Tops and Bottoms – 3rd April 2026.

“There is no such thing as a mistake. A mistake is an opportunity to do something else” – Ralph Steadman.

Morning!

Apologies, long week. So this is a few days late. You know that holiday effect, you walk back into work and wonder if the break was worth the labour that had built up. 

Some Hotel Art.

Let’s focus more on celebrating and commiserating comics.

This week really had me thinking about that balance of quality versus self-promotion. The cynic in me ever-suspicious of the comics creator who steps far, far too hard on the self-promotion pedal. Later in this column I’ll describe one that has me seriously wondering if it’s a long-term wind-up. 

Not sure if you have experienced this dynamic? But sometimes, especially in the touchy safe space corner of small press, I see a creator build themselves and their comic up online in an extreme style. Shamelessly telling the social media viewer how amazing they are, and their product. Then, when we finally see the thing itself, we are left wondering if they are either on a massive grift or mentally ill through delusion. The whiff of desperation always in the air. Flim-Flammers using all the oxygen up and making the newbies think that this is actually a ‘great and brilliant comic’. All craft or skill missing/forgotten/never-realised in comparison to some genuinely well made options elsewhere.

More on that to follow.

If you read last week’s column or listened to the last couple of episodes of the Awesome Comics Podcast you’ll know that I’m just back from two weeks in Vegas. I have many thoughts on the town. It’s an example of trashy and sleazy commercialism legal and otherwise. A scab in the desert. Street walkers bother you in every corner (even at one point during a 6am jog) and the bright lights and thumping music invade you in every orifice. It’s also got zero food to offer for a vegetarian. Not to mention that Gordon Ramsey is plastered on every sign in the strip! But what it does have is at least five genuinely great comic shops. I am always jealous of the US comic shop scene. These did not disappoint. Not only a wide range of new and old issues, but also staff who, to a shop, took time to engage with customers. After longterm experiencing the disappearing London scene.

Let’s get on with what we usually do, before you lot have to head to Mass.

Worst Small Press Comic of the Week.

For some algorithmic reasoning I have been bombarded by adverts to this one. The writer/artist following some recommended selling technique of constant reeling. He’s always talking about how he approaches making comics, comparing his characters to popular mangas and at one point even playing his electric guitar. This constant hype building, alongside some VR aspects, got me suspicious enough to ask him if this was all some wind-up. His reply didn’t really make any sense – and in so doing made me even more curious.

I bought a copy. For £8.

I wish I hadn’t. But I still suspect that this is part of some thesis on Hype versus Quality. 

Tops.

What’s not to love here? More shouty cartooning. A one-off that follows Bagge’s recent(ish) return to HATE. The new world has plenty to feature and Hate doesn’t fail.

Bottoms.

Haha, this really is something. An impulse buy, again based on online hype, partly through its cover popping up on some speculator style mailers and videos. Its extreme close up, overly realistic, static and boring (but not unaccomplished) art style had me wondering if I’d overdosed on Vicodin. It may be to your taste, but not mine.

I’m out before the priest sees me typing. Have a great Easter.

And many thanks for reading.

‘All the bad guys had been to law school.’ – Ralph Steadman.