Kieron Gillen's Wordmail

179: into the distance, into the past, into the future.

January 6, 2021

Hullo. EternalsLinksAnd then it’s overByyyyeeee!!! **** This was the issue I wrote to send off on January 1st 2020. You get it a year later. That feel like a...

178: when you roll a 1

December 23, 2020

Hullo.I know it’s coverChatLinksNananananananaDusByyyyeeee!!! **** I hadn’t got around to doing the Marvel February solicits, and minutes before putting this...

177: some kind of metaphoraphobe

December 16, 2020

Hullo. Christmas Singles and Trades1.3TLinksI scream the battle cry of my people, “You spilled my pint.”Byyyyeeee!!! **** Out in comic shops (book shops next...

176: I tear up all wool

December 9, 2020

Hullo. TheGrimPresent(Christmas)DIE 3 SoonNaked Definitely-not-a-godVaderLinksMeByyyyeeee!!! **** I think this is the last new comic I’ve got coming out this...

175: Tonight, by Ken

November 18, 2020

Hullo. Ludochat & ChumsThoughts BubbleByyyyeeee!!! **** Big week, and any of these could be my lead story. Let’s go with the trade… Hello, you beautiful...

174: Thanks Nicole!

November 11, 2020

Hullo. New Old EnglishThanks Nicole!D15EBooksBoldlyByyyyeeee!!! **** The second Once & future trade is out today, from comic shops. A scan online reveals...

173: doing Byron or doing Tumblr

November 4, 2020

Hullo. TrashCompoLudobookexistsTbubzAnswersBooksByyyyeeee!!! **** I wasn’t going to do a newsletter today, but then I figured I needed the distraction, and...

172: I shouldn’t stan Cao Cao

October 28, 2020

Hullo. FutureLinksBooksByyyyeeee!!! **** I don’t often actually run a preview in full here, but that this is such a stand alone opening, and entirely devoid...

171: the clitic lessons

October 21, 2020

Hullo. AudOne Last TimeLinksHonestyOPTIMO!!!!Byyyyeeee!!! **** Gosh are doing a bookplate for the 2nd Once & Future trade, as drawn by the always amazing Aud...

170: on the chocolate hob nob rush

October 14, 2020

Hullo. WarGransYous2021LinksSequential picture narratives Byyyyeeee!!! **** And lo, I’ve somehow found a way to monetize me leaning over in the pub and...

169: Everything to play for

October 7, 2020

Hullo. D14WordsLinksColoursZoeByyyyeeee!!! **** DIE 14 drops. Penultimate issue of the most WicDiv-y arc of DIE, and does what a penultimate issue tends to....

168: our dumb, bulging soup-sack

September 30, 2020

Hullo. HumblebagLudo-no-moreLivia Didn’t Do ItByyyyeeee!!! **** This is fun. Humble Bundle have just launched a bundle highlighting Jamie McKelvie and my own...

167: Do not use this as the basis of your historical essays.

September 23, 2020

Hullo. DiceThe Galaxy’s Greatest Warrior, Defo.DiecemberLudofutureByyyyeeee!!! **** I have watched from 1-3 episodes of Come Dine With Me, every day since...

166: this lovely vampire ambulance

September 16, 2020

Hullo. Future 11 OutEternals 2Wait, am I doing serious descriptions of the sections now?LinksThat’s a real abandonment of the brand.Byyyyeeee!!! **** Issue...

165: This Is A Lot Of Plot

September 2, 2020

Hullo. D13LinksBooksByyyyeeee!!! **** DIE 13 is out. I woke up and tweeted “Good morning DIE 13 day. It’s one of the Kieron Read Some Books one, but also the...

164: capsule thoughts are piling up

August 26, 2020

Hullo. EternalsNext NovemberNext WeekLinksByyyyeeee!!! **** Yes, this will be a pretty book. More images here.The first press about Eternals happened this...

163: Cowboy

August 19, 2020

Hullo. EternalsOnceLudoFutureSkottieBooksLinksByyyyeeee!!! **** And lo! My return to the Marvel Universe proper, with Esad for company.Go watch the video...

162: you'll never walk alone

August 5, 2020

Hullo. SebShower CurtainLudoreadUltramarLinksEd&SeanBye **** Photo by Dan Griliopoulos. Seb on far left, at the WicDiv launch party.Seb Patrick died without...

161: squeeze in the Ents

July 22, 2020

Hullo. D12EMirkaGone Til LongformLinksOtto&GrattyByyyyeeee!!! **** DIE 12 is out, picking up from DIE 11 and setting the stage for DIE 13. We are such...

160: So Many

July 15, 2020

Hullo. So ManySchedule **** This site went live on Monday.It’s been constructed by over sixty people who set themselves a hugely difficult task, and created...

159: Don’t be murdered by your artist.

July 8, 2020

Hullo. DIE11Mrk2Ludo3LinksAgrippaByyyyeeee!!! **** DIE 11 sold out, and there was a bunch of orders, so we decided to take it back to print with a tweaked...

159: A Brighter Shade Of Blue

July 1, 2020

Hullo. BlueTed and Rosy and JamieSeptemberNot Just A David Bowie AlbumLinksByyyyeeee!!! **** Warhammer 40,000: Marneus Calgar was announced last week by...

158: That’s all I’ve got.

June 24, 2020

Hullo. Stephanie is celebrating her birthday today, so send her your wishes. ComicsLinksByyyyeeee!!! **** Out this week is the return of my two big comics....

