Soaring Penguin catches the Undertow

British indie publisher Soaring Penguin Books has just published its first book of 2012 - Undertow by Ellen Lindner.

Set amidst the chaos of a summer weekend at Coney Island, Undertow tells the story of Rhonda, a girl suddenly overwhelmed by events beyond her control. Her mother's alcoholism, her best friend's death...and now a social worker who's intent on making it all better. Only her brother seems to understand what she's going through, but even he doesn't think much of her plan to escape it all by finding a career.

A story of finding your way in life and deciding who you are, Undertow takes the reader on a tour of a side of the 1950's that didn't make it into the romance comics: heroin, sex, and hopelessness, with a dash of nightclub dancing and swimming after curfew.

Born on Long Island, Ellen, also editor of the The Strumpet, has been livng in London for the last seven years. Her classic style, intricate detail, and sharp storytelling let her readers explore a world that is otherwise unknown to them. She first self-published Undertow in 2009, and over the last few years she has participated in two UK comics collectives - Whores of Mensa and the more rcently-launched Comix Reader. Both exhibit the work and talent of underground comic illustrators and their underground work.

• Soaring Penguin Books: http://publications.soaringpenguin.com

• Ask for a copy at Gosh!, Orbital Comics or any other of the UK's fine comics retailers.

• This new hardcover of Undertow is on sale now in the UK and you can read the first chapter in Ellen's Undertow gallery

• Ellen's blog is here and her web site is here, and you can aso fnd her on Twitter

Imagined Cities: New londonprintstudio exhibition

Imagined Cities, a new exhibtion at lononprintstudio, opens this week (17th June) and features the work of a number of great British comic artists including Al Davison and Karrie Fransman.

The exhibition will launch with a party on 16th June - more details on Facebook (although it's listed as 'Private View' it's also been classified as a Public Event).

From mad bird gods to man-eating women, from a run down Northern suburb to an Eastern block city; the work you will see in the Imagined Cities exhibition showcases the varied imaginations of some of the best young, British comic artists.

This exhibition is the culmination of a six month internship run by the londonprintstudio where five interns (Rachel Taylor, William Goldsmith, Isabel Greenberg, Freya Harrison and Joe Kelly) mentored local teenagers, ran workshops and created an anthology. 

Their work, and that of the 16-20 year old students, is displayed alongside professional British comic artists who have acted as project mentors: Al Davison (Vertigo), Ellen Lindner (Whores of Mensa), Karrie Fransman (Random House) and publisher SelfMadeHero. 

The book also features a foreword from Posy Simmonds, creator of Tamara Drewe.

• Imagined Cities runs at the londonprintstudio from 17th- 25th June. More information: www.londonprintstudio.org.uk

• Imagined Cities preview Blog

Laydeez Do Comics: Ellen Lindner Talk

Whores of Mensa 5 - On Sale Now! from Ellen Lindner on Vimeo.

(with thanks to Peter Lally at Alternative Press): Comics’ artist Ellen Lindner will be discussing the process of putting together the just released issue of comics’ anthology Whores of Mensa at the next Laydeez Do Comics event in London (Monday 27th September).

The latest issue of WOM, on sale now, features comics by Cliodhna Lyons, Maartje Schalkx, Jeremy Day, Richard Cowdry, Peter Lally, and many more.

Ellen will also explain why she feels anthologies matter, and self-publishing in general - especially her experience self-publishing her graphic novel, Undertow.

Ellen’s talk should be very informative as she has a very full experience of this whole field and the issues creators may face, including fundraising, editing, launching, selling, t-shirt /badge/merchandising, cake-making, etc. -- all while still carrying on a personal artistic career, having an outside life, being a married woman, and her budding film actress career.

All to produce a small-press work - what madness!

• Laydeez Do Comics – Talk by Ellen Lindner - Monday 27 September, 6.30pm, The Sewing Room ,  The Rag Factory, 16-18 Heneage Street, London E1 5LJ
• Laydeez do Comics  - www.nikjep.demon.co.uk/layindex.htm

• Whores of Mensa: www.whoresofmensa.com
• Buy Issue 5 of Whores of Mensa here