PAWS for THAWT is BACK!

Hey there Everyone!

Yes, that's right!
My little webcomic will be returning to it's weekly Tuesday post as of tomorrow, 2nd June!

For those of you who missed my previous blog post announcing this news (or had trouble reading it because of the technical difficulties and squiffy orientation! Thanks for your patience with that btw!) let me re-cap briefly.

While the country has been on Lockdown I've been keeping myself sane by picking up where I'd left off with Paws for Thawt! I had to put this weekly web comic on hiatus as I couldn't maintain regular updates alongside working on the final issue of MULP: Sceptre of the Sun, I had to prioritise MULP. Despite a short break turning into radio silence for a long period, I was still noting down funny moments and ideas for strips with the intention of picking Paws for Thawt up again when I had the time and motivation.
Well, isn't Lockdown the perfect opportunity to find that time and motivation for a project such as this!? And with the help of Peter Duncan and his SPLANK! 2020 Annual I've been able to get Paws for Thawt back off the ground!

The special digital edition of the SPLANK! Annual 2020 launched on Thursday 28th May!
This all ages anthology collects over 160 pages of amazing comics from a wealth of indie talent and it is available to download for FREE!

Get your copy using these links:

Box of Rain Magazine website - Scroll down to "Download Links".
Get My Comics website - Scroll down to SPLANK! and click the image.

As the PDF is full to the brim with amazing content, please allow a little time for the download to complete.
If you would prefer to flick through the comic's pages before deciding whether to download the whole thing, then you can read it online for a limited time here:
Read Online Here!

Since SPLANK! hit the web it has created a bit of a buzz!
Check out what various news and review sites are saying about it!

DowntheTubes.net - Launch cover
Our friends at Downthetubes, who have posted reviews of MULP: Sceptre of the Sun, once again step up to cover the launch of SPLANK! in the fantastic all you need to know article

Bear Alley Comic Cuts - Interview with Peter Duncan
Steve Holland of Comic Cuts interviews Peter Duncan, editor of SPLANK! via video chat about his motives behind the digital launch of the annual.

DowntheTubes.net - Behind the Scenes Creating SPLANK!
Peter Duncan writes an exclusive behind the scenes account of putting together SPLANK and his drive for awareness for the work of the NHS and the charity he hopes to promote.

If you'd like to contribute to Peter's Just Giving page and help support our NHS, follow the link below:
SPLANK! Just Giving page

Amongst the pages of SPLANK! 2020 you will find featured a few Paws for Thawt strips!
One old, one completely new and the other this pin-up I created to join in the community spirit of the SPLANK! annual and give a shout out to the phenomenal efforts of all our Key Workers during this difficult time!

A BIG thank you to the real heroes of our nation!

You can read all previous Paws for Thaw strips right here:
https://pawsforthawt.tumblr.com/


And you can follow Paws for Thawt over on instagram @pawsforthawt
https://www.instagram.com/pawsforthawt/

Don't forget to stay tuned to these sites for the first strip in Paws for Thawt's return 

coming tomorrow, 2nd June!

The MULP Finale: Issue 5 OUT NOW!

Ahoy Adventurers!

I hinted in my previous blog post that some special news was brewing for MULP, and so it has! Thats right, MULP: Sceptre of the Sun issue #5 is finally finished and avaliable for all you to buy and read!

I'm hoping that with this post I can collect every scrap of news together to make this your one stop shop for all things concerning the finale of our epic mousey adventure!

Back in October, in the run up to Nottingham Comic Con which took place on Saturday 19th, we revealed the cover for our final issue!

It was touch and go whether we would have the fifth issue ready or not for the convention so we kinda kept progress under wraps till it was confirmed. 

And a tight call it was too! I took a trip to our excellent Bristol based printers in the week preceding the convention to look over and colour check the proofs, an insightful look into the litho process that makes the final step in creating our comic! Giving the thumbs up on printing the run, we collected a box of Issue #5 hot off the press on our way up to Nottingham the day before the convention!

Breathing a slight sigh of relief we set ourselves up at Nottingham Comic Con with the complete MULP saga! 

We had an absolute blast! I've always enjoyed Nottingham Comic Con and it was fantastic to the back. MULP was set up on table U35, in good company right next to the NoBrow tables and ACP's (Awesome Comics Podcast) Tony Esmond, with whom we shared many a chuckle.

