Marc Jackson's 'Man from Space' lands online

Marc Jackson, one of the team at Macclesfield-based design agency Creative Hero, has just launched his Man from Space web comic - an all-ages, all-awesome (hopefully) outer-space adventures of a intergalactic hobo and his smart-mouthed sidekick Michael... the Goldfish.

"It’s a weekly strip romp into insanity, with a strong focus on wacky characters and snappy dialogue," enthuses Marc. "Each week I’ll add more pages and after three/four weeks the current episode will finish and move onto a new one.

"There won’t be any long-running stories," he reveals. "It's more like a Saturday morning cartoon approach, hopefully introducing more craziness – with no strict story rules and complicated plots!"

The artwork is bright, energetic and eye-catching and the story sheer Saturday morning cartoon silliness. Give it a try.

• Man from Space: www.manfromspace.co.uk
• Man from Space on Facebook

Kayla Hillier and Oliver East on Panel Borders

Panel Borders: ...for travel's sake

In the last in a month of episodes of Panel Borders looking at depictions of travel in comic books and graphic novels, Alex Fitch talks to a pair of cartoonists whose small press and collected comics are all about travelling for the sake for it.

Oliver East discusses his Trains are... Mint trilogy of graphic novels, published by Blank Slate Books, which chronicle his walking along train lines from Manchester to Liverpool and across Germany, as well as his latest project Swear Down.

Also, Alex talks to Kayla Marie Hillier about her web / self published comic Galavant which depicted her travels from Toronto to Manchester and back again, via South London, in the Winter of 2009 / 2010 and is available in a collected edition from the author.

8pm Sunday 28th October 2012, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / extended podcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

In Review: The Random Adventures of Brandon Generator

Writer / Director: Edgar Writer
Artist / Animator: Tommy Lee Edwards
Narrator: Julian Barratt
Music: Unloved (David Holmes, Keefus Green and Jade Vincent)
Publisher: Microsoft

4 online episodes, approx 7 mins each

The plot: Brandon Generator, a freelance writer with writer's block, overdoes on 13 cups of espresso and blacks out. He awakens in a world similar to our own, but bits of reality disappear into a white void. Threatened by a giant four eyed monster made of coffee he tries to escape back to reality, deal with mysterious pieces of writing and voice mails that have arrived from the aether and track down a mysterious girl.

The Review: An excellent piece of comic book story-telling that sits in the middle ground between animation and motion comic; Brandon Generator tells a whimsical fantasy story that mixes Hoxton creative navel gazing with crowd sourced fantasy elements. The casting of Julian Barratt as the narrator is perfect – bringing to mind both the lo-fi fantasy of The Mighty Boosh and the satirised media world of Nathan Barley. As a disembodied voice, Barratt also sounds quite similar to regular Edgar Wright collaborator Simon Pegg (who, ironically, is currently starring in A Fantastic Fear of Everything, which is also a comedic, urban fantasy about an agoraphobic, paranoid writer).
I spoke to Wright at the launch event of the fourth and final episode of  Brandon Generator and told him that it also reminded me of Jackanory, a comparison he was quite pleased with, and he suggested Barratt's soothing, laconic tones are ideal to listen to just before bed!

Commissioned by Microsoft to promote their latest internet browser IE9, the project also exists partially as a tech-demo, and while it also plays fine in other browsers, the website encourages users to upgrade to the latest Internet Explorer to use all of the interactive features. This may be less of a concern now for anyone who hasn't seen the story yet, as the interactive nature of the project has concluded – cliffhangers at the ends of the first three instalments encouraged the public to send in lines of dialogue, sketches of creatures and plot elements – and the way I experienced Brandon Generator at the launch event was projected onto a big screen, a closer experience to Wright's usual cinematic work, and one that didn't diminish the quality of Tommy Lee Edwards' art. David Holmes' ambient score is also very enjoyable, awaiting a full album release in due course.
The animation ranges from simple pans across Edwards' drawings to multi-layered moments where flashing messages sit on top of scrolling text on top of background images to reflect the lead character's disorientation, but rarely goes as far as fully animated characters. In any case, Edwards has experience in moving pictures, such as The Book of Eli, so he's better placed than many other comic creators in animating his own work. This means, while the project is more sophisticated than every motion comic that has preceded it, you can still imagine the possibility of it being printed as a regular graphic novel – something the creators refrained from promoting when asked about this at the launch, as it might detract from the novelty of it being an online experience. The possibility of an eventual graphic novel and the creators' love of print comics is evident in certain scenes where three or four panel borders are combined with the mise-en-scene.

