Luck for Some: Temple APA 13 released

The Temple APA Issue Thirteen is now available to download as a totally free pdf file, containing contributions from the likes of Dave Hailwood, Paul Eldridge, Simon Mackie, Tony Suleri, Dirk Van Dom and Malcolm Kirk – who also provides the cover.

The Temple APA is a showcase for amateur and professional creators who are active in the UK comics scene. If you'd like to contribute or just want more information, check out the Temple blog or like us them Facebook.

You can download from Dropbox, MediaFire or view online at MyEbook.
PDF file size is 20.9 MB.

•  Temple APA blog
• Temple APA Facebook page

Self Publisher Magazine spotlights artist Adam Grose

While the latest issue of Self Publisher Magazine - a free e-publication devoted to indie comics - is dominated this time out by US creators, it does include an extensive interview with British illustrator, writer and comic artist Adam Grose, creator of the amazing Cosmogenesis with Tony Suleri, talking to Darren Worrow about his career, his move away from Cornwall and his hopes for his career.

Adam, a Fine Artist by profession, has been working on his latest project, a supernatural novella, for several years.

"I began plotting a supernatural story that was originally going to become a graphic novel in 2009," he reveals. "I was about to submit it to Insomnia, when they folded. I had illustrated the first 28 pages, but I thought it might be interesting to see if I could write a novella instead.

"I decided to follow this instinct and have spent the last three years, on and off, developing the plot further.

"It's a supernatural tale that follows the lives of a couple - an architect and a designer - who uncover a hidden secret.

"I don’t want to say too much at the moment, but it is a composite piece involving supernatural elements and it acts as a metaphor for our current times. It also embodies elements from certainconspiracies I’ve seen on the internet. I find these fascinating and they lend themselves to fiction very well."

Self Publisher Magazine is a great title devoted to smaller publishers, offering some tasty previews of upcoming projects, interviews and practical guidance on self publishing, wherever you are based. The team are improving the look of the title each issue and are currently looking at launching a print edition via a Kickstarter campaign.

• Download Issue 62 free from: www.selfpubmag.com/downloads/entry/free-downloads/self-publisher/self-publisher_8.htm

 

Temple 12, free comic showcase, available now

Have you forgotten how good it tastes? The 66-page Temple APA Issue Twelve is now available to download as part of a complete breakfast a totally free pdf file, containing contributions from the likes of Dave Hailwood, Paul Eldridge, Simon Mackie, Tony Suleri, Adam Grose and Malcolm Kirk, who also provides 100% of the recommended allowance of front cover, which you can see on the right these words, (unless you're standing on your head or something, in which case - what on Earth are you doing that for? Get the proper way up this instant! How can you even work a mouse like that?).

 

You can download from Dropbox, MediaFire or view online at MyEbook. PDF file size is 17.6 MB.

 

The Temple APA is a showcase for amateur and professional creators who are active in the UK comics scene. If you'd like to contribute or just want more information, check out the Temple blog or like us on Facebook...

 

• Temple APA blog

• Temple APA Facebook page

 

 

It's Temple Time!

Undeath's a beach! The 44-page Temple APA (Issue Eleven) is now available to download as a totally free PDF file, containing contributions from the likes of Dave Hailwood, Jim Stewart, Paul Eldridge, Simon Mackie, Malcolm Kirk and Tony Suleri. 

Intended as a promtional device for aspiring British creators, the Temple is a useful discussion forum for people interested in self or pro publishing.




- You can download from Dropbox, MediaFire, FileDropper, or view online at MyEbook (login required due to mature content). PDF file size is 13.83 MB.




- Visit the Temple APA blog

Temple APA Issue 9 showcases British comics talent

The ninth issue of the Temple APA digital comics showcase is now available to download as a completely free PDF file.

Featuring 48 pages of artwork and stories from a host of creators, including Tony Suleri, John Owens, Dave Hailwood, Dirk Van Dom, Matthew McLaughlin, Paul Eldridge, Malcolm Kirk and Simon Mackie, (who also provides the cover artwork, displayed above).

