The Script Archive Needs Your Help

We're sorry to report that the fab comic writers resource, the not-for-profit Comic Script Archive might be going down.

"It sucks because I know it’s been really helpful to a lot of you – even some pros have emailed me, happy that the site exists – all of them commenting that they ‘wished something like this was around’ when they were breaking in," says the site runner (whose name I can't actually find on the site -- which is really annoying!)

"That said, my hosting dues are up and I’m at a point, until December, where financially I’m living in a bunker. There’s just no way I can justify the cost (which is around $120 a year, not exactly life changing money, but that’s a utility bill).

It's a great resource for would be comic strip writers and we reckon it should continue. If you can, please donate whatever you feel comfortable with here: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=8587754

On the chance that the site does not make its goal, any donations offered will get kicked over to legendary comic writer John Ostrander’s cause: www.comix4sight.com/. As we've previously reported, John has been battling glaucoma and is need of support.

Plus, in the event that the site OVERshoots its goal, all overages will also go to John’s cause.

For the full details on the appeal here's a Tinyurl that directs back to the post: http://tinyurl.com/yecmors

• The Comic Book Script Archive is at www.comicbookscriptarchive.com

Tube Surfing: 19 July 2008

Tom Spurgeon of the Comics Reporter interviews British comic creator Daniel Merlin Goodbrey here. 'What little I know about the writer and cartoonist Daniel Merlin Goodbrey intrigues in a way that it's surprising I didn't interview him a long time ago,' confesses Spurgeon, in his introduction to the interview. 'He's a considerable presence within webcomics and is a generally prolific cartoonist in that realm, perhaps best known in the on-line world for developing the Tarquin Engine. Goodbrey's a "new media lecturer" -- which sounds fantastic -- and done a number of works in hypercomics, yet he's also written an old-school, print-bound Avengers short story, and has just completed another such assignment for Marvel.' (Above right: a page from Necessary Monsters by Goodbrey and Sean Azzopardi)

Richard Bruton has written 100 comic reviews for the Forbidden Planet International Blog. To celebrate this feat, he's created an index of his reviews, which you can find here.

And congrats to British cartoonist Jim Medway. He's a dad! Down the Tubes wishes Jim and his family all the best. Jim Medway self-publishes via his own Paw Quality Comics and is a regular contributor to children's comic The DFC.

Cartoonist Oliver East has posted the cover to his second book, Proper Go Well High, over at his blog. Proper Go Well High will be released by new British independent comics publisher Blank Slate Books, the company that released East's first collection, Trains are Mint, reviewed here by Down the Tubes.

Ex Astris heads to Spaceship Away

A bit of self-promotion: artist Mike Nicoll is at work on a ten page Ex Astris strip of mine, "Homecoming" which will appear in black and white in UK Indie title Bulletproof #2, which is edited by Egmont editor Matt (TOXIC) Yeo in his spare time (check out the web site at www.bulletproofcomics.co.uk). Mike's also working up a colour version of the same strip and there's an early draft of a panel of the opening page here, right.

The good news is that the early visuals for this so impressed Spaceship Away editor Rod Barzilay that we are now also working up a three part story for that Dan Dare-inspired prozine, which will run from Issue 16, on sale Autumn 2008.

Mike and I are also contributing a three page story to the next Misty special, an anthology inspired by the 1980s British girls title. This is being published with the full blessing of Misty copyright owners Egmont. Check out the official web site: www.mistycomic.co.uk

ROK Comics, the comics to mobile project I am Managing Editor for, is going very well. We 've now had initial sales figures from China where strips such as Garfield, TMNT and Crazy Mary are appearing on mobile in translation and these are looking good: we're about to publish a lot more strips in Chinese there including David Fletcher's Crumb.

ROK Comics now has partner WAP subscription sites in Pakistan, South Africa and the UK via retailer Claire's as well as the main site (www.rokcomics.com) and more are in the pipeline: we've had interest from elsewhere so the future for mobile comics - already huge in Japan, where they are known as ketai - looks very encouraging.

