Radio interviews with Al Davison, David Hine, Tom Humberstone and Tony Lee

Panel Borders: From small press to mainstream

In a panel discussion recorded at SCI-FI-LONDON, the London International festival of Science Fiction and Fantastic Film, guest presenter Matt Badham talks to comic creators David Hine, Al Davison, Tom Humberstone and Tony Lee about starting their careers in independent comics and how that influenced their style and choices when breaking into the 'mainstream' industry. (Edited by Alex Fitch)

• 8.30am, Monday 22nd April, repeated 3pm, Thursday 25th April, Resonance 104.4 FM / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / extended podcast after first broadcast at panelborders.wordpress.com


• Last week's episode featuring interview with Louis Roskosch about The Adventures of Leeroy and Popo, and Matt Fitch and Mark Lewis about Frogman is available online now.

London SuperCon announces fourth wave of guests

The London Super Comic Convention, running 23rd - 24th February 2013, has just announced a fourth wave of guests at the event, joining names such as Neal Adams, J Scott Campbell and Brian Bolland previously announced.

The latest comic creators set to attend are:

• Dan Slott - Writer of Amazing Spider-Man, Mighty Avengers, Avengers: The Initiative, She-Hulk, Arkham Asylum: Living Hell, Batman Adventures, Looney Tunes, or Ren & Stimpy
• Neil Edwards - Artist on Fantastic Four, Squadron Supreme, Captain America, Mighty Avengers, Herc, Spider-Man Season One and current artist on Dark Avengers
• Kieron Gillen -Writer of Uncanny X-Men, Thor, Journey Into Mystery, Generation Hope. Currently writing Iron Man and Young Avengers
• Jamie Mckelvie - Artist on Secret Avengers, Siege: Loki, Invincible Iron Man, Wolverine, Ultimate Spider-Man, Generation Hope, and is currently working on the forthcoming X-Men: Season One Graphic Novel
• Simon Furman - Writer of Alpha Flight, Death's Head, Doctor Who, Dragon's Claws, Robocop, She-Hulk, Terminator, Torchwood, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and What If?  He is currently writing Transformers: Regeneration One, 
• Al Davison - Artist on Doctor Who by IDW, Hellblazer, House of Mystery and The Dreaming
• Simon Davis - Artist on covers of 2000AD over the past 20 years, Sinister Dexter', Stone Island and Ampney Crucis Investigates
• Ian Edginton - Written Leviathan, Stickleback and, The Red Seas as well as one-off serials such as American Gothic. He worked on Top Cow's Pilot Season and Stormwatch: Post Human Division
• Adi Granov - Has provided covers for X-Men, Nova, Avengers, and interior artwork for Iron Man
• Erik Henrix - Writer of SideShows and the upcoming The Evil Tree, Champions of the Wild Weird West, Deadly Harvest, The Book, The Slave Trade
• Peter Hogan - Writer of Crisis and Revolver, Terra Obscura and The Dreaming. Ongoing adventures of Tom Strong and Resident Alien
• Kev Hopgood - Artist for Iron Man, 2000AD and Games Workshop
• Frazer Irving - Artist on Klarion, The Witch Boy, Azrael: Death's Dark Knight, Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne and Batman and Robin as well as covers for Bedlam by Image
• John-Paul Bove - Colourist on Godzilla, Doctor Who, Transformers, GI Joe.
• Marco Santucci - Artist on Secret Invasion: Spider-man, X-factor, Siege: Spider-man and Captain America: Forever Allies
• Ralph Tedesco - Writer on Se7en, Salem’s Daughter and Grimm Fairy Tales’ Inferno
• Marco Turini  - Artist on Squadron Supreme, Marvel Comics Presents and a new Top Cow comic to be released in February
• Chris Weston - Artist on Swamp Thing, The Invisibles, Starman, JSA, Lucifer, and The Authority. More recently he worked on The Filth,  Ministry of Space and The Twelve. 

More info: www.londonsupercomicconvention.com

Caption 2012 - The Countdown Begins...

Limited Edition Caption T-Shirt available now, ordering details below

 This year's Caption small press and comics festival in Oxford is only 17 days away!

