downthetubes.net news blog

John McCrea takes on Mars Attacks! project

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 20:30:00 +0000

US publisher IDW Publishing and Topps have announces multiple Eisner Award-winning creative team for Mars Attacks, an all-new ongoing comic series based on the fan-favourite Mars Attacks franchise - and STRIP Magazine's John McCrea is one part of the line-up.

Debuting in June 2012, IDW’s comic series will offer the first stories of an all-new Mars Attacks universe, bringing the brand’s outrageous action and dark humour to a new set of tales.

Writer John Layman, author and co-creator of the Eisner-winning series Chew, will script the series, with art by John McCrea, best known for his collaborations with Garth Ennis, including Eisner-winner Hitman, whose creator-owned story, Warpant, is currety running in STRIP Magazine.

Created in 1962, Mars Attacks celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2012 with major product launches throughout the year. IDW’s new comic series, as well as high-quality reprints of existing material, will be a cornerstone of that effort.

Originally published by Topps as a series of trading cards, Mars Attacks was created by Len Brown and Woody Gelman, after Brown was inspired by the Wally Wood cover to EC Comics Weird Science #16. The cards went on to achieve cult status for their then-shocking imagery — fully painted by pulp legend Norm Saunders and based on designs by Wood and Bob Powell — and remains a staple of pop culture. Topps revived the franchise in the mid 1990s with a second card set, comic book series and toy line. The story was also adapted into the 1996 feature film Mars Attacks!, directed by Tim Burton.

“We were excited to hear of the award-winning creative team that IDW had secured,” said Ira Friedman, Topps vice president of global licensing. “John McCrea was our first choice to illustrate Mars Attacks and we were thrilled that IDW was able to bring him aboard. His experience drawing over-the-top violence on comics like Hitman, Judge Dredd and The Boys, coupled with John Layman’s penchant for twisted, offbeat humor makes them the perfect team to relaunch Mars Attacks.”

Mars Attacks will include covers by McCrea and alternate covers by such comic-book luminaries as Sam Kieth, Ben Templesmith and Eric Powell. The first issue will also feature a unique approach to variant covers: It will ship with 55 different covers, each depicting one of the original trading cards from the debut set of Mars Attacks from 1962. A complete collector’s set of the 55 covers in a box that replicates the original card packaging will be offered separately as well.

• Mars Attacks #1 will be available in stores in June 2012. More nfo from IDWPublishing.com. For information on Topps visit topps.com.

MCM and Eagle Awards Debut New Comics Talent Competition

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

For almost a decade the MCM London Comic Con has been a haven for comics, movies, games and anime – and now, together with the Eagle Awards and upcoming Universal Pictures blockbuster Snow White And The Huntsman, they’re looking to the next decade with a prestigious competition for new comic artists and writers.

Judged by Titan Publishing senior editor Steve White, bestselling writer Tony Lee and Eisner-winning artist Mark Buckingham, the ‘Huntsman's Challenge’ competition calls on comic creators to come up with a fully finished, coloured and lettered five page story with a plot relevant to a dark fantasy setting.

“In just a few years we've seen our small Artists Alley turn into a full scale Comic Village, with hundreds of comic creators now attending and exhibiting,” said MCM marketing director Bryan Cooney. “Many of today's best UK creators started with a table at our shows, growing as we have. We'd like to give that opportunity to the next generation of creative teams.”

Submissions will be accepted from 1-29th February 2012 and our judges will select two winners: one for best design and art, the other for best writing quality. Both creative teams will be nominated for a new Eagle Award, the MCM Expo Award For New Visionaries and have their story included in May’s MCM London Comic Con show programme, printed in conjunction with Snow White And The Huntsman from Universal Pictures, who will also provide a selection of prizes.

Both winners will also receive invites to the 2012 Eagle Awards ceremony and after-party on the Friday of the MCM London Comic Con, along with industry passes to the full London Comic Con weekend and signing slots in the show’s Comic Village.

"Winning an Eagle on your first time out is a story worth telling in its own right," Cooney commented. "Having tens of thousands of people read your story and having it in print alongside a movie like Snow White And The Huntsman is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

All accepted entries will receive audience invitations to the May 2012 Eagle Awards.

Competition Rules and How to Enter

Entries for the 'Huntsman's Challenge' will be accepted 1-29th February 2012. Entrants must submit a fully finished, coloured and lettered five page story as a 300 dpi jpg or pdf with a page dimension of 170mm (w) x 230mm (h). These entries must have a beginning, middle and end within these pages, with a story relevant to a dark fantasy setting. To find out how to enter the contest, visit www.eagleawards.co.uk

Panel of Industry Judges

STEVE WHITE: Senior Editor, Titan Publishing: An editor of many of Titan's top comics and graphic novels including the UK Transformers comic, Steve is also an artist, writer and colourist of over 20 years’ experience.

MARK BUCKINGHAM: Artist: A multiple Eisner winning artist of over twenty five years standing, Mark is best known for his work on Hellblazer, Miracleman, Doctor Who and his award winning run as the primary artist on Fables for DC/Vertigo.

TONY LEE: Writer: A #1 New York Times Best-selling Author, Tony has been a freelance writer for 25 years, and a comic writer for nine of those. Best known as author and ‘showrunner’ of the Doctor Who comic for IDW, Tony's creator-owned comic Hope Falls is currently being adapted into a movie by Future Films.

MCM Expo Award For New Visionaries Voting

When the two stories shortlisted for the MCM Expo Award For New Visionaries have been selected, members of the public will be able to read both and vote for their favourite by visiting either www.londoncomiccon.net or www.eagleawards.co.uk

• To buy tickets for the MCM London Comic Con at Excel London on 26-28 May, please visit: https://www.mcmexpostore.com/store

Cursed Earth Mega-epic kicks off new 2000AD book range

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

One of the all-time greatest Judge Dredd stories ever told is returning in a brand new pocket-sized format.
The Cursed Earth, the first ‘mega-epic’ featuring the famous Lawman of the Future, is being published in B-format for the first time.

A deadly plague is ravaging the futuristic metropolis of Mega-City Two on the American West Coast. To deliver a life-saving vaccine to the city, Judge Dredd and his crew of Judges, war droids and the lawbreaking biker, Spikes Harvey Rotten, must travel across ‘the Cursed Earth.’

This hellish radioactive wasteland is filled with hate-filled mutants, flying rats, rampaging monsters and crazed war robots. Many men have attempted to cross it and most have failed, but Judge Dredd has a duty to perform – even if he has to crawl all the way himself!

Written by Pat Mills and John Wagner, with art by Mick McMahon and Brian Bolland, The Cursed Earth is the early classic that cemented Dredd’s reputation as the legendary hard man of British comics.

These stylish new B-format editions bring the classic Judge Dredd stories from the best-selling Complete Case Files series to open up the world of Dredd to new readers and fans at a low price.

• The Cursed Earth is released next week, 2nd February in the UK. ISBN 978-1-781080-08-5 , £6.99

Panel Borders: Habibi Blankets and Children's Books

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:40:00 +0000

Here's some information on both upcoming and recent Panel Borders radio shows, broadcast on Resonabce FM and online.

Concluding the show's month of looking at biography and autobiography in comics, Alex Fitch talks to the multiple award winning (and Grammy nominated) cartoonist Craig Thompson about his epic new graphic novel Habibi (My beloved).

Alex and Craig discuss the 672 page book's reworking of themes from One Thousand and One Nights, mixing in modern concerns about gender politics and pollution in the Middle East and how his previous autobiographical works Blankets and Carnet de Voyage, with their themes of sexual awakening, religion and travelogue, led to his latest work.

Panel Borders: Habibi Blankets airs at 8.00pm on Sunday 29th January on Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast after boradcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

In an hour long show about children's book illustration, Alex Fitch talks to three generations of illustrators: David McKee, creator of Mr Benn, King Rollo and Elmer the Patchwork Elephant; Dave McKean, artist of of young adult books by David Almond, graphic novels and picture books by Neil Gaiman and Richard Dawkins' first science book for children The Magic of Reality; and Jim Kay, illustrator of Patrick Ness' A Monster Calls and Toby Forward's Flaxfield Quartet of novels about dragons.

