Buy Bryan Talbot original artwork

Buy Bryan Talbot original artwork

This is the only place you can buy original Bryan Talbot artwork - except from Bryan in person at a convention.


The Legend of Luther Arkwright

The Legend of Luther Arkwright collates all details about Bryan's latest graphic novel.

The Legend of Luther Arkwright page collates all details about Bryan's latest graphic novel.


Heart of Empire - Directors Cut

Buy the Heart of Empire Directors Cut

 

This labour of love from Bryan and myself contains every single page of Heart of Empire in pencil, ink and final full colour format - as well as over 60,000 words of annotation, commentary and explanation from Bryan... - as well as the whole of the Adventures of Luther Arkwright!

 

 

Or see the Heart of Empire Directors Cut page for more details.


Join us on
social media

Follow the Bryan Talbot fanpage on FacebookJoin the Facebook group for Bryan Talbot fans for lots of discussions and special offers announced on Facebook first.

 

Follow the Bryan Talbot fanpage on TwitterThe Bryan Talbot fanpage is also on Twitter - so give us a follow and join in the conversation!

 

Bryan Talbot fanpage on InstagramWe are also on Instagram: give us a like and a follow.

 

The Bryan Talbot fanpage on RedditWe've also just launched a Bryan Talbot fanpage subreddit.

 


Bryan Talbot t-shirts


Also see the Bryan Talbot t-shirt shop! - we've got a vast array of Bryan's images on lots of different t-shirts, as well as other items like mugs and fine art prints: - but if there's anything else you'd like just let us know on Twitter or at the Facebook group.


The Grandville Annotations

The annotations for Grandville Force Majeure by Bryan Talbot

Bryan and myself have created a series of annotations for the Grandville graphic novel series, explaining references and homages to other works, how the pages are drawn, inked, coloured and put together.

All of the annotations are now complete and online for:

- Grandville

- Grandville Mon Amour

- Grandville Bête Noire

- Grandville Noël

- Grandville Force Majeure



This is the new version of the Bryan Talbot fanpage
But the whole of the original Bryan Talbot fanpage is still online.


News archive

This page is an archive of news about Bryan and his work. Stuff gets moved here from whatever page it was on when it gets out of date. I know that the concept of an "old news" page is a little perverse - but a lot of people have asked me to keep this info around somewhere so they can see what has happened and when.

Friday 25 December 2020 update:

Axe-murderer Santa!

Nothing says merry Christmas like an axe-murderer Santa!

Nothing says merry Christmas like an axe-murderer Santa!


Wednesday 9 December 2020 update:

Dramatising the Real

In a pair of interviews looking at comic creators who dramatise real life events, Alex Fitch talks to Bryan and Mary Talbot about their graphic novels Sally Heathcote: Suffragette and The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia on French revolutionary Louise Michel in a Q and A recorded at Graphic Brighton, and to David Ziggy Greene about his fortnightly strip in Private Eye – Scene and Heard.

Mary and Bryan's section starts about 56 minutes in.


Wednesday 2 December 2020 update:

The Dark Horse Grandville Integral

The Dark Horse cover to Grandville Integral

As stated below, the Dark Horse edition will have a different cover to match with their Arkwright Integral edition. The Jonathan Cape one will match with the cover of The Legend of Luther Arkwright, to be published later in the year.


Sunday 15 November 2020 update:

Announcing Grandville: L'Intégrale!

In a world exclusive, we are proud to announce Grandville: L'Intégrale!

Beware the Badger! The acclaimed steampunk series from graphic-novel pioneer Bryan Talbot explores an alternate art-nouveau world populated by intelligent animals, a human underclass, and wondrous technology. Within this rich fantastical milieu, the relentless Detective-Inspector LeBrock of Scotland Yard pursues shadowy death squads, psychotic killers, dark political conspiracies, ruthless crime lords, and bloodthirsty cults through the streets of London and the center of the greatest empire on earth, the Belle Epoque Paris known as Grandville. Grandville L'Intégrale collects all five Grandville novels in one deluxe hardcover volume accompanied by voluminous author notes never before in print.

"In the figure of Detective Inspector LeBrock Talbot has given us a hero who is part-James Bond, part-Sherlock Holmes and part-Dirty Harry – yet all badger. Corruption is rife, gangland violence threatens to explode at any point, the master criminals are deliciously evil, the femmes properly fatale."
From the introduction by Ian Rankin.

To be published June 2021 by Jonathan Cape in the UK and Dark Horse Books in the USA. This is the Cape cover. The American edition (Grandville Integral) will have a different one, designed to match with their Arkwright Integral.


Sunday 11 October 2020 update:

Mary and Bryan at the Festival de la Bande Dessinée de Bassillac et Auberoche

Mary and Bryan at the Festival de la Bande Dessinée de Bassillac et Auberoche

See Mary's account of their trip to the Festival de la Bande Dessinée de Bassillac et Auberoche to launch the French version of the Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia.


Saturday 10 October 2020 update:

In the Studio with Bryan and Mary Talbot

Enter the studio of Mary and Bryan Talbot.  

In this specially commissioned film for the Durham Book Festival, Mary and Bryan talk about their collaborative process and show us where and how they work. 


Saturday 10 October 2020 update:

Bryan Talbot and the locations of One Bad Rat

The Lake District is Bryan’s favourite place, and he spent his childhood exploring it. Many years later he used some of his most personally significant spots as locations for his harrowing graphic novel about the effects of child abuse, The Tale of One Bad Rat.

This film was put together by the Lakes International Comics Festival.

Also see our own page where I visited some of the locations in The Tale of One Bad Rat and took photos to compare them to Bryan's drawings.


Saturday 19 September 2020 update:

In the Studio with Bryan and Mary Talbot

In the Studio with Bryan and Mary Talbot: On Friday 16 October, at 12.30pm - 1pm the Durham Book Festival Online has a specially commissioned film with Mary and Bryan, where they talk about their collaborative process and show us their studio where they work.

On Friday 16 October, at 12.30pm - 1pm the Durham Book Festival Online has a specially commissioned film with Mary and Bryan, where they talk about their collaborative process and show us their studio where they work.

Full details of the event and book your place at the Durham Book Festival site.


Monday 14 September 2020 update:

The Talbots in France

Bryan and Mary are guests of the Festival de la Bande dessinée de Bassillac et Auberoche, 9 to 11 October 2020.

There will be an exhibition of artwork from The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia. The French edition, (Louise Michel, La Vierge Rouge) is being republished to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Paris Commune.

Salle des Sports et Centre Socioculturel, 24330 Bassillac, à proximité de Périgueux, Coord. GPS : 45.2005 , 0.78573 - more details on the Festival de la Bande dessinée de Bassillac et Auberoche site.


Monday 31 August 2020 update:

The first complete panel from the Legend of Luther Arkwright to be released!

The final, completed version of The Legend of Luther Arkwright page 66, panel 1, by Bryan Talbot

Once again it gives me intense pleasure to have the honour of publishing - the first ever completed panel from the Legend of Luther Arkwright to be released by Bryan!

This is page 66, panel 1. Bryan tells me that he has inked about 50 pages already.


Saturday 8 August 2020 update:

New original artwork pages available to buy

Buy original Bryan Talbot comic artwork

We've updated our range of original Bryan Talbot comic artwork available to buy: there's a huge range of pages from almost all of Bryan's career.

Nothing better as a gift for a Talbot fan! - even if that fan is yourself!


Wednesday 8 July 2020 update:

Bryan is interviewed on the 2000ad thrill-cast!

Bryan has done a lot of work for the amazing 2000 AD - all the way back to Nemesis the Warlock - and they take the chance today to interview him. Also covered is pretty much the whole of Bryan's career - Alice in Sunderland, Luther Arkwright and Heart of Empire, Grandville and the Tale of One Bad Rat are all discussed in some detail.

It's always good to see an interview where the interviewer is so knowledgable about the subject matter - and also obviously a huge fan!

Watch the video above, or download it on Soundcloud at the 2000 AD thrill-cast site.


Wednesday 10 June 2020 update:

All 230 pages of the new Arkwright book are now pencilled!

Pencils version of page 128 of the new Luther Arkwright graphic novel by Bryan Talbot

This is the kind of news that fanpage webmasters live for! This is page 128 for your viewing pleasure.

More info just in from Bryan:


Sunday 9 May 2020 update:

You asked for - and you've got it! - the complete Frank Fazakerly comic to download for free!

The cover to Frank Fazakerly by Bryan Talbot

Download Frank Fazakerly as a CBR, or as a PDF, or go to the Frank Fazarkely homepage.


Tuesday 5 May 2020 update:

Help Lovern Kindzierski continue working!

Whether you know Lovern's name or not, if you're a fan of graphic novels and comics you have been impacted by his work.

Lovern is a veteran comics colourist. He's coloured many American comics for over 30 years, by many artists, including work by Bryan for DC Comics. Just last week, Lovern coloured a one-page strip drawn by Bryan for a charity comic to benefit comic retailers struggling with the present situation.

Unfortunately, any career in the arts has the tendency to become unstable and over the years the fluctuations have now left Lovern in a state where he must declare bankruptcy.

While this will help him in some areas, it will be detrimental in many others, the most important being his ability to finance a new computer so he can continue working.

At this time his computer which he's had for the last 11 years is on its last legs, and past repairs, making it difficult for him to manage his day-to-day workload. It is just a matter of time before he cannot work at all.

Lovern's daughter Holly (his other daughter, Jesse did the majority of the colour flats for the Grandville series) has started a Gofundme page to help Lovern get a new computer. If you can donate anything, even $5, it will be very gratefully received!


Saturday 11 April 2020 update:

Jabberwocky read by David Bailie


Veteran Actor David Bailie (Doctor Who, Blake's 7, Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean etc) has just posted a video on YouTube narrating Lewis Carroll's famous nonsense poem, completely illustrated by frames from Bryan's comic strip adaptation, as seen in Alice in Sunderland and also in our free comics compilation - with permission from Bryan, of course!


Sunday 15 March 2020 update:

Announcing the Bryan Talbot free comics compilation!

As a little pick-me-up during the coronavirus lockdown, I asked Bryan if it would be OK to put together a downloadable version of all of the free comics I've published on the site over the years.

Bryan replied with "of course" - and promptly began sending over even more comics for me to include!

So, with the compliments of Bryan and myself, please feel free to download the Bryan Talbot free comics compilation - CBR version or the Bryan Talbot free comics compilation PDF version!

Inside is: (all comics written and drawn by Bryan unless otherwise stated)

  • Hasan-i-SabbahHasan-i-SabbahHasan i Sabah - coloured by Jim Stewart
  • Jabberwocky
  • Henry V's Speech before Harfleur
  • What is Corruption?
  • An Open Letter to a Comics Virgin
  • The Cannabis Conspiracy - written by Doug Moench and coloured by Jamie Grant
  • Brainworms - written by Matthias Schultheiss
  • Cold Snap - written by Alan Moore
  • Komix Comics
  • For a Few Gallons More - featuring Ogoth and Ugly Boot from the Ogoth the Barbarian strips, written by Mick Farren and drawn by Chris Welch
  • The Papist Affair
  • An Honest Answer - written by Neil Gaiman and lettered by Sonja Curtis
  • From Homogenous to Honey - written by Neil Gaiman, inks by Mark Buckingham and lettering by Steve Craddock.
  • Sloth - written by Neil Gaiman
  • The History of British Comics
  • Nick Cave - written by Nick Cave
  • The Fire Opal of Set

And the only downside to this is that now I will have to upload all of these comics to the site too! - I will work on that during the lockdown - but in the meantime, Bryan and I hope that these comics will help out with the cabin fever during your lockdown.

Stay safe everyone, and see you all at the comicshop when this is all over.


Sunday 15 March 2020 update:

Luther Arkwright Progress Report

Page 153 of the Legend of Luther Arkwright by Bryan Talbot

Bryan's pencils for The Legend of Luther Arkwright (working title) have now reached just over 150 pages, so we thought it time to post another teaser image. Here's a frame from page 153.

Only 70 more pages to pencil - then the inks!


Monday 2 March 2020 update:

The Return of Slow Death!

Just in time for the 50th anniversary of the legendary underground comix horror title, Last Gasp will be releasing SLOW DEATH ZERO, a trade paperback collection of ALL-NEW stories featuring an amazing array of comic book creators.

Among the contributors are old school Slow Death alumni William Stout (who contributes the lead story and cover art), Bryan Talbot, Tim Boxell, and ol' Gore himself, Richard Corben! Plus Rick Veitch, Hunt Emerson, Peter Bagge, Drew Friedman, Savage Pencil, Rick Altergott, Carel Moisewitch, Bob Fingerman, Danny Hellman, Mike Diana, and many more all share tales about the unfolding climate change cataclysm that's ruining our planet!!!

128 pages, edited by Jon B. Cooke and Ron Turner, price to be determined, and it will be available this summer. More details to come!


Saturday 8 February 2020 update:

Interview with Bryan about his illustrations for the German roleplaying game "The Dark Eye"

The favorite The Dark Eye illustration of both Bryan Talbot and of Ulisses editor in chief Nikolai Hoch (source: Ulisses)

In 1982, Bryan produced over 100 illustrations for a set of fantasy RPG books, "Das Schwarze Auge", or in English "The Dark Eye", published in Germany by Schmidt Spiele. Just recently a German blogger called Kai Frerich got in touch and asked to interview Bryan.

The resulting blog post is outstanding, and covers in depth an area of Bryan's work that's until now not been widely known.

See Kai Frerich's interview with Bryan on the Dark Eye in English, or in German.


Monday 20 January 2020 update:

Bryan Talbot's Luther Arkwright

For the first time, The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and Heart of Empire will be available as a trade paperback. Out in June, the book will cost £35.99, substantially cheaper than the deluxe hardback Arkwright Integral, at around £50 - £90, depending on the seller, though most places are now out of stock.

For the first time, The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and Heart of Empire will be available as a trade paperback. Out in June, the book will cost £35.99, substantially cheaper than the deluxe hardback Arkwright Integral, at around £50 - £90, depending on the seller, though most places are now out of stock.

For the first time, The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and Heart of Empire will be available as a trade paperback. Out in June, the book will cost £35.99, substantially cheaper than the deluxe hardback Arkwright Integral, at around £50 - £90, depending on the seller, though most places are now out of stock.

Pre-order it on Amazon now.


 


Saturday 28 December 2019 update:

Das Schwarze Auge

Das Schwarze Auge

In 1982, Bryan produced over 100 illustrations for a set of fantasy RPG books, "Das Schwarze Auge", published in Germany by Schmidt Spiele. Bryan was never returned the original art for these books, which have been out of print now for many decades. This week, a German fan, Carsten Sakowski, informed Bryan of the existence of this website.

It's a short article on these illustrations and there are around 30 examples on display. Enjoy!


Sunday 22 December 2019 update:

Visit to Prague

Just discovered this short video of the talk given by Bryan in Prague this September and the mammoth 6-hour signing session (without a single break!) that followed.

Also see this piece on Bryan on their TV news.

While in the Czech Republic, Bryan was a guest of the legendary filmmaker and animator Jan Svankmajer.

While in the Czech Republic, Bryan was a guest of the legendary filmmaker and animator Jan Svankmajer.

Mr Svankmajer was presented with a copy of the Czech edition of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright by publisher Vaclav Dort.

Bryan and Mary were given a personal guided tour of his private museum, containing a huge collection of fetiches, alchemical material and his sculptures. A mind-blowing experience. Bryan took hundreds of photos!

Bryan, Jan Svankmajer, Mary and Vaclav Dort.


Saturday 7 December 2019 update:

World exclusive! - the first ever pencils from the Legend of Luther Arkwright!

Page 3 of pencils from the Legend of Luther Arkwright

Oh you would NOT BELIEVE how good it makes me feel to be able to post the first ever pencils from the forthcoming The Legend of Luther Arkwright!

Luther is the first ever comic of Bryan's I found - the legendary issue of Imagine magazine with the Traveller scenario in it - and I was instantle hooked. To be given the honour of showing to the world the first ever image from Luthers latest adventures is off-the-scale fanboy heaven!

Anyway: back to work: Bryan asked me to also quote him saying: "I apologise for the ropey pencils, but I'm pencilling the pages quite fast and they'll improve immeasurably with the inks.


Saturday 7 December 2019 update:

Bryan's Dr Who image for sale in charity auction for People First

People First Merseyside is a regional self-advocacy charity which is run by and for adults with learning disabilities. Their work helps improve confidence and self-esteem, reduce social isolation, improve psychological well-being and gives people more choice and control over their lives.

They are currently holding a charity comic art auction including a brilliant Doctor Who piece of original art on a blank sketch cover by Bryan Talbot!

There are also lots of other pieces of original art on offer - 100% of all winning bids will go to People First Merseyside to help them continue supporting adults with learning disabilities to speak out, be respected and live active, healthy and happy lives!


Monday 2 December 2019 update:

Arkwright update

Bryan has pencilled the first 77 pages of the 224 pages of the new Luther Arkwright graphic novel. The working title is "The Legend of Luther Arkwright" but that may change. The script was completed in May.


Saturday 23 November 2019 update:

RAIN featured in the Journal of the Landscape Institute

RAIN featured in the Journal of the Landscape Institute

Rain by Mary and Bryan Talbot has been featured in Landscape - a professional journal for landscape architects - in its latest issue devoted to the Climate and Biodiversity Emergency.

See the full details over on Mary's site.


Sunday 3 November 2019 update:

Another excellent review of Rain from Down the Tubes

Rain by Mary and Bryan Talbot

"It’s no easy task to deliver such a powerful graphic novel, outlining at the same time some of the environmental issues which face our planet – issues which the authors note were first raised over two hundred years ago."

Full review at the Down the Tubes site.


Sunday 3 November 2019 update:

Mary and Bryan signing copies of Rain and giving a presentation in Newcastle City Library Saturday, 23 November 2:00pm

Mary and Bryan signing copies of Rain in Newcastle City Library Saturday, 23 November 2:00pm

On Saturday 23 November Mary and Bryan will be giving a presentation on their new graphic novel RAIN and signing copies at the City Library at 2:00pm as part of The Newcastle Book Festival: £3 entrance.

Full details at the Books on Tyne site.


Friday 1 November 2019 update:

Mary and Bryan will be signing copies of Rain in Newcastle Forbidden Planet tomorrow!

Rain by Mary and Bryan Talbot

Signing is from 1 to 2 tomorrow: full details over at the Forbidden Planet site.


Monday 28 October 2019 update:

Forbidden Planet Newcastle has an exhibition of artwork from Rain

Forbidden Panet Newcastle is displaying pages of artwork from Mary and Bryan's new graphic novel Rain: visit them in person, or read more on their site.

They are also hosting a signing of Rain:

Saturday 2nd November 1 - 2pm - Forbidden Planet Megastore, 49, Grainger Street, Newcastle, NE1 5JE


Sunday 20 October 2019 update:

The reviews for Rain keep coming in - and they are glowing!

James Smart at The Guardian: "Passionately political, this tale of a budding relationship between two women set against the 2015 floods in the north of England is an inspiring cry of protest "


Monday 14 October 2019 update:

Videos from the launch of Rain at the Lakes International Comic Festival

Mary and Bryan launched Rain at the Lakes International Comics Festival on Saturday October 12, and I was there to take some videos of their introduction to their latest graphic novel:


Friday 6 October 2019 update:

Rain is launched on Saturday!

Rain by Mary and Bryan Talbot


Sunday 29 September 2019 update:

Launch events for Rain -the next graphic novel by Mary and Bryan Talbot


Friday 20 September 2019 update:

Preview of Rain the next graphic novel by Mary and Bryan Talbot

Rain by Mary and Bryan Talbot

Mary has just published a preview taster of hers and Bryan's next graphic novel: Rain. Check it out at Mary Talbot's official site.


Sunday 8 September 2019 update:

Don't forget - Bryan will be in Prague - 14 September 2019

On the 14th September, Bryan will be giving the presentation "Grandville and the Anthropomorphic Tradition", followed by a Q & A, then a signing at The Municipal Library of Prague, (Městská knihovna) Mariánské náměstí 1110 00 Praha 1- Staré Město.


Sunday 1 September 2019 update:

When the Rain Comes: announcing the official launch of Bryan and Mary Talbot's new graphic novel

Rain by Mary and Bryan Talbot

RAIN, the 4th graphic novel from Bryan and Mary Talbot will be officially launched at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival at 12.30 in the council Chamber of Kendal Town Hall ("The Comic Clocktower") on Saturday 12th October with a presentation on the book, followed by a signing in the Page 45 room.

Set against the backdrop of disastrous flooding in the North of England, Rain dramatically chronicles the developing relationship between two young women, one of whom is a committed environmental campaigner. Their wild Brontë moorland is being criminally mismanaged. Birds and animals are being slaughtered. Across the country, crops are being systematically poisoned, even the soil itself.

Rain is a complete departure from Bryan and Mary Talbot's previous biographical and historical collaborations. It deals instead with the here and now of environmental degradation that threatens us all. The characters are fictitious: what's happening around them is shockingly real.

Book tickets at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival official site.

Hebden Bridge launch of Rain

The launch event for Rain by Mary and Bryan Talbot at Hebden Bridge Town Hall. Saturday 19 October


RAIN is set in a fictional version of Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, and the following Saturday October 19 at 7:00pm, there's a special launch event there for the book, a presentation at the Town Hall, followed by a signing.

More signings to be announced, so watch this space!


Wednesday 21 August 2019 update:

Announcing - the Legend of Luther Arkwright

In a literal global exclusive, Bryan has published the press release about his new graphic novel, the Legend of Luther Arkwright here first:

PRESS RELEASE
22nd  August 2019

THE LEGEND OF LUTHER ARKWRIGHT – a milestone in British comics history

To be published by Jonathan Cape in the U.K. and Dark Horse Books in the U.S.A., author/artist Bryan Talbot has completed the script for the third Luther Arkwright book and started drawing it. It is scheduled to be published in 2022.

The first, The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, is considered by many to be the first British graphic novel. First serialised in the adult SF comic Near Myths from October 1978, the same month that A Contract with God by Will Eisner, considered to be the first U.S. graphic novel, was published. The first collected volume appeared in 1982.

Praised by many writers and artists, such as Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Jean Giroud (Moebius), Michael Moorcock and Iain Banks, the ground-breaking, experimental adult SF story was a seminal work and inspired and influenced many comic creators including Garth Ennis, Rick Veitch and Warren Ellis, winning four Eagle Awards and the Society of Strip Illustration Award for Best Graphic Novel. The subject of role-playing games and a 3-hour audio drama in 2004, featuring David Tennant as Luther Arkwright, it is frequently cited as an all-time favourite graphic novel by its readers. The second Arkwright graphic novel, Heart Of Empire, was published in 2001. Both books have been in continual print since they were first published.

Like the first two books, The Legend of Luther Arkwright, to be released nearly 20 years after the last one, contains a strong anti-fascist theme. The first book, appearing against the background of the rise of the British extreme right, with the coming-to-power of the Thatcher Government and the National Front marching on the streets, was a forerunner of V for Vendetta. At the time, Talbot was doing voluntary illustrative work for his local Anti-Nazi League Group. Now, with the extreme right on the rise again, all over the world, the timing of the book is especially pertinent.

Heart of Empire was not just a repetition of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, but a different kind of adventure, told in a different style. The Legend of Luther Arkwright, another stand-alone story, continues this tradition, while still maintaining continuity with the Arkwright mythos.

The Legend of Luther Arkwright, a 220-page hardback black and white graphic novel, is set 51 years after the events of Heart of Empire and takes place on several very different parallel worlds, though Arkwright, being a homo novus, looks not a day older.

Incidentally, the previous two books, currently available as a lavish 550-page hardback Arkwright Integral version from Dark Horse, will be republished next year in a trade paperback omnibus edition, minus all the extra material contained in the Integral.

Download this press release as a PDF, and follow the Bryan Talbot fanpage on Twitter and Facebook.

 


Friday 16 August 2019 update:

Bryan in Prague - 14 September 2019

On the 14th September, Bryan will be giving the presentation "Grandville and the Anthropomorphic Tradition", followed by a Q & A, then a signing at The Municipal Library of Prague, (Městská knihovna) Mariánské náměstí 1110 00 Praha 1- Staré Město.


Saturday 11 August 2019 update:

Mary and Bryan Talbot's schedule for the forthcoming SF Worldcon in Dublin: 15-19th August 2019

77th World Science Fiction Convention
Dublin Convention Centre

Friday 16th
20.00 Worldcon Philharmonic Concert
Dotter of her Father's Eyes, 3 movements
Part of the Worldcon Philharmonic Concert (Gary Lloyd commission)
Auditorium (Convention Centre Dublin)

Saturday 17th
12.00 Grandville and the Anthropomorphic Tradition
ECOCEM Room (Convention Centre Dublin)
Presenter: Bryan Talbot

15.30 Signature Style
Panel discussion with Kaja Folio, Sultana Raza, Pat Robinson and Bryan Talbot
Odeon 1 (Point Square Dublin)

Sunday 18th
16.30 Politics in Art and Art in Politics
Panel discussion with Jim Fitzpatrick, Siobhan Murphy, Dominic Riemenschneider and Mary Talbot
Odeon 3 (Point Square Dublin)

Monday 19th
13.00 Familiarity Breeds…Comics
Panel discussion with Declan Shalvey and Bryan Talbot
Liffey Room-2 (Convention Centre Dublin)

14.00 When the Rain Comes
Preview of Rain by Bryan and Mary Talbot
Liffey Room-2 (Convention Centre Dublin)

For more details see the Dublin Worldcon site. If any fellow fans video any of these events, please feel free to send me the link and I will post them here.


Saturday 20 July 2019 update:

Bryan and Mary to be guests at SF Worldcon Dublin 2019

Worldcon 2019

Bryan and Mary will be guests at the 77th World Science Fiction Convention August 15 - 19 at the Convention Centre, Dublin.

Among other things, a few excerpts will be performed of composer Gary Lloyd's and choreographer Bettina Carpi's work-in-progess, an opera with modern dance based on Dotter of Her Father's Eyes, with lyrics by Mary Talbot.


Sunday 30 June 2019 update:

The Talbots in Oslo

Mary has posted some photos of their recent presentation at The Bloomsday celebrations in Oslo on her website.


Sunday 9 June 2019 update:

Bryan and Mary will be at the Oslo Bloomsday celebrations - Sunday 16 June

Oslo Bloomsday Celebrations 2019

They will be attending the Bloomsday celebrations on the evening of 16th June. James Joyce's Ulysses is set on a single day: 16th June 1904 (the date Joyce met the love of his life, Nora Barnacle).

Every year, it's the day the reknowned Irish writer is remembered worldwide. Bryan and Mary will be giving a presentation of their Joycean-themed graphic novel Dotter of her Father's Eyes. At The Nordic Black Theatre, Hollendergata, 8, Oslo.

The day before they're doing another talk and a signing about the four books they've worked on together at the Outland bookstore, Kirkegata 23,0153 Oslo.

Nordic Black Theatre & Cafeteatret Hollendergata 8, Oslo
Sunday 16th June 2019 at 18.00
Entrance fee: Adult 200 kr. – Students 150 kr.
Tickets available at the Nordic Black Theatre site.
Tickets also available on the door – cash or VIPS only


Sunday 26 May 2019 update:

Bryan and Mary are guests this coming weekend at the Comics Salopia International Comics Festival

Bryan and Mary are guests this coming weekend at the Comics Salopia International Comics Festival.

Bryan and Mary are guests this coming weekend at the Comics Salopia International Comics Festival. They will be giving their presentation of "The Power of the Graphic Novel" together on Saturday 10.00 – 11.00 at The Guildhall, Room 019.

Tickets are on sale now at £5 each.


Sunday 19 May 2019 update:

The Fire Opal of Set

The Fire Opal of Set

This is it: literally the exact moment I first became aware of Bryan and his work!

The Fire Opal of Set is a scenario for the Traveller RPG system, based on the adventures of Luther Arkwright. It has a 2 page mini-strip to introduce the scenario - and it is something I have wanted to repost to the site in better quality for over 20 years!


Sunday 12 May 2019 update:

Rain from Bryan and Mary Talbot - published October 2019

Set against the backdrop of disastrous flooding in the North of England, Rain dramatically chronicles the developing relationship between two young women, one of whom is a committed environmental campaigner. The local wild Brontë moorland is being criminally mismanaged. Birds and animals are being slaughtered. Across the country, crops are being systematically poisoned, even the soil itself. Rain centres on one relatively small example of moorland ownership by an elite group that impacts catastrophically on the unlanded majority living in the valley below.

Rain is a complete departure from Bryan and Mary Talbot's previous biographical and historical collaborations. It deals instead with the here and now of environmental degradation that threatens us all. The characters are fictitious: what's happening around them is shockingly real.

Published October 2019 Jonathan Cape U.K., Dark Horse U.S.A.


Sunday 28 April 2019 update:

The Grandville programme guide is now available!

The Grandville programme guide is now available!

Set in an alternate history of anthropomorphic animals and steampunk automata, Grandville follows the adventures of Detective Inspector Archibald "Archie" LeBrock of Scotland Yard!

This 7TV second edition programme guide contains profiles and episodes so you can fight as the furry-faced heroes and villains of Bryan Talbot's acclaimed graphic novel series.

This 80 page hardback book contains:

  • An exhaustive Grandville timeline dating back to the Great Flood and ending with the events of Force Majeure.
  • New Gadgets: a whole new deck of Grandville gadgets from brolly swords to exploding pipes with which to outfit your heroes and villains.
  • New Countdown Cards: To give episodes that uniquely Grandville atmosphere, this programme guide includes a new deck of countdown cards to evoke the elegant, deadly, action-packed drama of the graphic novels.
  • New Episodes: New generic episode The Rescue is detailed, as well as a series of original episodes set in the world of Grandville with quick-start casts and special rules already supplied.
  • New Profiles – 40 new profiles for LeBrock, Ratzi, Billie and 35 other individual profiles detailing their allies and enemies over two new genres. Plus a range of steam-driven vehicles.
  • New Injury rules

A copy of the 7TV rules are needed for play.

Available from Crooked Dice Game Design Studio.


Sunday 7 April 2019 update:

LeBrock fanart by Patrick Charell

Fan art of DI LeBrock by Patrick Charell.

A fan of Grandville, Patrick Charell has created this excellent fan art of DI LeBrock.


Wednesday 27 March 2019 update:

Grandville Miniatures

A range of 28mm miniatures from the pages of Bryan Talbot's acclaimed graphic novels is available at www.grandville-miniatures.co.uk

The long-awaited Grandville tabletop battle game is now at the printer and will soon be on sale. Using the popular 7TV ruleset from Crooked Dice Game Design Studio, the Grandville Programme Guide contains playable profiles for LeBrock, Ratzi, Billie and 35 other individual profiles detailing their allies and enemies.

Included is an exhaustive Grandville timeline dating back to the Great Flood and ending with the events of Force Majeure. There are also stats for steam-driven vehicles, gadgets as seen in the graphic novels and rules for characters that suffer injuries.

The programme guide contains seven playable scenarios (‘episodes’) set in both Paris and London. Some involve classic characters from the books, some introduce new characters like the Phantom of the Follies and the mercenary Gun Dogs. Plus snippets of never-before seen Grandville scripts, written by Helena Nash. All approved by Bryan Talbot.

The Grandville Programme Guide is an 80-page hardback book. Separate high-quality profile, gadget, injury and countdown cards will also be available.

See more about the new Grandville Game on the Grandville Miniatures site!


Sunday 17 March 2019 update:

We all knew this day would come eventually - the final Grandville Force Majeure annotations are now live

It seems fitting to sign off on the Grandville Annotations project with this image - "will we ever see his like again..." - as Roderick refers to Hawksmoor, but as I prefer to see it - referring to the appearance of the determined, brilliant, insightful Detective Inspector LeBrock.

We've been posting annotations for the Grandville series for a long time now, and I know how much of Bryan's time it has taken up... - but I know from fans reaction how much they have appreciated the insight into Bryan's creative process, and seeing the references, influences and hpstorical elements that have been incorporated into the magnificent series that is the Grandville books. Thank you to Bryan and thank you to all the fans who've read and appreciated the annotations

So, it is with a heavy heart, but a sense of a job well done, I present to you the final batch of Grandville Force Majeure annotations.

And - if you like the Grandville Annotations, you'll love the Heart of Empire Directors Cut!


Sunday 10 March 2019 update:

The latest Grandville Force Majeure annotations are now online

The latest Grandville Gorce Majeure annoations are now online, covering pages 120 to 145.

The latest Grandville Force Majeure annotations are now online, covering pages 120 to 145.


Sunday 3 March 2019 update:

This week's Grandville Force Majeure annotations are now live

The annotations for Grandville pages 103 to 116 are now live.


Saturday 2 March 2019 update:

Into the Unknown

Into the Unknown

The massive science Fiction exhibition that's been touring the world is about to be shipped to the Netherlands for a 3-month run at Kunsthall, Rotterdam.

One of the exhibits is this classic Nemesis the Warlock 2000AD cover by Bryan. The exhibition will open on the 16th March through to 30th June 2019.

Also check out the tour report (PDF) - some gorgeous images of the exhibition in there.


Tuesday 26 February 2019 update:

Supercontext does The Tale of One Bad Rat

Charlie Bennett and Christian Sager in an in-depth discussion about the award-winning graphic novel.


Sunday 24 February 2019 update:

The latest Grandville Force Majeure annotations are now live: pages 97 to 109

The latest Grandville Force Majeure annotations are now live: pages 97 to 109


Sunday 17 February 2019 update:

Latest Grandville Force Majeure annotations are now live: pages 97 to 109

Check out the latest addition to the Grandville Force Majeure annotations: pages 82 to 96 are now live.

Check out the latest addition to the Grandville Force Majeure annotations: pages 82 to 96 are now live.


Sunday 10 February 2019 update:

Latest Grandville Force Majeure annotations are now live: pages 78 to 81

I've just uploaded the latest Grandville Force Majeure annotations covering pages 78 to 81.

I've just uploaded the latest Grandville Force Majeure annotations covering pages 78 to 81.


Sunday 3 February 2019 update:

The annotations for pages 62 to 75 are now live.

The annotations for Grandville Force Majeure pages 62 to 75 are now live.


Sunday 27 January 2019 update:

No Grandville annotations today - Bryan is at Angoulême

Bryan is at the Angoulême comics festival this weekend - so there's no Grandville annotations updates: check back next Sunday for the next batch!


Sunday 20 January 2019 update:

Grandville Force Majeure annotations for pages 47 to 58 now online

The Grandville Force Majeure annotations for pages 47 to 58 are now online

The Grandville Force Majeure annotations for pages 47 to 58 are now online


Sunday 13 January 2019 update:

Grandville Force Majeure annotations for pages 41 to 44 now online

 

The Grandville Force Majeure annotations for pages 41 to 44 now online.


Sunday 6 January 2019 update:

Newest Grandville Force Majeure annotations now online

The newest Grandville Force Majeure annotations are now online.


Sunday 30 December 2018 update:

Latest batch of Grandville Force Majeure annotations now online

Check out the latest annotations for Grandville Force Majeure pages 29 to 30, and pages 31 to 33.

Animated trailer for the Turkish edition of Sally Heathcote: Suffragette

The publishers of the Turkish language edition of Sally Heathcote: Suffragette created this excellent animated trailer.


Monday 24 December 2018 update:

We are on our Christmas break

The next Grandville annotations will be posted on Sunday December 30: until then - hope everyone gets some graphic novels for Christmas!


Sunday 16 December 2018 update:

Grandville Force Majeure annotations pages 27 and 28 are now online

The annotations for Grandville Force Majeure pages 24 to 26 are now online


Sunday 9 December 2018 update:

Grandville Force Majeure annotations pages 24 to 26 are now online

The Grandville Force Majeure annotations for pages 24 to 26 are now online.

 


Sunday 2 December 2018 update:

The latest batch of Grandville Force Majeure annotations are now online

The latest batch of Grandville Force Majeure annotations are now online.


Saturday 24 November 2018 update:

The next batch of Grandville Force Majeure annotations are now online

The annotations for Grandville Force Majeure by Bryan Talbot

The next batch of Grandville Force Majeure annotations are now online.


