Don't forget my only public event appearance this year takes place on Sunday, 6 November, where I'll be on a table at Demoncon 2 in Maidstone signing and selling copies of The Rainbow Orchid vols 1 and 2 (see events page for details).
As I write I am colouring the final two pages of The Rainbow Orchid volume 3 and will have the cover finished by the end of next week. It then goes off into the mysterious magical publishing machine and will come out the other end, hopefully, in bright and tight book form in the UK in April 2012 ... at last!
Back in July I did manage to sneak in another four-page comic for Blank Slate's Nelson which will be released at Thought Bubble in November. All the proceeds for this book, containing an amazing collection of UK comic artists, will be going to Shelter - so do make sure you grab yourself a copy. It really is an amazing project and I feel very lucky to have been a small part of it. Check out Blank Slate's other books as well - they're probably the UK's most interesting comic publisher at the moment.
Nelson
Remember The DFC? Well, it's not making a return exactly, but there is a brand new weekly comic from the same team, refreshed and reorganised, though published independently this time, launching in January 2012 - The Phoenix. Some of the work they have previewed so far looks stunning and I think this is a comic not to be missed. And it's not the only new comic to appear on the UK comics scene - 2 November sees the much-anticipated Strip Magazine which looks equally as wonderful. You can see a preview of it here.
On the subject of The Phoenix and The DFC - the Super Comics Adventure Squad blog is still going strong and the DFC Library have published some fantastic new books recently - collected editions of John and Patrice Aggs' The Boss and James Turner's Super Animal Adventure Squad, and brand new from the Etherington brothers, what may be one of the best new comics of the year as far as I'm concerned, Baggage - it's amazing!
I also want to give a link to Chris Doherty's comic, Video Nasties (for older readers), which he has generously made available online. I'm still reading it but am thoroughly enjoying the intriguing story, also really nicely illustrated.
What else, what else? Oh yes ... there is an article on The Rainbow Orchid in this month's Comic Heroes magazine (no.9) written by science fiction author James Lovegrove. It's a hefty and packed publication so worth getting if you like comics in general, especially - this month - if you're a Spider-Man fan. I must also thank Peter Stanbury and Paul Gravett for including a piece of my work in their Great British Comics Now exhibition that featured as part of last month's Helsinki Comic Festival - I'm chuffed!
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