The show also includes an extract from Dave McKean's presentation of his work from The Magic of Reality at the book launch in Foyles, September 2011.

Book List: Children's book illustration airs at 8.00pm on Tuesday 31st January on Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast after boradcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

Recent podcasts include Dotter of Her Father's Eyes in which guest presenter Nicola Streeten interviews Bryan and Mary Talbot about their forthcoming graphic novel, which contrasts two coming of age narratives: Lucia, daughter of James Joyce, and author Mary Talbot, daughter of the Joycean scholar James S Atherton.

Dotter of Her Father's Eyes is at http://panelborders.wordpress.com/2012/01/22/panel-borders-dotter-of-her-fathers-eyes

Hewlett, Blake, Simmonds at British Library event

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:30:00 +0000

The Lords of Flatbush by Jamie Hewlett

The British Library in London is offering comic fans the opportunity to join a remarkable panel of artists and experts including Quentin Blake, designer and comic artist Jamie Hewlett, satirical cartoonist Martin Rowson and graphic storyteller Posy Simmonds.

Each will select and explain a personal choice of favourite illustrations, drawn from different genres, cultures and styles.

Presented in association with House of Illustration, The event will be chaired by Rachel Cooke, columnist and features writer, The Observer.

This event is part of the British Library’s Spring Festival, a five day celebration of creativity, fashion and design.

Tickets for this event include free entry to LATE at the Library ILLUMINATE! a Celebration of Illustration in the Entrance Hall, running from 19.00 to 22.30

• The Art of Illustration: Friday 2 Mar 2012, 18.30 - 20.00, the British Library; £10 / £7.50 concessions - Book now

Eddie Campbell award nomination prompts Dapper John offer

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:30:00 +0000

As many readers here may already know, ace artist Eddie Campbell has been nominated to receive the Angouleme Festival's Essential Prize at this year's festival for his "Alec" work.

To celebrate, new digital publisher Panel Nine is selling Eddie Campbell's Dapper John graphic novel for the iPad for 50% off through the end of January -- to coincide with the festival. The app is normally £6.99 but is now £2.99. ($9.99 down to $4.99)

Angouleme (http://bdangouleme.com/english/), the "Festival International de la Bande Dessinee" is Europe's largest and most prestigious comics festival and Angouleme's Essential Prize is given to artists for works that are considered, well, essential.

Other English language authors nominated for prizes at Angouleme include Dan Clowes, Craig Thompson and Joe Sacco..

Dapper John has received excellent reviews: here, we at DTT we think it's excellent app with great content - certainly one of he best presentations of comics on the iPad I’ve seen; while artist and writer David Hine describes it as “A really enjoyable collection" and highly recommends it.”

“More than just another comic strip.The definitive version of Eddie Campbell’s early work," said Dave Hornsby.

Cartoon Museum honours 'Her Maj'

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:30:00 +0000

London's Cartoon Museum will be celebrating the Diamond Jubilee with a humorous history of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

Her Maj: 60 Years of Unofficial Portraits of the Queen (1 February – 8 April 2012) will offer a gallery of royal portraits – affectionate, teasing and at times downright unflattering – shows how Her Majesty’s appearance in cartoons has undergone a striking transformation over the course of her reign.

Since the early 1900s it was generally accepted that The Monarch might be referred to in cartoons but almost never depicted, and this Royal taboo remained unbroken right into the 1950s. As the veteran cartoonist Wally Fawkes remembers, "At that time there was a much closer link between the Royal Family and God".

Her Maj follows the Queen as she emerges from near invisibility into cartoons which respectfully echo her official image on coins, stamps and banknotes, often portraying her in profile or from behind. She is pictured in her robes of state, as Elizabeth I or Britannia, but also as ‘Liz’, an ‘ordinary housewife’ in headscarf and sensible shoes.

The 1960s brought a greater emphasis on openness. For better or for worse, the Palace decided to allow the media behind the scenes in the 1969 TV documentary Royal Family. The film inspired cartoonists to imagine what life was really like ‘at home with the Windsors’ in royal residences ankle-deep with corgis. The ups and downs of family life, her husband’s infamous asides, the difficulties with her children and their spouses, problems with the press – all these provide a rich vein of material for cartoonists, as does the knotty question of the Monarchy and public money.

Many of the works reflect the fact that the Queen embodies not only the Monarchy, but also the State. Her actions can convey an historic significance beyond that of any prime minister. Cartoons can register key moments in international relations, such as the visit by Emperor Hirohito to Buckingham Palace in 1971 or the Royal visit to Ireland in 2011. She appears in cartoons more frequently during periods when the Commonwealth and the Union are under strain.

These ‘unofficial’ portraits, mostly affectionate but sometimes critical, reveal the changing face of Elizabeth II as Sovereign, as symbol and as a wife and mother through her relationships with her family, her governments and her people over the last six decades.

The exhibition includes 80 works by over thirty cartoonists including Steve Bell, Peter Brookes, Dave Brown, Michael Cummings, Fluck and Law, Stanley Franklin, Nicholas Garland, Carl Giles, Martin Honeysett, Nicola Jennings, John Jensen, Richard Jolley, MAC, Ken Pyne, Martin Rowson, E. H. Shepard, Ralph Steadman and Trog.

- The Cartoon Museum is dedicated to collecting and displaying the best of British cartoons, comics and caricatures.Open: Tue-Sat, 10.30-17.30; Sun, 12.00-17.30. Admission: £5.50, £4, £3, Under-18s free. Reg. charity 327 978 Web: www.cartoonmuseum.org

2000AD Book Schedule announced

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:40:00 +0000

As it celebrates three and a half decades of some of the greatest comics of all time, 2000AD is unleashing a flurry of top-notch thrills in graphic novel form this year.The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic has lined up a sizzling schedule of new releases, collecting classics and new strips alike – with new formats and a celebration of amazing Judge Dredd artwork from the past 35 years!

February sees the first in the new line of stylish ‘Manga-style’ books reprinting classic tales from Judge Dredd in a fresh pocket-sized format. The perfect format for new readers, this new series breaks classic Judge Dredd stories out from the best-selling Case Files to open up the world of Dredd to new readers and fans at a low price point.

JUDGE DREDD: THE CURSED EARTH SAGA (£6.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-08-5) collects the first Dredd ‘mega-epic,’ as the Lawman of the Future crosses the radioactive hell of the Cursed Earth, complete with mutants, monsters and crazed war robots, with a vaccine to save Mega-City Two from a deadly plague.

The second release in the series, JUDGE DREDD: THE DAY THE LAW DIED (£6.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-09-2) arrives in May and features art by legends Mike McMahon and Brian Bolland as Dredd is forced to take on the tyrannical Judge Cal. And the third title, due in September, reprints the first appearance of Judge Dredd’s ultimate nemesis, Judge Death, in JUDGE DREDD: THE DARK JUDGES (£6.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-45-0) by John Wagner, Brian Bolland and Brett Ewins.

In March, Dan Abnett and Richard Elson’s breakout post-apocalyptic series, Kingdom, returns with 144 full-colour pages of KINGDOM: CALL OF THE WILD (£14.99 ISBN 978-1-907992-98-8). Genetically engineered dogsoldier, Gene the Hackman, and one of the last human beings realise they’ve wandered into the territory of a new pack … and into danger.

The first critically-acclaimed Mega-City Undercover collection in 2008 was a runaway hit, and April will see MEGA-CITY UNDERCOVER 02: LIVING THE LOW LIFE (£14.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-41-2). Writer Rob Williams (Iron Age, Daken) and artist D’Israeli (SVK, Scarlet Traces) return for more of the undercover judges who work in the crime-infested Low Life – the nastiest part of Judge Dredd’s Mega-City One – in action-packed, humour-filled stories.

