EXTRACTS: Illustrators issue 9 © 2014 The Book Palace (96 PAGES in Full edition)

94 The Bookshelf Essentially a reworking of the ‘Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly’, this poem by Helen Ketterman affords an opportunity for new and fun-filled visuals with a distinctly arid Western theme by that maestro of zany children’s book illustration—Will Terry. With a colourful menagerie of wild and domestic beasties, including an armadillo, wild boar, roadrunner and even a rattlesnake with a stripe of mustard as added garnish, Terry’s artwork rises to the occasion and with his natural sense of storytelling, inventive page layouts, rich characterisation and exquisite technique this book will provide hours and hours of fun for both children and parents to share together. Other collaborations between Will Terry and Helen Ketterman, include ‘Señorita Gordita’, ‘Armadilly Chilli’ and ‘Three Little Gators’. All are as wildly inventive and entertaining as the ‘There Once Was A Cowpoke’ and all come warmly recommended as ideal bedtime story material. My only regret is that these delightful books were not around when our boys were nursery age. The Art of Sean Phillips With Eddie Robson Introduction by Ed Brubaker Hard-bound 312 pages Dynamite £29.99/ $39.99 l illustrators is also available in the USA from budplant.com This book presents the ultimate retrospective on the art and career of one of the hottest talents to emerge on the UK comics scene in the late 1980s. Since those heady early days when Phillips was drawing ‘New Statesmen’ for Crisis , his work has achieved international acclaim and garnered many awards along the way Phillip’s art isgreat andthere is agenerous servingof it, butwhat reallymakes this book so compelling, is his unstinting honesty in allowing the reader to share the story of how he got to be so good. In many ways he was the author of his own destiny, creating comics from an early age with like-minded friends but the story of how he found himself pencilling girls comics whilst still in his mid-teens provides just one of many fascinating insights into the weird twists and turns his career has taken. The book is illustratedwith examples of his work from his earliest felt tip scribbles through recent work for award winning strips such as Criminal and Incognito . He doesn’t shrink from sharing some of his less successful efforts, such as an early try out for Battle , which returned with red circled pasteovers of all the redraws his art required. Definitely a “must read”! Mitch O’ Connell - The World’s Best Artist Written by Mitch O’ Connell Illustrated by Mitch O’ Connell Turtleback bound 284 pages Last Gasp £28.99/ $35.00 From the moment you pick up the sparkly bound, plasticized cover of this substantial tome, you realise you are in the grip of a genius. If you are in any doubt as to the veracity of the King Kitschmeister’s worthiness in this department, Mitch’s witty and discursive dialogue is there to remind you of this unassailable fact. The book that Mitch has produced stands as testimony to this amazing artist and his on-going love affair of all that is trashiest in contemporary culture. Along the way, Mitch shares his love of the street iconography that inspired so much of his art and in doing so, reveals that as unique and off-the-wall as his work is, it is underpinned with solid draughtsmanship and a love of strong design. Alongside funny and revealing insights into his work and inspirational touchstones, there are hundreds of brain- jarringly wild artworks, supplemented by photos of Mitch as well as examples of work by the young Mitch, all of which contribute tomaking this sturdy volume a constant source of delight and inspiration. One of themost entertaining books on an artist you are likely to encounter—your bookshelves will be enhanced by it—so buy one today! There Was Once A Cowpoke Who Swallowed An Ant By Helen Ketteman Illustrated by Will Terry Hardbound 32 pages Albert Whitman & Co. £10.00/ $16.99