Radio show with David Hine, Mark Stafford and Catherine Anyango

Panel Borders: Darkness and inhumanity in literature

Continuing our month of shows about comics and literature, Alex Fitch talks to a trio of graphic novelists about adapting classic 19th century novels as sequential art. In a panel discussion recorded at Comica Comiket in 2011, David Hine and Mark Stafford discuss their adaptation of Victor Hugo's The Man who Laughs, a tale that has already cast a long shadow over comics, as the lead character Gwynplaine was supposedly an influence on the creation of The Joker. Also, fine artist Catherine Anyango discusses her visual approach to her 2010 adaptation of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, best known as the inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now, which sees her intricate pencilling style married with both text from the original novel and also Conrad’s The Congo Diary.

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness adapted by David Zane Mairowitz and Catherine Anyango is available now from SelfMadeHero / Victor Hugo's The Man who Laughs adapted by David Hine and Mark Stafford is released in April 2013.

6pm, Sunday 17th February 2013, repeated 4.30pm, Tuesday 19th February, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

Please note, Resonance FM is currently running its annual fundraiser to help pay for the station's continuing programme of refurbishments. As well as variety of film and music related items in the auction, comic books and graphic novels include a hardcover omnibus of Marvel Superheroes Secret Wars which includes a unique sketch of The Hulk by David Lloyd, a 1st edition UK TPB of Watchmen including a sketch by John Higgins and framed signed comics by Gail Simone, Dave Gibbons, Jonathan Ross, Frazer Irving and many more.
Please visit http://resonancefm.com/auction2013 for more info.

King Richard III goes manga

With the discovery of his body in Leicester last year, interest in the often-much maligned King Richard III, the last Plantagenet king of England, is at something of a fever pitch.

The latest temporary exhibition at the Bosworth Heritage Centre in Nuneaton, Richard III: The Making of the Myth, opened to the public on 8th February and offers a stunning manga-styled re-telling of the king's life and death, drawn by John Aggs.

John created the art for the Leicestershire County Council display and the free exhibition is expected to run until the end of December 2013.

The art is based on both fact and legend and includes Richard's coronation and his possible connection to the princes in the tower, the art on both fact and legend.

Earlier this month, after months of speculation, Leicester University’s researchers revealed to the world that the skeletal remains discovered beneath a car park in the centre of town, at the old Greyfriars site, were “beyond reasonable doubt” those of King Richard III, last of the Plantagenets.

Leicestershire County Council leader Nick Rushton sees the display as another unique twist on the Richard III story.

 

He said: "The illustrations are very striking and it is an original look at one of the most famous battles in English history as well as attempting to debunk some of the myths surrounding Richard III."

 

The exhibition compliments the main exhibition at Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre, where real finds are on display from the 1485 Battle of Bosworth Field where Richard met his end.

 

The exhibition will be accompanied by a programme of expert-talks and events over the coming months.  This includes the ever-popular Bosworth Anniversary re-enactment event which this year will be the 528th since the battle and takes place on 17th-18th August.

• The BBC have a gallery of all the images in the exhibition here.

• Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre and Country Park is at Sutton Cheney, near Market Bosworth, Nuneaton Leicestershire. Web: www.bosworthbattlefield.com

Tripwire seeks Kickstarter funding for 21st anniversary project

In 2013, Britain's logest-running comics and genre magazine Tripwire celebrates its 21st birthday and, to commemorate, publisher and editor is planning to publish a must-buy book.

Tripwire has been Britain's only features-driven comics and genre magazine which has published since 1992 and with 2013 being the magazine's 21st anniversary - its coming of age if you like - the publishers thought it would be remiss if they didn't do something to commemorate it.

The book - if successful in its Kickstarter funding - will come in regular paperback and in a limited hardcover edition. "Between its covers will be a selection of new material," says Joel Meadows, "including art either never seen before or rarely seen."

This includes work by the likes of Drew Struzan (poster artist for Indiana Jones, The Shawshank Redemption, Star Wars), Mike Mignola (Hellboy), Phil Hale (award-winning portrait painter), Howard Chaykin (American Flagg, The Shadow, Blackhawk), Frank Quitely (Batman & Robin, All-Star Superman), Walter Simonson (Elric, Thor), Dave Taylor (Batman, Tongue Lash) and many more.

It will also include features looking at the trends and issues that have played a major part in comics and genre over the past 21 years, including the best and worst comic and genre movies 1992-2013, the 21 most important creators to come to the fore in the last twenty-one years, the 21 best graphic novels (mainstream and independent) and much more. It will also include the best content from twenty-one years of Tripwire, a magazine which has covered the cream of comics and genre and will include the likes of Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Guillermo Del Toro, Mike Mignola, Joss Whedon, Joe Kubert, Will Eisner to name but a few.

It will also include a selection of photos pulled from the magazine of genre movers and shakers. It will be a must-buy for fans and aficionados of comics and genre, approached with the same level of professionalism and quality that people have come to expect from the magazine.

• View the Kickstarter page: www.kickstarter.com/projects/154246759/tripwire-21st-anniversary

Elephantmen enjoy some Sleeping Partners

The latest issue of British comic creator Richard Starkings smashing science fiction strip Elephantmen (#46) features art by Bulletproof Coffin artist Shaky Kane in the fourth installment of the 'Sleeping Partners' storyline.

Published by Image Comics. the issue tells the disturbing tale of Harry Hazard -- a man who will quite probably fill you with his disease.

There's a six page story preview on Comic Book Realm

The issue is available from all good comic shops now (Diamond Previews code SEP12 0498)

•  More info on Elephantmen #46 here

Heritage Auctions heads for London Super Con

Heritage Auctions, the US-based leading collectibles auctioneer, will once again be exhibiting at the London Super Comic Convention, with company staff on hand to talk with potential consigners, bidders and other interested parties.