The crowd sourced elements incorporated into later episodes work well, from the design of the coffee monster and its name “Caffiendo” to the random lines of text the lead character is assaulted with as he tries to escape the monster, one of which was contributed by Erotic Comics author Tim Pilcher, who receives a credit at the end of episode 3. Hopefully this means other online projects by A list comic creators might also be willing to incorporate suggestions by their readers, without the usual fear of being sued by anyone on the unsolicited 'slush pile'.
Overall, Brandon Generator is worth checking out for fans of any of the creators' work and anyone curious about the possible future of online comics.

You can find the animated comic plus a plethora of behind the scenes information at http://www.brandongenerator.com

Comic Football bounces back, looking for creators

We've got some good news about Comic Football, the national subscription-only comic that recently informed subscribers it had been cancelled.

It seems that this is only part of the story - the comic will return later this year, but in a new, free online format.

Because of this change of direction, Hinckley-based publishers Comic Football Ltd. stopped taking and have refunded subscriptions for the national version of the comic. It's hoped the digital re-launch as a web comic with a brand new site will happen before Christmas.

The new web comic will be constantly updated and free, hence no subscriptions. There's also iPad, Android and Kindle apps in the pipeline, but more about that when it happens.

The bottom line for the company is that it's responding to the fast-changing world of publishing, particularly as the move to digital platforms gathers pace. New technologies means the market is changing and nobody is quite sure how to launch a comic these days - or even re-launch one, it seems, in some cases.

"They've tried it one way, now they're going to try it another way, and they'll keep on trying until they hit on a sustainable market model," an insider told us.

In the meantime, the company's activities producing comics for individual football clubs - their core business - is going very well. They just signed up with Celtic and Doncaster Rovers, and already deliver publications for Manchester City, Newcastle, Stoke City, Wolves, Wigan, Derby County and Aston Villa, with more in the pipeline.

The company's main activities are bespoke comics for junior fans, featuring the club's mascot, club-based comic strips, player or match strips and packed full of features, aiming to be a comic tailored uniquely for a team's junior membership, acting as a marketing and promotional product, or as a retail product for club shops ... or even made available through the local news trade.

Alongside dedicated club features, Club Football also offers a catalogue of great characters that can be featured in the comics, aiming to help clubs capture the next generation of fans and give them something exciting in return.

Their work is being well received, too. "Comic Football has offered us innovative and well-crafted content that has lit up the junior section of our award-winning Manchester City programme," says Ian Guildford from Ignition Publications.

We're also told they're still on the lookout for artists, so submissions are welcome.

• Creators should send reasonably-sized samples to peteATcomicfootball.co.uk or by post to Comic Football Ltd., 12, Darley Abbey Mills, Darley Abbey, Derby DE22 1DZ

• Official web site: www.comicfootball.co.uk

Rainey launches 'Thunder Brother; Soap Division"

Some of you might have been wondering what talented comic creator Paul B. Rainey has been up to since finishing his highly-acclaimed There’s No Time Like The Present last year. Well now we know: its successor, Thunder Brother; Soap Division.

"I don’t want to tell you too much about it for fear of giving too much away about the opening story," says Paul, "but I do want to tell you that I will be uploading a page from the strip every Monday and Friday at http://thunderbrother-soapdivision.blogspot.com/.

"Each page is in full colour (yum!) and free to read (double yum!!)!"


Cartoonist, illustrator and Panic Coordinator to Breakfast television since 1992, Paul Rainey is the creator of online hit diary comic strip Book of Lists, a full colour book collection of which is now available. His graphic novel There's No Time Like The Present will be published during 2012.

"Thunder Brother; Soap Division is an all-ages strip," says Paul, "so feel free to mention it to your children, younger brothers and sisters, parents, neighbours, anybody that you might bump into in the Post Office and that grumpy man who serves behind the counter in your local shop.

"Alternatively, tell your Twitter followers, website visitors and Facebook friends."



 • Thunder Brother; Soap Division is also on Facebook here

You can't flush this web comic away...

