downthetubes.net news blog

CLiNT revamps: more strips, more action!

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Hot off the back of his 2012 Kapow convention success, Kick-Ass creator Mark Millar launches a stunning new volume of CLiNT, with a new 100-page Issue 1 featuring four new stories between its covers, coupled to a brand new look, new logo and new attitude!

Every issue from Titan Magazines now features epic news and interview exclusives you won’t read anywhere else – the first issue's including Mark Millar hmself – from set reports, casting announcements and extensive actor grillings to behind-the-scenes commentaries and new art from top comics talent!

On sale now, CLiNT #2.1 showcases a double kidney punch of new Mark Millar strips: Supercrooks with artist Leinil Yu, the story of a group of failed supercriminals who head to Spain for one last heist. The art is great, as you'd expect given Millar's connections, with some great character development from the get go when it comes to the protagonists.

Next up is The Secret Service, Millar’s hotly anticipated collaboration with Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons and Kick-Ass / X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn. (The fast-tracked movie is being plotted by Vaughn at the same time as the comic). I had a very quick chat with Dave at Kapow! as he was rushing from one event to the next, and he told me he was really enjoying drawing a regular title again – and it shows in this opening chapter. which includes a guest appearance by original Star Wars actor Mark Hamil!

The CLiNT reboot also boasts the exclusive, Hollywood-baiting Death Sentence strip – which has built up a wave of well-deserved hype. Creators and critics alike have been lining up to praise the hotly-anticipated sex, STDs and superheroics saga, written by newcomer Montynero and illustrated by Mike Dowling (2000AD, Rex Royd, Torchwood).

I've been lucky enough to see the whole first arc of this story and it's superb - hard-egded, dramatic, thought-provoking and wel deserving the praise it's been getting. Montynero's script is terrific and Dowling really delivers on the art front.

Rounding off the magazine's comics line-up is Rex Royd by Frankie Boyle, which is still the weakest of the strips, the great art let down by a near inpenetrable script. But anthologies always have a mix of strips that might appeal to one audience but not another.

Mark Millar discusses Supercrooks and American Jesus movies in an exclusive Millarworld movie round-up feature.

“Everything that I've done, movie-wise, I've gotten a little more involved.” says Millar. “On Wanted, I was just involved at a tangent, I'd just come in for meetings and watch footage. With Kick-Ass, I was very involved from the beginning, from the two month when the screenplay was being put together, though costume designs and all of that. And from that, to Supercrooks, American Jesus and Kick-Ass 2, which will feel incredibly hands-on."

To hear Supercrooks director Nacho Vigalondo's side of the story, check out our exclusive new interview with him, available only on clintmag.com.

CLiNT also celebrate 20 Years of Lenore, with a special feature exploring creator Roman Dirge’s morbid imagination with a four-page sequence from Lenore #4: Revenge of the Creepig!

• CLiNT #2.1 is available from all good magazine retailers and comic stores from May 23rd.

• Special Subscription Offer! Get 9 issues of CLiNT - saving 20%, plus a FREE signed Dave Gibbons 'The Secret Service' Art Card! Hurry, only 200 signed Dave Gibbons Art Cards available! To subscribe click here

• Mega 48-Page Preview of CLiNT http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=37319

• For more information and to subscribe to CLiNT, visit: http://clintmag.com

• Connect with CLiNT: Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/clintmag Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/CLiNTmag

Commando reaches landmark 4500 issue

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:21:00 +0000

Here we are again with another four Commandos - and it's something of a landmark release this time around, with the title reaching Issue 4500 - surely something of a record for any comic (as, perhaps, is the number of female characters in the same issue!)

We're also told that 'Night Raider' was the first appearance of Spanish artist Matias Alonso in Commando. Alonso - these days a fine artist and no longer working in comics - illustrated several Spanish adventure comics for publishing houses Grafidea and Valenciana in the 1950s and 1960s and has additionally worked for magazines like Flecha Roja ('La Isla del Tesoro'), El Boletín and Jaimito.

Born in 1935, he began working for British publishers in the 1970s, on titles such as Air Ace, Battle Action, Commando, Eagle, The Victor and Twinkle.

His strips for Victor included 'Shiwa Sands', 'The Coming of the Bugaboo', 'Task Force with Tusks' and 'The Wild Colonial Boy', to name but a few. You can find some of his stunning covers for La Saga de Los Aznar here on Flickr and there's an article in Spanish charting his comics career here.

Commando No 4499: Hunting Mussolini
Story: Alan Hebden Art: Manuel Benet Cover: Manuel Benet

The Convict Commandos - Jelly Jakes, Titch Mooney, Smiler Dawson - and their commander Guy Tenby had been given another job. This time they were to hunt down Mussolini in his hide-out. Easier said than done when they weren't the only ones doing the same.

Guy, as usual, had a plan…but it wasn't supposed to include Jelly hanging from the undercarriage of an airborne Fieseler Storch!

Commando No 4500: Lightning Strike
Story: Alan Hebden Art: John Ridgway Cover: John Ridgway

The war in the Far East was almost over. Japan's armed forces had been ground down and the country was on its knees. The Japanese hadn't given in though, they hoped super-fighters like the Kyushu Shinden - Magnificent Lightning - could stem the flow of US bombers ravaging their country.

They could never have guessed that the Shinden's finest moment would come protecting the very enemies it had been designed to destroy.

Commando No 4501: Night Raider
Originally Commando No 35 (April 1962)
Story: Stainton Art: Matias Alonso Cover: Ken Barr

Out of the night sky he came - a man with no mercy in his heart and a blazing tommy-gun in his hands, whose one ambition was to wreak destruction on all things Nazi. He became the Scarlet Pimpernel of German-occupied Europe.

"Women in Commando are a rare sighting but, like buses, when they do turn up there's more than one," notes editor Calum Laird. "I counted at least three in here, and a bit of romance.

"Don't think that it means that Stainton's story isn't an all guns blazing story as it is, running from the beaches of Dunkirk to a full-on Commando raid in France, and with barely time to reload along the way. His touch means that the espionage, beautifully pointed up by Ken Barr's dramatic night drop cover, manages to be action-packed, not tension-filled.

"Add to that Alonso's 100mph inside art and you have a solid gold winner. Makes you proud to be part of the Commando Team."

Commando No 4502: Battle Flag
Originally Commando No 2063 (February 1987) Commando 4502
Story: Cyril G. Walker Art: Cecil Rigby Cover: Jeff Bevan

The Second Battalion, Daleshire Light Infantry, had something to be proud of - their very own “battle flag”, a standard given to them after their heroic triumph over Napoleon's finest troops. Carried into action, it would inspire the men to further brave deeds.

So when one young officer's courage failed him and the flag was captured, the thought of it in enemy hands made him vow to keep it safe - even after his death!

"Gritty action is undoubtedly what Commando does best," insists Scott Montgomery, the title's Deputy Editor. "However, over the decades there have also been comedies, capers, historical epics, science-fiction and…ghost stories. 'Battle Flag' is a good example of the latter.

"After a detailed framing sequence, veteran writer Cyril Walker cleverly weaves a tale with an eerie thread that runs throughout but does not overwhelm the action and adventure.

"Interestingly, the working title for this story was 'The Flintshire Phantom'. That's a good one and, had it been pitched today, I'm sure that it would have been used! Enjoy."

