Slab-O-Concrete facts for kids

Slab-O-Concrete Productions was a company from the United Kingdom. It was started in 1994 by Peter Pavement, Dave Hanna, Emma Copsey, and Chris Tappenden. The company mostly worked from Brighton and Hove in the 1990s.

Slab-O-Concrete was a "distributor" and a "publisher." This means they sold comics directly to people, often through mail order. They also created and printed their own comics and books.

At first, they sold comics and zines (small, independent magazines) made by British artists. These were often from the "small press," meaning they were not from big, well-known publishers. Slab-O-Concrete also brought in publications from the United States, Australia, and Europe.

The company started in Sheffield but moved to Hove in 1995. Towards the end of the 1990s, they started publishing many more things. This included music CDs and regular books, not just comics. However, in 2001, the company had to close down. Changes in how books were sold made it hard for them to make enough money to keep going.

What They Published

Slab-O-Concrete Productions published a wide range of creative works. They focused on comics but also released music and prose books. They were known for supporting independent artists.

Music Releases

Slab-O-Concrete released music albums by unique artists. These included:

• 17%: Hendrix Was Not the Only Musician!, by Billy Childish & His Famous Headcoats (1998)
• The Attack of Everything, by Jad Fair and Jason Willett (2000)

Comic Books

The company was most famous for its comics. They published many different styles and stories. Some of their notable comic book projects included:

• Comics made in partnership with Amnesty International. These comics focused on human rights themes. Examples include A Bowl of Rice by Ilya and Freedom from Discrimination by Enrique Rodríguez, both from 1998.
• Works by well-known independent comic artists. These included Artbabe in Pigskin vs Paintbrush! by Jessica Abel (1999) and Doc Trader also by Jessica Abel (2000).
• Comics with unique and sometimes funny titles, like Bad Hair Day by Craig Conlan (1997) and Dole Scum by Nigel Auchterlounie (2000).
• The Pavement series, which was edited by Peter Pavement himself. This series featured contributions from many different artists.
• The Worm: the Longest Comic Strip in the World, which was created by the famous writer Alan Moore and many other artists (1999).

Prose Books

Beyond comics and music, Slab-O-Concrete also published prose books and zines. These often explored topics related to comics, art, and culture. Some examples are:

• Below Critical Radar: Fanzines and Alternative Comics from 1976 to the Present Day. This book, edited by Roger Sabin & Teal Triggs (2000), looked at the history of independent comics and fan-made magazines.
• Cometbus, a popular zine by Aaron Cometbus (1999).
• Spy TV: Just Who is the Digital TV Revolution Overthrowing?, a book by David Burke (2000).