PRESTON'S comic artist Bryan Talbot has finally finished his pet project - five years after he first put pen to paper.

His graphic novel, A Tale of One Bad Rat, which hit the bookshops this week has already won two awards and has been nominated for another three.

The cartoon genius has worked on the famous Judge Dredd comics and Adventures of Luther Arkwright, but he reckons his book has been his biggest task yet, having written the storyline, penned the colouful cartoons and designed the pages.

Bryan, of Bairstow Street, Preston tackles the difficult subject of child sexual abuse and the long term effects it has on children involved - the bad rat being the abuser. He's based the characters on people he know's including his own solicitor and personal friends.

He said: "People may think some of the characters look familiar and that's because they've probably seen them walking around Preston. The book has been on sale in America for three months and is selling extremely well."

But he admits it is aimed at a specialist cult audience. It has won the Comic Creators Guild award for Best Limited Series and the UK Comic Art award for Best New Publication. It was nominated for The National Cartoonists Society of America's Rueben Award and two Eisner Awards.

Bryan will be signing copies of his book, priced £9.99, at Waterstones, Fishergate on Saturday January 13 from 1pm.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.