I'm currently in the process of moving back onto my own domain name: hollowearth.co.uk
I'm setting up a new design and possibly even a web shop. A kind of early new years resolution. It's not finished yet, but I have started putting on some information about three things that i'm involved with.
Maybe you could be involved with them too - or show up for a chat.
Sunday 2 December 2012
Friday 31 August 2012
Hollow Earth at the Make and Mend
I'll be selling prints and comics at Make and Mend on Saturday 1st September in the Grainger Market in Newcastle. I might also want to talk about the card game i'm making called 'Kick Punch Stomp'.
The first three issues of Tales of the Hollow Earth are £3 each, but you can get all three for £7.50.
The prints are from my Cosmology series - they are signed limited edition giclee prints, 16 inch square in a 20 inch black square mount and i'll be selling these for £42 each.
More information on the Make and Mend market can be found at the website http://www.makeandmendmarket.co.uk/ and on twitter: @makemend
The first three issues of Tales of the Hollow Earth are £3 each, but you can get all three for £7.50.
“...like Edgar Allan Poe and Kafka discussing Doctor Who in a teak lift” Ian Mayor
The prints are from my Cosmology series - they are signed limited edition giclee prints, 16 inch square in a 20 inch black square mount and i'll be selling these for £42 each.
More information on the Make and Mend market can be found at the website http://www.makeandmendmarket.co.uk/ and on twitter: @makemend
Wednesday 6 June 2012
This is Where it's Art
I'm very pleased to be taking part in the This is Where it's Art festival in Spennymoor this weekend, where i'll be sharing a stall with Brittany Coxon, who designed their website and whose new website design has just been launched.
Issue 1 - Boltzmann's Eye
I'll be there selling comics and art on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and this festival should (printers willing) be the first outing of the fourth printing of Issue 1 : Boltzmann's Eye - which is the first to be printed in full colour and feature a backup story and artwork to bring it up to the same page count as issues 2 and 3.
Sunday!
Sunday is going to be a very comics themed day: Daniel Clifford and Lee Robinson will be running a programme of comic themed events all day as Art Heroes - details of their workshop can be found on the Art Heroes Blog.
12 - 1pm - "Comics: words + pictures where time = space"
From 12 - 1pm the same day, I'll be doing a talk on the topic of comics and sequential art storytelling.
Aimed at artists and writers looking to make comics, or jest folk who want to spend an hour thinking more about their comics, I'll be talking about some of the comics storytelling techniques i've learned as I've been making comics.
Note that this is aimed at an audience from teenagers upwards.
Issue 1 - Boltzmann's Eye
I'll be there selling comics and art on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and this festival should (printers willing) be the first outing of the fourth printing of Issue 1 : Boltzmann's Eye - which is the first to be printed in full colour and feature a backup story and artwork to bring it up to the same page count as issues 2 and 3.
Sunday!
Sunday is going to be a very comics themed day: Daniel Clifford and Lee Robinson will be running a programme of comic themed events all day as Art Heroes - details of their workshop can be found on the Art Heroes Blog.
12 - 1pm - "Comics: words + pictures where time = space"
From 12 - 1pm the same day, I'll be doing a talk on the topic of comics and sequential art storytelling.
Aimed at artists and writers looking to make comics, or jest folk who want to spend an hour thinking more about their comics, I'll be talking about some of the comics storytelling techniques i've learned as I've been making comics.
Note that this is aimed at an audience from teenagers upwards.
Monday 21 May 2012
Boltzmann's Eye - Fourth Printing!
I'm pleased to announce the fourth printing of Tales of the Hollow Earth Issue 1 with a brand new colour cover.
This new printing, to the infuriation of everyone who has purchased previous editions and for whome a deal can be made, features re-toned interiors to match issues 2 and 3, a colour cover and five extra interior pages.
The new colour pages include Lure - a Gudrun Black tale which first appeared in A4 Comics Presents, edited by Daniel Clifford, and a new single pager.
Here's the cover:
This new edition will be launched at the This is Where it's Art festival in Spennymoor, which really is the place to be in the North East of England on the weekend 8th-10th of June.
This new printing, to the infuriation of everyone who has purchased previous editions and for whome a deal can be made, features re-toned interiors to match issues 2 and 3, a colour cover and five extra interior pages.
The new colour pages include Lure - a Gudrun Black tale which first appeared in A4 Comics Presents, edited by Daniel Clifford, and a new single pager.
Here's the cover:
This new edition will be launched at the This is Where it's Art festival in Spennymoor, which really is the place to be in the North East of England on the weekend 8th-10th of June.
Wednesday 2 May 2012
Wednesday 11 April 2012
Newcastle Mini Comics Making 2012
Blimey this year is running on a bit fast? A few plans in the pipeline and a few starting to pop out the other end.
First up: I'll be doing a talk on comics at Newcastle City Library next weekend (21st April) as part of the Newcastle Mini Comics event organised by the inestimable Cuttlefish Comics.
My talk is called 'Comics: Words + Pictures where Space = Time' It's all about what I know about storytelling on a comic book page and how the composition of the panels is used to control the passing of time. It's also about the accessibility of the medium because of the way in which the participates in the telling in a way that differs from film and prose.
Dispensing a powerful dose of comics wisdom will be Ingi Jensson, whose tale of how he burned-up, then rose out of the ashes, found his mojo and personal style will get people's heads properly screwed on for the dangers that await them as they embrace their own creativity.
And embrace it they will, for after the talks will be the Mini-Comics day proper, when we will all be getting down and making comics from scratch.
The event is free but you'll need to book and places are limited: Book your place by phoning 0191 2774100 or by emailing information@newcastle.gov.uk.
