Declan Shalvey drops me a line to let us know about a new site, Eclectic Micks, a collective blog of seven professional comics artists from the Emerald Isle, most of whom I think our readers will already be quite familiar with: PJ Holden (2000AD, Fearless), Stephen Mooney (Angel; After the Fall, CSI: Dying in the Gutters), Nick Roche (Transformers, Doctor Who) Bob Byrne (Bob Byrne’s Twisted Tales for 2000AD, Mr. Amperduke), Stephen Thompson (John McCain; Presidential Material, Star Trek; New Frontier) and Will Sliney (Farscape) and Declan himself. Declan tells me that the group had been thinking on ways to raise the profile of Irish creators “as there’s not many of us Irish lads working in the comics biz (compared to the amount in the UK)” so they decided to pool their efforts in a sketchbook, which then eventually mutated into the collective blog:
(yesterday’s Rocketeer sketch from Declan Shalvey)
“Ages back, we all thought of doing a group sketchbook called Eclectic Micks (…..geddit?). A couple of pieces were done, but it seemed to fall by the wayside (i’m looking at YOU Mooney, Thompson, Roche….). Recent insanity has instead led us to start a sketch-blog. The blog is updated every day (seven days in a week, seven artists posting) with each artist posting an image on a certain day. I post on Tuesdays (today)… We plan on doing some ‘theme’ sketches in the near future, and hopefully will get to do the pieces we originally planned on having in the original sketchbook.”
(wonderfully detailed doodling on the sketchpad from the delightfully demented – and often just plain sick, but in the way we like – mind of Bob Byrne)
I think this is a fun way for the Irish comics mob to show off their work to a wider audience and give readers something enjoyable at the same time and certainly comics collectives can be a good way to get work seen by a wider and more diverse audience (just look at Act-I-Vate for example), so I reckon this is one to bookmark and come back to regularly, especially as with seven artists taking a day each it basically means a sketch a day to enjoy. I see from Declan that the guys might think about doing a theme occasionally and I suppose with both Easter and Saint Patrick’s Day looming there might be scope for giant mutant bunnies rampaging through the Guinness brewery (just a suggestion, guys).
March 11th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Congratulations to the Eclectic Micks – all very talented artists. As well as a small community of professionals, Ireland also has a growing small press and webcomic scene, and a long tradition of newspaper cartooning. The Irish Comics Wiki attempts to cover all of it. Anyone who’s interested is welcome to add their expertise.
March 11th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Suggestion noted.
Oh, and Thanks Paddy! Yeaj the Irish Comics Wiki is pretty on the ball i have to say. I’ll link it from the Micks blog.
Dec.