Guests include: Hannah Berry, Richy K. Chandler, Jade Sarson, David O’Connell, Al Davison, Hunt Emerson, Patrice Aggs, Robin Etherington, Woodrow Phoenix, Darryl Cunningham and Nicola Streeten.

Saturday 18 August

Doors open 10 a.m. Bar open from 10 for coffee, 12 for drinks.

12:00. PANEL: Good, Clean, Knockabout Fun! Publisher Tony Bennett joins artists Hunt Emerson ('Lady Chatterly's lover'), Krent Able ('Big Book Of Mischief') and Brick ('Depresso') to talk about 32 years of the controversial British comics company.

13:30. WORKSHOP with Al Davison. ‘The Alchemist's Easel: a rough guide to drawing the unconscious’

14:30. PANEL: Shedding Light on the Dark Art of Editing Comics. Woodrow Phoenix ('Nelson'), Corinne Pearlman (Myriad), John Anderson (Soaring Penquin) and Hannah Berry (First Fictions judge) discuss editing and commissioning comics and graphic novels.

16:30. PANEL: Myriad Editions. Myriad commissioning editor Corinne Pearlman discusses the output of the company alongside Woodrow Phoenix ('Rumble Strip'), Darryl Cunningham ('Science Tales'), Nicola Streeten ('Billy, Me & You') and Gareth Brookes ('The Black Project').

21:00. QUIZ by Tony Hitchman, ‘Dangerous when wet!’

Doors close 23:00

Sunday 19 August

Doors open 10 a.m. Bar open from 10 for coffee, 12 for drinks.

11.00. BOOK GROUP: Comic Gosh!p Book Club (escaping from London) discuss Maus (Art Spiegelman) & My Cardboard Life (Philippa Rice). Try to (re)read one or both of these before the informal discussion in the bar, so you can join in!

12:30. PANEL: Playing in Someone Else’s Sandbox. Cartoonists discuss the benefits of working on creator owned vs. pre-existing characters, featuring Richy Chandler ('Wallace & Grommit' in The Sun) , David Baillie (via video! - Russian 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'), Charles Cutting ('The Dream Quest of Randolph Carter') and Robin Etherington ('The Phoenix' / 'Transformers').

14.00. PANEL: The Phoenix - A Gallimaufry of Graphical Goodness. Daniel Hartwell (writer, ‘Pirates of the Pangaea’), Neill Cameron (artist, ‘Pirates of the Pangaea’), Adam Murphy (‘Corpse Talk’), Robin Etherington (writer, ‘Long Gone Don’), Patrice Aggs ('Blimpville') discuss year two of the popular British kids comic.

15.30. PANEL: America is not the Only Fruit. Manga influenced (and Manga Jiman shortlisted) small press creators Rebecca Burgess, Sarah Burgess, Jade Sarson and Joe Morgan discuss looking outside Anglo-American comics for inspiration with David O'Connell (Tozo, the public servant).

Doors Close 17:00

The website - www.caption.org - includes info on how to order the limited edition T-Shirt designed by Sarah MacIntyre, pictured above, which you can pre-order and pick up at Caption. Also, exclusively available at the event is the Caption 2012 programme featuring a brand new jam comic - 'How I spent my summer holiday' - by Hannah Berry (see above), Richy K. Chandler, Brick and more...

• Caption: 18th / 19th August 2012, East Oxford Community Centre, Cowley, Oxford OX4 1DD (Near to St. Clements 'Oxford Tube' stop)

Timelord Talbot!

When artist Bryan Talbot, creator of The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and Grandville was recently honoured Northumbria University with an Honorary Degree, friend and fellow creator Al Davison couldn't resist a bit of fun at the expense of a new Doctor by photoshopping him into the guise of an almost as well known Time Lord.

Al cleverly metamorphosed the newly-created Doctor into several incarnations of Doctor Who, including this PR image from The Krotons, recently released on DVD.

Bryan was awarded the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters alongside students from the School of Arts and Social Sciences, and you can see him in suitable finery below.

