Starblazer Covered

Regular downthetubes readers will recall we published some features about DC Thomson's much-missed SF digest comic Starblazer on downthetubes some time ago, including a checklist of the title.

The section orginally kicked off with a feature by Jeremy Briggs called 'Blazing Through the Secrecy' - pondering the mystery of once-anonymous creators - but also includes background on how the book was created from editor Bill McLoughlin and Ray Aspden's memories of writing for the title ('Behind the Lines').

One thing the section has always lacked was cover images but now, thanks to the kindness of a reader, we have a full set, so we'll be adding them to the checklist over time. But for now, you may enjoy checking them out on this Picasa Gallery.

Starblazer featured many covers by Dan Dare artist Ian Kennedy, plus work by artists such as Keith Page, Ferrer, Enrique Alcatena and Jaimie Ortiz and has been reincarnated in recent years as a game, Starblazer Adventures.


• Click Here for Starblazer editor Bill McLoughlin's history of the title
• Click Here for Jeremy Briggs article on Starblazer
• Click Here for Ray Aspden's feature on writing for the title
• Click Here for a complete Starblazer Cover Gallery (Picassa Album)

Starblazer Checklist:

• Issues 1 - 75 • Issues 76 - 150 • Issues 151 - 200 • Issues 201 - 250 • Issues 251 - 281 • Foreign Editions

Starblazer © DC Thomson

The Image on the Sleeve May Not Necessarily Correspond with the Film

It isn’t often that we go eastern here on downthetubes and when we do it is normally manga or anime, so this is a little different.

Maiti Jakku was a 13 episode live action TV series broadcast in Japan in 1968, telling the story of a secret international policing organisation which uses a flying submarine against a terrorist organisation known as Q. Wikipedia tells us that in 1986 American producer Sandy Frank combined several of the Maiti Jakku episodes into a dubbed feature length film entitled Mighty Jack.

Fast forward two decades and Mighty Jack was released on DVD by a UK company called 23rd Century who produce very cheap DVDs and, suffice to say, have something of a reputation on many DVD forums. While their lack of grammar and spellchecking on the back cover may be amusing, it was the front cover that attracted the attention of Technodelic’s Shaqui LeVesconte. The DVD cover and menu screen both use the same illustration of a man and a spaceship which has absolutely nothing to do with the film.

How do we know that? Firstly because there is a disclaimer on the back cover of the DVD which states “The image on the sleeve may not necessarily correspond with the film.”

However secondly, and rather more importantly from a UK comics perspective, because the illustration is taken from the front cover of DC Thomson’s science fiction digest Starblazer. While some of the early Starblazers used generic agency art, the cover of issue 64 The Exterminator was painted by Ian Kennedy specifically for the story’s publication in November 1981.

Nice to think that someone at 23rd Century liked the image enough to use it but, since there is no reference to a DC Thomson copyright on the sleeve, we wonder if they paid a licensing fee for it?

We are more than happy to say "Starblazer © DC Thomson and Co Ltd" even if they aren't.

• There is much more about Starblazer on the downthetubes main site

• With thanks to Shaqui LeVesconte

New Starblazer Comic?

As much as we would like to tell you that DC Thomson have published issue 282 of their science fiction digest Starblazer, we can't. However we can show you artist Graeme Neil Reid's idea of what the cover of Starblazer issue 282 might have looked like.

Graeme has posted the details of the artwork and his memories of Starblazer on his own blog where he also includes the full version of the illustration since Starblazer covers, like Commando covers today, wrapped around onto the back of the issue. He also includes an illustration of the pencils that he used to create the final version of the art.

The pencil version of the artwork is now available to win on the Scotch Corner art blog. Graeme is offering the original pencils, an A3 print of the finished artwork and several original copies of Starblazer itself as the prize for the February competition on Scotch Corner.

To enter the competition you simply have to go to the Scotch Corner blog and leave a comment about the prize in the competition section. What could be simpler?

DC Thomson bids farewell to Bill Graham

DC Thomson editor Bill Graham - whose credits include Starblazer, Warlord and Spike and had a long and varied career with the Dundee-based company - has just retired.

Previously interviewed by Jeremy Briggs for the site, what we haven't published before is a picture of him with his lesser-known brother — PC Murdoch from the Oor Wullie strips!

"The story goes that the comics/boys’ papers staff held a PC Murdoch look-a-like competition and he won," claims Commando editor Calum Laird, who kindly sent us this picture.

"He was, however, the only entrant. And he had no idea the competition was going on!"

downthetubes would like to thank Bill for all the support he's given this site over the past few years and wish him all the very best for the future.

