January 19, 2002
1:19 PM posted by Andrew Luke | link to this post

Seems I just can't get away from here. More news on future trs to follow. The Toenail Clippings gang as mentioned on the main weblog are off to Angouleme next week with an Alpha Art Award nomination. If you've not picked up the mag, I found a review over on Optical Sloth which is quite good.

January 15, 2002
1:59 PM posted by Andrew Luke | link to this post

Gosh! More reviews! You lucky soul; from my esteemed criminal contact, Mr. Richard Barr.

BRISTOL 2001
NEVER MIND THE COMICS.
VARIOUS ARTISTS.
A3
44 PAGES

THE SUMMONING

WRITER: TIM SAYER

ART: NATALIE SANDELLS

So in the second of these anthologies that I?ve seen we are presented with The Summoning. Set in Newcastle, two scary devil worshippers summon a French demon scrupulously illustrated by Sandells. Sayer?s dialogue is spot on while the taut narrative and black humour leaves the reader with a wry smile on their face. A well contained, well paced yarn.

PERESTROIKA

STORY & ART: DRU & ASH TILLEY

With realist illustrations and an excellent, precise script immerses the reader well before this instalment of the story is finished. The illustrations provide evidence of a laborious careful dedication. With dark, moody shades the reader feels like they are watching a piece of sci-fi noir frame by frame.
The monologue is effective without being overly flash. The writer is restrained and with subtlety he gives you just as much with what he leaves out as what he puts in.
The story is left in this instalment with a lot of loose ends ready to be tied up. This looks very promising.

COVEN TREE

WRITER: MARK PEYTON

ART: BRIAN FREY & ALEX COOK

After reading this strip I was left thinking it was trying for satire via visions of utopia. One feels metaphor gets in the way of story here, which is a pity because it shows it has the potential for brilliance. The story revolves around ?the tree?, the saviour of a newly evolved human species. These humans hunt what they call the impure ones, the foxes. The art is, in places, superb, while at other times its mixture of photography and background illustrations is reminiscent of the Dear Deirdre photo casebook from The Sun.
A strip with potential, but without direction.


ALLY AND THE BIG MAN
CHRIS ASKHAM
9 BALMORAL GROVE
COLWICK
NOTTINGHAM
NG4 2GB
A3 SIZE
18 PAGES, approx ?1?

This is definitely a dose of domestic strangeness. The book opens with some old dear trying to coax her cat from out of a tree. The doorbell goes and in comes a ten foot thing and it all goes a little up the left from there. The whole mood of this book is of a definite zaniness. The illustrations let the story flow without being bogged down in detail. The old lady?s dialogue is authentic and gives the story an added twist of the surreal.
This is another well-paced story with a tender and quirky centre; with its cinematic qualities it would make an excellent short animation.

THE LUPUS ISSUE 2
70P
66 SOUTH GROVE
SALE
MANCHESTER
M33 3AR
BixandFloodie@Yahoo.co.uk
http://www.geocities.com/bixandfloodie/
A3 SIZE 20 PAGES

The Lupus guys are still on great form with this their second issue in which George ?The Narrator? joins Bix and Floodie. Ben Oakes has a definite sardonic wit that lifts this above an adolescent humour, which could so easily have happened in the hands of a lesser scriptwriter.
A series of run ins with an assortment of characters from the horny Derek to the hilarious Muffin Arse, plus a cameo from Mr Hanky of South Park fame, makes this a very worthy strip.

Jonny Crucifix is an equally brilliant strip. Although from the last issue the art has become a little messed, however this doesn?t affect the overall flow of the strip, which is still as sharp as ever.
The dialogue and overall story still handle its bad taste with kid gloves, which is not always a bad thing, this being an example.
The death scene for this issues baddie matches Tarintino in terms of originality and pure badness.
Mr Crucifix is someone to keep an eye on!