Ross, Hitch signing at Forbidden Planet to launch 'Powers'

Jonathan Ross and Bryan Hitch will be launching their new comic America's Got Powers (published by Image Comics) at the Forbidden Planet London Megastore on Saturday 14th April from 1 – 2pm.

Welcome to America's Got Powers!It's the biggest TV show on Earth, where the chance to win fame, fortune and get laid are dangled in front of a generation of super-powered teens. All they have to do is Win. Who is the fastest, the strongest or the greatest? Who survives? Young Tommy Watt's dreams of being the greatest hero of them all might just be shattered when the greatest show on the planet begins to reveal it's dark heart.

Needing no introduction, Jonathan Ross is not only a national celebrity but a lifelong comics fan - who made his writing debut with the fantastic Turf! Bryan Hitch, who I've known back since his early days at Marvel UK, should need no intriduction to DTT readers either, but his credits include Ultimates, Fantastic Four, Stormwatch and The Authority. He also worked as a concept artist for the 2005 relaunch of Doctor Who for the BBC.

- Jonathan Ross and Bryan Hitch Signing: Saturday 14 April 2012 1-2.00pm, London Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, WC2H 8JR

 

Kapow!@GFF 2012 Kicks Ass

As Jeremy Briggs first reported last month, Glasgow Film Festival ambassador and local superhero Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch are to helping to kick ass with Kapow!@GFF – Glasgow Film Festival’s film strand next week, dedicated to graphic novels, gaming and beyond.

Now in its second year, Kapow!@GFF offers superhero classics old and new, unmissable discussions and debates, documentaries and premieres and this year includes appearances from artist Charlie Adlard and writer Gordon Rennie.

This year Mark introduces Flash Gordon and tells us why it’s his favourite ‘Geek Film’, while Bryan Hitch does the same for the 1978 groundbreaking Superman. Other vintage screenings are Alex Proyas’ brooding, bravura The Crow and David Cronenberg’s taut thriller A History of Violence.

Coming right up to date they have Tatsumi, a completely animated tribute to Yoshihiro Tatsumi, the father of gekiga (‘dramatic pictures’), by former comic artist Eric Khoo. Death of a Superhero is a poignant story of a teenager dealing with cancer who finds a retreat in his comic book drawings and becomes a brawny superhero in his alternative universe. The screening is introduced by a representative from Teenage Cancer Trust.

Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters is Adam Cornelius’s addictive documentary about one of the most addictive games in the world as he follows the preparations for the Tetris World Championships in Los Angeles, while Superheroes examines the appearance of an extraordinary American subculture; the self-appointed caped crusader.

Emerging Scottish talent is represented by Night is Day, filmmaker Fraser Coull’s Glasgow-set sci-fi tale of a normal teenager who ends up having to save the world, a film that was self-funded with the help of local supporters and businesses.

Plus there's the eagerly-awaited Electric Man - an impressive micro-budget Scottish comedy-chase thriller set in the impoverished world of the owners of Deadhead Comics, directed by David Barras.

In a series of events with very special guests, potential comickers get the chance to hear expert testimony of adventures in the graphic art industry when Mark and other premier exponents relate their journeys through time and space. Bryan Hitch, Kate Brown, Frank Quitely, Charlie Adlard, Rhianna Pratchett and Gordon Rennie will all take part in conversations with the audience while Dr Chris Murray and John McShane discuss Scotland and the Future of Comics and Denise Mina, Penny Sharp and Gillian Hatcher talk about women’s experiences in the industry and the future of how women are drawn.

