60th anniversary of Eagle - Part 1

With the 60th anniversary of Eagle fast approaching (14th April 2010) now seemed like a good time to have a look at what that iconic front page of Eagle magazine might have ended up looking like.

Shown here are two of the dummies that Eagle's founders, Frank Hampson and Marcus Morris, put together to sell the idea of Eagle to a sceptical publishing world (Click the covers for larger images).

Both images shown space hero Dan Dare prominently (albeit in purple, so the strip doesn't quite yet have that 'RAF in Space' vibe) and have strips that would make it into the first issue of Eagle (The Great Adventurer and Rob Conway - as Secret City was renamed).

Who can say what became of Ernie and Joe of Strawberry Farm, apart from the fact that they were never seen again.

As the launch date got closer, so further issues had to be mocked up to show what the magazine would look like. The image here shows what a transformation has taken place since the initial dummy magazines were put together.

This is much closer to what the eventual second issue would look like but there were still a number of alterations to be made. Space Fleet are all still decked out in gorgeous purple rather than RAF green, the Eagle bird has yet to make it onto the front cover, the famous Eagle font has yet to be designed by Ruari McLean and the Dan Dare logo is not quite ready.

Starkings' Elephantmen stampede to silver screen

Elephantmen, the creation of former Marvel UK Managing Editor Richard Starkings and Chief Tiger of Comicraft and publishing house Active Images, has been optioned as a movie.

Comic Book Resources reports that Richard announced that his creator-owned series Elephantmen has been optioned to be “a major motion picture,” over the weekend at WonderCon, San Francisco. He added that directors and actors are currently being approached.

Originally created by Starkings as a spinoff from another of his comics, Hip Flask, Elephantmen takes place in a dystopian future in which human/animal hybrids struggle to integrate into society after being rescued from a brutal life as mindless, corporate soldiers.

Artists on the title include the brilliant Boo Cook, Moritat and Ladronn.

The series will reach issue Issue 25 later this month and the anniversary issue features 25 pages each drawn by a different artist. Among those recruited are Tim Sale, Dave Gibbons, Ian Churchill, Whilce Portacio, Paul Grist and Dougie Braithwaite.

Reflecting Richard's love of British comics, the title has featured plenty of back up articles on British comics in its pages.

Richard's latest success getting his creation optioned is well deserved, considering his lifelong dedication to comics and comic creation. He pushed Marvel UK toward experimenting with US-sized comics such as Dragon's Claws and Death's Head back in the 1980s, along with masterminding the creation of hugely successful weekly comics for the comic such as The Real Ghostbusters which helped launch the comics careers of a number of British writers and artists, including Dan Abnett, John Freeman (who?), John Carnell, Andy Lanning and many others.

Richard, who founded lettering company Comicraft in 1992, counts font design, comic book lettering, editing and writing among his many talents and was of course one of the early pioneers of computer-based comic book lettering. Active Images began in 1995 and began publishing comics - including Hip Flask - in 2002. His Balloon Tales web site is an invaluable resource for new letterers.


• Hip Flask Official web site

• Elephantmen Official Site

• Elephantmen Blog

• Active Images

• Comicraft

• ComicBookFonts.com

Eagle Times Celebrates 60 Years

The latest issue of Eagle Times (Volume 23 No 1) is now available from the Eagle Society and, naturally enough, is an issue dedicated to the impending 60th anniversary of The Eagle on 14th April.

The issue includes an examination of the career of Sergeant Bruce, whose single-episode exploits ran for nearly four years in the 1960s Eagle, firstly as 'Sergeant Bruce, C.I.D.' and then in 'Can You Catch a Crook?'; a tribute to Geoffrey Bond (1920-2009), best known as the writer of 'Luck of the Legion' and who wrote the 'Justin Tyme' strip for Eagle Times; reminiscences of some of Ron Embleton's 'discarded' artwork; and a look at the life and career of Paul Trevillion, better known for his sports illustrations and his work on 'Roy of the Rovers' for Tiger, who drew some of the 'Can You Catch a Crook?' and 'U.F.O. Agent' strips in the 1960s Eagle.

