So how did Comics Barcamp go?

(cross-posted with permission from Andy Luke's LiveJournal): Comics Barcamp, an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment,  happened on 3rd September 2011 at Blick Studios, Malone Road, Belfast.

Sponsored by Blick, DriveThruComics.com, Paper Tiger Comix, Don't Panic! and Roger Sabin, it proved an intense event with discussions, demos, and interaction from attendees.

The first comics barcamp in the UK and Ireland, it pooled knowledge and shared it amongst comics creators and other people with an interest in the industry North and South of Ireland and a follow-up event in the South will take place next year.

Here, organiser Andy Luke offers his own take on the Belfast event...

Lots to tell about one of the first ever Comics Barcamps. So I may as well start here.

Followingthenerd.com (FTN) professionally shot a few interviews with folk in the morning but had to leave for midday. (They're working on a TV pilot). Posters were still being assembled around them and breakfast being consumed, brought along by myself and Jennifer Hanley on a reduced-to-clear croissant hunt.

The first session kicked off at 11:30 with Ciara Brennan, my new Absence liason at UnLtd, a charity which supports social entrepreneurs. She and I spoke about the group: its funding potential and the Southern equivalent. We gelled, and the piece gelled, clearing away my misgivings about UnLtd's case being treated as pie-in-the-sky.

Andy Luke and the Principles of Open Space

I folllowed this up with a piece on Writer Pitching with visuals of huge spiderplans and mind maps I made. There were jokes made about my bachelor status but more importantly I got people thinking, and Gar mentioned he'd like to try a proper personal project and raise the bar on his own work. There's an MP3 of this which I'm going to try to match with visuals of the pitch.

The presentation led to an intense discussion of work patterns and passions (kind of the point), and we ran well over the allotted time.

Lunch next, and everyone who tried it enjoyed Richard and Aofie's spicy noodle soup and the Mediterranean bread I sourced. We'd plenty of food and drink to keep going and Marc (of FTN) brought a few bags of crisps.

Attendance numbers were low, fluctuating between 7-10 (with 14 overall), so much that we felt best to restrict ourselves to one conference room. We didn't regroup to around 3.00pm. I didn't pick up much lunchtime chatter as I was helping with the food and trying to set up uStream.


Gareth Watson's session about portfolios on Wordpress was a bit tired I felt, as I knew half the group already used Wordpress. He knew his work though, so the best parts were when people asked questions. He would move to an unseen slide and explain exactly what we wanted to know. He also offered us some free consultation. The session ran to nearly an hour, tighter time control next time.

Paddy Brown's piece, "Getting it out", was a carefully scripted manifesto rallying against my own proposal of comics and business, stating that it was the love of the art that could only be achieved by an amateur approach to give the finished work better results. He used historical examples, and examined modern routes such as FPI, co-ops and speciality bookshops. He did it so well I almost gave him a standing ovation. The version on the web is poor sound quality, but he may be up for reprinting it at some point.

Adam Lively and the Law of Two Feet. Photo: Andy Luke

Gar and Deirdre had to catch their train to Dublin, so the session broke into informal discussion about the Black Panel and a Dublin co-op. In short, the former needs a serious re-tooling (I said) if it is to survive the year. Gar has a site in mind for the Dublin venture, and I made a point of saying they'd have to properly man-up before he undertook it. I mentioned he and Dee may like to perform a proper case study on London Underground Comics as an example of how to do it well.

The final piece was my own on digital distribution. I had 15 minutes to deliver it but it's the sort of thing that could really benefit from knowledge pooling, so I may wheel it out again. Then to clearing up the venue and balancing an enormous vat of soup on my lap in the car home. Lazy takeaway at Paddys and the best Doctor Who I'd ever seen.

Richard said afterwards, "I really feel that I learned a lot today", and I think this summed up everyone's experiences. As the person with the least involvement in the comics business, he said, "The industry seems like a really terrible place to work. Particularly in Belfast."

Richard probably knows me best and has been the closest to all the work I put into this event. The people who participated appreciated the sponsors and supporters, who were notable in facilitating hope for improvement.

We learned plenty about how to run a barcamp and I'm quite certain we'll see a comics camp in London, Dublin and somewhere else in the next nine months.


Web Links


• Original wiki for Comics Barcamp

• Andy's  Comics Barcamp 2011 Set on Flickr

• Comics Camp afternoon recordings on uStream (poor sound and slow loading)

Tales of the Fallen anthology cover revealed

Barry Nugent's rapidly expanding Unseen Shadows universe, which encompasses novels, comics and audio drama, has another addition on the way - a Tales of the Fallen anthology, hopefully due for release at the Thought Bubble in Leeds in November.

Barry tells us artwork is coming in from left, right and centre for the book which will come wrapped in a cover by Rob Carey (right). Writer Cy Dethan also offers this synopsis of the book:

They are murderers, martyrs and mercenaries in the no-man’s-land between adventure and crusade – soldiers of fate and fierce honour, bound together in mystery, darkness and blood. Their enemies are shadows haunting the outermost borders of a darkening world, and as night approaches the shadows grow long.

They are the Fallen, and these are their stories.

The Unseen Shadows universe kicked off with the Fallen Heroes novel - a follow-up, Forgotten Warriors, is on the way. It's a project that has also spanned comics, CDs and even, soon, a series of live action web episodes is currently being planned in conjunction with Zzizzl Media. 

