Complete Zenith Collection finally on its way from 2000AD

2000AD is to publish a complete - if strictly limited - collection of Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell’s ground-breaking superhero series Zenith for the first time in December.

The 2000AD marketing team have been teasing fans with the possibility of a collection for weeks, starting, it appears, by wearing Zenith t-shirts at CE2 and running Zenith covers and other art on the comic's official tumblr. The official announcement was embargoed until today.

The limited edition hardback book will only be available from the 2000AD online shop. Restricted in 1,000 copies, it will be available for pre-order from 1 July 2013 and will be published on 1 December.

Although Titan Books published five collections, Zenith has never collected in its entirety before due to copyright issues, so this is a unique opportunity to own the whole of Morrison’s first superhero series in a never-to-be-repeated format.

Zenith is the world’s first “Superbrat” - a vain, self-obsessed, egotistical pop singer whose only interests are girls, partying, and where he is in the charts. Yet he does not realise that there are mighty forces at work which seek to enslave the Earth - and use him to do it!

Zenith on the cover of 2000 AD
prog 792, by Steve Yeowell

Starting in 1987, Zenith heralded the arrival of a talent to 2000AD who has since gone on to become one of the biggest names in comic books. A very cynical British take on superheroes, Zenith showcases themes and ideas found throughout Morrison’s later work for Marvel and DC, and demonstrates his remarkable depth and maturity as a writer.

Steve Yeowell’s striking black and white artwork - based on Zenith's character design by Brendan McCarthy - gave the strip a vitality and rawness that still shines through today.

The collection will feature all four series, or ‘phases’, the latter two of which have never been reprinted - and will also include later stories by Morrison and Mark Millar.

Both Grant Morrison and Steve Yeowell have been informed of the exciting plans for The Complete Zenith, and this new edition is being handled with the same respect and close attention to detail that 2000AD gives all its much-praised archive reproductions.

Brendan McCarthy's character design for Zenith

The Complete Zenith is one of more than 30 graphic novels that 2000AD will release in 2013.

The cover of Titan Books
Zenith Book 1

Titan Books published five trade paperbacks of Zenith between 1988 and 1990 collecting Phase I through III but previous attempts to republish the series (including the never collected Phase IV) were prevented by a copyright dispute between the publisher and Morrison.

"Fleetway have no paperwork to confirm their ownership of Zenith," Morrision told David Bishop in 2007 during interviews for David's book Thrill Power Overload, "so I'm currently involved in legal proceedings to clear things up."

(Titan did get as far as printing a Phase IV collection but had to warehouse the entire print run, hoping a deal could be worked out between Morrison and Rebellion. When nothing was forthcoming, Bleeding Cool reported back in 2010 that they pulped the entire run rather than pay the warehouse fees any longer. A few copies did escape, and were sold on eBay.

• The Complete Zenith will be available to pre-order 1st July 2013 only from the 2000AD online shop: shop.2000ADonline.com

• Background to the Zenith stories on International Hero

Dan McDaid on board for Dark Horse 'Catalyst Comics' project

Following the series announcement at last year’s New York Comic Con, US publisher Dark Horse has announced the official release date for Catalyst Comix, whose creative team includes Dan McDaid, Paul Maybury and Brendan McCarthy.

The creative team of Joe Casey and artists Dan McDaid, Ulises Farinas, and Paul Maybury will be turning the superhero genre inside out with a completely original take on capes, tights, and superpowers in the series.

Man of action Joe Casey reimagines powerhouse Titan, guardian angel Amazing Grace, and the subversive Agents of Change in three mind-blowing, intertwining stories. Superhero comics get a back-alley facelift as these very different champions confront a cosmic threat and personal demons -- and where better to start than the end of the world!

“With this book, we’re taking the kinds of creative chances that other corporate superhero series wouldn’t even think about,” said writer Joe Casey. “This thing looks great, it feels great, and it’s the kind of comic book that makes life worth living!”

“Joe and his team have created a very unique comic, existing quite far apart from your traditional Marvel and DC titles,” said Dark Horse President Mike Richardson. “I might even venture to call it the first postmodern superhero series.”

One of the most exciting and groundbreaking new series in Dark Horse’s superhero initiative, Catalyst Comix promises an inspired take on the capes-and-tights genre, with wraparound series covers from Rafael Grampá, Paul Pope, and Brendan McCarthy.

Look for the first issue in your local comic shop on 3rd July 2013.

 

Brits invade BackIssue magazine

The April 2013 editin of TwoMorrow Publishing's BACK ISSUE (#63) watches the USA’s and UK’s comics worlds cross over in our “British Invasion” issue.

Featuring a history of Marvel UK by Rob Kirby, the Beatles in comics, DC’s British talent pool of the 1980s, V for Vendetta, Excalibur, Marshal Law, Doctor Who and a “Pro2Pro” interview with Peter Milligan and Brendan McCarthy, it showcases the talents of many great talents. These nclude Brian Bolland, Alan Davis, Dave Gibbons, David Lloyd, Alan Moore, Dez Skinn and others.

