Tube Surfing: Davison Who Art, Time Bombs and Herbbs!

• As part of the A Thing About Machines electronic Arts Festival, dedicated to the innovative composer Delia Derbyshire who composed the Doctor Who theme, The Tin Angel in Coventry screened films by local filmakers, including the premiere of comic creator Al Davison's new film Trinity. Meanwhile, Al's Doctor Who exhibition is on till 3rd October at Coventry's Lock Gallery, featuring art from his IDW Doctor Who comic.

• A new 28-page chapter of the time travel graphic novel The Fat Man by Thomas Cochrane has gone live this weekend over at www.the-fat-man.co.uk.

• Fans of Rodrigo D. Ricci's Ligeia the Vampire, which also features on British mobile comics site ROK Comics, can download the Ligeia the Vampire's official wallpapers, this time starring Edgar the Cat from the strip's official web site here.

• Along with hundreds of other creators, the makers of magical mystery strip Harker will have a stall at the Birmingham International Comics Show this coming weekend. "We'll have copies of every issue so far (including issue eight, hot off the presses)," says writer Roger Gibson, "and we'll also be launching Harker: The Book Of Solomon - our first 122 page graphic novel, collecting issues 1-6." Issue 8, available to order on the Harker online website from Tuesday, here on the comic's official web site, will also be available in a number of comic shops, all listed here.

• Talking of BICS, Time Bomb Comics tells us they'll be there, marking the occasion with the release of the dark, apocalyptic 100-page original graphic novel The Furies, written by Steve Tanner with artwork by Andrew Dodd, the first graphic novel to be released from the two year old company.

Time Bomb Comics will also have previews available of a few of their forthcoming projects including Bomb Scares, an anthology that promises disturbing horror stories in a twisted vein, featuring work from brand new talent such as Katja Lindblom and Rachele Aragno to established creators Gary Crutchley and Shane Oakley; and London Calling described as an "Ealing Studios meets Hammer Horror in a uniquely British one-shot featuring art by well-known Commando artist Keith Page.

• Writer Stephen Paul Coffey reports The children's book Rosemary Herbb and the Zodiac Ghosts is now for sale on Amazon.com. This book tells the very first tale of Rosemary Herbb, an 11 year old girl who is able to see ghosts. "The book is perfect for readers for all ages and a great gift to children," says Stephen.

Ex Astris: Homecoming on myebook

In addition to publication of Ex Astris on ROK Comics and Clickwheel.net, a web version Ex: Astris Homecoming, a 10-page strip which first appeared in the British comic in Bulletproof Comics #2, is now available via myebook. Click on the image on the right to view the comic or follow this link.

This standalone story, written by John Freeman and drawn by Mike Nicoll, links with the strips published on ROK Comics and Clickwheel.net.

Included in this myebook is a one page article with some background on the origins of the strip, recently commissioned for an ongoing run in Spaceship Away for 2010.

myebook aims to revolutionise the way you can create, publish and share ebook content online. Built on a feature-rich social platform, complete with free-to-use powerful, browser-based, builder software, and a slick reader environment, it's an easy way for anyone and everyone to 'get it out there', and several independent publishers are using the platform to promote their projects. You'll find books such as new Garth by Huw-J, The Fat Man by Thomas Cochrane, previews of Marksoia titles, and comics from Orang Utan Comics, Insomnia Publications, Unico Comics and many others.

If you want to read Ex Astris: Homecoming in print, then head over to the Bulletproof web site and order a copy of #2, an 80-page anthology which also features strips such as Slumbertown by Rik Hoskin & Thomas Crielly, Simba Khan by Paul Birch & Jon Haward, Love Hurts by David Hailwood & Stuart Giddings, Sideburns by Jim Alexander & Jon Haward and Redstitch by Lee Langford & Klaus Belarski.

• Bulletproof Comics: www.bulletproofcomics.co.uk

• Read Ex Astris: Homecoming on myebook.com

Tube Surfing: 30 January 2009

• British independent publisher FutureQuake Press have just released the latest issues of their brilliant anthology titles, FutureQuake and MangaQuake. FutureQuake #12 offers its usual mix of science fiction comics tales and boasts a cover by Eagle award-winning artist Declan Shalvey, with strips from writers Tom Davies, Robert Murphy, Martin Hayes, Kieran Murphy, Raz Greenberg, Mike Lynch, Gareth Whitty, Karl Stock and Dan Whiston, and art from Chris Geary, George Coleman, Jim Boswell, Paul Carter, Charley Spencer, Ed Traquino, Toby Philip, Adrian Bamforth, Gibson Quarter and James Kircough. FuruteQuake has always been one of my favourite indie mags and I have no hesitation in recommending it.