"Originally Fallen Heroes was called Unseen Shadows but the more I worked on the story the more I felt that the title was a little too overarching to fit one book," says Barry of the project. "I knew I was going to tell this one huge adventure spread over three books and so Unseen Shadows became the overall theme for that story.

"Now with the ongoing work to expand the world and characters I’ve created via the mediums of comics, audio and live action it made sense to bring the term ‘Unseen Shadows’ more to the forefront. I know a lot of people, myself included sometimes, still refer to everything involved with the project as Fallen Heroes but in truth everything being worked on is part of the Unseen Shadows universe. It was one of the reasons I decided to launch a new website to try to reinforce that message.

"The really exciting thing for me is how the spin-off work has affected me as I work on the second book in the trilogy, Forgotten Warriors," he continues. "I found myself subconsciously referencing events in the spin-off scripts as if they were canon and then the thought occurred to me ‘Why don’t I just make them canon’. 

"So now every member of the creative team knows that their material is 100 per cent a part of the Unseen Shadows universe and not just a nice little side story with no impact on the events surrounding it." 

That team includes writers Martin Conaghan, Cy Dethan, Dan Thompson, Richmond Clements and Pete Rogers along with artists such as Conor Boyle, Steve Penfold and Roy Huteson Stewart.

"The spin-offs expand and enhance the characters lives and relationships within the novels," says Barry. "Although the books and the spin offs can be read and enjoyed independently of each other you will get more insights into the characters by experiencing all the stories across the Unseen Shadows universe. At least that is the plan we are all working towards. 

"You want to know more about the how the Reverend was trained to become the man we see in Fallen Heroes? Then you Cy Dethan’s The Reverend: Wrath of God comic. If you’ve ever wondered how did a decorated solider like Clancy become a mercenary then Dan Thompson’s Clancy Wallencheck: Band of Butchers is for you. Desperate to learn about the inner working of the Icarus Foundation? Alan White’s Tales of the Fallen: Empire of Blood audio drama is the place to begin your education."

• More about Unseen Shadows at: http://unseenshadows.com or on Facebook. Follow Barry on Twitter @ba_nuge

Leeds Alternative Comics Fair in October

The 3rd Leeds Alternative Comics Fair will take place on Saturday 1st October, in A Nation of Shopkeepers, Leeds, just behind the Leeds City Art Gallery.

In keeping with previous events, this small but perfectly formed event hopes to bring you some of the best Northern, alternative comics makers, print-makers and illustrators, who will be selling their wares in the quirky, relaxed bar on Cookridge Street.

Don’t like comics? (Surely not! Did you think this was a surfing web site for some reason?) Well, there’ll be lots more on offer, such as craft wear, badges, art and music.

This event's guest list includes old friends such as Steve Tillotson (Banal Pig), Hugh “Shug” Raine (REET! Comics), Gary Bainbridge, Andy Waugh, Gareth Brookes, Helen “Memo” Entwisle, Huw “Lem” Davies, Ben Clark, Kristyna Baczynski and Geof Banyard (Fetishman), who will be showcasing new work.

New exhibitors include James Downing (COUK), Jim Medway, Isaac Lenkiewicz, Kelly Walton, Bob Milner (Milk Two Sugars) and a cameo appearance from Darryl Cunningham, of Psychiatric Tales fame.

The Fair is also reintroducing the communal table, giving non-exhibitors the chance to bring their comics along to sell. All we ask is that you help man the table for a short period of time.

• The event will run from 12 noon until 5pm and is free to enter. Get along, have a browse, a chat, a drink and a fish finger sarnie! More info: http://leedsalternativecomics.wordpress.com, Facebook search “Leeds Alternative Comics” or tweet us @leedsaltcomics

I'm ready for my close-up: Autumn Sci-Fi

As the Autumn nights start to draw in, ace podcast Panel Borders - who normally do comics stuff, but we think this item will appeal to our readers, too - has a couple of recommendations of DVDs worth staying in for, as Alex Fitch interviews a pair of directors who have both earned cult followings for their work in the SF genre.

Duncan Jones talks about his new film Source Code, a time travel thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal and about how themes in his new movie consciously and unconsciously reflect some of his concerns of humanity dislocated by technology in his debut Moon.

Alex also chats to John Hough, director of the classic Disney film Escape to Witch Mountain (1975), starring Ray Milland and Donald Pleasance. Hough followed his first family film with a couple more for Disney – Return from Witch Mountain and The Watcher in the Woods – and talks about how the company’s approach to live-action film making has changed over the years.

• I'm ready for my close-up: Autumn Sci-Fi airs tonight at 6.30pm, Wednesday 6th September 2011 on Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / extended podcast online, featuring an additional interview with John Hough on Sunday 10th September at www.scifilondon.com/podcast

2000 AD Prog 1750 - Start Reading Here...

Greg Staples cover for 2000 AD 1750. © Rebellion

2000 AD Prog 1750 is a big jumping on point for potential 2000AD readers, on sale today (7th September)

Lowlife by Rob Williams and D'Israeli

The issue comes wrapped in a fab Greg Staples cover (above) and features a new Judge Dredd by John Wagner and Henry Flint (and with a shock ending for Dredd in Issue 1749, the issue is worth picking up just to find out what happens); Indigo Prime by John Smith and Edmund Bagwell; Lowlife by Rob Williams and D’Israeli - a new 12-part adventure - and Ampney Crucis by Ian Edginton and Simon Davies.

