In Preview - ‘Kingdom’ from Jon McNaught

Kingdom.

Created by Jon McNaught.

Hardback - 128 pages - £16.99.

Published by Nobrow.

The Story - ‘Jon McNaught returns with another beautiful comic that makes the ordinary, extraordinary. A family sets off for a long weekend at a caravan park on the British coast. We follow them through the familiar landscapes of a summer holiday: motorway service stations, windswept cliffs, dilapidated museums and tourist giftshops. In this atmospheric and contemplative work, Jon McNaught explores the rhythms of nature, the passing of time, and the beauty and boredom of a summer holiday.’

The Review 

Have we all felt this way?

Have we all been in these moments?

A family on holiday in a seaside town. They make the most of their time. The mum drags the kids around museums and seaside tourist spots. The son loses himself in the coastline and at moments alone or with people he sees, eavesdrops on or meets. It is a little sad, profoundly quiet, a lot familiar and an awful lot impressive.

Nobrow and Jon McNaught do this so well. They capture a moment, a feeling, a place, a face, a time so brilliantly well in their books. Genuinely without hyperbole this is one of the best things I have read over the last twelve months. Insightful, sensitive, hypnotic and gloriously a comic.

I remember as a kid on this exact same holiday. Of course, I’m far too old to remember being frustrated looking for a phone signal whilst wandering over rock pools or up hills but the feeling this book projects gave me shivers nonetheless. Another world at the end of the motorway. As the rain comes down you hear it on the roof of their caravan and the following morning as the daughter wades lonely through the deep puddles you can feel the air as it clears as the day begins anew.

‘...we spend our lives searching for a magic door and a lost kingdom of peace.’ - Eugene O’Neill.

As a kid I’d head on holiday with my parents. Long and almost endless journeys down the side roads and highways of England sitting in the back of my parents’ estate car with just a comic for company and looking forward to the next wee break. The breaks on the trip for a fizzy drink and maybe a toy if you were lucky are described perfectly here by McNaught.

I have to admit that I was totally entranced by the beautiful art and the melancholic and never overly sentimental story. It is a book of realistically few words but some complicated emotions are displayed slowly over a period of days. The frustration of the journey, the family dynamic, the saving money, the bickering. I also have to admit that I found this an emotional read. It speaks to the loneliness of people on levels you rarely see in comics. Slowly building that picture of three members of a family with such realism it’ll bring a lump to your throat.

The mother and the son and daughter come across as totally real and you understand their lives from this little emotional Polaroid photo album of a graphic novel. The slow pace is never a problem, rather it is a strength. With at moments up to thirty-five panels on a page the progression of movement and story only exemplifies the feelings projected up to the reader from the deeply carved pages. Then you see a landscape or a sea or a long lamp lit road as a splash page. ‘This is now, this is here!’ We know these moments all too well.

As I stare at the art on show here I am at once instantly in love with the craftsmanship and totally confused at how this level of accomplishment is created. The pages have a linocut look to them but are more measured, never clinical but with none of the Lino cut trademarked double edges and accidental overlapping. The lights on the motorway give away the shapes of maybe a knife that carves them but the water and sea and reflective rain puddles are far more detailed. It is absolutely breathtaking!

This 128 page hardback will be available for the first time at Table 28 in the Victoria Hall. Come past whilst stocks last.

If you can’t get to Thoughtbubble this year then order your copy online here https://nobrow.net/shop/kingdom/?

The Creator

Jon McNaught graduated from the University of the West of England in 2007 with a degree in illustration. He now lives in Bristol where he works as a print maker and a freelance illustrator. He has contributed stories and art to Nobrow, Art Review and Stripburger.

You can find more about his art at http://www.jonmcnaught.co.uk/ and follow him on Twitter @Jon_McN

Many thanks for reading.

Hackney Comic and Zine Fair - Just One Week Away!

Sunday the 8th of September is the inaugural Hackney Comics and Zine Fest and it’s being held just around the corner from the Nobrow offices. Organised by a group of enthusiastic comics and zine makes lead by the mighty Joe Stone this is really shaping up to be an event with loads of buzz about it.

It’s also free entry!

I’ll be there manning the table and we’ll have the usual glorious books along with some ‘Hilda’ and ‘Kingdom’ freebie postcards to give away with each purchase! You can find us at the well impressive sounding Table 1! Just next to our pal Elizabeth Querstret who also has a new book launching at the event.