Saturday 17 November 2018 update:

First batch of Grandville Force Majeure annotations now online!

Brandville Force Majeure by Bryan Talbot

The first annotations for Grandville Force Majeure just went live.


Sunday 11 November 2018 update:

RIP Stan.


Sunday 11 November 2018 update:

Final batch of Grandville Noël annotations now online

The final batch of annotations for Grandville Noël are now online!


Wednesday 7 November 2018 update:

Bryan and Mary Talbot in Sheffield

What can the graphic novel form bring to storytelling?

Costa award-winners Bryan and Mary Talbot talk about the books they've done together and what the graphic novel form brings to their storytelling. Talking about their collaborative work to date, they demonstrate the power of the graphic novel to communicate complex material in an accessible way.

Emotionally charged biographical details, tangled historical events or the contemporary challenges of climate change – whatever the subject, the graphic novel's unique combination of word and image can render it compelling.

Free entry! - 28th November, 6.00-7.30 Norfolk Building, Room 210, City Campus, Sheffield Hallam University, Howard Street, Sheffield, S1 1WB


Sunday 4 November 2018 update:

Latest Grandville Noël annotations now published

The latest Grandville Noël annotations have now been published.


Thursday 1 November 2018 update:

The Nazz collected edition - coming soon from It's Alive...


Sunday 14 October 2018 update:

New Grandville Noël annotations now published

The latest batch of Grandville Noël annotations are now online, covering pages 26 to 42.


Sunday 14 October 2018 update:

Latest batch of Grandville Noël annotations

We've just published the latest batch of Grandville Noël annotations, covering pages 21 to 25.


Sunday 14 October 2018 update:

Batch 2 of the Grandville Noël annotations

We've just published batch 2 of the Grandville Noël annotations - but Bryan asked me to say "why are you reading this when you could be at the Lakes International Comics Festival instead?"


Sunday 7 October 2018 update:

Grandville Noël annotations

Grandville Noël annotations by Bryan Talbot are now online

Now we have completed all of the annotations for Grandville, Grandville Mon Amour and Grandville Bete Noire, it is time to move onto Grandville Noël: the first batch of annotations are now online covering pages 1 to 12.


Tuesday 2 October 2018 update:

Meet the authors event at Holmfirth library

Bryan and Mary will both be appearing at Holmfirth library on Sunday 21 October at 2:00pm: it's a free event - you just need to book.


Monday 1 October 2018 update:

Graphic Novels with Bryan and Mary Talbot

Bryan and Mary talk about the power of the graphic novel, at Tate Liverpool, Saturday October 20 2018.

Bryan and Mary talk about the power of the graphic novel, at Tate Liverpool, Saturday October 20 2018.

Full booking info on the Liverpool Uni site.


Sunday 30 September 2018 update:

Final batch of Grandvile Bête Noire annotations

The final batch of Grandvile Bête Noire annotations are now online, covering pages 66 to the end.


Sunday 23 September 2018 update:

Grandvile Bête Noire annotations covering pages 60 to 65 now online

The latest pages in the Grandville Annotations series have just been posted, covering Grandvile Bête Noire pages 60 to 65.

The latest pages in the Grandville Annotations series have just been posted, covering Grandvile Bête Noire pages 60 to 65.


Saturday 22 September 2018 update:

Grandvile Bête Noire annotations covering pages 42 to 55 now online

Grandvile Bête Noire annotations covering pages 42 to 55 now online

We've just uploaded the Grandvile Bête Noire annotations covering pages 42 to 55.


Saturday 15 September 2018 update:

Forthcoming events Bryan and Mary are attending

Bryan Talbot, writer and artist of comics, graphic novels and illustrations

Morecambe and Vice: Morecambe Crime Writing Festival - 29th September 2018

Bryan will be on a panel alongside Sean Phillips, Stephen Gallagher and Paul Gravett.

Morecambe Winter Gardens, 209, Marine Road West, Morecambe, LA4 4BU
Weekend ticket £40/Day ticket £25/Individual panel tickets £5


Salon du Livre, Albert, France - 6th & 7th October 2018

Alongside other contributors, Mary and Bryan will be promoting the Traces of the Great War anthology, a joint publication with LICAF and the Amiens BD Festival

Free entry.


The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, Kendal, Cumbria - 12 - 143 October

Lakes International Comics Festival weekend passes are £35 / £25, and Saturday passes are £22 / £17.


Graphic novels with Bryan and Mary Talbot, Liverpool Literature Festival 20th October 2018 - 11:30

Tate Liverpool (4th Floor Auditorium), Liverpool L3 4BB, tickets £6 and £4.


Graphic novels at the library: Meeting Bryan and Dr Mary Talbot, Holmfirth Library, 21st October 2018 - 2pm

Holmfirth Library, 47 Huddersfield Road, Holmfirth HD9 3JH.

Free event.


Sunday 9 September 2018 update:

Latest Grandvile Bête Noire annotations published covering pages 28 to 40

Latest Grandvile Bête annotations published covering pages 28 to 40

Today we're publishing the latest Grandvile Bête annotations which cover pages 28 to 40.


Sunday 2 September 2018 update:

Grandville Bête Noire annotations published today covering pages 21 to 26

We've just published the Grandville Bête Noire annotations covering pages 21 to 26: enjoy!


Sunday 26 August 2018 update:

The second batch of annotations for Grandville Bête Noire are now live

The second batch of annotations for Grandville Bête Noire are now live - and this week's update has the amazing sequence above where Bryan explains the fantastic amount of work that goes into each page of his graphic novels.


Sunday 19 August 2018 update:

The first annotations for Grandville Bête Noire are now live

The first annotations for Grandville Bête Noire are now live.


Sunday 12 August 2018 update:

Final batch of Grandville Mon Amour annotations now live

The final batch of annotations for Grandville Mon Amour are now live.


Sunday 5 August 2018 update:

The third batch of Grandville Mon Amour annotations are live

The third batch of Grandville Mon Amour annotations are now live.


Sunday 29 July 2018 update:

The second batch of Grandville Mon Amour annotations are now live

The second batch Grandville Mon Amour annotations are now live

The second batch of Grandville Mon Amour annotations are now live!


Sunday 22 July 2018 update:

The first Grandville Mon Amour annotations are now live

The first batch of annotations for Grandville Mon Amour are now live

Last Sunday we published the final batch of Grandville annotations... - and so that means that this is the first week of the Grandville Mon Amour annotations!


Tuesday 17 July 2018 update:

Interview with Bryan in The Scrawl

Scrawl

The literary magazine has just posted a new interview with Bryan by Remy Dean.


Monday July 16th 2018 update:

The Lakes International Comics Festival has published their full program!

Bryan is a founding patron of the Lakes International Comics Festivcal - and they have just published their fulll program for this year: including a sneak preview of Bryan and Mary's next collaboration!


Saturday July 14th 2018 update:

The final annotations for Grandville

The final set of annotations has now been published for Grandville.


Wednesday 11th July 2018 update:

A tribute to Steve Ditko

After hearing the sad news about Steve Ditko, Bryan asked me to post this private commission from 2008 as a tribute.

After hearing the sad news about Steve Ditko, Bryan asked me to post this private commission from 2008 as a tribute.


Sunday 8th July 2018 update:

How much are signed books worth?

The different sketches Bryan drew in each of the Grandville books

BBC reporter Duncan Leatherdale has written an article on the subject, inspired by the impending auction of signed Harry Potter books. It includes quotes from Bryan and Mary and photos of him and sketches he has done in the Grandville books.


Sunday 8th July 2018 update:

Page three of the Grandville Annotations is now live!

The painting is, of course, adapted from Eugène Delacroix's famous Liberty Leading the People (1831). It commemorates the July Revolution of 1830, which toppled Charles X of France. It's housed in the Louvre. I portray Liberty/Marianne as a chicken again. I portray Liberty/Marianne as a chicken again.

The third installment of the Grandville Annotation is now live - covering pages 41 to 60.


Sunday 1st July 2018 update:

Please vote for the HOAX project!

Ravi Thornton says: "The HOAX Project is based on a poem written by my younger brother Rob, who lived with the mental health condition, schizophrenia. After Rob took his own life aged 31, I turned his poems, with the help of some truly great people, into a stage musical, a graphic novel and an interactive app. The app invited users to take part in research aimed at helping people with psychosis in the future. "

The HOAX Project has reached the finals of the National Lottery Awards 2018!

To win the award HOAX needs public votes. The project with the most votes wins £5,000 to carry on the work, and will be featured on the BBC One show: please vote for the HOAX project here.


Sunday 1st July 2018 update:

New Grandville Annotations released today

Napoleon Crossing the Alps by Jacques-Louis David

The Grandville Annotations have had their weekly update: see page 19 in the first section - or the entirely new section covering pages 21 to 40 of Grandville.


Saturday 30th June 2018 update:

Bryan Talbot FRSL

Bryan about to sign the roll at the Royal Society of Literature in a proper Big Shirt!

Bryan signing the roll at the Royal Society of Literature, using Lord Byron's pen!

On Wednesday 27th June, Bryan signed the roll of The Royal Society of Literature to formally accept his election as a Fellow of the Society, following a short ceremony of induction.

Earlier, there had been the induction of 40 new Fellows under 40 years old, including Mary and Bryan's friend, comic writer/artist Hannah Berry. He followed his old collaborator, Neil Gaiman, in signing the roll at the event.

New Fellows are offered a choice between TS Eliot's fountain pen, or the dip pens of either George Eliot or Lord Byron. Bryan used Byron's pen and carried out his threat to do so wearing a big Byronic shirt! The event took place in the British Library and was followed by a reception.

See a longer write-up of the day and even more photos over at Mary's site.


Saturday 23rd June 2018 update:

Click here to go to the Grandville Directors Cut homepage

Announcing the launch of the Grandville Annotations!

Bryan and myself are working on the Grandville Annotations, answering the eternal "where do you get your ideas from?" and "what are your influences?" questions.

We will publish a new section once a week or so; unlike the Heart of Empire Directors Cut we are not publishing the original comic alongside the commentary and reference images: this is meant to be an additional bonus for people who have already read Grandville and want to know more about how this amazing world and story was created.

Grandville Annotations homepage


Wednesday 13th June 2018 update:

On a marché sur la Bulle

Mary's posted some photos of the Talbot's recent visit to the Amiens Festival


Tuesday 12th June 2018 update:

Deep Signal - The Illustrated Anthology: Stories from Ken Liu, Aliette de Bodard, Hamid Ismailov, Elaine Lee, Mike Kaluta, Moebius, Christopher Moeller, Bryan Talbot, and more.

Deep Signal - The Illustrated Anthology

Stories from Ken Liu, Aliette de Bodard, Hamid Ismailov, Elaine Lee, Mike Kaluta, Moebius, Christopher Moeller, Bryan Talbot, and more.

Support it now on Kickstarter; and check out the amazing trailer.


Tuesday 5th June 2018 update:

Bryan awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Society of Literature

On the 4th June, the Royal Society of Literature announced the appointment of its new Fellows, including Bryan, Neil Gaiman and Joff Winterheart. It's only the third time that comic creators have been elected to be Fellows of the RSL, the first two being Posy Simmonds and Raymond Briggs. With his other honorifics, his official title is now "Bryan Talbot Hon. D.A., Hon. D.Litt., FRSL"!

The Society was founded in 1825.

New Fellows sign the RSL roll book using TS Elliot's or George Elliot's fountain pen, or Lord Byron's dip pen. Needless to say that the latter is what Bryan will be using!

See their news page with the announcement.


Saturday 19th May 2018 update:

23rd Rendez-Vous de la Bande Dessinée d'Amiens

La Viege Rouge

Bryan and Mary are guests of the Amiens comic festival On a Marché sur la Bulle, 2nd –3rd June, where they'll be giving a presentation on The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopai on Sunday 3rd at 11.30am., published in France under the title Louise Michel, La Vierge Rouge by La Librairie Vuibert.

More details over on the Amiens festival site.


Thursday 10th May 2018 update:

Grandville Pages up for auction!

Lakes International Comics Festival comic art charity auction

The Lakes International Comics Art Festival auction containing two Grandville pages ends on the 14th May.

Aiming to raise funds for LICAF and the charity OCD Action, the auction showcases original published artwork including pages and covers from Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead), Dave McKean (Cages), Bryan Talbot (Grandville), Glyn Dillon (The Nao of Brown), Sean Phillips (Kill or be Killed), John Higgins (Judge Dredd Unchained) and Michael Cho (Hawk and Dove), to name but a few.

All proceeds will be divided between OCD Action to help continue its excellent work in supporting those suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and LICAF to fund future original commissions from comics creators in the UK and overseas.

The auction closes at 5.00pm on 14th May 2018, and can be previewed on Proxibid – you'll need to register on site to bid


Wednesday 2nd May 2018 update:

Red Rosa by Kate Evans

Kate Evans, Frank Quitely and more join Lakes International Comic Art Festival 2018 line-up

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is delighted to announce more guests for its Festival weekend (12th - 14th October 2018) in Kendal, including Kate Evans and Frank Quitely.

The latest guests revealed are Hunt Emerson (Calculus Cat, Bloke's Progress), the Etherington Brothers (Long Gone Don, Monkey Nuts), Kate Evans (author of Threads from the Refugee Crisis), New Yorker cartoonist The Surreal McCoy (author of The Wolf of Baghdad), Luke McGarry (Sad Chewie), Frank Quitely (Judge Dredd Megazine, All Star Superman), Bryan Talbot (Grandville), Mary Talbot (Dotter of her Father's Eyes) and Emma Vieceli (BREAKS).

Guests announced so far for this year's Festival weekend are Steven Appleby, Yomi Ayeni, Sayra Begum, Elizabeth Breitweiser, Corey Brotherson, Stanley Chow, Guy Delisle, Alan Grant, Ottilie Hainsworth, Rian Hughes, Kripa Joshi, Joe Kelly, Ian Kennedy, Kaisa Leka, Victoria Lomasko, Steve McGarry, Graeme McNee, Mikiko, Emmi Nieminen, Ken Niimura, Ian Rankin, David Silverman, Orijit Sen, Seth and John Wagner.

The Festival is the only one of its kind in the UK, taking place in one of the country's most beautiful areas – the English Lake District, in the market town of Kendal. Modelled on European-style festivals, such as Angoulême in France, it takes over the whole town for a weekend of comic art. Its aim is to celebrate the whole spectrum of comic art, inspiring existing comic art fans and creators and, it hopes, generating new audiences and creators too. It invests in creators through a commissioning programme and has an emphasis on developing international collaborations.

"We're delighted to be welcoming both new and returning faces to this year's Festival," said Festival Director Julie Tait. "Together with guests already announced, the latest creators to be announced, who include some of our patrons, reflect the wide range of 'comic voices' we want to bring to the attention of both comics fans and the wider public."

"Another great line-up of guests that reflects the diversity always promoted by LICAF," says Festival patron Bryan Talbot of this year's growing guest line-up. "Whatever your taste in comics, you won't be disappointed. This year will be bigger than ever."

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival will be back in Kendal 12th - 14th October 2018


Saturday 28th April 2018 update:

Event at the Institut Français

Pénélope Bagieu's graphic novel Brazen (Penguin) presents a series of portraits of 30 incredible women such as Josephine Baker, Peggy Guggenheim or Tove Jansson.

As part of the Beyond Words Festival, Pénélope Bagieu's graphic novel Brazen (Penguin) presents a series of portraits of 30 incredible women such as Josephine Baker, Peggy Guggenheim or Tove Jansson.

Penelope will be discussing these rebel ladies with Mary and Bryan Talbot, who revisit the life of anarchist and Communarde Louise Michel in the graphic novel The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia (Jonathan Cape).

They will be joined by DJ Iko Chérie for some Little Trouble Girls sets. Chaired by Paul Gravett.

Tuesday 15 May 2018 6.15pm in English and French £7, conc. £5 at Institut Français 17 Queensberry Pl, Kensington, London SW7 2DT.

Book tickets at the Beyond Words site.


Thursday 19th April 2018 update:

Auction of original comic artwork

Lakes International Comics Festival comic art charity auction

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is running another amazing original art auction, and advance viewing has just opened.

The online auction itself begins on 1st May 2018.

Aiming to raise funds for LICAF and the charity OCD Action, the auction showcases original published artwork including pages and covers from Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead), Dave McKean (Cages), Bryan Talbot (Grandville), Glyn Dillon (The Nao of Brown), Sean Phillips (Kill or be Killed), John Higgins (Judge Dredd Unchained) and Michael Cho (Hawk and Dove), to name but a few.

All proceeds will be divided between OCD Action to help continue its excellent work in supporting those suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and LICAF to fund future original commissions from comics creators in the UK and overseas.

The auction opens on 1st May 2018 and closes at 5.00pm on 14th May 2018, and can be previewed on Proxibid – you'll need to register on site to bid


Monday 17th April 2018 update:

Free Grandville comic

Schreiber and Leser, the German publishers of the Grandville series, will be giving away a comic containing the first 35 pages of the first volume as one of their contributions to this year's Free Comic Book Day, Saturday 12th May.

Full details are on the Schreiber and Leser site.


Monday 9th April 2018 update:

Reminder: Bryan is a guest at the British Library "Digital Conversation" event on April 18th.

British Library "Digital Conversation" event in April

The British Library is hosting an event on digital comics on April 18th, as part of its "Digital Conversations" series - and Bryan is one of the guests, providing input on creator rights.

Titled "Venturing off the page: exploring multimedia, animation and new narrative forms" the event is chaired by comics editor and publisher John Freeman and the other guest speakers are Kate Ashwin (creator of "Widdershins"), Yomi Ayeni ("Clockwork Watch") and digital comics agent provocateur Daniel Merlin Goodbrey. This is the first event British comics news site downthetubes has ever been a partner in organising.

Wednesday 18 Apr 2018, 18:30 - 20:30 Full Price: £6.00 Member: £6.00 Under 18: £4.00

There's more information at the Down the Tubes site, or you can simply go ahead and book your seat at the British Library site.


Friday 30th March 2018 update:

Bryan and Mary at the Splash Sagunt Festival

Bryan and Mary have recently returned from Spain, where they have been guests of The Splash Sagunt Festival.

The Spanish editions of their graphic novels are very well-received, with Sally Heathcote, Suffragette recently going into its 7th printing and Grandville Force Majeure hot from the press. While there, they were presented with an award for their collaborations from Festival Director Fran Garcia.

Mary has just posted a blog about the visit here.


Sunday 18th March 2018 update:

Turkish translation of Dotter of her Father's Eyes

Bryan and Mary just received a scan of the cover to the Turkish edition of Dotter of her Father's Eyes ("Fathers and Daughters"), so here's a chance to let you see the other non-English language editions.

Turkish translation of Dotter of her Father's Eyes

And the Spanish hardback edition:

Spanish hardback edition of Dotter of her Father's Eyes

The Spanish softback translation:

The Spanish tranlsation of Dotter of her Father's Eyes

Abd the Serbian translation:

The Serbian translation:

The Polish translation:

The Polish translation of Dotter of her Father's Eyes

Chinese:

The Chinese translation of Dotter of her Father's Eyes


Saturday 17th March 2018 update:

New Grandville miniatures now available!

LeBrock & Ratzi

There is now an entire range of Grandville miniatures available... - and they look AMAZING!


Saturday 10th March 2018 update:

British Library "Digital Conversation" event in April

British Library "Digital Conversation" event in April

The British Library is hosting an event on digital comics in April, as part of its "Digital Conversations" series - and Bryan is one of the guests, providing input on creator rights.

Titled "Venturing off the page: exploring multimedia, animation and new narrative forms" the event is chaired by comics editor and publisher John Freeman and the other guest speakers are Kate Ashwin (creator of "Widdershins"), Yomi Ayeni ("Clockwork Watch") and digital comics agent provocateur Daniel Merlin Goodbrey. This is the first event British comics news site downthetubes has ever been a partner in organising.

Wednesday 18 Apr 2018, 18:30 - 20:30 Full Price: £6.00 Member: £6.00 Under 18: £4.00

There's more information at the Down the Tubes site, or you can simply go ahead and book your seat at the British Library site.


Thursday 1st March 2018 update:

Early bird passes for the Lakes International Comics festival are now available

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival - of which Bryan is a founding patron - on the weekend of 12 - 14 October 2018 in Kendal in the English Lake District has announced their Early Bird Passes are now available!

This is an amazing festival: the only one in England run in the European style where the comics literally take over the whole town. Every year they have amazing guests and a huge range of events.

Get over there and sort your passes out now!


Thursday 22nd February 2018 update:

Bryan meets William and Kate!

Duke and Duchess of Cambridge during their visit to the former Sunderland Fire Station

Bryan was a guest yesterday at the unveiling of the plaque to commemorate the opening of Sunderland's new arts centre, the completely refurbished Edwardian Fire Station in the city centre. After the unveiling, Bryan presented The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall with a copy of Alice in Sunderland.

And here's the video of the occasion!


Wednesday 14th February 2018 update:

Big Issue North interview with Bryan now online

Bryan as the cover feature on Big Issue North

Bryan was the cover feature for the most recent issue of Big Issue North - and they have now also posted the interview online.


Wednesday 7th February 2018 update:

Announcing the Cartoon Museum cartoon and comic-strip art course!

The Cartoon Museum in London is running a cartoon and comic-strip course.


Monday 5th February 2018 update:

Bryan is cover feature for Big Issue North

Bryan as the cover feature on Big Issue North

As you can see, Bryan is the cover feature of the new Big Issue North, on sale from today, Monday 5th February. It contains a two-page article on and interview with Bryan by writer David Barnett.


Tuesday 30th January 2018 update:

Mark E Smith

Sad to hear the news of the death of The Fall's Mark E Smith this week. Did you know that he was a massive fan of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright? We can't find the original interview where he talked of this, in the early nineties, but here's an extract from a 1996 interview with Roger Sabin in the American magazine Speak.


Monday 22nd January 2018 update:

Bryan in Mine!

Mine! - the Planned Parenthood celebration!

Mine! is a comics anthology with the proceeds going to Planned Parenthood. Join Eisner, Harvey, Oscar, and Emmy award winning creators for stories about trailblazing women, civil rights leaders, a person's first time going to a PP clinic, debunking myths about sex, STI screenings, HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, fantastical stories with superheroes, Greek mythology, and a future both with and without Planned Parenthood.

Joining creators such as Neil Gaiman, Gail Simone, Ann Nocenti, Mark Wheatley, Trina Robbins, Eric Shanower and Denny O'Neil, Bryan's drawn a two-page strip for the over 300-page long book, "If She Didn't Love Me", written by Magdalene Vissagio

In Shops: Jan 24, 2018


Sunday 14th January 2018 update:

Talks and a signing in Oxford

Friday 2nd March, 5.15pm-6.45pm
Colin Matthew Room, Ground Floor of the Radcliffe Humanities Building
University of Oxford

Free entry and open to all

Esteemed comics creators Bryan and Mary Talbot discuss their recent work and artistic practice. Bryan addresses his long-running and much-celebrated Grandville series in relation to the anthropomorphic tradition, the most recent installment of which, Force Majeure, will be on sale at the event.

Meanwhile, Mary offers her thoughts on The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia, which chronicles the incredible life of the anarchist, teacher, orator and poet, Louise Michel.

On Saturday 3rd March 12 – 2pm, both Bryan and Mary will be doing a book signing at Oxford's comics and graphic novels shop, Inky Fingers, on Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1HZ.


Friday 12th January 2018 update:

New edition of Nemesis the Warlock

Nemesis the Warlock: Volume 2

Bryan's amazing Gothic Empire art in Nemesis the Warlock is republished.

And: Grandville Force Majeure makes Richard Bruton's pick of the year at Forbidden Planet too!


Monday 8th January 2018 update:

Grandville Force Majeure makes Joe Gordon at Forbidden Planet's best of the year!

Joe Gordon - the resident blogger at Forbidden Planet - put Force Majeure right at the top of his best of the year 2017 list.

And in other news, as is now traditional at New Year - I can announce that this is in fact the 22nd year that this fanpage has been running! - yup: I started it back in 1996!


Friday December 22nd 2017 update:

Special fan commission: Dredd and LeBrock!

LeBrock meets Dredd!

A fan got in touch with us and asked if he could commission a piece from Bryan - specifically of LeBrock meeting Judge Dredd!

This is the image that Bryan drew - and made one fan really happy just in time for Christmas!

(at the request of the purchaser we've removed some private info that was on the cityblock in the back left of the image)

If you'd like something similar creating - just contact us and let us know! As a guide: this piece is A3 in size, sent fully tracked and insured and cost £550.

 

Grandville Force Majeure is the Guardian comic and graphic novel of the day

Paul Gravett reviews it as the "finale of a joyful graphic series" - and concludes with: "So while it is regrettable that LeBrock’s casebook must close, Talbot shows no signs of becoming set in his ways."


Saturday December 16th 2017 update:

Orbital Comics podcast interview with Bryan

The wonderful people over at Orbital Comics recently interviewed Bryan for their podcast.

"In this episode, we present a chat with writer-artist Bryan Talbot, who spoke to Jason Atomic on the release date of his fifth and final Grandville volume, Force Majure. Bryan and Jason take us on a fascinating journey through the world of Grandvile and through Bryan's career and his influences.

Also present is Bryan's wife and collaborator, Mary Talbot who joins the conversation as they discuss the Bryan's early works and the future projects he has planned."


Thursday December 14th 2017 update:

Brainworms!

Brainworms by Bryan Talbot and Matthias Schultheiss

While I was working on updating the Bryan's biography and stripography I came across this blast from the past, never before repubished on the site: Brainworms! - drawn by Bryan and written by Matthias Schultheiss for Xpresso Special 2, December 1991,


Monday December 11th 2017 update:

Grandville Force Majeure original art now for sale

Page 41 of Grandville Force Majeure by Bryan Talbot

Taking advantage of a snow day, we've added a dozen pages of original artwork from Grandville Force Majeure to the online shop.


Sunday December 10th 2017 update:

The Herald reviews Grandville Force Majeure:"The latest and last in the sequence Grandville Force Majeure is an epic of anthropomorphised sex and violence featuring a huge cast of badgers (including our hero Detective Inspector LeBrock), lizards, rats and even a Dalmation."


Monday December 4th 2017 update:

The incredible Grandville Force Majeure reviews keep rolling in!

The ever-eloquent Joel Meadows says: "Bryan Talbot has always been one of the finest ambassadors for British comics for the wider world...

There is an elegance and an invention to Talbot’s art that really helps to lift his work off the page. His cinematic storytelling, a trademark of his, is very much in evidence here and thanks to Talbot’s mastery of larger-than-life characters, you actually forget that the characters here are actually animals...

It is a very impressive conclusion to nearly a decade of work from Talbot."

My own review of Grandville Force Majeure: "The narrative tension in this book makes it literally unputdownable. It is one of those most cherished things - a book that compels you to read it through every time you pick it up and that you get more out of every single time you experience it."


Sunday December 3rd 2017 update:

More amazing reviews of Grandville Force Majeure!

The Star said: "This is a thriller, but it has more twists and turns than a Paris back street and a density of storytelling that hearkens back to Talbot’s 1970s/80s masterwork The Adventures of Luther Arkwright. And as emotive as Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes, which Talbot created with his wife Mary and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize."

(The Star is wrong here. Dotter of Her Father's Eyes wasn't nominated for a Man Booker Prize, but it did win the 2012 Costa Biography Award, making it the first – and only – British graphic novel to win a major literary award).

Rachel Cooke in The Guardian says: "Strongly recommended (and adored by me) is Grandville Force Majeure, the fifth and final book in Bryan Talbot’s magical series of stories about a steampunk badger detective, Inspector LeBrock of Scotland Yard. In this volume, our hero is on the run, the victim of a diabolical scheme to annihilate him by Tiberius Koenig, one of the greatest villains in all detective fiction."


Sunday 26th November 2017

The anti-spoiler seal!

Bryan Talbot's anti-spolier seal!

Grandville Force Majeure ships with an anti-spoiler seal, so as to stop people who just pick it up in a comic shop from leafing through it and having the ending spoiled for them.

Well... - the use of the word "seal" got us thinking... - this is an anthropomorphic comic after all... - so why not make the seal into an actual seal?!


Saturday 25th November 2017

Mary Talbot has written a blog about launching Grandville Force Majeure - definitely worth a read!

And also check out the Page 45 review of Grandville Force Majeure: "Talbot has pulled out all the stops and many a late hour labouring over a fulsome 160 full-colour pages which took four 10-hour days each to complete… on top of the script."


Friday 24th November 2017

The cover to the Spanish edition of Grandville Force Majeure, to be published by Astiberri in February.

And another review: Bookmunch says: "Talbot has undoubtedly ended things on an absolute high” – Grandville Force Majeure by Bryan Talbot"


Thursday 23rd November 2017

Review of Grandville Force Majeure from Slings and Arrows

The Slings and Arrows Graphic Novel Guide reviews Grandville Force Majeure: "Grandville Force Majeure is an excellent addition to perhaps the most visionary and consistently good series produced by any one creator for a very long time. Like its predecessors it is visually lush, well written, astoundingly imaginative and bloody good fun. If LeBrock does make a reappearance you’ll hear no complaints here."


Monday 20th November 2017

What writers are saying about Grandville

"Wow! Force Majeure is astonishing - sumptuous art, a whole alternate universe made real, rollicking storytelling, lovely little details and puns and in-jokes/references. The best Grandville yet!!"
Ian Rankin

"More than a furry steampunk uchronia, Grandville is a smart and brilliant view of the human past... and maybe of his future. It's the kind of graphic novel I love!"
Juan Días Canales, Writer of Blacksad

'Welcome to Grandville -- vivid, vicious and visceral.'
Val McDermid


Friday 17th November 2017

Bryan Talbot signing Grandville Force Majeure

Bryan will be at the Forbidden Planet Newcastle Megastore on Saturday 18th November from 1 – 2pm to sign copies of Grandville: Force Majeure. They are also hosting a display of Bryan's original artwork in their gallery from November 1st.

And Rich Johnston over at Bleeding Cool reviews Grandville Force Majeure - and says that it is his favourite comic of 2017!


Thursday 16th November 2017

Bryan Talbot presentation and signing in Waterstones Sunderland

Signing in Sunderland tonight

Bryan will be giving a presentation and signing copies of Grandville Force Majeure at Waterstones, the Bridges shopping Centre, Sunderland tonight!

James Bacon reviews the Talbot artwork exibition at Orbital Comics

"This is something with Bryan Talbot’s work that appeals so much, intrigues and excites. There is often much more to it all than at first one realises."


Monday 13th November 2017

Grandville Force Majeure officially launches tonight!

Bryan Talbot - Grandville Force Majeure launch and signing event at Orbital comics

Bryan will be signing copies of Grandville Force Majeure at the exhibition's launch at Orbital Comics in London on tonight 5:30 to 7:30pm.

Full details are over on the Orbital Comics site!


Monday 13th November 2017

Grandville Force Majeure signing events

Bryan will be at these events this week to launch Grandville Force Majeure and sign copies:

  • Orbital Comics in London are hosting an exhibition of Bryan's art running from now until December 5th, and Bryan will be there on Wednesday 15th November 5:30 to 7:30pm
  • Bryan will be giving a presentation and signing copies of Grandville Force Majeure at Waterstones in Sunderland, 6 - 8pm Thursday 16th November
  • Bryan will be at the Forbidden Planet Newcastle Megastore on Saturday 18th November from 1 – 2pm to sign copies of Grandville: Force Majeure . They are also hosting a display of Bryan's original artwork in their gallery from November 1st.

Sunday 12th November 2017

The Unauthorised Biography of Ezra Maas

The Unauthorised Biography of Ezra Maas

Bryan has been interviewed for a short documentary to be shown at the Newcastle Book Festival during the event The Unauthorised Biography of Ezra Maas, Tuesday, 28 November 2017 from 6:00pm at the City Library. Free admission.

Author Daniel James will be talking about his biography about the artist in which Bryan was interviewed about his brief collaboration with Maas in the early nineties.


Friday 10th November 2017

The Orbital Comics exhibition of Bryan's artwork looks amazing!

Bryan Talbots artwork ecxhibition at Orbital Comics

Bryan Talbots artwork ecxhibition at Orbital Comics

Bryan Talbots artwork ecxhibition at Orbital Comics

Here's some images of the exhibition of Bryan's artwork in Orbital Comics in London - running from now until December 5th.

And don't forget - Bryan will be there on Wednesday 15th November to launch Grandville Force Majeure and for a signing session.


Thursday 9th November 2017

The Bryan Talbot fanpage is older than the BBC News site!

BBC News website front page from 1998

The BBC ran an article today on the 20th anniversary of the BBC News site... - which made me realise - this fanpage is a year older!

Here's a post announcing the launch site in newsgoups back in 1996! (who else remembers newsgroups?!)


Tuesday November 7th 2017 update:

Grandville Force Majeure review from Forbidden Planet: "A masterful finale"

Joe Gordon over at Forbidden Planet reviews Grandville Force Majeure: "To say I’ve been looking forward to this book for some time is an understatement... - I really don’t want to get any further into the plot here, because this is a doozy, this is something that has been building to a head over the previous volumes, and I don’t want to ruin it... -

And we’re in the hands of a master of the medium here, this is glorious, rich art but not merely for adornment or show, this is all in the service of the story and the characters."


Sunday 5th November 2017 update:

Grandville Force Majeure signed copies all sold out!

Update: all sold out now! - many thanks to everyone who bought one and if you didn't manage to then keep checking out this site: we will list Bryan's appearance all all events and signing sessions here first.


Friday 3rd November 2017 update:

Limited edition of 20 signed copies of Grandville Force Majeure available here on Sunday November 5th at 12 noon

So many fans have been clamouring for a signed copy of Grandville Force Majeure that we have secured a stock of 20 copies that we will sell this Sunday, November 5th at 12 noon GMT.

Bryan will also draw a quick sketch in each one. We will be able to post them out to the UK and US only.

There's only 20 copies available so it will be a first-come first-served basis.

The link will be published right here on Sunday at midday and nowhere else.


Thursday 2nd November 2017 update:

Sally in Spain

The award winning Spanish edition of Sally Heathcote: Suffragette has just gone into its sixth printing!

Grandville Force Majeure is comic of the week over at Broken Frontier

Grandville Force Majeure is the staff pick for comic of the week on Broken Frontier


Wednesday 1st November 2017 update:

One of those days with a batch of various updates:

Signing in Sunderland

Bryan will be giving a presentation and signing copies of Grandville Force Majeure at Waterstones, the Bridges shopping Centre, Sunderland at 6 - 8pm Thursday 16th November


Grandville Force Majeure Interview

Bryan is interviewed by Byron Brewer for the comic fan website Dynamic Forces.


Orbital Comics Artwork Exhibition

From November 6th to December 5th there will be an exhibition of Bryan's artwork in Orbital Comics in London, and Bryan will be there on Wednesday 15th November to launch Grandville Force Majeure and for a signing session.


Grandville Force Majeure video trailer


And a repost of the Grandville video trailer... - why? - well - mainly because it's so damn good!


Monday 23rd October 2017 update:

Deconstructing Comics Podcast

Bryan is interviewed by Koom Kankesan over the telephone from a noisy New York office!


Saturday 21st October 2017 update:

Mary has blogged about the 5th Lakes International Comics Festival.


Tuesday 17th October update:

Badgers in The Guardian

Patrick Barkham, who mentions Grandville in his book Badgerlands, has written about Grandville Force Majeure in yesterday's Guardian.

(and - might I add - holy cow! - a mention and link in the Guardian!)


Sunday October 8th 2017 update:

Exclusive breaking news: Grandville Optioned for TV series!

The rights option for a proposed Grandville TV series have been bought by Euston Films.

The series would be a mixture of live action, with CGI for animal and other effects. They say 'Writer Julian Simpson is working on the development of a TV adaptation of Bryan Talbot's ground breaking series of graphic novels with Euston Films (part of FremantleMedia UK), under the collective title Grandville.' They are currently in the process of attaching a director.

You heard it here first!


