Happy Birthday, 2000AD! from art droid Ade Salmon

Name: Ade Salmon

Blog or web site:

http://adriansalmonart.blogspot.com

Currently working on:

A Baron Frankenstein back up strip for Monsterverse' Flesh @ Blood book 2, 3 and 4, plus monthly Time Team art for Doctor Who Magazine. Open to offers.

First memory of 2000AD?

I remember vividly cycling down on a saturday to Guffogs newsagent with my mate to get Prog 1. I'd recently been turned onto American colour comics and so to find a British sci-fi comic to match the imports changed my world. I was most impressed by Bellardinelli's Dan Dare (and that knockout colour centrespread). M.A.C.H. 1 reminded me of The Six Million Dollar Man so that shot right up my must reads. Judge Dredd in prog 2 really kicked things off though!

Favourite Character or Story:

The Cursed Earth - the first Dredd mega epic. It's where I properly fell in love with the art of Mick McMahon after initially being a Bolland only man! I love, love the Last president of the United States vampire story and still rate that segment as my favourite 2000AD strip.

Naturally, Spikes Harvey Rotten gets my vote for fave character. A couple of issues previous (prog 58) I got my first drawing in the Nerve Centre - a punk biker called Hyper Punk . I can't say for sure it sowed any seeds though one of the creators of Cursed Earth recalls my drawing...

What do you like most about the 2000AD?

It's punky, contemporous stance. It felt like a comic made for Brit kids who liked cop shows , future sport , robots, monsters - all that cool stuff. The fact it had the best artists around knocking out the thrillpower helped. I hated when my fave artists weren't in it each week, but it opened my eyes to many styles which I eventually appreciated/ tolerated.

What would you most like to see in 2000AD as it heads to its Forties?

As long as it continues to reflect contemporary kids interests I think it will stay on track. To lose its sense of humour would be disaster and maybe more regular work from some of the old hands who dug the trenches wouldn't go amiss. Old dogs can teach new kids.

If you worked on 2000AD, do you have an anecdote you'd like to share about your experience of Tharg and his minions?

Although most of my strips for Rebellion have appeared in the Meg, I drew one cover for the Andy Diggle Tharg. Wished I'd done him a better job - maybe I'd of contributed more? Ah performance nerves...

• This post is one in a series of tributes to 2000AD to mark its 35th birthday on 26th February 2012. More about 2000AD at www.2000adonline.com 

2000AD © Rebellion

Halo Jones stage play poster

Here's the poster for the new Ballad of Halo Jones play at the Lass O'Gowrie in Manchester which we plugged recently. The art is by Adrian Salmon, who's been a regular contributor to Doctor Who Magazine for many years, and he's posted the original art and its creation process on his blog.

• More info on the Lass, as ever can be found at www.thelass.co.uk and Lassfest at the (soon to be updated) www.lassfest.co.uk

Ace Doctor Who fanzine Vworp Vowrp returns

The team behind the wonderful Doctor Who fan magazine Vworp Vworp - a fanzine about the long-running and best-seling Doctor Who Magazine - are taking pre-orders for their second issue

The new issue includes an all-new comic strip featuring the Dalek killing anti-hro Abslom Daak, created by Steve Moore and Steve Dillon.

Editor Colin Brockhurst tells us they're aiming to publish in late August or early September after quite a break since Issue 1 - testament to the huge amount of work being put into the title, which even includes a smashing-looking free gift featuring art by Adrian Salmon.

Contents include

• The first half of an exhaustive Abslom Daak tribute, including interviews with writer Steve Moore, and artists Steve Dillon and David Lloyd. 
• There's also a Daak comic strip, written for Doctor Who Magazine by Steve Moore in 1980 but withdrawn after a disagreement with the editor, now finally brought to the page by DWM artists Martin Geraghty, Adrian Salmon and Roger Langridge.
• A series of DWM editor interviews kicks off with a fascinating chat between founding Dez Skinn and current head honcho Tom Spilsbury. The magazine also chats to Paul Neary, Alan McKenzie, Cefn Ridout and the elusive Sheila Cranna.
• Ex-Doctors Tom Baker and Colin Baker talk about their comic strip selves.
• Dave Gibbons, Steve Parkhouse and Mick McMahon discuss The Tides of Time and Junkyard Demon, and we take in The Lodger with Gareth Roberts and Mike Collins.
• Plus there's more comic strip - The Housekeeper, a story written by Paul Magrs and drawn by Bret M Herholz starring Mrs Wibbesey and the Fourth Doctor.

