Artists: Takayo Akiyama, Krystina Baczynski, Dan Berry, Joe Blann, Stephen Collins, Paul Harrison Davies, Joe Decie, John Cei Douglas, Oliver East, Nick Edwards, Marc Ellerby, Paul Francis, Katie Green, Isabel Greenberg, Howard Hardiman, Ste Hitchen, Tom Humberstone, Joe List, Lizz Lunney, John Miers, Kathryn Newman, Luke Pearson, Edward Ross, Philippa Rice, Jenny Robins, Alison Sampson, Anna Saunders, Matthew Sheret

Edited by Tom Humberstone

(Just part of Stephen Collins‘ personalised tube map cover to Solipsistic Pop #4)

Solipsistic Pop started off, 2 years and more ago now, curated and designed by Tom Humberstone with the express intent not only of showcasing the absolute best of the UK comic scene but doing so in a product designed to celebrate the beauty and unique tactile quality afforded by print.

It’s an anthology designed to be experienced, touched, pored over, to represent the best of the best at that present moment. It aims so high, and incredibly, most of the time, it gets somewhere near where it wants to be.

And with each individual volume, Humberstone and the selected artists really pushed the boundaries of the anthology, tailoring both design, colour and content to the selected theme for the issue. We’ve had an inaugural issue, a slightly disappointing second blue tinged volume, a return to form red-toned kids volume 3, and now with volume 4, we have a bright, light green and perhaps the most intriguing theme yet – Maps.

(Joe Decie – Always / Never – a cartographic delight, journeying with the artist through his life, against a backdrop of all those things to do/not do)

Volume 4 is all about maps, about direction, about finding a way through, about travel, about journeys. From historical journeys, genealogical uncoverings, biographical investigations of the famous map makers, simple wanderings, space exploration, social commentary mapping our lives, physiological and psychological cartography of the brain…. there’s so much in here. And so much of it is excellent.

It’s the most ambitious collection of comics yet for Solipsistic Pop, and all wrapped up in the most ambitious packaging as well. Before you get to the comic itself there’s a folder, postcards and dustjacket to look at – all tied into this concept of maps, of cartography, of creating that connection of words and pictures to trace a route, to find a way, to discover. We’re playing with the idea of interaction, of experiencing both the comic and the world at all times with these extras, something Humberstone is determined to exploit – making Solipsistic Pop something that simply cannot be experienced in any other form than print.

Once past the folder and the extras, the actual comic is wrapped in Katie Green’s dustjacket “Maelstrom I” – an insanely large, ridiculously detailed piece, something to experience as a poster, to fully appreciate all that Green has packed into it. But there’s more, as it ties in with Green’s “Maelstrom II” right at the end of Solipsistic Pop 4 – it’s a beautiful piece, detailed, intricate, referential, funny, self-depreciating and introspective – a delight.

(Katie Green – Maelstrom II – a mapping of everything that went into the fold-out dustjacket of Solipsistic Pop #4)

Once you’re actually inside Solipsistic Pop #4 there’s actually almost something akin to a feeling of anti-climax. But that’s possible just a natural reaction – the extras have built it up so much, and at this point, my experiences with Solipsistic Pop have practically attenuated my critical judgement.

My brain simply expects it to be brilliant and cutting edge UK comics work throughout. Solipsistic Pop’s consistent (near) excellence is it’s curse. I simply expect the best, expect almost the impossible, so that any failing in here seems magnified. First read through I was genuinely disappointed by a few of the strips and I finished the book thinking it a flawed thing.

A bit of thinking, a quick slap or two to my expectations later, and I was back in reality. The beautiful, and the great far, far outweighs the flawed, and just because there are flawed, weaker works here doesn’t, shouldn’t diminish the brilliance of Solipsistic Pop.

Here, have a few examples of the great….. I could have picked many more:

(The Ways by Paul Harrison Davies – mapping roots through life from child to adult, and a beautiful, content realisation that whatever way happiness lies is just fine.)

(Maps To Live By – family history mapped as cartography by Filmish’s Edward Ross and father Peter. Generations of his multi-cultural family mapped across time and continents. Lovely, sentimental work yet never saccharin sweet)

(The Labyrinth by Dan Berry – relaxed artwork that manages to make vivid green look sundrenched and perspective shifts that make anyone feel quesy)

(You Are Here by Matthew Sheret and Tom Humberstone – memories of the riots of 2011 mapped against personal experience and recollection, just two pages, but so effective, and so beautifully drawn by Humberstone)

(Stephen Collins delivers a page mapping the life of Phyllis Pearsall, inventor of the A-Z, simple, yet clever in its layout and styling)

(John Cei Douglas’ Footnotes is another strip mapping relationships, and the ups and downs that we can draw out from them. Beautifully drawn, with a deft, light touch.)