Bryan, who lives in Christchurch in Sunderland, has worked on a range of ground-breaking comics and graphic novel and is credited with being the writer of Britain’s first graphic novel - The Adventures of Luther Arkwright – serialised from 1978.

In 1989 Arkwright won the Mekon award for Best British Work and four Eagle Awards. Published in nine countries it has a strong cult following which has recently been made into a three-hour audio drama featuring David Tennant as Arkwright.

Probably his most famous work, the graphic novel Alice in Sunderland explores the links between Lewis Carroll and Sunderland. It was nominated for a host of awards and is in its fourth printing in the UK.

His graphic novel The Tale of One Bad Rat, which deals with the after-effects of child sexual abuse, also won a host of awards including the Eisner, the Oscar of the comic industry. It is published in 16 countries and used in several child abuse centres in Britain, America, Germany and Finland.

Bryan has created a variety of comic strips for publications as diverse as Radio Times, Wired and Imagine. His most recent work, Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes, is a graphic memoir written collaboratively with his wife, Mary.

“I sincerely thank Northumbria University for this Honorary Degree," says Bryan. "It is a great honour, not just for me, but also for the medium I work in. It is indicative of how sequential art in the form of the graphic novel is increasingly accepted as a legitimate art form.”

We think it's a bit of an honour being turned into a Time Lord, too.

- For more details about Bryan Talbot's work, visit www.bryan-talbot.com

Al Davison seeks suport for new graphic novel project

Comic artist Al Davison (creator of critically-acclaimed The Spiral Cage and his new book, Hokusai: Demons) has dropped us a line about his campaign on the global funding platform Indiegogo to raise £4000 to print his new graphic novel, The Alchemist's Easel: A rough guide to drawing the unconscious.

"One morning in 1988, I woke up to find I'd gone blind," the Coventry-based artist and author explains. "At the time, I had no idea that it was temporary. I just knew that along with the blindness I was losing my visual memory, the ability to visualize my family's faces, even simple shapes, and that the partial paralysis I'd had as a result of being born with Spina-Bifida had returned.

"I was blind for three months on two occasions that year. My reaction to my visual memory fading was to continue to draw, even though I had no idea if the pen contained ink or whether the paper was blank or not. When my sight returned I began to analyze the drawings I'd produced, and what I'd leaned about tapping into the unconscious, perception, dreams, and drawing. I have been teaching art based on that knowledge for over twenty years.

"Now seems like a good time to put all that on paper," he continues. "But a typical 'how to draw' book doesn't seem appropriate, given the subject.

"Utilizing the techniques I have discovered to create the book is the only way to go. I've ended up with part autobiography part 'how to draw' and part dream showcase. I've taught everyone from school children to senior art students, from dream researchers to teenagers at risk and abuse survivors. I hope this book will allow me to continue reaching more and more people."

Al and his partner Maggie, who also run Astral Gypsy, a graphic novel, manga shop and art studio in Coventry, are committed to the idea of the book as an art object in itself, as well as the book as a medium for reaching as many people as possible.

"Our project combines both," says Al. "We want to produce a limited edition collectors item. 200 hardback copies with a quarter cloth spine, printed with vegetable based ink in an outsized format 31cm x 22cm printed by Calverts containing an original black and white drawing in each copy and priced at $49.00 All the proceeds of the limited edition will then used to print an affordable trade paperback edition."

Al has turned to Indiegogo to try to raise the funds to print the limited edition graphic novel - but if they can't generate the $6,498 required but do get enough money to print a trade paperback they will do that, and contributors will receive a copy of that plus artwork to the value of their contribution.

"If we fail to raise enough for even the trade edition, the money will go into a pot until we can explore other funding opportunities," says Al. "Contributors will receive artwork to the value of their contribution anything from a pencil sketch to a archival art print to a full color acrylic painting.

"Should we reach our goal, and have money left over after printing the trade edition, that money will go towards equipment to help run art courses for young people in Coventry."