• 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

Creating Comics: Martin Eden talks Spandex

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:14:00 +0000

Writer, artist and magazine editor Martin Eden has been creating comics since he was a nipper – but entered the British small press/indie comics world around 15 years ago.

After collaborating with various creators on titles such as Bulldog and Contact, he soon kicked off his own project, The O Men, a super-soap which ran for 10 years and was Eagle Award-nominated.

In 2009, he put out Spandex #1, which earned international headlines, earned excellent reviews and an Eagle Award nomination for Best British Colour Comic. Titan Books have now released the first three issues in a hardback book called Spandex: Fast and Hard.

Now also working on book collections of his old O Men series, DownTheTubes caught up with him after a successful weekend at the Kapow! comic convention to ask him about his work...

DownTheTubes: Spandex. What's it all about?

Martin Eden: It’s about a group of gay superheroes. They’re based in Brighton and they fight Giant Lesbians, Pink Ninjas and Gay Zombies – and that’s just the first three issues! It’s a big, epic super-soap comic and I delve into their personal lives quite a bit, and there are loads of twists and turns.

DownTheTubes: What inspired this story?

Martin: The idea just evolved naturally, but I did think it would be a really fun and original concept. For some readers, it would be a refreshing break from the crossover/reboot-filled worlds of Marvel and DC. It’s a complete new universe to explore, full of fun characters like super-spy James Bend and villains like Muscle Mary.

DownTheTubes: It's a welcome collection - how has it been pitched to people who haven't heard of it?

Martin: I call it a gay Eastenders-meets-Carry On-meets Grant Morrison. Actually, to be honest, I am really wary that people think it’s only for an LGTB audience. I think it’s for everyone (except kids!) - the gay aspect is just a context and a launching point for various interesting storylines.

DownTheTubes: The original strip was black and white, did you take a specific approach to the colouring? I've heard people say it's really enhanced the storytelling.

Martin: I’ve always done black and white comics, but then I realised that Spandex would only really work in colour (mainly because each team-member has a specific colour scheme). I was pretty horrified when I realised this, as colour printing is a bit more pricey – but it turns out that colour printing actually isn’t too expensive these days.

So after that, I had to teach myself how to use Photoshop and just get in there and start colouring. People seem to really respond to it, and I like to do fun things with the colours. For instance, the team’s homes are all colour-coded, their origin stories in issue 6 are all colour-themed, and issue 3 plays around a lot with the colour – a villain turns the whole world black and white and turns people into colourless zombies/drones, and only a handful of colourful Spandex members are left.

DownTheTubes: Do you have a favourite Spandex story or scene?

Martin: I think every issue has at least four or five favourite scenes – key moments that I build up to. I think I’d be bored of the comic if they didn’t have those!

Martin's favourite Spandex scene from Issue 5

Overall though, I like the scene in issue 2 where a lesbian and gay team-mate get a little bit over-excited in a fight... It shows something you don’t often see in a superhero comic... Issue 6 has a huuuuge cliffhanger which I’m really pleased with... I like the funny mini-fight between Liberty and Muscle Mary in issue 5... Maybe my ultimate favourite is a huge twist in Issue 4 involving Indigo and her girlfriend. I’m not saying any more about that! It’s a big scene.

DownTheTubes: What's coming next for Spandex?

Martin: Well I just released issue 6, which has a huuuge twist. Issue 7 finishes the four-part OMFG storyline and wraps a lot up of storylines and answers a lot of questions. Leading up to it, i’m going to be doing some cool teaser portraits featuring each team-member. If all goes well, Issue 7 will also include ‘Spandex Black & White’, a series of portraits by various artists.

Then I’m doing a Spandex Special early next year which will effectively be the final issue of the entire thing. I am just plotting it now, and I think it’s even more shocking than issue 6.

I think that will be the end of Spandex then – I’ll have told the story I set out to tell... But I do already have some more ideas...!

DownTheTubes: Would you ever consider doing Spandex stories that you write but drawn by other artists?

Martin: I did that with some mini-comics that came with Issue 6. I worked with other artists on stories for some of my supporting characters (Hag, Cherry Blossom Girl, and Bear Man & Twinkle). But for the main series, I want to do it all myself – there are so many scenes that have been in my head for years – I just want to draw them all.

Maybe if I ever do a Volume Two of Spandex, someone else could draw it. Drawing is so time-consuming, and I have a few other things I want to do.

DownTheTubes: You also created The O Men, which also earned you a lot of praise. Are they returning?

Yes! I feel guilty because I was only supposed to take a year’s break from The O Men to do Spandex. But the first issue of Spandex itself took a year to create! But now I’m reprinting the entire O Men series across five books. I didn’t finish the series – I had about 8 or so issues left, so that material will all be in the fifth/final book – all original material. I kind-of know what happens, but I do need to do a lot of writing.

DownTheTubes: What else are you working on at the moment?

Spandex takes up pretty much all my time, plus I’m working on the O Men collections, which involves a lot of tidying up scanned art. In the back of my head, I’m plotting my next series. At the moment, it’s called Top Class, and I want it to be five digest-sized books. I can’t say much about it yet, except that it might be for all ages, and it has an epic storyline (of course!)!

DownTheTubes: What one piece of advice you would give an aspiring comic creator?

Martin: Just go for it. I get a lot of people come up to me at conventions asking how to do it.

It’s easy -- just get a pen, paper, write it, draw it, do it – then get feedback, accept criticism (but don’t pay attention to online ‘Comments’ sections, people can be so nasty), learn from mistakes, go to conventions and see how people respond to it.

I would also say, don’t break your bank – just print up small amounts if you can. Try not to lose money, be careful!

And finally, make notes when you come up with ideas, because it’s annoying when you forget a good idea!

• More about Spandex at http://www.spandexcomic.com/ and more about The O Men at http://theomencomic.wordpress.com/

• Facebook: search for Spandex Comic, also The O Men and find Martin on Twitter @spandexcomic

Flint and Food - Hinkley's Factoryroad Gallery lands comic exhibition

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:41:00 +0000

The Factoryroad Gallery in Hinkley, Leicestershire is hosting an exhibition of artwork from DJ Food's new album The Search Engine, and 2000AD artist Henry Flint's book Broadcast.

The two artists collaborated on the art work for this album and the show will include original inked comic art by Henry Flint.

Original comic art, drawings, limited edition prints, moving image, photography and vinyl will be on show which was originally shown at Pure Evil London, and will be brought to the Midlands by Factoryroad
Gallery from 2nd - 15th June.

Attendance is strictly RSVP only, so if you would like to see this awesome exhibition please email Brook@factoryroadgallery.net with your chosen time and date including your contact number.

• PDF flyer downloadable here: http://inkymole.com/download/Flint&Food_Factoryroad.pdf (PDF)

Panel Borders: Blue Pills and Sandcastles

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Mon, 21 May 2012 11:14:00 +0000

Continuing Panel Borders month of shows on international creators, Alex Fitch talks to Swiss graphic novelist Frederik Peeters about his latest comic Sandcastle, published by SelfMadeHero and based on a script by filmmaker Pierre-Oscar Lévy. Sandcastle is a Twilight Zone style narrative about a group of strangers trapped on a beach where time moves at different rates; Alex and Frederik talk about the influence of science fiction on his work and his interest in autobiography which led to his award winning graphic novel Blue Pills - A Positive Love Story.

