We've woken up, but we still need a cure to Insomnia The news broke several days ago now that Insomnia Publications had released all of its creators from their contracts. Everyone received a short, polite email from publisher Crawford Coutts, and thus ended many weeks of speculation, worry, and countless threats of violence. The rumour mill continues to...
Wake up Insomnia Publications - It's the Sleepless... This is blog post asking for your support for a project that I'm involved in. I have written lots of blog posts like this. I'm normally shilling something, a new grahic novel, a new web site, or something else that I've created and now I'm hoping that you'll adore. I normally want your money too, as...
Chris vs. Five Reasons iPhone vs. Android isn't Mac... Tim O'Reilly tweeted out what he called a "compelling" article today, the titular "Five Reasons iPhone vs. Android isn't Mac vs Windows" by Mark Sigal. Having read the article I countered by tweeting that I thought the article was "biased" and "unbalanced". Tim, in turn, was gracious enough to tweet...
Bristol Comic Expo Panel: Signs and Portents 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...
Two wise monkeys and me: It's the Comic Book Outsiders... 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...
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Loading ...Originally published in Monkeys with Machineguns #2, “Why Snow Should Not Be Red” is being re-published as an eBook in honour of the shutdown of the UK in the great snow of February 2009!
Don your snow shoes, you’re in for a chilly one …
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...Originally published on SBC’s Fool Britannia
So let’s take a look at those automatic weapon wielding simians, the Monkeys with Machineguns. Issue two was available at the Expo, and I’ve been trying to work out what the hell to say about it for about two weeks.
I mean, what do you say about a book like this. It’s an anthology of the most piquant wit, perfectly balanced by a dash of horror and some truly flavoursome twists. This time the monkeys offer us strange alternate realities, ending worlds, red snow, and the most unexpected ending to a letter from the trenches I’ve ever read.
Resident scribe Chris Lynch handles it all with the style and aplomb I’ve come to expect from him over the last couple of years, and once again the art blends beautifully with his words. The stark brutality of Stu.Art is present once again, accompanied this time by a strip from the more cartoony pen of Christian Ward. Very different styles which give this anthology a deliciously eclectic feel.
The big innovation in this issue though, is the total abandonment of the traditional comics format for two of the story segments. ”Why Snow shouldn’t be red” is an illustrated prose story, while Photonic Graffiti is a collection of, well, I guess a collection of photo poems.
That might sound a little poncey, but they’re all written by Chris Lynch, so naturally they’re not. The Photonic Graffiti section is in fact both mesmerising and chilling, as Lynch allows his darker voice full reign. Two of these one page vignettes in particular stood out. The frighteningly ambiguous Burn Baby Burn is truly terrifying, while the wonderfully psychotic Gone with the Wind is a study in obsession that made be laugh so hard I snorted Coca-Cola out of my nose!
What more of a recommendation do you need?
This is a hugely entertaining, strangely haunting and dangerously thought provoking book. You should give it a look, you really should.
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...From IndieReview
Chris Lynch and Stu.art make up the MWM studio. They’ve published three successful editions of their horror anthology, all of which are to a high standard.
Focusing on horror, but with a few different twists, MWM delivers a complete package. Stuart’s art and Chris’ writing go together very well, as does the art from some of the other artists featured. It’s really a showcase for Chris’ imaginative stories and Stuart’s art, but they deserve it. Stuart’s dark, shadow heavy artwork really suits the title, and Chris has a certain liking toward the horror genre that shows in some great short stories.
At a fairly standard US comics price of £2.50 and (£2.39 for #1), it’s a tad more than most indie titles, but the quality shows.
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