Tabella Publishing

BrokenFrontier.com feature on Hippy Jonny

2011-12-05T04:45:00.001-08:00

Check out this 'Inside look' at Hippy Jonny:

Cheers,

Kev.

Interview with Hippy Jonny creator Ryan Dodd

2011-11-20T00:58:00.000-08:00

The Daily Brue has an in-depth interview with Hippy Jonny creator Ryan Dodd. Very interesting:

Check it out here.

Hippy Jonny reviewed on Amazon

2011-09-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

Excellent first review of Ryan Dodd's Hippy Jonny on Amazon. Check it out here.

Thomas Wogan and Dreams and everyday life now available on Kindle

2011-09-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

We've just released Thomas Wogan is dead and Dreams and everyday life on Amazon's Kindle:

Look for them on the Kindle store.

Fantastic reviews of Thomas Wogan, Dreams and everyday life, A day in the life of Alfred and Trial and error

2011-09-03T02:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks to BrokenFrontier.com's And Oliver for this amazing chunk of reviews:"During Broken Frontier’s recent Brits On Top event, we interviewed Kevin Quinn of UK Indie publishers Tabella about the company's eclectic range of titles. Today BF takes a closer critical look at Tabella’s output and discovers some gems of OGNs lurking in the back catalogue of this up-and-coming British outfit…

A contradiction in terms it may sound, but Tabella's Thomas Wogan is Dead can best be described as a black comedy with charm. David Hughes’s wickedly funny tale is set in a surreal waiting room as the titular Thomas and a whole host of fauna look back on their lives, attempt to work out how they got there and exactly where it is they are. From the book’s title, and that brief synopsis, the perceptive will perhaps already be hearing the faint echoes of a certain Sartre play. However, Thomas Wogan is more than an homage; this acidic, witty offering cleverly presents the reader with a protagonist who is both intensely irritating and yet deeply sympathetic as well. As the events of his life play out, Hughes’s great triumph is in turning the compulsive and socially awkward Thomas, with all his obsessive foibles, from unlikeable inadequate into a character the audience both empathises with and roots for.Don’t get me wrong though; this is no saccharine feelgood story of a loser coming good. Thomas Wogan is Dead’s mordant humour is biting, naughty and, occasionally, in gloriously awful taste. The back stories of the various animals who accompany Thomas in the ethereal waiting room, for example, have moments of what I can only describe as laugh-out-loud grossness to them. I have obviously never met David Hughes but, on the strength of Thomas Wogan is Dead, I like to think he would be terribly entertaining company over a pint or two… in a dry, acerbic kind of way.

Aviv Ratzin’s Dreams and Everyday Life is a book that is, simultaneously, about everything and nothing in particular. If you want to sit back and enjoy a creator ably exploiting every unique storytelling device that the comics form has to offer in a tour-de-force stream of consciousness then you cannot go wrong with this irreverently witty OGN. Ratzin casts himself as the narrator of a madcap three-act set piece. The first two sections are a meandering, interlinked reflection on subjects as diverse as the perils of picking up hitchhikers, creative inspiration, leaky roofs and suicidal cacti! In the final chapter, Ratzin extrapolates on his surrealist approach with a futuristic, consumer parable that concludes his whimsical flights of fancy with a fittingly grand finale.Dreams and Everyday Life is one of those graphic novels that so wonderfully rewards re-reading. Few comics can persuade me to give them a near-instant second viewing, but Ratzin’s playful tour of random thoughts and scenarios is one of those rare exceptions to that rule.While Ratzin’s artistic style may seem minimalist at a first glance, the reader should not be deceived by the elegant simplicity of his layouts. Make no mistake, this is one of the cleverest and most insightful uses of the medium you will have the pleasure of reading in a long time.

It’s up to the interpretation of the individual reader as to whether the books of Norwegian creator Oivind Hovland are graphic novels, illustrated story books, or something in between. A Day in the Life of Alfred is an engaging tale of loneliness, routine and a man’s obsession with a childhood “trauma”, while the beautifully presented Trial and Error follows the life of the aviation obsessed French nobleman Jean Babtiste de Bomberaque. The latter, in particular, showcases Hovland’s gorgeously evocative black and white splash pages and two-page spreads. Each of these volumes is, admittedly, a swift read - presented in the familiar style of children’s books - but they combine a stylish narrative economy with darker, adult humour in handsome, top quality packages. Students of graphic design will find them particularly worth a punt. Tabella may be a smaller publisher at the moment, and their back catalogue still building, but they represent another (albeit smaller) facet of a burgeoning UK Indie comics scene. With the likes of Tabella, Blank Slate, SelfMadeHero and Nobrow producing new and original OGN work, these are exciting times indeed to be a non-mainstream British comics fan… For more on Tabella check out their website which includes an online shop for all their titles."You can read the review on BrokenFrontier.com here: http://www.brokenfrontier.com/lowdown/p/detail/touring-tabella

We recently wrote a piece for BrokenFrontier's UK comics publishing scene ...