“Consignments of comics and comic art will be accepted directly at our table, and you can also stop by to see the catalogs for our latest auctions and to find out more about Heritage and the auction process,” says Heritage’s Barry Sandoval.

They will be at tables D221 and D222.

• For more on Heritage Auctions visit: http://www.ha.com

• For more information on the show, please visit the convention’s site

Manga Jiman 2012 Competition Results

First prize winners, Sara Ferreira and Gisela Martins. Photo: Embassy of Japan

The results of the Manga Jiman 2012 Competition were announced at a reception held at London's Embassy of Japan on 8th February. The major manga-writing competition, now in its sixth year, continues to grow in popularity and unearth young, upcoming manga artists in the UK.

The first prize was awarded to Portuguese-born collaborators Sara Ferreira and Gisela Martins for their entry ‘I Love You’.

‘Moving House’, another collaboration but from husband and wife duo Susan and Steve Cook, received the runners-up prize while ‘Invidia’ by Katja Hammond was placed third.

Dounia Chanchorle won the prize for the most impressive Manga by an entrant aged between fourteen and sixteen for ‘The Lady In White’.

Manga Jiman 2012 Competition Results

Position	Title	Entrant(s)
1	I Love You	Sara Ferreira and Gisela Martins
2	Moving House	Susan and Steven Cook
3	Invidia	Katja Hammond
4	Ganbare, My Son	Wei Tran
5	The Boy Who Flew	Kieran Blue Walton
6	Saying and Doing	Dean McKnight and Jade Sarson
7	Sky Riders	Rhiannon Tate
8	A Comic Book	Joshua Green
9	Kumakop	Zuhaib Dalvi
10	Bon Appetit	Tammy Taylor
Special Prize for most impressive Manga by entrant aged 14-16	The Lady In White	Dounia Chanchorle

Manga Jiman 2012 Exhibition: 11 February – 29 March 2013

Visitors to the Embassy can enjoy reading all the shortlisted entries in our special exhibition, Manga Jiman 2012: The Winners, in which artwork from every entry we received this year will also be on display.

Open weekdays 09:30 - 17:30, closed weekends
Admission is free, but photo ID is necessary to gain entry to the Embassy.

The Embassy of Japan, 101-104 Piccadilly, London W1J 7JT

• For more updates on the competition please see https://www.facebook.com/MangaJiman

 

More 2D Comics Festival Guests announced

Following up on our recent post about the 2013 2D Comics Festival, Northern Ireland's largest ever comics event has just announced several guests set to appear when the long-running annual comic event returns from 30th May – 2nd June in Derry/Londonderry.

2D features an expanded selection of workshops, panels, talks and exhibitions, catering for all ages and tastes. The first two days of the programme will feature a wide range of educational and industry events.

Taking centre stage is the 2D Comics Fair, which this year has been extended to last for two days (Sat 1 & Sun 2 June) in a fantastic new venue in the city - the Millennium Forum.

Guests previously confirmed for 2D 2013 have included; Andy Diggle (writer – Batman, Daredevil), Jock (artist - Losers, Batman), Roger Langridge (writer/artist - Popeye, Muppets) and legendary comic artist Mick McMahon (Judge Dredd, Slaine).

The following guests will also be at 2D this year...

Alan Nolan
Artist / Writer / Educator. Comics Work: Big Break Detectives, Death By Chocolate, Butterknut and Kronk (Irish Times), Sancho. Irish Comics News award winner – Best mainstream Published Irish Writer 2012

Cameron Stewart
Eisner-award winning Artist / Writer. Comics Work: Batman & Robin, Assassin’s Creed, Seven Soldiers, Catwoman, Seaguy, Sin Titulo, The Other Side, B.P.R.D: Hell on Earth.

Dan Berry
Illustrator / Designer / Cartoonist & one of the leading Comics and illustration lecturers in UK. Comics/Illustration work: Cat Island, The Suitcase, After We Shot The Grizzly. Host of fantastic ‘Make It Then Tell Everybody’ podcast series.

Doug Braithwaite
Artist and UK Comics Legend. Comics Work: Thor, Wolverine Origins, Storm Dogs, Punisher, Green Arrow, Brave and the Bold.

Emma Vieceli
Artist / Writer / Illustrator. Comics Work: Vampire Academy, Hamlet & Much Ado about Nothing (Manga Shakespeare), The Thrill Electric (Channel 4), Dragon Heir: Reborn, Avalon Chronicles.

Gary Erskine
Artist / Illustrator / Educator. Comics Work: Star Wars, Dan Dare, Captain America, Terminator, Hellblazer, JSA, The Filth, The Mask, Judge Dredd, Roller Grrrls. Interactive Comic work: The Irons (Madefire).

Mhairi Stewart
Writer / Comics Educator / Lecturer (Perfect Spiral).

Kate Brown
Artist / Writer / Illustrator / Comics Educator. Comics Work: The Lost Boy (the Phoenix comic), The Spider Moon (DFC), Nelson, Fish+Chocolate.

Mike Collins
Artist / Illustrator. Comics Work: Doctor Who, the Daleks Project, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, X-Men, Spiderman, Star Trek, Transformers, Slaine, Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper (and many more!).

Nic Klein
Artist / Illustrator. Comics Work: Winter Soldier, Dancer, Punisher, Viking.

Nicholas Gurewitch
Eisner, Harvey, Ignatz Award winning Writer/ Artist / Animator / Film-maker. Comics Work: Perry Bible Fellowship, Marvel Strange Tales. Animation work: Elite Fleet, Rumble Beach (BBC). Film work: Trails of Tarnation.

Paul Duffield
Artist / Illustrator / Writer / Animator / Designer / Educator. Comics Work: Freakangels (with Warren Ellis), The Tempest (Manga Shakespeare), The Firelight Isle, Sojourn, Best New Manga 2.