Rebellion continue putting the law in order in May, with JUDGE DREDD: THE COMPLETE CASE FILES 19 (£21.99 ISBN 978-1-907992-96-4) collecting the Dredd stories of three of the world’s biggest comic book writers: Grant Morrison, Garth Ennis and Mark Millar, including Morrison’s first Judge Dredd story, Inferno.

One of the biggest hits from 2000AD of the last year, the sarcastic, grumpy supernatural detective Absalom gets his first collection in June. ABSALOM: GHOSTS OF LONDON (£10.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-42-9) by Gordon Rennie and Tiernen Trevallion sees the veteran Cockney copper may be dying of cancer, but that doesn’t stop him taking on demonic entities in modern London. A stylish mix of police procedural and occult forces, this collection will be fresh from the weekly comic!

Pat Mills’ popular Celtic barbarian returns in SLÁINE: TREASURES OF BRITAIN (£14.99 ISBN 978-1-907992-97-1) in June with art by Dermot Power and Steve Tappin. The follow-up to the best-selling Sláine: Lord of Misrule, this celebrated story has been unavailable for years and includes a new introduction by Mills.

Another of Mills’ enduring creations is collected in July. SAVAGE: THE GUV’NOR (£14.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-42-9) by Pat Mills and Patrick Goddard continues lorry driver Bill Savage’s fight against the forces now occupying Britain in this taut nourish epic about guerrilla warfare in a contemporary bombed-out London.

It was one of the most famous deaths in comics history, but what you think you know about mutant bounty hunter Johnny Alpha’s passing is wrong. July’s STRONTIUM DOG: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF JOHNNY ALPHA (£14.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-43-6) by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra sees the veteran writer revive one of the most beloved characters from 2000AD as the most famous Search/Destroy agent of them all spectacularly returns from the grave…

In August, JUDGE DREDD RESTRICTED FILES 04 (£19.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-46-7) features writing by John Wagner and Mark Millar, with art from Bryan Talbot, Henry Flint and many more. Featuring rare thrills from 2000AD annuals and specials this best-selling series features never before collected material.

He’s the most startling new character to emerge from 2000AD in a decade – a murderous monosyllabic entity bent on revenge for his murdered race. SHAKARA: THE DESTROYER (£14.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-38-2) collects the second half of Robbie Morrison and Henry Flint’s stunning series. Reality teeters on the edge of oblivion in this tale of monumental carnage and devastation, packed with incredible artwork from this breakaway talent.

And in the same month the new Dredd film starring Karl Urban hits screens, September sees the first ever 2000AD collectable art book – 2000AD COVER ART FEATURING JUDGE DREDD (£34.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-44-3). Edited by 2000AD graphic novels editor Keith Richardson, this highly-collectable tome will celebrate 2000AD and Judge Dredd’s joint 35th anniversary with a compilation of the most stunning and innovative Judge Dredd-related covers, illustrated by some of the greatest talents in the industry – a must for 2000AD and Dredd fans!

The January to September 2000 AD graphic novel schedule in full:

January:
AMPNEY CRUCIS INVESTIGATES – VILE BODIES (£11.99 ISBN 978-1-907992-94-0)

February:
JUDGE DREDD: THE CURSED EARTH SAGA (£6.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-08-5)
JUDGE ANDERSON: THE PSI FILES 02 (£19.99 ISBN 978-1-907992-95-7

March:
KINGDOM: CALL OF THE WILD (£14.99 ISBN 978-1-907992-98-8)

April:
MEGA-CITY UNDERCOVER 02: LIVING THE LOW LIFE (£14.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-41-2)

May:
JUDGE DREDD: THE COMPLETE CASE FILES 19 (£21.99 ISBN 978-1-907992-96-4)
JUDGE DREDD: THE DAY THE LAW DIED (£6.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-09-2)

June:
ABSALOM: GHOSTS OF LONDON (£10.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-42-9)
SLÁINE: TREASURES OF BRITAIN (£14.99 ISBN 978-1-907992-97-1)

July:
SAVAGE: THE GUV’NOR (£14.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-42-9)
STRONTIUM DOG: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF JOHNNY ALPHA (£14.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-43-6)

August:
JUDGE DREDD RESTRICTED FILES 04 (£19.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-46-7)
SHAKARA: THE DESTROYER (£14.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-38-2)

September:
2000 AD COVER ART FEATURING JUDGE DREDD (£34.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-44-3)
JUDGE DREDD: THE DARK JUDGES (£6.99 ISBN 978-1-781080-45-0)

The Invisible Artist? film released

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:42:00 +0000

The Invisible Artist from Northern Visions/NvTv on Vimeo.

The comic booklet: once a mass market media form, some would argue it has all but disappeared from newsagents shelves in the last 20 years - but comic creation continues apace across the UK, including Northern Ireland.

A new film released via Vimeo online, featuring comic artists such as 2000AD and STRIP Magazine artist PJ Holden, explores the hidden heritage of Belfast-centric cartooning that goes back centuries.

More recently, the vibrant underground publishing scene there, from The Belfast People's Comic (1977) to Patrick Brown's The Cattle Raid of Cooley (2011), has begun to attract attention from establishment arts bodies. The Invisible Artist look at the stories of committed creators in this black sheep media and how they have informed our contemporary culture.

The Invisible Artist was written by Andrew Luke and filmed and edited by Carl Boyle of Greater Belfast community group Northern Visions TV. Once a training ground for Channel 4 film-makers, NVTV is free-to-view, and hosts its programmes on Channel 62/799.276MHz in Belfast, with a weekly and omnibus edition, before joining the archive screenings looped rotation.

Shows also appear online in the months after airing. NVTV are hoping to raise their broadcasts to appear on Freeview next year. This film was originally screened on 7 November at 4:30pm, and again on 12th, at approximately 12:30.

"I'm indebted to Carl Boyle for stepping in to cover the editing and production when my workload became too heavy to cope," says Andrew of the production. "The documentary was shot in a short space of time in early 2011 and captures the vibrancy of the time.

"In many ways, The Invisible Artist? is also the story of Davy Francis, a man at the crossroads of four decades of comics creation in Belfast. I'd like to thank Carl, Davy, Paddy Brown, PJ Holden (who called by at the last minute to help out), and everyone who gave their time to make this film happen."

• View the film on Vimeo here

Boffins and Burglars infiltrate Commando!

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:00:00 +0000

The latest issues of Commando are on sale now, and it's intrguing to see how cover artist Janek Matysiak on #4464 and one of this set's reprint issues, 4466, has changed styles with a move to digital art.

Commando No 4463 - The Improbable Mission
Script: Alan Hebden Art: Manuel Benet Cover: Manuel Benet

Second-Lieutenant Clement Cleveley of the Army Educational corps was a real boffin. A research student before the war, his mathematical speciality was probability theorywhich didn't really fit with anything in service life.

As it turned out, that wasn't quite the case which was how, instead of peacefully working at a classroom blackboard, Clement ended up charging around the desert dodging bullets with a bunch of crack SAS men...

Commando 4464 - Night And Fog
Script: Alan Hebden Art: Morahin
Cover: Janek Matysiak (Not Ian Kennedy as it says in the credits grenade!)

In Occupied Europe during the Second World War, dawn raids and midnight arrests became regular occurrences. They were feared by all the occupied peoples but soon they began to lose their ability to invoke terror.

That's when an evil Nazi scientist decided that it wasn't enough just to arrest people. He wanted to make them disappear into the... Night and Fog

Commando 4465 - Terror Zone
Originally No 2673 (June 1993)
Script: Mike Knowles Art: Carlos Pino Cover: Phil Gascoine

It started as a routine training patrol to test five top Aussie recruits - until their radio packed in and their NCO was killed in an accident.

Then the dense New Guinea jungle became a terror zone as a bullet flew from out of the shadows. Someone - or something - was trying to kill thembut there wasn't supposed to be an enemy for thousands of miles!