These are all new strips, all starting in one new issue. Give it a go!

• More preview pages of Lowlife on Bleeding Cool here

Little Lemming Books launched by Windett and Gatehouse

Artist Dave Windett and writer John Gatehouse have launched Little Lemming Books, a new publishing imprint for print and digital media, kicking their line off with Trick or Treat, the first story to feature aspring reporter Neela Nightshade.

Town gossip has it that creepy Monster Mansion on top of Gallows Hill is haunted. Investigating for herself, Neela discovers that the stories are all true…! And when the terrifying Monsters in the Basement escape, nothing can stop them from destroying the town…

Dave and John have worked together for numerous companies on more projects than they can remember, featuring both licensed characters and their own creations. Little Lemming Books is their first leap into the brave new world of electronic self publishing made possible by the emergence of devices such as the Amazon Kindle and Apple’s iPad.

Produced with the help of expert E–Book developer Paul Drummond,  Trick or Treat is the first of a series of illustrated children’s comedy horror books.

• Little Lemming Books can be found at: www.littlelemmingbooks.com


• A version of Trick or Treat for Iphone, Ipod, Ipad, Nook and other epub readers is available at Lulu.com

• More of Dave’s artwork can be seen at www.davewindett.com and news and sneek peeks at upcoming projects can be found on Dave’s Blog.


• Paul Drummond's site has information about his E–Book development services.

Megazine reaps new Pat Mills and Clint Langley SF thrller

(with thanks to Pat Mills, via Matt Badham): American Reaper, by Pat Mills and Clint Langley, starts running monthly in Judge Dredd Megazine from 12th October 2011.

Pat says it's a dark science fiction thriller about future cops - known as Reapers - hunting down criminals  who carry out illegal identity transplants.  With the digitisation of consciousness, the old, the sick and the rich are able to occupy the bodies of healthy teenagers and enjoy a new lease of life.

There are even controversial plans to legalise ID transplants, with young prisoners on Death Row paying their debt to society by "donating" their bodies to the great and the good.

Produced by Repeat Offenders Ltd - a company formed by Pat, Clint and producer Jeremy Davis - and optioned as a movie by Xingu Films (producers of the superb Moon, and A Guide To Recognising Your Saints), Pat and Clint have produced a cinematic graphic novel series, and Pat feels Clint has surpassed himself on the art fron for this project.

The strip includes advert extras by Fay Dalton (winner of the 2010 Pickled Ink agency's Pickled Award, who's also working on the graphic novel Party Girls), featuring the Reapers' sinister Stop & Scan laws and the mysteries of hologram download dresses that are the height of teenage fashion in 2062.

Fay Dalton poster

Xingu says the film version of American Reaper was brought to them as a short pitch from Pat  with some sample art from Clint. "Immediately captivated by the exciting premise, and the exceptional track record of the creative team involved, Xingu came on board not only to commission a screenplay, but also to raise the financing for the graphic novel itself. A departure for our company, but another sign of our flexibility when it comes to how best to get the stories we believe in made."

• More about American Reaper on Facebook Page: American Reaper, or follow on Twitter @American_Reaper

• More about the American Reaper movie project on the Xingu Films site 

• Judge Dredd Megazine Official: www.2000adonline.com

BD & Comics Passion weekend in London in October

(With thanks to Paul Gravett): London's Institut Français in association with Comica Festival will hold the first of its annual BD & Comics Passion weekends in October (7th-9th).

The graphic novel medium has grown over the years to become an increasingly important force in popular culture, dominating the film landscape and coming into its own as an explosive new literary genre. To celebrate this, as well as explore accepted ideas about the genre, the Comica team have invited some of the most celebrated British and French authors to join them in London to discuss their work and share their love of graphic novels.

"Over the course of three days, enthusiasts and beginners alike are invited to participate in this exciting array of events," explains Comica Director Paul Gravett, "with acclaimed authors and artists such as Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), China Miéville (Kraken), Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler’s Wife), Bryan Talbot (Grandville), Yves Sente and André Juillard (Blake & Mortimer).

"Plus there's Jean-Claude Mézières (Valérian & Laureline), Benoît Sokal (Canardo), Catel & Bocquet (Kiki de Montparnasse), Bastien Vivès (The Taste of Chlorine), comics guru Paul Gravett (1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die) and more!

"There's something for everyone here," Paul enthuses. "A drawing duel between Jean-Claude Mézières and Dave Gibbons, talks (Bryan Talbot on the tradition of animals in comic books, me on the history of the medium, China Miéville on his love for comics, Audrey Niffenegger on her passion for Aubrey Beardsley); a masterclass by Alan Moore collaborator Oscar Zárate (A Small Killing) on making a four-page comics about London, and a conversation with Yves Sente and André Juillard about the making of the popular series Blake & Mortimer.

"We'll also host a drawing session starring the rising star of French graphic novels, Bastien Vivès, a translation workshop given by the famous translator of Astérix, Anthea Bell, and live drawing events with Sokal and Catel & Bocquet."

