In This Episode ... A random tweet that took off, and which led me to Lise April Amelia’s astonishing 2021 work, “A Collection of 9 Lessons and Hauntings,” as well as a number of creators on the indie comics scene I’d never heard of before, and, anyhow, Comics Unencumbered is back … Episode length is a mere 13:45, because I'm not waffling like usual. You're welcome. BOOK A Collection of 9 Lessons and Hauntings Twitter: @liseaprilamelia Online Store: liseaprilamelia.gumroad.com/l/hauntings Find Cliff Here Twitter and Instagram. Go ahead. Like, follow, subscribe. You know you want to. Don’t be ruled by fear. Music Credits Stomps and Claps, by Scott Holmes. The Healing, Sergey Cheremisinov.
In This Episode ... A little self-indulgence, please, as I talk about the #Rosette project, which emerged seemingly out of nowhere in a spontaneous eruption of artistic collaboration. Tl;dr: I posted the mugshot of a notorious brother madame from the 1940s, and the incredibly kind, incredibly generous members of Twitter's independent art scene all jumped in at Raechel Leigh Carter's suggestion to draw her. So far, dozens of artists (some quite well-known) have rendered their versions of the enigmatic (and beautiful, I think) Rosette Duccinni Davie. That lipstick. Those eyebrows. Le sigh. The Twitter Moment, which gathers together all the entries so far. The Associated Press article that had the mugshot. Here’s the Twitter thread between me and Raechel Leigh Carter that started it all. Find Raechel Leigh Carter and me on the Twitters. Want to join in? You're very welcome! Use the #Rosette hashtag. To everyone who took a moment to draw their Rosette -- thank you! Every version has been amazing.
In This Episode ... ... I delve way too deeply into a dry, academic monologue on absurdism and why Todd Oliver's work is not necessarily surreal in it's starkest sense, but is absolutely entertaining. And disturbing. My god, Todd. WTF? Sorry about the waffling. Also, sorry about the slight buzz on the audio. This seems like it'll be an ongoing problem that's beyond my meager technological capabilities to fix. Here's what you need to know about this episode. It's episode 6, not 7, as I misstate. You might want to know more about absurdism and absurdist theater. Surrealist filmmaker Luis Buñuel was a weird lookin' dude who made weird frickin' films. Albert Camus wrote about life's absurdity. The comic I can't remember, something or other, appeared in a newspaper, is Little Nemo's Adventures in Slumberland. Finally, like an idiot, I get Todd's Instagram address wrong. It's @lovetodd. Which I do. Very much. In a most unnatural fashion. Here's what you need to know about Todd Oliver. His Instagram is actually @lovetodd. His twitter is @toddoliver (thank god, because that's easier to remember for old men like me). You should immediately go to his web store, toddoliver.bigcartel.com, and buy everything there. No, no — no time to argue. Just do it. Thank me later, if you can find me. Mr. Oliver has the Comics Unencumbered Will Purchase Sight Unseen Seal of QualityTM. Go ahead. Like, follow, subscribe. You know you want to. Don’t be ruled by fear. Music for this podcast is Stomps and Claps, by Scott Holmes, and The Healing, by Sergey Cheremisinov, both available on freemusicarchive.org under a Creative Commons licence.
In This Episode ... Proving that one shouldn’t walk, breathe, think and talk all at the same time, I refer to Jon McNaught as “McNoughton” throughout this, which is regrettable, but I’m not going to do the whole thing again, BECAUSE! This was all done live while on a cliff-side perambulation in Cornwall! Yes, worlds collide. A deeply touching and beautifully rendered work, Kingdom, about a holiday by the sea, is discussed by me WHILE ON HOLIDAY BY THE SEASIDE! Your jaw is agog. Please close it. I know this is amazing synchronicity, and it’s probably why I am finding this near-perfect work so resonant now. So, please don’t let my mangling of the author’s name detract from Kingdom (as if it could – just read it). You can find Jon McNaught on his website, read about him at NoBrow and find him on Twitter. As always, a special thank you to my good friend Tony Esmond, who has helped introduce the world – and me – to Kingdom. Go ahead. Like, follow, subscribe. You know you want to. Don’t be ruled by fear.
