The Lulu editions of collected Grit are no more. Why? Because Shadowline is publishing us! Woohoo!

A brand spanking new Grit volume 1 (collecting episodes 1 - 5) is being published by the wonderful folk at Shadowline. Unlike the Lulu volumes, it'll be swanky lookin', with nice crisp printing!

You'll be able to find it in the March solicitations in Previews (January edition) in the Image Comics section:



So now you can buy Grit from your local comics shop or bookstore (wherever in the world you are!), or Amazon - ask your comic shop of choice to order you in one!

 

ETA: If anyone's been trying to email me over the last couple of months, my apologies. Our 'net computer has been hit hard with viruses, and we're still battling with the dying thing. I will sort out the "Buy" link on the Grit website as soon as I can. 

And yes, poor ep 19 is still coming. Promise.

Still alive, still crawling along. Only 6 more pages to draw of this 65 page nearly-killed-me-numerous-times behemoth. Here's the last preview pencil before I commence inking:



Lots of stuff. Part of the reason we're so late is that 2008 didn't actually happen.

More reasons next time!  : D

If you like the idea of Grit, but have found yourself thinking: "Why don't you just put it up a page-at-a-time like a normal webcomic, you pair of wankers!" -well now it's yours!

No, we're not changing format, we've joined Shadowline's webcomic lineup. And we've gone live! Even if you've read it all before, do pop on over to enjoy the splendid recapping of episodes 1 to 5 before the old-skool extravaganza begins with episode 6. Updated Monday to Friday until Shadowline has caught up with the current book, at which point the updates will ease back to weekly. You might also like to visit Image Central to scroll down to Shadowline's press release and click on that shiny pic that's beside it. There you'll see the other fine webcomics in the collective, for your viewing pleasure.

If you're mildly confused at this point, I shall just explain that Grit at www.platinumgrit.com won't be changing at all. Each ep will still go up as it always has in the usual format, and the archive isn't going anywhere. It just means that Grit has two homes on the web now, and anyone who hasn't seen the full pages, or prefers the page-at-a-time format has that option now. 

And what about the status of the current episode? Ah, have another teaser:



Up to page 50.

I was asked to do a guest strip for Wapsi Square, and mine was yesterday (Thanks Jon!).

LINKY.

Double The Fist season 2 begins TOMORROW NIGHT!


WOOT!

I keep forgetting to post this.

My art is on the front cover of CSN this week (unless I am too late posting this) from my part in Comic Book Tattoo, published by Image.  It's a huuuuuge book full of the work of a whole pile of people, including Alice Hunt and myself.  Our bit was written by Alice, and drawn by me.  It's a rare thing that I draw something I haven't at least had a hand in writing (in fact I can only recall doing it once before), but Alice asked and she's a gem.  And we made the cover! Woo! 

 I think it's coming out next week...?  My vagueness is due to a) being sworn to secrecy the whole way along the project...and it's become so second nature now that even I'm hazy on the details, and b) I now have my mind back on Grit and assorted other things.

(patrick, shush.)

Plugging along, where the gaps in my workload allow.  Up to page 34 of 65, for anyone keeping count. 

Another teaser panel (yes, it's a kate-centric ep this one)

Especially with teaser panels like this:



No stunning vistas, laboriously detailed backgrounds or action shots - you get an eye.  

Plugging away when I can...about a third of the way through...  But moving steadily forward! That's the important thing.

*Slinks off to have at it*

Arse arse ARSE has it ever been a frustrating start to the year.  Slammed with work - both paid and not, all of which has forced poor Grit onto the back-burner.  I've been watching the calender in despair.

But finally...FINALLY...everything that isn't paying bills is DONE and out of my face, and out of the way of poor languishing episode 19.  This week has been BLISS as I've finally been able to get cranking on it again.  So, after a long looooooong radio-silence from me (seriously, there was nothing to update beyond cries of despair), I give you a teaser panel from the pencils thus far -



Did I mention this ep is a 64 page behemoth?  It is.  But plough through it I will!  Watch me.

I'll be back after I've done a bunch more pages, with another teaser and (if I'm feelin' good about it) which page I'm up to in march towards 'done'.

Ben Hutchings is one of the funniest bastards I know.  I've loved his stuff from the moment I first picked up a copy of "You Stink And I Don't", many years ago.  I can't even explain why his stuff is so funny - which for me is the mark of genius.

He's got a new comic out called "The Lesson Master".  It's awesome, and you can find it here.

(Also highly recommended is a perusal through his music section.  I have no useful words to describe the joy within.)

Anyway, he asked me to draw him a pic for his Lesson Master book, and so I did -



Ben Hutchings.  Either you already know and love him, or you're about to discover him, and realise that he is what's been missing in your life.