Along with this , visitors will also be invited to celebrate their favourite character during the weekend's costume party!

• For the full programme which runs from 7th - 9th October 2011 and booking see http://www.institut-francais.org.uk/programme/bd-comics-passion. The Institut Français is at 17 Queensberry Place, London. Tel: 0207 073 1350). Early reservations recommended. Tickets for each event £8 (Concessions £5)

In Review: XIII - Thirteen To One

Who is XIII?

Book 1 - Mr Alan Smith?
Books 2&3 - Captain Steve Rowland?
Book 4 - Corporal Ross Tanner?
Book 5 - Agent Jason Fly?
Books 6&7 - Writer John Fleming?

After the linked stories of the first five books and the two part Jason Fly story of the sixth and seventh books, in the eighth XIII book, Thirteen To One, writer Jean Van Hamme and artist William Vance return to a theme familiar to fans of The Prisoner, who is Number One?

It has been two months since the events of The Night Of August Third, and two years since the beginning of the series, and number XIII turns his attention back to finding out just who number I is. With Major Jones angered that he wants to find Captain Steve Rowland's wife, Kim, who is also number XVII, XIII uses his ultimate contact, the President of the United States, to get the authority and information that he needs. In the meantime the Mongoose, the assassin who has been trying to kill XIII, escapes from prison and continues his hunt.

For all the fact that this is a single book story, it requires so much knowledge of the XIII back story that it would make no sense to anyone jumping into the series at this point. That said Van Hamme rewards the readers that have stuck with the series by giving them an intriguing plot with Presidential and Secret Service involvement along with an illegitimate child that the series must surely return to at some point in the future. Meanwhile Jones, despite all her apparent huffiness at the beginning, has to depend on XIII as he makes the ultimate choice between her and Kim Rowland.

On the art front Vance is obviously enjoying himself as both the Secret Service agent and Jones herself get red sports cars to drive around in, while the climactic sequences along America's north eastern coast give him plenty of scope for beaches, islands and luxury yachts.

XIII - Thirteen To One almost reads like a thank-you from its creators to the French readers who, when it was originally published in 1991, had stuck with the series for seven years. Fortunately for us it has only taken Cinebook just over one year to get this far and they continue to forge ahead with XIII at one book every other month. Despite this schedule, and the possibility of getting complacent with it, XIII continues to be a series that doesn't disappoint.

• There are more details of the English language XIII books on Cinebook's website.

• There are more details of the original French XIII albums on the official XIII website (in French).

• You can read an interview with Cinebook publisher Olivier Cadic and XIII translator Jerome Saincantin on downthetubes at XIII Questions About XIII.

Commando "Draw Your Weapons" exhibition opens at National Army Museum

The National Army Museum has just opened its small, but perfectly formed, exhibition based on the art of Commando comic, and Richard Sheaf was there for downthetubes on its opening night...

The official opening night on Thursday (having been open to the public on Thursday morning) saw members of the Commando production team (ex-editor George Low, current editor Calum Laird, deputy editor Scott Montgomery, artist Keith Page and scriptwriter Alan Hebden) take pride of place amongst the great and the good.

The exhibition features an unprecedented opportunity to see over 50 stunning original pieces of cover artwork by the likes of Ian Kennedy (over 30 pieces alone), Jordi Penalva (10 pieces), Ken Barr (four pieces), Keith Walker, Gordon Livingstone and Phil Gascoigne.




Some of the pieces featured include the cover artwork for Commando Number One (Walk or Die!), the covers of issues number 11, 71 & 98 as well as the original Commando dagger and the illustration made of it that graced so many issues (you can also see the stern warning on the original art that says “Please return to GM Low, Commando, 7th floor”).




In fact, the only problem with the exhibition is, really, how small it is. 50 covers sounds fantastic (and the art is great) until you remember that there nearly 4,500 issues, meaning that such a small proportion of art is on show here and the museum so large that it’s a shame a bigger space couldn’t have been found to display even more artwork. The exhibition really is just about the covers and the birth of the Commando’s as a unit as there just isn’t space to go into all the other aspects of Commando(‘s).




On sale in the shop are Issue 4419 (the tie in issue to the National Army Museum), the large Carlton reprint volumes, the new thin three-story reprints, the Commando calendar, a fridge magnet, postcard, drawing set and (a month ahead of its official publication) George Low’s enormous, superb-looking 175 page, full colour throughout, behind the scenes look at everything Commando: 50 Years a Home for Heroes.

• The exhibition runs for eight months (until 30th April 2012) and is well worth a visit. More info at: http://www.nam.ac.uk/exhibitions/special-displays/draw-your-weapons-art-commando-comics

• More pictures from the opening night on Flickr here

 Other Coverage

Online

• Culture 24 - Draw Your Weapons
 
• The Daily Mail

• Daily Telegraph - Draw Your Weapons
• ITN - Draw Your Weapons
• Time Out - Draw Your Weapons 

In Print

• Big Issue - 10 things to do this week in London: Draw Your Weapons
(Number 3)

• Families Journal - Draw Your Weapons, page 6

All artwork copyright DC Thomson. Our thanks to the National Army Museum for the invite.