• Read our 2008 interview by Jeremy Briggs with Bill

Starblazer Revived?

Rumours have reached downthetubes that some form of Starblazer collection is in the works at DC Thomson, along with other graphic collections based on some of the company's most popular characters from a range of comics.

Although Carlton Books have published several Commando collections, we're told DC Thomson has been considering and 'mocking up' different graphic collection projects for some time: among them, Starblazer, the 1980s SF digest title whose creators included a young Grant Morrison, Mike McMahon, Steve Holland, Ray Aspden, Ian Kennedy and many others.

What's proposed is a push by DC Thomson into the "retro market", already exploited by the likes of Rebellion, Titan Books and other publishers. On the table, we're told, are reproductions of Starblazer - possibly in colour - in a bigger size, and perhaps with a new narrative... edgier and more like a graphic novel than what it was.

In discussion for some time at DC Thomson, the proposal would also showcase the work of artists and authors such as Mike Chinn, John Smith, Grant Morrison, Alan Hemus and others and artists, particularly Enrique Alcatena and Ricardo Garijo, who sadly died recently, plus the other artists.

As well as the republication or updating of older material DC Thomson would also seek to publish the four, as yet, unpublished 'Legends' stories planned for Starblazer before it was cancelled after over it 281 issue run.

But this is merely the tip of the iceberg, because we're also told DC Thomson want to give the same treatment to other 'superheroes'...The Black Sapper, Jack Flash and numerous others.

Will this exciting project ever get the go ahead? Only if DC Thomson's research into graphic novel publishing indicates demand for such a project, and that has only begun in earnest, we gather, in the past few months, although the Starblazer revamp project has been in development for much longer.

• A Starblazer History on downthetubes

Yet More Starblazing In Dundee

After the Starblazer calendar, the Starblazer Adventures role playing game and the Starblazer artwork exhibition at the Lamb Gallery in Dundee, the Starblazer bandwagon continues to roll on.

As we mentioned back in July, sculptor Trevor Gordon was working an exhibition of his sculptures inspired by DC Thomson's Starblazer comic. This exhibition will now take place at Dundee's Mills Observatory beginning with a preview on the evening of Wednesday 9 September after which the exhibition will be open to the public each day (except Mondays in September) from Thursday 10 September until Monday 30 November. In addition to Trevor's original sculptural pieces, the exhibition will include original Starblazer artwork from DC Thomson's archive. Admission is free.

Anyone unfamiliar with DC Thomson's science fiction digest should read the overview of the title written by its editor, Bill McLoughlin, on the downthetubes main site.

As the Mills Observatory remains a working observatory, its opening hours change and expand as the evenings draw in and so it is best to check with their website as the exact opening hours on any given day.

With a 2009 calendar on the wall, an impressive role playing game book and now two exhibitions, how much longer will it be until a publisher decides that reprinting some of the actual Starblazer stories would be a good thing?

There are more details of the exhibition and its opening times at the Mills Observatory's website.

Starblazer from the Command Deck

DC Thomson editor Bill McLoughlin has kindly given downthetubes his account of the rise and fall of DC Thomson's 1980s SF digest title Starblazer, which has recently spawned its own Role Playing Game (see our review).

Revealing the origins of the title - whose contributors included, among many others, a young comics creator called Grant Morrison, who back then was also drawing as well as writing - Bill talks about the origins of the comic and the reasons it finally headed to the Black Hole of cancellation.

The article has been added to several features on downthetubes about Starblazer, which include an article by writer Ray Aspden on wiritng for the title, and a complete checklist of creators over the comic's 281 issue history.

• Read Bill McLoughlin's Starblazer feature
• Read Ray Aspden's article on writing Starblazer
• Read Jeremy Briggs' interview with Bill McLoughlin

In Review: The Starblazer Adventures Role-Playing Game

Rebellion-owned role-playing adventure games and card and board game publisher Cubicle 7 Entertainment recently its new Starblazer Adventures role playing game which avid RPG-er and comics expert Matthew Armitage has kindly reviewed for us...

Mention DC Thomson's Starblazer to some and you will either get a look of nostalgia, or, from others, perhaps a slight look of confusion. From 1979 to 1991, through 281 issues, this anthology title took its readers to new galaxies, to read about the adventures of Space Police, Mad Scientists and Evil Robot Geniuses. Characters such as Mikal R Kayn, Cinnibar of The Star Corps, and The Suicide Squad thrilled countless readers with their episodic adventures.

Starblazer Adventures, as well as being inspired by the DC Thomson title, also includes a section on its history of the comic, which if you’ve never heard of it -- and I'll confess, I had the title confused with memories of New Eagle - helps a lot. Now all you are need is a minimum of three players, some six sided dice and your own imagination, plus of course this book!