Comic creator Gordon Robertson has just launchd a new web comic inspired by a very personal story.

Provocatively titled Arse Cancer, "it's not just a catchy title," says Gordon. "A year ago I was diagnosed with bowel cancer. I was lucky I caught it early and have beaten it and am back to full health.

"While I was ill, I tried to write about my experiences, at first planning a blog, but it never came out in the way I wanted it to," he reveals. "There are some really moving and heartfelt blogs out there, stuff that will make your heart soar, and stuff that will make you cry like you never thought possible, all tributes to some incredibly brave people. I couldn't write anything like that. It just wasn't what I was going through.

"What I experienced leaned towards the bizarre, off the wall and was all slightly surreal. Writing a comic seemed like a natural way of expressing that.

With art from Newcastle-based artist Cuttlefish, ArseCancer is a comic (if not always an entirely reliable) journey through Gordon's recollections and you can read it at: www.arsecancer.co.uk

WebFinds: Gail Scott, Space Pilot

Fans of Dan Dare and 1950s space comics might want to check out this fun web strip by Mark Toner - Gail Scott, Space Pilot.

Featuring a group of Scottish friends exploring space, the current adventure -  "Who is Mr Mentor?" - finds Gail and chums (all broad Scottish banter kindly translated for dumb sassenachs) on their way to Mars in a futuristic spacecraft.

The art is a little rough around the edges and the lettering needs much improvement, but the story's chuntering along nicely - Mark's includes some humour in the adventure as the characters first experience space flight, for example, which all helps add to the fun.

The strip's been running for a few weeks now, with a new episode from Dumfries-based artist Mark Toner every Thursday.

"If you like the Gail Scott series and would like to put it on your site, email me," says Mark.  "I'm always happy to help other impoverished web content providers as long as they let me approve the use. If you've got commercial plans for my comics, I insist on my share of the proceeds!"


Describing himself as a "Comic artist, astronomer and guitarist" (check out www.twitter.com/ArbelosMusic for his band), you can check out more of Mark's comics work at www.spacepilot.co.uk.

• All Gail Scott artwork and stories are copyright © 2011 Mark Toner, all rights reserved.

Striker Comic Archive released Free online

Football comic Striker is to have its entire 25-year archive made available to read free on its official website, striker3d.com.

The library has been launched with the release of the first seven stories from 1985 to 1987 and new episodes will be added every day.

Striker appeared daily in The Sun until September, 2009 and then featured for nine months as a weekly page in lads magazine Nuts.

“I want to concentrate on new writing projects." says Creator Pete Nash, "but this is a great way of keeping Striker alive for years to come.

“With the exception of the first three years of strips which were printed in a 1990 book, the stories have never been republished following their appearances in The Sun.

“Many of Striker’s fans have never seen these early stories and the ones who have will be able to enjoy a daily trip down Memory Lane.

“My old employers at News International are putting their content behind a paywall but if I did that with Striker it would end up being pirated and there would be a smaller readership.

“Making it available free is an experiment but if enough people read the archives then a profit can be made from advertising.”

The striker3d.com website is being developed, hosted and funded by Isle of Man-based business solutions company Intelligence Ltd.

Steve Woodford, the company’s Chief Executive, said: “I had never read Striker before but I was coming across so many people saying how much they missed it after it ended in The Sun that I decided to check it out.

“The episodes can be funny or dramatic but always compelling. It seemed to me that having a quarter of a century of stories like these that are popular with both young and old readers alike was an opportunity not be missed.”

•  View the Striker archive at: striker3d.com

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

Bloodwhat comic reaches its online finale

Bloodwhat, the online comic creation of Worcester film-maker Douglas Wilson, has recently reached the story's conclusion after an impressive regular three times a week schedule for the past year and a half.

With some 6000 views per month, the comic has just shy of 200 strips of fantasy spoofs, parodying a 1980's computer game which Douglas grew up playing. He now hopes to compile a book from the now completed story and is using fundraising site IndiGoGo to pre-order copies with incentives for donators, including a credit in the final printed book and original artwork from the comic.

Creator Douglas Wilson is an animation graduate of the University of Central Lancashire who has worked on the feature film Billi the Vet in Glasgow and Rocket Jo in Angouleme, France. Currently working freelance from Worcester in animation and illustration, he runs two regularly updating web comics, K-9 Lives and Bloodwhat. He's also writing and drawing a graphic novel, The Von Spleen Experiment.