Friday October 6th 2017 update:

Bryan to sign at Forbidden Planet Newcastle

Bryan will be signing Grandville: Force Majeure (and any of his other comics you happen to buy!) at the Forbidden Planet Newcastle Megastore on Saturday 18th November from 1 – 2pm.

They are also hosting a display of Bryan's original artwork in their gallery from November 1st.

Check out their site for full details.


Thursday October 5th 2017 update:

Grandville window display

As part of this year's Lakes International Comics Art Festival, the annual Kendal comic window trail in which participating high street shops feature comic-related displays, Bryan has designed a Grandville display for the window of the St John's Hospice furniture store, Highgate. The display will remain in place until the 30th October.


Wednesday October 4th 2017 update:

The Grandville Costume Challenge

These are the two pages of Grandville artwork, worth about £350 each, that are being offered as prizes for the two best costumes based on characters from the Grandville books worn at the Lakes International Comics Art festival on Saturday 14th October.

If you want to enter, simply turn up at "Grandville, the Last Chapter" at 1.15pm in the Malt Room, Brewery Arts Centre and the pages will be awarded at the end of the event.


Sunday October 1st 2017 update:

Page 11 of Grandville: Force Majeure

To count down until the launch of Grandville: Force Majeure at the Lakes International Comics Festival in October we are publishing a new page each month: and here is page 11!

It will be officially published in November, but the special launch event is at the Lakes Festival. Until the official publication date this will be your only way to get a copy!

You might notice a break in the sequence from page 6 to page 9: that's because pages 7 and 8 are the title pages.

Also see page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4, page 5, page 6, page 9 and page 10.


Tuesday September 26th 2017 update:

New Down the Tubes interview with Bryan

LICAF 2017 Kendal Calling - Bryan Talbot

As part of the series of "Kendal Calling" interviews, Down the Tubes has just posted this new interview with Bryan. Mary will be featured on the site tomorrow.


Friday September 22nd 2017 update:

Bryan and Mary announce their new Graphic Novel: "Rain"

RAIN by Bryan and Mary Talbot - Page 7 Top

Bryan and Mary Talbot have announced they have gained funding from the Arts Council for another project together – RAIN, a 150 page graphic novel tackling environmental issues to be published by Jonathan Cape, probably in late 2019.

“In a complete departure from our previous ones, this new collaboration is neither biographical nor historically distant,” says Mary. “It deals instead with the here and now of environmental degradation that threatens us all.

See the full article over on Down the Tubes.

RAIN by Bryan and Mary Talbot - Page 7 Bottom


Tuesday September 19th 2017 update:

Go and read the interview with Bryan from Pádraig Ó Méalóid interview right now.


The inimitable Pádraig Ó Méalóid interview Bryan about Grandville
, over at the Forbidden Planet blog - and it's a cracking interview: very in-depth and fascinating.



Tuesday September 12th 2017 update:

The full Grandville: Force Majeure video trailer

Here is the full, final version of the Grandville: Force Majeure video trailer from longtime Talbot collaborator Jordan Smith of Darkview fame.


Thursday September 8th 2017 update:

The Grandville Window Display!

As readers who have attended the Lakes International Comic Art Festival will attest, one of the attractions of the town of Kendal en fête, apart from the banners in the street and the Bat sign on a flag fluttering from the Comixology Comic Clock Tower, is the Comic Art Trail – the number of establishments that host a comic-related display in their windows for the month of October.

To tie in with the official launch of Grandville Force Majeure at the festival, along with the special "Grandville the Last Chapter" event, followed by a signing at Page 45's room in the Clock Tower, and the Grandville costume competition, this year Bryan is designing a Grandville display for the window of the St John's Hospice shop.

This is in an excellent position with regard to the festival, as it's half-way between the Brewery Arts Centre and the Clock Tower.

See the Lakes International Comic Art Festival page for more details on the comic art trail.


Friday September 1st 2017 update:

Page 10 of Grandville: Force Majeure

To count down until the launch of Grandville: Force Majeure at the Lakes International Comics Festival in October we are publishing a new page each month: and here is page 10!

It will be officially published in November, but the special launch event is at the Lakes Festival. Until the official publication date this will be your only way to get a copy!

You might notice a break in the sequence from page 6 to page 9: that's because pages 7 and 8 are the title pages.

Also see page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4, page 5, page 6 and page 9.


Wednesday August 23rd 2017 update:

Lakes International Comic Art Festival: Two Months To Go, Full Program Online!

The countdown to this year's Lakes International Comic Art Festival has begun! Get set for a celebration of comic art from across the world now by checking out our full, final programme, available, to read online or download as a PDF.

The weekend-long festival (running Friday 13th – Sunday 15th October 2017), celebrating the amazing world of comics, takes over the scenic town of Kendal, on the edge of the Lake District.

For full details see the Lakes Internationa Comic Art Festival site.


Monday August 21st 2017 update:

Grandville: Force Majeure launch and signing at Orbital Comics - Wednesday November 15th 2017

Bryan will be signing copies of Grandville: Force Majeure at the exhibition's launch at Orbital Comics in London on Wednesday November 15th 5:30 to 7:30pm.

Full details are over on the Orbital Comics site!

This marks the beginning of the Orbital Comics Grandville art exhibition and celebrates the official publication of the book Grandville: Force Majeure. The Grandville, The Last Chapter event at the Lakes International Comics Festival on October 14th is the official launch where you can buy Grandville: Force Majeure - but the book is not on general release until this event at Orbital.


Saturday August 19th 2017 update:

Grandville: Force Majeure teaser trailer!

A teaser trailer for Grandville: Force Majeure by the insanely talented Jordon Smith. And yes - he IS on Twitter and Facebook! - and check out his site too.


Friday August 18th 2017 update:

A new novel featuring British comic book legend Bryan Talbot needs your support


The Unauthorised Biography of Ezra Maas is crowdfunding now through Dead Ink Books and needs your support to become a reality.

The debut novel by Newcastle writer and journalist Daniel James, The Unauthorised Biography of Ezra Maas is a compelling and suspenseful postmodern mystery about a journalist searching for the truth about the reclusive artist of the title who has disappeared without a trace.

Among those interviewed by Daniel in the novel is Bryan Talbot who discusses the challenges of working with the enigmatic Ezra Maas in the 1980s on a joint comic book project. Daniel said: “I had no idea about the connection between Bryan Talbot and Ezra Maas until I was deep into research for the novel. Bryan is a legendary writer and artist and the father of the British graphic novel so it was a pleasure to interview him in his studio about his recollections of Maas from their work together.

“Maas was first famous in the 1960s alongside the likes of Andy Warhol, but was incredibly reclusive and refused to give interviews or have photographs taken. He worked with some very famous collaborators during his career, but by the 1980s was only communicating via telephone from his studio mansion.”

Buy The Unauthorised Biography of Ezra Maas now in hardback, paperback, and e-book formats, with limited edition, signed and numbered copies and original artwork also available.

Pre-order the novel and help crowdfund Daniel’s book at the Dead Ink site.


Thursday August 17th 2017 update:

Lakes International Comic Art Festival honours Leo Baxendale with unique print installation in Kendal

Honouring the acclaimed comics creator Leo Baxendale, the Lakes International Comic Art Festival is delighted to announced a specially-made print - "Baby Basil Does His Bit" - is now on permanent display in Kendal's Brewery Arts Centre.

The installation is a a permanent tribute to an extraordinary and influential creator who died earlier this year. Leo donated the print as a lasting memorial to his work, which included creating much-loved characters such as the Bash Street Kids and Minnie the Minx for The Beano and was a powerful advocate of creator's rights.

See the full story over at the Lakes International Comics Art Festival site.


Tuesday August 15th 2017 update:

Full version of the interview by Natasha Sutton-Williams

We recently linked out to the wonderful interview Natasha Sutton-Williams did with Bryan - which is still online for you to read.

Bryan also asked me to publish the full version here before it was edited down, and so here it is!


Natasha: Your career covers the spectrum of little known underground comics to widely read projects like Neil Gaiman's Sandman. Do you have any personal favourites?

Bryan: In general, the books that I write and draw myself. It's very satisfying to be in control of all aspects of a creative project. In particular, I'm still very fond of The Tale of One Bad Rat, not only because it was my first non-genre graphic novel and I think the storytelling's very good, but also because of the response I've had from readers. It's well over twenty years since it was first published, but I still get letters and emails from people who were and are deeply affected by it. It's still in print, in several countries, and is still used in some child abuse survivor centres as reading therapy.

Natasha: You work in a range of different art styles. How do you determine the best visual approach for a project?

Bryan: It's mostly intuitive, I think. I always try to illustrate a story in the style that I feel is most appropriate, as the actual drawing style, as well as the style of page and panel composition, is a major part of the storytelling in comics. A highly-polished, dramatic adventure style, such as I used for the Grandville books, would give totally the wrong atmosphere to a book such as, for example, The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia, a biography of the anarchist revolutionary Louise Michel, which needed a gritty, sombre and subtler style.

Natasha: You recently provided an illustration for Catastrophe a translated poem about mass migration by Weedhsame, a leading Somali poet. What attracted you to this project?

Bryan: I do enjoy making artwork for different sorts of projects, but I rarely get asked to draw for something other than comics, though I've recently designed and done the illustrations for a 230-metre long strip of granite pavement, and may be illustrating a stage set next year. Also, this commission seemed to me to be a very worthwhile publication, bringing the experiences and feelings of refugees to, I hope, the general public.

Natasha: How did you go about distilling Catastrophe, a 168 line poem, deeply rooted in the Somali experience of mass migration into a single striking image?

Bryan: This is a very easy question to answer, as I drew exactly what the publishers suggested – a boat filled with refugees capsizing in the mediterranean. I did send them a rough sketch of an alternative concept, but they went with the original idea. I also drew and painted the front cover, which is a simple picture of a Somalian refugee mother and her two children, and a couple of other pictures that the Poetry Translation Centre are using on their Kickstarter page as incentives to contributors

Natasha: Sometimes you work as an artist in collaboration with a writer, sometimes you work as both artist and writer. Do you find yourself easy to work with?

Bryan: No! As a writer, I'm very demanding with myself as artist, a total bastard in fact. I'm always scripting hard-to-draw, very detailed images, such as crowd scenes, which I hate drawing. Still, I know exactly what the writer is picturing in his mind, so there are never any misunderstandings!

Natasha: You have worked closely with your wife Mary M. Talbot on critically acclaimed projects like the Costa Award winning Dotter of Her Fathers Eyes. What is your collaborative process like?

Bryan: We get asked this a lot and people always seem very surprised when we say that it's very smooth and natural. We've been together for over forty years and it's just like a continuation of everyday life. After working in two different worlds for most of that time, it's great, ever since Mary took early retirement from academia, to be able to work on projects together. In the comic industry, a writer/artist collaboration usually means that someone writes the story, which then gets sent to an artist, who draws it.

As you can imagine, by living in the same house, our collaborations have been extremely close, with both of us having input into all aspects of the process. We'll discuss the stories over the months that Mary writes them, I'll act as script editor, suggesting changes when I think fit, and Mary has a good look at the artwork several times a day while it's being drawn, gives feedback and suggests improvements.

Natasha: Your Luther Arkwright series has been cited as an early example of the steam punk aesthetic. What inspired the retro futuristic look of these stories?

Bryan: I think it's because I was a young teenager during the 60s when, for several years, all things Victorian were considered extremely cool. Movies, such as The Charge of the Light Brigade and The Wrong Box, were fashionable, Douglas Wilmer's Sherlock Holmes and Adam Adamant, the Victorian adventurer in swinging London, were on TV, songs like "I was Kaiser Bill's Batman" were in the hit parade and Jimi Hendrix, The Who and Mick Jagger sported hussar's jackets, sold by boutiques such as "Lord Kitchener's Valet". Then, in the early 70s, I read Michael Moorcock's Captain Oswald Bastable stories, which blended Victoriana with science fiction. Although there had been earlier forms of retro-science fiction stories in the SF pulp magazines, it's Mike who created what we now call the steampunk genre.

Natasha: The Grandville story features anthropomorphic animals living in the Socialist Republic of Britain. This world and its alternative history are richly detailed. What was your research process for this work?

Bryan: On the steampunk side, I visited quite a few museums of technology, such as the ones in Manchester and Birmingham, that have many examples of steam-powered machines, the transport museum in Munich, the Railway Museum in York and the Victorian water-pumping station in Sunderland, taking hundreds of photographs.

I've snapped many photos in different areas of Paris, the setting for most of the stories, and visited the police museums in Paris and Manchester. Plus, I've accumulated a small collection of second-hand books with old photos or illustrations of Belle Epoch Paris.

As for animal references, I've been to the natural history museums in Dublin, Milan and Helsinki, and Kendal Museum, all of which have large collections of stuffed animals, and I have a box full of realistic toy animal figurines that I can pose.

Natasha: Force Majeure, the fifth Volume of the Grandville series, is coming out in October. Can you reveal anything about the story?

Bryan: It's the final story, and certainly the longest. Although I structured the individual books as stand-alone stories, there has been a story arc slowly building in the background, and it all comes to fruition in this volume. It's also the darkest, with many plot twists, and is a huge homage to the dectective-thriller genre. Basically, Detective Inspector LeBrock is wanted for murder, alone and on the run from both the police and the vicious gangster overlord Tiberius Koenig, who is hell-bent on the destruction of LeBrock and anyone he holds dear.

Natasha: You and Mary helped set up the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. Now in its fifth year the festival will be held in Kendal this October 13-15. What are this year's highlights?

Bryan: LICAF is always special, with it being the only European-style comics festival in the U.K., something that I'd dreamt of for years, so it was amazing when festival-organiser Julie Tait first approached me to ask whether I though a comic festival would be a good idea. Kendal is small enough for us to take over the centre, with events in the town hall, arts centre, library, shopping mall, bars and other buildings.

There are banners in the streets and comic exhibitions in the town's shop windows. There's even the bat sign flying from the clock tower, though all kinds of comics are celebrated there, from children's comics to serious graphic novels. There are exhibitions, an academic conference and a comic-themed film season. There's even a festival beer. Apart from being a town "en fête", the big difference with the usual fan-oriented comic or media cons is that we are non-profit-making and welcome many members of the public each year who wouldn't usually attend a comic event.

Sorry – got a bit carried away there, but it really is something that we're proud to be part of. To answer your question, this year, we have, as usual, artists from all around the world, including a large contingent from Australia, many from the United States, such as the legendary MAD cartoonist Sergio Aragones, and many top names from the U.K. and the rest of Europe. Two of the themes this year are Tove Janssen's The Moomins and 2000AD's 40th birthday celebration.

Natasha: Will you be continuing your collaboration with Véronique Tanaka?

Bryan: Ha ha! I shouldn't think so, as Metronome, the only graphic novel I created under that nom-de-plume, sold very poorly, despite it being named as one of the top ten graphic novels of the year in the New York Times Magazine. It was an experimental comic in storytelling terms and putting it out under a different name, one that was as far removed from mine as I thought I could get, was another part of the experiment. It was produced in a style I thought of as "existentialist manga", which mustn't have been very commercial!


Friday August 11th 2017 update:

First artwork from the Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia for sale

We are proud to announce that the first original artwork from The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia is now available to purchase!

Pages 28 and 29: (two page spread) ink and watercolour: £350

 

Delivery options

See the whole list of original Bryan Talbot artwork for sale here.


Thursday August 10th 2017 update:

New original artwork for sale!

Bryan has some new artwork for sale in the shop - the first one is The Tale of One Bad Rat: page 39: Black line acetate overlay over watercolour painting.

£300 to the UK - £350 to the rest of the world

Delivery options

 

 

For the rest of Bryan's original artwork available to buy, check out the shop.


Monday August 7th 2017 update:

Bryan Talbot: An Interview with the Legendary British Comic Book Artist

Bryan Talbot: An Interview with the Legendary British Comic Book Artist

An interview with Bryan published at London Calling: "Bryan Talbot, one of the most influential and experimental British comic book artists and writers to date, has been producing work since 1969. Best known for The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and the Grandville series, London Calling went to find out more about the man behind the pencil."

Read the full interview by Natasha Sutton-Williams at London Calling.


Sunday 30th July 2017 update:

Page 9 of Grandville: Force Majeure

To count down until the launch of Grandville: Force Majeure at the Lakes International Comics Festival in October we are publishing a new page each month: and here is page 9!

It will be officially published in November, but the special launch event is at the Lakes Festival. Until the official publication date this will be your only way to get a copy!

Observant fans may have noticed 2 things:

  1. This is page 9 and the previous free page we posted was page 6: that's because page 7 and 8 are the tiles and credits page.
  2. It's not yet the first of August - and we said we would post these pages on the first of every month so they are early... - but I am off on holiday as of tomorrow morning so I thought people would appreciate seeming them early instead of late!

Also see page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4, page 5, and page 6.


Saturday 29th July 2017 update:

Catastrophe ­ Galiilyo, an Illustrated Poem

'Catastrophe' is an electrifying poem by the Somali poet Xasan Daahir Weedhsame, published by the Poetry Translation Centre.

A howl of anguish about the displacement of the Somali people, it's a dual-language poem-poster, including an English translation by BBC Radio 4 poet-in-residence Daljit Nagra and scholar Martin Orwin and two illustrations by Bryan Talbot.

The original artwork of the cover, the large interior illustration, two extra illustrations (all in full watercolour) and a signed edition of 10 line prints are all being offered for sale to raise funds for publication.

You can back the project at Indiegogo.


Friday 28th July 2017 update:

Down The Tubes has an excellent feature on the Grandville cosplay challenge!


Wednesday 19th July 2017 update:

Grandville Costume Challenge!

To celebrate the special pre-publication launch of Grandville Force Majeure at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival 13 –15 October, you are invited to turn up at the "Grandville – The Last Chapter" event, 1.15pm on Saturday 15th in the Malt Room, Brewery Arts Centre, dressed as any character from the Grandville canon. The wearers of the best two costumes will each be awarded a signed page of Grandville artwork.

Here are some Grandville characters seen at previous events.


Thursday 13th July 2017 update:

Ever seen a review of Bryan and Mary's "The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia" in a reportage video-blog style format...? - well: now you have!

This is from the rather excellent Internal Combustion blog: go check it out and tell him I sent you!


Friday 7th July 2017 update:

Into The Unknown – a Journey Through Science Fiction

This exhibition covers all aspects of SF, from its 19th century beginnings to its present day incarnations.

It's a multi-media event where you can see first editions of classic books, development sketches for movies, such as the original King Kong and Star Wars, robots, pulp magazine covers, many screens, small and large, showing clips of outstanding SF movies, costumes, models of space ships, in fact everything from Alien sculptures by HR Giger to a full set of the original Mars Attacks bubble-gum cards and…the above: Bryan's classic 2000AD cover featuring Nemesis the Warlock.

The exhibition is on until the 1st September and will then tour internationally for three years.

The full entry fee is £14.50, with a range of concessions and discounts. at The Barbican, Silk St, London EC2Y 8DS.

Tickets are available from the Barbican site.


Sunday July 2nd 2017 update:

Grandville Force Majeure Update

Bryan has now completely finished the 164 pages of artwork and the afterword.

It will be published by Jonathan Cape in the UK and Dark Horse Books in the USA in November, with a special launch with advance copies in October at The Lakes International Comics Art Festival.


Saturday July 1st 2017 update:

Page 6 of Grandville: Force Majeure

To count down until the launch of Grandville: Force Majeure at the Lakes International Comics Festival in October we are publishing a new page each month: and here is page 6!

It will be officially published in November, but the special launch event is at the Lakes Festival. Until the official publication date this will be your only way to get a copy!

Also see page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4 and page 5.

Tuesday June 13th 2017 update:

Don't forget - Bryan is a guest at the Pisa steamcon convention 23rd – 25th June!


Thursday June 1st 2017 update:

Page 5 of Grandville: Force Majeure

To count down until the publication of Grandville: Force Majeure at the Lakes International Comics Festival in October we are publishing a new page each month: and here is page 5!

Also see page 1, page 2, page 3 and page 4.


Sunday May 28th 2017 update:

Mega City Book Club podcast on the Tale of One Bad Rat

Eamonn Clarke and Owen Watts spend a highly enjoyable hour talking about the Tale of One Bad Rat at the Mega City Book Club.

Highly recommended: go give it a listen - and then if you realise you need to buy the Tale of One Bad Rat: well then - our work here is done!


Saturday May 27th 2017 update:

Page 45 announces the first Grandville Force Majeure signing at the Lakes International Comics Festival in October

The last, longest and final volume in the Grandville series of anthropomorphic steampunk detective thrillers will be launched at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in October, where Bryan will be signing and sketching in the books for free! Don't miss it and stay tuned for a competition offering Grandville artwork as prizes.

The Date: Saturday October 14th 2017
The Time: 3.30pm until Clock Tower closes
The Venue: Upstairs in Kendal Comics Clock Tower (lift access, yes!)

Full details, photos and more are over at the Page 45 site.

"More than a furry steampunk uchronia, grandville is a smart and brilliant view of the human past... and maybe of his future. It's the kind of graphic novel I love!" - Juan Días Canales, Writer of Blacksad.

"I have greatly enjoyed the Grandville books. I think they're superbly designed, beautifully conceived, admirably written – everything about them is terrific. They really show what the form can do. A graphic novel built on the solid foundation of a strong story." - Philip Pullman.

"Bryan Talbot has an infectious enthusiasm for the Graphic Novel form. I like writers and artists who surprise me. I open one of his books and I don't know what I'm going to get until I am there on the page. I love the fact that I can dive into the very beautiful, very lush, very colourful world of Grandville." - Ian Rankin.

And don't forget the interview and panel with Bryan, entitled "Grandville: the Last Chapter" beforehand at 1:15 - 2:15pm in the Malt Room at the Brewery Arts Centre: "come and find out more about Bryan’s journey to this final chapter alongside LICAF patron and comics expert Peter Kessler."


Tuesday May 23rd 2017update:

The Lakes International Comics Festival has announced it's full program of events - with the launch of the last Grandville being amongst them!


Thursday 11th May 2017 update:

Mary Talbot has posted a blog on her and Bryan's recent visit to France and the 16th Arras Book Fair.


Monday May 1st 2017 update:

Page 4 of Grandville: Force Majeure

To cound down until the publication of Grandville: Force Majeure at the Lakes International Comics Festival in October we are publishing a new page each month: here is page 4.

Also see page 1, page 2 and page 3.


Sunday April 30th 2017 update:

The first campaign pack for the Adventures of Luther Arkwright roleplay game is now available: Parallel Lines

A Mythras Supplement for Luther Arkwright

At last, the eagerly awaited campaign pack for Luther Arkwright...

Join Valhalla's Mjollnir Section and take part in eight separate missions investigating planar anomalies and nefarious Disruptor schemes. How far has the Disruptor Knight known as Loki gone in his bid to bring about global war? What is the source of strange psychic emanations in the New England area? How can Kyland the Warlord be stopped before he destroys Aigues Mortes? What sinister forces are at work on the Trans-Siberian Express and the airship 'Empress Katerina'?

All these and more form the missions of Parallel Lines, taking the team from the New England swamps to a dystopian London, via post apocalyptic landscapes, industrial hells, an undersea arcology and an Edinburgh on the verge of revolution. Each mission is self contained but can thread together to form a vast campaign with recurring characters and villains.

The front cover artist is Brian Koschak.

So: join the war against the Disruptors; get your copy of Parallel Lines without delay!

172 pages, softcover, Print: $24.99 (with free PDF), PDF only $12.99. Order from:


Saturday April 29th 2017 update:

Bryan's tribute to Leo Baxendale in Grandville: Force Majeure

With the sad news of the death of Leo Baxendale, Bryan included this tribute to him in Grandville: Force Majeure.

The script for this panel was written about 5 years ago, the page penciled and inked about 18 months ago, and coloured in January, and it is a scene that takes place in Madame Tussaud's

See the full article over at the indespensible Down the Tubes.


Wednesday April 19th 2017 update:

The Talbots in France

Bryan and Mary are signing at the bookstore Cultura in Roubaix, near Lille on the afternoon of the 29th April and on the 1st of May, they are guests at the 16th Arras book fair, Coleres du present.


Saturday April 15th 2017 update:

Barcelona 2017

Mary Talbot has written up the tale of her and Bryan's visit to the Barcelon Comics Festival.


Friday April 14th 2014 update:

Wonderlands 2017

The Graphic Novel Expo returns, and the website is finally up! This year, it's on Saturday 3rd June, CitySpace building, Chester Road, Sunderland.

Free entry, as usual and a bunch of guests, including John Wagner, John Higgins, the Guardian's Martin Rowson, Hannah Berry and Jade Sarsen and, of course, Bryan and Mary.

Details at the Wonderlands site


Thursday April 13th 2017 update:

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is delighted to reveal top artist Michael Cho's artwork for this year's Festival in October.

Michael is of course best known for his Silver and Bronze age superhero comics aesthetics and his recent reprint collection covers which have wowed the comic art world and beyond. His own graphic novel, Shoplifter, was a New York Times best seller on release.

"We are proud that he has designed LICAF's 2017 artwork," says Festival Director Julie Tait.


Saturday April 8th 2017 update:

Red Virgin nominated for a Reuben Award

Bryan and Mary Talbot's The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia is one of the three nominations in the graphic novel section of the US's National Cartoonist's Society Reuben Awards, an annual event now in its 71st year. The Winners will be announced on May 27th at the NCS Reuben Awards dinner in Portland, Oregon.


Friday April 7th 2017 update:

Mary and Bryan Talbot on The Red Virgin in conversation with Charles Forsdick.

Recorded at the Francospheres of Resistance and Revolution conference, London University, 3rd April 2017. Also see a more in-depth write-up on Mary's blog.


Thursday April 6th 2017 update:

The countdown to Grandville: Force Majeure continues with page 3!

We are counting down to the publication of Grandville: Force Majeure at the Lakes International Comics Festival in October, with a new page published here each month.

Below is page 3: also see page 1 and page 2.


Tuesday March 30th 2017 update:

New original artwork for sale! - Torquemada, as seen in the recent 2000ad 40th anniversary special!

This has now been sold: sorry!


Tuesday March 21st 2017 update:

Upcoming signings and appearances:

  • 25th International Comic Fair in Barcelona
    Bryan and Mary are guests of the 35th Barcelona International Comic Fair – From March 30th to April 2nd, 2017. Luther Arkwright, Heart of Empire, Bad Rat and the Grandville books are published in Spain by Astiberri Books, the books he's worked on with Mary are published by Edicions La Cupula and they will be doing signings at the booths of both companies.

  • On the 3rd April they will be at the conference "Francosperes of Resistance and Revolution" at the University of London: at 16:15 they are in conversation with Charles Forsdick on The Red Virgin.

  • Signing at the bookstore Cultura in Roubaix, near Lille on the afternoon of the 29th April

  • 16th Arras book fair
    On the 1st of May, Bryan and Mary are guests at the 16th Arras book fair, Coleres du present

  • Bryan is a guest at the Pisa steamcon convention 23rd – 25th June.

I've also set up a Google Calendar with all of Bryan's events on it that you can subscribe to.


Monday March 6th 2017 update:

Bryan is giving his "Grandville and the Anthropomorphic Tradition" talk this Saturday in Newcastle

Bryan Talbot: comic artist and author

In this presentation, Bryan discusses his Grandville graphic novel series of steampunk detective thrillers and the venerable and ongoing tradition of anthropomorphic characters in illustration and comics from which they have grown, pointing out references to this tradition and 19th century art within the Grandville books themselves.

The steampunk exhibition, Fabricating Histories, is on at the museum until the 21st May and full details and tickets for Bryan's talk are on the Discovery Museum site.

  • Discovery Museum, Blandford Square, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 4JA, (0191) 232 6789
  • Saturday 11th March 2017: 2:00 - 3:15pm
  • £2 booking fee

Thursday March 2nd 2017 update:

The countdown to Grandville: Force Majeure continues! - behold - page 2!

As promised we are publishing one new page from the new Grandville: Force Majeure graphic novel each month: below is page 2 - if you'd like to be reminded of what page 1 looks like first then it is still available to see here.

Grandville Force Majeure will be published in October 2017 and we are publishing 1 page per month right here on the fanpage.


Friday February 24th 2017 update:

Guests announced for the 5th Lakes International Comics Art Festival!

Taking place in various venues in the picturesque town of Kendal, Cumbria, 13th – 15th October, the guest list is positively stellar, with artists and writers converging on the festival from all over the world.

These include Sergio Aragones, Benoit Peeters, Brendan McCarthy, Charlie Adlard, Bruce Mutard , Hannah Berry, Duncan Fegrado, Michael Cho and Stan Sakai. And, of course, it is the venue for the launch of Bryan's Grandville Force Majeure, the fifth and last volume of the adventures of Detective Inspector LeBrock of Scotland Yard.

See the full list over at the Lakes International Comics Art Festival guests page.


Thursday February 16th 2017 update:

The Badger is back!

A gang war rages as, wanted for murder, truly alone and outside the law, Detective Inspector LeBrock is on the run from both the police and gangster assassins, the victim of a diabolical scheme to annihilate himself and everyone he holds dear, engineered by mastermind crime lord Tiberius Koenig, one of the most despicable villains in the history of detective fiction.

A fiendishly ingenious story of love, tenacity, treachery and tragedy, this fifth, final and longest stand-alone volume of the Eisner and Hugo Award nominated Grandville series by master storyteller and graphic novel pioneer Bryan Talbot is a veritable roller coaster of a detective thriller, featuring Grandville's trademark fusion of high-octane excitement and humour, plus deduction on a Holmesian scale as we finally meet LeBrock's mentor, Stamford Hawksmoor, and discover LeBrock's untold backstory.

Fan favourite characters, Detective Sergeant Roderick Ratzi and LeBrock's vivacious fiancée, Parisian prostitute Billie, are joined by a new badger in town! Enter Tasso, an Italian badger who's bigger, meaner and uglier than LeBrock - but is he a force for good - or evil? A battle royale ensues as LeBrock fights against truly outrageous odds. How can he possibly survive?

Prepare to be royally badgered!

"I have greatly enjoyed the Grandville books. I think they're superbly designed, beautifully conceived, admirably written – everything about them is terrific. They really show what the form can do. A graphic novel built on the solid foundation of a strong story." - Philip Pullman

"Bryan Talbot has an infectious enthusiasm for the Graphic Novel form. I like writers and artists who surprise me. I open one of his books and I don't know what I'm going to get until I am there on the page. I love the fact that I can dive into the very beautiful, very lush, very colourful world of Grandville." - Ian Rankin

Grandville: Force Majeure will be launched at the Lakes International Comics Festival in Kendal, England on October 13th 2017.

The schedule hasn't been announced yet, so stay tuned for news about Grandville events at the festival, including a competition for the best costumes based on Grandville characters, with pages of Grandville artwork going to the winners.


Thursday February 10th 2017 update:

Remastered version of the Papist Affair

I have remastered the Papist Affair strip and reposted it - it is now at 1,000 pixels wide and it looks amazing!

This is the first ever appearance of Luther Arkwright in print: Bryan says: "This was an excuse to do a "ground-level" strip in line and water-colour wash and was directly inspired by the Jerry Cornelius stories of Michael Moorcock. After this, Arkwright took on his own personality and I developed his own milieu , but this was his very first appearance."


Wednesday February 9th 2017 update:

Lakes International Comic Art Festival won two awards at the Cumbria Life Culture Awards.

We're delighted to announce the Lakes International Comic Art Festival won two awards at the Cumbria Life Culture Awards this weekend.

Core team members Aileen McEoy and Carole Tait were among those on hand to collect the awards for Festival of the Year and another award, Event of the Year, for the world premiere performance of artist Dave McKean's Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash.

In all, there were 75 finalists for the second Cumbria Life Culture Awards announced at an event. Compered by radio personality Stuart Maconie at Theatre by the Lake, chosen to represent the best of Cumbrian culture.

LICAF was up against some amazing events and festivals in the categories, so we really are (as you might be able to tell) both giddy and proud to be part of key cultural events taking place in Cumbria.

In the style of all good award ceremonies, we would like to thank you, our amazing Festival goers; our incredible team at Festival HQ (we may be few in number but everyone works with such dedication and passion for the medium that is Comic Arts); and our volunteers, the Red T Squadron – without them we couldn't run the festival.

Plus, our amazing Patrons – Bryan Talbot, Mary Talbot, Sean Phillips, Emma Vieceli, Boulet, Stephen Holland of Page 45 fame – our funders, local partnerships… so many others and all of those who come and visit the festival.The fifth Lakes International Comic Art Festival will run from 13th-15th October 2017, celebrating great comic art from across the world. The first announced guest for 2017 is MAD cartoonist Sergio Aragonés, who will be presenting the first ever NCS Sergio Aragonés International Award for Excellence in Comic Art.

The full guest list will be announced later this month.

The Festival's plans for next year also include special tributes to Will Eisner, creator of "The Spirit" and Tove Jansson, creator of "The Moomins".

Lakes International Comics Art Festival.


Tuesday February 7th 2017 update:

New printings by Ediciones La Cúpula

Mary and Bryan Talbot's Spanish publisher is publishing a new edition of Dotter of her Father's Eyes and their 5th edition of Sally Heathcote Suffragette, the winner of two major Spanish graphic novel awards. See more at the Ediciones La Cúpula site.


Wednesday February 1st 2017 update:

The countdown to Grandville: Force Majeure has begun! - behold - page 1!

As promised we are beginning the countdown to the publication of the last Grandville graphic novel - Grandville: Force Majeure - right now!

Grandville Force Majeure will be published in October 2017 and we will publish 1 page per month right here on the first of each month.


Wednesday January 25th 2017 update:

Slings and Arrows have just posted brand new reviews of all 4 Grandville books:

  • Grandville - "At some points the characters look deceivingly cuddly and cute before the story punches you in the guts and drags you along by the throat, Talbot’s solid storytelling driving the tale. There is far more to Grandville than just what you read in the dialogue or see in the foreground."

  • Grandville: Mon Amour - "After his introduction to Grandville, Bryan Talbot takes a much darker road for Mon Amour, exploring the steam-punk genre’s capacity as a setting for grimy thrillers both literary and artistic. He employs more frames per page in sporadic fashion, using swathes of glossy black shadows to create an eerie tension that simmers throughout the book. The detail is meticulous, the violence graphic and brutal, the environment claustrophobic."

  • Grandville: Bête Noire - "Artistically Talbot is also expanding, with even more action, angry crowds bristling with agitation, tempers flaring at arrogant statements,and rank upon rank of automatons menacing frightened and panicked observers."

  • Grandville: Noel - "Talbot’s narrative remains riveting even as he continues to explore new horizons for his creation... Grandville is a superbly written series that looks equally great. The smart, individually coloured and engraved hardcovers have both visual and tactile appeal, complimenting the work within."

Tuesday January 24th 2017 update:

Grandville and the Anthropomorphic Tradition

Bryan Talbot: comic artist and author

In this presentation, Bryan discusses his Grandville graphic novel series of steampunk detective thrillers and the venerable and ongoing tradition of anthropomorphic characters in illustration and comics from which they have grown, pointing out references to this tradition and 19th century art within the Grandville books themselves.

The steampunk exhibition, Fabricating Histories, is on at the museum until the 21st May and full details and tickets for Bryan's talk are on the Discovery Museum site.

  • Discovery Museum, Blandford Square, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 4JA, (0191) 232 6789
  • Saturday 11th March 2017: 2:00 - 3:15pm
  • £2 booking fee

Thursday January 19th 2017 update:

The Cartoon Museum is hosting an exhibition celebrating 40 years of 2000AD.

Needless to say, Bryan has some work in there!


Monday January 16th 2017 update:

Prepare to be royally badgered!

Grandville Force Majeure will be published next October.

To whet your appetite for the 5th and last volume, 9 pages of the artwork will be exclusively previewed on this site! Starting on the 1st of February, the first 9 pages of the 164 page story will be posted right here, one a month until the book is released.


Friday January 13th 2017 update:

The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia is in The Herald's best Graphic Novels of the Year list.

They say:
"This is an astonishingly ambitious work, using the story of French revolutionary feminist Louise Michel as a way to discuss ideas of utopia, the city and revolutionary action.

