Semiotic Cohesion Comics & Art

There's a fellow and a man I'd like to bring to your attention. His name is Edward Francis Loverock Babb, my first solid memory of him is his loud assertion, in the corner of the art room, that Episode II of the Star Wars prequels would feature a clone army made entirely from Darth Mauls. "How else do you think the Clone Wars got started?" he said, when I asked him how he knew this. The man had a point.

Anyway! We're all grown up, are a bit wiser in the ways of Star Wars and Ed's got a website now and I'd like to point this website out to the three or four of you who have actually found this part of the site. You see, this Saturday, Ed's having a big old cake sale with all of his artwork and I think you should go if you find yourself in Cape Town on the 24th of this very month of January. Actually, come to think of it, even if you're not in Cape Town you can buy prints directly from his site, so there's really no way you can lose on this one.

So browse till it hurts and pick out the most scrumptious flake of art you see and then make it become part of you. You'll find that the more of Ed's art you add to your bodyself, the more attractive and interesting you will appear to those to whom you wish to love. I have tried this and it has worked.

Here's Ed's favourite:

EDWARD BABB, everybody.

Sincerely,
Tom McNally

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OH, AND PEE ESS,

I should point out that Ed drew the very first comic I wrote that saw print in an actual publication. I won't show you that one, because it is too embarrassing, but as luck would have it he also drew the very second comic I wrote that saw print in an actual publication and you will find it below. It is hopelessly complicated - intended, as tends to be the way, to be JUST ONE PIECE of a SIXTY-ISSUE MEGA-EPIC LIKE THE KIND VERTIGO DO. The mega-epic starred me and Ed and our friends and we had super-powers, but it was dark and awesome. It was set in the future and corporations ran the government! We were adorable and you should have gotten to know us back then.

This particular comic, 'The Misunderstood Adventures Of Edbot & Roz,' features a robot, who has Ed's brain, and another robot, who also has Ed's brain. One is a giant war-machine and the other is a mute cleaning droid. The original Ed has kicked them out of the house, so now they are a comedy duo and then some kids gets killed.

Hey hey hey hey there.

If you do not want to hear about my near-death inducing holiday, do not read this. SKIP TO THE BOTTOM WHERE IT IS SAFE FOR YOU AND YOUR KIND.

I've just gotten back from about a month of being alone on a beach/mountain/forest. I was with a GIRL, just so you know. Things I did included swimming out to hang with some dolphin types that were having far more fun with waves than any human ever will.

I've always imagined it would be a magical experience, but to tell you the truth I was terrified almost the entire time. I was scared while swimming out because of the rip-current induced drownings that jade the memory of the locals, I was scared of the sharks that haunted this beach in their nature reserve thousands and most of all I was terrified of the dolphins.

They were very much larger than they were supposed to be, they moved quicker than is natural and they released an alien screech that could only be heard when your head was underwater or if you had sufficient water clogged up in your ears. Once I had gotten close enough to admit to being in awe of their supernatural wave-surfing prowess, they noticed my crippled presence and surrounded me. They began showing off how close they could come to nearly killing me by darting past me and almost through me.

Two of them decided to add to the thrill by pretending to be sharks and circling slowly below me just above the seabed. To be fair though, I realize now that these were probably not actually dolphins.

But it was fun and the only injury that the dolphins managed to inflict on me was a set of bloody blisters (a combination of wearing flippers and having abnormally shaped feet) that has prevented me from wearing shoes ever since.

I also had a decent story involving me and 70+ sharks and about 20 square meters until just now when a quick internetresearchsession revealed that the very large and fierce-looking sharks are 'docile' and 'misunderstood'.

Ok, enough about me. This here is a photograph providing evidence of Tom's claim that we were in fact armed at that party. It is also the handiwork of the invulnerable Michaela Verity.

Oh, and seeing as this is a comics blog and all. I've gone and thought up a bunch of cool stuff involving a naked man wearing a full rimmed hat and a bunch of metaphysically self-serious elephants. The leader is called Albert. These are going to be comics. Comics I say!

P.S: SEBASTIAN.

Not to be outdone by that scoundrel Sebastian, and having finally relented to the earnest requests of Mr. Mike Rouse-Deane, I went and did a thing for his glorious Guest Strip Project. It's all for charity, I am told. Charity, says science, is one of the most sexiest activities that a young man can enjoy, next to rock-climbing.

So sex up this shit, everyone:

http://www.moovok.co.uk/gsp/index.php?date=2009-01-04

Also, enjoy a larger, actually kind of readable version by clicking on the scary robot below:

Additional! I have just booked a somewhat pricey trip to Inverness to join in the maybe-fun and maybe-excitement that might be Hi-Ex. According to their exhibitor's list, we are "the producer of some rather bizarre yet very entertaining anthology comics." I think that's fair.

So it's on the 14th - 15th of February and if you like Scotland, you should go there and we can hang out and you can tell me all about your stupid day.

Oh, Christ and I forgot to tell anyone at all, but I'm also going to be at this thing here, which is free, to be found in London ('round Euston) and happens on the 1st of February. Many fine Semiotic Cohesion products will be available for you and your loved ones. Keep them close, never let them leave.

Sincerely,
Tom McNally