The Temple APA is a showcase of UK based comicbook talent, both amateur and professional. If you'd like to contribute or just want more information, check out the Temple website at http://templeapa.socialgo.com

• To download, click here and "save target/link as" (15.19 mb file)


• You can also obtain it from Clickwheel, Mediafire or it's available to read online at MyeBook

New Temple APA showcasing British creatives free online

The lightly seasoned Eighth Issue of the Temple APA digital comics showcase is now available to download as a completely free pdf file.

Full of comicy goodness from such persons as Simon Mackie, (also responsible for the cover shown above), David Hailwood, Matthew McLaughlin, Dirk Van Dom, Tony Suleri, Derek Hamill and numerous others including Malcolm Kirk, who cobbled it all together.

Also included is a small press Feature on Paragon comic.

The Temple APA is a showcase of UK based comic book talent, both amateur and professional. If you'd like to contribute or just want more information, check out the Temple website at: http://templeapa.socialgo.com

• To download Temple APA 8, scroll down the blog page of Malcom Kirl’s blog at: http://malcolmkirk.blogspot.com. File size is 19.27mb

New British Comics #2 On Its Way

The second issue of indie anthology title New British Comics, featuring this spiffing cover by Nelson Evergreen, should be published in October.

Contributors for the 84-page anthology, which will be published by Karol Wisniewski in both English and Polish, include Dan White, Dave Thomson, Paweł Gierczak, David Hailwood, Tony Suleri, Maddku, Jacek Zabawa, David Robertson, Frank Lamour, Rob Miller, WJC, Jon Edwards, Tony Hitchman, Lawrence Elwick, Paul O’Connell, Leonie O'Moore, Iain Laurie, Craig Collins and Nelson Evergreen.

"I hope I've quietly perverted the idea of 'Britishness' here," says Nelson of his fab cover, "what with the tea drinkers, bowler hatted gent and ominous skies rendered in a vaguely European sort of style and topped off with a decidedly shop-soiled Union Jack."

UK Indie distributor SmallZone is still selling the first issue of New British Comics, which features 13 stories and 17 artists including Dave Thomson, Malcy Duff, Paul O’Connell and Rob Miller. The contents and strips are the same in both editions but the only difference is language.

The comic is also available from Bad Press (UK & Worldwide) and Centrum Komiksu,Imago.com.pl, Incal.com.pl and SklepKomiksowy.pl (Poland)

• Read our review of Issue 1

• Visit the blog about the project at: newbritishcomics.blogspot.com

In Review: Phoenix: A Warrior's Tale

Reviewed by David Hailwood

Phoenix: A Warrior’s Tale is a brand new 52 page black and white comic from Adam Grose and Tony Suleri, creators of the popular Cosmogenesis saga.

The Plot: Descending from the heavens, an ancient demon has returned to forge a new era of prosperity. After traversing through the universe, he now returns to where he was born to seed a new royal bloodline. One is born who may stand in his way...

The Review: Phoenix: A Warrior’s Tale is an onomatopoeia piece, meaning no dialogue, just glorious artwork. Tony Suleri, a man well known for his eye-popping attention to detail, uses a more simplified art style throughout, which helps maintain clarity and gives the comic an oriental flavour.

With silent strips the biggest challenge is to get the pacing right, as there’s no dialogue to slow the readers down. For the most part, Adam and Tony achieve this well; Tony uses four panels a page, which keeps the reading speed consistent. Adam gives events in the story plenty of room to develop, and has fun experimenting with various squidgy and squelchy sound effects.

The only part of the comic where the pacing is a little off is the last five pages, where the story flashes forward in time to show important stages of development in the warrior’s life. Although this sudden quickening of pace may cause a few readers to miss a few details, the rear of the comic contains various design sketches and character profiles, which explain the stories plot in full.

