Announcement: Raygun Roads

I’ve gone atomic so get all these tourists out the fuckin’ way,

 My electronics are busted and fried on re-entry tonight,

Entombed in your twenties, you feel like you’re dead,

The nail in your coffin is staying in bed,

And when you think that it’s over, sing suck on my supernova. –

Suck on My Supernova, Raygun Roads & The Kittelbach Pirates

My next comic book is called ‘Raygun Roads & The Infinity Loop Death-Trap of Ullysses Pomp’, and it wants to kick you in the teeth.  

Raygun Roads kept Frederick Wertham up at night.

Raygun Roads is the answer to all of your problems.

Raygun Roads is a pop-art cluster-bomb that will rot your girlfriend and steal your brain. 

Here’s a handy synopsis…

Raygun Roads is a psychedelic science fiction comic concerning an imaginary pop-culture icon who – along with her cosmic punk band The Kittelbach Pirates – kidnaps Vince Paradise; the teenager that concocted her.

Exploding through the wall of the job-centre in their Suicide Machine, The Kittelbach Pirates rescue Vince from murder at the hands of his personal spiritual virus, D-Void. Raygun and Vince take a road trip through his psyche with the intention of assassinating Ullysses Pomp – head of D-Void and mastermind of The Infinity Loop Death-Trap, a mechanism with the power to destroy all teenagers. 

A full-colour 7’’ flip-book, Raygun Roads & The Infinity Loop Death-Trap Of Ullysses Pomp is our love letter to vinyl records, outsider ‘beat’ culture, and the transformative power of pop music. It’s a satire on the state of youth unemployment and the government’s failure to take responsibility.  It’s just a piece of candy-floss nonsense.

Do you feel neglected? Then it’s time to get infected! 

Ripping up the pages on this little bastard: one of my favourite artists of all time. INDIO! Set awe-receptors to stun!

We’re joined by Andy Bloor on design. Andy’s design work has always floored me, so it’s a real boon he’s kickin’ out the jams with us. And then there’s Mike Stock – a relatively new discovery for me. His work for ‘Dead Roots’ and ‘Vs Comics’ is killer, so hit the guy up ASAP.

We’re in talks with a few publishers about putting out Raygun but if none seems like a right fit (or no one wants to buy it) we’ll go self-published, embracing the DIY ethic of punk rock!

The comic is the source, the vendetta, and the cure. Having said that, disciples of our day-glo little cult shall be rewarded with viral marketing! Merch! Trans-media treasure!

Cover for Birds Vs. Planes EP 'Narrow Angles'

 I’m working closely with Ben Johnston, the guitarist of the band Birds Vs. Planes, to create a soundtrack for the project that will be available to download free on the internet. This came about during the writing process, when the desire to listen to an album by The Kittelbach Pirates became so strong we decided to invent them. Consuming both the comic and the album will not be essential to the enjoyment of them separately (they function independently) however the music compliments the visuals and timeline dictated by the book. In theory...

Here, have some more art!

Raygun Roads & The Infinity Loop Death-Trap of Ullysses Pomp is scheduled for launch at Glasgow Comic Con in July.

I sincerely hope you want to get kidnapped.

Drops the mic

OJ

OX

El-Ee-Ottt

Yes. Yes, that is an E.T. reference. 

Page from my work-in-progress graphic novel, Reel Love. I am currently a third of the way through, and having a ball.

East Coast embrace.

This starts out as a convention review and deviates into ruminations on the creative impulse. You have been warned. Get out, while you still can.

Yesterday I hauled ass to Newcastle for the annual Canny Comic Con - held in the City library. After the mega-event that was Thought Bubble, I have to admit I didn't expect an explosive show out of this one. Boy was I wrong. 

With winter raging on, this gig - hosted by the wonderful team of Alex and Stacey Whittle - was a genuinely warm surprise. This was a free event. This was a small event. But this was by no means a 'cheap' event, or one of limited quality. There was an authentic joy about the days proceedings.  It all seemed...well, effortless. At least, that's how it appeared. A lot of hard work went into making it so relaxed and friendly. To Alex and Stacey, as well as all the staff who volunteered, you have my highest recommendation. 

Happiest point-of-view: Coffee, Comics & Copics.

Let's put this straight up front. This was my first solo show. Previously I had hitched a ride on the Accent UK  circus-train. They are the best. All my con experiences with them have been astounding (and freeing, as I was able to dementedly flit, bat-like, around the other stalls). Although I was primarily there to sell the company's book, at Canny Comic Con I was on my own.

 I. Freaking. Loved. It. 

This was a great deal to do with having such talented and supportive table-buddies like Tom Boyle, Gary Bainbridge, Andrew Waugh, the ever genial (and forever smiling) Daniel Clifford (seriously, the guy's teeth are perfect) beside me.   

Manning a table alone is HARD WORK. You don't get to coast. You can't wander off to stare at other people's comics (at least, not for the most part). You are there to meet the people you do all this for: comic book readers. Although I've been writing comics for a while, it wasn't until the last couple of years that I felt it was time to actively sell my material to others. This was partly to do with self-confidence (first attempts were, and should be, pretty embarrassing for creators who seek to develop) and partly to do with fear. I can't express accurately how energizing it is to have others lay down money to read your work. 

 Despite refusing to get my hopes up, the copies of Thaddeus Mist I brought sold out! Thanks must go to the last-minute-purchase gentleman for my clean slate. People seemed to really dig the book, many commenting on the design by Danielle Horton. My favorite response seems to come from Northern folk: "It's like a proper book, isn't it?" 

