I was recently told that I have a chip on my shoulder about comics still being seen as a rather lowly art form.

I thought that wasn’t really the case as to have a chip on your shoulder implies that the grievance is mostly in your mind or exaggerated. But in terms of comics is an unfortunate reality than they are - still - looked down on, and clearly unfair. That is still there, despite the very considerable increase in their status/image over the last 30 years or so.

The phrase also implies a sense of unreasonable anger and annoyance at the perceived injustice. Of course it’s negative that comics have that lowly image, but in general I’m not angry or bitter about it. I’m so full of confidence about the beauty and intelligence of comics that my attitude is more like a mixture of mild contempt and pity for people who dont know how wonderful comics are!

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In this time of democratic turmoil, of struggle between elite control and government for and by the people, have a look at this book of ours about popular protest throughout British history...

Jeremy Corbyn wrote the intro for it and recently launched it with a speech in the House of commons: 

​See more HERE

My reaction to the comments criticising protestors on Australian TV program (ABC's Q&A). We should blame the police for things being violence and the corrupt government for the lack of democracy in the first place, not the protestors.


(and please excuse my poor editing skills).​

Now is the anniversary of the Peterloo massacre, and glad to see that its been getting quite a bit of attention in the media, with people making parallels to now - for example protestors being attacked in Paris and HK. The people’s fight agains corrupt elites goes on!


Our own graphic novel 'Fight the Power! A Visual History of Protest Among the English Speaking Peoples', mentioned in this post of Downthetubes has a chapter on Peterloo in it.


https://downthetubes.net/?p=110113&fbclid=IwAR2VHGbsE5FHhCVod2twiNp2zk77tKPVk5e9u7Ysw2Xe46Fp1tij94ukwuo

My latest in a long line of 'odd, but hmm, that's a good idea' articles: 

https://radicalfun.weebly.com/cars-on-a-country-lane.html

Oh, and the title is adjusted from a short story by Franz Kafka.

“ The gig economy is shattering any lingering sense of trust in or fidelity to corporations. “Wide-scale public rage at oligarchic power is very mainstream now,” Klein says.” A key positive point as it points to an increased chance of real change. Klein being Naomi Klein, talking  HERE about her book NO LOGO and its criticism of branding and logos.

​The character, Matt, in our book THE STORY OF LEE, discusses the issue of why its not a good habit to be a walking free advert for such corporations. 

I myself never buy any clothes or bags with such labels showing, and if I’m given some that do, as presents, I always deface the logo or make a joke out of it by adding something. Like when I got a ‘Hugo Boss’ bag from someone i changed the words to be 'No Boss'. And when i got a Star Wars Rebels t-shirt as a present I altered it to say ‘Anarchist Rebels’.
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hehe… 

Here is an article that I made for the Japan National Tourist Organisation about the city, Kumamoto, for the Rugby World Cup. Just came out.

Four international teams will play games in the city, including Wales. Up the Celts!

It has many photos of me in various places in Kumamoto as a guide to the city. I look very tired in the last photo, eating ramen - because I was!

Otherwise a pretty good page helping to promote Kumamoto.

https://visitjapan2019.com/tryjapanstories/tjs-kumamoto/
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