Other than the fun books you can get from Elizabeth you.   Should also be on the look out for the new release from Gareth Hopkins that i reviewed just a few short days ago here http://neverironanything.blogspot.com/2019/08/in-preview-hill-to-cry-home-by-gareth.html?zx=3ab85b7a64500ce1

Also keep your eyes peeled elsewhere in the hall for books from Andy Poyiadgi, the Laydeez Do Comics collective, Good Comics, Owen D. Pomery and an exciting new project from my old mucka Gareth Brookes.

We’ll have all the new books including the fresh off the press ‘Americana’ from Luke Healy. A paperback travelogue in graphic novel format this tells the story of the author’s gruelling,funny and brutally truthful five month trek along the Pacific Crest Trail. A walk of some 2660 miles that wasn’t without incident. This is a real favourite of mine and makes for a great summer read.

Luke will also be at the Nobrow table between 1pm and 2pm signing books.

The Nobrow and Flying Eye catalogue will be fully represented on the table and we’re looking forward to spending an afternoon talking comics!

We’ll also have ‘Skip’ from Molly Mendoza and ‘In Waves’ from AJ Dungo. These two books came out this Summer and are both sensitively told stories with original and beautifully rendered art. Like ‘Kingdom’ by Jon McNaught last year these are books you will fall straightaway in love with.

We’ll have some Hilda in the house too. Comics, novels and maybe if you’re lucky some of the much sought after figures!

Come find us at Table 1 - right near the entrance.

If you are heading there and want to make sure we bring a book you are after then message me on here or on tony@nobrow.net and we’ll accommodate you where we can.

If you cant make it then pop over to https://nobrow.net/ or follow us on Twitter @NobrowPress

You can find out more details of the event at https://www.hackneycomicfair.com/ or follow then on Twitter @HackneyComics

See you there!

Many thanks for reading.

Fancy some Nobrow with your Troobs?!

TROOBS!!!

It’s almost here. The event of the season!

True Believers Comic Festival in Cheltenham starts promptly at 10am on Saturday the 2nd of February.

I’ll be there with the Awesome Comics Podcast and the final issue of the anthology for sale. Myself, Vince and Dan will be there for a chat and if you have a new book dropping we’d love to hear about it. I’ll also be signing ‘How To Make Comics With Springworth’ with the mighty Andy Hanks and Aaron Rackley from Fair Spark Books!

But.... what about all my Nobrow and Flying Eye people? What about your needs? (I hear you shouting.)

Don’t fear, whilst Nobrow won’t be tabling I will bring some books down if you preorder. What would you like? Here are a few recommendations for the day with the link to browse the Nobrow site at the bottom of the page.

Who wants the marvellous ‘Kingdom’ by Jon McNaught. Easily my favourite book of the last few years. Here’s the link to the review http://neverironanything.blogspot.com/search?q=Kingdom

‘Nobrow and Jon McNaught do this so well. They capture a moment, a feeling, a place, a face, a time so brilliantly well in their books. Genuinely without hyperbole this is one of the best things I have read over the last twelve months. Insightful, sensitive, hypnotic and gloriously a comic.’

Something for the kids? (Or maybe just for you?)

How about some ‘Hilda’ in your life? A plucky adventurer who can’t sit still and is always getting herself in scrapes. Just plain fun that makes a great companion to the recently released Netflix tv series. Find out where this hit cartoon started. (Just watch out for Trolls!) Luke Pearson is fast becoming a superstar of the medium and this is where you can find all his Hilda comics work.

Have a look through the range of Hilda books over at the Flying Eye site (there’s a rumour that I may have a spare doll or two available! https://nobrow.net/shop/?s=Hilda

What else would I recommend?

Think you’re tough. You wouldn’t last five minutes against these tough cookies or ‘Mean Girls’!

Mean Girls Club: Pink Dawn.

Created by Ryan Heshka.

‘The Mean Girls Club have been laying waste to the town for years, and the power-crazed Mayor Schlomo is hell-bent on their destruction. He blackmails a young mechanic named Roxy to infiltrate the Clubhouse – but her feisty attitude lands her an initiation into the Club instead! Torn between the sleazebag Mayor’s dirty threats and her unexpected friendships with the Mean Girls, Roxy holds the fate of the Club in her hands…’

14 pages - hardback - £14.99. (Recommended for adult types).