157: I recall walking Bath graveyards

June 17, 2020

Hullo. This will be relatively brief. Ludo2s Links D&Dy Sparta Byyyyeeee!!! **** Ludocrats 2 is out, in shops both temporal and digital. First reviews are...

156: making tea in mugs that I would never normally use

June 10, 2020

Hullo. Three weeks. That’s a big break, and likely says something. #comicwriterschallengeEisnersLudoIIFutureLinksLudoIVFurtherFutureByyyyeeee!!! **** Gail...

155: proud of its fractal dumbness

May 20, 2020

Hullo. My present aim is to try and channel Animal Crossing positive NPC energy in my every interaction. I am mainly offering to buy turnips. I don’t even...

154: I had trouble with mouselook

May 13, 2020

Hullo In Duolingo news, this week, person in first place had 3000XP on the first day. With four and a half days left, they have just shy of 9500XP. I’ve just...

153: namecheck poptimism

May 6, 2020

Hullo. I am now a member of the Obsidian League. In Duolingo. I admit that the motivation to get there was in hope it would offer me a place in a...

152: #releasethegentleeyescut

April 29, 2020

Hullo. As a working critic, one of my standard pieces of advice was to just start writing and then inevitably cut the extraneous opening. It’s good advice,...

151: Words were always proof that I existed

April 15, 2020

Hullo. I’m listening to Ultravox’s Vienna, due to it appearing in Tom Ewing’s ongoing Twitter World Cup of #2 UK songs, and now am thinking about the...

150: I won’t be Donald-ducking

April 8, 2020

Hullo. Easter week, and I’m still thinking Jesus has to be a little bit miffed it’s called Good Friday. “Yeah, I’ve had better, to be honest” Our go Future...

149: Comewithmecomewithmewelltravel

April 1, 2020

Hullo. A friend of mine was mocked at school because everyone said that he thought spam came from an animal called “a spamial”. He didn’t. Bullies are just...

148: the Escape of the Prisoner

March 25, 2020

Hullo. Since I last wrote I have learned how to make similes in Italian, so can now can be pretentious in two languages. Pre-Abstractly Abstractly Links...

147: a ball of inertia with a collection of offal

March 11, 2020

Hullo. I have a minor cold, but don’t worry, I strong suspect it really is just a cold, and I have been self-isolating my entire life....

146: Nod, nod, noddity nod

March 4, 2020

Hullo. A short one this week, as I want to get it to you as soon as possible, but it also includes Fresh Exclusive New Content, so I hope you’ll forgive me....

145: the medium of a tiny owl judging me

February 26, 2020

Hullo. I had a couple of weeks off the newsletter due to nothing happening. Stasis field accident. You know how it is. MayLudomeetLinksGerman for “why did...

144: momentarily Manichean

February 6, 2020

Hullo. I think I’m having today off. The way I’m having today off is to write this especially long newsletter. There is something fundamentally wrong with...

143: Imagine the Neverending Story for adults, if not grown-ups

January 29, 2020

Hullo. I have the basis of the Tracks of the Year done, but don’t quite have enough time today to write it up. In which case, I’ll knock it to next week, and...

142: Diamanda Galas said that mortality is insulting

January 22, 2020

Hullo. I’m about to go and meet up with a bunch of Old Games Journalists for a meal, so it’s appropriate that I’m hurriedly assembling a bunch of links and...

141: “Some”

January 8, 2020

Hullo. Someone asked me if I could do regular tracks of the week in the newsletter, but thanks to Tom Ewing I’ve been mainly listening to Enola Gay by...

140: Jaded regular readers

January 2, 2020

Hullo. I meant to do this yesterday, but I decided to start my 2020 schedule with a full day of wrestling with a difficult hangover. Arcana Art Once...

139: I’ve been the Queen’s Spaceship.

December 18, 2019

Hullo. This week I learned that due to an understandable fear and loathing of songs in books, Jamie skips anything he sees written in italics. Jamie is a...

138: It's not the despair, it's the hope.

December 11, 2019

Hullo. No books out this week, but some things to say. Swiftly, as I have to meet someone in – oooh – half an hour. UnitedLinksByyyyeeee!!! **** I was out...

137: Barbed wire made of glistening hard candy

December 4, 2019

ANSWERS ONLINE Hullo. This week I went to Athens, where I can confirm they have some well old stuff. D10 Roses Links Like Comics, but without pictures...

136: Justice For Agnes Nitt

November 27, 2019

Hullo. As we work from home, we basically act as an ad hoc parcel delivery place for the neighbourhood. There has been two weird quirks in the last week....

135: freeform fluid pop-work

November 20, 2019

Hullo. I missed a week, because I am awful. Once More McK Watch Careers In The Toilets DIE1ONCEMORE Amnesty Links Byyyyeeee!!! **** Once & Future 4 is out...

134: I find that ominous too.

November 6, 2019

Hullo. This week I finally joined a gym. Yes, this is in the traditional joke intro part, but I’m not joking. Stop laughing at me. I’ll tell my mum....

133: Duncan confused, Bridgette phlegmatic

October 30, 2019

Hullo. Having finished Derry Girls, I’m now listening to the playlist of every song on it, which is probably the moment when David Kohl would club me to...

132: the elf who lived in a basement in Rivendell

October 16, 2019

Hullo. Murderous Grandma Nerdy Links Byyyyeeee!!! **** Once & Future 3 drops today, wherein we dive straight into the action, Bridgette’s determination to be...

131: where three stars should be.

October 10, 2019

Hullo. It seems these newsletters are being primarily written in short breaks when travelling. At the moment, I’m flying between Boston and New York before a...