. (Via Pye Parr)

ZAUCER OF ZILK imminent.

2011-12-03T09:31:00.001Z

Always good to see a Brendan McCarthy project make that jump from theoretical to actual. Good interview with The Subliminal Kid up on the subject, over at CBR now.

Fegredo does SKYRIM, Francavilla does DREDD.

2011-11-29T20:55:00.001Z

Here's What Not, another of dem der' sketch jam blogs, as in the style of the great Comic Twart or Eclectic Micks. This one has a hell of a line up of talent contributing (as in: holy shit, Bill Sienkiewicz!), and in this case, Sir Duncan Fegredo showing us what's been taking up his time lately.

And speaking of the now-venerable Comic Twart, here's Francesco Francavilla doing a typically design-savvy piece on this week's theme, Judge Dredd. The theme was picked by Bad Librarianship-favourite, Dan McDaid, who's doodled many great Dredds on all sorts of scrap paper and envelopes for me, and I'll bloomin' scan them all for you some day. I would have done it months ago, but Canon won't release 64 bit drivers for my beloved old Lide. Anyway, getting back to my point - Tharg, hire Dan McDaid to draw a Dredd sometime! What's taking ya, Green Bonce?

Also: process fans - cop to Where They Draw.

Joe Decie proposes via the medium of comics.

2011-11-14T21:20:00.001Z

Joe's proposal was a lot subtler's than Leigh Gallagher's, but just as effective.

I read Blank Slate's compilation of a load of Joe's strips, THE ACCIDENTAL SALAD, a while back and loved it: recommended to fans of Eddie Campbell or James Kochalka's autobiographical work.

Tomorrow's links today.

2011-11-09T13:15:00.001Z

1. Buy Alfie Gallagher's Christmas cards.

2. Listen to David Lynch's new LP. It's good!

3. Read an interview with Frank Quitely.

4. Joe Bloke wants to punch Frank Miller.

5. The mainstream continues to cotton-on to the boom in original graphic novels published in the UK: Creative Review covers Self Made Hero's HELLRAISERS.

Blowing your mind with some Edmund Bagwell.

2011-11-09T12:26:00.000Z

When I recently complimented the art-droid sometimes known as Bag-E on the amazing Bewilderbeast stampede sequence in the latest run of 2000AD's Indigo Prime, he kindly sent me along some digital files of these pages, shorn of John Smith's space-beatnik-jive ("she's not used to dragging baryonic ballast like this!"). I reckon Tharg won't send me a Rigellian Hotshot for sharing this selection with you. These pages are, of course, in no particular order (thanks to Blogger's spectacularly unresponsive controls), and from Progs 1756-1758.

Blogger inevitably finds the link between his two favourite things.

2011-11-07T20:59:00.001Z

Dunno how I missed this at Comic Twart first time around, only seeing it when io9 flagged it up in the last couple of days, especially bearing in mind how popular The Stooges and Jack Kirby are around these parts. Tom Fowler's Kamandi.

Anybody: got a spare five grand?

2011-11-03T00:30:00.000Z

Things I saw tonight: hey, lend me five large and I'll either buy a Kirby page from my favourite Cap story, or an entire job lot of Brendan McCarthy sketches.

Also: Glynn Dillon draws Yoda reading Heat magazine. Why? Dunno.

From the file marked "'About Time!"

2011-11-01T20:24:00.000Z

While I'm on a Frank Quitely streak: the final cover for the FLEX MENTALLO collection, as revealed via the good burghers of Robot Six. A rather masterful use of the aul’ trademark Morrison/Deighan "4D comics" approach.

That'll be Halloween, then.

2011-10-31T20:25:00.000Z

Just gave my first trick-or-treater the bum's rush. I don't have a damned thing in the house except beer, and there's probably a law against giving that out to kids. Anyhow, saw these out and about tonight: Bryan Lee O'Malley dipping his toe back into PILGRIM-y waters for a "Kim Pine dresses as Ramona/Ramona dresses as Kim Pine" Halloween-themed sketch; and more proof that Ryan Sook does good Kirby without falling into the usual "Kirby-as-genre" cliches.

