Sunday, December 31, 2017

FRED EGG COMICS REVIEW OF THE YEAR 2017

A round up of what I've been up to this past year...


In January, I finished my comic story, Nando. The process of making it and other comics projects is explained at my Comics MLitt blog.

Dundee Shmundee! 5 went online at the Dundee Comics Creative Space website here.

I had a cartoon published in US zine Copy This #35.


In February That Comic Smell podcast tackled politics.


I took part in Hourly Comics Day.


I wrote and drew a comic called George vs Herbert for Time & Space.


I then did readings of this and a comic on Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds album at the launch of Time & Space.


I did a story called Making of Space Film 7 for Star Jaws #15.

That Comic Smell then did an episode on science.


In March, Dundee Shmundee! 6 was published at the DCCS website.


I was a guest in the Covers Album article series for Broken Frontier.


I did a comic called Patriotism for Reworking Walter Scott.


And Dundee Shmundee! 7 appeared at the DCCS website.


In April, I did three stories Revenge on the Orbiting Space Pod, I Live with a Killer 3, and In Concert, for Treehouse #10.


Not comics really, but in May, I did a design as part of the Universty of Dundee 50th anniversary mural.

That Comic Smell had 3 episodes in June; the topics being Vertigo, Justice League, and “Comics with Meaning”.


In July I did a story called Endless Love for Love Bites #1.


In August, I wrote an article on the book, Wonderfully Wordless, for Reference Reviews.

That Comic Smell talked about Image Comics.


It was Jack Kirby's 100th birthday! In honour of the great comics creator, I did a massive painting.

That Comic Smell discussed Valerian, and then then two episodes on Kirby: one, two.



In September, I made a new comic to perform with The Scottish Ensemble for DeeCAP. It was called Orchestras.


Big Brown Eyes: Habitat published my comic Homeless.


I did a story called Robot // Monster for Love Bites #2.


I was interviewed by Gary Watson at Comics Anonymous.


In October, I did a 24 page comic called Dog Walker for 24 Hour Comics Day.


I did a photoshoot and put together a Foto Romance strip for Wilma!, written by Alexandra Craven.


In November, I bade Goodbye, Star Wars for the final issue of Star Jaws #23.


Dundee Shmundee! #8 was published at the DCCS website.


I guested on the Treehouse Comics podcast #7.1, discussing The Lakes Comics Festival and Stan Sakai.


I was also guest on The Beans podcast.


I was Dundee Comics Prize 2017 runner-up for a story on Gulliver's Travels, published in the Swift at 350 comic.


Dundee Shmundee! #9 appeared at the DCCS website.

In December, That Comic Smell did 2 episodes on Avery Hill comics; one, two.

I was on the second Treehouse Comics podcast on the Lakes Comics Festival and Sergio Aragones.


Dundee Shmundee #10 over at the DCCS website.


I released my new comic Wow! Retracted. 110 pages, with 40 stories, including a 12 page guest artist section featuring Eileen Budd, Marc Casilli, Zu Dominiak, Damon Herd, Olivia Hicks, Rebecca Horner, Paddy Johnston, Tim Kelly, Neil Paterson, Ludi Price, and Pam Wye. Online previews are here.

That Comic Smell did an episode on music, on westerns, and then on Calvin & Hobbes.


I also continued work on my webcomic Bell Time (Up to episode 33 completed as I speak).

Over the summer I worked on various comics for the MLitt course assignments, including a 24 page Dundee Comics Comic.

And I continued my Star Wars comic panels blog.

Happy New Year, everyone!

See you in 2018 for more comics adventures.

