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

 

Jonathan Ross praises "Tales of the Fallen" in special intro

Jonathan Ross (left) with Barry Nugent (right)

(with thanks to Barry Nugent) Turf witer and TV broadcaster and presenter Jonathan Ross has provided a special intorduction to Tales of the Fallen, the latest project set in the Unseen Shadows universe.

"If, like me, you like rip-roaring testosterone fuelled pulp fiction," enthuses Ross, "with soldiers, and mysteries, and all round weird stuff in, then this is the book for you."

"The above sentence is a very small portion of a special introduction," says Barry, who's also co-founder of the smashing cult news site Geek Syndicate. "As most of us in the comic world know Jonathan is also a huge comic fan and has recently become a comic writer with his Turf mini series published by Image Comics.

"I approached Jonathan a while back with Tales of the Fallen and asked him if he would be interested in writing the introduction for the anthology," he reveals. " To say I was pleased when he accepted is a little bit of an understatement. Since then I’ve kept Jonathan’s involvement under wraps, from pretty much everyone on the creative team, as I wanted this to be one last surprise before the book went off to the printers."

Tales of the Fallen offers the stories of murderers, martyrs and mercenaries in the no-man’s-land between adventure and crusade – soldiers of fate and fierce honour, bound together in mystery, darkness and blood. Their enemies are shadows haunting the outermost borders of a darkening world, and as night approaches the shadows grow long.

Creators on the four stories are Richmond Clements, Cy Dethan Pete Rogers and Dan Thompon (Writers); Conor Boyle, Rob Carey and Steve Penfold (Art); Gat Melvin, Roy Huteson Stewart and Vicky Stonebridge (Colours); Paul Mclaren and Nic Wilkinson (Lettering).

• To read full Jonathan’s full introduction pre-order your copy of Tales of the Fallen now at special price of £8.50 with a free digital version

Turf Sequel in the works?

Bleeding Cool reports that Jonathan Ross and Tommy Lee Edwards are considring a sequel to Turf, which was published in CLiNT in the UK and has just been releasd in a smashing hardcover edition by Titan Books.

Jonathan Ross announced that the pair are considering a sequel to Turf, this time set in the 1940s, during a signing for the new book in a London Waterstones.

Ross, who wrote the vampires, mobsters and aliens comic book set in 1920s America, already has a couple of other projects in the works with Edwards, including a retirement superhero comic called The Golden Age, and a racing comic called Speed Trap.

Ross recently outlined how Turf came to be written when he found himself "between jobs" after leaving the BBC and he finally had the time to do what he'd always wanted – write his own comic. Writing for The Guardian, he explained his lifelong love affair with masked men and caped crusaders.

While delighting in the comic form, he also admitted how hard he found it to write the comic.

"I've come to the conclusion that comics are a bit like golf, or Susan Boyle, or threesomes," he said. "You can find large sections of the population who can't get enough of that kind of thing, while the rest of us just don't see where the fun is supposed to lie. But when done right, for me, no other entertainment form can match the beautiful synthesis of hand-crafted art with lovingly chosen words. And as I discovered when I wrote my first comic book last year, in collaboration with Tommy Lee Edwards, less is most definitely more.

"'Newspaper headlines written by poets' was the description that the great Dennis O'Neil (Batman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman) used when asked to describe the art of writing for comics, and it's as good a guideline as any I've encountered."

• Read the full article by Ross on The Guardian web site

CLiNT Issue 1 Goes to Reprint with comic-style cover

The first issue of Mark Millar's brand new comic anthology, CLiNT, has sold out - and will now have a second printing with a spanking comics-styled cover featuring Kick-Ass.

With its third issue now on sale in UK newsagents and comic shop, the 100-page monthly magazine published by Titan features brand new comics alongside news, features and interviews, with a mix of celebrity contributors and hot new talent.
CLiNT #1, which launched early September, boasts the first-look at Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.'s Kick-Ass 2, and Titan say it has flown off shelves. This first hit issue also included the start of Nemesis, by Millar and Steve McNiven, and sees two of the UK’s most outspoken TV personalities present their comic debuts.

Turf, by Jonathan Ross and acclaimed artist Tommy Lee Edwards, mixes vampires, aliens and gangsters in a slick period thriller. Rex Royd, by comedian Frankie Boyle, introduces “The Renaissance Man of Madness” in a supervillain strip.

