Coming Attractions: More Sex & Violence plus some Peculiarity

Too Much Sex & Violence #4 is heading towards completion and will hopefully be hitting the streets sometime in what we're laughably calling this "summer". To whet your appetites, here's the front and back covers... a couple of wonderful arty homages from Nige & Dave...





But that's not all... my other new comic, Department of the Peculiar, drawn by the amazing Rob Wells is also nearing completion and provisionally scheduled for release some time in August (ish). Our good friends at the Forbidden Planet Blog were kind enough to preview the first five pages yesterday... so pop over there if you want to find out more.

Comic Review: Video Nasties

I've been hearing good things about Chris Doherty's Video Nasties for some time, so when I found out there was a collected edition of the whole series available again, I had to give it a go. Mighty glad I did.

Evan is a teenager with a healthy addiction to "video nasty" horror films. I've been there. There's nothing more exciting to the average teenage lad than watching nubile young things meet their ends at the end of a psychopath's knife, axe or meat cleaver. Adolescence = sex 'n' death, how better than to combine them? (Plus, there's a kind of transference going on there as you imagine a similar fate for all your obnoxious schoolyard enemies.(

Evan's also something of a whiz with a video camera himself - that's how he gets roped into helping film a school project documentary about a group of students who went missing under mysterious circumstances many years ago (well, that and a fit girl... there's always a fit girl involved somewhere... though one of the most important lessons we learn growing up is that the fittest girls often aren't worth all that heartache).

Evan's investigation leads him to dangerous places and shock revelations regarding some of his closest friends. There will be sex. There will be violence. There will be a clown murdering people with a baseball bat! All drawn in a wonderfully cute, cartoony style that fits the teenage soap elements to a tee... and makes the horror much more shocking when it finally hits.

Video Nasties collects the complete 7 issue series and it's available in eBook and good old fashioned dead tree format from Chris's store. Well worth your time and money, this one's a cracker... I'm looking forward to the movie!

Comic Review: The Rainbow Orchid Volume 3

And so we finally reach the end of the road, the finale of Garen Ewing's epic Rainbow Orchid trilogy, a book I've been both breathlessly anticipating... and quietly dreading. Could this really be the last we see of Julius Chancer and co?

For anyone as yet unacquainted with Garen's masterpiece, The Rainbow Orchid follows Chancer's quest to seek out the legendary flower of the title so his employer can win a wager with the nefarious Urkaz Grope, a truly hissable villain we're all hoping will finally get his come-uppance in this final chapter (you may be surprised!). As always, it's a witty, action-packed mix of Tin Tin and Indiana Jones that looks like no other comic out there... truly, the level of detail Garen puts into his artwork is staggering: you could easily stare at any of his panels for a week and never get bored... if only you weren't wanting to race through the book to find out what happens next. Definitely a comic to read more than once, then - the first time for the excitement of the story, the second to wallow in the beauty of the artwork.

The three volumes of The Rainbow Orchid are available from all good booksellers, and you can read a huge preview - and go behind the scenes for a wealth of extra fun - at Garen's website. Get over there and find out why this book was recently named The Observer's Graphic Novel Of The Month!

Comic Reviews: Points West / The Whale House

My old pal Andrew Cheverton is spoiling us this month with the release of not one but two outstanding new comics.

First up, Jerusalem West returns in his latest adventure, Points West - another atmospheric shot of mystery and bloodshed in the old west, this one fleshing out a small moment from a previous adventure, adding more to our understanding of the title character, yet working as a stand-alone story too. As usual, it's packed with grim humour, sudden/shock violence and pitch perfect dialogue... and it looks a million dollars, thanks to regular artist Tim Keable, a man born to draw westerns. Once again, I can't recommend it enough.

Next, we have this...



The Whale House is a new book written by Chev and drawn by Chris Doherty of Video Nasties fame (which I'll be reviewing here soon). It's an entirely different ballgame to West, but no less gripping. A mystery begins to unravel when a young man sets out on a voyage of discovery to find the parents he's never met... but winds up taking lodging with the Whales, a creepy family who believe he's someone else entirely. I happen to know that one of Chev's favourite books is Shirley Jackson's We Have Always Lived In The Castle, and there's shades of that here, although the characters are ploughing their own furrow and there's absolutely no way of knowing where this story is going. I'm looking forward to finding out, particularly as Chev has once again found the perfect collaborator, another artist so good you wonder why he's not working for the big boys. (Then again, I ask myself that question about many artists in the small press... just as I ask how some of the artists who are drawing for Marvel and DC ever got their jobs in the first place. But that's a discussion for another day.)

