Jess Bradley delivers the goods for all seven to nine year olds, and this 60-plus year old, with the riotously funny Squid Bits: That’s a Nice Hat, the latest in a great line of Phoenix Comic collections that, as previously mentioned, also includes the recently-released Megalomaniacs: The Invasion Begins! by Jamie Smart and Toby and the Pixies: How to be Cool! by James Turner and Andreas Schuster.
Before we get to the content, it should be noted that the format of these Phoenix collections, Squid Bits running to over 200 pages, offered in manga-emulating doorstoppers of a book, is pitch perfect for the target audience, and at a reasonable price too. (If you’re quick, you may even find AmazonUK are still offering Squid Bits at half price – just £5).
But back to the book! Squid Bits is, simply, a delight: a crazy, fourth wall busting tale that sees the Doodles go on a hat-related mission involving fabulous style, heated debate and total panic. Don’t be drinking a cup of your favourite beverage when reading, as Jess’s mad creations, including Red Panda – Nature’s Jerk, Cecil P. Wombat, Art Shark, Business Bee, and, of course, The Squid.
Of course, when a publisher sells in a title with the offer of items such as style tips in Monster Fashion, cures for your ailments from Dr Bacon, MD, and revealing your future in chicken-related horoscopes, how can you possibly resist?
If you like undercover pigeon spies, alarmingly rude pandas, cats obsessed with gravy, and genuinely funny outright silliness, then Squid Bits is just the book for you. Go buy!
As an added bonus, the book includes a whole section of how-to-draw tutorials from Jess Bradle, plus links to The Phoenix comic club website like this one, where you can find draw-along videos, free printable material and top tips from tons of creators!
Why are you still here?
John Freeman
• Squid Bits: That’s a Nice Hat by Jess Bradley – Book 1 in the Squid Bits book series – is available now from all good bookshops | ISBN: 978-1788453950 | AmazonUK Affiliate Link | Buy it direct from The Phoenix via this link and get a pin badge set too!
Torquay-based Jess Bradley is a writer and artist for The Phoenix Comic, a writer for The Beano and has illustrated several children’s books, including Super Dweeb and Agent Moose. A Day In The Life Of A Poo, A Gnu and You, written by Mike Barfield and illustrated by Jess deservedly won the 2021 Blue Peter Award for Best Non-Fiction and Jess got a Blue Peter badge, which she says was very exciting. is her first middle-grade book series.
• Jess Bradley is online at jessbradley.com
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as 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 - Collections, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Features, Reviews
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