Annexe and EKO present… Et Al.

The time has come once more for us to throw one of our celebrated literary evenings! This event sees us teaming up with the brilliant EKO to bring you some of the finest live literature talent the city has to offer.

Happy Birthday, Dickens!

Happy 200th birthday, Charles Dickens.

This strip is by Kate Beaton of the hilarious and high-brow Hark, A Vagrant.

One Pun Too Many

With the release of the Et Al Podcast, we thought it only fair to give you some extra bits and bobs too. It’s Christmas after all. So, at the Annexe event, we ran a little competition in which the audience had to fashion some first-class puns. The topic was books cross with bands. We weren’t surprised to see that the Annexe audience is comprised of a lot of witty and erudite folk. We had so many brilliant responses it was hard to choose between them, but we decided on our top four:

Fantastic Mr. Fleet Foxes
Girl with a Pearl Jam Earring
Northanger Abba

The top prize went to:
All Quiet on the Westlife Front

Since that night the entries have resurfaced every so often and without fail every soul in Annexe HQ falls into fits of laughter. We realised it was cruel to keep all this mirth to ourselves so, in no particular order, after the jump are ALL the book/band puns from Annexe Presents…Et Al.

Et Al: The Podcast

Not too long ago, we held our inaugural literary event. It was a roaring success (even if I do say so myself) and we certainly had a few giggles. If you were there, well done. If you weren’t, shame on you, but not to worry. We’ve got something that will make it feel like you were almost there.

As a Christmas treat, we’re giving you the Annexe presents… Et Al PODCAST! Crafted by the talented Mr Nick Taylor, the podcast revisits some of the highlights from the night and has a ton of extra features. There are interviews with all the performers and a lovely soundtrack too.

Each performer is highlighted as a chapter so you can jump around if you like, though we think it works best in its entirety. Enjoy!

Stephanie Tillman – Embroidered comics that’ll leave you in stitches

As you can see from the title, I love one-liners. Often is the time that my horsey guffaw fills a crowded tube as I read a terrific pun. Probably more than I care to admit. However, here is something that I would share with world. The work of Stephanie Tillman. An American living in London, Stephanie fuses wit with craft in her embroidery pieces. They are like beautifully wrought, one panel comics. Drawing her humour from day to day life, she shapes a unique brand of observational comedy, surreally abstracted by the fact that it is delivered by hip, street-savvy animals.

See more and read a few choice words from the artist herself after the jump.

Misshapen Theatre Show us the Lighter Side to Internet Dating

Fresh from the full month stretch at the Edinburgh Fringe, the folks that make up Misshapen Theatre aren’t a bunch to rest on their laurels. Back on the opposite end of the UK, they presented their two plays as a double bill to the eager audiences of London Town. Now, before the final leg of the current tour, we managed to catch up with Jon Brittain, the pen behind the performance, to chat about the plays and how it all came about.

Meanwhile…

For this edition of Meanwhile… we asked around the Annexe HQ for the internet treats that we recommend. Not all of these are new, but they’re all well worth a gander. From the Book Cover Archive to a Museum of Unnatural History with a brief stop at the world of interactive arts to tell stories.

The Word According to Abe Christie

(don’t squint. you’ll hurt your eyes. Instead, click the picture and see it larger than you’ve ever seen it before.)

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Abe’s virtual self exists here.

The Word According to Abe Christie

It’s that time again. are you sitting comfortably? then let’s begin.

(remember, all it takes is a click to see the comic in a gargantuan new way.)
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you can visit Abe’s page here and see his daily comic blog here.

A Screenplay for Sir Michael Gambon by Jack Swain

A Screenplay for Sir Michael Gambon
by Jack Swain

Recently the all-round creative powerhouse, Jack Swain, confessed a secret love for Michael Gambon. Naturally, we weren’t surprised. Who can say that deep down in their heart of hearts they don’t keep a special space reserved for The Great Gambon. Following this statement, Jack presented us with a screenplay, written with Sir Michael in mind. It’s part biting satire and part affectionate send-up of theatre and all it stands for. The hope is that Gambon will take the lead role. Watch this space.