"Commando fans have always held Carlos Pino's artwork in high regard, and rightly so," notes
Commando Editor Calum Laird. "Here he brings the clammy jungle and a band of dishevelled Japanese to life in a few strokes of the pen and brush.

"He's giving form to a story by another long-serving Commando regular, Mike Knowles, whose plots have entertained for long enough to earn him a long-service medal and a well-deserved retirement.

"The late Phil Gascoine did a limited number of Commando covers, but every one was a little gem - even when he had to show an all but invisible figure in the background."

Commando 4466 - The Lion's Den
Originally Commando No 2632 (January 1993)
Script: Bernard Gregg Art: Janek Matysiak Cover: Janek Matysiak

That's where safe-cracker turned secret agent Danny Gregg was headed, to wrest secrets from deep within a Nazi lair.

And he had to succeed. For Danny the reward would be a pardon from his criminal past. For Britain it could mean the difference between victory and defeat!

"At the heart of every Commando story is just that, the story," says Calum Laird. "And here Bernard Gregg, who wrote almost 100 Commando tales between 1972 and 1999, weaves a cracking plot. He takes the safecracker given the chance to go straight idea and gives it a fresh twistor two.

"He's ably complemented by artist Janek Matysiak whose detailed artwork and envelope-pushing layouts really bring things to life. Nearly 20 years later, Janek's still working for Commando doing covers, but this black and white work is up there with the best of them."

• The Draw Your Weapons exhibition featuring art from Commando continues at the National Army Museum in London this month and runs until 30th April 2012. For the latest information visit: www.nam.ac.uk/exhibitions/special-displays/draw-your-weapons-art-commando-comics

• Official Commando web site: http://www.commandocomics.com/

• Commando Official Facebook page

• Click here for subscription information or write to: D.C. Thomson & Co Ltd, The Subscribers Department, Commando Library, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL or Freephone (UK only) 0800 318846

• Commando is also available for iPad and iPhone. The apps are free to download through the Apple iTunes App Store and a digital subscription is priced at £4.99 per month, compared to a £99 annual print subscription. For those not sure there are four free issues to download prior to making a purchase.

• Commando Comics iPhone App on iTunes

• Commando Comics iPad App on iTunes

New Dennis the Menace shows - and a musical - on the way

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:23:00 +0000

Ahead of tomorrow’s London Toy Fair, DC Thomson has announced a renewal of its partnership with leading content producer Red Kite Animations to co-produce the new series of Dennis and Gnasher.

As The Beano begins the countdown to its 75th anniversary in June next year, there's also news on the The Trial of Dennis the Menace musical, which launches in London next month - and information on the success of The Beano's iPad App.

News of more Dennis and Gnasher animation continues DC Thomson’s investment across multi-media platforms, following on from December’s launch of a range of digital subscription apps, including The Beano, which has already had 72,000 downloads.

The co-production between Red Kite Animations, a subsidiary of global media enterprise August Media Holdings and Australia’s Sticky Pictures, has been commissioned by CBBC, Network Nine and ABC Australia and will be produced by Sueann Smith for Red Kite Animations and Donna Andrews for Sticky Pictures.

The 52 x 11 minute episodes commence production immediately and are scheduled for delivery in summer 2013.

Dennis and Gnasher has been the best performing for CBBC in the competitive 1500-1600 hrs timeslot, reaching nine million people across its most recent (repeat) run in the UK.

“After 60 years at the top, the world’s greatest menace still appeals to children of all ages," enthuses Mike Stirling, Editor-in-chief for The Beano and BeanoMax. "We’re delighted to be continuing our partnership with Red Kite Animations and the next series of the successful animation will introduce hilarious new Beanotown characters plus more menacing, laughs and jokes than ever before.

"With our weekly and monthly comics, best-selling Annual, Beano.com website and social media platforms, more children than ever can experience Beanotown and its great characters across all sorts of media. Awesome!”

“We are proud to be bringing these classic comic strip characters back to the screen," added Ken Anderson, Executive Director & Chief Creative Officer of August Media Holdings. "Producing the new series is a testament to the popularity of the characters and we are confident that the series will create what we hope is a whole new generation of Dennis and Gnasher fans.”

Underlining this increased multi-media investment, Dennis and Gnasher will also be appearing on the London stage next month (17th - 19th February) in the brand new musical commission, The Trial of Dennis the Menace, by Southbank Centre, in conjunction with DC Thomson. This show = part of the Imagine Children's Festival - will bring the world of Beanotown vividly to the stage in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, as part of Southbank Centre’s Imagine Festival.

Written by award-winning poet Caroline Bird with music by Matt Rogers and directed
by Rebecca Gatward, children from 7 to 97 will enjoy the antics of Dennis and co as Dennis is
put on trial, accused of stealing the Mayor of Beanotown’s gold chain! With the grown-ups of
Beanotown declaring war on fun, the show says the kids aren’t guilty!

Who is on their side? Find out from 17th February!

• Buy tickets for The Trial of Dennis the Menace or find out more about the show on beanotown.com

• Visit the official Beano web site at www.beano.com

Comics @ Glasgow Book Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Briggs) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 12:38:00 +0000

Aye Write!, Glasgow's Book Festival, run by Glasgow Council's libraries department at the Mitchell Library is much smaller than Edinburgh's International Book Festival but normally turns up some comics talks and this year is no exception.

Writing For Graphic Novels
Friday 9 March
1300-1400
£15
After a poorly advertised, and hence poorly attended, talk with Pat Mills at last year's Edinburgh BookFest, writer Rodge Glass "discusses the process of writing a graphic novel: the challenges of collaboration between writer and artist, and gives tips and advice on making your graphic novel a success."

Martin Rowson: Guliver's Travels
Tuesday 13 March
1800-1900
£8
Guardian and Independent political cartoonist Martin Rowson "follows Gulliver’s descendant in a new book that is both a homage to the original and an entirely up-to date indictment of the same, enduring human idiocies that enraged Swift so magnificently and memorably."

In addition to the main programme the festival also runs schools events at which Sandra Marrs and John Chalmers of Metaphrog will be running two graphic novel workshops on Thursday 15 March for secondary school year 1 and 2 pupils.

There are more details of Aye Write! and how to buy tickets on the Aye Write! website.

Weird Western set for release from Print Media

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 12:24:00 +0000

On sale from Prnt Media Productons at the end of this month is the the much-praised graphic novel Frontier: Dealing with Demons, an all-ages 'Weird Western' by Jason Cobley and Andrew Wildman.

The Wild West... and Daisy Adams is suddenly all alone, living on the plains, left with her father's old coat and a catapult. Then Mitch Seeker, the son of a sheriff, runs into her life. And they've been running ever since, chasing werewolves, ghosts and demons, on a quest to track down the man who turned them both into orphans and unleashed weirdness into the Wild West.

In 1866, out on the Frontier, things got Weird. History failed to record everything that happened, but Daisy wrote it all down in her diaries.

In Frontier, follow Mitch and Daisy as they seek justice but end up finding more adventure and danger than they counted on. It's weird. It's wild. It happened out west!

First published in the acclaimed Random House weekly comic The DFC, Frontier: Dealing with Demons weaves an engaging, adventure-filled tale of derring-do in the American West. This collected edition includes additional feature material, including pages from Daisy's secret diary and reveals just how the story was created.

"Cobley and Wildman put the 'Wild' into the Wild West with Frontier," says the BBC's David Gilyeat of this story. "Imagine True Grit spun out into an ongoing action adventure serial, with a weird and wonderful script and sprightly, dynamic artwork. Oh, and with really cool monsters."

"A great comic needs three things: dynamic art, original and thrillingly-paced storylines, and characters we can root for," enthuses Dave Morris, creator of Mirabilis, also published by Print Media. "The team of Jason Cobley and Andrew Wildman are unsurpassed on all counts, and Frontier shows them at the top of their game. Put it on your Wanted poster right now."

Frontier – now being considered as a possible TV series with a trailer shot earlier this year -- will appeal to anyone who's ever enjoyed a cowboy film or comic, but has an added fantasy element that will draw in plenty more readers. With great characters, werewolves, ancient gods and demons and a bad guy that bullets can't kill, there's plenty to enjoy!

