Team MOBILE #3 audio comic on sale now from iTunes

The Team MOBILE #3 audio comic from ROK Comics is now on sale in the iTunes store for Apple devices.

The adventures of Team M.O.B.I.L.E. continue! They are the undesirables, the no-hopers, misfits… the teenagers who don’t fit in, who flunk every school test and often end up on the wrong side of the law.

But these teens have a secret – they are secret agents for a mysterious international organisation – the Mindmerge Organisation Bureau – International Law Enforcement. Selected using secret tests, they're gifted with skills to tackle any threat to the world, anywhere and any time!

In Game World, the teen agents investigate the disappearance of children from a major theme park - and uncover a sinister plot - the work of deadly Cyboks!

Team M.O.B.I.L.E. is a ROK Comics production from Ferg Handley (script), Andrew Chiu (art), Kris Carter and Kirsty Swan (colour) and Jim Campbell (letters), backed by a full UK-US voice cast and soundtrack. This issue also includes a background feature on the world of Team M.O.B.I.L.E. and the Cyboks.

• Now on sale in the iTunes store for Apple devices

Unabashed Self (and Smuzz) Promotion: Crucible debuts at last

Here are two pages of the the first episode of Crucible, which features in the relaunched STRIP Magazine #1, out this week. The strip is written by me, with art by Smuzz, colour by Kris Carter, lettered by the wonderful Jim Campbell.

As some long-suffering readers of this blog know, the story is based on a concept I’ve had in my head for years but I never wanted it to be sold to a company and Smuzz was the artist most connected with it down the years. (We almost got it picked up by Marvel’s Epic brand, thanks to Dan Chichester, just to give you an idea of how long this one has been in the works! Grateful thanks to everyone who has supported this project along the way, especially Smuzz.

This is one of the mag’s creator owned strips, which also included Phil Hester and John McCrea’s Warpaint on that front.

The print version of the Magazine should be on sale from today (Thursday) in selected WH Smiths although getting a straight answer out of them as to the exact release date has been a struggle, causing a bit of disappointment for the title's (currently) small but fervent fan base: it will certainly will be be on sale, I’m told, in the London area today with full roll out tomorrow.

There’s a full list of WH Smiths that will be stocking it on the STRIP blog (http://stripcomicmagazineuk.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/strip-magazine-1-wh-smiths-store-list.html).

It’s also available to order from any WH Smiths or newsagent in the UK, heading for UK comic ships via Diamond and you can definitely buy it for iPad now (https://itunes.apple.com/app/strip-magazine-2.1/id619259147.

Lou Scannon becomes a Fad Deity!

The latest issue of Eagle Award nominated sci-fi/comedy comic Lou Scannon is now available.

'Fad Deity', by Jim Bampfield, Dan Harris and Kris Carter, shows the adventures of a lone office lackey, who (due to bizarre circumstances) comes to worship Lou Scannon as a god. But what will happen when he meets his unwitting hero?

This fifth issue was launched at the 2013 Cardiff Comic Con, and can be ordered from www.louscannon.co.uk for £3 plus postage. In addition to a full self-contained 22 page story, there's an additional six pages of fact files, making of's, letters pages and a back up strip.

• A 6 page preview PDF can be downloaded at www.louscannon.co.uk

Lou Scannon Issue 4 comes knocking at your door

Lou Scannon and his ragtag band of mercenaries have responded to a distress call from a trashed government research station. Now our anti-heroes find themselves trapped on the station with the very beast that destroyed it and killed its crew!

With about a billion* homages to Aliens and Predator, the fourth issue of this strong-selling adult sci-fi/comedy British indie comic is the funniest and most action-packed yet, the creators tell us (and backed that up with a threat of nuclear weapon use, so we believe them, honest). It's got beasts that lurk in the shadows! Experimental weapons wielded by genetically engineered weapons experts! It's got a forklift truck! And it's got a twist that will take off and nuke your socks from orbit - it's the only way to be sure!

