Despite having recently bemoaned my dearth of accomplishments this year to Nick, it appears upon reflection that I have (actually) made some progress in making comics that say what I’m trying to say, and which people (seem to) enjoy. How about that? Here’s a rundown.

COMICS

The Escapologist

The Escapologist was a conscious attempt to write short, self-contained narratives that explored a different way (for me) of thinking about comics, and a different way of drawing them. I wanted to explore more minimal elements of story-telling (I wouldn’t say abstract, but perhaps comics-as-poetry) and move into territory in which I was more comfortable. And the moment of inspiration that spawned this change in tack? The one thing that enabled me to see the problem of comics differently? The great eye-opening revelation? Yeah, it’s beards. Specifically, discovering a new way to draw my beard. Seriously, check this out:

The first issue came out in May, and the second in September. You can read reviews of #1 here, here, here and here; a review of #2  is available here. Copies are available from my shop, from Travelling Man in Leeds and from Orbital in London. I’ll be working on #3 next year.

The Sorry Entertainer

The Sorry Entertainer was an accidental anthology Nick and I put together under our Things in Panels banner. We started the fund-raising process at the end of last year, and put the comic out this May. True to our ethos of not knowing what we were doing, and thanks to Nick’s InDesign wizardry, we made a tabloid sized newspaper full of comics. The reviews were positive. We also discovered that (apparently) other people were also making newspaper comics. We didn’t really know this, but there you go. I reckon we’re in good company.

I’ve run out of copies now, but there are probably some floating around somewhere; try Orbital in London, OK Comics in Leeds, and some of the artists who contributed to the paper; full details of them, here.

Smoo #4

In February this year, my parents moved away from Marlow, the frustrating but ultimately nice little suburban-commuter-town-with-delusions-of-grandeur in which I lived from the age of 11 until I left home for university at 18, and the same town I continued to return to thereafter, for decreasing lengths of time. Being both ten years since I left school, and to mark the passage of time, I decided that Smoo #4 would be the thing that I wrote to capture those feelings. After some false starts, and a desire to explore a new way of mark making, I picked up a pencil and scribbled all over countless sheets of printer paper with a big pencil. I edited down the results, wrote some words, and did a limited release for Though Bubble this November. It is dedicated to my friends.

You can read a review of it here. There are likely to be a few copies of the limited edition available from Travelling Man in Leeds. A slightly extended edition, with a free post-card of Marlow and a map of the town, will be available in the New Year.

#30DaysComics

Writer, comic maker and proponent of exciting things, Derik Badman took to twitter at the end of October to issue the #30dayscomics challenge/solicit accompaniment for the journey. Taking inspiration fron NaNoWriMo, the concept was to draw one comic a day, each day, for the month of November.  Although I only managed 27 pages of comics, the task proved revelatory. 

I realised that I’d spent so much time trying to learn how to draw what I thought comics were, rather than following my own muse. Thanks to the opportunity to draw in new ways, and the amazing work that other participants made, I can now see so many more ways to make a story happen, visually, conceptually, narratively, aesthetically.

You can read my contributions on my comics page. Head to Derik’s blog for more information on the other participants.

EVENTS, PEOPLE OF NOTE, NEXT YEAR.

Events

This was only my second year attending comics expos and shows to sell comics and zines. I managed to attend the following shows (click on the links to read my reviews): London Comic and Small Press Expo (March), Bristol International Comic and Small Press Expo (May: Pt. 1, Pt. 2, Pt. 3), Bristol Comic and Zine Fair (which we organised in September) and Thought Bubble (November).
I’m not rushing to go to any shows next year; I’m a little demoralised and need to mentally regroup. As such I’m going to wait and see where I find myself with my work in the next couple of months. This isn’t saying no: just a breather. Plus we are hoping to organise another Bristol Comic and Zine Fair in the New Year, too.

People of note

I don’t read that many comics, but notable mentions of those I did simply must include: Warren Craghead and Derik Badman, Aidan Koch and Jason Overby, Oliver East, and (always) Raymond Briggs. Closer to home, my friends and conspirators Lando and Nick Soucek  continue to make great work and that Bolton stalwart, Rob Jackson, hasn’t dropped a bad comic yet. Check them all out.

What’s next?

Another thing I’ve learned this year is that when I forecast what I’ll be doing in the future on this blog, I inevitably fail. So I’ll just say this: I have some ideas.

That’s it for this year. See you in 2012.