Writer Jason Cobley (Interviewed in STRIP Magazine Issue 3, on sale now in all good UK comic shops and for iPad) has adapted Dracula, Frankenstein and An Inspector Calls as graphic novels, working with artists Staz Johnson, Declan Shalvey and Will Volley to bring the classics to new life.

As well as working as a teacher for almost two decades, he has written the adventures of Captain Winston Bulldog for almost as long, with a variety of UK comic artists including Neill Cameron, most notably in the epic Bulldog: Empire. Based in East Anglia, holding back the sea with just a dustbin lid and some twine, Jason is currently working on a children's fantasy adventure novel The Legend of Tom Hickathrift, due out from Mogzilla later in 2012.

Frontier artist Andrew Wildman is an illustrator of some 25 years industry experience. His work has been used in advertising and publishing but it is for his work in the field of comics that he is best known, illustrating for books such as Transformers, The X-Men, Spider-Man and Venom. Further work includes character and environment design as well as storyboarding and animated movie production for the Video Games industries on projects such as Wing Commander, The Mummy, Gunlok, Jesse James: Gunfighter, Delta Force and Dredd versus Death.

Andrew was also Head Character Designer for the animated TV shows Legend of The Dragon and Zorro: Generation Z, Production Designer on the children’s animated TV show The Matt Hatter Chronicles and storyboard artist for the BBC on The Fades and Doctor Who.

He's currently collaborating again with Simon Furman on the eagerly anticipated Transformers comic book series, Transformers: ReGeneration One and is also creating a Children’s TV series with Bob the Builder scriptwriter Simon Jowett and developing his own Graphic Novel, HORIZON.

SALES DATA

Title: Frontier
Creators: Jason Cobley (writer) Andrew Wildman (artist and cover) Release Date: 28th January 2012
Format: Hardcover Graphic Album
Page Count: 68
Publisher: Print Media Productions Ltd.
Web: www.printmediaproductions.com
ISBN-10: 0956712134 ISBN-13: 9780956712134
Product Dimensions: 31.5 x 23.5 cm
List Price: £14.99

Duncan Fegredo provides cover to latest Dark Horse Presents

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:15:00 +0000

The ace art of Duncan Fegredo graces the cover of the next Dark Horse Presents (#8), on sale 1st February.

Fegredo's British credits are of course extensive, including work for titles such as Crisis for Fleetway back in the 1980s, before working on Kid Eternity at DC Comics with writer Grant Morrison and Enigma, an eight-issue miniseries for Vertigo imprint. He's also drawn Judge Dredd for 2000AD.

Dark Horse Presents #8 features a brand-new B.P.R.D. story, the beginning of Brian Wood and Kristian Donaldson's The Massive, new Skeleton Key, and the conclusion of Howard Chaykin's Marked Man?

The legendary anthology also commemorates the 100th Anniversary of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan with Thomas Yeates, unravels the mysteries surrounding Neal Adams's Blood, Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson's Beasts of Burden returns, and more great comics!

- More info on the Dark Horse web site

Comics @ Glasgow Film Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Briggs) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Last year the Glasgow Film Festival at the Glasgow Film Theatre brought writer Mark Millar on board to curate a comics creators and movies strand which included amongst others a talk by artist/writer Dave Gibbons and screenings of Luc Besson's The Extraordinary Adventures Of Adele Blanc-Sec. This year the GFF's comics strand has expanded further with an impressive array of creators on hand to talk about their work plus a varied selection of comics based film screenings.

Firstly the creator events -

Setting the Scene: Scotland and the Future of Comics (Dr Chris Murray and John McShane)
Tuesday 21 February 14:00
"Two of the stars of the BBC film Scotland’s Amazing Comic Book Heroes will use their powers to step off the screen and expand the discussion on the future of comics in Scotland. Dr Chris Murray runs the Comic Studies MLitt/PGDip course at the University of Dundee. His research interests lie in comics, film and popular culture, and he has published essays on various aspects of comics. John McShane is chairman of the Scottish Cartoonists Society and his company, Fat Man Press, published The Bogie Man, one of the early examples of a comic book to film adaptation (starring Robbie Coltrane, no less). He has also published works by Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, Eddie Campbell and other famous comics creators. John and Chris will expand upon ideas raised in the film and answer your questions."
Dr Chris Murray, as well as running the Comic Studies MLitt, is also the organiser of the Dundee Comics Day and was interviewed on downthetubes here, while Fat Man Press' The Bogie Man was actually a BBC TV production and John McShane's Scottish Cartoonists Society Ning group is here (requires membership).

Mark Millar and Frank Quitely
Tuesday 21 February 16:00
"Writer Mark Millar and superstar DC and Marvel artist Frank Quitely talk about their first collaboration together in ten years, taking us through the step-by-step process of an idea becoming a script, a comic book and eventually a big budget movie. Both living and working in Glasgow, they explain how geography is no disadvantage in Hollywood movies or New York publishing and open the floor up to any aspiring writers and artists in what’s bound to be a very lively session. Their last book together was award-winning Authority and their new, yet-to-be-revealed project is already one of the most anticipated comic-book events in 2012."
As curator of the GFF's comic strand it would be odd for writer Mark Millar not to be on a panel while artist Frank Quietly is an old hand at comics talks and is always worth listening to.

Writing for Games and Comics
Wednesday 22 February 12:30
"So you have a great idea for a video game or comic but where do you start? We bring together a panel of distinguished video game and comic book writers, including Rhianna Pratchett and Gordon Rennie, to give you tips on how to get into the industry and get ahead. They discuss the ups and downs of being involved in the industry, the difference between writing for games and comics and the challenges you might face. Learn about the games studios that make comics and hear stories of how your favourite comic books were brought to life on screen as games."
Video game writer Rhianna Pratchett is, of course, Sir Terry's daughter while Gordon Rennie, amongst his other writing credits, is a long standing scriptdroid for 2000AD and the Megazine.

Kate Brown in Conversation
Wednesday 22 February 13:45
"What does it take to build a full-time career as a comicker? Is it something you might want to do? Kate Brown will tell you everything you want to know but have never dared to ask. In 2010, Kate was awarded the Arts Foundation Fellowship for Graphic Novels and used it to fund the completion of her self-published comic Fish + Chocolate, which has since been picked up for publication by SelfMadeHero. Her other credits include the all-ages title The Spider Moon for The DFC/The DFC Library (adapted into a performance piece by PlayBox Theatre). Currently she is working on the all-ages title The Lost Boy for the Phoenix. Kate will speak about her wide experience in the comics industry and take questions from the audience."
Artist/writer Kate Brown's new graphic novel Fish + Chocolate demonstrates her ability with mature storytelling in addition to her work for the two children's comics DFC and Phoenix. We would expect Bryan Hitch and Charlie Adlard to both be popular talks on the Wednesday afternoon but our recommendation is that those attendees buying tickets for the other two should also make a point of attending Kate Brown's talk.

Bryan Hitch in Conversation
Wednesday 22 February 15:00
"British comic book artist Bryan Hitch is widely recognised as one of the industry’s leading artists and storytellers, with his books regularly selling over 100,000 copies an issue in America alone. Also highly credited for his design work, his designs have appeared in the successful relaunch of Doctor Who in 2005 and numerous feature films, including Captain America, Thor and Star Trek (2009), as well as the upcoming The Avengers film, based on The Ultimates comic book by himself and Mark Millar. Bryan will discuss his career, including his new book co-written with Jonathan Ross, before taking questions from the audience."
Bryan Hitch's artistic journey took him from Marvel UK to Marvel US with a lot of interesting places in between.

