Comic Cuts

I've been putting in some more work on the revised Comics Bibliography which is now starting to take shape. Hopefully the link will take you to all the various sections, although some are still works in progress; unfortunately, Blogger had a problem a few days ago and I've had to reload 82 pictures, which hasn't left much time for sorting out the rest of the images. Some are in place and I'm doing a little bit each evening to fill the gaps but with a couple of hundred titles listed, it's a long haul.

Today's "birds I see when I'm making coffee and looking out the kitchen window" is the Jay. Please don't mock my photographic talents too much -- it's an inexpensive camera and the photo was taken through a window and it was pouring with rain. The rain was outside, by the way, not in the kitchen.

Sadly, I didn't have the camera to hand when a squirrel attacked a magpie the other day.

Bits 'n' bobs from here 'n' there...

* The Independent (3 December) published a 5-page celebration of The Dandy comic in honour of its 70th birthday. The comic didn't appear on the newspaper's website but you can see it in all its glory at Steve Flanagan's Gad, Sir! Comics! blog. Lew Stringer's Blimey! blog identifies the artist as Ken Harrison. Lew also offers a little taste of some of this year's Christmas comics and a look back at an old price guide published by Alan Austin back in 1975.

* Dan O'Neill bemoans the dumbing down of The Dandy in 'Dumbing down of our kiddie comics is not fine and Dandy..." (South Wales Echo, 4 December).

* Alex Fitch's latest Panel Borders broadcast on Resonance FM (6 December) included a recording of Lisa Appignanesi's talk with Posy Simmonds at last month's ComICA festival plus an interview with Charlie Adlard. Unfortunately, only the latter is going to be podcast. Part two of the Posy Simmonds talk will be broadcast at 5 pm next Thursday (13 December) so you'll have to tune in to Resonance to catch it. The Adlard interview will be posted at Alex's blog shortly. Alex tells me that he's stepping down from the "I'm Ready For My Close Up" segment on Resonance ("for the foreseeable future") and will concentrate on "Panel Borders" in the future. He'll also be moving his blog soon.

* Just when I thought I'd got the comics bibliography reference books listing right up to date NBM release The Art of Bryan Talbot (Amazon lists the official release date as 13 December). According to Joe of Forbidden Planet International, "Bryan has also collaborated with mark Stafford on Cherubs, which will be coming out in 2008 from Desperado and which I can tell you, having been treated to a sneak look, is pants-wettingly funny." Bryan and Leo Baxendale (currently working on another volume of autobiography) have both produced their choices for the Best of the Year columns that Joe is running at the FPI blog. (I wrote a little something for one the other day.)

* Todd Klein has produced a beautifully lettered print called Alphabets of Desire, written by Alan Moore. If you want it... too late. I only learned about it today (via the FPI blog) and the 500 copies printed have sold out, although a few strays may turn up on eBay. Still, you can read all about it at Todd Klein's blog. The blurring is on the original posted image... I can hear you mocking my photographs you swine!

* Garth Ennis is interviewed by Claire McNeilly in the Belfast Telegraph (6 December). (link via Journalista)