(Luke Pearson’s two-pages are stylisticly so sharp you may cut yourself on his lines. Feel of Rian Hughes here, as Pearson maps his room in microscopic, obsessive, playful yet eye-straining detail.)

But special mention has to go to the Juno loving, artist / architect Alison Sampson, she of the ever informative and visually stunning Space In Text. Her strip “Small World” is just 4 pages long, yet does so much, most of it breathtaking. Following the loss of her job, she finds her room; packed with art, packed with books, packed with the life she’s lived, to be her world and she surveys and maps that world with both an artist’s and an architect’s eye. It is simply beautiful:

(Just part of Alison Sampson’s room, her world in four walls. She discusses her reasoning and motivations more at this CBR mini feature/interview.)

Solipsistic Pop has become, after four volumes, a shorthand for artistic delight, and a triumph of style AND substance. Consistently the benchmark to which other anthologies have to strive.

Solipsistic Pop #4 is available from selected comic shops and from the Solipsistic Pop website.

The fourth volume of Solipsistic Pop, the Maps volume, is due out in November. And they’ve announced a launch party at Concrete in London – although with all the music and DJs happening, the emphasis is heavily on party.

Solipsistic Pop is an anthology created by Tom Humberstone to celebrate and spotlight all the best in comic art coming from the UK. Each issue is a bespoke creation, designed around a theme, featuring various extras and resulting in something very special.

This time around, with 80 pages and 30 artists, Solipsistic Pop is bigger than before, and the theme of maps and cartography is intriguing…. and in November I’m sure we’ll be impressed with the end results. Special features this time include:

“Three postcards accompany the volume which involve the concept of interactivity and travel. One has been printed with glow-in-the-dark ink – asking the reader to find a dark place in order to read the rest of the comic. Another is printed on seeded paper – suggesting the reader find an appropriate place to plant the comic after reading. The third is a bingo checklist – requiring the reader to interact and engage with their local environment in a way that other comics rarely do.”

“The book is housed in a screenprinted folder designed by John Miers which provides further information and a key to his own interior comic within the book. A dustjacket designed by Katie Green folds out into a detailed map of her life and influences. A comic that is best viewed blu-tacked to a wall and used as decoration. This comic wants you to play with it. To make it your own.”

Solipsistic Pop Volume 4 is released in November. Tom has written more about it here, and here are a couple of preview images…. just to tantalise and tease….

The launch party for the excellent Solipsistic Pop‘s fourth outing has been announced: Tuesday 8th November from 7.30pm onwards in Concrete, London, E1.  Should be a good night, with live music, drink, various comics bods etc. This fourth Sol Pop has a theme of maps and boasts contributions from thirty top UK artists and writers (including Dan Berry, Rob Davis, Joe Decie, Oli East, Lizz Lunney, Katie Green, Edward Ross, Tom Humberstone and more; it’s effectively become something of a showcase for some of the brilliant talent we know is working in the vibrant British small press scene and it’s well worthy of your support.

Solipsistic Pop, if you didn’t already know, is one of the best Brit anthologies out there, with three issues so far (reviews of the last one here and here) of an astonishingly high standard. It really is blazing a trail for comics in the UK.

The next issue of Solipsistic Pop is scheduled to be released in November 2011. Book Four is entitled Maps, and editor Tom Humberstone promises that it will be “the largest and most ambitious yet, with 80 pages, 30 artists, a larger print run of 1000, and extensive interactive material that makes full use of the joy of the printed artefact”

And that extra material sounds very, very intriguing… the book comes in a specially designed folder by John Miers, there are postcards, glow in the dark inks, state of the art screen-printing. It all sounds very good indeed.

And then you get to the contributors and it begins to look not just interesting, but essential. A cover by Stephen Collins that looks typically stunning (a very small version of which you can see above), wrapped in a dustjacket by Katie Green and then a very long (and very impressive) list of young UK comic artists on the inside:

But all this ambition doesn’t come cheap, and editor Tom Humberstone is asking for help in getting the required funds together for printing the book and setting up a wider distribution network.

There’s a Solipsistic Pop 4 IndieGoGo fund set up, and it’s currently (as I type this) heading steadily towards the £5000 goal.

As with all these crowdsourced things, your donation, depending on it’s value, nets you several things, the comic itself plus postcards, sketches, badges, copies of previous volumes, even up to fully painted commission from Tom Humberstone!