Points West and The Whale House #1 are both available to buy from the Angry Candy website in both paper and digital versions. So get on with it...

Comic Review: The Almighties #1

My old mate Sam Johnson has recently premiered his new comic The Almighties, a timely, action-packed spoof of a certain other A-rated superteam doing the rounds at the moment. Here's Sam to tell you a little more...

Just in time for THAT movie - Almighties Amass!

Nick Fury is currently assembling Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in the Avengers movie – but what if a more questionable character put together his own skewed take on the world’s greatest super-team…or just threw together whoever was available?

The enigmatic White Out has amassed a dysfunctional bunch of heroes to take down ‘threats to America’ - sending them on missions that have comedic nods to all the big Marvel events of recent years – from Civil War to Fear Itself. But these aren’t your momma’s super-heroes and things aren’t quite as they seem…

“The Almighties brings together creations from myself and co-scripter Mike Gagnon,” says the comic’s other writer Sam Johnson (creator of Geek-Girl and Cabra Cini: Voodoo Junkie Hitwoman). “But while that other super-team are the best that could be assembled, brought together to take on threats that no single hero could withstand – things are a bit more…offbeat here.” Johnson continues, “The guy that hires them - White Out – is a little wacky, aided as he is by a lobotomized butler with a tray of Pimm’s – and he has a personal agenda. So there are factors at play in whom he’s amassed that don’t necessarily make for the most heroic of super-teams. For example, one of them – Nite Fang – whom Johnson & Gagnon bill as ‘our Hulk’ - is a cocky British punk/werewolf who’s here purely for the pay check; another - Mason - is a borderline-psycho merc, and another - Stefanos – billed as ‘our Wolverine’ - is seemingly just a guy that runs a kebab shop - armed with his donor kebab on a skewer!

Not all members of the team are total misfits, though, Johnson and Gagnon bill their field leader - Maxi-Tron - and female member Ms. F - as ‘our Iron Man and Ms. Marvel.’ But like those heroes, these two are also flawed. Only more so.

Johnson fills us in: “Maxi has Tony Stark’s ego dialed up to 11 and is more self-centered than it’s healthy to be when your life and the lives of your team-mates are on the line, and Ms. F has just broken free of her oppressive marriage and has anger issues coming out of that. Anger issues she’s gonna take out on crime!”

“This comic has been created by a talented group of creators who are also big comic book fans,” adds co-scripter Mike Gagnon. “It’s all done in good natured humor, and with all the dark and serious stories being told in comic books, I think this book is important because it reminds people that comics can be fun.”

With the motley crew amassed, you can expect offbeat action, adventure, comedy, testicular cancer, Nazi Robots, and plenty more – all illustrated by hot team of up-and-coming artists Eleonora Kortsarz, Pablo Zambrano and D.C. White - in The Almighties #1; out now in $3.99 regular, $2.99 digital and Limited Avengers movie poster-parody Variant editions; 32 pages, full color, rated Teen+ published by Actuality Press and available to purchase at www.thealmighties.com where you can also check out free-to-read Almighties Origins!

The Almighties gets my wholehearted recommendation, so pop over to their website and find out more right now.

Book Review: Supergods - Our World In The Age Of The Superhero by Grant Morrison

Over the 30+ years I've been reading comics, Grant Morrison has written some of my all-time favourites. Animal Man, Doom Patrol, The Invisibles, Arkham Asylum, All Star Superman... books I'd hold up among the best the medium has to offer. He's also written a fair few books I just didn't get, a smattering that disappeared (albeit with sporadic enjoyment) up their own backsides, and some that left me completely cold. Nothing I absolutely hated though, and I've long found the "Grant Morrison" persona to be among the most fascinating and insane of comic book creator caricatures. Where "Stan Lee" is your favourite uncle as a carnival barker and "Alan Moore" is the grumpy (and slightly pervy) old wizard you don't want to get on the wrong side of, "Grant Morrison" is the rock star cum Cuckoo's Nest escapee who's done a few too many mind-altering substances to the point where he actually believes he might be a superhero. A superhero with the power of writing. Isn't that the power we all dreamed of?

