New Crikey! special available

(Updated 27/8/11): The popular Crikey! fanzine (which takes a nostalgic look at classic British comics) may no longer be available as a print publication but the editors have just released a new special (comprising over 100 pages) which is available to buy on disc at the Crikey! website and via download on yudu.com.

Whilst purists might bemoan the demise of the old magazine format, it's a sign of the times that the Crikey! team have gone down this route and printed or not, the new special is absolutely crammed with material and is arguably Crikey!'s strongest offering yet.

Articles include a look at the Eagle photo-stories of the 1980s, an overview of the often-overlooked DC Thomsom comic Sparky, the Marvel UK Action Force comic, Death's Head remembered, the short lived IPC publication Supernaturals, the British Invasion of DC Comics, a Planet of the Apes mystery from the 1970s, a Bryan and Mary Talbot interview, a look back at Whoopee! and, as they say, much much more.

The Crikey! editors Glenn Fleming and Tony Ingram deserve credit for soldiering on in difficult financial times so please give them your support!

• Order the new digital Crikey! from www.crikeyuk.co.uk; or send £5.00 via PayPal to glennbflemingATgmx.com; or buy it via yudu.com for £2.99

In Review: Crikey! pays tribute to John Hicklenton, O'Donnell

The latest issue of Crikey! - which has notched up an imprejavascript:void(0)ssive 15 issues, none too shabby for an independently published comics magazine these days - has changed its planned line up to pay tribute to the passing of creators John Hicklenton and Peter O'Donnell.

Dropping a planned Dalek cover in favour of a striking image from John's upcoming graphic novel, 2000AD co-creator Pat Mills pays tribute to the controversial but never dull Judge Dredd artist, while Jody Kihara shares her thoughts on the sad passing of Peter O'Donnell.

Despite such downbeat items, both fitting tributes to the creators, Crikey! overall has plenty to celebrate, not least of which is a rare interview with veteran cartoonist Peter Maddocks, who now lives in Malaga. The artist talks extensively about his career, which includes his time as cartoon editor of Lord Beaverbrook's newspapers, which included nursing the early development of the James Bond newspaper strip, and his own strips such as Four D Jones. It's an informative piece (despite requiring just a touch more copy editing, perhaps) and a welcome insight into newspaper strip cartooning, all too rarely covered by comics magazines.

Equally enjoyable is David Slinn's continued look at all things Eagle, which provides an informative overview of the much-loved weekly's early days; while Tony Ingram takes a look at the 1980s Eagle, another title rarely given much coverage despite its huge following.

All in all, this is another fine issue and fully deserving the support of downthetubes readers. Recommended.

• For more information and stockists visit: www.crikeyuk.co.uk

In Review: Crikey! No.14

The latest issue of British comics magazine Crikey! is out now and comes packed with a huge range of articles, including an interview with top comics creator Bryan Talbot and a timely tribute to the origins of Eagle comic, which celebrates its 60th anniversary next month.

Behind these 'headline grabbing' items (and a great cover from Bryan) are features on the wonderful The Perishers (which the Daily Mirror has begun reprinting, ousting Pooch Cafe), an enjoyable celebration of Alfred Bestall's Rupert and an interview with ace creator and comics expert Lew Stringer, although Lew himself notes the choice of images chosen to illustrate the pice are odd, despite being sent a variety of scans of his work.

As usual, it's a mixed bag but while the loss of a colour section is the regrettable result of losing Borders as a distributor, the magazine's editorial team try hard to please. For me, the biggest failing is its final chapter of a potted history of Marvel UK which glosses over the company's huge success on UK news stands with titles such The Real Ghostbusters (which helped to launch the careers of Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning and many others) in favour of concentrating on some of its least successful titles.

While many of these, like the original Knights of Pendragon fully deserve their limelight, the article is disappointing. As with many features in this title, it could have benefitted from more interview material.

Despite my gripes, the Talbot and Stringer interviews and the Eagle tribute - and a feature on the much-maligned 1980s Eagle - more than make it a magazine to track down if you're a British comics fan.

