Mathew Alan Smith's Bristol adventures

Bristol was hot this year, stupid hot, like a jungle.

This probably contributed to my enjoying it less than last year, not that it wasn't fun, just a bit, well, less fun. The table wasn't in quite so sweet a spot opposite the Tokypop honeypot and lost in the mini-comic table line up (at just the point when you lose attention), we are men of modest means and can't compete against anyone who could afford to spring out for a banner. We lacked a quick and direct selling point for the comics as well, I would have been tempted to sell it as the only comic in Bristol without a zombie in it but I'm too nice. Still Zak did well with his full colour book, but that's no surprise as he's Zak and we all cower before his might and glory.

Meh, what are you going to do. I sold enough to pay for the photocopying, called Chris an 'effeminate pimp', was pulled into a horrifying conversation about 'come to bed eyes' Wolverine, and listened to Jamie McKelvie's Alice in Sunderland like knowledge of Malvern.

The cosplayers seemed to be growing in number. The best by a huge margin was the lady who dressed as (or so I was told later) a Warhammer Terminator, a costume which looked like it weighed the same amount as the entire contents of the room I'm currently sitting in. The worst costume was the almost non existent one worn by an underage girl who decided to stand in my eyeline all day, making me feel like I was going to be arrested every time I gazed up from the table. Are there no anime characters who wear burkas?

Here I am in D'Israei's wall of Fame this was the only sketch I got (I even have my eyes open for the photo!).

Sketches I drew for people -

An angry Squirrel
A girl with large nipples
Zombie Jimmie Olsen
The Phantom
A penguin startled by a broken dog

Books I picked up -

2001 issue 3 by Jack Kirby - A strange whim I had.
Jack Staff by Paul Grist - A comic I really like but always forget to buy.
Fred the Clown by Roger Langridge - I heart Roger Langridge!
Toad Hunt by Will Kirkby - The best free mini comic I ever pulled out of somebody's oversized head.
The innocents by Gipi - I picked up Notes for a War Story a little while back and was blown away, so these huge slabs of Gipi were a must.
Phonogram by Gillen & McKelvie - "Worcester's shit" said McKelvie, I couldn't disagree.
Polar Opposites Mini by Marc Ellerby - Foul mouthed penguin are pretty much an instant sell for me.
Day at the Beach and The Monster in the Well Mini By Kate Brown -Which doesn't feature any boy on dragon sex, for better or worse.
Manga Midsummer Nights Dream By Kate again - The special variant badly drawn arrow edition.
The Pin-Up art of Dan DeCarlo 2 - Which has pretty much everything I could have ever wanted from anything.

Buh-buh-buh-Bristol coming soon

This saturday! Where you can buy this and this (and probably some other high quality merchandise).

Come and meet Mathew Alan Smith, whoever he may be...


(poster drawn by be and coloured by the G)

Learning Comics

Paul Gravvett's recent interview with Dan Berry on comics based courses in higher education fails to mention my alma mater's Sequential Illustration degree course.

It then goes on to give a list of things that Berry believes will make the course an excellent start for students interested in comics and graphic novels.

All of which my course lacked (and most of which we requested repeatedly).

The refund invoice is in the post.

Get on your feet soldier!

Be a man even if you're a 12-year-old girl I drew for years at a time without owning a desk. Be ready to draw anywhere, bust out your best work anytime. The best thing about comics is that it takes no money -- you could steal pens and paper and make the best comic ever sitting on a dumpster. This is the fucking trenches -- if I see you cry, I'll knife you myself.

Brandon Graham on making comics from King City vol. 1.

Happy Cosmonautics Day!

Da!

Buh-buh-buh-Bristol 2008

Yes in a just month's time me and the gang will be at The Bristol Comics Convention. As nothing particularly horrific happened last time we'll have a table again where you'll be able to buy our stuff, if any of them have any stuff this year that is, you'll have to ask them -

Chris G
Andy Silver
Zak Symmonds-Hurn
Rob 'The Rascal' Garrett

I'll have copies of my new rambling, incoherent, and more than a little whiny mini-comic Alpha Waves for sale (provided I finish it in time) and, in the unlikely event that someone email's me requesting a particular piece, some prints.

So come and say hi before moving onto Kate and Paul's table to steal their smarties.

His name's, Doom

"Never again will mortal eyes gaze upon the hideous countenance of Victor Von Doom!

"From this moment on there is no Victor Von Doom! He has vanished... along with the handsome face he once possesed! But in his place, there shall be another...

"Wiser... Stronger! More brilliant, more powerful then ever before!!

"From this moment on I shall be known as... Doctor Doom!"