Ross Talks Turf with Geek Syndicate

Top British comics and media podcast service Geek Syndicate has secured something of a well-deserved exclusive - a 45 minute interview with Jonathan Ross about about the success of his new comic, Turf, working with Tommy Lee Edwards, the future of the comic and perhaps a possible film adaptation.

"He revealed quite a bit during the interview," says Geek Syndicate's Barry Nugent.

"Jonathan also chats about some of his future comic projects (including a passing mention of a very interesting project for Joe Quesada) and Clint the new [Titan] comic magazine being created by Mark Millar. There’s also a brief audio tour of his comics room."

With news this week that Jonathan’s wife Jane Goldman is re-teaming with Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn to write X-Men: First Class, he also gives Geek Syndicate his reaction to the news as a die hard Marvel fan and a little hint of what we can expect.

There's also information on his plans for his revamped Hot Sauce website and the return of his book review blog.

• Direct link to the Geek Syndicate episode


• Photo by Dr Bloefeld, licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license

Win a PSP 3000 thanks to the Geeks!

To celebrate the launch of the Sony Digital Comic Store, top British comics and SF news site Geek Syndicate has teamed up with Sony and Insomnia Publications - publishers of titles such as Cages, Cancertown and Burke and Hare - to bring you an awesome competition to win a Sony PSP 3000 supplied by Sony.

The PSP 3000 will come with the a selection of graphic novels provided by Insomnia Publications, who are one of the first British publishers on board to take advantage of this latest digital comics delivery platform.

To be in with a chance to win all you need to do is send the Geeks an email with the title “Going digital with Geek Syndicate, Insomnia and Sony!” to geeksyndicate@hotmail.co.uk.

The first entry they pull out of the hat will win. The closing date for entry is 1st December.

For folks heading to the Thought Bubble convention in Leeds this weekend you can enter by heading over to the Insomnia Publications stand and filling in an entry form. Please note, this competition is only open to entrants who are 18 or over and have a UK Postal address.

The new Digital Reader on PSP kicks off Sony's Digital Comics service, with the company proclaiming it will revolutionise the way you read and open up a whole range of media to your fingertips.

Sony's Digital Reader service will start with Digital Comics in December 2009, offering a brand new way to read comic books via a huge library of digital comics you can download from PlayStation Store to your PSP – both classic and new comic titles.

The new service will offer content from Marvel Entertainment and IDW Publishing, as well as graphic novels and comics from a variety of local publishers and the latest underground sensations such as Insomnia.

Currently, Insomnia are the only UK indy
who will have books in the Sony Playstation Networks Digital Comics store when it launches in December.

More titles will arrive on PlayStation Store with monthly content updates, offering a huge choice of quality titles at your fingertips, allowing you to take your favourite comic characters with you on the move.

"This is a great new service that offers PSP owners even more options for entertainment on the go and makes PSP a must for comics fans,” says Isabelle Tomatis, European Marketing Manager, Hardware and Platforms, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.

“Digital Comics will sit alongside the new PlayStation Network video download service as yet another way that PSP offers a whole world of entertainment in your hands.”

"We are incredibly excited to be partnering with Sony in the launch of the Digital Comics Service," says Crawford Coutts, Managing Director of Insomnia Publications. "Insomnia is committed to nurturing the very best new art, new writing and new concepts in its original graphic novels and the unprecedented scope of this Comics Store will connect independent publishers and readers around the globe."

• Full details of the Geek Syndicate competition here

• More about Insomnia's Digital Comics Plans here on their official blog

Geek Syndicate Launches first ever 2000AD podcast

Top Brit podcast site Geek Syndicate have launched a new podcast on under our banner dedicated to all things 2000AD - possibly the first of its kind devoted solely to Rebellion's weekly scifi comic.

Everything Comes Back To 2000AD is the work of two 2000AD fans who have thrown together an informal, fortnightly podcast in which they work through two of the latest 2000AD issues and
go right back to the beginnings with a retrospective look at one of the magazines formative editions. Along the way they also go into the latest 2000AD trades they have added to their collections as well as associated games, movies and anything else vaguely related to the mag.

With more of a "Listening to two mates talking in the pub" feel than a professional radio one, expect tangents, language not suitable for the kiddies and general confusion as they look back on the comics of their childhood and compare them to the latest output from the offices of Tharg the Mighty.

• You can listen to all of their episodes here

• Subscribe now to get Everything Comes Back to 2000 AD and the other fantastic podcasts on the Geek Syndicate Network

Tube Surfing: Saturday 9 May

• During a short interview for an upcoming issue of Star Trek Magazine about his new IDW comic, Alien Spotlight – Romulans, Ian Edginton also gave me a quick run down on his other current projects. As usual, the acclaimed writer of series such as Scarlet Traces is as busy as ever. "I’m part way through new series of Stickleback, Red Seas and Ampney Crucis Investigates for 2000AD, and I’ve also just finished a four-part Judge Dredd that’s been drawn by Dave Taylor and it looks just astonishing!" he reveals.
"I’m also writing Stormwatch for Wildstorm and I’m partway through adapting the Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet for Self Made Hero. Artist Ian Culbard and I have already done The Hound of the Baskervilles. It’s part of a rolling program to adapt all the Holmes canon, starting with the novels first."
I took the opportunity to ask him: if he has one piece of advice he gives would-be comic writers, what is it?
"To write, plain and simple. Work at it," he replies. "I started out trying to emulate the authors I respected and there’s nothing wrong with that because you have to start somewhere, and it gives you a toe hold, something to work with. It sounds prosaic I know, but you then have to go off and find your own voice. It’s an on-going process."

