In Review: Aya of Yop City

• Written by Marguerite Abouet • Art by Clement Oubrerie
• UK Publisher: Jonathan Cape
• Released: 15 January 2009

For the residents of Yopougon, everyday life is good. It is the early 1970s, a golden time - work is plentiful, hospitals are clean and well equipped, and school is obligatory. The Ivory Coast is as an island of relative wealth and stability in West Africa. For the teenagers of the town, though, worries are plentiful, and life in Yop City is far from simple. Aya tells the story of its 19-year-old heroine, the clear-sighted and bookish Aya, and her carefree and fun-loving friends Adjoua and Bintou...

When the first volume of Aya debuted in 2007 it was to plenty of well-deserved critical acclaim and I named it as one of my favourite graphic novels of the year. It rightfully gained a Quill Award nomination, and praise for its accessibility and for the rare portrait of a warm and vibrant Africa it presented.

Aya of Yop City is the continuation of this beautifully-told story by Marguerite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie, with life in 1970s Yop City as dramatic as ever. The original cast of characters is back in full force, with a case of questionable paternity fanning the flames of activity in the community. The new mother, Adjoua, has her friends to help with the baby, perhaps employing Aya a bit too frequently, while a new romance leaves Bintou with little time for her friends, let alone their responsibilities.

The young women aren't the only residents of Yopougon involved in the excitement, however; Aya's father is caught in the midst of his own trysts and his employer's declining Solibra beer sales -- a storyline that brings this volume to a dramatic conclusion -- and Adjoua's brother finds his share of the city's nightlife.

From the miscreant antics of deceitful men such as Gregoire, persuading several women he is a rich man back from Paris while in reality he is as poor as them, to the innocence of Aya, unaware of her father's indiscretions, to cameo scenes as the girls deal with both wanted and unwanted male attention, Aya of Yop City maintains and indeed, surpasses the twists and turns of the original volume.

Oubrerie's artwork synchronizes perfectly to Abouet's funny and lighthearted writing, delivering a heart-warming, humour yet also angst-filled tale filled with genuine emotion and superb storytelling and even stronger characterisation than the first book in the series. It's great to see this second volume available in the UK -- I just hope we don't have to wait too long for the third, Aya and Friends, due for release in the US in June from Drawn & Quarterly, to find out what happens to Aya and her family.

• Buy Aya of Yop City from amazon.co.uk

I also recommend Marguerite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie's Aya, the first volume of this story: a simply wonderful, beautifully illustrated tale of life in an African city with none of the Western stereotyping of the continent in sight. In Aya, lives are lived, hearts broken, romances kindled. There is no famine, no war, simply life as you'd expect on the streets of London or New York with all the complications that entails -- except the backdrop is the Ivory Coast, brought to vivid life by Clement Oubrerie's gorgeous art.

• Buy Aya from amazon.co.uk

Countdown To Hi-Ex

The first British comics convention of the year, Hi-Ex, will be taking place at the Eden Court in Inverness over Valentine's weekend, 14 and 15 February. Guests this year will include 2000AD artists Mick McMahon and Colin MacNeil, Dan Dare artists Gary Erskine and John Haward, plus writers Alan Grant and Ferg Handley.

Last year's inaugural Hi-Ex had to contend with some of the worst snow of last winter. While it posed few problems in Inverness itself, it made travelling over the Scottish mountains to the capital of the Highlands interesting. No doubt Rich Clements and Vicky Stonebridge will be hoping for a slightly better weather forecast this time. As a preview for the convention, Rich has been talking to the BBC.

More details of the convention and its guests are on the Hi-Ex website.

The downthetubes reviews of Hi-Ex 2008 are here and here.

Mike Battle: Stirred, Not Shaken!

For years Sgt Mike Battle, the creation of artist-writer Graham Pearce, has been defending America (and sometimes her allies) from harm... but in his latest adventure he has to call in some help in the form of a certain British Secret Agent to thwart enemies of democracy.

Issue #12 of the popular Indie comic Sgt Mike Battle: The Greatest American Hero! “reprints” the titular hero’s adventures in the 1960s when he was an Agent of STARS AND STRIPES. The big difference this time is that the communist threat is so deadly that he has to team up with the suave spy Roger Knightly to save the world.

“Yes, Roger Knightly is a suave British Secret but he isn’t James Bond” explains writer/artist Graham Pearce. “Roger has drunk more martinis, killed more bad guys, blown up more underground bases and swept more women off their feet than James Bond. There aren’t many people that Sgt Mike Battle looks up to -- but Roger is one of them”.