The publication of Starblazer Adventures is apt, with 2009 marking the 30th Anniversary of the release of the first issue (also marked by an exhibition of artwork at the University of Dundee). At 600 plus pages long this is certainly a large book but it is packed with sufficient information to make up at least one core rule book and two sourcebooks.

Chapters enable you to design your own universe, including spaceships, weapons and alien civilizations, even planets and galaxies, which can all be found within. Its glossy, bright and slightly retro hardback cover enhance its nostalgic appeal.

Using the recently-released Fate 3.0 system the rules require that players design their characters using aspects, which are the personal qualities they believe their character would possess. These include Skills, which include piloting, repair and firing laser weapons at giant Space Bats; Stunts, which grant a temporary bonus to skills but may cost Fate points.

(If any of this all sounds a little confusing, don’t worry, as there are examples throughout the book for Gamesmasters, or Story Teller, to use).

If you're a regular roleplayer but have never used the Fate system before it can seem a bit daunting at first, but stick with it -- it makes for some strong roleplaying once your character is up and blasting!

The book is well designed and uses a lot of artwork from the comic to help set the scene. There are also stats for some of the characters that I mentioned earlier, so if you have ever wanted to be a member of the Star Corps and fight alongside your favourite character, now is your chance.

As well as the book, the game's website - www.cubicle-7.com/starblazer.htm - has forums to help if you have any queries, and answer any rule discrepancies (and there are bound to be some!) that you might notice can be sorted out there. In addition, there are downloadable character sheets and reference guides for organizations, ships and any extra characters you may need.

Personally speaking, this would be a great game to run with a group of like minded friends. However to get the most out of this game requires dedication as there is a lot of information contained within.

In conclusion, Starblazer Adventures is a fantastic game and the retail price of £34.99 offers great value of money. If you're a fan of Starblazer or simply and SF RPG fan, give this a go: we don't think you will be disappointed.

• The Starblazer Adventures game is on sale now in the UK and available from the Cubicle 7 online store: and is also on sale now in the US.

• The 160 page Mindjammer supplement is due to be released in November with further supplements due in 2010. Mindjammer has its own dedicated website at www.mindjammer.com

Tube Surfing, 11 July 2009: Starblazer Sculptures, Moon Landings and an Oxfam ComicFest

• Dundee-based artist Trevor Gordon has been in touch, to let you us of a collaborative art project going ahead in Dundee at the Mills Observatory. "I am working with archival material from DC Thomsons and creating sculptural pieces influenced by the work," he reveals. "There will a number of original Starblazer works on display and a number of strange sculptural pieces in a range of mediums.
"[DC Thomson staffer and former Starblazer editor] Bill McLoughlin has been extremely friendly and supportive throughout the process and it has been a joy to get my hands on these cherished images," Trevor reveals, " and [artist] Enrique Alcatena has also been a delight and there will be a wee note on his thoughts on Starblazer also." More details as soon as we get them: meanwhle, check out Trevor's work at www.trevoragordon.com

• Jeremy Briggs has completed a series of Moon Landing Anniversary posts for downthetubes, which will be published daily starting on Wednesday (15th July). The posts feature art and comics work published during or after the first Moon Landing. Meanwhile, our Comics Celebration of the 40th Anniversary gathers pace, with our album of art now featuring work by Adam Grose, Martin Baines, Ian Duerden and others. The album can be embedded on any web site to help celebrate this major endeavour of human exploration. Further art - illustration, strip, cartoons is welcome: If you don't want to join our forum and upload art but would like to join in with the celebrations, simply send your work to johnfreeman6-moonlandinganniversaryart@yahoo.co.uk. Please ensure images are no larger than 2MB in size.

• Talking of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, we spotted a reprint of the Daily Mirror for 21 July or thereabouts in WH Smiths today, complete with DVD of footage of the Apollo landing: it will be interesting to see what Garth was up to (and The Perishers!) on that momentous day in 1969...

• The British Film Institute's "One Giant Leap" season in London continues this coming week with screenings of the films 2001: A Space Odyssey, Countdown and Moonwalk One, the premiere of newly remastered Director's Cut in high definition of Theo Kamecke's film, commissioned by NASA to cover their historic Apollo 11 moonshot. With an atmospheric original score by Charles Morrow and a moody narration by Laurence Luckinbill, Kamecke's documentary has been described as perhaps the most significant time-capsule record of Apollo 11 ever made.

