• r.i.p. patrick mcgoohan
This won't be news to anyone of course, but I couldn't allow the passing of Patrick McGoohan to go without a mention on this blog.
As Danger Man, McGoohan was already a hero figure for the infant Millidge, but his subsequent TV programme The Prisoner influenced not only a large part of writing, but also my philosophy on life.
I wrote about McGoohan's masterpiece in my fanzine Amon*Spek in 1980 or so, and also in the text pages of my Prisoner-influenced comic book series Strangehaven some twenty years later. I suspect it won't be the last time.
• season's greetings 2008
Better late than never, I have posted my flash Christmas card. Have a good one troops!
Permanent link Wednesday, 24 December 2008
• super nova
Wednesday, 15 October 2008
I was lucky enough to see one of my favourite singer-songwriters of all time last night, the beautiful Heather Nova who performed at the Shepherd Bush Empire, her first UK gig for many years.
Heather's voice sent shivers up and down my spine as she played a tight set consisting of the best known songs from her 20-year career, from acoustic solo pieces to full band rock-outs.
I've been following her music since I saw her supporting Robyn Hitchcock in Cambridge some, ooo , 15 years ago. And as much as her various talents as a musician, vocalist and songsmithess have improved over the years, she doesn't seem to have aged a day.
She has a new website here and a MySpace page here . Check her out and be delighted.
• perfect timing?
Monday, 15 September 2008
Just a quick update to alert any London-based readers that a page of my Strangehaven artwork will be on display at the world famous Harrods shop in Knightsbridge until the end of October. It's part of an exhibition called 'Comic Timing' featuring (as I understand it) some 30 pieces of artwork by British creators. That is all the information I've been given so far, but there should be some further publicity this week. If you want to pop in to take a look in the meantime, I have been told by the exhibition's curator Mr. Richard Johnston that, "for those of you wishing to visit, the quickest way in is Entrance 5 next to the Harrods exit at Knightsbridge Tube Station and down the escalators."
• master of none
Saturday, 23 August 2008
The Strangehaven readers among you will probably be wondering what else the rather tardy author has been amusing himself with during its current absence from the bookshelves. Well, in addition to the assorted non-fiction books that I have been writing (currently working on Comic Book Design for Ilex Press due next spring), a large portion of my time has been taken up with creating a website for the local jewellery shop Warburtons.
Curious parties can browse the fruits of my labour now that the aforementioned site has finally, finally, finally gone 'live' here: www.warbys.co.uk
Those of you who are looking for someone to blame for the deficiencies in its concept, design, coding, text content and photography need look no further than the writer of this blog. The better parts of the website were greatly enhanced by the contributions and critical expertise of the staff of Warburtons and my good friend photographer John Attwell.
• must-read strangehaven
Wednesday 20 August 2008
That mighty fine blogger Alan David Doane has just posted his numbered list of 100 Must-Read Graphic Novels , and I am proud to say that Strangehaven has been included at number 51.
After initially being disappointed at missing out on the prestigious top 50 by a single place (Damn you, Outer Space Spirit !) Alan clarified that only the top 30 or so were actually in order. So therefore, Strangehaven is actually tied at #31 (OK, shared with 70 others, but still, not bad).
I expect you're all wondering, like Patrick McGoohan , who is number one, but you should really pop over to check it out for yourself and see where your favourite placed.
My favourite got number one by the way....
ADD's 100 Must-Read Graphic Novels
• san diego agogo
Friday 15 August 2008
Never mind Alex, only four days to go...
I made my first appearance at the San Diego Comic-Con in six years last month, albeit a relatively low-key one due to the recent lack of new Strangehaven material.
Still, it was tremendous fun to hook up various comics peoples that I haven't seen for all of those six years or more – including Eddie Campbell, James Kochalka, Alex Robinson, Bongo editor Terry Delegeane, Batton Lash and his wife Jackie Estrada, Terry Moore and his wife Robyn, Wayne Beamer, Scott McCloud and many more.
Now, I had heard a lot about how big San Diego Comic-Con had become since I last visited. Comic-Con is big, really big. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemists, but that's just peanuts to Comic-Con…
But no, actually, I didn't note too much difference (it was already pretty damn big six years ago) except for the significantly increased number of punters crowding the aisles, especially on ‘Preview Night.'
full report and photos ...
• Big Brother Strikes Again
Friday 20 June 2008
A couple of news reports emerged recently, which although unconnected, both I think potentially have serious implications for civil liberties here in the UK.
The first I noticed on the news ticker at the local gym and couldn't actually believe it until got home and checked it out on the bbc news website . There are proposals by the government to make ownership of drawings and computer-generated images of child sex abuse illegal. It's apparently to help "close a loophole that the government believe paedophiles are using," and it's "not about criminalising art or pornographic cartoons more generally."