Comics retailers will be able to order copies of the second printing of CLiNT #1 with its new Kick-Ass cover from this weeks Previews Plus and December’s Diamond PREVIEWS.  For more information visit www.previewsworld.com.

CLiNT issue 6, which includes the latest installment of Kick-Ass 2 is also listed in December’s Diamond Previews.

• For more information on CLiNT, visit: www.CLiNTmag.com


• CLiNT #1 trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCRL5PLM7Yo


• Connect with CLiNT on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CLiNTmag
or Facebook: www.facebook.com/CLiNTmag

Jonathan Ross guest at British International Comics Show

Jonathan Ross. Photo (via
Wikimedia): Admiralty

Although British fans of the vampire comic book Turf were disappointed when artist Tommy Lee Edwards announced he would no longer able to attend this year's British International Comics Show in Birmingham, they're sure to be pleased to learn that its writer - broadcaster Jonathan Ross - will be at the event.

No-one was more disappointed that Tommy couldn't attend the event than the artist himself - the result entirely due to his gruelling work schedule on the Image Comics book - but to make up for it, he put forward a proposal that might yet allow us to present a killer Turf event at the show.

"After weeks of careful planning and negotiation, between BICS, Tommy and series author and co-creator Jonathan Ross, we can now announce details of the event you have all been waiting for," says event co-organiser Shane Chebsey.

"Scheduled for 1.00pm on Sunday 17th October, Jonathan Ross will make a special appearance at BICS 2010, stepping in for Tommy Lee.

"Jonathan will talk Turf and hold a Q & A, followed by a signing session in the theatre lobby. If this weren’t enough, we are incredibly excited to announce that, via a live satellite link, Jonathan will be talking with Tommy during the event.

"It’s a huge thank you from us to Tommy and Jonathan for going the extra mile to bring you something rather special."

We're sure that Mr Ross will also be more than happy to talk about Titan Magazines and Mark Millar's comics magazine CLiNT - perhaps revealing what's coming up in future issues.

While October has become a bit crammed with major comic events – the New York Comic Con takes place this week and the London MCM Expo, which will host the Eagle Awards, takes place at the end of the month – BICS has established itself as part of the British comics calendar and there's a strong line up of both overseas and British creators set to make appearances.

Oversas guests include Mahmud A Asrar, Peter Gross, Yanick Paquett and Charles Vess, while from the UK, fans will be able to catch Charlie Adlard, Paul Cornell, Alan Davis, Hunt Emerson, Duncan Fegredo, Dave Gibbons, PJ Holden, Bryan Hitch, John McCrea, Keith Page, Sean Phillips and many others.

• British International Comics Show Official Site

In Review: Clint Issue 1 - does it "Kick Ass"?

(Updated 31/8/10, added other review links): After months of speculation about what Titan Magazines new British anthology title Clint might feature, the magazine itself is finally out in the wild, backed by an impressive promotional campaign on the web, which includes its official web site.

So - does comic creator Mark Millar's baby live up to all the hype?

First things first: this isn't just a comic. Yes, much of the content is comic strip, but it's been styled like a magazine. Even the cover leans more toward the kind of title you might expect to see alongside Nuts, Zoo or Empire; a canny piece of marketing for a new stand where comics have wrestled, sometimes in vain, for attention.

This will not sit easily with many comics purists who've grown up enjoying Eagle, Battle, Action or 2000AD - but it is a brave attempt to make Clint look different to most other comics that have gone before. Whether that gambit will pay off in the long term, none of us yet know.

Content-wise, Titan have embraced Britain's joint obsessions with celebrity and innuendo and pulled them into a well-honed mix that includes Nuts and FHM-styled features as well as a carefully selected line up of comic strip, all of it new to the British news stand if not to the specialist comic store (but then, this magazine is not aimed at that market, so that doesn't really matter). That includes an interview with comedian Jimmy Carr and more, all delivered with the kind of design flair you'd expect from the team that has done so well with its specialist magazines such as LOST and Star Wars.

Again, in my view that's a canny move and one that gives the title a strong selling point beyond the numerous comic strips it features. Whether those features will actually boost sales, given that similar material is something available in other titles, is another unknown quantity – but full marks to Millar and the Titan team for trying.

As for the conics - well, it's a mixed bag of action adventure, heavily weighted toward violent and sweary superheroes. As you'd expect, the first appearance of Millar's Kick-Ass 2, drawn by John Romita Jr., takes centre stage. Given the success of the first Kick Ass series and movie, it's sure to have a following and is a strong sales point. (The series will be published in the US via Marvel's Icon imprint in the future).

Likewise, Jonathan Ross' Turf, drawn by Tommy Lee ticks the strong sales point box. You can be sure Ross will happily promote both the comic and Clint to boot, which will certanly help its chances of success.

While the strip isn't new to comics fans familiar with the US comic scene, published in magazine format I think it actually looks better than its US outing. You can't go wrong with a vampire story right now, and it starts strong in this issue, with plenty more twists and turns to come.

The rest of the comics are in a similar vein - high octane, edgy action adventure that some won't like - but will go down well with a potential audience raised on high spectacle summer popcorn movies who would never squirm seeing Saw.   

Rex Boyd by Frankie Boyle & Jim Muir is another all-new strip and, to my mind, the weakest material in the issue - the script jumps rather suddenly half way through the story of a security guard working for someone whose life role appears to be devoted to killing superheroes. Nemesis, by Millar, features some superb art by Steve McNiven and is another Marvel Icon title, and another vicious anti-superhero tale.

The strip content rounds off with The Diner, a three-page strip by Manuel Bracchi that has won out over many other submissions to appear in this first issue, one of many submitted via Millar's own web forum for consideration in the new title.

So - is Clint any good?

Well, it certainly has a firm handle on its potential audience and has a heady mix of strips and features that will appeal to a target market of teens who can buy their own comics (because if Mummy ever buys this for their eight-year-old, we'll soon have the same kind of press hysteria that put an end to Action thirty years ago). In those terms, it ticks all the boxes.

Is it the kind of comic I want to read? Well, no – but it isn't aimed at me, a 50-something comics fan who grew up reading TV Century 21, Valiant and what are, today, other far gentler comics albeit ones crammed with eye-grabbing adventure and characters. I fully accept that, recognize how much work has gone into getting the mix of the first issue right, and sincerely hope Clint does reach its market and is a huge success, because if it is, it will benefit everyone in the British comics industry, long term.

Let's hope we just don't end up with a load of copycat titles, which is what happened when VIZ went large. Do what Mark and Titan have done - something different.

The big questions is: will that target audience buy Clint instead of Nuts, Zoo and similar titles? Right now, no-one knows, but you can be darn sure Titan have done their homework and are well aware they need to cleverly market Clint to ensure it gets the attention it craves.

At a time when sales of the titles it's emulating - aside from the comics element - are in decline, perhaps Clint will also give that sector a much-needed jolt in terms of sales. We'll just have to wait and see... But good on them for at least giving it a go.

• Official CLINT web site. Jonathan Ross and Mark Millar will be signing copies on Thursday 2nd September at 4.30pm at WH Smiths in London's Victoria station.

• Discuss CLINT #1 on the downthetubes forum (membership required)

News Items

• Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser (no, really): New comic called Clint from Coatbridge’s Mark Millar
1st September, 2010 (repeats earlier Titan PR for the title with local 'spin'): Coatbridge writer Mark Millar is launching a UK comic that will feature stories by TV presenter Jonathan Ross and comedian Frankie Boyle...

• MTV: Mark Millar Drops 'CLiNT' Comics Magazine On Doorsteps Today, Previews The First Issue!
2nd September, 2010 - Includes interview with Mark Millar, who says "It’s really secretly selling people comics. My dad’s generation and my generation all read comics as children but my daughters generation, the boys in her class have never picked up a comic book. So I wanted it to be something teenage boys and young guys in their 20s would feel comfortable with, you know? Something that is a hybrid.”


• Bleeding Cool: Copies of CLiNT Seen in the Wild
Bleeding Cool forum thread documenting some of the daft places WH Smiths staff (and other retailers) have racked the new comic. In one case, apparently next to Bob the Builder...

Other Reviews

• Comics Alliance: CLiNT is definitely a Magazine
by Chris Sims: "I legitimately like the "Warning! Contains Comics!" blurb in the corner. It plays into the whole attempt at characterizing what they're doing as a faux-dangerous bit of counterculture along the lines of 2000AD's heyday, and while that idea is defeated pretty thoroughly by having a photo cover depicting characters from a major motion picture that starred Nicolas Cage, it does put the emphasis squarely on comics. And that's exactly where it belongs, because that's where CLiNT is at its best."

• FHM: New Magazine! New Kick-Ass!

• Geeksco.uk: Wossy and Boyle strips in new CLiNT Magazine
"Having had a sneak peek at the 100 page magazine, it’s certainly an exciting new direction for Mark Millar. Jonathan Ross’s vampire comic is a complete surprise and an excellent one at that. A dark tale of vampires and gangs in depression-hit New York, the second installment can’t arrive fast enough. We are also gifted with Millar’s explosive and controversial strip, Nemesis, drawn by artist Steve McNiven with whom Millar had previously worked on Marvels Civil War mini series. The jokey premise for the strip was ‘What if Batman was a total c**t‘ which understandably caused some concern with DC Comics..." 

• Journalist Danny Graydon: Clint #1 - The Verdict

"... We have the latest attempt at pushing edgy and irreverent comics in to the mainstream, with the arrestingly-titled “CLiNT” – think about it – produced by writer Mark Millar and Titan Magazines. Ever the connoisseur of hyperbole, Millar grandly claimed that “This is The Eagle for the 21st Century!” and, having read the debut issue, I can only respond to that pearl of wisdom with: you bloody wish, old boy. No, no: the truth is that CLiNT is essentially TOXIC! resurrected... This is by no means a bad thing."

• Lew Stringer - Blimey! It's Another Blog about Comics

"The promos talk about it appealing to 16 to 30 year-olds but maybe that's just to sell it to retailers. Personally I think CLiNT will really find an audience of 13 to 16 year-olds excited by the ultra-violence of Kick Ass and Nemesis. Don't be surprised to see some prudes rise up to bang on about comics "corrupting children". Every generation has those spoilsports and they've never proven their case yet. It seems to me that Millar and Titan have preempted such attacks by not making the cover look like a comic and clearly putting an 'Adult Content' advisory beside the barcode. The responsibility is now with retailers to choose who to sell it to, and with parents to monitor what their kids read. No passing the buck this time for the blame culture....

Collected Elephantmen Return!

The sold out first volume of Richard Starkings ace comic Elephantmen is back in print. With a cover from ace 2000AD artist Boo Cook (who's just been interviewed by downthetubes contributor Matt Badham here), it now includes the sold out Zero issue by with art by Ladronn, as well as an all-new sketchbook section, the 'English & Media Studies' backmatter from the single issues.

This new collection also features an all-new introduction by Jonathan Ross, writer of Turf and contributor to Titan Magazines Clint magazine. (We also hear he works in TV and radio, but we won't hold that against him).

The volume collects Collects Elephantmen #0-7, written by Richard Starkings & Joe Kelly, with art by Ladrönn, Moritat, Henry Flint, Tom Scioli, David Hine and Chris Bachalo and was first published in November 2008.

• More info here on the Elephantmen web site. Diamond order number: SEP10 0455

Yes, they're really calling it CLiNT

Comics by two of the UK’s most outspoken TV personalities and burgeoning writing talents – Jonathan Ross and stand-up comedian Frankie Boyle – will feature in CLiNT Magazine, a new joint venture between Kick Ass creator Mark Millar and Titan Magazines.

Millar’s sequel to his cult comic and smash hit movie will also feature in the monthly title to form a stunning line-up of stories, which debuts 2nd September in the UK and will be on sale in British newsagents as well as specialist comic stores.

The Jonathan Ross strip will first serialise his Image comic Turf, drawn by Tommy Lee Edwards, before moving on to new material. Comics news site Bleeding Cool reported back in May that the Frankie Boyle strip is likely to be the Hereditary/Project Bloodline concept about the descendant of FBI’s Top Ten Wanted supervillains on the run.

"This is The Eagle for the 21st Century,” declares Millar, whose genre-busting Kick-Ass scooped the number one movie spot in the US and whose previous work includes Wanted, starring Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman.

"I’ve worked on everything from Spider-Man comics to the Iron Man movie for Marvel in New York, but what really excites me is the gap I see in the UK market at the moment. There are absolutely no comic-books aimed at 16-30 year old guys and I think CLiNT has potential to make an enormous impact, bringing a new type of magazine to a new generation.

"I want this to be edgy and irreverent, the kind of thing guys will be passing around lunch-halls and common rooms, and there’s nobody I’d rather have creating new characters for CLiNT than Jonathan and Frankie," he continues. "They’re both brilliant writers and will surprise a lot of people with this stuff.

The last thing you’d expect from Jonathan, for example, is a vampire strip, but he pulls it off amazingly. People are going to love this."

Millar is also launching his sequel to the hit Kick-Ass movie in the first issue of the comic. Kick-Ass 2: Balls To The Wall has been scheduled for production in 2011 for a 2012 cinema release, but fans of the first movie can find out what happens two years in advance by picking up CLiNT.

The 100-page magazine will be packed with interviews and features from movies, games and television as well as four serialized comic-strips. The biggest names in entertainment will be featured every month and some will even be sticking around to write sci-fi, humour or horror stories after they’ve been interviewed and quizzed.

“We can’t say who else is involved at this stage,” says Millar. “Jonathan, Frankie and I will have our stories serialized over the first six months, but we have the most insane line-up of creators ready to come in and join us. You’d be amazed how many people who work in film and television want to be comic-book writers. It’s very exciting and we think we’re creating something potentially enormous here.”

Further information on who is involved can be found at twitter.com/clintmag and Facebook, where future developments will be revealed on a regular basis.

• CLiNT #1 is on sale 2nd September in the UK from all good retailers and specialist comic stores. Available in the US by subscription. For future exclusive information on CLiNT, follow twitter.com/clintmag

• A CLiNT wallpaper to brighten up your desktops

Ross Talks Turf with Geek Syndicate

Top British comics and media podcast service Geek Syndicate has secured something of a well-deserved exclusive - a 45 minute interview with Jonathan Ross about about the success of his new comic, Turf, working with Tommy Lee Edwards, the future of the comic and perhaps a possible film adaptation.

"He revealed quite a bit during the interview," says Geek Syndicate's Barry Nugent.

"Jonathan also chats about some of his future comic projects (including a passing mention of a very interesting project for Joe Quesada) and Clint the new [Titan] comic magazine being created by Mark Millar. There’s also a brief audio tour of his comics room."

With news this week that Jonathan’s wife Jane Goldman is re-teaming with Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn to write X-Men: First Class, he also gives Geek Syndicate his reaction to the news as a die hard Marvel fan and a little hint of what we can expect.

There's also information on his plans for his revamped Hot Sauce website and the return of his book review blog.

• Direct link to the Geek Syndicate episode


• Photo by Dr Bloefeld, licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

Titan to launch "Eagle for the 21st Century"

Comics by two of the UK’s most outspoken TV personalities and burgeoning writing talents - Jonathan Ross and stand-up comedian Frankie Boyle - will feature in CLiNT Magazine, an exciting new joint venture between Kick Ass creator Mark Millar and Titan Magazines.

Millar’s sequel to his cult comic and smash hit movie will also feature in the monthly title to form a stunning line-up of stories.

“This is The Eagle for the 21st Century,” claims Millar, whose genre-busting Kick-Ass scooped the number one movie spot in America and whose previous work includes Wanted, starring Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman.

“I’ve worked on everything from Spider-Man comics to the Iron Man movie for Marvel, but what really excites me is the gap I see in the UK market at the moment.

"There are absolutely no comic-books aimed at 16-30 year old guys," he claims, perhaps ignoring Judge Dredd: The Megazine. "I think CLiNT has potential to make an enormous impact, bringing a new type of magazine to a new generation.

“I want this to be edgy and irreverent, the kind of thing guys will be passing around lunch-halls and common rooms, and there’s nobody I’d rather have creating new characters for CLiNT than Jonathan and Frankie," he continues. They’re both brilliant writers and will surprise a lot of people with this stuff. The last thing you’d expect from Jonathan, for example, is a vampire strip, but he pulls it off amazingly. People are going to love this.”

Millar is also launching his sequel to the hit Kick-Ass movie in the first issue of the comic. Kick-Ass 2: Balls To The Wall has been scheduled for production in 2011 for a 2012 cinema release, but fans of the first movie can find out what happens two years in advance by picking up CLiNT.

The 100-page magazine will be packed with interviews and features from movies, games and television as well as four serialized comic-strips. The biggest names in entertainment will be featured every month and some will even be sticking around to write sci-fi, humour or horror stories after they’ve been interviewed and quizzed.

“We can’t say who else is involved at this stage,” says Millar. “Jonathan, Frankie and I will have our stories serialized over the first six months, but we have the most insane line-up of creators ready to come in and join us. You’d be amazed how many people who work in film and television want to be comic-book writers. It’s very exciting and we think we’re creating something potentially enormous here.”

