Megan Bradbury, who designed the cover for Clockwork Evolution will be joining writers Corey Brotherson and Yomi Ayeni at the launch of the new book at Thought Bubble Convention in Leeds this weekend. Evolution is the 7th graphic novel in our Steampunk story, and is based on live events that we have hosted over the past 6 years. Want to know more? We’ll be at table 22, in Victoria Hall. Come say hello!
Just back from San Diego Comic Con and our story has evolved, spawning a new title called “Evolution“ – the 7th book in the Clockwork Watch series.
There was lots of excitement, sales, and interest in the story. We hope to bring give a full update soon with pictures.
This time around we’re working with a new artist, Ed Jimenez who is in Costa Rica! Our colourist is Kote Carjaval of Chile, and the eagle-eyed Mike Stock is our letterer.
You may may not know, but all our titles are handcrafted by Fabio Duarte Martins of Portugal. Every year he painstakingly crafts a new design for us, which brings the front page to life!
Now… we’ve brought some USA pre-released copies back with us, and they are now on pre-order!
The first 30 orders are being sent a free limited edition, signed poster featuring Saccadius Cartwright, protagonist in our storyworld. These goodies were designed by the super talented Megan Bradbury!
For the past four years, Corey and I have braved the Wild Wild West to exhibit / launch our new titles at the phenomenon called San Diego Comic Con, probably the world’s biggest comic art convention, which is rumoured to have 180 thousand attendees every day. The experience is daunting, as we are probably the only black British independent creators in the Small Press section of the event.
Preparing for the adventure usually starts around November, when we realise it’s almost too late to get the next book ready for the Con which takes place in July. Corey (editor/adapting writer) – a very busy man, with several other writing projects on-the-go, has consistently nursed every book through to publication. Not much would happen without his support, and ingenuity, he is the backbone of Clockwork Watch.
Part of the process involves making sure our artists (Jennie Gyllblad and most recently Ed Jiménez) has the time to finish the pages, checking-in with our letterer, Mike Stock, to see if he can fit us in, (he usually has a holiday scheduled around Comic Con time), and not forgetting our esteemed Fabio – Creative Director of FEST in Portugal, who works tirelessly to design a new title for every book.
So, here we are again – flight and accommodation booked (at great expense), bags packed, and we’re almost ready for the ‘big off’,
Ahhh, and the new book “Evolution” is currently being printed in Memphis. It is way cheaper than shipping the books from the UK. Can you imagine the disaster IF they were seized, delayed, or returned to the UK by US customs? Perish the thought…
You can find us at P-09 in the Small Press section,where we will have the new book, the Clockwork Watch: Omnibus, Tick Tock IPA: Omnibus, posters, and warm smiles.
For SCIENCE!
Yomi Ayeni
Creator of Clockwork Watch
#SDCC #BlackWriters #Steampunk #SDCC2017 #SDCC17
Evolution: When the voices in your head sabotage your first day at the new job.
Clockwork Watch: Evolution will be available at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con.
“The future holds no guarantees; the past does not have all the answers. Unless you dig deep enough.”
Great review by Stephen at Page 45 in Nottingham. Thanks for the love and support!!!!
Seems like a “When harry Met Sally” situation, but having editor Corey Brotherson at the helm of Clockwork Watch has changed lives. Here is his annual round up of how we started the project.
How would you feel if someone took your newborn baby away from you? In Evolution – Tale of the Alchemist, we follow Saccadius Cartwright’s fictional life from birth…
Being born out of wedlock in the Victorian age was seen as a shameful thing. This stigma meant many children were taken into social care and adopted, irrespective of the circumstances that led to the pregnancy.
A rich man’s mistress might not have the respect of everyone, but with the right resources – money from a lover – she could live quite well and be accepted in a certain segment of society. On the other hand, a single woman with a child had little opportunity to earn her own way, and if there was no one to help she could soon be lost to poverty or prostitution, which could lead to more illegitimate children.
And then there was the issue of title or inheritance, which is something we take seriously here in the UK. An illegitimate child was not entitled to the family name or to inheritance – even sons of royalty were often granted titles, but they were not entitled to inherit the title from their father – essentially Jon Snow in Game of Thrones.
During the Industrial Revolution, women migrated to cities for work and many lost family support. Some weren’t particularly streetwise – which led to a rise in illegitimacies. Some were desperate enough to abandon newborn babies, leaving them to die, others were dumped in the doorways of the local church or a foundling home.
When local villages couldn’t afford to subsidise living at home for the poor, the ‘workhouse’ came into being. All types of poor, including women with children, were put in such institutions. Many turned to prostitution to support themselves and their children.
“In earlier times, a girl had little opportunity to run away to hide her shame and start a new life. A single, pregnant girl would be hustled out of town quickly so the child wasn’t born in the parish and thus a local responsibility.”
“When cities became larger and more anonymous and the middle class had more money, another option became available. A woman might go away for an extended visit to a relative in a distant location. She might return a few months later as a ‘widow’, having supposedly met and married a husband who met an untimely end, leaving her with a small child. Or, she might take an extended trip and give up the child for adoption before returning home.” – www.geneaology.com
“Evolution – Tale of the Alchemist, will be on sale at San Diego Comic Con, and other conventions including the Lakes International Comic Art Festival, later this year. The whole Clockwork Watch series is available through our online shop.
We’re glad to welcome artist Ed Jiménez to the Clockwork Watch fold, where he takes over art / illustration on Evolution – Tale of the Alchemist.
Ed, who works in both hand drawn and digital, brings a new look / feel to the Clockwork Watch story, especially introducing Saccadius Cartwright to the world.
Here’s a link to his site.
A new tentacle in the critically acclaimed Clockwork Watch series.