Ron Jobson Artwork Up For Auction

Ron Jobson is not that familiar a name to British comics collectors as he produced very few comic strips in his time, but mention the character of Captain "Space" Kingley to readers of a certain age or collectors of 1950s annuals and you tend to get a remarkable reaction.

Between 1952 and 1954 Sampson Low published three Space Kingley books all in annual size and format despite the character not actually appearing in any weekly comic. Kingley was one of the multitude of Dan Dare clones that were created by many publishers to cash in on the popularity of Eagle's spaceman. The only one to really approach the artistic excellence that was displayed each week in Eagle was Space Kingley and Ron Jobson was the artist who produced the vast majority of the artwork for the three books and four Kingley jigsaws that were released. His career was covered by Norman Wright and David Ashford in Book and Magazine Collector issue 320.

In addition to Space Kingley Jobson worked on may other subjects from 1950s children's picture books via 1960s Matchbox car boxes and 1970s Airfix boxes and instructions to 1980s aviation and space reference books. From a science fiction perspective he did the painted covers for the hardback versions of Charles Chilton's Journey Into Space novels and as well as some of the hardback covers for EC Elliott's Kemlo books.

Born in 1923 and called-up to wartime serve with the Royal Engineers and the War Office, Jobson retired from commercial painting quite some time ago but continued painting for pleasure until only recently. Twenty of these more recent paintings, mainly depicting military aircraft and including this lovely one of a World War One Royal Navy E Class submarine with a flying boat, are being auctioned by Aston's Auctioneers and Valuers of Baylies' Hall, Tower Street in Dudley on Saturday 15 October 2011 as part of their Toy Auction.

There are more pictures of all twenty of the Ron Jobson paintings to be auctioned, as well as details of the auction, on the Aston's Toy Auction blog.

You Tube Channel From Cinebook

Here on downthetubes we have been reviewing Cinebook's English language bandes dessinees titles for some years now, from the mature action adventure of Largo Winch, Lady S and XIII, to the child-friendly fun of Clifton, Papyrus and Yoko Tsuno. You can find a listing of the various Cinebook reviews and other Cinebook blog features here.

Recently, when we can find them, we have started adding You Tube videos of the original French publishers' trailers for their releases of the various books to our reviews. While all the text and voice overs in these are invariably in French, the artwork shown in them speaks for itself. That said it is good to see that Cinebook themselves have now started a You Tube Channel featuring English language versions of these trailers for their titles which can be found here.

While this venture is in its early days, the two trailers that are currently featured are for the next Blake and Mortimer release The Gondwana Shrine and the first release from the intriguing new series Darwin's Diaries, The Eye Of The Celts, both of which are due for publication this month.

There are more details of Cinebook releases on their website.

Toffs, Killer Condors and deadly Paras in new Commandos

The latest issues of Commando are on sale now in all good newsagents – and there's a fine mix of stories this month, which also sees the start of the exhibition of art from the long-running comic at London's National Army Musueum.

We've included a reminder about that and some special events tied in with it at the bottom of this feature.

Commando 4423: Mercy for None!
Originally Commando No 4 (July 1961), re-issued as No 2547 (March 1992)
Story: Castle Art: Gordon Livingstone Cover Art: Ken Barr

Sitting tensely together in the Dakota on their way to the night drop into Occupied Europe, ten hand-picked paratroopers jokingly nicknamed themselves the ten little soldier boys. Fate must have smiled, for it turned out to be a grim and deadly jest.

One by one, at the hands of the Nazis, they were picked off. One by one, they died the death of heroes…


Mercy For None!

"They say that gallows humour is the darkest of all," notes by Commando Editor Calum Laird in his introduction to this reprint issue of Commando. "And this story has the blackest stripe of that type of humour running right through it. As the Paras at the centre of the action begin to meet their fates, one of their numbers starts to recite a macabre rhyme which can have only one fatal ending.
"
Artist Gordon Livingstone, in one of his earliest outings for Commando, enhances the darkness of the tale with generous use of black ink while cover artist Ken Barr leaves you in no doubt that there’s plenty of action waiting inside.

"Classic Commando — you can see, and read, why they were such a runaway hit from Day One."

Commando 4424: Tunnel of Doom
Originally Commando No 450 (January 1970), re-issued as No 1271 (November 1978)
Story: Allan Art: Bielsa Cover Art: Jordi Penalva

Flat on his stomach on the railway line, Private Andy Morgan crawled forward grimly. It was up to him to stop a Nazi armoured train — and all he had to do it with was one single hand-grenade.
And what made it even tougher for Andy was that the only two guys with him were the type who would pack up and run if things got dicey.

In this brilliant tale we meet a couple of ne’er’do’wells who seem to positively revel in their bad attitude and lack of discipline," notes Commando Deputy Editor Scott Montgomery.

"The aptly named Dodger Harland and Scrounger Dunville are classic Commando characters and it’s not long before they’ve had a bad influence over Andy Morgan, our fledgling hero.

"However, when push comes to shove, perhaps these two aren’t quite what they seem…Redemption is a common Commando theme and this cracking story, with its gritty interior art and a superbly painted cover by Penalva, has an eerily original spin on it.

Commando No 4425: Pride of the Desert
Story: Alan Hebden Art: Benet Cover Art: Benet

What do you get if you send a marauding, aristocratic “Toffs Brigade” on a race against time to recover their stolen regimental silver?