The strip's web site recently underwent a re-design, bringing a bit more personality to the look. "I've made the menu bar quite playful and amusing and hopefully having that same link panel across the whole site makes navigation a little simpler," Douglas explains.

"I also wanted to add hand written notes explaining a little more about what I am trying to do with the site and its contents [and] back-up the handmade, personal aspect of my work in the design."

• Check out comics at: www.dougwilson.co.uk

Tube Surfing: Web-comics special!

Righty-ho, what's happening (in web-comics terms) out there...

Talented cartoonist Tom Humberstone took a break from his Hundred Days project (hundred cartoons in hundred days). He's back now, so go check out his stuff, which is rather cool...

Have you seen My Cardboard Life? It's kind of... defies description, really. Go look...

Adam Cadwell only has five more strips to go before he finishes The Everyday, his web-strip about, well, stuff that he notices in his everyday life. If you haven't caught it yet, it's worth a gander.

Are you reading Phil Spence's Ninja Bunny? Well worth your time... as is Marc Ellerby's diary comic, Ellerbisms.

Oh, and according to John Allison, the 't-shirt as vital part of the web-comic money-making ecosysytem' bubble has burst. You can console him by reading his excellent Bad Machinary and then help him by buying his stuff.

Take Ten: Channel 4's Alien Ink graphic novel project launched

Channel 4 Education recently launched Alien Ink, an online graphic novel for teens. Written and illustrated by the team at Pulp Theatre, publishers of the hard-hitting cult hit graphic novel Brodie’s Law, Alien Ink aims to reflect a series of teen pressures, including relationship issues, sexual health and drug use.

Published in seven issues, comprising a total of 30 episodes, one-a-week for 30 weeks, Alien Ink combines Pulp Theatre’s trademark innovative illustrations and animations with engaging storylines designed to reflect the experiences of teenagers today. In it, teens Trinity and Ryder arrive in Camden, London, curiously at the same time as UFO sightings on Primrose Hill. They open Alien Ink, a tattoo shop in Camden Town, which quickly becomes a hub for local teens, thanks to its unusually welcoming aura and the beautiful tattoo art. Trinity and Ryder seem to be normal young people – but as word spreads about their extraordinary tattooing talents, questions begin to be asked....

Alien Ink is the first title to be published under the umbrella of Pressure Comics, set up to produce graphic novels to tackle issues in teen life.

downthetubes caught up with Pulp Theatre's Esther Bircham to pose her one of our occasional "Take Ten" Question and Answer sessions and find out more about this innovative new project...

downthetubes: How did you come up with the story - or was this a project instigated by Channel 4, who then sought out Pulp Theatre?

Esther Bircham: Pulp Theatre came up with the complete story concept and characters. We worked with Channel 4 who provided the brief that they wanted a comic geared around teens. Pulp Theatre and Channel 4 brainstormed together before Channel 4 were happy to proceed.

downthetubes: Is this the first time Alien Ink has been published?


Esther: Yes, this is a completely new concept. We are still fine tuning the artwork, as the comic is being produced.

downthetubes: This is a pretty exciting project and a major platform for comics given Channel 4's involvement. Are you planning anything else at this stage?

Alien Ink character designs

Esther: Yes, we are planning to launch the graphic novel offline - with the popularity of Alien Ink there are many opportunities we can explore – really the sky’s the limit.

downthetubes: Will there be a TV tie-in or is this purely an online play?


Esther: At present there are no TV tie-ins – Alien Ink is purely dedicated to online play.

downthetubes: David Bircham is the artist on this project. Can you bring us up to speed on his many projects?

Esther: David has been drawing comics for over 20 years. His career started with 2000AD, when he drew characters such as Judge Dredd, Slaine and various others. David met Daley Osiyemi a graphic designer for the likes of Saatchi and Saatchi amongst others and together they started Pulp Theatre.

Merging all our talents, we designed a dynamic array of online websites, micro-sites and games using a distinctly different style. Because of our passion for the comic medium, we decided to take the long road to producing our own comic, Brodie’s Law (in 2004). It received a lot of critical acclaim from all fronts and even attracted attention from Hollywood. [Brodie's Law has sold over 30,000 copies worldwide - downthetubes Ed]

downthetubes: Do you have any favourite creators or influences?


