A Belle and Sebastian comic featuring adaptations of their songs by Andi Watson, Leela Corman and others will be published by Image next year. I'll just let the vague oddness of that news settle... (via)

Andy Konky Ku (aka Andy Bleck) has posted some watercolours on his site and they're very nice.

Barry Renshaw of Engine Comics, Redeye magazine, UK Comics Nation and far too many other small press things to mention, is looking for studio space in the Manchester / Stockport area. If anyone can help, contact details are here.

News from the comics academia front: Bart Beaty has written an in-depth biography of Fredric Wertham, author of Seduction of the Innocent which instigated the comics code. Get your library to order a copy. (via)

There are apparently a few tickets left for ComICA: Misfit Lit an event to launch Paul Gravett's Graphic Novels: Stories To Change Your Life at the ICA on Wednesday October 26th at 7pm featuring, amongst others, Jessica Able and Matt Madden. It'll followed by a reception and signing (8.15-9.15) which is free but you need to be on the guestlist to get in. Email paul [at] paulgravett.com to get on it.

Baz of Comics Nation sent through a press release about The Ninth Art, an exhibition of comic art at the Ashton Memorial gallery in Lancaster which is looking for submissions. It opens on October 30th and runs for a month. The press release with submission details is here. This exhibition has been cancelled.

Erica Stevens writes: "I thought you may be interested in a new webcomic, Crip Comic. Currently the comic is written by Luke Barbs with Jfsouthpaw being the primary artist and Ben, Beehive and others doing 'filler strips'. The group over there were going to be off on holiday the week of 10/24 and it was suggested on the Crip Comic Forum that they get other crip bloggers to do guest comics during such times. Since my name/blog was suggested, Luke asked it I would make a submission and now I have a comic that will be on the site sometime during the week of 10/24-10/28."

Paul Gravett has a website. Sorry, did you not get that? Paul Gravett has a website.

After an almost intolerable wait Dylan Horrocks' Atlas #2 is shipping in January. (via)

Fantagraphics preview upcoming issues of their rather interesting anthology Mome.

Clockwork Comics have published science fantasy The Gifted by Adam Dechanel in US format.

Ade Brown has posted confirmation of the 24 minute mini comic event at the Brighton comics expo and is looking for people to take part.

Fantagraphics report that their English language edition of Matt Broersma's Insomnia should be in the shops this week.

Top Shelf are having a sale

How To Be Rich is an adaptation of John Ruskin by Hunt Emerson to be distributed schools. Also notable is how this article refers to Emerson (one of our premier underground cartoonists with a 30 year career) as a Beano artist. Not that there's anything wrong with being a Beano artist. (via)

Massive gallery of Mr X art - now there's a blast from the past... (via)

Long interview with Roger Langridge on The Comics Reporter.

Family Style are San Francisco collective. Right now, they have up a rather lovely comic about having crushes. Go. Go now.

Preview page from Curse of the Black Swamp, Jeremy Dennis' strip from the forthcoming Dead by Dawn anthology. Advance orders can be placed here.

Whores of Mensa #2 is out featuring strips by Ellen Lindner, Mardou and Jeremy Dennis with a guest page by Lee Kennedy. UK types can order it for £2.50 from Ellen or Jeremy, while those in the US can get it for $4.00 from Mardou or via USS Catastrophe who also have a couple of sample pages online.

Neil Hood writes: "I've recently started to add strips exclusive to my website nulsh.com alongside previously published strips and other assorted drawings. I update the site almost weekly adding sketchbook pages and the like. There's a news section which isn't exactly a blog but does keep any visitors/friends up to date on my endeavours."

The Fantagraphics Blog previews Max's new book Bardin The Superrealist due out in 2006

The Copacetic Comics Company is another US mail order service that has a large number of comics from SPX for sale. Beyond ordering them that page gives a good overview of what's going on over there. (via)

If you have a spot of spare cash and fancy plunging into the world of N. American minicomics you could do no better than to place an order at the USS Catastrophe Shop especially as it's just been restocked post-SPX. If you're unsure what to order, buy everything! (via)

Visitors to Bristol comics events will remember the incredibly groovy DIY arts shop Here, crammed full of neat art-things and a shedload of small press comics. They're currently running a fund-raising art show, 24 Frames A Second featuring pieces by a wide variety of artists including some familiar cartoonists. Here's photos of the art in question, the show runs 'til the end of the month and can be found at 108 Stokes Croft, Bristol, BS1 3RU. Oh, and they're also the only shop I know to have a LiveJournal.