There’s even a video (and a darned good one at that):

(Direct You Tube link)

The Solipsistic Pop anthology, masterminded by Tom Humberstone, returns in November for it’s fourth volume with the fascinating theme of Maps. Very few details as yet, but it’s going to be the biggest volume yet, 80 pages, 30 different artists for a change to an annual format. As Tom Humberstone puts it:

“Book Four will be the largest and most ambitious volume yet – with more pages, more artists, a larger print-run of 1,000, and extensive interactive material that makes full use of the joy of the printed artefact.”

Solipsistic Pop Volume 4: Maps will launch in November in London, with a wider launch happening at Leeds Thought Bubble later in the month.

(Previous reviews – Volume 1, volume 2, volume 3)

Artist and editor Tom Humberstone has decided now that Solipsistic Pop 3 has been successfully launched (see Richard’s review here and Kenny’s Twitter take on SP3 here) and Thought Bubble has passed he has time to think more about SP’s future. It’s established itself pretty swiftly as an outstanding collection of some of the best of the independent UK comics scene. We know that scene to be flourishing and vibrant and SP has become something of a cool showcase for it. However, it also puts huge demands on time and resources and Tom notes he’s spending far too little time as an artist and more as an editor, stopping him from getting on with some of his own work. On the SP site he comments that with Kenny’s recent announcement of the Ignatz-inspired Chalk Marks works from Blank Slate next year and John Allison’s small press manifesto that all things considered it was a good time to think about where SP went from here and, in short, it looks like it may now go to an annual publication:

“In an effort to refocus my energies, I will be working on two books which I intend to release in 2011. The first, Ellipsis, will be a book of six standalone but interconnected short stories that should be released in April/May. The second book – a collection of stories produced in collaboration with Anne Holiday – will be released later in the year.

Solipsistic Pop will be on hiatus during this time and go from being a bi-annual publication to an annual one. As such, Solipsistic Pop 4 will be released in November 2011. It’s possible, if things go well, that I may be able to return to the bi-annual schedule – or even experiment with turning Solipsistic Pop quarterly in 2012. I also won’t rule out a possible Solipsistic Pop 3.5 should a couple of fun ideas come to fruition during the summer.”

Actually I think that could be quite a good thing for SP – not just in terms of being fair to Tom and letting him pursue some more of his own project, but for the actual publication. In three issues and in fourteen months SP, under Tom’s guidance, has really established itself as something of a standard bearer for the extremely diverse and inventive UK Indy comics scene, quite an achievement. But perhaps now that it is established it wouldn’t hurt to have larger gaps between publications, to build SP as a major annual event to look forward to, a bit like a British Comic Art, something we will be talking about in the months leading up to it and anticipating eagerly, a yearly treat collecting some of the best we have. Whichever way Tom takes SP though, I’m sure we’re all still going to be following it.

More than anything else, it’s fascinating to see two different readings of the book, a perfect illustration of the nature of anthology books, and how reviews are simply opinion pieces and opinions can, and should, differ. Some that I just didn’t get, Kenny loved, some that Kenny just didn’t like, I rather loved. That’s exactly how it should be.

With his permission, we’ve collected it all together, the only additions we’ve made have been to add in complete artist names and strip titles. Everything else is Kenny’s own……

Solipsistic Pop Issue 3

Artists: Krystina Baczynski, Becky Barnicoat, Adam Cadwell, Warwick Johnson Cadwell, Francesca Cassavetti, Faz Choudry, David O’Connell, Daryl Cunningham, Rob Davis, Joe Decie, John Cei Douglas, Marc Ellerby, Sarah Gordon, Anne Holiday, Tom Humberstone, Daniel Locke, Lizz Lunney, Mark Oliver, Luke Pearson, Octavia Raitt, Edward Ross, Philippa Rice, Anna Saunders, Julia Scheele, Tom Smith and Andrew Waugh.

Edited by Tom Humberstone.

Finished Solopsistic Pop 3 last night – thought i’d tweet review it for my tea break. Time to lose all my comics friends…

SP3 – Overall much better than 1 or 2 Tom’s mag shows a decent progression but with each issue gets further away from it’s mission statement
SP3 – Production is nice – colour print on the front is lovely – some issues with pinch on a number of strips where they fall tight to gutter
SP3 – Still think overall it’s too expensive – planet saving earth and paper accounted for – still, personally could do without the extras

SP3 – Marc Ellerby’s Chloe Noonan strip – can see the all-ages appeal – i imagine kids will love it. I like it well enough

SP3 – Adam Cadwell’s strip – is slight in conception – a day out with his dad – but the Beano/Dandy homage stylings are great. Liked it

SP3 – A Joke by Tom Smith – rhyme seems forced – read out loud to kids I can imagine them liking it. Visually I thought it a little weak

