blogorrah

In The Aquarium…

I recently finished a brand new mini comic – “In The Aquarium”. It’s a 16 page black and white affair with a fancy full colour dustcover. I’ve wanted to take a crack at doing a photocopied/hand made mini-comic to sell at conventions for a while now and this story seemed like a a nice self contained one that I could use for such a purpose.

“In The Aquarium” is based on the “Mr Fish” 24 hour comic I did in 2007. I always liked the story, taking inspiration from a meditative encounter in the Sydney Aquarium around January 2005 and my experience as a transient and expendable worker of various shit part time jobs over the years. Or something. I tweaked the setting and script a bit and drew it over the course of a few weeks last September/October. I’m pretty happy with the artwork in it, doing 16 pages in a relatively short space of time (for me anyway) brought a tighter consistency to the artwork than I felt was there in Last Bus. It’s more free form and open ended than anything I’ve yet published but it comes together after a perspective shift in the middle of the comic, I swear.

Between it’s debut at the “Thought Bubble” convention in Leeds, the Dublin City Comic Convention and the Independents Day fair in Newmarket, I’ve pretty much sold out the initial print run. I’ll keep it in print for the time being, you won’t see it in shops but you’ll be able to buy it from this site very soon and I’ll have copies with me at any conventions I attend.

The Comic Cast boys really loved the artwork if remaining puzzled by the story and Phil reckoned its my strongest work to date. So there you go. A worthwhile experiment in my books.

Posted in irish comics, new comics, comics | No Comments »

Dublin Comic Jam!, Free Anthology and more 24 Hour Comic News

A few of us have got together and started a monthly comic jam here in Dublin. We meet up in the Lord Edward have a few drinks, pass pieces of paper around and deflect questions from confused punters about the nature of our pastime. Check out the blogspot that’s been set up so we can post the results. As it says: you’re allowed to laugh. Email us at the address on the blog if you want to get involved.

I got an email from Cliodhna with the image above attached. 24 hours of craziness - if you define crazy as sitting in a room in the Central Hotel drawing furiously for 24 consecutive hours. It is right beside one of the nicest bars in Dublin, though.

If you’re around pop in for a chat, a pint or just to cheer us on. Oh dear ..

Finally, I see Declan Shalvey has posted this great image on his blog

It’s the artwork for the Irish Free Comics Anthology which, fingers crossed, will be printed and available completely free of charge on Saturday 18th October 2008. That’s 24 Hour Comics day. It’s got brand new work by me and some other folks that I mentioned in my last post. It’s gonna be great.

Posted in dublin, events, irish comics, anthology, comics | No Comments »

Book Release, 24 hours Comics and Free Comics?!

Book Release!

There’s loads of stuff happening on the Irish comics scene in the next couple of months. First off, this Sunday Cliodhna is launching her brand spanking new anthology “I’m Sorry I Can’t Take Your Call Right Now, But I’m Off Saving The World”


The anthology is a charity one in aid of Goal, the Irish NGO, for whom Cliodhna’s dad did a lot of work for. There’s a touching story behind the whole reason for the book’s existence which is duly explained on the book’s site. There are 30 stories from various Irish and international comic artists, including a brand new five pager from yours truly.

Free Irish Comic day is happening the same day as this years 24 Hour Comic Marathon. 18/19th October in the Central Hotel, Exchequer St. Dublin 2. I’ll be there drawing like a maniac while in comic shops countrywide there will Irish produced comics available for free - including not only past issues of Sancho, Mbleh!, Freakshow, and Your Round - Tequila, but a specially produced anthology comic book with another brand new story from myself as well as material from Cliodhna Lyons, Ronan Kennedy, Declan Shalvey, and of course, the mack daddy of irish comics himself, Bob Byrne.

On the day, in the Central Hotel there’ll be a stall with various minis and comics and the like from everyone taking part in the marathon. So loads of stuff for anybody to take a look at even if they’re not drawing.
Pop along if you can.

Posted in charity, book launch, dublin, events, irish comics, conventions, anthology, new comics, comics | No Comments »

Dodgy Photos from the Last Bus launch night and Derry 2D Festival

I promised to put up some pictures from the launch night for Last Bus. Check em out. I think anyone who came had a good laugh at it. I sure did. Thanks to Beck for the pictures!

Pic 1 Pic 2 Pic 3 Pic 4 Pic 5 Pic 6

Following the launch, Katie and myself headed up to Derry to give our newly formed small press publishing partnership, Cardboard Press, its inaugural festival appearance. Derry is a lovely city. Picturesque, friendly and relaxed - it completely surprised us that way. David Campbell and the crew at the Verbal Arts Centre really put on a top class event with loads of discussions, events and guests. We had a great time, met some nice folks, sold and swapped some comics and books.

There are a few pictures from the Saturday here, here, here,  and uh… here

Paddy

Posted in conventions, travel, festivals, comics | No Comments »

Last Bus launch, Derry 2D festival etc etc etc

Whoa,I’m knackered. Still reeling from the last 5 days activities, so I’ll keep  the post short. Thanks to everyone who came to the launch in the Stags Head last Wednesday. Thanks to Harry and Seamo (Boxkites) for providing the gangsta rap /speed  garage soundtrack, Tannam for lending me the PA, Brendan for the lift in the rain and Katie and Ciara for stamping, numbering and selling the comics. A great night was had by all.   So after a hellish week in work and the organisational panic on Wednesday a frantic evening of printing, cutting and stapling on Thursday myself and fellow Cardboard Presser Katie Blackwood boarded the bus for Derry to take us 4 and 1/2 hours north to the 2D Northern Ireland Comics Festival. We had a ball of a weekend which I will detail in the next post.  

Posted in conventions, travel, festivals, comics | No Comments »