Woo! I never get tagged!  But the awesome supervillainess tagged me for the Pick 10 people and give them the "you make my day" award. If you're picked, you are charged with picking 10 of your own.  LJ whatsit, and I must tag in return!

And I'm going to say why!  First of all:

supervillainess gets a mutual tag-back.  She's a scent-and-soap genius, and my bathroom overflows with the wonders she makes.  I am a things-that-make-me-smell-nice maniac - and I use scent when I work as much as I use music.  Both are invaluable for opening up the creative mind, and if I need to smell places/moods/things/characters/whatever, I have a terrifying collection of stuff for that very purpose.  And most of my absolute bang-on favourite stuff is Villainess.  (If you also like to smell awesome, I can't plug her stuff enough!  That goes for guys, too.  Unisex yes.  Sextastic gimme.)  She's also funny, smart, and all round awesome. 

finkenstein is an endless tide of inspiring wonder.  She manages to make porn both filthy and charming at once - I'm going to be very sad when Chester is finished, and the vintage robot pink-bits carnival draws to a close. 

mutleyjames  - inky wonder.  Can elicit a gasp of awe from me with just a couple of freakishly well rendered lines. 

heykidzcomix writes a wonderful gay anarchist western called Goodbye Chains, and is also funny, smart and all round awesome.

andricongirl turns fabric, stuffing, yarn and assorted other bits and pieces into little critters of win. 

toniaw has been in the independent comic game longer than I have, and for all the right reasons.  So much love for Maxwell.

drjon - smart, funny, insightful, and all-round sweetheart.  Also shares the same geeky love of British 70's sci-fi that I have.

pirochan - queen of beautiful-man yaoi, in a style completely her own.

jenniferrodgers - wonderful artist of creepy things.

mighthaverhymed - doesn't keep his LJ.  But if he sees this, he knows why he's here. : )

Taggage ends.

And yes, it's been a while between updates.  The second half of last year turned into a bit of a nightmare, and as is standard, Grit is the first thing to get affected.  I am slowly drawing it now (just have to get ONE more THING out of the way before I can launch into it properly and hopefully pick up a bit of speed) - I'll post the odd teaser panel as I go.  I'd post one now, but so far it's all way too spoilery.

Quick!

What cheap body lotion most looks like jism?

I want to go to a mate's cross-dressing party as Ron Jeremy, and I wanna bukkake the "girls".

And don't suggest mayonnaise because that's just nasty.

Awesome. 

Love the little look over the bed.  And the "Brrrp!" noise. 

 Arrrgh The Chaser guys have called Dougal in for something and I don't know what.  He's not back at the Fist office yet.

Pllleeeease let it not involve his penis this time.

"No charges were brought when the team dressed up as a police horse yesterday."

That?  That's comedy gold right there.

Detail links here and here.

Chas looks like he's developed a taste for it!

Been a mad time of assorted things to waylay us, and DM's been on tour with more than one play - BHUT, we are all written and I'm onto the drawing bit.  Hooray!



Finally finished the cover - a companion piece to the cover of 18.  There's a theme in my head and I'm running with it. 

Spread the word!  Spread the love!

Taking my cue from toniaw...    It's Online Comics Day, running alongside Free Comic Book Day.  Since we're mostly all doing this for free anyway, today is about spreading the love.

I confess that my own reading list is sparse thanks to the time I allow myself to sit on the web not-working.   Below is a list of webcomics I think need more love.  They're not ones that appear  frequently on  Web Comic threads on assorted fora and Web Comic lists, and I think they ought to.  Because they're good.  You might also like to friend their journals.

Straight  up is Maxwell The Demon by toniaw.  Tonia is one of those dedicated souls who, like myself, has been plugging away quietly for well over a decade on her work out of sheer love.  MTD is a favourite of mine - and Maxwell is <3.

Stuff Sucks by lizgreenfield.  I've spruiked it before, WITH art.  Comic, website, merch - it's all fantastically presented and so worth your time.

Goodbye Chains by Alice Hunt - heykidzcomix.  Long-form western involving a gay Irish Communist and a surly bastard outlaw.  Relatively new and already dripping with UST sweet UST.  How can that not entice you?  There's also the companion-comic to GC: Venus In Points.  Colin and Banquo as 'pointy dogs' - the non-canon version that has become a winner all its own.  Drawn by Alice (regular GC features other artists).

Raymondo Person by Patrick Alexander - chickennation.  Patrick is a funny, funny bastard.  He's also adorable.  RP seriously deserves more love.

And finally, finkenstein does wonderful filthy comics.  Chester 5000 XYV is awesome (and of course SERIOUSLY NSFW - wang and vag everywhere!).  Surely you're familiar with Jess Fink's stuff...surely!

Hopefully one or more of those will tickle.



And finally, because it IS WCD - today's WTF!!??? prize goes to THIS bit of knee-jerk insanity.  Ahh...we're all going to hell in a hand-basket.