Asphyxiation

84 comments

    1. Hey, thanks so much! That was one of many lines I agonised over so I’m glad it went down a treat. If you do happen to check out the rest of the strips I’d be most interested to get your take on them. 🙂

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    1. Ha ha ha! Thanks so much! Actually, it wasn’t all that easy to get those right. I normally don’t have a problem with facial expressions but for some reason these gave me quite a bit of trouble. Weird…

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  3. Did I ever tell you how amazing you are?!! Sensational, remarkable, spectacular, stupendous, phenomenal, extraordinary, incredible, unbelievable, mind-blowing?! Well if I didn’t There it is ! 😀

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  4. Reblogged this on listen to the babe and commented:
    “I’m balanced on the spear of indecision here. The longer I deliberate, the prospect of my body sinking kebab-like down that skewer increases tenfold.” “I’m only able to think in dandelion spores, not ad campaigns or market branding.” This bastard’s so brilliant I’m almost truly pissed off. But he makes it impossible to hate him.

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  5. I’ve been waiting for days to figure out what to comment. I still haven’t decided what to say so I’m just typing because I want you to know I’m a huge fan of your work and a huge fan of you Tony.
    I suppose my delay is based in not understanding the line between the artist and the work. So I’m unsure if I should offer a metaphoric shoulder of support or simply tell you how brilliant your artistry is. Both offerings, of course, stand.
    Alas- my “understanding” is unimportant. What’s important is that you keep creating and expressing and moving forward. Hope in each of us and hope in our work keeps the fire lit.
    Giving in to the darkness seems easier…. giving up seems easier… but anyone can give in and give up. Anyone. I believe you aren’t just anyone.
    Love you friend.
    Well done.

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    1. Pam, I can’t believe it’s been over a month. I remember your comment moving me and resolving to think a while before I responded. I’m sorry that I let the time slip away. 😦

      As for that line between artist and work you mentioned, it’s not something that I can easily answer. You will already be aware that Crumble Cult is a fictional story with some autobiographical elements mixed in… but yes, I think the line often gets blurred for sure. A lot of Ernest’s thoughts are mine, and that can be confronting for anyone to read. I fully accept that. Hell, I’ve even had a couple of family members ask me if I was doing okay based on what they’ve seen so far.

      The short answer? Crumble Cult is whatever I need it to be at the time. Actually, it’s kind of shocking when I read through the entire run of strips and see this dynamic at work. It starts off quite light and funny until… well, it gets relentlessly pitch black and bleak. Yikes. It’s a wonder that I haven’t lost any readers so far…

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  6. I feel as though my head has been smacked out back so quickly, that somehow the expression was left standing, with an O for a mouth. Everyone pretty much summed it up Tony, great- honest work.

    Also , just a friendly pat on the back, if this is anything to go by, it might be nice 🙂

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  8. Reblogged this on Spartan Eye and commented:
    If you do not know the work of this amazing artist, writer, poet, photographer then please check out his site(s). Magical, angry, sad, funny, self-deprecating, oh and did I mention angry?

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  9. You are simply and provockingly amazing with creativity Tony ….I must add my double Wow !!! to all the others here ….love and hugs and smiles , megxxx

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  10. Your spore dreams are precious! You are so talented my brain cannot even process it! It is just overwhelming. I love your poetry with all my heart, and I love Ernest. He is like a Little Prince, isn’t he 🙂

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  13. …Yet another reason for the WordPress button-fairies to create an “I FKN LUV THIS!” button. I fucking LOVE this – the ugly truths we tell ourselves are beautiful; aren’t they?

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  14. Stunning work, Tony! How can you make things funny and sad at the same time?
    And… ahem… ahem… may I join to the fraternal society ‘Wednesday’s child’?
    I’m ready to pay membership dues&fees 😛

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    1. Welcome to the society, Tati! Pull up a pew! 😛 As for making things funny and sad at the same time, I’ve often found life to be a lot like that. The ridiculously absurd and the deadly serious tend to exist side by side in many situations, so it’s usually something I like to represent in my stories.

