The Arts & Culture Journal

Black and White Cat Press is a Manchester-based printer and publisher founded by David Birchall in 2001. Since then, the Press has published, designed and constructed zines, comics, books and CDs whilst also providing visual education workshops in the Greater Manchester area.

Fallyrag takes a look at the artwork for the latest zine to come out of Black and White Cat Press – ‘Extricate 9.’

The latest issue of Extricate features two true stories. 'Another Good One for an Acid Freak Out' is a sprawling tour account of a run-in with one of Glasgow's most extraordinary characters whilst 'The Oracle at Delphi' tells the tale of minds being blown by Lee Perry's dub while on a scrambled and epic hitchhike to catch a ferry over the Corinthian Gulf. Interested? Extricate 9 can be bought from the Black and White Cat Press website here.

David Birchall in his own words:

‘I am interested in exploring ideas of social change and communities. Working with children and young people in Manchester, the city which I have made my base for the past ten years, has made firmer to me the importance of educating and offering opportunities for a positive future to young people.

My work as an artist crosses over with my work with young people; focusing on addressing concerns about visual literacy through the use of comics and visual storytelling.

‘My own practise as an artist has developed out of my undergraduate study of creative writing, language and literature. Intially exploring the idea of narrative and word forms through comics and illustrative story telling, my work is now developing in new directions.

I am currently making new comic work exploring the links and history between writing and drawing, the visual aspects of language, semiotics, semantics and how these manifest themselves in comics narrative. I prefer to present my drawn and comics work as accessible handmade multiples to make the work available to the widest number of people.’

Website: http://www.blackandwhitecatpress.org

Email: blackandwhitecatpress@hotmail.com