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the moon is not full tonight
Actually, the Moon is full tonight, but this was the title of a small cartoon I drew on Sunday as part of #HourlyComicDay. When I drew the not-full-moon it inspired me to write a bit of nonsense verse. The moon is not full tonight. Straying a bit. Drew the cartoon, composed a nonsense poem in response. #HourlyComicDay pic.twitter.com/PlA8zscckO — Maura McHugh (@splinister) February 2, 2015 //platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Here’s the nonsense poem in full: A Warning to the Hungry Moon Poor hungry moon How do you yearn, For babies’ milk teeth, Or the bones under wreaths. Soon you’ll be starving, Your girth needing widening, While below you we ramble, Our bones all…
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The Moon Will Look Strange – review
Since February is Women in Horror month, I’ve decided to post the full review I wrote of Lynda E. Rucker‘s collection The Moon Will Look Strange (Karōshi Books, 2013). My piece was published in the Green Book journal last year. I will note that Lynda is a friend of mine, but since my general policy is to avoid reviewing the work of those dear to me, this review should stand as an indication of how much I enjoyed her writing. It is easy upon reading an author’s impressive debut collection to ponder ‘why on earth is she not better known?’, and search for conspiracy. The reality is that it…
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keeping your ink bottle stable
Today is #Hourlycomicday, and I decided to join in (not hourly) to oil my rather rusty art skills. It’s good to shake things up, and as a writer of comics it also forces me to consider different ways to construct stories, and how to write scripts for an artist’s viewpoint. Mostly, I used the experience to play around and try various approaches without over-thinking. The point is to push through and the keep doing something new. While doing so I tweeted this picture. The kitchen table where I draw. Handy trick to put bottle of ink in a well in a sponge, stops spills. #HourlyComicDay pic.twitter.com/bVhkcLJfiM — ☠️𝐌𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚 𝐌𝐜𝐇𝐮𝐠𝐡☠️ (@splinister)…
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Award, award!
I don’t know how many of you get the Father Ted reference in the headline, but considering my audience I suspect many of you will know to which scene I’m referring. It’s always encouraging to be shortlisted for an award, but it’s rather nice to win one. I was recently nominated for Best Irish Writer (comics) in the Arcade Awards, and today they announced that I won. Thanks to everyone who voted for me, and to the wonderful teams I’m a part of when creating comics. It’s a fun start to 2015. Happy New Year to you all!
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A short day with good news
In May this year I announced that my short story ‘Bone Mother’ had been optioned by the National Film Board of Canada’s Animation Studio with the view to make a short stop-motion animated film, adapted and directed by Sylvie Trouvé and Dale Hayward (via their animation company See Creature), and produced for the NFB by Jelena Popovic. Everyone knows that an option doesn’t necessarily mean that the short film will get made, but I had hope considering the people involved. So I was delighted when I discovered that ‘Bone Mother’ has been green-lit, and the production is expected to finish in early 2016. Seven minutes of stop-motion, and over a year…
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2014 Laydeez do Comics meeting
Lynda Rucker and I are organising another Laydeez do Comics meeting from 2pm onwards this Saturday in the Odessa Club in Dublin. Our guests will be C.E. Murphy, Philip Barrett, me, and Paul Bolger. We’re also celebrating being on the cusp of the holiday season, so bring along a wrapped comic book for our blind comic book swap – come with one comic and leave with another! Everyone is welcome! Pop along, listen to the speakers, meet the Irish comic book community, and get your comic book fix on!
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GoH at Octocon 2015
I’m pleased to announce that I’ve been invited to be Guest of Honour at Octocon 2015, which is taking place in the Camden Court Hotel from 10 – 11 October 2015. So far the other GoH who has been announced is young adult novelist Emma Newman. I started attending Octocon as a fan, and then progressed to running the convention for a period, so all these years later it means a great deal to me to be a GoH at the convention which was my foundation for sf/fantasy/horror appreciation. The convention seems a long way off at this point, but I’m already looking forward to it.
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In Conversation with Posy Simmonds
It’s been a wonderful experience to be on the selection committee for this year’s British Comics Awards, as I’ve experienced first hand the variety and talent in the British comic book scene. The BCA jurors have been reviewing our shortlists, and will deliver their results at the 3rd Annual British Comic Awards ceremony, which will take place at 6pm on Saturday, 15 November at the Thought Bubble Sequential Art Festival in the Bury Theatre, Royal Armouries, Leeds Dock. The 2014 BCA Hall of Fame entrant is British comic book legend Posy Simmonds, who will be on hand to receive her award. I also have the honour of interviewing her at the event about…
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Irish Comics News Awards 2014
The 4th Annual Irish Comic News Awards has opened for voting, and I’ve been nominated in two categories: Best Irish Writer Published Outside of Ireland Best Irish Creator Comic Published Outside of Ireland Both of these nominations are for my work on Witchfinder: The Mysteries of Unland, which I co-wrote with Kim Newman, with art by Tyler Crook, coloured by Dave Stewart, covers by Julian Totino Tedesco, lettered by Clem Robins, and edited by Scott Allie. All set in the Hellboy universe created by Mike Mignola, and published by Dark Horse Comics. Creating comics is a collaborative activity, and of course I’m deeply indebted to everyone on the team for making such a terrific comic book. Voting…
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BCA Nominees 2014
As I mentioned on Tuesday I’ve been serving on the selection committee of the British Comic Awards this year. It’s been a pleasure to become acquainted with the sheer range of comic book titles being created in the UK. This meant it was tough to select a mere five titles in each category from such a competitive field, but we have picked our nominees, and they have been announced: Best Comic Dangeritis: A Fistful of Danger – Robert M Ball and Warwick Johnson-Cadwell (Great Beast) In The Frame – Tom Humberstone (New Statesman) Raygun Roads – Owen Michael Johnson, Indio!, Mike Stock and Andy Bloor (Self published) Tall Tales &…
