This special edition is produced with Brian Bolland, and features all of Brian’s amazing The Actress and the Bishop strips to date in glorious black and white, in the standard big SHIFT size so you can see the masterful line work in all its detail.
All parts so far are here – first featuring in “The Actress and the Bishop Go Boating” and “… Throw a Party” in issues 1 and 3 of A1, respectively, and “.. and “.. The Thing in the Shed” from Bolland Strips! We also have “… Go To the Seaside” in print here (and in colour in Shift vol 2, issue 5) for the first time.
Rounded off with two unprinted prose stories with new spot illustrations from Brian – “.. Go Shopping” and “… Take Up Sport”, plus pin ups, covers and an interview.
*** NOW ALSO FEATURING RECENTLY DISCOVERED PENCIL PRELIMINARY PAGES FROM “THE THING IN THE SHED” ***
- Shift, November 2022
- ISBN 979-8365680234
- 7.6″ x 11.7″, 71 pages, softcover
- $12.99 USD
- Order online: Amazon
As with all AE format material (Artist’s Editions, Artifact Editions, Gallery Editions, Art Editions, Studio Editions, etc.), this is a collection of classic comic material and I’ll be reviewing the book and not the story. For a complete list of all current and announced editions, with review links, please visit our Index. Also, see What is an Artist’s Edition and our Artist Index. This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.
A complete collection of Bolland’s the Actress and the Bishop stories in a print on demand softcover. I’ve loved the material since A1. But we’re here for Bolland’s preliminary pencils for The Thing in the Shed, eighteen pages of pure magic. Take a gander at the table of contents for the full list of…content.
I had never heard of this British publication, but came across it from a link in a Facebook group. It was intriguing, but I didn’t want to have to pay for the shipping; crossing the Atlantic is a pricey proposition. I then started searching the title for North American distributors and discovered it on Amazon. When I received the book and got to the last page it said “Manufactured by Amazon.ca, Bolton, ON” identifying it as print on demand. Simply wonderful, and that means it should be available from most Amazon websites.
Since Bolland works digitally, these pencil layouts or roughs are a unique opportunity to experience his process. I enjoyed that the pages were numbered, as were all the dialogue boxes. And those pencils: so much detail for layouts! I would guess what we’re getting here is the art at full size. The scans are clear and detailed, all the way to the creases and folds of the paper. Just pencils here, so no inks, correction fluid, notes, or other things we hope to see on inked pages. I’m astounded Bolland went to the effort of doing the logo on the first page. And to see the art bleed between panels as he corrects and adjusts.
The design follows a magazine aesthetic and then presents the art as it is. There are some page numbers along the bottom edge but they disappear about half way through. I included a few of the published pages here so you can get a feel for the book and how you can compare finished art to the layouts/prelims.
Production is quite good for what we’re getting here: an oversized softcover. It’s a glued binding of matte paper with a slight gloss. It’s held up for multiple readings and me flattening the center for photos. It comes just as you see it, most likely in a padded envelope.