SP3 – Anna Saunders strip – didn’t really get it at all. Move on

SP3 – Joe Decie’s Fabulous Find, more absurdist than most of his more familiar grounded in family work -felt a bit overstretched -lovely art

SP3 – Darryl Cunnigham – 3 strips i’d seen before (I think) – all slight compared to current work but all charming and kids will like a lot

SP3 – Rob Davis – The Torturer’s Garden (above) – most mature strip here. Beautifully drawn – seeing childhood from a position of fear rather then happiness. Quite scary
SP3 – Rob Davis cont. – showing fear perpetuating fear and leaves us with a cliffhanger which might fry a few childrens brains. Fabulous

SP3 – Philippa Rice – her stuff is lovely – although a little diminished without it’s usual colours. Can only imagine kids love this.
SP3 – Philippa Rice cont. you get colour Philippa with the free poster and stickers. Her work just makes me want drawing rather than collage

SP3 – John Cei Douglas – Living Underwater-  lovely art – a story of redemption that only felt part way redemptive – this might have kids hiding away in cupboards

SP3 – Molly Vs The Undertaker – I thought this one of the failures – the story is way overtold and text heavy – the art doesn’t really help
SP3 – Molly Vs The Undertaker – the characters don’t feel unique – dad could be brother – story is too intricate. Criticises boredom but is boring.

SP3 – Teething Problems – lightweight – a little repetitive but charming and very nicely drawn. Twist expected but still fun

SP3 – The Derby Ram is an overall strong piece – strong drawing and a decent tale well told. Liked it.

SP3 – All the Dogs – something we’ve all done I’m sure. The art is a bit Strapazin – I liked it – a lot wont.

SP3 – Pinball Wizards – an artists version of doing scales. Francesca draws very well but 2 pages of variation on a theme feels like filler

SP3 -Faz Choudray’s strip uses the 1 colour so well it has the feel of a full colour strip. Well done and presumably quite time consuming
SP3 -Faz Choudray’s cont. – it’s also beautifully drawn somewhere between Ligne Claire and the Beano. I can imagine this as an album. Great

SP3 – Lizz Lunney – Lizz’s stuff always comes across with life affirming happiness. It’s infectious – and it’s what it is. enjoy it for that

SP3 – Sardines is OK – the art is ambitious but perhaps not yet fully formed. the experience one many kids may have had.

SP3 – Magic and the Man – nicely designed – borrows a centre piece from Gustave Verbeek – as a strip i didn’t think it worked really though.

SP3 – Mark Oliver – Mark is beginning to design a page i can read , still find that either this is wilfully absurdist or storytelling amiss

SP3 – Luke Pearson – The Egg – is clearly a rising star – a nice little tale with an ending that had me thinking Velvet Underground – not sure why
SP3 – Luke Pearson cont. the drawing is strong though just sometimes the design conceits make the story flow less well than it might. Ex tho

SP3 – Julia Scheele has a good line in autobio vignettes -this is another and it feels real. For me her drawing chops still don’t match text

SP3 – Have You Swung Over The Top? -lovely art by Tom Humberstone -who improves all the time. And we’ve all seen kids do it or tried it right. Liked this

SP3 – Fruits DelaMer – Warwick Jackson Cadwell throws the kitchen sink at this – lines flying everywhere – great painterly techniques on the shading.
SP3 – Fruits DelaMer cont. The story is 1 note but fun. I imagine read to kids will bring lots of interaction. they’ll love the ironic ending.

SP3 – David O’Connell’s spare lines make this very attractive – the story does seem a long trip to the final panel pay off – good though

SP3 – Not to damn with faint praise SP3 is VERY good for the most part. It doesn’t all work but which anthology does?
SP3 – Also nice to see more comics content. I’d like to see Tom give up the ‘gimmick’ go hardcover and make this an annual Best UK Comics.
SP3 – Not as good as MOME – way better than other UK anthologies . Overall 7/10. I’d recommend a look if you have £12 burning a hole…
SP3 – Thank you – back to work now. Good job Tom.

Artists: Krystina Baczynski, Becky Barnicoat, Adam Cadwell, Warwick Johnson Cadwell, Francesca Cassavetti, Faz Choudry, David O’Connell, Daryl Cunningham, Rob Davis, Joe Decie, John Cei Douglas, Marc Ellerby, Sarah Gordon, Anne Holiday, Tom Humberstone, Daniel Locke, Lizz Lunney, Mark Oliver, Luke Pearson, Octavia Raitt, Edward Ross, Philippa Rice, Anna Saunders, Julia Scheele, Tom Smith and Andrew Waugh.