Supergods is, ostensibly, Morrison's history of the superhero comic. Unlike many such books, it's highly subjective... and because Morrison's comic book tastes often differ wildly from my own, I often found myself taking his facts-as-opinions with a pinch of salt, or else flat-out disagreeing. There's a strong DC-bias to his writing, partly because these were largely the comics he grew up on, partly because he's had some negative experiences with Marvel management over the years, and partly because DC are currently paying his bills. Plus, he's got more time for the cosmic madness Jack Kirby brought to comics in the 60s than the everyman quality that made me a lifelong True Believer of Stan Lee...

"And yet there was something I didn't like about the Marvel superheroes. Those characters seemed constantly angry and weird, and I found stories of conflict between heroes exhausting. Spider-Man's stressy life was a bit too grown-up, it seemed."

Yet despite our many differences, we both love comics and believe wholeheartedly in the transformative potential of the medium. Once I accepted Morrison's subjective opinions, there was much to enjoy in this larger than life tome. There's a wonderful mix of creative, character and industry back-story alongside personal anecdote, and it's good that Morrison doesn't tread the same old ground as previous historians. He's attempting to build a sociological history of the medium which is sometimes incisive and occasionally insane, but never less than entertaining. Those unfamiliar with the writer's unique world view might not be prepared for his psychedelic 90s adventures in which he creates a comic as a magic spell with the express intention of living a superhero lifestyle... only to go off the deep end when his face is attacked by flesh-eating bacteria and he finds himself face-to-face with 4th dimensional aliens who reveal to him the ancient secrets of our universe. At this point the narrative becomes more "fictional" autobiography than historical tract but as the rest of the comics industry went through its artistic nadir in the 90s, it's a welcome distraction. I still remember an interview with Morrison at the time, when it was suggested that perhaps his other-dimensional experiences might be nothing more than the result of all the mind-altering substances he was taking at that time. "I can see why you might think that," went his reply (paraphrased from memory), "but you'd be seriously mistaken."

There's much to relish here: from the writer's iconoclastic needling of Alan Moore to barbed comments about his estranged pal, Mark Millar. And despite all the Comic Book Books I've read before, I still learnt a few new things (Namor is Roman backwards!) That Supergods becomes less about the medium and more about the messenger is perhaps inevitable. In his own way, Grant Morrison is as unbelievably larger-than-life as Superman, Batman, The X-Men or any of the iconic characters he's tackled over the years. As long as nobody takes his opinionated ramblings as gospel, it's all good... but hopefully, the 4th Dimensional aliens should make sure of this.

Everyone Loves A Nice Crisp Biscuit...

My old pal and comic collaborator Rob Wells has recently put out another excellent collection of humour strips from his Crisp Biscuit Blog. Included in this issue...

The Green C**k Ring's Final Crisis!

The True Story of Christmas!

The return of Jack Bowser in Twenty-Bore!

Whatever Happened To The TV Stars of Our Youth?

Halloween at Rob's house.

Michael J. Fox IS Stuart Little.

And some X-Factor spoofs I don't really get (being that I hate The X-Factor) but I'm led to believe are very funny if you did watch it.

All this for just £2.50 - a bargain at twice the price!

To pick up a copy, along with Crisp Biscuit #1 and the new full-colour edition of Colin Comix (featuring more Jack Bowser AND Cecelia Doom!), get on over to the Crisp Biscuit Shop now. Tell him I sent you.

Too Much Sex & Violence #3 is here!

It's time to return to Fathomsby and catch up with its strange, perverted and outlandish residents. See Harry Hall wallow in drunken regret. Join Dermot and Dorothy for dinner (and orgasmatron). Find out how Wonderful scratches that lonely nights itch. Learn the secret origin of DJ Frank Epstein. Discover what sordid thoughts Kathy Marr encounters when she arrives in town. Examine a two-dicked corpse with FME Imogen Redback. And meet Julia Gore, Jasper Badtouch, Bernie Clunge, Kristoph Plott and the uptight manager of Das Uberblick Hotel. It's our most depraved issue yet...

Written by me, with art by Adrian Bamforth, Kelvin Green, Rob Wells, Stephen Prestwood, Nige Lowrey, Andrew Cheverton, Martin Eden and Chris Askham. Front cover by Martin (and everybody else!), back cover by Chev. All the rest by Davey Metcalfe-Carr.

Sadly, the rising postal cost has meant I've had to put up the price to £2.75 an issue, but hopefully that won't deter you from enjoying the unique pleasures of Fathomsby in the book Broken Frontier called "delectably macabre" and Forbidden Planet described as "a freakshow you can't take your eyes off". Don't worry, the digital download is still just an incredible 99p!

