Thunderbirds Are Go! - To Egmont...

Specialist children’s publisher Egmont UK has signed a deal with ITV Studios Global Entertainment’s consumer products division, owner of many classic brands created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, to publish many classic Anderson original comic strips in new formats.

Egmont has acquired the rights to the classic Thunderbirds comic strips first published in both TV Century 21 and strips originated for the 1990s Fleetway Anderson-related comics, along with other much-loved creations such as Stingray, Joe 90 and Captain Scarlet.

They will be published in ‘best of’ gift book format as well as e-books based on the original comic strips.

The last collection of Anderson strips - Menace from Space was published by Signum Books in 2011, the last of five volumes in a treasury format (the first four published by Reynolds & Hearn). These collections did not include any of the originated material published in Fleetway's 1990s Anderson titles, which focused on one show per title, with Thunderbirds proving the most successful. (Egmont purchased Fleetway in 1991).

Demand for Thunderbirds output in particular has reached new heights, boosted by the ITVS GE licensing programme and the imminent fiftieth anniversary of the television series.

The classic Thunderbirds name and brand have remained popular and loved for nearly half a century — which will be highlighted in 2015 when Thunderbirds celebrates its 50th anniversary and ITVS GE launches the hotly anticipated new series of this iconic action-adventure show, Thunderbirds are Go!

Egmont says the return of these comic strips in modern formats is expected to receive an enthusiastic response from original fans of the groundbreaking series which first went on air in 1965, as well as a whole new audience.

The first output from the deal will be available in October this year when Egmont will republish the original 1960s and 1990s Thunderbirds strips both digitally and in special collectable print editions.

David Riley, Managing Director of Egmont’s licensed character division, Egmont Publishing Group said: “We are honoured to have acquired the publishing rights for these Anderson classics and in particular to be launching with Thunderbirds in October. We are now looking forward to building a series of titles that will remind fans, old and new, of the genius of Thunderbirds and so many other incredible Anderson creations.”

Trudi Hayward, Head of Global Merchandising, ITV Studios Global Entertainment, adds: “Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s creations have enchanted and amazed fans of all ages for nearly fifty years. We welcome the appearance of these classic comic strips at a time when awareness of Thunderbirds, and the many other great Anderson titles, is stronger than ever.”

The Anderson comic strips form part of Egmont’s extensive Classic Comics archive which includes Roy of the Rovers, Battle Picture Weekly, Action, Whizzer & Chips, Misty, Tammy and Jinty.

• Egmont’s digital comics (including Roy of the Rovers, Johnny Red, The Thirteenth Floor, Misty, Major Eazy and Charley’s War) are available from the iBooks Store on iPad format for £1.99 each

Present Ideas: Roy Of The Rovers

In the run up to Christmas there is always a need for a little extra inspiration when it comes to deciding which presents to buy (or put on your Christmas list). There is merchandise out there to do with British comics if you look hard enough. Today: Roy Of The Rovers.

Tiger's Roy Race of Melchester Rovers is one of those few British comics characters that has entered the general public's consciousness and in recent times Roy of The Rovers copyright holder Egmont UK have been putting out a few books to cash in on this. However this Christmas Marks and Spencer have a range of 10 Roy of the Rovers items for sale in their stores featuring the long haired 1970s incarnation of the character.

The full range of Marks and Spencer Roy of The Rovers merchandise is here on the M&S website and features a table football game, a mini-bagatelle, a blow football game, a leather wallet, a Man Of The Match trophy, an M&S edition of the Best of the 1970s reprint book, football hand warmers and perhaps the three items that would be of the most use, a metal keyring, a sports towel and a mug and socks set.

Full details of all M&S Roy Of The Rovers merchandise are on the Marks and Spencer website.

In Review: Charley's War Volume Nine

By Pat Mills and Joe Colquhoun

Publisher: Titan Books

Out: Now

The Book: In this explosive new ninth volume of never-before-collected comic strip, including for the first time reproductions of original artwork from artist Joe Colquhoun's archive, things are looking up for Charley after he meets the love of his life, Kate, a field hospital nurse. But their wedding is destroyed by the roar of destructive Zeppelin Bombers from Berlin!

The Review: Regular readers of downthetubes may be aware that I'm the former editor of this collected work (Books 6 - 8), and therefore may be accused of bias in favour of this ongoing series, collecting perhaps the best World War One comic strip ever published in a British weekly comic - in this case, now Egmont-owned Battle Picture Weekly.