Of particular interest to downthetubes fans, will be our very own Jeremy Briggs' feature on Jim Stalwart, Dan Dare artist Bruce Cornwell's 'forgotten' Space Captain, whose exploits graced the pages of the Junior Mirror in 1954.

Also featured is a revisit to the Eagle connections with Ladybird Books, including some examples of the work of Roy Worvill (writer) and covers by the artists Robert Ayton, Frank Hampson, Frank Humphris and Martin Aitchison, including a Humphris 'Ladybird' Rough, showing the sketch which led to one of the full-page illustrations in the Ladybird book.

• Membership of the Eagle Society entitles you to copies of Eagle Times, which is published four times annually. The Subscription rate for 2010 is: UK £23, Overseas £34 (in £s Sterling, please). Apply by snail mail to: Keith Howard, 25A Station Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 2UA United Kingdom. Enquiries: eagle-times@hotmail.com

General Jumbo in latest Classics from the Comics

The latest issue of DC Thomson's Classics from the Comics went on sale a few days back, but we're still playing holiday catch up so this is the first opportunity we've had to give it a plug. The 68-page retro monthly comes crammed with comic classics from days gone by, including a special feature on 1957.

Featured this issue are plenty of humour strips from The Beano, Beezer, Topper and Dandy such as Dennis the Menace and, as usual, an adventure strip - this time, it's an example of General Jumbo, a character that used robot toys to fight bad guys.

Other strips in the issue include Bully Beef and Chips, Pup Parade, The Numskulls, Baby-face Finlayson, Bananaman, The Banana Bunch, The Three Bears, Hungry Horace, The Bash Street Kids, Biffo the Bear, The Truth About Wilson (another adventure strip), Greedy Pigg, Little Plum and the original Brassneck.

The issue also includes a competition to win classic audio books. If you want a trip down memory lane, get this month’s Classics.

• Click the images above to view sample strips from the issue, courtesy of DC Thomson.


• Click here for subscription information

UniComics Festival celebrates 2000AD, Eagle

A new Comics Festival at the University of Hertfordshire later this month will be celebrating some of the best of British comics, with a great line up of events that include appearances by the likes of Dave Gibbons, Pat Mills, Kevin O’Neill and Gary Erskine.

UniComics will be held at the De Havilland campus of the University of Hertfordshire, located at Hatfield, just 20 miles from London. Billed as a truly accessible event, it aims to celebrate the varied art forms within and inspired by Comics and Graphic Novels.

With the comics medium now showcasing a vast degree of diversity, appealing to all ages and habitually displaying truly literary qualities, co-organiser and co-founder Danny Graydon, a film and comics journalist, says UniComics offers an ideal opportunity to be informed, inspired and invigorated by this unique art form.

Over a four day period, UniComics features a varied programme of ticketed and non-ticketed events suitable for just about everyone. Attendees will be able to enjoy a selection of author/illustrator lectures, schools and family events, film presentations and screenings, open mic sessions, theatre performances, art workshops and panel discussions.

“This festival is so different in that it showcases the transcendence of the comic art form by encompassing illustration, film, gaming and performance," explains Natalie Fountain, Manager of UHArts and Director of UniComics Festival. "It’s an innovative approach and one that the University of Hertfordshire is really proud to present.”

Why UniComics?


“Obviously, the name immediately highlights the fact that we’re hosted by a university, but, equally, it’s to stress the sheer universality of the Comics medium," says Danny Graydon of the festival's name. "Right from the start, our missionwas to ensure that UniComics would be a celebration of all kinds of Comics for all kinds of people.

"The key was to provide diversity and accessibility - and we wanted the name to reflect that.”

For UniComics’ inaugural edition, the event flies the home flag as three veritable comics superstars – writer Pat Mills and artists Dave Gibbons and Kevin O’Neill – reminisce about their early careers on seminal British comic 2000AD, while Mills joins ILEX Books Managing Editor editor Nick Jones, academic Will Brooker and artist Gary Erskine to look back to the 1950’s and celebrate the 60th anniversary of a similarly iconic presence in British Comics history, The Eagle.

What's On...