Phil Barrett
Writer / Artist / Illustrator / Designer / Educator. Comics Work: Stray Lines, Blackshapes, Gazebo, The Vision Service (RTE), Culture File (RTE). Illustration Work: Where’s Larry (O’Brien Press),

PJ Holden
Artist. Comics Work: Judge Dredd, Robocop/Terminator, Rogue Trooper, Fearless, the 86ers, Battlefields.

Rob Curley
Writer / Publisher / Irish Comics Pioneer. Comics Work: Roisin Dubh, Freak Show, The League of Volunteers, Atomic Rocket Group 66.

Tula Lotay
Artist / Illustrator / Curator. Comics work: The Hound (with Warren Ellis), Elephantmen. Creative Director of Travelling Man, Director of the fantastic Thought Bubble Festival, Leeds.

Will Sliney
Artist. Comics Work: The Fearless Defenders (Marvel), Star Wars, MacGuyver, Celtic Warrior, Star Trek, Farscape

Find out more about 2D at

Facebook:                  2D – Northern Ireland Comics Festival
Twitter:                      @2DComicsFest
Email:                         david@2dfestival.com

Will Simpson art in focus at W5, Belfast

Will Simpson at the W5. Photo: W5 Centre

The work of Will Simpson is the focus of an exhibition at Belfast's W5 Centre until 28th April 2013, highlighting the work of this internationally-known artist, whose career began in comic strip art.

Will grew up in Prehen, near Derry, and his earliest work was for the Belfast anthology Ximoc in the early 1980s. This led to professional work in the UK, drawing Big Ben in Warrior in 1984, and a run on Transformers for Marvel UK in 1985-1987. His first work for 2000AD, a Future Shock, came in 1985, and he was a regular on the magazine from 1987 to 1991, drawing Universal Soldier (1987), Judge Dredd, including episodes of the epic Oz (1987-88), Tale of the Dead Man, and Tyranny Rex (1988).

He provided painted art for several Judge Dredd stories, as well as the Rogue Trooper reboot The War Machine in 1989-90. In 1991 he created Sex Warrior with writers Pat Mills and Tony Skinner for Toxic!

In recent years he has developed his work in the film industry providing conceptual art and storyboards for a variety of feature films, such as: Reign of Fire, directed by Rob Bowman, Freeze Frame, directed by John Simpson, Neil Jordan's Breakfast on Pluto, and most recently, Game of Thrones for HBO, David Gordon Green and Danny McBride's Your Highness for Universal, Lord Richard Attenborough's 2006 production, Closing The Ring and the Tom Hanks produced City Of Ember.

This exhibition showcases some of William's incredible concept artwork for film and television. His original pencil drawings will be on display in the Centre's level 5 gallery and the exhibition gives visitors of all ages and backgrounds a truly unique opportunity to see these wonderful images up close.

Some of Will Simpson's Game of Thrones art will also be on display at the upcoming 2D Festival at the end of April (see news story)

• More info: www.w5online.co.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/item/14/the-art-of-william-simpson/

"Carol Day' artist David Wright features in illustrators Issue 2

The latest issue of illustrators, the heavily illustrated art quarterly celebrating the finest European illustration of the 20th Century, is now available.

illustrators Issue 2 features two major articles on the artwork of David Wright – Peter Richardson looks at Wright's elegant, painted pin-up art (soon to be seen in Sirens: The Pin-Up Art Of David Wright from Titan Books) while Roger Clark gives his appreciation of Wright’s long running black and white line drawn Daily Mail newspaper strip, Carol Day (reprints of which are now available as an e-book from Amazon UK for Kindle and iPad).

 

This issue also includes articles on the historical illustrations of Cecil Doughty by David Ashford, the animal art of Raymond Sheppard by Norman Boyd, and the paperback and film poster art of Renato Fratini by David Roach. 

There is also an image gallery of the Fleetway Super Library covers of Jordi Penalva while John Watkiss discusses his Walking Dead concept artwork.

illustrators issue 2 costs £15 (or £55 for a 4 issue subscription to the title) and many of the artwork images included in its 96 pages are taken from scans of the original art boards.

illustrators 2 is available direct from the Book Palace Books website.



For a sneak peek of illustrators issue 2 click here.

illustrators editor Peter Richardson was interviewed about the magazine on downthetubes here.

• Several Carol Day adventures are available for Kindle, here's links to a few which will take you to the rest: 

• Carol Day - Lance Hallam - Kindle edition

• Carol Day - The Changeling

• Carol Day - Dangerous Currents

Marc Jackson's 'Man from Space' lands online

Marc Jackson, one of the team at Macclesfield-based design agency Creative Hero, has just launched his Man from Space web comic - an all-ages, all-awesome (hopefully) outer-space adventures of a intergalactic hobo and his smart-mouthed sidekick Michael... the Goldfish.

"It’s a weekly strip romp into insanity, with a strong focus on wacky characters and snappy dialogue," enthuses Marc. "Each week I’ll add more pages and after three/four weeks the current episode will finish and move onto a new one.

"There won’t be any long-running stories," he reveals. "It's more like a Saturday morning cartoon approach, hopefully introducing more craziness – with no strict story rules and complicated plots!"

The artwork is bright, energetic and eye-catching and the story sheer Saturday morning cartoon silliness. Give it a try.

• Man from Space: www.manfromspace.co.uk
• Man from Space on Facebook

Commando goes Kindle, new print issues on sale now

Along with details of the latest print editions of DC Thomson's Commando war comic comes news that the title has pushed further into the digital sphere - with a number of one-off issues released for Amazon's Kindle device.

"Operation Kindle has been a success," editor Calum Laird tells us. "There will be 12 Commando issues in the Kindle store by the time you read this.