First up: I'll be doing a talk on comics at Newcastle City Library next weekend (21st April) as part of the Newcastle Mini Comics event organised by the inestimable Cuttlefish Comics.
My talk is called 'Comics: Words + Pictures where Space = Time' It's all about what I know about storytelling on a comic book page and how the composition of the panels is used to control the passing of time. It's also about the accessibility of the medium because of the way in which the participates in the telling in a way that differs from film and prose.
Dispensing a powerful dose of comics wisdom will be Ingi Jensson, whose tale of how he burned-up, then rose out of the ashes, found his mojo and personal style will get people's heads properly screwed on for the dangers that await them as they embrace their own creativity.
And embrace it they will, for after the talks will be the Mini-Comics day proper, when we will all be getting down and making comics from scratch.
The event is free but you'll need to book and places are limited: Book your place by phoning 0191 2774100 or by emailing information@newcastle.gov.uk.
Monday 23 January 2012
The Twenty Three : Number None : Lure
The Twenty Three is a website i'm setting up to contain extras, extended scenes, b-sides, outtakes and brand new stories from the Tales of the Hollow Earth universe. It will all be material that adds to the story, but some of which i'm discarding from the printed comic in order to concentrate on the main plotline.
The Twenty Three : Number None : Lure
Lure, for example, introduces elements of Gudrun Black's character that would be useful to a reader of issue 3, so it's getting reprinted here, as well as in a coloured version in the next edition of issue 1.
It originally appeared in Daniel Clifford's A4 Adventure Arena. Daniel provided input on pacing and storytelling and made this a much tighter story, and I'm greatful for this and his permission to reprint.
Wednesday 11 January 2012
Comics: words + pictures where time = space
So, last night I did a presentation for Design Interest under the title "Comics: words + pictures where time = space", the aim of which was to talk around some of the issues of time and space in comics. The evening was excellent - good bunch of people and I had excellent fellow speakers, Rose Mockford (@mydesignmade) and Liz Douthwaite. Vicki Teinaki's take on the evening can be seen here.
Comics Time as in how long a comic takes to produce and read, as well as noting that time is in the hands of the reader.
How can the creator control both the perception of time in the story, as well as the time it takes to read - in order to properly pace a joke, for example?
Here's what I talked about, in brief, but in roughly the same order...
1,2,3,4
Comics in Time and Space
This section focused on the accessibility and availability of comics and why and when this would make for good documentation, dissemination and education.
The Axis of Empathy
The Big Triangle was invented by Scott McCloud, minimalism on the horizontal axis, abstraction on the vertical.
In my examples (pictured), I had, moving up from reality towards abstraction...
And in the middle I had...
Time and Space in Comics
There was a lot of cross over between these examples, but broadly, I showed:
Comics using the full bleed to show that the edge of the page connects to bigger things:
Comics using a grid (and colours) to suggest (and then subvert) monotony and inevitability:
Subverted to devastating effect in:
Comics using full width panels to show an indeterminate, but lengthy, timescale:
Recommended Reading:
Comics Time as in how long a comic takes to produce and read, as well as noting that time is in the hands of the reader.
How can the creator control both the perception of time in the story, as well as the time it takes to read - in order to properly pace a joke, for example?
Here's what I talked about, in brief, but in roughly the same order...
1,2,3,4
- Steve Bell - Political Cartoons are usually single panels, since the story is happening elsewhere. A single panel is still read from left to right, though and is not read as a single moment in time.
- Jack Comics - Provided the example of images colliding and suggesting stories.
- Penny Arcade - An example of the standard format three panel web strip, and referenced Jimmy Carr's definition of a Joke as two stories colliding. Again, most of the story is not in the strip but in the archives and newsposts.
- Scott McCloud - Understanding Comics - is of course, essential reading.
- Calvin and Hobbes - Provided several example of the standard format four panel newspaper strip (a complete story being told in four panels.) as well as larger format illustrations of good pacing.
- Tim Stout - Provided the Calvin and Hobbes example of a three act structure ready made exactly as I'd planned already, but with a better example.
Comics in Time and Space
This section focused on the accessibility and availability of comics and why and when this would make for good documentation, dissemination and education.
- Comics with Problems - Provided the example of how to treat your Rifle like a Lady, by will Eisner.
- The Google Chrome Comic - was by Scott McCloud.
- Zine it Yourself is a local creator of zines to be found anywhere, any time.
- Art Heroes are a local company providing comics workshops.
The Axis of Empathy
The Big Triangle was invented by Scott McCloud, minimalism on the horizontal axis, abstraction on the vertical.
| Photo from http://twitter.com/vickytnz |
- Warlock Holmes by Paul Scott an excellent photo comic, ironically illustrating my assertion that photo comics don't really work. Well, except when they're tongue in cheek, and Paul has his firmly there.
- Simon Bisley's Sláine the Horned God
- Orbital, from Cinebook
- Judge Dredd by Mick McMahon - Judge Dredd can tolerate quite a lot of abstraction.
And in the middle I had...
- Hellboy (more abstraction, in which Hellboy eats pancakes.)
- Love and Rockets (more real)
Time and Space in Comics
There was a lot of cross over between these examples, but broadly, I showed:
Comics using the full bleed to show that the edge of the page connects to bigger things:
Comics using a grid (and colours) to suggest (and then subvert) monotony and inevitability:
Subverted to devastating effect in:
Comics using full width panels to show an indeterminate, but lengthy, timescale:
Recommended Reading:
- Scott McCloud:
- Alan Moore:
- but most of all, for the best showcase of what's happening now in comics: 2000AD
- and also, meet up with the Paper Jam Comics Collective on Thursday evenings in Newcastle's Travelling Man store. Follow @paperjamcc on twitter.
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