Birds of Geek have released their Bristol Comic Expo Special episode, featuring back to back interviews with Dan Boultwood (yes, Dan Boultwood on his own without Tony Lee) and then, later on, me.

Dan is on absolutely top form, whimsical and somewhat manic but very informative and open.

I’m … me. Same old, same old. Apparently everyone knows the story of me, Amy and the shelf. Yes, I am “The Shelfpest“.

But, if you haven’t heard quite enough from me and you can cope with me digressing into a lot of technology and science stuff in what is supposed to be a comics podcast, click here to listen to Birds of Geek Episode 51.

If you don’t want to listen to the whole thing, skip to about half way through to here the highly quotable “it’s like Watchmen” from Amy Liff. This quote will be on all of our new promotional literature, at least until Alan Moore gets wind of it.

Last year the Bristol Comic Expo played host to a round table discussion between the twin publishing mights of Monkeys with Machineguns and Orang Utan comics, the crew from Geek Syndicate, and some hardcore comic fans, all masterfully hosted and chaired by the erudite genius Scott Grandison. The result became Comic Book Outsiders Episode 46.

This year, the round table took a more formal … form, and found itself on the official schedule for the Small Press Expo in the Mercure Hotel.

Click here to listen to the Comic Book Outsiders Panel

With another year behind all of us, Peter Rogers, Ian Sharman, and myself all took to the floor to talk about our experiences as both publishers and creators, how we got started in the industry, and where we think we are going next. The differing approaches taken by our respective publishing houses/studios hopefully made for an interesting and thought provoking panel.

If not, you will get to hear me

1. Stretch a one beat joke about a table cloth way beyond its sell by date
2. Somehow pull off a callback to a previous joke at the end of the panel
3. Accuse Ian Sharman of “Saying no, but meaning yes”
4. Accuse Peter Rogers of looking like Lynne Faulds Wood
5. Accuse Peter Rogers of being Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote

The topic of digital comics also features heavily, and I do my best to deliver an impassioned plea on behalf of those who like to share comics. I’ll have to listen back to see if I got my point across or not.

The audio recording of my Bristol Comic Expo panel, “Signs and Portents“, is now available from the Sidekick Cast website, iTunes, and anywhere where good podcasts can be found.

Before I write anything about this panel, I want to send out a huge thanks to both the boys from Sidekick Cast and to everyone who turned up to make the panel a success. We had some great questions, an incredible game of Secrets and Lies, and the whole process was made significantly less nerve racking and markedly more awesome by having a room full of friendly faces.

Gushing over.

If you missed the panel, other than a potted history of The Dark and MWM, some shameless plugging (including a new personal best for me), and some light hearted ribbing of a certain missing monkey, you probably missed me talking about codes, fiction, stories inside stories, fringe science, how thinly read I really am, and trying to answer some questions from people who had clearly thought about them beforehand. The swines. (Barry Nugent, I’m looking at you).

We had a lot of positive feedback about the panel throughout the show, so if you did miss it and would like to catch up, download the “Signs and Portents” podcast today.

Geek Syndicate have scooped us all yet again with this year’s Bristol Comic Con and Bristol Small Press Expo’s Panels and Talks schedule.

I am very fortunate this year to be appearing on two panels, one at 12:00 and another at 13:00 on Saturday.

At 12:00, I will be taking to the stage alongside Gavin and Dan from The Sidekick cast for a panel called “Signs and Portents”, based loosely on my new graphic novel “The Dark”. The official blurb is as follows:

What do William Blake, symbolic code breaking, aura reading, Byron, Howard Hughes, numerology, World War Two poetry, and cutting edge science all have in common?

Find out as Gavin Jones and Dan Marshall (of The Sidekick Cast) probe the mind of Markosia word smith Chris Lynch and find out about his latest projects, including the critically acclaimed sci-fi thriller “The Dark”, available in a limited edition Expo Exclusive edition this weekend.

Then, at 13:00, I will be sitting down for a “fireside chat” with the Orang Utan Comics crew and the inimitable Scott Grandison for the “Comic Book Outsiders” panel …

Orang Utan Comics and Monkeys With Machineguns are successful small press studios putting out high-quality content for the last five years. Join them as they discuss their experiences in the business so far, give advice to others looking to produce their own titles and their view of the future for small press and independent comics in a world where digital distribution is becoming increasingly important.

