Hi,

Marilyn Allis’ new book has been reviewed in ‘mags4dorset.co.uk’ :

“Painting Dorset in Watercolour
By Marilyn Allis
Published by Tabella Publishing ISBN 978-0955808-89-0 A beautiful collection of studies capturing the coastline, countryside, buildings and people of Dorset. Dorset Artist, Marilyn Allis, has written this full colour teaching book to inspire you and fi re up the imagination. With 33 demonstrations and ideas, complete with step-by-step guidance on creating your own watercolour masterpiece, Marilyn gives her advice on how to capture the essence of obvious and unusual landmarks from around Dorset. Marilyn won the SAA artist of the year title in 1999 with her picture ‘Ben at Weymouth’. She runs workshops in local villages and exhibits in galleries throughout the country.”

Click here to visit the site.

Kev.

Hi,

Thanks again to Richard Bruton over at Forbidden Planet for a great review of Øivind Hovland’s Trial and Error:

“The second of Øivind Hovland’s books for Tabella that I’ve had the pleasure of reading, although this is actually his first published graphic novel and shows a lightness of tone and a talent for comedy timing that you don’t see in his second work “A Day In The Life Of Alfred“.
Trial and Error concerns itself with the life and dreams of Jean Babtiste de Bomberaque, a French nobleman with a passion to fly. Through his life we see his passion defeated time and again as he reaches for the skies and comes crashing back to earth, although for his very earliest attempts he did manage to lose the family pet when he experimented with a hamster-carrying hydrogen balloon. But he prevails, getting nearer and nearer to that dream of powered flight in this pre Wright Brothers world.
Trial and Error is incredibly short for a graphic novel, it’s just 32 pages long, but since each double page is actually a very cleverly designed single flowing image, the action starting on the left and flowing, without panel borders, over to the right in a single sweeping movement – it’s effectively  just a 16 page story, with no dialogue and even very few captions. But that doesn’t matter since Øivind Hovland’s art does all the storytelling we need, all lush, thick blacks to begin with, and later, as the dreams of flight really begin to take off, more and more dominated by white as the sky begins to fill the pages, freeing us to fly with Jean Babtiste de Bomberaque (or JBB as he labels his planes) ...

“There’s a thick vein of visual comedy running through Trial and Error as JBB builds more and more refined flying machines that are launched over a countryside becoming increasing littered with past failures and he soars and falls, soars and falls, soars and …. well, you’ll just have to read it to see won’t you?

“... It’s very short, and a very quick read, but just like the first book of Hovland’s I read, A Day In The Life Of Alfred, the artwork and storytelling is so sumptuous and involving that this is one to return to, to delight in. Very good indeed.“

Read the full review here.

Thank to Andy over at decodingstatic.blogspot for this great review of TW:

"I have been meaning to review Thomas Wogan is Dead by Dave ever since he gave me a handmade copy some time ago, it has been that long I can’t even remember when! Thomas Wogan is Dead has now been published by Tabella and has glossy covers, silky paper and extra pages at the beginning, which I feel adds to the story. I am especially keen to see Dave trying out the new bowling action next summer! In the extra pages the other main characters can be seen lurking in the background and these little details which continue throughout add a lot to the story.

Thomas’ first words are ‘Am I dead then or what?’ as a grumpy stern eye cuckoo eye balls him, who is later needled by a natterjack toad. In the waiting room they are joined by a bat, a fish, an egg and an urchin. Each character relays their story interspaced by flash backs to Thomas’ life, which appears to have revolved around Delia Smith and her body hair. I am particularly pleased with the mention of her drunken outburst at a Norwich City game, which was hilarious and quite frankly needed as we were throwing the game away!

The subject matter explores all that is fundamental to life, cookery, family, sex and beach volleyball, coming across as light due to the excellent use of humour both written and visual. The natterjack’s (who is my favourite character, his own book please!) response to the urchin’s religious beliefs is as good an analysis and appraisal of religion I have come across. He is sat with his arms crossed with a contemptuous look and utters ‘What…utter…bollocks’

The drawings are excellent and generate the necessary moods with ease. It is also a handy cook book with the genius suggestion of marmite with your beans on toast. I bet Thomas didn’t learn that from Delia, especially as his fascination with Delia doesn’t appear to extend to cooking her recipes, sensible chap."

Read the full review here.

Hi,

Thank to Richard at forbiddenplanet for this great review of Thomas Wogan:

"... This Tabella Publishing edition is a step up for Thomas Wogan – a spine and commercial lettering add a nice professional touch to the book. The art sits well in a more professional format, with all the grotesques of the original still there, and all of the sad, lonely existence of Thomas’ life portrayed just as well. The extra pages flesh out a little more of his life, and add to the sense of poignancy of the tale.

"Thomas Wogan is still dead, but this new edition shows that there’s life in the comic still. I like it just as much as I did the first time around, except now, this better dressed, better presented Thomas Wogan is something I can sit on the shelf where it belongs."

Read the full review here.

Kev.