(The interview was recorded at Gosh! Comics, London in October 2011)

• Panel Borders: Blue Pills and Sandcastles is being streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

There will be no broadcast episode of Panel Borders on Sunday 27th May as Resonance is devoting the day's programming to a celebration of the 59th birthday of KLF co-founder and musician Bill Drummond.

Comedian Peter Serafinowicz announces comics project with Jock

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Mon, 21 May 2012 11:13:00 +0000

English actor, comedian, writer, composer, voice artist and occasional director Peter Serafinowicz announced his first comic book project at the Kapow! Comic Convention.

Nelson (not to be confused with the recent anthology collection from Blank Slate of the same name) is set in an alternate London in which Nelson is the de-facto chief of police and keeps the city free from crime due to a zero-tolerance policy which he enforces with superhuman strength.

The book will be drawn by British comics artist Jock, who fans will know from his awesome work on The Losers with Andy Diggle and his recent run on Batman with Scott Snyder.

Serafinowicz made his broadcasting debut in 1993 on Radio 1 show The Knowledge, a spoof documentary about the music industry. He subsequently lent his vocal talents to a number of radio projects before making his television debut in 1998 in Comedy Nation and You are Here. In 1999 he made a number of appearances in Channel 4 sitcom Spaced as Duane Benzie.

In the week before the 2006 Academy Awards a video circulated on the Internet called “O! News” about a newly redesigned Oscar statue, in which Serafinowicz shared his impersonations of Alan Alda, Paul McCartney and Al Pacino. A second ‘O! News’ video later appeared, parodying the 2006 Apple Corps v. Apple Computer lawsuit. This piqued the interest of the BBC, and a pilot was commissioned for The Peter Serafinowicz Show.

A full series was broadcast on BBC Two in 2007 (with a Christmas Special in 2008). For his performance, Serafinowicz was presented with the Best Entertainer prize at the 2008 Rose d’Or ceremony. The series was also nominated for Best Comedy Programme at the 2009 BAFTA Television Awards.

In 2010 Serafinowicz directed the music video for Hot Chip’s video 'I Feel Better', their second single from the album One Life Stand.

Arvon Calling

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Mon, 21 May 2012 07:01:00 +0000

The next annual creative writing for graphic novels course that Bryan Talbot co-tutors in the depths of the beautiful Shropshire countryside for the Arvon Foundation is on 25 - 30th June this year.

This time around, his co-tutor is Hannah Berry (Britten and Brulightly, Adamtine), with Mary Talbot (Dotter of Her Father's Eyes) as the guest speaker Amazingly there are spaces still available (it’s been fully booked the last two years) so, if you'd like to do it, now's your chance!

There’s a link to the Arvon site below and also a link to Paul Gravett’s write-up of the course.

- www.arvonfoundation.org/graphic-novels-3

- www.paulgravett.com/index.php/articles/article/arvon_foundation/

Tripwire 20 seeks crowdfunding

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Sun, 20 May 2012 09:46:00 +0000

Here's a small selection of some of the amazing art Tripwire publisher Joel Meadows hopes to publish in an anniversary editon celebrating 20 years -- 20 years!! -- of his magazine.

The project is seeking crowdfunding via Unbound here.

Over the last twenty years, Tripwire has been covering comics, TV and film with interviews and columns by now-famous names like Grant Morrison and Warren Ellis. Still running as an annual publication, it continues to run feature-length articles and one-off artwork cover commissions.

2012 marks the 20th anniversary of Tripwire, and to commemorate this milestone, Unbound are working with editor-in-chief Joel Meadows to crowd-fund a beautifully bound hardback celebration of the publication. It will be filled with the sort of content that has garnered praise from many of the biggest and best names in genre over its twenty-year existence.

As well as the art samples here, the magazine will also include work by Mike Kaluta, Phil Hale, Mike Perkins, Dave Taylor, Roger Langridge and many more.

Tripwire 20: Anniversary Cover

Art by Duncan Fegredo

Art by Garen Ewing

Art by Walt Simonson

Art by Jon Haward

Zombies Hi And Amelia Earhart From Uproar Comics

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Briggs) — Sun, 20 May 2012 07:30:00 +0000

Londonderry's Uproar Comics have been making a name for themselves in Northern Ireland with their regular publication of the anthology comic Zombies Hi, the main story of which is set in and around the walled city of Derry after a zombie holocaust. Uproar grew out of the free 2D Comics Festival, now in its sixth year at Londonderry's Visual Arts Centre, and the 2D Collective group of creators which we featured on downthetubes last year.

Zombies Hi issue 5 has just been released and is available from a variety of newsagents, bookshops and comic shops in Northern Ireland. Readers from further afield can order physical copies from the Uproar Comics website while e-copies are also available for download.

In addition, and in time for this year's 2D Comics Festival on Saturday 2 June, Uproar are releasing their first graphic novel about the American aviatrix Amelia Earhart. A historical biography may initially sound like an unusual topic for Uproar to cover, however when Earhart became the first woman to fly the Atlantic solo, she landed near Ballyarnett, just north of Derry, on 21 May 1932. This was previously commemorated in the now out-of-print graphic novel The Story of Amelia Earhart written by Felicity McCall with art by Joe Campbell and published in 2007 by Baird Publishing in association with Greater Shantallow Community Arts.

The new book entitled Amelia Earhart: First Lady of Aviation contains an updated version of that original GN and couples it with A Day in May, a text and spot illustrated account by Joe Campbell of Earhart's 24 hour stay in Derry.

The book is being released this weekend as part of the 2012 Earhart Festival and Festival director Oliver Green told downthetubes, "We believed that it was time for a new publication, as the 80th anniversary has already created a groundswell of public interest. I am conscious that the original graphic novel has all but sold out and is in circulation in the US, UK and Across Ireland as well as in Australasia. It is in regular use in classrooms in the North West, and beyond. With this in mind, it seemed appropriate not only to ask the original artist Joe Campbell and writer Felicity McCall to revise and update their work, but to commission what is effectively the next chapter in the story. With A Day in May, Joe Campbell has produced a marvellous combination of prose and pen and ink illustrations which perfectly evokes the atmosphere and ethos of that very special 24 hours in Derry. It is a work of outstanding talent, creativity and empathy with his subject matter and I am confident the new publication will not only match but better the success of the original book five years ago."

There are more details of Zombies Hi and Amelia Earhart: First Lady Of Aviation on the Uproar Comics website and Facebook page.

There are more details of the 2D Comics Festival which is free and takes place between 31 May and 2 June 2012 on the 2D website and Facebook page.

Steve Parkhouse and Peter Hogan talk Resident Alien

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Sat, 19 May 2012 17:20:00 +0000

Get along to the Kapow! convention, Islington Design Centre tomorrow to hear an episode of Panel Borders being recorded live, as Alex Fitch talks to writer Peter Hogan and artist Steve Parkhouse about their new serialised comic Resident Alien, published by Dark Horse.

