tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20715598297169933612024-02-19T09:02:36.238+00:00Strange Maven's DiaryA weblog of sorts
by Gary Spencer MillidgeGary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-24852994616200774912020-12-23T16:18:00.004+00:002020-12-23T16:21:03.207+00:00Lockdown, Storm Alex and Glad Tidings<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyZxfuU_gqXuJ2K8cMQyhfWKY_1Ve_W1sgidZ-Fv5ToUz7JNNjL48M76dKyrMIMtPp_zpcIhfUcpi6aF3RTdqSJqADhRLJ6FYUNTdb7Xl_V2OMweTTU5nkHkSIQYqmXtzhO3CIo8a5e5K/s850/snow+trees+3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyZxfuU_gqXuJ2K8cMQyhfWKY_1Ve_W1sgidZ-Fv5ToUz7JNNjL48M76dKyrMIMtPp_zpcIhfUcpi6aF3RTdqSJqADhRLJ6FYUNTdb7Xl_V2OMweTTU5nkHkSIQYqmXtzhO3CIo8a5e5K/w640-h480/snow+trees+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">This year’s virtual Christmas card from me to you is a little different - this image was based on a photo I took during the great snowfall of 2018 in nearby Belfairs Woods. Walking alone through the park, shin-deep in snow, with more snow falling, in eerie silence and not another soul in sight was a magical experience. Anticipating that I wouldn’t have the time to draw anything as elaborate as the film-themed illustrations as I have been doing in recent years, I chose this scene and digitally manipulated it (for want of a better description). I hope it captures some of the magic that I felt that day.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Apart from the fact that it has been quite an extraordinary year for pretty much everyone on the planet, I’ve had somewhat of a disastrous end to 2020 domestically too. At the start of October our bedroom ceiling collapsed about an hour after the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/geengeenie" target="_blank">Geen Geenie</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"> and I had risen for breakfast and thus avoided being crushed by falling hundred year old lime and horsehair plaster in our sleep.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqB_IQnvXhKEVTsEn8NwFJHhlWOWy261FZOtCXQCiUDPnyPBIIhT-E4DjVfILmf_bupoAl2GAm6Er8S2rrfMpstQCqizT7W2C-yQvourBtW_0ZviS-OyupeiAKt7rFEe4W4nfGe7dcx8Q/s850/bedroom_ceiling_collapse.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="848" data-original-width="850" height="638" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqB_IQnvXhKEVTsEn8NwFJHhlWOWy261FZOtCXQCiUDPnyPBIIhT-E4DjVfILmf_bupoAl2GAm6Er8S2rrfMpstQCqizT7W2C-yQvourBtW_0ZviS-OyupeiAKt7rFEe4W4nfGe7dcx8Q/w640-h638/bedroom_ceiling_collapse.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Thanks to a combination of </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Storm Alex</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"> and a hitherto undiagnosed leaky roof, there was substantial water ingress which soaked the plaster and caused the sudden catastrophe. I was on the phone to the insurance company within the hour, but finding available roofers, scaffolders and plasterers at short notice became an almost full-time project management task. As further problems were uncovered, electricians, plumbers and decorators were also contacted. The act of merely trying to obtain quotations for works was a nightmare in itself if the tradesmen even deigned to show up at all. Eventually though, everything got done, in sequence, and the carpet fitters were booked for today, so we could be back in the bedroom for Christmas. Except that they called yesterday to say all of their available fitters were self isolating due to Covid-19 infections.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">So, we will continue to be sleeping on a mattress on the living room floor for another couple of weeks yet. And that’s fine, because there are many far worse off than us.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">And it’s barely worth mentioning that in the past couple of weeks one of my teeth disintegrated requiring a new crown, my television sound system stopped working, my car spectacularly failed its MOT (road safety certificate) and required extensive repair, meaning that it’s already been a very disrupted and very expensive Christmas period.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Earlier in the year, those who follow me on social media might be aware that I suffered a recurrence of my irregular heartbeat (atrial fibrillation) which required more drastic treatment this time around and I was admitted to Southend University Hospital for an </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">electrical cardioversion</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"> - which is essentially an electric shock to the heart under sedation. And thankfully, that seems to have fixed the problem. My heart is beating to a regular drum right now, but recent adjustments in my medication has left me with a recurrence of chronic migraines and fatigue, but I am working on that now too.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;"><strong>Is he going to even mention Strangehaven? Yes, he is:</strong></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Even with all that, I can’t pretend that it hasn’t been a frustrating time creatively, with absolutely nothing new being released this year. My health issues and other factors mean that a couple of other projects that I had intended to pursue this year have effectively been put on hold for now; but I sincerely hope to make one or two announcements regarding </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><em>Strangehaven </em></strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">in the coming months. For now, here are a couple of pieces of non-spoilery artwork from forthcoming episodes. Not terribly exciting on the face of it, but as I get closer to </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Strangehaven’s </em><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">conclusion, it’s becoming harder to select any artwork without giving too much away, and from experience, I know that many of my readers don’t want to know anything ahead of time.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4LK5REHI_0AS1Dcd47VZyrd3s3sZoGPqAT-DzmQF_rugxS1zebjbMy4ykNuEClMq0YchQ-_aJgkpVf2WpPu0d1JDlp8fo364bap6C5pH2tImStQnoCgFCxQZWZfe5g0aEIor4RQcRuFrJ/s850/_SH_10_15_ex.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="850" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4LK5REHI_0AS1Dcd47VZyrd3s3sZoGPqAT-DzmQF_rugxS1zebjbMy4ykNuEClMq0YchQ-_aJgkpVf2WpPu0d1JDlp8fo364bap6C5pH2tImStQnoCgFCxQZWZfe5g0aEIor4RQcRuFrJ/w640-h318/_SH_10_15_ex.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrAIFuz22FROpJ8eprJsYL06PaajhvJKCNYaCYFYO863H43BjfQGjza3kKwURr3f4x4KdWD3XMjJgnoHKY36Pzmc_z2NRyr1rUsVeY1F7At2yeKzh7xslsB_KRoawV4XTToC2FNShLgf7/s850/_SH_10_01_ex.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="850" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTrAIFuz22FROpJ8eprJsYL06PaajhvJKCNYaCYFYO863H43BjfQGjza3kKwURr3f4x4KdWD3XMjJgnoHKY36Pzmc_z2NRyr1rUsVeY1F7At2yeKzh7xslsB_KRoawV4XTToC2FNShLgf7/w640-h318/_SH_10_01_ex.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><strong style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><em>Meanwhile</em>…</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"> remains on hiatus. I believe there is some news in the pipeline about that, but it has already been announced that publishers </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://millidge.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3De73e417e995cdef0da038bed2%26id%3D7029cd0488%26e%3Df399a1016b&source=gmail&ust=1608824412115000&usg=AFQjCNFNc21S6P58vK2oONj8HkAjCduWcg" href="https://millidge.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e73e417e995cdef0da038bed2&id=7029cd0488&e=f399a1016b" style="background-color: white; color: #007c89; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">Soaring Penguin Press will be moving to a crowdfunding model</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">. Exactly what that means for </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Meanwhile</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">… and </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Strangehaven </em><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">remains to be seen, but I will of course continue to work on the last few chapters regardless of external factors.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">I’m also regretful that I couldn’t celebrate </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"><em>Strangehaven’s </em>twenty-fifth anniversary</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;"> in any meaningful way like a special publication or small celebratory event. But like I said on my </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://millidge.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3De73e417e995cdef0da038bed2%26id%3D7890f32ad5%26e%3Df399a1016b&source=gmail&ust=1608824412115000&usg=AFQjCNHj3k5l1RXQYP9MffzqA2VvPA34JQ" href="https://millidge.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e73e417e995cdef0da038bed2&id=7890f32ad5&e=f399a1016b" style="background-color: white; color: #007c89; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;" target="_blank">blog post here</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">, working for a quarter of a century on something isn’t an achievement in itself. Hopefully there will be the opportunity to celebrate properly once it’s finally completed.</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiduGGb7-rTXFSfnscnLwmKYLXTUMe4RefTWj4ssNoKU7t_x5g6oflAvNiA0YXOptTa8pZjuftAh4En1q6yGAp9ckxm2jWJSY4_Vf_-4mVchpamR5D4bZ9pX8tr8rtdNqsRDlTcqblRirvn/s850/Millidge+Instagram+Christmas+Yarn+Bombing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="850" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiduGGb7-rTXFSfnscnLwmKYLXTUMe4RefTWj4ssNoKU7t_x5g6oflAvNiA0YXOptTa8pZjuftAh4En1q6yGAp9ckxm2jWJSY4_Vf_-4mVchpamR5D4bZ9pX8tr8rtdNqsRDlTcqblRirvn/w640-h480/Millidge+Instagram+Christmas+Yarn+Bombing.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;">I am still posting photographs from my regular walks around Leigh-on-Sea (among other things) on my <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://millidge.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3De73e417e995cdef0da038bed2%26id%3D078deb26fc%26e%3Df399a1016b&source=gmail&ust=1608824412115000&usg=AFQjCNHUlnRVJwD9AxuMvESb3bNolIjUNw" href="https://millidge.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e73e417e995cdef0da038bed2&id=078deb26fc&e=f399a1016b" style="color: #007c89;" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://millidge.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3De73e417e995cdef0da038bed2%26id%3D6f41f052d6%26e%3Df399a1016b&source=gmail&ust=1608824412116000&usg=AFQjCNGSz_bsoFp_INGtR5U9EVuwaIS7Qw" href="https://millidge.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e73e417e995cdef0da038bed2&id=6f41f052d6&e=f399a1016b" style="color: #007c89;" target="_blank">Instagram</a> feeds although I’m no longer posting those every single day. Next year I fully intend to start posting more artwork and work-in-progress on social media, now that I have figured out a more convenient way to do so, as, after all, I am supposed to be an illustrator.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: 16px;"><strong>Don’t Give Up Hope </strong></span><br /><br />I just received a delightful Christmas card from one of my loyal and infinitely patient readers who never fails to send me one, with the inscription, “I must say I have given up hope to ever see the ending of <em>Strangehaven</em>.” My friends, please don’t give up! It’s coming, albeit slowly. <br /><br />Many others have included with their greeting a sentiment that next year can’t possibly be as bad as 2020 has been. But it seems we’ve all been saying that for several years in a row now. As I’m writing this, London and the south east of England are in the freshly-created <strong>tier four</strong> lockdown (<em>“Stay at home. Cases are very high in your area”</em>) due to the new N501Y variant of the coronavirus, effectively cancelling family Christmas get-togethers only days in advance. Most countries are banning air travel from the UK, and France has just closed the border crossing which will likely lead to food shortages next week. And then on January 1st the Brexit transition period ends. All of this succinctly summarised by BBC presenter <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://millidge.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3De73e417e995cdef0da038bed2%26id%3Df93ac14e81%26e%3Df399a1016b&source=gmail&ust=1608824412116000&usg=AFQjCNGjuIK7jZu6-rn-OW_hB0Ddaq3sSA" href="https://millidge.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e73e417e995cdef0da038bed2&id=f93ac14e81&e=f399a1016b" style="color: #007c89;" target="_blank">Ross Atkins</a> and gloriously parodied by the incomparable <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://millidge.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3De73e417e995cdef0da038bed2%26id%3D622e0b073c%26e%3Df399a1016b&source=gmail&ust=1608824412116000&usg=AFQjCNEp0JATwlmmY6L2mRz1ZcDHOyEj-Q" href="https://millidge.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e73e417e995cdef0da038bed2&id=622e0b073c&e=f399a1016b" style="color: #007c89;" target="_blank">Cold War Steve</a>, who if you not already following on Twitter, then please do so immediately.<br /><br />But, vaccinations are being rolled out so hopefully there’s an end to this pandemic in sight and there will be a grown-up in the <strong>White House</strong> so it’s not all bad news. As I seem to say every year in this Christmas message, things don’t always turn out as good as we might hope, but they are rarely as bad as we fear.<br /><br />And I will be locked down over Christmas with my favourite person in the world, a freezer full of food, stacks of blu-ray discs, and piles of books and comics. And I honestly couldn’t wish for a better Christmas than that.<br /><br />Here’s hoping you all are able to share this holiday period with the ones you love the most, and that 2021 is a happy and healthy one for you and yours. <br /><br />Stay safe, people.<br /><br />Peace and Love,</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px;"><em>--Gary Spencer Millidge.</em></p>Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-34745407050323935422020-06-29T12:11:00.001+00:002020-06-29T12:12:59.862+00:00Dark Skies and Silver Linings: Twenty-five Years of Strangehaven<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8N5sSWpDv7k7P7px0mTvoWU-xU44_jKaP4HAw9jK3iTl12_RqwyzFE8rhV75XebHmsMxxbIilXqlPSCblM4WYQs4QL7oKSajxUWCfM9zlv0TLH58IRJhXPsdu8nIU4OVX2nRLu0I14tl/s850/dark_skies_silver_linings.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="850" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8N5sSWpDv7k7P7px0mTvoWU-xU44_jKaP4HAw9jK3iTl12_RqwyzFE8rhV75XebHmsMxxbIilXqlPSCblM4WYQs4QL7oKSajxUWCfM9zlv0TLH58IRJhXPsdu8nIU4OVX2nRLu0I14tl/w500-h250/dark_skies_silver_linings.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Twenty-five years ago, the first issue of my self-published comic book series <em><strong>Strangehaven </strong></em>shipped to distributors. According to a fax document from the Texas-based printing company <strong>Brenner </strong>(who I used for the first few years), <strong>Strangehaven #1</strong> shipped to Diamond on 29<sup>th</sup> June and to Capital City and other distributors on the 30<sup>th</sup>.<br />
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Yes, <em>“Capital City and other distributors”</em> – there were still multiple distributors of comic shops back in 1995. Aside from Capital, Heroes World and Styx International also preordered copies of the first issue. Orders exceeded the distributors’ minimum required level by some distance, and I knew that I could continue to self-publish <strong><em>Strangehaven </em></strong>for the foreseeable future, and hopefully indefinitely.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRlTWnX6kRrVw3TfpI6f-eMj7csTG22YlvM9LOP25-KbdPDqYDnyl0eXIrzNsSXwAubgNdLIL9av4VVURpWnC84VTw0esEm3ZdQbbA3hpve4JhER-pI0yM3pVTOQF0rH0SNfSM8VAN0wLm/s784/dark_skies_02.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="596" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRlTWnX6kRrVw3TfpI6f-eMj7csTG22YlvM9LOP25-KbdPDqYDnyl0eXIrzNsSXwAubgNdLIL9av4VVURpWnC84VTw0esEm3ZdQbbA3hpve4JhER-pI0yM3pVTOQF0rH0SNfSM8VAN0wLm/s320/dark_skies_02.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8keFwmzAYCR3g7Fg7-NulrAwQzqxiMqfsYam7C56cWiAyEOiI5QFA70Yv6UM1hp3-zlxF_B0OokfScB5LlgbiJnV6IzLlJpa6goVKye7hn9oyKp1YNZ3A0HUIwBrkFs0Zm_gfgXaEbBNo/s784/dark_skies_03.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="596" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8keFwmzAYCR3g7Fg7-NulrAwQzqxiMqfsYam7C56cWiAyEOiI5QFA70Yv6UM1hp3-zlxF_B0OokfScB5LlgbiJnV6IzLlJpa6goVKye7hn9oyKp1YNZ3A0HUIwBrkFs0Zm_gfgXaEbBNo/s320/dark_skies_03.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em data-rich-text-format-boundary="true" style="background-color: rgba(85, 93, 102, 0.2); border-radius: 2px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #555d66; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
</em><em data-rich-text-format-boundary="true" style="background-color: white; border-radius: 2px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #555d66; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Left</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #555d66; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;">: Fax from Brenner Printing with ship dates.</span></div><em style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #555d66; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 13px; text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: center;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Right</em>: Solicitation for Strangehaven#1 from Diamond Previews catalogue, June 1995.</div></em><br />So, if you had told me in 1995 that I would still be creating new <strong><em>Strangehaven </em></strong>stories twenty-five years later, I would have been overjoyed. If you had told me that I would working on volume four, then maybe not so much. After the initial euphoria of contributing in a modest way to the artform which I have always loved, the financial and physical realities of making a full-time living from creating comics gradually became apparent.<br />
