(Sarah with Anthony Browne and a picture of her with Anthony created by one of the local teachers, borrowed from Sarah’s blog)

Okay, normally we don’t cover kid’s picture books, but as several of us are big fans of Sarah’s comics works we couldn’t resist peeking at her work on Morris too and it was fab, making both Richard and my own faves of the year. Well done, Sarah, may your wonderfully gross monster delight more kids with his disgusting antics!

When King Cupcake is kidnapped by hungry aliens, it’s up to his feisty daughter, Princess Spaghetti, to save him from becoming their dinner. She blasts off into space to show those naughty aliens who’s boss – and introduces them to a delicious alternative to people: chocolate! This hilarious romp will delight chocolate lovers everywhere! (From Scholastic’s PR)

There, doesn’t that make you feel better? It’s out in March 2010. Her current book, Morris The Mankiest Monster is still available (and a perfect Christmas present). Meanwhile you really should pop along to Sarah’s blog, which frequently delights and lightens a day.

First up: The latest Panel Borders podcast concludes a month long series of shows on “collectives and anthologies” with Dickon Harris chatting to the Banal Pig pairing of Steve Tillotson and Gareth Brookes about their self published comics whilst Alex Fitch talks to Sarah McIntyre and Viviane Schwartz, who, along with Gary Northfield, share a studio they like to call the Fleece Station. The podcast was first broadcast on Resonance 104.4 FM, streamed at www.resonancefm.com and podcast at Panel Borders.

And whilst on those Fleece Station folks, Sarah McIntyre’s Live Journal has some great news about her Morris The Mankiest Monster book nearly selling out, a book from Oxford University Press and three new projects from David Fickling Books, including two featuring Vern & Lettuce!

And finally, should you want to get all manky over the weekend there are some lovely Morris templates over at the Random House website that should keep your own little monsters quiet for an hour or so. (pdf direct link, web link)

by John Hattis Dunning and Nikhil Singh

Walker Books

“A wonderfully imaginative and stylish piece of work and a perfect example of the adventurous new directions that comic books should be taking in the future.” Alan Moore.

That Alan Moore quote on the back of this children’s book pretty much sums up Salem Brownstone for me – because from the beautiful hardback cover to the Aubrey Beardsley influenced / inspired artwork and the decidedly dark and unsettling story of Salem Brownstone, it’s pretty obvious that this is a children’s book for decidedly grown up and possibly slightly strange children.

This is something for the teen discovering unusual art, dark moods, the work of Aubrey Beardsley, Lovecraft, Gorey, Tim Burton films and Neil Gaiman fantasy characters – indeed the style and especially the characters are very reminiscent of Gaiman – make the characters as weird and unusual as you can – and then back it up with great storytelling.

First impressions here are very, very strong. It’s wrapped in a gorgeous purple flock hardback cover, large enough to feel like a Euro comic album or perhaps some exotic spell book. Flip it open and it’s very different to your normal teen book; great organic font throughout, matching perfectly Singh’s art that wouldn’t be out of place in some 70s underground comix:

(A children’s graphic novel or some bizarre 70s comix work? Look at the lovely detailing – the art-deco, that raised eyebrow. Wow. From Salem Brownstone © 2009 John Harris Dunning and Nikhil Singh)

As you can see from the art on display across this review, it’s a lush, delicious mix of gorgeous clean line work on the figures, all big open white faces and an incredibly detailed background technique that includes art deco / art nouveau stylings, masses of shadow, tons of cross-hatching and much more. Gothic meets 70s Underground. The darkness of the backgrounds merely emphasises the incredible moments throughout the book where Salem’s flights of imagination or moments of magic take him to a pure white backdrop – it’s visually jarring and brilliantly effective stuff.

(Perhaps not what Salem was expecting he’d find in his father’s house – meet Cassandra Contortionist. She wont be the strangest person he meets this night either. From Salem Brownstone © 2009 John Harris Dunning and Nikhil Singh)

The story’s a simple one really – young man discovers his dead, largely absent father had a mysterious other life, goes to investigate and finds himself imperilled – classic teen fiction really. Salem Brownstone, a young man of modest means receives word of his father’s death by telegram that instructs him to take possession of his father’s house and it’s contents – something that will irrevocably change Salem’s young life. Because his father was no ordinary man and within moments of venturing inside the house he discovers his father’s strange tastes in interior décor, his magician’s costume and a strange contortionist girl sitting inside a pentagram with his father’s scrying ball. This is just the start of Salem’s new life – a life filled with surprises and new dangers – as he soon finds out when the mysterious and deadly shadow boys pile in through the windows of the house and he and Cassandra Contortionist are forced to flee to the nearby circus which has had dealings with the Brownstone family before …. it seems his father’s legacy to Salem also includes an unfinished battle with some mystical and deadly force from another world.

