Green Jean Blues

The biggest news of the last fortnight has to be the fact I'm on MY FIRST EVER PANEL at next fortnight's Cardiff Expo. It'll be on the Sunday and here is some more info from the Sidekickcast

"
1230 – 1315 How to get Ahead in Small Press / Self Publishing:

An insight from a selection of established indie creators and publishers on their small press/self-publishing experiences. You will hear about success stories, possible pitfalls, lessons learned, and words of warning, as well as the enormous sense of achievement once your own project is released into the big wide world.

Panel members: Dan Harris (Lou Scannon), Owen Watts (Dr WTF & The Psychedelic Journal of Time Travel), Richmond Clements (Futurequake Press), Lizzie Boyle (Disconnected Press), and Monty Nero (Death Sentence)"

So blimey. Blimey. Blimey. Come along if you're around to see a babbling maniac in action - I don't interview well. Beyond the panel Geoffery and I will be selling the first Psychedelic Journal of Time Travel as well as Jamella & Marmalad, prints, AN EXCITING SMALL PRESS TOP TRUMPS DECK (more details in a TICK) and copies of the Bristol Bear Pit zine. Blimey, it's going to be a full table. Without the TARDIS and the jellybabies I'm sure we'll fit it all in...

What's all this about a SMALL PRESS TOP TRUMPS DECK?! Well - this be it - titled "Off Panel" and featuring some of the best indie folk there is - masterminded by the busiest man in the Small Press Nich Angell. You can find out more on the Facebook page. Jazz & I's contribution are three cards depicting the main folk of Jamella & Marmalad. 

"WHAT IS THIS MYSTERIOUS JAMELLA AND MARMALAD?!" I hear you scream. First, stop screaming. Secondly - buy it why not. Buy one for a friend, buy two for an enemy - buy twenty for every atom in your body but first stop screaming. Seriously. You'll wake everyone.

My Dreddhead/Judge Blankface ramble continues - here's Uncle Albert a recent from the last few days but I also did a Spongebob wot was posted up on the glorious Everything Comes Back to 2000ad here. Remember, if you've requested one I have written it down and it will get done. Just not now. Now I'm writing this blog.

The 2000ad forum art competition for February is rolling along - looking a bit fabulous as always - the theme be "2000ad masterpieces" - the one above by the faultless Allister Mackrell who's just a bit bloody ridiculously brilliant. More here but it ends on Sunday so get yer skates on if you want those prizes!

The February meeting of the Bristol Comic Creators happened the other week and our doodletheme was SEA MONSTERS - this glorious beastie was done by Jordan Collver. If you're local and fancy getting involved our next event is on the 12th of March (more details here) and if you fancy seeing other sea monster wot were drawn that night check oot the FB page for more.

 Here's the latest Flaubert page - the twentyfirst actually. Was a bit shocked the other day to see that page eleven was done in February '12. So... yeah that's a professional turn-out. Not even one a month! Rest assured though - when the thing be finished you won't know WHERE to look. Apart from ASTONISHED. Which is not a PLACE. It was written, as always, by the glorious Geoffery Crescent.

Finally I got a bit of overdue colouring done for Matt McLaughlin's madcap El Bigote. Pencils by bonafide comics titan Shaky Kane and inking by that legend of letters Mr Jim Campbell! Utterly honoured to colour over the two of 'em. Keep your eyes peeled over at El Bigote HQ for more information!

O 

Monkey Changes Everything

Recently updated The Psychedelic Journal blog - the issue is completely finished and things are rattling along nicely. Take a peek at our more detailed comings and goings here: http://thepsychedelicjournal.blogspot.co.uk/.

The fifth issue of the Bear Pit Zine - a Bristol anthology - is nearly upon us, and Geoffery Crescent and I did a one-pager for it. More importantly, it's rammed full of amazing comics by glorious Bristolians. I'll have it on my tables at all cons this year, Cardiff and so on. Give us a shout if you fancy getting your hands on one. More details at their tumblr - !

The 2000ad forum art competition went mental in January - and the winner, Jon Taylor, is representative of how ridiculously brilliant it's become - all that detail! Second place was Chris Askham, whose eerie halftones chill the bones - !

In third was the mysterious newcomer STEVONATRON whose breathtaking digital painting of Hammerstein wowed the lot of us -

Walking away with the smashing "most honourable mentions" nod is Matt Herbert's fantastic zombie Dredd sculpture. The chap swung himself Tharg's Choice for another awesome Dredd sculpt back in October. 

Blimey. Finally the Mighty Tharg's Choice went to small press legend Leigh Shepherd - and his atmospheric interpretation of The Moses Incident.

That's not the end of the zombie fun though - not by a long shot - all the entries were amazing, and a gander at the voting thread makes it fairly obvious that this has been the greatest bunch in years. It's going to be hard to top, that's for damned sure. But we'll give it a go - ! February's has already begun HERE

Finally - this brief update ends with the return of Crabcake. Finally after three years I'm getting round to the origin of the mysterious (and dead, or maybe not dead) Gastleas. Oho! See the whole thing on Facebook here - and lest ye forget I did a big blog about WHAT CRABCAKE IS last year: http://crazyfoxmachine.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/the-infinite-return-of-crabcake.html

O