The comic tells the tale of a 'grey' alien becoming a small town doctor in the USA and Alex will be talking to the creators about the genesis of the comic as well as Peter previous experience of writing about grey aliens in Vector 13 for 2000AD and Steve's earlier comic of suburban weirdness, The Bojeffries Saga with Alan Moore.

The panel is at 2.30pm, Sunday 20th May 2012, Room A, Kapow! comics convention, Islington Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH

• More info at http://kapowcomicconvention.com/node/307

Plaything Of Sutekh: New Who Zine

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Briggs) — Sat, 19 May 2012 06:55:00 +0000

In these days of the internet blogs having taken over the position of the old fanzines, it is always good to see a new printed fanzine appear. Plaything of Sutekh is a 40 page, A5, black and white, Doctor Who fanzine with a colour cover, edited by John Connors and Richard Farell. John Connors is a name familiar to Doctor Who fans as he held various posts in the Doctor Who Appreciation Society in the 1980s while Richard is the editor of the long running Gerry Anderson fanzine Andersonic.

Indeed Plaything Of Sutekh, which derives its name from the popular fourth Doctor and Sarah Jane 1975 adventure Pyramids Of Mars, comes across as a Doctor Who version of Andersonic in both its format and contents.

Issue one costs £2.35 including UK postage and features -
What Did the Sixties Do For Who? – a look at how the Troughton era of Doctor Who reflected the changes facing Britain in the late 60s
Frank’s Who – the lasting influence of Frank Bellamy’s Radio Times art on Doctor Who illustration.
Secret Who – a re-evaluation of a clutch of less popular stories: Underworld, The Krotons and The Android Invasion.
Accidental Art – while Terry Nation and Douglas Adams were pulling in opposite directions, Ken Grieve’s innovative approach raised Destiny of the Daleks above the norm.
A New Direction? – a look at the evolution of Doctor Who under Steven Moffat
Return of the King – a look at and a listen to Tom Baker’s return as the Doctor in the Big Finish audio adventures.

There are more details of the first issue of Plaything of Sutekh and how to purchase it on the fanzine's blog and Facebook page.

CBeebies Art magazine teams up with National Portrait Gallery

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:53:00 +0000

CBeebies Art magazine has launched a competition inviting readers aged three to seven to create a portrait of their family imagined as the British Royal Family.

To coincide with the Diamond Jubilee, the winner of the competition, created in partnership with the National Portrait Gallery, will be announced on 5 June 2012.

Entries are now open until 30th May 2012

The winner will receive a printed framed copy of their winning portrait. Also, the winner and five runners-up, along with their families, will enjoy a special tour of the National Portrait Gallery’s exhibition The Queen: Art & Image, followed by an exclusive animation workshop with an artist. They will also each receive an arty goody bag.

To get little ones’ creative juices flowing, issues 48 (on sale now) and 49 (on sale 23 May) of CBeebies Art magazine provides inspiration, including a list of ‘top tips’ from artists at the National Portrait Gallery and features on royal portraits commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery, including Nicky Philipps’ portrait Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry, 2009. The National Portrait Gallery will also be holding free Royal Art Workshops and Storytelling sessions for families in conjunction with CBeebies Art magazine on Saturday 19 May and Saturday 26 May.

“This is a fantastic collaboration between CBeebies Art magazine and the art institution that is the National Portrait Gallery," says Stephanie Cooper, editor of CBeebies Art magazine.

"We both have shared aims in promoting art appreciation and making art history accessible to all ages, so this is a great creative opportunity for kids to get creatively involved with an important date in British history. I am so excited to see what they come up with!”

"We're delighted to be working with CBeebies Art magazine to produce these two special issues," added the National Portrait Gallery's Liz Smith, Head of Participation and Learning, "and also to be running some special free activities around Royal portraits in May at the Gallery.

"It’s an exciting way to add to our programme for family audiences, and to encourage families to learn to look at and explore Royal portraits from our Collection in the lead up to the Diamond Jubilee and The Queen: Art & Image. We are looking forward to seeing the imaginative responses from the young artists in the portraits submitted”.

Mr. T Goes Green!

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Publisher Mohawk Media has just launched its Mr. T series through its range of environmentally-friendly, paperless Eco Comics.

Mr. T joins other famous names at Eco Comics including Dracula, Robin Hood, Dick Turpin, and Tough Guy.

The Hollywood hard man, renowned for his image of Mohawk haircut, gold chains and catchphrases, previously appeared in print in the publisher’s graphic novels.

"It was always our intention to release the Mr. T graphic novel as a comic book series," says Editor Stuart Buckley. "Each chapter was intentionally structured to be the same length as a comic book.

"However, we’ve had to adjust to market demands. The graphic novel has sold out. The digital titles of Eco Comics have no print run, and so will never sell out, meaning every T fan can order a copy. The added satisfaction is that the environment hasn’t suffered as a result of paper production.

"The clean cut art of JL Czerniawski makes this series a joy to behold in any format."

"This is great, and I am truly humbled," is how Mr. T describes becoming the star of a comic book in the foreword. And in the world exclusive interviews throughout the series, he goes further, including stating why he is an even tougher comic book hero than Wolverine.

Series writer Chris Bunting adds: "I’ve gone to great lengths to do things never attempted, such as making T as close to a super hero as possible while retaining his classic persona. After over twenty-five years of fame, this action icon finally gets a rogues' gallery, and even a new catchphrase. Old and new T fans can expect plenty of other surprises too.

"Plus the amazing formats offered by Eco Comics really help bring this classic character into the digital age."

• The first five issues of Mr. T are available to order now in various digital formats via the Eco Comics store: www.mohawkmedia.co.uk/ecocomics

Overload anthology launches at Kapow

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:38:00 +0000

Here's the gruesome but powerful cover art by Graeme Neil Reid to a new anthology, Overload, edited by Martin Conaghan, which will be launched at Kapow this weekend, priced £4.

Yes, as if the very memory of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher wasn't bad enough - the darling of our current leadership - now she's back as a zombie*.

Contributors to this new title include Gordon Rennie, Emma Beeby, Eoin Coveney, Martin Hayes, Graeme Howard, Dave Cook, Gary Crutchley, Geoffrey D. Wessel, Steve Penfold, Matt Gibbs, James Reekie, Jacen Burrows, Paul McClaren and Jim Campbell.

Overload is also looking for contributors – you can bring along your portfolio or story ideas to table 34 on Saturday 19 May at Kapow at 1300BST and on Sunday 20 May at 1300 BST

- View a preview online at: www.copydesk.co.uk/overload1
* Margaret Thatcher is not yet dead.

Opinion: Too Many Cons, Not Enough Pros

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:47:00 +0000

With a series of comic conventions upon us in the UK, which began last weekend and continues on Saturday with Kapow in London, Comic Book Alliance organiser, comic creator and book editor Tim Pilcher ponders the future of the Bristol Comic Expo...

I’ve been attending comic conventions in Bristol ever since Kev F Sutherland first set one up to replace the defunct UKCAC, way back in 1999. That’s 13 years — unlucky for some. In that time, the conventions have changed hands and names several times, but it had always been a key event in the comic professional’s diary.

For many years, it was the sole comic convention in the UK and, by default, it achieved an exulted status. However, in recent years there has been a huge surfeit of conventions, of various shapes and sizes, popping up all over the country.

