Over at Speech Balloons, Paul Birch continues to share a delight of Christmas cards.

The John Freeman is also the editor on the forthcoming ILEX Books' Sci Fi Art Now and he's looking for illustrators. More details on the Downthetubes blog.

All sorts of talented illustrators, craftsters and some comickers too will be exhibiting their stuff at the Lancashire Zine, Artists Book and Multiples Fair in Preston, Lancashire on Fri 29th and Sat 30th January 2009.
More details at www.zinefair.com

Andy Luke is Comicking on the small press scene at Altern8.

Over at Speech Balloons Paul Birch reports that The Comic Book Alliance (CBA) is running a competition to design a new logo.

The British Journal of Photography has a feature in it's latest issue on the recent strip Paul O'Connell (The Sound Of Drowning) did about the DRCongo using the photography of Marcus Bleasdale for the CTRL.ALT.SHIFT 'Unmasks Corruption' anthology. An abbreviated version of the text from the article and interview with Bleasdale is available to read online.

A solo show of ceramic figurines by Jon Williams - creator of Tales Of The Sidewalk - runs from Tuesday 8th Dec to Saturday 12th Dec at The City Gallery, Leicester. (Tuesday – Friday: 11.00am – 6.00pm; Saturday: 10.00am – 5.00pm.)

Private View is Tuesday night 6.30 - 8pm featuring complimentary mulled wine, breads and a live set by Liz from Firebugs Lava Lounge.

More Irish
Paddy Brown and Andy Luke will be at the Belfast Black Box Markets this sunday selling comics by North and South Irish creators. Confirmed for this weekend are their own works and those of Gar Shandley and Cathal Duggan, Deirdre de Barra, Hilary Lawler and others at Longstone Comics, Paddy Lynch, Davy Francis and Tommy Kelly with others to follow. Mr.Luke will also be premiering his festive zine, online shortly after.
The Black Box Comics table will be there the first Sunday in the month. More details at the Black Box website. Or via Andy or Paddy, often found at the Belfast Comics Pub Meet at The Garrick Bar the first Thursday of the month.