Oh, and for another Halloween-y sumthin'-sumthin', head over to Peter Richardson's Cloud 109. Always good to see him post some of his own work up there, now that he mainly uses that blog for thoughtful rumination on the work of past masters.

More NELSON news.

2011-10-26T20:42:00.000+01:00

Anyone following me on Twitter knows I'm always banging on about there being a renaissance in UK comics publishing right now, with half a dozen great new graphic novel publishers, and a handful of small-press anthologies, and a couple of new comics with ambitions beyond the ghetto of the direct market. An upcoming book I'll never tire of plugging, and the one I reckon has the real potential to be the first big break-out from this enterprising bunch is NELSON. I've now been lucky enough to read a pre-release copy of this 'un, and I can safely say that the editors have pulled off an amazing trick, a genuine innovation: an anthology that works successfully as a novel, and as a novel packs a hell of an emotional clout. It's the best thing I've read in the graphic novel medium since ASTERIOS POLYP.

Anyway, over at their blog, loveable London retailer Gosh have simultaneously announced a launch party, and a limited edition bookplate edition which will come with an inserted signed print by Frank Quitely. Which is just another great reason to buy the book.

Stuff clogging up my browser.

2011-10-26T20:14:00.000+01:00

Here's a few covers of stuff solicited in the last few weeks that I've allowed to fester in assorted tabs on my browser, always intending to show them off here. A Bisley, a Sook, a Dave Johnson and a Fegredo. In other words, the usual suspects. Can Shade The Changing Man fire beams out of that thing on his shirt? I read that book for seventy issues, never knew he had any super-powers.

What a bunch of Hawklords.

2011-09-28T00:01:00.002+01:00

Well, if we weren't Prog Rock before, we're definitely Prog Rock now.

Urban Guerrilla by Klams

Catch more Klams at their online virtual bunker.

S'occuper de ses oignons.

2011-09-19T22:02:00.001+01:00

I'm not dead, but I am very busy. I'm not going to bore you with the details, but here's some stuff that's been piling up in tabs in my browser window of late.

Do go out and pre-order THE STORM AND THE FURY. It's bloody amazing. Unconditionally guaranteed. Also, there's a new Mignola-drawn short in the latest issue of DARK HORSE PRESENTS to be solicited (#7). Full Dark Horse solicitations are over at CBR.

The latest Image solicitations (again, see 'em all at CBR) features this: a collection of Rian Hughes' TALES FROM BEYOND SCIENCE shorts, originally from 2000AD in the early Nineties.

Post-ROME and SPARTACUS, I'm becoming quite a sucker for new po-mo sword-and-sandal epics. I'll probably get this, then: THE LAST BATTLE by Tito Faraci (who's been writing DIABOLIK in Italy for the last decade or so) and Dan Brereton, a perennial favourite of mine.

Saw this in house ads in recent 2000AD product, a collection of Future Shocks given to new subscribers as a freebie. I liked the style of the guy, so I asked one of Tharg's minions who drew it: the guy is called Grant Perkins, and he wanted his colourist, Jamie Roberts, credited. It's nice work, I'd like to see more of the guy in the prog.

I am, of course, the information professional of choice for the Grime scene. Lethal Bizzle regularly stops by here to get his photocopying done, and I'm close personal friends with those two little fellas who keep trying to sound like Kanye West. But my favourite will always be Akira The Don. Here's the video for his new single, which fills me with sheer pop joy.

Dan McDaid has unleashed a fair few lovely bits and pieces on his blog (and some damned good, 'bout time-style news) while I've been off-air, but this is also full of sheer pop joy. Harry Potter. On a unicorn. Flying out of the TARDIS.

And in the "so good I just had to own the original art" files, it's WJC's most inevitable team-up ever.

Somewhere, on a better world, it's Jack Kirby's 94th birthday.

2011-08-28T20:51:00.000+01:00

Raise a glass.

And check out Jason "Loose Ends" Latour's Homage.

UPDATE - and let's all chuck a few bucks in this direction.