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But I am nothing if not resilient, and I have pressed on through good times and bad; through personal upheavals, bereavement and health troubles, to prestigious award nominations, potential movie deals, meeting my comics heroes and making new lifelong friends.<br />
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<strong>Strangehaven #1 </strong>hit the comic shops worldwide in a time before <strong>eBay</strong>, before the launch of <strong>Windows 95</strong>, before <strong><em>Se7en </em></strong>and <strong><em>Toy Story</em></strong> hit the cinemas, before anyone had heard the <strong>Spice Girls</strong> or <strong>Kula Shaker</strong>, before <strong><em>Dark Skies</em></strong> and <strong><em>Everybody Loves Raymond</em></strong> came onto our TV screens. So, like, a <em>long </em>time ago.<br />
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If you have been with me since the beginning, or you have joined me somewhere along the way, I can’t thank you enough for your continued faith and support.<br />
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The last quarter century has been a weird, wonderful and wild ride, and I don’t regret a moment of it. But, please, no congratulations on reaching this ‘milestone’ just yet – I don’t deserve an accolade merely for persistence - you can save those until I actually finish this bloody thing. <em>Then </em>we can talk about the tickertape parade.<br />
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<em><strong>Strangehaven volume 4, Destiny</strong>, is currently being serialised in full colour in the British anthology <strong><a href="https://www.soaringpenguinpress.com/?s=meanwhile&post_type=product" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Meanwhile…</a></strong> from <strong><a href="https://www.soaringpenguinpress.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank">Soaring Penguin Press</a></strong>. Nine chapters (of thirteen) have been published to date.</em></div>
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<br />Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-12718856146297948762019-12-21T20:02:00.000+00:002019-12-21T20:02:59.406+00:00Christmas Isn't Just a Day...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 15.96px;"><br />On the face of it, 2019 has not been a productive year for me. There’s been no new issue of </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Meanwhile…</em><span style="font-size: 15.96px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 15.96px;">and ergo no new</span><span style="font-size: 15.96px;"> </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Strangehaven</em><span style="font-size: 15.96px;">. But work has been continuing behind these dusty curtains and word is that there will be a</span><span style="font-size: 15.96px;"> </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Meanwhile…</em><span style="font-size: 15.96px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 15.96px;">relaunch next year.</span></div>
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I have also been working on a couple of other projects, one <em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Strangehaven</em>-related and one or two not, although it remains to be seen exactly when they will see the light of day. I also have one or two other irons in the fire that I can’t speak about either. But rest assured dear reader, my main concern as ever is the completion of the <em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Strangehaven </em>project I initially conceived in 1993, and like the marathon runner, these last yards are the hardest. But with you cheering me on, I’m sure the finishing line will soon be in sight.<br />
<span style="font-size: 15.96px;">Here’s a sneak preview of an episode which may contain (shhh…spoiler alert!) the last time we see the </span><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Knights of the Golden Light</strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4bUIYi6yeymMHYaS1QIsaSqcZOfe4ne8tPRFrO-Bmc2bIcPYEmp5q7kbfuNKoAyu1MVgvUCsIRbWihEEz_6DOvkBGLbEi00KTKOh4WggvisQ7D5UAMNZ1x3YNMJUSmqq07CoQnqYkmmE/s1600/knights-episode-10-strangehaven-millidge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="850" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4bUIYi6yeymMHYaS1QIsaSqcZOfe4ne8tPRFrO-Bmc2bIcPYEmp5q7kbfuNKoAyu1MVgvUCsIRbWihEEz_6DOvkBGLbEi00KTKOh4WggvisQ7D5UAMNZ1x3YNMJUSmqq07CoQnqYkmmE/s640/knights-episode-10-strangehaven-millidge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 15.96px;"><br />Life in 2019, however, has been good to me, and the irregular heartbeat that was identified after my operation last November to have my pesky gallbladder removed (breaking: you don’t really need one) is at last under control, thanks to an assortment of betablockers, anti-arrhythmics and anti-coagulants. Which, it must be said, did leave me feeling pretty lethargic. But I’m off most of the medication now and my heart is doing pretty much what it’s supposed to be doing, thanks.</span></div>
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There was some good news in that Image’s <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Where We Live</strong> Las Vegas shooting benefit anthology to which I contributed a six-page strip last year <a href="https://www.comicsbeat.com/images-where-we-live-anthology-raises-over-100k-to-benefit-victims-of-vegas-shooting/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out 0s;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">raised over $100,000</strong></a>, gained numerous award nominations and <a aria-label="won multiple Ringo Awards (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.comicsbeat.com/2019-ringo-awards-winners/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">won multiple Ringo Awards</strong></a>.</div>
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Also, out of nowhere, I suddenly found myself partnered with a live-in editor, cheerleader and all-round special person. Which although momentarily messed up my routines and good habits, it’s proved to have changed things much for the better. And she’s a doll.</div>
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Having a partner this year has meant an increase in activities like ‘going out’ which had been a rare occurrence these past ten years of bachelorhood. Live musical delights have included seeing <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Robyn Hitchcock</strong> (twice), <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Heather Nova</strong>, <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Amanda Palmer</strong> and <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Public Service Broadcasting</strong> at the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. Also enjoyed was a visit to the spectacular <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Stanley Kubrick</strong> exhibition at the Design Museum, walked the <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Leigh Art Trail</strong>, saw some of the <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Southend Film Festival</strong> and journeyed to Devon, Cornwall, Brighton and Belfast.</div>
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Finally, a visit was made to <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a aria-label="Thought Bubble (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.thoughtbubblefestival.com/" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; transition: all 0.2s ease-out 0s;" target="_blank">Thought Bubble</a></strong> at their impressive new home in Harrogate, which by all accounts was a tremendous success. Hopefully I’ll be seeing some of you from the other side of the table in a year or two.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Geenie Gillespie</td></tr>
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From a political perspective, 2019 has been a pretty horrible year, but as I said in my Christmas message last year, things don’t always turn out as good as we might hope, but they are rarely as bad as we fear.</div>
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Fingers crossed that after the implementation of Brexit and the 2020 US presidential election I won’t be having to cut and paste that same sentiment next year. But I promise I’ll have more comics news for you.</div>
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Until then, peace and love to you all.</div>
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<em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">–Gary Spencer Millidge</em></div>
Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-38968164628121957212019-03-17T15:55:00.000+00:002019-03-17T15:56:47.863+00:00Let me Introduce you to...<span style="background-color: white; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve been lucky enough to have been asked to write not one, but two introductions for comics projects in recent months, and although I wrote them some time apart, they both turned up in my mailbox this week, just a day apart.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The first of these to show up was for the Kickstarter project </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; white-space: pre-wrap;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Here and There</em></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">, a full colour psychological horror graphic novel by </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chris Sides</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; white-space: pre-wrap;">Adam Jakes</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (with </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; white-space: pre-wrap;">Aljosa Tomic</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; white-space: pre-wrap;">Ken Reynolds</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">). I’ve known Adam for many years, as he was always kind enough to send me copies of his self-published comics </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; white-space: pre-wrap;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Floid </em></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">and </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; white-space: pre-wrap;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Whatever</em></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in the mid-late 1990s and it has been great to see his tremendous development over the years.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s an excellent example of British indie comics at their best, and it comes with my highest recommendation. You can purchase the book (or a deluxe package with prints and art book) on Chris’ website here:</span><br />
<a href="https://chrissideswriter.bigcartel.com/product/herethere" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #007fac; font-family: "Noto Serif"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; transition-duration: 0.05s; transition-property: border, background, color; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">https://chrissideswriter.bigcartel.com/product/herethere</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The second introduction I was asked to write was </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; white-space: pre-wrap;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit;">Under Ice</em></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> by comics newcomer </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; white-space: pre-wrap;">Claire O’Brien</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">, a 20-page comic adaptation of the </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kate Bush</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> song, originally created for the online art challenge Inktober. Claire was kind enough to include a beautiful sketch in the limited edition she sent to me.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #191e23; font-family: "noto serif"; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you’re into comics and Kate Bush, then this is a no-brainer. You can order the signed regular copy, or the sketched limited edition on her website here: </span><br />
<a href="http://www.claireobrien.com/store/undericecomic" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #007fac; font-family: "Noto Serif"; font-size: 16px; outline: 0px; transition-duration: 0.05s; transition-property: border, background, color; transition-timing-function: ease-in-out; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">http://www.claireobrien.com/store/undericecomic</a>Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-66762349150610654652018-12-20T16:19:00.000+00:002018-12-20T16:19:35.384+00:00Humbug!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artwork (c)2018 Gary Spencer Millidge</td></tr>
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So, I'm not one for making new year's resolutions, but I think I really should resolve to stop making predictions about what I expect to achieve in the coming year in these Christmas messages of mine. My own personal road to the netherworld has been paved with more gold than stored in the Bank of England's vaults.<br />
<br />
I have excuses, mainly revolving around relatively trivial but persistent heath issues, necessitating some rather severe dietary restrictions and ultimately resulting in some pain, low energy and lack of motivation. Having my gallbladder surgically removed by the wonders of keyhole surgery in November has certainly helped and I'm progressively getting back to something approximating my former self. My parallel career as a graphic designer also proved massively distracting, especially the whole teacup storm of GDPR which meant an overhaul of numerous websites that I'm nominally in charge of.<br />
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These things have inevitably affected the rate of production on <em>Strangehaven</em> (although I'm happy to report that I'm currently back at the rock face), and as regular <em>Meanwhile...</em> readers already know, my good pal <strong>Frazer Irving</strong> stepped in to take the pressure off by contributing <a href="http://millidge.blogspot.com/2018/08/destiny-takes-break.html">his own outlandish take on <em>Strangehaven</em></a> in issue 9.<br />
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<h4>
ICYMI</h4>
<br />
As for other notable occurrences this past year, know that I contributed a full colour six-page strip to Image's fabulous <a href="http://millidge.blogspot.com/2018/03/where-we-live-las-vegas-shooting.html"><em>Where We Live</em> benefit book</a> which was published in late May, and is still available from all good comic shops and booksellers.<br />
<br />In October I made my only two professional appearances of the year. Firstly giving a two-hour talk at the local art group <a href="http://millidge.blogspot.com/2018/10/talking-inkheads.html">Metal's culture lab's Inkhead event</a> and secondly taking the train up to Cumbria for this year's very wet but enjoyable <a href="http://millidge.blogspot.com/2018/10/licaf-2018-drowning-in-comics-culture.html">Lakes International Comic Art Festival</a>.<br />
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I also somehow managed to continue my daily morning walks around Leigh-on-Sea and continued to post a single image every day on my <a href="http://instagram.com/gsmillidge">Instagram account</a>, but sadly my year-long project fell a day short of a whole twelve months because of my gallbladder operation on day #364.<br />
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<h4>
Sim City</h4>
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My annual seasonal illustration this year shouldn't really need any explanation (but here it comes anyway)...<strong>Alistair Sim</strong>'s incomparable performance in 1951's <em>Scrooge</em>, the first and best film adaptation of <strong>Charles Dickens</strong>' classic <em>A Christmas Carol</em>. Essential viewing at this time of year, of course.<br />
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As we go rushing into another year of Trump and Brexit, let's all hope for a Scrooge-like Damascene conversion in the people in power on both sides of the Atlantic. And remember that things don't always turn out as good as we might hope, but they are rarely as bad as we fear.<br />
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As always, thank you for your patient, continued support, it’s greatly appreciated.<br />
Wishing you a very happy holiday, and good health and success in 2019.<br />
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Peace and Love,<br />
<br />
<em>--Gary Spencer Millidge</em>Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-89042359306192263672018-10-20T20:50:00.000+00:002018-10-20T20:50:42.988+00:00LICAF 2018 - Drowning in comics culture<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjUCAUb50Pt6RkLQ7iPFLIELFtWu5Z4M4TFA38mL-M7rGeRYiabVYszu6d-DJysMBj1IRB-WEY-C4cFxzshJ-GSbHorqYidM2aiie1z80B6XEpEWjyFt_z7_nT1szE6gk6bl9d5MQ5wNv/s1600/_Mark+Stafford+Kendal+10+2018-wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="850" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjUCAUb50Pt6RkLQ7iPFLIELFtWu5Z4M4TFA38mL-M7rGeRYiabVYszu6d-DJysMBj1IRB-WEY-C4cFxzshJ-GSbHorqYidM2aiie1z80B6XEpEWjyFt_z7_nT1szE6gk6bl9d5MQ5wNv/s400/_Mark+Stafford+Kendal+10+2018-wide.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storm Callum in Kendal. Photo<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span style="background-color: white; font-size: x-small; text-align: left;">©2018 </span></span>Mark Stafford.</td></tr>