I make no apologies for such bias, because my view on this strip is one echod by many and Titan continue to deliver a stunning reprint of a classic strip - an anti war story originally published in a war comic.

The action for some of this volume swings back once more to the home front after Charley's accident on the front that sees him face court martial. There's a continuation to the stories of Charley's two brothers, Jack and Wilf, the former surviving sea war near the Falklands and being seconded to the secret service; the other, airman Wilf, taking on a giant German bomber attacking London - with tragic results.

Charley also encounters a maniacal Captain Snell (a long term arch enemy) as his developing romance with Kate grows (yes - romance in a boys' war comic! The horror!) and writer Pat Mills throws in some well-aimed barbs at the rich exploiting the war for their own ends, just for good measure.

It's a cracking compendium of stories set in the final year of the Great War, with Charley surviving the odds despite the dangers he encounters, the character growing once more as he rallies fellow soldiers in an effort to keep them alive and spared the worst atrocities they might face at the hands not of the enemy but British Army officers.

Throughout, from wartime bombing raids on London to the terror of the western front, the horror of the South Atlantic sea war and even a flashback re-telling of part of the disastrous Gallipoli campaign, Joe Colquhoun's talent as an artist oozes from every page. No subject matter seems a problem for this late, great master comic storyteller, rendering both battle scenes and character moments with equal skill and detail.

Complementing the strip - much of it lovingly scanned from original art courtesy of the Colquhoun estate by Moose Harris - is a fascinating feature on "shell shock" and war poets by Steve White, and writer Pat Mills continuing anecdotal commentary on the background to each episode.

Delivered in a gorgeous hardback edition, Charley's War Volume Nine serves up a delicious feast of great comics writing and meticulous, beautifully rendered artwork. A true British comics classic.

• There's more about Charley's War here: http://charleyswar.sevenpennynightmare.co.uk

• Egmont are now publishing digital collections of earlier episodes of Charley's War, for iPad and Kobo

• French publisher Delirium are now publishing the strip in French, with pages from the original comic published in colour now appearing in colour in their editions

 

Egmont expands its digital collections with Misty, Battle and Scream stories

Egmont UK’s Classic Comics imprint was created to re-publish the wealth of classic comics in their archive. Four volumes of Roy the Rovers kicked off their e-comic publishing in June this year – and now they have announced the launch of further classics on popular comic series from the 1970s and 80s.

A fifth Roy of the Rovers is now available, along with strips from popular girls comic Misty and The Thirteenth Floor from the short-lived but fondly-remembered Scream.

Also joining the digital line-up soon are strips from Battle Picture Weekly, including Johnny Red, Major Eazy and the ground-breaking Charley’s War. Some of the biggest names in British comics were involved in the creation of these stories, including Pat Mills, John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra.

Roy of the Rovers is one of the best-known and enduring British comic strips. Roy’s journey began in 1954 as a comic strip in Tiger; he became a popular fixture, so much so that in 1976 he was given his own comic, charting the highs and lows of his eventful career as a footballer.

Misty’s edginess and adventurousness paved the way for a new genre of girls’ comic books. The stories were dark and mysterious, the characters flawed and morally ambiguous; upon its publication, Misty introduced readers to an imperfect world which didn’t always have a happy ending.

Battle Picture Weekly encompassed several action-packed strips that sought to invigorate the British comics scene with punchy, thrilling storylines and adventurous but believable characters. Featuring well-known strips such as Charley’s War, Johnny Red, Major Eazy and Rat Pack, it became well-known for packing a punch like no other.

The Thirteenth Floor which first ran in Scream but transferred on that title's demise to New Eagle, is about Maxwell Tower, a unique block of apartments that was built without a 13th floor. The building is watched over by Max, a computer who has created his own 13th floor, which he uses for his own sinister practices. People who harm the tenants of the building are lured to Max’s 13th floor, and often don’t come out, causing suspicion among the authorities and trouble for Max.

David Riley, Managing Director of Egmont Publishing Group, said: “Roy, Battle, Misty…these are iconic magazines which still have a place in the national consciousness. They deserve to be brought back; their appeal also has the potential to transcend the generation gap and reach an entirely new, younger audience.

"With the limitless possibilities offered up by digital publishing, there has never been a better time to bring these comics to the fore.”

• Roy of the Rovers Volume 1 on iTunes 
It's the start of the 1976-77 season and the Melchester Rovers are on great form! However, player manager Roy Race feels the pressure when a supermarket offers £30,000 to the first player to score 50 goals in the season. Can Roy show the world - and journalist Eric Eddleston - that he's playing for the team and not himself? Meanwhile, new signing Roger Dixon just can't wait to get onto the field.