There's a packed schedule for the Festival. You can be mystified by The Paper Cinema’s live music and illustrative puppetry performance, while budding comics creators can be thoroughly inspired with workshops conducted by such vivid talents as Dave Gibbons, Ian Culbard, Marcia Williams and Sarah McIntyre, and families can craft their own personal comics with our family diary comics workshop presented by Laydeez do Comics. Further inspiration - and networking! - is on hand at ComixBox, an open-mic style evening where a great line-up of artists are on the clock to show off their wares!

There’s screen fun, too, as kids can enjoy the action-packed adventure of our Ben 10 animated film screening and adults can immerse themselves in the Director’s Cut of Watchmen, based on the celebrated and award-winning graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons.

Last, but not least, save some energy – and cash – for the UniCon comic convention, offering a stunning array of comics and related merchandise to start or expand collections, publisher stalls, panels as well as signings from noted creators.

Treating the medium with maximum respect and enthusiasm, UniComics will provide audiences with a vibrant showcase of Comics, from small press to the largest mainstream publishers, inviting newcomers to take their first plunge in to an exciting and captivating art form while providing an ample reminder to long-time fans as to why comics maintain their unique power to enthral, entertain and inform.

• Full details of UniComics events can be found online at: www.uncomics.co.uk. Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/UniComicsFest

• Tickets for all events can be booked through the UHArts Box Office: 01707 281127 or email: uharts@herts.ac.uk. Box office opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 4.00 pm

The UniComics Festival is presented by University of Hertfordshire in collaboration with Danny Graydon Film & Comics Journalism, Laydeez do Comics, Herts County Council (Libraries), the St Albans Children’s Book Group and the Film Education Consortium.

downtheubes recommends...

We have three events that I think will be of particular interest to DTT readers:
 
• Architects of Thrill Power! - The Legends of 2000AD

Saturday 24th April, 6pm

Since its launch in 1977, 2000AD – “The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic” - has been at the forefront of British Comics and remains a shining light in an increasingly barren landscape. Arriving perfectly in time with the popular re-emergence of Science Fiction and  bearing a punky, anti-authoritative tone, 2000AD thoroughly invigorated boys comics, introducing a collection of classic characters.  For a vast array of 2000AD’s artists and writers, the comic was vital springboard to international recognition and success.
UniComics is proud to present a panel discussion with three of 2000AD’s most iconic and renowned creative stars from its formative years – founder, debut editor and writer Pat Mills (Slaine), artist Dave Gibbons (Rogue Trooper), and artist Kevin O'Neill (Nemesis The Warlock) – who discuss the early development of the title as well as their own specific and greatly-admired contributions. Hosted by Danny Graydon.  Tickets are priced £10

• Weekly British Spirit - 60 Years of The Eagle and Dan Dare

Sunday 25th April, 6pm

On 14th April 1950, a new boys comic, The Eagle, vigorously introduced some wonder in to the drudgery of post-war Britain, and, with its star strip Dan Dare: Pilot of The Future, showcased a profoundly alluring fantasy of a strong and vital Britain in then far-flung 1997 that boldly led the way in the exploration of outer space.
One of the most successful comics in British history, at its height, The Eagle remarkably sold just under a million copies a week. 
In celebration of the 60th anniversary of both this landmark, much-beloved title and its highly-memorable flagship character, UniComics presents a panel discussion to explore what is considered to be one of the high watermarks of British Comics history. The panel includes Pat Mills, Nick Jones (Founding editor of Titan Book’s Dan Dare library and Managing Editor of ILEX Books), Dr Will Brooker (Kingston University) and Gary Erskine (Artist, Virgin Comcs’ Dan Dare). Hosted by Danny Graydon.  Tickets are priced £10

• Screening: Watchmen - The Director's Cut (US, 2009, 186 Minutes)

Saturday 24th April, 8pm.

In an alternate 1985 where superheroes exist – and are outlawed - the world stands on the very brink of nuclear conflict. When a former colleague is murdered, an active vigilante named Rorschach begins a sprawling investigation which soon uncovers a threat that could completely change the course of history. Long deemed “unfilmable” – notably by Watchmen writer Alan Moore himself - 300 Director Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Moore’s and Dave Gibbons’ revolutionary and award-winning graphic novel won considerable acclaim for its thoroughly impressive loyalty to the source material.
The director’s cut of the film adds a further twenty-three minutes to the story, bringing it ever closer to the graphic novel. For this special UniComics screening, the film will be introduced by Dave Gibbons.

