Big backsides – depicted with relish by Brazilian guest Alberto Monteiro
Windy Wilberforce – our hero imperilled under the scalpel of Dr Fengele, in chapter 8 of Ed Pinsent‘s The Saga of the Scroll
And precision-engineered parts supplied by the House of Harley:
Jack of All Trades – explains how to deal with a wasps nest in your bedroom
Life with Freda Nipple – onesies, hybrid working and urban birding
Mark E Smith Music Teacher – more life lessons from The Fall’s late lead singer
Sound of the Underground – an earth-shaking collision of politics and music
Alll wrapped in injection-molded covers designed by Northern powerhouse John Bagnall.
“Ugly Mug is a really, really interesting anthology out of the UK… doesn’t seem to be engaged in anything ‘on trend’, instead we have stark black and white cartooning with blunt, human stories. Magnetic stuff, not like the rest!” – Austin English, Domino Books
Published Sept 2024. A4, 56 pages.
“You want something different in cartooning and storytelling? Get this! Wild, unhindered creativity on display.” – Talking Small Press Comics
“Wild fun and the epitome of sheer creativity perfection… here is more racy fare than any British X-mas Annual of yore. These cunning creations teem with turbulent narrative force and visual clout, and come packed to the gills with wry and witty visual oomph…” – Win Wiacek, Now Read This!
£8.95 + postage.ADULTS ONLY. Order now direct from Square.
IN THIS ISSUE: heavenly objects –dusty shelves– voting kids–actors high on amphetamines –burning rivers –blood pressure pills –ragtime jazz – horses of the future–amorphous empires – police stations on fire – stopped clocks –green herrings – art misattributed to Banksy –sticky floors–Philly steaks–pensioners on trampolines – a dominion of shades in waiting silence
Ugly Mug, the House of Harley’s annual anthology of primo grade underground art-comix, is BACK to put 2023 in its place. The finest pens of the British small press join forces with a gaggle of international guests for an exhilarating exploration of karma and chaos…
Otherweirdly – epic notions of another world by Denny Derbyshire
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
I Fucking Hate Steroids – iestyn demonstrates the drawbacks of prescription medication
Duk U Sucka – Tom Baxter Tiffin‘s tale of Ned Kelly lost in The Dreamtime
Respecto! – how do you get it, asks Hal Weaver
RSD Lang – Ed Pinsent‘s record detective regrets discovering Noise Music
King Kong Memories – Jason Atomic shaves the beast
Cafe society scenes – captured by our on-the-spot reporter Patricia Gaignat
Advisory Bureau – John Bagnall explains how to deal with modern living
Batlight – Chris Reynolds takes a ride in an elevator
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
Plus bonus slices of British life served up by John Bagnall
And eye popping graphix by Alberto Monteiro, Masaman, Jim Barker and Oxideguy
All the above contained within iestyn‘s bewildering wraparound cover.
“If you think comics should be fun as well as deeply serious, and want to ingest a brew of art laced with heavy doses of insanity, wonder, and escapades inside the Dream-House, then this totally unique underground publication is your beer.” Ed Pinsent, The Sound Projector
As if that’s not enough to unsettle your equilibrium, there’s all this and more from the artists of the House of Harley studio…
Start Your Day the Ugly Mug Way – 100% sound lifestyle advice from our resident expert
Take the Children Out of Town – a crisis of adulthood played out in Seussian rhyme
Seb, Surrounded – our hardy heroine battles an enemy she cannot see
Mark E Smith Music Teacher – The Fall singer’s secret side hustle
PCSO Dan – cannabis farm and fur baby bulletins from your local community copper
There, there – when life gets on top of us, we all need some home comfort
Seminal Surprises – you’ll be amazed by what can be produced
Try Harder – Mister Tut Tut sets the world to rights
Voodoo Master Selfies – Instagram highlights
No Kisses Before Christmas – be patient, Busy Lizzie has a lot on her plate
Mr Jimmy Joist Biology Teacher – retrieves young Raymond’s lost homework
Corporate Responsibility – why everyone should apply to work at the House of Harley
Published Sept 2023. A4 paperback., 120 pages.
“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!
“…an experimental mix of comics and art, often both at the same time… a valuable resource with some great underground creators” – The Awesome Comics Podcast
“If you’re familiar with any of the previous UGLY MUGS you’ll have some idea of what to expect, but if not this mind-roasting compilation will make for an excellent introduction.” – The Bedlam Files
“…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
£19.99 + postage.ADULTS ONLY. Order now direct from Lulu.
