Three years in the making, London-based cartoonist Sean Azzopardi’s Twelve Hour Shift is now on sale, offering an incisive take on the sharp contrast between the creative job you want and the bill-paying job you can get.
Running to over 140 pages, it’s the story of Steve Jones, an artist who struggles through a series of tedious, menial jobs for sustenance, leaving his creative time squeezed into evenings and weekends. It’s a tale drawn from life but with plenty of the surreal thrown in for good measure (as you’ll see from the samples on his blog).
“If you’ve ever felt torn between a creative pursuit and putting bread on the table, you will quickly find a connection with the frustrated artist,” feels Richard Krauss in his review of the book for web site Midnight Fiction, “and it will draw you into this illustrated docudrama.
“… The artwork and page layouts are engaging, beautiful, at times satirical, and consistently inventive. Azzopardi is a captivating storyteller. He successfully combines the words and pictures into a heart-felt drama I couldn’t put down.”
• Twelve Hour Shift costs £6.95 + £2.00 postage. Click below for Paypal details. For other payment methods contact Sean Azzopardi.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics - Books
British Newspaper Strips – A Contextual History offers informative insights into an often overlooked comic form 
Bananaman, Beano and annual fun galore heading our way 
Brit wins at the Eisners; Bryan Talbot inducted into Hall of Fame 
2000AD, Treasury of British Collections and Specials – 2025