Radio show with David Hine, Mark Stafford and Catherine Anyango

Panel Borders: Darkness and inhumanity in literature

Continuing our month of shows about comics and literature, Alex Fitch talks to a trio of graphic novelists about adapting classic 19th century novels as sequential art. In a panel discussion recorded at Comica Comiket in 2011, David Hine and Mark Stafford discuss their adaptation of Victor Hugo's The Man who Laughs, a tale that has already cast a long shadow over comics, as the lead character Gwynplaine was supposedly an influence on the creation of The Joker. Also, fine artist Catherine Anyango discusses her visual approach to her 2010 adaptation of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, best known as the inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now, which sees her intricate pencilling style married with both text from the original novel and also Conrad’s The Congo Diary.

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness adapted by David Zane Mairowitz and Catherine Anyango is available now from SelfMadeHero / Victor Hugo's The Man who Laughs adapted by David Hine and Mark Stafford is released in April 2013.

6pm, Sunday 17th February 2013, repeated 4.30pm, Tuesday 19th February, Resonance 104.4 FM (London) / streamed at www.resonancefm.com / podcast at www.panelborders.wordpress.com

Please note, Resonance FM is currently running its annual fundraiser to help pay for the station's continuing programme of refurbishments. As well as variety of film and music related items in the auction, comic books and graphic novels include a hardcover omnibus of Marvel Superheroes Secret Wars which includes a unique sketch of The Hulk by David Lloyd, a 1st edition UK TPB of Watchmen including a sketch by John Higgins and framed signed comics by Gail Simone, Dave Gibbons, Jonathan Ross, Frazer Irving and many more.
Please visit http://resonancefm.com/auction2013 for more info.

In Review: The Rainbow Orchid

We plugged The Rainbow Orchid enthusiastically after its Foyles launch (see news story), but David Hailwood has just sent us this review, so here's another plug for the book!

The Plot: The Rainbow Orchid is an ambitious blend of classic storytelling and cinematic artwork in which adventure, historical drama and legend are seamlessly intertwined. In Volume One, follow the story's hero, Julius Chancer, as he embarks on a hazardous quest for the rainbow orchid - a mythical flower last mentioned by the ancient Greek philosopher, Theophrastus, and steeped in legend. His epic journey takes him from 1920s Britain to the Indian subcontinent and its mysterious lost valleys.

The Review: The Rainbow Orchid – a new graphic novel by Garen Ewing, published by Egmont - involves the adventures of Julius Chancer, the youthful headstrong assistant of historical researcher Sir Alfred Catesby-Grey, as he embarks on a quest to find the mystical rainbow orchid.

Finding a copy of the book just a few days after the launch turned out to be quite an adventure in itself. After globe trotting across several continents (Bognor, Lewes and Brighton), employing various exciting modes of transport (train, and a brisk walking pace), and getting into many hilarious scrapes with the natives (one lone sales assistant in Waterstones, who believed I was after something called ‘Rambo Orchard’), I finally managed to track down a massive towering display containing at least fifty copies of the rascal in Borders.

After four long arduous hours, my quest was finally at an end! But at what cost, eh? What cost?

Quite a reasonable one, actually: £6.99.

Thankfully, it wasn’t just the price that made it worth the trek. The Rainbow Orchid is what the Daily Star or some such tabloid might refer to as ‘A Rollicking Rip Roaring Roller-coaster Ride of Excitement, Adventure, Mayhem and Mirth!’

Garen expertly juggles a cast of dozens, all of whom ooze personality and sport brilliantly extravagant names (and in case readers forget who’s who, there’s a handy character reference sheet at the front of the graphic novel).

The artwork throughout is clear and vibrant; simple in style, yet detailed in scope. The story carries universal appeal; children will enjoy The Rainbow Orchid for its sense of fun and adventure, and adults will enjoy it for the nostalgic Tintin qualities and gentle English humour, with villains being dispatched using bags of flour and pots of paste in a true Jeeves and Wooster fashion.