Photo Review: Hi-Ex 2010

There was something missing at Hi-Ex this year - snow.

After two years of heavy snow either on or just before the convention's weekend, organisers Richmond Clements and Vicky Stonebridge pushed this year's date back from mid-February to the end of March and it worked - just.



Saturday 27th March dawned sunny, dry and not too cold at the Eden Court complex in Inverness, and while the Sunday wasn't as bright, there was no snow. Even the Monday morning, for those travelling home that day, was also dry and sunny. It was third time lucky for Hi-Ex as the snow stayed away – at least until the Monday night, when lorries were trapped on the M90 motorway unable to climb the hills on either side of the Strathearn valley in Perthshire, the same road so many of us had driven south on in the 24 hours beforehand.

Snow really did seem to be the only thing missing from the convention this year. So what was there?

Stormtroopers - check; got to have those these days and there was even a Star Wars artist present as well.

2000AD artists from new young upstarts to those seasoned enough that they were about to retire - check; Brit-Cit had sent a Rad-wagon through the northern wastes to the wilds of Cal-Hab just to see them.

Female mangaka with long queues of youngsters wanting their portraits done manga style - check; were the manga queues longer than the 2000AD queues? Hard to tell but there can't have been much in it either way.

Goodie bags - check; good(ie) grief, will we ever forget the number of DC comics badges that were around the convention?

Small press publishers with a bewildering variety of home made zines - check; not quite so small press publishers with their professionally printed comics - check; two big comics shops with all the selection of professional comics and graphic novels that you would expect - check.

Old favourites like Cinebook with their wide selection of bande dessinee titles and Mark Stevens with his scratch build science fiction models - check.

New favourites such the DFC people with their new DFC Library books and children's storybooks and the stall manned by DC Thomson writers, artists and editors that was selling DC Thomson merchandise (but wasn't a DC Thomson stall – nope, definitely not a DC Thomson stall) - check.



Hi-Ex certainly ticked all the boxes this year. Team Hi-Ex - Rich, Vicky, Ish and Lukas - did us all proud and hopefully we all did the Scottish children's charity, Children 1st, proud as well with the total amount to be donated to them easily set to beat the previous year's amount. Roll on next year.

* * * * * * * *

The calm before the storm - final touches being put to the tables in the main hall just before the doors opened on Saturday morning.



Dandy and Beano artist Stephen White at his first comics convention checks out Graeme Neil Reid's table and gets a few tips on surviving a two day Scottish convention with your sanity (almost) intact from someone who has been at every Hi-Ex.



Stevie then started into sketches of various Dandy and Beano characters for an ongoing stream of delighted children.



Meanwhile Graeme, who tends to do his sketches beforehand and puts them up on his blog, took the time to do several sketches on the Sunday including this one of Judge Death.



"Fun for all and all for fun", artist Gordon Tait, ex-Dandy editor Morris Heggie and artist Stevie White on the 'not the DC Thomson' table.



Opposite DCT was the DFC area with Gary Northfield, Dave Shelton, Jim Medway and Sarah McIntyre. While the Gerry Anderson fans in the crowd may have been wondering why she wasn't wearing a purple wig, Morris Heggie couldn't resist the chance to get a signed copy of Sarah's storybook Morris the Mankiest Monster...



...while the nearby wall began to show off the efforts of the children who were helped by Sarah to create space monsters over the two days.



What does DFC stand for? Dodgy Fotographic Contortions? Sarah gets enthusiastic about photographing Dave and the resulting photo is on her blog and shows that this was actually worth it.



From Brit comics to Franco-Belgian and over at the Cinebook stall, Aldous shows off the latest translated Lucky Luke soon, no doubt, to top their sales charts...



...while at the other end of the table French artist Michel Rodrigue, in his first UK convention appearance, was busy sketching retired secret agent Clifton...



...and his dishy sidekick Jade for those buying his Clifton books that have been translated into English by Cinebook.



Continuing artists row and Alex Moore, who is working on Hi-Ex co-organiser Richmond Clements' Turning Tiger comic, was wired for sound...