KAPOW!@GFF 2012 FILMS

• Flash Gordon (Geek Night Special) Glasgow Film Theatre, Tuesday 21 February, 20.15 (PG)

• Superman GFT, Wednesday 22 February, 17.45 (PG)

• The Crow GFT, Thursday 23 February, 23.00 (18)

• A History of Violence CCA, Thursday 23 February, 15.00 (18)

• Tatsumi Cineworld, Tuesday 21 February, 18.00 and Wed 22 February, 12.00 (15)

• Death of a Superhero Cineworld, Wednesday 22 February (20.30) Thursday 23 February, 13.00) N/C 15+

• Superheroes GFT, Thursday 23 February, 19.20 N/C 15+

• Ecstasy of Order: The Tetris Masters CCA, Thursday 23 February, 13.15 N/C 12+

• Night is Day CCA, Wed 22 February, 18.30 N/C 12+

• Electric Man CCA, Thursday 23 February, 16.45 N/C 12+


KAPOW!@GFF 2012 EVENTS

Setting the Scene: Scotland and the Future of Comics
Tuesday 21 February (14.00), CCA, £8/6, N/C 8+

Two of the stars of the BBC film Scotland’s Amazing Comic Book Heroes will use their powers to step off the screen and expand the discussion on the future of comics in Scotland. Dr Chris Murray runs the Comic Studies MLitt/PGDip course at the University of Dundee. John McShane is chairman of the Scottish Cartoonists Society and his company, Fat Man Press, published The Bogie Man, one of the early examples of a comic book to film adaptation. John and Chris will expand upon ideas raised in the film and answer your questions.

Mark Millar and Frank Quitely
Tuesday 21 February (16.00), CCA, £5, N/C 8+

Writer Mark Millar and superstar DC and Marvel artist Frank Quitely talk about their first collaboration together in ten years, taking us through the step-by-step process of an idea becoming a script, a comic book and eventually a big budget movie. Both living and working in Glasgow, they explain how geography is no disadvantage in the world of Hollywood movies or New York publishing. Their new, yet-to-be-revealed project is already one of the most anticipated comic-book events in 2012.

Writing for Games and Comics
Wednesday 22 February (12.30), CCA, £5, N/C 8+

If you have a great idea for a video game or comic where do you start? A panel of distinguished video game and comic book writers, including Rhianna Pratchett and Gordon Rennie, give tips on how to get into the industry and get ahead. They discuss the ups and downs of being involved in the industry, the difference between writing for games and comics and the challenges to be faced.

Kate Brown in Conversation
Wednesday 22 February (13.45), CCA, £5, N/C 8+

What does it take to build a full-time career as a comicker? Kate can tell you everything you want to know. In 2010 Kate was awarded the Arts Foundation Fellowship for Graphic Novels. She used it to fund the completion of her self-published comic Fish + Chocolate which has since been picked up for publication by SelfMadeHero. Kate will speak about her wide experience in the comics industry and take questions from the audience.

Bryan Hitch in Conversation
Wednesday 22 February (15.00), CCA, £5, N/C 8+

British comic book artist Bryan Hitch is widely recognised as one of the industry’s leading artists and storytellers, with his books regularly selling over 100,000 copies an issue in America alone. His designs have appeared in the successful relaunch of Doctor Who in 2005 and numerous feature films, including Captain America and Star Trek (2009), as well as the upcoming The Avengers film, based on The Ultimates comic book by himself and Mark Millar. Bryan will discuss his career, including his new book co-written with Jonathan Ross.

Walking Dead illustrator Charlie Adlard in Conversation
Wednesday 22 February (16.15), CCA, £8/6, N/C 15+

Apocalyptic graphic novel The Walking Dead, a survival story of a world overtaken by zombies, captured the imaginations of a legion of fans and is now a multi-million dollar US TV series. In this unique event, the Shropshire-based artist discusses how he came on board as illustrator for the series and the effect it has had on his career. After the conversation we will screen one of Charlie’s favourite episodes from the Golden Globe-nominated series.

Women in Comics
Thursday 23 February (15.15), CCA, £5, N/C 8+

Casual graphic fiction readers might see the way women are represented and decide that the medium must be male dominated and that the industry is a prejudiced place for women to work. But is all as it seems? And what are the actual experiences of women working in the comics industry? Women in Comics presents original research by Graphic Scotland and brings together Denise Mina, Kate Brown, Penny Sharp and Gillian Hatcher to talk about the difficulties of getting into the industry and the future of how women are drawn.