• Roy of the Rovers Volume 2 on iTunes 
Roy Race soon realises that new signing Roger Dixon doesn't have the stamina to last a whole match, but the players and fans want to see more of him. Things go from bad to worse when Roy starts to lose form himself, and Dixon starts competing with his own manager. Then, just as Roy cracks the Dixon problem, the Rovers come up against the toughest referee in the league, and a freak accident leaves Charie Carter short of confidence in goal! What's a player manager to do?

• Roy of the Rovers Volume 3 on iTunes 
Roy manages to restore Charlie Carter's confidence, but not before he has to act as goalie himself! Roy and Penny announce that they are expecting, but the happy moment is short-lived as the Rovers are knocked out of the league cup by Swinford. In the league itself, the Rovers continue their unbeaten run and even match the all-time record. However, after being knocked out of the FA cup in a fog-affected match, can the Rovers hang on to the league's top spot? 

• Roy of the Rovers Volume 4 on iTunes  
The Rovers win the league and it looks like Roy has achieved the Gold Rush with the winning goal, but he reveals it was in fact Mervyn who scored the clincher to win the £30,000 prize! Penny gives birth to twins, and the comic readers get to name them! Roy's invited to America by ex-Rover Steve Mason to play some matches for the Pine City Pirates. When Roy and Blackie arrive, they find a game which is much louder and brasher than they're used to. Roy wins extra publicity for the Pirates by beating the Americans at their version of football, but will he be able to craft the Pirates into a functioning team before his final game?

• Roy of the Rovers Volume 5 on iTunes
Melchester Rovers are in high spirits following their League Championship win the previous season and Roy’s return from his summer of football in America. But the good feelings are soon overshadowed by hooliganism at the stadium. Will Roy’s suggestion to install giant screens in the stands to show highlights from the game help control the situation or cause even more trouble?

• The e-comics can be downloaded onto the iPad and Kobo. More info on the range from Egmont: www.egmont.co.uk

Hello Kitty magazine storms supermarket shelves

Egmont UK's new Hello Kitty title looks set to be another hit for the company, with blanket distribution for the new monthly title across UK supermarkets.

Launched earlier this month, sales of the 36-page, £2.99 title aimed at five to eight year-old girls appear to be brisk.

Egmont Publishing Group secured a deal with Hello Kitty owners Sanrio to publish the Magazine earlier this year. The company already publishes the title in 13 other territories.

The Magazine follows the adventures of the iconic Japanese Hello Kitty character, and got a launch in major high street supermarkets on 8th August .

"We are delighted to be working in partnership with Sanrio on such an established brand, and are excited about launching Hello Kitty Magazine," said Debbie Cook, director of magazines at Egmont Publishing Group.

"Egmont is the Number One magazines publisher in the primary girls market with a 30 per cent market share and four titles in the top 10," she added, including the much coveted Number One position for Disney Princess.

"As the experts in publishing for girls, Hello Kitty will be a welcome addition to the Egmont portfolio."

Paolo Casarini, licensing director at Sanrio Global Consumer Products, added: "We are hugely excited to be extending our collaboration with Egmont Publishing Group with this new Hello Kitty Magazine.

Sanrio and Egmont are becoming a well-established partnership, with a long-term vision, and we are confident in Egmont's expertise to ensure continued growth for this evergreen brand."

Egmont have not revealed the print run for the full colour magazine, but has said that it had "invested in copy and increased distribution".

There is currently no website dedicated to the magazine.

Egmont kick off digital Classic Comics titles with 'Roy of the Rovers'

Egmont has launched its new digital Classic Comics imprint with four iBooks collecting some classic Roy of the Rovers stories.

Egmont says it will be distributing a broad programme of iBooks and e-comics, and with a huge amount of comics material in its archive, the possibilities are broad given their ownership of material from titles such as Battle, Misty, Whizzer and Chips and Tammy, to name but a few.

Any comic character published for the first time by Fleetway Editions since 1970 - other than characters sold to other companies such as those that featured in New Eagle, which are owned by the Dan Dare Corporation - could now see new life in digital form.

Let's hope it's a success and sees new strips added to the mix at some point.

Roy Race first started appearing in the weekly comic Tiger in 1954 and has always been the character Egmont have used to push open the doors with new developments for their archive material.

David Riley, Managing Director, Egmont Publishing Group, commented: “We are very proud of the iconic comics in our archive and digital publishing allows us to bring them back for fans, old and new, to enjoy.