In This Episode: How Are You? Welcome to the end-of-year episode in which, after a bout of poetry, I discuss five of my favorite creators from 2019 without, apparently, being aware that the audio was spotty. Sorry. But hey, this is the place where we can make mistakes, right? This is a judgement free zone. Take a moment, take a breath and relax your soul; we’re here to talk about comics. So, in no particular order, here’s who I talk about: HOPELESS, MAINE Tom and Nimue Brown The Hopeless Vendetta GUSTAFFO VARGAS On Instagram and Twitter. https://gustaffovargas.bigcartel.com/ PORCELAIN: A Gothic Fairy Tale Chris Wildgoose (Twitter and Instagram) https://www.chriswildgoose.com/ (If anyone has any info about Benjamin Read’s online presence, please let me know and I’ll add it here.) THE WHORE CHRONICLES Tony Esmond and Rachael Ball; Sarah Harris; Rik Jackson; Tom Curry; Charles H. Raymond; Stuart Mulrain; Vince Hunt KIRBY TRIBUTE Adam Falp
In This Episode ... ... probably more than you wanted to know about the physical effects of cold, but more than that, two exceptional comics that came in/through my mail/postbox in the past couple of weeks. Also, apologies for some crackles and pops (I don't know what that's all about); and this one runs about five minutes too long. I'm sorry. There's a setting on your app that allows you to listen to this at a faster speed, so why not go ahead and use that if you're a bit fussy. What do I talk about in episode 3? First, Mahoney's, which is a tremendously funny romp into the evening happy-hour world of a bar where super villains spend their off hours when not threatening the world. Two genuine talents here: Richard Carrington and Brian Dawson. The Kickstarter for Mahoney's issue 2 is over, but who knows, they may have some issues to send your way. Secondly, but not leastly, The Spark. What I forget to say in the Podcast, I think, is that due attention to a market of young readers is what will help buoy the comics industry, and wise creators would do well to take note. Also, and more importantly, I can't say enough good things about what Fairspark is doing, especially with regard to its charity partner, Little Heroes. Please donate. Some of the creators involved in issue 1: Aaron Rackley; Dan Harris; Rob Barnes; Mike Dabrowski; Tom Sparke; Tony Esmond; and Vince Hunt. [All of those are Twitter handles]. And find me here: Twitter and Instagram. Go ahead. Like, follow, subscribe. You know you want to. Don’t be ruled by fear.
In This Episode ... [Warning: Contains mild ranty eff swears at errant charter-jet aircraft making a lot of noise. These come at the very start of the podcast, so don’t listen to this out loud. OK? OK.] I take to the dark, lonely and cold streets of my hometown in order to evoke the appropriate Halloween atmosphere for this episode, which discusses writer, artist, printmaker and patron goddess of comic makers, Sarah Gordon. This involved an evening walk along noisy roads, and by the local airport, hence the intrusive plane sounds and me huffing and puffing, because I’m largely out of breath. Listen: Walking, thinking, breathing and talking -- all at the same time -- is not the easiest activity. That’ll teach me. Next time, I’m sticking to my living room. Discussed here are Sarah’s Strip (my personal favorite), Queen Rat, A Broken Thing, The Salisbury Owl and Bright Young Things, as well as A Dream of Keys I accidentally call it "Book of Keys" in the pod due to being exhausted by walking, and lonely and terrified out by the scary airport). Sarah Gordon, however, is a remarkable and unique talent, especially if your tastes run to the Gothic, horrific or supernatural. You can find her here ... Web: notsarahgordon.bigcartel.com Twitter: @notsarahgordon Instagram: @notsarahgordon And find me here: Twitter and Instagram. Ms. Gordon has the Comics Unencumbered Will Purchase Sight Unseen Seal of QualityTM. A special shout out to Sarah Harris, Tony Esmond and the gents of the Awesome Comics Podcast, who have all been incredibly supporting and encouraging of Comics Unencumbered! Go ahead. Like, follow, subscribe. You know you want to. Don’t be ruled by fear.
