A process video of a cover I’ve just completed for Dave Metcalfe’s upcoming Annual…
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Update:
The Jigsaw Review Volume 1 is now available from Amazon.
Contents include complete, rarely seen gems from over thirty years ago by some of small press’ founding fathers:
Bob Lynch – Sadness in Space
Denny Derbyshire – Zervanalia
John Bagnall – Knitting with Coalsmoke
Christopher John Webster – Gardenhouse
Ed Pinsent/Denny Derbyshire – Staring Eye
Over 220 pages of comics you probably never knew existed – but really, really should.https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0FHKZS6PT
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Five years ago, when Covid had us all trapped within the confines of our homes, Ben Cullis asked if I’d be interested in pitching a tale for an anthology idea he was planning called The 77.
Always interested in developing my comic making skills I agreed, and set about creating a new story to offer up as a pitch, finally arriving at a high fantasy concept (originally entitled FEALTHILDOR) that has grown and matured into PRODIGAL.
Even before the first episode had appeared in the first issue of 77 my approach had radically changed, and I redrew the entire six page segment in a softer style than the original ‘McMahon’ inspired angular approach I had first intended.
Original version 
Published version Only three instalments of Prodigal appeared in the pages of 77… enough to establish it as one of my own personal favourite creations – and it’s nice to finally be able to say… next up… PRODIGAL.
DEVELOPMENT GALLERY
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Available now from Kickstarter. The 17th volume of Sentinel Comic 64 page digest – They Call Her Trinity.
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Sentinel safely in the bag, so the next couple of months will be dedicated to publishing the first of hopefully many volumes of The Jigsaw Review.
This has been a bit of a dream project for a few years now and I’ve been overwhelmed by the reaction from creators who were truly on the cutting edge of small press comics in the 90s.
John Bagnall, Ed Pinsent, Bob Lynch and Denny Derbyshire were all frequently seen in the pages of Paul Gravett’s ESCAPE magazine, Chris Webster self published MALUS, one of the finest pieces of comic work seen in any sphere in my humble opinion, Dave Metcalfe published his respected anthology SLICES, and Jason Asala’s wonderful series, POE ran for 24 issues from Sirius comics from 1997 to 2000.
It is an honour to be curating this series of both reprint and new work from some of the finest, yet under appreciated creatives in the small press sphere.
Issue 1 will be available at the end of June 2025 and the initial line up includes:
Denny Derbyshire
Ed Pinsent
John Bagnall
Chris Webster
Bob Lynch
Jason Asala
Dave Metcalfe
Simon Russell
Morgan Gleave
Marco Buinhas
Yann Barrierre
Mal Earl
@(#) Generated by TJ++ 
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Since the creation of ‘Prodigal’ a couple of years ago I’ve had an urge to try out a variety of comic formats, partly out of curiosity, partly in an attempt to find a format that suits the style, drive and interests I have in the comics medium.
The initial instalment was a basic modern era full colour 2000ad layout, the second a variation on the two colour strips beloved of 1970s British Annuals, and the third an homage to the loose genius of Ashley Wood.
These initial episodes were short pieces scattered within the pages of the 77 anthology comic, but a long held desire has been a black and white 64 page digest episode in the style of ‘Commando’, ‘Starblazer’ and the classic Italian fumetti , ‘Diabolik’.
In 2021 I was asked by Alan Holloway if I would be interested in supplying art for one of his and Ed Doyle’s ’Sentinel’ comics.
Already an established small press phenomenon in the UK, ‘Sentinel’ fitted the bill for a ‘Prodigal’ ‘dry run’ with the format being a 64 page, black and white digest inspired by the beloved D C Thompson ‘Starblazer’ digest of the 80s/90s.
It’s taken a while (for various reasons) but last week the final page and covers were completed and the book will be available to support on Kickstarter in a couple of weeks.
Something that I wasn’t expecting in producing Trinity was how much I learned about comics in general.
The worth of pure cartooning, the focus on the basics with the limited panels, the need for simply drawing due to the lack of colour, and I am now thinking of using the format, or perhaps an A5 version of it, moving forward… it suits my approach, and I had a hugely enjoyable time completing the 64 pages.
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BARN OWL – ORIGINAL ART – ACRYLIC AND GRAPHITE
Barn Owl original art in Acrylic and Graphite
300mm x 580mm (11.7inches x 23 inches approx.)
270 gsm Acid Free heavy art stock£65.00 +£6.00 UK P&P
Unframed – will be sent in heavy tube – 1st Class tracked and signed for.
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Pleased as punch to have my work involved with this project.
Anthony Newley was a genius of enormous stature, and a testament to the fickleness of celebrity.
His songs pepper the days of our lives yet few even recall his name… so for the record…
Newley The Storyteller.
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Having been an active part of the small press comic scene for multiple decades now it has been a dream of mine to revisit some of the work I created in my formative years as a creator.
I discovered that I was not the only one with desires along that path, and over the past weeks I have been pulling together a project involving a cooperative of names both familiar and unfamiliar from the independent comics field.
Early announcement:
Coming Summer 2025
The Jigsaw Review – Issue 1
A comics anthology with a difference
250-300 pages, A4 format, Black and White collections of sequential art, old and new, by creators dedicated to the comics art form, many works unseen for over thirty years.
A showcase for the new, and repository for older work from an artistic collective whose contribution to the early independent comics movement is impossible to overstate.
Coming Summer 2025
John Bagnall
Ed Pinsent
Denny Derbyshire
Chris Webster
Jason Asala
Dave Metcalfe
Marco Buinhas
Simon Russell
Morgan Gleave
Yann Barrierre
Mal Earl
Mal Earl 