You get a rip-roaring adventure, that’s what!

And if that’s not enough, don’t forget to add a battered but trusty Bedford QL lorry nicknamed “Queenie”…better known as the Pride of the Desert!

Commando 4426: Killer Condor 
Story: Mac Macdonald Art: Carlos Pino Cover Art: Carlos Pino

“Relax, it’s one of ours.” So said the U-boat’s look out as the looming shape of a Focke-Wulf Condor appeared over them.

Unfortunately the crew of the bomber didn’t seem to realise that the sub was on their side for its lethal payload was soon tumbling down to bring destruction and death to the men below.

The Killer Condor had struck again but surely at the wrong target…

Draw Your Weapons Special Events

Here's a reminder of the run down of events that are part of the Draw Your Weapons exhibition featuring art from Commando at the National Army Museum in London this month.

When the Comics Went to War
8th September 2011, 7.00pm

Exploring the history of the British war comic book genre, from the first publications to the present day, this talk charts the evolving depiction of warfare and the experiences of the children who lived through it.

Draw Your Weapons Art Workshop
5th, 12th and 26th November 2011 2.00pm-3.30pm

Exclusive workshops for budding artists of all ages to learn new techniques, design their own storyboard and hear the tales behind the artwork. These Saturday workshops will be hosted by popular comic illustrators and by acclaimed war artists.

• For the latest information visit: www.nam.ac.uk/exhibitions/special-displays/draw-your-weapons-art-commando-comics

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

• Commando Official Facebook page


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

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

• Commando Comics iPhone App on iTunes

• Commando Comics iPad App on iTunes

The Sixpenny Murder comic: an interview with John A. Short

The Sixpenny Murder is a new British comic written by John A. Short and drawn by David Hitchcock. Originally part of a project named Changing Places+ devised by a psychologist, it's now available from John's own comics company, Kult Kreations and in comic stores nationwide.

David Robertson speaks with John A.Short about the comic and what’s coming up for Kult Kreations...

David Robertson: How did the Sixpenny Murder comic come about?

John A. Short: Just as Emily (and Laurence) describe in their section of the editorial. Emily, who's a psychologist,  had been using a sequence out of Mark Millar's 'Ultimates' when she was working with families involved in domestic abuse and when she came to start a programme for those involved in street crime she looked for something similar. Finding nothing ready made (like the 'Ultimates' scene) she decided to commission a piece to do a similar job.

She had read the story about 'The Tithebarn Street Outrage' [which concerns a couple, Richard and Alice Morgan who were suddenly attacked by street thugs on the 1874 August Bank Holiday] in the book The Gangs of Liverpool and came to me to turn it into a comic version. She asked my advice as to who should draw it and I brought David Hitchcock to her attention (after all there is no one better at drawing Victoriana!)

Emily worked very closely with me on the writing side of things, as she has worked with young offenders while she was with the probation system (both here and in the States) and knows their minds inside out.

David: To what extent have you all been involved with comics before now?

John: I have been working professionally in comics since 2003. I created the strips Rex! and Robin Hoodie for Egmont's TOXIC Magazine, as well as having scripted the Hunt Emerson created on-line comic strip Ardnox High for education websites. I have also had strips printed in America, France, Holland, Spain, Italy and Poland. Before turning professional I produced a number of self-published comics for the direct comics market both here and in the States, such as Armageddon Patrol, Loxley and the award-winning 'Octobriana' mini-series under the Revolution Comics banner.

David Hitchcock has drawn (and often written) a number of critically acclaimed small press titles such as Whitechapel Freak, Springheeled Jack and more recently the [award-winning] Madam Samurai.

Emily and Laurence Alison are psychologists not known for their comic work!

David: What is “Changing Places +”?

John: Now you're really getting in to areas that it's better to ask Emily Alison about, but Changing Places+ is a 16-week programme paid for by local authorities and run by Emily Alison which works with young people from inner cities who are in danger of becoming involved in knife crime, street crime and gang culture. The Sixpenny Murder is read and talked about during the course of the programme, but is only a small part of the overall thing (but, I'm told, a very popular part!)

David: Was it always part of the plan for it to be on sale through Diamond Previews as well as being part of this social program? It exists nicely as a comic in its own right as well as being an “information booklet” for kids.

John: It wasn't part of the original plan to be available to comic shops. After David completed the eight-page strip art it became clear to me that comics fans would want to see the strip too and we started to talk about making it into a little comic too. Professor Laurence Alison also liked this idea and sprung for the extra money to fund David doing a cover too.

A page from Sixpenny Murder

At first I wasn't sure that we'd be able to get it into Previews as I'd heard from friends of mine who still publish a lot of small press comics that it has got a lot harder in the past eight years or so since I published anything myself... And indeed, Diamond didn't want to list it for American shops (but then it is very British looking.)

David: Have you had any word on how sales are going in the UK?

John: Almost all of the first printing has sold out... Nearly 300 copies.

David: That’s quite heartening actually. There is a market for self-published British comics, even it’s a small one. What kind of research did you do for writing the book?

John: Almost all the research was done from the book 'The Gangs of Liverpool' where Emily found the story of 'The Tithebarn Street Outrage'. I think chapters one through six in the book cover the case. Apart from that all the research was done on-line for things like the geography of where the crime took place and the wider impact around it.