Digital Comics APA

The Temple APA is currently looking for contributors to its first Digital Comics Anthology, deadline 1st May 2008.

For those who've never heard of the Temple (formerly titled 'Temple of Heroes'), it's the UK's longest running comics anthology, whose membership includes David Hailwood, John Freeman, John Kirkham, Neill Cameron and other comics creators.

The Temple APA is non-exclusive and welcomes artists (that includes writers too) of all shapes and sizes, from amateurs to professionals.

"Contributions should be a maximum of five pages," says David Hailwood, "with a front cover that contains contact details and a short piece about yourself. (Here's a link to the full guidelines in PDF format). They should preferably be JPGS, of 150 DPI and 1200 pixels in width (as this'll help keep the PDF down in size).

"You can either email pages directly to me at purecrass@hotmail.com or post them on the Temple APA site, once you've joined (www.templeapa.ning.com)

"Once a PDF is put together, the plan is to attach it to online forums and other places, so as to get more exposure for the creators work inside," David explains. "We also we hope to put the PDF onto a CD which will be distributed at conventions. The Temple site will be used to provide critiques on the work, which may help creators to improve or spot mistakes they wouldn't have otherwise noticed.

"If you have a web comics, feel free to reprint pages as your contribution."

Paul Cornell Interviewed

British podcast producers Geek Syndicate have just released an epic 90 minute journey through time and space and into the mind of comics and TV writer Paul Cornell, whose credits include Doctor Who, Primeval, Wisdom, Robin Hood and a host of other projects (some of which may surprise).

"On this whistle-stop tour we learn some interesting stuff about Paul including how we got started in writing, who his favorite doctor is, his favourite superhero as well as his favorite medium to work in," says Barry Nugent of Geek Syndicate, the podcast guide "to the murky underbelly of geekdom".

The podcast also delves into some of Paul's renowned Doctor Who episodes and discovers some of the inspirations behind them, and Paul takes listeners through a typical writing day and gives some tips for any would be writers out there, especially his thoughts on writer's block.

In the pipeline from Paul is the new Marvel comic Captain Britain and MI-13, and Paul shares his thoughts on Cap's place in the Marvel Universe and, more importantly, the fast growing legend that is Captain Midlands.

The Geek Syndicate, part of the UK Comic Book Podcast Group, are a UK based group fronted by David Monteith and Barry Nugent, producing a critically-acclaimed weekly podcast celebrating and commenting on all aspects of "geek life", including comics, books, movies, tv, games, technology … and booze!

• Geek Syndicate Episode 72

Johnston's Dead Space

British writer Anthony Johnston's latest project is Dead Space, a new comic book series from Electronic Arts and Image Comics based on the upcoming survival horror video game.

The new six-book series is set in the Dead Space universe is a co-creation with artist Ben Templesmith, and the first issue is on sale 3 March, with a limited edition version of the first issue with exclusive cover art available at the San Francisco comics convention WonderCon this weekend (22 - 23 February). Anthony will be at WonderCon to promote the book.

Anthony is perhaps best known for his work on comics work such as his much-praised book for Oni Press, Wasteland, and work on Greg Rucka's Queen and Country series, as well as Stormbreaker (adapted from the Anthony Horowitz novels). His next project is a manga verson of Wolverine for Marvel.

He's also an accomplished novelist: his debut novel, Frightening Curves, won the 2002 American Independent Publishing Award for Best Horror. His second novel, Stealing Life, was published last year under Rebellions Abadon Books imprint.

The Dead Space game is under development at EA's Redwood Shores, and set to ship from autumn 2008 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and the PC. Johnston is coy about the actual game because of a non disclosure agreement but told Comic Book Resources it looks fantastic.

"The demos I've seen are very creepy, and the book itself is a good fit for both Ben and I. "Intelligent horror" is how we've been labeling it from the off, and hopefully we can live up to that."

• Anthony Johnston's Official Blog
• Read the first issue of Wasteland: onipress.com/thebigwet/downloads/freeissue1
• Buy Wasteland Volume 1: Cities in Dust from amazon.co.uk