• Talking of comics writing, Richard Starkings, former Marvel UK editor and now First Tiger at US lettering company Comicraft as well as writer of hit US comic series Elephantmen, reports he is working on Doctor Who comic strip once again. Richard, who edited (and wrote some of) the Doctor Who Magazine comic strip in the 1980s, is scripting a
story entitled Cold-Blooded War plotted by former DWM editor Gary Russell and illustrated by Adrian Salmon.
Funnily enough, it has the Ice Warriors in it - the very same monsters that starred in the first strip Richard edited for DWM, A Cold Day in Hell, just published in a collection by Panini UK.
• Buy A Cold Day in Hell from amazon.co.uk
• Buy A Cold Day in Hell from amazon.com

• All three parts of Pádraig Ó Méalóid's major interview with Alan Moore are now availabel to read via the Forbidden Planet International blog: Part One is here, Part Two here, and Part Three - well, you know how this going to go, don't you... The final part includes questions from fans.

• If, like me, you're not in Bristol for the Comic Expo, Geek Syndicate (www.geeksyndicate.co.uk) tell us they plan is to have live audio blogs and mini podcasts going out from the event... "if we can get it all to work!" Follow them on audioboo, a social networking site that allows you to record up to 5m of audio and upload it. "It’s fantastic because literally a minute after you’ve recorded its on line," say the team. And, of course, just like others at the event such as Tony Lee, Simon Gurr, Cheryl Morgan, Paul Cornell, they'll also be twittering all weekend – http://twitter.com/GeekSyndicate. There's even a robot Re-Tweeting all messages people post about the Bristol Comic Convention on Twitter - http://twitter.com/BristolConBot. (You can also use this search string if you are a Twitter member). Hmm, if you do follow all this you could really give the impression you were there, except judging by many of the posts, the lack of a four day long hangover would give you away...

Birmingham Comic Show Revamped

British podcast and comics news site Geek Syndicate reports that after three successful conventions, The Birmingham International Comics Show is regenerating into The British International Comic Show.

"This is simply to reflect how the show has become the UK’s largest comic industry event and to help attract a wider variety of visitors, exhibitors and sponsorship," co-organiser Shane Chebsey told Geek Syndicate. "We also don’t want to be limited to Birmingham as a location for the show, and the name change allows us flexibility on this front."

There are no plans to move locations, though. "We think Birmingham is the best location for a show," he said. "...However, we are always looking at other possible venues and events that International Comic Shows as a company can offer, both to the industry and to fans."

• The British International Comic Show takes place on 3-4 October 2009 • Read the full news story on Geek Syndicate • Vist the British International Comics Show web site

Tube Surfing: 28 October 2008

• Voting is now open for the 2008 podcast awards (www.podcastawards.com) and comics podcast Geek Syndicate has been nominated in the best entertainment category, which is great nes -- the team there have done a brilliant job of promoting British comics this year. If you've been following and enjoying their work, you can vote once every 24 hours and voting closes on 6th November 2008.
The team were at the MCM expo in London on Saturday and will be reporting on several of the panels including the press Q & A sessions for Heroes, Primeval, Demons, Merlin and Battlestar Galactica. "Once I've sorted out the quality a little more I'll be sticking them up on our website for people to listen to," the Syndicate's Barry Nugent tells downthetubes.

• Part works publisher GE Fabbri are fireld testing a new magazine devoted to Indiana Jones in the North East of the UK, which features comic strip by John Royle which looks superb. More news as we get it.

• 2000AD artist Dave Taylor has posted a sneek peek of his Christmas Judge Dredd story for the weekly comic, written by John Wagner. Like many other comics artists, his blog is a useful stoop if you're interested in seeing how he works on a strip from blue line to finished images.

• (with thanks to Forbidden Planet International): Simon Mayo’s Radio 5 show included a feature on Graphic Novels earlier today, with guests Mark Millar, Dave Gibbons and Paul Gravett discussing what a graphic novel is, the relationship to Hollywood and more. Here's the BBC's listen again link, which will be live for seven days.

• With Hallowe'en on its way, regular Forbidden Planet International contributor and top cartoonist Rod McKie and the FPI team have published The Ballad of Jack Palance, a little spooky tale of tall tales , movie stars, ghosts, an ancient churchyard and, this being set in Edinburgh, a good pub. For those who have never visited the city, Greyfriar’s Bobby is an old pub only a few minutes walk from the Forbidden Planet store in Edinburgh’s Old Town, named for the famously loyal dog who stayed by the grave of his master until his own death, eventually being adopted by the city so he wouldn’t be treated as a stray under law.
Rod’s put it into a good resolution PDF which you can grab from the FPI site and read free online or download it and print it off to read; there's also a Comic Book Reader version (as a mini comic) so if you use the CBR viewer or GonVisor you can use those to download it here. (Downloadable files are by and © Rod McKie).