Yours truly also appeared on a panel that day! Hosted by another of the ACP'ers Vince Hunt (they get everywhere!) Top gents Nick Prolix, Neil Slorence and I answered questions from Vince about doing comics yourself. That canny Vincenzo recorded us all chatting about the comic's making process and the versatility that the current age allows to get your work out there. You can hear the panel in full, along with interviews from other creators on the convention floor, recordings from other panels on the day and the lads thoughts on the convention as a whole on Episode 224 of their podcast. Click the picture below to check it out!

Nottingham Comic Con overall was, as before, fantastic! It is always so lovely to see such a family friendly comic's focussed event. There were loads of kids who came by to start or to continue their collection of our books, as well as plenty of adults who did the same. Massive thank yous to everyone who stopped by, whether you were starting your adventure with issue #1 or had been a long term follower of our story looking to read the next chapter. 

Huge thanks also to organisers Kev and Kel Brett for making us welcome and putting together such an awesome convention, I hope we can make it again next year!

On a slight side note, muggins here also appeared on The Nerds Who Haunted Themselves' podcast. Have a listen to me chat to that fab Stuart Mulrain about my personal comics origin story, the process for creating MULP and thoughts on the anthropomorphic comics genre on his "Why Comics?" segment!
Click the picture above to have a listen!

As we enter November the Thought Bubble hype has started!
Last week marked the reveal of the excellent pin-up art for our final issue by the lovely Steve Sims of Beast Hunting Battle Badgers fame.
I was psyched to have fellow anthropomorphic comic creator working on this for us and am totally thrilled with his rendition of our characters.
Check out more of Steve's work and Battle Badgers here: www.battlebadgers.co.uk

MULP #5 has also seen it's first couple of reviews!

The mighty Geek Syndicate's Barry Nugent was first to share his thoughts on the final issue of our story;

"Matt’s writing may bring the story to life but it’s Sara’s art that makes it fly. Her art throughout the series and in this issue is sublime. Not a drop of ink is wasted or a panel rushed. Every expression the mice exhibit is painstakingly recreated within every panel."

Thank you very much Barry for your kind words! Find the full review HERE

Long term supporter of our rodent escapades and all round lovely chap, Jeremy Briggs also chipped in his thoughts on the conclusion to our story;

"Sara’s artwork has become progressively more cinematic over the five issues but for me it is the facial close-ups that are the standout as her art conveys the emotions of our furry little heroes and villains making these anthropomorphic animals all the more human."

Once again thank you for all your support and encouragement throughout the series Jeremy! Read the full review HERE

This round up almost brings us up to date with some final bits of exciting news remaining...

Photo courtesy of our friends as Page 45!

Today is new comic book day, and you can now add MULP: Sceptre of the Sun issue #5 to your pull list!

Yes! The final issue of MULP is available at all our supporting UK comic shops, so if you missed us at Nottingham Comic Con or if you're not able to catch us as at conventions, you don't have to miss out! 

Check out the list of shops where you can get your paws on the final issue: https://mulpcomic.com/wheretobuy

However, if you happen to be heading to Harrowgate this weekend for Thought Bubble then come on over to the ComiXology Originals Hall and find all 5 issues of MULP: Sceptre of the Sun with Improper Books at tables 155-156.

I'll be there both days, signing and sketching along with the rest of the Improper Books clan. Looking forward to seeing you all there!

The Incredible Comic Shop signing - Swindon 2017

A couple of weekends ago (I'm catching up with my blog posts slightly!) Matt and I took MULP to Swindon!

We received an invite from Sarah Harris to attend a Small Press signing event at The Incredible Comic Shop along with the likes of Matt Garvey (Cordelia Swift, The Ether), Vince Hunt (Red Mask From Mars, The Awesome Comics Podcast), Nick Prolix (The Sheep and The Wolves), Gavin Mitchell (The Trolltooth Wars) and Emily Owen (Brain Shoodles).

With a line up like that it was guaranteed to be a great day!

As usual, our table was sporting Knight and Dragon, MULP: Sceptre of the Sun issues #1-3, and the brand new issue #4 which had launched at Cardiff Independent Comic Expo the weekend before! As well as my portfolio with original artworks from all four issues of MULP.

