Yesterday was the anniversary of my much-adored mum's passing away. I never really know what you're meant to do on a death-iversary, it feels more important, or at least easier, to focus on birthdays and the good times. It's been a few years now, but grief is a funny old thing, always shifting in height and width and volume. When I was packing up her art studio last year I came across this handmade matchbox (original is the third pic) with a concertina-folded wordless story inside. I think it was probably a project from her Art Foundation course that she did in her 50s as a mature student (how old that felt then and how young it feels now!). Anyway, it's fun to think of her inadvertently making a comic, so I wanted to tuck it into my zine library. Scanned, reprinted and ready for more people to see. Love you mum!
kent coast beachcombing zine
My new beachcombing zine is available today from the Margate Zine Library. All about the finds you might come across on the Thanet beaches, from specific species of skate and ray eggs through to the very geographically specific finds of Perutz slide holders from a sunken cargo ship and cordite fuses washed ashore from WW2 ordnances.
Off Season Margate and The Margate Comic & Zine Library
I was delighted to be part of Off Season Margate this year, a wonderful, free, scrappy DIY art festival that takes over the whole town in January to encourage visitors at a tricky time for local businesses. I launched the Margate Comic & Zine Library as a free street library for the weekend, debuting some of my recent zines as well as sharing the work of many of my brilliant friends and peers. We had so many visitors and such good feedback, the library is now a permanent feature on Northdown Avenue, Margate. Currently open at weekends with the intention to be a full-time resource when the weather improves. Pop by!