Edited by Tom Humberstone.

(Great start – and a perfect cover for this all-ages themed issue – Marc Ellerby’s Chloe Noonan)

“Solipsistic Pop 3 is being built as a UK alternative comic anthology that is accessible and appealing to children and young adults. Inspiration for the book is equal parts RAW, DC Thompson, Panini and McSweeneys.”

“30 original and exclusive stories from 26 of the finest comic artists living in the UK. Every imaginative, inventive and inspiring graphic tale within Solipsistic Pop 3 is uniquely tailored to be accessible to readers of all ages. An alternative comics primer for adults and children alike. Includes a free Solipsistic Pop pencil for readers to create their own comic! Plus! An A3 poster & re-peelable set of stickers designed by Philippa Rice.”

(From the Solipsistic Pop 3 Press Release)

Solipsistic Pop is now a year old, and with three issues completed, it’s the singularly impressive endeavour of Tom Humberstone – to create something intriguing, artistic and representative of the best in UK comics. I loved the first issue, but thought the second issue was a minor let-down, possibly because the first had so impressed me. So I approached issue 3 with some caution, wondering if it would be able to live up to the very, very impressive standards so far.

Thankfully I needn’t have worried. From the very first moment I saw it, issue 3 just pushed all the right buttons and practically everything inside really does do the anthology proud.

As before, Solipsistic Pop is themed – both in content and colour – this time it’s brought to you by the colour red and the demographic of all-ages. And it’s a really, really impressive book that does a fine job of being knowingly nostalgic and very modern and cutting edge cool – something that children and adults alike can hardly fail to find something wonderful inside.

Lets’s start with that cover – Marc Ellerby’s Chloe Nooonan makes a triumphant return (and in colour too!). It’s Chloe doing her best monster hunting thing, complete with typically cutting lines of dialogue (your Pixies lyric this time is from this) and with her best pal Zoe at her side, it’s a funny two pager of misunderstandings and mistaken identities. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I want more Chloe Noonan – someone give Ellerby a series.

(Little Adam has the best day, complete with Bash Street Kids, Teacher, Dennis and many more. From Solipsistic Pop Issue 3)

The first strip by Adam Cadwell follows in much the same mould as Ellerby’s opener – albeit Cadwell using a Beano/Dandy style to tell a slight, yet fun tale of his own childhood, complete with Cadwell dropping in guest appearances by so many very familiar faces:

Past this immediately familiar look, there’s some very good, but very alternative looking strips, attempting to show that kids comics don’t have to always follow a DC Thompson template, not visually, nor in blindly following the rule of gag. Take Tom Smith’s “A Joke” – really simple yet lovely artwork and a great nonsense rhyming story packed with silly ideas. Or Joe Decie’s “The Fabulous Find“, no gag, just a wonderfully inventive idea of creating a revolutionary comic technique using old scanners from rubbish dumps. Or Daryl Cunningham’s “Stan” strips – gleeful little things playing with the medium and realying on the unique conventions of comics. Smith’s is a silly rhyme gag, Milligan-esque perhaps (Spike, not Peter), Decie’s other quite thoughtful in it’s silliness, Cunningham’s visually playful.

(A Joke by Tom Smith. Silly, nonsense poetry and lovely art from Solipsistic Pop 3.)

There are strips beyond the funny, or flight of fancy style as well – it was lovely to see John Cei Douglas return to comics (last I saw of his work was back in 2008 with the wonderful Buffalo Roots) and his tale “Living Underwater” is lovely to look at, remarkably reminiscent of Stephen Collins’ work but his tale of a youngster’s existence underwater, bereft of company, lacking in joy and eventually deciding it’s time to head upwards – an obvious metaphor for depression and isolation felt a little out of place in an all ages book. But then again, I suppose all ages encompasses everyone, even though I can imagine a child looking at this and being simply bemused by it.

Octavia Raitt’s “Molly Vs The Wondertaker” is one of my favourites in the book – a lovely little bedtime story for a child who’s “discovered the joy of denouncing things as boring“. Four pages of great children’s bedtime reading and a nice payoff that should have children giggling away. Similarly worth a giggle or two was Andrew Waugh’s “Teething Problems“; 4 pages of simple, pretty cute artwork teaching us the lesson of not letting your childlike robot play outside, no matter how irritating it can be when cooped up inside.

(Molly Vs The Wondertaker by Octavia Raitt – a perfect antidote to a child who starts overusing the B word we all dread (Boring, not anything else you may be thinking of). From Solipsistic Pop Issue 3)

There are missteps of course, although like any anthology, my misstep could well be your absolute favourite. Some of the strips just either did nothing for me or seemed a little too much filler. But they are few and far between. This issue is by far the best Solipsistic Pop thus far.