• Our thanks to comic creator Emma Vieceli, who kindly gave downthtubes a positive plug on her blog (despite Jeremy Briggs saying that she looked like a Manga character...) - view her comments here. Emma was recently interviewed for BBC Blast, revealing How To Get Creative!

• Graeme Neil Reid has announced he will be joining a huge number of comic creators at the Thought Bubble in Leeds at the end of November, so if you are thinking of going to any comic cons this year that would be one to consider.

• Talking of events, Insomnia Publications will be part of the line up at the Oxfam Comics Fest on 18th July at Macdonald Road, Edinburgh from 12 noon to 3.00pm. We've given this a plug recently, but Oxfam has been in touch with an update, reporting there will be discussion panels on Comics In Scotland and The Ups And Downs Of Small Press Publishing, featuring writers Ferg Handley (Marvel Heroes, Commando) and David Bishop (2000AD, Doctor Who) and other guests.
"We'll be holding a silent auction of some great comic book related merchandise, including a piece of original artwork from Spectacular Spider-Man," reveals organiser James McConnell, "signed by the artist, presented with a page of the script, signed by the writer, and other excellent items.
"There will also be an exclusive sneak peek at some never before seen pages from the upcoming Burke & Hare graphic novel from Insomnia Publications, and a stall selling comics and graphic novels."
•Tickets are £3.00 at all Oxfam Bookshops in Edinburgh, on sale now!

Photo Review: Starblazer Exhibition

Opened as part of the Dundee Literary Festival Comics Day on Sunday 28 June 2009, Dundee University's Lamb Gallery is currently displaying a selection of artwork from DC Thomson's Starblazer digest in an exhibition curated by Matthew Jarron. Starblazer was published twice a month from April 1979 to January 1991, running for 281 issues, and this exhibition celebrates the 30th anniversary of the title's launch.

Starblazer was the brain child of editor Jack Smith and was run by him and deputy editor Bill McLoughlin before Smith retired and the title was passed over to editor Bill Graham's control. The two eras of the title can be seen in the preponderance of space opera stories during Jack Smith's time and the preponderance of fantasy stories during Bill Graham's. However Bill McLoughlin (shown above with bearded artist Keith Robson) was the mainstay of the title through both editors and it was he who performed the gallery tour during the opening, telling the attentive audience the background to the title as well as offering a few amusing stories along the way. There are more details of the background to Starblazer in the downthetubes interviews with both Bill Graham and Bill McLoughlin.



Also in attendance at the opening were Starblazer artists Ian Kennedy (shown above with two of his covers), Keith Robson and Colin MacNeil and the exhibition includes original cover artwork from Kennedy and Robson as well as prints of some of MacNeil's covers. A total of 13 Ian Kennedy covers are on display, from the real world Sphinx at Giza on the cover of Pyramid Power, issue 58, via the humorous science fiction of The Robot Kid, issue 204, to the fantasy of The Triune Warrior, issue 271. Many of the pieces of original Kennedy art on display were reprinted in the 2009 Starblazer Calendar including the spaceship cover of The Lost Planet, issue 33. Speaking during the exhibition's opening, Ian Kennedy voiced the thoughts of many of those around him when he looked at his paintings, owned by DC Thomson, and said that he would like to take some of them home with him.


Keith Robson's intricately detailed spaceships take up much of the opposite wall with 9 covers on display while the rather more western themed cover for Galactic Lawman, issue 56, shows his love of the old West. They also give an indication of the breadth of Robson's art style as those of us at last year's Beano exhibition remember his colour Beano artwork hanging on the same wall.


Colin MacNeil's covers are represented by prints including an enormous one of the final published cover, The Enchanted Helmet issue 281. In addition the exhibition has a selection of other covers by artists including Mark Gorton, Ron Brown and Alan Burrows as well as a beautifully detailed painting used for the cover of issue 188, The Infernal Triangle, by Jose Casanovas Jr. While he may be better known for his black and white interior artwork for Starlord and 2000AD, based on this one painting I would certainly like to see a lot more of his painted art.


The exhibition cabinets contain many issues of the publication and examples of its black and white interior artwork with a lot of original art from Argentinian artist Enrique Alcatena. There are also several original scripts and production copies of artwork plus the two recent Starblazer spin offs - the Starblazer Adventures role-playing game book from Cubicle 7 and the Starblazer Calendar from Unique Comic Collectables.


The Lamb Gallery was where the Beano 70th Anniversary exhibition was held last year. In comparison to the enormous artboards used for the Beano artwork, the smaller size of the Starblazer artwork is not quite as striking on entering the gallery, but the sheer detail on the artboards and the brilliance of their colours even after three decades means that this exhibition is an impressive reminder of a much loved title.

