Small Press comics creator since 1982
All-new comic book published April 2025. This is a collection of all-new stories set in the imaginary Astorial Hotel, arriving some years after the first “Compendium” (2021) which featured Tamblyn The Secret Architect on the cover. That earlier book was a revisit of stories first authored in the 1990s, which allowed me the chance to…
Available now, a new full-colour version of this 1986 mini comic. If asked, I might sometimes tell you that the five Astorial Stories amount to some form of Christian allegory, an update on The Pilgrim’s Progress, or a retelling of Old Testament myths in a very oblique fashion. If that’s true, then The Roof Runner…
The fourth Astorial Story from 1986 now recoloured. Published in October 2024. I personally like this one for the story-within-a-story structure, where there’s about two or maybe three interlocked tales folding into each other. However, Italo Calvino I ain’t, that’s for sure! I can’t remember exactly when I read Calvino’s If On A Winter’s Night…
This Colossive Cartography, my third submission for the imprint, is an imaginary fold-out instruction manual for the new digital showers in the Astorial Hotel. By way of background – I came up with a story called ‘The Cold Shower’ which I drew in summer 2024. It’s going to end up, I expect, published in a…
Not Red Deeps! by Sean Azzopardi I’m impressed by the honesty and emotional truth of this very personal comic by Sean Azzopardi. He personally handed me a copy in Harrogate at the Thought Bubble fair in November, when there was a lull on Sunday morning. I never read his other books, and don’t know if…
At Winchester Comics Fair on 19th October 2024, I happened to be tabled right next to Miranda Smart. Sideways glances across at her table, prints and books produced by screenprinting and risograph. I came home with memories of pinks, greens, other strong colours and colour combinations that were threading their way into my brain…like so…
Previously unpublished comic book written and drawn in 1996. Now available in full colour for £6.00 + p&p. The Race was scripted by Chris Butler, who sent me the story from his Sheffield address in summer of 1996. We had previously collaborated on a couple of stories, ‘Miserable Slaves Of Dogs’ and ‘Enlberia’. The first…
Homelight by Gareth A Hopkins I bought a number of books by this UK creator when I was at the Brew Zine comic fair in July. I wanted to say hello to Gareth as I’ve seen a few tweets about his work and been intrigued. To say he’s prolific is an understatement; I have the…
The third comic from the original Astorial Stories series of 1986, now with added colours. The Building Trade features the character of Tom the Builder, at work on the exterior of the Hotel, apparently carrying out repairs and works all by himself, apart from the interventions of a well-meaning but ineffectual foreman. And of course…
Chris Reynolds 2 x Chris Reynolds UK Dark and Golden Books 008 (2024) Very happy to receive this recent publication from Dark And Golden Books. It reprints two stories from UK artist Chris Reynolds, ‘Space Food’ from 1990 and ‘The Animals’ War’ from 2005, and as a backup article it reprints an interview with Reynolds…