Charlie Adlard in Conversation
Wednesday 22 February 16:15
"Apocalyptic graphic novel The Walking Dead, a survival story of a world overtaken by zombies, captured the imaginations of a legion of fans and is now a multi-million dollar US TV series. In this unique event, Shropshire-based artist Charlie Adlard drops in on GFF to discuss how he came on board as illustrator for the series and the effect it has had on his career. After the conversation we will screen one of Charlie’s favourite episodes from the Golden Globe-nominated series. An unmissable event for fans keen to delve deeper into one of the hottest comics and TV shows around."
Charlie was at Hi-Ex in Inverness in 2010 before The Walking Dead was broadcast on TV but because the series is now on TV we would expect this to be the most popular of the creator events.

Women in Comics
Thursday 23 February 15:15
"Casual graphic fiction readers might see the way women are represented and decide that the medium must be male dominated and that the industry is a prejudiced place for women to work. But is all as it seems? How does sexism in comics compare to that in mainstream film? And what are the actual experiences of women working in the comics industry? Women in Comics presents original research by Graphic Scotland and brings together Denise Mina, Kate Brown, Penny Sharp and Gillian Hatcher to talk about the difficulties of getting into the industry and the future of how women are drawn."
There was a time when we would have been hard pressed to come up with any female creators in the professional British comics scene other than writer/artist Posy Simmonds in the Guardian, however we could now add Laura Howell in the Beano, Kate Brown in The Phoenix and Tanya Roberts in Star Wars: Clone Wars. As well as the aforementioned Kate Brown, the Graphic Scotland team discuss the topic with writer Denise Mina, animator Penny Sharp and Team Girl Comic's Gillian Hatcher.

In addition to the creator talks and since, after all, GFF and its subsidiaries are a film festival, the following comics related films, shorts and documentaries will be screened -

The Rabbi's Cat 3D (Not certified but 12+ advised)
Saturday 11 February 15:30

Tatsumi (15)
Tuesday 21 February 18:00
Wednesday 22 February 12:00

Flash Gordon (PG)
Tuesday 21 February 20:15

Superman (PG)
Wednesday 22 February 17:45

Night is Day (Not certified but 12+ advised)
Wednesday 22 February 18:30

Death of a Superhero (Not certified but 15+ advised)
Wednesday 22 February 20:30
Thursday 23 February 13:00

Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters (Not certified but 12+ advised)
Thursday 23 February 13:15

A History of Violence (18)
Thursday 23 February 15:00

Electric Man (Not certified but 12+ advised)
Thursday 23 February 16:45

Superheroes (Not certified but 15+ advised)
Thursday 23 February 19:20

The Crow (18)
Thursday 23 February 23:00

There are more details of all the talks, panels and screenings plus how to purchase tickets at the Glasgow Film Theatre website.

Blasé Books releases Pictorial Guide to British 1950s Sci-Fi and Horror Comic Books

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:55:00 +0000

(via Lew Stringer): Redditch-based Blasé Books have just released The Pictorial Guide to British 1950s Sci-Fi & Horror Comic Books.

Designed by comics creator Mike Higgs, the 288-page full colour softback by comic historian Mike Morley (one of the contributors to the short-lived but wonderful Crikey! magazine) charts the fascinating and largely little-known period of Britian's comic history.

Spaceships, monsters and superhroes are all examind in what Blasé Books calls "their garish glory".

The book covers the sometimes short-lived but numerous UK comic books of 60 years ago including Captain Marvel, Race for the Moon, The Human Torch and Adventures into the Unknown - dozens of different titles which, as Lew Stringer points out on Blimey! It's Another Blog About Comics were not all American reprint.

"Many were home grown British comics too, such as the Tit-Bits Science Fiction Comics with fantastic artwork by Ron Turner," he notes.

The book contains hundreds of sharply reproduced covers (and some interior pages) showing the sheer scale of the output of comics back then. Traditional British comics and story papers are also mentioned, when they fit the book's remit, such as Comet, Adventure, and Lion.

"Marcus Morris may have created Eagle as an antidote to comics such as this but, as people who were kids back then will tell you, readers often didn't choose between Eagle or horror comics, - they bought both!" says Lew.

"Sadly, many of these comics were short lived, when, as the author tells us, the witch-hunt against comics in the UK spearheaded by the National Union of Teachers put such comics out of business as publishers feared prosecution if they continued. Dark times indeed."

• You can order the book via the Blasé Books eBay store (which also sells British comics art)

• The limited edition book can also be obtained post free in the UK by sending a cheque in sterling for £14.95 payable to Blasé Books at: Blasé Books, Hazelwood, Birchfield Road, Redditch B97 6PU United Kingdom.

(The post free price only applies to orders in the UK. If you live outside of the UK and want a copy please e-mail Blasé Books at the e-mail address above and they'll tell you how much postage will cost to ship the book to you).

Is It Just Media launches free Robob title for schools

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 07:04:00 +0000

Surrey based independent publisher, Is It Just Media?, have announced the arrival of The Adventures of ROBOB, a new interactive magazine and trading card game aimed at primary school children which includes an element of contributed comic strip.

The magazine was launched last year and encourages readers to write their own stories based around the character set and environment for the ROBOB trading card game. The best of these stories will be published each month in the glossy, A4 magazine, while a further selection will be published on the website (http://www.theadventuresofrobob.com/).

Readers will also have the opportunity to submit their own comic strips, news stories and pictures for publication in print and on-line.

An added and innovative twist to the project is the option for children to submit their own character designs and a selection of these are made into real trading cards, distributed with the rest of the collection.

The magazine addresses key social responsibilities for children in school years 3 to 6 and is a recognised resource of the National Literacy Trust. The product range also promotes a very strong ‘anti-bullying’ message with the backing of Kidscape, the UK’s longest standing Anti Bullying charity.

Godstone based graphic designer Marcus Leitch, the creator of the project, reveals he got the idea for Robob while on hold on the phone for a long time, and started scribbling at his desk. The result of his doodles was a cute, retro robot that he promptly named ROBOB.

On returning from school, Marcus’ son, Lucas, saw the drawing and immediately fell in love with it and started designing his own characters. With a few key robots created and a fascinating background story, The Adventures of ROBOB trading cards and magazine were born.

A prototype of the cards and magazine was then presented to Kidscape, the UK’s longest standing Anti-Bullying charity, who were enticed by the strong moral messages running through the range. Kidscape kindly agreed to lend their support to the project by providing a dedicated team offering professional advice and guidance in the form of an ‘Agony Uncle’ page.

Today... The Adventures of ROBOB is a beautifully produced, cool, fun and educational monthly publication and collectable trading card game. The magazine is distributed throughout schools, libraries, clubs and retail stores for free.

Some schools have incorporated the magazine into their Literacy Clubs and Peer Mentor schemes.

Is It Just Media? Say they're already receiving thousands of drawings and stories from readers each month and continue to expand the card collection using the readers’ designs.

"We will be featuring more 'readers comic strips' in future issues," Marcus told downthetubes. "It's a section of the magazine that seems to have really captured our readers imagination."

The collectable trading cards now have a strong, loyal fan-base throughout the South East of England and The Adventures of ROBOB is on the verge of becoming a nationally recognised brand.

• More info and a pdf download of the first issue at http://www.theadventuresofrobob.com/

British Comedy Conference seeks papers on comedy and comics

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:30:00 +0000

The organisers of the Sixth International Comedy Conference, which will take place later at the University of Salford have issued a Call for Papers.

The theme for this year's two-day conference is 'Drawing The Line' and the academic event aims to push the boundaries and take on board topics that deal with comedy and humour from a variety of sources including those focused on stage and screen - and beyond.

"Comics can have two meanings - comedians and graphic images," explains Mel Gibson. "Both make us laugh though in different ways; both sets of 'comics' can employ a variety of techniques to make us laugh.

"Some comics have become films - Asterix, Popeye, Fritz The Cat - and some comics have been filmed and made into comics - for example, Laurel and Hardy, Frank Randle and Beryl Reid, who all had regular strips in Film Fun."