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          1. Born on Monday, fair in face 😛
            (I take this armchair not for long, OK? I don’t want to miss one interesting show on another blog… OH! By the way… this armchair creaks too!)

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      2. Tell me about it! I’ve been at funerals and got a sudden attack of the giggles that just would not stop. As you say, it’s life and that’s why I always concur with people who think twice about the handling of certain mental issues. Everything does not need to be swallowed away with a pill. Mental pain is valid, balances the laughter and is part of life. I don’t believe it is automatically wrong to experience it (if manageable), or experience sadness and laughter together (even in what is deemed inappropriate moments) for that matter.

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        1. I couldn’t agree more, and I couldn’t have put this any more eloquently either! We are all fully rounded human beings with thoughts and dreams and hopes and aspirations and fears and sadness and pain and… well, you already know what I’m talking about. 😛

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  15. Beautiful work, as always. There’s a reason I tell people about you 🙂 I, for one, am glad your spores landed here. Also that sounds a lot worse in my head. If you’re familiar with the WarHammer universe at all, you may be part Ork.

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    1. Alas, I’m completely unfamiliar with the WarHammer universe (blasphemy, I know!), but I do very much like the idea of being part Ork. Does this come with some special perks like… well, I don’t know what Orks excel at. 😛 (And thank you for spreading the word about Crumble Cult. That’s very cool of you, Abi. Very cool! 😀

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      1. The reason I mentioned Orks is because they actually ‘procreate’ by sporing. Since they’re more a fungus than an animal, that’s how they tend to populate a planet. Well, that and crashing a hollowed-out asterioid into it. Both are pretty awesome, unless you’re the inhabitants of said planet 😛

        And why wouldn’t I? You always seem to be able to capture something very real about the human spirit in your comics and stuff like that deserves to be shared!

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  19. This is sublime Tony, I don’t know what else to say except more please, more photos and poetry and comics because most of the time I really do believe that there isn’t anything else.

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    1. Same here, Mark. I really have a hard time seeing anything beyond those things anyway, so there will definitely be more to come. Thank you as ever for your support. I do appreciate it! 😀

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    1. It certainly seems final, but I assure you it’s not. Barring me getting squashed by a flaming meteorite or some other equally absurd and unforeseen tragedy, there will be more Crumble Cult to come! 😛

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  22. Creation blinked. Fuck it creation shuddered!This is epic Tony…and your spores find root here. Funny enough Im a Wednesdays child and that dogged me through years of depression…whoever made up that rhyme should be (insert appropriate torture here). I am..like many of us in these fragmented days…am struggling with the idea of making art in a world jammed with images and its on going but yesterday I thought maybe all art is now is the need for and the of result of personal exploration and a need to resolve our lives and the spectator is only a by product..but its an on going struggle and we need some spectators I guess. Anyhoo…Im goiing on a bit but I’m here and think you’re magnificent…and the colours by the way…love ’em too.

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    1. Well, I won’t lie… I’ve always needed a spectator or two for what I produce, and as such I’m grateful that an artist of your calibre (and fellow Wednesday’s child) would take the time to read and comment here. Clare, thank you for that. And, yeah, I’m with you… I do think we should continue making art no matter what. These days, the need for personal exploration is greater than ever! 🙂

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      1. Me too on the spectators…I think I have always seen the showing as a big part of the process but its difficult now when with new media makes the showing very fleeting. I think I just need to re-explore my own emphasises(eseses?i?) and methods…yeh, there is no end to exploring I guess 🙂

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        1. Yes, I think once the exploring ends then there’s probably no point to continuing. “Arriving” is probably not a good motivation for an artist as it can make them slothful and irrelevant. 🙂

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Offer thy praises at the Altar of Crumbly Goodness