And that’s just the first 10 pages or so. It only gets stranger and better from there. The opening half of the book, maybe three quarters of it is just wonderful; strange, dark, intriguing, packed with delicious possibilities and interest, lots of great characters thrown in front of us and the prospect of an epic battle for Salem as he takes his father’s place and continues his fight.

(Salem meets Cassandra. The night gets stranger and stranger. Loving the artwork again – those backgrounds, the detailing, the organic and slightly threatening smoke. More wow from Salem Brownstone © 2009 John Harris Dunning and Nikhil Singh)

But it all slightly falls down in the final quarter and the reason it fails is that the story spends so much time doing all those wonderful things I’ve just described that the ending comes off as a rushed, inconclusive and messy thing. After it did so well to begin with – relaxed, intriguing, full of bizarre little detailing and ever so beautifully illustrated the rush to get to the end is such a let-down. If only the book had another 20 or 30 pages it would have been absolutely wonderfully entertaining and strange stuff. I’m assuming that this is merely the start of a series, but that still doesn’t ease my disappointment at the rushed ending.

In some ways the criticism of the ending is magnified simply because, on the basis of the first 50 or so pages in this 80 page story, this could have been, should have been wonderful. But if I told you that the pacing problem still doesn’t ruin it, just makes me wish they’d had those extra 20, 30 pages to get it absolutely right I hope you get an idea of how very good, how deliciously strange and wonderful Salem Brownstone is. The story may be too short and the pacing may be off, but the characters steal the show, beautifully illustrated by Nikhil Singh and perfect for anyone, child or adult who likes a little bit of strange gothic fantasy in their lives.

Richard Bruton.

Announcement over at the Booktrade.info site about the forthcoming range of DFC books to be released by David Fickling books in 2010.

For those new to this DFC thing or for those of us with short memories; The DFC was a weekly subscription only comic from David Fickling that was much loved around these parts (Here’s a selection of the posts connected with it). Sadly it bit the dust a while back but we’ve been wondering how long it would be before something was done with the strips. And now we have our answer.

Mezolith by Adam Brockbank and Ben Haggarty is due in March 2010, Good Dog, Bad Dog by Dave Shelton in April 2010 & Spider Moon by Kate Brown in May 2010. All published by David Fickling Books (naturally). It’s a good start. Now, would it be too much to hope for Vern & Lettuce in June, Sausage & Carrots in July and Crab Lane Crew in August?

by Giles Andreae and Sarah McIntyre

David Fickling Books

It’s years since he last changed his t-shirt.
It’s crusty and crawling with ants.
His shoes are all slurpy and squelchy inside.
And potatoes grow out of his pants.

Just look at the cover – sweet, cute and fantastically gross. But what you can’t see is the brilliantly embossed green bogey on the cover. So it’s a book that plasters a huge smile across your face even before you’ve opened it up. Thankfully, no-one at DFB thought to make this a scratch and sniff cover – that would have been too much!

(One of the lovely double page spreads that feature throughout Morris The Mankiest Monster.Published by David Fickling Books, text © Giles Andreae, illustrations © Sarah McIntyre.)

Inside you’ve a beautifully drawn and written picture book that should delight younger readers; boys and girls alike will be enthralled by Morris’ mucky and smelly world and will want you to read the rhyming text over and over and over again. Every page is full of little details, most of them as revolting as possible.

Both writer and artist have got form in the brilliant books stakes – Giles Andreae is the creator of Purple Ronnie and was behind those Edward Monkton cards and merchandise that sprung up a few years ago. And you may well be familiar with Sarah McIntyre if you’re a long time reader of the FPI blog. We (that’s me and my daughter, 10 year old Molly) first noticed her a few years ago with Vern & Lettuce, her delightful strip in the much missed DFC comic. (For our views on Vern & Lettuce, see here and here).

(Molly’s favourite page in the book – how many smelly, revolting things can you spot? Published by David Fickling Books, text © Giles Andreae, illustrations © Sarah McIntyre.)

Molly thought the book was riotously funny, loved the gross bits and kept pointing out all of the muck and filth to her Mum, encouraged by every single Yuck and Euurgh she received. Here’s what Molly had to say:

I liked the way that Morris is small and cute but gross as well. Every page has something to make you laugh and it’s wonderfully colourful. My favourite page is the one with Morris’ kitchen and the shelves full of horrible things like Toe Jam, Armpit Custard and Sun-dried Nose Hair. I hope Sarah likes my Maggie!

