Bristol Comic Creators

Well, it's been an outrageously busy beginning to March and I get the strong feeling that it's only going to get busier! Which is... much more preferable to sitting and not doing anything. Or standing. That's ultra frustrating.

So here is Blam proper. We've got an event and a page thus far, and hopefully soon there'll be some collaboration and activity. At the very least there will be cider. I've been flyering this weekend around Bristol-town hitting all the comic shops like a pro with a flier that I've only just noticed is largely misspelled. Like a pro. At the very least we may encourage pity. PITY THAT MAY TURN TO JOY.

I also had an exhibition on the other weekend, at the wonderful Eclective art show. The curries were glorious, the cider bar was scrumpified and there was a plentiful supply of curious digital sideshow displays. I'm yet to actually track down a picture of my art room (still haven't got a phone that can take pictures... sigh) but rest assured it did exist and it was fabulous. Muchos gracias to those who purchased prints off me and bought copies of Dr WTF 2011 (there are still approximately TWELVE PHYSICAL COPIES of last year's issue left - if you want one give us a shout!). I've been assured there'll be more in the future and I'll let ye know in advance because it was a bloody smashing evening.

Two more rock shows I've done in the last fortnight. Slightly silly they be, and chock-a-bloc with bloomin' good music if I do say so myself. Give 'em a listen why don't you? Humour an extremely foolish-looking human.

Another thing that bizarrely happened was a folk metal/chap hop mash-up of legendary proportions. Northern Oak perform with Professor Elemental. What an evening that was - ! The Elemental comic will be in your eyes and mind incredibly soon. And thou shalt be bothered.

Additionally - Three of Northern Oak and myself guested on m'lasses' wondrous Sheffield uni radio show Soon I Will Be Invincible and above is the RECORDED PROOF. Including Northern Oak songs, a Professor Elemental ditty and a bit of awesome awesome awesomely awesome Gilmore Trail.

Finally... another thing that happened, and a contributing factor as to why I didn't write my blog last week is that Jean Giraud, the legendary Moebius, died. I literally found I couldn't write a single thing. Now a week or so has gone by and things have eased a little, but he was such a profound influence, such a constant presence that I still find it really hard to put into words what it was exactly he meant to me. Nich Angell says much that I can't in a recent blog of his, and the tributes pouring in from the greatest modern comic artists there are say a lot for his influence. It was astronomical. Safe to say, when I got onto a bus recently and saw an issue of the Metro open on a minuscule story that read "comic fans devastated at loss of Moebius" I became horribly sad. As if his reach was that limited. His appeal that small. If a great artist is defined by the breadth of people they influence, then Moebius is the greatest. To belittle it to one spectrum is to belittle the decades of pure vision that man poured into the world. It's now our bewildering task to try and absorb it. A good place to start is the amazing Moebius tumblr that's currently doing a massive year-by-year career retrospective.

Art

This is the beginning of the end for Jamella and Marmalad - as well as the reappearance of the sinistery-appendaged Jammy Dodger. Who, amusingly, keeps getting Jasmine and I retweeted by the Jammy Dodger twitter bot. What extra audience that gains us I'm really not sure.

Another page of Flaubert - things trotting ever-onward toward a sinister event... and yes that is a chant from Bednobs and Broomsticks. I heartily encourage all complaints to be directed towards the glorious face of Jazz.

So, here's a teaser panel from my strip that's in the current issue of 2000ad fanzine Zarjaz... oooh! 'Ow thrilling. More details of which can be found here - I'll be behind the stand (as well as my own) at the Hi-Ex convention and, as per usual, you can buy it from all good cons!

Here's a birthday image I did for one of my favourite artists in 2000ad history, Simon Fraser. A thoroughly awesome chap who was the first I gingerly got a sketch from at the Bristol Comic Con '01 - I also asked him whether Nikolai Dante's face was in any way inspired by Toshiro Mifune, the legendary Japanese actor. He said YES. So, he was the basis for this drawing here. That and the fact that I haven't drawn Nikolai Dante since... well, probably since 2001.

Things took an unexpected turn the other week when a sketch I drew of Masterchef finalist and awesome chef Andrew Kojima printed off one of my pictures and put it on his wall! Woop. I recommend trying some of his recipes out as the glorious Jasmine did and they were damned tasty. I particularly recommend Black Olive Tart with Rosemary Ice Cream - as that was responsible for much hearty consumption.

There's nowt much to say for Dr Wtf - as it's mainly been prepped for printing. The next fortnight will yield a great deal of news though - as the 2012 issue will go on sale at Hi-Ex and the TRUE NATURE of what will happen to it next year will be revealed in all it's psychedelic splendour. How extremely very exciting. Mainly for me. The contributors got their copies and I would like to take my cyber hat off to every single one of them, they've been bloody brilliant and made me the happiest sod in all of ciderville. Come see me at the Bristol Comic meets or the cons and you will get the longest most awkward hug it's possible for me to give in public.

No takers? Well, we'll just stick to comics then!

See you after Inverness ;)

O