Esther: We are fans of British and US comic book artists such as Simon Bisley, Alan Moore, Alan Grant, Jim Lee, Chris Bachalo, Frank Miller and Travis Charest.

downthetubes: What’s the most challenging thing about working on Alien Ink?


Esther: Balancing the needs of Channel 4 as well as providing the edginess to satisfy the audience.

downthetubes: And what’s the best part about working on this project?


Esther: The potential to reach a worldwide audience and to be the first comic book publisher to work with a major UK broadcaster on an online graphic novel project.

downthetubes: What one valuable lesson have you learnt creating comics that you apply to your work now?


Esther: We have learnt success depends on the quality of the product and success always means great sacrifice. It’s an old lesson but definitely one worth remembering.

downthetubes: What's next for the strip — and Pulp Theatre?


Esther: We have various plans which will unfold naturally – stay tuned to Pulp Theatre and we will make sure you’re the first to know.

Special thanks to Esther for taking time out of a busy schedule to answer our questions.

Readers can interact with the comic via Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, quiz apps, YouTube (in a partially animated format) and the Pressure blog, and are encouraged to get involved in the Alien Ink world, discussing the issues raised or by submitting examples of their own creativity, be it artwork, graphic design, writing, poetry, or even their own tattoo design.

Alice Taylor, Commissioning Editor, Channel 4 Education says: “We’re thrilled to have found and be working with a dynamic organisation like Pulp Theatre, and to be exploring a new way to engage with teenagers. Alien Ink will raise everyday issues in a relevant and entertaining way, and will further deliver useful data on topics like health, drugs or tattooing alongside the storylines. We think this is a great way to reach teens with stories that matter, and to point them to information that’ll genuinely help.”

• More about Alien Ink on the official website www.alienink.co.uk, which includes links to all the various social network extensions of the project.

CD24 Launches Alameda Web Comic

UK indie publisher CD24 has just launched Alameda, a new weekly web comic by Tony Wicks.

"John Higgs is no longer a participant in the rat race," says Tony of the story. "He's living the life he always wanted, with his family and his music on an island paradise. But nothing ever seems to last forever.

"Something bad is waiting just around the corner, and in his extremity John will be given a life line. Will he be able to lay old ghosts to rest and listen to the one who can help him, before it's too late?"

CD24, also publishers of projects such as Jack in the Box and Last of the Chickenheads hope a new page will be uploaded on a weekly basis(ish) -- work and real life permitting!

Check it out at: www.alameda-comic.co.uk

London Book Fair lines up comics events

The London Book Fair has almost finalised its list of comics events for this year's three day event at Earl's Court in April, with a line up of guests that so far includes Paul Gravett, Helen McCarthy, Emma Hayley, Ian Rankin and Cory Doctorow.

Some 23,000 industry professionals attend this trade event, providing publishers with the largest gathering of international literary agents, publishers and publishing suppliers under one roof in the UK for three days.

By registering for the event in advance (before Monday 19th April 2010) you can get a discount on the onsite entrance fee, paying just £25 for entrance over the full three days of the fair.

The Fair is taking a keener interest in comics and graphics this year, offering a dedicated "Comics Pavillion" which includes Diamond Comics and Highland Books as exhibitors, and a number of seminars that should certainly interest comics publishers and creators. There will also be opportunities to watch celebrated illustrators creating new work live in the ‘studio’, but we don't have details on just who will be involved in that just yet.

A full list of all events and seminars can be found here on the LBF web site, but here are the events we think might particularly interest downthetubes readers...

• Cross-Media Horizons: Graphic Novels & Video Games

19 April 11:30-12:30

Multiplatform releases are increasingly becoming the new frontier in the world of publishing. This seminar explores the particularly fruitful marriage between the graphic novel and the videogame in this field, whether through the publication of graphic novels based in blockbuster videogames, or videogame adaption of well-known graphic novels. Successful examples of this new business model can be found in the conversion of the Marvel superhero universe or the Asterix saga to the electronic platform

• Getting Graphic Novels and Manga to the Reader

20 April 2010 10:00-11:00
Chaired by Helen McCarthy

This seminar will focus on how showcase and display Comics, Manga & Graphic Novels in bookshops and libraries. We will count on the presence of different booksellers and librarians that will share his experience and will tell the audience their secrets and experiences: from the different categories and genres to the creation of innovative activities involving reluctant readers.