David: What other projects are coming up for Kult Kreations?

A recent Ardnox High strip
written by John, drawn by
Alex Paterson. More strips here

John: I set up Kult Creations to publish stuff of mine for the 'comics fan' market last year. I realised that since I had gone fully professional I had lost touch with the audience that used to read my work back in my small press/self-publishing days (1995-2004) and I had become invisible. I thought things like The Sixpenny Murder and Cross (a strip that appeared in the Mammoth Book of Best New Manga Vol 2) would be of interest to editors and fans in the direct comics market, but that they weren't seeing it. So Kult Creations came into being as a way of showing comics fans what I was now up to.

Obviously things like Cross and my Armageddon Patrol title might have more legs to go forward into new areas (bigger publishers, media deals and so forth) and I realised Kult Creations would be a handy way of putting those things back in front of the publics eyes.

So Kult Creations isn't designed to be a big publishing house itself, but a stepping stone to more interest.

Kult Creations (and I) are currently working on a few new projects like The Clock Strikes! - which is a revival of the first masked hero in comic books 'The Clock' who is now in the public domain. The Clock Strikes! will be out late this year (or early next year) written by myself and drawn by Vincent Danks (of Harker comic fame.)

David: Good luck with those ventures, John.

• The Sixpenny Murder is also available online through http://kultcreations.blogspot.com

Favourite Comics from the Fabulous Fifties

Paul Gravett is giving a talk titled "Favourite Comics from the Fabulous Fifties" at Wokingham Library, Berkshire next week (Thursday 8th September 2011).

'Comics Brainiac' and editor of the forthcoming 1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die (which is being published by Cassell in October), Paul will take his audience through a thrilling decade that premiered Dan Dare, Asterix, Dennis the Menace, Marvelman, Astro Boy, Andy Capp and the new Green Lantern.

The event is free, but phone the library to book a place. Full details here

1001 Comics is described as "visually amazing" – a critical history of comic books, manga, and graphic novels and a must-have for any comic buff or collector.

Here's the description:

Over the centuries, comic books and their offshoots, such as graphic novels, manga, and bandes dessinées, have evolved into a phenomenally popular, influential, and unique art form with which we can express our opinions, our fantasies, our nightmares, and our dreams. In short: comics are emphatically no longer just for kids.

This diverse, constantly evolving medium is truly coming into its own in the 21st century, from Hollywood's blockbuster adaptations of super-powered caped crusaders to the global spread of Japan's manga and its spinoffs, and from award-winning graphic novels such as Maus and Persepolis to new forms such as online webcomix. This volume is the perfect introduction to a dynamic and globally popular medium, embracing every graphic genre worldwide to assess the very best works of sequential art, graphic literature, comics, and comic strips, past and present.

An international survey, this engaging volume is organized according to the year of first publication in the country of origin. An opening section acknowledges pioneering pre-1900 masterpieces, followed by sections divided by decade, creating a fascinating year-by-year chronicle of the graphic medium worldwide. The material includes the very earliest one-off albums to the latest in online comics and features some series and characters that have run for decades.

Packed with fantastic reproductions of classic front covers and groundbreaking panels, this book is visually stunning as well as a trove of information--perfect for the passionate collector and casual fan alike. 

With an introduction from Monty Python's Terry Gilliam, it sounds like a book that will cause a lot of debate and maybe it will lead to one of those Channel 4 "Top 100" shows - after all, they're pretty much covered every other aspect of modern culture...

• Paul Gravett's Official web site is at www.paulgravett.com

Thought Bubble convention to publish charity anthology

(Spotted on Broken Frontier): This year sees the Leeds Thought Bubble Festival (14th-20th November) celebrate its 5th birthday, and to mark this momentous occasion they'll be publishing  the first ever Thought Bubble Comic Anthology.

On sale in October, the comic will feature a variety of original tales by incredible industry talent from around the world, including Duncan Fegredo, Charlie Adlard, Andy Diggle, D’Israeli, Antony Johnston, Robin Furth, Becky Cloonan and film director Stuart Gordon.

"This first anthology has been curated with the ultimate aim of showcasing the very best that sequential art has to offer," say the editors.

Issue #1 will also feature all the winning entries from 2010′s Northern Sequential Art Competition with stories from Gavin Ross, Sally Jane Thompson, Will Morris, Alice Summerscales, Sophie Kamlish, and Raymond Mak.

All profits from the sale of the anthology will go to the charity Barnardos.

Distribution is being handled by Image Comics and the comic will retail at $2.99 (which should be around £2.20 in most UK comic and book stores).

• More info about the anthology here on the official Thought Bubble web site

Panel Borders: Garth Ennis' Battlefields

Starting a month of shows about war comics on radio show Panel Borders, Alex Fitch talks to award-winning writer Garth Ennis about his interest in the genre, from the backdrop of conflict in his debut strip Troubled Souls to his exploration of wars throughout the 20th Century and beyond in his series War Stories and Battlefields.

Alex and Garth also discuss his past and forthcoming projects for Avatar, Dynamite and Marvel Comics and there are questions from the audience on the subjects of putting his stories into context for younger readers and the use of drones on the battlefield.