"There has been a lot of work involved to get them there," he acknowledges, "but I think the results are worth it. The pop-outs (or guided reading, if you prefer) give a slightly different reading experience when compared to paper or even on our app.

"A spin-off is that Android users will be able to access the stories using a Kindle reader which will tide them over until our digital boys can be persuaded (bludgeoned) to give us a proper Android app!"

The issues released are: Hell’s Cauldron, The Sergeant And The Squad, Sky Ace, The Chef Who Went To War, Operation Horsa, The Brink Of War, Fog Of Doom, Saved From The Sea, Nightmare Hunt, In The Line Of Fire Duel In The Sun and From Out Of The Sea.

For those of you who still like your adventure on paper (and for those with an iPad or iPhone), here's the detail on the latest news stand titles...

Commando No 4575 - Drop Zone Danger
Story: Bill Styles Art: Olivera Cover: Janek Matysiak

Loading supplies on to C47 Dakotas wasn't the most glamorous job in the Far East. Hard work even for strong men and vitally important but hardly the stuff of death- defying adventures.

So, as Private Seth Yarrow and his mates diligently got on with their back-breaking chores, they never once imagined that they'd end up alongside a unit of Chindits - fighting the Japanese deep in the heart of the Burmese jungle!

Commando No 4576 - Voyage Of The Valkyrie
Story: Alan Hebden Art: Rezzonico Cover: Ian Kennedy

With six-inch guns, torpedo tubes and a Freidrichshafen-33 floatplane to hunt out targets for her, the German commerce raider Valkyrie was feared by British merchant crews in the South Atlantic in the early years of the First World War. So much so that the Royal Navy sent an M-Class destroyer to track her down, and destroy her.

However it was another, much more unexpected, enemy that the Valkyrie's crew had to fear…

Commando No 4577 - The Iron Man
Originally Commando No78 (July 1963), re-issued as No 547 (May 1971)
Story: Kellie Art: Martin Cover: Ken Barr

Six words. Just six small words were all it took to turn the tough, loyal team that formed the crew of a fighting desert tank into a bunch of snarling, suspicious enemies.

And those were the words Jack Baker, tank commander, heard from Military Intelligence only minutes before he was due to leave on a dangerous operation - “THERE IS A TRAITOR AMONG YOU…”

“Early Commando stories can be pretty gritty at times,” notes editor Calum Laird of this reprint story. “There's an early scene here which pulls no punches - principally because the Second World War was in the very recent past and many of the comics' creators had 'done their bit.'

"This tale is no exception; there are details in the story which add an air of authenticity difficult to give a story nowadays because knowledge of these minutiae have been lost.

“So grab yourself a slice of the real stuff while you can.”

 Commando No 4578 - Call To Battle
Originally Commando No 2229 (November 1988)
Story: Ken Gentry Art: Denis Mcloughlin Cover : Jeff Bevan

Sergeant Tim Sanderson had heard all about The Fighting Hawk from a dying relative. It was an old and priceless carving on an ebony staff, encrusted with fabulous jewels, used by an Arab tribe to call their brethren to battle. But that was in the distant past and he half-suspected that the whole thing was just a myth with no place in the savage desert clashes of nineteen-forty-two.

Luckily he was better at fighting than seeing into the future…

“The arid wastes of the North African desert have provided Commando writers with seemingly endless story opportunities,” says Deputy Editor Scott Montgomery of this tale. “Over the year, too, we've seen many a tale based on quests to rediscover ancient artefacts imbued with power, whether symbolic or mystical.

“In this case the prized object is a magnificent, jewel-encrusted staff used to by an Arab tribe to rally its warriors in an eponymous 'Call To Battle.' But it is not just for them. The staff is something from an old, never-forgotten tale that also galvanises our everyman Commando hero, Sergeant Tim Sanderson, into action.”

COMMANDO SUBSCRIPTION OFFER

downthetubes is pleased to offer an exclusive discount on a subscription to DC Thomson's Commando comic, entitling readers to save 50% by ordering using our special discount code!

Follow this link to DC Thomson's subscription page.

When prompted, enter this unique code COMDT - then make your payment and your subscription will be up and running. The price quoted offers a 50% discount for three months at £12.50. That’s £68.50 off the shop price.

Please note, although the offer is not restricted to UK delivery (you need a UK bank account), the price increases for overseas delivery although the offer of 50% discount for three months is the same.

*Saving based on discounted Direct Debit price compared with shop price. First quarterly payment discounted by 50% at £12.50 and £25 per quarter thereafter. UK bank accounts only. One year discounted subscription rate of £99.

2000AD announces 2013 graphic album range

2012 was a truly zarjaz year for 2000AD – and the next 12 months looks set to be even better with the announcement of  their graphic novel collections schedule for the UK and Ireland.

With 19 titles collecting stories of some of the biggest characters from the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic – Judge Dredd, Sláine, Strontium Dog – to new series that have already become fan favourites – Zombo, Indigo Prime – the schedule is packed with Thrills from an incredible roster of top comics talent, including John Wagner, Alan Moore, Pat Mills, John Smith, Kevin O’Neill, Dave Gibbons, Henry Flint, and Glenn Fabry.

Here's the schedule:

Judge Dredd: Day of Chaos – The Fourth Faction
ISBN: 978-1-78108-108-2 Price: £17.99 Published: 14th February

Named by ComicBookResources.com as one of the top 15 best comics of 2012, Dredd co-creator John Wagner wowed 2000AD readers with this year-long storyline in which he tore the world of the future lawman apart in an orgy of intrigue, death, and destruction. Dredd’s actions 30 years ago in the Apocalypse War come back to haunt him as the Judges race against time to prevent a terrifying ‘day of chaos’, predicted by their psychic division. Day of Chaos: The Fourth Faction is the first collection of what is rightly acclaimed as one of the best Dredd stories of the past 35 years.