Hi,

Richard Bruton has done a really thoughtful review of A day in the life of Alfred by Øivind Hovland:

"I’m coming down on the side of good. When I went back I was looking for the patterns, looking for the details I’d missed, looking at the art to spot the connections, the triggers to Alfred’s troubles. And as I read it again, and again, and again (it’s only 50 pages and maybe 500 ish words after all) it got better each time."

Read the full review here.

Kev.

Thanks to Andy at www.grovel.org.uk for a great review of Thomas Wogan:

"Every now and again you come across a little book that carries so much charm and character that you can’t help but love it. Thomas Wogan is Dead is a quirky book, in which the lead character finds himself in a waiting room of the dead. His companions are animals – a bat that’s been killed by a cat, a frog who’s been squashed by a car, a cuckoo that goes postal and gets shot by a pest controller, even a sea urchin. Death is always just around the corner in nature."

Read the rest here.

Kev.

Hi,

Great review of Thomas Wogan on thebookbag.co.uk:

"... It's a very droll drama, which is also somehow oddly humble in the successfully-wrought belly laughs it achieves. It's easily worth one re-read. And beyond that, it is recommended by the Bookbag ..."

Read the full review here.

Cheers,

Kev.

Hi,

Here's a snippet from a review of Hiyama 2 on myreviewer.com:

"This second volume is a much more accomplished work than the first and is a real page-turner that’s almost impossible to put down. The political and legal framework is challenging as vigilante justice is contrary to everything I believe in, yet the scenarios contained in this book make it almost appealing and desirable."

8 out of 10!

Read the full review here.

Kev.

Hi,

Scott Pack from the Friday Project has just published a review of TW on his bloh (meandmybigmouth):

"With Thomas Wogan is Dead, David Hughes has created a graphic novel full of black humour and uncanny observation. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it becomes a cult classic but it deserves a wider readership than that, and at a very reasonably priced £5.99 I hope it does."

Read the full review here.

Kev.

Busy day today for reviewers of Thomas Wogan; another one here:

" ... Thomas Wogan Is Dead is a short book, some 88 pages long but it’s a rather dry, dark and quirky tale that raised a few chuckles along the way..."

Read the rest here. 

Kev.

Just a little one this time:

"Wonderfully absurd graphic novel. Kafka meets Vic & Bob. (****)"

http://meandmybigmouth.typepad.com/

Kev

"Thomas Wogan is dead ... very good ..."

There a bit more to it ... here.

Kev.

Hi,

Thanks to Scott for this excellent review of Oivind's books:

"Big Pictures
While we are on the subject of graphic novels I wanted to mention a couple of curiosities from a relatively new publisher called Tabella. I suppose they would be classed as graphic novels but I think it would be more accurate to call them picture books, for they share more characteristics with children's picture books than anything else."
Read more here:

http://meandmybigmouth.typepad.com/scottpack/2009/09/big-pictures.html

Cheers,

Kevin.

Hi,

Just got the English translation of the Kunst for alle review:

“Illustrator Øivind Hovland has created 2 picture ( art) books tackling the destiny of to completely different individuals. He tells the story of the lonely Alfred's life in the big city, and about a 1900 century J.N de Bomberaque. the books keep text to a minimum, and works therefore as visual art books. The graphic illustrations are in black, white and red.
Hovland explains that the intension behind the book about Bomberaque was to create something of a photo album which has been forgotten and hidden away in an attic for over 100 years.
Both books are esthetically beautiful and complimenting addictions to your bookshelf.”

Kunst for alle is Scandinavia's largest and probably most read art magazine.

Cheers,

Kev.

Hi,

Trial and Error & A day in the life of Alfred have been reviewed on myreviewer.com:

Trial and Error:

Øivind Hovland is a Norwegian artist who has earned a living illustrating book covers and magazine articles.  Obviously with ambitions to create something of his own he has produced his first two books, released by Tabella Publishing. 
 
Trial and Error: The Aviated Efforts of Jean Babtiste de Bomberaque, his debut work, is a wonderfully whimsical look at aviation in all its forms seen through the eyes of an ambitious (and fictional) Frenchman who, since he was a young boy, has been dreaming of powered flight.  In the 32 pages we see his various disastrous attempts via balloon and airplane. 
 
Knowing full well that the Wright Brothers got there first and that Jean Babtiste de Bomberaque doesn’t exist doesn’t stop this from being a funny and involving experience that is mainly to do with the wonderful illustrations rather than the minimal text which appears as writing on Jean Babtiste’s sketches.  It’s the sort of book that you read through and then turn immediately back to the beginning just to soak up the beautiful chiaroscuro illustrations.  I did exactly the same thing with 300 which I read and then revisited for no other reason than to marvel at the artwork by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley. 
 
This is the sort of book you will find yourself buying several times as you will lend it to a friend and then forget and want to look at it again , or it could become a semi-permanent fixture on your coffee table as you can pick it  up and read it in the space of a commercial break.  I thought it was a fantastic book, a graphic novel with the emphasis on graphic. It’s charming and endearing and I feel like picking it up again! 

http://www.myreviewer.com/default.asp?a=117058

A day in the life of Alfred:

Øivind Hovland is a Norwegian artist who has earned a living illustrating book covers and magazine articles.  Obviously with ambitions to create something of his own and has produced his first two books, released by Tabella Publishing.   

