Phil Hampton's The Comic Academy may appear gimmicky, but I've been finding his for sale collections of interviews and content analysis with creators worth a while. There's also a bunch of free pdf reports which should hopefully keep folk thinking about the business side of things.

Paddy Lynch has recently completed Big Jim for O'Brien Press. Previews of the story of Trade Unionist and Easter Rising leader Jim Larkin appear on his blog, along with a new video about the Irish independent music/punk/DIY scene that has influenced him over the years.

http://twitter.com/#!/BugpowderComics is a Twitter feed about comics and stuff.

Uproar Comics are releasing this;

Story of Amelia Earhart tells the story of Earhart’s early years and the lead up to her unplanned touch down at Gallagher’s Field in Derry 80 years ago following her solo transatlantic crossing. A Day in May written and drawn by Campbell focuses on Earhart's 24 hour stay there, and is prose, pen and ink illustrations gleaned from first-hand account and reminiscenes from local people. Joe Campbell's artwork is nothing short of solid and delightful. I recommend you keep an eye out for this one when it becomes available to buy next week. Probably here.

If you can't wait, here's some preview.

Jimi Gherkin announces this year's Alternative Press Festival on 4th & 5th August, "with exhibitions planned for Orbital Comics, Gosh! London and TEN (yes, TEN!) venues in the weeks leading up to the main fair at London's Conway Hall. At the main Fair, we'll have three rooms filled with exhibitors from all over the world showing comix, zines, book arts, screen printing and self published art work. We are programming workshops, talks, a spoken word festival-within-the-festival and lots more, so stay tuned for more!"

Via Matt and the Twitter feed of Kieron Gillen:

Poem comic by Tom Humberstone.

Chrissy Williams' thoughts on poems and comics.

From ICN: The Holy Numbers webcomic and website has just launched. It’s the new comic from ICN Dictator Tommie Kelly set in an alternative modern day Ireland where a New Age Spiritual Movement is quickly becoming the most popular religion in the country. A spiritual themed comic that blends political intrigue with the modern New Thought Movement, it centres around a man named Ravensdale.

The Holy Numbers asks the question: What if there is magic in this world?

Follow the father of 911 Truth as he travels in time through American history, faces vaccination and innoculation, resists the attempts of big media to hypnotise his kids and join him. See him advertise water filters and gold seeds, fight enemies foreign and domestic. Witness his trip with David Icke, George Noory, Jim Tucker and Gerald Celente as they cross seven continents.

Hold The Phones, It's Alex Jones! is a new comic by Andy Luke, Professor Octagon, Geoffrey D. Wessel, Benjamin STone, Bisson and Sean Duffield.
It's on sale here and you can also read the preview.

Bob Byrne recently returned to webcomics with Lando In The House - a trademark serving of his retro sweet and sour funniness.

Mike Weller's Songs Our Teacher's Learn Us (pdf) is and of itself itself and many a link too (including brain-melt Songs Of The Data Stream). Feel a song coming on at the back of the bus and go with it.

Meanwhile over in Ireland,

Independent Zine Fair at the Dublin Food Co-Op, this Sunday (22nd), 12-5pm.

An academic conference, Grant Morrison and the Superhero Renaissance, 14-15 September 2012, Long Room Hub, Trinity College Dublin. Abstracts due by month's end.

An extended interview with Patrick Brown on Cattle Raid, webcomics and stuff over at Shirley-Anne McMillan's blog

Elida Maiques has news of the launch of the Romantic Mayhem Pocketbook, Upstairs at ANSEO, 18 Candem Street Lower, Dublin on Saturday April 14th at 7pm - "Come and see, read, talk, drink with us."

For further details on Romantic Mayhem! check the website.

Tony Hitchman (who you may know from his vast array of small press work or possibly from his wonderful talks / quizzes at Caption) has released an educational book about comics:

Using Comic Art

Gosh. That would be a Malcy Duff comic with a name like that.

Well, I made it. I published sixteen new comics in six weeks. I doubt that's a record, given thirteen were 1-2 pages long and one was a webprint. An achievement, though also wise are the words of Sean Azzopardi, 'Don't work too hard. Work is a pain.' You can view most of these comics at http://newszoom.org

But if you've only time for one, Phil Barrett takes the prize. Check out his St. Patrick's Day scene from forthcoming graphic novel, "Where's Larry?"

New comic from Malcy Duff, it's called:

http://g8uhmm,kl;p[km0pollllllll;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;j88888888888888888888888888888888loooooooooooooo/'{?{?

28 pages,
£4 (plus P+P)

Visit http://www.missingtwinnews.blogspot.com/ for details

The Rotherham Zine Library interviews Bolton-based scribbler Rob Jackson.