To order the new issue, click here to visit my shop. New readers can also pick up a bargain batch of the first three issues at the knockdown rate of £6.50... while stocks last!

Face For Radio

Too Much Sex & Violence #3 is almost upon us. To keep you going in the meantime, here's a little strip me and Chev put together last year for The Sorry Entertainer anthology. Click the image to read it full screen. Enjoy, pop-pickers!

Comic Review: Spandex #6

At some point during my regular reviews of Martin Eden's excellent small press comic Spandex, I am guaranteed to use the words "best issue yet". So let's get it out of the way right now, shall we? Spandex #6 is the best issue yet, once more proving that it's "gay superheroes" gimmick is anything but, and delivering more action, characterisation and hip, sarcastic dialogue than most comics these days manage in a 6 issue run. Because of the splash-page heavy, four or five panels per page, drag everything out to fill a 6-book trade way that many modern comics are produced, I often feel guilty as a writer if I ask an artist to draw more than 6 panels on one page or write more than two balloons' worth of dialogue per panel. Martin shows us how such things are still possible (without ever overcrowding a page) and because he's both artist and writer on this book, he delivers some outstanding sequences. 10 panels on the opening page, yet it's a thing of beauty. Elsewhere, a 17 panel fight scene - on one page. God, if you'd given that to Bryan Hitch, he'd have filled an entire issue with it. And would it have told the story any better than Martin does here? I sincerely doubt it.

Speaking of story, the latest Spandex certainly packs that in too. From a dramatic showdown between our eponymous heroes and their evil rivals, Les Girlz, to some wonderful origin / backstory pages, to a tense build-up to a climax that gives extra meaning to the titles of both the overall story arc ('O.M.F.G.') and this issue itself ('Deus Ex Machina'). It's the kind of bold, audacious WTF!? moment that only Grant Morrison used to be able to pull off, but Martin Eden gives it both barrels. I am blown away.

Better still, this issue comes with three free mini comics showcasing Martin's versatility as a writer (horror, humour and manga) and the work of three great guest artists, T'sao Wei, Garry McLaughlin and good old Rob Wells. Even more bang for your buck.

The only downside to the latest Spandex was Martin's announcement that issue #7 will be the last. NOooooooooOOOOoooo! Still, it's always good to quit while you're ahead, and I've been reading Martin's comics long enough to know that whatever comes next... it'll be brilliant.

Find out more about Spandex, and buy them all here. Go do that thing now.

Movie Review: Ghost Rider - Spirit of Vengeance

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...

Like most sane moviegoers, I didn't have a great deal of time for the original Ghost Rider movie. OK, it was a stinker. So why, pray tell, did I plunk down my hard earned shekels (well, I.'s hard-earned shekels, since we went on Orange Wednesday and he took pity on my unemployed ass and gave me the GOF of his BO) on the second one? My defence goes thus...

1. I like Ghost Rider. He's one of those Marvel B-listers I've always had a soft spot for even though very few writers seem able to make him work. JM DeMatteis managed it back when I was a kid and Jason Aaron knocked it out of the park recently, but beyond that I can't think of too many other great Ghost Rider stories. The potential is there though, as I discovered while writing this week's Thoughtballoons script based on the character. There's so much can be done with this concept. Sadly, the writers of this movie (mostly David bloody Goyer, Hollywood's go-to guy for bad - and occasionally surprisingly good - superhero movies) preferred to run with a tepid combo of Hellboy, The Omen and The Fast & The Furious... and however exciting you might think that sounds: trust me, you're wrong.

2. I (used to) like Nicholas Cage. And every now and then he makes a film which shows a spark of the manic genius he displayed in Wild At Heart or Bad Lieutenant rather than just SHOUTING ALL THE TIME and ACTING REALLY BADLY. Sadly, this was not to be one of those films. Hey, Nick, if you love Ghost Rider as much as you say you do... why didn't you put some bloody effort in?

3. Idris Elba was in it. I like him a lot. He made the absolute most of an underwritten role and provided a couple of moments of blessed comic relief. Many more were needed. Meanwhile, Ciaran Hinds popped up as the devil. Another hugely talented actor... wasted.

4. The reviews told me this one was much better than the first. They lied.


On the other hand, I can't say the warning signs weren't there. I should have paid more attention to the following...


