Bayeux tapestry style depictions of British military atrocities. The outside of my comic ‘Join the Army‘ features a 1.5m Bayeux tapestry style version of the Iraq war, but I wanted to expand on this idea for the launch exhibition, so I made these smaller ‘tapestries’ about other UK military atrocities, (Bloody Sunday and the sinking of the Belgrano). I’m thinking about expanding the series back further, covering historical massacres committed on behalf of the empire worldwide. They’re available as prints. #BeTheMeat #Military #Empire
As part of my Join the Army comic I made this poster of three Action Man ‘Battlefield Casualties’. If you’re not already aware of it, the British military have their own line of children’s toys which tend to focus on how much fun war is, (called H.M. Armed Forces). I wanted to make something of an antidote to that. I also recently wrote a short article for Veterans For Peace UK about the project and military advertising in general. You can read it here. These will been shown at the launch exhibition for the comic.
To celebrate the UK’s burgeoning military drone program I designed a logo for all the loyal and dedicated robots out there destroying humans on our behalf. Inevitably I also put it on a t-shirt, which you can get from the EU store or N. America store. The image also features in a piece about drone/robot warfare in the deluxe edition of Join the Army. #BeTheMeat #Military #Robots
This is the front cover of the mini-comic that’s going to come with the deluxe edition of ‘Join the Army‘. The actual copies of the comic arrived this week too which is a relief. The launch exhibition will be from the 25th to the 27th Oct, more details here, if you want to come to the private view, drop me an email. #BeTheMeat #Military
The Royal Marines obstacle training course is the toughest obstacle course on the planet. Very few make it past the sack race stage. This is from the mini-comic that comes with the deluxe edition of Join the Army. You can pre-order it here. #Military #BeTheMeat
So the good news is I found a printer that wasn’t offended by the comic and it’s currently being made into a real thing right now. This is after it was rejected by another two separate printing companies for the same reason. As for the actual launch I’ve had to put it back to the 24th October but there will be an exhibition showing work from the comic in London, check the Facebook event for details. You can also pre-order the comic here. I’ve been in contact with a few ex-servicemen who have been (surprisingly?) enthusiastic about the book. Joe Glenton, (first British soldier to refuse to return to Afghanistan) and Ben Griffin, (ex-SAS resigned from service in Iraq after witnessing war crimes, and who now runs Veterans for Peace UK), have both expressed their support for the project and have been helping me promote it. It’s reassuring to know that the comic isn’t just a case of me ignorantly heckling from my ivory tower, and it makes sense to people who have actually been in the middle of it. If you have a bit of time I fully recommend you watch Joe being interviewed on BBC’s HardTalk and Ben addressing the Oxford Union as to why he would not fight for Queen & country. Actually brilliant. And there’s now a website for the comic! www.bethemeat.co.uk If you’re interested in that type of thing, I’m also selling army themed mugs over at my online shop. #BeTheMeat #Military
I made some wallpaper! Buy here. Limited to 100 rolls. #BeTheMeat #Military
The printers have refused to print my anti-army comic “having seen the content of your artwork”. This leaves me in a bit of a situation as they were the only printers I’ve been able to find who can print and fold an A5 20 page concertina booklet. I’m currently looking at French printers, as they’re less likely to refuse a job on the grounds that it insults the British Army. It is of course utterly maddening that a printer would refuse to print something they disagree with politically, but obviously I understand that legally and commercially they have right to decline whichever job they like. I do think however that this incident says something about the way people regard the army as an almost holy institution and therefore what I’m doing as a kind of blasphemy. For now I’ve decided to put back the launch of the comic until the 26th of September. Hopefully I’ll be able to sort something soon even if I have to fold each comic by hand. If you happen to know a large format printer that might be able to help me on this please email me: darren@spellingmistakescostlives.com or leave a message in the comments. Thanks. #Military #BeTheMeat
Short strip from my anti-army recruitment comic which has 8 days left on Kickstarter. Below is a detail of the Iraq war Bayeux Tapestry which will be on the back of the book. (Don’t) Join the Army #BeTheMeat #Military
Available as a limited edition print / Poster / Postcard In other news my anti-army recruitment comic is 146% backed on Kickstarter with 11 days to go! If you haven’t got yours yet, why the shit don’t you go get one now? #Animals #Tories #Comics
I finally finished the anti-army recruitment comic I’ve been working on for the last few months! The only problem now is I need some cash tokens to get it printed, so the internet told me to do one of them Kickstarters, and I did. And now I have done it. Really what I’m asking people to do is pre-order a copy before it exists and then I will spend that money on printing it into existence. It is a very back to front process but I think I understand what is going on. Anyway, here is the campaign page. Please spread the word to friends and pets. It costs £5 + p&p for a physical version and a bit more if you want something more. Thank! #BeTheMeat #Military
Here’s a new thing I did about the disappointment of adulthood. Get a print here. I finished my anti-army recruitment comic. Details coming very soon!
I started a new auction on eBay, this time for the lovely above medal. From the description: You are in the running to be the winner of this fantastic “eBay Auction Winner” Medal which will be awarded only to the winner of this eBay auction. Show off your online prowess to friends and acquaintances with this luxurious hand painted disc. Wear it alongside other items you won with grit and tenacity on the online auction site or have it mounted in your hallway inside a teak case (also available on eBay). This is the only award of its kind. Great for the man or woman who has everything, or those who simply like the thrill of defeating others in order to feel the barely noticeable weight of glory around their neck. As a seasoned eBay competitor, you know this game won’t be easy. It will take guile and wit, a quick clicking finger and a bank balance as deep as your determination. So roll up your sleeves and prepare to fight to the very last second to secure this medal as rightfully yours. In the ruthless world of eBay there is no room for second place.* *Except in the case of ‘second-chance offers’ Click to bid on the eBay Auction Winner’s Medal – on eBay Previously: Genuine Olympic Flame Auction on eBay #eBay #Daft
Here comes Mr. Time with a special birthday message about the inevitability of death and the impossibility of permanence! Celebrate the steady march of entropy with this easily disposable card made from the mashed wood pulp of once living trees. Look forward with a smile to the obliteration that awaits us all and everything we have ever known. Available to buy here
