Mandy J Watson
mandyjwatson.bsky.social
Mandy J Watson
@mandyjwatson.bsky.social
Tech-culture journalist. Copy editor. Game dev. Hire me!
World expert in South African comics (#sacomics) published after 2000.
Words: https://brainwavez.org/
Tiny games: https://mandyjwatson.itch.io/
Masked up in Cape Town, South Africa.
Look at these awesome zines and stickers @janineveazue.bsky.social sent to me (includes equally awesome D&D stamps on the envelope!).

Thank you so much!

Find her zines here:
www.instagram.com/zinesbyjanine/

and here:
www.etsy.com/shop/Stitcha...
November 21, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Predator: Badlands is horrible. I don't even know if I'm going to write a review because even though it is (somewhat) better than Tron: Ares at least with Tron: Ares I had something to say. With Predator: Badlands I just don't care, which means writing is going to be an absolute slog.
November 5, 2025 at 6:47 PM
That would be this:
November 1, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Here's the art that goes with this.
October 31, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Behold! The interactive zine!

You can read more about how to get a copy in the blog post. The short answer is Readers Den Comic Shop Wynberg, The Book Lounge, and Clarke's Bookshop in Cape Town. Readers Den and The Book Lounge will also ship elsewhere.

Support indie book and comic shops and me!
October 30, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Zines! Zines! Zines! @openbookfestival.bsky.social started today and there are lots of zines at the Babel Tower table in the marketplace, including ones by Reinhard Venzke, Claude Naudé, @willowwaffle.bsky.social, @milo-wildcat.bsky.social, Catriona Towriss, and me!
September 5, 2025 at 6:13 PM
I also made the most nonsense #PixelArt and I love it!
August 18, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Bonus blooper reel:
August 9, 2025 at 12:14 PM
my favourite doctor and companion
August 9, 2025 at 12:08 PM
The jam was suitable for people of all skill levels, although there were quite a few #SAComics creators in attendance too. (Which resulted in catchup conversations and an impromptu comics and zines swap after the jam ended.)

3/
August 3, 2025 at 6:02 PM
You can find it at a few independent bookshops and comic shops in Cape Town for R25: Readers Den Wynberg, The Book Lounge, and Clarke's Bookshop.

(Alternatively, R20 from me excluding shipping if you want it shipped.)

I wanted to keep the price low to make it as affordable as possible.
August 1, 2025 at 2:22 PM
The zine is 32 pages, hand cut from a printed A4 sheet and then stapled, and has a 160gsm cover.

Consequently it is A8 in size (ie very tiny). #SAComics
August 1, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Happening on Sunday, 3 August: Comic Jam Cape Town at Obz Books (76 Lower Main Road, Observatory, Cape Town). I don't know much about this but it's R50, 10am-12pm, bring your own supplies. Apparently it's going to be monthly.

More details here:
www.instagram.com/p/DMsmC70qn8H/

#SAComics
August 1, 2025 at 1:53 PM
The Magical World Of Fungi describes and illustrates more species of fungi but, this time, they are species that are beneficial to humans. You have to refold the zine if you want to read it as pages, although this isn't necessary as the sequence is clear even as a poster page.

5/
July 27, 2025 at 5:52 PM
As you page through the zine it describes a few species of toxic fungi, with stats explaining how they are dangerous to plants and humans, accompanied by illustrations. The final pages invite the reader to flip open the zine to the other half, which unfolds to reveal The Magical World Of Fungi.

4/
July 27, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Here's a bonus zine from our workshop for #SAComicsSunday, #IZM2025, and #InternationalZine Month: The Perilous World Of Toxic Fungi by Lemonzestt (Naadirah Moola).

(Don't miss the extra notes in the Alt text.)

#sacomics

1/7
July 27, 2025 at 5:52 PM
The zine showcases some of the seed pods in Towriss' studio inventory, with illustrations of each, some information about the pods, and details about who foraged them and where they were found (unless it's a secret location).

4/
July 27, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Since it is #InternationalZineMonth / #IZM2025, today's #SAComicsSunday showcase is another zine from the workshop we ran last month.

It's Seed Pod Selections: A Studio Inventory by Catriona A. Towriss.

(As always, don't miss the extra notes in the Alt text.)

#sacomics

1/6
July 27, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Each page presents a term or phrase that's evolved in her family, such as "kalezemity" and "unca-hol"; a drawing to illustrate the term; and a mention of who came up with it.

4/
July 13, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Cele is in the process of documenting her grandmother's stories and memories. For the workshop, she decided to make a zine about some of the language and terminology that has naturally evolved in her family circle.

2/
July 13, 2025 at 4:50 PM
It's #IZM2025 (International ZIne Month) and also #SAComicsSunday so here's another zine from the workshop I co-facilitated in June: A Family Portrait by Lindelwa Cele.

(As always, there are additional details in the Alt text.)

#SAComics

1/5
July 13, 2025 at 4:50 PM
July 4, 2025 at 4:44 PM
Since I know Tolosana's work well, and his tendency to work in a restricted palette, I suspect the full colour bits are Roblin's changes and the 2023 version is Tolosana rethinking how to express the story through colour, especially with the text now moved to more legible blocks.

7/
June 29, 2025 at 7:31 PM
The colouring of the 2015 version is purple and violet tints, tones, and shades with small areas of full colour in a couple of places (notably the view of the universe outside the diner's windows). The 2023 version is flatter colour using orange, yellow, and a very light orange.

5/
June 29, 2025 at 7:31 PM
#SAComicSunday: Space Diner is a four page digital comic by British writer James Roblin and #SAComics creator Luis Tolosana that I don't think was ever printed. Two versions exist: the original, which was published in 2015, and an updated version that was published in 2023.

1/14
June 29, 2025 at 7:31 PM