In This Outtake ... What’s so disturbing I could no longer look at it? Mr. Tucker’s owl sketch. An amusing 40 seconds that’ll entertain you, but will stay with me for a lifetime. Find him in these places: Web: www.johntucker.co.uk/ Twitter: @johntuckerart Instagram: @johntucker And find me here: Twitter and Instagram. Go ahead. Like, follow, subscribe. You know you want to. Don’t be ruled by fear.
In This Episode ... My borderline erotic fascination with the work of John Tucker, an independent comic creator from Cardiff, Wales, and author of such fantastic works as Bald, Night Watchman, Adrift, Cydo and Gang Culture in 1950s Swansea: An Illustrated Oral History. Mr. Tucker has the Comics Unencumbered Will Purchase Sight Unseen Seal of QualityTM. I mention in this episode how I found out about John’s work on the Awesome Comics Pod (which I highly recommend for you comics wonks out there). John was on episode 169 (snork, giggle, hurk). Find him in these places: Web: www.johntucker.co.uk/ Twitter: @johntuckerart Instagram: @johntucker And find me here: Twitter and Instagram. Go ahead. Like, follow, subscribe. You know you want to. Don’t be ruled by fear. Music for this podcast is Stomps and Claps, by Scott Holmes, and The Healing, by Sergey Cheremisinov, both available on freemusicarchive.org under a Creative Commons licence.
In This Episode ... That random tweet is The Gift That Keeps on Giving, this time reaching a creator I had not heard of before — Plaid Klaus. And he is excellent; definitely a creator to follow. In fact, I have to coin a new genre — Noirpunk — to describe his comic, “Hivemind.” Episode length is 11:40, because I'm not here to waste your time. You're welcome. BOOK Hivemind Page count: 80 Published: September 2021 Cost: $10 (digital copy) Twitter: @themindcomics Website: mindcomics.com Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/plaidklaus Find Cliff Here Twitter and Instagram. Go ahead. Like, follow, subscribe. You know you want to. Don’t be ruled by fear. Music Credits Stomps and Claps, by Scott Holmes. The Healing, Sergey Cheremisinov.
Season 2, Episode 3 In This Episode ... PUNK! Yeah, tear it all down! Or not, and make something like a zine instead, as in Strangers Fanzine, which has become the breakout hit of this strange, awkward period we’re all living through. Interviews, art, reviews, it’s all in here. Also, it inspires me to talk a little about punk, the human condition and art. BOOK Strangers Fanzine: A celebration of the forgotten and overlooked. Instagram: strangers_fanzine. Online Store: Strangers Fanzine Publishing Distro. CREATORS DISCUSSED Features a whole slew of creators in the raw, as God intended, under the stewardship of editor Eddie Raymond. As always, the amazing Awesome Comics Podcast (episode 282) has an interview with Eddie that I used as source material for some parts of this podcast. John Tucker is brilliant. See his breakout podcast, “This Foul Earth,” on various podcasting platforms. Here it is on PodBean. Equally lovely — Tom Sparke, who recently produced a lovely little booklet, “Appendix,” a testimony to those professionals of the NHS. See his website. Find Cliff Here Twitter and Instagram. Go ahead. Like, follow, subscribe. You know you want to. Don’t be ruled by fear. Music Credits Stomps and Claps, by Scott Holmes. The Healing, Sergey Cheremisinov.
In This Episode ... I delve into the occult world of Idiot Corpse — because I love that supernatural touch, yo — and this delivers. And, as you know, I’m a complete sucker for a) experimentation in the comics medium, and, b) absurd and weird (Idiot Corpse is more weird than absurd). I also wax on about surrealists and art movements and techniques for freeing up the artistic mind. The good stuff starts at 5:27 if you want to skip the fluff and head straight to the meat, as this is kind of a long episode, because I went for a walk, and you know how that goes. BOOK Idiot Corpse (2020) www.idiotcorpse.com www.instagram.com/idiotcorpse CREATORS Aled Lies (Instagram, Twitter), Dylan Wyn Owen (Twitter) and Shehzad Ahmad [writers and artists]. Cover art by Katherine Durant (Instagram). WIP Comics podcast interview with the creators, which was source material for some information included in this podcast. Find Me Here Twitter and Instagram. Go ahead. Like, follow, subscribe. You know you want to. Don’t be ruled by fear. Music Credits Stomps and Claps, by Scott Holmes. The Healing, Sergey Cheremisinov.
