NEW Thematic Compilation - 'Computers, Apps and Smartphones'

I've put together a thematic compilation, from all the previous issues (1-16) of Future Fantasteek!, about our relationship with technology. Computers, Apps and Smartphones celebrates our miserable incompetence in the face of computer error messages, incomprehensible alert boxes and smart phone requests about their operating systems - that we simply can't help them with.

Here's the print version!
A5 at 66 pages, full colour.
email me if you're interested in ordering a copy.

 

Read the whole thing here:

Future Fantasteek! Does Inktober 2016

I've just FINISHED Inktober 2016. The point being to make an image using ink every day during October and share of social media. There's a screen grab from Instagram below, I'll add the final images to this blog when it's all done and dusted. Here's a flick through my sketchbook...

My rules:
1. make image in sketchbook
2. only use black, white and red ink or felt pens
3. can add collaged elements ie. tape, paper, staples, stickers
4. can use rubber stamps I already have but only with black or red ink
5. show the materials used in the photos
6. stamp the date on the image

So here are the first batch as seen on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/bateyjac/

I'm also sharing them on Twitter
https://twitter.com/JackieBatey
@jackiebatey

To see the whole series scroll here...

Manchester Metropolitan University to house new zine collection

You'll notice from the photo that MMU have added a large selection of Future Fantasteek! to get their new zine collection underway, so you can now go a read them in Manchester.

Read more about the MMU collection here... http://www.art.mmu.ac.uk/news/item-717/

"From artists books and poster collections, to Victorian ephemera and decorated papers: Manchester Metropolitan University Special Collections is a valuable resource for students and staff at Manchester School of Art. Now they are looking to further enhance the expansive works they house, by developing a collection of zines. MMU Special Collections will join institutions such as the British Library, the Tate, the Women’s Library and the Glasgow School of Art in being an institution to establish a zine collection, reflecting the ongoing interest and scholarship surrounding the ‘zine’ and its history." Extract from MMU website.

Review from the Bookartbookshop

I love this review from Jon Lander for the Bookartbookshop (London).
The 'nits of truth' final sentence is one of my favourites - up there with "A luxury in these times of garbage!" from The Bedeteca Lisbon, Portugal.

Future Fanatsteek! contribution to Spooky Woomb - The Heartbreak issue.

Future Fanatsteek! contributed to Spooky Woomb - The Heartbreak issue.

Edited by: Sprankenstein and Lorna-Leigh Harrington

Publishing Info:

UK 2016, Saddle stitched zine laser printed with card cover.
A5 portrait with 20 pages, Includes eyeball button badge.

My illustration is the hand holding the mobile phone (below).

More double-page spreads...

Featured artists in this issue are:
Lorna-Leigh Harrington; Sprankenstein; Sarah Cochrane; Chloe Dowsett; Rheo Santana
Sophia Maria; Jackie Batey; Zoe Jackson; Alex Pook-Leary; Nessa Finnegan

Link to Spooky Woomb Blog: http://spookywoomb.tumblr.com/

Future Fantasteek! now in MMU

Loads of issues of Future Fantasteek! are now on their way to live in the Manchester Metropolitan University Library - special collections. They will hold a copy of the whole series - apart from the elusive No.1 and No.8. 

Confia16 - presentation about art-zines

I was really pleased to get my paper about art-zines accepted for Confia16.

The conference is on illustration and animation and this year its venue was the
lovely TEATRO GIL VICENTE in Barcelos, Portugal.

My presentation title:
Satirical zines about computers, apps and social media: Art-zines from the Zineopolis Collection. 

To read the paper, scroll here...

For more on Confia - http://www.confia.ipca.pt/

A luxury in these times of garbage!

"A luxury in these times of garbage!"
Best comment ever from The Bedeteca Lisbon, Portugal.

So, you can now read several issues of Future Fantasteek! in Lisbon.
https://bedeteca.wordpress.com/2013/03/20/future-fantasteek/

Photo courtesy of The Bedeteca Lisbon

"The Bedeteca Lisbon continues to receive fanzines, zines and other copyright publications. The more regular these days is the British  Future Fantasteek! , English illustration zine Jackie Batey , that this number 14 reminds horse meat walking in our processed food. Viva Capitalism, mate ! Are also old numbers this title available for consultation in the third room Bedeteca in that room full of journals and "aperiodic-zinescos" after all is the only public institution (and private?) That have this type of publications !!! A luxury in these times of garbage!"

 Google translation might be a bit quirky but you get the drift...

Future Fantasteek! No.17

Softback zine laser printed in colour on white paper. 

A5 size with 20 printed pages, saddle-stitched.

Stationery A-Z divider as a cover, laser-printed in colour.

Brighton, January 2016, edition size of 40.
Art-zine that explores our relationship with technology and each other.

Why is your social tab empty?

Email WILL kill us all...you heard it here first.

To read the whole thing, scroll below here:

Future Fantasteek! No.17 FINISHED

Future Fantasteek! Issue No.17 is ready to go in the envelopes.
This issue is called Photoshop Yourself Happier

More details to follow...

New issue! 'Photoshop Yourself Happier' no.17 is well underway.