There is a remarkable level of craft on display here from both the author and her artist husband. "


Thursday January 12th 2017 update:

Ha! - you know you are doing SOMETHING right when the world-famous comic artist and author you run a fanpage for likes the new t-shirt design to the point where he's going to buy one!

Bryan emailed to ask me to add an image of the Grandville logo shirt to the site as they look so good.

Of course - it always helps if the source of the images you are putting onto t-shirts actually is a world-famous comic artist!


Tuesday January 10th 2017 update:


I've just revamped the Bryan Talbot t-shirt shop! - we've got a vast array of Bryan's images on lots of different t-shirts, as well as other items like mugs and fine art prints: - but if there's anything else you'd like just let us know on Twitter or at the Facebook group.

Almost any image of Bryan's can be added to any of their products.


Monday January 9th 2017 update:

The Return of Torquemada!

2000AD celebrates its 40th anniversary in February and Bryan was commissioned to produce a new full-page Torquemada illustration for the special birthday prog.

The original artwork will appear on this site's online shop shortly thereafter!


Wednesday January 4th 2017 update:

As is now traditional, it falls to me to say at New Year: "good grief - is it really 21 years I have been running the Bryan Talbot fanpage? - and yes: yes it is!

And now - an invitation to join us at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (or "LICAF") in 2017:

Apart from that there is not much news from Bryan: he says "sorry - I'm staying home and keeping my head down, colouring Grandville".

However - there is an interview with Mary at She Works.

 

Tuesday December 13th 2016 update:

Grandville Force Majeure Update

Bryan had now finished the pencils, inks and lettering on all 164 pages of the fifth and last volume.

All he has to do now is colour them! The publication date is October 2017. Prepare to be royally badgered!


Friday December 9th update:

Neil Gaiman's rarest works on sale for charity

The Humble Book Bundle gathers some of Gaiman's rarest and most sought-after works, including rare audio and video performances. You'll find short stories, essays, comics, including some by Bryan, music biography, poems, teleplays, prose fiction, and even lyrics and speeches.

Included are books published early in Gaiman's career, pieces from anthologies, titles with small print runs, or works which were never published at all. If it's in this bundle, chances are even a superfan has never read it! All profits will go the the Comic Book Legal Defence Fund and the UN Refugee Agency.

You can buy the whole package right here - or just the parts that interest you.

But hurry! The offer closes in less than 2 weeks.


Tuesday November 22nd 2016 update:

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has announced its online fund-raising art auction will begin on 23rd November 2016.

Included in this year's auction to raise funds for the Festival's 2017 activities is original artwork produced by no less than Bryan Lee O'Malley, Craig Thompson, Duncan Fegredo,Edmond Baudoin, Emma Vieceli, Hunt Emerson, Ian McQue, Jonathan Edwards,Jordi Bernet, Mick McMahon, Petteri Tikkanen, Sean Phillips, Stuart Immonen - and the guys from VIZ!

This year, the auction will take place online only, opening at 9.00am on Wednesday 23rd November 2016 on Proxibid.

The catalogue is live online right now.


Saturday November 19th 2016 update:

Upcoming events

Expocomic 16 - Madrid: Saturday 3rd – Sunday 4th December 2016

Bryan will be signing at the Astiberri booth Saturday, 3rd from 16:00 to 17:00, Bryan and Mary at the convention booth, Saturday, 3rd from 17:30 to 19:00

Full details at the Expocomic 16 site.

Graphic Brighton – Conflict and Resolution Friday 9th – Saturday 10th December

Alex Fitch interviews Bryan and Mary Talbot on the graphic novels Sally Heathcote Suffragette and The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia Friday 9th, 5.30pm

This is a 2 day conference. Tickets: £70 (both days of conference) / £40 (concessions) / £10 (public events) – ticket sales and registration open now

Full conference tickets will include all talks, presentations and workshops on both days, while public tickets will only include talks by practitioners.

Full details at the Graphic Brighton site.


Sunday November 13th 2016 update:

Alice in Sunderland as a film poster by Alison Chin

The artist Alison Chin has designed 2 posters, imagining Alice in Sunderland as a movie: go check them out - they are just amazing!

Actor and artist Brian Gorman has written a cracking blog on the Lakes fest, which includes a great review of the Red Virgin talk that Bryan and Mary gave there.


Sunday November 6th 2016 update:

Bit of a mixed bag round-up of news today:


Wednesday October 26th 2016 update:

The Talbot World Tour!

Not exactly that, but Bryan and Mary have been travelling for most of the past month, promoting various foreign editions of their books. Mary has just posted a blog about it.

 

Grandville update

Now he's back, Bryan is pressing on with Grandville: Force Majeure. He's now pencilled and inked 154 pages, with only 10 more to go. Then he's got to colour it, but some preliminary colours have already been done by Alwyn Talbot, Jordan Smith and Angus McKie.

 

Coelifer Atlas

This 24 hour marathon comic, produced during and published by the Lakes International Comic Art Festival is available now.

Its aim is to raise awareness of the medical condition Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and it has already raised £1000 for the charity OCD Action. Written by Alex Paknadel and Dan Watters, Bryan drew the first 2 pages and others were drawn by a variety of artists including Emma Viecelli, Charlie Adlard, Craig Thompson, Bruce Mutard and editor Dan Berry.

See the full story on the Coelifer Atlas and where to get it.


Tuesday October 25th 2016 update:

Sergio Aragones at the Lakes in 2017!

Veteran cartoonist Sergio Aragones is the first announced guest at the 5th Lakes International Comic Art Festival, 13 –15th October 2017.

It will also be the venue for the launch of Grandville Force Majeure, the long-awaited 5th, final and longest volume in Bryan's Grandville series, so you can look forward to a grand Grandville-themed event taking place there.


Saturday October 22nd 2016 update:

Louise Michel on Europe 1!

Here's a link to a great little review of Louise Michel, La Vierge Rouge (the title of the French edition of The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia) on french radio channel Europe 1. The item is around 5 minutes 20 seconds into the programme. The text of the review is reproduced there too. How good's your French? It says the book is by Bryan and Mary Talbot, "un couple britannique, des stars de la BD".

More French reviews from Bodie and Avoir Alire

 

4th Lakes International Comics Art Festival huge success!

LICAF 4 took place last weekend and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Guests this year included Craig Thomson (Blankets, Habibi), Bryan Lee O'Mally (Scott Pilgrim), Mick McMahon (Judge Dredd, Slaine), Charlie Adlard (Walking Dead), Duncan Fegrado (Hellboy), Gilbert Shelton (Freak Bros) and European masters of comic art Jordi Bernett and Edmond Baudoin. Other guests included founder patrons Bryan and Mary Talbot and Sean Philips. Attending was Dave Gibbons, to hand over the position of UK Comics Laureate to Charlie Adlard, and British and European comics legend, Jeff Hawke artist Sid Jordan.

There's a write-up on the festival here

 

Upcoming events

London

Sunday 13th November 2016 1pm
Mary and Bryan Talbot: The Red Virgin and The Vision of Utopia - Followed by Kate Evans on Red Rosa

Write Idea Festival
Idea Store Whitechapel - 321 Whitechapel Road - London E1 1BU
Free entry


Brighton

Friday 9th – Saturday 10th December Schedule to be announced: Graphic Brighton – Conflict and Resolution
Alex Fitch interviews Bryan and Mary Talbot on the graphic novels Sally Heathcote Suffragette and The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia

This is a 2 day conference. Tickets: £70 (both days of conference) / £40 (concessions) / £10 (public events) – ticket sales and registration open now

Full conference tickets will include all talks, presentations and workshops on both days, while public tickets will only include talks by practitioners.


Sunday October 16th 2016 update

Talbot on the TV

The documentary, the Books That Made Britain was broadcast this Sunday on BBC1 at 3:45pm in the North East and Cumbria, where Bryan appears, talking about Alice in Sunderland, interviewed by Viz co-creator Chris Donald.

It is available on the iPlayer to watch now.


Sunday September 25th 2016 update:

"El Matrimonio Talbot" in Spain.

Here's Mary's blog about their recent visit to the Aviles Comics Festival.


Tuesday September 20th 2016 update:

Craig Thompson, Bryan Talbot, Emma Vieceli and other top creators to draw OCD Action charity comic at Lakes Festival

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival has announced this year's special 24 Hour Marathon Comic project as part of this year's weekend-long event in October, featuring a stellar line up of talent that aims to raise awareness of the medical condition OCD – Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

All profits from the sale of this special comic will go to OCD Action alongside a percentage from other merchandise.


Monday September 19th 2016 update:

Lisa McKenzie reviews the Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia over at the Times Higher Education:

"This gripping, unforgettable account of the life of Louise Michel, the 19th-century anarchist, utopian, poet and activist, is a true narrative, written by scholar and graphic novelist Mary Talbot with her husband Bryan, and a moving example of how a book can become an emotional experience as you turn each page.

Not all books can do this; I read hundreds of them and can honestly say that most academic books seldom have an emotional effect on me. The Red Virgin, though, did just that, and in addition is one of the most beautiful objects that I have ever had the pleasure to have in my hands."


Monday 12th September 2016 update:

Bryan and Mary are guests at the following events:


Wednesday September 7th 2016 update:

The Lakes International Comics Art Festival programme is now online!

And there's a new review of The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia in the Socialist Review


Monday August 30th 2016 update:

The panel on The Red Virgin and The Vision of Utopia at the Edinburgh Book Festival this weekend was very well-attended and the signing afterwards lasted for an hour and a quarter.

Here's Joe Gordon's write-up of the event.


Sunday August 14th 2016 update:

Foreign editions

The French edition of The Red Virgin is released in September from Editions Vuibert. Bryan recreated the woodcut-style title lettering for its French title: Louise Michel, La Vierge Rouge. In the UK, Louise Michel is almost unheard of. Apparently, in France, most people will recognise the name – there is a metro station and a Parisian square named after her – but she's still, on the whole, a mysterious revolutionary figure.

The Spanish Edition, La Virgen Roja, published by Ediciones La Cúpola, is out in October and the Portuguese edition of The Tale of One Bad Rat has just been published by Levoir. Grandville Mon Amour will shortly appear in the Czech Republic, Grandville Bête Noire and Grandville Noel in Serbia and Sally Heathcote in Sweden. This month also sees the 4th printing of the multiple-award winning Spanish edition of Sally Heathcote: Suffragista.

Edinburgh Book Festival

Bryan and Mary are guests at the Edinburgh International Book Festival where, on the 27th August at 12.30, they will be talking about The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia. Chaired by Joe Gordon.


Tuesday August 2nd 2016 update:

The Here I Stand: Stories that Speak for Freedom Amnesty International anthology is published this Thursday!

It is also the children's book of the week in the Sunday Times.


Wednesday July 20th 2016 update:

“Blankets” creator Craig Thompson joins 2016 Lakes International Comic Art Festival line-up

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival (14th -16th October 2016) is pleased to confirm an appearance by one of the most critically-acclaimed cartoonists of his generation, award-winning author Craig Thompson, alongside current collaborator, the acclaimed French artist Edmond Baudoin.

Thompson is the writer and artist of the critically-acclaimed graphic novels Blankets (which has been published in 20 languages), Habibi, the New York Times best-selling graphic novel; Space Dumplins, launched last year, Good-bye, Chunky Rice and Carnet de Voyage. He has been awarded three Eisner awards, three Harvey awards, two Ignatz awards, and a Grammy nomination for album cover artwork on Menomena¹s Friend and Foe.


Monday July 18th 2016 update:

Here I Stand

Bryan and Mary Talbot, along with Sally Heathcote Suffragette co-creator Kate Charlesworth, have teamed up again to produce a 6-page strip, Deeds Not Words, for the new anthology Here I Stand. The strip concerns the real-life suffragette Lady Constance Lytton who, some may remember, had a brief cameo appearance in Sally Heathcote. Deeds Not Words is produced in the same style the creators employed for the graphic novel.

Here I Stand is a new anthology from Amnesty International, to be published by Walkers Books on 4th August 2016, £10.99

The thought-provoking collection brings together 25 leading writers and illustrators. Their stories and poems are poignant, challenging, heartbreaking, angry and haunting. They cover important and relevant issues likely to resonate with teenagers today, such as bullying, race hatred, child sex abuse, freedom of speech, identity and gang honour. All of them touch upon the importance of having the courage to speak up against injustice.

Other contributors include John Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, poet Jackie Kay, Costa-winners Frances Hardinge and Christie Watson, Carnegie 2016 winner Sarah Crossan, Matt Haig, Neil Gaiman, AL Kennedy and imprisoned Wikileaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning.

"At a time when we are seeing a nightmarish surge in hate crimes, this anthology is, unfortunately, all too relevant" -Nicky Parker

Here I Stand is available from Amazon.

August events

Bryan and Mary are guests of the Preston Comic Con, Preston Guild Hall August 6th 2016

They will also be appearing at the Edinburgh International Book Festival where, on the 27th August at 12.30, they will be talking about The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia. Chaired by Joe Gordon.


Sunday July 3rd 2016 update:

First of all - has everyone seen Alwyn and Mary Talbot's Reflections and Raspberries? - some bitingly funny political satire, made all the more relevant by recent English politics...

Then we found a collection of reviews of Bryan's work on the Slings and Aroows site:

  • Heart of Empire: "This is immensely enjoyable adventure, beautifully drawn and uplifting."
  • The Tale of One Bad Rat: "Bryan Talbot’s approach to is quite unique, and intensely personal. He began by wanting to do a comic  set in the Lake District, but after reading books on child abuse knew that this would be the heart of his story. "
  • Alice in Sunderland: "a mythical tour de force... a stunning piece of artistry... There appear to be few topics in which he has little interest, yet this polymath approach never sinks into dry tedium. Here the shamanic and proselytising elements of his creative impulses take precedence, to deliver a gloriously meandering and self-referential project."

Monday June 20th 2016 update:

Grandville Force Majeure update

There are now 125 pages inked and around three dozen have been coloured by Alwyn Talbot, Angus McKie and Jordan Smith.

Bryan has yet to go over these to make them compatible with his usual Grandville colours.


Saturday June 18th 2016 update:

More British creators announced for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival!

Joining the already-impressive guest list that includes Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O'Malley, Dave McKean, top Spanish artist Jordi Bernet and 2000AD's Mick McMahon will be artists Charlie Adlard, Rufus Dayglo and Duncan Fegredo; writer, artist and editor Ilya; and writers Leah Moore and John Reppion.

Bad Rat artwork on display

Kendal museum is hosting Beatrix Potter's Inspiring Legacy, an exhibition of artwork which inspired Beatrix Potter and artwork which has been inspired by her, while also exploring her scientific legacy as a fungi expert and sheep breeder. It includes 12 pages from The Tale of One Bad Rat.

Kendal Museum, Station Road, Kendal, LA9 6BT 01539 819957 info@kendalmuseum.org.uk

And finally: see the excellent Down the Tubes photo review of the Wonderlands UK Graphic Novel Expo.


Wednesday June 8th 2016 update:

Great review of the Red Virgin by Bookmunch: "It’s a great story – if I can say that about an actual person’s life without being too reductive – and it would be hard to mess up. In the hands of the Talbots, it’s a work of consummate mastery."


Friday June 3rd 2016 update:

Bryan was filmed in his studio yesterday for a BBC documentary on writers and their books associated with places in the North East. Of course, they chose Alice in Sunderland as one of the books.

Bryan was interviewed by VIZ co-creator Chris Donald. The documentary is likely to be broadcast sometime in September or October on BBC1 in the North East and Cumbria.

Watch this space!

Tuesday May 24th 2016 update:


Wonderlands is this Saturday!

Wonderlands copmic expo

May 28th at the University of Sunderland: meet and hear Bryan, Doug Braithwaite and Steve Bell - and many more.

Full details at the Wonderlands comic expo site.


Monday May 16th 2016 update:

More reviews and updates on the launch of the Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia:


Tuesday May 10th 2016 update:

The Talbots on the Beeb!

Bryan and Mary were on national BBC radio on Monday May 9th! Free Thinking on Radio 3 at 10:00pm and Front Row, Radio 4 at 7:15pm.

These appearances are now confirmed - and you can hear the shows on the links above as soon as they have been broadcast in the UK.

Also see:


Sunday May 1st 2016 update

Cracking review of the Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia from Carl Doherty over at Shelf Abuse:
"The Red Virgin is possibly the Talbots’ most confident collaboration yet. This is one of those rare joint efforts to achieve that level of synergy between image and word usually only attained by lonesome creators handling every element of the process.

It’s difficult to imagine where each talent’s contributions begin and end, and quite frankly I’m happier not knowing."


Thursday April 28th 2016 update

The Great British Graphic Novel at the Cartoon Museum

See Mary Talbot's short report on the exhibition.

This includes some shots from the private view on April 19th, including photos of Posy Simmonds, Oscar Zarate, Nichola Streeten, Kate Evans and Kate Charlesworth.


Monday April 25th 2016 update

Bryan and Mary's events in May

The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia – Powerpoint presentation and Q & A

Wednesday 4th May 6.30pm
The Cartoon Museum, 35 Little Russell Street, London WC1A 2HH - 0207 5808155 - Free entry.


The Red Virgin and Red Rosa

Thursday 5th May 7.00pm
Mary and Bryan join Kate Evans to discuss these two graphic novels. Hosted by author and historian Alex Butterworth. See their site for ticket prices. House of Illustration, 2 Granary Square, King's Cross,London N1C 4BH


The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia – Powerpoint presentation and Q & A

Friday 6th May 6pm
Waterstones, The Bridges, Sunderland SR1 3LB - 0191 567 4331 - Free entry.


Comix Creatrix – Women on the Cutting Edge of Comics - Panel discussion

Saturday 21st May  11:00 am - 12:15 pm
Mary joins Asia Alfasi, Kripa Joshi, Corinne Pearlman and Paul Gravett in the University of Bradford - Small Hall Tickets £6
(part of the Bradford Literature Festival).


The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia – Powerpoint presentation and Q & A

Sunday, 22nd May 2016 | 12:30 pm - 1:45 pm
University of Bradford - Small Hall. Tickets £6 from the Bradford Literature Festival site.
(part of the Bradford Literature Festival).



WONDERLANDS – The U.K. Graphic Novel Expo

Saturday 28th May 10am – 5pm
Mary and Bryan will be on various panels and be there to sign during the day. For more details see the Wonderlands site.


Saturday April 23rd 2016 update

  • Bryan has a few pages in the Great British Graphic Novel exhibition that's just opened at the Cartoon Museum, 35 Little Russell Street, WC1A 2HH and runs until July 24th. Here's a great review of it by James Bacon - "This is a phenomenal experience, it exceeded my expectations and I was blown away by the calibre of the artwork on display. The Cartoon Museum has amassed the finest examples of comic art, an incredible mix of exemplary work, providing a beautiful tapestry of the history and breadth of the greatest works from Britain for public consideration."
  • The British are leaders in graphic novels so why do we not take the art form more seriously? - an article at the Spectator site with a great namecheck for Bryan: "In the late Seventies and early Eighties, the British graphic novel really took off around the world, particularly in the works of Bryan Talbot."
  • The Sunderland Echo has: Sunderland husband and wife team release graphic novel - "Award-winning literary couple Mary and Bryan Talbot have joined forces again. The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia is the third collaboration for the husband and wife team."

Thursday April 7th 2016 update:

The legendary Lakes International Comics Festival - 14 to 16 October this year in Kendal in the Lake District - has created a trailer: check it out!

Bryan will be there this year - only fitting as he is a founding patron! - will you be there?


Tuesday April 5th 2016 update:

Grandville: Force Majeure page count update: Bryan has now inked 101 pages!


Thursday March 31st 2016 update:

Bryan Lee O'Malley confirmed for exclusive 2016 Lakes International Comic Art Festival appearance!

We're delighted to announce the addition of Bryan Lee O'Malley, creator of Scott Pilgrim and the bestselling graphic novel, Seconds, to the 2016 Lakes International Comic Art Festival line-up.

Making an exclusive UK appearance at the event, Bryan will join previously-announced guests Joe Kelly and 2000AD's Mick McMahon for this year's Festival taking place in Kendal (14th-16th October).


Wednesday March 23rd 2016 update:

Check out this directors commentary on The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia - also as it happens one of the very first articles on the comic from the nice people at Forbidden Planet.


Wednesday March 16th 2016 update:

The Wonderlands Graphic Novel expo is back in Sunderland on Saturday May 28th!


Thursday March 10th 2016 update:

Advance copies of the Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia available in York this weekend!

Not only are Bryan and Mary appearing this weekend at Travelling Man in York (54 Goodramgate, York, YO1 7LF from 2pm-3pm) and at the York Literary Festival later (4 - 6pm 12th March: Temple Hall, York St John University, Lord Mayor's Walk, York YO31 7EX) - but they have also confirmed that they will have 30 advance copies of the Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia for sale! - it will have to be first come first served as demand will be high!

Also see the excellent review of the Red Virgin over on the Carabas site (in the Graphic Novel section)

 

Sally Heathcote wins second Spanish award

The Spanish edition of the book, Sally Heathcote, Sufragista, published by Ediciones La Cúpula, received the Splash award for Best Graphic Novel of 2015 at the Sagunt Comics Festival in February.


Wednesday March 2nd 2016 update:

Talbots in York in March

On the 12th March Bryan and Mary will be signing at Travelling Man, 54 Goodramgate, York, YO1 7LF from 2pm-3pm

There is a slight chance that advance copies of The Red Virgin may be available at the event.

This will be followed by an appearance at the The York Literary Festival, where they will be will be discussing their work, including their forthcoming graphic novel The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia: 4 - 6pm 12th March: Temple Hall, York St John University, Lord Mayor's Walk, York YO31 7EX

This will be followed by a signing.

Also see Mary's rather excellent write up of the York appearance!


Sunday February 21st 2016 update

Wonderlands returns!

Following the success of last year's Wonderlands: The U.K. Graphic Novel Expo, the Sunderland Music, Arts and Culture Trust have decided to make it an annual event. The one-day expo will be on Saturday 28th May at the Cityspace centre, Chester Road, Sunderland.

Entry is free, and exhibitors' tables are very cheap. Headline guests confirmed so far are Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell and ace superhero artist Doug Braithwaite. Bryan and Mary will be giving a presentation on their new graphic novel, The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia and there will be a wide range of panel discussions, talks and workshops.

Watch this space for more details, but meanwhile, check out this short vid of last year's event.


Alice's Adventures in Comicland

To coincide with the Alice in Wonderland exhibition at the British Library, Bryan will join leading comics authority Paul Gravett and Manga artist Chie Kutsuwada on a panel discussion titled Alice's Adventures in Comicland.

Friday 26 February 2016, 18:30 - 20:00
Conference Centre, The British Library
96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB

Full Price: £10.00, Senior 60+: £8.00, Student: £7.00, Registered Unemployed: £7.00, Under 18: £7.00, Friend of the BL: £7.00

Enquiries: +44 (0)1937 546546 and boxoffice@bl.uk


Monday February 8th 2016 update:

Bryan tells me Grandville: Force Majeure is now at 84 pages, pencilled and inked - almost exactly halfway through!


Monday February 1st 2016 update:

Another Grandville page up for Auction!

Flood-hit 2-Tone Comics of Hebden Bridge have started their ebay auction of artwork donated by comic creators, including a page of Grandville Bête Noire from Bryan and artwork by Gary Erskine, Alan Moore, Melinda Gebbie and Jamie Delano.

Refused flood insurance, the independent comic store is struggling to get back on their feet so don't be shy people, make a bid!


Thursday January 28th 2016 update:

Lakes International Festival Comic Art Auction

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is to auction some fantastic pieces of original comic art in an effort to raise funds after the loss of thousands of pounds worth of giclees, prints, tables, books and other equipment in the devastating floods that hit Kendal last December. The art includes pages from The Tale of One Bad Rat, Heart of Empire and Grandville Mon Amour.

The Festival has been helping others in Kendal affected by the floods that wreaked havoc on the North West, joining Fanfare UK who donated 100 fleece blankets and sleeping bags with comic art on them to kids after the storms ­ but now need help to replace lost items.

Lakes International Comics Festival Comic Art Auction

The auction on eBay closes on Saturday 6th February 2016 at 5.00pm


Free postcards of the Red Virgin and Grandville: Force Majeure still available for fans!

I still have some of the Red Virgin and Grandville: Force Majeure postcards that Bryan and Mary sent to me, and so I am advertising the offer of free postcards to any fan who wants one!

  • if you are in the UK please email me and I will reply with the address to send a stamped self-addressed envelope: into which I will stuff (at least) 3 of each postcard

  • if you are not in the UK please send me £3.00 to cover post and packing and I will post out to you at least 3 of each postcard:

I have no idea why - but it's a really nice feeling posting these postcards out to fellow fans of Bryan and Mary!


Thursday January 14th 2016 update:

The Graphic Novel Man: the comics of Bryan Talbot DVD documentary is now available to buy online!

This is a true labour of love by fellow fans of Bryan's and is very well made, with a lot of very famous comic artists and authors talking about Bryan's work and how much if influenced them.


Tuesday January 5th 2016 update:

2016 marks the 20th year I have been honoured and privileged to run Bryan's fanpage!

The earliest post I can find where I announced the then new fanpage was in a comics news group (remember them?!) on November 1st 1996... - although I am morally certain I launched it the year before, I cannot find any concrete evidence of it. (The earliest mention of it at the Wayback Machine web archive is in April 1999, but at the time of writing the archive was not being loaded)

I don't know of any comic fanpages that have been in continuous operation this long... - heck I don't know of many websites full stop that have been run this long! It is something I continue to take an immense amount of pride in.

Here's to the next 20 years of amazing comics from Bryan!

Also in the news:

  • The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia in the Guardian 2016 Literary Calendar
    The Literary Calendar is the Guardian's annual listing of essential reading. Mary and Bryan's next book is the only graphic novel to be included. Unfortunately it's in the wrong month (June, not May) and is wrongly listed as fiction!

  • It's also listed in The Irish Times as one of the Books to look out for in 2016 - and they did get the category and the month right! Again, it's the only piece of sequential art.
    Wallace says: Husband-and-wife graphic novelists Bryan and Mary Talbot follow their Costa-winning study of Lucia Joyce (Dotter of Her Father¹s Eyes) with the equally offbeat The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia (Jonathan Cape, May). The subject is Louise Michel, an anarchist-feminist who fought on the barricades in 1871.

  • Also check out 24 amazing graphic novels to add to your reading list from Arlos House, which lists Arkwright in one of their top 24.

Sunday December 20th 2015 update:

Grandville Force Majeure update: Bryan has now inked 63 pages!

Forthcoming Events:

  • San Diego
    Bryan and Mary Talbot are the Guests of Honour at the San Diego Conics Festival, February 12th - 15th, The Town and Country Resort and Convention Centre.

  • The British Library
    To coincide with the Alice in Wonderland exhibition at the British Library, Bryan will join leading comics authority Paul Gravett and Manga artist Chie Kutsuwada on a panel discussion titled "Alice's Adventures in Comicland", Friday 26 February 2016, 18:30 - 20:00
    Conference Centre
    The British Library
    96 Euston Road
    London, NW1 2DB

    Full Price: £10.00
    Senior 60+: £8.00
    Student: £7.00
    Registered Unemployed: £7.00
    Under 18: £7.00
    Friend of the BL: £7.00

    Enquiries: +44 (0)1937 546546 boxoffice@bl.uk

  • The York Literary Festival
    Bryan and Mary will be discussing their work, including their forthcoming graphic novel The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia
    4 - 6pm 12th March
    : Temple Hall, York St John University, Lord Mayor's Walk, York YO31 7EX

Tuesday December 1st 2015 update:

Papercutz republish Teknophage!

Bryan's work on the Tekno comics title is at last in print again, in one volume.

The Teknophage, a 65 million year old reptile, holds the keys to the universe. An immensely powerful being, Henry Phage has spent his lifetime as a conqueror, using his immense psychic powers and his ability to manipulate wormholes in order to take over planets and feed upon the suffering of those he has conquered, effectively making himself a god.

From The Phage Building, located on the planet Kahlighoul, The Teknophage plots and plans the expansion of his intergalactic empire. However, when he turns his sights towards Kahlighoul's sister planet, Earth, the Teknophage encounters a source of resistance that he did not expect ...

A sharp and incisive, satirical look at everything from class structure to Capitalism itself, Neil Gaiman's Teknophage was a prophetic look at a world where the 1% rule with an iron hand and the working class struggles to survive. Gaiman's outline combined with the insightful storytelling of comics masters Rick (Swamp Thing, Brat Pack, Our Army at Love) Veitch and Bryan Talbot (Alice in Sunderland, Luther Arkwright) creates a witty and engaging work that stands the test of time.

Collected in one volume for the first time ever, this handsome volume is a must have for Gaiman completists and fans of great comics storytelling in general.


Wednesday November 25th 2015 update:

Lee Harris who published Bryan's first ever comic is standing for Mayor of London on a legalise cannabis platform!


Thursday November 19th 2015 update:

Bryan has now inked up to page 51 of of Grandville: Force Majeure!

Detective Inspector LeBrock against badger culls!

Now's your chance to save some badgers. Bryan has donated a page of the original Grandville graphic novel to the Stop the Cull campaign and it is now up for auction on Ebay!


Sunday November 8h 2015 update:

The Lakes Festival Comics Art Auction

Bryan has donated 4 pieces of comic art, including the A2 illustration above that he did for the first festival in 2013, to the Lakes International Comic Art Festival Grand Auction of Original Comic Art, which will take place live and online from London's Orbital Comics on 24th November.

The auction also features works by the likes of Ian Churchill, Charlie Adlard, Darwyn Cooke, Stuart Immonen, Steve Bell, Jeff Smith, Hunt Emerson, Dave Gibbons, Jamie Hewlett, Sean Phillips and Posy Simmonds.

The auction will be run by Jonathan Ross, side by side with Kendal's Tim Farron MP (and Lib Dem leader) and will help to raise funds for future Lakes International Comic Art Festival commissioned projects in advance of its annual weekend-long celebrations of all things comics, taking place in 2016 from 14th - 16th October.


Thursday November 5th 2015 update:

Bryan appeared on BBC Radio 4 today, talking about Lewis Caroll and Alice in Wonderland - and it's available to listen to at "Alice in Teeside"


Monday November 2nd 2015 update:

Sally wins graphic novel award!

The Spanish edition of Sally Heathcote, Suffragette has been awarded Best Graphic Novel of the Year by the Madrid Booksellers Association. The publishers, Ediciones La Cúpula, will be releasing their second edition in December.

The Jury said: "The main character of the story, the redhead Sally Heathcote, represents thousands of women who in the early twentieth century in the United Kingdom planned and launched a struggle for civil rights which were banned to them, including the right to vote, essential to achieve the right to equality."


Sunday November 1st 2015 update:

More free postcards of the Red Virgin and Grandville: Force Majeure available for fans!

Bryan and Mary have sent me over a fresh batch of the Red Virgin and Grandville: Force Majeure postcards, and so I can now re-open the offer:

  • if you are in the UK please email me and I will reply with the address to send a stamped self-addressed envelope: into which I will stuff 3 of each postcard

  • if you are not in the UK please send me £3.00 to cover post and packing and I will post out to you 3 of each postcard:

I have no idea why - but it's a really nice feeling posting these postcards out to fellow fans of Bryan and Mary!


Friday October 30th 2015 update:

Sunderland Literary Festival

Don't forget - on Saturday 31 October 2015, 1- 2pm, Mary and Bryan Talbot will be giving a presentation on Sally Heathcote , Suffragette at the City library, Fawcett Street: admission is free.

 

This is the reverse of the Grandville: Force Majeure postcard.


Wednesday October 28th 2015 update:

Who wants some free postcards of the Red Virgin and Grandville: Force Majeure?

Update: all of the postcards are now spoken for: sorry!


Tuesday October 27th 2015 update:

Bryan on the Beeb!

Bryan is one of the people interviewed for the one-off programme Alice in
Teesside.

It will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 at 11am on 5th November.


Monday October 19th 2015 update

Announcing the new book from Bryan and Mary Talbot: the Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia!

Set against the background of violence and state repression in a turbulent period of French history, The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia chronicles the incredible and outrageous life of Louise Michel, the revolutionary feminist dubbed "The Red Virgin of Montmartre". Louise was an extraordinary woman, but little known in the Anglophone world. A utopian dreamer, notorious anarchist, teacher, orator and poet, she was decades ahead of her time. Always a radical, she fights on the barricades defending the short-lived Paris Commune of 1871 against the reactionary regime that massacres thousands of French citizens after the Commune’s defeat. Deported to a penal colony on the other side of the Earth, she takes up the cause of the indigenous population against French colonial oppression.

Celebrating the utopian urge in 19th century literature and politics and the origins of science fiction, The Red Virgin and the Vision of Utopia is the third collaboration of best-selling academic and graphic novel writer Mary M Talbot with her husband, the graphic novel pioneer Bryan Talbot. Their first book together, Dotter of her Father’s Eyes, won the 2012 Costa Biography Award.

Published by Jonathan Cape May 6th 2016.


Sunday October 18th 2015 update:

The Rap Guide To Religion...

...is the title of the excellent rapper Baba Brinkman's new CD, based on his stage performances off-Broadway, at The Edinburgh Festival and other venues around the world. This is the back cover, based upon a panel from Grandville Noel.

Baba's previous CDs / performances include The Rap Canterbury Tales, Rapconteur, The Rap Guide to Evolution and the collaboration with rapper Dizraeli Mine the Gap (2012), for which Bryan illustrated the wraparound cover.


Sunday October 11th 2015 update:

Bryan says "at the moment I am inking pages 34 - 37 of Grandville Force Majuere" - with a publication date of October 2017.


Monday 28th September 2015 update:

LICAF is almost here!

It's only 3 weeks left to go before The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, Britain's only European-style comics festival, takes over the town of Kendal in Cumbria. If you're attending and want to catch Bryan's Luther Arkwright interview with TV producer Peter Kessler, it would be wise to book now while tickets are still available. His presentation "How I Create a Graphic Novel" is already booked up. Here's a link to the full programme - check out the list of amazing events and book now!


Sunderland Literary Festival

On Saturday 31 October 2015, 1 - 2pm, Mary and Bryan Talbot will be giving a presentation on Sally Heathcote , Suffragette at the City library, Fawcett Street: admission is free.


Sunderland's bid for City of Culture 2021

Bryan has also been involved with Sunderland's bid for City of Culture 2021, organising the guests and events for last May's U.K. Graphic Novel Expo there and designing the 230-long metre long "Keel Line" for the city's new square. The bid's video debuted today.

The UK GN Expo will be taking place again in the centre of Sunderland next year.


Saturday August 22nd 2015 update:

Lots of Talbot-related news for you today!

  • The Grandville 5 page-count is now up to 16 pages inked - and the front cover!
  • Bryan and Mary will be at the Guernsey Literary Festival on Saturday 12 September 13:00-14:00 at the Guille-Allès Library, with "A life in Graphic Novels"
  • The Keel Line that Bryan drew will have its grand opening on August 31st: see the full article in the Sunderland Echo.
  • Bryan did this page for the final issue of Fables. This is the page sans lettering. It was coloured by Andrew Dalhous.
  • A fan of Bryan's got in touch to say that he had one of the iconic Luther Arkwright pieces of artwork - and to ask if we would like a high-resolution scan of it. Before it was used as a cover for the Dark Horse release, it appeared in the UKCAC (87?) con booklet and it was at that charity auction that it was purchased. Many thanks to Pete Venters: check out his blog at peteventers.com/blog/

Thursday August 20th 2015 update:

Grandville 5 latest news: Bryan has now completed 5 pages of inks!


Sunday August 9th update:

Wish You Were Here - Postcards from the Edge of Reality

Bill Morrison, Sean Phillips, the first comics laureate Dave Gibbons, Bryan Talbot, Jonathan Edwards, Steven Appleby and Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre have all provided artworks or a series of work titled "Wish You Were Here - Postcards from the Edge of Reality".

The leading illustrators have donated all the artwork to support the Festival, which is not for profit and the charity Comics Literary Awareness (CLAw). The original artwork will be auctioned in London later this year as part of a bigger auction of comic art. The proceeds from the postcard auction will go to CLAw - whose mission is to dramatically improve the literacy of children through the medium of comics and graphic novels.

