Macc-Pow is Back!

This year's events calendar is starting to take shape with a few applications pending but just received welcome news that I'm returning to Macclesfield this summer for the 10th Macc-Pow!!

It's testament to Macc's own Marc Jackson that he's made a success of this fun annual event over the years, boasting a fab line-up of the UK's (and beyond!) comics talent. Guests announced for this year so far include the following;

Alongside Yorkshire's own Thought Bubble Comic Art Festival, which have also recently confirmed their 2025 dates, Macc-Pow stands strong as one of the UK's finest celebration of comics - put the 28th June in your diary now for fab comics fun!

"Maybe I Should Just Give Up!"

A re-worked page from my quirky and troubled escapologist character, The Curious Chancer and his debut in the short Special Performance story from my own M56 JUNCTION COMICS.  

The story touches on our own expectations and those placed on ourselves by others and the difficulty sometimes in how these are or aren't met. This can be particularly true for all those in a creative or performance field where  often unexpected and hidden challenges can keep you from meeting those expectations.......

I love comics that can have different interpretations and maybe a 'deeper meaning' if you choose to read them that way. Comics can be a very powerful medium and a re-reading of your favourites can often be rewarding and reveal something below the surface of the main story.

My comics are currently only available direct from me - see convention appearances on the right, or from contacting or visiting Scott's Pops & Comics comic shop in Warrington, UK.

Welcome 2022!

                                                            HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

Well we may all be a bit battered and bruised by 2021 (and 2020!) but we made it this far so best pick ourselves up and get on with it!

I generally don't announce a lot of the plans I make as, a bit like 2021 (and 2020!), they don't always come off but I am fairly well placed to make the year ahead a special one for all those who have been patient with me in recent times with regards to new comic releases!

Yes this year should finally be the one - or did I say that last year - well a bit like Beetlejuice or was it Candyman?, I don't want to say the name three times but this;

 will;

 finally;

 happen!!

Watch this space!

Zulu War - Very Rare Comic Series!

 

Tickled to come across this lapsed ebay link - not sure how exactly I stumbled across it, I was on Google at the time but hey things move in mysterious ways with t'internet!

 

Someone was selling their Zulu War book collection and included my comics or to quote;

 

"This is a superb and extremely rare 2-part comic series account of the Battle of Rorke's Drift.......it is an action-packed comic strip re-telling of  this famous battle!"

 

The seller then goes on to give a very detailed breakdown of each issues contents and has scanned in a couple of interior pages as well as the covers, telling us;

 

"Single copies are hard to come by and a full set of both issues together in 1 auction is even rarer!"

 

And he's not wrong, I can tell by the 'M56 Comics' title on the first issue's cover that it must be a first printing as I think the second printing had 'Accent UK' listed instead, although I should check that with my file copies! 

 

This is I think the second ebay auction I've seen recently, the other from last autumn or so and both went for a fair amount higher than their original cover price plus postage which is interesting. no mention if these are signed copies or whether that would devalue them or not!

I do have a few copies of the Zulu comic left, (although only the second printing of the first issue), and occasionally take some with me to whatever comic show Dave West and I are attending. They generally still attract some interest and I enjoy it when they sell albeit they do have a certain 'vintage' look to them alongside Accent UK's glossy output and Dave's hardcover books.

 

 

Zulu was the first 'proper' comic I ever published after producing a few mini's and led to hooking up with Dave (and initially Barry Renshaw) to form Accent UK. Sadly life's little distractions have meant that I've still not properly followed it up despite various other smaller strips being produced over the years so that's one of the reasons why I'm working on something at the moment but won't say more in case I jinx anything!

 

Still it is nice to have a little reminder of where I started and the comic did take me to some amazing and surprising places such as national museums where it was stocked and I did a few signings tying into various Zulu War events and it was of course the catalyst which eventually led me to finally visiting Rorke's Drift for real in 2010 when I couldn't resist the following pic, taken by the one and only Ian Knight, the authority on all things Zulu!