2011-09-03T02:51:00.000-07:00

Check it out here:http://www.brokenfrontier.com/lowdown/p/detail/turning-the-tabella-kevin-quinn-on-uk-indie-publishing

Hippy Jonny – Out now!

2011-09-03T02:49:00.000-07:00

We're really please to announce that Hippy Jonny is finally available ... and it looks great!

Coming soon: Hippy Jonny and the banality of life

2011-06-07T00:11:00.000-07:00

We're thrilled to announce that Ryan Dodd's Hippy Jonny and the banality of life (which has already had lots of press) will be available in July. You can find out more about the book on both our website, or Ryan's.

There's a great preview on Forbidden Planet's blog here.

Ryan's done a trailer video too!

Dreams and everyday life available now for iPad

2011-05-30T11:49:00.000-07:00

Aviv Ratzin's amazing graphic novel is available now for iPad:

Oivind Hovland's Trial and Error reviewed by MouthLondon.com

2011-05-08T03:17:00.001-07:00

Thanks to MouthLondon.com for this great review of Trial and Error (click the image to read the review in full):

Dreams and everyday life reviewed

2011-05-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks to MouthLondon.com (London's leading youth and student magazine) for this great review of Aviv Ratzin's new book:

Click on the image to read the review.

Kev

Dreams and everyday life reviewed on Shelfabuse.com

2011-05-04T00:19:00.000-07:00

A big thanks to Carl at Shelfabuse.com for this great review of Aviv Ratzin's graphic novel Dreams and everyday life:

Click the image or here to read the full review.

Animated trailer for Dreams and everyday life

2011-04-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

Aviv Ratzin's done a little trailer for his new book. It's pretty good:

Untitled from aviv ratzin on Vimeo.

iPad apps now just £1.79!

2011-04-19T23:53:00.000-07:00

Hi,

We're planning some updates to a number of our graphic novel ebook iPad apps, and you can now get them for just £1.79 each!

New book: Dreams and everyday life

2011-03-14T11:46:00.000-07:00

Hello,

We're really pleased to announce that Dreams and everyday life by Aviv Ratzin is available now!

'Dreams and everyday life' is about 'the important things' in life. Not careers, health, wealth, or social status, but rather the innumerable everyday, human situations and defining experiences of daily life. From choosing the right clothes to wear, to whether to pick up a hitchhiker; from mobile phones, parties and restaurants, to learning a martial art, expressing your inner thoughts, and suicidal cacti (of course!).
The book is comprised of three separate but interconnected stories that tackle everything from the mundane necessities of everyday life, to the profound musings on technology and the future; all in a comic, whimsical, poetic and philosophical way.
Although Aviv has drawn deeply upon his own life and experiences, having grown up in one of the world's most troubled and intense regions, he has produced a funny, poignant and wonderfully humane graphic novel, with truly universal appeal.

Aviv Ratzin is a professional animator, illustrator and guitarist. He grew up in the suburbs of Tel-Aviv, Israel, and spent most of his youth reading comic books, watching cartoons, skateboarding, spraying graffiti, and filling sketchbooks with cartoon characters and designs.
Currently Aviv works with some of the leading studios in Israel. He studied, and was later apprenticed, at Rony Oren's animation studio, and has subsequently worked in the animation industry on projects for television, the internet and illustrated books. He was a senior animator and designer on a satirical animated magazine on Israel's 'Channel One'.
'Dreams and everyday life' is his first graphic novel, and it is published in English and Hebrew.

There are some sample pages available on our website. And a great early review on Comicbitsonline ... 12 out of 10!

Check out this great early review of the book on Comicbitsonline.com. 12 out of 10!

New iPad app!

