Tops and Bottoms – 21st of May 2025.

Morning dear comics people. Thanks again for popping in for a read.

The usual argumentative chaos reigns in the comics world. As always it’s most prevalent between the professionals who seemingly go from sucking each other off to attacking each other at the drop of a helmet. Sad to say that is also the situation for many of the fans and their pseudo-political cliques. Let’s be more like Eurovision (bad example), let’s be more like football (bad example) oh fuck it, let’s just all try and get on. 

Anyone need a punch in the face?

I jest. 

Over at the ACP this week and in the spirit of brother/sister-hood we posed each other a few questions. The one from Dan really got me thinking on my long journey home from the cloudless mountains of Spain. “If we could go back and wipe our minds of a series we read and in so doing create an all new experience with that comic, what would we choose?” (I’ve paraphrased a little). I began by noting down some brilliant (mostly Bronze Age) stories that had a big effect on young Esmond. But would I want to forget them? Would I want to forget the experience of reading them? I decided not to dodge the question, but to make the decision that I didn’t want to forget anything, even the bad comics. Like my pod brothers and many of my friends, comics is part of us, it’s stitched into our growth and even character. In the next few weeks we will be dipping our toes back in that similar pond – the comics that made us who we are. Big thanks to Dan and Vince for their thoughtful insights. These two Pod Brothers I am very proud of. Have a listen and see what you think.

That was a long paragraph. You still here? Good. 

Let’s get on with the task appointed. For those newly reading, I choose my ‘Tops’ aka favourites and ‘Bottoms’ aka least favourite reads of the week. I also add a wild card (or sometimes two).

Small Press Comic of the week.

This arrived through the mail as I landed home and was a great surprise. Cam Hayden (aka @lancegoiter on the socials) knows his comics onions. Think inky lines reveal mad-eyed folks who may live a few doors down. Add to the mix, zombie cats, arguments about punk rock music, ghost hunting and household deaths and you’ll get near to what this dude publishes on a regular basis. Find your copies right here.

Tops.

This was a blast. The first two issues were just the right tone for me on holiday. I read issue 1 last week and then had the blind bag version arrive on Saturday. Opening it live on the recent ACP it was great to find issue 2 inside. A great villain concept with some heart lying just below the surface. Great to see the sales were massive!

Bottoms.

When you can’t draw just trace and copy. It’s as common in the small press as in the covers of the big two these days.

The laziness knows no end. Most of us can recognise the faces. They’re mostly movie stars. Really, what’s the point?

See you soon, many thanks (again) for reading.