Blogging from space

This has nothing to do with comics but definitely worth a mention -- in terms of potential bragging this one pretty much tops several list.

Blogging from space.

Private space tourist Anousheh Ansari - a Star Trek fan, by the way - posted several items to her blog from the International Space Station while in orbit: spaceblog.xprize.org.

E-mail is set in batches from the ISS three times a day so there was no opportunity for "real-time" reportage, but the blog must surely be a bit of a first for Netizens.

In one of her final entries from orbit the Iranian-born Ansari writes of her experience and feedback from readers:

"My trip is coming to an end but my dreams have just started.

"You tell me in your messages that I have inspired you… Well I have to admit you all have inspired me right back… Every time I feel like I’m drowning in the sadness of my departure from the space station, I try to reach for one of your messages and pull myself out and look forward to what we can all do together."

Yep, that sounds like a Star Trek fan to me -- and I mean that in the nicest possible way.

Bitey Castle

Okay, this isn't comics but I've just been sent this link to some truly stunning Flash animation, created by former Disney animator Adam Phillips: www.biteycastle.com/content/animation_brk.php (obviously, you need Flash to view)

There's some scary stuff here -- part of a wider project this Australian creator has come up with. His home site is: brackenwood.net, another well worth checking out.

Back in 1988, Adam managed a team of animators through several major Disney sequels but it was his discovery of Flash in 2000 that led him to his current creations. Brackenwood is clearly a labour of love and I hope the feature film he'd like to make becomes a reality.

Delano's Outlaw Nation collected

Releases do Neorama reports that Jamie Delano's complete Outlaw Nation, which the British author describes as "my shot at a big, sprawling 'American Adventure Story'", first published by Vertigo in 2001 and 2002, will be published in November, in a black and white edition.

Delano reckons the work is some of the best of his career, with art by Goran Sudzuka and Goran Parlov. "It certainly looks damn good, especially in this black-and-white edition," says Delano. "I hope any new readers who pick it up have will have half as much enjoyment in reading it as I had in its writing."