...while Titan Star Wars artist Tanya Roberts was bright and ready to go on the Sunday morning when rather a lot of people were feeling the combined effects of the all-you-can-eat meal and the bar from the night before plus the jump to British Summertime that morning.



Beside Tanya was mangaka Inko all set for the queues of people wanting manga portraits of themselves...



... while around the corner Asia Alfasi was dazzling us with her smile and her lovely 'business cards', small scrolls with artwork on one side and her details on the other, all tied up in a red ribbon.



Meanwhile under a set of ridiculously large Kick-ass posters were the (mainly) 2000AD artdroids, Colin MacNeil (here doing his best Terry Pratchett impersonation)...



...along with artists Simon Fraser and Charlie Adlard who all never quite seemed to loose the queues for sketches on the Saturday.



On the Sunday the group came together for a History of 2000AD talk which also brought in artist Cam Kennedy, who had been happily walking round the main hall and signing autographs, as well as artist John Higgins and writer Al Ewing.



If 2000AD and the Megazine wasn't enough Thrillpower for you then Dave Evans (BOLT-01) of Futurequake Press was on-hand with the latest issues of Zarjaz and Dogbreath which proved to be very popular.



The Scotch Corner Art Blog was well represented with Graeme Neil Reid, Simon Fraser and here, Gary Erskine, behind tables all weekend along with a quick appearance by Tom Crielly on the Saturday.



No one was going to miss Terry Martin and his text based Murky Depths magazine with the most impressive display of any of the tables...



...while Alpha Gods' Ian Sharman, having serenaded Thoughtbubble punters in Leeds last November, left his guitar at home this time. From small press to smaller press and the international duo of Kyle Rogers and Cliodhna Lyons who hail from the Republic Of Ireland, live in London and now sell in Scotland...



...while Paul Thomson of the Newcastle-Upon-Tyne based Paper Jam Comics Collective had a wide selection of Paper Jam titles available as well as the critically acclaimed Omnivistascope which was trumpeting the fact that each of its five issues had been Fanzine Of The Month in SFX magazine.



The 21st century fanzines that we call blogs were also present, downthetubes (obviously) included, but Joe Gordon of the FPI blog trumped us all by not just tweeting from the convention but also posting a blog piece up while in the convention hall itself. He may have thought he had hidden himself away in a dark corner in an attempt to recreate the atmosphere of FPI Edinburgh's blog cave but you can't hide from a long lens.



Meanwhile, in downthetubes' ongoing attempts not to show pictures of Stormtroopers pointing guns at people kneeling on the ground, here we have the horrified reaction of one Stormtrooper to the idea that there may be more than one type of rebel.



Of course, the thing to remember about the Eden Court complex is with its theatres, cinema screens, meeting rooms, bar and restaurant, Hi-Ex was never going to have the entire place to itself, which must have surprised and thoroughly bemused the patrons of the Inverness Operatic Society when they arrived on the Saturday afternoon to see the Society's performance of Titanic and were confronted with a varied selection of Stormtroopers, Zombies and Manga characters as they walked around the corner.



Whatever they thought, for us, as in its previous two years, Hi-Ex was great fun.

John's a Record Breaker!

Congratulations to downthetubes' head honcho John Freeman on becoming a Guiness Record Breaker!

Doctor Who Magazine has been named the Longest Running Magazine Based on a Television Series. John edited 49 issues of DWM from 1988 t0 1992. He was the third longest-running editor.

John's time on DWM was hugely important. He was the first person who had to edit the magazine when the show went off the air in 1989. He built on the good work of his predecessor Sheila Cranna, revamping the design of the title and improving the factual content by bringing Who experts such as Andrew Pixley onto the team.

Doctor Who Magazine began as Doctor Who Weekly way back in 1979 under the editorship of Dez Skinn. Whilst factual content now dominates the magazine, the comic strip has continued to be a central part of it. Early contributors to the strip included Pat Mills and Dave Gibbons. John himself has written for the strip.

Well done, John - we always knew you were a legend but now it's official.

John Hicklenton: A Tribute by Pat Mills

Earlier this month, the phenomenal comics artist John Hicklenton sadly passed away.

