Stuff

My pile of stuff to scan and post has being growing, so I'm doing something about it by tackling the top few things.
First off - Piggy Fresh from 1985, when not only was I Jimmy rather than Jim, but also a phase of drawing pigs rather than cats. what was I thinking? Could be the influence of the excellent and shortlived Oink!.
I wonder how much I've actually gained by planning things out, rather than 'rooftiling' my panels as they happen. seems to communicate so much about how the story, however rubbish, has built up.

Second on my pile, a drawing by a young lad who's name I've rudely forgotten, from a workshop 2 weekends ago at the Whitworth. We got into a conversation about what I do, and so he did me his own version of Crab Lane Crew. Brilliant.
Incidentally, there's an exhibition there called Neverland which I was about to recommend, all about children's art, but I've just checked online and it's finished. Oh well. It was really good.

Third on the pile - Bog Wizards by Rob Jackson.


Been meaning to write something about this for a while, as it's definitely the best mini-comic I've read in the past 6 months. Not only is it gloriously entertaining and genuinely amusing (partly because you can tell he enjoyed producing it), but it's substantially long and involving enough to give you some good quality engaging fun before you reach the end, as happens with so many minis.


All this, and Bog Wizards comes accompanied by it's own mock-academic study notes supplement - How to Read Bog Wizards by Prof. A. E. McGregor. The Professor's illustrated lecture guides us through the protocols of the fantasy genre, good and evil, before turning it back upon the universal truths it reveals about ourselves. And Ducks.
Perhaps he took inspiration from the "classic work on cultural imperialism and children's culture" - How to Read Donald Duck by Dorfman & Mattelart, produced in response to the capitalist messages uncovered in Disney imports in 1970's Chile.

Anyroad, that's a different story, and a much denser political read. visit Rob Jackson's site and treat yourself, friends and family to Bog Wizards. And for the urban geographers and historians among you, put a copy of On The Banks of The Mighty Croal on your order; an illustrated walk around his hometown, Bolton.

(This is not Bolton)