This year alone has seen London Super Comic Convention, Bristol Comic Expo, Cardiff Comic Expo, Exeter Comic Expo, and Hi-Ex (Inverness) and we’re not even halfway through the year. Still on the horizon are MCM Expo (London), Kapow (London), 2D Festival (Derry), Thought Bubble (Leeds), and probably loads I haven’t remembered!

The fact is, with so many shows, creators are suffering from “convention fatigue”. Cons take up a lot of work time, for professionals. Very few have their expenses covered, unless they are guests of honour, and so it’s a double hit for them, in terms of time away from the writing desk/drawing board and earning money, while having to lay out cash just to appear at the show. Hence, many try and recoup their losses by charging for sketches, selling original artwork and comics, and sleeping with fans for cash (one of those is a lie).

Consequently, many stayed away from Bristol this year in favour of the more lucrative London-based Kapow, due this coming weekend.

The other reason to attend shows is to talk to editors and publishers about work and network. This maintained Bristol as “the professional’s convention” as there were fewer fans and everyone could just mingle and hang out with friends they only saw once a year (an important part if you are a freelancer working alone at home). But now there are so many shows, it was the first con I’ve ever left saying to many, “See you next week”!

In this climate every show has to prove their worth, and unfortunately Bristol’s stock has been in freefall for sometime. The ever-decreasing punter footfall, and lack of major “hot” US guests and publishers has seen the convention becoming less of a viable option for both fans and professionals, particularly with so much competition.

Every single weekend this May has been taken up by a show: Bristol last weekend, Kapow this, then MCM Expo and, finally, Collectormania. All of these shows see more punters through the door, have more exciting panels, with bigger name US guests and, frankly, make Bristol look old and tired. Most stallholders I spoke to didn’t make enough money this weekend to cover their costs, and a lot won’t be returning (to be fair, I did speak to a few who did OK, but they were targeting the non-comics readers).

All this was compounded by no one turning up from either of “The Big Two” (or even “The Medium Six”), and star guest Denny O’Neill cancelling due to illness. Plus, having checked with a local journalist, I was stunned to discover there had been no local press or publicity arranged (no wonder less than 300 people turned up).

Personally, the fact that some little s**** decided to steal the Comic Book Alliance’s Tank Girl banner was the last nail in the coffin.

Basically, something’s got to give, and the fat’s got to be trimmed, and it looks like Bristol is the first casualty to fall victim of the “Convention Wars”. I suspect it won’t be the last. There was a scurrilous rumour going around the weekend that the Birmingham ComiciCon/BICS has been cancelled this year.

It seems a shame that Bristol Comic Expo should end on a whimper rather than a bang. I liked coming to Bristol, it’s a nice town and it was a great convention. But I, for one, shall not be back. And I know I’m not alone.

• Tim's original posting - reprinted here with permission - appears on his own blog, "Sex, Drugs and Comic Books". His views do not necessarily reflect the views of DownTheTubes or its sponsors.

Tim Pilcher hails from Brighton, East Sussex. Writer, Editor, Chap; he is currently the chair of the Comic Book Alliance. I've written a few books on Sex, Drugs and Comics. Oh, and he's been called various things by people including a "seasoned writer", a "dope addled buffoon" and a "comics guru" apparently.

Waking up to the power of comic readers?

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:45:00 +0000

Remember a time when advertising in comics was as much a part of the comic as the story? When manufacturers went out to use comics to reach their audience, be it a new advertising comic strip for Clarks Commando shoes, Super Mousse chocolate or even a government-backed anti-smoking campaign?

Well, in the US at least, the buying power of comic readers is getting recognised once again, so maybe there will be a knock on effect on this side of the Atlantic.

With an estimated five million hardcore comic readers in the US, the Bonfire Agency, an advertising and marketing firm launched last year and has done work for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, has launched what it describes as a 'daring' new ad network, bringing together comic book publishers for titles aimed at kids and families under the new banner Archie All-Ages Comics Ad Network.

A further development in its Comics Unlimited strategy, the new network combines the collective companies' reach in mass market, bookstores and comic book shops and brings together noted brands including Archie, Sonic the Hedgehog, Richie Rich, Ghostbusters, Peanuts, Kung-Fu Panda and Adventure Time.

While a majority of the comic book titles in the network are published by Archie Comics, joining the Archie titles are comics published by Ape Entertainment (Richie Rich, Casper's Scare School and comics and magazines developed around DreamWorks licenses like Kung-Fu Panda, The Penguins of Madagascar and Shrek), BOOM! Studios' KaBOOM! imprint (Peanuts, Garfield, Roger Langridge's Snarked! and Adventure Time) and IDW Publishing (Transformers, Ghostbusters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the newly launched Popeye).

Bonfire's ComicsUnited initiative launched last year and brings together titles from leading independent publishers of comics meant for older audiences. IDW and BOOM! are already part of ComicsUnited, as are Dynamite Entertainment, Top Cow, Aspen MLT, Zenescope and Skybound. Lego Systems of North America is already running advertising through the new network.

Imagine a UK ad agency taking a leaf from Bonfire's book. Even today, the combined total of Britain's comic buyers is large, with new launches and ongoing titles jostling for position on our newsagents busy shelves.

- Bear Alley has published many of the Clarks Commandos ads. Art by Tom Kerr

- Super Mousse ads appeared in the early 1970s in comic titles as diverse as Cor! And Countdown. Art above by Peter Ford. More info on the Kazoop! Blog

Creating Comics: Nick Abadzis

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:18:00 +0000

Born in Sweden to Greek and English parents, writer, artist and editorial consultant Nick Abadzis was brought up in Switzerland and England. He writes and draws comics and graphic novels for both adults and children and his stories have been published all over the world.

Since his early days at Marvel UK Nick, whose perhaps best-known graphic novel to date is Laika, the story of the first dog in space, has helped set up several best-selling and innovative children’s magazines, including most recently, The DFC for David Fickling Books.

His storytelling contribution, Cora’s Breakfast, was featured in The Guardian and his work has also appeared in various British publications such as The Times and The Independent on Sunday.

One of his earliest comics works was the hugely popular Hugo Tate, published in the ground-breaking 1980s comic magazine Deadline. Now, at last, British publisher Blank Slate Books have collected the strips into one gorgeous-looking new book, and I caught up with Nick to ask him about the project.

For the full interview with Nick, you'll have to grab a copy of STRIP Magazine Issue 5 from your nearest comic shop, on sale later this month.

DownTheTubes: Hugo Tate. What's it all about?

Nick Abadzis: It’s a rites-of-passage story about a young man who is, initially at least, represented as a stick man in a figurative world. He’s simultaneously an everyman and he changes and becomes more “real” as the story progresses – his story is not by any means universal in the way in which he experiences it, but hopefully it’s universally understandable.

DownTheTubes: It's a welcome collection that's a long time coming - how will it be pitched to people who haven't heard of it?

Nick: A road trip. The second part of it anyway. I’ve heard it described as “a road movie from Hell”!

DownTheTubes: Hugo Tate was one of Deadline's most popular strips - is that a period in your career you remember fondly?

Nick: Mostly, yes. There were some hard lessons to learn – such as, don’t ever sign a contract without reading it first. Tom Astor (Deadline’s funder) chained all of the early Deadline cartoonists to these draconian agreements that I spent a lot of time and most of the money I’d earned (which was a pittance, let me tell you) trying to extricate us all from, which is why there was a break between the first series of Hugo and the second.