Pearce explains that the latest issue isn’t just a Sgt Mike Battle/James Bond crossover. “There’s much more going on but I can’t say too much without ruining the end. I’ve only been playing up on the James Bond angle because the book came out the same time as Quantum of Solace”.

While it would appear that Pearce, a self-confessed walking James Bond encyclopaedia, is only spoofing Ian Fleming's Secret Agent, Pearce explains the main influence on the latest issue. “It’s all inspired by Jim Steranko’s Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. comics! They are some of the most visually stunning books I have ever read and I still can’t believe they are over 40 years old. They are so unique and so iconic that I simply had to try and do my own version of them.

"Also, it makes sense because Mike Battle was originally a parody of the World War 2 version of Nick Fury so it was inevitable that I would also do some stories about him working for a 1960s covert intelligence agency with a ridiculous acronym”.

Whereas most of the previous issues of SMB:GAH have been self-contained, issue #12 is slightly different. “Yes, elements of the story do continue into #13 but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy #12 on its own," says Pearce. "It can be read a single story, albeit a story where the characters have another adventure in the next issue. I also make each issue so that you don’t need to have read the previous ones to understand what is going on. Every issue is the prefect jumping on point.

Pearce is known for playing around with and subverting comic clichés in SMB:GAH and issue #12 is no exception. “If anything I go a bit overboard. There are some many elements of James Bond and Nick Fury to play around with that is was a struggle to get them all in. The obvious ones are things like the Bond girls, gadgets, the S.H.I.E.L.D. heli-carrier, Life Model Decoys and lots of ridiculous acronyms. They're all in there -- and there are even a few other references to other comics that will amuse readers.
• SGT. MIKE BATTLE: THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO! #ISSUE 12, 36 PAGES, Colour cover, b/w interiors, £1.50, available now from www.sgtmikebattle.co.uk or grahampearce8@netscape.net

More Manga in Barrow

Kate Holden from IndieManga has been in touch to let us know she's running another Manga workshop in Barrow.

"Bookings won't be open for a week or two yet, but it's still free of charge and will be at Barrow Library (upstairs) on February 18th (during half term hols)," she says.

"I moved the age limit up, because there were a few twenty year olds wanting to come last time!"

The last workshop covered the basics of character design, scripting, panelling and pencilling your own doujinshi (that’s Japanese for a self-publication).

To see if booking has started, call 01229 894370 or email: barrow.library@cumbriacc.gov.uk

• Visit the IndieManga web site

Dick Turpin Heads for UK Comic Shops

UK indie publisher TimeBomb Comics has gotten off to a great start in 2009 with their Dick Turpin comic listed in this month's UK Section of Diamond Previews, making it available to order from all UK and European comic shops.

Since it debuted in September Dick Turpin and the Restless Dead has been getting some great reviews. Most recently SFX Magazine described it as "A darkly whimsical engaging read" which pretty much sums it up! (Read our review here)

"Ask your local comic shop (or shops, if you're fortunate enough to live somewhere where there's more than one!) to order some copies if they haven't already done so," urges publisher Steve Tanner.

• You can read the first five pages of Dick Turpin and the Restless Dead on TimeBomb Comics' ComicSpace gallery.
• Visit the official TimeBomb Comics web site

Poopsheet Wants Your Comics!

The Poopsheet Foundation, a US-based organisation whose primary focus is mini-comics and their history, from their underground/new wave "birth" in the 1970s to the current scene of today, is actively seeking comics collections both for use in their web site's History Archive and for the Poopsheet Shop (the part of the site that ultimately allows the rest to exist).

Wanted are mini-comics, underground comix, alternative comics, fanzines, APAs and mainstream comics. "Generally speaking, we're looking for material published in the 1980s or earlier," says founder Rick Bradford, "but there are always exceptions.

"We pay in cash or trade."

If you're a fan of fanzines or worked on them either now or in the past it's worth checking out the Foundation web site.

• Drop Poopsheet a line and let them know what you've got

Tube Surfing: 5 January 2009

• Empire Online, illustrating the news with a tasty image of Judge Dredd by Dylan Teague, report Danny Boyle’s DNA films has snatched up the rights to return the famous Judge to our screens in a story that remains so far under wraps.

• (via Andrew Moreton): Paul Rainey has started a new weekly strip on his site at: www.pbrainey.com. His There's no Time Like the Present series is highly recommended, as is his 2000AD blog progslog at: www.progslog.blogspot.com

• (via Warren Ellis' blog): David Langford notes via Ansible that Gordon van Gelder's The Magazine of Fantasy & SF is switching to bi-monthly publication. "Rising costs — especially postal costs — and the economy put us in a position where we either had to raise our rates severely or cut back somewhere," Gelder explains. "Given the state of the economy, I decided a cutback on frequency made the most sense.
"We’ll lose a little more than 10% of our content this year, but publishing on a bimonthly schedule should put us in a great position for the coming years."