Art for a sleepy bank holiday weekend.

2011-08-27T18:39:00.001+01:00

Brigonos Mac Giolla Chomhgaill turns the Klams/Wynne tractor motif into an internet meme; Alfie Gallagher renders the grievous angel in sequins; cop a load of Emma Rios (check out her Flickr for starters); and Dave Johnson's been Drinking &amp; Drawing again; Rich Pellegrino goes Nintendo on Klimt's ass; and Nathan Stapley's robotic companions.

Link for yer.

2011-08-27T12:17:00.000+01:00

There's a certain fear that comes with checking Twitter and your RSS feed after having been offline for a few days. The backlog is far too big to entertain the notion of ever catching up with what's been going on with all my favourites. There was one link too good not to share, just in case any of you haven't seen it already at the FPI blog. It's a blog dedicated to reviewing every Future Shock in chronological order. I don't know the author, but he writes with an understated authority. He's clearly very knowledgeable on all matters 2000AD.

Sci-Fi Mondays

2011-08-15T21:12:00.000+01:00

R2-D2, Metal Mickey and Twiki finally reveal their murderous true selves, thanks to Dan McDaid.

Devilpig's cover for SPACEMAN #2.

New ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN artist Sara Pichelli draws Tank Girl.

Stuff, Tuesday.

2011-08-09T22:18:00.000+01:00

I continue to like the classicism of The Biz's covers for STABBY MAN or wtf it's called. They've got an old school 2000AD thing going on that reminds me of why we all fell in love with him way back when.

And Mitch Gerads' Matt Smith has character.

Dave Johnson's cover for Staceytron: Mass Perceptron

2011-08-03T22:14:00.002+01:00

More on the book here.

Stuff I saw today.

2011-08-02T21:13:00.000+01:00

Man, trying to keep coming up with new blog post titles is HARD. When you're drunk.

Tim Hamilton evoking Reverso.

Neil Roberts teaches us the collective term for evil robots: a clutch of Blackbloods.

Henry Bonsu drops a blasphemous non sequitur nonpareil.

Warwick Johnson Cadwell's Joker is delightfully, unexpectedly, moddish.

Mike Allred's YOJIMBO triptych.

2011-07-29T22:51:00.002+01:00

Three iterations of (pretty much) the same character, as drawn by the Doc.

Been caught soliciting: Marvel, October, 2011.

2011-07-26T22:04:00.001+01:00

When I saw a solicitation for a NEXTWAVE character, featuring a rather good NEXTWAVE-y cover by Juan Doe; written by a writer with a name so preposterous, it could only be pseudonymous; with a most curiously bone-dry solicitation blurb, I started to get suspicious. Could Warren Ellis be playing some obtuse prank on us all? But no, it turns out there really is a writer out there called "Dennis Hopeless". Honest. Best of luck with that one, young man.

I remember loving the Stern/Smith Dr Strange run a lot as a young 'un. Then Smith left, and Badger took over, and I liked that, too. But Stern left, and Peter Gillis took over, and Badger absconded quickly, too. The title died on its arse after that, and was folded into a split-book with Cloak & Dagger, with the venerable Marvel name STRANGE TALES. I love a split-book, and this one usually had great covers, by Kevin Nowlan or even Mike Mignola, and let's all remember comics were dirt-cheap back then, so I bought quite a few issues, but I do recall the book's contents as being pretty dreadful. Which leads me to the question: why are Marvel reprinting them? No-one in the creative team has suddenly been reappraised or became hot. Maybe it's because it was an earlier attempt at doing a darker, de-powered Strange, like the one Bendis is writing these days. I'll go ahead and just presume that this is part of a decision to create a sufficient Dr. Strange back-list for whenever the inevitable movie adaptation is announced. Anyway, less cynicism, more nice vintage Kevin Nowlan art.

Anyway, less ruminatin': the whole lot are up to see at CBR.

