Preston Zine Fair

All hear this, this coming Friday and Saturday there is a zine, artists book and multiples fair in Preston. Organised by Cafe Royal, this is sure to be a hit event with over 30 different stalls of makers. See the front and reverse of the sweet flyer above for more details. Safe to say it's the best thing that happened to Preston since the train to Blackpool North (ZING). I'll have a stall there on the Friday selling all things Good Grief! and Mount Pleasant, I'll be co-piloted by my friend Ben who will inevitably be packing something sweet, and hopefully something savoury too - hint hint (bring lunch). Other stall holders shall include Camp Yellow, ILK Collective, Elly Strigner, Drippy Bone Books, Cafe Royal and many others that I don't know about yet but soon will! I'm excited, so should you be. Come for a day/weekend out!

The shop is stacked more so than perhaps it's ever been. Had some great great arrivals this week gone from the likes of PictureBox, my Dad (tshirts, totes, new designs by me), Dylan Hughes, Faye Johnson, Rob Jackson, Joe List and I think more that I've forgotten at the time of typing. More posts and photos of these to come this week. I'm also working on an online shop buying books option so that's in the blender too.

Pop in!

Michael Deforge

The Deforge load

Inside Sloe Black! And below


Inside GAGS! And below

Inside Neighborhood Sacrifice! And below


Inside Lose! And below



Most excellent shipment from Michael Deforge, Canada. We gots the 'Sloe Black', black and white zine of Michael's drawings - taking the line for a jog, truly. 'Gags', a straight up skewed ha-ha fest of Michael's drawings with punchlines that channel the spirit of fifties rebels - sassing back at the teacher. 'Neighbour Sacrifice' is a newspaper format dreamfest of Michael's drawings along with Jesjit Gill and Steph Davidson, a total wonder. And finally, 'Lose', Michael's full comic debut on the super sweet Koyama Press publisher. Come get some! All hail King Trash!

Keith G. Herzik

The postman went loco and dropped this bumper parcel of Keith G. Herzik books on Sunday, the shipment was obviously too hot to handle so el postino had to enlighten me on his day of rest. Fair play. Keith Herzik lives in Chicago, he makes fun on paper. Observe the snaps of these screenprinted books for proof!!!!! So pleased to have FIVE books of Keith's in the shop, I'm a long-time admirer of his wyld style. Each copy of each book is unique unto itself with different colourways, crops and the whole part 'n' parcel of the process. Priced at £4 and £5, you need these inexpensive priceless booklets of joy in your life. Collect 'em all!

New Poster/Flyer

Three blogs in one evening, is that normal? Healthy?

Trains Are...Mint

A double helping of kudos king prawns goes to Oliver East today for gracing Good Grief's palms with not one, not two, not three but FOUR issues of his excellent 'Trains Are...Mint' comic series. Each one a full-colour feast of Oliver's footsteps via train tracks from Manchester to Liverpool. Packs a punch through the pages of meanderings and inanely perfect details on a purposeful mission, or something. I like it anyway and I think you will too. Oliver East is one of the most welcome guests the shop's had so far to boot, and that's saying something. You're all gorgeous. Check some images teenffed from Oliver's site below...

Geoff McFetridge's Wild Things book

Good Grootlings Grief fans!

The tricky interim between Crankmast and Now Year! What does one do? What does one say? One's probably best to just buy a few books and disappear into the duvet and reappear in 2010 ; refreshed, rejingled and ready to mingle. Take Geoff McFetridge's Where the Wild Things are sketches book (not the name but the essence of it) for example. These aren't the latest addition to the shop but they are still very fresh in the mind. A couple of copies left, the first book of hopefully many GG! will be stocking from that fine Zurich-based publisher, NIEVES! Come and grab your copy for £9. Some words from Geoff McFetridge on the book below...

Recent Work
Geoff McFetridge (Los Angeles, USA)

This book is a small collection of some of the work I have done for Spike Jonze’s film adaptation of the book Where the Wild Things Are. I met Spike around 1998 and I have worked with him a lot over the years. This usually involved creating piles of work that amounted to a very small contribution to the project. This never bothered me, because it was an incredibly creative, fun and rewarding process that led up to the scrapping of my work!

I noticed a difference when I began working on Where the Wild Things Are. For the first time I felt that Spike and I were working on a project where I could actually contribute in a significant way. Much less of what I was making was being thrown away, which was a first. I was given the opportunity to interpret not only Spike Jonze’s interpretation of Where the Wild Things Are, but also Maurice Sendak’s original book.