Here’s a link to a preview I did before the book was released http://neverironanything.blogspot.com/2018/02/in-preview-mean-girls-club-pink-dawn-by.html

Nobrow and Flying eye have something for everyone. All their books are genuine pieces of art on their own and at great prices. 

But remember I won’t be tabling at True Believers - you’ll have to let me know on here or on Twitter @Ezohyez or on email at Tony.awesomecomicspod@gmail.com if you fancy anything bringing along.

Head over to https://nobrow.net/product-category/books/ and let me know if you have your eye on anything and I’ll have it ready for you at the convention.

See you there!

Glasgow Comic Con 2019!

When Nobrow meets Glasgow Comicon.

Hey everyone. Now that I am in post at Nobrow and Flying Eye I'm doing the rounds of some of the UK's Comic Conventions and having a nose to see if they are worth tabling at in the future. After a brief retirement I was lucky enough to be hired by this excellent comics publisher and am loving every single minute.

Next up I am excited to be travelling north of the border to Glasgow Comic Con. An event that has been running from 2011 and goes from strength to strength!

I'll be visiting as a punter but will have a car boot full of our books to show about and sell if you want to pre-order from me. May I highly recommend 'In Waves' from AJ Dungo, 'Kingdom' from Jon McNaught and 'Skip' from Molly Mendoza. All are absolute corkers. I might even have some of those most sought after Hilda Dolls! 

I'll also be repping The Awesome Comics Podcast and looking forward to meeting all the Small Press Mafia and grabbing some interviews. If you have something new dropping then please let me know in advance and I'll come find you.

I've never visited this one and can't wait as I've heard great things from pals. There's also quite the guest list! Ian Kennedy, Chip Zdarsky, Frank Quitely, Brian Stelfreeze and many more. 

Here's the link to the event:

http://www.glasgowcomiccon.com/

You can book tickets (I think there are just a few left) here https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/glasgow-comic-con-tickets-53543326531

See you there!

No I ain't eating your so-called 'Square Sausage'.

(Next up BAM!)

Many thanks for reading!

Favourites of 2019 - Graphic Novels.

Well here we are at the next instalment. In this one I tackle the thorny subject of Graphic Novels. Yes, I totally understand that the term is rather nebulous and idiotic. Yes, I know that ‘It’s all comics baby’ as I am often heard to say. But it does allow me to shoehorn some more comics into my list.

As Europe Comics got their own category in Part 1 of this list I have purposely left them out of the running. 

Graphic Novels.

In Waves - AJ Dungo. Still one of the best books that I have read this year or any year. The story of a relationship, a tragic one and the world of surfing that touchingly and beautifully swirls around the lives of the writer and his partner. Add to that a playful and engrossing history of surfing and you’ve got something that even this ancient west Londoner can enjoy. A book that if there is any justice in the world should be appearing on the awards circuit next month! Full disclosure that I work at the company that puts this book out and even a year after it went to print we still talk about how much we love it! 

(Published by Nobrow)

Poochytown - Jim Woodring. Yup, I am well aware that this came out in 2018 but I didn’t get to it until 2019 so in my books that counts. Visually stunning and your mind is swept along with the bonkers storyline. Woodring doesn’t put a foot out of step throughout. I still dip back in every few weeks to marvel at the art. The use of black and white in this and other books in this series will blow your mind as it did mine at a ‘table for one’ in January this year. (Published by Fantagraphics).

Maggie Garrison - Lewis Trondheim and Stéphane Oiry. This is a book that was initially put out by Europe Comics and then picked up for a physical release by Self Made Hero. Although it was written by Trondheim it is at it’s heart a Private Investigator story that takes place in central London and Brighton. The titular hero is a boozy street smart investigator who takes the reins when her boss can’t at her new job. A really well written and engaging story that moves rom real moment to real moment. I managed to get an interview with Lewis Trondheim at the NCS Festival this year and he steadfastly insists that there will be no sequel and that he has moved on.... 

(Published by Self Made Hero.)

