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Thank You
Terry Hooper-Scharf
Tuesday, 30 September 2014
I Am NOT On Face Book
The requests to "friend" me on Face Book. I forward links to news items from CBO but I am NOT using FB. Please note that and do not send friend requests.
Thank You
Thank You
Cinebook The 9th Art: Barracuda 3 -Duel
Authors: Jérémy & Dufaux
Age: 15 years and up
Size: 18.4 x 25.7 cm
Number of pages: 64 colour pages
Publication: July 2014
ISBN: 9781849182041
Price: £8.99 inc. VAT
Great looking cover. Nice story and the interior art is what you would expect -Great. But my review opinion probably does not count with the company so I'll just say it's a great book.
Oh Dear, Some People Are Just Dumb-Asses
I posted that all free event publicity was over. I even forwarded the link as well as the item to event organisers. They are still trying to get free publicity -they deny me a table (that I'm willing to pay for) or a free press pass but they want me to do free work for them. No. Just no.
Then we have the 'friends' still trying to cadge free publicity and free feedback on their new books. These are the 'friends' who NEVER read CBO or Face Book because "I'm too busy. I have 160/200 friends and I don't check all of them" -great friends to have.
I point out again that I have asked these people as friends and people who I have helped a lot in their early careers and later without ever asking for anything in return. But when I ask for just a mention or a link on their blogs/pages every excuse going comes forth.
No. "Friends" help each other out.
You want to name call at events where you think no one knows me or tells me what goes on then just carry on. I've spent over three decades helping other people now I'd like some return.
http://hoopercomicart.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/no-event-is-exempted.html
Then we have the 'friends' still trying to cadge free publicity and free feedback on their new books. These are the 'friends' who NEVER read CBO or Face Book because "I'm too busy. I have 160/200 friends and I don't check all of them" -great friends to have.
I point out again that I have asked these people as friends and people who I have helped a lot in their early careers and later without ever asking for anything in return. But when I ask for just a mention or a link on their blogs/pages every excuse going comes forth.
No. "Friends" help each other out.
You want to name call at events where you think no one knows me or tells me what goes on then just carry on. I've spent over three decades helping other people now I'd like some return.
http://hoopercomicart.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/no-event-is-exempted.html
Opus 21: “Quality Birds” a.k.a. “The Wisdom of the Colonel”
Peter Lally
Opus 21
A4
12pp
Colour
£3.00
To purchase a copy contact Peter at:
peterlally@gmail.com
It appears that last Friday Mr Paul Brown was gamboling about London. And while gamboling met up with Lord Peter Lally -adventurer, treasure seeker and international man of mystery. "Give this to Hooper -and if you are questioned you know nothing!" were the words I apparently made him utter for comedic effect here.
So, on the Saturday I noticed Mr Brown skipping along the lane toward my house. Once in the house and seated, he excitedly produced "Quality Birds" by Lord Lally. To calm him down from a sugar-rush created excitement, I promised to do a review.
Well, I sat down and looked through this one. The production is incredible and must have cost a few quid. Nice crisp and shiny. Now the thing is that Peter is NOT Jack Kirby. He is NOT John Byrne. But this is why I think the Small Press works -there are no huge egotistical pretensions. What I look for is the "feel" of a book and, yes, you can "feel" if a story or comic was just chucked together for fun or whether it was just chucked together and **** what it ends up like.
I got part way through this creation of the man who brought us Mind Your Manners: The Donald Hamilton Story and just chuckled. I also uttered the words: "What are you on, Lally?" Seriously, I thought that this was going to be some huge attack on the Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise. Instead it was....funny. Take a look at the pages below -particularly the first! Pure genius. And do you know what? While shopping in Tesco (I feel it my duty to help them get back that £25m) I passed the frozen chickens* and thought "Ooh. There's a quality bird! Oo-er!" And, yes, I did have to stifle a loud laugh.
I will never be able to look at a frozen or fresh chicken again without that feeling of....arousal. Lally caused that!
Seriously, you need to read the whole book. It does make me wonder just Miss Millie is trying to impart...no, I don't want to go there.
If you want a fun read then this is it. If you don't buy a copy...well, it really is your loss!!
*I ought to point out that I've been a vegetarian for 35(?) years now so was passing the chicken section and not deliberately heading there to check out the "talent".
Sunday, 28 September 2014
Alan Moore, Listen -There Are A LOT Of Young Creative People Out There (and me)
It was nice to see Small Pressers comment on the usual Alan Moore rantings -this time his claim that comics at all levels suck.
See what the people at The water Closet say:
http://waterclosetpress.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/alan-moore-versus-small-press.html
Moore, like a few others who rose to "fame" (fleeting bastard that it is) in the 1980s and he did work with fanzines. He shows that he does not grasp what is going on in the all encompassing term "comic industry". The Small Press used to be where you honed your skills before moving on to mainstream comics. In the 1970s it was a rather small group of people.
In the 1980s it quite literally exploded because photocopying allowed a faster way of publishing and it was a bloody sight quicker and cleaner than using a Gestetner!!
By the mid-1990s there seemed to be a slight stagnation because Small Pressers found their main selling points, Fast Fiction and later Zine Zone gone. Comic marts seemed to decline also. Getting a table at one of the new conventions was going to cost more than your rent!
Then computers became more common and desk top publishing moved from putting together a comic at home and handing it to a printer to being able to do small print runs yourself at home. Print on Demand also helped would-be publishers. And then the Small Press/Alternative Press events kicked in. People like Peter Lally and Jimi Gherkin literally blasted a major Alternative Press community -community NOT "industry"- onto London.
Today there are more Small Press events going on in the UK than major comic conventions -many of which still look down at Small Pressers but are all smiles to take their money for a table.
Most of the creators have no idea about comics. They never read comics. They are trying things out. Being inventive. They are not looking at making big money, most seem to enjoy the work -or pleasure- of putting these books together and seem amazed if anyone buys their book!
They are not "appropriating" characters and ideas from old literature. They are not claiming any Messianic power.
They are having fun.
I am an aging curmudgeon and if I smile it might just be me farmers playing me up. They are young, fresh faced and doe-eyed. I'd sooner sit in a room full of them than in a luxury suite with Mr. Moore.
SUPPORT THE SMALL/ALTERNATIVE PRESS!
See what the people at The water Closet say:
http://waterclosetpress.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/alan-moore-versus-small-press.html
Moore, like a few others who rose to "fame" (fleeting bastard that it is) in the 1980s and he did work with fanzines. He shows that he does not grasp what is going on in the all encompassing term "comic industry". The Small Press used to be where you honed your skills before moving on to mainstream comics. In the 1970s it was a rather small group of people.
In the 1980s it quite literally exploded because photocopying allowed a faster way of publishing and it was a bloody sight quicker and cleaner than using a Gestetner!!
By the mid-1990s there seemed to be a slight stagnation because Small Pressers found their main selling points, Fast Fiction and later Zine Zone gone. Comic marts seemed to decline also. Getting a table at one of the new conventions was going to cost more than your rent!
Then computers became more common and desk top publishing moved from putting together a comic at home and handing it to a printer to being able to do small print runs yourself at home. Print on Demand also helped would-be publishers. And then the Small Press/Alternative Press events kicked in. People like Peter Lally and Jimi Gherkin literally blasted a major Alternative Press community -community NOT "industry"- onto London.
Today there are more Small Press events going on in the UK than major comic conventions -many of which still look down at Small Pressers but are all smiles to take their money for a table.
Most of the creators have no idea about comics. They never read comics. They are trying things out. Being inventive. They are not looking at making big money, most seem to enjoy the work -or pleasure- of putting these books together and seem amazed if anyone buys their book!
They are not "appropriating" characters and ideas from old literature. They are not claiming any Messianic power.
They are having fun.
I am an aging curmudgeon and if I smile it might just be me farmers playing me up. They are young, fresh faced and doe-eyed. I'd sooner sit in a room full of them than in a luxury suite with Mr. Moore.
SUPPORT THE SMALL/ALTERNATIVE PRESS!
Saturday, 27 September 2014
What Ever Happened To Blake & Mortimer?
I had a couple of queries from people who have searched CBO (believe me this is a site with well over 2000 posts so they deserve medals!) looking for specific Cinebook reviews. I checked and they are quite correct in that certain books were not reviewed because I never received them!
Blake & Mortimer 12 and 17 for instance. I think I noted in the review of 13 and then 18 that I was a wee bit confused and it seems that was because I missed the previous books. I just checked the bookcase in front of me with all the Cinebooks and, yes, there are a few volumes from various series missing.
Its odd because I get a book to review and I assume that I have reviewed the previous one. Even when that nagging voice is whispering in my head!
But you can go over to the Cinebook site where all the books are listed!
So apologies if any of you have tried looking for a certain book and cannot find it -publishers send books that they want to send and I accept what I receive so its beyond my control!
Blake & Mortimer 12 and 17 for instance. I think I noted in the review of 13 and then 18 that I was a wee bit confused and it seems that was because I missed the previous books. I just checked the bookcase in front of me with all the Cinebooks and, yes, there are a few volumes from various series missing.
Its odd because I get a book to review and I assume that I have reviewed the previous one. Even when that nagging voice is whispering in my head!
But you can go over to the Cinebook site where all the books are listed!
So apologies if any of you have tried looking for a certain book and cannot find it -publishers send books that they want to send and I accept what I receive so its beyond my control!
Bristol Comic And Zine Fair -IT'S NEXT SATURDAY!!!!!
Whoa! I was looking through this list this afternoon with Paul Ashley Brown and, boy, has it grown! This time next week I will be so rich from sales that I'll close CBO down!
We have over 60 incredible artists, writers and
makers exhibiting and selling their work at BCZF 2014. You can read
about them all on this page. Here are our first batch of amazing
exhibitors, with MORE TO COME!
Exhibitors
AVERY HILL PUBLISHING |
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SEAN AZZOPARDI |
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BARK We are two cool kids who really care about the world. We are setting up a mag called Bark which we hope to sell to raise money to buy rain forest from the worldlandtrust.org. We will be launching |
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ANDY BARRON @omcomics |
SAMMY BORAS AND SARAH FOGG Sammy and Sarah are friends who make comics. Sammy specialises in comics, while Sarah specialises in illustration and zines. As a team they produce a comic anthology once a year and a music zine whenever they feel like it. They both work on the quarterly zine What’s The Time, Mrs Woolf? |
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BREAKFAST CHAMPION CM Carter creates comics and illustrations under the guise of Breakfast Champion. They draw influence from alternative comix, low brow culture and dark humour. Their work can be seen in various places including Off Life, Design Week Blog, Doodlers Anonymous and Peculiar Bliss. As well as old fashioned pens and paper Breakfast Champion works with digital media, silk screen and single malt. |
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GARETH BROOKES Gareth has been small press publishing since 2005, beginning with collaborations with Banal Pig and later becoming involved with groups such as The Alternative Press and The Comix Reader. Goodies to be found artfully arranged on his table include The Black Project – a Graphic Novel created entirely in the mediums of embroidery and linocut relief print, the psychidelic sci-fi epic The Land of My Heart Chokes on its Abundance, and a bountiful preponderance of original prints and handmade zines. |
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PAUL ASHLEY BROWN |
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LAURA CALLAGHAN |
EMMA CARLISLE |
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DECADENCE COMICS |
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DIRTY ROTTEN COMICS Dirty Rotten Comics is an underground comics anthology curated by Kirk Campbell and Gary Clap. We will be debuting our third issue at the Bristol Comic and Zine Fair, featuring work from upcoming UK artists and writers |
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DRY COMICS Dry Comics is a newly-founded publisher of minicomics based in Cardiff. Debuting at BCZF will be ‘The Architect’ by Ioan Morris, a poetry zine by Rhydian Parry, and an adaptation of Gemima Salt’s short story ‘Treehouse’. They’ll also be selling other comics/zines/illustrations by founder Ioan Morris. |
EYEBALL COMIX |
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HARVEY FINCH @harveyfinch |
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FLAPJACK COLLECTIVE A collective of freshly graduated illustrators from the Arts University Bournemouth. Made up of Louis Craig Carpenter, Maia Fjord, Allie Oldfield, Hope Sloan and Florence Zealey. We’ll be selling zines, comics, screen prints, t-shirts, postcards and the like. Previously we’ve exhibited at Comica Festival in London. Come and say hello, we don’t bite! |
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FOLD COLLABORATIVE |
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FOOTPRINT Footprint are a printer co-operative from Leeds. This Risograph specialist, zine-happy, anti-capitalist, booty-shaking collective have started doing a zine distro of the finest wares that rattle off their machines and they’ll be bringing a tableful of it to Bristol. They’ll also be happy to talk to punters about printing, co-operatives and anything else they do. |
