Improper Books is a collective of comic creators formed in 2009 by Benjamin Read (Writer), Laura Trinder (Artist) and Chris Wildgoose (Artist). While collaborating together on the set of UK independent feature WARHOUSE, the trio discovered a mutual love for comics, illustrated books, and the darker side of fairy tales and set about making their own.

From that, the idea of Improper Books came about; a collective of writers, artists and designers with the know-how to make comics, books and apps, all of which have a touch of the fairy tale, the Gothic or the macabre, and focused on a creator-owned model that is fair to all involved.

Since its inception, the group has grown to include NathanAshworth (Colourist), Jim Campbell (Letterer), Derek Dow (Colourist), Alice Duke (Artist), Matt Gibbs (Writer/Managing Editor), Rose Hewlett (Production Director), Mark Kendrick (Digital Media Designer), André May (Colourist), Bevis Musson (Artist) and Alexa Rosa (Colourist/Flatter).

Projects currently in the works include: BUTTERFLY GATE, FROST FAIR, KNIGHT & DRAGON and NIGHT POST, plus a proof-of-concept digital experiment dubbed 12 MONSTERS.

Who we are

Benjamin Read writes comics and makes films. He wrote the TRUE GRIT and SUPER 8 comic adaptations, and also wrote and produced the films WARHOUSE and 500 MILES NORTH. He is one of the founder members of the Improper Books comics collective. PORCELAIN is his first long-form comic, but he has several others in the works via the Improper Books imprint. He is fuelled by tea and whimsy. http://www.benjaminread.co.uk/

Laura Trinder is a freelance illustrator and private art tutor. She has worked on a diverse collection of projects including illustrative props for films such as SUPER 8 and WARHOUSE, book covers, children’s book illustration and medical illustration. As a member of the Improper Books team she is working on comics for younger readers. Books and drawing are her favourite things, so combining them with fun and talented collaborators at Improper Books is a dream come true. http://www.lauratrinder.co.uk/

Chris Wildgoose is an illustrator, and conceptual and storyboard artist. Northern born, but London based, Chris made his comic debut with the official TRUE GRIT and SUPER 8 comics and has been working towards doing some good in comics ever since. He is currently working on DREAM SOLVER, with Luke Foster, alongside multiple projects planned with Improper Books. http://christianwildgoose.blogspot.co.uk/

Nathan Ashworth is predominantly a colourist, working in a range of groups from Dead Roots and Vs Comics to Afterlife Inc. and Art Heroes’ Halcyon & Tenderfoot series. He likes tasty bright colours, punching mates and being fed more inks to play about with. fiverarts.co.uk

Jim Campbell is an Eagle Award-nominated letterer whose work can be seen in titles from Classical Comics, Dark Horse, Image, Markosia, Renegade Arts, Timebomb and Zenescope. He lives and works in darkest Nottinghamshire and maintains a blog on matters relating to comics, lettering and other random musings at http://www.jimcampbell-lettering.com/

Derek Dow flirted with photojournalism, illustration and handheld/mobile game-art, before being so surprised to find out that you could get paid to colour comics that he promptly forgot how to draw. He’s determined that he’ll learn again eventually, but in the meantime takes great pleasure telling people he makes his living colouring-in. http://artmunki.deviantart.com/

Alice Duke is a freelance illustrator and comics artist. Her sequential work has appeared in THE LOVECRAFT ANTHOLOGY VOLUME 1, NELSON and NEVERMORE. She draws things for Facebook games, phone apps, gig posters, album covers and magazine articles. http://www.alice-duke.com/

Matt Gibbs is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked on games such as Sega’s BINARY DOMAIN and Ubisoft’s DRIVER SAN FRANCISCO, and is collaborating with a number of talented artists on comic and graphic novel projects. Alongside his freelance editing, he is the managing editor of Improper Books. Originally an archaeologist, he spent several years grubbing about in holes before turning to writing as a career. http://mattgibbs.net/

Rose Hewlett is the production director of Improper Books. She roams the wild woods of InDesign hunting bears. When not engaged in such vigorous activity, she can be found at home, surrounded by chickens, in a nest made of buttons, beads and fabric.

Mark Kendrick is a digital media designer, VFX artist and sound designer. Trained in many different aspects of multimedia, he’s worked across a wide variety of platforms and formats from feature films, such as WARHOUSE and 500 MILES NORTH, to applications for mobile devices, such as the virtual driving school iWaycode for iPad and iPhone. He’s currently developing digital publications with Improper Books. http://www.markkendrick.org.uk/

André May is a comic colourist from Brazil. After briefly attempting to work as a digital painter he moved on to exclusively colouring and has mostly worked on small freelance projects, with the notable exception being a french comic called LA LEGENDE DOREÉ, and is looking forward to working on new interesting projects. http://saerus-coloring.deviantart.com/

Bevis Musson is the writer, artist and letterer of THE DEAD QUEEN DETECTIVES. He would probably make the paper too if he knew how, but that would just be showing off. He lives in Manchester with his family and generally thinks making comics is a much better way of spending his time anything else. http://bevismusson.deviantart.com/

Alexa Rosa worked for many years in the corporate world, but decided to abandon it for the calm and schedule free universe of flatting. So far her work can be seen in titles from DC, Indie productions, Image, Mecha, Medikidz, and Zenoscope. http://alexasrosa.deviantart.com/