• Buy Judge Dredd Day of Chaos: Fourth Faction from amazon.co.uk

Judge Dredd: The Judge Child
ISBN: 978-1-78108-109-9 Price: £17.99 Published: 14th March

Continuing the popular run of pocket-sized black-and-white reprints of Dredd classics! Dredd and is sent on a mission to find The Judge Child who may be the only one powerful enough to stop the apocalypse.
Judge Dredd at its insane, imaginative best!

• Buy Judge Dredd: Judge Child Saga from amazon.co.uk

Mean Team
ISBN: 978-1-78108-110-5 Price: £13.99 Published: 14th March

In the year 2886, Death-Bowl is the most popular sport in the galaxy - men and machine pitted against each other in a brutal gladiatorial contest! Mean Team is another face-smashing, limb-tearing, gutbusting classic from the pages of legendary British comic, 2000AD.

• Pre-order Mean Team from amazon.co.uk

APRIL

Indigo Prime: Anthropocalypse
ISBN: 978-1-78108-111-2 Price: £14.99 Published: 11th April
Diamond Order Code: FEB131116

They’re the clock keepers of the multiverse - interdimensional troubleshooters who keep dimensional instability in check, and reality on the straight and narrow. They are Indigo Prime. And they have a problem.

John Smith teams up with fellow Cradlegrave creator Edmund Bagwell and Lee Carter (Judge Dredd), on one of 2000AD’s most imaginative series.

• Pre-order Indigo Prime@ Anthropocalypse from amazon.co.uk

Sláine: The Grail War
ISBN: 978-1-78108-112-9 Price: £17.99 Published: 11th April
Diamond Order Code: FEB131117

In the latest collection of the adventures of Pat Mills’ barbarian warrior, Sláine arrives in 13th Century France and must ally himself with his enemy to save his true love’s soul.

One of the most popular characters in 2000AD’s history encounters one of the bloodiest chapters in European history!

• Pre-order Slaine: The Grail War from amazon.co.uk

MAY

Rogue Trooper: Welcome to Nu-Earth
ISBN: 978-1-78108-113-6 Price: £6.99 Published: 9th May

He is the last of the genetic infantrymen and now the story of Rogue Trooper comes to the popular ‘pocket size’ format. With art by Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), this is the perfect introduction for new readers to one of 2000AD’s most popular characters.

•  Pre-order Rogue Trooper: Welcome to Nu Earth from amazon.co.uk

The Ballad of Halo Jones
ISBN: 978-1-78108-148-8 Price: £13.99 Published: 9th May

The all-time classic by Alan Moore (Watchmen, From Hell) and Ian Gibson in a brand new edition with a fresh design-led cover and an introduction by best-selling author of Zoo City, Arthur C. Clarke award-winner Lauren Beukes. When ‘ordinary’ Halo seeks to escape her boring life on Earth, she begins an incredible journey across the galaxy. Discover why this remains one of 2000AD’s greatest stories!

•  Pre-order The Ballad of Halo Jones from amazon.co.uk

JUNE

Judge Dredd: Complete Case Files #20
ISBN: 978-1-78108-141-9 Price: £19.99 Published: 20th June

The best-selling series of reprints continues with more tales of Mega-City madness from the ultimate future lawman. With stories by Mark Millar (Kick Ass) and Grant Morrison (Superman, Batman), plus the return of legendary artist Mick McMahon, Volume 20 sees
Dredd travel to Egypt and battle an abomination created from the bodies of his many victims!

•  Pre-order Judge Dredd: Volume 20: The Complete Case Files from amazon.co.uk  

ABC Warriors: Volgan War, Volume 3
ISBN: 978-1-78108-140-2 Price: £12.99 Published: 20th June

With stunning art by Clint Langley, after selling out in hardback and in response to popular demand this series is now available in paperback! Recruited to bring peace to the civil war-ravaged frontier colonies on Mars, the Mek-nificent Seven must stop the evil Volkhan and two of their ex-comrades from capturing the Red House!

• Pre-order ABC Warriors: Volgan War, Volume 3 from amazon.co.uk  

JULY

Judge Dredd: Day of Chaos - Endgame
ISBN: 978-1-78108-142-6 Price: £17.99 Published: 18th July

The concluding part of the biggest Judge Dredd epic ever! As Mega-City One crumbles beneath the Chaos Bug, the Judges desperately try to stay in control - but when the Dark Judges are unleashed, can even Judge Dredd rescue the city?

Millions die as John Wagner’s acclaimed year-long story races to its end and redefines Dredd’s entire world!

•  Pre-order Judge Dredd Day of Chaos: Endgame from amazon.co.uk 

Sláine: The King
ISBN: 978-1-78108-170-9 Price: £15.99 Published: 18th July

Sláine: Time Killer
ISBN: 978-1-78108-169-3 Price: £13.99 Published: 18th July

Two refreshed volumes from Pat Mills’ Celtic barbarian featuring art from Glenn Fabry (Preacher) and a fantastic host of extras.

The popular Time Killer not only features Fabry’s most celebrated artwork but also includes a missing three page prologue. Sláine: The King features a newly-restored cover.

• Pre-order Slaine The King from amazon.co.uk

• Pre-order Slaine Time Killer from amazon.co.uk  

AUGUST

Strontium Dog: Portrait of a Mutant
ISBN: 978-1-78108-143-3 Price: £6.99 Published: 15th August

Another 2000 AD icon comes to the ‘pocket size’ format! Featuring the stunning artwork of Carlos Ezquerra, Portrait of a Mutant details Strontium Dog Johnny Alpha’s tragic early years fighting for survival amongst the ranks of the Mutant Army against his hate-filled father Nelson Bunker Kreelman.