Sons of El Topo: Volume Two ‘Abel’ - Written by  Alejandro Jodorowsky and Illustrated by José Ladrönn. This was the second volume in the series that has been released by Archaia Comics and it is as nonsensical and transgressive as you would expect from Jodorowsky. A writer who always walks that line between strangely interweaving and a chaotic accident of a scene/story/metaphor/cosmic realignment. I find this series hugely interesting but morally challenging, not the least of all.  For his treatment of certain females within the story. The narrative makes little sense but it’s often Ladrönn who makes it all worth while with his detail and scope. The art captures the acid western setting and also revels in the nature in this wild and dangerous kingdom of Jodorowsky’s imagination. It’s a hard one to recommend to those with a sensitive nature but if you know what you are getting tonally in advance it is worth the punt. 

(Published by Archaia).

Marble Cake - Created by Scott Jason Smith. This is a book that struck a chord for me in part due to the fact that it is a love letter to the streets of South London that I spent many of my formative years walking. Marble Cake has a realistic grounding in it’s scene settings and it’s relationships. This is also a comic of layers that features a mystery at it’s heart but also a cast that meet and interact cleverly throughout. The art has an indie illustrative flair of a type that Avery Hill promotes so well with other creators like Tim Bird. I’ve been reviewing their books for quite a few years. now and this is one of my favourites so far. 

(Published by Avery Hill.)

Many thanks for reading. Next up..... Conventions.

NYCC 2017 - Day Two.

Day Two at the New York Comic Con 2017 opened early as I realised that i can actually see the venue from my hotel room. I headed down for breakfast with the normal cronies and spotted a possible love connection between one of them and the steroid swallowing waitress (I shall take the secret to my grave!!!)

I headed down without Mr Harrower today (he's off doing some art stuff in Harlem). and lined up again. I've been really impressed with both the security here and the speed they get you pushed through onto the site. All the staff so far have been friendly and professional.

(The Shadow with art by Giovanni Timpano published by Dynamite Comics).

I headed straight to Giovanni Timpano's table and had a chat with him about his Shadow/Batman series. He showed me some of the inked pages and they look superb. I've been a fan of this guy's work for a long time. It was great to see him and his art up close. Definitely an artist to watch out for. Find out more about this artist at www.giovannitimpano.blogspot.it or follow him on Twitter @GioTimpano

(On the left Mr Brent Schoonover and on the right the Mighty Siuntres).

During the weekend I also got to catch up with Wordballoon's John Siuntres. This is a podcast that I have been listening to for a bonkers amount of years and I always try and search John out and thank him for what he does. I highly recommend having a try. It is in main an interview show with some of the best in the industry. I managed to introduce John to Christian Wildgoose and we chatted about a possible  Wordballoon/Awesome Comics Podcast crossover event! Check it out on iTunes or follow the podcast @johnwordballoon

It was also great catching up with old pal Sarah Woolley. I bought her book Charlotte and the Quiet Place a couple of years ago for a friend's kids and they absolutely loved it! We chatted about her newly released art in Bitch Planet: Triple Feature. Search her out online and buy some of her work. Top stuff. If you are at the convention then head over to Booth L-10 in Artists Alley.

With the change in layout after the knocking down of the building that used to be a home for Artists Alley I've noticed that things, events or signings seem to be cropping up in all the nooks and crannies of the Javitts. The DC/Vertigo booth is down on the ground floor at the far end. It's got a small signing/queueing area and a small exhibition of the Justice League movie costumes. Seemed a little out of the way and out of place somehow. Jim Lee was sat on his own at a table (don't see that often). Later in the day David Finch looked a tiny bit lonely?

The United Kingdom was, as always, out in force at the NYCC. The Titan booth was looking spiffy and after spending a couple of minutes only at the 2000AD booth I began to suspect that there may be a few sore heads from the previous night's larking about. That's a tradition I am proud to say continues.

I also bagged myself a copy of the Steve Dillon Memorial Charity Sketchbook (for sale for $10 at the 2000AD booth) that is being sold to raise money for the Hero Initiative. It boasts a heartbreaking image of Steve himself by Bill Sienkiewicz and contains art from a who's who of talent on interiors. You can buy a copy or donate to this worthy cause at www.heroinitiative.org

I closed the day out with a panel and it was a cracker. Run by IDW it was split into two parts. The first dealt with the new Shelly Bond spearheaded Black Crown imprint and featured spotlights on some great books. It was brilliant to see Pete Milligan taking centre stage and talking about his upcoming series Kid Lobotomy and then Shelly introduced some pages from Punks Not Dead with art by the mighty Martin Simmons - I can't wait to see what comes from this company that is shaping up to be the new Vertigo! 