The biggest problem I had with this issue of Solipsistic Pop concerned the colour scheme. In issue 1 the scheme was an orange/brown palette, issue two a delicate blue palette and both managed to be visually interesting without particular intrusion. But I found the red in issue 3 just too distracting, too visually imposing too often. It’s perhaps most noticeable in the strips that use the reds as a background rather than those that simply use the red for character highlighting. Lizz Lunney’s usual brilliance seems diminished by too much red, whilst Philippa Rice’s My Cardboard Life characters, usually so gorgeously technicolour really seem washed out – although the story she tells is still great fun.

(To be honest the scan doesn’t quite do Faz Choudry’s work justice – in print it’s beautifully luscious, giving a genuine illusion of full colour with the limiting red pallette. From Solipsistic Pop Issue 3)

Whilst mentioning the colour, I have to talk about Faz Choudry’s “The Elephant Of Surprise”, which manipulates and works the extra colour so hard that he’s made a single colour tone look like it’s full colour – simply incredible work and a nice little tale of childhood memory and the importance of children being seen and heard, lest they may just slip away unnoticed to all. Likewise Luke Pearson’s “The Egg“uses the colour well, Pearson’s quickly proving himself a real rising star on the scene, and this childish flight of fancy is no exception.

But the out and out best in book has to be Rob Davis, who absolutely aces his 5 pages of “The Torturer’s Garden“, relying on that simple visual cue we all know – the black and red sweater motif and a “menacing” presence – to lay out a pretty frightening and chilling look at childhood – certainly nothing like the happy-go-lucky life of children’s comics normally. This is one of bullying, resignation, parental disinterest and a chilling inevitability that the cycle of “menacing” never really ends. Brilliant. Brutal, and very possibly upsetting or confusing to a younger reader – but brilliant nonetheless:

(Rob Davis’ The Torturer’s Garden gives us a side of a child’s life rarely seen in comics – using a familiar character – “My Menace” who does rather suit the red and black colour scheme). From Solipsistic Pop Issue 3)

The All-Ages Solipsistic Pop Issue 3 could have easily played it safe and gone for a volume of cute gag based children’s comics strips. But it’s wonderful that it didn’t.

The clever (and brave) thing that Humberstone and his contributors have done is fill this issue with so many interesting, comics – there’s funny stuff of course, but also wildly impressive ideas overflowing from the pages – thoughful ideas, nonsense ideas, reflective ideas, it’s really got everything – from slightly off-kilter kids strips of old to a more modern looking alt comix style for a switched on audience whatever their age. It’s taken the idea of all-ages comics and run with it, manically laughing and dancing.

Whilst writing this review of Sol Pop 3 I received Kenny’s Twitter review (posted here) and found myself  enjoying the differences in our opinions – what he loved, I often didn’t, what he really didn’t like, I thought great – exactly what a good anthology should do I suppose – the flip side of having something for everyone to enjoy is that no one can like everything.

But I am intrigued by his idea that it’s possibly time for Solipsistic Pop to change formatting and, instead of being a bi-annual paperback anthology perhaps change to an annual event – something similar to the America’s Best Comics idea – celebrating the very best in UK comics? In my opinion, it certainly needs to unshackle itself from the interesting but ultimately constraining single colour theme of each issue. And possibly drop the idea of themeing the volume at all.

But if Tom continues the 6 monthly format and keeps the theming I wont be complaining too much, as it’s up there as one of the finest examples of just what makes the UK comic scene so strong and vibrant at the moment. Issue 3 is genuinely the best so far, a wonderful celebration, diverse, readable and at times quite brilliant. Thanks to Tom for nearly killing himself each issue – now lets look forward to issue 4.

Solipsistic Pop, the biannual celebration of the UK comics scene (reviews – issue 1, issue 2) is gearing up for the release of Issue 3 later in November at Thought Bubble.

But before then Tom Humberstone has been busy putting previews from issue 3 on the Solipsistic Pop website and making plans for the issue 3 launch party on Friday 12th November in Camden’s Black Heart (NW1 0AP) – Full details on the website. The impressive looking flyer for the launch was designed by Tom Humberstone with art by David O’Connell.

The theme for issue 3 is all ages and leads off with a quite magnificently silly Marc Ellerby cover and a host of extra goodies – including sweets!

(Art School Scum, one of the first of Tom’s works I became aware of and if you haven’t read it, it’s available to download from his site; art by and (c) Tom Humberstone)

MB: How did you get involved in the small press/self-publishing?