After the extraordinary Gordon Lee case in the US which thankfully ended in favour of the retailer, please excuse me if I don't trust our own justice system to use any potential law to whatever motive it chooses.
This is another reminder that British society is moving further towards Orwell 's nightmare 1984 vision of the Thought Police - an attempt to prevent the public from discussing or even thinking about subjects that the government deem inappropriate. It also brings to mind Florida cartoonist Mike Diana's conviction for creating offensive images with his Boiled Angel mini-comic.
Should this new British proposal become law, it would presumably mean that anyone owning a copy of Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie's Lost Girls would technically be classed as a sex offender, having to report to police on a regular basis and fend off attacks by mobs of anti-paedophile activists.
Let's hope not though, eh?
Coincidentally there is also some fuss over plans by British publishers to place age advisories on childrens' books. This is curiously reminiscent of DC's introduction of the 'Mature Readers' advisory on comics such as Swamp Thing in the mid 1980s which Alan Moore and Frank Miller were so strongly opposed to.
Again this appears to be an ill-conceived, knee-jerk response to a genuine concern. Richard Bruton directed me to a write up in the Guardian by Phillip Pullman who is opposed to 'age banding' and covers the story pretty concisely, so I won't repeat it here.
There's also a petition that you can sign up to if you are concerned about this development:
No To Age Banding Petition
What the implications might be for comics, I dread to think.
Curiously connected to this, amazon.co.uk have been listing my second Strangehaven book Brotherhood for many months now as suitable for 'reading level' ages 4-8 . Not entirely sure how they missed the naughty words, sex scenes and bloody violence, nor why they have not removed or altered this advisory despite several attempts to inform them over this matter. But maybe all it needs is an irate mother to buy a copy for her daughter's fourth birthday and go to the Daily Mail. Maybe a bit of controversy will help sales.
• The Wrath of Caen
Thursday 29 May 2008
One of many dozen 'dédicace' I performed over the weekend
My appearance at last weekend's Caen Book Fair (Salon du Livre Caen) in Normandy, northern France was, as most of my European trips seem to be, an uplifting and enlightening experience.
Invited by Jean-Marie Le Callonec, owner of the bande desinée bookshop La Cour des Miracles and subsidised by the Caen city council, I did my duty and signed and sketched for an almost unending line of punters at the weekend event. As legend suggests, the French comic-reading public includes not only the typical black tee-shirted unwashed fanboy, but also a good proportion of children and entirely ‘normal'-looking people of all ages. The apparent casualness at which a middle aged lady was happy to pay up fifty euros for a set of the three Strangehaven albums by an English ‘auteur' that she had never heard of was refreshing, to say the least.
full report and photos ...
• what's my name again?
Friday 16 May 2008
I'm still recovering from the fallout of my attending the Bristol Comic Expo last weekend, with plenty of follow-up emails and admin to take care of, but I just had to share this craftily compiled musical montage by former Bristol 'Festival' organiser and founder Kev F Sutherland. Keep watching and you may just notice a brief, mute cameo by the writer of this very blog.
The Scottish Falsetto Sock Puppet Theatre's Bristol souvenir video
The Expo was great fun as always with an increased attendance, soaring temperatures and a slew of old friends and colleagues. It also saw the debut of Draw Fantasy Figures, Strangehaven pendants and Strangehaven canvas giclees. A more detailed report will follow as and when I get the time.
• Monday 05 May 2008
While in the midst of preparing myself for my annual appearance at the rather splendid Bristol Comics Expo next weekend, I have been alerted to a very positive review of the Strangehaven series so far on the Forbidden Planet International Blog Log. Written by the former Nostalgia & Comics staffer Richard Bruton, you can read it for yourself here.
During the month of May, I will also be travelling to France as guest of my French Publisher Akileos and the Caen City Council to appear at the 7th annual Caen book festival, or to give its indigenous title Salon de Livre.
Obviously I have been rather tardy in my recent updates for website and blog, but I hope to rectify this with in the near future. Unfortunately, there is still no definite date for the resumption of the Strangehaven series, but it is still a live, ongoing project and news will eventually be published on this website first.
• Thursday 03 January 2008
happy new year
Wishing all my friends, family, readers and business associates a wonderfully happy, healthy and prosperous 2008!
My New Year's resolution? More Strangehaven I guess. Fingers crossed.
• New Millidge Blogspot [from January 2007]
• Original Strange Maven's Diary archive [July 2005 - January 2007]
millidge/blogspot
millidge/comicspace
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text and images (c) copyright Gary Spencer Millidge/Abiogenesis Press All rights reserved.
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