It was fantastic to see so many people come by to take a look! The store was large enough to have all of us set up towards the rear with our banners and books, leaving the regulars enough room to pick up their weekly pull list and then mosey on in further to see what was going on. Which was the whole point! This event was great in drawing in people who regularly only read the Big two and discover the wealth of talent that is Small Press Comics! It really did feel more like a mini convention!

Sarah and the guys at The Incredible Comic Shop did a great job in organising and publicising the event, so much so that there was rarely ever a quiet moment and most who came over to take a look stopped to chat with each and every one of us there!

Sarah had also stocked a few shelves with a hand picked selection of Small Press titles that, along with all four issues of MULP and the books from everyone else at the signing, are now available to purchase from The Incredible Comic Shop!
So if you only picked up the first issue or so of MULP and you want more, thanks to Sarah you can now buy the rest from your own local comic shop!

It really was an absolutely brilliant day! I think my face in this photo sums up how much fun I had!

The event may have only lasted a few hours during the store's opening times, but a steady stream of people filtered through and came away happy and enlightened to Small Press. A huge thanks to everyone who stopped by to chat and buy our books. I really do hope you enjoy them enough to visit the store again and pick up the other titles on offer!

The shop staff were fantastic, very welcoming and interested in everything we had to offer. A massive thank you for having us there and for stocking our books also! You guys were great!

And the biggest of thank yous to that wonderful technicoloured master of Small Press, Sarah Harris! You absolute legend! Not only for getting us all together, single handedly brining Small Press to Swindon, but for organising such a successful event, which I really do feel more places aught to adopt. AND for supplying us with lunch and homemade cookies!

Here's a little video taken at the signing by The Incredible Comic Shop's very own John as posted on the store's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheIncredibleComicShop/

Pipedrem Comics Show Report: Swindon Small Press Signing

Alex Thomas of Pipedream Comics also wrote a lovely round up of The Incredible Comic Shop signing. It was lovely to see you there Alex, thanks for stopping by!

DowntheTubes.net - MULP issue #4 In Review

MULP: Sceptre of the Sun issue #4 had it's first review thanks to the lovely Jeremy Briggs of downthetubes.net 

"MULP: Sceptre Of The Sun issue 4 imperils our heroes as never before whilst setting them up for the final part of the story when hopefully they, and we, will finally discover exactly what the Sceptre  of the Sun is as Matt Gibbs and Sara Dunkerton bring this delightful tale to its conclusion."

Thank you once again Jeremy for the review! Read the full review, along with reviews and sneak peeks of all previous issues of MULP, by following the link.

MULP: Sceptre of the Sun issue #4 Launch!

It's that time again!!

With the launch of MULP: Sceptre of the Sun issue #4 is just around the corner Matt and I are very excited to share with you the cover art for the 4th issue in our 5 part pulp adventure series!

Our intrepid rodent explorers have come a long way since the start of their adventure, and this cover hints at just the tip of the iceberg of perils that lie in wait for them after the cliffhanger events of issue 3!

So when and where can you get your hands on issue #4!? 

MULP: Sceptre of the Sun issue #4 will be making it's convention debut at Cardiff Independent Comic Expo on Saturday 8th July 2017 at the Cardiff Masonic Hall! Doors open to ticket holders at 10:00am, with tickets available on the door from 10:30am.
Both Matt and I will be there with copies of all previous MULP issues as well as copies of the fantastic Knight and Dragon.

Geek Syndicate: Comic Con Countdown, Exhibitors at CICE 

Barry Nugent from Geek Syndicate has been rounding up his pick of the creators exhibiting at Cardiff Independent Comic Expo on Saturday and he gave us a very lovely mention!

"I loved the first three issues and have been waiting for issue 4 to launch and it is set to do so at CICE this weekend. As I typed this post up I feasted my eyes on the cover for issue 4 and it’s a beauty. Sara Dunketon’s artwork on this series has been sublime and you can see the hours upon hours she has poured into this series in every panel."

Thanks Barry, you are a gentleman and a scholar and an Indiana Mouse Nuge is the least I could do! Click the header to read the full article.

