Vanguard 2 anthology now online for free

The second issue of the UK indie anthology comic Vanguard is on sale now, continuing the stories that began in issue 1.

As before, art duties on the International Woman of Mystery tale "Atomic Call" are by David Blankley, while Louis Carter continues to produce some brilliantly bizarre artwork on the sci-fi, fantasy epic Halo and the Gryphon. This issue's violent installment of 1800's When Good Donkey's Go Bad tale "Mammoth-Jack" features a change of artist however, as El Chivo takes over pencilling duties from Owen Watts. (However, Watts is still on board providing some fantastic lettering work for the six page tale...and that's not his only contribution to this issue).

Apart from this there is another Tucker story, featuring glorious, blood-soaked, full colour artwork by Bhuna.

"This tale features a change of direction for the psychopathic character originally created for Hallowscream," says editor Dirk van Dom, "bringing a fantasy-based twist to proceedings in order to 'lighten' the serial-slashing tone somewhat.

"I've also got another two wonderful pages of art featuring the comic's fictional editor 'Redbats' by David Withers, who also provides lettering for two of the strips herein. And, of course, it would be remiss of me not to mention that lettering master Jim Campbell has also deigned to grace us with his presence lettering David Blankley's noir-tastic Atomic Call pages.

Vanguard is 24 pages of cover to cover action, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, alien creatures, ass-kicking babes, angry donkeys, demons and deceased serial killers. You can read it for free online - just make your way here and enjoy the comic, but be sure to leave some comments in return.

If you enjoy Issue 2, then you might want to buy Issue 1. "Only issue 2 is available to view," says Dirk. "I didn't think it would be fair to those who purchased a copy of issue 1 to then make it available for free, so I haven't done so."

Of course, you might still want to buy a print copy of Issue 2 - and that's avialable too and comes with free gifts, including a copy of "Speed Date", a 16-page full-colour A5 comic that collects together both parts of slaser-serial killer story "Speed Date", which originally appeared in Hallowscream's 2010 and 2011 issues. Art on part 1 is by Ghostpockets and on part 2 by Bhuna.

You'll also receive a set of four, full-colour, gloss laminated artcards featuring art by some of the comic's contributors. There's an unlettered version of Liam Byrne's groovy issue 1 cover art, an unlettered version of David Blankley's issue 2 cover and brand new images by Owen Watts and Louis Carter, featuring 'Mammoth-Jack' and 'Halo and the Gryphon' respectively.

If you would like to support us by purchasing a copy, you can order via paypal at the below rates:

For ROI orders, the cost is 3.35 Euros, including p&p.
For NI orders, the cost is 3.00 Sterling, including p&p.
For UK orders, the cost is 3.75 Sterling, including p&p.

Payments should be made to vanguardcomic@gmail.com.

• There are also copies of the comic on sale in Sub City, Exchequer Street, if anybody Dublin-based wants to check that out.

Happy Birthday, 2000AD! From creator and fan Owen Watts

Name: Owen Watts
 
Blog or web site: crazyfoxmachine.blogspot.com
 
Currently working on:

I'm a small press artist and editor currently putting together the second issue of my psychedelic Doctor Who comic anthology Dr WTF?! that features a whole host of familiar (and unfamiliar) small pressers including a cover this year from a bonafide 2000AD legend!

I've drawn a strip for an upcoming issue for the 2000AD fanzine Zarjaz which features the old stoney-faced mug of law and I'm also working on a comic with steampunk chap-hopper Professor Elemental!

First memory of 2000AD?

I started with the Dandy and Sonic the Comic and then... I became a Marvel freak, I'll admit it. I used to read Panini's Marvel Heroes Reborn reprint comic almost exclusively - drawn to the appealing anthology format (each issue had Hulk, Fantastic Four and Iron Man). It was cancelled in November 2000 and I was gutted. The other Panini Marvel titles just didn't draw me in (one character per issue - pffff) - and then as if by magic Prog 1218 appeared.

I was 13. It had Ezquerra on Dredd, Flint on Deadlock, Fraser on Dante, MacNeil on Vanguard and Wilson on Rain Dogs. Five artists who are still my favourites. Five different stories every issue in radically different styles - each completely different universes each telling completely different stories. Then - Necronauts, D'Israeli Future Shocks, Kevin Walker, John Burns, Arthur Ranson, the logo!

I was utterly totally smitten and I've accepted no substitute ever since.

Favourite Character or Story?

It would be easier to name the few stories I don't like! Briefly though -  Ian Edginton can do no wrong with me - the very fact that he's knitting all of his stories into one glorious continuity cake is just amazing. Leviathan, for example,  is one of the most captivating and atmospheric stories ever printed in 2000AD. I recommend everyone get the graphic novel. Bryan Talbot did a story called Memento in Prog 2002 that just knocked me for six.

In terms of on-going characters I've always loved Nikolai Dante - the constant back-and-forth between two radically different but consistently amazing artists (Fraser and Burns - at least since 2000 anyway) is phenomenal and some parts of the narrative have packed such an emotional punch it's been inconceivable.

The real testament of Dredd is that there's still room in his world and his character for progression - from smart one offs to sprawling epics - Dredd is still captivating and even if it goes on for another 35 years I'm certain there'll still be more to tell without his universe becoming tired and convoluted like those of the mainstream American comics.

 Also - in terms of a single graphic novel - Alan Moore's Time Twisters is one of the greatest single collected editions of anything. Ever.

What do you like most about 2000AD?

The community. The variety. The personality. No other comic comes close, it's completely unique. In terms of community: I couldn't recommend the forums at 2000adonline higher - without them my anthology would be empty and every convention I go to would be a parade of terrifyingly unfamiliar faces.

Quick Plug: For this most 35th of Februaries, the forum's art competition and story competition are combining to become a collaboration spectacular - that should hopefully be chock-a-block with wonderfully heartfelt tributes to the glorious prog!

Come and take a look (or take part) and see what creativity the forum is capable of!

What would you most like to see in 2000AD as it heads to its Forties?
The Megazine used to do a wonderful feature called "Small Press" that highlighted ... well, the small press. 2000AD is fantastic with new creators - although especially over the last two years a lot of the Future Shocks (and similiar "tryout" strips) are being drawn by established artists and written by only two or three different writers - so it would be nice to see more of the outright nutters and weirdos from our humble small press scene get a bit more exposure in the prog in some form.

My subscriber copy arrived on my mat this morning with an absolutely breathtaking cover from relative newey Tiernen Trevallion - Flint is on Dredd, Fraser on Dante, Ezquerra on Strontium Dog and Trevallion on Absalom. I feel as excited as I did twelve years ago - and as I understand it, even if this had been my 35th year with it, I would still feel the same as I did when I first gingerly flicked through it in my local newsagent... excited!

• This post is one in a series of tributes to 2000AD to mark its 35th birthday on 26th February 2012. More about 2000AD at http://www.2000adonline.com/

2000AD © Rebellion

British indie comic anthology Vanguard debuts

Comic creator Dirk van Dom and a few others from the 2000 AD forums have put together their own anthology title - Vanguard - and issue 1 is now on sale.

Vanguard features four (would be) on-going serials, written by Dirk and illustrated by some of the best talent working in the UK small press arena.

The title follows the 2000 AD formula of offering a varied menu of tales, and will hopefully feature something for everyone, with sci-fi action and butt-kicking heroines, fantasy adventure featuring Gryphons and Smoke Angels, a modern-day supernatural mystery thriller featuring a cast of cursed, tragic heroes with strange abilities -- and a retro-style "animals on the rampage" tale starring one very angry donkey!

As well as Dirk, other creators involved in the new book include David Blankley, Louis Carter, Brigonas Mac Giolla Chomhaill, Owen Watts and Liam Byrne, who provided the cover.

"My collaborators on this project have put their all into turning in some fantastic-looking pages and the whole thing sits together really well," says Dirk. "With this first issue, our small-press adventure is off to a fine beginning, and I can promise that it will only get better from here.

"The first issue of Vanguard is very much an experiment, to test the waters and get some feedback on the stories, see what works and what doesn't. The aim is to produce a regular - if infrequent! - comic that will develop the stories and characters within and allow them to reach their natural conclusions.

"The plan is that there will be two issues of Vanguard published each year, probably Summer and Winter editions, though how feasible/workable this is all remains to be seen... Issue 2 is certainly going to happen by the end of the year."

• For more information and how to order visit: http://vanguardcomic.blogspot.com/