futuresocks:

NB: This has just been cut and pasted over from my blog It’s Bloggerin’ Time!, hence all the references to it.

Regular readers of IBT! (and it’s been far too long since I’ve written that)will recall that I’ve been a fan of Neil Slorance’s art ever since my Best Man commissioned a painting of Daredevil romancing my wife on a New York rooftop from him… you can read a bit more about that here.

Since then, me and Neil have went from being ‘internet pals’ to ‘creative amigos’ as we navigate our webcomic Jonbot Vs Martha through the treacherous waters of webcomicry. I tell you all this in full journablogistic disclosure mode as I delve into talking about Neil’s new published work that he kindly sneaked me a peek at: How to Be A Ghost: An Illustrated Guide, which he’s illustrated and co-written with local troubadour Campbell Miller. I will add for balance, however, that I’ve never cared much for Campbell.

An illustrated short story told from the perspective of a spectral raconteur as he recounts his demise and subsequent experiences of the afterlife, How to Be A Ghost is probably best described as a “graphic novelette”. It’s a brisk read, but one that’s undercut with some unexpectedly emotional heft.

As evident in all his previous work, Slorance’s artwork strikes a rare balance between cuteness and heart-rending sentiment. Here it’s used in dealing with a subject matter that could quite easily get quite morbid quite quickly, but thanks to his deceptively simple illustration and some deft interjections of humour courtesy of Miller’s writing, the pair manage to keep the story on the lighter side of things - bittersweet while refraining from tipping over into full-blown melancholy. Add in the high-point of a surprisingly sweet and touching finale with a life-lesson to be had, and you have yourself a wonderfully fun little tale that never outstays its welcome.

The sheer aesthetic of the book - including the hand-written lettering underlining the confessional feel of the story, and the clean lines and mood-enhancing greytones of the art - is nothing but homemade charm. Slorance and Miller’s personalities inform and permeate the work (love of tortoises, and general wisecrackery to name but two of the creators’ traits that make an appearance) and it only helps to make it all the more endearing to the reader.

At £4, it’s an ideal wee stocking filler in the run up to the holidays, but beyond that it’s a beguiling wee gem of a story that will keep you entertained whatever the season, and whatever your mortality status.

IBT! was lucky enough to snag an interview with the creators, which follows unedited:

It’s Bloggerin’ Time!: What kind of research did you undertake for this project? Follow up: Did you find yourself having to get into the mindset of a ghost to make it?

Campbell Miller: We spent a lot of time in graveyards and sent a lot of e-mails to TV psychics and mediums, but they weren’t very helpful. In order to get into the ghost mindset, I wandered around being relatively spooky.

IBT!: Who is your favourite ghost, real or fictional, and why?

CM: I quite like the Ghost of Christmas Past from The Muppet Christmas Carol, he seems like a right laugh.

Neil Slorance: The Spooks of Bottle Bay, all of them. They had the best ghost-based TV theme tune in recent history.

IBT!: The book deals with a fairly morbid subject but never feels sad in itself - were you conscious of keeping things from getting too sad and if so, was this a tricky balance to strike?

NS: I think when I first had the idea and wrote a first draft; it was fairly morbid and kind of sad, which I wasn’t very happy with. When I asked Campbell to get involved, he brought the funny.

CM: Yeah I’d say we took what was basically a pretty sad story and turned into something quite sweet. There were definitely points where it could have been fairly dark but in the end I think we struck a nice balance and I’m really proud of it.

IBT!: What about the finished book are you most happy with?

NS: The pictures.

CM: How funny and well-written it is.

IBT!: Can we expect anything more from your publishing company Pipe Down in the near future?

NS: We are currently in the early stages of making stories concerning robots and dream horses.

CM: Wait, robots and WHAT?

IBT!: We’re conducting this interview via email. How can I be totally sure that Neil isn’t pretending to be Campbell and answering all the questions himself?

CM: Because the answers are all very well-written and the punctuation is immaculate.

NS: Hi I’m Campbell Miller I’m a douche.

Finally, can I come to the launch party?

CM: Of course! It’s this Sunday the 4th of December in the Life Craft, which is upstairs in DeCourcy’s Arcade in Glasgow. Hey Neil, will there be any refreshments or family friendly activities at this launch party?

NS: Why yes Campbell! There will be cupcakes, juice, grown up juice and if all goes to plan a live reading/drawing from the creators themselves!

How to Be A Ghost: An Illustrated Guide by Neil Slorance and Campbell Miller is released through Pipe Down books on Monday 5th December and you can get your copy here - the first 100 include a sketch from Neil! Go buy!