Friday, December 29, 2017

THAT COMIC SMELL 19: Calvin & Hobbes

The new episode of That Comic Smell is now online.
Have a listen at iTunes, Soundcloud and YouTube.
From the website:
"*Music – Chloe Kepner*
https://chloekepner.bandcamp.com/
Well folks, it’s been one hell of a year. 2017 has had ups and downs for everyone. Although, here at “That Comic Smell” it’s been only ups.
Thank you so much everyone. We have had one hell of a year. Approached by publishers to review their books (thanks to Avery Hill and Centrala) got given other folks books out of sheer kindness (thank you Bob Turner, Rozi Hathaway Good Comics) and discovered a whole world of small press and incredible creators. None of this would have happened had it not been for doing this podcast. We have loved every minute of it. We just get together and gab each month and you folks are so kind to listen to our ramblings each time. We want to thank all of you from the bottom of our hearts. Here's to the coming year, plenty more pods and whatever is ahead in the coming year, for all of us and you folks out there!
To celebrate here is our latest episode that was recorded just before Christmas where we had some dinner and talked “Calvin and Hobbes”
Afterwards we reviewed some books that we were kindly sent and some that we just really wanted to speak about.
So folks, have a great 2018 and enjoy what’s left of 2017.
Cheers.
These are some of the titles discussed:
Ismyre – B.Mure
FLD – Bob Turner
Self-Care & Vegetables – Rozi Hathaway
New York (A Holiday to Remember) – Elizabeth Querstret
SID – Olivia Sullivan
Stir Fry – Sarah Crosby
It’s Cold in the River at Night – Alex Potts
Modern Slorence: Torts and Tinder – Neil Slorance
Happy New Year!"

Sunday, December 24, 2017

CHRISTMAS COMICS: Spider-Man Annual

What a difficult time Christmas 1979 was for Martha Connors. It was all going so well, getting ready for Christmas with her husband Curt and son Billy. In these pages she explains her predicament to Spider-Man...



I read this in the 1980 Spider-Man UK Annual. Two issues (# 165, 166) of the US comics originally published in 1977, and here presented together. No credits are given in the UK edition, but a bit of digging has told me that Len Wein wrote both parts, with Ross Andru drawing the first, and John Romita the second.

This is a great Lizard versus Stegron Christmas story. I read it over and over as a kid and am still very fond of it.

Merry Christmas!

Saturday, December 23, 2017

THAT COMIC SMELL 18: Westerns


The new episode of That Comic Smell is now online.
Have a listen at iTunes, Soundcloud and YouTube.
From the website:
"Twas the night before, the night before Christmas,
When all through the pod,
Not a creature was stirring, not even big Maude (Whoever she is)
The headphones were hung by the computer with care,
In hopes that we'd get on with it... So THERE!
Hello folks and welcome to another episode of "That Comic Smell"
This time around the folks here are talking 'Westerns'
We discuss things from Lieutenant Blueberry, The Walking Dead and Gus and his gang. To Judge Dredd, Preacher and much much more.
So saddle up your horse, strap on those boots, drink your milk and get ready for the rootinest-tootinest ripping roaring good time this side of the old west!
YEEEEEEEHAW!
On the only podcast brought to you in colour.
Here are some of the titles discussed:
Preacher (Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon)
East of West (Jonathan Hickman, Nick Dragotta)
Scalped (Jason Aaron, R.M. Guéra)
The Sixth Gun (Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt)
American Vampire (Scott Snyder, Stephen King, Rafael Albuquerque)
Lucky Luke (Morris, René Goscinny)
Jonah Hex/All-Star Western (Michael Fleisher, Joe R. Lansdale, Justin Gray, Jimmy Palmiotti, Tony DeZuniga, José Luis García-López, Dick Ayers, Moritat)
Blueberry (Jean-Michel Charlier, Jean "Mœbius" Giraud)
Lone Ranger (Dell Comics, Gold Key)
Dandy (DC Thomson)
Two Gun Kid (Jack Kirby, Stan Lee)
Gus and His Gang (Chris Blain)
Judge Dredd (2000 AD)
Last of the Mohicans (Roy Thomas, Steve Kurth, Denis Medri, Cam Smith, June Chung)
Wolverine (Roy Thomas, Len Wein, John Romita Sr.)
Boba Fett (John Wagner, Cam Kennedy)
Xenozoic Tales - Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (Mark Schultz)
Eagle - Saddle Tramp (Various)
The Cisco Kid (Indie Comic)
Turok (Greg Pak, Paul Tobin, Felipe Cunha)
Fists of the North Star (Tetsuo-Hara, Yoshiyuki-Okamura)
The Man With No Name (Christos Gage, Wellington Dias, Richard Isanove)
Ghost Rider (Gary Friedrich, Roy Thomas, Dick Ayers)
Et Cetera (Tow Nakazaki)
Tex (Claudio Nizzi, Joe Kubert)"