• New Opportunities: Graphic Novels and Digital

20 April 2010 14:30-15:30

Speakers
Mr Cory Doctorow, Author, Activist, Journalist and Blogger
Mr Paul Gravett, Director, COMICA Festival
Mr Ian Rankin, Author

After a record-busting year in 2008, the Graphic Novel & Manga markets appear to be living a second Golden Age. Join the discussion led by pioneer editor Emma Hayley on the future of one of the most vibrant and innovative sectors of the publishing industry. With the debut of the iPad in March (in the US, anyway), this event is sure to command a lot of attention.

• Graphic Novel Industry Unveiled

20 Apr 2010 16:00-17:00

Speakers
Ms Sophie Castille, Foreign Rights Director, Mediatoon
Ms Emma Hayley, Director, SelfMadeHero / Metro Media
Mr Marco Lupoi, Licensing Director, Panini Publishing Division

The Graphic Novel and Manga universes have been invaluable cornerstones of popular culture in the 20th century in many countries across the globe. The panel, formed by leading industry experts, will introduce France, Italy and Spain as clear examples of how this wing of the publishing industry has created for itself a high added-value cross-generational market in Europe. Join the seminar to learn more about the origins, present landscape and future potential of this recession-proof international industry.

• For more information on the Fair visit: www.londonbookfair.co.uk

Don't Get Lost webcomic blog launched

Andrew Luke has launched his strip blog, Don't Get Lost, which he describes as a 300-page tale of abuse and survival through the self and friendship.

The tale begins as a man flees from potential violence at the hand of teen gang members, and the story so far reflects many of the worries and frustrations a lot of folk have in modern Britain.

"I'll be posting seven pages a week in 2010," says Andy.

• Check it out at dont-get-lost.blogspot.com

Keith Page Launches New Web Comic

Commando artist Keith Page, who's also working on a new steampunk comic, Iron Moon, for Spaceship Away, has just started a new web comic, Dennis the Donkey on a dedicated blog entitled "Witchcraft Street".

This is the backstory to his mobile comic strip, Charlotte Corday, published on ROK Comics, revealing just how French resistance fighter, Parisian gangster and occult enthusiast Jean Corday got turned into an invisible crime fighter that looks like a donkey.

"I've drawn the first phase of the story already (54 strips) and will be posting regularly up to around 150 in total," he told downthetubes. "Each strip is one-third of a standard art size."

• You can view the strip here: dennisthedonkey.blogspot.com

• Keith's personal blog, featuring his latest work, is at keithpageukcomicsartist.blogspot.com

• Read a downthetubes interview with Keith here

New Striker Collection Online

A new collection of Striker stories has just been published online via MyEbook.com.

"Dead Man Walking", set in Haiti, was a fan favourite, but creator Pete Nash warns that it should not to be read by the politically correct! Pages will be added regularly.

Striker recently completed its 18-year saga as a newspaper strip and comic (see news story)

Tube Surfing: Pitching at Conventions, Classic Tempest and Comic Domination

• Anyone planning to attend the British International Comic Show to pitch work might be interested in Insomnia Publications Guide to pitching to them, which they hope will give creators a bit more help and confidence when it comes to knowing what they're looking for. downthetubes also has some advice about portfolio preparation and pitching here. Hope it's useful.

• Also at BICS this weekend are Classical Comics, who have just released their adaptations of William Shakespeare's The Tempest
and Romeo and Juliet. They've very kindly sent us review copies of both and I'll run a full feature next week - once I've read them - but on first look, both do the plays proud. I shouldn't really pick favourites, but given that The Tempest is, perhaps, Shakespeare's most original play - it was apparently the last he wrote - I have to say the art job Jon Haward has done on it is simply stunning. If he doesn't get a Doctor Strange or Doctor Fate commission on the back of this, the world's gone mad... If you're going to BICS, check out the books there.

• And if you do visit the Classical Comics stand, be sure to check base with colourist team Kat Nicholson and Jason Cardy, who have recently taken the helm on Draw the World Together, an organisation created to unite arts communities in providing possibilities for children who live in communities where they do not have the opportunity for basic healthcare and education.