Most of the artists will be attending The Lakes International Comic Art Festival - the only festival of its kind in the UK. Modeled on European-style festivals, it takes over the whole town of Kendal for a weekend with events, talks, cinema, live draws, exhibitions, a family zone, marketplace and the chance to see these leading comic creators at work.

The festival celebrates the whole spectrum of comic art, inspiring existing comic fans and generating new audiences and creators too. It invests in creators through a commissioning programme and has an emphasis on developing international collaborations.


Friday July 31st July 2015 update:

The Lakes International Comics Art Festival programme is now online!

Here is the fantastic list of guests and amazing programme items for the only European-style comics festival in the U.K., now in its third year and going from strength to strength;

Book early to avoid disappointment!

Bryan is one of the founding patrons of the festival and is directly involved in two events. He's presenting "How I create a Graphic Novel", 1pm Saturday 17th October, and will be discussing The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and its place in comics history with writer and producer Peter Kessler, 12pm Sunday 18th October.

He's also specially created a label for "Chateau Grandville", the official festival wine, and one of the postcards in the special collectors' set produced by the festival to raise money for the charity Comics Literacy Awareness (CLAw).

Mary Talbot is another one of the three founding patrons, the third being artist Sean Phillips. She will be giving a presentation on her third Graphic novel, drawn by Bryan and still under wraps, at 10am on Saturday October 17th.


Friday July 17th 2015 update

Mary Talbot's 3rd graphic novel now finished!

This week, Bryan finished all the artwork, including the cover. The subject matter of the book is still under wraps though, but will be announced at the 3rd Lakes International Comic Art Festival in October. The book, to be published by Jonathan Cape, is scheduled for release in May 2016.

Their previous two collaborations, Dotter of Her Father's Eyes and Sally Heathcote Suffragette have been highly successful and critically acclaimed, the former winning the Costa Biography Award in 2012, the only time that a British graphic novel has won a major literary award.

Now Bryan is poised to start work on the artwork for the 5th and final volume in his Grandville series of anthropomorphic detective thrillers, the script of which was written three years ago. "I'm finishing Grandville with the best in the series" he says.

Also: Bryan and Mary will be interviewed on stage in Guernsey to correspond with the opening of the comic art exhibition The Art of the Graphic Novel: Adapted and Inspired

Saturday 12 September - 13:00-14:00 at the Guille-Allès Library | Ticket price: £6 / £4

The exhibition runs 12 - 21 September in the Guille-Allès Library


Sunday July 12th 2015 update

G-Man is an unpublished strip created by Pat Mills with artist Bryan Talbot. According to Bryan Talbot, G-Man was "one of the strips in a dummy magazine produced by Emap called Heroes, a rival to 2000AD".

Over on the Arch Deviant, Pat Mills illustratired bibliography you can find the whole strip: I published the cover to G-Man here some time ago.


Thursday June 18th 2015

Sally Heathcote at Consett Library

The last Sally Heathcote Suffragette presentation in Bryan and Mary Talbot's Read Regional tour is at 2pm on Tuesday 23rd June at Consett Public Library, County Durham. Entry is free.


Saturday June 13th 2015 update:

Introducing the granite comic strip!

The laying of the flags for the 1st phase of the new Sunderland city square is almost finished, Bryan designed the "Keel Line" running its length, a list of the ships built on the River Wear accompanied by illustrations telling the history of Sunderland.

 

Mary Talbot inspects the Keel Line. For the benefit of football fans, that's the Stadium of Light in the far background.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Every 15 flags, the rope border motif crosses alternatively left and right, creating the illustration areas. Here's an illustration of Washington Old Hall and George Washington's family crest, the origin of the stars and stripes, facing one of keelmen hauling coal up the Wear.

 

 

 

 

In the right background the series of hoardings is visible, showing the ship names and illustrations, with annotations.

 

 

 

 

The first Wear iron bridge and Sunderland hero Jack Crawford nailing Admiral Duncan's colours to the mast during the Battle of Camperdown, 1797. If you've read "Alice in Sunderland", you'll already be familiar with many of the subjects of the illustrations.

 

 

View of the square and Keel line looking north.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the hoardings describing and explaining the Keel Line.


Thursday June 11th 2015 update:

Sally Heathcote in Newcastle!

Bryan and Mary Talbot's Read Regional tour of the North East continues at 6.30 – 8.00pm on Tuesday 16th of June with a presentation on Sally Heathcote Suffragette at Newcastle City Library, Charles Avison Building, 33, New Bridge Street West, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8AX - 0191 2774149. Free entry.


Wonderlands – The U.K. Graphic Novel Expo

30th May 2015

The event, the first of its kind, was successful enough to encourage the organisers, the Sunderland Music, Arts and Culture Trust, to declare it an annual celebration of the form of comics-as-books.

A great example of Sod's Law, the fact that the very same day the Rugby World Cup, usually held somewhere else, was hosted by neighbouring Newcastle, resulting in all hotel rooms for a hundred miles being booked solid, kept the attendees down to just over 500, something which won't happen next year. Even so, these were 500 dedicated graphic novel readers who bought books, undiluted by people wanting to dress up or queue to get minor celebrities' autographs, so most publishers exhibiting went away pleased.

The MAC team have posted photos of the event on their website and there's a revue on Down The Tubes.


Sunday June 7th 2015 update

Check out this nicely balanced review of the digital version of the upcoming Luther Arkwright role-playing game from Geek Native.


Saturday May 30th 2015 update:

Book now for theThe Lakes International Comic Art Festival!

Though we've had comic conventions in the U.K., in hotels or convention centres for decades, LICAF is the only European-style comics festival in Britain, taking over the town of Kendal and involving the local community. Run along the lines of a literary festival, it's now in its third year. Tickets for all the events go on sale Monday 1st June. You can read all about this year's schedule and guests at www.comicartfestival.com. As tickets sell out very quickly, we highly recommend that you book asap to avoid disappointment.

Also check out the Inky Fingers podcast with the first part of an interview with Bryan.


Thursday May 21st 2015 update:

Alice at the Cartoon Museum


15 July 18.30 - 19.30 £10 (Friends £8)

Bryan Talbot writer and artist of many graphic novels - including The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, The Tale of One Bad Rat, Dotter of Her Father's Eyes, the Grandville series and Alice in Sunderland - will be in conversation with Brian Sibley, writer, broadcaster and President of the Lewis Carroll Society, talking about Alice and her creator and their adventures in Wonderland and beyond the Looking-glass.

The ticket price includes the chance to see the new ‘Alice in Cartoonland’ exhibition.

Buy tickets for "Alice from Wonderland to Sunderland" here.

The Cartoon Museum is at 35 Little Russell Street, London WC1A 2HH or visit their site.


Sunday 17th May 2015 update:

Luther Arkwright role-playing game free preview available to download

The Luther Arkwright: Roleplaying Across the Parallels game is almost ready for production - and we're delighted to offer you a free downloadable sneak preview of the book.

For many, Luther Arkwright needs little introduction, but for those unacquainted with him, Arkwright is the creation of writer and artist Bryan Talbot, and features in two sets of celebrated graphic novels. He is a multiverse-hopping psionic agent, battling the sinister Disruptors, and his adventures focus on an alternate Britain where Cromwell's descendants hold the country in the grip of tyranny while various imperial powers gather to challenge them.

In this RuneQuest supplement, players take on the role of Valhalla agents like Arkwright. Each character has at least one special power, and these are many and varied. But there's a downside: characters are also subject to certain dependencies, and may even be bordering on madness. The game includes many new rules for special traits, dependencies, psionics, sanity and even creating new parallel dimensions. The preview offers a taster of what the full book includes, and it really is a must-have for fans of Arkwright, Science Fiction, parallel worlds and, of course, RuneQuest 6.

Luther Arkwright: Roleplaying Across the Parallels is a 184 page hardcover supplement, lavishly illustrated with artwork from the graphic novels, provided by Bryan Talbot: it will be available to purchase from the Design Mechanism very soon.


Thursday 14th May 2015 update

Counting down to Wonderlands

With just over two weeks to go, expectations for the U.K's first ever graphic novel expo are high. With a long list of guests that includes Posy Simmonds, Dave Gibbons, Hunt Emerson, Paul Gravett, Steve Bell and Dylan Horrocks, a full day of talks and panels on different aspects of the graphic novel form and an alternative schedule of workshops and master classes, this promises to be a unique event.

The publishers' hall, hosting a range of exhibitors and publishers from biggies to small press, the showing of the documentary The Graphic Novel Man, the giant graphic novel 'She Lives" being presented throughout the day by creator Woodrow Phoenix and a "how to" forum on self-publishing are all icing on the cake.

Being a one-day event means that attendees don't have to stop overnight and, to top it off, the whole event is FREE, even the panels and workshops, though booking in advance for the workshops, through the website, is advisable, as places are limited.

Schedule organizer, writer/artist Bryan Talbot, who's also one of the founders of the Lakes International Comics Art festival, said "For any lovers of the comics medium, or for artists in search of a publisher, thiswill be an unmissable event."

Wonderlands graphic novel expo site - and here is a PDF poster to advertise the expo.


Tuesday May 5th 2015 update

Paul Gravett has posted a one-minute interview he did with Bryan in December.


Tuesday April 28th 2015 update

Bryan and Mary's Read Regional tour continues tomorrow in Skipton

Bryan and Mary's Read Regional tour continues tomorrow, 29th April, with a gig at Skipton Library at 7.30pm. Here's a report on their appearance in Middlesborough last Thursday.

Last week they were guests at the Barcelona Festival. You can read about it on Mary's website.


Saturday April 25th 2015 update

Fame at last!

Would you believe that the latest issue of the Armstrong Siddeley Heritage Trust Journal features an article on Luther Arkwright's Armstrong Siddeley Royal Albert Vibro-Beamer! The feature includes a frame from the graphic novel, a photograph of the replica made by Termight Industries several years ago and the box label.

Also for what I think is the first time ever, a fan of Bryan's has written some fan-fiction set in the Grandville Universe! - so check out Le Dragon Rouge!


SaturdayApril 11th 2015 update

Bryan just sent over this image that he did for the Thanet consituency here in the upcoming UK general election.

Please feel free to download it as a high-resolution jpeg or as a PDF and print it and display it wherever you want!


Tuesday April 7th 2015 update

Mary Talbot's next graphic novel!

Bryan is currently halfway through drawing the artwork for the 116 pages of Mary's 3rd graphic novel. But what is it about? The pair have been keeping the subject matter of this book very close to their chests, only saying that it's a biography of a powerful, larger-than-life female historical figure. Bryan said "She's such an astounding character, we don't want anyone else quickly researching and knocking out a graphic novel on her before ours!" Due for publication in 2016, you'll have to wait until October to find out who she is, when Mary and Bryan will announcing the title during a presentation of the book at the Lakes International Comics Art Festival.

After finishing the artwork, Bryan will be immediately starting work on the 5th and final Grandville volume, which is already commissioned by publisher Jonathan Cape and fully scripted.


Friday April 2nd 2015 update

Mona Lisa Book Project

Bryan's illustration "Giaconda P.I." done in 2000 for the Dallas Uncommoncon and since featured on tee-shirts has been chosen as one of the images to appear in a collection of of Mona Lisa pastiches. Here's the blurb for the book:

Over 8 million people from all over the world flock to the Louvre every year for the opportunity to gaze upon Leonardo da Vinci's beguiling Renaissance masterpiece, La Gioconda, more popularly known as "Mona Lisa." For over 500 years, civilizations have exhaustively attempted to examine all facets of the famous artwork's creation, influence, mythology, heritage, and mystique.

But perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of Mona Lisa's enduring legacy is the frequency with which this painting has been reinterpreted, parodied, appropriated, and imitated by other artists. No painting in history has been reproduced as often as Mona Lisa, and yet never before has there been published a collection such as Mona Lisa Reimagined, a captivating anthology of hundreds of pieces of art that have been inspired by this priceless world treasure. Featuring both established and emerging artists from over 50 different countries, this book is destined to become an essential addition to every bookshelf, coffee table, and library.

Official website: www.monalisareimagined.com

Get Mona Lisa Reimagined from Amzon UK or from Amazon in the US


Tuesday March 24th 2015

I was re-reading the Dundee University review of Grandville: Noel and got thinking about it: overall it is an excellent review and one that I agree with wholeheartedly....

But I would say that wouldn't I, being Bryan's fanpage webmaster for 19 years now!

However (and you just knew there was a catch coming, didn't you...) there are a couple of mistakes that I feel impelled to point out. For a start, the Hitleresque character isn't a hawk, he's a gryphon, actually based on John Tenniel's gryphon from Alice in Wonderland and, if you look at him closely, he's not the caricature of Nigel Farrage that is hinted at, but of Nick Griffin. In fact, he's named as "Nicholas Gryphon".

The other is the praise of the colour flatters. Colour flatting is a boring mechanical procedure that choses different areas of the artwork - a coat, for example, or a table - and simply drops a flat colour in the space, leaving it up to Bryan to adjust the colour to his liking and render the texture, light and shade and effects to produced the finished art, which is basically a digital painting under linework.

Who should have been praised are illustrators Angus McKie, Alwyn Talbot and Jordan Smith (who also did some flats) who helped out with the actual painted colouring on some 27 pages, Bryan only finishing them off to keep a consistency of style with his own pages.


Monday March 23rd 2015 update:

Bryan emailed me to say that this is probably the best review he has ever received - and I might have to agree!

Dundee University Review of the Arts said about Grandville: Noel: "There are certain names which are automatically associated with quality, artisanship, and excellence: BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar, Harrods, and Harris Tweed for example. In the world of graphic novels, Bryan Talbot is quite simply the benchmark, the high watermark, the name amongst names for sheer unparalleled artistic and storytelling brilliance."


Sunday March 22nd 2015 update:

On Sunday 15th March, the final event of the Huddersfield Literature Festival showcased the first three completed pieces of music and dance of a work-in-progress: the dance / theatre adaptation of Dotter of Her Father's Eyes by composer Gary Lloyd and choreographer / performer Bettina Carpi. The extracts were scenes of Mary Talbot and her father, Lucia and James Joyce, and Lucia's incarceration in mental institutions (all partnered by the dancer Christopher Owen).

Expect to see this exciting project premiered sometime in 2016. Complete with interviews with Gary, Bettina, Christopher, Bryan and Mary, this was a pretty unique event for a lit fest. Bryan said "I can't wait to see the finished performance, complete with sets inspired by the graphic novel illustrations, and a live orchestra providing the music."

There is a full gallery of images from the event on the Bryan Talbot Facebook group.


Friday March 20th 2015 update:

Barcelona International Comic Fair - From April 16th to 19th, 2015

Bryan and Mary Talbot are guests at the Barcelona Comics Festival, now in its 33rd year. The Grandville Books are published in Spain by Astiberri Ediciones and Dotter of Her Father's Eyes and Sally Heathcote Suffragette are published by Ediciones La Cúpula. Bryan and Mary will be performing a Sally Heathcote presentation.


Saturday March 14 2015 update: the Sunderland Echo has an excellent piece on the Wonderlands Graphic Novel expo that Bryan is patron of: the expo will be on Saturday May 30 2015 - and full details are on the Expo's Facebook page and the Wonderlands site.

Also - Wonderlands has just finalised the schedule of who is appearing when!


Wednesday March 11th 2015 update:

Donate to Literacy through comics!

CLAw, The Comics Literacy Awareness charity that Bryan is one of the trustees of now has a "Donate" button on its website: please donate and help!

Bryan and Mary are doing several illustrated talks altogether on Sally Heathcote Suffragette, as part of the Read Regional 2015 campaign throughout Yorkshire and the North East:

  • Wallsend Customer First Centre
    25th March 1.30pm
  • Part of a World Book Night event at Teesside University
    23rd April 7pm
  • Skipton Library
    29th April 7.30pm
  • Part of the Crossing the Tees Book Festival, Stockton Central Library
    10th June 6pm
  • Newcastle City Library - book online.
    16th June 6.30pm
  • Consett Library
    23rd June 2pm

Sunday March 1st 2015 update:

Steve Bell announced as latest guest speaker for the U.K. Graphic Novel Expo

Steve joins growing list of speakers including Posy Simmonds, Dave Gibbons, Dylan Horrocks and the Talbots for the very first U.K. Graphic Novel Expo, taking place in Sunderland on Saturday 30th May at the City Space building of Sunderland University.

It's your chance to meet the top UK GN publishers from big names such as Jonathan Cape and SelfMadeHero to small press self-publishers. Entry to both the publishers' Hall and the schedule of talks and panel discussions is free. In the publishers' Hall, Woodrow Phoenix will be presenting his giant graphic novel She Lives and there will be workshops by Metaphrog and Bryan.

More details at the UK Graphic Novel Expo site.


Wednesday February 18th 2015 update:

Bryan and Mary are doing several illustrated talks altogether on Sally Heathcote Suffragette, as part of the Read Regional 2015 campaign throughout Yorkshire and the North East:

  • Part of an International Women's Day event at Hull Central Library
    7th March 3pm
  • Wallsend Customer First Centre
    25th March 1.30pm
  • Part of a World Book Night event at Teesside University
    23rd April 7pm
  • Skipton Library
    29th April 7.30pm
  • Part of the Crossing the Tees Book Festival, Stockton Central Library
    10th June 6pm
  • Newcastle City Library - book online.
    16th June 6.30pm
  • Consett Library
    23rd June 2pm

The Art of Alwyn Talbot

If you've never seen artwork by Bryan's youngest son Alwyn, here's a chance to check it out at the This Is Cool site and also at Alwyn's own site.

In 2011, Bryan and Alwyn collaborated on Caterpillars, a Judge Dredd strip for 2000AD, which you can see on the 2000ad Tumblr.

Alwyn also drew Preparation for Leadership, a 4-page strip for the political satire anthology CROSS, written by Mary Talbot. Download it from the Wounded Leaders site.


Sunday February 8th 2015 update:

Here's the cover to the German edition of Sally Heathcote, the Chinese edition of Dotter of her Fathers' Eye and the back cover to the Spanish edition of Sally published by Ediciones La Cúpula on the 27th February.

There are some sample pages from the Chinese edition of Dotter of her Father's Eyes over on Mary Talbot's site.


Thursday January 29th 2015 update:

The Guardian has published an excellent interview with Bryan, calling him the father of the English graphic novel.


Tuesday January 27th 2015 update:

Bryan just sent over the cover of the Spanish Edition of Sally Heathcote, published by Ediciones La Cúpula on the 27th February.

Also: UK fans - make sure you buy the Guardian this Saturday: there is an interview in there with Bryan, mainly about Grandville! I will post a link to it for non-UK fans as soon as possible. (although - don't forget: this is Super Bowl weekend: home of a long-standing weekend long booze-up with some old friends!)


Sunday January 25th 2015 update:

When I posted this image as part of last weeks update to publicise Bryan and Mary going to the Sunderland Comic Con on 21st & 22nd February it was one of those updates that Bryan sent over that I didn't really look at - just hurried up to get onto the site...

Which shows why you should always proof-read everything, as it is not plugging the Sunderland Comic Con but: Storytelling and Adaptation on Sunday March 15th at North Huddersfield Trust School! Also appearing with Bryan and Mary are choreographer Bettina Carpi and composer Gary Lloyd.

Down The Tubes reviewed Grandville: Noël - "Another rip-roaring adventure on one level, crammed with wonderful references and homage to other comic and literary characters, Grandville: Noël also addresses some deep philosophical issues"


Sunday January 18th 2015 update:

  • When Bryan first conceived of Grandville, there was a chance that it might be a monthly comic, and so Jordan Smith, Bryan's long-time collaborator and renowned steampunk artist thought that there might be a chance for him to be able to design and create the covers... - and so created these two gorgeous images to send to Bryan so he could see his ideas.
    Alas Grandville came out as an all-on-one graphic novel, but one of the great things about the web and running fanpages like this is the chance to showcase outstanding work that would otherwise never see the light of day.
    Catch up with Jordans work on Facebook, Twitter, and see his profile on the Steampunk Empire site and the Saatchi art site.
  • The Cartoonists Club of Great Britain reviews Grandville: Noel: "Regardless of whether you've discovered them before or are entirely new to the Grandville books, they are undoubtedly some of the most creative and exciting stories being created in British comics today and so deserve your attention."
  • Bryan also says to look out for Wonderlands - the U.K. Graphic Novel Expo, a one-off event, Sat 30th May, in Sunderland, free entry. Details to follow!
  • And finally: Bryan and Mary are guests at the Sunderland Comic Con, 21st & 22nd February. It will be held at: Seaburn Centre, Whitburn Road, Sunderland, SR6 8AA

Thursday January 8th 2015 update:


Monday January 5th 2015 update: obligatory "happy New Year everyone" - and "holy cow - have I really been running this fanpage for 18 years now?!" - here's where I announced the launch of the site, back in the days of newsgroups!

Anyway: Bryan sent over a short interview with Pádraig O'Méaloid about Grandville Noël, in which he talks a little about the fifth book.


Wednesday December 10th 2014 update:

Bryan has sent through a whole swathe of updates, so I am gonna have to rely on the ol' standby of a bullet-pointed list (sorry!)

  • Metronome, Bryan's 2008 critically-aclaimed experimental graphic novel, released under the pseudonym Veronique Tanaka, is now available digitally from Sequential for only $1.99 (about £1.25)
  • New Grandville interview with Teddy Jamieson of The Herald: "When you come down to it, you can't go wrong with a badger with guns."
  • Joe Gordon at Forbidden Planet reviews Grandville: Noel: "as you read his books you can feel the thought and care that has gone into each panel, even slight touches  added with great deftness to achieve just the effect on the reader that is required "
  • Page 45 reviews Grandville: Noel: "by gum this is a clever and complex graphic novel, its subplots so intricately interwoven and the implications of its revelations even craftier than you might think."
  • Matt Farr at Ramblings of the Easily Distracted reviews Grandville: Noel: "If you're already a fan of Grandville this is, I suspect already a shoe-in to buy, and is certainly a worthy addition to the series. If you're not a fan of Grandville, then go get the first one, become a fan of Grandville, and work your way to this. Go on, do it now!"
  • Bookmunch reviews Grandville: Noel: "The only downside to having read the latest Grandville is that the satisfaction of reading is quickly replaced by the interminable anticipation of waiting for the next instalment"
  • Comic Bastards reviews Grandville: Noel: "Grandville: Noel is a work of art. It is what comics can really achieve when they try hard enough. It works on every possible level. It is a good story, has deeper ideas while being pulpy on the surface, and works as part four in a larger series of stories while being completely accessible for a new reader. I cannot recommend this comic enough."

Wednesday November 26th 2014 update:

Grandville: Noel launch party

Grandville: Noel was officially launched at an event at the Cartoon Museum in London yesterday, and in the interests of reporting all things Talbot-related, your intrepid webmaster endured the horrors of the English trains to go down there and help launch the fourth installment of DI LeBrocks adventures!

Also there was Lee Harris, who still runs the oldest headshop in London, Alchemy on the Portobello Road, and was Bryan's first ever publisher. I love meeting Lee: his immense pride at being able to help start Bryan on his career is obvious and beautiful, and it is very cool indeed that they are still friends to this day.

There's a few more photos like these on Bryans Facebook fanpage (to be honest uploading them to the Facebook group is a quick point and click: posting them here is more labourious!) and also check out the Cartoon Museum site: definitely worth a visit if you're ever in London!

Grandville: Noel is on sale now from Amazon UK or Amazon US.

Also released today is Arkwright Integral: the best ever quality reprinting of the whole of the Adventures of Luther Arkwright and the sequel: Heart of Empire. Get Arkwright Integral from Amazon UKor Amazon in the US.

Also, Metronome, Bryan's 2008 crtiticall-aclaimed experimental graphic novel, released under the pseudonym Veronique Tanaka, is now available digitally from Sequential for only $1.99 (about £1.25)


Monday November 24th 2014 update: check out Wayne's Comics Podcast with an outstanding interview with Bryan.


Wednesday November 19th 2014 update:


Monday November 10th 2014 update: On the 23rd October, Bryan, Mary and Kate Charlesworth were guests of the Chester Literary Festival. Here's a photo of them being interviewed on stage at the town hall by culture and arts commentator Mark Lawson (an aficionado of Dotter of Her Father's Eyes and Alice in Sunderland).

After the event was the usual signing session.

Oh - and did we mention that Grandville: Noel is released on November 27th in the UK and on November 18th in the US? - buy it now from from Amazon UK or Amazon US


Saturday October 25th 2014 update:

Lots of news snippets to publish today!


Sunday October 12th 2014 update

Bryan at the Lakes Festival

Although the screening of The Graphic Novel Man is now sold out, there are still tickets available for Bryan's career interview by Dr Mel Gibson on Sunday 19th October in the Brewery Arts Centre stage 1.

Tickets can be booked on the Festival site.

Monday October 6th 2014 update

Bryan sent through a new piece of artwork to add to the Bryan Talbot online shop:

You Are Torquemada page 10: another Diceman Adventure from 2000ad featuring gorgeous artwork of Nemesis. A3 Ink & watercolour wash - £450.

Delivery options:

Sunday October 5th 2014 update: Bryan emailed me to say: "I just received an advance copy of the Arkwright Integral collection! If you thought Alice in Sunderland was heavy, this is almost twice the weight!"

And so for your delectation here is the maestro himself holding the first ever copy of Arkwright Integral in the UK!

And did we tell you it's available for pre-order on Amazon right now?!

Also: Grandville: Noel is officially launched on November 27th! As a bonus here are the last 2 pages of the prologue that we are publishing as the free introduction to it!

And did we mention that Grandville: Noel is also available to pre-order right now!

Wednesday 26th November, 6- 7pm
Bryan and Mary Talbot signing at Forbidden Planet - 179 Shaftesbury Avenue; London; WC2H 8JR. Telephone: 0207 420 3666.

Thursday 27th November
Presentation: "How I create a Graphic Novel" followed by signing (with Mary Talbot) - The Cartoon Museum - 35 Little Russell St, London WC1A 2HH, United Kingdom - +44 20 7580 8155
Admission free but book here to guarantee a seat.


Monday September 29th 2014 update: Running this site to publicise Bryan's work is quite obviously a huge passion of mine... - the site has been online and up to date since 1996 after all!

So it does my heart proud to not only see an article like this - This Is Bryan Talbot's World, We're Just Lucky Enough To Live In It from the quite consistently excellent Bleeding Cool site - but for Bryan to call it to my attention and note that he's not been interviewed by them directly: nope: they must've pulled all of the necessary details from right here on this very fanpage...

See that? - that's the kind of words a fanpage webmaster lives for!

Anyway: enough of my wittering: go check out the Bleeding Cool article: it's bostin'!


Saturday September 20th 2014 update:

Grandville Print

This year, the Lakes International Comic Art Festival asked seven artists to produce a piece of artwork each for a special limited festival edition of 60 high quality A3 giclee prints on beautiful paper to raise money for the event.

Bryan drew this Alphonse Mucha-inspired poster of Billie from the Grandville series. The other prints are by Sean Phillips, Emma Vieceli, Mark Buckingham, Rian Hughes, Duncan Fegrado, Doug Braithwaite and Junko Mizuno. They will be available from the Brewery Arts Centre during the festival and are available to pre-order now.

To see the other prints or to pre-order click here.


Sunday September 14th 2014 update:

DEVCON starts this time next week (that is Saturday September 20th) at Images nightclub Cornwall Street, with a free event Bryan Talbot, showing his new film and a panel with a Q&A hosted by one of the internet major comic websites....Saturday DEVCON starts at 10 am for early bird tickets, still available from stores and on door, 11am for any other ticket, Saturday is after show party Images nightclub startsat 8.30 pm, Sunday 11 am doors open. More info on their Facebook page.

Bryan also said: We're just back from a week fell-walking around Keswick, our first holiday in a couple of years. Mary has some photos of it on her site, including this one, which I thought appropriate for this website!

Here's a video Bryan sent over of a discussion at the Edinburgh Book Festival in August, around the graphic novel Sally Heathocte: Suffragette: check out what happened at the start of the talk: as Bryan says "nobody expects this kind of thing at a literary festival!".

Also today - the Lakes International Comics Festival program for 2014 is now out! The Lakes festival is held every October in Kendal: this year it is on 17 - 19th October. Bryan is a founding patron of the festival: see the Lakes International Comics fest site for more.


Sunday September 7th 2014 update: Bryan just sent through details of another signing session and talk about Sally Heathcote: Suffragette, so I added it to the list of appearances and thought I would reprint them here at the top of the page to make sure they are in the position of prime importance on the site:

Bryan in Sunderland
Murray Library Lecture Theatre, City Campus, Wednesday October 8, 6.30pm: This talk is free, but must be booked via the University Online Store.
Bryan Talbot, University Honorary Graduate, and creator of arguably Sunderland most famous modern export, the graphic novel Alice in Sunderland, presents 'Grandville and the Anthropomorphic Tradition'.


Ilkley Literature Festival
A unique opportunity to be part of a small group as graphic artist Bryan Talbot gives an insiders view on "How I Create a Graphic Novel". Sun 12th October 1:45pm
Manor House Museum - Education Room £10.00 to £15.00
Bryan and Mary Talbot discuss their stunning new graphic novel, Sally Heathcote: Suffragette. Book online here.


New Ways of Writing Sun 12 Oct 4:30PM - Ilkley Playhouse - Wildman - £4.00 to £6.00

Bryan and Mary Talbot, Costa Award-winning authors of Dotter of her Fathr's Eyes, discuss their stunning new graphic novel Sally Heathcote: Suffragette, a gripping inside story of the campaign for votes for women which follows the fortunes of a maid-of-all-work swept up in the feminist militancy of the era. Known for his work on underground comics and superhero stories (Judge Dredd, Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight) Bryan Talbot's books include Alice in Sunderland. Mary Talbot is an internationally acclaimed scholar who has published widely on language, gender and power.
£6/4 - book online here.


Durham Book Festival: Bryan and Mary Talbot and Kate Charlesworth: Sally Heathcote: Suffragette
Costa Award-winning authors Bryan and Mary Talbot and their collaborator, Kate Charlesworth, present their latest graphic novel: the gripping inside story of the campaign for votes for women. A tale of loyalty, love and courage, set against a backdrop of Edwardian Britain,Sally Heathcote: Suffragette follows the fortunes of a maid of all-work swept up in the feminist militancy of the era.
Saturday 11 October, 1.30pm - 2.30pm Palace Green Library (Wolfson Gallery) £8/£6: book online here.

 

Mary and Bryan Talbot and Kate Charlesworth Thursday 23rd October, 7:30pm Chester Town Hall
Tickets: £12.50. Book-It-Now Price: £8.50


Wednesday September 3rd 2014 update: Because the publication date for Grandville: Noel is creeping ever closer here is a special bonus: page 3 and 4 of the prologue!

 

And to make everyones life easier I am also republishing page 1 and 2 so you can read it from the start.

 

 

We are publishing one page per month as a way to promote the comic before publication... - and from the feedback on Twitter and Facebook it seems to be working!

 



Tuesday August 5th 2014 update:

Forthcoming events:

13th - 18th August
Bryan is a Guest of Honour of Loncon, the World Science Fiction Convention. He and Mary will be appearing on numerous panels, giving presentations and signing and sketching for readers.

22nd August 2014
Mary Talbot, Kate Charlesworth and Bryan Talbot discuss their graphic novel, Sally Heathcote, Suffragette at the Edinburgh Book Fringe 2014
1pm Word Power Books, Edinburgh, 43-45 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9DB, Scotland

23rd August 2014
12.30pm How Women Won the Vote, Mary Talbot, Kate Charlesworth and Bryan Talbot
Royal Bank of Scotland Garden Theatre £10 (£8) Tickets available here.

8.30pm IDP2043: with Denise Mina, Irvine Welsh and Mary Talbot
ScottishPower Foundation Studio £10 (£8) Tickets available here.
Both part of the Stripped 2014 series of events Edinburgh International Book Festival

19th - 20th September 2014
Bryan is a guest of Devcon in Plymouth. The events will include a screening of The Graphic Novel Man. Details to follow

28th September 2014
4pm Suffragette. An illustrated talk by Mary and Bryan Talbot, Small Wonder Festival
Charleston House, East Sussex BN8 6LL. Tickets available here.

11th October 2014
Durham Book Festival. Details to follow

12th October 2014
Ilkley Literary Festival. Details to follow

17-19th October 2014
2nd Lakes International Comic Art Festival, Kendal: See Digital Story Engine's trailer

23rd October
Chester Literary Festival. Details to follow


Monday August 4th 2014 update:

Bryan just sent through a poster for the Lakes International Comics Fest 2014 for everyone to enjoy!

Check out the Lakes Comics fest site for full details of all comics events and join us when we take over all off Kendal for a weekend of celebrating comics!

Also: create your own comic with Kate Charlesworth, artist on Sally Heathcote: Canongate Presents Curious Stories for Curious People at Hendricks Carnival of Knowledge. Thursday 7th

12-1.30pm Create Your Own Comic with Kate Charlesworth, Sian Bevan, Jeremy Dyson and Matt Haig.

Create your very own comic strip in this unique, fun art class, led by celebrated artist Kate Charlesworth, with live models and inspiring stories from authors Jeremy Dyson and Matt Haig, Kate will help you bring your characters to life. All materials will be provided. Includes gin cocktail. Tickets and venue info.


Tuesday July 22nd 2014 update:

Bryan is coming to my hometown of Birmingham as one of the guest speakers at Comics Uncovered on Saturday August 2nd! - it's an event for aspiring comics writers with tickets only available in advance - and it looks very good indeed!


Sunday July 20th 2014 update:

And in a mad attempt to top yesterdays news that Bryan has now finished all work on Grandville: Noel and it will be published in November this year!- here is page 2 of Grandville: Noel published for the first time in a world exclusive!

We decided to publish one page per month as a way of promoting the comic and introducing it to new people: it seems to be a standard way to increase awareness of comics and books - and all of the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive!

I'm also putting page 1 up again so that you can see them in the correct order.

----

Do you think the fact that the Graphic Novel Man - the DVD documentary about Bryan and his work - is getting so many glowing reviews might be because it's so damn good?!

Running Bryan's fanpage I got to see it early in production and it is just amazing: the amount of world renowned comic writers and artists that step up and acknowledge their debt to Bryan is frankly astonishing: if you're a fan of Bryan's you should be getting this DVD!

And the image to the right is also a glowing review of the DVD from the people at Comics Heroes.


Saturday July 19th 2014 update:

Check out this this excellent review of the DVD documentary "Graphic Novel Man" about Bryan and his work by Need to Consume: "It’s fascinating to hear people speak of Talbot’s work and how moved they are by his talent. The documentary gives the viewer access to so many well respected writers, artists and publishers views, something that wouldn’t be easily accessible in such volume anywhere else."

The new city square in Sunderland is currently under construction - see the Sunderland Echo news item - and Bryan has designed the "Keel Line" series of 437 flags, some 230 metres long, listing the names of ships built on the River Wear and telling the history of the city in illustrations. As an exclusive for the site, here are a couple of photos of some of the completed sandblasted flags.


Friday 18th July 2014 update:

MAJOR announcement from Bryan: he has now finished all work on Grandville: Noel and it will be published in November!


Monday July 7th 2014 update:

London Film and Comic Convention Collectors' Limited Edtions:

"Maidens, Monsters and a Mallard" by Bryan Talbot

A 48-page collection of artwork published especially for the London Film and Comic Convention. It's a compilation of sketches and illustrations by Bryan drawn over the last 30 years, many of which have never seen print before or only appeared in specialist magazines or as posters or album covers. The book is a real collector's edition, limited to only 250 copies.

Available via Mike Conroy at demigod@btconnect.com. At the show it'll be £10 . Email orders £15 (including postage in the UK); elsewhere you'll need to enquire of Mike.


"Excelsior" - The Stan Lee Tribute Book

Steve Rude, Mark Buckingham, Alan Davis, Jose Delbo, Bryan Talbot, Mike Perkins, Chris Weston and Gary Frank are among the horde of artists from around the world paying tribute to Stan Lee on the occasion of his last European public appearance. Running to 68 pages in colour and black and white, Excelsior is a limited edition of 250 copies.