Matt and I will also be attending a small press comic signing at The Incredible Comic Shop in Swindon on the 15th July 2017, thanks to the brilliant Sarah Harris who invited us and organised the whole event!
As well as all 4 issues of MULP: Sceptre of the Sun, there will be a whole host of indie creators showcasing their work, so come along and meet us all!
The signing is from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at The Incredible Comic Shop, 21 Brunel Plaza, Brunel Centre, Swindon, SN1 1LF

Comicocisy Preview!

The guys over on the Comicosity blog have kindly covered the launch of issue #4 have posted up a 5 page preview! Click the header to check it out to get a taste of whats to come!

If you can't make it to either Cardiff Expo or The Incredible Comic Shop for the signing, never fear! Issue #4 will be hitting the shelves of supporting comic stores from the 19th July 2017!

Click here to see a full list of shops that stock MULP: Sceptre of the Sun

Thought Bubble 2016

There's one more convention write up that I need to catch up on before I can start 2017's posts properly on this blog, and that's for one of the best cons of the year, Thought Bubble!

So once again, I'm going to take you back in time to the weekend of the 5th and 6th of November 2016, where Thought Bubble Comic Art Festival was a-happening in Leeds!

The whole Improper gang was back together again for the con, the table keeps getting more and more full each year! In fact this year we had to install a rota system for when each of the artists would be at the table because there simply wasn't enough room for us all to sit there and sketch!

Bevis Musson had copies of his excellent Dead Queen Detectives as well as Knight and Dragon. Matt Gibbs and I had all three issues of MULP: Sceptre of the Sun on show. Laura was sporting some beautifully gift wrapped and wax sealed copies of Night Post, whereas Ben Read and Chris Wildgoose had copies of Butterfly Gate, Briar, Porcelain and Bone China, along with the free 12 page preview of the latest Porcelain instalment; Ivory Tower!

Since MULP: Sceptre of the Sun #3 made it's convention debut at Nottingham Comic Con we had a few really lovely reviews pour in;

In Review: MULP - Sceptre of the Sun #3

The lovely Jeremey Briggs reviewed our latest issue on downthetubes.net

"Artist Sara Dunkerton certainly does not make things easy for herself with many impressive full page-width panels featuring multiple characters, one has 15 rodents in it, panels which she is making more and more cinematic as the story progresses. However for me it is the amount of pathos and, dare I say, humanity that Sara is able to get into her characters’ little furry faces that really impresses with her artwork."

As always, thank you very much Jeremy!

Comics Anonymous MULP: Sceptre of the Sun #3

Over on the Comics Anonymous blog Gary Watson gives us another sterling review

"Intricate in its story, epic in its art and slick in its execution we end up with an all-age book that has “animate me” written all over it. The best issue so far from the team and Improper Books has surely got a winning team working on a winning release."

Thanks again Gary!

Page 45: MULP #3 review

And Nottingham's best comics retailer Page 45 have put ups a review of issue #3 alongside their website listing where you can purchase it!

"I love how so many visual clues have been embedded in the various mythical accounts, along with extra allusions to the likes of Prometheus. It all ties together so satisfyingly."

Cheers guys, you're the best!

Back to Though Bubble though, and the fantastic time that was had by us all!

Thank you to everyone that stopped by the table, there were so many of you who had bought MULP #1 and were coming back for #2 and #3! I even had people bringing their previously bought and unsigned issues to have them sketched in! I have to say that on one occasion I had a queue for signing and sketches that could almost rival Chris's! (Though I remain quite proud in the fact that I managed to sign and sketch in three books for every one that Chris did)

Many other people came by to pick up the full works on the recommendation of others, so thank you to you all! Especially to Elenore Hollindrake creator of Dragon Mouse, who we met last year. She came along with a new collection of Fantasy Dragons and we spent the weekend pointing rodent lovers over to each other's tables.

And lastly, as always it was fantastic to catch up with everyone who attended. I only ever see most of you once at year at Thought Bubble, but it's always fantastic to spend a few moments catching up! Thanks also to the organisers, the Red Shirts and the Roller Grrrls for all your hard work and for volunteering your time! You all rock!

I am looking forward to Thought Bubble 2017 and what the new date and venue have in store!

MULP: News, Reviews and Interviews round-up

Hey Everyone!

