
British comic creator Michael D. Kennedy’s first collection, Milk White Steed, is published by Drawn and Quarterly next month, and he will be at Gosh! in London on Saturday 22nd February 2025, signing copies.
Influenced by old British children’s comics and annuals, (albeit with some occasional swearing!) Midlands-based cartoonist and illustrator Michael D. Kennedy’s stories seek to present the lives of overlooked folk and the lower classes. Notably, he is the author of the small press series Mint, a collection titled Mr Hardee and, most recently, Biffa. He has had comics work published by McSweeney’s Quarterly and the Believer.
Working as an illustrator since 2020, Michael has been published by the likes of The New Yorker, New York Times and The Atlantic.

“The mournful, tragicomic tune of wanderlust undercut by the longing for a home seemingly lost”
“Have I settled down yet?” is the question thatrings eternal across all ten stories in Milk White Steed, a highly anticipated debut collection of comics fiction by Michael, launching from Drawn and Quarterly on 18th February.
A series of individuals leave the West Indies and attempt to find their footing in the damp dinge of England’s counties. A child on his daily trike ride is stalked by a sinister, shape-shifting ligahoo. A blues singer’s wife hallucinates untoward revelations in the grips of high yellow fever when she inhales spores from psychedelic mushrooms growing unchecked in their apartment. A man dwells on his absent father, paints the man into a duppy myth, and bears the consequences of this fantastical undertaking.
Here’s some sample pages (some swearing…)
Inspired by the folk tales and oral traditions of his Caribbean roots, Milk White Steed is a dreamlike venture into the messy truths of everyday West Indian lives: the abiding pursuit of the familiar and the vicious appraisal of their own otherness, all at once. Phantom desires, unchecked reveries, and surreal visions of the future flood the page in full-colour. Kennedy’s decisive woodcut-inspired brush-strokes draw a striking portrait of the Black diaspora as it sees itself, always searching – and yet forever seeing.
Gosh! have an exclusive signed bookplate to accompany all sales of the book too, which you can pre-order here from their website for mail-order or collection.
• Milk White Steed Signing With Michael D. Kennedy 1.00 – 2.00pm Saturday 22nd February 2025, Gosh!, 1 Berwick Street, London W1F 0DR | Keep up to date with all news over on the Gosh! Facebook event page.
• Follow Michael D. Kennedy on Instagram
- 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.
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