• Read more about the project here: www.indiegogo.com/The-Alchemists-Easel


• Al Davison's Facebook Page


• Astral Gypsy web site: www.astralgypsy.com

Panel Borders delivers PJ Holden, Al Davison

This week's edition of the radio show Panel Borders starts a month of shows about comic book shops with have three interviews recorded at Oxford’s small press comics convention ‘Caption’. Alex Fitch talks to Doctor Who comic illustrator Al Davison, who runs a graphic novels and art supply shop in Coventry and to former Gay Comics writer Will Morgan, one of the proprietors of a comic book shop in Putney which specialises in classic British titles. Also, 2000AD artist P.J. Holden is interviewed by comics journalist Matt Badham, about the shops he frequented while growing up in Belfast.

Also online now is Panel Borders: The art of P.J. Holden, an extra online exclusive episode of Panel Borders. In an interview recorded at Oxford’s Caption comic book festival in 2010, comics journalist Matt Badham talks to 2000AD artist P.J. Holden about his work, from his formative years combining art and computers to getting his first Judge Dredd assignment and his most recent projects.

- Check out this great show at: www.panelborders.wordpress.com

Imagined Cities: New londonprintstudio exhibition

Imagined Cities, a new exhibtion at lononprintstudio, opens this week (17th June) and features the work of a number of great British comic artists including Al Davison and Karrie Fransman.

The exhibition will launch with a party on 16th June - more details on Facebook (although it's listed as 'Private View' it's also been classified as a Public Event).

From mad bird gods to man-eating women, from a run down Northern suburb to an Eastern block city; the work you will see in the Imagined Cities exhibition showcases the varied imaginations of some of the best young, British comic artists.

This exhibition is the culmination of a six month internship run by the londonprintstudio where five interns (Rachel Taylor, William Goldsmith, Isabel Greenberg, Freya Harrison and Joe Kelly) mentored local teenagers, ran workshops and created an anthology. 

Their work, and that of the 16-20 year old students, is displayed alongside professional British comic artists who have acted as project mentors: Al Davison (Vertigo), Ellen Lindner (Whores of Mensa), Karrie Fransman (Random House) and publisher SelfMadeHero. 

The book also features a foreword from Posy Simmonds, creator of Tamara Drewe.

• Imagined Cities runs at the londonprintstudio from 17th- 25th June. More information: www.londonprintstudio.org.uk

• Imagined Cities preview Blog

Al Davison signs aboard for Blood and Light

Renegade Entertainment has announced Al (The Spiral Cage, Doctor Who) Davison will draw Blood and Light, a new project from the publisher run by Alan Grant, Alexander Finbow and Doug Bradley.

"Blood and Light is a story I'm very passionate about, and to see its world and characters come to life is fantastic," says  Alexander Finbow. "After a long search for the right artist, we decided on the extremely talented Al Davison to bring this story to the page.

"Al was finishing up a one shot issue of the Unwritten for Vertigo when we signed him up, so he was able to get stuck straight into Blood Light. His character designs are beautiful works of art in themselves and I am really thrilled to collaborate on the graphic novel adaptation with him."

Blood and Light centres on Lawrence Bowman, a captain in Oliver Cromwell's army during the English civil war. The story picks up as Cromwell's forces begin their bloody campaign in Ireland against the Royalist and catholic forces with the siege of Drogheda. Bowman leads his men to successfully capture the city but his allegiances and loyalties are thrown into doubt by Cromwell's orders to show no mercy to any within the walls.

Realising that his trusted captain is troubled, Cromwell chooses him to lead the investigation into some brutal murders that have brought terror to the Irish countryside. Bowman finds himself thrust into a race against time to uncover the murderer before he strikes again.


Renegade's projects featuring other British creators include Channel Evil by Alan Grant and Shane Oakley, and Sand, featuring art originally by the late, great John Hicklenton.

• Check out Renegade Entertainment at www.renegadeartsentertainment.com

• Al's official site is The Astral Gypsy

Tube Surfing: Alan Moore, web/hyper/small press/all types of comics and events aplenty too!

Alan Moore guests on Utter Shambles, a podcast hosted by comedians Robin Ince and Josie Long.

Pete Ashton will be talking about the emergence of the British small press comics scene in the early eighties at the Birmingham Zine Festival in September.