Op-Ed

2011-07-24T00:12:00.000+01:00

The best news I've heard from this year's SDCC blah-fest is that Fantagraphics have obtained the EC Comics license, and will be using it to repackage the classic marque's back catalogue into collections based around individual creators, rather than around the various anthologies that originally housed the material, "to better underline [the] specific artistic achievements of [the] creators". Here's hoping this helps sustain a momentum that prompts all publishers to treat their own anthologies in such a way, so that DC could publish a Showcase entirely dedicated to Wally Wood, Alex Toth or Frank Robbins, for instance.

Low, low ticket price for the AL EWING versus MATT BADHAM bout.

2011-07-21T15:21:00.002+01:00

2000AD's Al Ewing is having a bare-knuckle fight in a pub car-park in Manchester with Brit-Cit comics journo Matt Badham tomorrow night at 6.30. Apparently Matt spilled Al's pint. There's a guy at the gate collecting £2 a head. Details in full here. I'd advise to get there early, 'cus Matt's a bleeder.

Phil Bond's Batgirl

2011-07-20T22:02:00.003+01:00

I think I detect a little Robert Crumb influence on this.

Via PJB's solid gold Flickr account.

Been caught soliciting: DC Comics, October 2011.

2011-07-20T00:12:00.002+01:00

DC COMICS PRESENTS: THE JACK KIRBY OMNIBUS SAMPLER #1
Written by Various
Art by JACK KIRBY and others
Cover by JACK KIRBY
On sale OCTOBER 26 • 96 pg, FC, $7.99 US
With the JACK KIRBY OMNIBUS VOL. 1 – STARRING GREEN ARROW HC on the way, DC presents this selection of Kirby mystery stories from the 1950s, pulled from the pages of HOUSE OF SECRETS #3, 8 and 12, HOUSE OF MYSTERY #76, TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED #13, 1 and 24 and MY GREATEST ADVENTURE #15, 16 17, 20 and 21, plus a Green Arrow tale from ADVENTURE COMICS #251!

Must admit, when I first saw that cover image out of the corner of my eye, I thought it said "the stone genitals of Silent Island", which would be a fantastic comic book.

THE STEVE DITKO OMNIBUS VOL. 2 HC
Written by STEVE DITKO, LEN WEIN, PAUL LEVITZ, MARK MILLAR and others • Art by STEVE DITKO and others • Cover by STEVE DITKO
On sale DECEMBER 14 • 384 pg, FC, $59.99 US
Collecting tales by artist Steve Ditko from SHOWCASE #75, THE HAWK AND THE DOVE #1-2, MAN-BAT #1, DETECTIVE COMICS #483-485 and 487, ADVENTURE COMICS #467-468, LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES #267, 268, 274, 276 and 281, OUTSIDERS #13, LEGENDS OF THE DC UNIVERSE 80-PAGE GIANT #1 and the TALES OF THE NEW GODS TP.

That's a lot of money for some less-than-classic comics, but still... tempted.

New SF from the 100 BULLETS team. This resides in the "must buy" files.

Tasteful Rafael Grampa cover for an interesting sounding anthology featuring some new work by The Funky Dave Gibbons.

There's also another one o'dem Vertigo Resurrected collections featuring some neglected classic Peter Milligan coming, but the work in it seems rather randomly collated. As I keep saying on Twitter, why not collect the FACE one-shot he did with Sir Duncan Fegredo, and pack it out with the shorts they did together for various anthologies? Or include GIRL and call it a Milligan/Fegredo omnibus?

"The Shatner's really hit the fan now. I'm up Dawson's Creek without a paddle."

2011-07-18T19:28:00.001+01:00

Dan McDaid draws the Sci-Fi crossover the world didn't even know it was waiting for - Space Ghost Versus Aliens.

Via ComicTwart.

Been caught soliciting: Image, October 2011.

2011-07-16T20:16:00.000+01:00

Joe Casey gets to work with some rather tasty artists, doesn't he?

More sexy glossy work from Viktor Kalvachev. No idea if this comic is any good, but all the preview art looks great, so I've been waiting for the trade patiently.

All the rest are up at CBR, of course.

Other crap you could expect from Marvel if I was E.I.C.

