Caricatures Ireland » comics

Sometimes there’s a back button on your life: my first paid gig for Eagle comic, circa 1987 (aged 12)

Allan — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:00:46 +0000

Fústar’s recent ruminations over some of the dodgier corners of the Eagle’s letters page reminded me that I had a drawing printed in said comic (of Comrade Bronski), which was such big news for Eighties-era Greencastle it made the local notes in the Derry Journal. Being the incredible curator of cultural waste that he is, Fústar only went off and found my drawing in the issue in question!
Monday 20th June, 1987 (No. 274). I got 3 Sterling Pounds. I was twelve years old. My massive collection of Eagles is no longer with us unfortunately – my parents for some reason moved them out of the house into a damp shed when I left for college, and that shed is no longer with us either.
Thanks again Fústar.

Happy Blog Birthday Forbidden Planet

Allan — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 18:12:45 +0000

Belated Happy Birthday to Joe and the Forbidden Planet Blog, 4 years old this week. It’s a great site with honest reviews and reinvigorated my interest in comics. I’m now regularly dipping into stuff I’d have been unaware of if it wasn’t for the FP blog.

Who Watches the (little details in) Watchmen?

Allan — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:34:53 +0000

I just saw the new hardcover edition of Watchmen on Forbidden Planet and commented that I didn’t think much of the artwork: the expression on ~~Sally’s~~ Laurie’s face, nippleless Jon, assymetrical Rorschach and Veidt with a mullet. Then I looked again and noticed something:

WHERE’S THE COMEDIAN’S SMILEY BADGE???

It’s only the most important motif of the book!
Was this artwork a rush job? It is apparently a new cover by Gibbons, but I wonder if he did the pencils and then passed it on for inking. How could Gibbons forget the smiley?

“Tonight Matthew I’m going to be Jon Osterman”

Allan — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:52:32 +0000

I went to town as Dr. Manhattan last night. Only one person actually said, “oh, there’s Dr. Manhattan”. I thought loads of people would have got it at this stage with the movie coming out next year. One girl on the street said “oh, wait, you’re that guy from the Watch thingy”. Other guesses were The Mask, Stargate(!) and The Grinch (I don’t even know where to start with that one).
I was going to go naked and paint myself from top to toe in blue, but the excessive shaving needed put me off so I decided I’d wear the suit in the end. I ended up sitting beside the only Smurfette in Neachtains too. Oh the blue irony. I saw 3 Jesuses (is that the plural of Jesus?) and a very attractive glass of Guinness, but no other Watchmen.

I’d have loved to get contacts to go with it. Maybe next year. Although maybe next year I’ll be Rorchach.

Alan Moore interview on RTE Radio 1

Allan — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:18:49 +0000

Embedded from RTE.IE

I somehow missed this interview with Alan Moore on Radio 1 from the 3 July. Oh yes, it’s because I don’t listen to it. Eoin Sweeney did a good job considering who he was talking to, by which I mean the man’s reputation would make jelly of most knees, but as you’ll hear he comes across as a very affable person. I can’t wait for The Moon and Serpent Bumper Book of Magic.

Irish Comics Wiki again

Allan — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:39:33 +0000

I see I’ve joined some illustrious names on the Irish Comics Wiki. I wonder if I actually count as I contribute a single panel cartoon to the Connacht Tribune each week, rather than contributing to a comic per se. Maybe if I throw some stuff Bob Byrne’s way for the next issue of the Shiznit…

Watchmen as Peanuts, or Peanuts as Watchmen?

Allan — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:27:58 +0000

Via Boing Boing is Evan Shaner‘s What if Charles M Schulz created the Watchmen?

Look at Snoopy/Rorschach. Classic!

David Lloyd on Kickback

Allan — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:08:25 +0000

I met David Lloyd, co-creator of V for Vendetta, in Roisin Dubhs last Thursday night. He was giving a talk on his career and promoting his new graphic novel Kickback. It’s been out since last year but Darkhorse dropped the ball on promoting it. Lloyd’s profile was at its height as the V for Vendetta movie was released around the same time as Kickback but for some reason Darkhorse failed to take advantage of this, leaving Lloyd to go on the road to promote the book himself.

Sub-City are planning a series of talks by artists and writers in the New Year. Keep reading and I’ll keep you up to date on these future events. Also thanks to Seamus from Sub-City for letting me in sans ticket!

One for the comic geeks?

Allan — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 09:03:45 +0000

Via Bifsniff, a great mashup between Adam West era Batman and Frank Miller’s Batman dialogue.

Holy Funny Photoshopping! *ahem*

And for your futher delectation: Jeffrey Lewis.

Allan — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 14:02:17 +0000

I happened to walk in on the end of Jeffrey Lewis‘ gig the Roisin Dubh recently. Instantly bought albums and comics (he has some great stuff on backpacking around Europe in the late nineties!). It was a nice end to a rotten two hours getting lost returning from Carrick-On-Shannon.