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Last weekend was my one and only festival appearance this year, at <a href="https://www.comicartfestival.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>LICAF</strong>, the Lakes International Comics Festival</a> in Kendal, held over the weekend of 12th-14th October 2018. Invited by <em>Meanwhile…</em> publisher <a href="http://soaringpenguinpress.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Soaring Penguin Press</a> at a relatively late stage, it gave me a chance to hook up with chief penguins John and Cheryl Anderson before their impending relocation to Vancouver. It also enabled me to reacquaint myself with their new co-publisher, <a href="https://sexdrugsandcomicbooks.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Tim “Bad Cop” Pilcher,</strong></a> to discuss plans going forward, as well as witnessing the historic signing of the contract between the new partners.<br />
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It was a soggy start, to say the least. Arriving on the Friday evening after a five hour train journey, just as the heavens opened and the wind started to blow. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-45854360" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Storm Callum</a> was a deluge of biblical proportions which unfolded over the next thirty-six hours or so and led to roads flooding and serious concern from some locals that the River Kent might burst its banks again, as it did less than three years ago, causing extensive damage.<br />
<br />
Popular wisdom suggesting that getting a taxi from Oxenholme station would be a more efficient solution compared to continuing directly to Kendal proved unfounded, as everyone else had the same idea. There were no taxis to be had for almost an hour from the station, and rail travel was suspended for a while.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AhUvMe3E2R780PJmdKpv2c8OPtIB8XHvjhrTpPv9DmyBmRs4X4u7VZhTHBF3YTvCof4Z8XHXkf0iic9-qJ3X_HFCMs-yIm8-el2k5Qe7jI0uLY7a4IB1_ihBoJjtFtmhqSFEPU90AAeI/s1600/_time-and-john-wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="850" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8AhUvMe3E2R780PJmdKpv2c8OPtIB8XHvjhrTpPv9DmyBmRs4X4u7VZhTHBF3YTvCof4Z8XHXkf0iic9-qJ3X_HFCMs-yIm8-el2k5Qe7jI0uLY7a4IB1_ihBoJjtFtmhqSFEPU90AAeI/s400/_time-and-john-wide.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim and John shake on it.</td></tr>
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Eventually the taxis came and from Kendal high street I kayaked my way to the Brewery Arts Centre to collect my guest badge, but due to the call of hot food, missed the announcement of <a href="http://hannahberry.co.uk/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Hannah Berry</strong></a> being announced as the new <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-45840811" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Comics Laureate</a>, taking over from dead man walking, <a href="http://www.charlieadlard.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Charlie Adlard</strong></a>.<br />
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Possibly the most memorable part of the weekend (apart from the rain) was to finally meet Canadian superstar cartoonist and designer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_(cartoonist)" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Seth</strong> </a>at the bar in the Brewery Arts Centre. This was quite possibly the only event we’ve both attended at the same time, although his business card looks very familiar.<br />
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It was also the first time I’d met the much lesser-known and definitely non-Canadian <a href="https://martinsillustration.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Martin Simpson</strong></a> (aka “<a href="https://martinsillustration.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Simo</strong></a>”) and his wife <strong>Tish</strong>, but Martin’s time will come. I’ve been a huge fan of his since pledging to his Kickstarter anthology <em>Misc</em>, to which he's added his <em>Meanwhile…</em> serialised <em>Needleman</em> collection and some spectacular prints.<br />
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The rain continued to fall throughout Saturday, and understandably, this put a literal damper on things. Once everyone’s footwear has dried out though, people really started to enjoy the festival. This was my first trip to LICAF since 2014, and the event has matured a great deal and embedded itself into the community, with a huge <a href="https://www.comicartfestival.com/project/windows-comic-art-trail" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Comic Art Trail</a> in the form of dozens of window displays throughout the town.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMA89DEWzCzL7Bib4LK_YyNPHiLefGlUvxBv93dKOH-C8eUOma8-Vaao8up006P8SDaMIChGPj0MhZvsbnbxPCyPgqRLvEr4e4TFx0k9EX9UdhsXzsK9bkQf1hrCTjVfOFw-O7Ds76Djd/s1600/_ILYA-wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="850" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMA89DEWzCzL7Bib4LK_YyNPHiLefGlUvxBv93dKOH-C8eUOma8-Vaao8up006P8SDaMIChGPj0MhZvsbnbxPCyPgqRLvEr4e4TFx0k9EX9UdhsXzsK9bkQf1hrCTjVfOFw-O7Ds76Djd/s400/_ILYA-wide.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ILYA's fun family workshop in the Westmorland Shopping Centre.</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">I spent most of the weekend perched on the end of the fun-packed Soaring Penguin Press table, upstairs in the impressive Clock Tower, sandwiched between </span><strong style="text-align: center;">John Freeman</strong><span style="text-align: center;"> (celebrating twenty years of his </span><a href="https://downthetubes.net/" rel="noopener" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">Down the Tubes website</a><span style="text-align: center;">) and extraordinarily talented newcomer </span><a href="http://www.jessicaonpaper.com/" rel="noopener" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank"><strong>Jessica on Paper</strong></a><span style="text-align: center;">.</span><br />
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As always, old relationships were renewed and new friends made. Among those whose paths I crossed were the pop culture hound himself, <a href="http://popculturehound.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Chris Thompson</strong></a>, always smiling <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Doug-Braithwaite-76218420393/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Doug Braithwaite</strong></a>, found <em>Room to Love</em> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ILYA" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>ILYA</strong></a><strong>, </strong><em>Tripwire</em>’s <a href="http://www.tripwiremagazine.co.uk/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Joel Meadows</strong></a>, and festival organiser, the great Dane, <strong>Árni Beck Gunnarsson</strong>. I haven’t seen Árni for about fifteen years, and whose non-regional-specific accent remains uncannily English, yet even moreso.<br />
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I caught up with another blast from the past in the form of Littlehampton design guru <a href="http://ninthart.tumblr.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Brad Brooks</strong></a>, and <a href="https://mockingbirdcomic.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Flix Gillett</strong> </a>(promoting his new <em>Mockingbird</em> collection) with whom I once sat on a panel at the Comic Creators’ Guild Small Press Show, held in a London pub called The Cartoon Page way back in 1996!<br />
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It was also good to meet another creator new to me, <strong><a href="https://emmelineillustration.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Emmeline Pidgen</a> </strong>and and her imminent fiancee, write, musician <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/andrew_jolly" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Andrew Jolly</a></strong>. I found fellow <em>Meanwhile…</em> cronies <a href="http://www.waitingfortrade.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>David Hine</strong></a> and <a href="http://www.hocus-baloney.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Mark Stafford</strong></a> ensconced on the <a href="https://selfmadehero.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Self Made Hero</a> table promoting their gorgeous new book <em>Lip Hook</em>, and browsed the mouth-watering, jaw-dropping selection of graphic novels brought to the festival by <a href="http://www.page45.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Page 45</a>’s <strong>Stephen Holland</strong>. Stephen and I reminisced a bit, particularly about the dear departed <a href="https://downthetubes.net/?p=100600" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Terry Wiley </strong></a>and his erstwhile cohort, the thankfully still alive, <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/DaveMcKinnon__" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Dave McKinnon</a>.</strong><br />
<br />
Then there was the always effervescent <a href="https://jessicamartinofficial.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Jessica Martin</strong></a>, the somehow increasingly comprehensible <a href="https://twitter.com/Ganjaman9" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Jim Stewart</strong></a> and <a href="https://www.bendickson.co.uk/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Ben Dickson</strong></a> showing off his monumental <em>New Jerusalem</em>. Great to see <a href="http://davehitchcock.blogspot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>David Hitchcock</strong></a>, table-less and floating free around the convention with his gorgeous <em>Signalman</em> book, hardy Lakes perennial <a href="http://www.seanphillips.co.uk/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Sean Phillips</strong></a> (visiting with his son <a href="http://jacob-phillips.tumblr.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Jacob</strong></a>, a real chip off the old block) and the esteemed Doctors <a href="http://www.bryan-talbot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Bryan</strong> </a>and <a href="https://www.mary-talbot.co.uk/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Mary Talbot</strong></a>. Shackled to the table for most of the weekend, I managed to sneak away on Saturday lunchtime to see Bryan and Mary’s presentation of their upcoming graphic novel, the rather appropriately named <em>Rain</em>.<br />
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Saturday evening’s New Talent presentation at the Brewery Arts Centre boasted presentations by <a href="https://jennyrobins.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Jenny Robbins</strong></a> (<em>Biscuits</em>), <a href="http://sabbakhan.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Sabba Khan</strong></a> (<em>Pluralism</em>) and comics’ most handsome man <a href="http://www.changelingstudios.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Owen Michael Johnson</strong></a> (<em>Reel Love</em>). They were followed by <strong>Tim Pilcher</strong> announcing a new initiative, <em>Breakthrough</em>, aiming to give disenfranchised voices a chance at developing a career in comics.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxMU9MidozDuVAL0MV9VxzuQOGUC2nwhKjzCf2FsuQL8IpBfjrky0AlxPSP8-DQadZzAq2gBQ8Kj_ZNOAR5yVNx_szUjH5pbyTXissMbOHXip7DTiK8aVpr_Ec2dr0TV4U4me1eOis-FE/s1600/_speakeasy-wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="850" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixxMU9MidozDuVAL0MV9VxzuQOGUC2nwhKjzCf2FsuQL8IpBfjrky0AlxPSP8-DQadZzAq2gBQ8Kj_ZNOAR5yVNx_szUjH5pbyTXissMbOHXip7DTiK8aVpr_Ec2dr0TV4U4me1eOis-FE/s400/_speakeasy-wide.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The secret speakeasy</td></tr>
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Possibly my biggest regret was missing <a href="https://briangorman.online/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Brian Gorman</strong></a>’s <em>One Man Bond</em> show - every James Bond film singlehandedly performed in sixty minutes - again, due to dinner - but Brian and I hung out a bit later. To complete a damp but cram-packed day, I was part of the audience thoroughly entertained by <a href="https://twitter.com/marcmakescomics" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Marc Jackson</strong></a> (<em>Grow a Pair</em>) and Nick Connor‘s funky fresh hip-hop band <a href="https://www.facebook.com/therealdopes" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>The Dopes</strong></a> who delighted audiences at Ruskins Bar for minutes. What’s your favourite finger, indeed.<br />
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The rain finally dried up on Sunday, and the sun even peeked out in the late afternoon, transforming Kendal into a different place. I congratulated the Sergio-Award-winning <a href="http://largecow.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Hunt Emerson</strong></a>, did a little bit of business with <strong>Tony Bennett</strong> of <a href="http://knockabout.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Knockabout Comics</a>, and caught up with his glamorous assistant <strong>Nora Goldberg-Fourrel De Frettes</strong>.<br />
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Winner of the Best Worst-Kept Secret Award went to the super not very secret speakeasy on [redacted] Street, to where the select few of nearly everybody gradually found their way sooner or later. Hidden bell-rings, spectacular cocktails, charming bar staff, table service and free snacks contributed to an unrivalled retro-ambiance. Here I was finally introduced to the very dapper <a href="http://www.anenglishmaninsandiego.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Englishman in San Diego</a> (in Kendal) <strong>Leonard Sultana</strong>, another fellow mojito fan.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtChSy4cmIKs5Gn6oCTLDM3rr7E59wjN1-IgQIukCD0a009prheIBT5jZIxjy9Wtd68sf-KJng_sfS3XfbA9QPHxNo1POT3dDExz8FpGy7J27GH1hzGWwtyFWIf3wWiVni9-stu36bdWH/s1600/_train-station-wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="850" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRtChSy4cmIKs5Gn6oCTLDM3rr7E59wjN1-IgQIukCD0a009prheIBT5jZIxjy9Wtd68sf-KJng_sfS3XfbA9QPHxNo1POT3dDExz8FpGy7J27GH1hzGWwtyFWIf3wWiVni9-stu36bdWH/s400/_train-station-wide.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the train. Photo ©2018 Tim Pilcher.</td></tr>
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So, finally, after all the farewell hugs, Monday morning came, and it was beautiful, bright and sunny. I hooked up with <strong>Tim Pilcher</strong> and <strong>Ben Dickson</strong> to catch a taxi to the station where we bumped into <a href="http://www.yomster.com/category/clockwork-watch/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Yomi Ayeni Yomster</strong> </a>and <strong>Claire Wearn</strong>. And as luck would have it, on the train journey home my booked seat was directly opposite <strong>Seth</strong> and his wife <strong>Tania</strong>.<br />
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It was a very civilised end to a chaotic but hugely enjoyable weekend, and I must acknowledge all the hard work put in by <strong>Julie Tait</strong>, <strong>Carole Tait</strong> and all the red shirt volunteers for another supremely well organised festival.<br />
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More photos on my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo85ezuHxv3/?hl=en&taken-by=gsmillidge" target="_blank">Instagram feed here</a>.<br />
<br />Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-10415565082294771112018-10-11T16:01:00.000+00:002020-06-28T15:07:44.668+00:00Talking Inkheads<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6YrVv-obqUNmxhLTsjBgnCW3iaH1w3LVePItKuxwjy56Vaj1aDMnXC4wyMMunUQQKdkT_3ZRLDkGIa-lk0cojQWUqyGW1O9fQLBMl7-kLWo7YjHSsD-ihIOygklEaVSxDsPesukWM-Mm4/s1600/gary-millidge-by-priya-kuriyan-october-2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6YrVv-obqUNmxhLTsjBgnCW3iaH1w3LVePItKuxwjy56Vaj1aDMnXC4wyMMunUQQKdkT_3ZRLDkGIa-lk0cojQWUqyGW1O9fQLBMl7-kLWo7YjHSsD-ihIOygklEaVSxDsPesukWM-Mm4/s1600/gary-millidge-by-priya-kuriyan-october-2018.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sketchbook illustration of me holding court by Priya Kuriyan ©2018 Priya Kuriyan</td></tr>
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The local branch of the arts group <a href="http://www.metalculture.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Metal</strong> </a>invited me to give a talk to a group of comics creators at Chalkwell Hall on October 2nd as part of a five day, residential culture LAB called <strong>Inkhead</strong>, a week of study and creativity in the Essex seaside town of Southend.<br />
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Chalkwell Hall is a beautiful Grade II listed Georgian building, renovated by Metal, set in the picturesque Chalkwell Park, about twenty minutes walk from where I live. I could hardly turn down an offer to contribute to a comics event so close to home, only <em>somewhat</em> daunted by being asked by Metal to speak for two hours, “about [my] life in comics.”<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHyL_rmJYynCXbtJQsXFpPYLb4zAMn6TLWUNEX6eSxBVlNvwjqi8xz_irK7Jo_dCKg3B__U0MPRTjyB9mWVlBMJ6j_caBCvqK0o918F2EPkoMZ_86JxaCHwaZfVX3VMNEyOWEdbA97HSmH/s1600/Inkhead-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHyL_rmJYynCXbtJQsXFpPYLb4zAMn6TLWUNEX6eSxBVlNvwjqi8xz_irK7Jo_dCKg3B__U0MPRTjyB9mWVlBMJ6j_caBCvqK0o918F2EPkoMZ_86JxaCHwaZfVX3VMNEyOWEdbA97HSmH/s1600/Inkhead-02.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos: ©2018 Metal</td></tr>
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This was my first attempt at throwing together a PowerPoint presentation, limited to the couple of days leading up to the talk, and ultimately it surprised me on how well it went. Speaking to the creators (plus a sizeable contingent of the Metal arts group) in what was essentially 120 minutes of almost unadulterated narcissism, I used a chronological history of my career as a springboard for my opinions and philosophies about comics, creativity, freelancing and self-publishing.<br />
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A plastic folder containing ten pages of notes I had prepared for myself didn’t get opened, as I managed to ramble on regardless, and somehow my unrehearsed presentation concluded with one minute to spare. I then spent some further time answering some astute questions from the well-mannered, warm and receptive audience.<br />