2011-07-16T10:36:00.005+01:00

Bá and Moon on X-MEN.

And an oldie but a goodie: Rafael Grampá's Daredevil.

Javi Godoy deserves a crack at The Hulk, after this.

Marvel doesn't have the Red Sonja license any more, but still... Dan Panosian! He gets odd jobs from the big two, but I'd give him the keys to the kingdom.

Well, I'd have bought it.

2011-07-16T10:29:00.003+01:00

You people really need to work harder on your campaign to replace Joe Quesada with me, if you want comics like this to happen.

Via the reliable TSOBM.

Bisley is as Bisley does.

2011-07-13T21:50:00.000+01:00

This comic sounds dreadful ("Deathstroke’s tactical prowess is put to the test when the man who hired him attempts to renege on the contract. Pitted against a salvo of new assassins, including the vicious Road Rage, Slade must take his giant sword to the 405 freeway and proclaim himself the most vicious killer in the city of Angels!"), but the cover is AMAZING.

The inevitable Hellboy/SONS OF ANARCHY crossover...

2011-07-13T21:18:00.001+01:00

...comes from the hand of Duncan Fegredo. So it's practically official.

We're big fans of SONS OF ANARCHY in our family. Despite never even owning a moped in my life, I come from a family of dirty hairy stinking bikers. A lot of my friends are loud, larger-than-life, have hard livers, and are downright freaky looking. I used to share a house with a guy who had a nylon testicle. I've read a copy of Hunter Thompson's HELL'S ANGELS that was stolen from the Maghaberry prison library. I studied HAMLET at school. I can relate to the SAMCRO crew.

Been caught soliciting: Dark Horse, October 2011.

2011-07-10T22:26:00.000+01:00

It's a good month for tasty Mignola covers, with the cream of the crop being this 'un:

Devilpig seemed a bit miffed when I didn't feature his last Abe Sapien cover, but this one is a belter:

It strikes me that, while Eric Powell is a personal favourite, I seldom feature his work on this blog. Strange, that:

A hardcover collection of every one of Evan Dorkin's MILK AND CHEESE strips? That's a must for every self-respecting hater's shelf space:

Read the lot (ooh, the last ever issue of FEAR AGENT!) at CBR.

Another The Klams/David Wynne/Marvel Comics/Massey Ferguson high speed collision

2011-07-10T21:56:00.000+01:00

The Klams - Black Knight by Klams

What next? "Iron Man"? "Sgt. Fury"?

Nigel Auchterlounie on The News Of The World

2011-07-10T00:11:00.000+01:00

Seemed fitting to shine a light on this, on the day of the (god, I hope) last ever edition of The News Of The World: Nigel Auchterlounie's take on the phone hacking scandal currently afflicting the dirty digger.

Some good lookin' new Brendan McCarthy work.

2011-07-05T22:53:00.000+01:00

Over at The Strangeness Of..., John has debuted a couple of pieces by the Subliminal Kid from upcoming releases - the cover for a new book devoted to the fondly-remembered innovative animation REBOOT, and a strip for ROCKETEER ADVENTURES in tribute to the man we may consider directly responsible for STRANGE DAYS, Dave Stevens. I note it's written by John Arcudi, co-author of the most consistently good comic in the mainstream, B.P.R.D. I love how these few panels give us a clue to how the McCarthy/Cook team have adapted their current psychedigital style to the more muted palette of the strip's time frame.

Gabriel Bá draws The Killjoys.

2011-07-02T20:02:00.000+01:00

I'm no expert on My Chemical Romance other than I know that when a friend took his kids to see them play in Belfast a while ago, he reported back that Gerard Way was in a spectacularly foul mood all night. Aw, diddums. Here's a pin-up of MCR's alter-egos, The Killjoys, by Way's regular comics collaborator, Gabriel Bá.

If you can make me laugh and dance at the same time...

2011-07-02T19:36:00.000+01:00

...I'm yours.

Soup du Jour du DeviantArt

2011-07-02T15:13:00.001+01:00

Stuff I saw while recently trawling DeviantArt.