Lou Scannon Issue Four is great fun throughout, with a twist that will have your head spinning in four dimensions. The title's rapidly developing a firm following and both script and art a delight. We recommend this, and we're not just saying that because we're frightened of their guns.

The fourth issue of this Eagle Award finalist from Dan Harris, Jim Bampfield and Kris Carter is now available to buy from www.louscannon.co.uk, and soon from Forbidden Planet Cardiff, Fish 4 Comics (Cardiff) and Orbital Comics (London).

Issues 1, 2 & 3 are also all still available, and well worth a read! We promise you, you won't regret it! (Stop sticking that gun in my back, darn it!)

• If you'd like to catch up with the Lou Scannon creators, they will be at the one day Cardiff Comic Con event on 4th November, and at Thought Bubble in Leeds on 16th-18th November.

* (not actually a billion, a traitor to the production reveals. Don't let anyone on the team told you we told you this...)

 

ROK Comics releases first iPad audio comic, Team MOBILE

ROK Comics, Britain's dedicated mobile comics publisher, has published its first originated audio comic title for the iPad – TEAM M.O.B.I.L.E.

Featuring a fully authored audio soundtrack and its own theme tune, TEAM M.O.B.I.L.E. is the exciting story of teenage secret agents battling dangerous enemies across the globe.

An ongoing adventure story, the first issue of TEAM M.O.B.I.L.E. centres on the story of misfit duo Maisy Brown and Sam Thompson, who are recruited into a secret organisation to battle crime, terrorism and other dangers.

TEAM M.O.B.I.L.E. is the creation of ROK Group PLC co-founder Jonathan Kendrick.

Jonathan has long harboured an ambition to marry comics with sound and published on mobile devices including the iPad and iPhone. Inspired by a love of James Bond and comics, he came up with the back story for the comic, including its top secret 'MindMerge' technology and gadgets.

"We are really pleased with the originality and quality of our first audio comic which has just been published on the iTunes store and we look forward to developing the story further," said Jonathan.

 The strip is written by John Freeman from storylines by Jonathan Kendrick, with art by Andrew Chiu. Kris Carter is colouring the title, with Jim Campbell providing lettering and logos.

John's credits include work for Marvel, Judge Dredd Megazine and Black Ops Extreme for STRIP – The Comic Magazine, but he's perhaps better known as an editor, for ROK Comics and titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, STRIP and many others.
Andrew's credits include 2000 AD, the mainstay of the British comics industry, DC Comics, Vertigo Comics and ILEX Press.

Kris Carter's credits include Transformers and Doctor Who while Jim Campbell has worked for pretty much every major British comic publisher and some American companies, too.
The soundtrack, which complements the strip action, features the voices of both British and American actors, produced by Sneaky Snake Films in New York. The Team M.O.B.I.L.E. theme tune was created by accomplished composer Bob Townley, who's worked with a number of established chart artists in the US and UK.

ROK Comics is also publishing strips for mobile under license, including an Andy Capp iPhone app in partnership with the Mirror newspaper and a Viz iPhone app in partnership with Dennis Publishing, and Print Media's STRIP - The Comic Magazine.


Three iPhone apps published in partnership with individual creators – Ligeia the Vampire by Rodrigo Diaz Ricci, The Mobile Gospel by Rich Diesslin and Madd Science by Steve English – are also available.

Further comics are in development.

ROK Comics, part of ROK Global PLC, continues to provide mobile comics content for WAP subscription services across the globe and is currently working with partners in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

• Team M.O.B.I.L.E.online: www.theteammobile.com

• Visit ROK Comics at: www.rokcomics.com 

ROK Comics launches teen secret agent comic

ROK Comics, Britain's dedicated mobile comics publisher, has just launched its first originated comic title – MISFITS FROM M.O.B.I.L.E.

MISFITS FROM M.O.B.I.L.E., drawn by Andrew Chiu, is the first fully originated ROK Comics title and will initially be published as a weekly web comic (at www.misfitsfrommobile.com), followed by roll out on iPad and other devices.