There’s little to offend and plenty to enjoy, with lots of visual jokes and character laughs (my favourites involving a scene with a drunken lord waving his sword around on the roof whilst spouting a near Churchill-like speech, and the villainous henchmen getting their comeuppance when they’re set upon by a rowdy group of angry French clowns).

Although there are only 36 pages of comic strip inside, The Rainbow Orchid’s still a densely packed affair; sometimes as many as 13 panels are crammed into a page, and yet the storytelling’s so well paced it never feels like Garen’s trying to squeeze too much in.


Since this is only Volume One of The Rainbow Orchid, we’ll be seeing a lot more of Julius Chancer’s escapades. Good thing too, as it’s marvellously entertaining stuff, and a bally good read at that!

Web Links

• The Official Rainbow Orchid web site


• Podcast Interview with Garen Ewing


• Read an interview Matthew Badham conducted with Garen here on the Forbidden Planet International blog


More Reviews...


• Kelvin Green for Comics Bulletin


"Part of the joy of The Rainbow Orchid is that it has a massive nostalgic pull, taking me right back to the days when the only comics I could get from the library were these colourful cartoony things from artists with unusual Gallic names. Yet a greater part of my enjoyment of the book--enough to get me to buy it a third time--is that it's just very well put together. It's an exercise in a type of storytelling that we do not see too often in English nowadays..."

• Win Wiacek, The Comics Review


"Enchantingly engaging, astonishingly authentic and masterfully illustrated in the legendary Ligne Claire style, this is a wonderful tale that ranks amongst the very best all-ages graphic narratives and although the wait for the next volume might seem interminable the online presence and added value items which can be found at www.rainboworchid.co.uk should keep your bated breath puffing along until then."

• James Lovegrove, The Financial Times


"Ewing has mastered the ligne claire style which Hergé and his “Brussels school” pioneered in the 1950s. This means strong, clean visuals, no stippling or cross-hatching, artful use of colour to separate foreground from background, cartoonish figures set against realistic backdrops, and often wordy captions...

"... Yet The Rainbow Orchid is no mere homage. Ewing has crafted something at once reverential and joyous that has a life of its own. With the UK publishing industry slow to adopt the graphic novel form, it’s heartening that someone has given a book like this a chance. "

• Richard Bruton, Forbidden Planet International blog


"The Rainbow Orchid could be, should be, a huge hit for Garen and Egmont. The Tintin connection means it’s got an instant recognition factor, but beneath the obvious beauty of the artwork is an equally great, old fashioned adventure tale. It works for children and it works for us adults. An absolutely cracking adventure story."

• Julia Eccleshare, LoveRead4Kids


"The Rainbow Orchid is an ambitious blend of classic storytelling and cinematic artwork in which adventure, historical drama and legend are seamlessly intertwined. If you like your comics full of mystery and adventure and you love the worlds of H. Rider Haggard, Arthur Conan Doyle, Jules Verne, Edgar P. Jacobs and Hergé, then you'll love this. The Rainbow Orchid is traditional adventure at its best."

Alan Moore's Hip Hop Collaboration

Watchmen and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen writer and co-creator Alan Moore is collaborating on a new graphic novel project with art rap musician Doseone.

Partly inspired by Radiohead's deluxe version of In Rainbows, the Moore project, tentatively titled Unearthing, tries to hit all senses at once. Music site Pitchfork reports the autobiographical work is due to include a "photographic novel," a two-hour audiobook already recorded by Moore, art prints, and a vinyl soundtrack featuring Doseone and Fog and will be released next year by UK indie label Lex Records.

"It has a score by some artists and the visual side of it is amazing," Tom Brown, founder of London-based Lex, told Billboard.biz.

"It's full of recurring themes, and all this recurring writing breaks and reconstructs its phrasings over and over again throughout," he continued. "So we kinda found those motifs, brought them all in and out, and then made holes in it, where we made things recur and then patched the holes."