• Crikey! No.14 will be available from many comic specialist shops or you can order it directly from the publishers via www.crikeyuk.co.uk/sub.html

Crikey! It's The Cloak!

British comic fans heading to their local comic store should ask if they're stocking Crikey!, the monthly magazine devoted to British comics, if only because the latest issue marks the return of Mike Higgs' The Cloak.

The Cloak first appeared in 1967 in Odhams' Pow! weekly, one of many comics that combined both adventure and humour strips within its pages - a format that, sadly, seems to have been consigned to history. Mike retained ownership of The Cloak and has brought the character back before (Lew Stringer has more info on his blog and Mike Higgs himself offers more background on The Cloak for both old and new readers in the magazine itself), but now, he's hopefully back for a longer run, starring in a four-page full colour comic strip in Crikey! Issue 13 that pits him against the Time Tea Leaf - a fun story that brings him to the present day.

Along with this wonderful strip Crikey! 13 also includes an exclusive interview with Kevin O'Neill, the Tony Ingram's concluding part of his Doctor Who comics series, a feature on Action! comic, and more on the Rise and Fall of Marvel UK.

• A subscription to Crikey! costs £30 for six issues. Subscribe by visiting the Crikey! website here:
www.crikeyuk.co.uk/sub.html


Lew Stringer's Blimey! blog articles on The Cloak:

• The Cloak is Back
• Enter The Cloak
• Christmas Comics: Smash, 1968
• 40 Year Flashback: Smash Regenerates

Tube Surfing: Ro-Jaws, Rebellion, Crikey!, Rankin, Road and Comic Fairs!

Ro-Jaws returns to 2000AD this week, making a comeback in the A.B.C. Warriors strip by Pat Mills and Clint Langley, who also provides the cover for Prog 1667, right.
Originally designed by Kevin O'Neill for the Ro-Busters strip in Starlord weekly over 30 years ago, this is something of a blast from the past - and if Ro-Jaws beahves like eh used to, we're sure it will be a blast. More info: www.2000adonline.com

• Talking of 2000AD, parent company Rebellion is undergoing something of a restructure, and part of the move puts the staff at its Derby studio under consultation as the lease on that studio expires. Develop Daily reports the firm is still committed to growing the staff at its Oxford HQ and expand its Runcorn base.
Rebellion Derby had most recently worked on completing Bethesda's Rogue Warrior. Its sister studios are hard at work finishing the new Alien vs Predator for Sega. Expect more news in coming weeks as to what this will mean for the games company.

• Novelist Ian Rankin was presented with West Lothian Libraries' Scot Scriever Award on 12th January. At his presentation ceremony he talked about how the local library in his native Fife had been a big draw for him as a youngster before he went on to talk about his career and take questions from the audience. When he was asked what he was reading at the moment he immediately said the latest Broons book and went go to give the examples of Granpaw Broon getting an ASBO and the wind turbine that now overlooks their But An' Ben holiday cottage as how the Sunday Post's strip, that has been running for almost three quarters of a century, was remaining contemporary.

• Sgt Mike Battle #14 is out now and sees the whirlwind romance between Roger Knightly and Shapely Charms reaches its thrilling finale. Can you really afford to miss the most shocking and heart-wrenching story in the history of comics? Do not worry about crying your eyes out as you read the comic because for a limited period you will get a free tissue with every issue!
Priced at £1.50, you can order your issue via the Sgt Mike Battle Fan Club on Facebook. For more information, visit www.sgtmikebattle.co.uk

• Good news from the publisher of Crikey! After concerns that the Borders collapse would damage the format of the title, we can report that despite earlier concerns it might have to black and white throughout, Crikey! 13 will have a centre section of eight pages in full colour. Discussions about expanded distribution through other retail outlets is also looking more positive.

• British Comic Creator Eddie Sharam got in touch with us lately, drawing our attention to the webcomic ROAD over on Zuda, which he writes and draws and will soon pass an impressive a 100 page milestone. He's been at it for over a year, with another year planned out. You can read ROAD on Zuda.com for free at zudacomics.com/road and Eddie would welcome feedback.

• And finally... here's a list of upcoming Golden Orbit comic fairs, which I hope to get chance to add to the events listing soon. All events start at midday apart from Leeds.