Comic creator Andrew Wildman who has been running DwTT for the last four years, recently stepped down from the position. "It feels like the right time to do what was always my intention, hand it over to someone who can bring something fresh to the project," he says.

"Throughout the last four years there have been many amazingly talented people who have helped out with the project and together we have raised tens of thousands of pounds to help street children in both Cambodia and India. Two of those who have shown dedication to the project and a keenness to be involved at a higher level are Kat and Jason, whose willingness to contribute their time and talent at comic conventions has been a major contributor to the work of DtWT."

Kat and Jason's first real gig at the helm is at BICS, so if you are going to be attending pop along and say hi to them on the 'Classical Comics' stand.

• The first part of a brand new, huge interview from Pádraig Ó Méalóid with comic artist Bryan Talbot is now live on the Forbidden Planet International blog. As with his Alan Moore sessions its pretty big so editor Joe Gordon has split it into two parts, with the second part to follow soon. The first installment most touches on earlier material, from selling Oz Magazine and doing illustrations for the early Tolkien Society through Brainstorm Comics, The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, The Tale of One Bad Rat, 2000AD and Sandman. The second part will bring us up fully to Alice in Sunderland, Metronome and Grandville. Read it here.

• There are lots of web comic hubs out there, but this one just might offer something a little different. Comic Domination (www.comicdomination.com) is a webcomics publishing site designed for both creators and readers. "The most viewed comic for the week gets featured, so it gives readers a chance to discover new comics, and they can add comics to favourites, comment, and a lot more," explains site runner J.T. Blevins, who's also involved in online animation site Toonjet. "There are tools for creators so that all you have to do is upload and publish comics, and the system creates a webpage for it automatically. The system allows you to install and create your own templates for unlimited options."

• And finally... over on the Birmingham Mail's brilliant Speech Balloon column, they're reporting that the UK'S Classic Comic Store (not be confused with Classical Comics, above) is currently busy reissuing a number of classic comics from around the world. Notable releases include English language versions of the Greek and Joint European Classics Illustrated and a special version of The Grapes of Wrath.

"This is an adapted version of the Philippines National Classic Comics series," explains publisher Jeff Brooks, "a very good adaptation in black and white,' Jeff Brooks revealed. Classic Comics also have a number of other releases, and again, if you're at BICS this weekend, you can find out more there - or visit their web site at www.classiccomicstore.com

Tube Surfing: Billy the Cat, Cradlegrave and Cla$$ War for iPhone

• Over on his brilliant site Bronze Age of Blogs, Pete Doree has posted a short article on DC Thomson's much-loved teen hero Billy the Cat, prompting artist Sean Phillips to respond with this fab drawing of William Grange in action...

• Cradlegrave, from John Smith and Edmund Bagwell, has proven to be one of the most popular stories in 2000AD for years. Over on the 2000AD Review Siet, thanks to John Smith, you can now read the script for episode 9 - so you can see how it made the transfer to the page. Warning: there are spoilers and there is bad language...

• Geek Syndicate is running a competition to win a signed copy of ComX's upcoming superhero-styled Forty-Five comic, due for release in December.
Forty-Five is a series of Superhero interviews documented by James Stanley. As a soon-to-be father, James wants to find out what lies in store for his family if his unborn child turns out to have a Superpower.
Forty-Five features Forty-Five different industry artists, all having just one page to capture the essence of each interview. More info on the Com.X web site: www.comxcomics.com

• Talking of Com.X, a company never averse to innovation, they've just announced, in collaboration with Iconology, Inc., that Com.x comics are now available for download from the iTunes store. The first wave of releases features Cla$$war #1, #2 and Path. These will be followed by the rest of the Cla$$war series and other, soon to be announced, titles.
The application is available for £0.59 or ¢99, dependent upon your location. Once you have purchased the app, which enables you to read the comics, you will be able to download Cla$$war #1 and the first chapter of Path free of charge. If you like what you see, you can then download the rest of the books for 59p/99¢ and £1.79/$2.99 for Cla$$war and Path, respectively.

• 2000AD #1646 features a new Future Shock with art by the legendary John Cooper, from a script by Mike Carroll.

• David Hine and Shaky Kane are working on a new Image comic called Bulletproof Coffin.

