Neil Breen and David Lynch…

It’s been a busy year one way or another – I need to do another post explaining what has been going off in the world of Tinynoggin.  In the meantime, though, I thought I should post about my new book and merchandise.

Do you know the film “auteur” Neil Breen? No?!  Why not?!!  Look him up now, watch his films and support indie film makers. Last month I was lucky enough to attend the UK premiere of his new film, Twisted Pair in Bristol, screened along with an old favourite, Fateful Findings.  Trust me, you have to see these films.

Anyway, Neil Breen inspired my latest small press book: Neil Breen’s Cosmic Blowtorch.

It’s not just about Neil Breen, it’s my usual brand of pop culture nonsense, very niche and probably not everyone’s cup of tea. Others featured in NB’sCB include Kojak, Shia LaBeouf,  Dennis Hopper, Coronation Street’s Ken Barlow, Miriam Margolyes, Angelina Jolie, Tears for Fears, Hank Kingsley, Nighty Night’s Glen Bulb, She-Ra, Steven Seagal, Wings Hauser and Kurtwood Smith. It’s kind of like a “believe it or not” book – some of the things in it are just straight out of my strange mind, but others are surprisingly true. There’s more of the former than the latter though, it’s fair to say.

I have been so busy lately I haven’t even managed to make this book available on Etsy yet, but I promise to do so soon. Don’t want to disappoint those Neil Breen fans!

Other than that, I have made a start on the second volume of Nic Cage, Actor for Hire. There’s still a lot to do on that but hopefully it will be ready in spring 2019.  Have you seen Mandy yet?  See it as soon as you can, it’s awesome.

What else?  I have made some vinyl stickers and a pocket mirror too.  One sticker is Nic Cage in Face/Off dressed as the sexy, crazy priest, but the others are all David Lynch related – my favourite is the Eraserhead lady in the radiator sticker, but I have a real soft spot for my Laura Dern Blue Velvet picture too.  The Dale Cooper pocket mirror won me a like from Kyle Maclachlan on Twitter, which I was well chuffed about. I knew there was a reason why I make this stuff!

These will go up on Etsy soon as well.  I plan to be at some small press / comics / zines events in 2019 and I’ll have all of my books and stuff for sale then.

More news soon!

 

Buy my books or Laura Dern cries!

I’m busy preparing myself for the True Believers Summer Variant Edition in Gloucester tomorrow, so as I don’t have a banner for my table I’ve painted myself a little display to guilt people into buying my small press books. What can I say, if it gets me sales I have no shame.

This is my first event in years and I don’t mind admitting I am a little nervous about it. But it’s good preparation for me as I have another event coming up in just two weeks’ time when I’ll be attending Swindon’s first ever zine fair on 18 August!

I have also booked a stall for Nottingham Comic Con in October when I hope to have more books available- hopefully issue 2 of the Nicolas Cage book. For now I just have 3 small press books available, along with a few stickers and badges. If you can’t make it over to Gloucester tomorrow or to Swindon on 18 August, you have no excuses as you can still buy my books anyway via Etsy.

All of these books are available for £5 each plus postage and packaging and you can find them in my Etsy store here

For those in Bath, like myself, you can also buy all 3 books at the excellent Magalleria store on Broad Street. I will try and get them in some comic stores too when I have a moment. In the meantime, wish me luck for tomorrow and, remember, if you don’t buy my books Laura Dern will cry – you don’t want that on your conscience, now, do you?

Nic Cage Actor for Hire – coming soon!

After a long absence from the world of small press and comics due to a lack of confidence, I am finally venturing back with a new series of books about the best actor in the world, Nic Cage – that’s right, Nic Cage!

The first issue of Nic Cage, Actor for Hire should be on sale in the next week or so.  Aside from posting it on Etsy when it’s available I will also try to get it in Gosh! and Orbital in their small press sections. Fingers crossed!

I will be attending the True Believers Summer Variant Event on Sunday 15 August 2018, so if you’re in the Gloucester vicinity pop over and buy Nic Cage, or even second imprints of the Morrissey book or Merde in France.  There will also be some badges and stickers and other merchandise available there, as well as tons of other creators’ stalls with stuff much better than mine as well as Panels and Workshops.  See the True Believers website for more info True Believers Summer Variant

 

I’ll post more on here when everything is available.

 

 

Broken Frontier Zinewatch Review of Merde in France

Small press champion Andy Oliver of Broken Frontier has delighted me with a review of my small press book Merde in France: Learn French the Pop Culture Way, which you can read here.

I’m pleased to see Merde in France is described as “the most eccentric piece of self-publishing” in the round-up list and overall it seems to be a positive review – what more can you hope for?

Andy also reviews books by the fabulous Brigid Deacon (I love her artwork!), Alexandra Cook and Rozi Hathaway (who I met and whose work I admired at the First Publications table at the Alternative Press Takeover this year), and Alys Jones.

