A little later than usual – and I must admit I nearly stepped back from this annual tradition this year – but we have been running these ‘Ten UK Small Press Comics You Need to Own!’ features for over a decade now and it seemed a shame not to give shout-outs to some very deserving artists once again. Just a reminder, as ever, that this is not a “Best of” list; think of it more as a sampling of the different approaches to small press publishing in the UK over the last twelve months in approach, presentation and subject matter.
“British” is loosely defined here as creators living in the UK. This year I’ve concentrated on solo creators rather than anthologies or anthology series (many of which already got an extra spotlight in this year’s Broken Frontier Awards) and chosen self-publishers rather than micropublishers. Also the work on show here comes from ‘Small Pressganged’ coverage in 2022, meaning that there could be work from 2021 on show, and material from last year that I haven’t got to reviewing yet won’t be included here. Again, just to underline this isn’t a “Best of” piece but more a round-up of some truly excellent practice featured on BF last year.
Enjoy the visual splendour below, read the past reviews we’ve linked to, scour those small press sections at your local comic shops, visit the creators’ sites and stores, and follow them on social media. There’s some amazing work on show here!
(Read our previous annual round-ups here at Broken Frontier)
Peach Fuzz #1
Anna Readman
The second of Anna Readman’s 2022 self-published comics after Handlebar Gumbo, Peach Fuzz emphasised just what a major emerging talent Readman is (something we’ve been saying here at BF since 2018!). Three main tales and some shorter work make up this essential collection of eerie suburban noir. A perfect entry point to Anna Readman’s comics for those yet to discover her work.
Small Pressganged review here
Small Pressganged soundbite: The stories herein are, indeed, about everyday people and unremarkable lives but they’re soaked in a potent melancholy; as if something dark and brooding is waiting for us just below the narrative surface.
For more on the work of Anna Readman visit her site here and online store here. You can also follow her on Twitter here and on Instagram here.
Not Because of the People
David Allison
David Allison’s tense and brooding collection of experimental work with a psychogeographical/horror comics flavour. Medium-pushing work that hasn’t got anything like the exposure it’s due.
Small Pressganged review here
Small Pressganged soundbite: Not Because of the People is one of those occasional comics that remind even those of us who consider ourselves reasonably well versed with the potential of the form that we have barely begun to fully appreciate all the things that comics can be.
Buy the comic online here.
Ghostly Thoughts
Alxndra Cook
Three creepily disarming supernatural comics shorts from rising star Alxndra Cook, including probably the most quietly disturbing single image in comics in 2022 (below).
Small Pressganged review here
Small Pressganged soundbite: Cook allows the reader to interpret events and the bittersweet ending either as a “straightforward” supernatural account or, alternatively, as a metaphor for something more psychological; her crisp visuals and delicate use of colour adding to the story’s quiet intensity.
For more on the work of Alxndra Cook visit her site here and store here. You can follow her on Instagram here and on Twitter here.
Limpet Love
Mereida Fajardo
Mereida Fajardo’s constant experimentation with form, physicality and presentation continues to inspire. In 2022 she carried on in that vein with this allegorical, fold-out, love story.
Small Pressganged review here
Small Pressganged soundbite: It’s again indicative of the sense of design and the always inquisitive mind of Mereida Fajardo, without a doubt one of the most important up-and-coming voices in UK indie comics.
For more on the work of Mereida Fajardo visit her site here and her online store here. You can follow her on Twitter here and on Instagram here.
Tide
Jason Chuang
This wordless graphic novel from 2022 ‘Six to Watch’ creator Jason Chuang is a stunning example of the pure visual language of the form. Loss and acceptance brought to life through an empathetic use of symbolism and graphic metaphor.
Small Pressganged review here
Small Pressganged soundbite: It’s a journey that takes us from scenes of togetherness and unity to the helplessness of loss, and eventually to acceptance and perhaps even catharsis.
For more on the work of Jason Chuang visit his site here and online store here. You can follow him on Twitter here and on Instagram here.
Sick Chip
Ria Grix
The first in Ria Grix’s delightfully weird The Adventures of the Anomalous Viola Holm series, Sick Chip is a bizarre foray into a world of vomit, pop cultural references, and one perfectly formed, undigested crisp. Graphic eccentricity as a new genre.
Small Pressganged review here
Small Pressganged soundbite:Sick Chip is a quirkily dark comedy and we can only keep our fingers crossed this is the first of many bizarre misadventures for its protagonist. More Viola Holm please, and soon!
For more on the work of Ria Grix visit Ria’s site here and online store here. Ria can also be found on Twitter here and on Instagram here.
Salamanca Blues Part 1: Sand
Alba Ceide
Alba Ceide’s high-energy cartooning is always a draw but here she combines it with a socially conscious, ecologically-themed story. It’s the first part of a graphic novel project set in a future where the Earth has been devastated by climate change and the world has evolved into a very different place.
Small Pressganged review here
Small Pressganged soundbite: Anyone familiar with Ceide’s minicomic The Lucky Horn will already be aware of her skill at employing teasingly meta techniques in her comics. There are a number of strong uses of comics’ unique relationship with the passage of time here, and one particularly clever sequence where characters fall through panels and into the gutter of the page.
For more on the work of Alba Ceide visit her store and site here. You can follow her on Twitter here and on Instagram here.
Children of the Earth & Sky
Manon Wright
Manon Wright’s sci-fi parable contrasts parallel narratives in a thought-provoking story of the world after environmental collapse. Here, a privileged section of the population has been transferred to an orbiting sky station. But the reality of the surviving civilisation may not be exactly as it seems…
Small Pressganged review here
Small Pressganged soundbite: What Manon Wright provides here is an assured debut; a tale of how one historical catalyst resulted in parallel cultural development that is thought-provoking and raises so many interesting questions for the reader to consider. A remarkably confident first long-form offering from a creator who… let’s face it… we told you was “one to watch”.
For more on the work of Manon Wright visit her site here and her online store here. You can follow her on Twitter here and on Instagram here.
Ant Story
King Louie’s Lab
Ant Story and its follow-up one-shot Ant Story: Coffee Days represent King Louie’s Lab at their bleakly comedic best. A series of short strips with overarching storylines, Ant Story follows young Rory and his father Richard, whose indifference to his son is manifested in a stream of unusually cruel tricks and wind-ups. Incredibly dark and yet often still oddly poignant.
Small Pressganged review here
Small Pressganged soundbite: This is one of the finest adaptations of classic literature I have reviewed here – not simply retelling the tale in comics format but actively looking to use the distinctive tools of the medium to highlight its themes and add layers to its subtext.
Buy the book online here. Follow King Louie’s Lab on Instagram here.
Dead Girls: Beach Day
Becca Kubrick
This one’s now out of print but it’s well worth keeping continual checks on Becca Kubrick’s website for possible reprinted editions because it’s very, very good. In fact if you spot one in a small press section grab it immediately! Ash, Cassie and Jamie take a trip to a beach that is home to Death Falls, a clifftop diving point that was supposedly the site of a murder during the “Satanic Panic” of the 1990s in a tale that takes horror standards and twists them into new directions.
Small Pressganged review here
Small Pressganged soundbite:While a complete entity in itself Dead Girls: Beach Day serves as a one-shot introduction to characters that Kubrick has greater plans for. Time for readers… and publishers… to be taking far more notice of Becca Kubrick.
For more on the work of Becca Kubrick visit their site here. You can follow them on Twitter here and on Instagram here.
Article by Andy Oliver
[…] search of ten UK small press comics you need to own came up with a selection of great examples, the production levels are superb in these […]