In Review: Glister and the Faerie Host

Glister and the Faerie Host
by Andi Watson
Published by Walker Books
Out: Now

The Book: It's coming up to Halloween and already Glister's father is bustling around getting ready for Christmas! The Butterworths are putting up decorations for the tree and making preparations for the big day, but Glister is sad – her mother is missing and Christmas just wouldn't be the same without her. She's determined to find her mum and solve the mystery of her disappearance.

However, boundary changes in the area mean Faerieland and Whixleyshire's borders now meet right outside Glister's front door. Once Glister has ventured into Faerieland in search of her beloved lost mum, very strange things start to happen and her biggest challenge will be finding her way home again...

The Review: This is the third book in a quirky, funny series for girls starring Glister Butterworth – girl-magnet for the weird and unusual.

Glister and the Faerie Host draws on Greek myth (the legend of Persophone springs immediately to mind) and the concept of a physical Faerie world in our own you can visit if you dare we've seen else where (Neil Gaiman's Stardust, for example, but there are many others). While this might seem like treading old ground, Andi Watson, whose recent credits include work for Image and Marvel, has drawn on many rich folklore elements and created a wonderful new world with his own Glister series - tales aimed at young adults I'd argue were ideal for getting them "into" comics, as well as being superb stories in their own right.

In this latest tale, Glister takes on the Faerie King to find her mother, braving the worst the kingdom of the Faerie (now nearer to home thanks to Council boundary changes!) can throw at her. The art is gorgeous: some of the scenes - even quiet ones, where Glister is talking to her mother's 'ghost' in her bedroom - are lovingly rendered, and the scripting is knockout. (Andi's description of the coming autumn, for example - a small thing, but fab - and the whole sorry tale of how Glister's mother went missing in the first place.

There are also some great extras in the book (you can find more Glister extras on Andi's LJ blog, and on the Walker Books web site), including "Glister Vs The Toll Troll" and "Home to Roost", two short stories. All in all it's a great little package for little hands, as well as soppy old gits like me blown away by decent storytelling.

Glister and the Family Tree is the next in the series and it's out on 1st March. Can't wait!

• Buy Glister: The Faerie Host from amazon.co.uk

More Glister Books

• Glister: The Haunted Teapot
Preview: http://bit.ly/7oIUVM

• Glister: The House Hunt
Preview: http://bit.ly/4HhSnK

• Glister: The Family Tree
Out 1st March 2010

• Andi Watson's Official web site: www.andiwatson.biz

• Glister Official Blog

Comix Come To Telford: Creators Wanted

Budding young comic artists in Telford have the chance to learn from Marvel/DC/DC Thomson pro’s.

For the first time since it started five years ago, Midlands-based organisation Hi8us, which develops and delivers a range of arts and media projects collaborating with young people, will deliver its internationally successful and innovative Comic Art talent scheme in Telford.

Comix Telford is a talent finding competition for budding young comic artists. The aim is to discover and nurture talented artists and support them to get into the comics industry with the help of world-class comic professionals such as John McCrea (X-Men, Spider-Man, The Hulk) and Hunt Emerson (The Beano, Fortean Times). The scheme is completely free thanks to Telford & Wrekin’s Find Your Talent programme and the only thing applicants need to do to be considered is send in copies of their most recent comic strips and complete a short application form.

From July 2009 to October 2009, 20 finalists will get the opportunity to train with the lead professional comic artists on the scheme John McCrea and Hunt Emerson as well as a wealth of other professional talent including Laura Howell (The Beano, The Guardian), IMAF winner Asia Alfasi and Andi Watson (Geisha, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) amongst others. The invaluable experience of the professionals will be used to support and develop the talents of those on the scheme, giving them all the essential training, tips and tricks relating to the art of comics as well as a route into the industry by providing access to publishers and editors. The scheme will culminate in the trainees having their first comic book published and launched at the British International Comics Show in October.

As we've mentioned in the past, Hi8us Midlands is part of an established charity with an impressive long history of utilising the skills of experts to guide aspiring artists and media producers, with professional results. “We run a range of arts & media projects in a range of communities up and down the country; we come across a great deal of untapped talent and this scheme is just one way of meeting the needs of the gifted individuals we know are out there,” says Kulwant Dhaliwal, Hi8us Midlands Director.

“I think this is a wonderful opportunity,” comments John McCrea. “When I was breaking into the industry I would have loved the chance to be on this project”.

This scheme is fully funded by Telford & Wrekin Council’s Find Your Talent programme. Julie Jones, Creative Arts Manager at Telford & Wrekin Council said “Our aim is to support and nurture talented young people, we know they’re out there!”

• The deadline for postal submissions is Friday 17th July 2009. The deadline for email submissions is Sunday 19th July 2009. If people want to find out more about the scheme they can attend the informal recruitment session taking place at the Telford College of Arts and Technology from 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm on Wednesday 8th July. Comix Telford will prioritise 16 to 19 year olds living or studying in Telford.


• Applicants need to submit examples of their best and most recent work. We are looking for good photocopies of 2-4 pages of original continuous comic strip (no posters), preferably without lettering. Submission guidelines can be downloaded from www.hi8us.co.uk. To book a place at the recruitment session and/or get an application pack, contact: Kulwant Dhaliwal on 0121 753 7700 or kulwant@hi8us.co.uk