Another odd year! I’ve tried my best to keep it as full of comics as possible. That way leads to happiness.
In January, a comic I did concerning outgoing US President Donald Trump called My Political Insight was published in Pocket Thoughts Annual #3.
The first That Comic Smell podcast of the year concentrated on depictions of Scotland in Comics.
And speaking of the podcast, our first That Comic Smell Comic was released in the first month of the year, featuring stories from all of us, including my It’s Doctor Time with the PM.
In February, Olivia Hicks guested on That Comic Smell to discuss Sarararara.
My tribute to Billy Joel, called We Didn’t Start this Fire appeared in After That! #61.
I was pleased to finally discuss Lewis Trondheim’s Astronauts of the Future on the Never Iron Anything podcast with Tony Esmond.
It was also great to be a guest on the Marvel Star Wars Explorers podcast with Brian Rudloff and Sam Stovold, discussing #106.
I launched my first online crowd funder for my Tay Bridge Disaster Comic on Kickstarter, which was fairly nerve-wracking.
In March, Gary Watson interviewed me over at Comics Anonymous.
That Comic Smell tackled comics with environmental messages, and our annual intention fails episode, wherein we set ourselves the task of definitely reading a few comics we’ve had on the shelves for years but not yet read.
I was grateful for the opportunity to discuss The Incredible Hulk #312 by Bill Mantlo and Mike Mignola, a legendary issue which tied in nicely with the upcoming release of Barry Windsor-Smith’s Monsters.
I guested on Stuart Mulrain's Nerds Who Haunted Themselves: Why Comics? podcast. That simple question is used as a springboard to discuss all things comics.
It was also great fun to be a guest on the Gosh! Comics / Broken Frontier Drink and Draw online get together. Thanks to Andy Oliver for inviting me along to that.
In April, the Kickstarter was successfully completed, and the Tay Bridge Disaster Comic went on sale.
May saw my Indiana Jones and the Age Old Question included in Raiders of a Lost Art #2 from Robin Barnard and Barnstormer Comics.
That Comic Smell discussed lifelong favourite comics pages: Read Me Forever!
I had another wide ranging comics chat, this time with Damian Edmondson on his Omen to That! podcast.
In June, That Comic Smell celebrated eighty years of Captain America.
Tony Esmond chose the comic in the latest Never Iron Anything, and it was Power Man and Iron Fist #68.
My comic Love in Lockdown appeared in Big Brown Eyes: Modern Fairytales anthology from Emily Dixon, Freya Lambert, and Karis Lambert.
It was a return to our ongoing discussion of Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis’ Justice League in July’s That Comic Smell, and the podcast celebrated its fifth anniversary in August.
My ode to record collecting Ticking Boy Meets Fred Egg Uptown appeared in Damon Herd’s Whatever Happened to Ticking Boy.
It was great to discuss an underrated British indie comic Spleenal by Nigel Auchterlounie on Never Iron Anything in September. A real favourite of mine.
I wrote two stories for Sarah Harris’ DUI: Drawn Under the Influence. These were Journey to Vilcabamba with art by Susie Gardner and Syd Cleans Up drawn by Andy Hanks.
Public Lav appeared in After That! #63.
My Tay Bridge Disaster Comic commentary was featured on That Comic Smell.
October saw the release of my Booze Ha Ha anthology featuring stories written and drawn by myself, with guest comics from Clio D, Zu Dominiak, Ali Hodgson, Rebecca Horner, Asuna Ikeshima, Marc KC, Tim Kelly, Francesca Mancuso, Norrie Millar, Emma Oosterhouse, Neil Paterson, Mike Sedakat, Abi Wye, Pam Wye, and Cherish York.
I had a guest spot in Olivia Hicks’ third volume of Sararara: Homecoming.
November was a busy month for podcasts.
On Never Iron Anything we discussed Micronauts.
I returned to Marvel Star Wars Explorers to talk Dark Knight’s Devilry from the UK Empire Strikes Back Monthly.
I also did my first school talk in well over a year due to COVID-19 restrictions. This covered comics in general and my Tay Bridge Disaster comic, which was donated to the library.
I had a comic called Bruin about the polar bear who ran free in Dundee city centre in the 1800s published in The Best of Indie Scottish Special from Tony Foster.
In December, After That! 64 featured a comic by me called On Earth the Whole Time.
Our That Comic Smell get Christmas get together focused on the Fantastic Four.
My last podcast of the year was on Never Iron Anything, discussing Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross’ Marvels with Mike Sedakat and Tony Esmond.
A few plans for 2022 are a new “wacky space race” comic for Star Jaws, a short called “Every Friggin’ Stop” for Pocket Thoughts, and ongoing work on a new 60 page story. The next That Comic Smell podcast recording will be our intention fails catch-up.
Thanks everyone for the encouraging and kind words over the past year.
Have a great, and comic filled, 2022!
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