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LORENA GARCIA |
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ISABEL GREENBERG |
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GRIND YOUR TEETH |
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ALEX HAHN Alex Hahn Publishing is an independent producer of comics, zines and graphic novels. With products ranging from small, home made editions to 100-page graphic novels and more. The charm of Alex’s products is matched by the characters within them: The emasculated hero, Heracles; the lovestruck cupcake known as Muffnut (doughnut/muffin) and his muse, the Cruffin (croissant/muffin); a determined little space man and, of course, Blop -everyone’s favourite Martian! |
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JAZZ DAD BOOKS |
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GRAHAM JOHNSON |
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MAX K Max K; organiser of the up & coming ‘SHAKE BRISTOL’, comic & poster illustrator and creator of the saddest/raddest mutants. Come say hi. |
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JOSEPH P KELLY. |
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STEPHEN KELLY |
LEADACHE |
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ISAAC LENKIEWICZ |
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LIZE MEDDINGS |
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THE MODERNIST |
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MOMO WORKS Momo Works is a small press based in London. After publishing Flamingo Magazine, it now focuses on short-run essays. |
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MONSTER EMPORIUM PRESS
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NUALA MURPHY |
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LOUIS NETTER |
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IAN NORRIS Fixed Up is the story of one man’s journey from a geeky, awkward, shy teenager in Cape Town – to a geeky, awkward, shy adult in Oxford. It tells the story of how being in love is the worst thing ever. The first three epic issues will be on sale, as well as a speak preview of issue 4. |
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OOMK |
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OPPOSITE THE ALLEY Opposite The Alley is a small independent press founded by Illustrators Emma Evans and Iselle Maddocks. It offers a platform for illustrators working in a wide variety of styles and aims to shed light onto both emerging artists and young talent. We’re friendly so be sure to say ‘hi’ if you stop by our stall! |
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SANDRA ORTUNO |
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MARK PEARCE AND JAMES STAYTE |
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JIM POWNALL |
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ZOE POWER Fresh off the boat from Montréal, where she’s been living for the past few years, Zoe is moving back to her hometown with a paintbrish in hand and a thirst for collaboration. Bikes and food are some of her favourite things as are black marker pens, sexy lettering, relief print and dry humour. |
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PRINCESA PIRATA |
SHAPE OF MY HEART Based in London, I write perzines focusing on mental health recovery, travel and penguins! |
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SICKER THAN THOU |
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SAMANTHA STARKEY
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LEE TAYLOR
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MAIR THOMAS Mair (A little lost) makes DIY lo-fi surreal comics and colouring books, which often feature flying tortoises. She has a weekly updated Welsh Language online comic called ‘Llong’ about a boat’s adventures around a flat world. Mair’s work can sometimes be seen in Bear Pit Zine and What’s the Time, Mrs Woolf Zine. |
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TWIN FREAKS |
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WATER CLOSET PRESS Richard Worth is a bearded comics writer; he’s Northern. Jordan Collver is a bearded comics artist; he’s Canadian. They have been making comics together as The Water Closet Press since 2010. Their chief export is a small press serial comic entitledLadies & Gentlemen. The Water Closet transcends all divides and is located in both Leeds and Bristol. |
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OWEN WATTS |
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ELLICE WEAVER Ellice Weaver is a young comic maker, self publisher and cake artist from Bristol. She studies Illustration at the University of West England and prints her zines and comics under ‘Cringe Press’. Most of her Comics are autobiographical and deal with the problems of everyday life: petting soft animals, getting a haircut and the creeping feeling of not belonging anywhere. |
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WE STUDIO PRESS We Studio Press is a wee/small press publishing initiative based in |
WOLF MASK |
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