• Over on Bear Alley, Steve Holland has just posted a round up of comics titles that were released on the run up to Christmas. A handful of titles that were announced have been delayed or publication has been pushed back and these can be found on his Upcoming Releases listing.

• Gez Kelly, organiser of the Golden Orbit Sci Fi and Comic Fairs around the UK has been in touch to give us the latest dates (see our events page for these) and to say he's offering some free exhibiton space to creators / small press publishers at several of the of the venues in February and March. For further info please contact Gez via the Golden Orbit web site.
The next Fair is on Saturday 17 January at the Nautical Club, Bishopsgate Street, off Broad Street and a short walk from Smallbrook Queensway in Birmingham, followed on Saturday 24 January with an event at Sachas Hotel, Tibb Street, Piccadilly, Manchester. Both events start at 12 noon.

• Dave taylor has joined a taleneted line up of comics artists contributing to the online comic HUZZAH!, which itself follows hot on the heels of Who Killed Round Robin. A simple parlour game where creators take it in turns to tell a story, in HUZZAH's case its theme is Space Opera.
"Not all available artist slots have been filled as yet but so far we have a great line-up," says Dave. "Ian Culbard, Colin Fawcett, Faz Choudhury, D'Israeli, Rob Davis, Stetchybeast and little old me." See the epic evolve here: huzzah2009.blogspot.com

• Neill Cameron's strip Mo-Bot High recently won the Golden Oinky award for Best Strip in The DFC, as voted for by the readers of that august periodical. "I even got to appear in the comic, collecting my award in person, as illustrated by the very talented Zak Simmonds-Hurn," he reveals on his blog. "I kept my 'acceptance speech' on the brief-and-flippant side as, y'know, I thought that would be funnier, but I just wanted to say here how genuinely thrilled and just absolutely bowled over I was by the whole thing."

• Thomas Cochrance has published a new Chapter of his graphic novel The Fat Man via
myebook.com. To catch up with the story so far - (78 pages) go to www.myebook.com/ebook_viewer.php?ebookId=2170

• And finally, an extended interview with new Doctor Who Matt Smith from Doctor Who Confidential has been made available online via YouTube and the BBC website. Meanwhile, Forbidden Planet International notes that just a couple of short hours since the announcement PJ Holden (he of Judge Dredd, the ‘86ers, DeadSignal and more) already had the first Matt Smith illo up online...
The Observer got in touch with me on Saturday night to ask me what I thought of the casting (the reporter is an old friend), but my comments didn't make it to the paper, it seems. Hardly surprising since just as the media were digesting the casting news, Israel went into Gaza tanks ablazing.

Wallace & Gromit Game Peek

It seems to be a day for Wallace & Gromit news - no surprise, perhaps, given the ratings success for the pair over the festive season.

Telltale Games have just released the first in-game screenshots from their upcoming new series, Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures, which is based on the award-winning franchise.

This new series of interactive Wallace & Gromit stories will be launching in 2009, with players assuming the roles of both the quirky inventor and his faithful canine companion as the duo embarks on a series of ambitious business ventures, then scramble to pick up the scattered pieces when plans go awry.

We’ll have a lot more details later in the year – including the release timeframe and platform announcements – but for now, here's a couple of in-game screenshots...

• For more imagery, information and a game trailer visit: www.telltalegames.com/wallaceandgromit

Shades of Yesteryear!

Over on social community Facebook, former 1980s fanzine editor Russell Willis, who now lives in Japan, has posted a huge number of covers to some fondly-remembered British fanzines of the period, including this example of SCAN, edited by me, John Freeman.

The cover was provided by John Tomlinson and Richard Starkings who then worked for Marvel UK, and their support for SCAN eventually helped me join the company.

SCAN, which was put together by me and Matthew Badham over a couple of years had a huge range of contributors including Mike Collins, Mark Farmer, Bryan Talbot, Andy Dodd, Dave Jones (of Viz fame). We satirised British comics of the time ruthlessly, much to the delight of many industry professionals, including Alan Moore who was one of our (few) subscribers.

Russell's collection features 180 scans of fanzines and small press comics from the 1980s (and a few from the 1970s that he collected at that time) including Lew Stringer's Brickman, Supercook, Paris Man of Plaster, Ratman, The Owl's Effort, Fantasy Advertiser, BEM (including BEM #1) Paul Gravett and Pete Stanbury's Fast Fiction and many more.

You don't have to be a member of Facebook to view these albums, which offer a fascinating snapshot of a very inventive time for the British small press.