There has been a bit of a buzz in the lead up to and following the launch of MULP: Sceptre of the Sun issue #2 at Thought Bubble last month!
Here's a handy re-cap of all the links where people have spoken about our comic!

Comics Anonymous: MULP #2 preview and Creator Interview

In the pre-lude to the MULP #2 launch Matt and I were interviewed by the lovely Gary Watson for Comics Anonymous about our creative process.

Gary also reviewed Issue #1 and Issue #2 on the Comics Anonymous blog! 

Issue #1 Review

"The glorious character designs from Sara keep each of them individually recognisable which is no mean feat for a cast of mice and the muted tones in the colouring seems to emphasise that pulp theme which I’ve always been a sucker for. "

Issue #2 Review

"The glorious artwork keeps the narrow streets & caves claustrophobic, the wide landscapes suitably epic and the face off’s between both parties just as action packed & full of energy as they need to be."

Thank you for all of your support Gary!

Downthetubes.net - Six Questions Creator Talk

Matt and I were also interviewed by Jeremy Briggs for Downthetubes.net about our work and creative influences.
Like Gary, Jeremy also wrote a kind review for the downthetubes blog of Issue #2 in the run up to it's launch at Thought Bubble.

Issue #2 Review

"Sara Dunkerton’s lovely art rises to the challenge of a whole new civilisation in the Andes, whose buildings are rather less iconic and well-known than issue 1’s pyramids and Egyptian statues, and it is noticeable that there are more larger panels in this issue than before which perhaps shows a growing confidence in her artistry." 

Thank you for the lovely words Jeremy!

MULP #1 International Release!

In lieu of our exciting news that publisher Improper Books were taking MULP on as one of their titles, MULP #1 will be available internationally from the 10th Feb 2016!

It is currently available to pre-order using Diamond Code: DEC151416 

The Awesome Comics Podcast, Ep 22

The lovely lads over on the Awesome Comics Podcast have reviewed MULP #1! The review begins around [00:11:00] 

There are some truly lovely things said about the artwork in MULP. And seriously guys thank you so much for all the Improper Books coverage! You Rock! 

Also mentioned in the podcast is an interview I did with the chaps when I bumped into them at Nottingham con! You can find my bit on Episode 17 of their podcast at around [00:11:30]

Comic News Insider, Ep 661

MULP #1 gets a mention as one of Jimmy Aquino's top 3 picks of the week on the Comic News Insider Podcast. 

You can find out what Jimmy has to say at [00:30:00]

Thanks so much for the review Jimmy!

Geek Syndicate, Ep 257

Over on the Geek Syndicate podcast, Monts and Nuge give a rather giddy shout out to MULP #2!

You an hear what they have to say at around [00:43:00]

Cheers guys, you've made me rather giddy with your words! 

ConSequential Podcast, Ep 50 - Best of 2015

Roger shares his top picks of 2015 of which MULP is one! You can hear what he has to say from around [00:45:18]

Thanks guys!

You can catch up with all the news at it happens on the MULP website, or give @MULPcomic a follow on twitter!

Nottingham Comic Con, 2015

On Saturday 24th October Matt and I we're delighted to attend Nottingham Comic Con for the first time as guests!

A huge thank you to Kev Brett who invited us along and to the organisers who put on an excellent spred, the hall was a delight to walk around!
Making the delightful atmosphere were the people of Nottingham, who it really seems like their rodents. I certainly geeked out a little bit with a few fellow rat owners, and a lady who had a pygmy hedgehog! Massive thanks to anyone who stopped by to chat and buy a book!

Whilst wondering around I caught up with a few old friends, including Clockwork Watch's Corey Brotherson and Yomi Ayeni who had brought along with them someone I did not expect to see!

Byron the bear! Based on a character from Corey's Magic of Myths series, Byron was needle felted by myself back in 2013, I blogged the making process here! Since then he's toured conventions as the boys' mascot and has even survived a few San Diego Comic Cons! I'm very pleased to see he's looking as good as new and that he's being well looked after.