The Starblazer exhibition is open Monday to Saturday until 22 August 2009 at the Lamb Gallery in the Dundee University Tower Building which is a short walk from both Dundee's train and bus stations. Entrance is free.

There are more details on the Lamb Gallery website.

Starblazer (c) DC Thomson and Co Ltd

Starblazer Exhibition Details Announced

As we've previously reported, top comics writer Warren Ellis will be headlining the Comics Conference at this year's Dundee Literary Festival, but the Festival has now also released details of its planned exhibition dedicated to the 1980s SF comic Starblazer, published by DC Thomson.

The exhibition marks the first time artwork from the now defunct, but much missed British sci-fi comic Starblazer has been exhibited, which, in addition to art by the likes of Keith Robson, Jaimie Ortiz, Ian Kennedy and many others featured the early work of Grant Morrison, the hugley successful Glaswegian comics writer. The comic has such a cult status it's even recently spawned its own Roleplaying Game (see news story).

In addition to the exhibition, the publication's editor Bill McLoughlin and artist Keith Robson will discuss their experiences on Starblazer during the day.

Ellis, now best known for his work with US comics giants Marvel and DC, and relative newcomer, Avatar, will be discussing his career when he appears at the third annual Dundee Comics Day, part of the University of Dundee-organised Festival, on Sunday 28th June.

He's just one of a number of star names from the world of comics lined up to take part in the event, which features talks, exhibitions, book signings and workshops.

2000AD writer Alan Grant will also speak about his work while other speakers will discuss 2000AD. David Bishop, former editor of the comic, will discuss the work of Alan Moore, author of Watchmen, while other talks, delivered by scholars researching comics, will address how comics represent time.

The programme will begin with a workshop in Writing for Graphic Novels hosted by Bishop, which will prove an invaluable insight into the process of creating comics. Manga artist Emma Vieceli, creator of the recently released Much Ado About Nothing, a manga version of the Shakespeare play, will also discuss her creative process.

Comics Programme organiser Dr Christopher Murray said he is delighted to have been able to put together such an exciting line-up of authors, artists and writers.

"Comics are a wonderful form of literary and artistic expression," he feels. "They're entertaining for all ages, a unique artform blending words and images, and Dundee is a city with a long and proud history of comics production.

"The Third Annual Comics Day promises to be an important meeting of comics scholars and comics creators, and everyone with an interest in comics is welcome to attend. We're also proud to be be bringing together the considerable talents of writers Warren Ellis and Alan Grant, and artists Emma Vieceli and Keith Robson. Each year the annual Dundee Comics Day grows in profile and it is my intention to make it a staple event, underscoring Dundee's central position as the home of comic culture in the UK.

Comics Day not only gives the Festival a dimension not present in other literary celebrations, but also celebrates the city's position as a world leader in comics, established by the likes of The Beano and The Dandy, published by DC Thomson".

Tickets are priced £10/£5 (concessions) for the entire day's programme including workshops, and £3 for the workshop only.

The Dundee Literary Festival is now in its third year, and is bigger than ever, with star authors from the fields of philosophy, fiction, politics and poetry set to appear in Dundee. They include David Peace, renowned author of The Damned United and the Red-Riding Quartet and Straw Dogs writer John Gray. Talks, book signings, workshops and other events take place across four days.

• Exhibition Web Link: www.dundee.ac.uk/museum/starblazer.htm

• The full programme for the Dundee Literary Festival, and the Comics Day, is available online at www.dundeeliteraryfest.org

• Read our Starblazer feature on the downthetubes main site by Jeremy Briggs

Mindjammer is first Starblazer Adventures game add-on

Rebellion-owned role-playing adventure games and card and board game publisher Cubicle 7 Entertainment has just announced Mindjammer, a self-contained campaign setting designed to bring the transhuman space theme to its new Starblazer Adventures role playing game, just released in the UK.

The UK release of Starblazer Adventures caught even Cubicle by surprize after their UK distributor unexpectedly brought the release date forward, but early response to the game has been positive, with the new release already attracting plenty of press interest.

Mindjammer, set for release in November, is a sourcebook for the Starblazer Adventures game inspired by the 1980s DC Thomson comic and is set in the strange and distant future of our own planet Earth, "a cool yet believable science-fiction setting of lost worlds, incredible technologies, and clashing civilizations," according to the company. It draws upon the "far future" works of writers like Cordwainer Smith, Larry Niven, Iain M. Banks, Dan Simmons, and Peter F. Hamilton for inspiration, with nods to the pulps, space operas, and planetary romances of writers like Edgar Rice Burroughs, Harry Harrison, and Leigh Brackett.