Eventually we agreed terms but it was an experience that’s made me cagey about contracts and what rights you sign away ever since. I’m an advocate of creator’s rights in comics and I’d advise all young cartoonists to watch what they sign.

That said, the creative aspects of it were incredible – it really was an amazing opportunity to be given – to be allowed to develop your own comic characters via a regularly published forum with national distribution. I’m very grateful for it and although I think Tom could’ve been smarter in the way he developed his relationship with the magazine’s contributors, I thank Steve Dillon and Brett Ewins for getting me on board. My career might’ve been very different without their championing the likes of us snot-nosed brats.

It was a kind of a shambolic university of comics, very experimental and energetic with some incredibly inventive talent from the start. You had Steve and Brett around and other greats like Brendan McCarthy, Pete Milligan and Tom Frame who you could learn from if you paid attention, but also carte blanche to do your own thing. And I did.

DownTheTubes: Do you have a favourite Hugo Tate moment?

Nick: Do you have a favourite Hugo Tate moment? If you do, submit it here:
http://hugotate.tumblr.com/

DownheTubes: What one piece of advice you would give an aspiring comic creator?

Nick: Persevere. Never give up.

• Find out Nick's favourite Hugo - and his thoughts on Laika - in STRIP Mgazine Issue 5 on sale later this month in UK comic shops

• Hugo Tate is available now from all good book and comic shops. For more about Nick's work, find him online at www.nickabadzis.com; http://hugotate.tumblr.com/ and his regular blog: http://nickabadzis.my-expressions.com/; or follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/NickAbadzis

• The Hugo Tate Facebook page is at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hugo-Tate/296276587062422?v=wall

Mega Signing at Forbidden Planet London this Friday

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Tue, 15 May 2012 06:10:00 +0000

Forbidden Planet London is capitalising on Kapow this coming weekend by having a fantastic line-up of artists and writers for a fabulous Friday Night Mega-Signing.

"On Friday 18th May, from 6 – 7pm, at the London Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, we’ll have a huge and one-off event, taking place with an amazing line-up of guests," said a spokesperson. " Jock, Andy Belanger, Becky Cloonan, Trevor McCarthy, Conor McCreery, Anthony Del Col, Scott Snyder... We’ll also have all the hottest titles including Batman: Gates of Gotham, Batman: The Black Mirror, Demo and the wonderfully off-the-wall Kill Shakespeare graphic novels.

Sounds like the perfect way to warm up for the weekend, with Kapow expecting thousands of comics fans at their event.

- You can find this on our website at: http://forbiddenplanet.com/events/2012/05/18/friday-night-mega-signing/

In Review: Amanda Swan - The Hellfire Legacy

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Briggs) — Tue, 15 May 2012 06:00:00 +0000

Glasgow based Rough Cut Comics published the impressive vampiric graphic novels Rose Black and Rose Black: Demon Seed and, as part of the publicity for Rose Black, the company used British model Amanda Swan to portray the character of Rose. It was then that they realised that there was the possibility of basing a comic around the model herself and Amanda Swan: The Hellfire Legacy re-imagines her as a reality show It girl, at least by day.

The shadowy Anglo-Paralax Corporation manipulates the British media for their own ends, controlling soap stars, pop idols and reality show contestants for their corporate aims - except for one. Amanda Swan eludes them. Like the rest of the country they know she attends premieres, gets her photo taken, takes her exercise and likes her dogs. They don't realise that by night she is a leather-clad motorbike riding vigilante with a deep seated contempt for their organisation.

Amanda Swan? Don't worry I had never heard of her either, yet that is irrelevant as writers Ed Murphy and Tom Campbell weave a fictional version of Amanda into a story that comes across as Lara Croft meets Cinebook's The Green Manor. Basing the modern day part of the story on the modern media obsession with reality 'stars' while also jumping back to the Victorian Hellfire Club, the story acts as an interesting taster to the character and the modern day situation that she apparently chooses to put herself in.

Perhaps it is the Green Manor-style Victorian setting but, despite the US publishing format, the feel of the tale is much more European bandes dessinee than US superheroics and that is a very good thing in my book. Both Rose Black books have a lot of fairly extreme violence in them and while the amount of violence in Hellfire Legacy is much less, when it does appear it is more akin to a zombie comic's burying an axe in a skull than a superhero comic's punching someone through a wall.

Joel Carpenter's artwork was impressive in Rose Black: Demon Seed and remains so here as he covers both modern day and Victoriana. The modern day settings are portrayed in clear, clean lines while Derek Dow's colours give the Victorian sections a richer, more painterly style. Inevitably many panels dwell on the character's physical attributes, based as she is on real glamour model, but on the whole it is done in a 'good girl' style and it doesn't cross into Page 3 territory. Dramatic license is used somewhat with throwing daggers appearing from places about her person that, in reality, it would be rather unsafe to store them, but I can certainly forgive them that conceit.

Amanda Swan: The Hellfire Legacy maintains Rough Cut Comics run of high quality professional products brought together in a very slick package with a photo cover, a gallery of full page colour photos of the real Amanda at the back and the promise of another title, The Evil That Men Do, to come.

There are more details of Amanda Swan : The Hellfire Legacy on the Rough Cut Comics Facebook page and blog and the title can be bought directly from Amanda Swan's official website shop.

There is an interview with the real Amanda Swan about her fictional alter-ego on the Rough Cut Comics blog.

Amanda Swan and the Rough Cut Comics team will be selling and signing comics of The Hellfire Legacy at the Kapow! comic convention in London's Business Design Centre on 19 and 20 May 2012.

British comic publishers join new MagAid campaign to fight illiteracy

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Sun, 13 May 2012 10:15:00 +0000

British magazine and comic publishers have just launched MagAid, the first national project to use magazines to promote literacy.

Established by the Professional Publishers Association, which represents the UK’s magazine publishing industry, in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, funding raised through MagAid will be channeled into the Trust’s Young Readers Programme, designed to promote reading among children from areas of disadvantage.

The scheme engages children in reading at school, giving them the opportunity to select and keep reading materials they can then read at home.

Through MagAid, the scheme has been expanded to include magazines for the first time, and the PPA will encourage donations and co-ordinate funding for MagAid on behalf of the consumer and business media publishers within its membership.

Here at DownTheTubes, this sounds like a great opportunity for comic publishers to support the battle against illiteracy, especially given the use of comics across the globe to promote various social and welfare campaigns. DC Thomson, Egmont and Panini are all members of the PPA.

Comics are being used to promote literacy in South Africa and Haiti, and are have been used to promote health issues such as AIDS awareness. A new documentary, Comic Book Literacy, is currently doing the festival circuit in the US to support the use of comics in education there.

Last year, This Magazine reported on how Canadian teachers were using graphic novels to help reading, and noted comics scholar Gretchen Schwarz's 2006 article entitled “Expanding Literacies Through Graphic Novels,” [PDF] which argued the benefits of using graphic novels as a way to expand and strengthen literacy skills.

