Monday 31 December 2012

CannyComicCon 2012

I dipped my toe into the world of the comic convention this year and had a half table at the CannyComicCon in Newcastle in early December


(That's me in the white Jikan T-shirt. Photo taken by Terry Wiley, the talent behind Verity Fair)

I was sat next to that splendid chap Paul Von Scott, publisher of the Solar Wind and Omnivistascope anthologies, who helped make the day a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Paul is obviously an old hand at these conventions and a lot of folk came over to chat with him which led to me joining in and making a decent amount of sales of PARAGON issues as they often picked them up for a browse and put their hands in their pockets for a copy or two. I actually sold out of issues 7,8,10 and 11!!

AAIIEEE!!! also sold out with people actually coming over and saying "Ah that's the one I want - I've read about it online!".
I had one of the pro artists have a flick through and comment on the high quality of the comic, so it was certainly worthwhile being there.

I only got to one event in the adjoining room - to see the the fan film Judge Minty (which is excellent, by the way - definitely worth a view) and had a chat with 2000AD covers blog maestro, Pete Wells.
I didn't get much of a chance to wander the other tables unfortunately but did make my way over to Mary and Bryan Talbot's table to buy a copy of Dotter of her Father's Eyes which I also got signed (and sketched in)

It was a long day but very enjoyable. Would I do it again? Absolutely. Roll on next year!

Sunday 30 December 2012

Coming in 2013...

So what can we expect in 2013? No-one asked. Well, I'll tell you... no, I'll show you

Something Greg and I worked up almost a year ago and I'm starting work on now - we have already talked of a sequel to this 30something page adventure so I hope you like it!

We'll also see Red Sands by Matt McLaughlin, more El Bigote, more Spencer Nero, vampire adventures with Cushing & Sons (by Mark Howard) and British 50s retro X-files stories featuring Tommy Rocket by James Corcoran

Stick with PARAGON!

Sunday 23 December 2012

The Best of the Year ... in Graphic Novels

I've read a load this year, not only graphic novels but collections of regular series, such as Chew, The Spirit and the collected BPRD Plague of Frogs Book 4


It's been a good year for graphic novels too. We have had the English edition of the latest in the fantastic Blacksad series


The Nao of Brown is rightly getting rave reviews from everyone and where and Mary Talbot's Dotter of Her Father's Eyes has been nominated in the Costa Book Awards


But it's her husband who gets my vote for book of the year with another in the Anthropomorphic Steampunk Adventure series, Grandville.
Bete Noire is brilliant - if Santa doesn't bring it for you, go get it in the sales!!


So that's my choices for the best of the bunch - what's your choice for the year?

Friday 21 December 2012

Best of the Year ... at the Movies

So it's been a pretty good year for genre films, what with John Carter, Prometheus, The Hobbit and of course, the new Bond fim, Skyfall. But do you know what? Not one of those is in my top three films for the year.

In third place I would have;
UNTOUCHABLE A feel good French movie based on the true story of a rich paraplegic who employs an untrained male nurse to help him.

Runner up would be;
ARGO is a thriller film directed by Ben Affleck, based loosely on an account published in 2007 of the "Canadian Caper", in which Tony Mendez, a CIA operative, led the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Tehran, Iran, during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis.

And my film of the year?
Another foreign language film from a story by Jo Nesbo
JACKPOT At a plastic Christmas tree factory in Norway, three dangerous ex-cons and their supervisor win 1.7 million kroner on the pools. As trust and friendship quickly dissolve, guns are loaded, knives are sharpened, and the division of the money begins...



So what would yours be?

Wednesday 19 December 2012

Inside PARAGON #12

Ginger Perkins by Jim Cameron. PARAGON #12 is now available direct from me using paypal for only £2.50 plus P&P. Just click the link!

Tuesday 18 December 2012

Guess Who?

Inside PARAGON#12

SPENCER NERO by Greg Meldrum and Tom Newell/Dave Candlish And until Christmas the e-edition is FREE to download! Go on, what have you got to lose?

Sunday 16 December 2012

Inside PARAGON 12 ...

Li'l Ganesh and the Secret Volcano by Davey Candlish & Jim Cameron - a Rupert style story featuring the young Hindu God Buy a digital copy of issue 12 for only 99p from lulu.com

Saturday 15 December 2012

PARAGON#12 out now!

Click the cover on the right to buy the latest issue - and marvel at the fantastic art on Icarus Dangerous by Stephen Prestwood above!

Thursday 13 December 2012

Wednesday 12 December 2012

A Comicsy exclusive

You see that headline?
That's a link to a Comicsy exclusive - a digital download version of issue 3 (featuring the debut of Battle Ganesh - the Hindu God turned superhero) for only 75p!

The One That Got Away...

