"In 1995 Alan Moore wrote the text for a set of 24 cards, called Outbreak of Violets, which were given away at the MTV Europe Music Awards 1995, and have since become something of a Holy Grail for fanatical Alan Moore completists..." - Padraig O Mealoid

Its comics season on Radio 4 again,

Kirsty Lang talked to Iranian graphic novelist Satrapi on 'Front Row' on Friday and you can listen to it for the next six days.

Oli Smith, Alex Fitch and David Bailie are guests of 'Word of Mouth' show on Tuesday 29th, at 4pm. Also available in temp archives.

And word is theres some more comics stuff going on at BBC Radio4 this week. Keep a listen and look out for it

Former Cartoonist, jazz musician and foul-mouthed presenter of 'I'm Sorry, I haven't a Clue' Humphrey Lyttelton, has died, aged 86. Lionel Blair's tribute, delivered in the form of a mime, was said to be touching in all the right places, and some of the wrong ones.

Excitement! Woodrow Phoenix, one of comics finest stylists (and a dapper dresser to boot) has a new book, Rumble Strip, coming out in June. Take a peek, it looks kind of remarkable.

Darren Di Lieto writes,

'Last week a British illustrator called Jonathan Edwards informed me that he had come across a book that contained his illustrations along with other illustrators work. He contacted me because the book is also riddled with interviews that he recognized as being the interviews I conducted for the LCS.'

Full story at ApeFluff

Oli Smith comes clean about No Barcodes, the Camden Comics Mini-Con from 10-6pm on Saturday 31st May.

The event features cheap food, glorious scenery (see video for more on this). sketching tables, entrance is free, and exhbitors a small fee. Theres also an after-drinks event. If you'd like to exhibit, email camdencomics at hotmail dot CO.UK

Press release available here
Facebook event listing here

The new edition of my column is up. Recent subjects covered include the Reviewers Trade Principle, Grow Your Own Comics Festival, Pub Meet Blog Roll Concept, Were you must not DIY, and this week an interview with Mike Allwood of the Bristol Comics Expo.

Panel Borders: The Lambden Thing

"Oliver Lambden talks with various fans and small press creators who attended and boycotted the UK Web and Mini Comix thing including Jake Harold, David Baillie, Mike Rouse-Deane, Dan Lester, Laurence Powell, Sean Azzopardi, Oli Smith, Adam Cadwell and Anna Petterson." Here

Friday 11th London Comics Events,

The Camden Comics Storefront Exhibit at BookArt Bookstore. See following post. The event now begins at 6pm, contact seanazz at googlemail.com and see following post for more details

Shooting the Witness: Cartoon County invites you to join Steve Bell and Woodrow Phoenix in conversation at The Political Cartoon Gallery on Friday 11th April 6pm —8pm
Twenty years after the Palestinian cartoonist Naji Al-Ali was
shot dead in London,cartoonists debate the relative freedoms of
drawing criticism of politicians and politics around the world.
The debate is part of a commemoration of Al Ali ’s work at the
Political Cartoon Gallery
32 Store Street
London WC1E 7BS
Free entry and refreshments but booking essential
RSVP Corinne Pearlman comicopera at btinternet.com

The ARTRMX Festival takes place in Cologne, 22nd August-30th August. The theme is "Where is my mind ?" and there are about six days left for entrances to the exhibit. The fee is 40 euros and more details can be found out downloading the press release

Previous contributor to The Girly Comic Josceline Fenton writes of her 80 page comic "Circle". Copies can be ordered via Lulu and rather than write some irrelevant text, Josceline has made the first chapter available online at Mild Tarantula.com

I've been fortunate enough to see the collected work pre-print and it strikes a great balance incorporation of manga and zine styles. Distribution plans for Gosh!, Orbital Comics and the Camden Comics Stall are planned. The collection costs £5.

Marc Ellerby has some new comics ready to post out. Ellerbisms (£3) and Speed Trail (£2), more details available.

At Marc Ellerby.com

"Authors Benjamin Dickson and Jelena Stanovnik are looking for an illustrator for their new project, Unfinished City. The story is about a girl who, having lived in the UK since the breakup of Yugoslavia, returns to her home town of Niksic in Montenegro and becomes caught up in its criminal underworld. The book contains much social commentary on the current state of former communist countries in Europe, and western attitudes towards them. It's a heavily-researched piece of work and uses many real locations - and as such we would really like to find an illustrator from Montenegro, or at the very least, former Yugoslavia, who could do the visuals justice. If you're interested in the project, or if you have any leads or contacts, please email Benjamin Dickson at dickson_benjamin at hotmail.com"

Theres a fantastic interview with Persepolis author that went up in the Guardian yesterday.

I'm looking forward to experienced writer and supporter Gavin Burrows comprehensive review of the Uk Web and Mini Comix Thing and the people who made it for him. This can be found on his Lucid Frenzy blogspot.

Chris Staros throws over a link to a feature of Jeffrey Brown from Sex TV

Its really The Year of Oli on the Uk Comics scene. Oli East this week,

"i went to the Exhaust Exhibition at Cow Lane Studios in Salford that was advertised on Bugpowder a while back and i've just stuck some pictures on Flickr."

Before there was Trains Are...Mint there was The House Of Fire To Black Hill trilogy of b&w minis. Since i've now run out of copies i've made them all avaialible as PDFs. (Rolling Stock Press)

Hes also interviewed steve Tillotson of Banal Pig

This Oli is also hanging out with pop stars. His images were used in the latest Elbow ad

Thats the news brought to you today by Andrew Luke, craving retirement.

Bookartsbookshop, an independent book distributor will be hosting an exhibition of comics from the Camden Comics Stall. Regular titles such as Modern Monstrosity, Summer Ball Tongue of the Dead, Monkeys might Puke, Ninja Bunny, Twelve Hour Shift will be displayed along with the vast talents of the every changing table stock.
Opening night and private view will be April 11th 2008 around 6ish, and the show will run until the 25th.

Bookartsbookshop, 17 Pitfield St, Hoxton, (nr Old Street Station)N1 6HB, London
Friday, April 11, 2008 at 6pm

Contact Info sean at phatcatz.org.uk
Phone: 07951124040

Good news for fans of quality comics over at Blackshapes: "Since Lint is now out of print and won't be reprinted, (i.e. I've run out of photocopies) I'm going to post up the stories from it online over the next while, starting with Little Boyfriend."

http://resonancefm.com/listen

Alex Fitch's Resonance Fm 'Panel Borders' today features Chinese comics artists, more from The Daniel Merlin-Goodbrey, and a quite drunk myself. Really, check in for the Merlin and Manhua.
Show starts 5pm.