Zarjaz Postcards released

Judge Dredd by Alex Ronald

New from FutureQuake Press and only available in a limited quantity are the first set of high quality art cards from ZARJAZ, the 2000AD-inspired comic created by fans of the Galaxy's Greatest Comic.

Featuring Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, Slaine, Robo-Hunter and the A.B.C. Warriors these postcards are presentations of classic covers by some fantastic British comic artists from Zarjaz - and only 100 of each have been made.

The cards are Judge Dredd by Alex Ronald , Robo-Hunter by Nigel Dobbyn, A.B.C. Warriors by Clint Langley and Rogue Trooper by PJ Holden & Steve Denton.

• The cards are available singly for and as a pack of five from the FQP Webshop. For more info, head over to the FQP web site and check out this post.

New Futurequake, Zarjaz now on sale

The latest issues of the ace indie comic titles FutureQuake and the 2000AD-inspired Zarjaz are now on sale.

Behind the cover of Futurequake Issue 21 by Gibson Quarter and Keiren Smith there are eight strips to astound you, including 'Aclonement', a two-pager by writer Dominic Teague and artist Charlie Parsons and letterer Bolt-01; 'Before Tomorrow Comes' by writer Joshua Spiller, artist John Cahill; 'Call of Nature' by writer Lee Robson and artist Jason Smith; and other contributins from creators Dan Fox, Ben Michael Byrne Pete Hobson, Max Dunbar, Gary Robinson, Dave Thomson, Ricky-Marcel Pitcher, Gibson Quarter, Craig Collins, Sam Weller, Derek Hamill, and artist Dan Cornwell.

Behind the ace Judge Dredd cover for Zarjaz 15 by Edmund Bagwell, Peeps the butler droid delivers Judge Dredd strips aplenty and more from the likes of Samson Horn, Phillip Vaughan, Lee Robson, David Broughton, Mark Howard, Alex Paterson, Bolt-01, Kevin Levell, Shaun Avery, Simon Bennett Hayes, Rich Wells, Nora Rodriguez, Richmond Clements and Stephen Prestwood.

The samples sent to intrigue and tantalize simply leave us urging you check out both great titles.

- Check out both titles at: www.futurequake.co.uk

 

Happy Birthday, 2000AD! from art droid Chris Denton

The final episode of Portrait of a
Politician starring Dave the Orangutan
Mayor, ran in Prog 368

Name: Chris Denton

Blog or web site: http://massacreforboys.blogspot.com

Currently working on:

The Massacre For Boys Action Special, launching at Bristol Expo in May. It features old school British comics action from top indy creators including Steven Denton (my brother), David Frankum, Bolt-01, Richmond Clements, Nikki Foxrobot, Owen Watts, Dee Cunniffe. I've written some of it.

First memory of 2000AD?

It was Portrait of a Politician (Progs 366 - 368), a Judge Dredd story about Dave the Orangutuan Mayor of Mega City One, which I must have picked up due to an eye-catching cover. As a child in the 1980s I was already a commited reader of Eagle, and yet I initially found 2000AD a bit too dark and twisted for my liking. The very same qualities that drew me back to it a few years later when my friend Alex lent me his Titan edition of D.R. & Quinch.

Favourite Character or Story?

Zenith was extraordinary. It started more or less as I was first buying the progs, and it totally blew me away. That first episode with Maximan vs Masterman duking it out in 1940s Berlin has burned itself into my subconscious. You can't imagine the frustration when, a few years later, Phase III was interrupted for a few weeks mid-run!

A close second favourite is Killing Time, still, in my view, the perfect graphic novella.

What do you like most about the 2000AD? 

The eclectic mix of strips and the sheer array of talent that has worked on it over the years.

What would you most like to see in 2000AD as it heads to its Forties?:

Keep doing what you're doing, but with more Rogue Trooper. Much more Rogue Trooper.

If you worked on 2000AD, do you have an anecdote you'd like to share about your experience of Tharg and his minions?