Al Davison's new web-comic, Muscle Memory: A Survivor's Story, is online. (Via Bugpowder)

Head down to the Comica Comiket small press fair in London this Sunday. (Also via Bugpowder)

The Forbidden Planet International blog has posted a very useful comics and zine-related events round-up.

Caption 2010 'Mad Science' Art Appeal and guest update

For anyone interested in exhibiting artwork and/or donating artwork to the Caption auction, part of Mad Science Caption 2010 at the East Oxford Community Centre on 31st July - 2nd August, the organisers tell downthetubes they can accept artwork right up to the opening day of this ace British small press event.

However, if you'd like your artwork to appear in the Mad Science Caption 2010 souvenir printed booklet then they will need a 300dpi scan, or hard copy of the artwork by 13th July. Any queries to jay.ealesATgooglemail.com.

Guests already lined up include Sydney Padua, animator and creator of the superb webcomic, The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace & Babbage (sample above), which sees Victorian scientists Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage fighting crime; Al Davison, who will once be providing one of his fabulous drawing workshops, bringing along stock from his Astral Gypsy Comic Shop, and is also designing the Caption t-shirt this year; and John Miers, who will be doing a talk about a large-format project, Babel, exhibited as part of last year's Comica, that uses a wordless pictorial language to interpret the biblical myth.

Jeremy Day will kick Caption off on the Saturday morning with a workshop; Tony Hitchman will be providing us with one of his fun quizzes on the Mad Science theme.

This year's Special Guest is Melinda Gebbie, who started out in the American alternative comics scene in the 1970s and is now best known for her collaboration on Lost Girls with Alan Moore; Sarah McIntyre will be interviewing Darryl Cunningham about his new book Psychiatric Tales and his other work; and 2000AD and incoming Strip Magazine UK artist PJ Holden, will be talking about digital comics.

Other guests are Paul Duffield, artist on Warren Ellis' FreakAngels, who will join the webcomic panel, Neill Cameron and Kate Brown, who will be talking about their DFC Library books, Mobot High and Spider Moon.

• Caption report they are also experiencing a few problems with the Caption website at the moment, so you can also check the Facebook Event page or Livejournal site for the latest news.

Doctor Who: Silver Scream from Al Davison, Tony Lee, collected

Al Davison and Tony Lee with the new Doctor Who collection at this year's MCM Expo. Photo: Jeremy Briggs

(via Al Davison): A quick reminder that the first collection of IDW's Doctor Who ongoing series, written by Tony Lee, is out, featuring Al Davison's art on the Silver Scream arc (coloured by Lovern Kindzierski).

The second arc is drawn by Matthew Dow Smith and coloured by Charlie Kirchoff.

Unlike the regular comics, which are technically not available in the UK due to licensing restrictions, Doctor Who: Volume 1 - Fugitive appears to be available and on sale in comic stores and online.

Al also reports the IDW Doctor Who Annual 2010 will be out soon, and features a story written and drawn by him, along with contributions from Tony Lee, Matthew Dow Smith, Jonathan L Davis, Kelly Yates, Phil Elliot, Charlie Kirchoff, Neil Uyetake and Robbie Robbins.

Away from Doctor Who, the Trade Paperback edition of Al's Hokusai Demons, a full-colour collection of dream comics with a Japanese theme, is due out in August, introduced by Neil Gaiman.

DC Comics fourth House of Mystery collected Trade Paperback is also out now, written by Matthew Sturges and featuring a ten-page story drawn by Al, coloured by Lee Loughbridge and lettered by Todd Klein. Other creators in The Beauty of Decay include Bill Willingham, Luca Rossi, Mike Kaluta, Richard Corben and plenty more.


• Most of Al's work can be ordered directly from www.astralgypsy.com

• More about the Doctor Who Ongoing Series on the TARDIS Wikia

Al Davison offers Life Drawing Master Class

Comics artist Al Davison has just announced he's running an all-day Life Drawing Master Class in Coventry in April.

An all-day life drawing extravaganza, it's the opportunity of expert tuition by the very talented Al, in the beautiful surroundings of of the Lock Gallery in Coventry's Canal Basin.

"All mediums are welcome," says Al, "but you'll have to bring your own materials."