Hosted by Scott Grandison of the Comic Book Outsiders podcast.

I will be flying solo this year as Stu.Art, the taller and some say better looking half of MWM, isn’t able to make it to Bristol this year. Still, I’m sure I’ll hold my own!

I haven’t been on a panel since the very first Birmingham Comic Show when I sat on the Horror Comics Panel. Anyone who was at that event might remember be likening the realistic horror of The Walking Dead to Frank Butcher turning up naked on Pat’s doorstep in Eastenders. In context, I was talking about “the horror of the real” and how brilliantly I think Walking Dead portrays the reactions of the human survivors. I think Charlie Adlard is still avoiding me though.

If you want a sampler of the sort of nonsense that I try to pass off as intellectual discourse, even some kind of pseudo-science at a push, you can delve in to the archives of yesteryear with “An Evening with Monkeys with Machineguns” and my guest appearance on “The Orang Utan Comics Round Table” from Bristol 2009.

I apologise in advance to all concerned.

My interview with the Parsec award nominated Sci Fi Pulse Podcast is now available.

You can listen online via Blog Talk Radio or download for iTunes.

I heard from Ian at Sci Fi Pulse today that the interview is Blog Talk Radio’s “Pick of the Day”, which is great news and no doubt a testament to Ian’s editing skills!

I had a great time recording this, I can’t imagine how much effort went into editing my almost endless manic rambling down into something useful, but kudos to the guys at Sci Fi Pulse for managing it.

Next podcast from me will be a very cheeky interview with the ladies of Comic Racks, in which Stuart misbehaves himself a great deal.

Many thanks to Dave at Waiting for the Trade (They like big books and they cannot lie) for featuring The Dark on the latest episode of the WFTT Podcast.

Dave will put a full review up on the website in due course, but for now I am more than happy to hear someone so exercised by the idea of Memetech and getting so engaged with the story. Hopefully Dave will be equally happy when he’s reached the second half and all of the secrets have been revealed.

Don’t take my word for it though, listen to Waiting for the Trade.

Racuous, crazy, and great fun … at least until I turned up  … it’s Sidekickcast Episode 33.

Gentlemen … let’s play darts!

I had a fantastic time recording this with Bones and Dan, and I really think that comes through. These guys are always great value. Dan’s done a cracking job of editing some sense into what was several hours of comic book related madness.

If you want to hear a very different take on The Dark to other’s I’ve recorded, and also hear my head almost explode trying to crack this episode’s Secrets and Lies, don’t miss this episode of this always outstanding podcast.

The Sidekicks are also running a competition to win a mug featuring fantastic artwork by Rob Jackson and a cack-handed signature by me

I had the immense privilege of being interviewed by the fine fellows Comic Book Outsiders this week about The Dark as well as other matters comic and, after some fine editing of my more rambling and incoherent moments, the interview is now online and ready for your eager ears.

I have just listened to it and can indeed confirm the following …

1. I say “Basically”, “You know”, “So”, and “Um” … quite a lot, basically, you know?
2. My voice gets ludicrously high pitched when I get a bit excited.
3. I have cursed myself to decorate or fall foul of a terrible fate in October
4. There is no such thing as a dance acamdemy for bees
5. I do not own a Nokia 3210, but have done and have a disturbingly impressive knowledge of the specification.
6. My only good advice for other comic writers is to marry an English Teacher

So, if want to find out what kind of interview can possibly cover such strange and rambling ground, I recommend Comic Book Outsiders Episode 68!

The Geek Syndicate team of Barry Nugent and Dave Monteith talk about The Dark in the latest episode of the fantastic “Geek Syndicate” podcast.

Click hear to listen to Geek Syndicate Episode 144

It was great to hear such positivity about the story, the ideas in The Dark, and the twisting plotlines. Barry has only had the first three chapters to read so far, and I’m really looking forward to hearing what he has to say when he reads the final chapter in the trade.

Not satisfied with the hearty dose of monkey-love they received at the Bristol Comic Con, the punishment gluttons of Sidekick Cast have been at it again!

This time, they’ve “gone all intimate” with my fellow monkey Stu.Art as a guest Sidekick in their regular podcast. There are some wise words spoken, some shameless pimping committed, and my name is taken in vain at least three times.

So, if you want to hear what Stu is like without me there to restrain him … Click here to listen to Sidekick Cast Episode #21