My brother and I had a strip published in the Megazine small press section, a few years back. We were extremely grateful to Tharg for giving us the opportunity and, more generally, for showcasing so much developing talent in that slot (Ian Culbard of Mountains of Madness fame was a fellow beneficiary). We were also grateful for the small pile of complimentary graphic novels dispatched from the Nerve Centre to mark the occasion!

More recently, I wrote the script for Zenith/Invasion, a strip in the 2000AD fanzine Zarjaz! -  it's really fantastic that Rebellion encourage the fans to produce their own comics and it was highly satisfying to pay tribute to two of the great British comic series in this way.

• Check out Zarjaz! via http://thequaequamblog.blogspot.com

• This post is one in a series of tributes to 2000AD to mark its 35th birthday on 26th February 2012. More about 2000AD at www.2000adonline.com

2000AD © Rebellion

FutureQuake blasts from the hip with three 2000AD-inspired titles

Ace Eagle Award finalist publisher FutureQuake Press have just released the latest issues of of their superb comics featuring a host of raw British talent, both new and established - including the likes of Liam Sharp - yes, Liam Sharp! - and Nigel Dobbyn. Here are the details...

Behind an awesome cover by Neil Ford, FutureQuake 18 features

• Addicts by William Tennant, art by James Feist, lettered by Bolt-01
• Spirit Leveller by Lawrence Conquest art Conor Boyle, lettered by Bolt-01
• Praxis by Rob Burton, art by Roland Bird, lettered by Bolt-01
• Counter Reality Incident by John A Short, art and lettering by Alex Paterson
• Sam by Mark Woodland, art by Steven Denton lettered by Bolt-01
• In His Kiss by Lawrence Conquest, art by Jack Davies lettered by Bolt-01
• The Replacement Heroes: Butch Stone by Mike Moreci, art by Andy Scordellis, lettered by Jim Campbell
• Not this time Johnny Tomorrow by Robert Ferrie, art by Simon Hayes, lettered by Bolt-01
• Social Engagement eXperiment by Steven Fraser, art by Will Pickering, lettered by Bolt-01



Dogbreath 24 has been a long time coming but the Strontium Dog-inspired title features 48 pages of stone cold classic Search/Destroy action.

Behind the rather awesome cover by the ever talented Nigel Dobbyn is the following:

• Strontium Dog - Death of a Mutant by Mark Pexton, art by Toby Philp, lettered by Bolt-01
• The Gronk - Small Universe 2 written and drawn and lettered by Nigel Dobbyn - completing the tale bagun last issue!
• Strontium Dog- A Moment's Hesitation by Miles Reid, art by Bruce McLaren, lettered by Bolt-01
• SD's - Catch Of The Day by Matthew McLaughlin, art by Ryan Thomason, lettered by Bolt-01
• Impetigo Jones - The Big Scab by Greg Meldrum, art by David Broughton, lettered by Bolt-01
• Interview: A question of Rage: Shaun Avery talks to John Wagner & Alan Grant!
• Case File Interludes: Leigh Shepherd looks at the tales from various annuals and specials!
• Strontium Dog- Served Cold by Richmond Clements, art by Matt Soffe, lettered by Bolt-01
• M06 - Reservation Dogs by The Emperor, art by James Feist, lettered by Bolt-01
• Star Scan - Durham Red by Mark Pexton



The awesome- award winning Alex Ronald provides the cover for Zarjaz issue 12, and sees the first annual Judge Dredd summer cover! Inside, there's a top line up, including...

• Constable Dredd - The Cursed Beat by Richard McAuliffe, art by Mark Chilcott, lettered by Bolt-01
• Zenith - Invasion by Chris Denton, art and letters by David Frankum
• ToM-C1- Fat Chancers by Alexi Conman, art and letters by Luis Chichon
• Judge Fish by David Withers, art and letters by Phillip Vaughan
• Slaine - Tattered Wings by Liam Sharp (Yes, Liam Sharp!)
• Judge Dredd - Moon in the Undercity by Paul Glasswell, art by Dave Thomson, lettered by Bolt-01

• The new issues are available from the FQP Webshop (http://www.futurequake.co.uk/shop.php) and previews will be available soon.

• More information at: http://thequaequamblog.blogspot.com/

Zarjaz - now with added Clint Langley!

