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graphic novels

I was sitting in a field in Minehead with my brother, drawing and drinking Fanta when he decided I should do a comic book.
He's 12 so I figured if anyone should know, he should. Since then I've attained the bug - I will not stop until arthritis
traps my ideas inside a useless, rheumatic shell.

This book is available to buy from the shop.	I Must Rise Above These Divs And Defects A5ish, 92 pages A collection of thirteen stories, set around and inspired by the myriad fools and wastrels we are forced to surround ourselves with. This was drawn sporadically during Summer and Winter 2003, and was inspired by a conversation with my brother Mathew (who is neither div nor defect). You can read a couple of the sample stories by clicking the titles: BED In which the hero is faced with the age-old work vs loafing dilemma. This conflict, I find, is exacerbated by the winter months when getting out of your coccoon is at least four times as unappealing. PUNK ROCK GIG Inspired by all the insipid punk promoters I've come across, this is the only thing left yet to happen. The promoter, just so you know, is based on a guy who puts shows on in Stoke. I can't remember his name or venue of choice, but he wore enormous white balloon pants which rose above his trouser hem, and had a greasy wadge of hair.	This book is available to buy from the shop.
reviews for Divs and Defects "Ever since a couple months ago when we got this book, I've been wondering how I can describe it. Sarcastic. Dry. Incredibly funny. Lots of cute comics of people with huge round heads and no necks. All of those work, but since I love it so much, and I want everyone else to love it so much, I just didn't think short phrases would do it. So you get this rambling gibberish all about this amazingly good book. If you're a fan of dry, witty, British humor, cute comics about all the ridiculous and annoying people we all have to deal with on a daily basis, then you'll love this. Easily my favorite book that we've got this year, very highly recommended. Oh, and for anyone who wasn't quite sure, a "div" was defined as a "useless lump of spazziness." - Zach, Microcosm "His landscape is populated with folk too busy watching paint dry to meet you for a drink, desperate to avoid a jam with a clueless, over-eager bandmate, wrestling with that ago-old, stay-in-cosy-bed vs. endure-ridicule-at-work dilemma. Just what DO you say when your dog courts that of a fancied stranger? And how to deflate a crusading, cooler-than-thou vinyl obscurantist? Spot on at mimicking teens self-conscious argot, and the recognisable locations winningly anchor this book in its town of origin. Brighton of course" - The Insight (book of the month) "Paul aka Pog is another Brightonian muso from the legendary Anal Beard and his Bod-like people with trademark big round heads and minimalist faces are regularly seen in various local newspapers and zines. 'Divs' is a compendium of happenings, some real, some imagined and shuns a society where the goal is to have as many 'friends' as possible to feed your ego, even if you don't actually like them and they have no interest in you whatsoever. The despicably funny characters include stupid girls who bitch loudly on buses, half arsed DIY promoter (the band plays an unadvertised, empty gig then spend the night squashed into a cupboard with his records). The sketches take place in great Brighton locations such as my favourite old beardy pub The Evening Star, the infamous DK Rosen mens suit shop (of "suits you" fame) and The Pavilion Gardens. It's all hilarious and full of scathingly sarcastic wit." - Return Of Monkeys In The Sun

This book is available to buy from the shop.	Mr. Bethnal And Mr. Ongar A5ish, 64 pages Inspired by the first punx I met, this woeful tale tells the happenings of a couple of days in the lives of these devoted friends. Although they're pretty obnoxious, I've tried to make them fairly ineffectual, totally dismal and unhelpably lovable. Let me know if I succeeded. You can read the first few pages by clicking here.
Reviews for Mr Bethnal And Mr Ongar "This is very funny but scarily reminds me of a few unpleasant years spent in the company of characters such as these - stupid crust punks who live for Giro day and whose idea of rebellion is drinking copious amounts of White Lightning cider, drinking, puking and hurling abuse at old ladies. Paul perfectly captures the sad, pathetic lives that these two losers try to pass off as 'punk'. Their adventures include trying to blag into DIY gigs, being forced by the dole office into a McDonalds job then quite liking it and being insulted by our favourite streetpunks Slaughterhouse 57 ("sorry we don't do chav punk!") - Return Of Monkeys In The Sun "A second comic book by Paul Stapleton. This one concerns short-plank punkers Bethnal and Ongar, who spend their giro on brew and barge their way into benefit gigs. Too dimwitted at begging to augment their state handouts, these attendees of anything going that's free live poverty-level, no commitment lives - until tragedy strikes in the shape of Bethnal being forced to toil at the home of The Golden Arches, selling fast food to the Burberry-ed Chav kids. These escapades of Paul's gormless magic markered duo are a real joy". - The Insight
This book is available to buy from the shop.	Chav A5ish, 116 pages A two story protest against the mindless and aggressive Essex Tartan clad hordes that clog up our fast food outlets. The book comprises two stories about our Chav gang. The first is a day or so in the life of, featuring pointless and aggressive meanderings through meat market night clubs, Cash Converter, traffic islands and drug trafficking outside Lidl. The second sees our intrepid quintet appear on Trisha to decide the matter of unresolved paternity. Add this to six months worth of Insight comic strips (heavily annotated with background waffle and explanations) and you've got a very respectable 116 pages of wood. You can read the first twelve pages by clicking here.
These books are carried by the following stores: The Punker Bunker, 34 Sydney Street, Brighton David's Comics, Sydney Street, Brighton Pussy, Kensington Gardens, Brighton Pussy, Ship Street, Brighton City Books, Western Road, Brighton Borders, Churchill Square Shopping Centre, Brighton Krackers, 8 Bath Place, Taunton Travelling Man, 8 Park Street, Bristol Travelling Man,, 6 East Street, Derby Travelling Man, 7-11 Corn Exchange, Leeds Travelling Man, 43 Grainger Street, Newcastle Travelling Man, 16 Angel Row, Nottingham Travelling Man, 54 Goodramgate, York Microcosm Publishing - www.microcosmpublishing.com (USA)

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