Mid-October Goings-On

Steve Padfield

An occasional barman at my eternal local - The Rife's - Steve was killed in a motorbike accident at the beginning of the month. He was a bloody lovely man and I'll miss him terribly. One evening in the pub, after a staff party I think, Steve enthusiastically drew a tattoo-style tribute to our hallowed drinking hall in one of my old sketchbooks. When I next return home I'll find it and give it to them. Terribly sad - a good barman is never forgotten.

Hill Fort Wedding
It was a nice day for one. So there was one. There are pictures, but I don't know where they are. M'colleague Dr John Davey was getting married (to his wife) and it was all SOMERSET THEMED. So verily, there was a living tonne Burrow Hill cider and the fields around Cadbury castle did ring with merry laughter and the familiar sounds of barn dancing. For there was a barn dance.


Thought Bubble 2011
Got my tickets for this - so me and the lady are going to be getting our comic clogs on with an armful of Dr WTFs, a portfolio or two, several business cards and enough money for drinks and copious issues of small press anthologies. Sadly we won't have a table but something will be arranged. I won't say much, I'll just leave it at this:

ICN Awards

Have YOU voted yet?! Thought not - go here and do so 

Recommendations (WINK WINK)

Dirk Van Dom and Vanguard 

(Best Self-Published Irish Writer, Best Irish Self-Published Comic, Best Overall Comic)

Dirk is the editor (and only writer) of Vanguard, whose first issue I drew Mammoth Jack for - a wonderful new anthology and worth supporting. I'm in the next one in a limited capacity - unfortunately time, like pies, got the best of me.

Mike Lynch 

(Best Self-Published Irish Writer)

Mr Lynch wrote my upcoming Zarjaz tale (more details of that incoming) and has written a wee strip for Dr WTF?! 2012 which Trystan Mitchell is illustrating and which is CLEARLY GOING TO KICK ARSE.

Michael Carroll

(Best Mainstream Irish Writer)

Seen here talking to some sort of sheep thing on Irish television, Michael writes Judge Dredd occasionally writes lots of good books, and DESIGNED THE DR WTF LOGO (for which, I gather, he's winning the award).

Othello & Ouroubouros
Went to Sheffield. Seem to go to Sheffield a lot less these days. Probably because I don't live there anymore. It's a contributing factor. When I did go I saw two MARVELLOUS O-related things... and I'm not talking about my FANTASTIC EARS.

Othello with Dominic West and Clarke Peters (the best actor alive). Look at them there. It was incredible.

T'other was Uroborus, a sort of Sheffield-centric writery picturey poetry type book that was launched by my good friend Martin Collins the day after I left. Yerk. - Check it out, I've done a picture in there. Looks like that picture up there.

Halloscream
A 'yon while ago I drew a strip for this horror anthology - they're looking for funding. In exchange for a tenner you get an anthology and THE GRATITUDE OF A SMALL PRESS EDITOR. Let me tell you that's worth thousands. Thousands of millions. Help 'em out they're good dudes


Elemental Pluggery
I start work on the Elemental comic soon enough and the chap himself gave us a wee plugnudge on his site - my fingers are itching to go on it but I've got a few special somethings to do first ;)

O's Time Tales
Below are the three Time Tales you've missed - click on the title back there for the full four. The latest arc contains a cameo from the astounding Al Hilton. Who was the 100th like of the Crazy Fox Machine facebook page :D

Jamella & Marmalad

 Parts Three to Five - including Nich Angell's favourite sound effect. Clue: It's not "Splotch"

Other Stuff

FAQ: Did this ever happen in Star Trek? Probably not, it's just what came into my mind.

          Do you hate Star Trek? No. I just imagine the crew of the 60s Enterprise to be cyclops-haters

          Is this the Harryhausen Cyclops from Sinbad? No. This one is blue and in space.             

Image for Glastonbury-based credit union. For three reasons 

A) I sold out B) They paid me C) I love drawing thugs

Last night I spent all evening on a mission to please Mark Gatiss - his edition of Desert Island Discs was so sweet and touching it made me hungry to make him happy. Instead I punished him by taking an idea he was toying with and making it look like the first in a series of Doctor Who childrens books. Drawn by an idiot. 