An interview with very-busy-man Sean Michael Wilson has been added to the Engine Comics interviews archive.

The Cambodian comic Wrath of the Phantom Army (previously mentioned) has been dramatised in part by the BBC World Service in a World Tonight report. (ta)

Ade Brown has posted up details of the second 24 minute mini comic event taking place on Sat October 29th in London. It's tied in with the Drawing Power campaign and will run on the same rules as at the Thing last year.

Barry Renshaw of the Accent UK collective has sent last minute submission guidelines, including ad rates, for Redeye #5 to the BugPowder list. The magazine, reporting on the UK small press comics scene, will be out in November.

Lots to explore at Mount Pleasant featuring the scritchy-scratchy art of Lucy Jones and David Bailey. Not a lot of comics but loads of cool stuff with a healthy mess of ephemera round the edges. They do books too.

Rob Dunlop of Tozzer writes:

"Just to let you know that we've booked a table at the London Expo. It looks pretty mainstream, with an emphasis on video games, movies and manga, and there's not many comics publishers signed up as of yet. It would be great if a few other publishers came along, especially those with mainstream-friendly titles. £130 for a table, for the Saturday and Sunday. If anyone's interested in this, I'm told that space is fast running out.

"We're officially launching our Tozzer 2: Special Edition title at the Brighton Expo in November. However, we're calling the London Expo a "pre-launch", and T2SE will be for sale, under the counter, nudge-nudge wink-wink, wrapped in a brown paper bag."

Selina Lock from Factor Fiction Press writes to inform of a workshop they're running with Frontline Books in Leicester on Saturday October 15th. "Leicester based small press publisher Factor Fiction introduce you to the world of creating your own comics. Come along if you're a budding writer, artist, or just curious about this hybrid artform. Also in attendence will be Shane Chebsey, whose Smallzone distribution company has been supplying underground, independent and small press comics to discerning readers for several years. There will be a selection of comics available to peruse and purchase, and free handouts with tips on making your own comics."

Cabanon Press news: Tom Gauld's Robots, Monsters, Etc is a set of 16 colour postcards, six of which are previewed at that link, that should be out by the end of October. At that time Simone Lia's Fluffy #4 will also be published. Four new pieces are in their Gallery and you can buy their stuff here.

No link, but I'm informed that "There's an exhibition of cartoons by Polyp, the Manchester-based political cartoonist whose work appears in New Internationalist and Ethical Consumer, running at The Basement Cafe of Lever St in Manchester until December 16th. The Basement Cafe is open Wednesday to Saturday from 12pm until 6pm."

Gary Spencer Millidge has and interview and previews of the third volume of Strangehaven on The Pulse. (via)

Londoners, and those visiting, should pop along to the Pictures and Words exhibition at Magma Books in Clerkenwell which runs until October 29th featuring work from the book of the same name (which I reviewed here).

Matt Abbiss' animated adaptation of Tom Gauld's minicomic Invasion is being shown on Channel 4 on Thursday at 7.55pm as part of their Mesh series. Here's a direct link to the movie.

Nice overview and appreciation of Denis Kitchen (via)

Did you know cartoonist Ed Pinsent has a radio show on Resonance FM on Fridays at 5.30-7.00pm? London folk can listen on 104.4 FM while the rest of us can stream it from the Resonance site.

New list in Paul Rainey's Book of Lists: Freebies

I was shocked and delighted to see Posy Simmonds has a new serial, Tamara Drewe, running in the Saturday Guardian - shocked because there's absolutely nothing about it online save a mention on her PFD CV: "A graphic novel loosely based on Hardy's Far From The Madding Crowd. A young woman moves to the country and attracts the attention of 3 men, one dallies with her, one marries her, one dies." It'll be collected by Cape next summer. Here's a dodgy photo of the strip - comparisons to Gemma Bovery seem likely...

The UK Web & Mini Comix Thing 2006 has been confirmed for March 11th in London, same venue as last year. There's also a spangly new website that is in some desperate need of comic strips so go submit one.

Cambodia's Heritage Watch have a produced a comic called Wrath of the Phantom Army as part of their attempts to discourage looting of archaeological sites. "Illiteracy is common in Cambodia’s villages, and a picture- heavy, text-light publication stands at least a chance of making an impact."

Full Transcript of the Jeremy Davis interview from Redeye #4

More Comics Nation news: Photos from last week's Strangehaven / Chronic Fatigue signing, plus creators of Brodie's Law signing at Forbidden Planet, London on October 28th. Follow links for more info.

Small Press Expo link roundup from The Comics Reporter. Loads of stuff there.