While the full line up of artists has yet to be confirmed, Billboard reports the score that accompanies the book is being worked on by Andrew Broder of alternative act Fog and spoken word artist Adam Drucker. Brown says musicians in the frame to provide key elements of the soundtrack include Mike Patton of Faith No More and Justin Broadrick, formerly of industrial metal band Godflesh.

"It started as a collaboration between [Alan] and Mitch Jenkins, an old compatriot of his who is a photographer and who does really brilliant work," Doesone, who holds Moore in high regard told Pitchfork. "They wanted to do a graphic novel that is photo-art and novel. And this is more novel than graphic at this point.

"It's actually more a novel. Mitch did all the photos, and so it will be more like a giant coffee table book than anything else. But the writing itself is extremely dense," Doseone told Pitchfork.

"It's a prose-based novel, and it's too confusing for me to try and correctly encapsulate. But it is about, uh, a co-worker of Alan's and somehow seemingly about Alan himself. And it's about the comic industry, the world of magic, the world we live in, the world we don't live in. Really fantastic writing."

The project is not, the musician says, being done 'comic style'.

"'Graphic novel', in this case, is completely misleading. Like 'rap record' with Themselves. It's actually more a novel. Mitch did all the photos, and so it will be more like a giant coffee table book than anything else. But the writing itself is extremely dense. It's a prose-based novel, and it's too confusing for me to try and correctly encapsulate. But it is about, uh, a co-worker of Alan's and somehow seemingly about Alan himself. And it's about the comic industry, the world of magic, the world we live in, the world we don't live in. Really fantastic writing."

During the recording of the audiobook in Northampton, where Moore lives, the process was filmed for possible inclusion in the box set.

• Unearthing will be released in 2010. Read the interview with Doseone on Pitchfork here.

• Lex Records Official Web Site

Rainbow Orchid Unfurls at Foyles

Comic creator Garen Ewing was mixing with other British artists and writers at top London bookshop Foyles on Monday night to celebrate the launch of the first volume of his three-part adventure story, Rainbow Orchid.

An original, award-winning 1920's mystery tale of Julius Chancer's search for a mythical flower mentioned by the Greek philosopher and botanist, Theophrastus, the first part of Rainbow Orchid has just been published in full colour in a stunning edition by Egmont Books and is available now in all good bookshops.

Initially published in Jason Cobley's Bulldog Adventure Magazine, the first chapter was then published as a small press book, before gravitating onto the web, where it picked up a considerable following.

Rainbow Orchid is very much in the spirit of European adventure stories, with Herge's Tintin a major influence, so, as Ben Dickson points out in his interview with Garen Ewing for the new digital edition of Redeye magazine, to find itself at Tintin’s English language publishing house is a major coup, and a clear indication of the story’s quality.

Welcoming the book's publication, Garen, who admitted he was initially wary of working with a big company on the collection, enthused about Egmont's commitment and support for his work, which sees the first volume of the story on sale now and will be followed by the second chapter early next year.

The first volume is a sumptuous re-packaging of the initial story, a version which Garen has spent some time "cleaning up" for this edition - including re-lettering the balloons and some artwork changes. The colour work throughout is simply gorgeous, lifting further Garen's finely-honed, detailed inks, his technical skill never detracting from the skilled storytelling as Chancer and gang in planes, trains and beautifully-realized 1920s automobiles.

With a complex, intelligent but far from bewildering script and a cast that includes adventerers, film stars, a femme fatale and scheming masterminds, it's great to see a title as enjoyable and finely-crafted tale as Rainbow Orchid leap from digital media back to the printed page in such style.

Roll on 2010 for Volume Two!

• Pictures from the event by Tripwire editor Joel Meadows to follow!

• Official web site: www.garenewing.co.uk/rainboworchid

Rainey's Book of Lists Collected At last

Ace British comic creator Paul B Rainey has just been in touch to say that he's finally put together a collection of his critically-acclaimed Book of Lists comic strips in trade paper back form.

Suicidal birds, edible guitars, licky dogs, smelly saddles and selective helloers are just some of the real events from Paul's life, which he has ordered into lists and then drawn up as comic strips.