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I was invited to hang around for some pea and leek soup, eaten on the terrace overlooking the rose garden in warm autumn sunshine, which gave me the chance to mingle with the LAB’s hugely talented constituent parts; <a href="https://szol005.wixsite.com/alexandreszolnoky" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Alexandre Szolnoky </strong></a><em>(Buddha Boy)</em><strong>, <a href="https://royaldrawingschool.org/artists/drawing-year-alumni/amy-ison/" target="_blank">Amy Ison</a> </strong>(stepping from fine art to comics), <a href="https://www.clioisadora.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Clio Isadora Delcour-Min</strong></a> and her amazing-looking Risographed zines<strong>, <a href="https://www.shelfabuse.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Carl Doherty </a></strong>of the <em>Shelf Abuse</em> blog<strong>, <a href="http://www.daniellocke.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Daniel Locke</a>, </strong>(<em>Out of Nothing</em>), freelance illustrator <strong><a href="https://domduong.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Dominique Duong</a> </strong>(<em>The Black Cloud</em>)<strong>, <a href="http://www.emmaburleigh.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Emma Burleigh</a></strong> <em>(My Other Mother, My Other Self)</em><strong>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/priyakuriyan" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Priya Kuriyan </a></strong>(<em>Ebony & Ivory</em>)<strong>, <a href="http://www.rosasquith.co.uk/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Ros Asquith </a></strong>(Guardian cartoonist working on a spectacular new book), autobiographer and fellow comic festival veteran <a href="https://www.patreon.com/seanazz" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Sean Azzopardi</strong></a> (<em>Voice of the Hall</em>) and <a href="http://walliseates.tumblr.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Wallis Eates </strong></a>(<em>Fear of Mum...Death and the Shadow Men</em>)<strong>.</strong><br />
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The day also gave me the opportunity to finally meet bestselling local horror author <a href="http://www.sydmoore.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Syd Moore </strong></a>(<em>The Drowning Pool</em>), as well as catching up with the other marvellous Metalheads who made the whole thing happen; writer <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/colettembailey" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Colette Bailey</a>, </strong>designer <strong>Camilla Fox</strong> and painter <a href="http://southend.idea13.org/featuredartist/simon-monk/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Simon Monk</strong></a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5iaN3oAFg6C6FTPuVo8aNwGUbAwi-ocgpC7u5p4GjjPkEUOJ2B8syL7p8woXzi-pzpv6KDggs4l333S4mLVI59F1-pjJC6dNkfLv-Z9q2FSEgRAwgbiddRz0xXJTXAiUDp4uRpwgjKqj/s1600/Inkhead-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5iaN3oAFg6C6FTPuVo8aNwGUbAwi-ocgpC7u5p4GjjPkEUOJ2B8syL7p8woXzi-pzpv6KDggs4l333S4mLVI59F1-pjJC6dNkfLv-Z9q2FSEgRAwgbiddRz0xXJTXAiUDp4uRpwgjKqj/s1600/Inkhead-03.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left: Kokaachi talk [Photo: ©2018 Metal] / Right: Sketchbook illustration ©2018 Priya Kuriyan</td></tr>
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After lunch I stayed on to watch two brief but concise and fascinating presentations by Laydeez do Comics founder <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nicolast.reeten/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Nicola Streeten</strong></a> (<em>Billy, Me & You</em>) and <strong>Pratheek</strong> and <strong>Tina</strong> from Indian publisher <a href="http://kokaachi.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Kokaachi</strong></a>, highlighting their fine body of work.<br />
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The five-day exploratory LAB concluded on the Friday evening with a <em>Drink & Draw & More</em> evening open to the public, which I also popped along to. Each of the creators involved gave a three-minute presentation of their own work, which was a real fun half hour. As you might imagine, there was drawing, drink, music and a better opportunity to converse with the Chalkwell Hall crew in some further depth.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRSjElE16SNysAHYRzFr2aW0apu23FA9ZUWJHZsQ4UNEfq7AmbU2Q8qyH-PrbASi0Pu6PsvM6l72ka8WiM3fDsBNyhxhJnNmvsoE7C9d2yEHDs9c5uOieCiErFWX2TSSH3k-AW7BKm8Fn/s1600/Inkhead-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRSjElE16SNysAHYRzFr2aW0apu23FA9ZUWJHZsQ4UNEfq7AmbU2Q8qyH-PrbASi0Pu6PsvM6l72ka8WiM3fDsBNyhxhJnNmvsoE7C9d2yEHDs9c5uOieCiErFWX2TSSH3k-AW7BKm8Fn/s1600/Inkhead-04.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left: Carl Doherty's three minute wonder. / Right: Drinking and drawing. Photos: ©2018 Gary Spencer Millidge</td></tr>
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Comic creators who like the sound of this might want to keep an ear close to the ground in case Metal decide to do this again next year! The <a href="http://www.metalculture.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Metal website</a> is <a href="http://www.metalculture.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here</a>.Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-659794024135737662018-08-31T11:35:00.000+00:002018-09-12T22:25:52.962+00:00Destiny takes a break<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGC9Xt_p6TGaq_ewizFySGtsj0nh97GJHMagCUEcvrKtDvTIX_W3M2Lj38jux61Hfly4d_pmPJ8aDa6W1ity4RY-bOJ2xmEpogIFyPwhNuv1vOOI95g5wPSpGdk3VfaUdnosUtITkFz7sR/s1600/meanwhile-9-frazer-irving-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="260" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGC9Xt_p6TGaq_ewizFySGtsj0nh97GJHMagCUEcvrKtDvTIX_W3M2Lj38jux61Hfly4d_pmPJ8aDa6W1ity4RY-bOJ2xmEpogIFyPwhNuv1vOOI95g5wPSpGdk3VfaUdnosUtITkFz7sR/s320/meanwhile-9-frazer-irving-cover.jpg" width="222" /></a><br />
The somewhat overdue issue #9 of <em>Meanwhile...</em> has finally been scheduled for release, and will be available in comic shops worldwide this November.<br />
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<em>Meanwhile…</em>#9 features part two of the stunning <em>Needleman</em> by <strong>Martin ‘Simo’ Simpson</strong>, <strong>Sarah Gordon</strong>'s <em>The Collector</em>, the penultimate episode of <strong>Mark Stafford</strong> and <strong>David Hine</strong>’s <em>The Bad Bad Place</em> and a second episode of <strong>Ginny Skinner</strong>'s <em>Gail Key's Psychic Lost Item Helpline</em>.<br />
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But, <em>Strangehaven: Destiny</em> episode 9 <strong>won’t</strong> be in the issue. Due to some minor but disruptive health troubles leading to some lifestyle changes, a heavier workload for my freelance design (much of it due to GDPR), involvement with the <a href="https://www.millidge.com/las-vegas-benefit-anthology-from-image-comics/">Where We Live</a> project and other factors, I’ve taken an enforced break from drawing for much of this year.<br />
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In its place will be a very special guest <em>Strangehaven</em> story, written and drawn by none other than my fellow bass-playing, Mojito-drinking, Essex native, <strong>Frazer Irving</strong>. It’s called "Atlantis,"and it looks a bit like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgfpdhKo4dZZ_H5jOM6g5J0HSEQv8frg_aJAfLbSEWpuyUGBl3oVYHg3XKZfN9M7aWjf9wZ_KtPx0tZAk3NKl34VMlhJi_sTKSnWX4__ZrOHAymx3UTT1j9igfcqYOdD4kdXodvy9OZ82/s1600/frazer-irving-atlantis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgfpdhKo4dZZ_H5jOM6g5J0HSEQv8frg_aJAfLbSEWpuyUGBl3oVYHg3XKZfN9M7aWjf9wZ_KtPx0tZAk3NKl34VMlhJi_sTKSnWX4__ZrOHAymx3UTT1j9igfcqYOdD4kdXodvy9OZ82/s1600/frazer-irving-atlantis.jpg" /></a></div>
Intriguing, no? Frazer is an international comicbook rockstar and you should follow him on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/frazer_irving/?hl=en" rel="noopener" target="_blank">@frazerirving</a> and check out his book <a href="https://unbound.com/books/playful-inversions/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Playful Inversions</a> on Unbound.<br />
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You can pre-order copies of <em>Meanwhile…</em>#9 directly from the publisher <a href="http://soaringpenguinpress.com/product/meanwhile-9" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Soaring Penguin Press</a> right <a href="http://soaringpenguinpress.com/product/meanwhile-9" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here.</a> The official listing in the <a href="https://previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP181972" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Diamond Previews catalogue</a> is <a href="https://previewsworld.com/Catalog/SEP181972" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<em>Strangehaven: Destiny</em> episode 9 will return in <em>Meanwhile…</em>#10 early in the new year.Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-16322503515024510642018-08-23T13:31:00.000+00:002018-09-12T20:02:19.309+00:00Return to the City of Lakes<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKeDxtxxx9tuP9Ey2SMa3eyJo0BKGczTA8W8byXyrXfn2MKb1TJNp2g7y7IbYsVkt-_DFuJ8ukXfE_lBZSkZc6B3N-8Rb4WNGB_Z8gGbqtLSM0XD67GeFyZaNqCqv2uHvu3t01USVlrD3/s1600/LICAF_2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsKeDxtxxx9tuP9Ey2SMa3eyJo0BKGczTA8W8byXyrXfn2MKb1TJNp2g7y7IbYsVkt-_DFuJ8ukXfE_lBZSkZc6B3N-8Rb4WNGB_Z8gGbqtLSM0XD67GeFyZaNqCqv2uHvu3t01USVlrD3/s1600/LICAF_2018.jpg" /></a></div>
I have been keeping a very low profile as far as event appearances are concerned in recent times, and plan to continue to do so until <em>Strangehaven: Destiny</em> is completed, but I have received a late invitation (from my publisher) to appear at the <strong>LICAF</strong>, the <strong>Lakes International Comic Art Festival</strong> in Kendal, next month.<br />
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Guests include <strong>Benoit Peeters</strong>, <strong>Bryan</strong> and <strong>Mary Talbot</strong>, <strong>Charlie Adlard</strong>, <strong>Frank Quitely</strong>, <strong>Sean Phillips</strong>, Canadian superstar <strong>Seth</strong> and fellow <em>Meanwhile… </em>stalwarts <strong>Martin ‘Simo’ Simpson</strong>, <strong>David Hine</strong> and<strong> Mark Stafford</strong>. <br />
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The festival runs October 12-14. You’ll find me at various times at the <strong>Soaring Penguin Press</strong> table in the Clock Tower to sign your copies of <em>Strangehaven</em>, <em>Meanwhile...</em> and anything else you might have to hand.<br />
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This will be my one and only appearance this year.<br />
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Read more about the festival on the <a href="https://www.comicartfestival.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">LICAF website</a>.</div>
Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-79725209945585097012018-08-15T18:38:00.000+00:002018-09-12T20:08:44.480+00:00A change in management<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKhYy6T1u9XYUSb_xmmFg28mbzKmsPY5QVtLjl55lCSyzZbesj_EPNn6NcRbxHDhYW3-7F920uof1RjllkyQdXoD8_TezHC6MU2M8tTzy2cvm5gDOSkFH0sZ9nqq1qo3_ApC2d3Dlsfzx/s1600/tim-pilcher-spp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRKhYy6T1u9XYUSb_xmmFg28mbzKmsPY5QVtLjl55lCSyzZbesj_EPNn6NcRbxHDhYW3-7F920uof1RjllkyQdXoD8_TezHC6MU2M8tTzy2cvm5gDOSkFH0sZ9nqq1qo3_ApC2d3Dlsfzx/s1600/tim-pilcher-spp.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-6dc4f529-7fff-c7bf-c912-b4bf0d49ce01" style="font-size: xx-small;"></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Illustration: Tim Pilcher by <b>Andrew Richmond</b></span></span></td></tr>
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<strong>John Anderson</strong> of <strong>Soaring Penguin Press</strong>, publisher of the comic book anthology <em>Meanwhile…</em> (currently serialising <em>Strangehaven</em> book IV, <em>Destiny</em>, of course) has taken on a new business partner and co-owner. And it’s none other than veteran editor and perennial comics enthusiast the ever-lovin’ blue-eyed <strong>Tim Pilcher</strong>.<br />
Way back in either 1993 or 1994, Tim was one of the first editors that I showed my <em>Strangehaven</em> ashcan (a pre-publication photocopied preview of part of the first issue) while he was working for the London office of <strong>Vertigo Comics</strong>. If my memory serves, it was at the <strong>Comic Creators’ Guild</strong>’s annual pre-<strong>UKCAC</strong> portfolio review, upstairs at the historic Sketch Club.<br />
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Much later, while at <strong>Ilex Press</strong>, Tim was the commissioning editor of my books <em>Comic Book Design</em> and <em>Alan Moore: Storyteller</em>, and more recently he was the UK liaison for <strong>Humanoids</strong>.<br />
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So I know it’ll fun and productive working with him, alongside SPP founder John Anderson, who’s moving back to Canada to open a North American office for the company, leaving Tim in charge of this side of the transatlantic operation.<br />
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You can read more here: <a href="https://downthetubes.net/?p=99828" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Tim Pilcher joins Soaring Penguin</a>Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-26366600835847687022018-08-04T17:27:00.000+00:002018-09-12T17:23:12.629+00:00Minotaur no more<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bull, Hockley after the fire. Photo: Essex Live News</td></tr>
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<strong>The Bull Inn</strong> pub in Hockley, Essex, suffered a devastating fire on the 3rd August, and those of you familiar with <em>Strangehaven</em>’s The Minotaur will have already noticed the similarity in appearance. Indeed, the Grade II listed 16th Century country pub was a regular haunt for me in the mid-1980s and 1990s, and was one of the first locales that I selected as a potential location for <em>Strangehaven</em>. It was never quite the same after the Faccinis moved on and it became part of a pub food chain, but I still hope that the owners and brewery will decide to rebuild it.</div>
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<a href="http://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/16398408.fire-causes-severe-damage-to-the-bull-inn-hockley/?ref=mr&lp=1">Fire causes severe damage to the Bull Inn, Hockley</a><br />
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<em>Update: 6 September 2018</em>After just a month, progress is already being made in rebuilding the structure:<br /><a href="https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/bull-fire-hockley-new-photos-1979078">The Bull fire in Hockley: New photos</a></div>
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Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-20467364249006994572018-03-24T14:35:00.000+00:002018-03-30T15:58:05.683+00:00Where We Live: the Las Vegas benefit anthology<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Where We Live</strong> is an important new anthology from Image Comics to benefit the victims and survivors of the Las Vegas massacre on 1st October 2017.</div>
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The brainchild of Las Vegas resident and writer/artist extraordinaire <em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">J H Williams III</em>, it’s a 256-page full colour trade paperback featuring over 150 creators, and I’m extremely proud to be counted among the contributors.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8rC7ELgbs99Ym7rnREdhuQ4SdLeQdpTzUceIf2K8oUNO96Izvecje5IO2b7iEy3Xf3yobxgNt3GmvqNfPSzcoV6Z8cG-s2cX9-7w7wJw0S15iyC-uIu7LS2uUIu-cT2WMMSWop7yzlo2/s1600/Where+We+Live+-+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="351" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE8rC7ELgbs99Ym7rnREdhuQ4SdLeQdpTzUceIf2K8oUNO96Izvecje5IO2b7iEy3Xf3yobxgNt3GmvqNfPSzcoV6Z8cG-s2cX9-7w7wJw0S15iyC-uIu7LS2uUIu-cT2WMMSWop7yzlo2/s400/Where+We+Live+-+cover.jpg" width="260" /></a>Some of the phenomenal talents enlisted include <em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Mike Allred, Brian Michael Bendis, Kurt Busiek, Amy Chu, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Neil Gaiman, Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Mike Mignola, Mark Millar, James Robinson, Gail Simone, Brandon Graham, Rob Williams, Geof Darrow, Tess Fowler, Joelle Jones, Jeff Lemire. Sean Phillips, Bill Sienkiewicz, JH Williams III</em> himself and way too many more to mention here.</div>
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I’ve always had a morbid fascination with the apparent American obsession with guns, the NRA and the gun lobby, the Second Amendment and all the statistics, and I was particularly moved by the Las Vegas shooting last October.</div>
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A gunman opened fire from a hotel room on to the audience at the Route 91 Harvest music festival taking place on the famous Las Vegas Strip. The casualties from the single shooter’s actions numbered <em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">fifty-eight dead</em> and <em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">851 injured </em>(422 by gunfire), which to be frank, are numbers more comparable to a warzone.</div>
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So, when <em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">J H Williams III</em> invited me to contribute to this noble project, I didn’t hesitate. My own humble contribution is a six-page strip called “The Watershed” which I’ve written, illustrated, coloured and lettered. Not easy subject matter to tackle for sure, and it’s a tragedy that this book needs to exist at all, but I’m sure like everyone else involved, I poured my heart into it.</div>