I've been experimenting with drawing digitally as well as in my sketchbook with felt pens, for this issue. Kind of remixed photos or another version of collage, if you like.

I love that I can 'undo' drawn lines but the other half of me is saying "why should I undo anything?"

Does digital mean I faff around longer with an image?

I'm not sure yet, but will report back when I've thought about it more.

Here's an example of what I'm on about.

My old paper, my photo, my scribbles...oh my.

Future Fantasteek! No.17 well underway

Future Fantasteek! No.17 is coming together, not sure about the cover yet.
I have also been experimenting with drawing on a tablet using the Brushes App and a Jot pen.
So we shall see how that goes...not a replacement for paper, just another 'thing' in the art drawer.

Here's how it's coming along so far, should be ready end of Jan 2016

The Comics Alternative weekly podcast has a review of Future Fantasteek! No.16

Future Fantasteek! No.16 has just been reviewed by:

Screenshot from the Alternative Comics Homepage

"The Comics Alternative is a weekly podcast and blog focused on the world of alternative, independent, and primarily non-superhero comics. (There’s nothing wrong with the superhero genre…we just want to do something different.)" Quote from http://comicsalternative.com/

PODCAST REVIEW (for Future Fantasteek! scroll to 01.24.20)

http://comicsalternative.com/episode-153-reviews-of-the-dharma-punks-my-hot-date-tokyo-ghost-and-futurefantasteek/

Screenshot of the Alternative Comics Podcast page

The 'Two Guys' are Andy Kunka, a Professor of English at the University of South Carolina Sumter, where he teaches courses in literature, film, and comics. And Derek Royal a comics scholar and a professor at the University of Texas at Dallas in their School of Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication.

Their website has some fab links to further comics research and lots of reviews. Great site for anyone interested in comics and zines and sequential art/narrative.

#OpenComics: untold stories - The Guardian

#OpenComics: untold stories – share your comics and graphic art
Call from the Guardian, so I thought I'd share Future Fantasteek!
You can see the submissions here:
https://witness.theguardian.com/assignment/5554b63ce4b0e7790b8375bf

"We’re looking for interesting untold stories from around the world. The subject you choose is up to you – we simply want to see stories that you think are important and that are best told through graphic storytelling. It could be a weighty international issue such as freedom of speech and human rights, or it could be a more personal story about your community or something that affects you as an individual."  Witness - Guardian website 

Future Fantasteek! No.16

Future Fantasteek! No.16 to read the whole thing, scroll below here:

Softback zine laser printed in colour on cream and white paper.
A5 size with 20 printed pages, saddle-stitched.
Yellow card cover in laserprint black with hand-stamped red logo.
Includes free 1000 Dollars (for Heaven).
Brighton, Feb 2015, edition size of 30.

More of the same, with pages that are 'loading', error 404 messages and why you love your lanyard more than your job. Google algorithms (I still spelt it wrong), puking cats and reworked book covers.

Future Fantasteek! No.7

Softback Zine printed in colour on cream and peach tinted papers, saddle-stitched.
A5 size containing 16 printed pages. Bright yellow card cover with 2 rhinestones.
Issue Seven: Brighton 2009, edition size of fifty.

The 'Damp Research Facilities' have been terribly busy shredding their expenses claims for the last ten years. I mean who’d have thought the public would have gotten knocky about perfectly okay claims for moat-cleaning and second homes, when they’ve all busy thieving handfuls of biros from work. So what if a few deserving Damp Staff want a new telly? Who wouldn’t begrudge them some small comforts? What else? Well Damp Research has proved conclusively that money is vital for happiness and in the spirit of you can never be too happy...keep fiddling the claim forms.

To read the whole thing scroll below here: 

Future Fantasteek! No.8

Softback Zine printed in colour on cream, white and lime tinted papers, saddle-stitched.
A5 size containing 16 printed pages. Red and white pearl card cover with small holographic sticker.
Issue Eight: Brighton 2010, edition size of fifty.

In spite of being out-of-ideas the 'Damp Research Facilities' have filled sketchbooks with pointless drawings for your delectation. As usual the Damp Staff have been out and about eavesdropping on tedious mobile phone conversations, designing products for a better future and trying to get away with passing this off as Art - I mean...honestly! TIME FOR ACTION: What we REALLY need now are some more middle-managers to form a committee, to draw up an agenda, to propose a strategic plan that addresses concerns both real and implied of whoever it was who started this whole thing in the first place.
Pass the biscuits please...

To read the whole thing scroll below here:

Future Fantasteek! No.1

Softback Zine printed in greyscale on flourescent lime paper, saddle-stitched.
A5 size with 16 printed pages, with a flexible clear-multilens pvc cover.
Issue one: Brighton 2006, edition size of fifty.

This Zine is full of eveything that’s wrong with modern living, modern people and going to work. It’s a mixture of hand-drawn typographic slogans and advice with curious advertisements thrown in for good measure. Buy an Evil-Pet or a machine for generating Stupid Ideas. The Damp Flat Research Facilities have wasted no time in bringing you the most up to date advice along with plausible excuses that can be profered for any event. Things you need and things you don’t - if you can’t tell ‘em apart... YOU NEED THIS ZINE

To read the whole-darn-thing scroll here: