Sherlock Holmes: The Liverpool Demon released

Sherlock Holmes: The Liverpool Demon #1, written by British creators Leah Moore and John Reppion and penciled by Matt Triano is on sale now in all good comic shops.

Sherlock Holmes is busy doing what he does best, solving a case of far-reaching international notoriety. It has landed him at the Port of Liverpool, a bustling hub of commerce both legitimate and illicit. As that chapter closes, ours begins. They head to Lime Street Station, to catch a fast steam locomotive home to London and Baker Street, when violent weather keeps The Great Detective and Watson in Britain's second city a while longer. Long enough to encounter a monster, discover the Liverpool underworld, and to become embroiled in one of his strangest cases yet.

Leah and John's work on Dynamite Entertainment's Sherlock Holmes has been widely praised. Artist Mike Carey described their previous story, The Trial of Sherlock Holmes, as "A classic locked room mystery, deploying Conan Doyle’s core cast with huge skill and conviction" while Babylon 5 creator J Michael Straczynski enthused: "Forget what you’ve heard: Sherlock Holmes is alive and well and living inside this book!"

“Arthur Doyle may be dead, but reading Leah Moore and John Reppion’s depiction of his immortal hero, Sherlock Holmes, will make you believe in his soul with us forever," Spider-Man writer Marc Guggenheim  commented. "One of the best revitalizations of a character I have ever read.”

Matt Triano is already known for his storyboard work, motion comic work, and artwork for various ad agency projects developing custom comics for high profile clients. His art can currently be seen in works for Robin Hood Charities in New York, Moonstone (Captain Action), Zenescope (Grimm's Myths and Legends, Robyn Hood, Sleepy Hallow, Story of Mankind), The Discovery Channel and Marvel Trading cards (Marvel Characters), as well as a Batman story for the DC Halloween Special.

• There's more about the Liverpool Demon on Leah Moore and John Reppion's web site. A collected edition of The Trial of Sherlock Holmes is available.

• To read a little more about Matt, go to: http://witterstaetterwrites.blogspot.com/2012/01/spotlight-new-interviw-with-matt-triano.html

Reppion and Moore back on Sherlock Holmes in 'Liverpool Demon'

Leah Moore and John Reppion return to Sherlock Holmes after their acclaimed Sherlock Holmes: The Trial of Sherlock Holmes series for US publishers Dynamite. Sherlock Holmes: The Liverpool Demon features dynamic pencils from Matt Triano and a fantastic cover by the winner of the 2012 Eisner-Award for Best Cover Artist, Francesco Francavilla.

In Sherlock Holmes: The Liverpool Demon #1, Sherlock Holmes is busy doing what he does best, solving a case of far-reaching international notoriety. It has landed him at the Port of Liverpool, a bustling hub of commerce both legitimate and illicit. As that chapter closes, ours begins. They head to Lime Street Station, to catch a fast steam locomotive home to London and Baker Street, when violent weather keeps The Great Detective and Watson in Britain’s second city a while longer. Long enough to encounter a monster, discover the Liverpool underworld, and to become embroiled in one of his strangest cases yet.

“The year is 1888: the Great Detective and the ever dependable Dr. Watson find themselves in the bleak northern port city of Liverpool from whose still bustling docklands grim slave vessels once sailed,” says writers Leah Moore and John Reppion. “Violent gangs roam the streets and the city’s struggling police force are fighting a war against an all pervading criminal underworld. A strange creature is sighted high among the rooftops and soon dead bodies bearing strange wounds begin to mysteriously appear. Only Sherlock Holmes can cut to the heart of the mystery and expose the truth behind the spectre of The Liverpool Demon.”

“Moore and Reppion craft a sober, literate mystery in which historical drama and legend are seamlessly interwoven,” adds artist Matt Triano. "The Liverpool Demon is whimsical and horrific, an absolute pleasure.”

“We’ve been waiting to release this one for a bit and had to find the right artist to do justice to John and Leah’s work,” states Dynamite Editor Joe Rybandt. “They’ve put a tremendous amount of work into each and every Holmes series, culminating with the Liverpool Demon, enjoy!”

“Sherlock Holmes: The Trial of Sherlock Holmes is one of Dynamite’s most acclaimed series,” adds Dynamite President Nick Barrucci. “It is a pleasure to have Leah and John back aboard for more mystery and intrigue."

Tube Surfing: Drinking, Drawing... and other stuff too!

• If you're in the area this Sunday, you could do worse than pop along to Manchester Comic Collective's (MCC) monthly Drink 'n' Draw. It kicks off at 4pm and is usually lots of fun (although I haven't made it down for a fair few months). From the MCC blog:

'[It's a] casual get together of people who like to draw and also drink. Anyone is welcome... Free entry, materials and snacks provided and 10% off at the bar.'

(This monthly event is usually held at Sandbar, but you better check their official site in case the venue has changed.)




The Shoot from Tony Lee on Vimeo


• The Shoot, a short film written by comics writer Tony Lee (Doctor Who, 2000AD, The Gloom), is now online. He'd like feedback, so go watch it and then... well, feed back...

• Indie comics news site  Bugpowder has just done a handy little round-up of activity on the Irish comics scene. Worth a look...

• Can someone please give Dan McDaid the cash to realise this 'Sherlock Holmes meets the Doctor' commision as a full strip?

• And finally, the Blank Slate Books website appears to have had a makeover. (Or maybe I didn't notice and it all happened ages ago.)

Sherlock Holmes Battles Mr. Hyde!

Well, not exactly, but nothing would surprize me after seeing this trailer for the Robert Downey Jr. version of the detective...



No, this item is a plug for Strip!: Sherlock Holmes vs. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, the latest radio show from Alex Fitch on ResonanceFM, talking to the illustrators of some new and recent literary adaptations in comic book format.

Self Made Hero is a relatively new publishing company who have made a name for themselves with their range of Manga Shakespeare adaptations and are now doing European style graphic novels of literary classics. Alex talks to Ian Culbard, artist of Ian Edginton's adaptations of the Sherlock Holmes stories The Picture of Dorian Grey and The Hound of the Baskervilles and to Andrzej Klimowski and Danusia Schejbal, illustrators and adaptors of The Master and Margarita and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

• Strip!: Sherlock Holmes vs. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde airs at 5.00pm on 21 May, repeated 11.30pm 24 May on Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com, with an extended podcast online at www.panelborders.wordpress.com