An ongoing adventure comic, MISFITS FROM M.O.B.I.L.E. centres on the story of teenagers recruited into a secret organisation to battle crime, terrorism and other dangers – some stranger than others.

And if you’re wondering why a secret organisation would risk such young lives, there’s a very good reason, and all will be revealed in the coming weeks…

MISFITS FROM M.O.B.I.L.E. is the creation of ROK founder Jonathan Kendrick, a concept he has been developing for several years. Inspired by a love of James Bond and comics, he came up with the back story for the comic, including its top secret 'MindMerge' technology and gadgets.

The strip is written by John Freeman from storylines by Jonathan Kendrick, with art by Andrew Chiu. Kris Carter is colouring the title, with Jim Campbell providing lettering and logos.

Andrew Chiu's credits include 2000 AD, the mainstay of the British comics industry, DC Comics, Vertigo Comics and ILEX Press.

Kris Carter is a digital colourist, illustrator and web designer whose credits include Transformers and Doctor Who and Jim Campbell is a professional comic-book letterer and occasional artist whose credits are far too numerous to details but suffice to say, he's worked for pretty much every major British comic publisher and some American companies, too.

ROK Comics has previously published creator-owned and licensed strips for mobile, with three iPhone apps – Ligeia the Vampire by Rodrigo Diaz Ricci, The Mobile Gospel by Rich Diesslin and Madd Science by Steve English.

Further iPhone apps, working with a number of different publishers, are in development.

ROK Comics, part of ROK Global PLC, continues to provide mobile comics content for WAP subscription services across the globe and is currently working with partners in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

• Follow MISFITS from M.O.B.I.L.E. at www.misfitsfrommobile.com


• Visit ROK Comics at: www.rokcomics.com

Lou Scannon debuts with werewolf opener

Doctor Who and Transformers colourist Kris Carter is a man juggling many projects and one of them is an independently-produced sci-fi comedy comic, Lou Scannon, written and drawn by him and his friend Dan Harris.

The first issue, 'The Wolfman of Astrotaz', comes crammed with jokes about werewolves, stupid mercenaries and even more stupid space police - and uses magnetic business cards as a macguffin.

"Lou Scannon is a Space Pirate/Mercenary/Smuggler/Miscreant/Whatever, trying to get by in a galaxy ruled over by the oppressive Galactic Coalition Police Force (Or GCPF for short)," Kris explains. "He's put together his own crew of outcasts and all sorts of hilarity ensues in their quest to make a buck.

"Along the way Lou tries to learn more about his past (of which he knows nothing) but doesn't realise that in finding the key to his past, he's also unlocking something that will change the galaxy forever. Or at least for a couple of weeks."

Lou Scannon #1 is a full 22 page b&w story, the first in a loosely connected arc of six issues (next one is due around December 2011). The printed comic also has additional exclusive materials such as development sketches, deleted pages, and best of all, a good old fashioned readers letters page, with honest-to-gosh nonsense submitted by actual people!

Be warned: it does have some bad language, so it's not one for the wee bairns.

Lou Scannon co-writer, colourist and letterer Kris Carter has previously worked in newspaper pre-press and graphic design before tackling digital comic book colouring professionally.

A big fan of co-writer Dan’s ‘Lou Scannon’ universe, he badgered Dan to make a comic of it for years, until he decided to light a fire under Dan’s behind by writing and drawing the bulk of issue #1 himself. It worked.

Kris’ published comic book colouring work includes numerous Transformers and Doctor Who titles, Torchwood, TMNT and Wynonna Earp, as well as some stunning work on Crucible, one of many strips planned for the upcoming STRIP Magazine.


Co-writr and penciller Dan Harris created the ‘Lou Scannon’ universe as part of his BA (Hons) Animation degree from Glamorgan University. In addition to being a talented writer and illustrator, Dan is also a tattoo artist and co-runs the “Distinctive Tattoo” studio based in Trefforest, South Wales. His published comic book work includes contributing artwork and colours to the 10thology graphic novel published for the Cardiff Comic Con 2011.

• Lou Scannon costs £3 from the Lou Scannon website - www.louscannon.co.uk