Like any kid growing up in the 70’s I was greatly influenced by Mr. Sendak’s books. His books are not just on my bookshelf they are in my blood. What I did with the titles, type treatments and marketing graphics also owes greatly to the heavy creative lifting done by Sonny Gerasimowicz who designed the creatures in the film and the Art Direction of K.K. Barrett. 

Geoff McFetridge

Multiforce

Multiforce by Mat Brinkman is one of the sweetiest things in the shop right now. It's great and then some, funny, the best drawings, killer attention to detail. Two copies (or maybe one) left!!!!!! Check out Frank Santoro's notes on this classy act from the Comics Comics blogue...

http://comicscomicsmag.blogspot.com/2009/07/multiforce-notes.html

NOW SOLD OUT but we'll be getting a few more copies in January sometime along with more PictureBox goodies

Visuals

Some snaps from last week. More in the way of books has turned up since, including Matthew Thurber's excellent 1-800 Mice #1, 2 and 3!!!!!!!!!! Check the vid below. Fully comprehensive list to come soon but in the meantime, the photos and captions beneath give a taste. Come in to see it all!

Top Shelf L-R : Lucy Jones "Untitled", Ted May "Injury #3", Jess Higgins "Fig.1,2,3", Kevin Huizenga "New Construction #2". Bottom Shelf : "Upset the Rhythm records"

L-R (starting at the watermelon) : Nick Ainsworth "One Yon Crazy Crisis of Confidence", Yuichi Yokoyama "New Engineering", Sammy Harkham (and friends) "Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror #15", (in the dog seat) Eric Haven "Aviatrix", Malcy Duff "The Blackest Gnome", "Sturgeon White Moss #5" magazine, Nick Ainsworth "Kiwi & Pom".

My view of proceedings. Observe the rare snap of a real-life browsing actor. Her rates per page turn are highly competitive.

The wall that isn't the window. Beautilicious wall adornments and table cloth coverings

Just a small selection of the stupendous beyond FINE art Seripop posters Good Grief! is packing on the left two-thirds. On the right one-third we have just one of the small selection of Lucy Jones posters that are beautifully created and realised.

My bad self sat at my bad desk surrounded by bad flags infront of more bad Lucy Jones posters

Observe! From L-R, Mat Brinkman "Multiforce", Anders Nilsen "Monologuist Paper Blog Supplemental and Postcard Set", Lisa Hanawalt "I Want You" (SOLD OUT) and Taylor McKimens "The Good Life"

Asides from the selection of Upset the Rhythm recs captured above, we also have an extensive line in Comfortable on a Tightrope tapes (Irma Vep, Nathaniel, Former Bullies), Golden Lab Records records, cd-rs and tapes, Rayon Record tapes assss well as stand-alone stand-out pieces from Waiters, Great Grand Suns and Part Wild Horses Mane on Both Sides...and maybe some others too.

In other, slightly less heavily linked, news, Good Grief! welcomed her first celebrity customer this week. Josie Long, the famous comedian. All we here at GG! officially love her and don't see how any further celeb cameos could better Josie's walk-on (speaking) part. That isn't to say that other celebrities shouldn't try butttttt maybe you shouldn't. Good Grief! also welcomes the unfamous (and the infamous) and the unfunny. Praise bee!

Good Opening!

Greetings,

Good Grief is officially open, the gates were thrown wide on Tuesday this week.The shelves are stocked with gems and the tables is looking prettay prettay good. Received a bunch of books today which I'm really excited about putting out (and reading) anddd a wholly wholesome bunch of Seripop posters arrived which will also be available to buy buy buy. Thank you to everyone who's shipped out and sailed in personally so far, it would be a shell without ye. Thanks today to go to Sacha Mardou and Ted May particularly!

See you tomorrow

Photogs!

Fittings...DONE. Raise a test-tube to The Scientist and special praise-be to Lieutenant Lordes Jonestown. Books and the rest to be put in proper yet but Tuesday is the day that Good Grief! goes LIVE!!!!!!!! Special props also to all who have sent in or handed me books and all besides, the yield is rich this year.

Hands up!

Introducing...The Scientist, my saviour

GG! also sells reflections

Sit at the bench, read a book. Drink in the tablecloths, do as the Romans do etc.

Flagtacular. Kudos Lucy Jones!!!!

Desk by The Scientist, legs by lumber. Sitting at it will be a joy

Taste.

I done a poster

Course I did. Here it is above, it acts as a flyer too. Not long til Tuesday now, things are coming together. More blog before then!