Without dialogue, Phoenix: A Warrior’s Tale is a quick read, but one I found myself gladly repeating (there’s enough burning peasants, sword wielding maniacs, bloody decapitations and evil possessed monkeys to keep anyone happy). Judging by the concept designs and research notes, this is just a taster of a much larger project (it has a distinct ‘prologue’ feel about it). With both Adam and Tony being in popular demand around the small press circuit, it might take some time for more Phoenix strips to materialise.

I’m sure it’ll be worth the wait.

Phoenix: A Warrior’s Tale will be released on the 13th October 2009, priced £3.95

Weblinks:

Previews available here: www.myebook.com/clownpress

Available to buy at: http://www.adamgrose.com/

Or Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Phoenix-Warriors-Adam-R-Grose/dp/0955605423/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251919216&sr=8-1

Digital download available from: www.lulu.com/clownpress

Temple APA Issue 4 Online

The indie British creators group known as the Temple APA has just released the fourth issue of their 'portfolio' comic, available free in hi-res PDF format from their Forum here.

Intended as a digital showcase of British comic writers and artists both amateur and professional and also UK small press comics the comic, this stonking 132 page edition also includes an interview with Accent Press masterminds Dave West and Colin Mathieson.

Creators such as Tony Suleri, Dave Hailwood, Adam Grose, Paul Eldridge, Dave Thomson, John Kirkham and Jim Stewart; Malcolm Kirk, have all contributed material to the issue, ranging from full page comic strip to portfolio work. Adam Grose' work grows with confidence every time I see it, and his sample pages from new project, Time Wave Zero, are no exception. I definitely want to see more of Dave Thomson's work -- why isn't someone of this standard getting more notice from publishers? -- while Malcolm Kirk's parody of the sadly-missed Junior TV Times, Look-In, (or Pyook-In, as Malcom has re-named it), is a delight. Plus, with more great stuff from the likes of Paul Eldridge, Paul Harrison-Davies, Simon Mackie and others, this portfolio edition is well worth taking time to download.

That said, I think the team are missing a trick by not giving this quarterly outing a bit more structure: it might be worth considering making it more of a comic event, as sketch book pages and single page samples tend to be a little out of place. By taking a leaf from Accent Press' anthologies - extensively featured in this issue - and sticking to an overall theme for portfolio pieces -- SF, for example, heroes, steampunk or horror -- the Temple APA might prove an even nore attractive digital release.

The next issue is due in September and the team invite all British comic creators to join the APA and contribute via templeapa.ning.com

One great item in this edition is the ever-growing British Small Press Directory, useful for those of you trying to track down some of the higher profile indie titles at comics events or online. That this regular section has even more page dedicated to covering these is testament to the energy of the indie scene at the moment (and, of course, an indication of how ill-served our comic creators are by the sheer lack of professional outlets for their work...)

• Download Temple APA Issue Four

• Feedback on the work is always welcomed. Post any comments or feedback on the Temple APA forum here

Temple's Third Outing Online

The third Temple APA anthology, a collection of work from one of Britain's longest-running Amateur Press Associations, is available for download (PDF format).

Featuring work by Adam Grose, Dave Hailwood, Malcolm Kirk, Simon Mackie, Tony Suleri, Paul Eldridge and Jim Stewart, the anthology is intended as a platform to promote the creators and deliver some darn fine comics fun along the way. It also includes a new Small Press Directory.

My favourite parts of this issue have to be Simon Mackie's autobiographical strip and Tony Suleri's increasingly confident work - strip and illustration samples with simply stunning vibrancy. And, of course, it was great to read Paul Edridge's smashing strips he originally created over on the ROK Comics platform again -- both very funny! -- as is Malcolm Kirk's Stick Man.

"I'd like to attract some new and old faces for the next issue," says Dave Hailwood. "So if you're an old Temple member please send in a couple pages and if you can't spread the word!"

The next deadline is 22nd June 2009.

• Templeapa at: http://templeapa.ning.com