Do you know what Bovril is? I would imagine that a section of the audience do not. It’s “beef extract”, a bit like Marmite, you can make “beef tea” from it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMDmE5Hal_E
Unfortunately I can’t find an ad for the slimy spreadable semifluid version, only the granules, but you’ll get the idea.
The Bad Machinery archive (2009-2017) has lived on GoComics for several years now, and I know a lot of you have enjoyed re-reading it there. Recently, a few readers have been in touch about the archive being placed behind a paywall. This is something GoComics has done across their platform as they (like many others) navigate the decline in web advertising.
My long-term plan is to bring the archive back to my own site where it can be read for free again. But it’s going to take some time – I’ll need to re-output every page from the original high-res files. GoComics used the updated versions from the Oni Press books, which include lots of edits and bonus pages. Those are the versions I’d like to restore, but I’m currently missing the first half of the series in a suitable web format. Unfortunately, the copies on GoComics are heavily compressed, and not really usable as-is. With over a thousand pages to prepare, it’s a fiddly task, and time is always tight.
If you’re keen to revisit the series sooner rather than later, the collections are still available. A few people have also asked if I could release Bad Machinery digitally on Gumroad, like I did with Scary Go Round, but unfortunately Oni Press holds the digital rights, so that’s not an option right now.
Thank you for taking an interest in these old comics. Rest assured, they’re on my to-do list.
The first issue of my new series with Max Sarin on art, GREAT BRITISH BUMP-OFF: KILL OR BE QUILT, is out today (9th April 2025). Given the nature of the direct market in 2025, unless you pre-ordered it, you may not find it on comic books shop shelves. Given the nature of digital comics in 2025, the only (obvious) place you can buy it in downloadable format is the Amazon Kindle store from our dear friend Jeff Bezos [UPDATE: it’s on the Google Play Store here]. But if you manage to find issue 1 – and I hope you do – I think you will enjoy it.
BUY GBBO: KILL OR BE QUILT #1 AT FORBIDDEN PLANET IN THE UK
There will be equivalents to this in other territories – make your recommendations in the comments!
I am immensely proud of the work we did on this series (colours are by Sammy Borras, letters by Jim Campbell), and grateful to the team at Dark Horse for publishing it, especially my editor Daniel Chabon. The trade paperback collection is out in November.
Here’s a fun podcast interview I did with Comic Book Yeti about this series and some other, related, matters.
14TH FEB UPDATE: THESE BOOKS ARE BACK IN STOCK!
For months I have been promising that readers outside the UK could buy Solver volume 1 at Topatoco; the first shipment I sent was destroyed in transit so I have been waiting on a reprint to send more. Anyway, they have now arrived safely and are on sale. I’ve also added Circus Windows. Be warned: the print runs are not huge.
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[If you’re in the UK, Solver volume 1 is still in stock at Page 45, and they have Circus Windows too. I’m just in the process of restocking UK shops so keep checking back.]
Apparently the RSS feed has stopped updating on some services – Feedly, Newsblur – meaning some people are missing updates. This happened last year and nothing I did or that anyone suggested remedied it. In the end, it got better all on its own. Sometimes these blog posts will appear on Feedly etc when comic updates don’t, so if it does, updates are M-W-F unless I explicitly say otherwise. Sorry for the break in service. Nothing has changed at my end!
I participated in Hourly Comic Day this year, for the first time since 2021. All eight(!) full pages are collated on an unlocked Patreon page, no sign-up required. Enjoy!