"We are excited about launching with Roy of the Rovers and feel that 2012 is an appropriate year for Roy to make his triumphant return. From Melchester, to Poland and the Ukraine, football fans will be cheering for Roy this year!”

Roy of the Rovers, Volumes 1 – 4 are available now on the iBooks store for £1.99 each.

Fans of Roy of the Rovers can also check out a new look to the official Roy of the Rovers website , with Egmont saying they plan to use it to bring Roy’s world of high drama to life, "with a variety of great content". Fans can follow all the action though Facebook, Twitter @Royofthe_rovers and through the weekly blog on the website.

Egmont have also announced they will release a host of other Roy merchandise later in the year.

 

In Review: The Rainbow Orchid Volume 3

By Garen Ewing
Publisher: Egmont
Out: Now

The Book: At the beginning of Volume Three, Julius Chancer and Lily Lawrence are recovering from the electrifying end of Volume Two. What does the future hold for Evelyn Crow and her gang of desperate villains? Do Julius and Lily have the strength to prevent evil millionaire Urkaz Grope from enacting his evil plans?

The Review: The third and concluding volume of Garen Ewing's The Rainbow Orchid was published last month by Egmont UK, picking up almost immediately after events in Volume 2 but quickly reuniting Julius Chancer's expedition - perhaps too quickly, given the dramatic conclusion to the previous episode.

(Maybe author Garen is not just drawing on the storytelling of TinTin but the weekly classic 'film serials' of old with their glorious cliffhangers to keep their audience coming back for more).

For those who came in late, The Rainbow Orchid tells the story of an expedition to find a fantastic, possibly mythical, orchid, rumoured to grow somewhere in the depths of the Hindu Kush. It’s set in the 1920s with the main characters being a young historical researcher, Julius Chancer, and a silent-film actress and her agent.

As Garen recently described it: "I’d say it’s a sort of lost-world adventure, Rider Haggard meets Tintin!"

It's a gripping conclusion, with the kind of to of the hat to Herge (and Haggard) we've come to expect from this wonderful ligne claire series, but with a modern take of action, adventure and intrigue that leaves plenty of openings for further adventures and returning villains.

The production quality of the book is again superb, with glorious 'fly leaves' of fictional souvenirs from the adventure (newspaper cuttings, film posters, exhibition tickets etc) complementing Garen's well-honed, beautifully-realized ligne claire art. It's a shame the book hasn't also been published in hardback, which would do these even more justice.

Ten years in the making since its first appearance in indie comic magazine BAM, fans have waited a long time for the conclusion to Chancer's first epic adventure, but they won't be disappointed - even if it might prompt an unusual interest in learning the Kalasha language in some households. Garen skillfully wraps many threads, both in distant lands and in Britain, as Julius finally nears the object of his expedition, again pitted against the deliciously iredeemable villainess, Evelyn Crow.

Much of this final chapter takes place largely in a lost world where ancient technology offers the possibility a frightening development in the arms race, should those secrets fall into the wrong hands, but also the location of the Rainbow Orchid itself.

Be warned: there's a lot of exposition in this final chapter, as we find out more about the mysterious Meru, who has helped guide Julius on his quest, and the secrets of the Kalash are revealed. But if you're prepared to weather that - and full marks to Garen for carefully crafting a complex and intriguing ancient civillisation in so few pages - then you won't be disappointed by the outcome. (It certainly hasn't put off fans who have kept the book in Amazon's Top 100 Children's Graphic Novels chart over the past month).

Credit should not just go to Garen for creating this wonderful adventure - and news that more are in the works is welcome - but also to Egmont UK, for their faith in the project and bringing it to bookshops. Let's hope success for The Rainbow Orchid prompts them to publish more original graphic novels.

• There are more details of all The Rainbow Orchid books on Garen's Rainbow Orchid website which includes a shop through which you can order signed and sketched copies of the books.

• The downthetubes reviews of the previous volumes are here: Volume 1 - Volume 2

• Garen will be promoting it at various comics conventions this year. He is current scheduled to be at the Bristol Comic Expo on 12-13 May; Stripdagen in Holland on 2nd - 3rd June 2012; and and Thoughtbubble in Leeds on 17-18 November 2012.

• The original version of the story and its artwork has gone through various stages over those ten years since BAM! and Garen explains some of the differences and his reason behind the changes on The Rainbow Orchid blog. This also includes a few brief images from the new book and roughs of the cover and some other pages.

- You can also read an interview with Garen about Volume 3 and his art here on Comics Beat, where he reveals some of his plans for the future.