It is available exclusively at the London Film and Comic Con, priced £10. If you can't make it to the show, copies can be sent to you for £15 each (unsigned) or £80 (signed by Lee) within the UK. Email Mike Conroy at demigod@btconnect.comfor full details, to enquire about price if you live elsewhere in the world and to obtain details of the originals that will be auctioned over the weekend as well as how to bid on them.


Saturday 21 June 2014 update:

Masterclasses at the London Film and Comic Convention

A range of these are available by artists and writers including Howard Chaykin and John Higgins covering numerous aspects of comics storytelling extending beyond the basics to include colouring, superhero design and developing a graphic novel, each one-hour class will limited to no more than 30 students. Tickets are available through the Online Store now where there is a full listing. No tickets will be available at the show.

Saturday 12th July 12:30pm
How to create a graphic novel:
An examination of the typical creative process Bryan Talbot uses when writing and drawing one of his books from original conception to finished page. It covers research, plotting, story structure, scripting, the use of grids, panel transitions, page composition, layout, use of eye level, lettering and colouring.
Ages 16 and up: Tickets £30


Wednesday 18 June 2014 update: Bryan will be attending the London Film and Comic con Friday 11th July to Sunday 13th July.

Monday 14th July 7.00pm Shoulder to Shoulder with Sally Heathcote, Suffragette

Mary Talbot, Kate Charlesworth and Bryan Talbot in conversation about the making of the historical graphic novel. Sally Heathcote: Suffragette is a gripping inside story of the campaign for votes for women. A tale of loyalty, love and courage, set against a vividly realised backdrop of Edwardian Britain, it follows the fortunes of a maid-of-all-work swept up in the feminist militancy of the era. Sally Heathcote: Suffragette is another stunning collaboration from Costa Award winners, Mary and Bryan Talbot. Teamed up with acclaimed illustrator Kate Charlesworth, Sally Heathcote's lavish pages bring history to life.

The Lit & Phil23 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE Telephone: 0191 232 0192


Saturday 14 June 2014 update: we now present for your delight and enjoyment, the first ever page of Grandville: Noel released for public view!

As a way to whet the appetite and build up to publication date, we will be publishing one new page from Grandville: Noel once a week every month on the first Saturday.

This is a global exclusive for the fanpage: Bryan has not released this for publication anywhere else: enjoy!


Monday June 9th 2014 update: the incredibily succesful Lakes International Comics Festival has a video trailer for the next festival - which is now only a few months away, 17 to 19 October 2014.


Saturday May 24th update: Announcing "A Thousand Words" - the illustrations and comic art of Bryan Talbot, Mark Barnes, Joe Decie and Ian Williams: 13th June to 10th August at Rochester Art Gallery - free admission.

There are still grants available to pay for Bryan's Arvon residential course, Creative Writing for Graphic Novels, July 28th - August 2nd. This year's co-tutor is Leah Moore. Grab one before they go!

See the Arvon site for more details.


Friday May 16th 2014 update: Bryan and Mary were on BBC Radio 4's "Womans Hour" yesterday: and you can listen to it online right now!

Reviews of Sally Heathcote: Suffragette:

Also see the "Brainstorm: the Art of Bryan Talbot" exhibition at Astley Hall and Art Gallery, Chorley, Saturday July 5th to Sunday September 14th.

Also launched at the event at the British Library was the DVD documentary about Bryan: "Graphic Novel Man: The Comics of Bryan Talbot"- an essential film on Bryan's life and his work, where it seems that every famous person you've ever heard of or been a fan of in the comics world comes up to say that Bryan has been a massive influence on their work!

Announcing: Hoax Psychosis Blues

Also announcing: Hoax Psychosis Blues - the new graphic novel from Ravi Thornton, with contributions from Bryan Talbot, Hannah Berry, Rian Hughes, Karrie Fransman and more.

Can a potent chemistry of poetry, comics and performance finally be the perfect way to describe the realities of schizophrenia?

This is the question cross-media scriptwriter Ravi Thornton sets out to answer in her latest multi-collaborative project Hoax, comprising graphic novel memoir Hoax Psychosis Blues, and raw dark musical Hoax My Lonely Heart. The project is based on a poem written by Ravi Thornton's younger brother, Rob, who committed suicide in 2008 at the age of 31, after a long battle with schizophrenia.

Both musical and graphic novel are written by Ravi Thornton. The musical, which unfolds a painful love story in the six months prior to Rob's diagnosis as schizophrenic, premieres at The Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester, 4th to 7th June 2014. The graphic novel, which charts Rob's further facts, fictions and altered realities over the nine years after his diagnosis through to his death, is available for pre-order now at www.ziggyswish.com. Limited First Edition of 1000 copies only, all hand-numbered and signed by the author.

Check out the review on the Broken Frontier site.


Saturday May 3rd 2014 update: check out the photos from last nights Comics Unmasked event at the British Library at the Talbot Facebook group.

And also see the Independents "One minute with Bryan Talbot" interview.


Friday May 2nd 2014 update: please read my cry for help - "why converting the Heart of Empire Directors Cut into an ebook is driving me mad!"


Tuesday April 22nd 2014 update: those wonderful people over at Grandville Miniatures have released a set of LeBrocks enemies! - check out the Grandvillains below and order them online from the Grandville Miniatures online shop!

Wednesday April 16th update:

Arvon calling! - get taught how to write graphic novels by Bryan Talbot!

After a year's absence, while The Hurst, writer John Osbourne's erstwhile house in the beautiful Shropshire countryside, has had a multmillion pound makeover, Bryan's annual 5-day residential creative writing course for Graphic Novels returns July 28th - August 2nd. Now, each student room has its own ensuite bathroom and the learning areas and equipment are brand new and state of the art.

"During this week we will explore the form of the graphic novel, be that far-flung adventure, low-key character-driven stories, reportage, documentary or autobiography. You'll be given the information and skills that you'll need to translate your concepts, of whatever genre, into fully realised scripts for sequential art."

This year, Bryan's co-tutor is comics writer Leah Moore and the visiting speaker is cartoonist, illustrator and storyboard artist Adam Cadwell

The course costs £700, but grants are available to help with the course fee. See the Arvon site for more details and how to book.


Sunday April 13th 2014 update:

Events and signings to announce the launch of Sally Heathcote: Suffragette

  • Book launch with Bryan, Mary and Kate
    Fri 2 May 2014, 18.30-20.30 Conference Centre, British Library: £8, (£6 Over 60s) and £5
    The event begins with a screening of the documentary Graphic Novel Man: The Comics of Bryan Talbot, followed by Bryan, Mary and Kate Charlesworth in conversation with Rachel Cooke of The Observer.

  • Book signing with Bryan, Mary and Kate
    Thursday May 8th at 6:00pm at Waterstones, the Bridges, Sunderland
    Tickets £3 - redeemable against the cost of a book on the night

  • Sally Heathcote Exhibition: Remembering Female Suffrage
    12 May 2014 9:00am to 16 May 2014 5:00pm
    Peltz Gallery, Ground Floor, School of Arts, Birkbeck, 43 Gordon Square, London WC1H 0PD - No booking required: add to your calendar.

  • Book signing
    Friday May 16th from 2:00pm to 3:00pm at GOSH, 1 Berwick Street, London W1F 0RD

  • Shoulder to Shoulder: Sally Heathcote: Suffragette
    Saturday 17 May 18.30 - 19.30 Free but booking required
    Join Costa Award winners Mary & Bryan Talbot with comic artist Kate Charlesworth for an illustrated talk about their dramatic new graphic novel about women's fight for the vote.
    Sally Heathcote: Suffragette is a gripping inside story of the campaign for votes for women. A tale of loyalty, love and courage, set against a vividly realised backdrop of Edwardian Britain, it follows the fortunes of a maid-of-all-work swept up in the feminist militancy of the era. Sally Heathcote: Suffragette is another stunning collaboration from Costa Award winners, Mary and Bryan Talbot. Teamed up with acclaimed illustrator Kate Charlesworth, Sally Heathcote's lavish pages bring history to life.
    Artwork from the book will be on display in the museum.
    Please book through the Cartoon Museum's online shop.

Friday April 11th 2014 update: Mary Talbot and Kate Charlesworth have their guest Director's Commentary on Sally Heathcote: Suffragette up on the Forbidden Planet blog - for those not familiar with that, it's an occasional feature they run where instead of one of them doing review or interview the spot is given to the creators to talk about their new work in their own words. Nice way to give readers some insight into interesting new work and hopefully also get the book onto their reading radar.

And don't forget - the competition to win free copies of "The Graphic Novel Man: the comics of Bryan Talbot" is still running!


Thursday April 10th 2014 update: Some moments caught by photographer Matthew Buxton at the Brainstorm Exhibition private view, the Muse Gallery, 269 Portobello Road, London W11 on the 19th March.

Bryan and Ambre Boissevain, daughter of the late Serge and Henriette Boissevain, the publishers of Pssst! Magazine and the first Luther Arkwright graphic novel editions.

Rock Journalist Charles Shaar Murray and Richard Adams, illustrator of underground magazines such as OZ, INK and The Fanatic.

 

 

With his niece, actor Laura Atherton.

 

 

 

 

 

With his first publisher, Lee Harris and rapper Chester P, who took his stage name from Bryan's first protagonist, Chester P Hackenbush of Brainstorm Comix.

 

 

Designer and comic artist Rian Hughes, writer and editor Tim Pilcher and comic artist Mark Stafford who, among other books, drew Bryan's CHERUBS! graphic novel.

 

 

The exhibition runs until April 13th. Charles Shaar Murray and Digital Story Engine blogged about the event on their sites:


Tuesday April 8th 2014 update: Copies of The Graphic Novel Man: The Comics of Bryan Talbot are now available for pre-order exclusively from www.digitalstoryengine.com

And in order to celebrate the launch of this quite outstanding DVD, the kind people over at Digital Story Engine have also come up with a competition to help publicise it! If you answer all 3 of these questions correctly you will be put into a draw and three people will be selected to win a copy of the DVD each.

The questions are:

  1. Bryan was born in which town?
  2. What is the name of Detective Inspector LeBrock's adjunct?
  3. Which comics festival is he one of the founding patrons of?

Email contact@digitalstoryengine.com with your answers. The winners will be announced here and on the Digital Story Engine site when the DVD is released on 12th May 2014 and the competition closes on Friday April 25th.


Thursday April 3rd 2014 update:

Annoucing: Arkwright Integral!

At last, a high quality ultimate A4 size hardback edition of the first flagship British Graphic Novel, together with the full colour sequel, Heart of Empire!

Coming in October from Dark Horse Comics, at 556 pages, this will retail at $59.99, around £36. Here's the publicity blurb:

"In a swirling multiverse of endless possibilities and incalculable dangers, malign forces manipulate history through countless timelines and act to wreak destruction across universes. But amongst these infinite existences, their fate depends on one man, an anomaly who exists in but a single universe, a being of vast psychic power capable of travelling between parallel realities - Luther Arkwright!

An adult science-fiction epic of boundless imagination and audacious vision, The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and Heart of Empire are brought together for the first time in one essential hardcover volume, with an introduction by Michael Moorcock, afterword by Warren Ellis and a 10-page Luther Arkwright interview with Steve Bissette. Plus a large gallery of Arkwright illustrations and book covers by Bryan and other artists, including Dave Gibbons, Glenn Fabry and Hunt Emerson, and a Heart of Empire back cover gallery. "

....

On a personal note - this looks STUNNING! - I can't wait to get my copy! - and I hope this answers the questions of the many, many fans who have got in touch with me over the years asking when the Ultimate Edition of Arkwright will be out: sorry I couldn't say anything sooner: when you agree to become a webmaster for a Comics Legend like Bryan there's this oath of secrecy you have to sign!


Wednesday March 26th 2014 update: there are days when being Bryan's webmaster is one of the Best Things In The World - EVER. OK - that's probably every day when I get to say "I'm Bryan Talbots fanpage webmaster y'know!" - but there are some days that are even better than that.

Like today: after one of those days at the Day Job - you know the kind? - I get home and what is waiting for me? - nothing less than my review copy of Sally Heathcote: Suffraggette! - sent to me because Bryan said to his publishers "please add James to the list of people on the review copy list!"

Until you've been a starving fanboy and had to make the decision betwen eating and buying a comic, you have got no idea how good this makes me feel!*

And the fact that the graphic novel is just amazing just adds to it off course! Bryan has asked me to say no more and hold off on reviewing it here on the site until all of the review copies have been sent out and everyone has had a chance to write them, so I will hang back until the embargo is lifted: all I will say is - I think the Talbots should expect some more literary awards after this...

* and of course buying a comic won out over eating! - a comic lasts for ever: hunger goes away... - eventually...

Check out this fine review of the exhibition of the Art of Bryan Talbot by the excellent people at Forbidden Planet: "Bryan Talbot's comics are an incredible pleasure to read and enjoy at any time, so the opportunity of seeing some of his original artwork, up close, while taking in a career of nearly forty years is highly exciting."

The exhibition is at The Muse at 269, 269 Portobello Road, London W11 1LR, www.themuseat269.com from 20th March until 13th April, 12 to 6pm Thursday to Sunday.

 

Also new today are some photos sent by Bryan: Seen at The Newcastle Film and Comic Convention in March: Detective Inspector LeBrock, Billie (a different one from the Billie who turned up at the Lakes Festival - is this a trend?) and the costume contest-winning Kaya Smith as Legolas. Kaya is Jordan Smith's daughter and posed for the cover of Alice in Sunderland 8 years ago.


Tuesday March 25th 2014 update: The trailer for the upcoming documentary about Bryan is released!


Wednesday March 12th 2014 update: the film-makers making the documentary Graphic Novel Man - the comics of Bryan Talbot have published a press release about the upcoming DVD: it's published on May 12th 2014 and will be available to buy from Digital Story Engine.


Sunday February 23rd 2014 update: A fan over in Canada created a Tumblr about the Tale of One Bad Rat: check it out - very nicely done!


Wednesday February 19th 2014 update: There is an exhibition of some of Kate Charlesworth's finished artwork from the forthcoming Sally Heathcote book, entitled: Sally Heathcote, Suffragette in London at Birkbeck University, starting on May 12th to May 16th: full info over at the Birkbeck site.

Bryan is the guest of Honour at the Swedish Furrycon, Nordic Fuzzcon, 27 February - 2nd March - and whilst he is there he will be delivering his talk about the anthropomorphic tradition. When: Saturday March 1st between 2:30 pm - 4 pm approximately
Where: The stage at Bibliotek Plattan, Kulturhuset Stadsteatern, Sergels torg entrance.


Saturday February 15th 2014 update: Bryan and Mary are patrons of the new Sunderland Comics Convention! Check out the news story at the Northern Echo, and also at the Sunderland Echo. The con will be on August 9 and 10 2014 at Sunderland Software Centre in Tavistock Place in the city centre - and also see the Sunderland Comic Con official site!

REWARD! Have you seen this stolen Luther Arkwright page?

About 20 years ago, this celebrated page from The Adventures of Luther Arkwright was stolen while on loan for an exhibition. In all that time it's not resurfaced for sale. It may well be hanging on someone's wall, so we're asking if anyone has spotted it in all this time.

If you have, please email the site with the details. A £100 reward will be given if the information leads to its safe recovery.


Sunday February 9th 2014 update: Bryan just asked me to announce the 24 Hour Comic Marathon at the next Lakes International Comics Festival!

On Thursday the 16th October 2014, as part of the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, six comic artists will enter a room and draw comics non stop for 24 hours.

The 24 Hour Comics challenge was devised by Scott McCloud in 1990 and thousands of artists have risen to this challenge since. The usual format for a 24 hour comic is to disallow planning and preparation beforehand. Some variations include constraints announced at the commencement of the 24 hours to make planing ahead futile. We are going to do this differently. Planning and preparation is not only allowed, but encouraged because we want to be able to tell the very best stories with the short time we have.

More info and a list of all the creators involved over at the Lakes International Comics festival site.


Friday January 31st 2014 update: I just transferred a lot of older updates from here on the homepage over to the "old news and announcements" page.


Saturday January 25th update:

Some news snippets from the inimitable Mr Talbot:

  • Bryan is the guest of Honour at the Swedish Furrycon, Nordic Fuzzcon, 27 February - 2nd March. Apparently the Swedish furries are huge Grandville fans and this year's theme is "Steampunk Murder Mystery", so Bryan is an obvious choice.

  • The Talbots in Geordieland: Bryan and Mary Talbot are guests at the Newcastle Film and Comic Convention, 8th and 9th March

  • The Brainstorm Exhibition comes to London: Most of the exhibition held in Kendal last Octocber will be shown at The Muse Gallery, 269 Portobello Road , 20th March - 13th April


Thursday January 23rd 2014 update: Bryan has a large interview in the current edition of the Sci-Fi Now magazine: still on sale now!


Sunday January 12th 2014 update: Important news about the next Lakes International Comics festival: if you are a creator, publisher or retailer, the Comic Clock Tower, our version of a comics marketplace and artists' alley, is now open for applications. From this year, entry to the clocktower will be free and open to members of the public.


Saturday January 11th 2014 update:

The Badger is back!

With his trusty adjunct, Detective Sergeant Ratzi, away for Christmas, there's no holiday for Detective Inspector LeBrock of Scotland Yard as he embarks on an investigation into the disappearance of his housekeeper's niece, Bunty Spall.

The trail leads to a growing religious cult, where a charismatic unicorn messiah and his con men cronies, already responsible for mass murder in the United States, are about to lead a crusade for the ethnic cleansing of the French Empire's doughfaces - the derogatory nickname for humans used by the majority, animal-headed population. Teaming up with Chance Lucas, a gun-slinging operative of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, and reigniting his steamy love affair with the voluptuous Parisian badger prostitute Billie, LeBrock clashes with both cult fanatics and doughface terrorists, uncovering in the process a centuries-old religious conspiracy that threatens to plunge the world into bloody civil war.

Grandville: Noël signals the welcome return to anthropomorphic steampunk detective fiction of master comics storyteller, graphic novel pioneer and Costa award-winner Bryan Talbot, with the fourth stand-alone volume of the Eisner and Hugo Award-nominated Grandville series. Containing its trademark fast-paced blend of deduction, humour, artistic pastiche and explosive edge-of-the-seat action, Grandville Noël dramatically raises the bar for the whole series.

With Paris in the grip of the mysterious crime lord, Tiberius Koenig, and an increasingly violent backlash by human extremists, can LeBrock stop the seemingly inevitable slide into fascism? What is the secret of the legendary True Gospels? Can he rescue Bunty Spall from the clutches of the strangely hypnotic unicorn named Apollo? But does Bunty want to be saved? And will LeBrock be back in time for Christmas dinner? No badger does it better!

Grandville: Noël will be published in November 2014


Announcing the Bryan Talbot DVD documentary: "The Graphic Novel Man: the Comics of Bryan Talbot."

Internationally acclaimed, multi-award winning writer/artist Bryan Talbot has been described as 'a dazzling and tireless exponent of the comic art form'. This Digital Story Engine DVD presentation has unprecedented access to behind the scenes material and personal stories. The Graphic Novel Man: the comics of Bryan Talbot provides the definitive Bryan Talbot experience for established fans and first time readers.

Special guests include:
Neil Gaiman, Joe Sacco, Warren Ellis, Gilbert Shelton, Ian Rankin, Kim Newman, David Lloyd, Pat Mills, John Wagner, Charlie Adlard, Carlos Ezquerra, D'Israeli, Doug Braithwaite, Andy Diggle, Simon Fraser, Al Davison, Mary Talbot, Hunt Emerson, Paul Gravett, Mark Stafford, Professor Henry Jenkins, Dr. Mel Gibson, Lee Harris, Dan Charnley, Richard 'Chester' West, and Jordan Smith - and with an introduction by Michael Moorcock.

Produced by: Digital Story Engine
Format: DVD
Duration: 150 minutes [approximately]
Rated: E
Price: £15.99
Release Date: 12 / 05 / 14

The Graphic Novel Man: the Comics of Bryan Talbot is the much anticipated DVD release produced by Digital Story Engine. The DVD features:

The Graphic Novel Man traces not only the life and career of the great artist/writer, but explores the talent and passion that have made Bryan Talbot one of the world's most influential comic creators.

Bryan Talbot emerged in the mid-70s as a major force in British Underground Comix scene with The Adventures of Luther Arkwright - the first UK graphic novel. His work on Batman, 2000AD, Sandman and Hellblazer, laid the creative foundations for his groundbreaking The Tale of One Bad Rat and the 'dream documentary' Alice in Sunderland.

Bryan's innovative collaboration with his wife Mary Talbot, Dotter of Her Father's Eyes won the 2013 Costa Biography Award. His maverick approach to expanding the boundaries of sequential storytelling continues in the best selling Grandville series of anthropomorphic Steam Punk detective thrillers – hailed as Rupert the Bear meets Quentin Tarantino!

Writing pictures and drawing words focuses on Bryan's unique approach to creating comics. The essential comic crafts of Scripting, Layout, Pencilling, Inking, Colouring and Lettering are all discussed and lavishly illustrated in the context of Bryan's career spanning multi-award winning comics and graphic novels with additional expert contributions from other best selling comic artists and writers. .

Grandville: Bête Noire: the evolution of page 94: commentary by Bryan Talbot.
On the 18th of May 2012, Bryan Talbot invited Digital Story Engine to record him at work in his studio. Over the next three days, DSE documented the Pencilling and Inking stages of page 94 of Grandville: Bête Noire - the third volume in the Eisner and Hugo award nominated Grandville series.

Teaser trailer out in February!


Friday January 3rd 2014 update: First of all, the obligatory "Holy cow! - another year of running this fanpage!" - hard to believe it has now been online for 18 years!

Breaking news on the publishing schedules and all other projects:

  • Bryan has been commissioned by Sunderland City Council to draw the "Keel Line" in the city's brand new city-center square:

    "At 291m the line represents the full length of the Naess Crusader, which is the longest ship ever built in Sunderland. It launched from the James Laing shipyard on December 21, 1972.

    The length of the line will include the names of up to 9,000 of the most significant ships built in Sunderland’s shipyards dating back to the early 19th Century.

    Artist Bryan Talbot, author of the graphic novel Alice in Sunderland, has been contracted to design how the names of the ships are presented and the illustrations that will run the length of line.

    Bryan said today: “I have never done anything like this before, so it’s very exciting.

    “The shipbuilding theme will be represented throughout the line."

    Bryan said to me: "I've nearly finished all the illustrations, which are going to be sandblasted into granite paving stones for the Keel Line."

    More info at the Sunderland Echo site.

  • Grandville: Noel is due out in November 2014
  • Sally Heathcote: Suffragette is due in May 2014
  • And I've just contacted the Arkwright RPG publishers for an update as to when it will be out: will post here as soon as I get it.
  • And news on the Luther Arkwright TV series / film: For over a year a British director, and Ridley Scott's production company, Scott Free, have been trying to get a Game of Thrones style TV series of Arkwright off the ground. Ultimately nothing came of it, due to a change of editorial direction of the broadcaster they were dealing with. So the option for Arkwright is now with Hollywood production company Benderspink, who have 3 months to try and raise interest to get a series or a feature off the ground....
    BUT - Bryan also says: "Don't get your hopes up! This has been going on for years."

Also: check out the latest addition to the Bryan Talbot online artwork sale: Nemesis the Warlock in one of the old 2000ad Diceman adventures.


Monday December 30th 2013 update: Sorry updates have been a bit sparse - a combination of Day Job overload and then Christmas off with the family: you know how it is! - "all" I need to do in 2014 is work out a way to make running this site pay me a full time salary and then you will get hourly updates!

Anyway: to business: Talbot related updates and news!


Saturday November 30th 2013 update:

Bubu the Murderous Monkey

The first set of this webcomic, written by Hannah and Berkman, and drawn by Bryan's son Alwyn Talbot is now online.

 

Getxo Comics Festival

Read Mary's blog on the Talbot's visit to Spain at her site.

 

Sunday November 17th 2013 update: Getxo Comic Festival Bilbao

From the 22nd to the 24th November, Mary and Bryan Talbot will be guests at the Getxo Comic Festival in Bilbao, Spain. This last year has seen the publication of the Spanish editions of Dotter of Her Father's Eyes, The Tale of One Bad Rat and the first two Grandville books.

This is also why Bryan will not be able to make it to Thought Bubble this year!


Friday November 15th update: make sure you pop on over to Mary's site for a write up of the Brainstorm: The Art of Bryan Talbot exhibition - together with some excellent reviews and photos.

And check out the Bryan Talbot online shop: I have just added some new original art for sale! - more Grandville, more Grandville: Mon Amour, and the first ever Grandville: Bête Noire artwork ever to go on sale!


Sunday November 10th update: a lot of people have asked about the tie-break question in the recent competition we ran to publicise Bryan's exhibition of artwork in the Wildman Studio in Kendal . The question was: "How many times do penguins, in whatever form, appear in Dotter of Her Father's Eyes?" - and I am afraid that the key part of it was "...in whatever form" - because the answer was 15 times, and included one instance being penguin books...

... and then there was penguin biscuits...

... and "Penguin Island" by Anatole France.

And finally... - nuns!

Also: here is a video of Bryan and Mary at the Edinburgh book festival:


Sunday October 20th update: I just got back from the Lakes International Comics festival - and I have to say I am absolutely stunned at how good it was - not because I was expecting anything less than an excellent festival if Bryan was involved - but because it was even better than I imagined!

I caught up with a lot of old friends at the festival, and also made new ones - and I even got a Fabulous Furry Freak brothers compendium edition signed by Gilbert Shelton himself!

Even the kids had events to attend and enjoy - comics writing workshops for the older one and Peppa Pig readings for the younger one.

The whole of Kendal town centre seemed to be taken over for the festival: even the ladies on reception dressed up as comics characters!

If you like comics and live in the UK or Europe (or even the US or Canada if finances permit) I will here and now recommend you come to the next one! Bryan and the other founders aim of creating a comics festival here in England that will rival the festivals in Europe has definitely been met - and exceeded!

Also see the album of photos I took at the festival on Facebook.


Friday October 18th update: local news website Sky Tyne and Wear interviewed Bryan in the run-up to the Lakes International Comics festival (which by the way - starts tonight!):

Sunday October 13th 2013 update:

Less than a week to go now to the Lakes International Comics Festival! - will you be there? - Bryan, Mary and myself will be!


Saturday October 5th 2013:

Bryan has designed this year's official Christmas card of The Sherlock Holmes Society of London! The cards can be bought in packs of ten from the society itself.

Also see the Brighton Story - another book inspired by Alice in Sunderland!


Saturday September 28th update: Bryan's former English teacher, who Bryan credits with getting him interested in sci-fi and fantasy recently got back in touch with Bryan through this fanpage - and so Bryan asked me to republish the Moorcock Effect, which is a tribute to both Michael Moorcock and Brian Holt.


Friday September 20th update: The competition for lots of Talbot related goodies to promote Bryan's upcoming art exhibition in Kendal in October will close and the winner be announced on October 4th: you still have time to enter to win some amazing stuff!

Meanwhile here is the poster for the exhibition and one of which he will sign for the winner...

 

Also today, the wonderful people who made the Grandville figures of LeBrock and Ratzi have been at it again, this time with a quite stunning miniature figure of Billie!

These are all available to buy from their site and are all officially approved by Bryan!


Sunday September 15th: in order to publicise launching a Bookcrossing zone I will release into the wild a totally free copy of The Tale of One Bad Rat - and I will post it anywhere in the world. To qualify for the random draw of who I send it to just retweet the announcement via the link below - and also promise to hand the book onto someone else when you have finished reading it.

Bookcrossing is just an excellent concept and it is a great way to send to someone else one of my extra copies of One Bad Rat - and it is a forgivable way to plug where I work when I am not doing the Talbot fanpage!

Click here to tweet this - and enter the prize draw!


Wednesday September 11th update: Graphic Novels: Here's an interview filmed just before Bryan and Mary Talbot's event at the Edinburgh Book Festival on 25th August. " I wish I'd worn my shades!" says Bryan, "The sunlight was so strong my eyes were stinging!"

Also see Joe Gordin's blog about the Edinburgh book festival (includes Mary and Bryan).

And also see Jeremy Briggs' Bryan & Mary Talbot: From Judge Dredd to Steampunk via James Joyce


Saturday August 31st updates:

Bryan has announced a competition to promote the "Brainstorm!: The Art of Bryan Talbot" exhibition is at Wildman Studios, in Wildman Street, Kendal, Cumbria between October 4 and November 10.

To enter, answer these questions:

1. In the Brainstorm Comix series, Bryan's first published protagonist, Chester P Hackenbush, was partly named after a character played by which famous movie comedian in which film?

2. Who first published the first nine-part comicbook series of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright?

3. In The Tale of One Bad Rat, what's Helen Potter's father's forename?

4. Which famous English dragon legend is adapted into comic strip form within Alice in Sunderland?

5. Which early nineteenth century French illustrator used the nom de plume "JJ Grandville" and was the original inspiration for Bryan's Grandville series of detective thrillers?

Tie-breaker: How many times do penguins, in whatever form, appear in Dotter of Her Father's Eyes?

The prizes are as follows:

1 signed limited edition exhibition poster for Bryan's Brainstorm! The Art of Bryan Talbot,
2 Two tickets for his event on Sat 19 October and a limited edition tshirt with his festival design on it
4 A page of original art work from the Nazz
5 a copy of Cherubs written by Bryan and drawn by Mark Stafford

Enter the competition via email - and add the event to your Facebook calendar - and help us publicise the competition and the exhibition by mentioning it on Twitter.

Also: here's a good write-up of Bryan and Mary's appearance at the Edniburgh Book Festival - and the full Lakes Comics Festival program is now online.


Saturday August 24th update: to promote Bryan's exhibition on Kendal in October and November we are launching a competition


Tuesday August 13th 2013 update: I have created a page to download the "Open letter to a comics virgin" as a digital comic.


Monday August 12th 2013 update 2:

Brainstorm!: The Art of Bryan Talbot exhibition is at Wildman Studios, in Wildman Street, Kendal, Cumbria between October 4 and November 10.

"Described as "a dazzling and tireless exponent of the comic art form" Bryan Talbot has been one of the driving forces in the comics industry since the late 70s, when he created the Brainstorm Comix series for Alchemy Press. Since then he has produced work in almost every genre and pushed boundaries in many ways.

"Most recently his highly-acclaimed steampunk detective series Grandville which follows the life of Detective Inspector Lebrock employs anthropomorphism and satire to startling effect.

"This exhibition not only reveals the life, work of a great creator but also an energy and passion which have made him one of the most influential comic art figures to this day. From covers to comics, illustrations from his psychedelic beginnings to rock stars and offbeat paraphernalia, Costa Award winner Bryan Talbot presents his outstanding body of work."

Free entry


Monday August 12th 2013 update:

An open letter to a comics virgin

Here's a strip by Bryan published earlier in the year that was specially commissioned by The Author magazine to introduce members of the Society of Authors to the medium of comics and the form of the graphic novel.

First published in 1890, and featuring articles by writers such as HG Wells, Bernard Shaw, EM Forster and Lord Tennyson in its long history, this is the very first time it has included a comic strip!


Sunday 11th August 2013 update: remember the rapper that named himself after Chester P Hackenbush, the Psychedelic Alchemist? - well check out this bloggers account of coming to the Brainstorm comic because of his music, and his obsessive, quixotic quest to actually get a copy of the comic - and how he met the truly decent Lee Harris as a result...


Saturday 10th August 2013 update: the Lakes International Comics Festival is on 18th to 20th October, in the beautiful Lake District - and did you know Bryan is a Founder of it? - and he will be attending? - anyway: they asked Bryan to draw the map of the venues in the town where events are taking place and it looks excellent!

Also today: the wonderful people over at the Scottish Book Trust did a podcast with Bryan as their guest - and then made it possible to embed it right here so you could listen to it without even leaving the fanpage! Like I said - very nice people! - go check out their site or visit their own podcast page.

 

And finally (can you tell I have just got back from summer holiday and had a shedload of updates sent over from Bryan?!) - here's the cover of a new book on Alan Moore from Manchester University Press, using Bryan's illustration of him in a famous Aleistar Crowley pose from the charity publication 'Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman'.


12 July update: you saw it here first! - the cover to the next DI LeBrock graphic novel - Grandville: Noel!


7 July update: remember the Flash game of You are Torquemada by the amazingly talented Paul Ferguson? - well he's only gone and done it again with You Are Judge Dredd - in the House of Death - originally published by 2000ad and drawn by Bryan.

Enjoy! - and if you need and Flash work doing, please think of hiring paul@tigerlight430.co.uk!


23 June update: Bryan sent over "A couple of photos from Sunday's steampunk convention, Tiffin on the Trinc, including one of me opening the event by firing a cannon! I'm wearing my big shirt especially for the event!"

 


22 June update: here's a photo album of Bryan at the Etna Comics Convention


14 June 2013 update: A fellow fan of Bryan's asked on the Bryan Talbot Twitter feed (which I maintain on behalf of Bryan) about how the work on Sally Heathcote, Suffragette was divided up:

- and he thought the best way to illustrate it would be with one of the layout pages he has created and sent over to Kate.

Also - go check out Mary's site and Kate's site!

And finally: at last weekend's Etna Comic Festival, Bryan won the Francisco Solano Lopez Award for Best Writer / Artist. Named after the famous Argentine comics creator, this is the first year that these awards have been given.

Photo thanks to Mario Benenati.


8th June 2013 update: Here's a sneak peek at a new collaboration from the House of Talbot: Sally Heathcote, Suffragette.

It's a timely preview of the book, as in June 2013 we have the centenary of the death of the renowned militant suffragette, Emily Wilding Davison.

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Sally Heathcote, Suffragette charts the fortunes of a maid-of-all-work as she is swept up in the feminist activism of the Edwardian era.

Written by Mary, it is currently being illustrated by Kate Charlesworth, with Bryan doing the lettering and detailed layouts."

 


1st June 2013 update: Bryan and Mary Talbot are guests of the Etna Comics Festival in Sicily 7th - 9th June


4th May 2013 update: check out the review of Bryan and Mary at the Hexham Book Festival by Marian Sheck over on Kyeo.


29th April 2013 update: Bryan will be a guest at the steampunk con Tiffin on the Trinc in Hartlepool. I'll actually be firing off one of the ship's cannons at some point, as well as giving a presentation "How I create a graphic novel".

In June Bryan and Mary will both be guests at the Etna Comics con in Sicilly and, in July, the Cork Literary Festival.


9th April 2013 update: The insanely talented people over at Crooked Dice have only gone and made the first two of their new Grandville 28mm figures range!

Pop over to the Grandville miniatures site for more info and to feast your eyes on the figures from all angles - and also to purchase some of them! Personally I am itching for the production to be completed so I can get my hands on them and get them painted!

I've also been hard at work updating the Bryan Talbot online shop with the first ever original artwork from Dotter of her Father's Eyes released for sale!


2nd April 2013 update: A fellow fan of Bryan's - the exceptionally talented Sarah Dunkerton had the muse strike, and just had to sit down and draw some pictures of Billie from Grandville: Bête Noire on her kick-ass steampunk motorbike: and she felt she had to share the fan art with us here on the site!

So here for your viewing pleasure is both the pencilled and inked version of Billie.

I've always said there's something special about us fans of Bryan's!

Also see the Scottish Book Trusts Book Talk on Dotter.


30th March 2013 update: Breaking news! - Grandville Bête Noire is nominated for a Hugo award!

Also check out a great review of Cherubs from the Krypto Dies site: "Without giving a lot away, I'll just say that this was a FUN novel to read."

Also, a fellow fan sent me an update of the "You Are Torquemada" flash Diceman game he created: this is an amazing Flash version of the old 2000ad Diceman Nemesis / Torquemada game that Bryan drew, and the creator Paul Ferguson deserves more recognition - so I am trying to get it for him!


21st March 2013 update: an interview with Bryan from Travelling Man.


6th March 2013 update: If you can name all the comic characters referenced in our festival poster created by Bryan, we'll put you into a prize draw to win one of 5 signed copies and our festival mug.