'Drawing The Line' calls forth for papers on all topics concerned with comedy and humour, be it film, TV, cartoon or literature. Topics for papers might include:

• Silent Comedy and slapstick - links to newspaper cartoons
• Dennis The Menace
• Robert Crumb /American Splendor - Biopics of cartoonists
• The changing face of satire - Lampoon to cartoon to caricature -
Spitting Image.

The organisers invite abstracts of no more than 200 words which you should email with a brief biog to - David James (d.jamesATmmu.ac.uk) and Dr CP Lee (c.leeATsalford.ac.uk). The submission date has been extended to 14th February 2012

• Drawing The Line - Comics, Comedy and Comics runs at the University of Salford Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University 31st May and 1st June 2012

Comica Conversation: Craig Thompson and Marcel Theroux

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:13:00 +0000

Graphic novelist Craig Thompson.
Image via Paul Gravett

The first Comica Conversation of the year takes place in London next week: a chance to meet and chat with Craig Thompson, hailed for his graphic novels Blankets and Habibi, and novelist and presenter Marcel Theroux.

American graphic novelist Craig Thompson is in London to promote Habibi, one of the most acclaimed graphic novels of 2011, seven years in the making and published in Britain by Faber & Faber.

Habibi, based on a Middle Eastern fable, tells the story of Dodola, who escapes being sold into slavery and rescues an abandoned baby she names Zam. They live in isolation in an old boat in the desert. As they age their relationship shifts from mother and son, to brother and sister and eventually lovers. In the meantime however Dodola is forced to prostitute herself to desert traders in order to provide for Zam. When he seeks an alternative means of income Dodola is captured by the Sultan and Zam is forced into a quest to try and rescue her.

At heart Habibi is, like Thompson's Blankets, a profound love story, but it also functions as a parable about the environment and the state of the world. Set in the place where Christianity and Islam began, it explores the fundamental connection between these religions, and also the relationship between the first and the third world and the increasingly important battle for the earth's resources.

Craig has kindly agreed to do one ‘live’ speaking engagement for Comica Festival. For this UK exclusive event, Craig will give his illustrated talk and presentation about the ‘making of’ this remarkable book, giving rare insights into his research and process.

After this, Craig will give an in-depth interview about Habibi and his other graphic novels, including the much-loved autobiographical story Blankets, to Marcel Theroux, the novelist and broadcaster who reviewed Habibi on BBC2’s The Review Show.

The evening concludes with a Q&A session with the audience followed by a book signing and sketching session, organised in association with Gosh! Comics.

And if you need further incentive to get along: Faber & Faber have generously given the event organisers a copy of Habibi and Craig Thompson will pick out one ticket holder on the night to win it.

• Comica Conversation: Monday, 23rd January, from 7.00pm in London at the St Albans
Centre, near Holborn/Chancery Lane.
Full details and how to book are online here:http://www.comicafestival.com/index.php/site/news/craig_thompson_talks/

Tim Perkins takes you to Worlds End

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 08:35:00 +0000

Before you read this story, let me first declare an interest: I have known the publisher and comic creator of this stunning new book,Tim Perkins, for many years, since my time at Marvel UK. I know how he and his team at indie publishing house Wizards Keep have slaved over this book for a long time, and, after its launch at last year's Malta Con, Worlds End - Volume 1 - The Riders on the Storm is now on sale in the UK.

I couldn't be more delighted to tell you this. The book looks stunning - a true labour of love that Tim has been working on for a while now - and the first of many. I urge you to check out the dedicated Worlds End web site (www.worlds-end.co.uk) to view previews and art from the book; but, more importantly, go and buy a copy and support one of the hardest-working, often underestimated comic creators in the British comic industry.

Worlds End - Volume 1 - The Riders on the Storm is the first in a series of "Science Fusion" graphic novels created by international comic artist and writer, Tim Perkins. This fully painted, All-Ages book - which includes a foreword from Bryan Talbot and an introduction by John Ridgway - is set on another world called Gaeryth, where A Mathemagician, called Gweldar, his familiar, Geek, a young boy, Ralf and a mysterious girl called Zephol are all that stand before an invading alien horde intent on aqua-forming the otherwise tranquil planet in the far reaches of space.

Are they enough to stop the myriad forces, known as the Aoevill from the depths of outer space and solve the mystery of Worlds End…?

Tim Perkins weaves a timeless All-Ages storyline fusing Fantasy and Sci-Fi into a Science Fusion Epic with a new mythology for a new audience.

It's a gem of a tale: buy it.

- Order your copy today from Wizards Keep- European Format - Case Bound Cover - Fully illustrated - 88 full colour pages + Cover and illustrated Endpages - Afterword by Tim Perkins

- Check out the new Worlds End website: www.worlds-end.co.uk

- Tim will be signing copies of Worlds End and talking about his work on Thursday February 2nd at Blackburn Library. This talk will include information on his career to date, spanning comics, animation and more, but will emphasise his latest work creating Worlds End Volume 1 with some insights into what to expect in future volumes.

Tickets, priced just £1, are available from: Blackburn Central Library, Town Hall Street, Blackburn, Lancashire - BB2 1AG. Telephone: 01254 587244; twitter.com/librariesbwd; facebook: www.facebook.com/blackburnwithdarwenlibraries; and www.blackburn.gov.uk/libraries

Red Devil Rising!

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 00:06:00 +0000

Continuing the adventures of Britain’s best-loved aerial combat pilot, Johnny Redburn, Titan Books releases Johnny Red - Red Devil Rising at the end of the month in the UK (27th January).

This is the second hardback volume reprinting the classic story from Battle by Tom Tully and Joe Colquhoun and includes a feature by comics legend Garth Ennis (The Boys, Preacher, War Stories).

After being discharged from the RAF for striking an officer, Johnny Redburn takes to the skies in a stolen Hurricane. He then meets the Falcon Squadron of the 5th Soviet Air Brigade and begins his fight against Germany from the other side of the Iron Curtain.

“This book feels like a historical document and yet it reads like the best of any boy’s fiction in any genre. Buy this book and enjoy the authenticity amidst the thrills," said Weekly Crisisof the first volume in the series.

Johnny Red is part of the series of hardback editions collecting the most popular storylines from British boys’ war comic, Battle. Also available are Johnny Red: Falcons First Flight (Johnny Red Volume 1);The Best of Battle Volume 1; Charley’s War Volumes 1-8, Hitler's Youth bring the most recent; andDarkie's Mob: The Secret War of Joe Darkie.
Coming soon are the first volumes of Major Eazy, drawn by Carlos Ezquerra, and Rat Pack.

• Johnny Red - Red Devil Rising (Johnny Red Volume 2) is on sale 27th January 2012 in the UK. ISBN: 9781848560345

Cardiff Comic Expo line-up revealed

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:52:00 +0000

Ticket sales for this year's Cardiff Comic Expo next month (25th-26th February) are booming - and are expected to increase further with publication of the event's schedule, outlined in full below.

In addition to the event itself, show producer Mike Allwood tells us Cardiff Libraries are also working on an alternate programme and that will be relevealed in a couple of weeks when all is finalised.

SATURDAY

11am WHAT’S THAT COMING OVER THE HILL?WELSH COMICS’ DARK SIDE

Horror can come in different guises and in this panelGavin and Dan of the sidekickast strap on their machetes, load up on silver bullets and confront the creators of three very different offerings from the darker end of Welsh comics. From the mythical monsters of Unbelievable through the arcane World War 2 horrors of Dexters Half Dozen to the twisted nastiness of Damaged Goods the boys brave the darkness to find out what kinds of people come up with these terrors and whether we should avoid them in the bar later on?

11.45am JACK KIRBY MUSEUM SPOTLIGHT

Writer Russell Payne is exclusively promoting the JACK KIRBY MUSEUM at this year’s convention. You can find out more about the “King of Comics” and join or donate to the Kirby Museum who are raising funds to opena "Pop-Up" MuseumWe explore the impact Kirby has had on modern culture.