Egmont launches Monster High monthly mag

Egmont Magazines has just launched a new monthly title in the UK, Monster High, based on Mattel's doll range.

Priced £2.99, the magazine will also be launched internationally in all major retailers.

The new title, licensed by Mattel, is aimed at girls between seven and 12 and will be filled with exclusive content, and features on style, school and friendship. Comic strips and fashion and beauty tips will also feature heavily.

Monster High is the latest title to feature in the Egmont UK portfolio of properties, with popular titles like Barbie, Disney Princess, Go Girl, Animal Cuties and We Love Pop magazines.

Each issue will include a covermount - the launch issue has a bracelet.

"Monster High is a bona fide phenomenon and we are extremely excited to welcome this leading girls brand into our portfolio," commented Debbie Cook, Director of Magazines at Egmont UK.

"Our partnership with Mattel reaffirms Egmont's position as the ideal magazine partner for brands looking to communicate with the pre-teen audience."

Helena Mansell-Stopher, Senior Licensing Manager at Mattel UK says: "We look forward to partnering with Egmont as we continue to deepen consumer engagement across multiple touch-points for the Monster High brand. With specialism in the primary girls and pre-teen sector, Egmont is the ideal partner for this exciting brand extension."

With more than 140 million web views, 75,000 members of the Monster High club and over five million dolls sold, Monster High is now the second best-selling fashion doll brand in the UK and US.

- Monster High web site: www.monsterhigh.com

 

The Rainbow Orchid Volume 3 About To Bloom

The third and concluding volume of Garen Ewing's The Rainbow Orchid will be published tomorrow, Monday 2 April 2012 by Egmont UK.

Marking ten years since the European ligne claire style mystery began in black and white in the small press BAM!, this third volume in The Adventures Of Julius Chancer has been long awaited and by Garen's own admission a little late due to "a bit of illness, the priority of paying work, and also the rather more pleasant interruption of the birth of my daughter in 2011."

The original version of the story and its artwork has gone through various stages over those ten years since BAM! and Garen explains some of the differences and his reason behind the changes on The Rainbow Orchid blog. This also includes a few brief images from the new book and roughs of the cover and some other pages.

With the third volume available Garen will be promoting it at various UK comics conventions this year. He is current scheduled to be at DemonCon in Maidstone on 22 April, the Bristol Comic Expo on 12-13 May and Thoughtbubble in Leeds on 17-18 November 2012.

There are more details of all The Rainbow Orchid books on Garen's Rainbow Orchid website which includes a shop through which you can order signed and sketched copies of the books.

The downthetubes reviews of the previous volumes are below:
Volume 1
Volume 2

Brands With Influence to rep Egmont comics and characters

Brands With Influence, a merchandising and Intellectual Management company, has been appointed to represent Egmont UK’s archive of classic comic and magazine titles that includes Roy of The Rovers, Battle, Misty and Whizzer and Chips.

The collection spans the 40 years since the 1970s.

"We feel this is just the right time to bring these titles and brands back to life through a strategic licensing program," says David Riley, managing director, Egmont Publishing Group.

"The nostalgia market remains buoyant and our brands will have a real affinity with those children, now adults, who grew up with them. We are looking forward to working with Brands With Influence to bring these classic brands back to the high street."

Whether this signals the potential revival of some of Egmont's strips in print - alongside Titan Books publication of series such as Charley's War and Johnny Red, and STRIP Magazine's publication of Hook Jaw - is not clear from this initial press notice.

IPC has a deal with a similar company, Drawn Ink, who have been actively pushing many of the company's comic characters for potential use on clothing and other merchandise.

Roy of the Rovers returns in special Daily Mail strip

The Daily Mail has published a special Roy of the Rover strip to mark this weekend's biggest match of the season, the 161st Manchester Derby.

Featuring Champions Manchester United versus super-rich City, the strip emphasizes it's the hottest ticket in football and United fan Neil Mason has managed to get his hands on a pair! It means Neil can take his seven-year-old son Ben - a new City follower - to his first ever Barclays Premier League match - but he spots a famous face in the crowd...

Written by Ian Rimmer, the strip is drawn by longtime Roy of the Rovers artist Barrie Mitchell.

"It's a one-off at the moment," Ian tells us, "but who knows..?"

I'm sure there are plenty of ROTR fans out there hoping there will be more.

• Read the strip: www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2051567/Roy-Rovers--Manchester-derby-Comic-book-hero-United-v-City.html

Roy of the Rovers © Egmont UK