Email your answers to media@comicartfestival.com by 11am on Monday 18 March


5th March 2013 update: as you probably know, Bryan is a Founder of the Lakes International Comics Festival. and so: here is their latest press release on the big name guests already signed up:

Lakes International Comic Art Festival announces first big name guests

Some of the biggest names in comic art will be heading to the inaugural Lakes International Comic Art Festival later this year.

Festival organisers have announced some of the guests of honour who will be appearing at the event which will run from 18-20 October 2013 in Kendal in Cumbria.

The first guests revealed by the festival include writers and artists from the United States, Argentina, Spain and the UK, working in a wide range of different genres.

The event, which is modelled on the European style comic art festivals, has a guest list running to more than 40 writers and artists. Organisers plan to reveal more names over the next few months, in the run up to tickets going on sale in May.

American writer Ed Brubaker is making his first visit to a British comic art event. He is famous for his work on comics like Captain America, Batman, Catwoman, Uncanny X-Men and Daredevil, as well as the creator owned comics Criminal and Fatale. He has won four Eisner awards, the comic industry's equivalent of the Oscars.

Artist Sean Phillips, a founder patron of the new festival, has been working with Ed Brubaker for about 12 years, most recently on Criminal and Fatale. He says: "I find Ed's work believable. We do crime fiction so there are obviously things like armoured car heists, pickpockets and other crime plots.

"But the important bit is the characters and how they react to their situations. And the way the characters created by Ed react is always believable. You have to be able to care about what happens to the characters and that is what he does really well."

Another guest at the festival, the highly rated Argentine artist Jose Muñoz, has had a strong influence on a number of other leading comic artists. Muñoz is noted for his influential black and white artwork and his graphic novel series Alack Sinner was the inspiration for Frank Miller's Sin City comic series.

Another US writer and artist who will be flying over for the festival is Joe Sacco. He writes and draws international political reportage in a comic book format, providing an insight into the complex issues of global politics while telling the stories of some of the ordinary people living in war torn areas like Sarajevo, Chechnya and Palestine.

Festival patron Bryan Talbot says: "Joe was trained as a journalist and singlehandedly created the genre of reportage in graphic novel form. Immersing himself in a situation, his in-depth reports use the medium of sequential art to its full advantage. His books, such as Palestine, Safe Area Gorazde or his recent Footnotes in Gaza, follow his investigations and interviews, explaining the history, politics and dynamics of the situation as he goes along."

Judge Dredd fans will be particularly looking forward to meeting British writer John Wagner and Spanish artist Carlos Ezquerra, who are the co-creators of the famous law maker. They have both created many other characters for 2000AD including Strontium Dog. John is also credited as being one of the people who revitalised British comics in the 1970s.

The work of another guest, cartoonist Posy Simmonds, could not be more different. She satirises the English middle classes, particularly those of a literary bent. Her cartoons for The Guardian, Gemma Bovery and Tamara Drewe, have both been turned into books. Tamara Drewe won the Prix Des Critiques in 2009 and was made into a feature film in 2010.  She has also written and drawn several books for children.

Two British comic creators coming to the festival recently won prestigious awards at Europe's biggest comic art festival in Angouleme.

Glyn Dillon won the the Prix Spécial du Jury for The Nao of Brown, the story of a half Japanese, half English woman who suffers from violent morbid obsessions and a racing, unruly mind. He has had a wide ranging career, including working as a storyboard artist and concept designer for both film and television.

Jon McNaught was the first Briton to win the Prix Révélation, The Best Newcomer Award, at Angouleme, for his first full-length book Automne (entitled Dockwood in English).

Artist Doug Braithwaite began his career in comics 25 years ago working for Marvel UK and 2000AD.  He has worked on many of the industry's flagship titles, and has drawn just about every major character for both Marvel and DC comics. His recent work includes Secret Invasion: Thor, Wolverine Origins, and the award winning Justice series for DC comics. He is currently working on the creator owned series Storm Dogs with writer David Hine.

Another British writer who will star at the inaugural festival is Andy Diggle. He is currently working on Superman and writing stories for Dr Who, Thief of Thieves and a new supernatural comic Uncanny. Andy has recently launched his own thriller called Snapshot with artist Jock. He has also been nominated for the prestigious Eisner Award for co-creating the New York Times best-selling action thriller The Losers, which was turned into a film.

Andy says: "The wider world is finally waking up to the richness, vibrancy and immediacy of the comics medium in all its diverse genres. Comics aren't just great art and great entertainment - they're also educational. Multiple studies have shown that kids who read comics have improved literacy, and go on to read more prose in a wider range of styles and genres than kids who don't.

"So it's great to see a European-style comics festival come to the North-West, bringing the joy of comics to a whole new audience. As for myself, I'm looking forward to meeting the fans - and the other creators. Festival Director Julie Tait has pulled together an amazing line-up of talent, especially considering it's the inaugural festival. Long may it continue!"

These first nine guests of honour join founder patrons Bryan and Mary Talbot, who won the biography category in the Costa Book Awards earlier this year, and Sean Phillips.

Bryan Talbot has also created a special festival poster which features Kendal's town hall a lake and references to 28 different comic art characters.

The festival will include events where people will be able hear from writers and artists, panel discussions, special live drawing events, films, several exhibitions, workshops and a kids' zone. Authors and artists will be signing copies of their work and there will be a marketplace to buy comics and comic art. There will also be some free events and exhibitions.

Festival Director Julie Tait says: "We're very excited to give people their first real taste of the guest list for our new festival. We have a great line up which includes top creators from the UK, Europe and further afield who are recognised as leading lights or exciting new talent - all are pioneers in some shape or form. 

"We'll be revealing more big names over the next few months. We know people are eager to find out who all our guests are but we want to keep people in suspense for a bit longer!

"The festival will include a wide range of events, including some which are free. We want The Lakes International Comic Art Festival to appeal not just to the people who are already big comic art fans but also to help bring new audiences to this fantastic and versatile medium."

More details about the new event are available at www.comicartfestival.com. It is also possible to keep up to date with plans for the festival by following @comicartfest on Twitter or by liking the Lakes International Comic Art Festival Facebook page.

Ends

For media information please contact Paul or Karen Gardner on 015394-42436, 07766-906561 or email media@comicartfestival.com

The founder partners of the event are the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal College, South Lakeland District Council and Osprey Communications. Founder supporters are Curious Road, Designworks and Jonathan Cape. The festival is also supported by Kendal Library and publishers Myriad Editions, Nobrow, Blank Slate, Knockabout and Selfmadehero.


4th March 2013 update: A couple of really excellent updates here for you:

The first half of Bryan's talk "The Use of Style and Storytelling Technique in The Tale of One Bad Rat" in the form of text and pictures is now online. Bryan said: "I've done this talk well over a hundred times, all over the world, from China to Brazil and the United States, and all over Europe and the UK. As I no longer present it, it's appropriate that it's now documented. This is just the first half of the talk." I will post the second half as soon as the inestimable Mr Talbot sends it over to me.

Secondly there is Bryan's other talk on The Anthropomorphic Tradition in Comics - which covers the historical antecedents and forerunners of the redoubtable LeBrock from Grandville.

Incidentally - allow me to interject at this point: it is all down to Bryan that my 8 year old son understands the word and concept of "anthropomorphic"... - understand it? - heck - he uses it in conversation!


1st March 2013 update: Bryan recommends - Peter Pan

For the first time in English, in one omnibus edition, Soaring Penguin Press will be publishing Régis Loisel's adult epic series, Peter Pan. This 372-page, full colour hardback (retailing for £29.99) will tell the entire story of how Peter, a young boy on the streets of Dickensian London, became Peter Pan.This omnibus edition collects the complete 6 volume bande dessinee series lovingly created by Loisel from 1990 to 2004. This series has never before been seen in the UK, and has never been collected in English.

To support this exciting publishing venture, Soaring Penguin Press has created an Indiegogo campaign: Everyday for the 45 days of the campaign, a page from the book will be added to the gallery.

Régis Loisel will be attending the BD and Comics Passion festival at Intitut francais May 30th to June 2nd, as guest of honour.


8th February 2013 update: have you checked out the Forbidden Planet blog recently? - well then you should! - they do a lot of work supporting the UK comics industry - and they're nice people too! - I used to have a Saturday job at the Birmingham store with the main blogger there!


6th February 2013 update: Cherubs is now available from Dark Horse Digital! - and you can also peruse all of Bryan's work that is available for digital download.


22nd January 2013 update: Bryan and Mary just got interviewed on Radio 4 about Dotter and the Costa book prize category win.


18th January 2013 update:

Announcing - the Lakes International Comics Festival: A new festival to celebrate comic art

A new festival has been launched to celebrate the very best comic art from across the world, from cartoon strips to superhero comics and manga to non-fiction graphic novels.

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival will run from 18-20 October 2013 in Kendal in Cumbria.

The founder patrons of the new festival include Bryan and Mary Talbot who won the biography category in the Costa Book Awards earlier this month. They are joined by another internationally renowned comic artist Sean Phillips.

The launch of the new festival comes at a time when there is a growing buzz about comic art. Graphic novels have been taken increasingly seriously over the last twenty years.

Dotter of Her Father's Eyes, written by academic Mary Talbot and illustrated by her husband Bryan, was the first graphic novel to win the biography category in the Costa Awards. The Chair of the 2013 Man Booker Prize has also encouraged entries by authors of graphic novels.

Bryan Talbot's work also includes Batman, Judge Dredd, Alice in Sunderland and his Grandville series of detective thrillers. He also wrote and drew A Tale of One Bad Rat, which is set in the Lake District.

He says: "The UK is one of the only countries in Europe that doesn't have an international comic festival, celebrating the whole range of this versatile and exciting medium. This is the golden age of graphic novels, with more, and better, comic art being produced today than ever before. The Lakes International Comic Art festival is therefore a concept whose time has come.

"The medium of comics, or sequential art, is as valid an art form as any other and is capable of dealing with any subject and any genre in its own unique way, a way that is direct and accessible. The best graphic novels are comparable to the best in prose, film or drama."

The festival will include events where people will be able hear from some of the biggest names in comic art, panel discussions, films, exhibitions and workshops. Authors and artists will also be signing copies of their work and there will be a marketplace to buy comics and comic art.

Sean Phillips, who lives in Cumbria, has also worked as an artist on comics such as Batman and Hellblazer, and more recently on crime genre comics Criminal and Fatale. He says: "It's great to be involved with any festival that is interested in promoting the vast range of comics out there.

"Comics is a medium, not a genre. It's not just superheroes and the Beano, and this festival is a good chance to see that there are comics for everyone, no matter what their interests are. Comics can be used to tell any type of story in any genre, and that should be celebrated."

The festival is the brainchild of Julie Tait and her 14 year old comic fan son Finn who live in Kendal. Julie said: "The Lakes International Comic Art Festival will celebrate this exciting and vibrant art form, which is gaining a growing number of fans of all ages.

"For me, the fusion of great art and great writing is dynamite. It makes it a very exciting, inspiring and challenging art form to be promoting, celebrating and encouraging."

The event's founders have looked to the comic art festivals held on the continent for inspiration, including Europe's largest celebration of the art form at Angouleme in France, which takes place later this month.

Julie says: "In countries like France there's a real appreciation of comics as an art form and our aim is to create something of the atmosphere at comic art festivals like the one in Angouleme. There will be plenty for the real enthusiasts but we also hope it will help to introduce a new audience to comic art."

Julie also runs the team behind the Lakes Alive outdoor arts festival. Speaking about her latest venture she says: "There's a real enthusiasm in the Lake District and across Cumbria for new, contemporary cultural events. We believe this new festival will provide something that is inspiring, exciting and creative for local people to enjoy, as well as bringing in audiences from outside the area."

The festival will take place at a number of venues across Kendal including the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal College and the Town Hall.

More details about the new event will be available at www.comicartfestival.com and the blog at www.thelakesinternationalcomicartfestival.wordpress.com. It is also possible to keep up to date with plans for the festival by following @comicartfest on Twitter or by liking the Lakes International Comic Art Festival Facebook page.

The new festival will be created and presented by Lakes Arts Festivals Ltd, a not-for-profit company.

Ends

For media information please contact Paul or Karen Gardner on 015394-42436, 07766-906561

Notes to editors

  • Images of Bryan and Mary Talbot and Sean Phillips are available on request together with examples of their work.
  • The founding partners and supporters of the new festival are the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal College, Osprey Communications, Design Works and Curious Road.

And here is Bryan talking about the festival in a podcast:


15th January 2013 update: Bryan emailed me this image and said "this is what the window of the Glasgow graphic novel shop, Plan B, currently looks like. Owner and artist Pete Renshaw painted it to celebrate Dotter winning the Costa Biography Award."

Also see Mary Talbot's recent interview in the Metro: "Comics aren't 'growing up': they've been adult for years."


4th January 2013 update: Bryan and Mary were interviewed on live national UK TV news last night - and their interview is presented below for your viewing pleasure!

And also see the accompanying article - Does Costa win signal British comics comeback - written by none other than Eddie Campbells daughter Hayley!


2nd January 2013 update: Breaking news: Bryan and Mary have won the Costa Book Prize biography category! - this means they go forward for consideration for the main prize! - see the article on the Guardian for more.

As is now traditional on the Bryan Talbot fanpage, I have archived off a lot of the old announcements that were made here on the homepage of the site to the old announcements page. I never like to delete these because:
a) they took a lot of work to compile, create and upload and I hate to delete work, even if it is for the very valid reason that it is out of date! - and:
b) a lot of fellow Talbot fans ask if I can keep them live as they contain links to events / articles / images / info that might not exist anywhere else.

So: being a firm proponent of good netiquette I keep them live, albeit on an explicitly archived page.

Other stuff to mention:

  • Mr Wirth is currently reading Grandville: Bete Noire by Bryan TalbotHappy New Year one and all - and this is now officially the 17th year that I have been running this fansite for Bryan!

  • I have changed the way that I add updates to the site after Bryan commented that it was very easy to confuse the date that an item was added to the site with the date that an event was happening. I hope I have avoided it via the simple expedient of adding "update" to the dateline on each one.. - let me know if it's worked via the usual channels of email, Twitter or Facebook.

  • Don't forget to listen to Front Row on Radio 4 tonight when they will announce the winners of the individual categories of the Costa Book Award!

  • See the excellent review of Cherubs by Bryan Talbot and Mark Stafford from Ashleigh Mayes at Krypto Dies.

  • Paul Register (organiser of the outstanding Stan Lee Excelsior Award) sent the following image and explanation: "Staff at our school are encouraged to put up a 'Currently Reading...' poster on our room doors (and most do). This is what our Headteacher has got on his door! ;-)"

  • Grandville made Ian Rankin's Book of the Year list! - "Grandville: Bête Noire (Jonathan Cape £16.99) is the third in Bryan Talbot's series of anthropomorphic steam-punk graphic novels, featuring Detective Inspector LeBrock. The art is stunning, the story ingenious, and the in-jokes delicious, as our badger hero visits Paris to solve a series of art murders, including the demise of a crow called Gustave Corbeau."

  • Dotter also made the Spectator Tribune lists of top 10 comics of the year!


Sunday December 16th 2012: Dotter of her Father's Eyes is now available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod!

Also - don't forget to listen to Front Row on Radio 4on Wednesday January 2nd 2013when they will announce the winners of the individual categories of the Costa Book Award!


Saturday December 15th 2012: Bryan will be giving the latest version of his presentation "Grandville and the Anthropomorphic Tradition" at Northumbria University on 21 January at 6.30pm.
Business and Law Building, City Campus East, Falconer Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2SW - 0191 232 6002

Admission is free and it's open to the public.


Tuesday 11th December 2012: The Telegraph has an excellent article on Bryan: A page in the life: Bryan Talbot Have graphic novels come of age? Tim Martin meets the dazzling and tireless exponent of the form, Bryan Talbot.

Overall I have to say that it looks like Bryan is finally getting the national, mainstream attention and plaudits he deserves - and what I have hoped this site has tried to help achieve for 16 years now!

Dotter of her father's eyes is also on the Guardians list of best memoirs of the year!


Sunday 9th December 2012: Dotter of her Father's eyes made The Independent's top memoirs of the year, cheek-by-jowl with Salman Rushdie!
"This is a sad and stunning book which reflects the literary heights to which the graphic novel can rise."

The book also made MTV Geek's Best Graphic Novels of 2012 list:
"The brilliant thing about Mary Talbots memoir - which jumps between her own childhood relationship with her father, and that of James Joyce and his daughter Lucia - is that it never dips into melodrama, or easy, cathartic answers. Instead, it says more about how emotional neglect can be as damaging – and life-changing - as abuse, or encouragement. A smart, beautiful piece of work that should be read by anyone who ever had (or has) a father."

The very nice publishers of Steampunk: An Illustrated History of Fantastical Fiction, Fanciful Film and Other Victorian Visionsasked if I would be interested in getting a copy to review for the site, and of course I replied "hell yes!". There's a good chapter on Bryan and all of the steampunk influences in his work, and the book is just gorgeous: hardback, glossy, vastly comprehensive and a perfect gift for any Steampunkian you might know!

Also the Adventures of Luther Arkwright is being adapted for Runequest 6!


Saturday November 24th 2012: Bryan will be in London to promote Grandville Bête Noire, signing at Forbidden Planet, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR on Saturday 1st December 1.00 - 2.00pm and at The London Comic Mart,
The Royal National Hotel, Bedford Way, London WC1 Sunday, December 2 from noon to 4:00pm.

Also, the free newspaper the Metro did a wonderful write-up of Grandville: Bête Noire! And finally: a fellow fan blogged about Luther Arkwright: check out Ross Kitson's "Luther Arkwright- my first journey into Steampunk?"


Wednesday November 21st 2012: so much news this week that there is a mid-week update!


Friday November 16th 2012: The new edition of Geek Syndicate features not only a review of Grandville Bête Noire but also an interview with Bryan.


Saturday November 3rd 2012: Bryan will be at the Travelling Man booth at the Thought Bubble comics festival on 17th and 18th November this year - it's stand 185.

Also, Rebellion the 2000ad publishers have a new line of t-shirts out - including a Nemesis one with Bryan's art on it!


Sunday October 28th 2012: much as I am wary of starting to talk about the fourth and fifth Grandville graphic novels, when the third one is not yet published (but see the review below!), it inevitably came up in conversation with Bryan and he said: "I'm actually currently scripting the fifth volume and will be starting to draw the fourth very soon. You can add that Grandville: Noël is the strongest story yet and that the fifth one will blow any Grandville fan's mind!"

Bryan also mentioned that in the doughface march in Grandville: Bête Noire, you can also see references to Tiff & Tordu (the 2 on the left in panel 2 p 60) and Blondin and Cirage (the black and white kids in panel 3 Page 61) who are from 2 old Belgian comic strips, and also in panel 3 page 60, Ally Sloper, Little Lulu, smurfs, Archie and Jughead and Bette Noir in black).

Cherubs

The front cover to Cherubs by Bryan Talbot and Mark StaffordJanuary marks the publication date of the complete Cherubs! By Dark Horse Comics. This lovely hardback collects the previously published first part of the supernatural comedy adventure, "Paradise Lost", with the longer, unpublished second half, "Hell on Earth".

With script and layouts by Bryan and artwork by the incredible Mark Stafford, Cherubs! is a hilarious and exciting horror romp, described by Joe Gordon on the Forbidden Planet International blog as "pants-wettingly funny". Introduction by (a) MEL GIBSON and afterword by THE (Paul) POPE!

Buy online from Dark Horse! and also check out the interview with Bryan at Comic Book resources.

Official blurb:

An original graphic novel with script and layouts by Eisner-award winner Bryan Talbot and art by the hottest Brit Indy artist, Mark Stafford, CHERUBS! is a totally irreverent, fast-paced supernatural comedy-adventure that's heaven-sent and hell-bent!

Put in the frame for the first murder in Heaven, the outrageous celestial rugrats pursue the renegade archangel Abbadon to New York on the eve of the Apocalypse! Befriended by Mary, an exotic dancer, and pursued by unstoppable Seraphim terminators, they alone stand against the Devil and his hordes as he prepares to stalk the earth once more!

Vampires! Demons! Zombies! Werewolves! Fairy hookers! The descent into Hell! Fluffy the Vampire Slayer! The Doggy-Do Gang! Almighty God! What¹s not to like?

Friday October 26th 2012:

Upcoming signing sessions

Signing in Italy

Bryan will be signing at the Comics House, Sarzana, Tuscony at 5.30pm on Wednesday 31st October and at the Lucca Comics Festival 1st ­ 3rd November. There, he'll be signing at the booth of Comma 22, who have just published their edition of Grandville Mon Amour.

Forbidden Planet signing Saturday 1st December 2012 13:00 - 14:00 London Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR

Grandville World Premiere!

9th November 2012 Foyles 6:30pm - 7:30pm Charing Cross Road

The Badger is back! Comica Festival at Foyles proudly presents the world premiere of the third episode in Bryan Talbot's phenomenal Grandville series of anthropomorphic steampunk romance thrillers starring Inspector Le Brock. in his interview with Kim Newman, Bryan will be joined by his wife Mary Talbot, writer and co-creator of Dotter of Her Father's Eyes, part autobiographical family history, part biography of James Joyce's daughter Lucia. There will also be a trailer and sneak peak at the forthcoming Bryan Talbot documentary.

First review of Grandville: Bête Noire

The first review copies of Grandville Bête Noire have been sent out to faithful fanpage webmasters, and my first review is in: just outstanding!

The final page of the Grandville previewThis instalment initially feels a bit slower paced than the previous two Grandville stories, but that's because the plot unfolds more subtly and builds to an even more dramatic climax, with Billie and Archie LeBrock both undergoing interesting character developments, and with a truly vile villain.

The references and in-jokes are all in there, and as ever provide a fascinating layer over and above the narrative: if you catch them you stop and think - "did he just make a reference to Dangermouse?!" - and you go back and read it again and realise that yes: yes he did... - but they are not required to enjoy the steampunk detective-noir story.

And the re-reading is not just a luxury in this comic: it's a necessity. There's one panel of an artists studio that I found myself entranced by... - and it's just prosaic details that draw you in - but beautifully rendered and all with potential meaning in a classic "locked room" murder case which makes you try and work out which of the plain everyday items was responsible for the murder.

I still remember when Bryan explained his next project after Alice in Sunderland as an anthropomorphic detective romp in an alternative steampunk Paris, and I remember too how worried I was about attaining the necessary suspension of disbelief to get totally drawn into the novels... - I really should have known better shouldn't I? In the hands of a master like Bryan the lack of actual human beings is completely irrelevant: the species of each protagonist provides an excellent foil for their character and demeanor and allows another layer of meaning to be added onto the visual and textual. And that's completely aside to the actual humans - or "doughfaces" who actually partake of a subplot here that helps carry along the unfolding plot.

In fact, I can honestly say that this is the first time I've punched the air and shouted "yes!" on seeing one badger grab another to give her a very public snog to prove that she's the only person in the room he's interested in!

As ever Bryan takes a whole shedload of influences and melds them into a fascinating story, whose art elegantly compliments the plot. He even introduces an conspiracy theory that sounds fantastical in a comic and then in the afterword details how it truly happened here in our own world.

An excellent comic whose only flaw is that it leaves you gagging for the fourth Grandville to be delivered right now!

(And of course you can buy Grandville Bête Noire from Amazon right now!)


Tuesday October 23rd 2012:

Comica Festival at Foyles proudly presents the world premiere of Grandville Bête Noire

The third episode in Bryan Talbot's phenomenal Grandville series of anthropomorphic steampunk romance thrillers starring Inspector Le Brock: in an interview with Kim Newman, Bryan will be joined by his wife Mary Talbot, writer and co-creator of Dotter of Her Father's Eyes, part autobiographical family history, part biography of James Joyce's daughter Lucia. There will also be a trailer and exclusive sneak peak at the forthcoming Bryan Talbot documentary.

Tickets: £8
Where: Foyles, 113-119 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0EB
When: Friday, November 9, 2012 6.30-7.30pm

Saturday 10th November, 11.00 - 18.00, The Comica Independent Comics Fair, The Great Hall, Bishopgate Institute, 230, Bishopgate, London EC2M 4QH Admission free. Guests include Bryan Talbot and Alison Bechdel.


Sunday September 30th 2012: Bryan just uploaded a video trailer for Grandville: Bête Noire! It's getting close people!


Sunday September 16th 2012: Bryan and Mary Talbot will be discussing Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes at "An Evening with Jonathan Cape Graphic Novels", at the Arnolfini Gallery, Bristol, 6pm - 9.45pm, Wednesday November 14, 2012

Also appearing are Simone Lia, Karrie Fransman, Katie Green, Joff Winterhart, Hannah Berry, Alison Bechdel, Ravi Thornton and Andy Hixon. Price: £12.00 / £10.00

Also: the seventh preview page of Grandville: Bête Noire is now on the site - enjoy! page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4 and page 5 and page 6.


Sunday September 9th 2012: Bryan will be guest of Honour at the 2014 SF Worldcon, as announced at the current Worldcon in Chicago.


Monday August 27th 2012: Bryan and Mary appeared at the Edinburgh Book Festival on Friday - and the Forbidden Planet blog has an excellent write up of it.


Sunday August 26th 2012: page 6 of Grandville: Bête Noire! - released as part of our ongoing countdown to the release of Grandville: Bête Noire in December, here's the next page! - also see page 1, page 2, page 3, page 4 and page 5.


Wednesday August 8th 2012: quick update of the online shop where Bryan has posted a lot of original artwork for sale - and just so you know: this is the only place online to buy original Bryan Talbot artwork - and I've added another new piece: Luther Arkwright when he's in the chair being tortured by the Puritans. This is the page that has the doctor displaying not-so-subtle disgust with the totalitarian regime, with his fine parting shot of "call yourself Chistians?"


Tuesday August 7th 2012: Check out the new magazine by the Geek Syndicate. It includes a great write up on Alice in Sunderland.



Thursday August 2nd 2012

Glasgow Talk and Signing: Saturday 25th August 3.00 - 6.00pm

Plan B, 55 Parnie Street, Glasgow - 0141 237 1137. Dr Mary Talbot introduces her graphic novel, Dotter of her Father’s Eyes. Part personal history, part biography, it contrasts two coming-of-age narratives: that of Lucia, the daughter of James Joyce, and her own. Followed by a Q & A with Mary and Bryan Talbot, who illustrated the book and a signing session.

We've just opened the Bryan Talbot t-shirt shop! - at the moment we've just got the cover to Grandville: Bête Noire on some shirts: let us know on Twitter or at the Facebook group what other images you'd like.


Monday July 23rd 2012: Page 5 of Grandville: Bête Noire is here now!


Wednesday July 18th 2012; here's a photo of Bryan getting awarded his second honorary Doctorate - and seeing as he is now a "double doctor" a certain fellow comic artist and author of our acquaintance - stop trying to sneak out the back there Al Davison, you're not going anywhere! - decided to Photoshop Bryan into, well - the Doctor!

This photo of Bryan looking quite insanely smart in his graduation gear was taken by Dr Mel Gibson: thanks for letting us use it Mel!

Also see Northumbria Uni's press release on the award.


Monday July 16th: On Tuesday 17th July, Bryan will be presented by an honorary Doctorate of Letters for his body of work by Northumbria University at their annual degree ceremony in Newcastle. He already is an honorary Doctor of Arts, having received it four years ago from Sunderland University, making him the first British comic creator to be awarded a doctorate twice.


Sunday July 1st 2012: just got an update from Bryan on progress on Grandville: Bête Noire: "all scripted, penciled and inked and I'm up to page 40 (out of 96) with the colouring."


Tuesday June 26th 2012: and here, for your viewing pleasure (and, might I add - a world exclusive!) Grandville: Bête Noire page 4!

We'll be publishing 1 new page of Grandville: Bête Noire per month between now and when it is published - which should be just before Christmas. And - to make sure of a copy, why not pre-order it from Amazon right now? - always safest I find...

Also see another review of Grandville by David Haddon: "Grandville is easily one of the best graphic novels I've read, and definitely my favorite of anything recent. Yes, that includes collected editions of comics such as Return of Bruce Wayne or All-Star Superman." and a review of Dotter of Her Father's Eyes by Greg Baldino: "a slim but ambitious volume that makes for a welcome addition to the burgeoning field of autobiographical comics"


Sunday June 24th 2012: Bryan and Mary Talbot will be at the Edinburgh book festival on Friday 24th August.

I've also created a link to pre-order Grandville: Bête Noir if you use it then Bryan and myself will get a small commission from Amazon to help pay for the hosting of the website!


Wednesday June 6th 2012: Bryan tells me that he has now finished all the pencils and inks for Grandville: Bête Noire and has done about a quarter of the colouring.

On a personal note, may I interject: yes!

And: feast your eyes on page 3 of Grandville: Bête Noire! - don't forget we'll be publishing one page per month until it's published.

Arvon calling
The next annual creative writing for graphic novels course that Bryan co-tutors in the depths of the beautiful Shropshire countryside for the Arvon Foundation is on 25 - 30th June this year. Amazingly there are spaces still available (it’s been fully booked the last two years) so, if you'd like to do it, now's your chance!

Also: Dotter of her father's eyes has been listed as one of the hottest graphic novels of 2012!


Thursday May 31st 2012: Prix SNCF
The French edition of Grandville: Mon Amour won the Prix SNCF for best graphic novel at a ceremony at the Gare de Lyon on the night of Tuesday 29th May. This is a national award given by the French railway company for the best in crime fiction. They give an award for best novel and best short film. This is the first year they've introduced the bande dessinée category and it was won by Grandville Mon Amour, out of a long list of 50 and a shortlist of 5.


Sunday May 20th 2012:

The countdown to Grandville: Bête Noire starts right here!

We can now release page 2 of Grandville: Bête Noire and some rather exciting news: from now on we will release a new page of Grandville: Bête Noire every month until it is published at Christmas!

So: here is page 1 and page 2 for your viewing pleasure!


Sunday May 13th 2012: Just found a YouTube advert for the Big Finish audio adaptation of the Adventures of Luther Arkwright:


Saturday May 5th 2012:

Bryan and Mary will be in conversation at the Dublin Writer’s Festival on June 9th

Mary and Bryan Talbot will be “In conversation” for a Dotter of her Father's Eyes event at the Samuel Beckett Theatre, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2 at 2.00 pm on Saturday June 9th. Tickets: €10 / €8: book online at the Dublin Writer's Festival Site.


Sunday April 22nd 2012: Bryan and Mary were featured in the Guardian newspaper with their top 10 graphic novel memoirs.


Sunday April 15th 2012: over on the Bryan Talbot facebook group I recently committed a random act of kinndness: when we reached 500 members I randomly drew a name from the list and asked Bryan to send the winner a free sketch; just as a thank-you to all the fans!

The winner chose a picture of Dream of the Endless... - known to some mortals as the Sandman; I checked with Bryan and the winner and they're both happy for the sketch to be reproduced here.

I will see if I can talk Bryan into doing another such sketch for when we hit a thousand members!


Sunday March 25th 2012: New interview with Bryan over at the Sequential Highway site: "Bryan Talbot answers 15 questions"


Monday March 19th 2012: Bryan and Mary Talbot will be signing in Waterstones, The Bridges, Sunderland next Saturday, 24th March, 2.00 – 3.00pm

Also on Friday 13th April, the Talbots will be in Preston, at The Continental, South Meadow Lane, Preston, Lancashire PR1 8JP, tel: 01772 499425 for reservations & event tickets to give talks on:

Grandville and the anthropomorphic tradition: 8:00pm
Bryan Talbot discusses his graphic novels Grandville and Grandville Mon Amour and the venerable and ongoing tradition of anthropomorphic characters in illustration and comics from which they have grown, pointing out references to this tradition and 19th century art within the Grandville books themselves.

Dotter of her Fathers' Eyes: 9:30pm
Dr Mary Talbot introduces her graphic novel, Dotter of her Father’s Eyes. Part personal history, part biography, it contrasts two coming-of-age narratives: that of Lucia, the daughter of James Joyce, and her own.

Followed by a Q & A with Mary and Bryan Talbot, who illustrated the book.

Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes by Mary M Talbot & Bryan Talbot, with an exclusive signed and numbered bookplate is available available to British readers from Gosh! and to American readers from Panel To Panel


Sunday March 11th 2012: you saw it here first! - the publicity blurb for Grandville Bête Noire from Jonathon Cape, the publishers!

The Badger is back! At Toad Hall, lair of multibillionaire Baron Aristotle Krapaud, a cabal of industrialists and fat cats plot the violent overthrow of the French state by the intervention of horribly beweaponed automaton soldiers.

Meanwhile, the brutal murder of a famous Parisian artist, mysteriously stabbed to death in his locked and guarded studio, is subject to the investigations of the tenacious Detective Inspector LeBrock of Scotland Yard, placing him and his faithful adjunct, Detective Sergeant Roderick Ratzi, in pursuit of the mysterious masked assassin stalking the cut-throat commercial world of the Grandville art scene.

Bête Noire signals the welcome return to anthropomorphic steampunk detective fiction of master storyteller and graphic novel pioneer Bryan Talbot with the third stand-alone volume of the Eisner and Hugo Award nominated Grandville series.

As the body count mounts and events spiral exponentially out of control, aided by his brilliant deductive abilities and innate ferocity, LeBrock battles against outrageous odds in this funny, high octane thriller, an adventure shot through with both high art and comic book references, a glorious illegitimate offspring of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Ian Fleming – with animals!

Follow the Badger!

"I have greatly enjoyed the Grandville books. I think they’re superbly designed, beautifully conceived, admirably written – everything about them is terrific. They really show what the form can do. Comics is so rich a medium now that it can accommodate all kinds of wit and irony and self-referentiality without being arch about it. A graphic novel built on the solid foundation of a strong story."
Philip Pullman

Also new today: the Bryan Talbot online shop has got a load of new, original artwork from Bryan available... - this is literally the only place you can buy these masterpieces online: the only other place they can be bought is from Bryan himself at Comics Conventions... have a look at the new Luther Arkwright original artwork and treat yourself to something you've always promised you would buy yourself!


Wednesday February 22nd: Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes at the Lit and Phil!
The Newcastle Literary and Philosophical Society are hosting a Dotter event at 6.30pm on Tuesday 28th February, consisting of a Powerpoint presentation by Mary Talbot, followed by a Q & A session with Bryan and Mary. Entry £4/£2 concession (includes entry into the current exhibition Creative Passions). 23 Westgate Road Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne And Wear NE1 1SE, United Kingdom 0191 232 0192

Also Mary was interviewed on Midweek on Radio 4 today!


Sunday February 12th 2012: Bryan Talbot documentary DVD news
Mary and Bryan's Wigan launch of Dotter of Her Father's Eyes at Waterstones was recorded by Digital Story Engine as part of the Bryan Talbot DVD to be released later this year. In between filming at the launch and Talbot related Wigan landmarks, DSE's James Guy and Russell Wall discussed the creative plans for the project with local fans. Rusell said:"We have just completed a short film about Bryan and Mary's creative approach to Dotter of Her Father's Eyes. It features exclusive video interview segments with Bryan and Mary along with extracts from Dotter giving a taste of the co-creators' first Graphic Novel together and the emerging Bryan Talbot DVD.

Comic Historian Paul Gravett, and Dan Franklin, the Publishing Director of Jonathan Cape also discuss Bryan and Mary's innovative storytelling techniques. The Dotter of Her Father's Eyes promotional film will be going live on YouTube early next week with alternative cuts for Waterstones and Dark Horse to follow.

Stay tuned to the fanpage for further announcements as filming proceeds over 2012.


Tuesday February 7th 2012: The launch party for Dotter of her Fathers' Eyes was held at on February 2nd (which is the date on which the present day sequences are set, James joyce’s birthday and the 90th anniversary of the publication of Ulysses - and Groundhog Day!) and here's a video of it from the nice people at Bleeding Cool:


Sunday February 5th 2012:

Bryan Talbot DVD for 2012

I have been talking to Russell Wall and James Guy of Digital Story Engine who are working on the DVD documentary about Bryan and his work, and they've given me an update to send out:
"We plan to complete by late October and get everything ready for shipping by Christmas 2012. Please let the fans know they won't have to wait next year. The project will also take full advantage of the DVD medium providing a cluster of featurette documentaries on Bryan's major works and working process supporting an overview of his career and achievements to date. You can also let people know that we are filming in Manchester and points west this week."