Sometimes you can get all fired up over a project, only for it to fall through. Ah well, here's a pre-lim character sketch for one of those

Thursday 22 November 2012

Sunday 18 November 2012

A forthcoming cover...

A Mignola inspired cover for an upcoming issue... but who are these characters? All will be revealed!

Thursday 15 November 2012

CannyComicCon

Yes indeed folks, I will be at the CannyComicCon in Newcastle 8th December where my table will be full of a selection of PARAGONs and issue one of AAIIEEE!!! Come and say hello! (You can even buy some!)

Thursday 8 November 2012

So what's inside AAIIEEE!!!...?

Great art, great stories and a great article on 80s comic, Scream, with editor Ghastly McNasty himself, Ian Rimmer.
You really should buy a copy of this!

Saturday 3 November 2012

AAIIEEE!!! It's fantastic!

Look how exciting this is! And now you can buy a copy via paypal, just click the photo on the right! Only £3 for one of the best small press comics I've seen!

Wednesday 31 October 2012

It's alive!!! Get your copy of AAIIEEE!!! now!

A brand new 32 page horror anthology comic now available from the lulu shop! £3 for the printed version, 99p for a download From the best small press talents around - this is not to be missed!

Saturday 27 October 2012

Sunday 21 October 2012

AAIIEEE!!! is coming...

downthetubes.net news blog: AAIIEEE!!! It's a new horror comic from Dave Candi...: Inspired by their love of the 1970s magazine Tomb of Dracula and 1980s comics Scream and Misty , Paragon editor Dave Candlish and Mat...

Saturday 22 September 2012

Free Sample Issue!

If you haven't read PARAGON before now would be a good time to start. There is a 55 page sample issue available FREE from lulu.com! Copy and paste the link and have a try. Go on, it's FREE! What have you got to lose? http://ar.gy/1u~Y

Monday 17 September 2012

Review of issue 10

As PARAGON#11 is launched, the Forbidden Planet Blog get around to publishing their review of #10... http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/2012/review-paragon-issue-10/ I'd be interested to know if you agree.

Saturday 15 September 2012

PARAGON#11 - out now!!

32 pages of some of the worlds most wonderfully weird heroes! Only £2.50 for the print copy (click the cover on the right) or 99p for the e-version (via the lulu.com link) What are you waiting for?

Saturday 8 September 2012

Coming Soon...

Icarus Dangerous by Dirk Van Dom and Stephen Prestwood. Planet wrapping creatures and spaceships - coming soon!

Saturday 25 August 2012

Coming Soon...

Ginger Perkins and the Fountain of Youth by Jim Cameron - the plucky tommy finds himself up to his neck in sand as he searches the desert for the mythical fountain!

Sunday 12 August 2012

Coming Soon...

Meet Anton Klumpen, Spencer Nero's latest adversary, as depicted by Mike Kennedy (pencils) and Dave Candlish (inks). Script as always by Greg Meldrum.

Saturday 28 July 2012

Friday 20 July 2012

Coming Soon...

In issue 11 - El Bigote, the undead moustachioed Mexican! Yes, the latest creation from Matthew McLaughlin (AKA Locust) appears within the pages of PARAGON. Illustrated by El Chivo (cover inked and coloured by Matt Soffe)

Saturday 14 July 2012

Coming Soon...

It may have been a little quiet around here lately but there's a reason for that; I've been beavering away at the art for PARAGON#11............... Here's Spencer Nero - pencils by Tom Newell, inks by Dave Candlish. Expect to see a lot more before the comic's release next month!

Thursday 28 June 2012

Jikan Book Two review

And here's a link to the latest review of The Jikan Chronicles Book Two. What do you mean you haven't bought a copy yet? The PDF only costs £1.50 and the print copy £5! Click the link to the PARAGONcomic store on lulu.com to the right to buy a copy.
http://hipsterdadsbookshelf.blogspot.co.uk/

Sunday 24 June 2012

The Gene genie

Gene Hunt is a modern classic - feel free to change the quote to your favourite!

Tuesday 29 May 2012

PARAGON #10 digital edition!

Is now available - 52 pages for only 99p! What are you waiting for?
Support independent publishing: Buy this e-book on Lulu.

Jikan Book Two

Another review and it's another thumbs up for the time-travelling demon-hunting samurai, this time from the guys over at Everything Comes Back To 2000AD http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2F2000ad.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F05%2F28%2Fthe-jikan-chronicles-book-2%2F&h=LAQGIBgdK

Sunday 27 May 2012

PARAGON #10 - out now!!

The latest issue of PARAGON is bigger and better than ever! 52 (count 'em!) pages of time-travelling demon-hunting samurai, 1930s pulp adventure, sci-fi robot revolution, WW11 action and Greek myths with an alien twist! Fans of the 80s magazine Warrior will love this...
The more astute of you will notice that the link to the right is now live! Click it and buy one!