12.30pm BOARDING MATT SAVAGE . MIKE COLLINS MIKE PLOOG hosted by JON RENNIE

The storyboard process has been used through the history of cinema to give directors the chance to visually communicate their vision of the film to the crew. In recent years, the line between storyboards and comics has narrowed, books of storyboards are published and they now appear pre-edited and animated before a shot of film is even exposed. We talk to storyboard professionals about the challenges of their work, the unique opportunity it gives them to define the visual tone of the movie and how the storyboard has changed over the course of their careers. A Cloth Cat Animation Panel

1.30pm THE ART OF STOP-MOTION ANIMATIONWith DINAMO STUDIOS!

2.30pm CREATING A MONSTER BITCH

A Expo Exclusive Panel with John Higgins and Michael Carroll the creation of John’s signature creation, Razorjack and her history from comic to graphic and full novel to future plans…

3.15pm THE 2000AD MEGA-PANEL

2000AD is 35 years old on 26th February 2012 - ... One day early join Scrotnig droids John M Burns, David Roach, Mike Collins, Rob Williams, Patrick Goddard, Michael Carroll, Gordon Rennie & Mick McMahon to discuss the Prog, the Meg, and everything in between - including questions from select 2000AD creators to the panel. Hosted by Stacey Whittle & Iz McAuliffe of The Megacast podcast. Zarjaz !!

4.15pm HORROR IS DEAD!

With the growing popularity of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance in recent years, and many Crime/ Thriller books embracing a more graphic approach to storytelling, has traditional horror become redundant? Join Robin Furth ( Dark Tower writer ) and Wayne Simmons (bestselling author of FLU and FEVER) for this interactive panel looking at the future of the horror genre.　

SUNDAY

Noon NEVER MIND THE QUALITY

The British Indie comics scene is currently busier than it has ever been, and it seems that every month new small publishers and titles are announcing their arrival. But is this really a good thing? Now that anyone with internet access can publish their work worldwide does that mean there are now more creators with less raw talent producing British comics than ever before? Join Peter Rogers and creators Michael Carroll, Chris Lynch, Steve Tanner, and Jon Haward in this spirited debate!

1pm TALES AND RELATIVE DRAWING IN SPACE

The good Doctor has graced not only the TV screens since 1963 but has also saved the universe many times in novels, comics and audio dramas.How do creators work outside of the small screen framework timelines? And what does the future hold?Check out the finest creative line up this side of Gallifrey!With GARY RUSSELL, MIKE COLLINS, DAVE ROACH, GORDON RENNIE & EMMA BEEBY　　

2pm CLOTH CAT MEDIA meets MIKE PLOOG

A legend in the comics industry, Mike's career has seen him move effortlessly between horror comics, storyboarding, illustration and animation. We talk to this master of the visual arts about his career, his early years with Will Eisner and the American comics scene, what Steven Spielberg's house is really like and his recent illustrations for children's literature.

3pm Markosia - THE WELSH CONNECTION

"Unbelievably dark and interactive"

Three debut graphic novels, three rising stars of the Welsh comics scene, one publisher.Join Gavin and Dan of The Sidekickcast, as Simon Wyatt (Unbelievable: The man who ate daffodils), Chris Lynch (The Dark) and Peter Rogers (The Interactives) lift the curtain giving a unique behind the scenes look into the making of their books. And find out what else the UK's largest independent graphic novel publisher has in store for 2012

- For the latest info on the Cardiff Comic Expo: www.fantasyevents.org

Celtic Conventions: Hi-Ex and 2D Return In 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Briggs) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:00:00 +0000

We missed out on mentioning Hi-Ex 2012 in our run-up to Christmas so let's set the record straight now. The fourth Hi-Ex will be taking place on Saturday 31 March and Sunday 1 April on the banks of the river Ness at Eden Court in Inverness.

Guests announced so far include writers Jim Alexander, Michael Carroll, Al Ewing and Ferg Handley, and artists Gary Erskine, John Higgins, Cam Kennedy, Colin MacNeil and Tanya Roberts, who has provided the convention with its fun poster art of Tank Girl, Dredd, Dennis and Gnasher riding Nessie.

Tickets are already available from the Eden Court's website.

There are more details of the event and all the guests on the Hi-Ex website and blog.

The downthetubes reviews of previous Hi-Ex weekends are here - 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Across the water in Northern Ireland the sixth 2D Comics Festival will be taking place in its usual location of the Verbal Arts Centre in Londonderry from Thursday 31 May to Saturday 2 June, with the main full day event of the 2D Comics Fair taking place on the Saturday. As with all the previous 2D Festivals, entrance will be free to everyone and, like Hi-Ex, the event is aimed at all the family.

Also free at 2D are the dealers tables which give small pressers from both north and south of the Irish border a great platform to get their publications and work on display to a wider audience at minimal cost. Guests have yet to be announced but in previous years have included well known names from the British mainland.

There are more details of the 2012 2D Festival on their Facebook page.

The downthetubes review of the 2011 2D is here.

Totally Merlin confuses some fans - and us!

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:28:00 +0000

(Updated again - with thanks to our readers): A quick reminder that there is an official Merlin

magazine on sale in the UK in selected supermarkets and newsagents, published by Titan Magazines.

The magazine is being published as Issue 19 of Titan's 'Totally' title, which explains the cover numbering - but contrary to our earlier version of this report, it's being billed as the second issue of the official Merlin magazine launched by Attic Media, just before that company went into administration.

The whole situation has left some fans - and us! - a bit confused, as Titan have told us this 'continuation' is a one-off for now.

Titan published another Merlin tie in like this back in 2010.

The magazine comes with a free sticky Serket, a Merlin keyring and four special badges. There's also a chance to win Arthur's gloves, a trip to the set as well as loads of other special prizes, and the magazine also features a Merlin comic strip.

We'll keep you posted if there is further news on a new ongoing Merlin title.

- More info at: http://titanmagazines.com/t/totally/uk/19/

Breaking into Comics - some quick tips

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:00:00 +0000

The first unassuming cover by Matt Bingham
for the comics zine that helped me
get into comics publishing. Subscribers
included Alan Moore.
Download a cbr of the issue

Regular readers will be aware, we hope, that our main downthetubes site features some guides to Breaking Into Comics, espcially on the writing side.

I recently had a few more requests than usual for tips on how to find work in the comics industry. It isn't easy, especially with the industry being quite small these days, at least in the UK, but here are some thoughts and suggestions...

• Post your strips online on a blog (which can be done for free) and see if they attract interest in your work

• Create and publish your own fanzine with your own strips (and perhaps some from other people you know) and sell it locally and via the above-mentioned blog (use Paypal), or get to nearby Comic Marts or events and try sell them there (all of which I did to get myself known several years ago). Your magazine doesn't have to be in colour (although a colour cover wil help) and you don't have to print many (because you won't sell many - it's about getting yourself known!)

• Get along to a comic convention - there are several across the UK through the year and we list them on DTT. Meet fellow creators and pick their brains. Show editors your work.

• Make sure that the portfolio you show editors includes only a small selection of your best work (and I do mean best work - if you feel you wouldn't pay to read it, it doesn't qualify!); make sure that if you want to show it to 2000AD, for example, you include a page of art featuring a 2000AD character; include samples of pencils and inks; and make sure the samples are comic strip, not full page illustrations (with editors it's more about seeing you can tell a story rather than 'can you draw'?)

• Listen to the feedback; learn from it. If an editor likes the work, get their details and then send copies of what they were shown once you get home, plus a couple of new pages, saying how much you enjoyed meeting that editor and that you hope the new samples have taken on board the advice you were given

• If you don't hear anything within six weeks, send a follow up, polite email asking if the editor has had a chance to look at the samples and that you're still keen to get the chance to draw

• Build your relationships with any audience you have built up through your blog and fanzine, develop your own audience. (Think about using Facebook and Twitter to maintain your personal marketing)

Quality will out in any industry but as with most things, breaking into comics is 10 per cent inspiration, 90 per cent perspiration...

• Check out downthetubes.net for other practical and hopefully useful advice. Our Writers Guide is here

• Advice to artists submitting work

• Live Pitching at Conventions