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My grateful thanks go to <em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">JHW3</em> for giving me this opportunity and for all his valuable advice, as well as the inestimable <em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Will Dennis</em> for his editorial skills and my conduit to Image central, <em style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Michael Perlman</em>.</div>
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Here’s a glimpse of my art process for one of the panels in my story.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubbpB9UGeSksa66ghofsiF_GzVfda6Iy9wWgYMu5QF2RakNt1pSWLfMNEI_0vKAwcXvWoBPXDd3HZ_DUe2xGEru0l6Vf8bV_tZvS2DJvts1kUeO-GTnd6RC-fCzwilf8nLO7pTJFni29Q/s1600/where-we-live-millidge-WIP-5-1-grid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="850" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjubbpB9UGeSksa66ghofsiF_GzVfda6Iy9wWgYMu5QF2RakNt1pSWLfMNEI_0vKAwcXvWoBPXDd3HZ_DUe2xGEru0l6Vf8bV_tZvS2DJvts1kUeO-GTnd6RC-fCzwilf8nLO7pTJFni29Q/s640/where-we-live-millidge-WIP-5-1-grid.jpg" title="" width="560" /></a></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Where </strong><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">We Live</strong> is released on 30 May, but I’d highly recommend that you pre-order it from your local comics retailer <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">right now</strong> to secure your copy. You can quote them the Diamond distributor code: <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">MAR180600.</strong></div>
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One hundred percent of the proceeds will be donated to an existing GoFundMe campaign for the survivors in Las Vegas.</div>
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You can read <a href="https://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/where-we-live-las-vegas-shooting-benefit-anthology-tp" style="background: 0px 0px transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #92872f; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s linear;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Image’s official solicitation here</strong></a>, and<a href="https://imagecomics.com/comics/releases/where-we-live-las-vegas-shooting-benefit-anthology-tp" style="background: 0px 0px transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #92872f; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.2s linear;"> </a>follow the project on twitter: <strong style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://twitter.com/WhereWeLive_LV" target="_blank">@WhereWeLive_LV</a></strong><br />
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<strong style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The full list of contributors:</strong><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Michael Allred & Laura Allred</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Henry Barajas, Isaac Goodhart & Kelly Fitzpatrick</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Jennifer Battisti, Geof Darrow, Dave Stewart & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Jennifer Battisti & J.H. Williams III</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Oeming, Taki Soma & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Haden Blackman & Richard Pace</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Haden Blackman, J.H. Williams III & Todd Klein</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Jeff Boison & Tyler Boss</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Ivan Brandon, Paul Azaceta & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Ryan Burton, Tony Parker, Dee Cunniffe & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Kurt Busiek, Andrew Maclean, Lee Loughridge & JG Roshell (at Comicraft)</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Amy Chu, Gabriel Hernandez Walta & Alexander Chang</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Rachel Crosby, J.H. Williams III & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Al Davison</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Kelly Sue DeConnick, Joelle Jones, Dave Stewart & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">J.M. DeMatteis & Mike Cavallaro</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Gustavo Duarte</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Aaron Duran, Joe Mulvey, Jules Rivera & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Joshua Dysart, Pere Perez & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Pierce Elliott & Monica Gallagher</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Joshua Ellis, Jeff Lemire & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Lucia Fasano, Tess Fowler & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Ray Fawkes</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Joshua Hale Fialkov, Noel Tuazon & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Neil Gaiman, J.H. Williams III & Todd Klein</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, Dee Cunniffe & Clayton Cowles</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Brandon Graham</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Justin Gray & John Broglia</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Lela Gwenn & Matthew Dow Smith</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Matt Hawkins, Aaron Campbell, Dee Cunniffe & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Daniel Hernandez, Moritat & Casey Silver</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Talia Hershewe, Jock & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">David Hine, Brian Haberlin & Geirrod Van Dyke</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Joe Illidge, Ray-Anthony Height, Andrew Dalhouse & Deron Bennet</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Van Jensen, Eric Kim, Chris O’Halloran & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Scott David Johnson, Phil Hester, Eric Gapstur, Mark Englert & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Justin Jordan, Tom Fowler & Taylor Esposito</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Jarret Keene, Craig Cermak, Marissa Louise & Taylor Esposito</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Neil Kleid & Nick Pitarra</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Greg Lockard, Tim Fish, Michael J DiMotta & Sal Cipriano</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Ollie Masters, Jason Harris, Sina Grace & Shaun Steven Struble</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Mariah McCourt, Ariela Kristantina, Bryan Valenza & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Mike Mignola & Dave Stewart</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Mark Millar, Alex Sheikman, Marissa Louise & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Gary Spencer Millidge</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Fabio Moon</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">B. Clay Moore, Kelly Williams & Chas! Pangburn</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Greg Pak, Triona Farrell & Simon Bowland</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Alex Paknadel, Chris Wildgoose, Triona Farrell & Aditya Bidikar</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Curt Pires, Matt Lesniewski & Alex Petretich</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Christina Rice, Richard Pace & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Darick Robertson, R. Eric Lieb & Christopher Crank</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">James Robinson, Dean Kotz, Stefano Gaudiano & Casey Silver</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Robert Rose & Matt Strackbein</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Chris Ryall, Gabriel Rodriguez, Nelson Daniel & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Rafael Scavone, Rafael Albuquerque, Patricia Mulvihill & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Erica Schultz, Liana Kangas & Cardinal Rae</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Alex Segura, Marco Finnegan, Kelsey Shannon & Janice Chiang</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Gail Simone, Ryan Kelly, Giulia Brusco & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Matthew Dow Smith & Michael Gaydos</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Matt Sorvillo & Sean Phillips</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Jason Starr, Andrea Mutti, Vladimir Popov & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Cameron Stewart</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Larime Taylor & Sylv Taylor</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Paul Tobin, Dustin Weaver & Bernardo Brice</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">David Walker, Damon Smith & Motherboxx Studios</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Malachi Ward</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Rob Williams & Javier Pulido</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Scott Bryan Wilson & Cliff Chiang</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Chris Wisnia, Bill Sienkiewicz & Jeromy Cox</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Wendy Wright-Williams, J.H. Williams III & Todd Klein</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><span style="font-family: Lato, Arial, "Tahoma sans-serif"; font-size: 15.96px;">Warren Wucinich</span></div>
Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-2251275030818553422017-12-22T16:25:00.000+00:002017-12-23T11:09:40.163+00:00Every time a bell rings...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I can hardly believe it, but even though those hot summer days seem only like a few weeks past, It’s already time for my end-of-year annual update. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For my now-traditional seasonal illustration, I’ve done something a little different this year, paying homage to my favourite Christmas film (and actually one of my favourite films, full stop), Frank Capra’s <i>It’s a Wonderful Life</i>. It would be a cool tribute to draw a scene from the film, and, or so I thought, would save me some valuable time. But as is always the case when I start working on something, things got a bit grandiose and unnecessarily complex pretty quickly. Maybe if people appear to like it, I may go full <b>Mondo </b>and make an art print available for next Christmas (assuming my online shop is actually up-and-running by then), even though <b>Jimmy Stewart</b> and <b>Donna Reed</b> probably don’t have the same selling power as <i>Star Wars</i> these days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It has been an exciting year for me, and I’ve been as busy as I’ve ever been with both comic-related projects (mainly Strangehaven, of course) and in my parallel career as a designer, despite some disruptive albeit minor health issues. Helping my brother <b>David </b>with the first London gallery solo exhibition of his ceramic sculptures was a highlight. Go take a look: <a href="http://davidmillidge.com/" target="_blank">davidmillidge.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The final volume of <i>Strangehaven </i>continues to be serialised in the British anthology Meanwhile..., and three issues of the new squarebound format volumes were published this year. You can get a good deal on all the issues at the <b>Soaring Penguin Press</b> website here: <a href="http://soaringpenguinpress.com/shop" target="_blank">soaringpenguinpress.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In an effort to to avoid keeling over my desk just yet, I am attempting to ensure at least some kind of regular exercise by starting each day with an hour or so’s walk around the local environs of Leigh-on-sea. To give myself a bit of creative incentive, I’m taking snaps with my iPhone as I saunter along and selecting one photo to post on my Instagram account from that day’s stroll. My Instagram account is here: <a href="http://instagram.com/gsmillidge" target="_blank">instagram.com/gsmillidge</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The newest issue of <i>Meanwhile</i>…should be reaching comic stores and subscribers’ letterboxes early in the new year. Number eight contains the latest episode of <i>Strangehaven </i>of course, in which those cuddly <b>Knights of the Golden Light </b>return, a fragment of which you can see below.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It’s a fab issue which also includes <i>The Needleman</i>, the first of a two-parter by the astonishingly good <b>Martin Simpson</b>, a new short by <b>Darryl Cunningham</b> and the usual continuing features by <b>David Hines, Mark Stafford, Sarah Gordon</b> and <b>Ginny Skinner.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As always, thank you for your continued support, it’s greatly appreciated. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and a happy, healthy and successful 2018.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Peace and Love,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>--Gary Spencer Millidge.</i></span></div>
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Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-13782029601540019922017-05-07T14:52:00.002+00:002017-05-07T14:54:16.693+00:00Knight of the Golden Light at the Chess Hall of Fame<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUoe7fkBuP9TFFBhO_h_Yr6qf1IqnU2i06AdNuqRSrvs78oDJdk5YZOpoa0z554Kr51liCZM0z6AsRXMZxq6inRe_cpdnNy_Y4khyP09sHoSrUXPmuslch2BiS-0WQnEgivBleiB1rRDG/s1600/SH-06+cover++scan+-+with+trade+dress+-150ppi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUoe7fkBuP9TFFBhO_h_Yr6qf1IqnU2i06AdNuqRSrvs78oDJdk5YZOpoa0z554Kr51liCZM0z6AsRXMZxq6inRe_cpdnNy_Y4khyP09sHoSrUXPmuslch2BiS-0WQnEgivBleiB1rRDG/s400/SH-06+cover++scan+-+with+trade+dress+-150ppi.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
Long-time readers of <i>Strangehaven </i>in its periodical format may remember my cover to issue #6, which featured an inset of the good Doctor Houseman (given that name, incidentally, almost ten years before Hugh Laurie’s Doctor House hit our screens). The background section of the artwork consisted of a Knight of the Golden Light’s costume and some chess pieces hovering about in mid-air.<br />
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The interior of the comic also featured the doctor and his brother playing chess, as well as incorporating a number of chessboard pattern motifs throughout, which is why it’s become part of a huge chess-themed comics exhibit at the <a href="http://www.worldchesshof.org/" target="_blank"><b>World Chess Hall of Fame</b></a> in Saint Louis, Missouri.<br />
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Yes, comics can lead you down some unusual avenues. But chess is a frequent theme for many comics covers, and one that I have a penchant for collecting myself. In fact, the exhibition, <i>POW! Capturing Superheroes, Chess & Comics! </i>has assembled over 200 chess-related comic books, and has them all on display, along with comic character chess sets, and plenty of fun stuff for kids to enjoy.<br />
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Among the gems on display are <i>More Fun Comics </i>#76 (1942), <i>Action Comics</i> #112 from 1947 featuring Superman in “The Cross-Country Chess Crimes” and original artwork by Bob Clarke from <i>Mad Magazine</i> #78 (1963).<br />
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There’s short video that's worth a watch <a href="http://www.ksdk.com/entertainment/television/show-me-st-louis/pow-capturing-superheroes-chess-and-comics-is-now-open-at-world-chess-hall-of-fame-1/425859556" target="_blank">here</a>: <a href="http://www.ksdk.com/entertainment/television/show-me-st-louis/pow-capturing-superheroes-chess-and-comics-is-now-open-at-world-chess-hall-of-fame-1/425859556" target="_blank">KSDK website</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.worldchesshof.org/exhibitions/exhibit/pow-capturing-superheroes-comics-chess/" target="_blank"><b>POW! Capturing Superheroes, Chess & Comics!</b></a> is open seven days a week and admission is free. It runs until September 17, 2017.<br />
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<br />Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-69556268137339865772017-02-03T18:33:00.004+00:002017-02-03T18:34:28.944+00:00Post-valentine cure-all at Orbital Comics<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9dhIgJiIAvw42Avz0YbY0Hx5tfgwMKJfcKgPV6p1f79gsbcevoDUz-Mu01vxdjiySvf-GXW-0b7iePso8mSDExoCEQlhFRLu-mqtK3OFcGXfE2lPKIAk0xAEgOd93-n6-K_lK7c_CxJjE/s1600/meanwhile5_670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9dhIgJiIAvw42Avz0YbY0Hx5tfgwMKJfcKgPV6p1f79gsbcevoDUz-Mu01vxdjiySvf-GXW-0b7iePso8mSDExoCEQlhFRLu-mqtK3OFcGXfE2lPKIAk0xAEgOd93-n6-K_lK7c_CxJjE/s400/meanwhile5_670.jpg" width="282" /></a><br />
Like a slightly anaemic grey-haired cherub, flying in from stage left I have the perfect antidote for all those lonely hearts who are destined to spend St. Valentines Day evening at home alone with a bottle of Southern Comfort and DVD box set of <b>Peter Sellers'</b> <i>Pink Panther </i>movies (i.e. me).<br />
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On the 15th February 2017 between 5:00pm and 7:00pm at London's fine pop culture emporium <a href="http://www.orbitalcomics.com/" target="_blank"><b>Orbital Comics</b></a>, there will be a <a href="http://soaringpenguinpress.com/product/meanwhile-5" target="_blank"><i>Meanwhile</i>...#5</a> signing event to relaunch the freshly invigorated British anthology in its new 96-page format (which of course features the latest instalment of <i>Strangehaven</i>). I'll be joined by a selection of the other contributing creators including (in alphabetical order by surname) <b><a href="http://nickburtonmakes.com/comics/" target="_blank">Nick Burton</a>, <a href="http://ballwatching.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Matthew Dooley</a>, <a href="http://sarah-gordon.com/" target="_blank">Sarah Gordon</a>, <a href="http://www.hocus-baloney.com/" target="_blank">Mark Stafford</a></b> and <a href="http://www.lauratrinder.co.uk/" target="_blank"><b>Laura Trinder</b></a>.<br />