• Saturday, January 16, Birmingham - The Nautical Club, Bishopsgate Street, off Broad Street and a short walk from Smallbrook Queensway.
(Future date: February 20)

• Saturday, January 23, Manchester - Sachas Hotel, Tibb Street, Piccadilly
(Future date: March 13)

• Sunday, January 24, Liverpool - The Liner Hotel, Lord Nelson Street, off Lime Street
(Future date: March 14)

• Saturday, January 30, Leeds - Leeds Town Hall, The Headrow - from 11.00am
(Future date: March 6)

• Saturday, February 6, Sheffield - The Showroom, Paternoster Row, Sheaf Square (opp Railway Station)
(Future date: March 20)

• Saturday, February 13, Nottingham - Comfort Hotel, George St, off Upper Parliament St & Broad Street
(Future date: April 10)

• Saturday, February 27, Newcastle - University of Northumbria, Rutherford Hall, Ellison Place, off College Street

More details, map directions etc. at www.goldenorbit.co.uk

Crikey! regroups after Borders collapse

The editor of British comics magazine Crikey! has revealed the recent collapse of Borders UK has proved a bit of a catastrophe for the magazine, as the loss of that chain and its affiliates took away about 70% of its distribution.

No alternative distributive possibilities are available to the title at this stage, which means a 'regroup' for the title. The title's sales are too small for Diamond to consider distributing it, for example - and the money the magazine has lost from the Borders collapse means they can't currently afford to go into another high street chain.

"So we're retrenching and regrouping and in the meantime going back to our old format for #13," says editor Tony Ingram in a post to the downthetubes forum, "but there is one bit of positive news; we've been adding content to the website at www.crikeyuk.co.uk, and we now have our own brand spanking new Crikey! forum there, too.

"All are welcome, so please don't leave us talking to ourselves."

• More about Crikey! at www.crikeyuk.co.uk

New Crikey! on sale This Week

(with thanks to Lew Stringer): The twelfth issue of British Comics magazine Crikey! should go on sale this Friday, 29th October.

The issue includes interviews with 2000AD co-creator Pat Mills, Albion writers Leah Moore and John Reppion and veteran comic artist Frank McDiarmid, best known for his work on the humour weekly, Cheeky.

Also featured is the first of a two-part feature on Doctor Who comics across the decades (and yes, it is Doctor Who, contrary to the alarming shortening of the series name on the cover) and an interview with artist Lee O'Connor talking about his new project with Pat Mills, Stars: The Ayatollah's Son), and a feature on The Persuaders comic which featured in Countdown and TV Action in the 1970s, based on the Roger Moore and Tony Curtis TV series

• Crikey! is available from branches of Borders and various newsagents across the country, priced £4.99, or you can subscribe via their website here: www.crikeyuk.co.uk/sub.html

Crikey! Goes Colour

The latest issues of British comics magazine Crikey! is on sale this week - and has made the leap to full colour throughout.

Running to 84 pages the first issue of the now bi–monthly Crikey!, with a Dennis the Menace cover, boasts some of the best talents around. Interviews include Dez Skinn, legendary publisher of such notables as Warrior and Comics International; Steve Holland talks about Bear Alley Books, which has just released collector editions of The Phantom Patrol and Cursitor Doom; plus Beano editor Euan Kerr takes a bow as he leaves Beanotown but not before giving us an exclusive interview about his life at DC Thomson.

Last, but certainly not least, Pete Nash offers an insight into creating Striker, one of the longest running comic strips ever produced.

Also featured are the usual favourites: Nutty Notions and My Comicy Saturday, and Glenn B Fleming's strip cartoon 'Hatch' makes its debut. There are also articles on David Wright's Carol Day, Sydney Jordan's Jeff Hawke, and the one and only Dennis the Menace.

"This is an issue dear to this sad fanboy's heart," says Tony Ingram, co-dditor of the magazine. "Not only is it effectively the first issue of the new and (hopefully) improved Crikey! but also the issue in which we got to talk to a couple of the most revolutionary thinkers in British comics.

