Events
Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to jules.graham@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Jules Graham.
Glasgow
Ottakar’s Reading Group ()ttakar‘s Bookstorc. Unit 6. Buchanan (iallcrics. Buchanan Strcct. 353 I500. 6pm. l’rcc. Suc Monk's childrcn's noy'cl Sum Life (if/{H's is up for disctission at this book group hostcd by Matt Mcadc.
Edinburgh
A Painter’s Dozen Writcrs‘ Museum. Lady Stair's llousc. Lady Stair’s (‘losc. 529 490l. 10am 5pm. l-‘rcc. An cxbibilion of portrait drawings of contemporary lidinburgh writcrs including Alcxandcr McCall Stnith. 'l'cssa Ransl'ord and Stcwart (‘onn. by artist .loycc (iunn ('airns. who was last ycar awardcd an MBli l‘or hcr scryiccs to the arts.
Glasgow
Jess Smith ()ttakar's Bookstorc. Unit 6. Buchanan (iallcrics. Buchanan Strccl. 353 I500. 6.30pm. l-‘rcc. tickctcd. the best-selling author of Jr'ssir' 's Journey. talks about hcr Iatcst atttobiographical noycl 'li'ursjfin' u 'Iin/wr.
Edinburgh
Across the Water: An Evening of Irish Writing National Library of Scotland. (icorgc IV Bridgc. 623 38-15. 7pm. l-‘rcc. liormcr Sinn licin publicity dircctor Danny Morrison has documcntcd thc 'l‘roublcs with his noti- liction work Whm I/It' ll'ulls ('umc Down and brings his play The ll’mng Man to thc licstiyal. llc is joincd by Scottish noyclist John Burrows with lalcs of Irish immigrant lil’c in Scotland. The Guid Crack Club: Summer Nights Waycrlcy Bar. | St Mary‘s Strcct. 556 9579. 7.30pm. Suggcstcd donation £2.50. Local and Visitors arc all wclcomc to go along and hcar somc cracking yarns. and contributc a few ol their own. Tonight’s spccial gucst is Millic (iray. hostcd by ('olin Mackay.
Glasgow
Famin Picnic Time ('rookston ('astlc. 'l‘ollcross Park. 254b Wcllshot Road. 882 3025. l 4pm. l"rcc. You bring thc picnic. thc Villagc Storytcllcrs providc storics. gamcs and songs.
An Introduction to Para Handy (ilasgow Scicncc ('cntrc: (‘Iydc Room. 50 Pacific Quay. 420 5000.
L30 2.30pm. Brian ()sbornc and Ronald Armstrong. cditors ol' Birlinn's complctc cdition of Ncil Munro‘s I’uru Hum/y. prcscnt a liycly and cntcrtaining account ol thc immortal puller skippcr. illustratcd by readings from somc ol' lhc layouritc storics.
Edinburgh
Terry Deary Blackwclls. 53 59 South Bridge. 622 8222. l 1.30am l2.30pm. l-‘rcc. 'l’hc popular children's author signs copics of The IIorrib/r' History of lat/inlmigh. which cxposcs somc rathcr unsamury historical l'acts about arc own not-always-so-lair capital city.
Terry Deary Watcrstonc's. l3 l4 l’rinccs Strcct. 556 3034. l.3()pm. Scc aboyc.
Glasgow
An Introduction to Para Handy (ilasgow Scicncc ('cntrc: (‘Iydc Room. 50 Pacific Quay. 420 5000.
L30 2.30pm. Scc Sat 23.
Tuesday 26
Glasgow
* Louise Welsh Borders Books. 98 Buchanan Strcct. 222 7700. 6pm. l‘rcc. 'I'hc Glasgow-born author of The
( Turing erm will be rcading from and signing copies of her swashbuckling historical novcl. 'Iiunlmrluim' Must Die.
Edinburgh
Kathy Reichs ()ttakar's. 57 (icorgc Strcct. 225 4-195. 7pm. L'I. Mystery and suspcnsc at ()ttakars as Rcichs talks about hcr ncw book ( 'msx Ham's.
Wednesday 27
Glasgow
Andrew Sinclair Borders Books. 98 Buchanan Strcct. 222 7700. 6pm. 'l'hc grail expert and author will bc dcbunking thc myths and misintcrprctations surrounding Rosslyn (‘hach thc Holy (irail and thc old l)a Vinci codc.
Edinburgh
The Guid Crack Club: Summer Nights Wavcrlcy Bar. 1 St Mary's Strcct. 556 9579. 7.30pm. £2.50 suggcstcd donation. Local and visitors arc all wclcomc to go along and hcar somc cracking yarns. as wcll as contributing a few of thcir own it' they wish. 'I‘onight's spccial gucst is Audrcy Parks. hostcd by Bca l-‘crguson.
Saturday 30
Glasgow
Sunbeam Street Borders Books. l’ort Rctail Park. 390 Provan Walk. 773 29l0. lptn. Frcc. Join local authors Micbcllc Shcnkcn and (iloria (irossmutt as thcy rcad from thcir first two books and pcrt'orm songs. Agcs 3 6. Book your tickcts early to avoid disaprmintmcnt.
Glasgow
Scented Stories and Crazy Tales 'l’hc ltiddcn (iardcns. 'l'ramway. 25 Albert Drive. 0845 330350l. lpm. 2pm (‘4: 3pm. Storytelling Unpluggcd prcscnt scnsory storics for all thc l'amily. Join in with songs. instrumcnts. smells and tastcs as you follow lhc gingcrbrcad man and makc a pot of soup from a stone. Intriguing. Booking csscntial.
