There are books and fish in this comic. In the first chapter, a lot of books including graphic novels and at least one fish. Glee, or Glebe, is a very bookish suburb and is located just across the road from Sydney University and near two others, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Technology. The area has several bookshops, cafes and restaurants. It is also within walking distance of the Sydney Fish Market. The Bookseller of Glee is a portrait of the proprietor of one such bookshop, Gleebooks, and friend to Doctor Comics. Although he stocked graphic novels in his bookshop he refused to carry coffee and cakes.

The Boookseller of Glee. (Pen and ink, drawing and collage by Michael Hill-© 2009 Michael Hill)

This is the original colour art work. A Black & White print of it will appear in the comic (as shown below).

The Boookseller of Glee. (B&W print of pen and ink, drawing and collage by Michael Hill-© 2009 Michael Hill)

The prinicipal character is an aficionado of fish and cakes as well as comics. We’ll get to the cakes and coffee shops later but as regards his interest in fish his cats don’t mind this aspect of his behaviour at all. In the first chapter there are no cakes or coffee and only one fish, possibly one of the two fish shown below, but it’s a large one. And a bottle of wine. There are two cats, too.

Two of the fish featured in the story. (Woodblock prints by Michael Hill-© 1998 Michael Hill)

See previous production reports: No.5,  No.4,  No.3,  No.2,  No.1.