It's been a nice few weeks for Dr WTF - we've been reviewed by the wonderful Rich McAuliffe at Everything Comes Back to 2000ad who describes us as "like Doctor Who meets the old Revolver comic" - which is pretty fucking special. Cheers Rich - ! We also got a wee mention on the seminal Small Press, Big Mouth podcast around 34 minutes in. We confuse the wondrous Stacey Whittle - but she likes the art. WHICH IS THE IMPORTANT THING. Also hearing my blurb read out in a Geordie accent is like being snogged by Jesus. Warm.

In terms of creator news we've had some stuff in from BIRTHDAY BOY Louis Carter whose story with Greg Meldrum in 2012 is going to be THE MOST DISTURBING THING YOU'VE EVER READ.

There are still plenty of physical and digital copies of Dr WTF 2011 to be had - you get a free sketch with digital ones and - it's only two quid! Physicals are a fiver including postage. AND THEY HAVE SPINES.

That's my mid-October - I'll see you after the great Bristol zombie walk - !!!

O x

The Dark and Sinister Rise of Thrice-Weekly Comics

...I have, at some point in the last fortnight, lost my FLIPPING MIND.


That is - I took it upon myself (thinking mistakenly perhaps I was a figure of extreme brain activity and talent) to start a weekly webcomic. Not too difficult, you might scoff. ONLY I'M GOING TO DO TWO.


No, not two. Three. Just for a lark. To ease me into this diabolical shamble of a plan the midweek will, for a few weeks at least, be repeats. THEN IT WILL BEGIN. Soon I'll be shackled to the desk. Grunting like a shot dog crawling over rusty nails - my quivering hand sweaty palmed on graphics tablet pen. Fused to my mind the two STATIC in unbelievable GRINDING IMMOBILITY.


Jamella & Marmalad - Mondays


So the first one is about a jam slug. It was created one ecstatic morning at work, where for reason beyond reason my BETTER HALF and I decided that a jam slug would be the best possible thing we could create a world around. First two are below.

Crabcake/Flaubert - Alternating Wednesdays


In amongst the various follies and adventures of my 2011 daydream psychedelic Bristol mash I have rather let two of my most beloved projects slip gently and rather sadly to the wayside. NO MORE. I've picked them up, I've shaken them out. Crabcake will start repeating, and it'll take a jolly long time to get up to speed but I hope it'll generate some renewed interest because at the end of the run I'M GOING TO PRINT THE FUCKER.
That's right. The same goes with Flaubert - except the new stories will come much quicker and be printed much later on but gollyblimey it'll be a lark. Another project (if you're not aware) that was conjured by my more favourable quadrangle of self.

O's Time Tales - Fridays

Yeah. I've long since had an affair with traversing time. Glorious and a bit of a lark - eh wot? These'll come in three or four parts. And they'll be weird. Some of them will have jokes. Some won't - and they'll all concern time travel of some kind.


You can see all of this stuff AS IT HAPPENS on Wordpress.

Why if it isn't Harry Heston - Apejudge extraordinare and star of the original 2000ad fanzine Class of '79. Created by Jake Lynch & Stewart Crofts-Perkins with art by the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Flint. The magazine was a forerunner of Zarjaz, which I've just completed a five-pager for.... long may the fanzines roll!!

Yes yes yes - bark and whatfor. Doctor WTF 2012 is progressing very well, with a potential cover artist OF HIGH REGARD and a cameo from 2000ad characters! I'll share with you two sketches of the Doctor from two of the new artists from next year's issue: Filip Roncone and Trystan Mitchell. 

In Dr WTF 2011 news, the website was directing e-mails to a false address. So - I mean, if anyone ordered anything I didn't get it. Unfortunate, but it's working now so if you used it - do so again!

Will return - keep watching Wordpress and the Dr WTF Facebook page for live developments - !

O x