• Pre-order Strontium Dog: Portrait of a Mutant from amazon.co.uk  

Judge Dredd: Trifecta
ISBN: 978-1-78108-145-7 Price: £17.99 Published: 15th August

Named as one of the best stories of 2012, this critically-acclaimed crossover is now available in one collection! Writers Simon Spurrier (X-Men), Rob Williams (Cla$$war), and Al Ewing (Jennifer Blood) created an unprecedented comics event last year as Judge Dredd teams up with undercover Judges Jack Point and Dirty Frank to thwart a sinister plot. Not to be missed!

•  Pre-order Judge Dredd: Trifecta from amazon.co.uk  

SEPTEMBER

ABC Warriors: Return to Earth
ISBN: 978-1-78108-144-0 Price: £14.99 Published: 12th September

This is the origin story readers have been waiting 30 years for - a brand new collection featuring colour and B&W art by Clint Langley. The ABC Warriors have lost two of their number to the evil Volkhan’s army. Recounting a mission from the past that led
him back to Earth, team leader Hammerstein reveals how he betrayed robotkind, met Ro-Jaws and joined Ro-Busters!

Pre-order A.B.C Warriors: Return to Earth from amazon.co.uk  

Nemesis the Warlock: Deviant Edition
ISBN: 978-1-78108-171-6 Price: £30 Published: 12th September

An absolute must have for any 2000AD fan - Kevin O’Neill‘s original Nemesis series, coloured by the man himself, recently unearthed and collected for the very first time in a hardback edition! An alien freedom fighter battles against the despotic human ruler
Torquemada in an incredible whirlwind of insane imagination and imagery.
A special ‘Termight Edition’ will be available exclusively from the 2000ADonline.com shop.

• Pre-order Nemesis The Warlock: Deviant Edition from amazon.co.uk

OCTOBER

Zombo: You Smell of Crime and I am the Deodorant
ISBN: 978-1-78108-034-4 Price: £13.99 Published: 10th October

The follow-up to the critically-acclaimed series from Al Ewing and
Henry Flint! Zombo, the gentleman zombie, was seemingly dead - his
mind destroyed when his back-up personality (of a male stripper)
kicked in. But now he’s back - and you do NOT want to miss where
he’s headed.

• Pre-order Zombo: You Smell of Crime and I'm the Deodorant 

Judge Dredd: Complete Case Files #21
ISBN: 978-1-78108-175-4 Price: £19.99 Published: 10th October

The next volume of the best-selling reprints of Judge Dredd’s cases from the pages of 2000 AD. From encountering another 2000AD legend - Rogue Trooper - to Dredd’s disgrace and arrest, this is another slab of future law enforcement!

NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER

Sláine 30th Anniversary Celebration
ISBN: 978-1-78108-176-1 Price: £19.99 Published: 7th November

Marking 30 years of the Celtic barbarian’s adventures, this special anniversary book brings together new work from creator Pat Mills and some of the biggest artists to have worked on Sláine over the past three decades. A great collector’s item and not to be missed by fans of warp spasms everywhere!

2000AD Presents: Sci-Fi Thrillers
ISBN: 978-1-78108-177-8 Price: £19.99 Published: 5th December

From alien invasions to man-hating dinosaurs, this bumper-sized anthology features a collection of work from industry legends Pat Mills (Marshal Law), Ian Gibson (The Ballad of Halo Jones), Grant Morrison (JLA), Will Simpson (Vamps), Peter Milligan (X-Statix) and Paul Cornell (Doctor Who) amongst many others.

ALREADY AVAILABLE THIS YEAR FROM 2000AD

Judge Anderson: The Psi Files Volume 03
ISBN: 978-1-78108-106-8 Price: £19.99 Published: OUT NOW!

Cassandra Anderson, Psi Divison’s finest Judge, has faced many tough challenges, from saving Mega-City One from the Dark Judges to dealing with a loss of faith in the Justice System. But her toughest challenge is still ahead - something evil from the depths of space is about to crash onto the “Big Meg,” presenting a bigger crisis than Cass has ever faced before.

The Ten-Seconders: The American Dream
ISBN: 978-1-78108-066-5 Price: £14.99 Published: OUT NOW!

They came to Earth as gods. But humanity must quickly find the answer to the vital question: what does it take to kill a god? One of the rising stars of American comics, Rob Williams, skewers the superhero myth with help from artists Mark Harrison (Durham Red), Ben Oliver (Nightwing) and Dom Reardon (Ichabod Azrael) and Shaun Thomas (Middenface McNulty).

Dan Dare On The Radio: A Thrilling Serial

The spaceman character of Dan Dare was introduced to British comics readers in the first issue of Eagle comic in April 1950 and both he and the comic were an immediate success. In July 1951 the strip was transferred to radio with the commercial station Radio Luxembourg starting their long running Dan Dare drama series that was broadcast at 7:15pm  Monday to Friday, with each episode beginning with the phrase “Spaceship Away!” – a phrase that Rod Barzilay borrowed for the title of his excellent Dan Dare magazine.

Sponsored by Horlicks, the Dan Dare radio series proved to be very popular with the listening audience and ran for over 750 episodes. It even spawned its own Horlicks Spaceman’s Club for listeners to join as well as a selection of merchandise tie-ins that today are very rare and command high prices on the collectors market. Yet the series is not well known today as Radio Luxembourg, being a commercial station, did not keep an equivalent of the BBC Archive and they simply junked their material once it had been broadcast. Even something as seemingly simple as an episode guide of the series has been impossible to create – until now.

Serial Thrillers is a new book by radio researcher Charles Norton which looks at four radio dramas of the 1950s, the BBC’s Dick Barton: Special Agent, Paul Temple, and Journey Into Space plus Radio Luxembourg’s Dan Dare. With interviews with those in front of and behind the microphones along with information from the BBC Archive and contemporary magazines, Charles has put together an in-depth history for the four radio dramas as well as detailed episode listings of each.