• Tickets for all shows are on sale now from the Central GFF Box Office at GFT, by phone on 0141 332 6535 and online via www.glasgowfilm.org/festival. Tickets for events taking place at the CCA can be bought there on the day of the event.

Diesel launches Only the Brave Captain America fragrance

Well, Parliament has wound up for the summer and it's time for the traditional 'silly season' of stories, as the news media scrabble for stories to fill both print and electronic pages.

We just didn't think things would start here in comics world with the launch of a superhero fragrance.

Still, you've got to admire DIESEL, who have created this "new and utterly cool limited edition fragrance" Only The Brave: Captain America Edition. It's a sign of great faith in the potential popularity of the upcoming Captain America: The First Avenger film, which was partly shot in the UK - and the enduring appeal of the good Captain himself, discussed here on USA Today.

Still, we have to say the PR hype for this new license is a bit OTT. Created to celebrate the release of Captain America: The First Avenger, we're told this fragrance "signifies the ultimate encounter between the most iconic men’s fragrance and the most legendary superhero".

Our astonishment aside, you can't knock the product design - ace British comics artist Bryan Hitch designed the comic box the fragrance comes in and, in celebration of this momentous occasion, the Only The Brave fist will don Captain America’s iconic shield in a pop style: strong, fun, arty – heroic!

Yes, it's gloriously daft. But hey, it's clearly been done in style.

IDW republish Grant Morrison's final 'Doctor Who' story

IDW's Doctor Who Classics series, now re-publishing the Seventh Doctor's adventures from Doctor Who Magazine has a 'first' and 'last' feel to Issue 5, on sale this month in the US.

The collection sees the publication of 'Culture Shock', Grant Morrison's final Doctor Who comic story to date, but Bryan Hitch's first Who work - not that the accomplished artist would like to be reminded of it.

With a new cover by Robert Hack and colouring from Charlie Kirchoff, also included is 'Echoes of the Mogor', a cracking spooky tale from Dan Abnett and John Ridgway.

Grant Morrison, whose past Who strips included the hugely popular Cybermen origin story, 'The World Shapers', may have gone on to better known comics such as The Invisibles, All-Star Superman and X-Men but he has always been a Doctor Who fan.

“These stories were very early on, when I was starting to work in comics,” Morrison told MTV in 2008, with the focus of Culture Shock – a living creature playing host to a microscopic universe all its own – pre-dating wider exploration of such themes in series such as The Invisibles. “It came up because I met John Ridgway through some other work, Liberators, on Warrior, so it was kind of through John, he suggested it,”

“I was a big Doctor Who fan all my life, so it was a good fit..." says Grant of his time working on the DWM. "I absolutely enjoyed doing it, and I would love to do more Doctor Who.” Although not necessarily as a comic, “because I’ve done enough of it in the comics.”

Might Grant one day follow Neil Gaiman and write a TV episode?

Bryan Hitch, now well known for his stunning work on Marvel's Utlimates and Fantastic Four and more, would rather skate over his first ever Doctor Who strip, which he drew when he was just 17. "I usually encourage people to burn my early work," he pleads.

Notable as the first appearance of Dan's Foreign Hazard Duty, a futuristic version of UNIT, Dan Abnett confesses that although he is “ridiculously good” at archiving back issues of his work, his Doctor Who Magazine collection seems to have disappeared into an alternate dimension, and, like Alan Grant, he has few memories of 'Echoes of the Mogor'. “I hope it’s a good one, and not an ‘Ooh, did I really write this crap” one,” he opines.

“The funniest part of all is where working on DWM got me. I loved it, but I never expected to write for Doctor Who again. I tried to get a Virgin novel commission early on, and they didn’t even reply. I felt I was very much ‘not in the Who clique’ and had only been lucky enough to write for the good Doctor because I knew you and Richard.

