Cover by Tom McNally.
Also edited by Tom McNally, that clever fellow.
Reviewed for your pleasure by Stephen Drennan at Bypass.
PRESENTING!
A sudden and brutal death is just the start for a shop-clerk, who shuffles through an afterlife full of queues, bureaucratic mishaps, microbes, forms and industrialised slaughter. The moral of the story is: never die. It is a hassle.
The Ancient Shark Of Despair's First Comic, drawn by Tom McNally, written by Sebastian Borckenhagen and Tom McNally
The Ancient Shark Of Despair has finally settled on a name for his son after a session of TV games and a revelation about the personal life of his favourite pizza delivery boy.
This comic can also be found here, and the Shark's blog can be read in its entirety here. It is an experience worth having.
The Tandem Keepers by Brice Reignier
Addled by famine, desperation and a swirling ebb of memory loss, two travellers seek the powerful mercy-givers who can restore their land.
Weetabix, photographs by Erin Hargreaves, written by Tom McNally
A heartwarming tale about overcoming the difficulties of divorce by listening to your gut, your bowl of cereal and leaving your smart-alec comments at the door.
Exploding Eric, drawn by Carolyn Gad, written by Sebastian Borckenhagen and Tom McNally
In several places at once, a boy awakes and is shown a river while an artist receives her inspiration, leading to the explosive circle of deceit and dismemberment. A bit weird, this one.
A young woman confesses to her shamefully mundane hallucinations.
John The Potter Theatre, pottery by John Bauer, written by Tom McNally
Some filthly, filthy verse sprinkled among the beautiful pots of beloved cermacist John Bauer. Dripping with sex. The nice kind.
A Polar Bear Walks Into A Bar, by Jesse Breytenbach.
You can't argue with a classic. Or a polar bear. Watch those big paws.
Dick Gunner and the Case of the Rainbow Serpent, starring Dirk Kristen, written by Tom McNally and Sebastian Borckenhagen.
The gentleman detective applies his particular brand of clarity to a mysterious new case. Can he find the Rainbow Serpent and a new pair of pants?
This comic also appears alongside its Gunnery brethren at the Dick Gunner section.
A Short Comic About Love, by Sebastian Borckenhagen.
Everything you need to know about love in two pages. Monsters, firearms, homicide, promises, the lot. Harrowing.
Lobo & Cola In Barcelona, by Luis Tolosana, with dialogue by Tom McNally and Sebastian Borckenhagen.
Young Cola's trip to Barcelona is not the slightest bit taxed by his chronic insanity, nor changed all that much by the discovery of sunken treasure. We could all learn a lot from young Cola.
The Ancient Shark Of Despair's Second Comic,drawn by Sebastian Borckenhagen, written by him and Tom McNally.
The Ancient Shark Of Despair has a strange dream and tries to get into bed with his angry young houseguest. Emotions ensue.
This comic can also be found here, and the Shark's blog can be read in its entirety here. It is an experience worth having.
Hey, Handsome Boy! drawn by Jesse De Freitas, written by Tom McNally
The world is full of the hurt and the helpless, but it's still really nice to get thrown a compliment from time to time, isn't it?
BONUS EXTRA SPECIAL MATERIAL!
Here is Sebastian's picture he made for the credits page. He made quite a point of being enraged by the colouring I did on it, so here it is, unadorned by either credits or colour.
Here is Jessi's painting of Shark Of Wisdom she very kindly provided when, a few hours before I was to get on a plane, I realised that we were an editorial page short.
Still on the subject of originals, here are the scans of the Shark VS Drugs linocut I made for the back cover.
And here is the original draft of Shark VS Drugs.
An unused montage for the front cover, starring Ms. Kelly Orange, who is a swell lady.