I also secretly loved sketching the Turtles, Ben 10 and Dennis The Menace for the young ones. There were loads of them! Many of them weren't old enough for our book, but it's really encouraging to see children at shows like this. They are the ones that are going to be buying the best-selling comics of the future (with jetpacks!) after all, so best to get on their good side.  

In the family.

Brilliant chats were had with Al Ewing and Bryan Talbot, both of whom offered sage advice.

One of the highlights, however, for me (and this is totally unrelated to comics) was meeting a real-life Thaddeus Mist -  Dr. Charles Davis: international adventurer and gin sampler (as his facebook page will attest) - the nom de plume of reenactment agent Andy Davis. Shortly after the show he left his condolences for the death of a fellow eccentric. He was a joy to wax lyrical about reenactment (the trick, with the Victorian's is to wedge one's tongue firmly in one's cheek), fiction and the British Empire (a topic synonymous -at least in my head - with my grandfather, who traveled in search of Bengal tigers at a young age). As I type that sentence and think on that meeting it appears to perfectly symbolize what making Thaddeus (and writing for me in general) is about; that weird blurring of the lines between fact and fiction - what we live and what we choose to create.

Dr. Charles Davis: International Adventurer & Gin Sampler

Without getting all soft and cuddly about it (I'm a sickeningly sentimental blogger at the best of times) I believe art and writing are the only forms of practical magic currently available us - beyond the realms of scientific discovery. Meeting a flesh and blood character called Charles Davis, whom I am convinced would have sat down for opium and biscuits with a character I created, gives me a strange shiver of delight. The wall between our two worlds is only so thin...

Peace
OJ
OX

Canny Comic Con- Newcastle

I haven't even had time to write about the utter genius that was Thought Bubble (more in my end of year round-up) before another convention comes along!

I'll be a guest at the Canny Comic Con in Newcastle tomorrow - Saturday 8th December - it's my first show with a table, so I'm pretty jazzed for it. Much thanks to the ever-welcoming Stacey Whittle and Alex for letting me join the party.

Canny Comic Con Cuttlefish

The Canny Comic Con is a free event held at the Newcastle City Library, and seems to be an affair for the whole family. Hope to see some familiar faces there!

OJ
OX

Burials and Births

Wow, that was really something. Been out of the game a while on this blogging post for various reasons, one of which being that the last two months have been hoovered by finally finishing 'Who On Earth Was Thaddeus Mist?' for Accent UK. I did my first big piece of press for the book over at the Forbidden Planet blog

Advanced reviews:

"Eminently literate...irresistible adventure, magic, and a touch of horror" - Burnt Wieners

"A book that soars above any comparable British anthology" - P.M. Buchan, Starburst

"Atmospheric" - Steve Yeowell (Zenith, The Invisibles)

When I started up this (not entirely sane) venture two years ago it was summer-time in Oxford. Now, down the line, it's winter in the North of England. It's been an amazing (if stressful at times) journey, and all that remains is to send this baby out into the world and have people read it, and hopefully enjoy it. This may happen at some events that I'm planning but for now Thaddeus's public life begins at Thought Bubble sequential art festival next week! I'm beyond hyped for this show. It's arguably the biggest con in the UK, and a great place to showcase new work. I have some fun and possibly dangerous things planned (not strictly comics related), so do hunt out the Thaddeus action this weekend.

It's also a wonderful excuse to spend time with some of the outstanding creators, writers, artists, journalists and friends that I've had the joy of meeting in the last couple of years since I started out in the comics business. I'm excited to meet new faces as well, so if you're planning on attending Thought Bubble, I'll be manning the Accent UK stall at Table 50 of the New Docks Hall for both days. Conventions invariably consist of running around like a maniac to cram in everything you absolutely MUST do, but I'm always just so buzzed to be at a convention (this may have something to do with the coffee I'll be slugging from a cup the size of a bathtub), I'll always chat so please make yourself known, even if it's in the bar afterwards. Especially if it's in the bar afterwards.

And then that will be it! 'Who On Earth Was Thaddeus Mist?' will be where it should be: in the hands and heads of its readers. My relationship with it will be over.

Leaving me to press on with some new creator-owned material...some of which I will be shopping around the convention for advice and abuse from my peers.

Got some fireworks in the shed for next year, primarily a new piece of filth with my buddy with INDIO as well as putting to bed the first chapter of my most personal comic; Reel Love. Here's a taste.

Ciao for now!
OJ
OX

'Who On Earth Was Thaddeus Mist?' launching at Thought Bubble!

It's been a long, wonderful road. The funeral for Thaddeus Mist arrives at Thought Bubble in Leeds for the arts festival on the 17th-18th of November. We're just putting the finishing touches to the book, and it is looking utterly gorgeous. Also, the first volleys of serious publicity are getting under-way, beginning with the quarter page ad (above) that will run in the premier issue of Offlife Comic   - a free (and brilliant) sequential comic anthology due to drop in comic stores, arts cafes and other hip emporiums in the next week or so.

As anyone involved in making their own comics knows, the most important thing (after getting the stuff finished) is ensuring your book is on the radar, in the hands, on the brain, of THE WORLD!! It takes a lot of time, effort and energy to do this but it's worth it for those supporters who turn up at signings, order the books, and talk about the work. Long and short of it, conventions are a banging excuse to make new friends and catch up with old ones!

Towards the end of this month the Accent UK crew and myself will be mailing PDF copies to contributors for a final proof-read, followed by our friends at podcasts, blogs and press in the UK and abroad, near and far! If you are such an individual get in touch with us and we'll hook ya right up.

My October is to be devoured by the final push but I'm ridiculously excited to hit Leeds and finally bury this sucker!

OJ
OX