• Album One
Includes covers of Paris Man of Plaster, Supercook, Ratman, Vigilante Vulture, Brickman, The Owl's Effort and more

• Album Two
Includes covers of Fast Fiction, Myra, Warren Ellis early work Doctor Death, The Alternative Headmaster's Bulletin and more

• Album Three
Includes covers of BEM, Graphic Sense, Fantasy Trader and more - some from the 1970s

• Album Four
Includes covers of Infinity, Fantasy Advertiser, Fusion, Hellfire and more

Cracking Contraptions!

(with thanks to Katie Bleathman): London's Science Museum has announced a new Wallace & Gromit-themed exhibition, which will run from Friday 27 March until Saturday 31 October 2009.

From Techno-trousers, the Telly-scope and the Shopper 13, Wallace is famous for his wacky contraptions and now he and Gromit will guide visitors through the world of well-known inventions to discover how simple ideas can transform into life-changing devices.

Intended as a fun family experience, it's an opportunity to see some of the greatest objects ever invented, from the printing press to the telephone, plus some of the first ever patented inventions from the Science Museum's collection. The exhibition has been put together by the Science Museum in collaboration with Aardman, supported by the UK-Intellectual Property Office and produced by SGA.

What device in your house could you not live without? Let Wallace's expertise inspire you in the 'create your own' workshop and develop your own idea for the next big thing.

• You can book your tickets online from 7 January 2009, cost of tickets yet to be announced. More info on the Science Musuem web site.

Really Heavy Greatcoat Review of 2008

Art and script by Nick Miller. We haven't been doing many Greatcoats lately, maybe there will be more opportunities in 2009...

• More Really Heavy Greatcoats on the main downthetubes website
• Check out Nick Miller's fab work over on his blog: www.teamsputnik.co.uk/blog

Who's Who?

It has been going on in earnest since October when David Tennant announced that he would be standing down as the Tenth Doctor after the four Doctor Who specials in 2009 and speculation went into overdrive as to who would replace him. Indeed it was all part and parcel of the teaser for the 2008 Christmas special with David Morrissey as "The Next Doctor".

It did look like 2009 would be a long year on the "Who is the new Who?" speculation front as the specials came and went before a potential regeneration at Christmas 2009. But, thankfully, it is not to be.

The Eleventh Doctor is due to be revealed during the broadcast of a special Doctor Who Confidential on BBC1 at 1735 on Saturday 3 January.

In 26 hours we will know who will be Who.

Gromit Reads The Beagle

Wallace and Gromit had a triumphal Christmas with the new story A Matter Of Loaf And Death topping the TV ratings while their film, Curse Of The Were-Rabbit, made it to number eight. Of course all the publicity surrounding the duo's return didn't hurt with them appearing on the BBC1 Christmas Idents as well as stealing the cover of the Christmas Radio Times away from Doctor Who.

One of the delights of any of the Wallace and Gromit stories is the number of in-jokes that the film makers can incorporate into the plot or, more often, onto the screen. The first was big and, to many, pretty blatant. The co-writer of A Matter Of Loaf And Death with Nick Park was Bob Baker, one of the co-creators of Doctor Who's (or now more accurately Sarah-Jane's) K-9, so it was really no surprise that the first of the bread bakers to be killed off in the story was Baker Bob.

That said the best of the in-jokes for me was when Fluffles the poodle returns Gromits's things to him. In the box amongst vinyl records by Doggy Osmond and McFlea and a soft toy Bagpuss is a comic. Gromit reads The Beagle and the prop is complete with accurate Eagle title box and title font.

It is the little things like this that make Nick Park's two best known characters such a delight to return to time and time again.

Run With Dennis in 2009

So Christmas is over and the New Year celebrations are a vague memory, even if they only were last night. Your 2009 Dennis The Menace calendar is set to January, the Beano and Dennis annuals are both read and you have started the excellent History Of Beano book whilst wearing your Christmas presents of Dennis and Gnasher socks and sipping your warming coffee from your Beano mug and the New Year is stretching out in front of you. Feel like doing something a little more active this year?



Mencap, the British learning disability charity, have used DC Thomson's Dennis The Menace character for some years to promote their activities and continue the theme in 2009 by entering Team Menace in various marathons and shorter runs around the UK and further afield. They will be at the Flora London Marathon, the Bupa Great Manchester Run, the Bupa Great North Run in Tyneside and are even planning to field a team in the ING New York Marathon. Mencap entrants for these events receive a Dennis The Menace team vest as well as training advice and guaranteed entry to the runs.

More details of the runs that Mencap will be participating in in 2009 are available on the Mencap website.