Pat Mills, who often worked with John, looks back at the career of an extraordinarily talented artist here on the downthetubes main site, a version of his feature for Judge Dredd: The Megazine which has also appeared elsewhere online.

Best known for his brutal, visceral work on flagship 2000AD characters like Judge Dredd (in particular Heavy Metal Dredd) and Nemesis the Warlock during the 1980s and 90s, John suffered from multiple sclerosis and recorded an award-winning documentary, Here's Johnny, about living with the condition.

He chose to end his life at the Dignitas clinic in Switzerland.

John was working right up to the day before he died, completing work on a new book, 100 Months, which will be published later this year.

• Read the tribute by Pat Mills

Garth Ennis’ Battlefields

While we're primarily a British comics news site our remit does often cover the work being done by British comic creators beyond our shores - and one title that recently caught our attention, very belatedly, is Garth Ennis' Battlefields project for Dynamite Entertainment. (All right - make that incredibly belatedly, but the beauty of today's comics is that you can catch up with collections!)

Launched back in 2008 with "Night Witches" - the tale of female Russian fighter pilots inspired in part by Battle Picture Weekly's Johnny Red, in addition to the strips themselves, utilising top artists such as John Cassady, PJ Holden and, currently, Carlos Ezquerra, Garth has been plugging British war comics along the way. (He freely admits his love of the genre and is providing the introduction for the first Johnny Red collection from Titan Books, out later this year).

The latest series is a sequel to the critically acclaimed The Tankies storyline, set in 1945. Fan favourite character Sherman Stiles has been promoted from Corporal to Sergeant. With his Firefly, a British version of the Sherman Tank, and a high-velocity gun, Sherman is set to tear apart any German Tiger tanks in his own way – but this time, the Germans have an ace up their sleeve... the fearsome King Tiger tank!

“It’s early 1945 and the recently promoted Sergeant Stiles is now happily in command of a Firefly, a British adaptation of the American Sherman tank with a high-velocity gun – one that can even take out Stiles’ nemesis from last time, the German Tiger,” says Garth. “But as the Allied armies advance onto German soil, Hitler’s armies are getting ready to go down fighting, and Stiles soon finds himself locked in a one-on-one duel with the fearsome King Tiger tank.

"This monster makes the ordinary Tiger look like a house cat, so it’s pretty much back to square one for our hero and his crew… which Stiles takes with his usual good humor and stoicism, of course. ... Anna Kharkova from The Night Witches and Corporal (now Sergeant) Stiles from The Tankies were both strong enough characters that I wanted to write new stories for them.”

With interiors by the talented Carlos Ezquerra and covers by veteran series cover artist Gary Leach, Battlefields is clearly firing on all cylinders, and critics have been enthusing about Ennis’ relaunch in the action-filled period of World War II.

“Dynamite has a good series here with stories that Ennis truly seems passionate about," noted Doug Zawisa, Comic Book Resources about Battlefields: Happy Valley. "While it is hard to emotionally invest in these characters due to their lack of history, there is no denying these characters are human and can be related to or empathized with. For those looking for a war comic fix, you certainly cannot go wrong with Ennis’ series.”

“Battlefields: Happy Valley is the perfect example of how war comics should be done," agreed web site Hypergeek. "Actually, it’s not just an example of a perfect war comic, it’s an example of a perfect comic! Garth Ennis’ character driven script, accompanied by PJ Holden’s intense and powerful artwork, make for one of the best comics on the shelves. The second season of Battlefields is of to a fine start, and sets the bar incredibly high for the rest of the series.”

The latest issue of Battlefields is on sale in the UK in specialist comic shops. Dynamite collected the first Battlefields stories - Night Witches, Dear Billy, and Tankies - last year. The edition features some ever-so-slight tweaks the creators have meticulously restored, plus bonus art material including a complete cover gallery and a special look at the making of the stories.

Web Links


• Latest Battlefields on the Dynamite Entertainment web site

• Preview pages from the 2008 release 'The Night Witches' on Comic Book Resources

• Battlefields: Happy Valley - Dynamite Entertainment

• Battlefields: The Tankies - Dynamite Entertainment