• Over on the BBC web site writer Mark Gatiss and radio producer Simon Hollis offer a revealing insight into their love of Doctor Who Target books, the focus of their recently-aired Radio 4 documentary, recent Radio 4 documentary, 'On The Outside It Looked Like An Old Fashioned Police Box'. They rightfully sing the praises of those with painted art covers...

• Over on the Coventry Telegraph's web site, David Bentley has an interview with Coventry-based artist and author Al Davison, who is taking Tennant's popular Time Lord to a whole new dimension. Al's new Doctor Who comic for IDW Publishing will consist of alternating two-part and four-part stories, all written by Tony Lee.
Al is drawing the two-parters while the artist on the four-part arcs ironically has the same name as the new Doctor Who, Matt Smith.

The ongoing series is launched with Al's first story arc, called Silver Scream and sees the Time Lord investigating an unearthly mystery in 1920s Hollywood.

"The first arc has already had a very good response, it's a very strong Doctor Who story," Al says. "Tony has really captured David Tennant's voice and personality: you read it and it really does sound like Tennant. Read the full interview, which covers much of Al's prestigious comics career Coventry Telegraph - The Geek Files.)

• Swindon will play host to the Swin City Comics Retro Fair on 26 September, to be held at Wharf Green. More details here on Facebook.

• After a few months concentrating on his The Spine Chillers webcomic, artist Ben Clark has moved hisMagic Beans! to a new location on Blogger. Expect the usual Clark madness to ensue in the coming days!

• Talking of web comics, Forbidden Planet International honcho Kenny Penman has been talking to Richard Cowdry and Daniel Locke recently, with the result that they’re going to be doing the new resident strip for the FPI blog. First Somersault went live recently and should be every Tuesday, just like they did with Darryl Cunningham’s Super-Sam.

• Complied with thanks to Matthew Badham

BVC's Shades Enters Spirit World

British Web comic publisher Broken Voice Comics has just released Chapter 12 of its flagship title, the online graphic novel Shades online, plus some of the first pages of Chapter 13 have just been launched at its website. For the first time, the new chapters allow readers a glimpse of the story's mysterious spirit world.

Written by David A J Berner (whose adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Oval Portrait” was included in the Self Made Hero anthology Nevermore in 2007) and illustrated in full colour by E.C. Nickel, Shades is both a timely examination of the characteristics and traits that have come to define the British national character and an appreciation of the super hero genre, from a particularly UK perspective.

Until now, most of the action in Shades has taken place in a very real-world version of the UK, but the spirit world has always been hugely important to the story.

"We learn very early on that the Shaman (a prehistoric mystic) relies on the spirits for his knowledge, and that the energies of that world are the source of many of the characters’ unique abilities," reveals Berner. "From this point in the story, however, events in the physical world and the spirit world start becoming increasingly intertwined."

In Chapter 12 a demon spirit known as Thrawn manifests itself in the physical world. Able to twist and manipulate a person’s self-doubts and insecurities, the demon finds plenty of material to prey upon in the troubled minds of the British heroes who people Shades.

In Chapter 13, readers are finally given their first glimpse of what the spirit world is actually like.

"Technically," Berner elaborates, "we only make it as far as the Fringes – a kind of buffer zone between the physical and spirit worlds. But then, it’s not the most inviting of places so perhaps that’s as close as we want to get!"

"The art team has done a fantastic job of rendering the nightmare landscape of the Fringes," David enthuses. "E.C. Nickel has really been able to demonstrate his love of surreal detail in these sequences, and the sombre, brooding colours by Muamal Khairi add a dimension that wouldn’t be out of place in an H.P. Lovecraft novel!”

Formerly the Senior Editor of webcomics studio Midnite Comics, David formed Broken Voice Comics in February 2006. Since its launch, Broken Voice Comics has been home to Berner’s own comic projects including Shades and his two four-part fantasy mini-series, The Spires and Hunted along with Guest Titles such as recent arrival G.A.A.K. by Darryl Hughes and Monique McNaughton.

Behind the scenes on the project, Berner informs us that work on this graphic novel is now nearing completion. "The script for Shades was written back in 2003,” he says, “so it’s been a long haul, but the end is finally in sight. The art team is already working on the last two full-length chapters (15 and 16) and then we just have a short epilogue to do, before we have to start looking at the options for putting together a collected print edition!”

• For more on Broken Voice Comics and its titles visit: www.brokenvoice.co.uk