Very busy! Very! But not so busy that I can’t take time for a few quick updates. Firstly, I got to have a nice long chat with Tom Spurgeon the other day and the resulting interview can now be seen at The Comics Reporter. One of the things I mention in the interview that I think might be worth repeating here – I’m currently looking for artistic collaborators on a number of graphic novel projects. If you’re a comics artist and you think you might enjoy illustrating one of my scripts, drop me an e-mail on merlin (at) e-merl.com with some examples of your work. It may take me a little time to reply as I’m away on my travels for the next two weeks, but I promise everyone who gets in contact will hear back from me as soon as I can manage it.

Speaking of travels, San Diego Comic Con International is – yikes – less than a week away! This year I’ll once again be based at the AiT/PlanetLar booth, so do say hello if you happen to be passing by. I’ll have on hand copies of the Necessary Monsters ash-can, a new All Knowledge Is Strange mini and maybe even some artwork from the new Marvel project that you’ll be able to take a peek at.

Once I return from the US I’ll be stumbling, no doubt sleep deprived and half blind towards Oxford where I’ll be setting up for The Caption Comics Collective gallery show. The show will be open for the whole of August at the Oxford Jam Factory, with a special gala-opening night taking place on 8th August at 8pm. I’ll be displaying my work alongside a veritable gaggle of cartooning talent so I’m sure it’ll be well worth popping along to if you happen to be in the area. I imagine it would be handy if there was some kind of flyer that contained all the pertinent details about the show. But wait! What’s that oblong image to the left of these very words? Huzzah!

Keeping my vow of more regular updates, I bring to your attention the new anthology comic, Who Gives A **** About Mickey Rourke? The great and the good of the British small press scene are present, each giving loving tribute to the legendary Hollywood actor turned boxer. They also let me in for some reason, so look out for a one page horror tale from yours truly entitled The Right Eye Of Mickey Rourke. Apart from the countless lies it’s a 100% true story. Honest.

Elsewhere in Marvel Comics news, I recently got to see the pencils for the first chapter of the new serial I’ve written for them. I think I can probably safely reveal the story’s title – Endless Stolen Sky – without giving away any info as to who it might star or what it’s about. And the pencils themselves are full of awesome – I’m now on the edge of my seat waiting to see the other five chapters brought to life.