I have a new blog which I am writing for the V&A website, which will most likely be updated more often than this one, though not by much. The problem is, the busier I get, the more things I have to write in my blog but the less time I have to do it! www.vam.ac.uk/karenrubins
Monsieur Alex Fitch of Panel Borders has interviewed me as part of the “Women in Comics” season, and it’s available online as a podcast from http://panelborders.wordpress.com/ It’s surprisingly non-ranty, as I confess to such things as using the word “generic” and being a procrastinator.
It all started when Anna suggested writing a story about spirit animals, knowing that I had a fascination for them, so that I could draw all manner of interesting beast-people. That was quite a while ago…
But now Urban Beasts is finally here! After being in development hell for around three years, we are finally publishing part 1 of the Urban Beasts story to be out for the Bristol Comic Expo. Urban Beasts is a story set in modern day Oxford, and follows the adventure of Caipora, a Brazilian shaman and Milo, a nerdy student, through various encounters with people’s animal selves. Milo can’t figure out why the Goth club Neil has dragged him to is suddenly filled with moths, and Caipora tracks down the source of trouble in the city to an animal rights demonstration.
Part one is 24 pages, 130×197mm, b&w interior with colour covers, and is published by ITCH.
Written by Daniel Hartwell and Anna Rubins, Art by Karen Rubins.
The news is out, but since it’s a pretty big piece of news, I thought I’d post it here anyway. I have been chosen to be the Comics Illustrator in Residence at the V&A museum, as part of their residency programme. They are hosting a series of six month resicencies at the Sackler Centre for a range of different design disciplines. Mine will begin in July, alongside contemporary basket maker, Mary Butcher. I’m really excited about working with the V&A! Should be a great six months.
Awesome ITCH have released “Leek & Sushi’s Manga Show”, a collection of short manga stories from UK-based creators. It features stories by Donna Pesani, John Blake and Michael Reid, Gwen Kortsen and Angela Wraight, Pamela Lokhun and many others. There are 17 stories in all, gleaned from the entrants to the Manga Jiman ‘150′ competition. They include several winners and runners-up stories including B+ by Susan Golton and Steve Cook which placed 2nd. The stories are punctuated by comical intermissions hosted by Leek and Sushi, written and drawn by Itch editor-supreme Willie Hewes.
At only £6 it’s a total bargain. Buy one online here.
The Japanese Embassy are currently exhibiting the winners and finalists from last year’s Manga Jiman competition. The theme this year was ‘150′, to be interpreted in whatever way the entrants wished, the theme reflecting 150 years of Japan-UK friendship.
My comic “Tales by Ghost Light”, written by Andy Smith and drawn by myself came joint seventh in the competition. All the winners and finalists’ comics are shown in their entirity. The exhibition runs until the 3rd April, so there’s plenty of time to get down there to see it.
The Embassy of Japan advises all visitors to bring photo ID.