"Dez Skinn, of course, first came to prominence in many people's eyes with what was more or less a literal revolution, the 'Marvel Revolution' of 1979 when he revamped Marvel UK's moribund reprint line, but far more significant was his creation of Warrior, a magazine in which, against decades of traditional thinking, the creators actually owned their own characters (and yes, one of Warrior's characters was Marvelman, also in this issue)! Heresy!

"Pete Nash is no less forward thinking. He has, for 24 years, been charting the course of Nick Jarvis in Striker, both in The Sun and (from 2003-2005) his own comic. But when Striker ran into trouble financially, how many publishers would have thought of seeking investment from the readers? America might claim it invented comics, but if you want some examples of re-inventing comics, look no further than these guys..."

• Pick up your copy for just £4.99 at your nearest Borders or Forbidden Planet and a host of other comic outlets thoughout the UK or order through the official Crikey! website: www.crikeyuk.co.uk

Crikey! scores with new Creator Interviews

The ninth issue of British comics magazine Crikey! is on sale now in all good comic shops and via its web site (www.crikeyuk.co.uk), featuring interviews with Enrique Romero on his Axa and Modesty Blaise newspaper strips, V for Vendetta and Kickback artist David Lloyd (who recently announced he had contributed to a new French anthology of war stories, Words Of Stars, see his official news page for more information) and a feature by 2000AD co-creator Pat Mills focusing on grils comics creators such as writers Gerry Finley-Day, Jenny McDade, and Misty and Tammy artist John Armstrong.

While there are some gltches in the production of the 52 page black and white 'zine and some 'padding' features that would have been better left on the Internet (such as Derek Wilson's Memory Lane), as cartoonist and British comics expert Lew Stringer notes on his ever-excellent blog, it's a step up from past issues in that the articles feature commentary 'from the source' when it comes to the history of British comics, rather relying on second hand material which Crikey! has been panned for in the past.

"Overall, Crikey! is improving," argues Lew, "but it sometimes depends too much on hazy memories as a substitute for facts." (Read Lew's review of the issue here)

• Crikey! costs £3.99 in shops and by PayPal online. A UK subscription to Crikey! costs £15.96 for four issues, Overseas Surface mail (anywhere) subscription £22, Airmail (Europe): £23.33, Airmail (United States of America/Canada/Australia)£28.00. See www.crikeyuk.co.uk/sub.html for details of current and back issues.

Full Colour Crikey!

As reported here last month, Issue 8 is a milestone edition for British comics fan magazine Crikey! with this 52-page issue published in full colour throughout.

"So far, the response has been tremendous and the issue has only been on sale for a few days," editor Glenn B Fleming told downthetubes, who also revealed more of the title's latest contents.

"As usual Crikey! has a varying choice of articles: Tony Ingram's always sensational Nutty Notions leads the way, then there is a fantastic review of the 'zine Spaceship Away featuring all things Dan Dare.

"Charley's War brings the attention back to superb comic writing and even better artwork, as we present an overview of Pat Mills' and Joe Colquhoun's amazing adaptation of the Great War.

"If that's not enough for you how about this: Crikey! enjoys a remarkable relationship with comics giants DC Thomson and they kindly gave us the go-ahead to publish (for the first time in almost half a century) some stunning Avengers artwork by Spanish artist Emilio Fejo Abegon. Not to be outdone, British artist Mike (The Cloak) Higgs gave up his time to draw a four page, full colour 'Comicy Saturday' for us - it's hilarious and a 'must see'!"

There are other articles and amongst them is the British 'Mickey Mouse' invasion and Peter Hansen's 'The Best of British' covering almost a hundred years of comics artists and their work. Issue 8 even brings an American hero into the realm of British Comics: The Phantom in the UK!

"We don't know at this point if the next issue of Crikey! will be in colour," says Glenn, "but we do know that Issue 9 brings exclusive chats with Modesty Blaise artist Romero and David 'V for Vendetta' Lloyd - watch out for that then!"

• More info at: www.crikeyuk.co.uk

Crikey! to Continue

(via Forbidden Planet International): Crikey!, the comics magazine devoted to British comics of yesteryear and today, is set to continue, despite rumours to the contarary.

