Alone in Space – A Collection by Tillie Walden Alone in Space collects several of Tillie Walden’s stories together in one volume. The End of Summer, I Love This Part and A City Inside along with some rare early work. Tillie Walden restores to comics some elements that have got a little lost. The surreal, the innocence of youth. The moments after you awake from … Continue reading In the Land of Wonderful Dreams
Maximo Raw Book One by Laurent Minassian As I was reading this book I was listening to the radio, and the tune God Made Me Funky by The Headhunters came on. The band are Herbie Hancock’s jazz-fusion combo from the early 70’s – and it’s a funky, jazzy tune, sometimes abrasive which will carry you to a world of hot nights in the big city. … Continue reading Bloody Pulp Fiction
Stan and Jack by Pete Doree The Mighty Marvel Bullpen, a fantasy world that we read about in Stan Lee’s Bullpen Bulletins, his monthly column that ran in every Marvel comic. A wonderful world of fun and imagination. This is where most of us first heard about the likes of Jack ‘King’ Kirby and Steve Ditko. We know now that the reality was not so … Continue reading Bullpen Badinage
Merrick the Sensational Elephant Man Writer – Tom Ward, Artist – Luke Parker, Letterer – Micah Myers, Editor – Clare Lenton Victorian London has long been a place that has stimulated the imagination of writers. From the world of fiction we have Sherlock Holmes, Fagin and the Artful Dodger and even Dracula himself strode the foggy streets. The world of non-fiction might be even richer. … Continue reading Victorian Values
Blat! Issue 1 by Mat Greaves Blat is the new comic being imminently kickstarted by creator Mat Greaves. I enjoyed Reefers and Riffs, his Murun Buchstansangur meets Charlie Parker comic which I reviewed here. Not only that he did what surely must be the definitive take on middle-aged Shamrock for me. The influence of the American underground can be felt in the book which consists … Continue reading Hangovers and Hope
The Union issue one Writer – Paul Grist, Pencils – Andrea de Vito with Paul Grist, Inkers – Drew Geraci and Le Beau Underwood with Paul Grist, Colourist – Nolan Woodward, Letterer – VC’s Travis Lanham, Published by Marvel Comics’ I have never reviewed a Marvel Comic before. That is not because of some kind of snobbery, on the contrary Marvel are my first love … Continue reading Not all Black and White?
Breakwater by Katriona Chapman The British seaside town, a cinema whose glory days are in the past, a woman whose life seems to have been put on hold, a young man escaping from something. This is the familiar setting in which we find ourselves in Katriona Chapman’s Breakwater. I say familiar because it is a scenario that many of us will have encountered before. Generations … Continue reading At the Edge of the Sea
Gamayun Tales II – an Anthology of Modern Russian Folk Tales by Alexander Utkin I had the pleasure of reviewing the first volume of Gamayun Tales, Alexander Utkin’s retelling of great tales from Russian folklore. That book whisked me back to a childhood visit to the library where I read a horrifying ‘children’s book’ that told the tale of Baba Yaga, the witch who lived … Continue reading Witches, Apples and Snow
The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott by Zoe Thorogood There are a lot of comics out there, but not always the variety you might expect. I don’t blame creators for picking out the genres that they enjoy or indeed what they know is more likely to sell – autobiography, superheroes, horror. Many of these are great comics, occasionally fantastic comics, but it can make it … Continue reading Look and Learn
Slang Pictorial by Nick Prolix Nick Prolix has had a busy lockdown. Busy performing the heroic work of drawing each of the NHS and care workers who lost their lives in the Covid-19 crisis. These were not simply acts of remembrance but also political calls to action over issues like the availability of PPE. Nick also has a great sideline in commissions and sketches, which … Continue reading Coffee Bar Magi
The Writings and Ramblings of Ben Herman
This is a blog dedicated to what I have been lucky enough to find out about comics. I might add in some other geeky goodness, but it's mainly about the comics.
Comics with a British focus
Interviews with big name comic book creators brought to you by the Official Lakes International Comic Art Festival Podcast.
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Comic Writer
Feeding the habit one issue at a time
Comics with a British focus
Daredevils and Warriors 