• If you're in London at the weekend, don't forget the The Alternative Press Fair 2009 is on tomorrow, Saturday 1st February. Bringing together the worlds of alternative comics, zines, self-produced art-books, poetry and diy/punk culture for one amazing day, like a great colourful blancmange that you can’t eat. Meet the artists, see their work, buy some if you like it, then relax and enjoy an exciting evening of music, song and melody, starring the Singing Sensation of the Nation, Mr. Trent Miller (& The Skeleton Jive)...

• The February 2009 issue of Thomas Cochrane's Fat Man comic is now online -- a 25 page bumper edition. You can also view it at myebook.com.
Responsible for the death of millions, the mysterious 'Tegel Project' threatens the very core of civilisation. Betrayed by MI5, the Fat Man finds himself caught between the blazing guns of would-be assassins and the blood-red lips of silent movie star Louise Brooks.
Unable to trust anyone and faced with a series of unpalatable choices, he careers madly along the arch of time on the seemingly impossible mission of keeping himself and his lover alive. Read Part Five...

• What is it with Panini UK and their total inability to update their web site properly? Thus, it falls to Al Ewing to point out that Marvel Heroes #3 is now on sale in the UK while the official web site is still promoting #1, the fools. "tt's a giant monster special," says Al, "with my Iron Man story with Kev Hopgood joined by an absolute gem of a Fantastic Four tale by Rik Hoskin and John McCrea, containing what I think might be one of the best Thing moments I've seen all year... It's a beautiful bit of business that turns a fun story into a great one."
(I suppose I should confess I haven't updated my New Comics page lately, either, but then again no-one's paying me to do this...)

• Doctor Who Adventures #100 is offering 100 prizes in its 100th issue, on sale now, including books, DVDs, audiobooks and toys. The issue also has a special feature about some of the sonic devices in the series – everything from the sonic screwdriver to the sonic blaster - and the comic strip for the issue sees The Doctor and his new friend Heather take a trip to the planet Delquis.

• Discworld author Terry Pratchett has just been interviewed by The Times on Alzheimer's and his best work and notes how some Harry Potter fans have accused him of plagiarism even though his 'school for wizards' has been around for, what, 20 years? "I've had letters from Potter fans, less so these days, mostly from America, accusing me of plagiarism,” he says. When one newspaper “fabricated” a row between Pratchett and JK Rowling - in fact they have met and get on - he received death threats from American Potterites. “E-mails,” he says, “ and very stupid.”

• Fancy yourself as a superhero? InvestigationDiscovery.com has launched Homespun Superheroes, a fun new Flash game designed to develop skills such as memory, observation and response time to help build up "superhero stamina." Specially designed tests will help improve rank and supply your avatar with a hero rating that will help you to master the streets and "clean up crime."

• The trade paperback edition of Leah Moore and John Reppion's four-part Top Cow/Dynamite Entertainment crossover mini The Darkness vs. Eva - Daughter of Dracula is out this week, as is Mike Raicht's Creature Feature #2 from Th3rd Wold Studios, which features a 12 page story called "Imago" written by Leah and John and drawn by 2000AD's P J Holden.

Tube Surfing: 5 January 2009

• Empire Online, illustrating the news with a tasty image of Judge Dredd by Dylan Teague, report Danny Boyle’s DNA films has snatched up the rights to return the famous Judge to our screens in a story that remains so far under wraps.

• (via Andrew Moreton): Paul Rainey has started a new weekly strip on his site at: www.pbrainey.com. His There's no Time Like the Present series is highly recommended, as is his 2000AD blog progslog at: www.progslog.blogspot.com

• (via Warren Ellis' blog): David Langford notes via Ansible that Gordon van Gelder's The Magazine of Fantasy & SF is switching to bi-monthly publication. "Rising costs — especially postal costs — and the economy put us in a position where we either had to raise our rates severely or cut back somewhere," Gelder explains. "Given the state of the economy, I decided a cutback on frequency made the most sense.
"We’ll lose a little more than 10% of our content this year, but publishing on a bimonthly schedule should put us in a great position for the coming years."