The latest issue of the top 2000AD inspired indie comic Zarjaz (Issue 11) is now available from the FQP Shop.

Wrapped within a cover by ace 2000AD artist Clint Langley, you will find:

• Joe Pineapples - Tin Man  by Lee Robson and Chris Askham
• Mongrol - Blogging by David Withers, Bolt-01 & Mike Carroll
• Mek-Quake - Little Jobs by The Emperor and Conor Boyle
• Deadlock- Unrepentant by Richmond Clements, Gibson Quarter & Jim Campbell (inks & letters)
• Blackblood by Eric Moore and Dunk! Nimmo
• Steelhorn - Shadow of the Titanic by Matthew Badham and Matt Soffe
• Robusters - Terror in the Baltic  by Ben Clark and Nick Dyer
• A.B.C. Warriors - RICOCHET by Richmond Clements and Kevin Levell

• Buy Zarjaz 11 from the Futurequake Press Shop

• Zarjaz 11 will also be on sale in Forbidden Planet International and Orbital Comics, London in the next two weeks for those who buy their copies from shops.

Zarjaz Special focuses on Dredd's Dark Judges

Conor Boyle's cover art for
'Dark Judgement'

Comic writer Richard McAuliffe and artist Conor Boyle have put together an ace but very creepy Zarjaz Special focusing on Judge Dredd's 'Dark Judges', which will be on sale at the British International Comic Show next month.

Dark Judgment is a not-for-profit fan project published by FutureQuake Press and will cost a measly £1.50 of your Earth money. The project presents a series of admittedly gruesome but riveting shorts featuring the four Dark Judges that definitely takes them back to their roots as some of the nastiest creations ever to grace the pages of 2000AD.

Richard is the writer of Damaged Goods, one of the Insomnia books now looking for a new home. "I got speaking to Conor Bolye at Bristol Con about possibly doing something together," he told downthetubes, "and we both decided it might be fun to try and make the Dark Judges nasty again as they'd gone a bit comedic over the years.

"I wrote four stories, expecting Conor to pick one to draw and he decided to do the lot. We showed these to the guys at Zarjaz and off the back of that they decided to let us put out a one off special edition which is gonna be launched at Birmingham."

"The idea is that this will be a return for the four Dark Judges to the days of their first appearances in 2000AD, when they were just plain nasty," adds Conor, "as opposed to the slightly camp pantomime status they achieved in later years."

Having just been read a 'sneek peek', I can safely say they've achieved their goal.

While all four Judges appear, I think the tale featuring Judge Fire is possibly the creepiest and most effective of the stories, as Fire torments a young mother with an impossible choice as he terrorises her in her own home.

This is definitely a comic that will appeal to hardened horror and Dark Judge fans, but be warned, it's not for the faint-hearted, with all age groups, including children, coming under attack from the soulless Judges...

You have been warned...

• Check out sneek peeks of art for the comic at Conor's blog

• More about Zarjaz on their official blog

• More about the Dark Judges on 2000AD Online

The Judge Fire tale in the Dark Judgment special is, perhaps,
the most disturbing of all the stories in this special. Art by Conor Boyle.

 

Richmond Clements: One Highly Explosive Writer!

Above: Richmond Clements (Richmond is on the left. Picture courtesy Richmond Clements)

Richmond Clements is one of the busiest men working on the British independent comics scene today. While holding down a full-time job, he manages to (co-) run the successful Hi-Ex Comic Convention in Inverness, co-edit several small press anthologies and has even, recently, been scripting various comic projects.

Matt Badham caught up with him recently to talk about organising Hi-Ex!, finding time to write and why most people that are interested in comics just want to see "Hulk Smash!"...

downthetubes: Please tell us a little about yourself and your previous and current involvement in the British comics scene.

Richmond: About five years ago, I was asked to come on board the FutureQuake team as an editor. I've been there ever since.

We've added to the stable too: we now publish a horror book, Something Wicked, two 2000AD-inspired fanzines, Zarjaz and Dogbreath, and a Manga book called MangaQuake, although we've decided to shelve that one after the next issue.)