"It was the Second Age of Space, the Rediscovery of Mankind. The light of human civilization, which had flickered and threatened to die, suddenly burned bright again with contact with the thousand worlds of space. Humankind laughed, filled with the joy and power of a new-found youth, and strode forth to bring its message of hope and regeneration to the stars..."

The Mindjammer setting, which provides everything needed to play using only the Starblazer Adventures rules, introduces the New Commonality, the nascent interstellar state attempting to dominate the Rediscovery Era, a time when ultra-advanced technologies rub shoulders with lost and regressed worlds. Offering a unique and action-packed setting of epic high adventure, Cubicle 7 describe it as "something a little different from more conventional space opera settings."

"Were we on the brink of extinction? I'd say so, yes. Three or four centuries ago, no one had any interest in anything. It was like everything worth knowing had already been known, everything worth doing already done, and a million times over. We were happy enough, with our drugs and our slaves, and our endless diversions. But we were on our way out: something had gone, some zest, some spice, that made it all worthwhile.Now you get to live as long as you want, as long as you don't get killed. Life is dangerous again. And, somehow, that suddenly makes it all worth living."

Mindjammer contains exotic races and new careers, sentient starship characters, far future technologies including the interstellar "Mindscape" and technological psionics, new skills and stunts, new starships, rules for interstellar cultures and cultural conflict, starmaps, worlds and a detailed background of a huge Star Empire and its allies and foes.

There's also a complete campaign of four linked scenarios, "The Black Zone", including some spectacular Starblazer action with combat walkers, mass battles, and terrifying alien technologies.

Mindjammer is the work of a passionate industry writer Sarah Newton, whose work includes post-apocalyptic, horror, and techno-fantasy material for Chaosium's Basic Roleplaying and soon-to-be-published short Lovecraftian fiction. She's also working with Starblazers' Chris Birch on the forthcoming Starblazer Adventures: Chronicles Of Anglerre fantasy RPG and is currently writing several adventure supplements for Mindjammer.

"Mindjammer and Starblazer is a match made in heaven for me," said Sarah. "Starblazer has the rules, the flexibility, and the sheer gaming vision to allow for truly up-to-date, 21st century science-fiction with its hyper-advanced technologies and transhuman themes. It's a game which gives you tools for some spectacular action, and with Mindjammer we've really tried to take full advantage and blaze some new trails through the stars!"

It's a busy time for Cubicle 7 whose games include not only Starblazer Adventures but Victoriana and SLA Industries. Last week, they announced joined the Rebellion Group of companies.

Founded in 2006 Cubicle 7 Entertainment was set up by Angus Abranson and Dominic McDowall-Thomas, two gaming entrepreneurs who wanted to create a games publisher fostering some truly iconic brands. The company joins 2000AD, Abaddon Books, Mongoose Publishing (another British RPG publisher) and Rebellion itself, the massive UK based video games developer established in 1992 by brothers Jason and Chris Kingsley.

The company will be now based out of Rebellion Group offices in Swindon, UK and spokesperson Chris Birch told downthetubes Rebellion's support will allow Cubicle 7 to focus on a major, as-yet-unannounced licensed mainstream release later this year as well as a busy monthly release schedule.

"This is a great move for the company and one that will certainly benefit the fans of our games.” feels Angus Abranson of Cubicle 7. "It allows us the time and resources to fully support our existing lines as well as giving us the backing to bring new ideas – and licenses – to the marketplace."

“It places us firmly were we wanted to be in several years time, right now,” added Dominic.

Jason Kingsley felt Cubicle 7 was a great addition to the Rebellion Group’s circle of creative companies. “We have been aware of Cubicle 7's ambitions and enthusiasms for some time and approached them with a view to combining resources to make a good thing great. Rebellion is very excited to be welcoming C7 into its family. Wonderful things await!”

• The Starblazer Adventures game is on sale now in the UK and available from the Cubicle 7 online store: it goes on in the US in July.

• The 160 page Mindjammer supplement is due to be released in November with further supplements due in 2010. Mindjammer has its own dedicated website at www.mindjammer.com

• You can find out more about the Mindjammer supplement by downloading the Introduction To Mindjammer free pdf over at www.mindjammer.com or www.rpgnow.com where you can also find the free introductory adventure Escape From Venu.

Timeframes - The 3rd Dundee Comics Conference

With the successful Scottish comics convention Hi-Ex over for this year and already confirmed as going ahead next year, the countdown to the next major Scottish comics event of the year is now in full swing. The third Dundee University Comics Conference, Timeframes, will be taking place in the modern, comfortable and well equipped D'Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre in the Tower Building of Dundee University on Sunday 28 June as part of the Dundee Literary Festival. While the event is more of a conference than a convention, organiser Dr Chris Murray of the University's English Department has an impressive line-up of guests planned covering a wide range of artists, writers and editors.