1. The directors, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, are most famous for making dumb action movies starring Jason blinkin' Statham. Their style can best be described as "less accomplished Guy Ritchie". I hate Guy Ritchie.

2. It was only possible to watch this movie in 3D. Which is strange as Spirit of Vengeance featured the least gratuitous 3D effects of any pointlessly 3D film I've seen in recent times. In fact, other than the fact I was wearing those stupid glasses so (as usual) my eyes hurt and I couldn't focus on the whole of the screen... at no point was I aware of any 3D effects whatsoever. It was like watching a 2D movie with 3D glasses on. I'd rather have just watched it the way god intended.

3. There was a sequence in which Ghost Rider takes a leak and pisses fire. As if to suggest this might be the highlight of the movie, they even included it in the trailer. It was desperate, humourless and lacking in imagination. Actually, that was pretty representative of the movie as a whole. I take that back: it belonged in the trailer. It should have been the whole trailer. 30 seconds of Ghost Rider weeing. That would have been apt.

More Great Comics You Should Buy Now

The second issue of Rob Jackson's "It's A Man's Life In The Ice Cream Business" is just as engrossing as the first, though I swear I'm confounded trying to explain why. It's more of the same action we enjoyed in part one as Rob and family continue to make their way round the farmers' markets of the North West selling home-made ice cream, sheep & goats' cheese, soup and even sorbet. Along the way there's drama as a miserable customer complains the vegetable soup is "all carrots", suspense as Rob wonders whether a heavy snowfall will stop him getting to Houghton Tower, and the threat of competition from rival cheese and ice cream stalls. There's music, grumbles, some inspiring recipes... and honesty. Real life honesty. With buckets of charm. I can't explain why I enjoy this book so much, I just do. Give it a try and see if you do too.

One of my all-time favourite small-press creators, Ralph Kidson, is back with another wonderfully observed mini comic. Graham The Lonely Snake is the heartbreaking (and I do not use that word lightly) story of a desert snake whose only friend is a rock called Steven Hughes. It may well be the most moving comic I've ever read, or I might just be getting soppy in my old age. The man who previously made me care about the adventures of an envelope and a stick has taken anthropomorphism to new levels with this tiny little comic. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me want to vote Ralph Kidson for PM. Our country needs him...

Two Much Sex & Violence

See what I did there?

Issue #2 of my new comic TOO MUCH SEX & VIOLENCE is finally available to buy, in print and digital formats. It's written by me, with top notch artwork from Stephen Prestwood, Neil Cavenham, Dave Metcalfe-Carr, Nige Lowrey, Mark Renhard, Ryan Taylor, Rob Wells and Tony McGee - thanks, gents!

Return to the seaside town they ought to close down and catch up with dodgy Dermot Kaye, horrible Harry Hall, kinky Kathy Marr, garrulous Gary Gore and suspicious Sam Kamara. Plus, meet Frank Epstein, Becky Corvida, Piers Doughtery... and Serena, the shocking Sister of Mercy. If you dare...

Issue #2 is available for just £2.50 (print) or 99p (digital) - go here to buy it.

Thanks also to Dad Who Writes for joining the ever-growing TMSAV Reviewers club...

Now, this isn’t your Avengers-type comic. This is more Garth-Ennis -writes-Adrian-Tomine-in-Grimsby with a touch of early Ramsay Campbell. It’s funny, twisted, sharp, not a little bitter and full of tight characterisation.

Check out the full review here.

Full Cream Comicy Goodness

Like Robots? Like Vikings? Like Ninjas? Like Pirates? Then check out the new comic from my old Thoughtballoons compatriot, MK Strangeland. Robot Viking Ninja Pirates #0 is just as much fun as the title sounds and it's available now from graphic.ly for just $1 (about 60p, by my reckoning). Here's the full blurb...

Robot Viking Ninja Pirates #0 (22 Pages) – What are Robot Viking Ninja Pirates? Exactly what they sound like. Looking for an origin story? You won’t find it here. What will you find? How about a runaway dinosaur that’s part spider getting punched in the face by a robot. And best of all, you can get it all for just ONE DOLLAR!

Meanwhile, new thoughtballooner Dan Hill shared this beautifully observed tale based on the premise of what might happen if the human race suddenly discovered the ability to fly... then focused on just two characters who use their newfound powers to re-enact a terrible moment from their own tragic back story. Really nicely paced, with excellent artwork from Cale Ajioka. Click Eagles High to enjoy.

