John Allison

John Allison

@badmachinery.com

Cartoonist in Leeds, UK. I brought you such comics as Steeple, Bad Machinery, Giant Days, Scary Go Round, Bobbins, Great British Bump-Off and Solver. The nation's favourite. https://badmachinery.com

7.7K followers383 following6K posts

John Allison
@badmachinery.com

The BBC is set to scrap Radio 4 Extra. 📻 Losing this treasure trove of classic comedy, archive drama, and timeless storytelling would be a massive blow for millions of us. Sign the petition to help save Radio 4 Extra 👇 you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/sa...

you.38degrees.org.ukSave Radio 4 ExtraRadio 4 Extra is a fabulous showcase of the BBC's phenomenal archive of radio comedy and drama, fields in which the Corporation is an undoubted pioneer, with a reputation for quality rivals woud envy ...
John Allison
@badmachinery.com

Writing has begun today on the next exciting epoch of Solver. Danger, glamour, and discounts are the watchwords for this next run.

John Allison
@badmachinery.com

Use black pen! It's hard to know which is the most vivid fantasia on this page; Davy's ever-evolving night beast vision, or Nemulon's agricultural subsidy form, which features some truly exotic lactations, plus chibi Esther to help you along.

badmachinery.comUse black pen!It's hard to know which is the most vivid fantasia on this page; Davy's ever-evolving night beast vision, or Nemulon's agricultural subsidy form, which features some truly exotic lactations, plus chibi Esther to help you along.
John Allison
@badmachinery.com

The relevant form Nemulon-14 lacks Nemulon-13's nuclear core, ability to expand to a vast size, and many of the more exciting features it brought to bear during the NEMS storyline. But it does come with an office suite and a really rapid laser printer.

badmachinery.comThe relevant formNemulon-14 lacks Nemulon-13's nuclear core, ability to expand to a vast size, and many of the more exciting features it brought to bear during the NEMS storyline. But it does come with an office suite and a really rapid laser printer.
John Allison
@badmachinery.com

It's my 50th birthday, I just woke up and looked in the mirror. It's not good, friends. Hair white as snow, ears like dinner plates, a nose like a mangelwurzel.

John Allison
@badmachinery.com

It's the last day of my forties. At midnight the last drop of youth will evaporate and my sunset years will begin, all delicately-embroidered crimson velvet smoking jackets, heavy colognes and rambling anecdotes. My signature drink: Floradix. My signature sandwich: two parallel Ryvita, unbuttered.

John Allison
@badmachinery.com

Please stop wishing me a happy birthday a day early, that's tomorrow, it's bad luck, several of you have hexed me and I'll be in church all day now trying to wash the curses off in the font, thanks for ruining my last day of youth.

John Allison reposted

The Exchange
@theexchangeleeds.bsky.social

Everyone knows public transport around Leeds isn't very good. But what would actually be better? Today we asked rail guru @garethdennis.uk to take over and design the network we *actually* need. With 5 lines and 89 new stations, he didn't hold back... theexchange.news/leeds-should...

theexchange.newsLeeds shouldn’t look to Manchester for transport inspiration, but CopenhagenWe asked rail expert Gareth Dennis to redesign our transport network
John Allison
@badmachinery.com

I enjoyed drawing the beatific/dopey nude lovers of "Love's". Never look it up on Wikipedia, the true story of this benign but oft-mocked comic is so sad that you will voluntarily send yourself to jail for having made fun of Love Is.

John Allison
@badmachinery.com

I'm sure many of my followers are familiar with the popular MCM Comic Con events in the UK. But I imagine that few of them know that MCM stands for "mirror, cosplay, manoeuvre".

John Allison
@badmachinery.com

Solver volume 2 goes to print tomorrow, here's the cover, hopefully in hand for Thought Bubble in mid Nov. All the comics from Wobbly Head to date, plus three new pages at the end.