In addition to that, I'm currently writing two full-length graphic novels for Insomnia and co-organising Hi-Ex!, The Highland International Comic Convention.

I'm sure there's other stuff too...

downthetubes: How did your new comic, Turning Tiger from Renegade Arts Entertainment, come about?

Richmond: Well, first, I'd better give you a quick outline of the plot. Sarah Smith is a nine-year-old girl. JEN is a multi-billion dollar war robot. When JEN malfunctions and kidnaps Sarah, the military find themselves in desperate race against time to save the child and to stop her parents going public with the story.

As with a lot of things, it began with a couple of different ideas. I had a couple of particular images that kept popping into my mind featuring a young girl and a giant robot. One of these turns up as a panel in issue two. The other thing I can't talk about as it would spoiler the story in an enormous way!

So yeah, I one day realised that these two separate things were not actually separate but parts of the same story. Suddenly, Turning Tiger was born!

downthetubes: What have been the benefits of working for small press titles, in terms of writing and networking opportunities, and your life generally?

Richmond: In terms of writing, it's good practise!

What the small press can do is take a script that might not be anywhere near ready, but has perhaps just the spark of a good idea in it and work with the writer for as long as it takes until the script is ready. It also gives a writer or artist the undeniable thrill of seeing something you created in print.

In my life? Phew! Well... I can start with meeting my partner through working on comics and work down from there! I've made some incredibly good friends through my involvement in comics. That, and it gives me something to do with what little spare time I have!

Networking... I'm not sure how to answer this without coming over as terribly mercenary! It's great fun to meet pros and to have become friends with some. And to then have some of these guys agree to do covers for us is a real thrill.

On a personal level: sitting in a bar with an editor at a convention is a damned good way to pitch a story!

downthetubes: How did you develop your ideas? Do you bang away at a script or plot and write a synopsis first?

Richmond: Turning Tiger arrived pretty much fully formed.

Some things, the graphic novel Corvus I'm writing for Insomnia, for example, start off as an idea (a superhero story set in Roman Britain) and have to be worked into a plot. However, with Turning Tiger, once I had the original thought, it was more or less all there from the off. There have been a few very minor changes made, but that's all.

downthetubes: Corvus sounds interesting. Please tell us about that.

Richmond: Corvus is set in Roman-occupied Britain in 30AD.

The Brits are held in subjugation by the mighty Roman army, helped by their own superhero, Gladius. But the British have a hero too; a 15-year-old girl called Callie, who must become the Corvus, legendary guardian of the people... It's basically a rip-roaring adventure, with some awesome action set pieces in there, as well as, I hope, telling a good story.

The art is by the brilliant Kevin Levell, who has produced some cracking concept sketches already.

downthetubes: You seem to have a lot of irons in the fire at the moment. Are you doing all this stuff on top of a day job?

Richmond: Yes, I have a day job too! I'm lucky though, in that I'm a pretty fast writer once I get started. Also, I drive a lot in my day job and get a lot of time to edit in my head, so by the time I get to putting it on paper a script or story can be more or less fully mapped out.

downthetubes: It seems in one way that British comics are going through a bit of a golden age, with a thriving small press scene, lots of stuff happening online and lots of indie companies springing up. On the other hand, there seem to be few opportunities to actually make money from comics in this country.

Can you give us your perspective on the pros and cons of being a fledgling comics writer working right here, right now and also as a con' organiser, who perhaps gets a bit of an overview of the scene that way?

Richmond: The small press scene is indeed thriving.

In truth it's always been that way, but it's just that the 'top end' of the market, if you want to call it that, has all but disappeared, so now folks are starting to notice the small and mid-sized press more.

You're right though, there are a limited number of 'slots' in the industry where a writer or artist can expect to make a full-time wage -- to put it mildly! Frankly, though, if you're mental enough to get into comics as a way of making your fortune then you deserve everything you (don't) get! I think there's too many people who look at writers like Grant Morrison or Alan Moore and assume that everyone in the industry can make that kind of money. Which is of course stupid.

Every author doesn't make Rowling or King money. Every musician is not going to reach the earning level of U2 or Springsteen. You have to accept that the chances are you will not make your fortune writing or drawing comics unless you are very, very lucky.