In addition to the presentations, the conference will host the opening of an exhibition in the university's Lamb Gallery featuring DC Thomson's much loved science fiction digest, Starblazer, which follows on from the impressive Beano exhibition held there last year. Starblazer editor Bill McLoughlin and artist Keith Robson will open the exhibition as well as giving a presentation on the title.

Among the other presentations during the day, writer and former 2000AD editor David Bishop will remain with the science fiction theme for a presentation on Alan Moore's 2000AD stories, while Manga Shakespeare artist Emma Vieceli will discuss her adaptations of Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing. Dr Mel Gibson will discuss Alice In Sunderland by last year's keynote speaker, Bryan Talbot, while this year's keynote speakers will be writers Alan Grant and Warren Ellis who will be talking, answering questions and signing their books.

Tickets are available in advance from the Dundee Literary Festival website for a very reasonable £10 for the entire day which includes a morning Writing Workshop from David Bishop. The main conference begins at 1pm and is scheduled to last until 7:30pm. Concessions are £5 while those only wishing to attend the morning workshop can do so for £3. There are no hidden booking charges and refreshments will be provided on the day.

• Details of the Comics Day are available on the Dundee Literary Festival website. Tickets can be purchased via the Dundee University on-line shop.

• Read the downthetubes review of last year's conference.

• Read the downthetubes interview with Starblazer editor Bill McLoughlin.

Starblazer Sale and Game News

One downthetubes reader has been in touch to tell us he's offering a number of Starblazers via eBay, including the first three issues of this collectable SF comic published by DC Thomson. He tells us all of the comics are in excellent condition with no rips or tears.

Given interest in the title from our readers we've offered to plug the sale here. (Please note, downthetubes has no connection with the seller).

Talking of Starblazer, a new official blog about the comic is in development and we'll have more information on this soon.

We're also pleased to report that new content, free downloads and previews of the Starblazer Adventures game are now available over at Cubicle 7.

Published by DC Thomson, Starblazer was the home to some of the best British science fiction space opera first published in April 1979 with its last issue released in January 1991. Featuring some stunning art and classic space opera stories, comic creators such as Grant Morrison and John Smith, artists Enrique Alcatena, Mike McMahon, Cam Kennedy, John Ridgway, Alan Rogers, Jaime Oritz, Ian Kennedy, Colin MacNeil and Casanovas Junior helped bring the fantastic 'spacefiction adventure in pictures' to life.

The Starblazer licence was picked up by British games publisher Cubicle 7 Entertainment, who also publish SLA Industries and Victoriana and the core release utilining the FATE rule system will include three detailed settings from the very best of Starblazer, detailing recurring characters, organisations, empires and aliens such as the Fi-Sci (the Fighting Scientists of Galac Squad), The Star Patrol, The Suicide Squad, The Planet Tamer, Cinnibar the barbarian warrior of Babalon and galactic cop Frank Carter to name just a few.

As well as the FATE rules system, you’ll find maps, galactic histories, stories of civilizations spanning thousands of years, technology from across time and space, details of the equipment and starships of the human civilisations and their alien neighbours. Cubicle 7 has also created some big picture gaming rules that will allow you to lead an armada or Star Empire, plan a network of secret bases, thwart a galaxy wide conspiracy, invoke ancient treaties and inspire politicians from across the universe or hold off hordes of terrifying creatures with hundreds of marines.

The official Starblazer Adevntures website features updates on the action, and releases, backstories, development news, comments from previous writers, excerpts from original scripts and will also feature exclusive interviews revealing some of the hidden treasures of the Starblazer stories.

Planned for the site are downloadable accessories, excerpts of comic strips, rules supplements, adventures, a fan community and much more bringing the Starblazer universe to life and giving you the tools to extend the gaming experience.

Starblazer Adventures will be released later this year. Join the RPG.Net discussion to follow the development process or find them at Live Journal. They also have a MySpace page

downthetubes Starblazer Features:

• Blazing through the secrecy
Jeremy Briggs ponders DC Thomson's secretive nature about its creators diown the years, and explores the secrets of its science fiction title Starblazer, whose creators included a young Grant Morrison and artist Ian Kennedy...
• A checklist of every issue, including known creator credits
• Starblazer Abroad
A checklist of known foreign language reprints of the title
• Behind the Lines
Writer Ray Aspden reveals his approach to writing Starblazer

In Review: Commando and Starblazer Calendars 2009

Two years ago I began the review of the last Art of Commando calendar with "You wait years for a Commando calendar to come along, and then two arrive at once!" After nothing last year save for the usual Beano and Broons calendars, this year we get two digest related calendars, another Art Of Commando and, to everyone's astonishment, Starblazer.

