Previously mentioned by Pete Ashton and now confirmed by Mark Stafford in his own inimitable style:

Evil ink whore Mark Stafford will be cartoonist in residence at the Cartoon
Museum as of 29/05/06, Tuesday to Friday, (with the occasional Saturday) for
the next thirteen weeks at least. Duties include traumatising small
children, creating graphic materials for the museum, and generally sitting
in a big glass room drawing stuff for the entertainment of visitors like
some kind of performing monkey. Visit! Poke him with sticks! Watch him cry!

Ron Regé Jr:
A Web-Exclusive Interview.

PG Tips No. 2:
Paul Gravett's Recommended Reading.

Folk in London should pop along to the Cartoon Museum in Bloomsbury where (according to Dave Shelton), their Cartoonist In Residence for the next 13 weeks is Mr Mark Stafford. I have no idea what this involves and there's no mention on the Museum's site so if anyone knows the details do tell.

Creative Screenwriting Magazine Podcast has an interview with Dan Clowes, mostly about the Ghost World and Art School Confidential movies, but he also talks about his comics writing techniques.

It takes all sorts. From Dan Lester:

I'm putting together a small press comics anthology of 1-2 page stories about people crapping their pants, and I still have room for a few more contributors. Anyone interested can email me at dan (at) monkeysmightpuke (dot) com. I also have all four issues of my own small press comic, Monkeys Might Puke, available for sale on my website.

Bit of a lo-fi reader survey:

Please send an email to m_badham(at)hotmail.com saying how often you visit Bugpowder, how often you think it should be updated and with any comments/criticisms you have about the site. Also please mention any changes you'd like to see made to Bugpowder.

Any/all comments about TRS2 also appreciated.

Keep your eyes open for Oliver East's fully painted comic Trains Are... Mint. It manages to be both atmospheric and amusing. Copies cost £5.00 and are available from Page 45 and Traveling Man in Bristol and Manchester. Why not go here for more information.

Engine Comics has a new look website.

More Bristol report wordage, this time from Tony Lee, get it here.

Issue one and two of Lux and Alby Sign On and Save the Universe by Martin Millar and Simon Fraser online at Martin's website. Read it, then track down the collected edition (or don't).

It's early days yet but Will Vigar, the man responsable for the recently released Dead Miserable, is in the process of setting up a small press hub. For more information, visit his website and contact him, if required, via there.

Comic artist Malcy Duff also has a band (Usurper) and they will be playing in Newcastle on the 21st May at the telegraph pub (behind central station). Check out news of their gigs/buy their music here. (via)

If Laurence Powell and Oliver Lambden put together reports on all comics festivals as fun as their snapped Brighton Comics Expo, I might skip going altogether ! Twelve pages of photo story silliness.

In addition to The Barnstables strip which he posts regularly to his cartoon blog, Wilbur Dawbarn has recently set up a website where he is posting other examples of his work.

Angry Candy present Synchrony One, a collection of stories by Andrew Cheverton. Includes art by Justine Shaw and the author. Available from here.

Issue three of Andrew Cheverton's and Tim Keable's West is now available. Each issue of this genre bending western features a self contained story which also functions as a part of a whole. All three Wests so far are available for purchase from here.

Paul Holden, Leah Moore and John Reppion will be appearing at MeCon Nine, a Queens University associated Northern Ireland SF Convention, 4th - 6th August 2006. So if you can't make Caption that weekend, why not try Mecon instead ?

Another Bristol Comic Expo report over at Down the Tubes.

Underground cartoonist Eric Knisley has just moved to the UK from the US. Examples of his work can be found at his website here. He wants to get involved in the UK small press community so why not drop him a line and say hello?

Martyn Warren, an
second-year illustration student at Southampton Solent
University, has recently published a small
handmade book/comic called "Velcro Cows - Natures'
Solution to Inner-City Congestion". Go here to see more.

James De Carteret is putting together a radio show on comics/x.

John Freeman's Bristol Comic Expo 'ZINE ROUND UP.

Jeremy Briggs ponders DC Thomson's secretive nature about its creators down the years, and explores the secrets of its science fiction title Starblazer, whose creators included a young Grant Morrison and artist Ian Kennedy...

Lew Stringer's Bristol 2006 photos.

Sean Azzopardi's photos from the Bristol Comic Expo.

Rich Johnston has lots to say about Bristol.

Matt Dyer (AKA Grim Smith) has a website full of his comix here.

From Paul Gravett's website:

Frank Miller:
It's Miller Time
Frank Miller subverts the corporate-owned superheroes into a satire of political corruption, flabby liberalism and media babble. More...

REQUEST FROM PAUL GRAVETT:
Can Myra Hancock, or anyone who has been in
contact with her recently, please get in touch?
Thanks.

The Comics Interpreter has launched an aural salvo in the form of its first Podcast
Pyrrhic Victories.

Therein discussed: Demagogues, arseholes, Bollywood comics, CLAMP, Art School Confidential, and further tales from the entrails of our unloved medium. Respite from the rants and the ramblings courtesy of assorted musical interludes and the occasional Rushmore or Fight Club excerpt. Enjoy.

Monkey Loft Comics is proud to present an exhibition of the work of small press comics superstars Neil 'Nulsh' Hood and Malcy Duff as part of the Three Harbours Art Festival that runs from 2nd to 10th June 2006 in the towns of Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Port Seton.

