Candle-lit ceremonies in drawing rooms and dungeons. Ritualistic robes and craven curses. Ancient myths and mystic symbols. Sex magick and sacrifice. These are just some of the ‘Rites, wrongs and revivications’ to be found in the pages of Scratch an Itch 1.
Cast the runes against your own soul and place a pox upon your air fryer, with the latest in our growing series of limited edition art booklets, Scratch an Itch 1 features 24 occult-themed spreads from the House of Harley sketchbooks, illuminated with profane and pagan pantones.
These choice selections from the House of Harley archive were drawn sometime during the 21st century and first published, with digital colour added, on the House of Harley blog from 2019 to 2024. Plus one never-seen-before spread published for the first time.
Created to mark the House of Harley’s return to the Satanic Flea Market on Sunday 13th April 2025.
Original House of Harley sketchbooks are available to buy in our Etsy shop.
Published April 2025. Limited and numbered edition of 40. Full colour A6 booklet. 44 pages.
The King of the Vampires looks you in the eye and dares you to resist his will, in this image from the comic strip ‘Count Dracula’s Great Secret’ (see Ugly Mug 5). Wear it on your chest and make Old Vlad’s power your own.
The House of Harley’s comics anthology Ugly Mug is back after a 30 year break. Order your copy now from Lulu(cheaper for international buyers) or our Etsy shop.
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.”