Speaking of Thoughtballoons, we're just embarking on Harry Osborn week, so get yourself over there for some Gobliny goodness. My story goes up later today (or might already be there, depending when you read this), but in the meantime check out what the other guys bring to the slightly-less-crazy-than-his-Dad Osborn lad.

And while we're on the subject of comics, yes, it's true, the wait is almost over. TOO MUCH SEX & VIOLENCE #2 will be available by the end of the week. Here's the official unveiling of the cover to whet your appetites...

Whatever you're imagining right now... believe me, it's worse. Much, much worse. Heh.

Too Much Sex & Violence Needs Your Vote!

The longlists for the Eagle Awards 2012 are being compiled - and Too Much Sex & Violence is nominated in 4 categories!

Category 1 - Favourite New Writer (me!)

Category 9 - Favourite Letterer (David Metcalfe-Carr)

Category 15 - Favourite British Comic (B&W)

Category 16 - Favourite New Comic

We've been kind of tacked onto the end of each list so you won't find us in the main alphabetical listing... but if you scroll down to the bottom, we're pretty easy to spot among the late additions.

Being realistic, I don't think we stand a chance (there's some pretty steep competition in all the categories) - but it would be nice to at least make a shortlist. So if you can spare 5 minutes, why not pop over to the voting booth and cast your votes today.

Too Much Sex & Violence #2 is coming soon... get a sneak preview here!

Comic Review: West - Confederate Dead

I've been looking forward to this latest Jerusalem West adventure ever since the book began. Seeing how well Andrew Cheverton and Tim Keable mixed Deadwood-style Western with Romero-esque horror in the book's first few issues, and knowing what a fan of zombie films Chev is, a West / zombies face-off has always been inevitable. And here it is, every bit as juicy and dramatic and bloody and beautiful as I'd hoped... in many ways the most accomplished single issue West story yet.

Plotwise, it's probably also the most straightforward. A young West and his bounty hunter pal Wilton Frohickie (I'm not sure if Chev stole that name from my own favourite Frohickie, but it's a great name nevertheless) are chasing down a ruthless gang of outlaws. Their pursuit leads them to Black Salt Island on a dark and stormy night, and then...

So not only is this the West adventure I've been dying to see Chev write - it's also the most amazing piece of comic art I've yet seen Tim deliver. From the gorgeous wraparound cover to the stylish and dramatic interiors, this is a comic you just can't take your eyes off. A truly gorgeous piece of work. If you like westerns, if you like zombies, if you like comics... if you like breathing: buy this book.

Comfort & Joy

I won't lie to you: it's been a rough year here at SOS Towers. Losing my job, crashing my car, having to watch Green Lantern, Transformers 3 and Season Of The Witch... that'll take the spring out of your step and right. I've had stress, sleepless nights and moments where I've just plain broken down and sobbed into my porridge. But no matter how miserable I've felt, there are some things which always give me comfort. This post is a tribute to those...

1. Coffee Shops.

Obviously, the coffee itself is important here, but there's also something hugely comforting about taking time out from your day to sit in a coffee shop and watch the world go by. It feels like a special treat and makes me feel sophisticated and adult: something I'm especially grateful for after sitting in an anonymous cattle queue at the Job Centre. Coffee Shop Culture gets a lot of stick, but I think it's one of the true advances in our society. When I was a student first time round, our only options were pubs and grubby cafes. The rise of coffee shops make me think there's hope for civilization after all.

2. Alex Lester on Radio 2.

I tend to sleep with headphones on, tuned to Radio 2. It helps me gets to sleep and if I wake during the night it helps me get back to sleep. It gives me something to think about and distract my mind in the wee small hours when problems always seem far worse than they might actually be. 3am is the worst time to find yourself lying away with an over-active imagination, so thank god for Alex Lester on Radio 2. An amusing, genuine and inoffensive jock who plays a good variety of music and helps keep me from despair. See also Huey Morgan, Bob Harris and Richard Allison on a weekend. And Chris Evans for making me want to switch off the radio and get up as soon as it's morning.

3. Mum & Dad

They say you appreciate your parents more as you get older. I appreciate mine more every time I see them.

4. Comics

Though I can't afford as many of them as I once did, the ones I do buy, take from the library or re-read from my rapidly dwindling collection in the attic continue to give me solace. From the wonderful, warm nostalgia buzz of rediscovering comics from my youth to the rare examples of uncynical mainstream books (thank god for Dan Slott's Amazing Spider-Man!) to all the wonderful home-made small press books I continue to discover and champion. I still love reading novels and listening to music, even watching TV... but nothing calms my mind last thing at night like a good comic.

