Award-winning comic creator Paul B. Rainey will be signing his brand-new graphic novel, Why Don’t You Love Me, which is being published by Drawn and Quarterly at Gosh! Comics, London, next month.
Paul’s been a fixture of the UK self-publishing scene for decades, notably with his serialised science fiction story There’s No Time Like the Present (eventually collected by Escape Books). His grip on narrative and character, while fusing the fantastic with the everyday distinguishes him from so much self-published work that is produced.
His dark, sci-fi tinged comedy drama, originally serialised in the digital anthology, Aces Weekly, has been collected by Drawn & Quarterly, giving him one heck of a boost among US comic fans.
In Why Don’t You Love Me, Claire and Mark are in the doldrums of an unhappy marriage. She doesn’t get out of her bathrobe and chain-smokes while slumped on the couch. Mark has lost track of the days and can’t get the kids to school on time. They’ve lost interest in family and order-in pizza and chinese food every night. Mark sleeps on the couch and has trouble remembering his son’s name. He feels like a fraud at work but somehow succeeds. Claire stalks an ex-boyfriend. How could he have left her to this life?
Claire and Mark are both plagued by the idea that this is all a dream. Didn’t they have different lives? When reports of an imminent nuclear war come on the radio, the truth begins to dawn on them: this is not the life they chose.
Why Don’t You Love Me? is a pitch-black comedy about marriage, alcoholism, depression, and mourning lost opportunities. Paul B. Rainey has created a hilariously terrifying alternate reality where confusion and pain might lead people to make bad choices but also eventually freedom…maybe..
• Paul B. Rainey – Why Don’t You Love Me signing 1.00 – 2.00pm, Saturday 4th February, Gosh, 1 Berwick Street, London W1F 0DR | Full details here
• In related news, Leeds-based store OK Comics is offering an exclusive signed bookplate edition of Paul’s graphic novel. You can order it now from here
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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, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events, US Comics
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