Chris Brunner, Dave Johnson, Dan Panosian.

Weekenders II

2011-06-26T21:11:00.001+01:00

Ulises Farinas - thought I'd featured him before, but I must have forgotten to (loved this Darrowesque piece when it came out). And Gilles Vrankx, a spellchecker-busting Belgian cheesecake artist, with a nice post-Ashley Wood/post-Paul Pope style.

It's still Wednesday, right?

2011-06-22T23:34:00.000+01:00

Frank Stockton draws the nicest band in showbiz for Rolling Stone, Eric Canete draws the goddamn Batman.

Today's images of today, today: brought to you by paint fumes and stout.

2011-06-21T23:57:00.001+01:00

Dave Taylor draws Robot Archie and Cass Anderson taking a stroll. Fair enough. Spot the Bat-cameo!

Dan McDaid draws Wolverine's furry ass.

Weekenders.

2011-06-19T20:44:00.000+01:00

From the man who brought you Robert Johnson: Rob Davis's Lightnin' Hopkins; there are few things in life better than a Mick McMahon Joey Pineapples; Shane Oakley's The Dream Of Henry Dunning.

Movies I WOULD go to see...

2011-06-17T21:18:00.000+01:00

Henry Bonsu's BATMAN...

...if WJC directed the sequel to HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON I'm guessing it would feature many more guitar solos.

Victor Santos' Raylan Givens.

2011-06-17T20:50:00.000+01:00

Victor hasn't really got the hat right, but he's got Timothy Olyphant's crazy stare down pat.

Image of the day goes to...

2011-06-15T22:16:00.000+01:00

Mike Huddleston's even-more-deranged tribute to Bill Sienkiewicz's already-pretty-bonkers ELEKTRA ASSASSIN #4.

Been caught soliciting: DC, September 2011.

2011-06-15T21:51:00.000+01:00

DC's 52 new #1s have had more than enough coverage already, so let's skip straight to their back end. Hurr hurr.

How many times can DC get you to buy All-Star Superman? One more time, that's how many. This was the format I was holding out for, I'll admit.

I love Joe Kubert, but I'd bet Robert Crumb's retelling of Genesis is funnier.

Simon Bisley is still turning John Constantine into... Simon Bisley. Dammit, Biz, JC would never wear those boots! You would!

This is where I piously take the piss out of the tat DC Direct churn out, while never admitting that I'd secretly love either of these on my mantelpiece. Especially the Mignola-inspired one.

Been caught soliciting: Marvel, September 2011.

2011-06-15T21:06:00.000+01:00

I know Dave Johnson can get a little anxious when I haven't featured one of his covers here in a while.

For sheer strength of design on this 'un, I declare Marcos Martin the winner.

I'm a sucker for Thor, as regular reader's know. BD-ist Stephane Perger evokes the Kirby/Simonson eras with some top-notch giganticism. This is what those Marvel movies need. Proper big shit. Galactus. Sentinels. Fin Fang Foom.

This is far from Leinil Yu's best work, but, hey, it's Frog-Man! And it looks like Jessica Jones is about to suffer a pop-out.

Sean Phillips evoking the golden age of sleazy paperbacks nicely.

And I'd hate to be the sort of glib fucker who'd say "Yay! Matt Fraction's one good comic is back!"

Source: CBR.

Today's image of the day, today. On a Tuesday.

2011-06-14T23:22:00.000+01:00

Still Tuesday, right? Must stop caning it. Anyway, Cuddly Kev O'Neill is doing series of bookplate editions of the latest LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN books for the nice folks at Gosh!.

Today's image of the day, today. On a Monday.

2011-06-13T21:42:00.000+01:00

And the winner is Sean Phillips. I remember this crap spooking the shit out of me as a young 'un.

Today's image of the day, today. On a Sunday.

2011-06-12T21:42:00.000+01:00

Got to come up with a better name for this feature. Anyway, Paul Pope has done another gig poster for the BLUES EXPLOSION! UH! and we'll wait and see if it becomes as influential an image as his first. One for my fellow guitar nerds (Cor! A Teisco Del Ray! In front of some boobs!). I always appreciate it when an illustrator gets his guitar reference right.