5. Writing

It's still there. Whenever I get the chance. Not as often as I might wish, but writing has always helped me sort out my thoughts and put things in perspective. Even blogging helps, but the real peace comes from writing fiction. Hopefully I'll continue to be able to steal time to write, whatever else life throws at me, it's the only thing that keeps me sane.

What gives you comfort no matter what...?

Comic Review: Verity Fair #3

The latest issue of Terry Wiley's Verity Fair is another hugely entertaining slice of comedy and chaos in which Verity visits her psychiatrist to talk recurring nightmares, appears (twice) on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, shares curry with a cat and reminisces about a youthful romance with Billy Bragg (or is it?). It's just as crazy and funny and beautifully drawn as you'd expect from the wonderful Mr. Wiley and it's available now at all good comic shows... or by emailing Terry direct at verityfair@oglanut.org.uk, price £2 plus postage for a black & white copy (with colour cover), £4 plus postage for the full colour special edition.

Warning though: it may contain bottoms and swearies. Gosh, that's almost as bad as a comic featuring Too Much Sex & Violence!

My Week On The Web

Over at The Mixtape Lives On, we're gearing up for 2012 with my favourite songs about the End of the World. This week, that's included classic offerings from Johnny Cash, The Clash, The Handsome Family and Barry Maguire. We also played another great List Song by The Jim Carroll Band (about all his dead friends), new music from Low Roar - with the sublime title of "Friends Make Garbage, True Friends Take It Out" and continued my countdown of the best albums of 2011 with Noah & The Whale.

Elsewhere on the web this week, Dan from All That Comes With It broke his vow to never blog again by setting up a rival Slawit blog. Hey, I'm not worried - I can stand the competition!

Ryan and James Lindsay, my brothers from down under began their appeal to gather financing for their short film Soap - the story of a man who must wash his hands every hour, on the hour. Being a little bit OCD myself, I can sympathise...

Sam Johnson began teasing his new comic book...



And I discovered this year's heaviest Christmas record from Krashkarma...



...the music may not be to your liking, but the video's worth watching to see what happens when McCauley Culkin meets Freddie Krueger.



That was my week on the web - how was yours?

It's All About Meme

Stolen from Sunday Stealing...

1) If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?

Buy my comic.

2) If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

Today, I feel like saying Stan Lee.

3) You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

Los Angeles circa 1940, when Raymond Chandler and Philip Marlowe walked those streets.

4) What do you think about most?

Stories.

5) You have the opportunity to spend a romantic night with the music celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?

If you'd asked me this when I was 16, I'd have replied Carol Decker. Today though...?

Amanda Palmer. Not because I fancy her, just to piss Neil Gaiman off.

6) You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

What doesn't kill you just makes you stronger. Most of the horrible experiences in my past have proved inspirational fodder for stories...

7) What's your strangest talent?

Being able to sleep with headphones on.

8) What would be a question you'd be afraid to tell the truth on?

Where did you bury the body?

9) Ever had a poem or song written about you?

Of course. Morrissey just doesn't realise it.

10) When is the last time you played the air guitar?

The last time I heard this...

11) Do you have any strange phobias?

Gumpophobia: The Fear of Tom Hanks.

12) What's your religion?

True believer (see question 2).

13) What is your current desktop picture?

14) When you are outside, what are you most likely doing?

Walking.

15) What's the last song you listened to?

16) Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?

Not at all simple. The obvious answer would be The Smiths... but a more contemporary answer would be The Indelicates.

17) What was the last lie you told?

"No, I don't want to go home."

18) Do you believe in karma?

I'm scared to say no, just in case...

19) What is a saying you say a lot?

"Hey, man, this is a private residence!"

20) What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?

i) Being rubbish at everything.

ii) Fooling people into believing I'm not.

21) Who is your celebrity crush?

Kate Winslet's restraining order has barred me from answering this question.

22) Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word: heart.

Tragically, it was 'beat'. I must be a closet Nick Berry fan. I claim Buddy Holly.

23) How do you vent your anger?

With a silent scream.

24) Do you have a collection of anything?

Comics, though it's rapidly dwindling. Music. Books.

25) What is your favorite word?

Coffee. Hmm, coffee...