Vworp Vworp 2 comes with two covers: a wraparound Abslom Daak cover by Mike Collins, and an early Doctor Who Monthly pastiche featuring Junkyard Demon (with Jason Fletcher and Ben Willsher’s take on Daak on the back.

Plus, there's a fantastic free gift in the form of a ‘Vworpabix’ board game. Based on the 1970s Weetabix game, Vworp Vworp's has 16 character cards by Adrian Salmon and boards by Paul Grist, Jon Pinto, Leighton Noyes and Graeme Neil Reid.

A very limited edition magazine, you can pre-order it here from the Vworp Vworp web site!

Vworpabix board game

Comics and more at the Lass!

(Above: They won! A rather natty promotional image for the Lass O'Gowrie pub in Manchester.)

Word from Gareth Kavanagh of the award-winning Lass O'Gowrie pub in Manchester of various comics-related events that are likely to be of interest to downthetubes readers:

First there's Warriorcon on 2nd July with Dez Skinn and guests. This celebrates cult anthology comic Warrior, the original home of V for Vendetta.

On 3rd July there's Vworp 4, a Doctor Who con that includes some guests from the world of British comics. These are Martin Geraghty, Adrian Salmon and Dez Skinn, all of whom have been closely involved with Doctor Who Magazine's comic strips. The con also features various other figures from the world of Who, such as Katy Manning (Third Doctor companion, Jo Grant) and Andrew Cartmel (the programme's script editor during Sylvester's McCoy's tenure).

And, as part of the Lass's Pub Fiction slot, some comic creators will be giving talks:

On 19th July, John Reppion of the Moore/Reppion writing team (Raise the Dead/Albion) presents a talk on different incarnations of the cities of Liverpool and Manchester, real and imagined, in his own writing, the work of others and beyond.

22nd July sees an audience with Al Ewing, a British comics writer with extensive experience in the small press and 2000 AD.

And on 23rd July, Bryan Talbot discusses his graphic novels Grandville and Grandville Mon Amour and the venerable and on-going tradition of anthropomorphic characters in illustration and comics from which they have emerged.

These events are all part of the pub's annual Lassfest, which runs from 1st July - 1st August. This showcases all aspects of the arts, with live theatre, readings, stand-up comedy and much, much more. Go here and scroll down to see what's on when.

Tube Surfing: Mazeworld, Mad Science and Harvey Pekar

Does the sporadically torrential rain of the last few days mean that's all the summer we're going to get? I hope not.

Onto the Tube Surf...

• Arthur Ranson sends word that Daniel Clifford, a fan of the artist's Mazeworld strip (produced in collaboration with writer Alan Grant), has set up a Facebook petition to get the strip re-published.

Arthur has written about Daniel's efforts over at his blog. "I, of course, believe a collection of the entire Mazeworld in one fat edition would be a nice thing to have," he notes, "but the reason this petition thing excites me is the thought of a social network of fans using their connection to create an outcome.

"Coincidentally in Saturday’s Guardian Review section there was a review of Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age by Clay Shirkey whose suggestion is that the brainpower wasted with passive entertainment watching might be used via the internet to organise and do something in concert. Shirkey quotes examples of charities that have been set up. A Mazeworld reprint doesn’t have that significance but hey, we can be shallow too."

If you want to check out some pages from Mazeworld, you can do so at Arthur Ranson's website.

• Meanwhile, in Manchester, there are two events with British comic connections happening at the Lass O'Gowrie pub over the weekend as part of their epic Lass fest event.

The first, The Hammer House of Dezza, kicks off on Saturday at 3.00pm. It features veteran British comics editor Dez Skinn, who will be talking about his time at the helm of Hammer House of Horror Magazine, which included in its pages comic strips.

The second is on Sunday. It's Vworp 3, a one-day Doctor Who convention that numbers among its guests the aforementioned Dez Skinn and comic artist Adrian Salmon, alongside the likes of Doctor Who writers Terrance Dicks, Andrew Cartmel, Rob Shearman and actress Sophie Aldred, who played companion Ace alongside Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy.

• Speaking of events, there's lots forthcoming from the folks at Alternative Press (who describe themselves as "...a group of artists, comix creators, writers and poets dedicated to encouraging creativity through self-publishing").

The group has lots of exciting news, available via the above link, of fairs and exhibitions, including the Alternative Press Fair in November, Tunbridge Wells Zine Fest in August and much, much more.

Hang on, if I'm mentioning events, surely I've got to talk about Caption... I know John's plugged it recently, but it's well worth a reminder. Oxford's annual convention celebrates all things comics, but primarily the small press, with the theme of 'Mad Science' this year.

It looks like it's going to be another cracking event, with guests such as Melinda Gebbie, Jeremy Day, Al Davison and Darryl Cunningham all attending. I'll be along too as a punter and I can't wait!

Caption 2010 is held over two days on the weekend of 31st July.

This Tube Surf has been a bit verbose. Let's go for some quick hits:

• Rob Jackson makes ice cream and comics, and his blog is always worth a look.

• Dan McDaid goes all 'TV Action' for a pal, with a page of art homaging Doctor Who as he appeared in the 1970s comic Countdown. Oh yes!

• Adam Cadwell pays tribute to the recently deceased Harvey Pekar. He's also set up a Flickr group for pictorial tributes to Harvey. R.I.P. Mr Pekar...

And on that sad note, it's goodbye until my next Tube Surf...

Starkings, Salmon Unleash Cold Blooded War

IDW has just published standalone Doctor Who story, Cold Blooded War, written by former Doctor Who Magazine comic strip editor Richard Starkings and former Doctor Who Magazine editor Gary Russell.

Drawn by Adrian Salmon, the story is set in the 26th Century first visited by the Third Doctor. The Tenth Doctor and Donna attempt to broker a peace plan between two very hierarchical and pompous alien races, the Draconians and Ice Warriors, but their best efforts are derailed by someone who stands to gain from the continued conflict.

Although Richard's lettering company, Comicraft, has been busy behind the scenes working on IDW's Doctor Who range, this is his first foray back into writing Doctor Who comic strip for some years, while Gary Russell's well known love of the Ice Warriors - they featured heavily in his Radio Times Doctor Who comic - is given fine treatment by Adrian.

• You can view a preview of the new comic, which is only licensed for sale in North America but still makes it to the UK as a 'grey' import, here.

• For more official information and to buy the comic in North America visit the Cold Blooded War page on the IDW web site

Dez Skinn - Dragged from the Grave!

Dez Skinn, writer and former editor of Warrior, Comics International, British MAD and many more has been persuaded back to Manchester's fab Lass O'Gowrie pub for another event.

"The b****** have dragged me out of mothballs to do a talk at the Not Part Of festival event in Manchester (with chap-hop performer extraordinaire Mr B on after me," he says.

Top Doctor Who artist Adrian Salmon has been given the challenge of delivering probing questions about his career, such as "Is it true there are still tons of Hulk Weekly in your cellar?" and more...

• An Audience with Dez Skinn will take place on 8th July 2009 at Manchester Lass O Gowrie. Doors: 6:30pm Price: £6.00. Buy Tickets Here

Tube Surfing: 3 June 2009

We haven't done one of these for at least couple of weeks, so hold onto your hats because there's some folk clamouring for space...

• Indie comics creator Sean Azzopardi has a new project - Thumbpaintings: life drawing using his Iphone and brushes app. Check them out at: phatcatz.org.uk/?p=1039

• Active Images and ComicCraft First Tiger Richard Starkings has also been answering questions, this time posed by the Den of Geek team. Richard talks about his Elephantmen title, his career at Marvel UK, Doctor Who and much more. A former editor of Doctor Who comics, he's just written a Doctor Who story, Cold Blooded War for IDW, from a plot by Gary Russell, revealing "It's not the kind of story I'd have come up with myself - this one features Ice Warriors, Draconians and even Alpha Centauri - but it was fun writing dialogue for Donna and working out how to pace Gary's outline into 22 pages. Fellow Brit and Whothusiast Adrian Salmon is the artist on this one, and he's done a great job."

• A quick reminder that Rich Johnston's new website, Bleeding Cool, is now live and it's already cranked up 400 forum members and material from the likes of Warren Ellis. Rich also picks up on rumours of a UK ComiCon we featured earlier this week, noting, as we have in updates to our story, that Comic Con International, behind the San Diego event, has denied being involved. Reed Publishing, behind the New York Comic Con has also denied involvement. The plot thickens...

• James Turner, one of many fine talents who worked on The DFC, has published an all-new Beaver and Steve strip featuring the characters that shot him to deserved national acclaim. "You may not like it," he says, modestly. Silly James - it's beaver and Steve: what's not to like?