Get yer free stuff.

2011-06-12T13:03:00.000+01:00

My cousin David has a free album available from the good burghers of Noisetrade. Do go download it for a listen. We've similar (rather classicist) tastes in music, but somehow ended up sounding very different along the way.

Been caught soliciting: Dark Horse, September 2011.

2011-06-11T22:42:00.001+01:00

Coming across this month's Dark Horse solicitations wouldn't have altered my decision for today's image of the day, but there's a couple of good 'uns here, especially Francesco Francavilla's Abe Sapien.

Inevitable conclusion.

2011-06-11T22:17:00.000+01:00

Saturday's image of the day is almost guaranteed to always be by Brendan McCarthy.

Jumbo stuff in my in-tray.

2011-06-10T21:31:00.000+01:00

Today's image(s) of the day, from the last 24 hours(ish) of accrued guff in my RSS feed.

Ron Embleton gets saucy.

Connor Willumsen, via Ali Sampson.

Jonathan Edwards draws Uli Oesterle's Hector Umbra.

Frank Quitely draws Alan Moore.

Oh, and other stuff I liked today.

2011-06-09T22:19:00.000+01:00

Do go read the new Particle Fiction. I used to think David Wynne was the love child of Warren Ellis and Paul Grist, but now I think I'll just introduce him to people as "the Cockney Steve Ditko".

Celtic werewolves versus Vikings. Now there's a pitch fit for a Neil Marshall movie.

More Klams Klassics.

2011-06-09T22:02:00.000+01:00

For entirely your own good, wrap yer listening gears around that.

Keith Giffen on OMAC.

2011-06-09T20:59:00.000+01:00

Today's image of the day is this fully mental piece of Kirby-as-genre. Good news: Keith Giffen is drawing a new OMAC series in amongst DC's splurge of 52 new #1s. Bad news: Dan DiDio is down as "writer" it. His work on Wednesday Comics was amongst the strangest non-writing I've ever read on a series of pages of comics art. Still, keep your friends close, eh Keith?

Mick McMahon has started blogging.

2011-06-08T10:58:00.000+01:00

Well, there's yer biggest news in UK comic blogging in, like, forever. He's got off to a helluva start, too - pages from the long-anticipated TANK GIRL project he's been working on for a few years Carioca (pages that show McMahon gets the tone of that strip easily), and news of a new WWII-era comic for Com.X, KESTRELS.

And he's got a WJC link in the sidebar. Could the guy get any cooler?

Obviously, that's my picture of the day sorted, too. Here's a sketch of Spikes Harvey Rotten Mick did for his disciple Rob at 2D.

That's another reason why not getting to Derry this year was probably for the best: queuing amongst a sea of school kids for a sketch from Mick, like Pooh Bear amongst a sea of Piglets, then getting to the front and melting down big time. "Can I have a Judge Dredd, no, maybe a Tweek, no, a Fink... it really should be Slaine... or Ukko. Actually, make it a Mongrol. No, Big George..."

Couple of links for yez.

2011-06-07T23:59:00.000+01:00

A couple of 2D Festival post-mortems - Paddy Brown's and Rob Davis's. I remember Rob tweeting sceptically about the 2D ethos before he went - but like everyone who goes, he's became a full-on convert.

And continuing my pledge to post my favourite image of the day from my RSS feed for as long as I can hack it, here's a sketch by John Hoffman.

Space drummin'.

2011-06-06T22:10:00.000+01:00

Trying to get my blogging chops back up to speed by posting my favourite image from every day's trawl through my RSS feed. Yesterday, Andy Kuhn's piece, today, Alfie Gallagher's Release.

Andy Kuhn's ORION VERSUS THE DESTROYER.

2011-06-05T21:53:00.000+01:00

Kuhn's Fourth World Versus Asgard mash-up kinda channels Mignola circa COSMIC ODYSSEY.

Essential viewing II.