With loads of art originally produced for the UK market the issue comes with a Mighty Marvel in London cover by Ron Wilson and Dave Hunt, showcasing art from Marvel UK’s rare 1970s “Quadra-Poster” as a deluxe 25-inch long fold-out triptych cover.

Rob Kiby's feature is part of a book about Marvel UK he's been compiling for some two decades now. "I'm thrilled to have been given an opportunity to share a tiny portion of my work with a larger audience for the first time,'" he says. "They've done an outstanding job on the feature, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing all the other British-related goodies they've come up with."

• There's more info here on the TwoMorrows website. Diamond Comic Distributors Order Code: DEC121348

 

2000AD, IDW team on Ewing, McCarthy's 'Zaucer of Zilk'

Continuing their new partnership with legendary English publishers 2000AD, IDW Publishing is proud to announce a collection of Al Ewing and Brendan McCarthy’s The Zaucer of Zilk.


The mind blowing story centres on a despondent, alienated young man who finds himself in a mysterious Technicolour candy shop - and his world changes forever. Thrust into the magical, psychedelic world of Zilk and finding himself atop the throne of the legendary Zaucer.

Dimension-hopping onto comic stands this October, The Saucer of Zilk is a story that simply must be seen to be believed, say IDW. The two over-sized issues of Zaucer are bursting at the staples with McCarthy’s brilliantly vivid art and he and Ewing’s fantastically ambitious story, taking readers on a wild, phantasmagorical journey across unique worlds with characters that are colorful to say the least.

“Before the main event of our Judge Dredd partnership begins in November, it’s a blast to also work with 2000 AD in bringing the gorgeous insanity of McCarthy and Ewing’s creation to readers here,” said Chris Ryall, IDW’s Chief Creative Officer/Editor-in-Chief. “The colorful wonderment Brendan McCarthy worked on the Zilk pages is already embedded in my eyelids forever, and I can’t wait for readers to experience the same thing.”


“I was immediately captivated by The Zaucer of Zilk when Brendan and Al first pitched it to me, and had sensed even then it would be something special. It's great to see the Zaucer's worlds reach an even wider audience through IDW,” said 2000AD Editor Matt Smith.

• Zaucer of Zilk #1 of 2 (32 pages, FC, $3.99) will be in stores October 2012. Diamond order code: AUG12 0394.

• Visit IDWPublishing.com or find them on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/idwpublishing and http://tumblr.idwpublishing.com/ and on Twitter at @idwpublishing

Doctor Who-Inspired Cover for 2000AD

There's a rather splendid Doctor Who-inspired cover on this week's edition of 2000AD. Judge Dredd is depicted surveying a portaloo-style TARDIS with a Tom Baker-like scarf trailing out from under the door!

Drawn by D'Israeli, it's promoting Episode 2 of the Judge Dredd tale Doctor What? written by Al Ewing and drawn by Brendan McCarthy.

It's not the first time that the TARDIS has been interpreted as a portaloo. Christopher Biggins portrayed a Doctor-like character, in the Big Finish Doctor Who story The One Doctor, who used one as his mode of transport and many a jokey newspaper article has suggested that a portaloo might be a suitable design for a revamped time machine.

This cover is great fun and well worth picking up even if you don't buy 2000AD normally.

• Buy 2000AD in all good newsagents and UK comic stores, or online at http://shop.2000adonline.com

Tube Surfing: Dr Strange and Spider Man, zines in Birmingham , a misunderstood shark and more CLiNT reviews

Right, what's out there today:

There's an excellent interview with artist Brendan McCarthy over at Mark Kardwell's Bad Librarianship blog. In it, Brendan gives us the inside track on various projects past and present, as well as discussing his new trade collection, Fever (starring Doctor Strange and Spider Man):

"Marvel got a fun and unusual comic and I was able to get the Ditko/Dr. Strange thing out of my system. The Fever trade collection also reprints the 1960's Spider Man Annual by Lee and Ditko that inspired my story. I wish they could have scanned it directly off the old printed pages to get the period feel. Still, artistically it's Ditko at his peak. His genius is there to be enjoyed. Sadly, I am not worthy to sharpen his pencil!'

• Leonie O'Moore has posted a short (and funny) online comic about Jaws at her blog. Have a read!

• Comics collective We Are Words + Pictures (WAWP) will be attending the Birmingham Zine Festival this weekend and running a Drop-in + Draw session there too. What's a Drop-in + Draw, you say? Over to the peeps at WAWP:

'We’re also running a Drop In + Draw in the nearby Island Bar between 5 and 6.30pm, a chance for creators and the public to unwind with pencil and paper. We’ll have material to help you get started, and a few people on hand to guide you and answer your questions, all for free.'

• Speaking of the Birmingham Zine Festival, their site has lots of cool interviews that are worth checking out, such as this one with James Nash.

• Oh, and a whole bunch of people are reviewing Titan Publishing's new anthology, CLiNT: we already mentioned some, but check out further reviews at Comic Book Resources (via), Paul Gravett (scroll down for this one), Bleeding Cool and Comic Vine...

Oh, and we reviewed it too awhile ago...

Anyway, that's all for now, folks. See you at my next Tube Surf!