There’s so much talent out there that goes by largely unnoticed (just to be clear, I’m not talking about myself here – I know I can’t really draw!), so it’s good to know that people like Broken Frontier take the time and effort to read new publications and keep an eye on those who show a bit of promise.  Andy is hoping to do two “Small Pressganged” Zinewatches each month, so keep an eye on the site for further reviews.

Syndicated Zine Reviews – Merde in France

I’m fairly new to this zines / small press world and if I’m honest I find the marketing side of things a little hard.  I have tried to get in at UK zine fairs but they always seem to be oversubscribed and unable to offer places to people new to the business like myself.  So it’s really nice when a great site like Syndicated Zine Reviews mentions your work – makes you feel like it might be worth carrying on even when you’re not sure how to get your work out into the world.

If you’ve not checked them out before, there are two reviewers in the UK (Nathan Penlington and Martin Appleby) as well as reviewers in the US and Australia.  You can check out their bios to see what they are interested in and then contact them to see if you can send them copies of your zines for reviewing purposes.  Luckily for me Nathan Penlington (a writer and performer/stand up comedian) very kindly agreed to take a look at my zines and has given me a favourable review for my “learn French the pop culture way” book Merde in France.  Yeah!

Nathan Penlington’s review of Merde in France can be found here

Fame, fame, fatal fame… Morrissey: Misery in Bitesize Chunks gets a bit of press

Since the brilliant Takeover event in London last month I’ve had some good news – Morrissey: Misery in Bitesize Chunks is now being stocked by Rough Trade, Gosh! Comics and Orbital Comics.  Orbital Comics have also been kind enough to make Morrissey: Misery in Bitesize Chunks one of their Staff Picks of the Week this week – look!  I’m absolutely chuffed to pieces about that.

There are still copies available on Etsy at the moment as well.

I’m now working on ideas for some other mini pop culture comics / zines.  Hopefully have something else to post here shortly.

New book available: Morrissey – Misery in Bitesize Chunks

I have a new book ready in time for Takeover 2015, which is on Saturday 9 May (midday – 7pm).  Come along if you want to buy a copy – 47/49 Tanner Street, London, SE1 3PL.

My second small press book – Morrissey: Misery in Bitesize Chunks

Anyone who has read (or tried to read) Autobiography by Morrissey knows it’s not the easiest of reads. It took me well over a week to read 130 pages and I knew other people who struggled with it too. So I thought I would do the world a service and read it on behalf of those who just couldn’t manage it but wanted to get the nub and the gist of the whole brouhaha.

Morrissey: Misery in Bitesize Chunks is my lighthearted summary of Autobiography by Morrissey, complete with my own illustrations. As a friend said, it is like the York Notes for Morrissey’s Autobiography. So read this if you gave up on the Autobiography or if you read it but just want a reminder of selected highlights.

There are only 100 copies available of this book, all individually numbered. It’s 14 chapters, 15 illustrations and 39 pages of deaths, despair and foods beginning with the letters T, C and P.

The rules are: you need to have purchased a copy of Autobiography by Morrissey BEFORE you purchase this book. We’re Morrissey fans here!

Here’s some extracts to give you an idea of the contents:

If you can’t make it over to Takeover 2015, you can buy the book on Etsy here.  It’s £5 (plus p&p).

Where you can buy Merde in France

I have to say I’ve been a bit slow on the uptake sorting out the marketing / selling of my comic book Merde in France but things are gradually coming together – if you haven’t already bought a copy but think you’d like to learn French the pop culture way you can find it here:

Tiny Noggin Etsy Shop

In the fabulous Orbital Comics in London

From the wonderful Rough Trade website 

And this is exciting (for me), you can also buy it from me in person at the Takeover 2015 event in London on Saturday 9 May:

Follow the link (above) to their webpage to find out more, but basically it’s free to get in and there will be loads (a Victorian warehouse full!) of independent comic and zine artists there selling their small press publications.  They will also be running workshops and holding talks, so there is plenty to do from midday to 7pm.  Being a newbie I will be in the First Publications Corner, not surprisingly with my first publication Merde in France, but I am also hoping to have at least one other item ready by then – maybe the Morrissey comic, here’s a taster image from that:

Or maybe something else – I have so many ideas for small press books I want to make but so little time.  I’d better crack on if I’m going to have something new ready for Takeover 2015 on 9 May, maybe see you there!

Some pop culture bits and pieces

I’m currently working on 3 comic books at the same time (I know, I should just stick with one and finish it before starting another…) and trying to sign up for some small press and zine fairs.  But in the meantime I thought I’d share a few bits and pieces I have made for friends:

A birthday dangly thing (!) for a friend who loves the comedian Russell Howard:

Another birthday present – a Frank Sidebottom side-table for a friend who loves Frank (you know he does, he really does!):

Some Lee Hazlewood items I made for another friend – I painted the applique for the cushion with fabric paints (it took ruddy ages!) and I embroidered and cross-stitched the handbag: