Blank Slate Books Explained

Status:Defunct, 2016
Founded:2008
Founders:Kenny Penman and James Hamilton
Country:United Kingdom
Headquarters:London
Distribution:Turnaround Publisher Services[1]
Keypeople:Kenny Penman, Iz Rips
Publications:Books, comic books
Imprints:Chalk Marks[2]

Blank Slate Books (BSB) was a publishing company based in the United Kingdom. It published primarily comic books, graphic novels and comic strip collections, with an emphasis on new work by British artists and translated work by European artists.[3] The books it published were noted for their "indie-friendly" content, and were frequently by small press artists whose initial work was self-published. The name of the company was a pun on "drawing" or "writing" on a blackboard.

BSB was one of the few dedicated original comics and graphic novel publishers in the UK.

History

Blank Slate Books (BSB) was founded in 2008 by Kenny Penman and partner James Hamilton.[4] Penman was inspired by Fantagraphics Books of Seattle, WA, to publish books in the United Kingdom that would do for artists in Britain what Fantagraphics was doing in the USA, championing independent, alternative creators who were not working in superhero or other ‘mainstream’ commercial comics genres. Penman was co-director of Forbidden Planet International,[5] and had plenty of experience with the comics industry. He saw the mission of BSB as "supporting home-grown talent" and providing an essential outlet for work that might not be seen elsewhere.[6] He was primarily motivated to begin the company after encountering the work of Oliver East, who had no real precedents in UK comics.

The publication of Trains Are Mint by East was BSB's first release in 2008 and was critically acclaimed, with an Ignatz award nomination following soon after publication.[7]

Other notable releases were Psychiatric Tales by Darryl Cunningham, another non-genre work which was featured on Radio 4, in many newspaper articles,[8] and eventually republished in the USA.[9] The "collective graphic novel" Nelson, edited by Rob Davis and Woodrow Phoenix,[10] was an experiment that became The Observer newspaper's Graphic Novel of The Month, November 2011.[11] The Times newspaper awarded it Best Graphic Novel of 2011, it was nominated for an Eisner Award,[12] [13] and was voted Book of The Year in the British Comic Awards 2012.[14]

Penman's other mission was to introduce titles from European countries to the UK that otherwise might not be seen. He focused primarily upon German titles by creators such as Mawil, Line Hoven, and Ule Osterle, who starred in Germany but little known in the UK.[15] BSB published six to eight books a year.

In 2012 Woodrow Phoenix, himself an acclaimed author of graphic novels, became art director of the company, supervising BSB's design and production.

Blank Slate Books ceased publishing around 2016.

Titles

Graphic novels

Collections and anthologies

Translations

Other books

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Blank Slate Books. Turnaround Publisher Services.
  2. Web site: Take Away! – Blank Slate Books Presents the Comic Genius of Lizz Lunney. Andy. Oliver . April 2, 2014. Broken Frontier. Their championing of artists like Oliver East, and their past promotion of up-and-coming talents through the Chalk Marks imprint, has brought a whole host of exciting new comics voices to a much deserved wider audience..
  3. Web site: Clough. Rob. London Calling: Blank Slate Books and Nobrow Press. The Comics Journal. 18 October 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121101012332/http://www.tcj.com/london-calling-blank-slate-books-and-nobrow-press/. 1 November 2012. live. January 13, 2012.
  4. News: Blank Slate Are Mint!. JOHN. FREEMAN. June 24, 2008. DownTheTubes.net. John Freeman (editor).
  5. News: The Daily LITG, Boxing Day 2019, Happy Birthday Kenny Penman. 26 Dec 2019. Rich. Johnston. Rich Johnston. Bleeding Cool. Kenny Penman, Publisher of Blank Slate Books and co-owner of Forbidden Planet International..
  6. Web site: Blank Slate Blog: THE NEXT BOOKS . 8 September 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140908181641/http://www.blankslatebooks.co.uk/blog/2008/06/test-post_12.html . 8 September 2014 . Kenny. Penman.
  7. Web site: A Chat with a Homesick Truant: Comic Artist Oliver East. JOHN. FREEMAN. John Freeman (editor). Feb 10, 2014 . DownTheTubes.net.
  8. News: Graphic novel of the month: Fiction Review: Psychiatric Tales by Darryl Cunningham. Rachel . Cooke. 17 Jul 2010. The Guardian.
  9. Book: Cunningham, Darryl. Psychiatric Tales: Eleven Graphic Stories About Mental Illness. Darryl Cunningham. 9781608192786 . Bloomsbury USA. 2001.
  10. News: A collaboration between 54 British comic artists has produced a surprisingly cohesive and heartfelt novel. Rachel. Cooke. The Observer. 18 November 2011.
  11. News: Graphic novel of the month. The Guardian. November 2011.
  12. News: Here Are The 2012 Eisner Award Nominations In Comics!. Jill. Pantozzi. Apr 4, 2012. The Mary Sue.
  13. Web site: Freeman. John. John Freeman (editor). Blank Slate pride at Eisner award nomination for ‘Nelson’. DownTheTubes.net. Apr 10, 2012.
  14. Web site: Nelson wins Best Book at the 1st British Comics Awards!. Blank Slate Books. 21 November 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20201026013415/https://www.blankslatebooks.co.uk/2012/11/nelson-wins-best-book-at-the-1st-british-comics-awards/. 26 Oct 2020.
  15. Web site: BLOG Spotlight On The UK Indies #1: Blank Slate Books. Stacy . Whittle . April 7, 2011. GamesRadar+.
  16. Web site: Frank. Plowright. Weak As I Am. The Slings & Arrows Graphic Novel Guide .
  17. Web site: Darryl Cunningham’s Uncle Bob Adventures Volume 1- All-Ages Tall Tales Offering from Blank Slate Books is Rollicking Good Fun. Andy . Oliver . April 3, 2014. Broken Frontier.

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