In a posting on the Forbidden Planet International blog, editor Glenn B Fleming has announced that some of the original staff of the title, now on its eighth issue, have left for other pursuits, leaving him to take the magazine forward.

"This is a new area of publishing for me and I am looking forward to the challenge," he says.

"Crikey #8 is in full colour and for that to continue we will need the sales. That’s over to you! As a teaser, Issue 9 brings an exclusive chat with Modesty Blaise artist Badia Romero - watch out for that one!

"I believe the next issue will be the best Crikey! yet," says Fleming. "We can finally see our great artwork the way it was meant to be - in full, glorious colour."

Fleming says that other plans for Crikey! are in the pipeline and hopes readers will continue to give the title their support!

• More info at: www.crikeyuk.co.uk

Crikey's DC Thomson Special

The next issue of British comics history magazine Crikey! (Number 6) on sale soon, with the editors promising that the "Summer Special" (remember those?) is a DC Thomson focused issue, apt given the upcoming 70th birthday celebrations for that company's flagship comics title, The Beano.

A subscription to the magazine, available from www.crikeyuk.co.uk, offers a subscription for £19.95 - six issues for the price of five. That brings you 52 fun packed pages of memories, articles, features and stunning artwork every issue (a single issue costs £3.99 including postage).

Payment through PayPal via the website or send a cheque payable to: Sequential Media at 4 Hillsborough Drive, Unsworth, Bury BL9 8LE.

Tube Surfing: 12 July 2008

• Artist Rufus Dayglo has posted a message on the official 2000AD Forum revealing the new Tank Girl: Skidmarks series will begin will be making its debut in Judge Dredd Megazine #275.
Meanwhile, Tank Girl - Visions of Booga #3 will be out soon from US publisher IDW Comics. "Go get it!" he demands. "It's definitely the one I'm happiest with!"

• The Daily Telegraph reports that whether alien activity or natural phenomena, reports of UFOs have flooded in this summer from across the UK. Plotted on a map of Britain, the sightings can be seen to stretch from Liverpool to Dover and from Llanelli to Derby. (This is what happens when too many people are allowed to watch Doctor Who).

• Cartoonist Lew Stringer is celebrating 25 years of professional comics work this week. His first work published in a professional comic was in Marvel UK's Eagle Award-winning The Daredevils and the job was a pocket cartoon entitled What If Iron Man Really Lived up to his Name? He recalls he was paid the princely sum of £5 for the cartoon.
"Looking at it now, the style is crude and the gag very lame, but seeing it in print back in 1983 gave me a huge boost to my self esteem. At the time I was on the dole, having quit a dead-end office job, and had been trying to break into comics for a couple of years with no luck."

• As part of British comic magazine Crikey's continuing contributions to the Forbidden Planet International blog, there's a new post on some of the first appearances of Marvel Comics characters in British comics such as Pow!, noting the different layouts of the strips compared with their original US publication and more.

• UK national newspaper The Guardian continues its impressive support for the comics medium with the arrival of cartoonist Laura Howell today, with her new strip The Mighty M, part of the comic section delivered by the team behind The DFC. Most of The Guardian's strips also feature online, available as downloadable PDFs, but unlike the newspaper, your really have to search hard to find the comics page. I suggest you bookmark this link!

• Over on Bear Alley, Steve Holland reports Panini UK have a handful of interesting books coming up. September sees the release of Marvel Masters: The British Invasion Volume 2 celebrates the nation's greatest comics artists, including stories illustrated by such renowned artists as Dave Gibbons, Alan Davis, Bryan Hitch, Steve Dillon, Barry Windsor-Smith, Paul Neary, Frank Quitely and Mark Buckingham. (Marvel Masters: The British Invasion Volume 1, released late last year, focused on the best of the UK's writers to have worked for the House of Ideas and included the work of Neil Gaiman, Alan Davis, Mark Millar, Garth Ennis, Grant Morrison, Alan Grant, Paul Jenkins, Peter Milligan and Warren Ellis.
Also of note are releases for a collection of Dragon's Claws, Marvel UK's first foray into US comic format and a further volume of early Captain Britain adventures.