Posts tagged forbidden planet

Richard Bruton has published a list of his UK “comics to look forward to” over on the The Forbidden Planet blog, including:

“Sounds like a busy year planned for Cheverton – there should be two new issues of West (hooray) – Points West in May and the provisionally-titled September for the autumn. West Book 2 will also be released mid-year. Meanwhile, Cheverton has three new series starting - The Whale House (art by Chris Doherty), The End (FH Navarro) & Month of Sundays (David Frankum). Wow.

“And if that wasn’t enough, he also has a story in the new Accent UK anthology with a difference – Who On Earth Was Thaddeus Mist? (Details at the Accent UK blog)”

Lumped together like that, it does look like a busy year, but this is a culmination of my finally working on scripts for longform comic projects, coupled with finally getting together with some like-minded artists who can bring their talents to bear on them.

I’m spoiled in a way, working with Tim Keable on West. We’ve been friends now for almost two decades, and he’s a consummate artist, drawing whatever I throw at him. Trying to find artists who will commit to years of working on a comic series with you is not easy. But West has also recently brought me into contact with artists who want to draw comics that I write (and in the case of AccentUK, editors who asked me to write for them). That’s a humbling and elating feeling, and Chris, Felipe and David are going to make these comics so much better for their presence. 

So yes - 2012 should see (providing the Mayans were mistaken) the beginnings of three new series that Angry Candy will publish (or co-publish) alongside the continuing adventures of Jerusalem West (Points West and September (now called Autumn Dusk)). We all hope you’ll join us.

• Andrew Cheverton.

My latest comic, Pictures Made Of Light, has been reviewed by Richard Bruton over at the Forbidden Planet Blog.

Richard says:

“Read it first time and you wonder what it means, wonder if it even means anything. Read it a second, third, fourth time and you’ll still be wondering if it has any meaning, but by that stage you’ll be ascribing meaning to it, and then you may start to believe it’s not about the meaning, it’s about the meaning that you bring to it.”

That’s about as good a review as I could have wished for. Two pounds is still quite a bit of money for a 20-page comic, and if I can’t get people to read it at least twice - to get the absolute best value for money they can - then I’m not achieving half of what I set out to.

Thanks also to mentions of Pictures Made of Light from UK creators David Frankum (“…a delightful publication”) and Rol Hirst (“…gorgeous little comic”).

Thanks again to Richard for the review (which you can read in full here). Pictures Made Of Light is available to buy here. The next five orders will receive a fully inked and marker-toned A7 character illustration with their order.

• Andrew Cheverton.

Richard Bruton has reviewed West: Stray Bullets over at the Forbidden Planet blog.

Of the script, Richard says:

“Cheverton’s stories, as usual, are a clever and perplexing mix of interesting clues to the mystery of West, wrapped up in some great storytelling… Every time a new issue comes out, I can’t help but go right back to the beginning and find even more connections, more little elements that go to prove how tightly Cheverton has the entire saga mapped out.”

Richard seemed to (eventually) enjoy the guest artists, too:

“Each artist brings something different to their tales, and they’ve been picked well for the stories they have to tell; whether it’s the beautiful scratchiness of Warwick Johnson Cadwell on a bizarre jail-break for West, the more cartoon style of Rainey giving a comedic touch to the monster in Badwater Lake,  or the simpler, more romantic imagery of Jenika Ioffreda on a very early West tale, of childhood sweethearts Joe and Eloise.

 “Of them all though, it was Emma Price’s art that got me going the most – possibly because it was, in a rather simpler and heavier inked sense, the most like Keable’s and suited the story of West very well. “

The full review is here, and you can buy Stray Bullets, and other West comics and books, here.

Richard Bruton has compiled his Propaganda List: Best of 2010 over on Forbidden Planet International’s blog, picking his favourites from all of the many, many comics and graphic novels reviewed last year. Richard writes:

“Well, personally I thought 2010 was one of the best years for comics I’d seen for a long time. However, that did mean that, when it came to making a long-list of the good comics I’d read this year it was a very, very long list. Even pruning that master list down mercilessly I still had an incredible 20 titles to filter into some sort of best of year. And quite magnificently, a lot of them were UK comics.”

We’re pleased to note that this select list includes our West: Justice collection and both issues of West: Distance. Richard explains:

“A slight cheat here, as I’m picking all of Cheverton and Keable’s West series – the collection Justice and their 2 issue series Distance (issue 1, issue 2). Whether it’s more Cheverton’s ever so tight writing or Keable’s ever changing artwork that makes this so brilliant I really don’t know – but put them together and it’s quite magnificent.”

Our thanks again to Richard and all at the FPI Blog for their continuing and enthusiastic support of West. The entire Propaganda List can be read here, and all of our West books and comics are sold online through Big Cartel here.

The Forbidden Planet International blog posted a glowing review of West: Distance part 1 this morning. Reviewer Richard Bruton analysed much of the issue, and enjoyed the more ambient pacing of it compared to previous issues. Selected quotes are:

“…a stylistic and narrative twist that propels West: Distance far beyond anything Cheverton’s tackled thus far.

“Keable’s art seems to have settled into a style that’s somewhere between the classical and edgy looks he used in Justice, and it’s immediately impressive, with a stylish, minimal line that’s very attractive.

“Overall, Distance issue 1 looks and reads rather brilliantly, with a storyline full of promise and invention.”

Check out the full review here. The entire site is worth a peruse - there are many worthy small press titles featured.

Also - discovered yesterday while reading through Rob Jackson’s blog for information on fellow Gin Palace 2 contributors - Rob had reviewed Distance a few weeks back. Click here to read what Rob said.

There’s a very pleasing review of our West: Justice collection by Richard Bruton over on the Forbidden Planet blog. I love getting good reviews, but I love perceptive ones better, and this a great review on both counts…

“I’m very, very impressed with West; the story is a good mix of classic Western and something more intriguing. Cheverton’s pacing and dialogue is almost spot on throughout and Keable’s artwork looks good, no matter what the style he uses.”

Check out the link for the whole thing. Also this week, writer Jason Cobley plugged the Justice book on his website. 

“I am mad about West: Justice by Andrew Cheverton and Tim Keable. West is a Western, moody, pacy, well-told. As you know, I did a Western for kids for The DFC which covered similar territory, entirely coincidentally. But that has nothing to do with why this is sooo good.”

Our thanks to both Richard and Jason. West: Justice is available from our Big Cartel storefront.