Taking The Art Of Commando first, this is styled along the lines of the classy 2007 Art Of Commando with full colour square illustrations of the original art complete with original publishing details and the artist credited. Dates are simple white boxes at the bottom of each A3 page with no holiday details or the unusual World War II dates of the previous incarnation. The illustrations were chosen by Commando's editor, Calum Laird and as DC Thomson's premier cover artist Ian Kennedy gets six of the twelve illustrations covering planes, tanks and submarines, Jeff Bevan provides two including a terrific Motor Torpedo Boat attack on enemy shipping while Chaco, Jose Maria Jorge, Keith Page and Gordon Livingstone provide one each.

Indeed the art is so original that in Ian Kennedy's Sub Chaser for July you can see where the Commando title logo was stuck on and then removed again. The only niggle with the calendar is that some of the illustrations are already available on the official Commando website as high quality wallpapers and it would have been nice to see others in their place. That said the calendar is a top quality product and does show that Commando covers are as good as, if not better than, the IPC combat Picture Library covers that are celebrated in David Roach's books Aarrgghh! It's War and The Art Of War. A similar title for Commando would be an essential purchase if it was ever published.

The Starblazer calendar is of a similar high quality with art chosen by Starblazer editor Bill McLoughlin. Here again Ian Kennedy is celebrated with nine of the twelve illustrations and the other three are all by Colin MacNeil. In fact all but the cover illustration are from very late on in the title's history, issue 196 onwards - the cover being from issue 33, The Lost Planet. Again the layout is similar to the Commando calendar with the rectangular illustrations taking up more than half of each A3 page and the credits consigned to the bottom of the page. Interestingly while DC Thomson are normally considered to retain all their original artwork one of the Colin MacNeil covers from this calendar is currently available for sale on eBay. The calendar is an excellent reminder of why we used to buy Starblazer all those years ago and does make you wish that DC Thomson and Carlton/Prion would get their act together and give us a big Starblazer reprint book along the lines of Commando: Dirty Dozen.

Both calendars are available from Unique Comic Collectibles and cost £13.50 each including postage. More details are available at their website.

Les Starblazeurs

It has been eleven months since both downthetubes and Bear Alley mentioned the Starblazer Adventures role-playing game due out from Cubicle Seven.

The Starblazer Adventures core rulebook is now scheduled to be in games stores in "Autumn/Winter 2008" according to the Cubicle Seven website, which means that it may still beat their other licenced SF role playing game, Doctor Who, to the shops (but admittedly it is unlikely to outsell it). In the meantime you can download a PDF preview of the rulebook from the Cubicle Seven site.

If you cannot wait for a new dose of Starblazer then take a look at the downthetubes list of Starblazer foreign editions where, with the help of Shaqui Le Vesconte, we have added details of the French Starblazer reprints.

Adventures in Pictures: From Sparky to Starblazer and Beyond

Over on the downthetubes main site, Jeremy Briggs talks to DC Thomson writer and editor Bill McLoughlin, whose career has covered text based story papers, as well as the comic strip humour, adventure and digest titles and who, at a time when more old DCT material is available in book form than for many years, now works for their Syndication Department.

Bill talks candidly about working for DCT, reveals the identity of "Sir" from Sparky - one of those great mysteries of Britain's humour comics - and revels in the idea that someone will one day collect Starblazer in the same way Carlton has made a success of the Scottish publishers Commando books.

• Read the interview on the main downthetubes site

Calling Fireball Agents!

FIREBALL FOR HIRE

Mysteries solved -

problems licked -

lost things found -

crooks straightened out -

anytime - any place

BUT... ONLY TOUGH JOBS ACCEPTED.

Do you recognise this man?

As the agent/adventurer from D C Thomson’s mid-1970s Bullet comic, Fireball was the comic’s major character and was represented in Bullet’s editorial pages, and the odd pin-up, in photographs.

IPC's equivalent of Bullet was Action! which also had a photographic editor -- writer Steve Moore. But who donned the medallion and leather jacket to become Fireball?

Warlord and Starblazer editor Bill Graham knows and tells downthetubes in a wide ranging interview covering his long career at D C Thomson and the many and varied titles he has worked on, also revealing some perhaps previously unknown history to the Dandy.

• Read the interview with Bill Graham on the main site here.