Also during my wanderings through the convention I bumped into the boys from the Awesome Comics Podcast, where they got me to have a little natter about MULP with them!
They've put my bit of an interview up with their Halloween Special episode, so go take a listen! (interview starts at 00:11:30)

Similarly, following the convention the lovely Gary Watson wrote a fab review on MULP #1 for Comics Anonymous

"The glorious character designs from Sara keep each of them individually recognizable which is no mean feat for a cast of mice and the muted tones in the colouring seems to emphasize that pulp theme which I’ve always been a sucker for. "

Thank you so much for the kind words Gary!

The next convention we'll be attending will be Thought Bubble in Leeds, on the 14th - 15th November, and it'll be our last of the year. There'll have some news regarding that soon!

MULP at Nottingham Comic Con, 2015

Today Matt Gibbs and I will be travelling to Nottingham where we were pleased to be invited as guests to the Nottingham Comic Convention held tomorrow, Saturday 24th October.

Matt and I will be bringing copies of MULP: Sceptre of the Sun #1 with us, as well as Knight and Dragon, on which Matt collaborated with Bevis Musson for Improper Books.

As always I'll be armed with pens and copic markers to sign, sketch and take commissions. so come and find us on the Lower floor on table L31!

Tomorrow you'll also find fellow Improper Books creator, Christian Wildgoose. He'll have copies of Porcelain, Butterfly Gate and Briar, which previously launched at the Lakes Comic Art Festival last weekend.

While you are there you must check the festival film programme for Night Light, a stop motion animated short created by top friends of mine, Elizabeth Johnson and Katie Hood. Both these lovely ladies freelance as animators and puppet/model makers and have recently worked on The Stick House production for Raucous Caucous.

Also another fun bit of news! The lovely lads at Geek Syndicate have covered the reveal of MULP: Sceptre of the Sun #2 and our news about becoming part of the Improper Books family!

You can read the full article here!

Improper Books & MULP: Sceptre of the Sun at LICAF, 2015

There's only 3 days to go before the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, in Kendal. Matt Gibbs and I will be attending for the second year in a row, and this time we'll be joined by Ben Read and Chris Wildgoose!

You'll find us all over on Table 20 on the ground floor of the Clock Tower 

Along with MULP: Sceptre of the Sun #1 you'll be able to get copies of all the Improper Books works including; Porcelain, Butterfly Gate, Knight and Dragon, Night Post. Also we'll have copies of the long awaited Briar, Improper Book's latest book!

You'll find more details of each of these titles over on the Improper Books website!

Also in light of the recent press release revealing that MULP: Sceptre of the Sun shall now officially be under the Improper Books title, Jeremy Briggs has posted an overview and revealed a sneak peek at the second issue over on downthetubes.net

This sneak peek includes the first 4 pages of issue 2!

 


MULP: Sceptre of the Sun #2 is set for UK release in November/December this year!

MULP - Latest News!

Want to know what's been going on in the MULP-verse? Here's a little re-cap of all the latest news, reviews and interviews!

Gosh! and Orbital Comics

Orbital Comics in London are now stocking copies of MULP: Sceptre of the Sun #1, and Gosh! have recently got new new stock in! So if you're in London and still not picked up your copy yet, go check out these fine retailers!

Geek Native Review

Andrew Girdwood very kindly reviewed MULP #1 for Geek Native.

"Just a few panels later and we see the gentlemice have unearthed a large - and clearly human - skeleton. It is funny how one panel can change your perception of a comic book. All of a sudden I was intrigued."

Thank you Andrew!

Sci-Fi Pulse Review

Over on the SciFi Pulse Website, Raissa Devereux reviews MULP #1

"Writer Matt Gibbs did a marvelous job tying the mythologies of three different cultures — Egyptian, Greek, and Incan, into the story. Artist Sara Dunkerton superbly drew the mice throughout. I was especially impressed by how she drew the archeological dig to mouse scale, highlighting the huge human skull relative to them."

Thank you Raissa!

Sci-Fi Pulse Radio ep.23 - Creator Interview!

Matt and I natter away with Ian Cullen from SciFi Pulse radio podcast about MULP #1, our creative processes, inspiration and influences!

Our interview begins around [00:22:00]

MULP at CamCon

Also if you missed it Matt and I took MULP to Cambridge's CamCon at the end of August., check out my write up of the event.
The next convention we'll be attending will be The Lakes International Comic art Festival in Kendal in October! Hopefully catch some of you there!