"Then, suddenly, in the last few years, it all came back to haunt me. Gary Russell came to me for a couple of Big Finish adventures, which led to the likes of my Torchwood novel and audios, and the Martha novel, and the Tenth Doctor audios for the BBC etc., and that train of events only happened because Gary had remembered how much he’d liked my DWM strips and came looking for me.

“The FHD were envisaged as a future version of UNIT,” he confirms. “I can’t be sure, but I think that connection actually gets made somewhere. I intended it too, anyway. They’ve popped up from time to time in all sorts of places, not all of them Who stories.”

“The FHD was originally a very infantile piece of slang that was invented by my mates at college,” Dan reveals. “An FHD was a really good night out, because one got so drunk, one had a terrible hangover in the morning, otherwise known as a F****** Horrible Death. Obviously, for DWM purposes, I changed what it stood for!”

At one point an FHD US title was considered, along with a number of other projects (including an Abslom Daak - Dalek Killer story by Steve Moore), but it was shelved after editorial changes instigated by Marvel Comics directors in America.

Other IDW Doctor Who titles on sale this month are Doctor Who #6, written by Tony Lee (with interior art from Matthew Dow Smith, who also provides a rare variant cover, the other by Tommy Lee Edwards), which sees the start of a three-part tale, 'When Worlds Collide', featuring Sontarans, a rift world, cowboys and Romans.

Doctor Who: A Fairytale Life #3 (of 4) by Eisner Award-nominated writer Matt Sturges (with art by Kelly Yates) features a cover by Mark Buckingham, in which the Doctor is forced the question, what's better, an ugly reality or beautiful fantasy? Meanwhile,  Amy finds herself reluctantly cast as a damsel in distress on a medieval fantasy world...

• While print editions of  IDW's Doctor Who titles aren't officially available in the UK, you should be able to buy the digital editions of these comics.

• IDW Comics is at: www.idwpublishing.com

Bryan Hitch signing Ultimate Comics Studio

Top British comic artist Bryan Hitch will be signing his Ultimate Comic Studio at the Forbidden Planet Megastore London, on Saturday 23rd October 1 - 2.00pm.

Bryan explores his inspirations, approaches and techniques through a stunning collection of his finest pieces from Marvel, as well as brand new pieces commissioned especially for this book. Packed with information, practical tips on panel composition, storytelling, tools and materials, inspiration and references, how to break into the industry and much more, this is the long awaited guide and a must-have for Bryan Hitch fans all over the world.

Including a foreword by writer, director and producer of TV"s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Joss Whedon, this is a veritable visual feast of dynamic, impactful art for comic fans all over the world.

Listing the all comics credits to Bryan Hitch’s name would be impossible: from his early work at Marvel UK, his career spans titles for both Marvel and DC, working with some of the genre’s foremost writers – including Mark Millar (for The Ultimates, The Ultimates 2 and Fantastic Four) and Warren Ellis (for Stormwatch and launching The Authority). The BBC also hired Bryan as the concept artist for the 2005 relaunch of Doctor Who and he has had particular input into the redesign of the TARDIS.

• Bryan Hitch will be signing his Ultimate Comic Studio at the Forbidden Planet Megastore, 179 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8JR on Saturday 23rd October 1 - 2pm. For the latest info visit Forbidden Planet: Latest Events

Birmingham's International Comic Show guest list shapes up

This year’s British International Comics Show over the weekend on 16th-17th October is getting closer and 2010’s incredible international guest list is the largest since the show began in 2006.

Some of the most renowned artists and writers from all over the globe, as well as here in the UK, will be appearing for signings, exclusive interviews and guest panels.

Creators attending include Paul Cornell, Tommy Lee Edwards, Gary Erskine, Peter Gross, Dave Hine, PJ Holden, Charles Vess and Bryan Hitch will be discussing their work and revealing secrets to fans in live events as well as launching new books.

