Creator-owned Improper Books launches, two titles announced

Just launched in time for the impending British comic convention season is Improper Books, a small collective of comic creators formed by writer Benjamin Read and artists Laura Trinder and Chris Wildgoose.

On offer at the Bristol Comic Expo will be limited run of black and white previews of their first comics, Butterfly Gate: Beginnings and Porcelain: A Gothic Fairy Tale, both written and illustrated by Benjamin and Chris - and the art on both projects looks stunning.

Improper Books is a comic and graphic novel imprint focusing on creator owned stories that have a touch of the fairy tale, the Gothic or the macabre.

After first collaborating together on the set of UK independent feature Warhouse, the trio discovered a mutual love for comics, illustrated books, and the darker side of fairy tales and set about making their own.

From that, the idea of Improper Books came about; a collective of writers, artists and designers with the know-how to make comics, books and apps, all of which have a touch of the fairy tale, the Gothic or the macabre, and focused on a creator-owned model that is fair to all involved.

Since then, they’ve grown to include other creatives - artists, colourists, designers, editors, letterers and writers - and expand the projects we’re planning and developing.

The group now includes the talents of Jim Campbell (Letterer), Alice Duke (Artist), Matt Gibbs (Writer/Editor), Rose Hewlett (Production Director), Mark Kendrick (Digital Media Designer), André May (Colourist), and Bevis Musson (Artist).

Panels from The Butterfly Gate. Art by Chris Wildgoose

Written by Benjamin Read and illustrated by Chris Wildgoose, Butterfly Gate follows the story of two siblings who, after throwing themselves headlong into another world, must face the brutal reality that lies beyond and find their place amidst an empire built after a revolution against the Gods.

An ongoing story, consisting of three arcs, Butterfly Gate is a silent comic, a SF odyssey for an adult audience, conveying the story purely through its imagery.

"This is both an artists dream and nightmare kind of story to draw," reveals Chris Wildgoose. "It’s completely silent, which gives me a lot of freedom and expression, but also a lot of responsibility.

"I think once people start following these children through the Gate and beyond they’re going to have their minds blown, the first episode is a tiny scratch on where we’re going, you're going to see these kids travel through space and time and take on armies, nations and Gods.

Written by Benjamin Read, illustrated by Chris Wildgoose and lettered by Jim Campbell, Porcelain: A Gothic Fairy Tale is set within a world that’s a magical echo of our own, and follows the story of a street urchin, known as Child, who leaves behind the cold streets of a snowy city when she climbs the high wall into the Porcelain Maker’s garden.

A lonely man, kept company by his amazing, alchemically-powered automata, the Porcelain Maker offers Child the chance to stay with him, and the unlikely pair come to an understanding.

Shut off from the world beyond the wall, Child wants or needs for nothing as the Porcelain Maker heaps affection and luxury upon her, indulging her like a daughter. In return, she can do as she pleases, except for one command, one rule that mustn’t be broken: she must never look behind the workshop door.

"I'm very lucky to be working on Porcelain," says Chris Wildgoose. "I don't think many artists can say that they’re working on a project that is exactly what they would love to draw. The story itself is beautiful on so many levels, but has this unnerving darkness that shadows that beauty and grounds it. That blend of beauty and darkness is something I've tried to emulate with the art and have had so much fun doing that. I think mine and Ben's passion for this book shows."

We think the selected panels shown below are certainly testament to that...

Over the next few months, Improper Books will be announcing more of the projects planned for this year and next. "We’ve got a variety of things in the works, from comics and books, both print and digital, to iPad and Kindle apps, and for all ages too," says Matt Gibbs.

• More info at: www.improperbooks.com. Follow them on Twitter @ImproperBooks

Dark Judges make their mark on 2000AD web site

Fear. Fire. Mortis. The Dark Judges have returned to 2000AD.

The countdown, which has been running at www.2000adonline.com, came to an end earlier today and the site has closed (although you can still get to the site's online shop - there's no stooping commerce!), replaced with a single image bearing the legend ‘THEY ARE HERE’.

Readers have been tantalised over the past month by a series of teaser images published through the US web site Comic Book Resources, which began as oblique symbols before slowly revealing the impending return of the terrible threesome. They must now wait to see what will be unveiled...




As part of the on-going Day of Chaos mega-epic, Judge Dredd co-creator John Wagner has unleashed Judge Fear, Judge Fire, and Judge Mortis onto a Mega-City One already reeling from the Chaos Bug epidemic, mass civil revolt, and terrorist attacks. In a storyline described by SFX as “both gripping and very compelling. It’s like watching news of a reallife crisis unfolding on TV”, the multi-faceted plotline offers current, lapsed, and new readers a rollercoaster of thrills.

Warped parodies of the Judges of Mega-City One, the Dark Judges are undead superfiends from a dimension where all life has been declared a crime. Originally led by Judge Death, who has since been sucked into Purgatory by the souls of his victims, the Dark Judges were created by John Wagner and Brian Bolland.

With a stunning cover by Henry Flint, publishersRebellion tell us this has been the most keenly anticipated 2000AD event in years.

- 2000AD Prog 1781 goes on sale on Wednesday, priced at £2.35 in the UK.

 

Time Bomb announces 'Kronos City' graphic novel launch

Time Bomb Comics has announced their latest graphic novel, Kronos City, will be launched at the Bristol Comics Expo.

Written by Andrew Croskery, with artwork by Alex Willmore, coloured by Lauren Willmore and lettered by Jim Campbell, Kronos City is an extraordinary urban fantasy set within a city through which runs a river of time. 

As a special Expo Exclusive to all attendees of this year's Expo over the weekend of the 12th and 13th May, copies of this full-colour 140-page original graphic novel will be available for only £10 rather than the usual £14.99 price.

Also, as part of the Bristol Expo weekend, the Kronos City Launch Panel with the creators and publisher Steve Tanner takes place in Talks Room One at 11.15am on Saturday at the Ramada, hosted by Stacey Whittle.

Afterwards the creative team will be conducting a signing session from mid-day at the Time Bomb Comics table in the main convention hall.  

Originally announced as one of the flagship releases of short-lived Insomnia Publications, Kronos City quickly found a new home at Time Bomb Comics and will be the first title to also be released digitally as well as in printed form from the Birmingham-based publishers.

Time Bomb Comics will also be at the Kapow Comic Convention, taking place in London over the weekend of 26th and 27th May.

• Kronos City 140 Pages, Graphic Novel, Perfect Bound, Full Colour, Retail Price £14.99/$19.99,  ISBN 978-0-9561822-5-8

Unofficial 'City of Dredd' guide goes on sale

The critically-acclaimed unofficial guide to Judge Dredd's Mega-City One, City of Dredd 2134, is now available from lulu.com. 

City of Dredd 2134, by John Caliber, collects all the locations to have featured in official Judge Dredd and Dreddworld literature (comics, newspaper strips, novels, audio dramas and computer/roleplaying games), accompanied by thrill-powered story synopses and thousands of facts and figures.

Featuring colour maps and more, it's regarded by fans as an essential reference for Judge Dredd writers - professional and amateur - and for Dredd fans in general, it's a guide that should also interest anybody wanting to explore perhaps one of the richest science fiction mythology ever produced by British comics.

John Caliber is an artist, writer, colourist, letterer and editor now venturing into the self-publishing market (comic books, Judge Dredd reference books). He's the author/designer of two-dozen highly-regarded Judge Dredd roleplaying books and as well as another Dredd-related reference book is working on a four-issue mini series, Army Reincarnate, which will launch later in 2012.

- City of Dredd 2134 is available now from lulu.com in PDF format, price £9.95