• Over on Bear Alley, Steve Holland has just posted a round up of comics titles that were released on the run up to Christmas. A handful of titles that were announced have been delayed or publication has been pushed back and these can be found on his Upcoming Releases listing.

• Gez Kelly, organiser of the Golden Orbit Sci Fi and Comic Fairs around the UK has been in touch to give us the latest dates (see our events page for these) and to say he's offering some free exhibiton space to creators / small press publishers at several of the of the venues in February and March. For further info please contact Gez via the Golden Orbit web site.
The next Fair is on Saturday 17 January at the Nautical Club, Bishopsgate Street, off Broad Street and a short walk from Smallbrook Queensway in Birmingham, followed on Saturday 24 January with an event at Sachas Hotel, Tibb Street, Piccadilly, Manchester. Both events start at 12 noon.

• Dave taylor has joined a taleneted line up of comics artists contributing to the online comic HUZZAH!, which itself follows hot on the heels of Who Killed Round Robin. A simple parlour game where creators take it in turns to tell a story, in HUZZAH's case its theme is Space Opera.
"Not all available artist slots have been filled as yet but so far we have a great line-up," says Dave. "Ian Culbard, Colin Fawcett, Faz Choudhury, D'Israeli, Rob Davis, Stetchybeast and little old me." See the epic evolve here: huzzah2009.blogspot.com

• Neill Cameron's strip Mo-Bot High recently won the Golden Oinky award for Best Strip in The DFC, as voted for by the readers of that august periodical. "I even got to appear in the comic, collecting my award in person, as illustrated by the very talented Zak Simmonds-Hurn," he reveals on his blog. "I kept my 'acceptance speech' on the brief-and-flippant side as, y'know, I thought that would be funnier, but I just wanted to say here how genuinely thrilled and just absolutely bowled over I was by the whole thing."

• Thomas Cochrance has published a new Chapter of his graphic novel The Fat Man via
myebook.com. To catch up with the story so far - (78 pages) go to www.myebook.com/ebook_viewer.php?ebookId=2170

• And finally, an extended interview with new Doctor Who Matt Smith from Doctor Who Confidential has been made available online via YouTube and the BBC website. Meanwhile, Forbidden Planet International notes that just a couple of short hours since the announcement PJ Holden (he of Judge Dredd, the ‘86ers, DeadSignal and more) already had the first Matt Smith illo up online...
The Observer got in touch with me on Saturday night to ask me what I thought of the casting (the reporter is an old friend), but my comments didn't make it to the paper, it seems. Hardly surprising since just as the media were digesting the casting news, Israel went into Gaza tanks ablazing.

Fat Man Web Comic Goes Live

The first two chapters of the Fat Man web comic by Thomas Cochrane and Alan Tanner are now live and online at www.the-fat-man.co.uk. A new chapter being available every month.

The story centres on the mysterious 'Tegel Project', responsible for the death of millions, which threatens the very core of civilisation. Betrayed by MI5, the Fat Man finds himself caught between the blazing guns of would-be assassins and the blood-red lips of silent movie star Louise Brooks.

Unable to trust anyone and faced with a series of unpalatable choices, he careers madly along the arch of time on the seemingly impossible mission of keeping himself and his lover alive...

Originally planned as a graphic novel, Scottish artist and writer Thomas, who says the Fat Man is inspired by a fascination with the whole concept of time travel, TV shows such as The Avengers and comics such as Tin Tin, has been busy promoting the Fat Man for many months. His hard work promoting his first graphic novel is fully justified: complementing his script is some stunning pop-style art by veteran illustrator and designer Alan Tanner, who has in the past worked on covers for Time Out and the infamous Oz Magazine (and various other "hippy" publications) as well as providing many illustrations for the Radio Times and worked for CBS and Island on record covers. (Several images from the comic are available on the Fat Man web site as wallpapers for your PC).

The Fat Man is a charity project with sponsorship and free to view online. "The more eyes on the web site, the more the charity can raise," Thomas explains.

• For more information visit the web site at www.the-fat-man.co.uk, or, if you're on Facebook, join The Fat Man group there