In This Episode ... Apologies for some crackles and pops (I left the wank sock off the mic*). *Honestly, no one should use this furry monstrosity to wank. It looks like a hollowed-out tribble. But it does stop you popping. (Vocal pops, you filth.) What’s on the cards in this new season? Lots of stuff. And what do I talk about in episode 1? Primarily, Fraser Geesin, a comedian and comic artist/writer. I picked up a selection of his comics but discuss “Journey to the Surface of the Earth” 1 and 2. Hilarious and deeply weird stuff, and yet often touching, and exactly the kind of comics that keep my twisted mind entertained. Secondly, and I realize I’m about 80-plus episodes late here, the podcasting machine that is Tony Esmond. He’s a machine in many other ways, as well, that we’re not going to discuss here, because we could fall afoul of various countries’ obscenity laws. So, for now, we’ll just stick to me gushing admirably over Tony’s “Never Iron Anything” podcast. Like and subscribe to “Comics Unencumbered” and then, and only then, go and subscribe to “Never Iron Anything.” (Probably by the time you get there, Tony episode count will be in the 90s.) Find me here: Twitter and Instagram. Go ahead. Like, follow, subscribe. You know you want to. Don’t be ruled by fear. Music Credits Stomps and Claps, by Scott Holmes Soft Piano Music, by Johnny Easton
In This Episode ... I wiffle on a bit about what I've been up to in a very self-satisfied way, and make some inappropriately lurid comments that may well be construed as a bit of a pass at you, you lovely thing, you. I also read some cover blurb and lapse into a horribly stereotypical Spanish accent, for which I will deeply apologize, then book myself into sensitivity training, only to emerge, have things go well for a while, then lapse into my former bad habits, only this time, worse. Here's a rundown of the who, what and where: Space Warp: The Godfather of British comics, Pat Mills’ new epic sci-fi comic, coming soon. (See my interview about my small part of this incredible new universe and marvel at my lockdown beard. Tony Osmond is a Movie Star, also coming soon, from myself and OG hipster Tony Osmond ... er, I mean, Tony Esmond, via Tribute Press. #50x50, a little project of my own that may — or may not — end up as a ‘zine. Blak, an Instagram webcomic by Vince Hunt. Swords. Possibly sorcery. Vanguard, Dan Butcher’s webcomic. British superheroes do vicious things to each other. John Tucker’s PAINSTREAM live, on Twitch (which you can see announced on Twitter). Comichaus: Look, it’s great. Please support them, and, by extension, independent creators on the platform, because these El Marvo, by Dan Butcher (art); Luke Kondor and Ben Errington.
In This Episode ... Raechel Leigh Evans — COUGH — I mean CARTER ... CARTER! I'm joking. I screwed up her name for some unfathomable reason in episode 7 or something*, and now it's a thing. I didn't want it to be a thing, but it is most definitely a thing. Anyway, I love her. She was my partner in crime on the #Rosette challenge, and she is a force of nature. But the true love of her life is Nic Cage. * Because you're an idiot, Cliff. You'll want to buy all her zines. Trust me. They are works of sheer passionate hubris, like the great pyramids or a manor house folly. You will love them. You will love her. Here's where to find her: The Twitter; the Instagram; the website and blog; the shop.
In This Episode ... The incomparable Danny Noble, who has spent a lot of her time drawing the dicks of actors Oliver Reed and Alan Bates. No ... don't run away! Listen — it's good stuff! Whimsical, absurd and funny, and totally the kind of stuff I enjoy! So, whip off your pants, consume your favorite edible, and relax, as I chat to you about why I didn't mind at all reading a comic filled with penises. Find Danny on the Twitters, instagram, and her website.