Ten years worth of Mal Earl’s GraffittiFish, strips first published in David Lloyd‘s digital anthology, Aces Weekly, previously available only to online subscribers, are now available for the first time in a full colour collection.
For the past decade, Mal Earl’s sequential output has regularly appeared within the digital pages of Aces Weekly, after the pair met at the first Lakes International Comic Festival in 2013. Available only to subscribers of Aces, Mal’s pages have accumulated in number, and developed in finesse, and are now being made available in collected softcover volumes – beginning with a 136 page, A4, full colour tome covering the first four tales.
Complementing each strip included are short introductory essays, detailing a little of the background, technical aspects and thought processes involved in their creation.
“Volume 1 is primarily a record of my progress as a writer/artist over the last decade” says Mal, “and revisiting these stories, from ‘Bullhawk’s’ pulp, 1920s vigilante to the graphic poetry of ‘The Bridge’ and ‘Jigsaw’, I’m happy that I hit the ground running in many respects.”
The book offers by far, the most substantial collection of comic strip work yet, from one of the most interesting comickers currently working in the UK, and is physical evidence of what can be achieved by the solo independent creator in todays technological environment.
“I’m a big believer in the old adage ‘you reap what you sow’,” the North West-based creator continues, “the principle that if you put in the effort you’ll get back whatever that effort creates. I’ve followed the development of digital artistic tools over the past twenty years or so and adapted whatever appealed to me into things that would add to my ultimate goal of creating comic books. So, scanners gave way to tablets, pencils gave way to the stylus, Gestetners and photocopying machines gave way to ‘print on demand’ services such as Lulu and Mixam, and as a result this book, to all intent and purpose, wouldn’t look out of place on the graphic novel shelf in Waterstones.”
“Comics is such a universal medium,” he continues. “The simplicity with which it can be applied is often overlooked and frowned upon as something for the kids. In reality though, it is an art form, utilising words, pictures and sequential technique (often panels) that can be as nuanced and multi-layered as any art house movie or fine art painting – or on the flip side, as entertaining and light as an episode of ‘Shaun the Sheep’. It belongs to everyone. No-one who can grab a pen and paper is denied its storytelling potential or its ability to tap into the mind and heal it, and it is a gift that should be far more accepted than it is.”
The strips in the book range from straightforward adventure, to inward looking stories that seem to be the outcome and consequence of Mal “mulling” over problems and anxieties in his life, “something which, other than the mechanics of writing down the words, visualising issues as characters and following their tales through a comix form, I don’t fully understand,” he admits, “but I do know it’s an invaluable mental health tool!”
Mal’s next projects are a regular black and white, ‘GraffittiFish’ anthology containing comix and illustrated text stories, concentrating on the more personal aspects of his creative drive.
“After leaving the Royal Air Force in 1986 up until earlier this year, I have always been in full time employment, and this chunky book shows what can be achieved in your spare time with a digital pad, a cup of tea and a desire to produce sequential art.”
All in all, retirement seems to have lit a fire and opened up huge opportunities for Mal to develop and explore all that the comix medium offers. With two major tomes already available covering his creative development from the late 1990s, and another to reprint his black and white zine work in the pipeline for 2025, the future is already looking very interesting indeed.
. Mal Earl’s GraffittiFish Archive Volume 1 | 136 pages | A4 landscape format. Full colour throughout | Available Now through the Gweni Press here: www.malearl.com/shop
• Keep up to date with Mal’s projects at malearl.com
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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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