2011-03-12T08:56:00.000-08:00

Hello, we've just submitted a new iPad app to Apple (hopefully it'll be available soon). Produced in association with award-winning photographer Simon Watkinson ABIPP and inFocus photography training, this new app is designed to cover all the basics of digital photography using a digital SLR. Here's the blurb:

The first in a series of apps designed to help you improve your photography; inFocus (Essentials) will explain how to set up your camera like a pro. Written by Simon Watkinson ABIPP, a top professional photographer and expert photographic tutor with over twenty-five years experience in a professional capacity. Simon travels the globe to undertake photographic commissions and photography tours. Likewise, his clients have travelled from all over the world to be tutored by him at his studio in the Peak District, England. Simon is an award winning photographer and his work has appeared in publications worldwide.

inFocus (Essentials) contains clear and easy to understand stages on how to set up your DSLR camera. Not only does it cover what settings to choose, but it explains in great detail each of their functions. inFocus (Essentials) is an essential guide for anyone who owns a DSLR camera and wants a deeper understanding of their equipment.

The app covers all the basics, from file types, to lenses, how the camera judges exposure, how to make exposure compensations and understanding your histograms. This app also explains the many different ways in which the camera can focus, and gives you a guide as to which shutter speeds to use at different focal lengths.

Amazing, full colour pictures and diagrams make the learning process easy to understand, and are good visual examples for each relevant section. Simon's philosophy is that you have to get to know and understand your camera inside out to get the best out of it. With this knowledge under your belt the whole picture taking process becomes more pleasurable. So, if you're looking to improve and understand subjects such as ISOs and white balance, apertures and exposure, this is your essential guide.

Simon's next apps in the series will cover the complexities of travel photography and composition.

------------

Here's a little video preview:

You can view a better quality video here.

Cheers,

Kev.

Special xmas offer on all ebooks for iPad

2010-12-23T07:33:00.000-08:00

Hi,

This year, between xmas day and January the fifth, all our ebooks for iPad will be available for just £1.79.

Visit our website or the App store for more information.

Happy xmas,

Kevin & Julie

Personalised video from Google ...

2010-12-16T05:45:00.000-08:00

Hiya,

This is a great video in itself, but the fact that it's personalised is pretty amazing:

http://www.youtube.com/adwords10?x=e49e2691df4f4707ba18a7f2fe29a0d2

Check it out (not sure how long it'll be available for).

Kev.

Animals on the loose – a guide to painting animals

2010-11-14T12:27:00.000-08:00

Available now for iPad, the companion volume to Marilyn Allis's book on painting people, Animals on the loose:

Animals on the loose shows you how to create beautiful artwork, inspired by the postures and movement of animals. Clear text, illustrated throughout with full colour photographs, this is an excellent introduction to painting in the impressionist style.
The book is filled with vibrant step-by-step demonstrations for you to try in watercolour, but also using a number of other mediums including; pastel, gouache and acrylic inks.

Cheers,

Kev.

New ebook app ...

2010-11-08T12:26:00.000-08:00

Available now for Apple's iPad: Marilyn Allis' People aren't scary (really) – shows how to include people in your watercolours. Clear text illustrated throughout with full colour photographs, this is an excellent introduction to painting people in a loose, impressionist style.

The app is filled with vibrant step-by-step demonstrations for you to try in watercolour, but also using a number of other mediums including; pastel, gouache and acrylic inks.

You can check out a short preview here:

Cheers,

Kevin.

Third ebook available as iPad app

2010-10-19T07:41:00.000-07:00

Hi,

We've just released our third ebook on Apple's iPad – Hiyama vol 1 is now available, along with Thomas Wogan is dead and The Blue Rider (incidentally, the promo copies of The Blue Rider we had on our table at BICS 2010 were universally praised, people describing them as 'Awesome' – just wish we had more copies for sale).

Here's a short preview of Hiyama for iPad:

Cheers,

Kev.

New iPad ebook coming soon: The Blue Rider, by Andrew David Murphy

2010-09-26T12:52:00.000-07:00

Our second iPad ebook should be available soon – The Blue Rider, by Andrew David Murphy. Check out the preview:

We'll have more details soon.

We've also done a little preview for Thomas Wogan is dead:

Cheers,

Kev

Thomas Wogan is dead now available for iPad!

2010-09-06T02:04:00.000-07:00

Finally, after what seems like ages, reading books on iphone development, doing tutorials, submitting forum posts, etc., and with some help at the last minute (thanks), we've launched our first ebook on Apple's iPad platform: Thomas Wogan is dead. We'll be putting books more on there soon, as well as implementing a number of upgrades to the basic app, so check back.

Check out the app on the iTunes store here:

Cheers,

Kev.

May half price sale!

2010-05-01T08:22:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Because Tabella will be two years old this month, we've decided to have a sale on some of our older titles until the end of the month. So now, you can now get Oivind Hovland's Trial and Error and A day in the life of Alfred for £5.99 ($11.00) each, and volumes 1 and 2 of Hiyama for £3.99 ($6.95).