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I'm sure we'll all be happy to scribble over anything that you legally own or have purchased on the night from the good folks at Orbital, and will happily interact with you dear reader, just like we are merely human and not the unfeasibly talented superstars we know we are beneath our modest demeanour. There's a rumour that <a href="http://soaringpenguinpress.com/" target="_blank">Soaring Penguin Press</a> publisher <b>John Anderson </b>will also be present, so if any potential contributors wish to,they can flash their portfolios in his general direction. Come drown your sorrows with us on Wednesday the 15th.<br />
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<i>Orbital Comics' page on the event is <a href="http://www.orbitalcomics.com/meanwhile-5-launch-february-15/" target="_blank">here</a>.</i>Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-91963873036877779652016-12-22T12:23:00.000+00:002016-12-22T12:23:18.772+00:00Anything is possible<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So, that’s another year pretty much done and dusted, and by all accounts 2016 has <i>not </i>been the greatest in terms of celebrity deaths and politics, amongst other things. I certainly have no desire to rake over all those unsavoury coals (there will be plenty doing that in the days to come), but the last twelve months have proved that we can take nothing for granted (especially polls). <br />
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Not long ago you would have been laughed out of the office to suggest that <b>Donald Trump</b> might become POTUS or that 5000/1 outsiders <b>Leicester City</b> might win the Premier league, so if nothing else, at least we can take solace in the fact that anything <i>is </i>possible.<br />
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With that in mind, the plan for 2017 is that <a href="http://millidge.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/return-of-prodigal-anthology.html" target="_blank"><i>Meanwhile...</i>will return</a> as a hundred-page quarterly anthology from <b><a href="http://soaringpenguinpress.com/product/meanwhile-5" target="_blank">Soaring Penguin Press</a></b>, and I shall be contributing new episodes of <i>Strangehaven </i>for each and every issue, starting in January. I’ve seen a preview of issue 5, and it does look pretty damn amazing.<br />
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Casting my view back over 2016, it’s been nice to have chipped in with the odd piece of cover art for <i><a href="http://millidge.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/invisible-girl.html" target="_blank">Heroes </a></i>and <i><a href="http://millidge.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/no-sht-ive-drawn-another-comic-cover.html" target="_blank">Sherlock </a></i>comics from <b>Titan Comics</b>, to have been featured in two major comic art exhibitions in <a href="http://millidge.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/pictures-in-exhibition.html" target="_blank">London </a>and <a href="http://millidge.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/treviso-land-of-prosecco.html" target="_blank">Italy</a>, and to have enjoyed being a guest at <a href="http://millidge.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/escape-to-country.html" target="_blank">another European festival</a>. I didn’t see any of those things coming this time last year, so who knows what 2017 in store for me?<br />
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Or for you. Remember, it’s not about what you’re chasing, or whether you catch it...it’s all about the chase itself.<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.millidge.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Millidge-Abiogenesis-xmas-card-2016-landscape-1700px-wide.jpg" target="_blank">Click here to view or download a large image of my 2016 Christmas illustration</a></i><br />
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So, happy holidays to you and yours, and wishing you a wonderful, surprising (in a really good way this time) and healthful new year. Peace and Love.Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-3368690249071390542016-11-30T14:30:00.000+00:002016-11-30T14:48:45.753+00:00No sh*t, I’ve drawn another comic cover for Titan<div style="text-align: left;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My cover to Sherlock: The Blind Banker #2</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The new <a href="https://www.previewsworld.com/" style="font-style: normal;" target="_blank">Diamond </a><i><a href="https://www.previewsworld.com/" target="_blank">Previews</a> </i>(a catalogue of forthcoming comics and related ephemera) is published this week and contains listings for two publications featuring my work. The first is the <a href="http://millidge.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/return-of-prodigal-anthology.html" target="_blank">previously blogged-about <i>Meanwhile…</i>#5</a> (featuring episode 5 of <i>Strangehaven: Destiny</i>), while the second is my cover for <a href="http://titan-comics.com/" style="font-style: normal;" target="_blank">Titan Comics</a>’ <i>Sherlock: The Blind Banker</i> #2 (an English language edition of the Japanese manga comic adaptation of the British TV series featuring </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Benedict Cumberbatch</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, based on the Sherlock Holmes stories by </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Sir Arthur Conan Doyle</b></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Got that? I’m testing you later).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Those of you with, quite frankly, an unhealthy interest in my work may note some similarities with this cover and my previous commission for Titan, <a href="http://millidge.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/invisible-girl.html" target="_blank"><i>Heroes: Godsend</i> #4</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The basic layout for the </span></span><i style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sherlock </i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">cover was actually only one of four or five rough sketches I submitted to the editor (as was the case with my </span></span><i style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Heroes</i><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> cover), and in both cases, despite my defiant resistance, the chosen design was incrementally tweaked, twisted and tampered until it resulted in a remarkably similar composition of single-point perspective street view and full figure portrait with billowing scarf. Even so, I was pretty pleased with how it turned out.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>So </i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">pleased in fact that I made a crude animation (apologies for the low quality, I’m a Premiere Pro noob) to demonstrate the way I’ve built up the Photoshop layers to create the various colour and rendering effects.
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To recap: that’s two items in the new </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Previews</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, one with a fourteen page strip by me and a cover by someone else; and the other with a cover by me but the interiors by someone else. One day my friends, I shall be doing both again, I promise you.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you’d like to pre-order either or both, you can simply ask your local comic shop, and giving them the following Diamond order codes would probably save them a little time.</span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Meanwhile...#</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">5</span></b><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (Soaring Penguin Press) [Jan 2017] <a href="https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/DEC161883" target="_blank">DEC161883 </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><i>Sherlock: The Blind Banker</i> #2</b> Cover 'A' (Titan Comics) [Feb 8 2017] <a href="https://www.previewsworld.com/Catalog/DEC161927" target="_blank">DEC161927</a></span></div>
Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-10776572246004536742016-11-17T20:38:00.000+00:002016-11-18T11:36:09.175+00:00Return of the Prodigal Anthology<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IMgYoUco2XqUwwvaocLdF8KF93B7nI-jgnW5EmyjtfhyphenhyphenUasqDd4FFO1022Cm8mnt1AUgKbIKptNR_CMnXtdtUqK7RBzLOl8LAoFo3CcIhdMG-MQNnbzfmLh_SC87HWYINv3W4xWloWWC/s1600/MEANWHILE-05-cover-temp-723x1024-600x850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0IMgYoUco2XqUwwvaocLdF8KF93B7nI-jgnW5EmyjtfhyphenhyphenUasqDd4FFO1022Cm8mnt1AUgKbIKptNR_CMnXtdtUqK7RBzLOl8LAoFo3CcIhdMG-MQNnbzfmLh_SC87HWYINv3W4xWloWWC/s400/MEANWHILE-05-cover-temp-723x1024-600x850.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meanwhile... #5 cover art by Yuko Rabbit</td></tr>
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<b>New format <i>Meanwhile... </i>officially announced for January 2017</b></blockquote>
<i>“If Cinema Purgatorio is the new Warrior Magazine, then Meanwhile… is the new Escape.” – <a href="http://www.bleedingcool.com/" target="_blank">Bleeding Cool</a></i><br />
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Following the recent <a href="http://millidge.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/meanwhilean-update-sort-of.html" target="_blank">specifics-bereft tease</a> that <i>Meanwhile... </i>was being relaunched in January 2017, publisher <b>Soaring Penguin Press</b> has issued an official press release providing further details of the new format.<br />
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<i>Meanwhile...</i> #5 will be the first in its new incarnation, a quarterly 96-page full colour softcover graphic novel format featuring both the continuing strips of my own <i>Strangehaven </i>and <b><a href="http://www.waitingfortrade.com/" target="_blank">David Hine</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.hocus-baloney.com/" target="_blank">Mark Stafford</a></b>’s splendid <i>The Bad, Bad Place</i>. It also features the start of a new series by the über talented <b><a href="http://sarah-gordon.com/" target="_blank">Sarah Gordon</a></b>, the final instalment of <b><a href="http://yukoarts.com/?lang=ja" target="_blank">Yuko Rabbit</a></b>’s <i>10 Minutes</i> and in addition the fine Ms. Rabbit provides the drop-dead gorgeous cover art for this issue.<br />
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As for <i>Strangehaven: Destiny</i> Part Five, this episode includes two significant plot reveals, both of which have been waiting to drop since the very first issue, as well as a terrible but well worthwhile pun for those who have been paying close attention.<br />
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Publisher <b>John Anderson</b> painstakingly explains the recent absence of <i>Meanwhile...</i> and its subsequent format change in his full press release (that you can read here: <a href="http://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/11/15/relaunching-meanwhile-strangehaven-push/" target="_blank">Relaunching Meanwhile</a>) but essentially, sales were less than what were required to make the previous format financially viable.<br />
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The retail cover price for the new improved format may come as a slight shock to some – £17.95 in the UK and $23.95 stateside - but Anderson explains that he is offering substantial discounts to readers who purchase subscriptions directly from the <a href="http://soaringpenguinpress.com/" target="_blank">Soaring Penguin Press website</a>.<br />
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<i>“The prices on the Soaring Penguin Press website will be about half that. And it’ll be even more economical if you order a subscription. </i><i>Generally, it’ll be about 100 pages of comic for about a tenner. Ten pence a page. And no ads.”</i></blockquote>
Obviously this may not be a popular strategy with retailers, but I’m sure John has considered the various options and has concluded that this is the best route to ensure the book’s long-term survival.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxs42tQDq1JKuD7GgHL65ajf7EyKJKDNrkFgCJzLJawY5DmS4_Uz_JHyyl2E1kF0ExH55lLD0K4MH6BsuChA83ap_p5pow3eTfxsghSEuMu10uK1cV23IeaOWGfiV2PXmnB9Ix-XZRxbq/s1600/_Strangehaven_21A_11_gary-spencer-millidge-blog-540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjxs42tQDq1JKuD7GgHL65ajf7EyKJKDNrkFgCJzLJawY5DmS4_Uz_JHyyl2E1kF0ExH55lLD0K4MH6BsuChA83ap_p5pow3eTfxsghSEuMu10uK1cV23IeaOWGfiV2PXmnB9Ix-XZRxbq/s1600/_Strangehaven_21A_11_gary-spencer-millidge-blog-540.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Preview art from Strangehaven: Destiny episode 5 - Gary Spencer Millidge</td></tr>
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Whether or not you consider the new price and format to be a worthwhile investment I imagine depends on how much of the other <i>Meanwhile... </i>content you enjoy, as I understand for a single episode of <i>Strangehaven </i>alone, the cost will be relatively steep. Fortunately, many of the other strips in <i>Meanwhile... </i>have been of exceptional quality so far, and with the promise of a new Sara Gordon series, this state of affairs promises to continue.<br />
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As John remarks in his press release, the current incarnation of <i>Meanwhile...</i> was at least in part created in order to help me complete <i>Strangehaven</i>, and I’ll be forever in his debt for that.<br />
Rather generously, existing subscriptions will be honoured.<br />
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You can pre-order issue 5 here: <a href="http://soaringpenguinpress.com/product/meanwhile-5" target="_blank">Order <i>Meanwhile...</i>#5</a><br />
Or you can jump in with both feet and subscribe here: <a href="http://soaringpenguinpress.com/product/meanwhile-subscription" target="_blank"><i>Meanwhile... </i>subscription</a><br />
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<i>Meanwhile… </i>will also continue to be available in digital format on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/sequential-graphic-novels/id629759394?mt=8" target="_blank">SEQUENTIAL</a>, <a href="https://www.comixology.com/" target="_blank">Comixology</a> and other platforms.<br />
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And of course, it will be available via the usual distributors, and will be available via your local comic retailer if you prefer to buy that way. <i>Meanwhile... #</i>5 will be solicited in the December 2016 <i><a href="https://www.previewsworld.com/" target="_blank">Diamond Previews</a> </i>with the order code DEC161883.Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-30289631606978151652016-09-29T14:24:00.003+00:002016-09-29T15:08:31.666+00:00Escape to the Country<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VAjYeyr2b38OVL4wBG1oT6VLAIbXYaTEzsJmtWzEuUtHBGJgbRW2bVHT4w1vI2s6TyPpJJ7181fiMPgkpas8xoDFhV1sBsc7sFQFN0Dv27_oHWGtdH2q1Bx29SdecFYH-JzWRXB7PG_0/s1600/02+03+c+Gallery+opening+Saturday+-+TCBF16_14463215_1073765692699523_3781120310086961049_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8VAjYeyr2b38OVL4wBG1oT6VLAIbXYaTEzsJmtWzEuUtHBGJgbRW2bVHT4w1vI2s6TyPpJJ7181fiMPgkpas8xoDFhV1sBsc7sFQFN0Dv27_oHWGtdH2q1Bx29SdecFYH-JzWRXB7PG_0/s400/02+03+c+Gallery+opening+Saturday+-+TCBF16_14463215_1073765692699523_3781120310086961049_n.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;">At the inauguration of the Land Escapes exhibition. Photo courtesy of the TCBF.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><a href="http://www.trevisocomicbookfestival.it/2016_eng/" rel="nofollow" style="font-style: normal;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">Treviso Comic Book Festival 22nd-25th September 2016, Treviso, Italy</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">.</span><span style="font-size: small;">