With so little previously known about the Dan Dare radio series, the book doesn’t merely open a window on it, it throws the doors wide open with a wealth of new information as well as an episode listing culled from the pages of Radio Luxembourg’s 208 listings magazine. An interview with Charles Norton will appear in the next issue of Spaceship Away but, in the meantime, his book is available from the Kaleidoscope Publishing website and Amazon UK.

Serial Thrillers (softcover, 280 pages, ISBN 976-1-900203-45-6) is published by Kaleidoscope Publishing at a cover price of £16.99. It is available from the Kaleidoscope website, www.kaleidoscopepublishing.co.uk/books-serialthrillers.html and from www.amazon.co.uk

SelfMadeHero gets set and goes with 'The Murder Mile'

Legendary athlete, Sir Roger Bannister runs for his life as a comic book hero in a new graphic novel from SelfMadeHero - The Murder Mile.

In 1954, the world-class runner took part in a number of heats prior to his historical victory at Ifley Road, Oxford in May where he broke the four-minute mile. His closest rivals in that earlier Arizona race were American Wes Santee and Australia’s John Landy, who both feature in the story too.

The real-life race forms the backdrop to Robot City creator Paul Collicutt’s fictional detective thriller, The Murder Mile, which combines his interests in art and athletics in his first graphic novel for adults.

It’s 1954, Arizona – Athlete Todd ‘The Phoenix Flyer’ Naylor is found dead in mysterious circumstances. P.I. Daniel Stone hopes for an open-and-shut case, but finds that Naylor’s death is part of a tangled web of conspiracies, cartels, and – worse still – Communists. Whilst Bannister, Landy and Santee edge closer to the four minute barrier, P.I. Stone faces his own race against time to track down Naylor’s killer before they too are eliminated. The price of victory has never been so deadly.

Brighton-based Collicutt is an award-winning children’s novelist as well as a keen athlete and qualified coach, who’s also on the board of Phoenix Athletics Club.

The book has an introduction by Olympic gold medallist, Steve Ovett who says “The four-minute mile is still today a standard that runners and the general public respect as the yardstick to measure success in the sporting filed of track and field athletics”.

Paul Collicutt studied illustration at Brighton College of Art, who has won the Parent’s Gold Choice Award in America for This Train. He's also a club runner, a qualified athletics coach and Chairman of the Phoenix Athletics Club.

SelfMadeHero is a publisher of the finest fiction, biography, history and humour in the graphic novel medium that showcases leading authors and artists from around the world: from the quirky and humorous to the political and profound.

The Murder Mile will be launched at Dave’s Comics bookshop in Brighton on 21st February, with a special signing session from Paul Collicutt, with copies sold there including an exclusive book plate.

• The Murder Mile ISBN 978-1-906838-62-1/ 128pp colour/ £14.99

• Paul's blog: http://paulcollicutt.blogspot.co.uk

• SelfMadeHero: www.selfmadehero.com

IDW offers limited edition Bolland Dredd collection

IDW Limited has announced the launch of Judge Dredd: The Complete Brian Bolland, the first of a series of deluxe hardcover editions as part of their of the Judge Dredd reprint program.

Featuring signatures from top Judge Dredd talent and the original creators, the US publisher - which recently launched its own Judge Dredd comic in partnership with Rebellin - will be "the definitive line for fans of the smash 2000AD. series". This first offering includes signatures from iconic artist Brian Bolland as well as the co-creator of Judge Dredd, John Wagner.

"Back in the ‘70s, when 2000AD was first published, the stories were printed on low-grade newsprint paper, which has yellowed with age, so it's great to see Dredd published again in new formats," says legendary Judge Dredd artist Brian Bolland. "Fans should be delighted with this limited-edition book. John (Wagner) and I have signed every copy and the art portfolio that comes with it captures a dozen of our favourite moments from the series. It's a top-notch presentation of work we're very proud of."

This Red Label book, which has a $125 (£80) price tag, is limited to just 325 copies. Fans will receive a deluxe hardcover book housed in a hand-built, custom-designed slipcase featuring artwork from Brian Bolland. Not only has each book has been signed by Bolland and original Judge Dredd co-creator/writer John Wagner, they’re also accompanied by a hardcover artist’s portfolio containing a dozen limited-edition lithographs depicting key covers and the most memorable moments from Bolland’s iconic run on Judge Dredd. Stamped and hand-numbered, these collector’s-edition books push the boundaries of awesomeness to their legal limits.

"With strong design and packaging, plus the involvement of [Brian] Bolland and [John] Wagner, we've managed to do something special here," says IDW's Judge Dredd editor Justin Eisinger. "Which is no small feat, considering this material has been beloved by generations of fans and seen reprint in several forms. Hats off to everyone for their efforts!"

Available for pre-order now, these books will be rolling out the door faster than a high-explosive round. And don’t worry, there’s more than one round in this chamber: details on a limited-edition Carlos Ezquerra book won’t be far behind.

• Judge Dredd: The Complete Brian Bolland DELUXE LIMITED EDITION (RED-$125.00; 316 pages; 9.2" x 1" x 12"; hardcover)

 

Titan Comics to publish Spurrier and Holden's 'Numbercruncher' in colour

Titan Comics has announced it will publish Numbercrucher in July a creator-owned series by writer Si Spurrier and artist PJ Holden, first seen in Judge Dredd Megazine – but now being re-published in full colour.

To be launched on 10th July, Numbercruncher is an off-the-wall romance mixing time-travel, life-after-death and coal-black comedy.

Si Spurrier is a novelist, comic book writer and former BBC art director whose career has often intertwined with flagship British sci-fi comic 2000AD and its spin-off, Judge Dredd Megazine, whether penning the tales of its flagship character, or co-creating such unique and disturbed characters as Lobster Random and The Simping Detective.