Other top names attending include Australia’s Nicola Scott, Japan’s Yuko Shimizu, Turkey’s Mahmud A. Asrar and Canada’s Yanick Paquette, not to mention some of Britain's most respected creators including Walking Dead’s Charlie Adlard, Hellboy’s Duncan Fegredo, Criminal’s Sean Phillips and the legendary Dave Gibbons of Watchmen fame -- plus many many more.

“We’re really pleased to be in a position to offer fans the chance to meet so many huge names at the show this year as well as offering such a fantastic events schedule” said show Co-organiser Shane Chebsey.

“It’s been a real challenge to keep making BICS better and better each year, building up the guest lists and improving the quality of events isn’t easy when you set such high standards in early years, bust I honestly think fans are going to find this to be the best BICS ever!”

The now Legendary Friday Night BICS Launch Party is also back this year with all guests, exhibitors and early pre registered attendees getting free entry at Birmingham’s popular Oceana Nightclub with a special VIP area.

What better way for fans to start their weekend of comics heaven, than mingling with their favourite comic creators?

• To find out more about BICS or to book tickets visit the official website at: www.thecomicsshow.co.uk

Tube Surfing: 28 April 2009

• In his latest Lyin in the Gutters column, Rich Johnston reports Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's Fantastic Four run for Marvel has had an altered schedule due to personal issues for both creators. The last double-sized edition, #569, has been co-written by Jo Ahearne and pencilled by Stuart Immonen, while Bryan Hitch works on his new project with Ed Brubaker, Reborn.

• Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill are signing copies of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century: 1910 at Gosh London this Saturday, 2nd May. 500 copies are being flown in almost a month ahead of the official UK release date and attendees will be able to buy one or two copies to be signed - and no copies, signed or otherwise, may be reserved. More from the Gosh comic blog

• Talking of Gosh, 'tis they that report that the creative team behind Eye Classic’s The Picture of Dorian Gray adaptation are back with The Hound of the Baskervilles, the first book in a series adapting the complete Sherlock Holmes stories into graphic novel form. It's written by Ian Edginton, who among other projects, has an issue of IDW's Star Trek: Alien Spotlight out soon, unsurprisingly focusing on those pesky Romulans, the villains of the new movie out 8th May.

• More events: this time it's the London Zine Symposium, "a day celebrating zines, comix, self publishing and DIY culture" on Sunday 3 May betwen 12 noon and 6.00pm at London's Rag Factory, 16-18 Heneage Street, E1 5LJ. More info via Facebook... (thanks to Jimi Gherkin)

• Titan Books next Roy of the Rovers collection will be published on 21 June. The Best of Roy of the Rovers: The 1970s celebrates another momentous decade in the career of soccer's greatest player, Roy Race, as he competes to win the £30,000 Goal Rush Challenge, teaches how to play American Football, tackles the problem of hooliganism head on and struggles to control Melchester's latest signing - the fiery, arrogant but highly talented Paco Diaz.
Titan says this volume also features a selection of features and articles taken from the original Roy of the Rover comic, including a 2 page feature written by Eric Morecambe. Also included is a selection of period ads for legendary toys including Chopper, Dinky, Corgi and a variety of Kellogg's long defunct breakfast cereals.
This British comics release is quickly followed, at last by Best of Battle Volume 1, out on 26 June. Over 300 pages of relentless action are collected from the top-selling war comic of the 1970s and 80s, from the desperate dogfights of Johnny Red to the down-and-dirty Rat Pack, the reflective, critically acclaimed Charley's War and the uncompromising Hellman of Hammer Force. Featuring work by Pat Mills and John Wagner , Joe Colquhoun and more.

• And finally... check out this great visual gag featuring a certain wall-crawling superhero by French cartoonist "raphaelb". As if Corden and Horne weren't being cruel enough... (Thanks to Matt Badham for this, via Comics Reporter and Lying in the Gutters, which is where we came in and where you should go now if you want to read Rich's review of Wolverine...)