On the convention organising front, we were delighted and surprised by the interest shown by the general public. Our first Hi-Ex! was all but snowed off, with only half the guests being able to make it because of the weather, yet we saw hundreds of members of the general public turn up, many of them in family groups, to join in. There's a massive market out there of 'ordinary' people who are interested in the medium.

The industry needs to focus on bringing them in and not on keeping an ever-diminishing number of hardcore fans and continuity whores happy. Most people want to open a comic and simply want to see Batman thwart the Joker or Hulk Smash. They don't care if Cyclops did such-and-such in a comic written 25 years ago. They just want entertainment.

downthetubes: What's next for you, in terms of your writing?


Richmond: Next up will be finishing off writing both Pinkerton and Corvus. There will be, if everything goes to plan, a collected edition of Turning Tiger available in print sometime in April, and after that I'll start writing the sequel. In between this I'd love to finish the children's book I'm writing, and we'll have new issues of all the FutureQuake books to get out, including an ABC Warriors special, which, if it all works the way we've planned it, will be very special indeed.

downthetubes: Please give the latest Hi-Ex! a pimp. Tell us about the guests and events...

Richmond: HiEx 2010 is on the 27th and 28th of March at Eden Court in Inverness. We've got an enormous number of guests with something for everyone. We've got a children's corner with some fantastic artists there. Kev F Sutherland is bringing his socks, the Beano guys are going to be doing their stuff and as always, we'll have a brilliant charity auction (and if you're not coming, you can still bid! Check out our website for details on the lots!). This year we're also running a games room, where the public can try their hands at things like the Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog and Doctor Who roleplaying games. And as if that's not enough, the one and only Cam Kennedy is coming!

downthetubes: And in terms of Zarjaz, you guys seem to have been very good at getting pros to contribute/let you work on their characters. Tell us about working with the likes of Pat Mills and Kek-W...

Richmond: Yup, getting to work with these guys is a great bonus! Pat's been very helpful and generous - not only by allowing us to use the characters, but in offering us pointers and advice on them. Kek-W has given us an awesome Rosie O'Rion story that I guarantee will make you want her back in the prog!

We've also been very fortunate with everyone from Simon Coleby to Rufus Dayglo doing covers for us! You can't imagine the thrill of seeing a specially drawn Kingdom cover by Richard Elson arriving in your inbox. And we've got a couple of very cool cover artists lined up for the next few issues of Zarjaz and Dogbreath...

downthetubes: Richmond, thank you very much for your time and the best of luck with all your projects.

• Hi-Ex Comic Convention Official Site

• Futurequake Official web site


This interview has been simultaneously cross-posted at both the Forbidden Planet International blog and downthetubes.

Pat Mills Zarjaz Special Planned

Zarjaz, the high quality 2000AD-inspired fan-magazine, has announced their next issue, due for release in May, will be entirely dedicated to the work of 2000AD co-creator Pat Mills.

Wrapped in a stunning Slaine cover by by Dave Kendall, whose first professional work was Psycho Killer for the 1980s version of TOXIC!, written by Pat Mills, creators for the special issue include Al Nolan, Mike Carroll, Nick Dyer, Richmond Clements, Mark Woodland, Andrew White, Ben Byrne, Bolt-01 and more.

"Being prepared for this issue are strips featuring Slaine and the ABC Warriors," the editors have revealed via the Zarjaz and Dogbreath fanzine blog, "though who knows what can happen in future…"

Marking the news, the Zarjaz team have published a short interview with Pat, who remains optimistic about the future of the weekly comic, which he helped launch back in 2000AD and whose creations include ABC Warriors, Nemesis the Warlock and the recently-arrived Greysuit, drawn by John Higgins.

"In recent years, the comic is very much 2000AD once again," feels Pat, "the various threats to its identity have faded away, and I think that makes all of us who care passionately about the comic feel great." Read the interview

• Zarjaz Issue 7 will be on sale at the Britiol Comics Expo
• Zarjaz Issue 6 is still on sale via the Futurequake Press Shop
• Dogbreath Issue 19 is still on sale via the Futurequake Press Shop