Purveyors of independent comics, art and music since 1987
Comics Ugly Mug, our annual anthology of comics to amuse and confuse | Art books Handy collections of life drawings, pinups and sketchbooks highlights | Original art Ugly Mug pages, original sketchbooks, marker pen pinups and more |
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Our blog is regularly updated with highlights from the HoH sketchbooks, writing and more.
- Roll up, roll up for The Bugle Summer Special
The new issue of Bagnall and Bartle’s The Bugle comic is being launched with a splish, a splash and a splosh at Consett Heart on Friday 28th June. Get yourself along for a night of musical entertainment from The Tunisians, Lee Harrison and One Dollar Zombies.
The Bugle is a grown-up tribute to the British children’s comics of yore. Here’s some sneak previews from its pages, by the wonderful John Bagnall…
The Bugle Summer Special also features stories by regular Ugly Mug contributors Ed Pinsent and Marc Baines. And an all-new House of Harley three pager: the return of Lady Backenforth – she’s the Lord of the Manor – in another battle with the scamps of Slackdale…
Original artwork from The Bugle will be on sale, along with comics, postcards and Slackdale Pickles! The exhibition opens at 5.30pm and the music begins at 7pm. Entry is free but any donations go to keeping Consett Heart open.
Meanwhile, if you haven’t got issue one of The Bugle, there’s a few copies still available for just £5+p&p in John Bagnall’s Etsy store. Snap it up while you can.
- Ugly Mug 7 back in stock
The bumper 2023 edition of our art-comix anthology Ugly Mug recently disappeared from the House of Harley Etsy store due to an alleged (and baffling) violation of Etsy policies – but we’re happy to report that it’s back.
Issue 7 is packed with comics and drawings to amuse and confuse, including:
Otherweirdly – epic notions of another world by Denny Derbyshire
Take the Children Out of Town – a crisis of adulthood played out in Seussian rhyme
How a Comic is Made – John Bagnall goes inside the factory
The Imbalance of Nature – weird and wonderful extremes of life documented by Ed Pinsent
the debut of Mark E Smith Music Teacher, our affectionate tribute to the lead singer of The Fall. (For more about this, see our previous post).
Duk u Sucka – Tom Baxter Tiffin‘s tale of Ned Kelly lost in The Dreamtime
Seb, Surrounded – our hardy heroine battles an enemy she cannot see
Batlight, a beguiling photo story by the much missed Chris Reynolds
Windy Wilberforce – Harry Excess tangles with Dr Fengele in chapter 7 of Ed Pinsent‘s The Saga of the Scroll
Dogbreath – Savage Pencil‘s misanthropic mutt dreams of world destruction
And eye popping graphix by Alberto Monteiro, Masaman, Jim Barker and Oxideguy
Ugly Mug 7 gives you 120 pages to reckon with for a mere £19.99+p&p. It is available in our Etsy shop as well as via Lulu (which can be cheaper for international readers).
“As jammed-packed with beguiling thrilling stuff as any British X-mas Annual of yore, these curated creations brim with surreal narrative force and come overloaded with wry and witty visual oomph…” – Win Wiacek, Now Read This!
“Adults only… they weren’t kidding.” – Talking Small Press Comics
To mark the occasion of Ugly Mug 7’s return, here’s some glimpses at work-in-progress art from its pages, by the House of Harley studio…
…and also, a rare treat, a look at the full cover design submitted by iestyn pettigrew…
You can find more 21st century editions of Ugly Mug on the House of Harley website. We’re working hard on issue 9 now and it’s due to hit the streets in the autumn. To sign up for notifications about that and other House of Harley news, look for the ‘Join for Free’ button on this page.
“…from darkly satirical tales to absurdist comedies, all drawn with a raw, expressive style… guaranteed to leave a lasting impression on readers… this is an anthology that’ll make you laugh, admire artistic flair, and maybe even question your sanity.” – Comic Book News UK
“…the tagline ‘comics to amuse and confuse’ perfectly encapsulates the breadth of material between its covers… its contents range from everything from parodic Viz-like humour through to oblique and sometimes even impenetrable experimental comics.” – Broken Frontier