I watched a lot of the Glastonbury coverage at the weekend, by far the best thing I saw was Manu Chao. He was the singer in the group Mano Negra who you might remember, I think he’s better than ever now though. I’ve been listening to his album Radio Bemba Sound System all week, it’s amazing, beautiful music. My new mission in life is to see Manu play live!

I’m man enough to admit Neil Diamond was great too! I muted the TV when that tedious stroker Mark Ronson came on though.

The penultimate episode 12 will be here on Sunday! Honest!

If you’re on Facebook, there is now a group for Magic Beans Comics. Started by escaped mental patients, it now has an astonishing SIX members There are some comic strips and stuff so have a look if you get time!

Part 11 on Sunday! The devastating conclusion to The Philadelphia Experiment draws close…

Prestonpandemonium 3 was a huge success, we had a great time! My new comic I Cashed A Dead Man’s Pension went down pretty well, and Omnivistacope 4 did too. (There’s a review of OVS4 on Down The Tubes here by the way!)

I got some great comics and books too, like Graeme Neil Reid’s One Last Time, Magda Boreysza’s Toastycats, and Gavin Inglis’s Crap Ghosts. All highly recommended!

Gavin also very kindly gave me a copy of The Cocoanuts, the Marx Brothers first film and the only one I didn’t have. Hence the gratuitous Marx-tastic clip above

Bargain of the day was getting issue 23 of Groo The Wanderer for 50p, a true classic and the first appearance of those mendicants Pal n Drumm. Sheer joy!

So a big hello and thanks to Graeme, Jeremy, Tom, Bruce, Paul and his adorable son, Kerry, Gavin, Magda and everyone else I saw. And a mega-thanks to Nigel and Jan for putting on such a great event!

Part 10 next sunday!

Just a reminder that this saturday, the 31st, I will be attending the third Prestonpandemonium comics event in Scotland. It’s a great day out, and as it’s part of the larger Three Harbours Arts Festival, attracts all kinds of interesting people. I’ve got a new comic out for it called I Cashed A Dead Man’s Pension, which is so awesome I’m giving it away free. :) Come and say hello if you’re going!

On the same day at the other end of our Green and Pleasant Land, the first No Barcodes event is taking place in Camden Market. London Underground Comics have assembled some of the finest small press creators in the UK, and it promises to be quite a day. So if you’re in London on saturday go to No Barcodes!

I wish I could go to both, but I’m not Madrox The Multiple Man!*

Ben

* For non-geeks: He’s in the X-Men and can make duplicates of himself. I’ll shut up now…

One of my favourite online comic strips is the World’s Worst Webcomic, which is updated 5 times a week. It makes me laugh out loud so much, I just absolutely love it. Even though most of the jokes are about YOUR MOM. Yes, YOU.

Check it out!

Part 9 on Sunday!

Part 8 on Sunday!