The interview was recorded live at the Imperial War Museum, London as part of the ‘Comics and Conflicts Festival‘ last month.

• Panel Borders: Garth Ennis' Battlefields airs at 5.00pm, Thursday 1st September 2011 on Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / extended (70 min) podcast after broadcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

ROK Comics launches teen secret agent comic

ROK Comics, Britain's dedicated mobile comics publisher, has just launched its first originated comic title – MISFITS FROM M.O.B.I.L.E.

MISFITS FROM M.O.B.I.L.E., drawn by Andrew Chiu, is the first fully originated ROK Comics title and will initially be published as a weekly web comic (at www.misfitsfrommobile.com), followed by roll out on iPad and other devices.

An ongoing adventure comic, MISFITS FROM M.O.B.I.L.E. centres on the story of teenagers recruited into a secret organisation to battle crime, terrorism and other dangers – some stranger than others.

And if you’re wondering why a secret organisation would risk such young lives, there’s a very good reason, and all will be revealed in the coming weeks…

MISFITS FROM M.O.B.I.L.E. is the creation of ROK founder Jonathan Kendrick, a concept he has been developing for several years. Inspired by a love of James Bond and comics, he came up with the back story for the comic, including its top secret 'MindMerge' technology and gadgets.

The strip is written by John Freeman from storylines by Jonathan Kendrick, with art by Andrew Chiu. Kris Carter is colouring the title, with Jim Campbell providing lettering and logos.

Andrew Chiu's credits include 2000 AD, the mainstay of the British comics industry, DC Comics, Vertigo Comics and ILEX Press.

Kris Carter is a digital colourist, illustrator and web designer whose credits include Transformers and Doctor Who and Jim Campbell is a professional comic-book letterer and occasional artist whose credits are far too numerous to details but suffice to say, he's worked for pretty much every major British comic publisher and some American companies, too.

ROK Comics has previously published creator-owned and licensed strips for mobile, with three iPhone apps – Ligeia the Vampire by Rodrigo Diaz Ricci, The Mobile Gospel by Rich Diesslin and Madd Science by Steve English.

Further iPhone apps, working with a number of different publishers, are in development.

ROK Comics, part of ROK Global PLC, continues to provide mobile comics content for WAP subscription services across the globe and is currently working with partners in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

• Follow MISFITS from M.O.B.I.L.E. at www.misfitsfrommobile.com


• Visit ROK Comics at: www.rokcomics.com

British comic creators unite for charity in "Nelson"

Time for another plug for Blank Slate's Nelson project. The publishers have just announced announce the complete line-up for the book, which a graphic novel project that will see all profits going to Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity.

Seeking to celebrate the incredible diversity of talent in British comics today, Editors Rob Davis and Woodrow Phoenix have united over 50 of the UK's best and brightest comic creators for Shelter's great cause in the mother of all collaborations: a complete, 250 page story of one woman's life from her birth in 1968 to the present day.

Mainstream comic sensations such as Duncan Fegredo and Sean Philips join forces with cult British creators including D'Israeli and Roger Langridge, working alongside celebrated literary comic authors like Posy Simmonds and up-and-coming alternative comics stars Luke Pearson and Jon McNaught, amongst many others.

"When Rob and Woodrow came to me with their idea for Nelson, straight away it seemed to me that it should be a charity project" states Kenny Penman, Publisher at Blank Slate. "The British comic scene is more vibrant than ever before, and the opportunity to unite this diverse group of creators to aid the greatly important work that Shelter does in these difficult economic times seemed to good to miss."

Nelson's official launch event will take place on the 22nd November 2011 at The Cartoon Museum in London, with readers able to buy a special advance copy of the book at Leeds' Thought Bubble Festival on the 19th and 20th November, where the majority of its artists will be signing copies for the public.

Currently available to order in the UK section of the September edition of Diamond Previews, Nelson will be appearing in the main US section in October.

The full creator line-up is as follows: Paul Grist, Rob Davis, Woodrow Phoenix, Ellen Lindner, Jamie Smart, Gary Northfield, Sarah McIntyre, Suzy Varty, Sean Longcroft, Warwick Johnson–Cadwell, Luke Pearson, Paul Harrison–Davies, Katie Green, Paul Peart–Smith, Glyn Dillon, I.N.J.Culbard, John Allison, Philip Bond,D’Israeli, Simone Lia, Darryl Cunningham, Jonathan Edwards, Ade Salmon, Kate Charlesworth, Warren Pleece, Kristyna Baczynski, HarveyJames, Rian Hughes, Sean Phillips & Pete Doree, Kate Brown, Simon Gane, Jon McNaught, Adam Cadwell, Faz Choudhury, JAKe, Jeremy Day, Dan McDaid, Roger Langridge, Will Morris, Dave Shelton, Carol Swain, Hunt Emerson, Duncan Fegredo, Philippa Rice, Josceline Fenton, Garen Ewing, Tom Humberstone , Dan Berry, Alice Duke, Posy Simmonds, Laura Howell, Andi Watson and Dave Taylor

• Nelson ISBN 978-1-906653-23-1 | 252 pages | 236 x 178mm softcover with flaps, full colour | £18.99 / $22.99


• Make sure to keep up to date with future announcements via the book's Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/NelsonGraphicNovel.