That Mid Year Update Feeling...

Right then, here's a list of my latest creative endeavours.

Last week I finally finished writing The Last Of The Navel Navigators children's novel, which involves the adventures of a young Hillbilly with a magic bellybutton, who's travelling the universe with his goat, Brian (and was awarded a First, for my Creative Writing MA, a while back).

The comic version of Navel Navigators is also shaping up nicely, illustrated by the always awesome Brett Burbridge and lettered by Ken Reynolds.


I've also just released issue 13 of 100% Biodegradable, which has a mass of talented creators inside, including 2000ad's Kek-W, John Freeman, Tony Suleri and many more. It's available here for just 69p:

http://www.comicsy.co.uk/biomekazoik/store/products/100-biodegradable-issue-13-digital-download/


Then there's the Freaks, Heroes and Horrors comic bundle that I've just put together with the aid of some other hairy ne'er-do-wells (Neil Alexander, Chris Sides, Vince Hunt, Rob Jones and Jon Laight), and contains 18 comics for $3.50.

http://www.drivethrucomics.com/product/150414/Freaks-Heroes-and-Horrors-BUNDLE


After script editing Jimmy Furlong and Andrew Hartmann's first Shit Flingers Bestiary (which you can read a review about here) Jimmy has hired me to script edit the second bestiary, which is next on my agenda.

And now that the Navel Navigators novel is out of the way, I can finally finish off writing the last four chapters of Breaking Even (a sci-fi novel about an accountant on an overpopulated Earth who is discovered to have a planet growing in his head, which is just ripe for colonisation).

Considering everything gets a bit political in the last few chapters, there's plenty of real world shenanigans for me to draw upon for inspiration (it's actually quite cathartic, as I get to blow up Earth).

Latest Shenanigans.

Well now, since it's been six months since I posted anything on my blog, I best get on with some sort of update, eh?

Firstly, the British Showcase Anthology doesn't seem to be going ahead after all, so it looks like Meals on Wheels (Art by Tony Suleri and John Kirkham) won't be appearing in that one (though it'll probably appear in issue 10 of 100% Biodegradable).

Also, Indie Comics Quarterly, who were set to publish Living The Dream (art by Tony Suleri and John Kirkham), have been very quiet over the past 6 months, so I'm guessing it won't be appearing in their anthology any time soon (on the plus side, it'll be published in 100% Biodegradable issue 9, due out next month).

The good news is The Psychedelic Journal Of Time Travel is out now, featuring Everlasting Peace by myself, Tony Suleri and Ken Reynolds. 

You can find out more here:  http://thepsychedelicjournal.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/issue-5-is-live.html

Another project which is close to putting in an appearance is Mad Gods and Monkey Men, (by myself, Tony Suleri, John Kirkham and Ken Reynolds) for the upcoming Shit Flingers anthology. 

These medieval swashbuckling supernatural simians were created by Jimmy Furlong and Andrew Hartmann.  The Kickstarter will be coming soon, but for now you can check out some of the amazing art from a whole host of talented creators here:

http://shitflingers.tumblr.com

Slightly further on the horizon, I've had two strips accepted for the Steampunk Originals anthology (issues 7 and 8) from Arcana.  Since they've yet to publish issue 3 it might be a while before they appear, so here's a few panels from the strips in the meantime.

Time Waits by David Hailwood, Gary O' Donnell, Anne-Marie Woolley and Ken Reynolds

I'm also co-writing quite a few projects with John Freeman for his WarWorldz project (more on that at a later date), and editing my quarterly sci-fi comics anthology, 100% Biodegradable which is approaching its 9th issue.

So, rather busy then!

Other projects I'm working on.

So, as well as putting out plenty of my own comics, I've been submitting strips all over the bally shop!

I'm currently working on a ten pager (Mad Gods and Monkey Men) with Tony Suleri for Jimmy Furlong and Andrew Hartmann's delicately titled 'Shit Flingers' anthology.  The script has been accepted, and the art is in progress.  There's a hell of a lot of amazing creators involved in this whopper of an anthology (which involves swashbuckling supernatural simian shenanigans), so check out their Facebook page and give 'em a like.  With Tony having illustrated probably over 1,000 pages worth of monkey related carnage over the course of his comics career, he seemed a very natural choice to join the artists on this one!

They're still on the lookout for writers and artists, so if you're interested in getting involved, get in touch with Jimmy Furlong asap!

Artwork (c) Andrew Hartmann

I've also had a 'Meals On Wheels' strip accepted into issue 2 of Markosia's upcoming British Showcase Anthology (subject to approval of final coloured artwork), also illustrated by Tony Suleri.  There's still a day or so left to get in a script submission to editor Adam Cheal, if anyone fancies doing so.  Hurry, hurry, hurry!

Next years issue of The Psychedelic Journal Of Time Travel will also be featuring a four page strip from myself and Tony (subject to artistic approval), titled Everlasting Peace.  It's a brilliant anthology full of highly entertaining strips, so it's great to be a part of it.  My first draft of Everlasting Peace was initially rejected for 'Hippy bashing and overuse of quiche' which is a fact that I'm uncommonly proud of.

I'm also doing a few odds and ends for a couple of anthologies that Paul Birch is editing (which I'll mention more about when they're closer to release), and am currently working on a submission for Titan comics Lost In Space competition, to be illustrated by...Tony Suleri! (a huge surprise, I know...)

There's plenty more writing projects on the horizon, but I'm sure I've probably bored my one entire reader to tears by now so I'll mention them another time. 

Right, let's get back to the joys of lettering!