• Spaces are limited, so it is a first come first served. Tea and coffee is provided, but you'll need to bring food for the break. Contact Al to book a space via his Astral Gypsy web site: http://www.astralgypsy.com/

• More info on this Facebook page (Facebook membership required)

Strip! for Savage Messiahs, Doctor Who and Al Davison...

Here's some info about the shows ace podcaster Alex Fitch is involved with that will be broadcast over the next 7 days:

On air: Strip! - Ctrl Alt Shift: Lightspeed Champion and Savage Messiah

Continuing 'British Mavericks' month on the Strip!, broadcast on ResonanceFM, Alex Fitch looks at the new charity anthology: "Ctrl Alt Shift unmasks corruption", a collection of short comic strips that mixes seasoned professionals with the work of small press artists and creators from other media who are less well known for working in comics. From the latter group, Alex is talking to Dev Hynes*, better known as the musician Lightspeed Champion, who has a sincere interest in comics that led to the creation of two strips in the anthology.

Alex also talks to the cover illustrator Laura Oldfield Ford, whose work can normally be found in fine art galleries in the fields of collage and traditional illustration, but also creates sequential art ‘zines under the name of Savage Messiah...

*(If you want to quibble, Dev was born in Texas but raised in Essex since the age of 2, so he's an honorary British Maverick)

Broadcasts: 5pm, Thursday 19th November, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast soon after transmission at www.panelborders.wordpress .com

We also missed out on reporting on some recent podcasts: of note to downthetubes fans is Panel Borders: Doctor Who and The Spiral Cage, continuing a month look long at ‘British Mavericks’ – interviews with artists whose work brings aspects of the avant-garde to mainstream comics.

In this podcast, Alex talks to artist Al Davison about his career so far, from early graphic novels based on autobiography such as The Spiral Cage and The Minotaur’s Tale which depict Al’s struggle with his identity as an artist with spina bifida to his most recent book Hokusai: Demons which explores Japanese erotic art and bestiaries based on the artist’s dreams; and also writer Tony Lee joins Alex and Al to discuss the latter’s collaboration with the artist on the American Doctor Who comic which depicts David Tennant’s alter-ego having adventures in 1920s Hollywood. Check it out over on www.resonancefm.com

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.

Bristol Expo Sells Out, No Tickets on Door

With four weeks still to go, tickets for this May’s Bristol International Comic Expo (featuring the Small Press Expo) at the Ramada Plaza Hotel on 9th and 10th May 2009 (and Mercure Holland House Hotel (Sat 9th only) have completely sold out.

Oranisers warn no tickets will be available on the door, and the only way to get tickets now is to ask to be put on the reserve list (details below).

The Expos websites www.fantasyevents.org and www.spexpo.co.uk contain fuller details of the latest additions to the line-up … including Mike Conroy and the Comics International team, Accent UK, Moonface Press, Sgt Mike Battle, Futurequake, Factor Fiction Press, Scar Comics, Ablaze Media, Orang Utan Comics, Small Zone, Self Made Hero and Genki Gear all booked into the Ramada Jarvis for both days … so here’s a short update on some of the books available at the Expos, with website details for those unable to make the event or unlucky to miss out on a ticket:

Massacre For Boys are bringing their brand new anthology title, Massacre For Boys In Colour. It's got war heroes, super heroes, Edwardian heroes, football heroes, animal hatmaking heroes, future heroes and an extra dose of war heroes. There are also some villains for balance. They will also be selling our Eagle-award nominated comic Walking Wounded.
• More details at www.massacreforboys.co.uk

TOKYOPOP will return once again to Bristol Comic Expo with a selection of best selling manga from one the world’s largest publishers of manga . They will have some special offers only available at shows and some yet to be released new titles . Make sure you drop by and if you’re new to manga, let them recommend one of their series that might appeal to you.
• More at www.tokyopop.co.uk

Time Bomb Comics bring their new, full colour, one shot, The Sisterhood: Morningstar, to Bristol – Space Nuns With Guns – the creative team of writer Steve Tanner and artist Dan Barritt will be at their table to sign and sketch throughout the Saturday.
More info: www.timebombcomics.com