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</i></span><span style="font-size: small;">I made my first official comic event appearance last weekend since </span><a href="http://thoughtbubblefestival.com/" target="_blank">Thought Bubble</a> in late 2014, foregoing a few more days at the drawing board to accept the incredibly kind invitation from the </span><a href="http://www.trevisocomicbookfestival.it/2016_eng/" target="_blank"><b>Treviso Comic Book Festival</b></a> - to not only attend their show as a guest but to participate in their <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.trevisocomicbookfestival.it/2016_eng/portfolio_item/land-escapes/" target="_blank">Land Escapes</a><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> exhibition.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Treviso is a walled city in northern Italy, apparently known as ‘Little Venice’ (although ‘little’ is wildly misleading) and claims to be the birthplace of prosecco and tiramisu. It can now also claim to be the home of one of the largest comics events in Italy, with numerous exhibitions spread out over the centre of the town, a vast comics retailers’ marquee, and the </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Mostra Mercato</i></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> comics fair which housed signings, talks, small press and publisher tables. Many of the local retailers participated with window paintings and displays which gave it the feel of a summertime <a href="http://www.bdangouleme.com/" target="_blank">Angouleme festival</a> (despite it being late September, I don’t think I saw a cloud during my three day visit).</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My friday evening was mostly spent trying to reconcile the size of the measures of drink and the disproportionately low cost which became more difficult as the evening wore on for reasons which I can no longer remember. There appears to be some evidence that I met up with rising global superstar </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="http://tulalotay.com/" target="_blank">Tula Lotay</a></b></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and her hubby, as well as co-curator of the Land Escapes exhibition </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="http://www.paulgravett.com/" target="_blank">Paul Gravett</a></b></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and designer and director of Escape Books, </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="http://www.peterstanbury.com/" target="_blank">Peter Stanbury</a></b></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Surprisingly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed the following morning, I walked from the hotel into town with Tula to the inauguration of the exhibition at the prestigious <a href="http://www.fbsr.it/" target="_blank">Spazio Bomben Fondazione Benetton</a>, a mere half an hour’s hike in blazing sunshine guided by Mr. Lotay, Google Maps and lagging geopositioning. But we three sweaty blobs arrived at our destination in good time, thanks to the Italian relaxed attitude towards timekeeping, to meet up with fellow British guests </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="http://www.davemckean.com/" target="_blank">Dave McKean</a>, <a href="http://largecow.com/" target="_blank">Hunt Emerson</a></b></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="http://mauretania.cinemadetectives.com/" target="_blank">Chris Reynolds</a></b></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The exhibition was duly opened, featuring a diverse range of British talent including dozens of pages of original artwork by the invited guests as well as </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Hannah Berry, Brian Bolland, Kate Brown, Stephen Collins, Gemma Correll, Gary Erskine, Tom Gauld, David Lloyd, Sean Phillips, Posy Simmonds, Carol Swain, Bryan Talbot </b>and<b> Andi Watson</b></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. This included an impressive eleven pages of </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Strangehaven</i></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> originals, guarded on each side by a lifesize Golden Knight cutout, and vast reproductions of artwork by Dave McKean and Tula Lotay with everything elegantly displayed in the sophisticated gallery space. We were each asked to say a few words, and Paul Gravett said many. All was translated by the multi-talented </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="http://ossario.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Alberto Corradi</a></b></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, co-curator of the exhibition and coordinator of the British contingent.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photo courtesy of the TCBF.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I also managed to catch up with some dear Italian friends including my co-editor on the </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Alan Moore: Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman</i></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> book, </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="https://smokyland.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">smoky man</a></b></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, audio genius </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Boris Susanj</b></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> who I hadn’t seen since the Bristol festival in 2007, and international comics editor </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="http://gaccuworld.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Antonio Solinas</a></b></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> who I’m sure I see at every event I ever travel to.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Next stop was the </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Mostra Mercato</i></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in the formerly abandoned and mysteriously named I.S.R.A.A. building, where there were gazebos set up for signings and talks, numerous publisher rooms offering hundreds of beautiful Italian graphic novels and a courtyard of small press tables boasting a range of high quality material. I picked up a couple of books from the impressive </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="http://delebile.com/" target="_blank">Delebile</a></b></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> artist’s collective </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and would have scooped up many more if I had travelled to Italy with more than just a carry-on bag. Hunt and I signed some books and did some sketching while simultaneously fighting off many persistent yet friendly tiny flies.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The official convention guest dinner took place at a traditional Venetian cicchetti restaurant (cicchetti being the Italian version of tapas as I understand it) where much meat was eaten much prosecco was drunk, and where I met for the first time artist extraordinaire </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="http://leebermejo.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lee Bermejo</a></b></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and the impressively bearded writer </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/matteocasali" target="_blank">Matteo Casali</a></b></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. These guys know how to party hard and we all ended up with the Lotays at some kind of rave at an old Army base in the early hours of sunday morning where I encountered my first glass of grappa (a bit like low grade petroleum, but less pleasant tasting).</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: xx-small;">Photo courtesy of the TCBF.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Surprisingly still alive, sunday's duties began with a panel discussion about the exhibition at the Benneton Foundation for press and public, with the full roster of British guests and the curators Alberto and Paul. Translation always slows these discussions down and can disrupt the momentum, but there were some interesting points made. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dave McKean managed to plug his gorgeous new book </span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Black Dog:</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span></i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>The Dreams of Paul Nash</i></span></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Chris Reynolds did his best to promote his home country of Wales, Hunt Emerson articulated his complete indifference towards </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>2000 A</i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>D</i></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Tula Lotay resorted to blatant pandering by professing her love of Italy, Treviso and her fans, while Paul Gravett made some vague insinuations that I was involved in the death of fascist dictator </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Generalissimo Franco</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> in 1975.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;">Part of going to these events means that you’re more likely to have to stop in the middle of the street en route to lunch to sign a book or do a quick sketch for a reader of your work, but I admit it’s less of a nuisance when she’s young, pretty and Italian. With my ego sated, next up was lunch in a genuine Italian pizzeria where it was my turn to fawn, finally getting to spend some time chatting to the living legend that is Dave McKean, hoping that I might absorb some of his talent via simple proximity and trying to gently rest my head on his shoulder without him noticing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small; white-space: pre-wrap;">Then there was enough time to buy a cherry gelato and wander out of the city walls for a few minutes to soak up some Venetian sunshine before the final signing and sketching marathon alongside Tula, Chris and Hunt. After which it was on to a wine bar for a last glass of prosecco al fresco, and time for a small bowl of tuna pasta in a beautiful old restaurant before having to dash off to the airport.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Festival organiser </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/alpocomics" target="_blank">Alberto Polita</a></b></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> kindly collected me from the restaurant and combined performing this mundane duty with auditioning for </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Fast and the Furious 9</i></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Suffice to say I arrived at the airport on time but unfortunately my flight was delayed by half an hour. After being funnelled into a standing-room-only concrete bunker amusingly described as a ‘departure lounge,’ I had the unexpected pleasure to find two other astonishingly talented British guests of the show, botanical artist </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="http://katie-scott.com/" target="_blank">Katie Scott</a></b></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and children’s book illustrator </span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><a href="https://twitter.com/plaidemily" target="_blank">Emily Hughes</a></b></span><span style="color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, which helped pass the last hour or so in Italy.</span></span><br />
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Every time I’m invited as a guest to a European festival, it invariably provides me with many indelible memories and Treviso is no different. I didn’t even make the short train trip to Venice, but I am already plotting a trip to combine sightseeing with another festival visit within the next year or two.</span></span><br />
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">There are more photos in my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154618511187502.1073741832.533527501&type=1&l=8779048612" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Treviso album on Facebook</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The </span><a href="http://www.trevisocomicbookfestival.it/2016_eng/portfolio_item/land-escapes/" style="white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">Land Escapes exhibition</a><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> runs until 9th October 2016.</span></span>Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-33088764398348525482016-09-19T13:55:00.000+00:002016-09-19T14:45:23.005+00:00Treviso, Land of Prosecco<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poster for Land Escapes exhibition, all images <span class="_Tgc">©</span>2016 copyright their respective creators.</td></tr>
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In what will probably be my sole “official” appearance this year, I will be a guest at the <a href="http://www.trevisocomicbookfestival.it/2016/" target="_blank">Treviso comic festival</a> this upcoming weekend 23-25 September. I don’t have any details of signings or talks to hand, but I suspect I’ll be doing a little of both.<br />
I’ll be humbled in the company of my fellow guest Brits <b>Hunt Emerson, Tula Lotay, Dave McKean </b>and <b>Chris Reynolds</b>, masters of the sequential arts, all.<br />
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I’ll also have an unusually large number of pages of original artwork on display in the festival’s related exhibition, <a href="http://www.fumettologica.it/2016/08/mostra-fumetto-britannico-treviso-comic-book-festival/" target="_blank">Land Escapes: Visions and escapes from the United Kingdom</a> at the prestigious <a href="http://www.fbsr.it/" target="_blank">Fondazione Benetton Studi Ricerche</a>.<br />
The exhibition also features artwork from <b>Hannah Berry, Brian Bolland, Kate Brown, Stephen Collins Illustration and Comics, Gemma Correll, Hunt Emerson, Gary Erskine, Tom Gauld, David Lloyd, Tula Lotay, Dave McKean, Sean Phillips, Chris Reynolds, Posy Simmonds, Carol Swain, Bryan Talbot </b>and <b>Andi Watson</b>.<br />
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Not only will I be seeing some old Italian friends again, but I’ll also get to reestablish my relationship with former <b>Black Velvet</b> editor <b>Alberto Corradi</b> (who worked on the Italian language editions of <i>Strangehaven</i>) who’s one of the organisers of the festival and is also co-curating the exhibition with the UK’s own <b>Paul Gravett</b>.Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-65509162476817874532016-09-19T13:43:00.001+00:002016-09-19T14:00:44.773+00:00Meanwhile...an update (sort of)Hardcore <i>Strangehaven</i> addicts will no doubt have been suffering withdrawal symptoms so far this year due to the lack of a new issue of the anthology <i>Meanwhile... </i><br />
Last year four issues were published each containing a brand new full-colour episode of <i>Strangehaven</i>, but thus far issue five remains unpublished. The good news is that publisher <b>Soaring Penguin Press</b> posted this cryptic message on <a href="https://twitter.com/spenguin" target="_blank">their twitter account</a>:<br />
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“Meanwhile issue 5. Coming in January 2017. Watch for details”<br />
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Well, not so much cryptic as scant. And unfortunately I can’t flesh out those bare bones with any further information at present, so if you have any questions, it might be more fruitful to direct them towards <a href="https://twitter.com/spenguin" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Soaring Penguin</a> rather than myself. Suffice to say that I do strongly suspect <i>Strangehaven</i> will form part of the aforementioned issue 5.<br />
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Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-36383890154015737042016-04-20T17:34:00.000+00:002016-04-20T18:03:46.867+00:00Pictures in an Exhibition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlgaI6niCQMIfB2xGCwdbp1c7F0GG1Kzx321WWP3nNNcupeOa1lY09dDvjVpx4yDtp3ShmVoks01audERFKxreFrgcpQ7Gvhkn6f-9N2Y_WhXA1ywz9jgq1VboB7JUwrCBWZNTrTliae0/s1600/Cartoon+Museum+The+Great+British+Graphic+Novel+London.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="auto" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlgaI6niCQMIfB2xGCwdbp1c7F0GG1Kzx321WWP3nNNcupeOa1lY09dDvjVpx4yDtp3ShmVoks01audERFKxreFrgcpQ7Gvhkn6f-9N2Y_WhXA1ywz9jgq1VboB7JUwrCBWZNTrTliae0/s640/Cartoon+Museum+The+Great+British+Graphic+Novel+London.jpg" width="540" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While the rest of the Internet was discussing the <a href="http://www.comicsbeat.com/__trashed/" target="_blank">Eisner nominations</a> last night I was at the private viewing of the new exhibition at
London’s <b>Cartoon Museum</b>, <a href="http://cartoonmuseum.org/exhibitions/current-exhibitions" target="_blank">The Great British Graphic Novel</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It has been meticulously planned and intelligently curated
by <b>Paul Williams</b> and <b>Anita O’Brien</b>, ably assisted by the rest of the very
talented gang at the Cartoon Museum, and not only tracks the development of the
art form, it provides an overview of the diverse talent within the UK’s graphic
novel community and also offers an insight into modern and traditional creative
techniques.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was great to hook up with so many of my gallery-featured peers
including <b>Bryan Talbot</b>, <b>Posy Simmonds</b>, <b>Oscar Zarate</b>, <b>Mark Buckingham</b>, <i>Meanwhile…</i>
stablemates <b>David Hine</b> and <b>Mark Stafford</b>, <b>Hunt Emerson</b> (who also drew the
fold-out exhibition guide in the style of a tube map), <b>Woodrow Phoenix</b>, <b>David
Lloyd</b>, <b>Ilya</b>, <b>Steve Bell</b> and <b>John McCrea</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Also nice to bump fists with dedicated liggers <b>Tony Bennett</b>,
<b>Jessica Kemp</b>, <i>Arty Miss</i> <b>Jessica Martin</b>, <b>Mary Talbot</b>, <b>Jamie McKelvie</b>, a certain <i>Meanwhile... </i>publisher <b>John Anderson</b>, his manager/wife <b>Cheryl </b>and podcast
king <b>Alex Fitch</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The exhibition also features original artwork by <b>Dave
Gibbons</b>, <b>Eddie Campbell</b>,<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><span style="background: white; color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">the </span><b style="line-height: 115%;">Pleece</b><span style="line-height: 115%;"> Brothers, </span><b style="line-height: 115%;">Carol Swain</b><span style="line-height: 115%;">, </span><span style="line-height: 18.4px;"><b>Darryl Cunningham</b></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">, </span><b style="line-height: 115%;">Nick Abadzis</b><span style="line-height: 115%;">, </span><b style="line-height: 115%;">Martin Rowson</b></span>, and tracing the medium all the way back to <b>William Hogarth</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;">My personal favourites
were the spectacular multimedia work of <b>Dave McKean</b> and <b>Mark Buckingham</b> and
terrific also to see two <i>Exit </i>pages from my old self-publishing colleague <b>Nabiel
Kanan</b>.</span></span><br />
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrbs3XTr01VxascZDCl_w5DuX0T9W5WCbHY_UrxLKDAp5JguQJkhXqurfqJar8rawWYYj39ablvOBJkRvKjoFrG2GG8mIM2SxXCV5vts0nuvzvOV8vWHlpvNNGcJgwI_sYfgOTjyykJPc/s1600/Cartoon+Museum+The+Great+British+Graphic+Novel+London+Map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="auto" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnrbs3XTr01VxascZDCl_w5DuX0T9W5WCbHY_UrxLKDAp5JguQJkhXqurfqJar8rawWYYj39ablvOBJkRvKjoFrG2GG8mIM2SxXCV5vts0nuvzvOV8vWHlpvNNGcJgwI_sYfgOTjyykJPc/s320/Cartoon+Museum+The+Great+British+Graphic+Novel+London+Map.jpg" width="550" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br />I'm</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> proud to say two pieces of mine are also on display,
both pages from <i>Strangehaven</i>, and if for that reason and no other, I’d
highly recommend visiting if you’re in London before the show ends on 24 July.