(Molly’s version of Morris – Maggie the 2nd mankiest monster)

Morris The Mankiest Monster – a worthy successor to Raymond Briggs’ Fungus The Bogeyman, packed with fun, a great rhyming reader to be enjoyed again and again, beautifully drawn and guaranteed to have your young ones asking for more. Hopefully they wont get any ideas and start making their own collection of pickled toenail clippings or belly button cordial.

Richard & Molly Bruton

(cover to Morris the Mankiest Monster by Giles Andreae and Sarah McIntyre, published David Fickling)

by Fiona Robinson

Amulet Books / Abrams

The simplest way to review this would be to tell you that on the day we got it in the post, Molly sat down with it and read the whole thing, cover to cover, complaining every time  we dragged her away from it to go out, have food or do anything. I believe that’s the very definition of un-putdownable.

And when she finally did let go of it and I got to read it I can see why she likes it so much. It’s a fun, breezy simple buddy story of animals banding together and having adventures. The artwork’s lovely; brightly coloured, simply done in marker pen, big and bold, warm and cheerful stuff. And the story is just as cheery – it’s a really nice children’s comic, with enough sillyness and funny stuff going on between the detective work to entertain all. It’s designed to be read fast – just like Molly did, with very short chapters, a limited cast and a simple but fun story.

(The 323 agency finds it’s name onboard the 3:23 to Whiska City – but what’s that – folks are going missing – sounds like a case!)

The 323 Detective Agency is so called because that’s where the members of the agency first met each other – on the 3:23pm express to Whiska City. Jenny the wise donkey has a dream of setting up a detective agency and recruits the other travellers on the train to come work with her in that oh so easy way that’s so important for getting the story moving along. The rest of the agency is made up of: Roger the gourmet dung beetle who wants to do more than eat dung all day, Priscilla the penguin who wants to be an actress, Slingshot the hyperactive sloth who just wants the sorts of adventures he’s never going to find with his oh so boring family and Bluebell, the shy but brave rat. An eclectic bunch, but all given great characters by Robinson. Within a few pages they’re all good friends and all set off to Whiska City to start in the investigating business.

As you might expect, they’re not hanging around too long before their first case has them investigating a rash of disappearances from Whiska City that all seem to lead back to the same pampered poodle parlour. Along the way, we get to see Jenny putting her team through intensive (and funny) training, watch each member of the agency find their skills coming in useful in fun and interesting ways and generally have a great time joining in with their adventures.

(The 323 Agency – complimentary patries always served. Just the sort of little artistic touch you’ll find throughout the book. Very nicely done.)

Like Molly said when I asked her about the book:

“I really liked The 323 Detective Agency, all the characters have really great names and are very funny. (Slingshot Sloth’s my favourite – he’s always saying the wrong things!) An I loved the really funny comedy bike they all had to get on – and the way that only Jenny did any of the riding  and when they had to choose their beds because they all picked really silly beds. I thought the art was fantastic and I really enjoyed it and hope lots of other children will love it as much as I did. Please, Fiona Robinson, can you do some more?”

And I really don’t think you need any higher praise than that.

Fiona Robinson is the author-illustrator of The Useful Moose: A Truthful, Moose-full Tale. As far as I know this is her first graphic novel. Molly is really, really hoping she’ll do more – especially if it’s more adventures of the 323 Detective Agency. And I wouldn’t be averse to more either.

Richard Bruton.

by Andi Watson

Walker Books

Glister was a comic series that came out in 2007 from Image Comics; 3 issues of the series made it out before the plug was pulled. But in many ways the book was doomed from the start; after all, Image are hardly the ideal company to market a comic book story specifically designed for a readership they have no idea even exists, a readership that rarely ventures inside comic shops anyway?

Because with Glister Andi Watson has designed a beautiful and magical comic experience for young girls. It’s a brave and possibly foolhardy thing to do. However, the fact I’m sitting here, smiling from ear to ear after reading it proves it’s not only girls who will enjoy this. And the fact that Molly (age 9) has been reading her copy for days now and she’s desperate for more means the target market seems to love it as well.

First things first, Glister’s not with Image anymore. It’s now being published by Walker Books as part of it’s fledgling graphic novel line. Walker Books knows an awful lot about children’s books regardless of gender. If they’ve decided Glister is worth publishing, if Molly’s decided it’s fantastic and if I’m telling you it’s brilliant don’t you think it’s worth a look for yourselves?