As the title suggests, this follows Alfred through the drudgery of his daily life and the anomie of urban living.  On the left hand page are monochrome drawings with some parts coloured in stark red and on the opposite page are captions or Alfred’s thoughts.  These illustrations and the text give an insight into the mind of a lonely office worker haunted by a childhood trauma.  You really feel something for Alfred when you get to the end and I immediately re-read it with an entirely different viewpoint.   

Obsessed by cobbled streets and with an almost autistic attention to numbers and places, A day in the life of Alfred shows his journey to work, his path from the elevator to his desk and an encounter with a man who constantly passes on his way to and from the office. 

In under 56 pages Øivind Hovland is able to get so much emotion into the illustrations and sparse text that you really feel for Alfred and the book is touching and affecting.  I’ve read it three times now and enjoyed it more each time.  I found Trial and Error to be more fun, but this is social commentary and so is deeper and certainly more meaningful.   

With books by the same author, you tend to assume that if you liked one you would like the other but this isn’t the case here as they are so different.   They have different audiences and, although I liked them both, there will be people who prefer one to the other as this is dark and quite moving whereas Trial and Error was whimsical and quite fun.  This is the more rewarding of the two and another that you will lend to friends and buy numerous times. 

http://www.myreviewer.com/default.asp?a=117059

Cheers,

Kevin.

Hi,

We’ve decided to move our blog to Blogger (for a number of reasons, not least of which is ease of use). So, the new blog address is http://tabellapublishing.blogspot.com/

It’ll take a little while to complete the migration, so there’ll be a crossover period, but hopefully this won’t take too long.

Cheers,

Kev.

From www.thebookbag.co.uk:

“ ... This then might look like, and might well be dismissed as, a picture book for adults. But there is a lot in here, from the full cycle of the story to the humour (and cuddly animals) that are there at first, and third, perusal. This might just be the work of a man who is becoming, if is not already, a master of the sequential art form.”

Read more here.

Cheers,

Kevin.

Hi,

Thanks to John Freeman for taking the time to do an indepth review of Tabella and our books:

Talking up Tabella

There's a sense of fun to the output of new British publisher Tabella (www.tabella.co.uk), which was was set up last year by husband and wife Kevin and Julia Quinn. By fun, I don't mean their range is humorous, although some, like award-winning Norwegian artist Olvind Hovland's superb A Day in the Life of Alfred could probably be described as such; I mean these are books that Kevin and Julia clearly believe in and want to succeed, and they're going to get them out there no matter what conventional wisdom might say otherwise

You can read the rest of the article here.

Cheers,

Kevin & Julie.

Hi,
Just saw a brief preview of A day in the life of Alfred on Grovel.org; excellent, our first mention of the book. Check it out.
Cheers,
kev.

Hi, check us out on down the tubes.

View my page on downthetubes


Cheers,

kev.

Hi,
Check out our Facebook page:
And on Twitter.
Cheers,
Kev.

Hi,

We’ve scheduled Hiyama volume 2 for publication in mid-June. We do hope that it’ll be available sooner, so do check back for updates. If you’d like to be kept informed or want to pre-order the book, just send us an email.

All the best,

Kevin.

Hi,

Just found this great review of Hiyama on UK Anime dot net:

Hiyama (14/01/2009)

Set in a future England where crime goes almost unchecked on the public streets, Hiyama charts the destiny of the titular family - trained throughout the generations as fighters for justice, the reluctant Mei finds her beliefs altered by a criminal act that will see her take the road of bloody vengeance against those who wronged her.
I was somewhat surprised by Hiyama. There was a vein of humour running through it that may not have been intentional, but still makes the book a lot more enjoyable - my personal favourite is when Grandpa Hiyama breaks a child-molesters spine and then tells him not to worry as he'll call an ambulance - cold comfort really!
I had to think about the standards by which I judge this book. Clearly it's an early work of Gruff79's and the artwork is a bit rough around the edges, which leads me to be more leniant. However, the book carries a professional pricetag, so I have to be realistic.
Firstly, the style won't appeal to everyone. The artwork doesn't carry a strong manga influence in the traditional sense - the visual cues are far more Western independant in style than Japanese - there's a distinct lack of manga style proportions on the limbs, and the art style reminds me far more of Eastman and Laird's early Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles than any manga I've read recently outside of Tekkon Kinkreet, another title which took Eastern elements and mixed them into a heavily inked Western style.
The narrative also lacks a little polish, though it flows well enough to carry the story through. If the artist continues to hone his skills, he could go on to achieve some excellent results, and this book could become quite the collectors item. Taking the book on its own merits, it faces stiff competition from authentic manga (something most Mahnwa titles suffer from), but if you're looking for something a bit more "street" this could be right up your alley.

Ross Liversidge

Cheers,

Kev.

Hi,

We’ve just taken delivery of a small number of advance copies of ‘A day in the life of Alfred’. Click here for more information, or visit our shop.

Cheers,

Kevin.