Entry fee is £7.00 or £5.00 concessions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And if you’re in the general Holborn area and like me you
enjoy looking at various dissected human and animal body parts preserved in
formaldehyde filled jars, I’d also suggest dropping into the <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=hunterian+museum&espv=2&biw=1388&bih=793&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjpx5uf0p3MAhXoF5oKHZvGAVoQ_AUIBigB&dpr=1" target="_blank">Hunterian Museum</a>
(inside </span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 115%;">The Royal College of Surgeons</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">) </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">which faces the splendidly tranquil Lincoln’s
Inn Fields park, just ten minutes’ walk away from the Cartoon Museum.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6emS3vy-3U_qafi1ZAk-QDOHm86ymPnhp2B-mKCWRwTe2QY-CSbz8-kD3R7wND1S0BCFGQ1_3fOJ-hq4Ypmu3WLIY3crvnT-gu-631vdCuKwOIxQNybhjAC42rVsKJTEfexzuFAUe9dk/s1600/hunterian-museum-london-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="auto" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6emS3vy-3U_qafi1ZAk-QDOHm86ymPnhp2B-mKCWRwTe2QY-CSbz8-kD3R7wND1S0BCFGQ1_3fOJ-hq4Ypmu3WLIY3crvnT-gu-631vdCuKwOIxQNybhjAC42rVsKJTEfexzuFAUe9dk/s640/hunterian-museum-london-02.jpg" width="540" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">More info here: </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/museums/hunterian/information" target="_blank">The Hunterian Museum</a></span></div>
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Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-20014855919164462032016-03-30T10:48:00.000+00:002016-04-07T08:45:37.285+00:00Invisible Girl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGdd54OAqKCvAZqokEBmIRBL3Wyuj510sfBPrnFQSQbdx6ViJaMXc6_H6FgHjKIVdHplJn5JnzEAE29efvDMueXr9chk2mhxQnkMHqufCsoE8z3W5C8KPBN-FRMV8hhGWf1w8DCnXJn6Y/s1600/Heroes+Godsend+cover+4b+Millidge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtGdd54OAqKCvAZqokEBmIRBL3Wyuj510sfBPrnFQSQbdx6ViJaMXc6_H6FgHjKIVdHplJn5JnzEAE29efvDMueXr9chk2mhxQnkMHqufCsoE8z3W5C8KPBN-FRMV8hhGWf1w8DCnXJn6Y/s640/Heroes+Godsend+cover+4b+Millidge.jpg" width="419" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: normal;">So no, I'm not part of DC's </span><b style="font-size: normal;">Rebirth</b><span style="font-size: normal;">, but I </span><i style="font-size: normal;">have </i><span style="font-size: normal;">sold my soul and become a corporate whore. I've contributed a variant cover for Titan's </span><b style="font-size: normal;">Heroes: Godsend #4</b><span style="font-size: normal;"> (out in June) which is listed in Diamond's April </span><b style="font-size: normal;">Previews </b><span style="font-size: normal;">catalogue (out today I believe), so if you want a copy you may need to preorder it from your comics retailer.</span></div>
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Here's the official blurb:</span></div>
<span style="font-size: normal;"><b>HEROES: GODSEND #4</b> </span><span style="font-size: normal;">(W) Joey Falco (A/CA) Roy Allan Martinez<br />Heroes: Godsend continues to explore the origins of Farah Nazan from the Heroes Reborn mini-series! Farah’s life becomes more complicated thanks to a huge hulk of an EVO named Mr Vance, a nasty young businesswoman called Philomena, and a bomb. Plus, could romance be in the air for Farah? (STL006050)<br />MATURE THEMES<br />MARTINEZ COVER—32pgs, FC (4 of 5) $3.99<br />MILLIDGE COVER—32pgs, FC $3.99</span>Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-53700134525343763932015-12-20T16:59:00.000+00:002015-12-20T17:00:39.522+00:00Is it that time already?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GkHQ1tAfWZ9mc68GX9l2QQNg9tDP1xQ2jiautXRKEU0sAESuHGTM20RvSnaxaDk8uquZyrobJ9TiQNVWQIwaN4egGtjExCxSAjuBvHSqIq0foGv5QKlLWtc4Q2YAWSFX56GyrBmI0AdX/s1600/Christmas-2015-Gary-Spencer-Millidge-01-560.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6GkHQ1tAfWZ9mc68GX9l2QQNg9tDP1xQ2jiautXRKEU0sAESuHGTM20RvSnaxaDk8uquZyrobJ9TiQNVWQIwaN4egGtjExCxSAjuBvHSqIq0foGv5QKlLWtc4Q2YAWSFX56GyrBmI0AdX/s1600/Christmas-2015-Gary-Spencer-Millidge-01-560.jpg" /></a><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The fact that’s it’s almost just about very nearly a whole damn entire year since I posted anything on this blog probably only comes as a surprise to me, and me alone. And I’m shocked and embarrassed, but I suspect no one is losing sleep over that particular fact.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, taking all that into account, here I am, with my now traditional Christmas and New Year greeting, an appropriate celebratory illustration or two to commemorate the festive season and an almost complete lack of news.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">This lack of news of which I speak is probably mostly due to the amount of time I’ve spent actually working this year (as opposed to writing blog posts and curating my collection of paisley shirts) - not only drawing and colouring the new episodes of </span><i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Strangehaven</i><span style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">, but being rather unfortunately sidetracked in designing elaborate footwear catalogues and building outrageously ambitious websites for freelance clients in an attempt to pay off various bills that have somehow accrued ostensibly by the mere act of existing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">One heartwarming thought though is that I’ve produced more pages of </span><i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Strangehaven </i><span style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">in the past twelve months than I have done in all the years since 2005 laid end-to-end, so I’m counting that as a win. But I can do more.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Forthcoming in 2016 then, expect to see the fifth and further subsequent episodes of <i>Strangehaven: Destiny </i>within the pages of the marvellous British comics anthology that is <i>Meanwhile… </i>available from all excellent comic shops worldwide, from the <a href="http://www.soaringpenguinpress.com/category/publications/" target="_blank">Soaring Penguin Press website</a> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">on your iPad from <a href="http://store.sequential.cc/catalogue/category/meanwhile__soaring_penguin_press/185" target="_blank">Sequential </a> </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">and available for your other digital devices from <a href="https://www.comixology.co.uk/Meanwhile-1/digital-comic/202956" target="_blank">Comixology</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Other plans include some further activity on the digital front, with a scrubbed-up incarnation of my own website (possibly including a new item of merch or two if I can find time in between brush strokes) and perhaps some shiny new digital editions of some of my existing works.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 14.6667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">To keep in touch with all this excitement, you are greatly encouraged to subscribe to my newsletter list by typing your email address in the little box to the right of the screen, while you will also find me most active on the social media networks known as Facebook and Twitter.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">All that remains is for me to wish you all a very happy holiday season, wherever you are, and whatever you celebrate, and hope that the new year brings you peace, prosperity, good health and happiness.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb46j69pWYuhXmMrh0VO6rT7gOtngpyDsLd32RzuXb2d4YhC-25ELmiULsL3fSxZMyLKfVspMfVkYXJUvVqnontJ3OMBoNtpjDLr2tE4NvEsb6dJTB9ZsxJeHohzhoSwKKX2ZwoJYM_OM2/s1600/Christmas-2015-Gary-Spencer-Millidge-03.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb46j69pWYuhXmMrh0VO6rT7gOtngpyDsLd32RzuXb2d4YhC-25ELmiULsL3fSxZMyLKfVspMfVkYXJUvVqnontJ3OMBoNtpjDLr2tE4NvEsb6dJTB9ZsxJeHohzhoSwKKX2ZwoJYM_OM2/s1600/Christmas-2015-Gary-Spencer-Millidge-03.jpg" /></a></span></span>Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2071559829716993361.post-68646635283293713892014-12-21T14:37:00.000+00:002015-12-20T17:02:03.677+00:00I Know When You’re Awake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYp2wKTZe7WciSjbGgKg5gxE-6nvvOCO-p83PvlqShIYn1FFj6noPjwJQIMVcGWHTodogTkiaLjkr4j5ZEIk7U5Nbjkwoo0gGenT1CoDYpnKckFtDtOoRzIoP8U_TQJa0k-dvW-XdVQo7/s1600/digital-xmas-card-2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYp2wKTZe7WciSjbGgKg5gxE-6nvvOCO-p83PvlqShIYn1FFj6noPjwJQIMVcGWHTodogTkiaLjkr4j5ZEIk7U5Nbjkwoo0gGenT1CoDYpnKckFtDtOoRzIoP8U_TQJa0k-dvW-XdVQo7/s1600/digital-xmas-card-2014.jpg" /></a></div>
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This year’s traditional Christmas message from me is
different this year in that a new episode of <i>Strangehaven </i>has been released
into the wild during the year, for the first time since 2006. And yes, I’ve
been feeling the love from readers both old and new, and I’m grateful to you
all for that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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It’s not been an entirely smooth transition from years of freelance
writing and design to full-time comics creator, but I am finally getting back
into the old groove. 2015 looks like being one of the most prolific in my
sporadic career; <i>Strangehaven: Destiny</i> episode 2 will be published in <b>Meanwhile…#2</b>
in mid-January in both print and digital forms, with <b><a href="http://www.soaringpenguinpress.com/publications/periodicals/meanwhile-1/" target="_blank">Meanwhile…#1</a></b> finally
making its way to US stores in February. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I am working away on episode 3 already, with announcements
about new merchandise, a new website and a digital incarnation for existing
<i>Strangehaven </i>stories in the pipeline.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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If you want to help spread the word, you can place your
standing order for <b>Meanwhile…</b>with your local comics retailer, follow me on
<a href="https://twitter.com/millidge/" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, friend me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gsmillidge" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, let interested parties know about my
<a href="http://www.millidge.com/" target="_blank">e-newsletter</a> and my <a href="http://millidge.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">blog</a> or of course partake of the usual ritual sacrifice by
burning and then burying any single issue of <i>Before Watchmen</i> at precisely 23:23
by the light of a waxing moon on any Tuesday while repeating the chant ‘<i>Cerebus,
Hepcats, Indie comics forever</i>’.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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And on that seasonal note, I’ll wish you and those close to you
a very merry festive season and a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Peace and love,</div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>Gary</i></div>
Gary Spencer Millidgehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15332211412846657474noreply@blogger.com1