Glasgow
Words and Music Samucl Dow‘s. 67 7| Nithsdalc Road. 423 ()I07.
8 l0.30pm. ()pcn slagc poctry and tnusic night.
Edinburgh
Christopher Awdry ()ttakar's. 57 (icorgc Slrcct. 225 4495. 2 4pm. The man for whom the Rev Wilbcrt Awdry originally wt'olc thc ‘I‘lmnms I/It’ ’Iim/t' [in-cine storics. rcads from and signs copies of some of his top 'l'om talcs. Foakies Royal ()ak. Infirmary Strcct. 557 2976. 8pm. Monthly night for aspiring singcr songwritcrs and pocts. It you arc intcrcstcd in pcrl‘orming contact 'I'om l"airnic at toml'm‘niiscorp.ul.ac.uk.
Glasgow
Kevin Anderson, Ian McDonald and Ian MacLeod Watcrstonc‘s.
I53 I57 Sauchichall Strcct. 332 9|05. 6.30pm. £3: rcdccmablc against purchase ol~ thc Itoy'c‘ls. 'I'hc popular sci- li authors discuss thc gcnt'c and sign copies ol thcir rcspcctiyc ncw tloy'cls. .S'r'ullr'rr'r/ Slut. Rll'l'l' (MUM/X itlttl The House ol'SIurnis.
Comics
HUMOUR
BRIAN BOLLAND Bolland Strips! (Knockabout/Palmano Bennett) me
This handsome hardcover collects various humorous odds and ends from one of the best of the first generation of 2000AD comic artists. arguably the most memorable of the original Judge Dredd strip illustrators. Bolland, the highlights of whose post-2000AD work include the early graphic novel Came/0t 3000 and the Alan Moore-scripted Batman graphic novella The Killing Joke. has carved out a career for himself as a much sought after covers pen and inker for American superhero titles.
These illustration jobs (as opposed to draughting complete strips) suit Bolland's elegant line work. Perhaps accordingly, he never distinguished himself as a writer as well as artist. Which makes his solo book all the more interesting. Collected herein are Bolland‘s self-scripted, less actionorientated. more personal strips: his ‘Actress and the Bishop' domestic drama. the semi- autobiograptiical whimsy of 'Mr Mamoulian'. plus a few historical 'hobby' pieces. Bel/and Strips! doesn't represent the artist‘s best work. but then this curio isn‘t meant to. (Miles Fielder)
ANTHOLOGY cums POLKKI (ED)
Blood Orange #4 (Fantagraphics) 0000
The good strips outnumber the bad in this final instalment of an anthology dedicated to bringing underground American and European cartoonists to a wider
i
audience. and one of the finest is Rebecca Dart’s 16-page Opener ‘Rabbithead'. Taking the form of a complicated flipbook, the tableaux mesh into a dizzying narrative bursting with energy. 'Gardenia Or: A Fluff's Flight' by Dutch cartoonist Tobias Tak is the real revelation, segueing from a fantastic land to American 19408 film noir via clever word-play and confident, detailed art.
This is a perfect starting point for exploring less mainstream comics. although with no contents page and even some of the strips left frustratingly unsigned. there might be further research required should you discover something you want to see more of.
(Dave Martin)
HUMOUR TONY MILLIONAIRE
Der Struwwelmaakies (Fantagraphics) ooo
Tony Millionaire's Maakies is one of
America's most popular
weekly comic strips. running in a do7en or so alternative newspapers including the New York
Press. New Times Los Ange/es and Seattle's
The Stranger. The three. four or five panel. largely high seas‘borne
adventures of the
alcoholic avian Drinky Crow and his pal. the orifice‘fixated monkey
Uncle Gabby. have put
a frankly balmy spin on the traditional newspaper ‘funny.‘ Where else w0uld you get to see what simian sperm looks like. or what too much rum does to our black- teathered friend?
This fourth Maakies
collection from
21 Jul
Books
Fantagraphics arrives beautifully packaged in a letterbox-shaped hardback. which elevates the bawdy. vaudevillian and often self-consciously throwaway strips. Matt Groening says they're so good the author ought to be named Tony Billionaire. I think Tony Trillionaire has a nicer ring to it.
(Miles Fielder)
SCIENCE FICTION GRANT
MORRISON AND FRANK QUITELY WE3
(T itan/Vertigo) oooo
Grant Morrison's weird hybrid of Hollywood action movie. Disney wilderness adventure and animal rights activism sees one of comics' greatest scribes on great provocative. political form. The US Air Force has been developing cyborg animal super-soldiers to replace human troops in frontline combat. When Animal Weapon 3 (an intelligent. military hardware hotwired dog. cat and rabbit team that refer to each other as WES) escapes from a top secret research lab and head for home. all hell breaks loose.
Damningly relevant to the current American administration's hawkish foreign policy. with its hi- tech remote control warfare that seeks to take humans out of the equation. WE3 is also an Orwellian parable shot through with pathos about the nature of humanity and inhumanity. Minimally but expertly scripted by Morrison and precision drawn by fellow Glaswegian Frank Quitely. WES also functions on a more superficial level as an action packed and very bloody chase thriller. Woof. woof. Meow. meow. Boom! Boom! (Miles Fielder)
.1: Aug Rees rue LIST 31