New Comical Animal released in the wild (web, that is)

Happy Kitty Spa Holistic Day Spa, by Gemma Correll

(with thanks to Matt Badham): The latest online edition of Comical Animal is online now, a diverse compendium of animal-inspired comic strips and cartoons.

Released quarterly, Issue 7 includes tributes to the Pink Panther and features contributions from Fred Blunt, Gemma Correll, Spirou comic's Geoffrey Alistair Coupland, Rob Jackson, Lizz Lunney, Jim Medway, Piotr Nowacki, Alex Potts, Ryan Taylor and others.

A quarterly online publication for comic, cartoon and kids books afficianados, the next issue is out on 1st June. 

 

• Check out Issue 7 at http://comicalanimal.com

Tube Surfing: Midnight Openings, Shocking Twists and Some Ace New Comics

(Above: Sarah McIntyre doodling for charity.)

Time for another tube surf...

Richard Bruton of the Forbidden Planet International blog has posted a preview of Will Kirkby's magnificent looking Tuk Tuk comic. See it here.

Also at that blog, there's the third and final in a series of reports on the Birmingham Comicon, this time written by Michael Gee of Nostalgia and Comics.

Meanwhile, ace small press news-log Bugpowder makes us aware that Rob Jackson's Flying Leaf Creature is out.

According to the site, "Rob Jackson's trademark blend of absurdist, child-like whimsy, sweet-humoured tone and disarmingly naive cartooning (shades of Mr.Benn here) is present in this full-colour tabloid-format comic."

Cartoonist, illustrator and writer Sarah McIntyre provides a report and photos from the Klimb Children's Book Illustration Auction, which saw her and other artists doodling for charity.

Writer Tony Lee reports on the Orbital Comics Midnight Extravaganza, a midnight opening at that well-known London-based comics shop to celebrate the launch of DC's new line-wide reboot of its characters and titles.

Novelist, comics scriptwriter, beat activist, artist, agitator, DJ, sushi expert and sonic assassin Al Ewing writes about some of those rebooted DC comics over at the Travelling Man blog.

Ace artist D'Israeli reveals why he'll never be rich at his blog.

And finally, I'm really digging this new blog devoted to science fiction comic 2000 AD's Future Shocks.

Let's hear it for some Comical Animals!

Bumble Billy by Gary Northfield

A quick reminder that Jim Medway's Comical Animal, a bi-monthly online publication for comic, cartoon and kids books aficionados, is on course for a proper launch in December.

Sponsored by Good Grief! and Blank Slate Books, Jim is taking submissions for strips, articles, reviews and illustrations for the first full issue, scheduled for December. You can get to the submission guidelines here.

The preview issue features strips by a host of British artists such as Dave Shelton, Gary Northfield, Lizz Lunney, Francesca Cassavetti, Rob Jackson, Dan Berry and many more.

• Check it out at: http://comicalanimal.com

Tube Surfing: Mazeworld, Mad Science and Harvey Pekar

Does the sporadically torrential rain of the last few days mean that's all the summer we're going to get? I hope not.

Onto the Tube Surf...

• Arthur Ranson sends word that Daniel Clifford, a fan of the artist's Mazeworld strip (produced in collaboration with writer Alan Grant), has set up a Facebook petition to get the strip re-published.

Arthur has written about Daniel's efforts over at his blog. "I, of course, believe a collection of the entire Mazeworld in one fat edition would be a nice thing to have," he notes, "but the reason this petition thing excites me is the thought of a social network of fans using their connection to create an outcome.

"Coincidentally in Saturday’s Guardian Review section there was a review of Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age by Clay Shirkey whose suggestion is that the brainpower wasted with passive entertainment watching might be used via the internet to organise and do something in concert. Shirkey quotes examples of charities that have been set up. A Mazeworld reprint doesn’t have that significance but hey, we can be shallow too."

If you want to check out some pages from Mazeworld, you can do so at Arthur Ranson's website.

• Meanwhile, in Manchester, there are two events with British comic connections happening at the Lass O'Gowrie pub over the weekend as part of their epic Lass fest event.

The first, The Hammer House of Dezza, kicks off on Saturday at 3.00pm. It features veteran British comics editor Dez Skinn, who will be talking about his time at the helm of Hammer House of Horror Magazine, which included in its pages comic strips.

The second is on Sunday. It's Vworp 3, a one-day Doctor Who convention that numbers among its guests the aforementioned Dez Skinn and comic artist Adrian Salmon, alongside the likes of Doctor Who writers Terrance Dicks, Andrew Cartmel, Rob Shearman and actress Sophie Aldred, who played companion Ace alongside Seventh Doctor Sylvester McCoy.

• Speaking of events, there's lots forthcoming from the folks at Alternative Press (who describe themselves as "...a group of artists, comix creators, writers and poets dedicated to encouraging creativity through self-publishing").

The group has lots of exciting news, available via the above link, of fairs and exhibitions, including the Alternative Press Fair in November, Tunbridge Wells Zine Fest in August and much, much more.

Hang on, if I'm mentioning events, surely I've got to talk about Caption... I know John's plugged it recently, but it's well worth a reminder. Oxford's annual convention celebrates all things comics, but primarily the small press, with the theme of 'Mad Science' this year.

It looks like it's going to be another cracking event, with guests such as Melinda Gebbie, Jeremy Day, Al Davison and Darryl Cunningham all attending. I'll be along too as a punter and I can't wait!

Caption 2010 is held over two days on the weekend of 31st July.

This Tube Surf has been a bit verbose. Let's go for some quick hits:

• Rob Jackson makes ice cream and comics, and his blog is always worth a look.

• Dan McDaid goes all 'TV Action' for a pal, with a page of art homaging Doctor Who as he appeared in the 1970s comic Countdown. Oh yes!

• Adam Cadwell pays tribute to the recently deceased Harvey Pekar. He's also set up a Flickr group for pictorial tributes to Harvey. R.I.P. Mr Pekar...

And on that sad note, it's goodbye until my next Tube Surf...

Review Round Up: Pasties, Khaki Shorts and Thief Takers!

Over the past couple of months several indie press folk have sent us comics for review and I have to apologize for being slow at publishing reviews of them. downthetubes remains a site created in spare time between paid work (offers always welcome) and I've got behind with this aspect of the site. The good news is that David Hailwood has now stepped up the plate to be our small press/indie press Reviews Editor, and if you want a plug here, please send your comics to the address below. (But make sure you continue to send us press information to the usual e-mail address, thanks)

Premable over, let's cut to the comment, firstly for Rob Jackson's joyous Pasty Anthology, a 28-page black and white title with colour cover dedicated to the Cornish-created pastry delicacy that you can fill with anything (purportedly the reason why the devil never crossed the Tamar river, by the way). Combining the talents of Matt Badham, Jim Medway,
Steve Butler, Francesca Cassavetti, Dave Hughes, Ant Mercer and of course, Rob himself, this is a fun title, evidenced from the outset by its Planet of the Apes-inspired cover. Favourite elements? Hard to choose, but Steve Butler's twist in the tale 'Keeping Fit' and Francesca's 'Chewing Gum' are in there, but some of the grotesque eating habits displayed in Rob's own 'Shortcrusts #2' don't just make for strong comic strip, they'd look great on t-shirts, perhaps.

Another anthology title, Khaki Shorts #20, has also been winking at me from the corner of my desk for a while: Glasgow's longest running small-press comic offers another fantastic assembly of talent that includes Neil Bratchpiece ('Apocalypse Now & Then', featuring Amazilian, the most anatomically incorrect woman in comics, ever, surely), loads of Rob Miller's 'Star Trudge', 'The Wildebeests' by Shug and much more. Khaki Shorts is simply bursting with the kind of frenetic energy that some pro titles used to have: personally I think some strips would benefit from a larger page size rather than the A5 format ('Dollyforce 2020', in particular), but with a cover price of just £1 one pound, who's complaining?

Finally for this round up, there's Storm Comics two issue mini series Thief Taker General, which we frist plugged back in (gulp) June (see news story). Writer-artist Michael Crouch has worked hard on this true-life story adaptation, telling the story of two legends of 18th century London, Jonathan Wild and Jack Sheppard. It's an impressive piece of work, with some qualification.

Of the two issues, the first features the better art (but I'm not keen on the cover) but #2 seems, well, rushed, somehow, as if Michael was setting himself a challenge of getting the book out to a self-imposed deadline. There is better composition and storytelling in Issue 1, although in some establishing panels his wonderful attention to detail and careful recreation of 18th century life sometimes distracts from the central characters in a panel. Script-wise, the second issue also seems a trifle muddied: I have to confess I lost track of who was who, although the three-page set piece of Jack Sheppard's esacpe from prison is a visual gem.

Thief Taker is good with plenty of promise and I think Michael has the makings of a fine talent, properly tempered by stronger storytelling and better figure work (this is what all editors say, but it's true). With the huge number of 'historical comics' on the market in the pro sector, there should be no shortage of work for a honed talent.

• If you have a small press or indie title you would like us to review, send them to David Hailwood, Flat 5, The Saltings, Bognor Regis, West Sussex P021 2RJ. Press information should still be sent by e-mail to the usual downthetubes e-mail address, thanks.


• For a measly £2.50 (PayPal accepted), free postage in the UK, you can buy Pasty Anthology from Rob's web site at www.robjacksoncomics.com. Rob's blog includes sample Pages and more info: www.robjacksoncomics.blogspot.com

• Khaki Shorts #20 is on sale from Avalanche Records, the Arches Cafe and Bar, Ychai Ovna, Play it Again Sam in Glasgow and Deadhead Comics in Edinburgh. More info and ordering: www.myspace.com/khakishorts.


• All three Storm Comics titles - the scifi tale After Life and Thief Taker General #1 and #2 - can be bought in one fell swoop for £8.00 inc. p&p, a saving of £1.25, from the Storm Comics web site at www.stormcomics.com.

Panel Borders Goes SciFi Mad!

We don't often cover every podcast or radio show Alex Fitch and his team are about to broadcast, but he's got plenty lined up we think downthetubes fans will want to check out, so hold on to your hats...


• This week's Strip! show is titled Doctor Who comics now... in which Alex Fitch talks to the creators of a couple of recent innovative Doctor Who comics about bringing a new angle to the popular franchise. Leah Moore and John Reppion wrote the recent one off comic The Whispering Gallery for IDW, which saw the Doctor and Martha exploring a terrifying museum on an alien planet.

Alex also talks to Richard Morris, creator of the popular and unauthorised web comic, The Ten Doctors - an epic serialised graphic novel which celebrates almost every aspect you can think of from 46 years of the Time Lord's adventures.
 
Strip! Doctor Who comics now airs at 5.00pm on Thursday 16the July, repeated 11.30pm Sunday 19th July on Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast soon after transmission at www.panelborders.wordpress.com
 
Alex is also celebrating the Moon Landing anniversary with I'm ready for my close-up: Fly me to the Moon, featuring interviews with astronomer and broadcaster Sir Patrick Moore and Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson.
 
Sir Patrick Moore was one of many who covered the events of the Apollo 11 mission live on TV and discusses the events of that day with Alex as well as the highlights of his six decades presenting The Sky at Night.

Alex also talks to Gerry Anderson about how the space race and technological innovations of the 1960s inspired such shows as Fireball XL5 and Thunderbirds.

Network DVD recently released a special collector's edition of the entire Fireball XL5 series, which is well worth tracking down, since in addition to all the show's episodes - including a specially colourized episode - it features a new, exclusive documentary, Drawn in Supermarionation chronicling the comic strip adaptations of the early AP Films series and features contributions from director of merchandising Keith Shackleton and artists Bill Mevin, Mike Noble and Colin Page (See full news story).
 
The interview with Sir Patrick is available to download now from www.sci-fi-london.com/audio and the interview with Gerry Anderson will be broadcast on Thursday 16th July at 10.30pm Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com
 
Online from 19th July (also at www.sci-fi-london.com/audio) is Reality Check: Torchwood in Print. In a panel discussion recorded live at a meeting of the British Fantasy Society, late 1980s Doctor Who script editor Andrew Cartmel talks to a quartet of Torchwood novelists - Mark Morris, Sarah Pinborough, Guy Adams and Joe Lidster - about bringing the show to the printed page and expanding the adventures of Captain Jack, Ianto and Gwen to the length of a hardback novel.

Finally, if your interest in science fiction and fantasy goes wider than stories inspired by TV shows, then check out Panel Borders: Small press Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Continuing the podcaster's Sci-Fi comics month on the show, this features a couple of interviews recorded at comic book conventions with small press creators who are working in the SF and Fantasy genres.

In an interview recorded at this year's Bristol Comics Expo, Dickon Harris talks to comic book creator and musician Dave Lander who contributes to the anthology comic Decadence which in the last couple of instalments has been heavily SF themed. Dave also produced a CD soundtrack to go with recent issues and there are extracts in the podcast.

Also, Alex Fitch talks to Rob Jackson about his fantasy comics, Random Journeys and Bog Wizards, which combine unreliable narrators, humour and magical landscapes, in an interview recorded at a pub in the East End after the UK Web & Mini Comix Thing.
 
Originally broadcast on 9th July check it out vial this link. (And don't forget Alex has also interviewed the brilliant Paul Rainey as part of this thread - check that out here)

• For a full list of all Panel Borders comics podcasts to date, visit: www.tinyurl.com/panelborders
 
• Follow Panel Borders on twitter: http://twitter.com/panelborders and facebook: http://tinyurl.com/facebookborders

Pasties Are Better Than Comics

Oh all right, that's not really true, but you'd be hard pressed to find more enthusiasm for the pastry-based food, created by the Cornish and whose reputation is frequently ruined by bakeries across the UK who simply have no idea how to make one*, than in Rob Jackson's fun new comic anthology devoted to them.

Celebrating this lunch time staple of Cornish miners, students and many others, indie British creator Rob Jackson has just launched the 28-page The Pasty Anthology, which features contributions from downthetubes contributor and new Dad Matt Badham, Jim Medway,
Steve Butler, Francesca Cassavetti, Dave Hughes, Ant Mercer and of course, Rob himself.

The Pasty Anthology available from Rob's web site, priced only £2.50 (PayPal accepted), free postage in the UK.

"I mentioned a random idea on my blog for a Pasty based story ('The Story of Greggs' – which was a Viz-style story, thinking of those pages in Viz every so often that are called things like ‘The Story of Honey’ or ‘How We Get Milk’)," explains Rob of the anthology's origins. "Dave Hughes was very keen and started drawing pages for it so I thought I’d better actually make it."

Rob admits it's a pretty off-the-wall theme for a comic, "but everyone likes pasties. I was happily surprised at how all the artists have gone for very different takes on the vague theme.

Rob tells us he hopes his fans and newcomers to his work and the other creators will enjoy the title, which he's been working on since February. "It's very funny," he enthuses, "and has lots of very diverse stories."

Despite creating a Pasty Anthology, Rob admits he's never made one of his own. "Cheese and onion is my favourite, or Greggs Vegetable pasty," he admits, "but Dave Hughes did masses of research for his two stories (which are very funny). He's like a method actor in his diligent research!"

• Buy The Pasty Anthology via www.robjacksoncomics.com

• Sample Pages and more info on Rob's blog: www.robjacksoncomics.blogspot.com

* (I once gave a proper Cornish pasty recipe to the now defunct bakery chain Birketts, which had a shop on the Lancaster University campus, but it did no good, they never produced a decent one).

Tube Surfing: 5 June 2009

• Busy racing between secret locations in an effort to find an internet connection that worked, we missed out on wishing Garen Ewing, creator of The Rainbow Orchid, a happy birthday yesterday (4th June) but there's still time to enter his competition to win a signed and sketched cover proof of the upcoming collection from Egmont UK! The deadline is midnight GMT on Sunday 7 June. See this post on his official web site for details.

• Talking of competitions, Garen reports Sarah McIntyre decided to celebrate his "40th of June" birthday celebrations (along with the likes of Jason Cobley, Gosh! Comics, Forbidden Planet, Paul Harrison-Davies and many others by holding her own competition - you have to draw a suitably extravagant moustache on this terrific portrait of Garen she's drawn. See Sarah's blog for details - and again, the deadline is Sunday evening (7 June).

• Matthew Badham has a brilliant interview with artist John Higgins on the Forbidden Planet International blog, talking about his new book, Razorjack, and how his comics career. "There was a certain element of lucky accident when it came to my art, particularly with colour," he reveals. "I was spending ages and ages on my painted art, probably a week on each page. But what I was doing in those days was learning on the job. You’re experimenting and you’re trying new things and if it goes wrong, then you have to start all over again. Or you discover something that’s completely and utterly wonderful by accident that you wouldn’t have been able to think through." Read the full interview

• Warren Ellis talks about "the dubious virtues of ebooks" in his latest column for wired.co.uk, which you can read online for free on the new magazine's web site. It's titled "The Kindle is a mewling, crippled, pining thing" so you can guess the gist. Warren argues that right now, British book publishers have less to fear from ebook publishing (the Kindle doesn't even work in the UK, apparently): their worry is that "the threat to reading comes only from our education system – and the fact that most children are born to 15-year-old foetal-alcohol-syndrome cases." (Episode 57 of Freak Angels is live now, by the way, just as an aside...)

• Lee Robson reports there's a great review of Accent UK's Robots over at Newsarama where it's compared very favourably to the Popgun anthologies from Image Comics. Read the full review here.

• And finally... Rob Jackson reports that with the arrival an awesome page for the Pasty Anthology from Jim Medway, his long-awaited collection is almost finished, and hopefully he'll be sending it off to the printers next week. It sounds like a fun assembly of creative talent!