Or pick up a copy from these online and real world retailers: – Domino Books, US – SOLD OUT – Gosh Comics, London, UK (in store only) – Pushkin House Bookshop, London, UK
IN THIS ISSUE: stealable dogs – dangling ropes – trained penguins – rising bills – country retreats– comfy chairs – unbreakable belt – dancing on the ceiling – street nudity – a bottomless bucket – apocalypse gumbo – social media dischord – abandoned wrecks – fresh bread –aniseed balls–stinging nettles– Ray Harryhausen cameo–hate speech clampdowns – a field full of hares
City and country are explored in story and picture by our intrepid contributors, including the krispy kreme of the British small press cartooning scene, plus a pastry platter of international guests…
Endicott and the Case of the Five Windows – an Astorial Anecdote by Ed Pinsent
Sous Chef Blues – the twisted politics of food exposed by Tom Baxter Tiffin
Viktor Frankenstein Retired – anonymity and seclusion in a seaside town, by John Bagnall
In Spelunca – Marc Baines reveals the secret lodged in the caves of Whitby
The Young Prince Umsween – a new take on an old allegory by Chris Reynolds
I Got Hung on the Wire – Jason Atomic gets tangled up in barbed wire and brambles
Street scenes and portrait sketches – city living illustrated by Patricia Gaignat
Sandecay – vast skies, truth and lies documented by Orkney vistor iestyn
RSD Lang Record Detective – Ed Pinsent‘s intemperate sleuth investigates The Beatles’ White Album
Cardboard cities – radical street plans designed by Jim Barker
Japanese graphix – four eye-popping drawings by the mysterious Masaman
Windy Wilberforce – word harvests and corrupted crops in chapter 6 of Ed Pinsent‘s The Saga of the Scroll
Scenes from Club Mancuso – portraits of visitors to the prestigous floating venue, by owner Vince Mancuso
Winter of the Asteroids – an astral gathering attended by Denny Derbyshire
“A mixture of genius and drivel, just like comics should be. I laughed! I cried! I scratched my head!” Roger Sabin, Professor of Popular Culture, Central Saint Martin
Plus lots more from the anonymous artists of the House of Harley studio…
Seb, Suspended – our heroine’s world goes topsy turvy
While the City Slumbers – giants walk the land
PCSO Dan – creates content for the community
Patricia does not do the dishes – and explains why
Smoked-Out Shindig – Greek goddess sabotages party
Reading the Streets – urban literacy
What is a Product Manager? – the House of Harley explains
Dora the Art Restorer – faces her biggest challenge yet
Into the Shadow Realm – naked abstraction awaits
Nothing to See Here – censorship in action
How to read Ugly Mug – a user’s guide
Voodoo Master Funnies – you’ll laugh your head off
Hangin’ with the House of Harley – fan questions answered
Published Oct 2022. 100 pages, A4 paperback. Not suitable for children.
“…adult oriented artwork from the world’s foremost underground cartoonists… high weirdness in the comic book sphere…” – The Bedlam Files
“As the gears in the mind of this magician (with his hieratic hat and cape) start to turn, so too do our minds churn as we struggle to make sense of the fascinating, puzzling contents of Ugly Mug 6!” – reviewed by Ed Pinsent (part 1 and part 2)
“…the Monty Python of comic books… they dragged it across the ocean from Great Britain…” – Talking Small Press Comics
“…an old school-style reminder of the breadth of self-published practice in the UK…” – Broken Frontier
The House of Harley’s comics anthology Ugly Mug is back after a 30 year break. Order your copy now from Lulu.
The forces of optimism and pessimism battle it out over 72 pages in this horror-themed mag, which features new strips and drawings by the creme of the British small press cartooning scene:
Organic Matter – an auxillary brain is assembled, in a twisted tale by Ed Pinsent
Peasholm Island – prologue to the forthcoming graphic novel The Rightful King of the North Riding by Marc Baines
Father Gilderoy Investigates – meet John Bagnall‘s dynamic sleuth
Somberline: Dreams of Power – ominous politics in this Chris Reynolds one-pager
Snak – an art-punk drawing from Savage Pencil‘s Animals Eating Other Animals series
Beserker – Tom Baxter Tiffin‘s spider fellow is too mangled for the Multiverse
Postcards From A Nother Place – images from the interstellar travels of Denny Derbyshire
Put Your Best Foot Fwd – a radical self-help philosophy, modelled by Canadian contortionist and performance artist Ess Hödlmoser aka Strange and Wonderful Creature
Ugly Mugshots snapped by Niall Richardson
The Saga of the Scroll – Harry Excess encounters a giant octopus and other evil omens, in chapter 5 of Ed Pinsent‘s Windy Wilberforce epic
And from the House of Harley studio…
Enigmatic cover star Voodoo Master undergoes a mid-life crisis
Harvey’s S-S-S-Secret – Hollywood actor Harvey Keitel faces his biggest fear
Count Dracula’s Great Secret is revealed, in a tribute to Paul Naschy, 1970s ice lolly ads and picnic vodka
Seb, stranded in fog – where is everyone?
The Kommuter Kronicle exposes the psycho-political horror of public transport policy
Discourage the Use of Cash – the House of Harley’s Behavioural Research Unit strikes
Negative Lad asks what good are superpowers in this misbegotten world?
Trick or Street – never drive at night!
Harmless Delusions about Rice Krispies and Padron Peppers
How to make your own Golden Flavoured Syrup
Dora the Art Restorer reveals a trade secret
Dunstan Hunna puts the washing out
Reflexology – a rude pictorial poem
A glimpse behind the scenes at the House of Harley studio
Published Nov 2021. 72 pages, A4 paperback. Not suitable for children.
“…an irresistible compendium of non-mainstream comic strip goodness. The contents run the gamut from rational to surreal, silly to sophisticated, amusing to offensive; UGLY MUG 5 is, in short, eminently representative of the state of the art in modern-day underground comix.”
Coming very soon… the first issue of the House of Harley’s comics anthology, Ugly Mug, in 30 years… featuring guest cartoonists Ed Pinsent, Marc Baines, John Bagnall, Savage Pencil, Denny Derbyshire, Chris Reynolds, Tom Tiffin, Niall Richardson and a brace of comics and drawings by the House of Harley studio stevedores.
Get in touch if you would like to be notified when it’s published.