2011-05-29T23:14:00.000+01:00

Open House Festival 2011

2011-05-26T20:14:00.000+01:00

My other favourite local festival has announced its line-up for this year. And no, I won't include your cooking lager sponsor in the title of this blog post.

2D time again.

2011-05-24T23:09:00.001+01:00

This year's Stroke City Con is go. Art by Rufus Dayglo and Neill Cameron.

Been caught soliciting: DC, Marvel & Image, August 2011.

2011-05-17T22:25:00.000+01:00

Darwyn Cooke not trying too hard. Ladronn working very hard indeed. A big mad brain from Dave Johnson's big mad brain. Marvel's Punisher relaunch: Bryan Hitch draws a grizzled white dude shooting black kids. But he looks sad while he's doing it, so it's okay.

Mo' DC
Mo' Marvel
Mo' Image

Bloomin' HELLBOY: THE FURY anticipation is killing me.

2011-05-10T22:40:00.001+01:00

Eye-eye Captain. Or as his friends now call him, Hellby.

The Klams: Eighties Week - the whole shooting match.

2011-05-08T00:51:00.001+01:00

Eighties Week is complete. Here's the final running order.

Eighties Week by Klams

Extras after the break.

The idea for the cover came to me in the shower: three B-52 bombers (representing the three Klams) dropping a payload of 99 Red Balloons. What could be more '80s than that? Then I went to Google images for some visual reference, maybe nick some images and Photoshop a cover together myself. It soon became apparent that (i) I was never going to be able to do it, and (ii) the B-52 was a very ugly aircraft. All the best looking bombers were from WWII, and decommissioned by the '80s. Then I came across a shot of the B-2 Stealth Bomber in profile. It was a cool lookin' machine, and was in flight at the tail end of the relevant decade. Blagging favours from my favourite artists can be a tricky job, but WJC agreed readily, bless 'im. My usual policy of sticking a logo and a title on it was forgotten as soon as the finished art arrived in my inbox. It was far too attractive to deface, and Warwick drew the plane already decorated with our name on the side. I adore this image, and would love to see him draw our further adventures in it someday. I imagine us using it as our tour bus, flying from one ridiculous gig destination to another, parking it precariously in outrageous locales.

Nip over to The Klams' official website for a blow-by-blow commentary on the entire EP.

Rob Davis takes the anthology into new territory with NELSON.

2011-05-06T22:11:00.000+01:00

You've probably seen this today already, but I'm going to go ahead and plug it again, because I take a certain pride in its existence. I've became something of an unpaid A&R man at Blank Slate Books anyway, and I took part in the conversation on Twitter that sparked this book off.

British comic creators and fans will always default to the anthology as our comics format of choice. Rob Davis and I are both grumpy old men who regularly bemoan the state of the British comics anthology on Twitter, but Rob has actually done something about it, bless him. I'll give the micro-blogging service its due, it has turned the disparate comics-creating people of the UK into more of a community than ever before; where fans, creators of all kinds, and publishers spend all day hanging out, sharing what they're up to, or just talking shit. This has in turn fed into something of a publishing boom for graphic novels here in the UK. There's three or four ambitious, forward-thinking companies out there at the moment, with more joining them all the time. It's pretty easy for a creator to turn around and pitch something to a publisher these days; especially when you find several of them in your Twitter feed, clicking on your links, laughing at your jokes.

Whereas I am content to berate Tharg from afar for not hiring enough of the artists I champion, and theorize about the dream anthology I'd publish if I won the lottery (a tabloid-sized mash-up of 2000AD, Warrior, Deadline and Wednesday Comics, with a hint of Viz, if you're interested in bank-rolling me); Rob, with his co-editor Woodrow Phoenix, has gone ahead with the business of envisioning something entirely new to do with the great British anthology, and then went ahead and got it off the ground, and then recruited an amazing roster of talent to contribute (with a large contingent of Bad Librarianship favourites, funnily enough), and is using it to raise money for charity. I'm full of admiration for the man, and can't wait for the book to be published.

Everyone should have one of these.

2011-05-06T00:10:00.000+01:00

This would look great in my moon room.