Quick Tube Surfing: 30 September 2008

• It seems to be interview central for this round up, but this one's a goodie: Pádraig Ó Méalóid has been busy following up his epic interview with Alan Moore on the Forbidden Planet International blog by chatting with Todd Klein. It went up on the FPI blog this morning.

• Podcast Geek Syndicate has been taling to Smallzone's Shane Chebsey, also one of the three organisers of the upcoming Birmingham Internation Comic Show taking place this coming weekend and as the largest Comic Con in the UK. "The most important lesson we learned [from last year's evnt] was that we were far too cheap," starts Shane. "The goody bags alone were worth at least three times the price of entry." Read the interview

• Writer Tony Lee has been interviewed by Jen Contino of The PULSE, and they've just put up the third of a three-part interview. This time it's talking about The Prince Of Baghdad, the serial Tony's writing for The DFC with Dan Boultwood. You can read the interview here.

• And finally: over on Newsarama, Chris Arrant has interviewed Warren Ellis about his weekly webcomic FreakAngels. The first book’s worth of episodes have finished and a print edition is on its way, and Book 2 has just launched, prompting Chris to ask Warren how the title was going. "Well, " Warren replied, "now I understand why all the British comics writers from the 70s and 80s who worked exclusively in weekly comics had those deep lines all over their faces and those eyes that pleaded silently for death..."

No Heroics Claire Keelan Interviewed

Quickly following up on their interview with Drew Pearce, the creator of ITV2's new off-duty superhero comedy No Heroics (see news story), top British comics podcaster Geek Syndicate now offers an exclusive interview with actress Claire Keelan, who plays Sarah (aka Electroclash), who has the ability to control machines with her voice.

Claire's film and tv credits include British comedy movie A Cock and Bull Story starring actor and comedian Steve Coogan and, most recently, the thriller Hush, the comedy TV film Perfect Day, the BBC drama Sorted, sitcom How Not To Live Your Life and The Bill.

Talking about the appeal of the show for her as an actor, Claire told Geek Syndicate she took the role because she felt it was unlike a lot of other things out there.

"It seemed to me to be more of a parody of our celebrity culture," she says. "I’ve always enjoyed superhero films and was obsessed with Superman as a kid. Electrolash is a great female character to play, as she’s so healthily irreverent in a world of skewed values."

Of her character Sarah, Claire says that on the surface she appears quite cool, "although there are ripples going on underneath, issues with her parents etc, In spite of this she manages in the main to keep it together.

"What you see is what you get with Sarah," she reveals. "She makes no apologies for who she is. She has a healthy cynicism of the world around her, this is a trait I would say I shared although it’s never led me to ignore a man being shot because of a preoccupation for muffins and ciggies!"

• Listen to the interview with Claire Keelan
• Visit the official No Heroics web site (now with spoof trading cards created by Sam Gibley - Electrolash above)

No Heroics Creator Interviewed

Top comics podcast service Geek Syndicate has just published its interview with Drew Pearce, the creator/writer of the upcoming ITV2 superhero comedy No Heroics, the first ever original sitcom for the channel.

The six-part series is brand new for 2008 and sees a group of British off-duty superheroes living their day to day life, which for supposed saviours of the world is actually rather normal – as they just can’t be bothered. Instead this group of b-listers would rather get drunk in their local superheroes-only pub, The Fortress, and commiserate at their lack of superiority.

This is a podcast first as Drew has not done any such interviews until now.

The Geek Syndicate team have also posted Drew's answers to questions posed by email, responding to many questions not asked the podcast interview.

"Put simply, [No Heroics] is a show about a bunch of mates who just happen to be off-duty superheroes, hanging out in a capes-only bar in Soho," Drew says of the new show. "It’s about loads of other stuff as well, though: friendship, being rubbish with girls, bullies, and the fact that everybody wants to be famous nowadays. Plus there’s some jokes about balls."

And will it appeal to comics as well as comedy fans? "I’m probably the wrong person to make that call, because I’ve been working on the show for about three and a half years, so I’m pretty close to it right now," says Drew, who also reveals that comics such as Grant Morrison's Zenith, which appeared in 2000AD, helped shape the show. "Having said that, it’s purposefully written to work on a non-parody level – as long as you understand the basics of a superhero universe, you can move past that pretty quickly, I think, and enjoy the comedy of a bunch of mates bickering and jostling for success.

"Having said that, there’s an entire second tier of visual imagery in the show, which we called geek detail, that’s there for me and you and the other millions of people who do actually care about the last 50 years of superhero culture."

Here's a trailer for the show, via YouTube: be warned, it includes swearing.



• Click here for the Geek Syndicate Drew Pearce Interview
• Click here for details of more interviews on Geek Syndicate
• The first episode of No Heroics screens on ITV2 on 18 September at 10.30pm. Click here for the official web page. (Read more about the new show in this earlier post)
• No Heroics Fan Site