John Allison
@badmachinery.com

Strange, isn’t it? I've been fascinated by pea pod wine since I watched a TV show where Giles Coren and Sue Perkins tried to live like "The Good Life" TV show. Not fascinated enough to drink it, you understand. I remember Coren saying "it's the sort of thing you'd give to the children." I don't…

badmachinery.comStrange, isn’t it?I've been fascinated by pea pod wine since I watched a TV show where Giles Coren and Sue Perkins tried to live like "The Good Life" TV show. Not fascinated enough to drink it, you understand. I remember Coren saying "it's the sort of thing you'd give to the children." I don't think it was the hookily uploaded episode below but you can fill a merry hour of your life watching it rather than looking at a bad situation on your phone.
John Allison
@badmachinery.com

This is my LCS and they tolerate my visits with admirable good humour

OK Comics@okcomics.bsky.social

OK Comics is hiring! Please read both posts for all the information on what we're looking for and how to apply. Thanks! And good luck.

John Allison
@badmachinery.com

I have done this panel a number of times and I take it ENORMOUSLY SERIOUSLY, otherwise I think there is no point participating. Last year I spent some time competently sewing a tiny pair of trousers, which I never saw again.

Al Kennedy@alkennedy.bsky.social

They have learned nothing. NOTHING

John Allison
@badmachinery.com

Here until 5!

Chris "Human Cryptid" Mole@chrismole.bsky.social

It's the full line-up for SCARF 2026! Far too many people for me to tag in this post but WHAT A CROP 😙🤌✨ October 10th 2026 at Trafalgar Warehouse, Sheffield, S1 4JT - completely free entry, and we'll have some freebies for the first 50 punters through the door! Put it in your diaries 📒

John Allison
@badmachinery.com

Repost for the South Yorkshire-proximate crowd 🦉🍴🎹

John Allison@badmachinery.com

I'll have a table at SCARF in Sheffield on Saturday! Trafalgar Warehouse from 10-5 scarf.chrismole.co.uk BREWING UP FOR STAR NAMES

John Allison
@badmachinery.com

I finished work on BLIGHT today, it's 44 pages all told. I'll have it for sale at Thought Bubble in November. Solver returns thereafter (following reruns due to jury service/Christmas break).

John Allison
@badmachinery.com

I feel like I'm going mad, every app on my Mac wants to replace "any more" with "anymore", the American English construction, whenever that grammatical form is invoked (ie "I don't want to have to do this any more". I've set every dictionary to British English, I don't want to do this any more.

John Allison
@badmachinery.com

Don’t kill yourself, Davy I passed up on the opportunity to have that bell go "ding dang" rather than "ding ding" but this is a mark of my latterday restraint. Don't worry - momma's little baby still likes shortenin' bread.

badmachinery.comDon’t kill yourself, DavyI passed up on the opportunity to have that bell go "ding dang" rather than "ding ding" but this is a mark of my latterday restraint. Don't worry - momma's little baby still likes shortenin' bread.
John Allison
@badmachinery.com

PS: who's that glamorous figure on the pub peanuts reveal board? What was the brand with the pretty ladies on the backing card behind the snack packets? "Big D"?

John Allison
@badmachinery.com

Can't wait for this. I'll be there, the man who (I have guessed) has made the most comics about Sheffield, in Sheffield. Hopefully at some point I'll be given the key to the city or a commemorative cutlery set. Or both. See you SATURDAY.

Chris "Human Cryptid" Mole@chrismole.bsky.social

It's the full line-up for SCARF 2026! Far too many people for me to tag in this post but WHAT A CROP 😙🤌✨ October 10th 2026 at Trafalgar Warehouse, Sheffield, S1 4JT - completely free entry, and we'll have some freebies for the first 50 punters through the door! Put it in your diaries 📒

John Allison
@badmachinery.com

London wench A historic j'accuse, delivered with a pipe stem by... my notes say "Farmer Finch (no relation") so we'll have to go with that. If I was a real writer, he'd have a name, like Atticus Aloysius Smith. Of course, they used to teach you how to j'accuse in schools in Yorkshire, but it all…

badmachinery.comLondon wenchA historic j'accuse, delivered with a pipe stem by... my notes say "Farmer Finch (no relation") so we'll have to go with that. If I was a real writer, he'd have a name, like Atticus Aloysius Smith. Of course, they used to teach you how to j'accuse in schools in Yorkshire, but it all went out with the National Curriculum.