Talking about the project on his web site, where he recently put out an appeal for one page science fiction humour strips, Mark told fans Clint is not aimed at comic stores but "the huge potential of a UK mass market, the like of which hasn’t really been reached in a generation.

"Newsagents and supermarkets don’t really care about regular pros like me, instead looking for brand names like movie titles and television personalities. Hence the reason I’m launching this with the Kick-Ass sequel and people like Frankie Boyle and Jonathan Ross.

"It’s going to be a massive venture and one aimed almost entirely at the UK," he enthused. "It’s obviously massively exciting and I’ve been secretly working on it for a little while with some people I’m very excited about... I want to make this big, a cultural phenomenon and a showcase in parts for the UK talent I don’t feel has a wide platform anymore here."

• Further information on who is involved can be found at twitter.com/clintmag, where future developments will be revealed on a regular basis.

• CLiNT #1 will be on-sale from 2nd September in the UK: available from all good retailers and specialist comic stores. US subscriptions will be available.

Vaughn to Jonathan Ross' Turf

Various web sites have picke up on the information that Turf, the prohibition-era mash-up of gangsters, vampires and aliens written by TV presenter Jonathan Ross and drawn by Tommy Lee Edwards for Image Comics may be headed to the big screen.

IVC2.com and Scoop both follow up on UK news stories, initially from papers such as The Guardian earlier this month, that the mini series could be movie-bound, directed by Kick-Ass and Stardust director Matthew Vaughn.

"Both Kick-Ass and Stardust were co-scripted by Vaughn and Ross’s wife, Jane Goldman," notes Scoop, "so there’s a connection there that only the government could miss."

The first issue - which has already sold out and gone to a second printing - opens in New York, 1929. The height of prohibition. The cops turn a blind eye while the mobs run the city, dealing in guns, girls and illegal liquor. But the arrival of the mysterious Dragonmir Family from Eastern Europe with more of a taste for blood than booze coincides with a series of brutal attacks on the gangsters themselves.

As the gangs fall before the fangs, only handful of mobsters survive. But an unlikely alliance formed between tough guy Eddie Falco and a character from a long way from New York City - a long way from Earth in fact - offers the humans a glimmer of hope...

"What Turf is about – in my head, anyway – is connection," Ross has revealed. "It's about a life not being worth living unless you have people around you and connect. It's about not following your basest instincts, not following urges or ambition. It's about saying family's important, other people are important.

"One of the characters, Susie, is initially an ambitious young journalist who wants to make a name for herself. And then she comes to realise all of her ambitions mean nothing, because actually, you know, deep down all the things we achieve or acquire via work are ultimately unimportant."

• Buy Turf from Forbidden Planet (.com)

• Read a Guardian interview with Jonathan Ross about Turf and non-comic matters, like him leaving the BBC

Jonathan Ross Reveals His New Comic Title

In a podcast for top cult news site Geek Syndciate, the often controversial DJ and major celebrity comic fan Jonathan Ross (who has also even appeared in a few, such as The Beano!) has revealed the upcoming four issue mini series he's written with Tommy Lee Edwards is be titled Turf and could be a period gangster comic with supernatural themes.

The US publisher is yet to be announced.

Ross says Tommy Lee Edwards, who he was introduced to by Mark Millar, whose art credits include Batman, Doctor Who, James Bond, Star Wars and more (check out his official web site for more superb portfolio work like the piece above), is currently working on a film project but will start on Turf in about a month.

Bleeding Cool reports that in earlier tweeting commentary, Ross stated that he was finishing the script for issue two and that it wasn’t a superhero comic but was set in the past and featured 1920s vampires, describing it as as "an intelligent popcorn movie. Lots of action, lots of setting, lots of cool ideas, but with an emotional heart to it."

Ross was also asked about how he got into comics in the podcast: he mentions the free mask in Captain Britain given away with Captain Britain Weekly #1 in the 1970s, running his own comic shop in London's Soho with Paul Gambacinni and how they lost thousands of pounds a week, why he is unable to attend comic conventions as much as he would like, and about the adaptation of Mark Millar's Kick Ass that Jonathan's wife, Jane, is working on as well his view on comic to film adaptations.

• Check out the podcast here on Geek Syndicate