TRIGGER WARNINGS: Patrick Wray Storyteller Spotlight

Patrick Wray

"Clapton Pond" (2018)

Patrick Wray is the epitome of a multidisciplinary artist. I love everything he does comics, music, writing. I don't even recall the exact posting where I came across his work on old twitter the first time but I instantly was taken with his un-primitive, exploding with color, drawings. This humble list is an attempt to give a small idea of the dizzying breadth of Wray's talents and obsessions.

For a more in depth examination of Patrick Wray's life and art, I highly recommend checking out his biography page on his website. Much more art on the site, as well (look for the gallery of hand-painted t-shirts!).

WORK (2006-PRESENT): Bookseller at Foyles Bookstore on Charing Cross Road in London. Here is a video tour of the store from 2020 (I've never seen any store this big, let alone a bookstore!):

LucAbroad

Here is a link to a TikTok video book review by Wray of I SPIT ON YOUR CELLULOID by Heidi Honeycutt (via @thebigfoyles)

COMIC (2024): THE END OF THE BEGINNING: SOME DRAWINGS AND PAINTINGS 2020-2024. Exactly what the title says, full color on cardstock covers and glossy paper inside. I quite like the biro portrait of actor Sadie Sink, very complex with an unusual technique. They're all good, though. Buy here and the artist's store

ARTICLE (2024): One thing I love most about Patrick Wray is you never can predict what's up next. Case in point, a 10-page article in THE DARKSIDE MAGAZINE #262 titled "Ghosts, Monsters and UFOs!". Wray examines the 80s era WORLD OF THE UNKNOWN series published by Usborne:

pocketmags.com

MEMOIR (2023): "97 Lost Futures" article by Wray about watching the football match as the Hillsborough Disaster unfolded. "I still remember that day. I was at home, I was safe." Read the entire piece on the Exit Press substack

SCORE (2023): Wray provided the music for Sarah Alwin's short film "Surprise View". Sarah explains the project here.

And, a second collaboration with Sarah Alwin titled "Single Use Only". Sarah's commentary here

Both: YouTube

INTERVIEW (2022): "Dean Alioto: Found Footage pioneer" the filmaker is interviewed by Wray about his 1988 alien invasion movie UFO ABDUCTION (aka THE McPHERSON TAPE). Read the in depth interview here

COMIC (2022): GHOST STORIES I REMEMBER published by Colossive Press. This may be my favorite Patrick Wray comic. I absolutely love the intensity of the drawings of his recollections of ghosts and supernatural phenomena he's encountered in his life, combined with the casual text recounting same. Available from Colossive Press

Andy Oliver review at Broken Frontier

COMIC (2022): GRANDAD REG story by Clara Heathcock art by Patrick Wray. Published by the excellent kus! of Latvia. I bought this as soon as it came out and Wray's art/collage is well served by the always high kus! production values. (Try a kus! anthology as well if you order from the publisher)

kus!

Andy Oliver review at Broken Frontier

Kevin Bramer review at Optical Sloth

Justin Giampaoli review at Thirteen Minutes

COMIC (2022): WE CAN COLLECT THE KEYS story by Clive Judd art by Wray. Published by the sadly defunct Exit Press. Description borrowed from the Iglootree retail site: "For Exit Press' first single author release, we take a dream-like walk through Clive Judd's last days in London. Patrick Wray's surreal illustrations show us the texture of his dreamscape. One moment, Clive is packing up boxes, the next he's recounting Philip K. Dick's theories of the ways that we slip between worlds." I missed picking this up when it first came out, but it definitely sounds of a piece with Wray's solo work. Copies still available from the artist's store

Patrick Wray

DOCUMENTARY (2021): "The Extraordinary Life of Clive Murphy" produced by Patrick Wray. Based on Wray's 2019 interview with the creator of the "other lives" series, Ribald Rhymes series, prose novels, etcetera. Listen here

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Kindle version

ZINE (2021): COLOSSIVE CARTOGRAHIES #21: MIRROR MIRROR published by Colossive Press. Indescribable foldout object, has to be seen to be fully appreciated (although I did try to take a picture of the main image below, there are a number of other images by Wray that tell a whole story). Available from Colossive Press

MUSIC VIDEO (2021): "Oh Blimey! (It's Rachel Riley)" Described by Wray as, "A short song about 'Countdown' presenter and maths genius Rachel Riley". From the album
LEARNING TO SWIM which was part of the 20X20 Project.

YouTube

GRAPHIC NOVEL (2020): One of my obsessions soon after I joined twitter in 2020 was completing a run of every title published by Avery Hill Publishing in 2020, including the singular stamp art graphic novel THE FLOOD THAT DID COME by multidisciplinary artist Patrick Wray. Even looking back five years later, it's incredible how Patrick using just a half dozen or so recurring images is able to construct a compelling narrative.

cover

Andy Oliver review on Broken Frontier

Ryan Carey review on SOLRAD

John Seven review on The Beat

Rachel Bellwoar review on Comicon

Win Wiacek review on Now Read This!

COMIC STRIP (2020): "The Teenage Magus" an unusual four-page story by Wray in a more realistic style, featuring a character that speaks in quotes from his novel-in-progress. Read here.

deep overstock

ARTICLE (2020): RECORD COLLECTOR #512 "Under The Radar" article written by Wray on unjustly obscure 80s band Sudden Sway. Read the full article here. "Fartherized" song mentioned in the article:

YouTube

Bonus full interview with A&R representative Mike Alway quoted in the above article. Read here

COMIC (2018): PERFORATED EARDRUM!!! story by Clara Heathcock art by Patrick Wray. Published through Honey Bee Books. Available from the writer and the artist's store