TH: I started making comics in my second year of art college when I became disillusioned with some of my peers and frustrated with the few seconds of animation I was producing each week despite extremely long hours in the studio. To me, making a comic was a wonderful exercise in instant gratification. Which, as time has gone by and I attempt more ambitious work, seems laughably naive in retrospect.

Regardless, I started photocopying these vicious little character assassinations called Art School Scum on the way into college and plastered them throughout the halls. I loved having complete control of the content from start to finish and not having to compromise at any stage due to finances or time constraints. It felt quite punk. Needing only a pen, some paper, and about 20p for the photocopier.

Every fortnight I’d cover the college walls with a new edition, targeting a different art school archetype under the alias of Ventedspleen. It was only much later – sometime late in my third year – that I even considered collecting them in a book. It was later still – maybe even a year after graduating – that a friend managed to convince me to take my comics to a comic show and attempt to sell them.

My relationship with comics and the small press continued to be an on/off hobby for a few years until about two years ago when I started to really commit to publishing regular comics and attending more shows.

MB: How do you make your living, from your art or in other ways?

TH: While I don’t tend to lose money on my comics – in fact, more often than not, I make a tiny profit – I can’t rely entirely on them to pay rent, bills and all the other necessary monthly expenses. I have a full-time graphic design job and supplement that with storyboard and illustration commissions, which often pay for print-runs and allow me to invest spare cash into my comics in a variety of ways. Currently, everything I manage to save goes into publishing Solipsistic Pop and organising related exhibitions and events.

MB: What’s the best/worst thing about the small press?

TH: I’d say the best thing about it is the very liberating aspect of complete artistic control. I can publish what I like. Be it my own work or the work of other artists I adore in Solipsistic Pop. There’s no sales team to convince, no editor, no marketing department in need of an angle or snappy soundbite. Total creative freedom.

There are so many exciting new business models opening up for small publishers too, so it’s becoming an increasingly interesting field to be working in right now. Currently, a lot of the publishing industry is up in the air and no one can be totally sure how it will all land so there’s a lot of scope to create new paradigms.

On a related note – the gestation period for a lot of books can take an extremely long time, whereas in the small press scene artists can conceive, implement and publish an idea within weeks. For example, Dan Hancox and I managed to publish the very first book about the 2008 American Presidential election (My Fellow Americans) in May 2008 – before Obama had even secured the Democratic nomination. That’s a very addictive advantage of the small press and one that will always keep me coming back.

(fear and loathing – and comics – on the campaign trail: My Fellow Americans by Dan Hancox and Tom Humberstone)

As far as the worst thing: I suppose it’s attempting to do it all. As much as I absolutely adore wearing so many hats (editor, artist, designer, art director, publisher, press officer, distributor, events co-ordinator… etc.), I think it stands to reason that there are some things I’m better at than others. Attempting to do all of this on your own can mean doing a couple of extremely important aspects of the job poorly. But I can’t afford to hire additional help. This is the one thing that could really benefit from being involved with a larger publishing house.

MB: Please tell me a little about Solipsistic Pop and what you’re trying to achieve with the anthology?

TH: Solipsistic Pop is a biannual anthology of alternative comic artists based in the UK. It was created with the intention of providing a high quality platform for those artists when, currently, there isn’t a huge infrastructure in place that supports that sort of work. While North America has Drawn & Quarterly, Fantagraphics, Top Shelf and various other great publishers – we don’t really have anything here that’s similar. Things are changing of course. There’s Blank Slate and No Brow Press. But I really wanted Solipsistic Pop to exist as a kind of aperture for people to discover brilliant UK talent in a beautiful, boutique publication that wouldn’t look amiss next to Mome, RAW or McSweeney’s on a bookshelf.

Solipsistic Pop is very much about taking the wonderful things people are doing in the small press here and then publishing it using the best possible printing methods available. Conducting experiments with inks, paper stock and pull-outs. Making the product a gorgeous, tactile artefact that shows the work in the best possible light and demands the attention of everyone with a passing interest in comic art. Doing something that makes the rest of the world sit up and take notice of the brilliant artists we have working in comics in the UK at the moment. And encouraging those artists to produce the best work they are capable of.

(cover art for Solipsistic Pop 2 by Luke Pearson)

MB: How’s successful has it been so far? Where next for Solipsistic Pop?

TH: The response to the first two volumes of Solipsistic Pop has been wonderful. We’ve been getting some great reviews and the related exhibitions and events have had enormously successful turnouts. Momentum is definitely building and I’m just about managing to break even on the whole thing. It’s a lot of hard work and a big drain on my time and finances but it’s worth it. I’m extremely proud of Solipsistic Pop and continue to be surprised at what it’s achieved already.