Issue 12 of Khaki Shorts, the Scottish comic zine is out, featuring not only 7 pages of all-new John Miller action, but also biting Hogarthian satire of the West End, a choose your own adventure based round hating going to clubs, Babbu Mann, Andrew W.K and The Owlseys Sunshine in a "Tomb of the Cybermen" inspired yarn...

Lots of news from Tom Gauld and Simone Lia:

EXHIBIT. We have new prints by Simone on display in the GALLERY and for
sale. As always the previous exhibition is now in the GALLERY ARCHIVE.

MOVIES. Tom has worked with animators Dirty UK to create a video for the
single VISIT FROM THE DEAD DOG by Ed Harcourt. It should appear on Ed's
website at some point.

GUIDE. Tom's new screenprint "The Hairy Monster, a guide" is in the COMICS
STORE now.

STOCK. We now have all four parts of FLUFFY back in stock. Also still
available are BOTH, GUARDIANS OF THE KINGDOM, 3 VERY SMALL COMICS Volume 2,
ROBOTS MONSTERS Etc. and prints by both of us.

KRAMER. Tom has written a new 21 page story entitled 'Sample Collection Unit
413/R87.13' for excellent anthology KRAMERS ERGOT SIX due out very soon.

BEASTS. Tom has contributed to BEASTS edited by Jacob Covey and published by
FANTAGRAPHICS. It should be available in August.

Rich Johnston's review of the soon to be released "Lost Girls" by Alan Moore & Melinda Gebbie.

This is a blatant self-promotion, but my newest free promo comic 'Those Da Vinci Coders vs Transformas' will be available to pick up from wherever I leave them at the Bristol Comic Expo this weekend. More details at my website. UPDATE: The story can now be read online or downloaded for printing.

Part five of Paul Rainey's graphic novel There's No Time Like The Present is premiered at this weekend’s Comics Expo in Bristol. If you’re not attending and would like a copy, details of how to get one can be found here. All four previous parts are still available.

You should buy all five parts, it's very good.

An interview with comic artist Peter Doherty over at 2000AD Review. The site has loads of great archived interviews as well.

This from the Yorkshire Post : "Children once grew up with comics where the words were stronger than pictures. George Edwards argues their main characters could still hook a new generation in primary schools into reading."

Read the full article here. (Via).

The O Men are back! Creator Martin Eden has
launched issue one of season two of The O Men, and collections for all of
season one are also now available. Check out his website for details.

Flying Monkey Comics has a new website. Flying Monkey Comics is Simon Perrins and Andrew Livesey, veteran small pressers and the people behind Hope for the Future.

A reminder about the Bristol Convention after-show Comics Soiree next Saturday. Small Pressers are invited to take copies of their comics along as the HERE shop is seeking new titles to stock.
Be there or be square.

For a whole bunch of weird web-comics from small press artist Ben Oakes and his friends, go here.

Sean Azzopardi has written to say that he has published issue four of Twelve hour Shift, which will be available at Bristol 2006. For more info, go to his website.

Subversive Saturday 20th of MAY Brighton 11am- 6pm: This free comics event, part of the Brighton Festival Fringe, takes place at The Cowley Club on London Road (opposite Somerfield). The event will be an exciting array of small press & indie comics (with some zines) stalls and artists, an open exhibition of comics-related works, and a workshop where people of all ages can make their own comics & badges, get advice on producing their own small press work

Small presser Willie Hewes has revamped her website.

Dan Cox is looking for a comic artist. If you fancy collaberating with him, contact him via his blog.

Patbing has posted a 25 minute show of Chris Ware from a French TV sttion up on YouTube. Into the third minute, theres an extended interview in English with French subtitles.
Part 1 2 3

From Gordon Johnston:

A new website of small-press comics, sketches, photos and articles by me. It is currently showcasing TwoDays, a political thriller set in Edinburgh, available to read online for free. Tons of bonus material is here too, with much more planned!

Spitfire Comics have announced their first volume of Hookjaw stories, collecting adventures featuring the infamous shark from the often controversial 1970s comic, Action!, is scheduled for an October 2006 release. (Via)

The final Just One Page magazine will be launched at the Comics Expo in Bristol this coming weekend. Just One Page #4 costs £3.50 for the 56-page colour-packed extratravaganza, with all the art available for sale. All profits go to UK charity Childline. through the title's website. (Via)

Eddie Campbell briefly interviewed by Tom Spurgeon about The Fate of The Artist. "I think through the graphic novel the concept of comics will get absorbed into a bigger idea of the illustrated book. Text and illustration got separated at the beginning of printing, hundreds of years ago. Computers continue to bring the elements back closer together, and I think there are interesting times ahead."

An article about Escape, the seminal British comics magazine, by co-editor Paul Gravett.

The First Second Blog is an effortlessly beautiful thing.

First Second publish graphic novels by the likes of Nick Abadzis, Eddie Campbell and Paul Pope.

The latest Judge Dredd Megazine has a six-page excerpt from Dave Hitchcock's Spring-Heeled Jack. Dave has been self-publishing for a while now and has received positive testimonials from the likes of Warren Ellis, Antony Johnston and David Lloyd.

Moonface Press, the publishers of the Devilchild graphic novels, has a brand spanking new website.

Steve Bell has what looks to be a pretty comprehensive exhibition of his Guardian works at Leeds University, where he was a student, running until June 16th. 350 If... strips are on display along with 30 "art pastiches". (via)

Download a copy of the first issue of new free comic Strip here.

Fantagraphics are doing a Love and Rockets readers survey and will reward you for taking it with a discount on online orders. They're interested in anyone who's ever read a copy even if they've never actually paid for it. And it's really short.