Visit our website for more info, reviews, etc.,

Cheers,

Kev.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T01:46:00.000-08:00

Happy new year everyone!

For a limited time only, we're offering a special new year discount (35% off all books) – until midnight until the 10th of January! The offer applies to in-stock and forthcoming books (you can reserve the latter by just sending us an email quoting the title of the book and the code 'January 2010 discount').

Visit our website for more info – www.tabella.co.uk.

Cheers,

Kev.

Thomas Wogan preview on issuu.com

2009-12-07T13:25:00.000-08:00

Previews of Trial and Error and A day in the life of Alfred now on issuu.com

2009-12-07T12:01:00.000-08:00

Last posting dates before xmas

2009-11-07T00:37:00.000-08:00

Hi,

Here are the xmas posting dates:

1st Class UK : 21/12/09
2nd Class UK : 18/12/09
Special Delivery UK : 23/12/09
Air Rest of World : 4/12/09
Air Europe : 10/12/09
Surface Rest of the World : 1/10/09

Cheers,

Kev.

Trailer for Hiyama volume 2, Devils within

2009-10-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

View it here on Youtube.

Painting Dorset in watercolour

2009-10-08T10:52:00.001-07:00

Just got the advance copies of Marilyn Allis' new book Painting Dorset in watercolour. Really pleased with the result.

BICS 09!

2009-10-03T05:04:00.000-07:00

Well,

Here we re at BICS 09, met up with Dave Hughes (who's done some sketches for us – one free with every book sold).

Kev.

Thomas Wogan is dead featured in a couple of news stories

2009-09-29T07:14:00.000-07:00

Hi,

I'd like to thank John Freeman over at downthetubes for the following news stories featuring Dave Hughes' book 'Thomas Wogan is dead':

http://downthetubescomics.blogspot.com/2009/09/thomas-wogan-is-re-published.html

http://virtual-lancaster.blogspot.com/2009/09/local-comics-artist-secures-publishing.html

Cheers John, much appreciated.

Kev.

Fantastic window display of Marilyn Allis' paintings

2009-09-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Dorchester Tourist Information Centre has a fantastic display of paintings by Marilyn Allis (and books). Check it out.

Kev.

Normal service is resumed.

2009-08-30T10:06:00.001-07:00

Back from amazingly beautiful, 38 degree Alsace ... to rainy Dorset ... :(

... sigh ...

Offices closed

2009-08-19T11:37:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Our offices will be closed from the 22nd of August to the 1st of September. Will try to pick up our emails while we're on holiday, but can't guarantee it.

Cheers,

Kev & Julie

Painting Dorset in watercolour

2009-08-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

Hurray! At last, Painting Dorset in watercolour has just gone to the printer. Fantastic!

Kev.

Hiyama trailers now on comicbooktrailers.com

2009-07-06T00:08:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Our trailers for Hiyama vol 1 have been posted on comicbooktrailers.com, check 'em out, and watch out for the first trailer for volume 2 coming soon:

http://www.comicbooktrailers.com/related/?c=188

http://www.comicbooktrailers.com/related/?c=189

Cheers,

Kev.

Hiyama volume 2

2009-06-09T01:06:00.001-07:00

Hi,

We just received the first 20 pages of Hiyama vol 2 from Gruff79; looks good so far. We're hoping that the book will be available in July.

There's a bit more about the book here:

http://www.tabella.co.uk/Hiyama2.html

... and I'll be updating the site with some sample pages and more info soon.

Cheers,

Kev.

Excellent reviews of Trial and Error and A day in the life of Alfred on Myreviewer.com

2009-06-08T01:09:00.000-07:00

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,

Kev.

British International Comics Show 09

2009-05-27T00:59:00.000-07:00

Hi,

Just got out confirmation for BICS 09 in October. Rally looking forward to going.

Cheers,

Kev

Happy birthday Tabella!

2009-05-12T23:36:00.000-07:00

Hi,

It’s our first birthday today, so we wanted to say thanks to everyone who’s helped, got involved, and submitted/sold/reviewed or bought our books. It’s been a tough year, not really the best time to set up a new publishing company, but here’s to next year!

Cheers,

Kevin & Julie!

Hi from Tabella Publishing

2009-05-02T03:33:00.001-07:00

Hi,

We're in the process of migrating our blog/news & reviews page from Haloscan to Blogger, mainly for ease of use reasons. The old page is still available on our main site (there isn't a way to migrate the posts, unfortunately), and we've included a feed of the most recent posts here and a link to the original blog. All new posts, however, will be on this page.

Cheers,

Kev.