A third volume is due in November and I’ll also be announcing some events around that time. It’s possible Solipsistic Pop will go on hiatus after that while I take stock of what has been a success and where it’s possible to improve. The main things I really need to start considering are whether I can publish more than 500 copies of each volume and how I can solve the problem of distribution. But it’s early days and I’m very much learning as I go.

MB: You do the ‘auto-bio’ thing, amongst other things. Do you ever worry about revealing too much about yourself (or even other people)?

TH: I actually decided to take a break from auto-bio comics after completing How To Date A Girl In 10 Days, only recently returning to it when I undertook the challenge to make a comic a day for 100 days. I simply couldn’t see any other way of producing content on a daily basis without going for the illustrated journal approach. With the 100 Days comics I’ve been very careful to only put other people in there when it is light-hearted and jovial – trying my best not to put words in people’s mouths and to make it clear to friends that I’m doing it. Everyone has been completely fine with it and often enjoy making occasional cameos now and again. But that has a lot to do with making sure I’m documenting things that they’re comfortable with. If there’s ever a moment of introspection or darkness, you’ll most likely find the comic features me and me alone.

(a page from How To Date a Girl in 10 Days by and (c) Tom Humberstone)

The only time this hasn’t been the case was with How To Date A Girl In 10 Days, which was about a relationship that didn’t last more than a fortnight. We didn’t stay friends and when I decided to make a comic about it (which was much less about the relationship itself and much more about being a directionless twenty-something and learning to get beyond my inability to date), I was careful to change names and hide identities. I didn’t have permission to make that comic and so was very careful to make sure that I remained the butt of any jokes. The comic actually gives you little about the relationship or the girl in question. If I was vague at points – to ensure I didn’t share something that the other person wouldn’t want shared – I made sure there was a point I was attempting to communicate. Looking back on it now I think I was generally successful, but I probably wouldn’t attempt that comic now. I think it’s an incredibly delicate line. And too easy to cross.

In terms of sharing too much of myself – that’s not something I worry about at all. I’m happy to do that. Writing Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Crohns Disease was a real eye-opener and let me exorcise a lot of demons about having Crohns. Somehow, writing and drawing about embarrassing moments is quite cathartic and allows me to own them. Additionally, for every personal moment I choose to share with my readers, there are another twenty that I’ve chosen not to. So I never worry about giving too much away.

(a page from Tom’s very honest, touching and sometimes darkly funny 24 hour comic about living with an illness: Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Crohns Disease, by and (c) Tom Humbsertone)

MB: Is the small press a stepping stone for you to get pro’ work or an end in itself?

TH: I’m not entirely sure my work would lend itself well to ‘pro’ work. But it’s not something I’d dismiss – being paid to draw comics is obviously something of a dream. It would have to be the right project though and it certainly hasn’t been the plan behind getting involved in the small press. If anything, it would be nice to get to a point where a slightly larger company helped out with Solipsistic Pop and took care of some of the distribution and marketing side of things but that’s certainly something I couldn’t envisage happening for some time – and wouldn’t want to – I think I enjoy being the over-zealous one-man-band too much.

It would be fantastic if I could make my living out of comics, as it would obviously allow me the time to draw more of them. But similarly, if I never make any money from comics, I’ll continue to draw them.

MB: What’s your involvement in cs?

TH: We Are Words + Pictures is a collective of talented artists and writers who are all, in some way or another, involved in comics. Matthew Sheret and Julia Scheele created it and it predominantly focuses on organising comic-related events, taking comics to comedy nights where there is potential crossover appeal or to music festivals like Latitude. The idea being that by taking comics outside of the conventions and traditional places you might find them, you can increase interest in the medium and the small press scene.

(the We Are Words + Pictures mob go off to the Latitude Festival, art by and (c) Tom Humbsertone)

I’ve been helping out with We Are Words + Pictures as much as I can – designing flyers and brochures and helping to run Drop In + Draw workshops. It’s a fantastic collective doing exciting things and wonderfully ties in with a lot of what Solipsistic Pop is trying to achieve too. It’s no coincidence that Matthew and I co-wrote the comic manifesto that opens Solipsistic Pop 1. We have a lot of similar feelings about the UK comics scene and I look forward to helping out with We Are Words + Pictures whenever I can.

FPI would like to thank Tom and Matt for their time and thoughts; you can follow Tom via his site here and Matthew’s blog is here. Richard reviewed the first two volumes of Solipsistic Pop here on the blog; you can read Richard’s reviews of  volume one here and volume two here. Solipsistic Pop Volume 3 should be launched this November and of course we’ll bring you more on that nearer the time.