(Strange things happen around Glister Butterworth. Indeed they do. Wonderfully, brilliantly strange things. From Glister: The Haunted Teapot. Published by Walker Books. (c) Andi Watson)

Glister Butterworth is a strange magnet. Like it says right there: wherever she goes, strange things happen around her. In fact Glister’s life is pretty strange without anything happening to her. She lives with her dad, Mr Butterworth, in a dilapidated, draughty, ramshackle old home called Chilblain Hall that really does have a mind of it’s own, complete with rooms that come and go as they please, Trolls in the wishing wells, String Quartets in the salon and Questing Elves and Dwarves renting the dungeons at 10 gold pieces an hour. (But you shouldn’t ever let it hear you calling it ramshackle – it may leave – but more on that in the second volume of Glister; The House Hunt).

It’s a very English story, concerning itself as it does with teapots, stately homes, village sensibilities and ghostly victorian writers of particularly dull prose. When Glister finds a teapot on the doorstep it seems a lovely gift, since Dad does like a cuppa and the old one’s a wretched pourer:

(The mysterious teapot arrives. From Glister: The Haunted Teapot. Published by Walker Books. (c) Andi Watson)

Except this teapot’s haunted, not by a genie (that would be a lamp after all) but fittingly for this most English of things, a disgruntled old English ghost; Phillip Bulwark-Stratton who, when he lived was a determined but not very good author whose works are long out of print. He has one fervent wish, something he’s determined to see complete; one last, great masterpiece of a book; “Albert Buckle”. Which is where Glister, most unwillingly, comes in.

Trapped into transcribing the ghost’s words, whatever time of the day or night old Bulwark-Stratton feels inspiration strike. Poor Glister finds herself at the beck and call of her ghostly teapot dwelling visitor. But Glister’s no doormat and she takes it upon herself to solve this particular problem. When selling it to the second hand store backfires she finds the only way to get rid of this ghost is  to finally let him take over and get the damn book finished. And this is when glister finds out the most unusual secret behind Mr Bullwark-Stratton and in the process gains another strange resident of Chilblain Hall.

(Glister’s dad knows what’s important in life. From Glister: The Haunted Teapot. Published by Walker Books. (c) Andi Watson)

There’s a freshness, an innocence and a sheer joy in Watson’s work here. All the better served by a slightly more relaxed and open style to his artwork that not only touches on Manga stylings but also the very traditionally English stylings of  illustrated children’s books. Likewise Andi’s writing takes on a lightness of tone and touch very appropriate for both the subject matter and the readership. It’s perfect for it’s intended market of young girls. But it’s also something boys and girls of all ages will really enjoy. Even us old folks. And even the formatting of this new Walker Books edition works wonderfully well. The Image Comics edition seemed somehow throwaway, a thin black and white volume. But Walker Books have given it beautiful colour covers, with a matching pink colour shade on the internal pages. It all seems far more substantial and beautifully complete this time around.

If there’s any justice in the world, this will be a huge success. But it may be up to us to help it along. I’m going to be doing my bit and everyone with a child of a suitable age will be getting one this Christmas. Better than a crappy piece of plastic tat or the latest Hannah Montana cd; Glister will be something they’ll love for years and may kick-start a love of comics. As opposed to the Hannah Montana cd, which will probably put the little darlings off music for a long time.

Glister: The Haunted Teapot is available wherever you can get hold of Walker Books. From what I can gather this doesn’t yet apply to comic shops, but hopefully Walker Books will rectify that situation soon. I’ve said it often in the past; Andi Watson really is one of the brightest stars in the UK comics world. With Glister he’s given us something wonderfully English, a heroine who sits alongside the best in children’s literature and who should delight young and old alike.

The good news is that Glister: The Haunted  Teapot is but the first in four (so far) Glister books from Walker Books. I’ll be here for as many as Andi and Walker decide to give us. I hope you will be as well.

Find out more at Andi’s Website and the Glister blog.

Richard Bruton.

More future releases to talk about. But no apologies because if you’re anything like me you can’t look at that image without grinning inanely. That’s Morris The Mankiest Monster, the first children’s book by illustrator Sarah McIntyre (of the much missed Vern & Letuce in the DFC). It’s written by Giles Andreae (who did all of the Purple Ronnie and Edward Monkton cards and other funny stuff).

When even the cover and the press release can raise a smile it’s a good sign that this will be a really good picture book for children (and grown ups as well!). Morris should be released by David Fickling Books early October.