Then we heard about the new quarterly comics/magazine hybrid Full Bleed that has been killing it on Kickstarter. Bob Fingerman chatted about his water coloured portraits of scurrilous politicians with real passion and humour. I can't wait to get my hands on this new series. You can find the Kickstarter for it here https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/41834867/full-bleed-the-comics-and-culture-quarterly

For those Original Art junkie here is a selection of the pages I leafed through today....

If only I had a bigger bank account!!!

I also captured Batgirl meeting her artist at Christian Wildgoose's table in the afternoon. 

I'm not at the con tomorrow as the Saturday is like ramming your head into a rugby scrup for ten hours so I'll probably just post photos of me in a robe at the day spar for the report tomorrow....

Many thanks for reading.

In Preview - 'Geis: A Game Without Rules' by Alexis Deacon.

Geis Book 2: A Game Without Rules.

Created by Alexis Deacon.

Published by NoBrow - 120 pages - full colour - £15.99.

The Story - 'The second test has begun. Contenders for the new chief find themselves divided against their will and flung into a dangerous game. While the struggle for power continues, Io and Nemas battle with their own identities.... but when allies are turned against one another, who can be trusted.' 

'Geis, pronounced gesh, is a Gaelic word for a taboo or a curse. When a geis is placed upon you, it is like a spell that cannot be broken and certain rules must be obeyed. You might be prohibited from trampling mushrooms, for example, or from sitting down on the stairs. If you ignore or break a geis the consequences are dire.

But a geis is always broken.

As soon as it is spoken or written, your fate is set.'

The Review - This is one of those series that I am confused why everyone isn't falling over themselves to talk about. Volume 1 (Geis: A Matter of Life and Death) came out last year and was a beautiful telling of the journey of competitors to reach the castle. They were competing to become the chief. To rule the kingdom. It was a competition set by magician politicians. A mystery box was opened and we rushed to see how it would unfold.

Volume two takes place almost entirely within the walls of the city/castle. It is a game of wit and manipulation. At it's heart it is magical folklore tale with some of the most beautiful visuals you will find in quite a while. It is also not a short read. 120 pages are packed with multiple panels and for a 'Game Without Rules' this has a claustrophobic nightmarish quality where things happen, unexpected and violent things that have a twisted logic to them. It is a gorgeous riddle that keeps you searching and theorising the solution.

Volume 2 also sees the various roles of the players fleshed out. They are never purely the scientist or the magician or the heroine or the soldier of the wizard. You see Deacon subvert the classical folklore and fantasy roles beyond the ordinary. The race for the crown and often just a race to survive have the contestants change and develop before the eyes of the reader. Deacon adds a huge range of character and emotion to the players beyond what you often see elsewhere in a fantasy story.

Like all good fairy tales it mixes the fantastical with the cruel. You genuinely have no idea as to who will survive at every turn of the page. It also speaks to the class system in a (small 'p') political style. The rich are not just idiots but do display the pomposity of their positions and those below stairs are more practical. Whilst above and out of reach are the meddling magicians who watch and wait and prod and survey the chaos they have created. Clever stuff indeed.

'The will that shapes the world.'

It is of course broad politics laid out on a folklore stage. It plays about with role and destiny and the games those in power often play. Isn't all power play and manipulation the art of guiding us through a narrow line of food and famine, life and death, power and weakness? This is a jigsaw for the reader to push in to place. One that I enjoyed watching fall apart and then again gain direction time and again over and over. This is done with a marvellous flourish and a bag full of darkness. 

The art is outstanding to say the least. It has a pastel feel to much of the backdrops with a great sense of colour and depth as you move through the halls, stairways, libraries, throne rooms and corridors of this maze of a city. Deacon packs many panels to a page and then opens the world up with some extraordinary splash pages. He has a sense of the urgent in the movement and a great sense of light and darkness. The light through windows and the shadows of the interiors are used to great effect throughout.

