I'll be talking about me and Murky Depths at Camcon on 12 May ... if you're interested.

Good review. Murky Depths is an interesting magazine from the issues I've seen, but just too expensive; it's competing with magazines dedicated to either comics or fiction that are almost half the price. For the price of Murky Depths, I get Black Static and Clint.

I was disappointed when I read this comment last year. Everyone has an opinion but when it comes from a fellow publisher you wonder what their agenda is. Although it was interesting to have comparisons made with the two mentioned publications these comparisons were totally flawed. I'd loved to have been able to sell Murky Depths cheaper but our production values were high and print runs small in contrast to that of Black Static and Clint. It was foolish to claim Murky Depths was competing against those publications. Murky Depths was perfect bound not saddle stitched - always looking good on bookshelves (while they survive) - it was American comic book size rather than A4 and, most importantly, it mixed prose and comics. It would have made more academic sense to compare Murky Depths with other publications that mixed prose and comics.

...and you can buy Issue #18 and any other issue of your choice for just £10 at the moment.

That's some final update. Read, digested and agreed. I might be on the old side, but I'm with the new.

And thanks, Graham!

Read Cyber Circus from Newcon Press, and wonder why Kim hasn't already picked up a major deal. Well...maybe she has. 

Jon's short story Glory Of The Empire first appeared in Murky Depths #12:

Art: by Neil Roberts (cover artist for 2000AD) while the cover, based on the story, is by Nancy Farmer

Alison also has a story in Murky Depths #5:

So This Is Mi Art: Nancy Farmer (the first of several illustrations for Murky Depths)

Willie's Murky Depths stories are still available:

Phantom Payment (Issue #2) Art: Ricky Martin

Viewers Choice (Issue #7) Art: Paul Drummond

[Picture This]

Okay, most of you probably know me as the publisher and editor-in-chief of Murky Depths. You might not know that I write, paint and draw (well I did until I started Murky Depths!). But now that I've closed Murky Depths I'll have more time for the arts (yeah, sure).

Well, not writing for the last five years isn't quite true. I had one story published at Dark Fiction last Christmas in their 12 Days Anthology and Saxon Bullock actually makes it sound good!

I had a story published at Alternate Species back in, ooh, 2002 I think, and another in their e-mail monthly Dangerous Creatures the following year. I had a story published in the first issue of Fiction (they hadn't done their homework and hadn't realised there was already a magazine called that!) which paid me enough to buy a nice Wacom tablet. Their naivety of publishing, marketing and selling meant they only lasted a few issues and production values were about 1% of Murky Depths. I'd rather have been paid nothing and appeared in Murky Depths - but that would have been self publishing, and until e-publishing really took off that was always frowned upon.

I hope you've been enjoying my comics column Picture This in the BSFA's Vector. A bit of feedback would be good.

So, I'd better start digging out all those stories I wrote and that haven't yet done the rounds, and to finish the novels I started but haven't finished (well, one is). The easel's up and the canvases are scattered about - there's even a freshly completed painting waiting to be sent to its new owner. Oh yes, and we'll be publishing loads of new stuff in 2012 - but I'm not allowed to talk about that here...

Yes, I've been to the last two with the Murky Depths table and they've been our most successful conventions. Certainly a different kind of event with a much broader membership base and an open mindedness (or should that be no fear of appearing ignorant) that is a breath of fresh air. There's a carnival atmosphere much of the time and networking opportunities are three-a-penny if you've the inclination - and aren't stuck behind a dealer table! Okay, it's at Pontins so don't expect 5-star comfort but that's more than made up for by the entertainment. Certainly worth the effort, though a Thursday night start has always seemed a bit odd to me.

The Jury shall also have oversight powers to add nominations where it identifies an egregious omission or to subtract a nomination in the case of a poor quality nomination artificially boosted by the practice of canvassing.  In order to add or subtract such nominations the jury must make a unanimous decision.  The addition or subtraction of a nomination will be made in camera.

Mmmm. So an obscure work that wasn't canvassed, but makes it through, could be thrown out on the assumption it was canvassed - Don't like that. Smacks of that "I know best" mentality, as demonstrated by out-of-touch politicians (that's not to say the jury members would be out of touch, but they could introduce their own favourites as much as a canvassed choice could).

Actually breathed a sigh of relief when Black Static won Best Magazine/Periodical this year but you can see why Murky Depths was shortlisted if you pick up a copy . . . and at this moment if you go to the Murky Depths website and click on the logo at the top there's some great offers on current and past issues. Here's Martin Baines' cover for the just-launched #18 based on Honest Harry's Budget Boneyard from Matthew Fryer:-

Thanks to everyone who helped Murky Depths into the shortlist again.

If anyone hasn't yet seen a copy of Murky Depths but would like to make a comparison with the other shortlisted magazines I'm prepared to offer a free PDF download of Issue #12 (the second published Murky Depths in 2010). It won't go anywhere near showing the high production values but it will give you an idea of content.

Leave a request here: Contact or use the Contact link at the Murky Depths website.

Ah, yes.

It can never do justice to Murky Depths, but here's a FREE pdf of Issue #10

download @ http://www.murkydepths.com/mdcart/

with this code

3KX299710M614521H