The Sunday Spotlight: The ‘Tis A Dull And Stagnant Morn, Mr Leech’ Edition
by Richard Bruton
‘Sunday, Sunday, here again in tidy attire, you read the colour supplement, the TV guide’ — or, you could entertain yourselves with this week’s Sunday Spotlight?
AND SPEAKING OF KRENT ABLE – GO READ HIS HIS INTERVIEW AT THE AITHER…
Krent Able makes gloriously bizarre and ridiculously dark comics and illustrations. I mean, just look at the Doctor Cave above or the self-portrait below.
You should know his work — hell, you should have his books Krent Able’s Big Book of Mischief, The Second Coming of Krent Able, his collaboration with Shaky Kane — Kane & Able, and the anthologies edited by him: I Feel Machine and I Feel Love.
To get an idea of the artist, the man, and what he does, have a read of this interview at The Aither. It covers a life of DJing, making art, being a industrial rock star, before settling down in his forties as a full-time illustrator and comic artist. He’s even moved into storyboarding, with the most high-profile job being for the Danny Boyle-directed Bond, No Time To Die.
‘I guess I make comics that are dumb but clever; funny and sick and surreal, but also beautiful intricate and nice to look at. Upbeat and fun. I try and aim slightly beyond my abilities and keep challenging myself by not doing the same thing over and over.’
‘That was quite surreal. He would bounce around the room, acting out scenes, and playing all the different characters. They wanted a storyboard artist who could treat Mr. Boyle like a ‘normal person’ and not be all over-awed. I lied and told them I could totally manage that.’
RAINA TELGEMIER & SCOTT MCCLOUD TAKE THEIR CARTOONISTS CLUB ON THE ROAD…
It will be one of the biggest books of the year, comic superstars Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud teaming-up at Scholastics Graphix for a story of friendship and creativity in The Cartoonists Club. Expect this one to sit atop the sales charts for a long time.
The Cartoonists Club is published on 1 April. The tour starts on 6 April.
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION’S BEST GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR ADULTS READING LIST ANNOUNCED…
Elsewhere, in libraries wanting people to read books, actually, news, the American Library Association announced its 2024 Best Graphic Novels for Adults Reading List.
All excellent, all worth looking at — the list includes Barnstormers: A Ballad of Love & Murder by Scott Snyder & Tula Lotay, Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees, Volume 1, by Patrick Horvath, Brittle Joints by Maria Sweeney, The Deviant, Volume 1 by James Tynion IV and Joshua Hixson, Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir by Tessa Hulls, Hirayasumi, Volume 1by Keigo Shinzo, The Jellyfish by Boum, Polar Vortex: A Family Memoir by Denise Dorrance, Rare Flavours by Ram V and Filipe Andrade, The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben and Benjamin Flao.
EXCELSIOR! LOCAL COMICS EVENT – 16 MARCH
Nice little collection of Bristol-based creators assembling at the Excelsior! comic shop in Bristol on Sunday 16 March…
CATS IN CARTOONS – OPENS 5 APRIL AT LONDON’S CARTOON MUSEUM…
In association with Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, London’s Cartoon Museum are putting on their latest major exhibition, this time all about Cats in Cartoons.
‘From Garfield to Simon’s Cat, Krazy Kat to Bagpuss and everything in between, there is a long line of iconic cartoon cats. For the first time, The Cartoon Museum is collecting many of the greatest cats to grace or comics, newspapers and magazines to explore why people love cats so much and what cats tell us about life.
‘Visitors will also explore the work of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, with a look inside the cattery. The exhibition featuries works by artists such as Louis Wain, Ronald Searle, Ai Wei Wei, Jim Davis, William Heath Robinson, Wendy Eastwood, Simon Tofield, Anthony Smith, Gemma Correll, Dave Brown, Steve Bell, Natty Peterkin and Hunt Emerson – and more!’
ROGUE TROOPER: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION SIGNING AT GOSH! COMICS LONDON – MEET GERRY FINLEY-DAY & DAVE GIBBONS – 12 APRIL…
Come on, need I say more? Gerry Finley-Day and Dave Gibbons signing at Gosh! Comics, London. Two giants of Brit comics, a new Rogue Trooper reprint, and a definite date for your diary.
MORE GREAT UK COMICS FESTIVAL NEWS – MACC-POW! ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST GUESTS – 28 JUNE…
Always a pleasure to give you news of proper comics conventions and festivals. You know the sort, the ones where you’ll find nothing but comic making folks and there’s not a sign of any Z-list so-called celeb media types offering signed signatures and awkward photos for top Dollar.
So, here’s a small comics con/festival that’s all about the comics medium – Macc-Pow! Taking place in Macclesfield, UK, on Saturday 28 June, it’s all comics, all the way. Here’s the first tranche of guests…
NEW FROM NEILL CAMERON – DONUT SQUAD – OUT ON 8 MAY 2025…
Neill Cameron‘s new series, the ridiculously, wonderfully silly Donut Squad gets a collected release on 8 May 25 from The Phoenix Comic.
If you go and pre-order from The Phoenix shop here, there’s a limited edition, not-available-for-purchase pin badge included with the book. And don’t forget that Neill’s final volume of the excellent Mega Robo Bros has a release on 13 February. Absolutely recommended!
Here’s the deal to Donut Squad:
‘Meet Sprinkles, the leader of the Squad; Jammyboi, who spreads stickiness EVERYWHERE; Dadnut and Lil’ Timmy, who explain obscure facts, and Spronky, who is bizarrely unconventional! But don’t mention the arch-nemeses of the donuts… the bagels, secretly plotting Donut Squad’s doom! Guffaws guaranteed. Do-nut miss out!’