Wednesday February 1st 2012 update: Dotter of her Father's Eyes signings:

Friday 3rd February 5.00pm, Bryan and Mary will be signing copies at Orbital Comics, 8 Great Newport Street London WC2H 7JA tel: 0207 240 0591 where there will also be a month-long exhibition of some of the artwork from the graphic novel.

On Saturday 4th February Bryan will be at the SWALC microfestival all afternoon at The Lord Clyde pub 342 Essex Road, London, N1 3PB Admission free: a chance to mingle, chat and hob-nob: see the front page of the invite and the back page.

Sunday 5th February
sees them signing at the London Comic Mart

Saturday 11th of February 2pm at Waterstone’s, 6 The Grand Arcade, Wigan, WN1 1BH tel: 01942 497095. Wigan, of course is where roughly half the book is set.

Also read the glowing review of Dotter in todays Guardian.

Cherubs news!

You may not realise that Bryan wrote this graphic novel, drawn by Mark Stafford and published by Desperado in 2007, as it received virtually no publicity. This was actually the first half of the story - "Paradise Lost" - although it could be read as a stand-alone. Cherubs! is a supernatural comedy-adventure about a bunch of gonzo cherubim on the loose in New York on the eve of the apocalypse. Mark Stafford has nearly finished the art for the second half of the story - "Hell on Earth" - and the whole story will be published by Dark Horse Books in 2012.

I'll post more info - and especially the cover - as soon as possible!

Dotter Interview
On 20th January at the First Fictions festival in Brighton, Bryan and Mary Talbot were interviewed by Nicola Streeten (writer/artist BILLY, YOU AND ME) about their collaboration on Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes. The graphic novel is to be published by Jonathan Cape in the UK and Dark Horse Books in the USA. You can listen a podcast of the interview here.

The 2012 Arvon catalogue is now out, which includes details for the Creative Writing for Graphic Novels residential course Bryan co-tutors annually. This year it takes place June 25 - 30th. You can download the catalogue directly from their site. I'm giving anybody who might be interested a shout now as last year it sold out pretty early. Also there are a limited number of grants available to pay for the Arvon courses and these go very quickly after the courses are announced.


Sunday January 15th 2012: here's a nice flyer for the signing that Bryan and Mary will be doing at Friday Orbital Comics 8 Great Newport Street London WC2H 7JA tel: 0207 240 0591 on 3rd February 5.00pm, where there will also be a month-long exhibition of some of the artwork from the graphic novel.

Also, Joe Gordon over at Forbidden Planet has just posted the "Directors Commentary" of Dotter!


Sunday January 8th 2012 : Also you can now read The Naked Artist, Bryan’s prose book on the outrageous urban legends of the comic industry, on Kindle! Only $2.98 (Under 2 quid!)

Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes will be published in the UK by Jonathan Cape on the 2nd February and in the USA by Dark Horse on the 8th February.

Friday 3rd February 5.00pm, Bryan and Mary will be signing copies at Orbital Comics, 8 Great Newport Street London WC2H 7JA tel: 0207 240 0591 where there will also be a month-long exhibition of some of the artwork from the graphic novel.

Sunday 5th February
sees them signing at the London Comic Mart

Saturday 11th of February 2pm at Waterstone’s, 6 The Grand Arcade, Wigan, WN1 1BH tel: 01942 497095. Wigan, of course is where roughly half the book is set.

Friday 2nd March - 5:00pm - Forbidden Planet 5-6 Crampton Quay, Dublin 2 tel: 0035 3167 10688

3rd & 4th March, they are guests at Dublin’s Phoenix Con

On Saturday 4th February Bryan will be at the SWALC microfestival all afternoon at The Lord Clyde pub 342 Essex Road, London, N1 3PB Admission free: a chance to mingle, chat and hob-nob: see the front page of the invite and the back page.


Sunday January 1st 2012: Happy New Year everyone!


Monday December 5th 2011: First Fictions Festival
Along with many others, including Ian Rankin, Bryan and Mary Talbot are guests at the First Fictions launch weekend 20-22 January, 2012 at the University of Sussex. This is a series of events designed to celebrate and champion first novels, past and present. The results of Myriad Editions'competition for a first graphic novel in progress, of which Bryan is one of the judges, will be announced there (entries are now closed). Grandville Bête Noire Progress report
This weekend Bryan finished the inking of page 49, meaning that the half the book is now pencilled and inked. 11 pages are fully coloured and the ones up to page 47 have all been colour flatted, from page 11 onwards, by Chrissie Harper.Book Four in the series Grandville Noel, is already scripted and Book five is roughly plotted out.The Unwritten #31.5
Bryan has pencilled and inked a 6 page story, Copy Errors, for The Unwritten, penned by the series author, Mike Carey. The chapter is set in medieval Germany. Other stories in the issue are drawn by Michael Kaluta and Rick Geary. The issue is now on sale.


Sunday December 4th 2011: Dark Horse just sent me over the link to read Grandville and Grandville: Mon Amour online as a digital comic! - and so, seeing as how they also kindly sent over a graphic to advertise it, I've added it onto the sidebar for each page!


Tuesday November 15th: On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, Bryan discusses Art Spiegelman’s Maus and the new companion book, Metamaus.

The news item before it is quite funny. An instance of breaking and decorating!


Monday November 14th 2011: I finally get the chance to post Bryan giving his "Grandville and the anthropomorphic tradition" talk!

This talk was filmed at Nottingham University on 2nd March 2011. Bryan tells me that it’s still in an ongoing process of evolution and changes every time he gives it. The current version has none of the page design and more anthropomorphic material, including Pogo and medieval manuscripts.


Sunday November 13th 2011: Here’s a chance to peruse some of the entries in the Jonathan Cape / Observer / Comica Graphic Short Story Competition from over the last five years, introduced by Bryan who was one of this year’s judges. Also see Andrew Blair's interview with Bryan over at Den of Geek: giving comic book artists the recognition they deserve


Sunday November 6th 2011: Both Bryan and Mary Talbot are guests of The Canny Comic Con at Newcastle City Library (link to map), all day on Saturday 10th December 2011. Entry is free!

.. And the First Fictions Festival in Brighton, 20th-22nd January 2012:

They will also be attending the Angouleme Comics Festival, 26 – 29th January where Bryan will be signing the French editions of Grandville and Grandville Mon Amour at the publisher Bragelonne’s booth.

Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes will be published by Jonathan Cape on the 2nd February. Bryan and Mary will be signing copies at Orbital Comics, 8 Great Newport Street London WC2H 7JA (tel: 0207 240 0591) 5.00pm, 3rd February, where there will also be an exhibition of some of the artwork from the graphic novel.

Sunday 5th February sees them signing at the London Comic Mart.


Saturday October 29th 2011: The first Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes interview with Bryan and Mary Talbot is now online at Comic Book Resources.


Sunday October 16th 2011: Bryan just sent me over another fanpage exclusive - a new page from Grandville Bête Noire! - see if you can spot the traditional English childrens character in there that Bryan has given his own unique spin on....

Also check out the colour flats for this page over on the Chrissie Harper site. and the finished colours are by Bryan and Alwyn Talbot.


Sunday October 9th 2011: Don't forget - Bryan will be attending the Thoughtbubble comics festival in Leeds on 19th and 20th November!


Sunday September 11th 2011: Bryan is a guest at the BD & Comics Passion Festival at the French Institute, 7- 9th October: check out the BD and Comics Passion Site.

It's excellent to see a bit of the passion and prominence the French and Europeans are able to give to their comics culture coming over to England!


Sunday September 4th 2011: Bryan won second place in the Stan Lee Excelsior award for Grandville: and they've produced an excellent video detailing the award - where Bryan also gets to talk about his comics.


Saturday August 27th 2011: Bryan will be giving the “Grandville and the Anthropomorphic Tradition” presentation at The Big Draw National Launch, Kings Place, Islington on Sunday 25 September 2011 at 3.00pm. Free admission.


Bryan will also be a guest at the Helsinki Comics Festival, 16th - 17th September.


Friday August 12th 2011: Bryan’s wife Mary, scripter of Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes, now has a website. You can see some sample pages from Dotter there: www.mary-talbot.co.uk


Sunday July 31st 2011: The Bleed Vol.1 Issue.0 is out from September 21st. It features a cover (“The Censor”), a short interview with and article about Bryan. The magazine showcases new and original art created by writers, artists, photographers, poets, journalists, and designers, from the North East and beyond. It is free and will be available at art galleries, cinemas, museums, and music venues, across the North East as well as in the best pubs, bars, and cafes. Say hello to the Bleed on Twitter!

Bryan also sent over a piece he did for the band Greasy Bear, and said: "It was done for the band Greasy Bear a couple of years ago – my first piece of underground artwork for years!"


Saturday July 23rd 2011: World exclusive! - the front cover to Grandville: Bête Noire!

Don't forget: Bryan will be giving his presentation Grandville and the Anthropomorphic Tradition tonight at 5:00pm at LassFest in Manchester: Lass O Gowrie, 36 Charles St, Manchester, M1 7DB, 0161 273 6932: Entrance is £5 and tickets are available from We Got Tickets.

Announcing the The Stan Lee Excelsior Award
Are you a school librarian? Do you know someone who is? The Stan Lee Excelsior Award is an exciting new book award for graphic novels and manga - where kids aged 11-16 choose the winner by rating each book as they read it. The overall goal of this scheme is to encourage reading amongst teenagers. However, its secondary target is to raise the profile of graphic novels and manga amongst school librarians and teachers. This storytelling medium has been a largely underused resource within education for many years. The Stan Lee Excelsior Award attempts to highlight some of the amazing books that are out there - books that fully deserve to be in our school libraries alongside regular fiction.

The scheme is backed by the Stan Lee Foundation and businesses who sponsor the graphic novels for your library. 18 schools were involved in the event last month and already the list has grown to 25 with many more interested. Become involved! The Stan Lee Excelsior Award


Saturday July 16th 2011: lots of updates today!

  • Bryan will be giving his presentation Grandville and the Anthropomorphic Tradition next Saturday July 23rd at 5:00pm at LassFest in Manchester: Lass O Gowrie, 36 Charles St, Manchester, M1 7DB, 0161 273 6932: Entrance is £5 and tickets are available from We Got Tickets.
  • The inimitable novelist Chaz Brenchley got a jade tiger tatto designed by Bryan: jealous does not begin to describe it!
  • Also today, check out a piece by Bryan in the Guardian: "The artists' artist; graphic novelists" where famous graphic novelists say who they themselves are fans of.
  • Graphic Short Story Prize: Jonathan Cape and Comica have got together with The Observer to offer you the chance to see your work in print and win £1,000. The runner-up will receive £250 and your work will appear on The Guardian and the Vintage website.The deadline for entries is 14th October 2011.Bryan is one of the six judges of this year’s competition. See the Jonathon Cape site for more info.

Saturday July 9th 2011: The Naked Artist, Bryan’s prose book documenting the outrageous, daft and occasionally educational tales of the comic industry is now available in Kindle, iBook and several other formats, including PDF, for the ludicrously low price of $2.99 (approx £1.86). It’s an updated edition with an extra few thousands words’ worth of stories. In fact, he was thinking of calling it The Naked Artist,- Engorged! You can even read the first 20% of it free over on the Combustoica Naked Artist page!

Here is the official blurb:
If on the night of a comics convention you were to go to the the hotel bar and buy a few drinks for a comic book pro, you'd soon hear stories about his fellow creators - tales of drinking and drugs, of missed deadlines and missing pants, of maniacal editors and crazed fans. These are the urban legends of the comic industry.

Acclaimed graphic novelist Bryan Talbot (creator of the award-winning The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, The Tale of One Bad Rat, Alice in Sunderland, and Grandville) saves you the cost of gin & tonics by bringing you this collection of the wild and hilarious anecdotes told by - and starring - some of comicdom's leading lights. This expanded edition includes all the stories from the original print edition and more. Illustrated by Hunt Emerson.

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Thursday June 7th 2011: a world exclusive for the Bryan Talbot fanpage- the first page of Grandville: Bête Noire!

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Sunday June 26th 2011; Grandville is now available from Dark Horse as a digital comic!


Sunday June 5th 2011: Bryan's next graphic novel, Dotter of Her Father's Eyes, written by his wife Mary, is now completely finished. It will be published by Jonathan Cape in the UK and Dark Horse in the USA on February 2nd 2012, which is not only Groundhog Day but also James Joyce's birthday, the anniversary of the publication of Ulysses and the date on which Dotter of Her Father's Eyes is set.

The next book in the Grandville series, Grandville: Bête Noire is all scripted and Bryan is currently scripting the fourth before beginning the artwork on GBN. "If Grandville was a little like Sherlock Holmes directed by Quentin Tarantino and Grandville Mon Amour a little like Holmes directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Grandville: Bête Noire is definitely steampunk James Bond", he says, "Though I don't actually don't care for the Bond films very much so I've made GBN very much my own take."


Thursday May 12th 2011: Don't forget - Bryan will be at the Bristol International Comic and Small Press Expo this Saturday and Sunday - May 14th and 15th!


Monday May 2nd 2011: Bryan Talbot in the Steampunk Bible:

Steampunk - a grafting of Victorian aesthetic and punk rock attitude onto various forms of science-fiction culture - is a phenomenon that has come to influence film, literature, art, music, fashion, and more. The Steampunk Bible is the first compendium about the movement, tracing its roots in the works of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells through its most recent expression in movies, art, comics, fashion, and more.

Mad inventors and a re-envisioning and crafting of retro technologies, including antiquated airships and robots, play a large role. A burgeoning DIY community has brought a distinctive Victorian-fantasy style to their crafts and art. Steampunk evokes a sense of adventure and discovery, and embraces extinct technologies as a way of talking about the future. This ultimate manual will appeal to aficionados and novices alike as author Jeff VanderMeer takes the reader on a wild ride through the clockwork corridors of Steampunk history.

Featuring, among others, Mike Mignola, Greg Broadmore, Michael Moorcock, Cherie Priest, Sean Orlando, and the works of the iconic Bryan Talbot, one of the godfathers of Steampunk comics.

The official Steampunk Bible site is at www.steampunkbible.com


Wednesday April 27th 2011: another exclusive for the site! - "The History of British Comics" - Originally published in the Guardian Guide; a strip that does the impossible - it tells the history of British comics in just 3 pages! See page 1 and pages 2 and 3 - and also the cover (minus the Guardian logo and the usual cover blurb). These are large images: as ever I wanted to do as much justice to Bryan's work as the computer monitor would allow: if they don't work for you then give me a yell - via the Bryan Talbot Twitterfeed is usually best - and I will see what I can do to tweak 'em.


Sunday April 25th 2011: Grandville Mon Amour is nominated for a Hugo Award for “Best Graphic Story”. The winners will be announced Saturday, August 20th, 2011, during the Hugo Awards Ceremony at Renovation in Reno, Nevada.


Sunday April 17th 2011: Couple of cool snippets this week; a fellow fan has uploaded some photos of Bryan signing copies of Grandville in Forbidden Planet in Edinburgh: and also check out interview with Bryan and Pat Mills done at the SFX Weekender at the beginning of February interviewed by Jonny Yeah for Kooba Radio.

Also check out this week's 2000ad - it's the week that Bryan and Alwyn Talbot's Judge Dredd story "Caterpillars" is published!


Sunday April 10th 2011: Breaking news: Bryan has released an image exclusive to the site for fans to download and print for him to sign at the Bristol Comics Expo! Download Bryan Talbot's LeBrock as a .png file or download LeBrock in PDF.

Bryan is nominated for a 2011 Eisner Award though, astoundingly, not for Grandville Mon Amour - not for Best Graphic Novel, Best Artist, Best Writer, or Best Colourist! Philistines!

He’s nominated in the category Best Short Story for the retelling of Little Red Riding he wrote, drawn by Camilla D'Errico, for Fractured Fables, published by Image / Silverline.

Also the Bristol International Comics and Small Press Expo (BICSPE) 14 –15th May is rapidly approaching! Bryan will be there and he'll be giving his presentation "Grandville and the Anthropomorphic Tradition". There's an event set up in the Bryan Talbot fans Facebook page: come over, say hello and let us know you're coming!


Sunday March 20th 2011: A Family Business?
Bryan is currently drawing a graphic novel written by his wife, Mary Talbot, to be published by Jonathan Cape in the UK and Dark Horse in the US, hopefully later this year. "Dotter of her Father’s Eyes" is partly autobiographical, charting the relationship between Mary and her father, the Joycean scholar James S Atherton and partly biographical, dealing with the life of James Joyce’s daughter Lucia. Mary has written several academic textbooks but this is her first piece of creative writing.

She says: "I think what's been most distinctive about this project is that I haven't just completed a script and then passed it over to an artist. We've been able to work on the book together, with an intensive and ongoing creative interaction that's usually missing from writer / artist collaborations."

Bryan adds "I’ve developed what I think is an appropriate art style and visual storytelling technique for the book. I’m hoping to finish the artwork within the next six weeks."

Dotter of her Father’s Eyes is Bryan’s third non-genre graphic novel, the others being The Tale of One Bad Rat and Alice in Sunderland. Meanwhile, keeping it all in the family, he’s also collaborated with his youngest son Alwyn on Caterpillars, a Judge Dredd story for 2000AD.

"Alwyn’s an incredibly talented illustrator and concept designer for computer games, which is why I asked him to colour some of the pages of my last graphic novel, Grandville Mon Amour, to help me meet the deadline. When Tharg asked me if I’d be interested in illustrating Michael Carroll’s Dredd script, I immediately thought of him. I didn’t have the time to ink and colour the strip myself so that suggested that Alwyn turned my pencils into fully rendered artwork. He did a great job. I also like Michael’s script, which is basically a cool, self-contained short SF story."

Though working in the computer game industry for the past eleven years, Alwyn’s previous comic work includes strips for Negative Burn, DC Comics and the miniseries Armageddon Patrol, recently reprinted by Kult Creations. Caterpillars will appear in 2000AD Prog 1730 on 20 April.


Sunday February 6th 2011: Bryan is a guest at the Bristol International Comics and Small Press Expo (BICSPE) 14 –15th May where he’ll be giving his presentation "Grandville and the Anthropomorphic Tradition".


Saturday January 29th 2011: Arvon Calling
The 5 day residential course, "Creative Writing for Graphic Novels" that Bryan co-tutors for the Arvon Foundation has just been advertised: at the Arvon Foundation site.

This year, Bryan’s co-tutor is Rutu Modan, author of the excellent Exit Wounds. The course runs from the evening of Monday 17th October to Saturday morning 22nd October. There are a limited number of grants available from Arvon to cover the cost of the course, so my advice is to get in early.

Also, Anders Ludgren of Shazam sent over an interview with Bryan that he kindly translated from Swedish and gave us permission to publish.


Wednesday January 26th: Bryan just sent me a video to upload onto YouTube and embed onto the site, called Encounter with a madman: here's part 1;

And here's part 2:

It's a 30 minute 1981 programme on Science Fiction from Granada TV's erstwhile culture show Celebration featuring SF writer Bob Shaw and graphic novelist Bryan Talbot. The first half is documentary, the second a short time travel film, Encounter With a Madman, written by Shaw and starring the then unknown Jenny Eclair.

Tweet This!


Forthcoming events Bryan will be attending

Corsica Thursday 31st March - Sunday 3rd April
Bryan is a guest at this year's Bastia Comics Festival, held in Corsica


Tuesday January 4th 2011: added another review of Grandville: Mon Amour to the Grandville homepage.


Saturday January 1st 2011: Happy New Year one and all! - this is the 16th year of the fanpage for Bryan and we're still going strong!


Thursday December 23rd 2010: another delightful chore: adding more glowing reviews of Grandville: Mon Amour to the Grandville homepage: merry Christmas one and all!

Bryan also asked me to tell you all that the auction for Bryan’s Rom Space Knight illustration ends on December 29th - just a week from now. This is a fundraiser auction for Bill Mantlo.


Sunday December 12th 2010: added more reviews to the Grandville:Mon Amour homepage.


Sunday December 5th 2010: added another review to the Grandville homepage.


Wednesday December 1st 2010: Added a link to another glowing review of Grandville: Mon Amour to the Grandville homepage.


Sunday November 28th 2010: Bryan has done this illustration of Rom, Spaceknight for a benefit book for writer Bill Mantlo. The book is published next year but on Thursday, December 2nd, 2010 there will be an ebay auction of original artwork and one-off high quality giclee prints of the pieces to raise money for Bill's healthcare. See: the Spacenite site for more.


Wednesday November 24th 2010: updated Bryan's online biography as it was getting a tad out of date!


Saturday November 21st: I have started to collate a lot of online reviews of Grandville on the official Grandville: Mon Amour homepage.


Wednesday November 17th 2010: checkout my review of Grandville: Mon Amour! - and don't forget that Grandville was launched on Saturday and Bryan is doing a full signing tour.


Sunday November 15th 2010: Recently tidying up his studio, Bryan cleared out a desk drawer containing ID badges from various conventions and comic festivals he's attended over the years.

At a rough estimate, this means that he's spent about 10 months of his life at comic shows! Have YOU attended any of these?


Sunday October 24th 2010: The groundbreaking graphic novel store Page 45, established 16 years ago in Nottingham, has just launched its new, completely restructured website. It features a lengthy interview with Bryan, only previously seen in the Page 45 customers' mailshot: and a photographic record of P45's Stephen Holland's visit to the sculpture trail that features in Alice in Sunderland, accompanied by Bryan and Mary Talbot, writer Chaz Brenchley and the trail's lead sculptor Colin Wilbourne.


Monday October 18th 2010: Bryan is just back from the Gijon festival in Spain- where the Spanish edition of Alice in Sunderland won the Haxtur Award for "Best Long Story".

 


Saturday October 9th 2010: Jordan Smith has now uploaded the video trailer for Grandville: Mon Amour!


Friday September 24th 2010: Pete Allison posted an interview with Bryan: "The Godfather of Steampunk"


Wednesday September 15th 2010: for the first time ever, some of Bryan's original underground comic artwork from the 1970's is on sale in the online shop!


Sunday September 5th 2010: Bryan has sent me another huge batch of original artwork for sale in the online shop.


Friday August 27th 2010: 'Draw the World Together' are having a series of three eBay auctions of art by top comics artists to raise funds for deserving projects. All the information is at www.drawtheworldtogether.com


Thursday August 26th 2010: those nice people over at Comic Book Resources just published a new interview with Bryan about Grandville: Mon Amour.


Sunday August 22nd 2010: now Bryan has completed Grandville: Mon Amour he's had the time to go through his stash of original artwork and release a new batch for sale in the online shop!


Sunday August 15th 2010: a fellow fan of Bryan's (Cheers Carl!) sent me an MP2 file of Bryan's "Inheritance Tracks" appearance: I've also converted it into an MP3 file for your listening pleasure. One of these file formats is almost certain to work on your system - if they don't give me a shout!


Friday August 13th 2010: Bryan is on Radio 4 tomorrow - and Grandville: Mon Amour is now complete!

This Saturday, August 14th, Bryan is on the Radio 4 show "Saturday Live", in the popular "Inheritance Tracks" section. Guests present a track that takes them back to their childhood and one that they'd like to pass on to their children, so see if you can guess what he chooses! If you miss the broadcast, you can catch it on the "Listen Again" feature on the Radio 4 website.

I will post a link on the site and on the Facebook group to the show on the listen again thingie as soon as possible.

Also, Bryan has now completed work on Grandville Mon Amour. The release date is now December and it's published of course by Jonathan Cape. Bryan's son Alwyn worked on three pages to help him meet the deadline. He's coloured three pages in the digitally painted style Bryan's been using. Alwyn is a professional illustrator and visual concept designer for videogames.


Tuesday July 20th 2010: Bryan is the artist Guest of Honour this year at Fantasycon 2010, The British Fantasy Society's annual convention, September 17–19, Britannia Hotel, 1 St James Street, Nottingham (here's a map of the hotels location)

He is also a guest at The Gijon Comics Festival, Asturias, Spain, October 12th - 16th and the Lucca Comics Festival, Tuscony, Italy 27th - 31st October.

If you're going to any of these then wander over the the Bryan Talbot fans group on Facebook and say hello: there'll probably be a mob of us going: well - at least to the one in the UK!


An Honest Answer by Bryan Talbot and Neil GaimanWednesday July 7th 2010: Another rediscovered Bryan Talbot - Neil Gaiman collaboration is now online: An Honest Answer!


Thursday June 24th 2010: the first 6 pages of Grandville Mon Amour have been released by Bryan as a preview! See the Grandville homepage for the page images.


Sunday June 6th 2010: this is a total exclusive: no other site on the net has this yet - mainly cos' Bryan's not released it to anyone else! the cover of Grandville Mon Amour! Tweet This!

Also see the Grandville homepage for more Grandville Mon Amour news - including the first page of the new graphic novel!


Saturday May 29th 2010: Vote for Grandville in the Eagle Awards! This year's Eagle Award nominations have been announced and Grandville is nominated for Favourite Graphic Novel. You can vote on the Eagle Awards main site. We'd be very grateful for your support!


Saturday May 22nd: Bryan asked me to link over to Chrissie Harpers site, as she's got Bryan's portrait of Orson Wells online there.


Sunday May 16th 2010: Bryan in conversation at the Barbican: An evening to coincide with The Surreal House exhibition at the Barbican Art
Gallery (Barbican Art Gallery Level 3 Barbican Centre Silk Street London EC2Y 8DS)

Thu 10 June 6:30pm: "Fairytales On the Couch" With award winning comic artist and author of Alice in Sunderland Bryan Talbot, in conversation with writer and broadcaster Brian Sibley.  Organised in association with the Lewis Carroll Society. Tickets from £8 online, £10 on the door. This also gives you access to the exhibition and other events that evening . To book or for further information please visit www.barbican.org.uk/101 or call 020 7638 8891

If you're coming to the event and you're on Facebook then there is an event set up on the Bryan Talbot Facebook group.


Monday May 3rd 2010: We have just launched the Bryan Talbot t-shirt shop! We had a competition on the Bryan Talbot Facebook group to see what images people wanted on t-shirts, but - if you want a new image that's not there then just ask and we can sort it out!


Tuesday April 27th 2010: Bryan has written a retelling of "Litte Red Riding Hood" for a graphic novel anthology of fairy tales published by Image comics"s children's imprint Silverline. It's delightfully drawn by Camilla d'Errico and beautifully coloured by Edison Yan. The book is titled FRACTURED FABLES and is released on the 14th of July, though if you want to pick up Bryan's story for free, it's featured in a sampler version of the graphic novel, to be given away on Free Comic Book Day, this Saturday, 1st May at most comic stores. See the Newsarama site for more info!


Monday April 19th 2010: I went back and looked at the Memento "silent comic" by Bryan and thought that the original panel-by-panel approach I had followed kinda limited the appreciation of the comic - and so I redid it as printed page by page. Let me know which version you prefer.


Sunday April 18th 2010: I just added "From homogenous to honey" a collaboration between Bryan and Neil Gaiman that was part of the protest against some homophobic legislation in the UK back in the late 80's.


Friday April 2nd 2010: Bryan will be giving the Powerpoint presentation 'Grandville' & the Anthropomorphic Tradition' at Leicester Central Lending Library, Belvoir Street, Leicester on Thurs 6th May, at 7:00 p.m. Tickets £2.50 Tweet This!


Tuesday March 16th 2010: Just announced: Bryan is to be Guest of Honour at FantasyCon 2010! It's on 17–19 September 2010 at the Britannia Hotel, 1 St James Street, Nottingham. Tweet This!

I also added a new full colour version of the Cannabis Conspiracy to the site! - I am posting it at the rate of one printed page or 9 panels per day, so check back tomorrow for the next page's worth of panels!


Saturday March 6th: continued to update pages and redo them from the old version of the site: worked on the Alice in Sunderland page - adding in a lot of the preview pages.


Saturday February 27th 2010: added Bryan's introduction to Al Davison's "The Spiral Cage" and Stephen Withrow's "Character Design for Graphic Novels" into the features section.


Wednesday February 24th 2010: added Bryan's introduction to Strangehaven by Gary Spencer Millidge to the features page.


Tuesday February 23rd 2010: Bryan's publishers - Jonathon Cape - have just published the catalogue entry for the Grandville sequel: Grandville Mon Amour.


Monday February 22nd 2010: some news about signing sessions: Bryan is doing his Grandville presentation and discussing graphic novels at the Glasgow Book Festival, Aye Write! on Friday March 12th 2010 at 19.30-21.00 with illustrated presentations by Denise Mina and Bryan Talbot and chaired by Stuart Kelly: address: The Mitchell Library, North Street, Glasgow, G3 7DN Phone: 0141 287 2929Admission £7/£6

On the 27th and 28th March he will be signing the French edition of Grandville at the Paris Book Fair, Paris Expo Porte de Versailles at the Bragelonne / MiLady booth.

I also added a link to the new Forbidden Planet review of the Adventures of Luther Arkwright to the Luther Arkwright homepage, and also added a link to the Alice in Sunderland homepage as the Independent listed Bryan as the "T" in their A - Z of Alice in Wonderland!


Saturday February 20th 2010: added Bryan's afterword to Nemesis the Warlock.


Thursday February 12th 2010: Paul Ferguson who created the original "You are Torquemada" Flash game has sent me a new updated version of it and I have added it to the main You Are Torquemada page.


Tuesday February 9th 2010: another re-publishing from the old version of the site: the first ever appearance of Luther Arkwright in print in the Papist Affair! Also added: the introduction to the Adventures of Luther Arkwright by Michael Moorcock and Bryan's introduction to the Brainstorm reprint.


Wednesday February 3rd 2010: added a couple of images from the old version of the site to the The seminal Alan Moore comic that never was (which is Nightjar) page in the features section; also added Bryan's introduction to Ramsey Campbells Creatures of the Pool novel, also in the features section.


Thursday January 28th 2010: An interview with Bryan by Benjamin Berton for a French website, translated into English.


Friday January 22nd 2010: uploaded a huge interview with Bryan by the wonderful Pádraig Ó Méalóid.

Also: Bryan will be be appearing in an episode of “A Brush With Britain” on the Discovery Channel. The series is about artist Charles Evans traveling around the country, painting scenes from each place and meeting artists associated to the area. Bryan's in the one about Sunderland. The first showing is Sat Feb 6th at 8.30 pm on Discovery Real Time: one hour later it will be repeated on the catch up channel "Real Time+", then at 12.30am again on Real Time and an hour later again on "RealTime+".


Wednesday January 20th 2010: I finally got around to converting the old Memento silent comic strip into the new design of the site, and the new image-viewing method works really well with a continuous visial narrative: check out Bryan Talbot's Memento comic strip!


Sunday January 17th 2010: The afterword for the French edition of Grandville was very extensive and filled with Bryan explaining a lot of his references and where the ideas for Grandville came from; and in an exclusive for the site, the whole of the French Grandville afterword is now online! This was written by Bryan in English then translated for the French edition and is published here with a few rewordings.


Friday January 15th 2010: added an interview with Bryan by Stephen Withrow to the features section of the site.


Thursday January 14th 2010: In September, Bryan is once again a tutor/ mentor on the biannual "Creative Writing for Graphic Novels" residential course for the prestigious Arvon Foundation. They are now open for bookings at the Arvon Foundation course page.

Also today - I added a lot more of Bryan's original artwork for sale to the online shop.


Thursday January 7th 2010: Talbot at the Lit and Phil
On Wednesday 3rd February, 6.00pm, Bryan will be doing his "Grandville and the Anthropomorphic Tradition" Powerpoint Presentation at Newcastle's Literary and Philosophical Society. Free to members, £2 for non-members. 23 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE: [Google map of their location] Email: Please reserve your seat by calling (0191) 232 0192, emailing library@litandphil.org.uk or by calling in. If you reserve a ticket and are subsequently unable to attend, please let them know as they often have a waiting list.


Saturday January 2nd 2010: completed the full Bryan Talbot stripography.


Wednesday December 30th 2009: added some Grandville original artwork to the Bryan Talbot online shop!


Sunday December 27th 2009: added some Heart of Empire original artwork to the Bryan Talbot online shop!


Tuesday December 22nd 2009: Holy Brothers Grimm! Bryan has scripted a 5 page adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood for an anthology of new takes on traditional fairy tales by top comic creators to be published next summer by Image titled FRACTURED FABLES. Beautifully illustrated by manga artist Camilla Errico and coloured by Edison Yan, the strip has been chosen to front a 36 page taster to be given away free on Free Comic Book Day, May 1st 2010. See the Image Comic press release for more info.


Sunday December 20th 2009: Another fan of Bryan's - Paul Ferguson - has created a Flash version of the You Are Torquemada game that we are honoured to host!


Friday December 18th 2009: Bryan has released some more original art pages for sale! - yes: you can now own some of the original artwork from some of Bryan's most famous work! - see the Bryan Talbot original artwork sale page for more.


First ever view of page 1 of the Grandville sequel! - and a link to the Grandville homepageTuesday December 15th 2009: Breaking news: Bryan has announced the sequel to Grandville! Full details - as ever - on the Grandville homepage.


Tuesday December 8th 2009: added several more reviews of Grandville to the Grandville reviews page.


Tuesday December 1st 2009: finally got around to updating the new links page, pulling in some of the links from the old version of the site. As ever the linking policy of the site is the same - if it's relevant, and you let me know about it and you link back here I shall cheerfully link to you.


Monday November 30th 2009: Bryan has written and drawn a five page framing device for a new graphic novel published by experimental youth initiative Ctrl.Alt.Shift.

Unmasks CorruptionCtrl.Alt.Shift Unmasks Corruption, is a comic book anthology featuring well respected international comic artists and writers who have specially created stories to the theme of corruption. Contributors include names such as Bryan, Dave McKean, Pat Mills, Aleksandar Zograf, Dan Goldman, Fredrik Stromberg, Janek Koza, Lee O'Connor and Paul O'Connell, as well as contemporary music names such as V V Brown and Lightspeed Champion both of whom are big comics fans and make comics themselves. This eclectic mix of politicized comic book and graphic novel work has been created in a bid to politicise a new generation of activists through the medium of popular comic culture.

For further information regarding the book please visit: www.ctrlaltshift.co.uk/unmaskscorruption

The Ctrl.Alt.Shift Unmasks Corruption anthology is available to buy for £4.99 at www.ctrlaltshift.co.uk Profits from the 5,000 copies of the comic book will go to Ctrl.Alt.Shift. Get it whilst stocks last and support this important cause!


Monday November 30th 2009: the last signing session for Grandville (I know - I'm sorry!) will be on Saturday December 5th in Sunderland (full details are on the Grandville signing tour page) If people want Bryan to do more signing tours then come on over to the Bryan Talbot Facebook group and let us know!


Sunday November 22nd 2009: Bryan's next signing session for Grandville will be on Saturday November 28th at the Forbidden Planet in Newcastle: as ever see Grandville signing tour page for more info.


Monday November 16th 2009: Bryan's next signing session for Grandville will be on Saturday November 21st at the Thought Balloon comics festival in Leeds: as ever see Grandville signing tour page for more info.


Monday November 9th 2009: Bryan's next signing session for Grandville will be on Saturday November 14th at the Travelling Man in Manchester: as ever see Grandville signing tour page for more info.


Sunday November 1st: why is it I seem to update the site so often on a Sunday? - ah yes - that'll be Real Life and the Day Job then! - anyway: Bryan's next signing session for the new unspeakably excellent Grandville will be on Saturday November 7th 2009 at the ICA in London; full details as ever on the Grandville signing tour page.

On another note - I have been given some books to review from some publishers - specifically The Power of Comics: History, Form and Culture, and I have decided to give it away as a Freebie to the 200th person who joins the Bryan Talbot Facebook group! - together with a copy of the Heart of Empire Directors Cut of course...


Sunday 18th October 18th 2009: the next signing session for Grandville will be in Leeds on October 31st.


Saturday 17th October 2009: Bryan is signing copies of Grandville today in Nottingham! - see the Grandville homepage for more info.


11th October 2009: I updated the Alice in Sunderland homepage into the new design of the site.