This Thursday, December 8th, 6.30pm at Block T in Smithfield, Dublin, the strictly limited screenprinted versions of the posters from the Hollywood Babylon movie nights are up for show and purchase including me version of the Crank 2 Poster. Tiger beer and all - I'll be there.

The Nightingale and not the Lark

For an interview that never happened...

Lots and lots of little people...

En Vacance

A while back I did some illustrations for John Robbins short story 'Vacancy for Satan':

Stath Time

A poster what I done for Hollywood Babylon's Crank: High Voltage screening innit.

My kingdom for a Note

2D jam from the summer

Until now I forgot about these jam pages from the 2D Comics Festival during the summer which included super-talents, Jim Medway, Gary Northfield and Vicky Stonebridge:

The Black Bus

The Well Below

John Robbin's excellent 'The Well Below' is now available from the Bockedy Books section of the Blackshapes shop here. As with all the Bockedy Stock it comes highly recommended - the Irish Comic News website agrees.
John's Inside Outsiders book is now available to read online. Note, it's down to the last few copies in the shop and is never to be reprinted.

Sorry to hear you're gone Dylan

I was very sad to hear the news of the death of Dylan Williams today.

Dylan was one of the most generous, decent, sound people in the world of comics, a brilliant cartoonist, Sparkplug comics publisher and all-round source of good vibes.

I sent Dylan some of my mini-comics on spec soon after I first started making comics and I was stunned to find him full of encouragement and support via email. He went on to distribute some of those minis and eventually published the Matter Summer Special in 2006. Despite probably driving him crackers with the amount of time it took me to get that comic together for publication he would still regularly get in touch to see what else I had on the go and how it was progressing and could he publish it?

The first time I met Dylan in person was my first real visit to the states in the early 2000's. The centrepiece of the trip was the SPX con in Bethesda of that year. On my own and undergoing extreme culture shock, I very nervily introduced myself at the Sparkplug table and Dylan immediately went out of his way to make me feel welcome, put me at my ease and introduce me to other cartoonists. Subsequent meetings at other cons met with the same generous welcome and sharing of his time. I particularly fondly remember a trip to Portland zine Symposium when I was living in Canada when Dylan his partner Emily and bunch of local cartoonists took me and Jesse out for something to eat after the con and treated us like old friends.

I had the privelege of helping out with interview of Dylan on the Inkstuds podcast and despite my sometimes inane and ill-informed questioning remained his usual gracious, self-effacing and encouraging self. Dylan's positive attitude and generosity were an inspiration that have definitely rippled outwards and will continue to do so - it's an attitude that's at the source of the Summer Edition fair and the Dublin Comics Jam over here and I've no doubt many others have been similarly touched.

Dude, I'm sorry I never managed to thank you properly, pull the finger out and do you some really worthy comics in time.

You will be missed.

Notes of All

Robbins Video

John Robbins nice rostrum camera type videos with panels from his comics are overdue a mention. All are available from the Blackshapes shop.

Whilst stocks last orders of more than one book come with a copy of the Park and The Littlest Arsonist (click and wait for the animated gif):

Mindfield meltdown

Along with a bunch of folk from the Dublin Comic Jam I'm going to be doing court sketches, comics and cartoons at the Mindfield festival this weekend - come and say hullo if you're around.

What I am at but not why it is taking me so long

Up at the Catalyst Arts Comic Fair this Saturday, [23rd April] also in their awesome exhibition. If you're in Belfast come along - it'll be class.

Little Book

Everything is in Notes pt.2

Christmas 2009

My apologies if you didn't get a card from me this year - it's not because I don't love you anymore. Things got really busy towards the end of the year and I just didn't get it together in time to send out widely. Here's my effort from 2009:

Front

Inside

and Back

Everything is in Notes

vote for the hat

Got an image into the recent Upstart project.  As well as providing an alternative to all those horrid visages on the Election posters the project is intended to highlight creativity and the arts. My contribution looks a bit archaic and incongrous (and dare I say obvious?) next to all the hip graphics (Archie Templar's excellent effort notwithstanding). Haven't spotted where mines is located though - if you do please let me know.

UPDATE: A very nice person from the campaign posted photos of the poster in situ - see below.

(Any similarity to The Hat is entirely coincidental.)

The Park is unresolved

The cover of The Park mini-comic was a bit of a wrestle and what I settled for finally in the previous post still doesn't quite nail it.

It was to be a wraparound cover to emphasise the theme of the story. This was the first shot which felt a bit cluttered and over-textured:

This simplification didn't seem to solve things:

In hindsight I think it's the story itself that prevents the cover coming together.

Mortal Tedium

John Robbins 'Mortal Tedium' is now available from the Blackshapes shop here. As with all John's books it comes highly recommended.

As an added incentive buy any 2 Bockedy Book titles and get a free 'The Park' mini - unavailable elsewhere.

Notey Note

Paul Francis has kindly put one of my notes up on his blog. While you're at it check out Paul's intriguing and brilliant web comic Back Then.