Schwarz feels graphic novel readers have to pay attention to conventional literary elements of plot, character, and dialogue as well as interpret visual elements such as colour, shading, panel layout, and even lettering style, making graphic novels an engaging and sophisticated form of reading.

Literacy is a significant yet relatively hidden problem in the UK: it's estimated that one in six people in the UK currently has a literacy level below that expected of an 11-year-old, and the country has recently slipped to joint 23rd in the international literacy rankings.

National Literacy Trust research involving 18,000 children and young people suggests that magazines are a powerful medium for encouraging reading for pleasure among children who label themselves as non-readers.

“Literacy is a fundamental life skill that many of us take for granted," notes Barry McIlheney, CEO of the PPA, "but without it these children will develop into young adults who will struggle in the modern world. Through MagAid, our industry can play its part in tackling this problem, improving life chances, and encouraging an enjoyment in reading.”

The National Literacy Trust has recently completed a MagAid-funded Young Readers Programme at the City of London Academy in Southwark, the first phase of a pilot project designed to investigate the introduction of magazines into the portfolio of reading materials available to the children.

“The MagAid-funded National Literacy Trust programme has had a tremendous impact in promoting literacy across Year 7 in our Academy," Richard Bannister, Principal of City of London Academy (Southwark) reveals. "It actively encourages our students to engage in reading.

"Using magazines as a medium to promote literacy in our Academy has been really well received by students and staff.”

“This is the first time magazines have been used to address the literacy challenge by a national literacy project," Caroline Sence, who manages the Young Readers Programme for the National Literacy Trust, revealed.

"We believe magazines are a powerful tool for engaging reluctant readers: by giving children and young people the opportunity to choose and keep new magazines and books that are linked to their own interests, we are helping to make reading relevant to them, and to encourage reading as an activity of choice outside of school.”

Clive Foskett, Founder of MagAid and Chief Executive of Signature Publishing, said: “Poor literacy skills disadvantage millions of people in many aspects of their life, let alone in being unable to access and enjoy the information produced by magazine publishers.

“The first school project is already demonstrating that through MagAid we can make a real difference on this major issue.”

With some 200 members, the PPA promotes and protects the interests of print and online publishers of consumer and business media in the UK. More at www.ppa.co.uk.

The National Literacy Trust (www.literacytrust.org.uk) is an independent charity that transforms lives through literacy. They believe that society will only be fair when everyone has the literacy skills they need to communicate, to fulfil their potential and to contribute more to society. The charity campaigns to improve public understanding of the vital importance of literacy, as well as delivering projects and working in partnership to reach those most in need of support.

- More about MagAid at: http://magaid.org

Team Girl Comic Kickstarted

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Briggs) — Sun, 13 May 2012 06:00:00 +0000

A week ago we mentioned the Kickstarter campaign that Glasgow's Team Girl Comic collective were running to finance the publication of TGC issue 5 and possibly reprint some of their sold-out back issues. It has been the most viewed blog piece on downthetubes over the last week even if the Kickstarter video, featuring TGC editor Gillian Hatcher and issue 5 cover artist Coleen Campbell, was incompatible with our Blogspot format. Our thanks to Gillian for pointing us towards the YouTube version.

So we are very pleased to hear that only a week into their campaign they haven't just reached their target of $1000 but are now over the $1200 mark. This will allow them to reprint issues 1, 2 and 3 as well as finance their attendance at more conventions and comic marts over the next year.

The Kickstarter campaign will continue to run until Friday 8 June 2012 so there is still time for more backers to jump on and plenty of Team Girl rewards still to choose from with the top reward, of the offer of a night on the town with the team for an $80 pledge, having so far been taken up by three backers.

Of the 48 backers so far registered, some come from as far as France, Portugal and the United States while, based on their first names, there is approximately a 60/40 female/male split.

There are more details on the Team Girl Comic Kickstarter page.

There are more details of Team Girl Comic on their website and Facebook page.

Team Girl Comic editor Gillian Hatcher talked to downthetubes about the title here.

Dan Dare art, Marvel UK collections up for auction

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Sat, 12 May 2012 09:21:00 +0000

The Summer 2012 auction at Compalcomics is open, with nearly 200 British comic-related lots up for biding, including Dan Dare art by Frank Hampson, a limited edition Dan Dare bust and collections of 1980s Marvel UK titles such as Captain America and Forces in Combat.

Compalcomics last auction in March saw Dan Dare and Eagle powered into the stratosphere with £555 pad for The Eagle Club letter and Membership Card, £565 for Dan’s interplanetary figures boxed set by Crescent Toys and £390 for the Horlicks Eagle Rocket Cup and badge.

In their latest catalogue they highlight the second part of a collection with a Frank Hampson Dan Dare artwork, one of his earliest boards, from Eagle Volume 1 No 33, pubishd in 1950, in which Dan's memory is restored by Volstar the Theron. Hampson's artistic devotion to detail is perfectly illustrated from Volstar's Venusian habitat down to Daniel McGregor Dare's argyle socks!

Also on offer are high grade bound volumes of Eagle from 1951-1959. There’s a super Super-sonic Space Pilot Gun, brilliantly boxed, a rare Dan Dare bust – one of only 20 cast, and an affordable double-page artwork by Carlos Cruz from 1987 featuring the Mekon and Dan in battle at London’s Natural History Museum.

There’s further original art of Beryl The Peril by Davy Law. David 'Davy' Law (1907-1971) found international fame by introducing Dennis The Menace to unsuspecting Beano readers in March 1951. He also penned Beryl The Peril, Captain Hound and the accident prone nitwit, Corporal Clott. Law's artwork rarely comes to market, so this lot, a page from The Topper, will attract plenty of attention.

There's also art from Look and Learn's The Trigan Empire by Don Lawrence, Grendel by Ron Embleton, Oor Wullie by Dudley Watkins and a six board complete Bionic Woman story by John Bolton pubished in Look-In, in which Jaime Sommers is bequeathed an ancient key – but faces mortal danger as she encounters the evil clan of Uncle Ebeneezer in The House of Six Locks!

This aucton's rare British comics selection includes The Dick Turpin/Spring-Heeled Jack Library from 1902, The Beano Comic No 1, The Beano Book No 1 and Beano and Dandy bound volumes from 1949 and 1950, Lion 1-45, Misty 1-23 - and Tiger No 1, pubished in 1954, with free gift Space Gun and 6 press-out Flying Saucers, all in their original bag.

The US section offers Classics Illustrated #43-74, mainly first editions, and the first tranche of our DC Comics one-owner collection spanning one hundred lots including Superman from 1948-1955, Action, Adventure and Superboy from 1959-1970s, Showcase #9 and #10 and Lois Lane #1-6.

Our favourite item - which may attract interest from beyond the comics community given his now international status as a fine artist - is a Rolf Harris self portrait, dedicated to a fan in the 1960s. Oh, and the DC Superheroes Pen Set from 1977!

• Bidding closes on Tuesday 5th June at 8.00pm UK time. Catalogue at: www.compalcomics.com/catalogue/index.htm. There are 316 lots in this catalogue.

• If you have a question about any of the items in the catalogue, please send an email to Compalcomics director Malcolm Phillips at comicbookATcompalcomics.com

Comicscape Issue 3 out now

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:30:00 +0000

The third issue of Chris Smillie's Comicscape, a free 48-page magazine offering reviews, news, and views for May 2012, is available now online.