As we reported earlier this week, Insomnia Publications (www.theredeye.co.uk) will launch Cancertown (the book Bryan Talbot says “will disorientate you, suck you in, chew you up and spit you out and you might well be in need of a change of underwear by the end”) at Bristol, with writer Cy Dethan and artist Stephen Downey at the Insomnia booth to talk about the book, sign copiesand sketch characters. Chapter one is available for free preview via MyEBook

ITCH will be at the SPExpo with lots of good stuff, including Leek and Sushi's Manga Show, a chunky anthology with short manga around the themes of Friendship, Japan and the UK. They'll also be selling the environmental fantasy Final Blossom, and dark fairytale Amaranth. The books are also available from www.itchpublishing.com , although if you come to the SPExpo you get a sticker with your purchase!

Metaphrog - creators of the critically acclaimed and multiple Eisner and Ignatz award nominee Louis graphic novel series - will be signing copies of their books at SPExpo, as well as selling original art from the acclaimed series. The books can be checked out at www.metaphrog.com plus their regularly updated blog is available at metaphrog.blogspot.com

After a few years away from the scene, Asia Alfasi is back with a bang with a brand-new book and a whole new website – for now, exclusive previews of her beautiful art are available at lady-respect.deviantart.com – more details to follow!

The Astral Gypsy, aka Al Davison, is artist on the new Doctor Who comic from IDW, he will be on hand for Manga portraits, character sketches and signing. As usual a great range of graphic novels, manga and graphic art material will also be available from the Astral Gypsy table.

Unico Comics (www.unicocomics.co.uk) are bringing three new books:
The Legend Known As… #1 (of 4)” is set in 2027 and 13 years after the Kato environmental disaster. The world has changed, Governments have fallen, and society is holed up in the ruins of whatever cities are left. This is a superhero comic with a twist. It shows how people react to an unknown person saving their lives and not knowing anything about him.
Borderliners #1 - Think Spooks meets Philip K Dick with television influences including The Avenger, The Professionals, The Champions and The Prisoner and you’re close to the feel and direction of this comic. As we said last year when the book was first announced, with its beautifully realized British setting and characters, it’s offering a complex but intriguing plot that is sure to appeal to fans.
Finally from Unico comes Uncle Tickle #1. Once upon a time there was a beloved TV kid’s show host named Uncle Tickle. When his show was cancelled after many seasons he lost his mind and killed everyone in the studio as it was filmed in during his live TV finale. Now he travels the country dispensing his own sickly humorous brand of retribution to all!

Futurequake also bring three new books along: the latest of its popular anthology FutureQuake 13, featuring the finest in the Small Press with another 48 pages of strips to thrill and astound: make sure you pick one of these up first as it's a top seller!
Dogbreath reaches the amazing issue 20 with the usual mix of strips and features based in the world of 200AD's Strontium Dog. Plus, how can we not mention the excellent Zarjaz: Issue 7 sees the results of the recently lifted Pat Mills character embargo! Underneath a wraparound cover by Dave Kendall the mix of strips and articles ever includes a strip from Sancho's Al Nolan and an interview with Pat Mills himself. Check out their blog for more covers: futurequakepress.blogspot.com

Lastly, but not leastly, Moonface Press who, as we again reported earlier in the week are also bringing three new books along: Tim Skinner: Total Scumbag, a scabrous parody comic that takes satirical pot-shots at The Boys, Blankets, Lost Girls, Judge Dredd and Jack Kirby by the Eagle Award-winning team of Andy Winter (writer) and Declan Shalvey (artist). Plus there's the 64-page launch issue of BritForce, the first of an ongoing series featuring the UK's No.1 superhero team, written and drawn by Andrew Radbourne and the cover comes courtesy of Glenn Fabry. Last but not least is Brothers, another UK-set superhero title, this time featuring two warring siblings, a dark government conspiracy and a truly monstrous final battle at Canary Wharf. It's a 56-page one-shot courtesy of Andy Winter (writer) and Andrew Radbourne (artist).