• The Daily Mail has been having another punt at DJ and chat show host Jonathan Ross, this time ribbing him for his appearance, among other things. "His love of comic books and new-found friendship with Eminem imply that he is slightly immature," Jo Clements opined. Ross recentky revealed he'd given Eminem a copy of Avengers #3 when they'd met. "I knew he needed it. He’s a big Marvel fan," he explained.

• Delta and the Bannermen may have been one of the sillier Doctor Who stories of the 1980s (Ken Dodd has a cameo, for one thing), but fans of the sagas comic stories may want to pick up the new DVD release for the bonus features, which include interviews with Lee Sullivan, Simon Furman, Paul Cornell, Andrew Cartmel and John Freeman (who?), chatting about creating Who for Doctor Who Magazine. (If I look at all bedraggled in the interview it's because I got drenched finding the studio...). The DVD ships on 22nd June.

• Talking of Paul Cornell, he's been answering questions from fans of his Captain Britain and MI13 and Dark Reign: Young Avengers titles over on Comic Book Resources, which also has a couple of sneak peeks at the last issue of CB (#15). Talking about the book's cancellation, Paul says "Marvel put loads of effort behind it, and I got all the support I could wish for. I just think that, in the end, there are certain characters that won't sell well enough in the States. In the UK we were doing very well, but those numbers don't get added into the Diamond sales figures." Hmf!

• Talking of Transformers maestro Simon Furman, too: he'll be Derry in Northern Ireland this coming weekend, at the 2D Comics Festival. "This will be my third time at the Derry festival and I can’t recommend it enough," he enthuses. Declan Shalvey, David Lloyd, Liam Sharp, D'Israeli, Garry Leach and Rufus Dayglo will also be on hand, among others. Be sure to catch Paul J. Holden and ask him about the new Heroes Comic Reader, which we've been talking about over on the downthetubes mobile comics blog...

• And finally, since we seem to be on a 1980s reunion theme for this post, my old flat mate and 2000AD editor David Bishop's Doctor Who audio drama Enemy of the Daleks has been getting lots of praise on various fan forums. "I'd written a dozen different projects for Big Finish, so it was a joy to finally get the chance to script a four part story for the main Doctor Who range," he says. You can find out more about Enemy of the Daleks here, even download the first episode for the bargain basement price 99 pence - now that's value!

Salmon's Spot on the Net

(via Kasterborous): Comics artist Adrian Salmon, whose credits include work for Judge Dredd: The Megazine, Doctor Who Magazine and the graphic novel The Faceless: A Terry Sharp Story has recently begun a blog, which includes many samples of his recent work and background on how he created them.

Included are Doctor Who illustrations and samples of his work on the Hammer Horror tribute publication Little Shoppe of Horrors like this one of Doctor Jekyll. (Megazine readers may recall one of Ade's characters for a Judge Karyn story I wrote bore an uncanny resemblance to Peter Cushing...)

Thos of you reading this that live in Manchester may also like to know that the Lass O'Gowry has a room dedicated to Ade's work. If that isn't an excuse to nip there for a pint...

Adrian's blog is at: adriansalmonart.blogspot.com

Torchwood Strip on Watch Web Site!

Titan Magazines, publishers of Torchwood Magazine, have partnered up with UK digital channel Watch to offer an exclusive Torchwood strip on their web site, as part of their promotion for the screening of Torchwood Season Two.

The strip has been written by Brian Minchin, a Script Editor and Assistant Producer on Torchwood and drawn by Adrian Salmon, whose credits also include Doctor Who, Judge Dredd: The Megazine and many more. He also co-created Image Comics’ The Faceless graphic novel, starring Terry Sharp.

The strip is lettered by John Workman, one of comics’ most famous letterers, who has worked on comics by Walt Simonson, Grant Morrison and others.

In other Torchwood-related news, a quick reminder that Issue 14, on sale this week in the UK, will feature an original comic strip written by none other than Captain Jack himself, John Barrowman, and his sister, and regular collaborator, Carole E. Barrowman (see earlier news story).

The story, entitled Captain Jack and the Selkie, drawn by Tommy Lee Edwards and Trevor Goring, sees Captain Jack facing a deadly threat on a remote Scottish island, where people are disappearing one by one... To his horror, Jack starts to suspect he may know who – or perhaps more specifically what – is responsible...

"It looks beautiful," comic editor Martin Eden told downthetubes, also revealing special promotional posters for the issue will soon be displayed in Forbidden Planet stores.

• Torchwod Magazine Web Site (UK Site)
• Torchwood Magazine Facebook Site
• More about Torchwood Series 2 on Watch