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Story in Uncertainties
I’m happy to announce that I have a story called ‘The Light at the Centre’, in the forthcoming anthology, Uncertainties: Twenty-Two Strange Tales, edited by Brian J. Showers for Liberties Press in Ireland. The book should be on the shelves by the summer. It’s a pleasure to be in the company of such fine talent from Ireland, the UK, and the USA. Here’s the Table of Contents: ‘The Swing’ by Peter Bell ‘The Mighty Mr Godbolt’ by R.B. Russell ‘Then and Now’ by John Howard ‘Homecraft’ by Rosalie Parker ‘Half-Life’ by Steve Rasnic Tem ‘Wellaway’ by Martin Hayes ‘Closing Time’ by Emma Darwin ‘From the Archives of the Westmeath Examiner’…
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persistence and endurance
It’s the summer solstice, and the weather has proved diffident. But where is it written that on the longest day in Ireland we shall be gifted with sunshine? An island buffering the Atlantic’s whims is never granted predictability. Yet, towards the evening the continuous clouds thinned in places so I ventured into the woods, in search of beauty. I was not rewarded with a triumphant, sunny breakthrough, but there were dramatic skyscapes. Conventionally pretty? Perhaps not, but arresting nonetheless. The woods were dotted with one of my favourite summer flowers, which returns each year to a glad welcome by me: dactylorhiza fuchsii, the common spotted orchid. We tend to associate…
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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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Shamrokon schedule
Tomorrow marks the start of Shamrokon in Dublin, the European science fiction convention (Eurocon) which is held in a different country each year. After all the fun and frolics at Worldcon in London last weekend, I’m approaching this event with anticipation, tempered with a little fatigue. Here’s my schedule: Made In Ireland: Fantasy Classics By Irish Authors: Friday 15:00 – 16:00, D. Ulster Le Fanu Track: Vampire Lovers – Le Fanu and the Silver Screen: Saturday 15:00 – 16:00, C. Munster Le Fanu Track: Dracula vs. Carmilla: Saturday 16:00 – 17:00, C. Munster Women of 2000AD: Sunday 12:00 – 13:00, C. Munster Golden Blasters: Sunday 14:00 – 16:00, B. Lansdowne…
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oppression, subtle and not-so-subtle
Here is a fantastic speech by one of Ireland’s best known Drag Queens, Panti Bliss (Rory O’Neill), about how subtle, and not-so-subtle, oppression in society is internalised by the victims of oppression. I particularly resonated with Panti’s description of watching a ‘reasoned debate’ on TV about why you should or should not be entitled to full rights – which is a thoroughly alienating experience for anyone who is the subject of that discussion (and often not included in the debate itself). Intellectual debates about the ‘rights’ of human beings and their lived experiences is a fine theoretical exercise that can be set aside and forgotten by those who are not…
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2D 2013 Video
Here’s a lovely compilation video from the wonderful 2D – Northern Ireland Comics Festival this year, probably the best comic book festival in Ireland when it comes to promotion of Irish talent, the variety of creators, and access for the public. There are a ton of people interviewed in this video praising the event, including Herb Trimpe, William Simpson, Emma Vieceli, Dan Berry, Aiden Courtney, Jordie Bellaire, Will Dennis, and Nicholas Gurewitch, with sightings of plenty more in the background. It makes me look forward to next year’s event!
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ICN Awards 2013
The shortlists for the ICN Awards 2013 have been announced, and voting is now open for the next two weeks. I’ve been nominated in the ‘Best Irish Writer Published Outside of Ireland’ category, and my fellow nominees are Michael Carroll, Stephen Mooney, Darrin O’Toole, and Richmond Clements. I’m particularly pleased that Stephen Downey – the artist for Jennifer Wilde, one of the comics I write – got a deserving nod in the ‘Best Irish Artist Published in Ireland’ category, and his cover for Jennifer Wilde issue 3 has been nominated for ‘Best Irish Comic Cover’. Congratulations to the nominees and best of luck to all of us.
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Irish Comic Book Month
We’re mid-way through March, and I figured I should mention that this month has been designated Irish Comic Book Month. You can keep up with what’s going on at Irish Comic News, which is the best web site for news/information/sneak peeks of the work of Irish comic book artists & writers. Last night, to celebrate Irish Comic Book Month, Lightning Strike organised a talk discussing Irish Comic Book production. The guests included Declan Shalvey, Stephen Mooney, Robert Curley, Darrin O’Toole, Robert Carey, and Ciarán Marcantonio. The Lecture was held in Trinity College, Dublin, and from what I understand there was a great turn-out for it. (The audio from the event…
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jennifer 1 preview
Here’s page 1 of my next comic book, Jennifer Wilde. Art and lettering are by the talented Stephen Downey. If you hop over to the web site you can see page 2 and 3 as well. It’s a little naughty, but this is the art scene in 1921 in Paris! Today The Irish Times published an article called “The brave new world of comic-book heroines“, written by Sinéad Gleeson. It looks at the women who are emerging on the Irish comic book scene at the moment. I’m one of the women featured in the piece. Earlier in the year when I assembled the list of women working in comic books…
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new Irish Comic Book resource
After the Squarebound event in Dublin last weekend Irish artist Tommie Kelly realised that the Irish comic book scene could use a central resource, and in a splurge of sudden activity has put together a terrific site called Irish Comic News. It describes itself as “…a website dedicated to the Irish comic Scene. It contains interviews, a forum, event guides, tutorials and all news related to the Irish Comic Scene.” Tommie is being helped in his efforts by Patrick Brown, Hilary Lawler and Gar Shanley, with contributions from David O’Leary. Tommie has already been firing out a standard questionnaire to comic book creators in Ireland and hoisting their responses online…