WOW! RETRACTED: The final previews


Here are the first four pages from the 24 page comic that closes my new book, Wow! Retracted:





That's it for the previews. I hope you enjoyed them. Thanks again to all the artists who drew pages.

Wow! Retracted is available now from the Fred Egg Comics shop here.

Friday, December 22, 2017

WOW! RETRACTED at COMIC BITS ONLINE



Terry Hooper-Scharf has written on Wow! Retracted over at Comic Bits Online.

Have a read here.

WOW! RETRACTED: Preview 10

More comics previews from my new book, Wow! Retracted:

Shopping for Tuna (story by Ethan, age 10).

George vs Herbert.

Hourly Comics Day 2017.

Robot // Monster.

Wow! Retracted is available now from the Fred Egg Comics shop here.

Thursday, December 21, 2017

THAT COMIC SMELL 17: Music


The new episode of That Comic Smell is now online.
Have a listen at iTunes, Soundcloud and YouTube.

From the website:
"On 3rd week until Christmas, the podcast gave to me... A Brand new episode and as always it's for freeeeeee!
Yes, here at 'That Comic Smell' HQ we are still counting down to Christmas with excitement. To help us wind down to the festive period we thought we would give you some brand new episodes. This is one we did a while back on Music.
In this episode we talk about all the comics that have that musical vibe or were heavily influenced by music or are just straight up tie-ins or stories about musical folks.
We show our appreciation for Shaking Stevens, Adam Ant, Bryan Ferry and many many more.
So delve on in and give this 'note' worthy pod a listen from the only folks who can gladly say that we checked Santa's list twice over with him and most of you were on it... MOST of you. We're looking at you here... Shame.
Here are some of the titles we discuss:
The Amory Wars (Claudio Sanchez, Gabriel Guzman)
The Wicked + The Divine (Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie)
Umbrella Academy (Gerard Way, Gabriel Bá)
Show Pieces (Alan Moore, Mitch Jenkins)
Lobo (Keith Giffen, Alan Grant, Simon Bisley)
The Hip-Hop Family Tree (Ed Piskor)
Bastard Bunny (Dave Anderson)
The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstien Story (Vivek Tiwary, Andrew Robinson, Kyle Baker)
Johnny Cash: I See a Darkness (Reinhard Kleist)
Nick Cave: Mercy on Me (Reinhard Kleist)
Castro (Reinhard Kleist)
Robo Hunter (John Wagner, Ian Gibson)
GodSpeed: Graphic Kurt Cobain Story (Barnaby Legg, Jim McCarthy, Flameboy... oh dear)
Scott Pilgrim (Bryan Lee O'Malley)
Break The Chain (Kyle Baker)
Public Enemy (Chuck D, Adam Wallenta)
Tops 1982: Adam Ant
Sex Pistols: Graphic Biography (Jim McCarthy, Steve Parkhouse)
Human Torch & The Thing meet The Beatles (Bob Powell, Stan Lee, Chris Stone)
Archie
Josey and the Pussycats
Archies Meets...[Various artists]
R.Crumb Heroes of Blues, Jazz & Country
Mr Miracle (Jack Kirby)
Killing and Dying (Adrian Tomine)
Fax from Sarajevo (Joe Kubert)"

WOW! RETRACTED: Preview 9


More comics previews from my new book, Wow! Retracted:

Mouse

Live Every Day Like it's Your Last

FB -- Out!

Small World

Wow! Retracted is available now from the Fred Egg Comics shop here.