Currently writing the electric super-psychological adventure X-Men: Legacy for Marvel NOW!, Spurrier has also penned adventures of Wolverine, Ghost Rider and Punisher.

Spurrier is the writer of two critically-acclaimed post-pulp occult crime novels, Contract and A Serpent Uncoiled, both from Hodder Headline.

Co-creator and artist PJ Holden, also an acclaimed regular on 2000AD and Judge Dredd Megazine, crafting stories of Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, Johnny Woo and The 86ers. He also co-created Black Ops Extreme for STRIP Magazine.

Holden broke into US comics with Fearless, from Image Comics, and is working on another creator-owned project with Gordon Rennie, Department of Monsterology, which is being published by Renegade Entertainment.

A digital comics pioneer, he designed the 'Comics Reader App' in 2009, which was licensed by NBC for its similarly pioneering Heroes webcomics.

Utterly unusual, vaguely insane, and unexpectedly heart-warming, Numbercruncher follows a brilliant Mathematician who dies young, enters the afterlife and discovers a way to cheat the terrifying Divine Calculator. He schemes to be endlessly reincarnated within the lifespan of the woman he loves, no matter how often the violent bailiffs of the Karmic Accountancy cut short each life.

It falls to one such bailiff – the surly Bastard Zane – to put a stop to the time-twisting romance once and for all, before the Mathematician can pull-off his greatest trick and escape Existential Justice forever!

“When Si first proposed Numbercruncher to me, it was clear we'd need to play with some different techniques for this multi-layered, multi-reality story,” says P.J. Holden, co-creator. "Flipping between the afterlife and the real world was a key element, and we needed something to make those realities distinct. And, being a huge fan of the Pressburger and Powell film A Matter of Life and Death (a romance about a dying World War II pilot, which similarly flits between a monochromatic afterlife and a technicolour real world), it seemed fairly obvious that the best way to do that was to have the afterlife be a sort of dreamy, textured black and white world, and the real world a much more comic book style, pure lineart with colour.

"And, when Zane moves from the afterlife to the real world, crashing that black and white world into the colour, visually it would be show-stopping, and look like nothing else out there."

”PJ and I worked our socks off on Numbercruncher – a time-travelling romantic comedy thriller with more twists than Agatha Christie’s corkscrew," says Si Spurrier, co-creator, "So it’s enormously satisfying to see it published by such a prestigious institution as Titan, and hugely exciting that it’s part of their new all-original-content initiative".

”Numbercruncher is one of those intensely personal yet universally brilliant projects you just can’t wait to get into print”, says Steve White, Senior Comics Editor. “Si is a master of the wonderfully off beat idea, and PJ has illustrated it to perfection. The new, subtle, and emotive colors by colorist, Jordie Bellaire help round off the Titan package. This is a title that’s flown under the radars of a lot of readers in the US, so it’ll be great to finally get it into their hands.”

Numbercruncher was originally serialized in black and white in Judge Dredd Megazine in the UK. The series is now being newly coloured and expanded for the first time by Titan Comics.

• Numbercruncher #1 will hit comic stores on 10th July 2013. The series will also be available to read day and date on the iPad, iPhone, Web, Android and Kindle Fire, exclusively through the comiXology app and comiXology.com. Retailers can order Numbercruncher #1 from the March 2013 edition of Diamond PREVIEWS.

2D Festival to host William Simpson art exhibition

Game of Thrones storyboard art by William Simpson
Read an interview with Will about his work on Game of Thrones on the official production blog here

(Updated 14th February): 2D, The Northern Ireland Comics Festival, returns in 2013 for a special edition and will take place from the 30th May – 2nd June in the Verbal Arts Centre and the Millennium Forum in Derry/Londonderry. 

The festival is organised by the Verbal Arts Centre, an educational charity, and is a celebration of comic book culture – and this year 2D is part of the official 'Derry/Londonderry - City of Culture 2013' programming' and will be an extended event.

2D will feature an exhibition, workshops, signings, sketching, panel discussions, portfolio review sessions and a themed movie exhibition. All events are free.

The exhibition will highlight acclaimed comics artist William Simpson's work on the TV series Game of Thrones.

Workshops will be held mainly on Thursday and Friday in the Verbal Arts Centre; panels will be held in a local event space on Friday and Saturday evenings and the festival will culminate on the Saturday and Sunday with the 2D Comics Fair in the Millennium Forum.

• Free table space is still available (full table booking details coming soon on the Festival's web site - www.2dfestival.com). If you would like to enquire about anything regarding the festival, need help with travel and accommodation information, or have any suggestions please feel free to email david@2dfestival.com

•  Verbal Arts Centre is at Stable Lane and Mall Wall, Bishop Street WithinDerry / Londonderry, Northern Ireland BT48 6PU Telephone: 028 7126 6946 Fax: 028 7126 3368 Email: info@verbalartscentre.co.uk Website: www.verbalartscentre.co.uk

Thunder, Thunder, Soap Division Ho!

The fourth issue of Paul Rainey's comic Thunder Brother: Soap Division is available to order from this fab creator now.

Just like the previous three issues, copies of which are still available, it features a complete Thunder Brother: Soap Division story, in this case Big Break, plus some rare and previously unseen comics...

• Four more strips from Paul's David Tennant Doctor Who/Jeremy Kyle mash-up, Doctor Kyle

• A colour version of Body Pop, drawn by Robert Wells, first published in black and white in STRIP Magazine last year. Eddie is on the run with Body Pop property in a special one-off drawn by guest artist Robert Wells.

Each issue of Thunder Brother: Soap Division is 24 pages long, is full colour throughout and costs only £3. (Price includes free P&P to the UK.) Please click the link below or contact me for other methods of payment.

• Buy Thunder Brother: Soap Division from www.pbrainey.talktalk.net