Top news stories include big successes for Marvel in their comic arc AvX and spectacular box-office smash, Avengers Assemble. 2000AD announces a partnership with IDW, whilst bringing back the Dark Judges to the weekly. Meanwhile, DC re-introduces Earth-2, as Image reveal the demise of Paul Grist's Jack Staff.

In 'Tales That Astonished', the indie mag goes back to the epic Legion of Superheroes: The Great Darkness Saga, while ''This Day In Comics' visits Resurrection Central from May 1982. In Versus, it’s Wolverine against your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, while The Old and The New feature pits Defenders #4 from 1973 against Defenders #4 from 2012.

Post-apocalyptic BBC drama Threads is the 'Flick That Time Forgot' and a New comic strip, 'Kid Tiger', begins.

• Read online at: Issuu.com/starscape/docs/comicscape3; Myebook.com; and graphicly.com

• Or download a pdf from Yudu

• Starscape web site: http://StarscapeOnline.com

Convict Commandos return to, er - Commando!

noreply@blogger.com (John Freeman) — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:16:00 +0000

Here's the lowdown on the latest Commandos, on sale now in all good comic shops.

Alan Hebden's Convict Commandos make a return for the first of two adventures - the second is out in a fortnight - while a Soviet tank does its best to burst out of one of this round of covers, courtesy of Janek Matysiak's pen.

Meanwhile, the Commando team have been scurrying around in the archives for another pair of dusty but classic... well, classics. We think you'll like 'em!

Commando No 4495 - Rain Of Terror
Story: Alan Hebden Art: Manuel Benet Cover: Manuel Benet

In action once again, the Convict Commandos - Jelly Jakes, Titch Mooney, Smiler Dawson and Guy Tenby - undertake their most dangerous mission yet.

As if ruthless Nazis and silent stranglers weren't hazardous enough, even the skies are loaded with death... and it's raining down on them!

Commando No 4496 - T54 A Tankful Of Trouble
Story: Alan Hebden Art: Morahin Cover: Janek Matysiak

In 1956 the Russians invaded neighbouring Hungary to quell a popular uprising. The newly-operational T54 tank - successor to the wartime T34 - was used by them to devastating effect in the campaign.

When British Intelligence learned that Hungarian rebels had captured a fully operational T54, a team were sent to recover the mighty machine's design secrets.

But with Hungarian government troops and the Russian Army on their trail, this mission was going to be no walk in the park!

Commando No 4497 - The Gold Collection - Break-Out!
Originally Commando No 41 (October 1962)
Story: Henderson Art: Ortiz Cover: Ken Barr

Night after night the tunnel leading from the German prison camp grew longer. Day by day the hope of escape increased.

Then came THE NIGHT... and only one prisoner knew that German fingers were ready to press machine gun triggers; that cold Nazi eyes peered through the gun sights... WAITING.

"This is well-crafted tale and no mistake. Sort of Ice Cold In Alex meets The Great Escape to use a film comparison," says Commando Editor Calum Laird. "The author manages to make what could be a tedious trek across the desert riveting by introducing a…well, let's just say a wild card to stop spoiling it. It's skilfully done and works really well.

"The cover is a magnificent piece of work - you could almost see it as a film poster, too. There's menace and fear in that face rendered in blues and blacks.

"The inside art holds up its end well, lots of dark half-shadows matching the tension of the tale and plenty of movement when the action gets going.

"Well worth another airing 50 years on."

Commando No 4498 - The Silver Collection - Gold Train
Originally Commando No 2102 (July 1987)
Story: Alan Hebden Art: Terry Patrick Cover: Jeff Bevan

With the Japanese war machine making swift advances through Java every day, it was vital that the country's gold reserves were moved to safety. Captain Jan Ruiter was assigned this task. All he had to do was escort a train carrying the gold to the coast. An easy enough job, you might think. But not when the troops under your command are a bunch of rookies and a group of battle-hardened Japanese veterans are hot on your trail!

"Every Commando story needs a good hero - so more than one must be even better," feels Deputy Editor Scott Montgomery. "A mix of characters - and the ensuing conflict as they clash - is essential. Writer Alan Hebden is a master of making memorable characters.

"At first glance, the hero of Gold Train is Captain Jan Ruiter, tasked with transporting gold reserves to safety. However, for me, Aussie train driver Hogey Dubbs - and even his clanking, trusty steam engine Esmeralda is like a character - steals the show. Now let's find out if they can stop the villains from stealing their gold!"

• 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

In Review: The Bluecoats - Rumberley

noreply@blogger.com (Jeremy Briggs) — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:38:00 +0000

Cinebook returns to the American Civil War for their fifth book of The Bluecoats - Rumberley, written by Raoul Cauvin and illustrated by Willy Lambil, translating the 15th of Les Tuniques Bleues albums into English for the first time.

The war is raging fiercer than ever and it is taking its toll on the armies of both sides. After the latest battle Cavalry Corporal Blutch searches the battlefield for his friend Sergeant Chesterfield and gets the stretcher bearers to take the injured Chesterfield to the overcrowded field hospital. Both armies have lost so many men that they both have to retreat to gather reinforcements, but the Union General decides that he must leave his injured behind in the nearest town. The problem being that Rumberley is a Confederate town.

Before Cinebook started translating Les Tuniques Bleues as The Bluecoats, only one other album had made it into English when, in 2004, Reney Editions in the United States published the eleventh album Des Bleus En Noir Et Blanc as The Blues In Black And White under the series title of The Blue Tunics. You would have thought that if any English speaking country was going to like the American Civil War-based Bluecoats, it was going to be America - but it was not to be and Reney didn't publish any more. So it is heartening that Cinebook has now reached their fifth book in the series.

My initial reaction to The Bluecoats back in 2010 with The Skyriders was lukewarm when I didn't really take to the mixture of combat and humour. However this is the third Bluecoats that I have now read and I am starting to come round to this series. I never had a problem with Lambil's artwork which is fun when it needs to be and his splash panels here show off a remarkable number of characters as the two sides' troops clash in the main street of the town.

However it is Cauvin's plot that stands out here, beginning with a splash panel of the dead and dying of a major battle with the simple text box "No comment" ("Sans commentaire" in the original French version) which doesn't just set the scene for the plot, but something of the tone of the book as well. Rumberley is about the wounded of one army in the Civil War arriving in an unfriendly town, how not just their arrival but the war in general affects the non-combatant civilians of the town, and how, when the troops who are on the town's side return, the town's folk manage to get one over on both sides to their own benefit. This is also the reluctant Corporal Blutch's story in which, as one of the few able-bodied amongst the injured, he has to take on a greater responsibility for his comrades than he would normally be comfortable with, yet he still makes the most of any chances to wind up Sergent Chesterfield and even their badly injured Captain Stark.

The Bluecoats - Rumberley is a humorous tale with a little extra pathos that is helping me warm to this series of books.

• There are more details of the English language editions of The Bluecoats on the Cinebook website.

• There are more details of the original Dupuis editions on Les Tuniques Bleues website (in French).

• Cinebook will be at the Bristol Comic Expo this weekend, 12-13 May 2012, 2012 and at BD and Comics Passion at L'Institut Français, London, 24-27 May 2012