This year’s TCAF was without a doubt one of the best comic shows I’ve seen. A wonderfully diverse and inspirational line-up of small press talent, excellent guests, and interesting panels (from what I’ve heard – I was stuck behind my table for the most part). Personally, the show was a great success and I’m genuinely surprised my peculiarly British comics managed to garner any interest at all.

The festival was organised by the kind folks who run The Beguiling – THE best stocked alternative comic shop I’ve ever seen…

Here are some sketches from my travels. Many of which were drawn at pen club – an event organised by the talented Steve Wilson – which led to some beer-induced flirtations with colour. I am in love with sharpies…

I often get asked what comics are worth reading at the moment beyond the more obvious Craig Thompson, Chris ware, Alan Moore, Chester Brown etc… Here, for what it’s worth (ie – very little) is a list of recent (and generally belated) discoveries I think are worth your time:

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel, anything by Nate Powell (although Sounds of Your name and his contribution to Meathaus issue 8 are particularly good), Mattie and Dodi by Eleanor Davis, Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan, Dogs and Water by Anders Nilsen, and Hung by Shannon Gerard.

More sketches and new comics (of my very own, and therefore not as good as anything listed above) coming soon…

It’s been a while since a proper update so here’s a quick rundown of news and stuff and things…

Caption 2007

Sadly, I won’t be able to attend this Oxford-based small press event (more information about it here) – I’ve got far too much on at the moment. I’m looking into attending some other UK comic shows at the end of the year though. More news on this soon.

Toronto Comic Arts Festival

The TCAF is a curated, invite-only comic festival. About 5,000 attendees are expected this year and the line-up is incredible. I’ve been asked to exhibit and will be spending some time in Toronto trying my best to ingratiate myself in the comic scene over there. Clearly, I’m not fit to clean the pen nibs of such artists as Seth, Joe Matt, Darwyn Cooke, Paul Pope, James Jean, Jeffrey Brown, Hope Larson, Jeff Lemire, Chester Brown or any of the other amazing guests… There’s been some sort of mistake but I’m keeping quiet. Check out the line-up and find out about the festival here. Obviously, If you live nearby and have been reading my stuff online, please stop by and let me know what you think.

Polish International Comics Festival

Part of the reason things have been quiet on the website is due to my plans to attend this comic festival in October. Earlier this year, the festival organisers invited me and three other UK based comic artists to visit the city of Lodz and collaborate on a short story with a locally based Polish artist. The results of our collaborations will be collected as a graphic novel (in two languages) and sold at the festival later this year. All the artists will be in attendance and I’m led to believe there’re also plans to have an exhibition of the work. The festival website is here and there are some mentions of the City Stories project here and here (reasonable grasp of the Polish language helpful).

The short story I’m working on is almost finished but I won’t be able to post it here for a while yet. Keep an eye out for it, and please send me some feedback – I’ve used  a very different approach and it’ll be interesting to hear what people make of it.

How to Date a Girl in 10 Days

Work on the third and final issue of this never-ending scab-picking exercise in over-indulgence will continue in September when I return from Toronto. The last issue will be on sale (fingers crossed) by the end of the year or the beginning of January at the latest.

I hope to collect the entire story as a graphic novel and have it for sale by March and in time for the 2008 comic shows.

Let Ventedspleen be Ventedspleen

For those of you pining for the bitter, vitriolic humour of Art School Scum and getting increasingly frustrated with the whingey relationship guff of recent comics – you’ll be pleased to know that new issues of You’re Wrong are on their way. I’ve been kicking around these ideas for some time now, and hope to get them done when the craziness of this month is over.

And Finally…

I have lots of new sketches, short time-based comic exercises, illustration work and all sorts to upload here. There are even some great photos from some of the comic shows and exhibitions I’ve been attending this year. All will be sifted through and blogged shortly.

Enjoy your summer you unthinking, sun-worshipping walking cases of skin cancer you.