It sounds like a it's ging to be a great event -- if anyone is going and would like to write a report for downthetubes, please get in touch as personal and work commitments mean we won't be there (sob!)

• Ticket updates will be posted at www.fantasyevents.org/index2.html if any more become available – details on who to email to be put on the reserve list are available there now.

Tube Surfing: 29 June 2008

• Tim Perkins and other comics creators and web sites includng The Beat report the sad news that US artist Michael Turner (Witchblade, Fathom and many superb covers for Marvel) has died aged just 37 after a long battle with cancer. Our sympathies to his family and friends. Tim's post inlcudes some of Michael's outstanding art. Anyone wishing to make a charitable donation to please send to Michael Turner's requested charities: The American Cancer Society or The Make-A-Wish Foundation.

• To celebrate the release of the over-sized hardcover Dan Dare collection, MySpaceTV is airing an exclusive trailer of Virigin Comics take on the doughty pilot of the future. To view the bold, new trailer journey here. The over-sized hardcover edition collects issues 1 through 3 of Dan Dare, written by Garth Ennis with art by Gary Erskine.
• Preorder the collection (out in October) from amazon.com or amazon.co.uk

• Comic artist Al Davison (Spiral Cage, Sprial Dreams and many more great works) is hosting a five week life drawing class which begins on Wednesday, 9 July. For more information contact Al via his Astral Gypsy website

• The July 2008 issue of scifi webmag SFcrowsnest.com is now online. There are lots of goodies to read, including interviews with SF/F writers Robert J. Sawyer, Jacqueline Carey, Steven Erikson, Paul Kearney, Conrad Williams and Nancy Kress, articles in memory of Stan Winston and Algis Budrys, a movie review of the The Incredible Hulk, while author Philip Palmer reports back from the Cannes Film Festival with a fan's eye on events.
US author L.E. Modesitt also asks what's likely to last in the genre, and there's more news and reviews of books, dvds, comics and magazines than you can shake a lightsabre at. Point your ordinance at www.SFcrowsnest.com

• Talking of SF, Steve Holland's Bear Alley is proving avtreasure trobve for fans of SF book cover art of late. One of his latest postings is devoted to John Harris, another illustrator being covered (albeit briefly) in Steve's upcoming Sci-Fi Art book so I won't say much here. A very good book of his work came out in 200, Mass, with text written by Ron Tiner, which offers a lot of insight into his thinking and techniques.

• The Beat has published several new photos from Batman: Dark Knight, which has been dedicated to Heath Legder, who completed his role as The Joke shortly before his untimely death.

• Talk about memorable reading. Over on blog London Loves Comics there's a plug for the 1981 2000AD annual, which features the Mekon's "10 ways to destroy the world". One of them, which operhaps stuck in the mind of Garth Ennis when it came to the new Virgin Dan Dare series, is to introduce a black hole to the solar system and watch it such all the energy from the Earth...

• Neil Gaiman offers a disturbing post, The New Paranoia, on the tricks authorities might get up to when you enter a country with your laptop. "I have friends who practice ultra-safe computing when crossing borders: examine their computers and you'll find yourself on something almost data-free, so you'd not be looking at encrypted files, you'd simply not be looking at files -- the same kinds of things that Cory Doctorow describes in Little Brother. And I've always thought they were being, well, silly." Then Neil read an article in the LA Times which reported that US Courts have ruled, as recently as this spring in a case stemming from a search at LAX, that there's no need for warrants or suspicions when a person is seeking to enter the country because any "routine search" is reasonable under the Fourth Amendmentm and started to worry... . In effect, it's like luggage: anything and everything in your laptop, cellphone, BlackBerry or digital camera can be examined and copied by US Customs and Border Protection agents. Read Neil's full post

• Finally for this TubeSurf, a quick reminder about the excellent Alan Moore interview published earlier this month on the Forbidden Planet International blog (part 1, part 2) and a plug for writer Pádraig Ó Méalóid’s Glycon live journal. It’s a fascinating repository of all things Alan Moore, including a lot of completely unavailable and extremely rare work, such as these incredible examples of Moore’s artwork for the From Hell series (thanks to Joe Gordon for the link).