I won't spoil the cut and thrust of the story (insert smiley face here for the slower people who didn't see what a hint that was) but this is a volume that really packs some story punch. It is done with some excellent story beats and is in no way a quick read. I highly recommend you taking your time on it and read it slowly and in chunks to get the full impact.

'It's blood and poison out there.'

This is the second in the proposed three volume series and will be released from NoBrow Press on the 30th of September 2017. You can pre order your copy here http://nobrow.net/shop/geis-vol-2-a-game-without-rules/?

Follow NoBrow on Twitter @NobrowPress

You can find more about the creator at his Blog http://alexisdeacon.blogspot.co.uk/ 

This is a fucking glorious series. I relished every single panel on every page in a way you don't generally with other comics. Seriously! You need this on your shelf. And at a price point of £15.99 0r $18.95 for a hadback it is hard to argue.

Many thanks for reading and I apologise for the crude language.

Hilda is legging it to BAM!!!

This coming weekend, Saturday the 13th of July, at The Komedia, Westgate Street in Bath between 10am and 4pm is the second BAM!

This is a comics and zine event run by people with genuine love for the medium. You can have a read about all the guests and plans over at this site https://bamcomicfair.blogspot.com/

I had an absolute blast of day last year and it looks like this one will only be bigger and better!

And Hilda, Flying Eye, Nobrow and myself will be there!

This is really shaping up to be another fun event with loads of other great comics creators tabling. We're pulling out all the stops and will be there again in full effect. 

I thought we could talk about some of the products I'll be bringing down to the show.

(Hilda figurines will be on sale for a limited time).

As well as the excellent range of Hilda graphic novels, young fiction novels and Hilda Dolls (yes I'll have a few available at the table to those in early enough) we'll also have a range of free stickers, limited edition postcards (with a few teasers from the next so-far unreleased story), posters and bookmarks! Everything a dedicated Hilda fan could want.

What else will we have on the table. All the Flying Eye and Nobrow goodness that you would expect and all at great (and discounted) prices.

Who can doubt the brilliance of 'Kingdom' from the mighty Jon McNaught. This book is so good it will make you weep and has hit every 'Best Of' list worth it's salt from last year. It's basically a quiet and insightful retelling of a family holiday on the British coast. Full of rain, seaside entertainments and the attempts of a single mother to keep her family together and happy. It has incredibly rendered layers of texture and emotion that plays out gently in front of you. It is without a doubt my personal favourite book of 2018 and you need to see it.

Have a look for more of Jon's work over at https://jonmcnaught.bigcartel.com/ and follow him on Twitter @Jon_McN

Want another book that will blow your artistic socks across the room? 'Skip' from Molly Mendoza is a colourful swirl of emotion, imagination and adventure. Follow a human and his hirsute buddy as they travel through dimensions escaping danger and trying to find a way to safety.

I reviewed an early preview copy and this came out just this week. Have a read about what I thought about it here 

http://neverironanything.blogspot.com/2019/04/in-preview-split-from-molly-mendoza.html

You can find Molly at her website here http://www.mollymendoza.com or on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/msmollym/

'In Waves' by AJ Dungo is everything you've heard it is and more. The heart-wrenching story of love lost combined amazingly with the world of the Californian surfing community. At moments alive with emotion and movement it moves over to meditation and thoughtfulness before actually educating. AJ Dungo is a genuine revelation with this, his first long-form graphic novel. The staff at Nobrow were floored by his poetry and artwork and so will you.

Have a read about what I thought of this book here http://neverironanything.blogspot.com/2019/03/an-early-preview-in-waves-from-aj-dungo.html

Come and explore the magical worlds created by Lorena Alvarez and you too can understand why she's been nominated in the recent Eisner Awards for Best Newcomer.

'Hicotea' is another one of our books that you just have to open, look at the incredible artistry on show and fall in love with straightaway.

We'll have copies of the new and recently released second volume at the table as well as a soft cover version of volume one.

You can find more work from this creator at her website here http://www.lorenaalvarez.com/ or follow her on Twitter @Artichokekid

------------------------------------------------

I cant say too much but we might also have a cheeky early release of a September release! More News Soon!

I'll be bringing loads of other books down so if there's something that you'd like and arent sure I'll have it then please let me know on here, on Twitter @Ezohyez or by emailing me direct tony@nobrow.net

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Many thanks for reading.