Now available to buy, Pbrainey's Book of Lists collects over 50 of the popular internet strips in actual reality book form.

The book is 112 pages long, in full colour throughout and available to buy now for £10.95 from Paul's website using Paypal (www.pbrainey.com) . The price includes post and packing to the UK.

Paul also reports that work continues on his latest strip, There’s No Time Like The Present. Expect news on part 10 soon.

• View some sample Book of Lists strips here on paul's site

Ian Rankin's Comics Debut

International bestselling crime writer and recipient of an OBE for his services to literature, acclaimed Scottish author Ian Rankin makes his comics debut with the tense and twisting tale inspired by reality TV, Dark Entries - on sale from Titan Books in the UK from 2nd October.

Finding the perfect protagonist for his dark and gritty style, Rankin takes on comics’ grim antihero of the hugely popular Hellblazer series, occult detective John Constantine.

Constantine has seen his share of strange things in his career, but nothing could prepare him for the horrors of... reality television! Haunted Mansion is currently the hottest show on TV, but when the macabre house actually starts attacking the contestants, Constantine is hired to be the ultimate mole. Locked inside with a cast of wannabe-celebrities, his every move being monitored by a deadly figure from his past, Constantine must figure out who (or what) is pulling the strings before he gets cancelled – permanently.

Illustrated by Werther Dell’Edera, whose work Publishers Weekly calls "as stylized and chiaroscuro-laden as a vintage noir movie," Rankin takes a classic "locked room" scenario and gives it a bloody nose and a cigarette, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page.

Tube Surfing: Thursday 21 May

• ComicBitsOnline is wondering why Britain's biggest comic publisher has not been nominated for an Eagle Award -- and it's not DC Thomson, Panini or Titan but Cinebooks Ltd., which now publishes some 40 top quality comic albums a year and exports them globally.

Why is it not getting attention? Because its titles are English editions of European titles such as Lucky Luke, Blake and Mortimer, Orbital and The Scorpion - superb comics that have had little exposure because they were originally created in a language other than English.

"Cinebook - The 9th Art is like a fresh breath of air in a stale market," argues CBO author Terry Hooper, "and it’s about time that a “Comic Industry” award realised that they must - must - begin to recognise the company for its publications as well as its commercial value.

"If it doesn’t then it just proves what people have been saying for years; awards are given to mates, mates of mates or given through influence because no one wants to upset Marvel or DC."

• The Forbidden Planet International blog reports Ilya and Emma Vieceli will be at the London Cartoon Museum (35 Little Russell Street) on 30th May to celebrate their work in Self Made Heroes’ well received Manga Shakespeare graphic novels, with exhibits, talks and a slideshow presentation. The event starts at 1.30 and runs until 4.00pm.

• If you are in London and looking for something to divert the kids over the half term or the summer holidays there are a number of activities on the London Cartoon Museum’s events list, from Never Mind the Beano on Wednesday 27th May (learn to draw your own Beano characters) to summer classes in comics drawing and even in clay animation.

• Artist Nelson Evergreen reports he recently created a comic to promote Doublesix Games' comedic PS3 slaughterfest Burn Zombie Burn has been included in an exhibition of videogame inspired art running this weekend at the Brighton Fishing Museum, as part of the Brighton Festival. Opening on Saturday (23rd May), the annex of the Museum will be taken over by a multimedia exhibition of art from, and inspired by, videogames. Award-winning videogames artists will exhibit alongside artists who’s creations are inspired in someway by the world’s largest entertainment industry: videogames.

• Writer Lee Robson has posted a fascinating article titled Writer's Block, admitting that is a little misleading but is a great piece on how easy it is to get, well, distracted by day to day happenings when you're a creator. As for writer's block he opines " I don't believe in the concept... I think it was Warren Ellis who said (and I'm probably misquoting here) that if you want to write for a living, you have to get up every day and actually f****** write, and that's a philosophy that I wholeheartedly subscribe to. Or at least, I'd like to."

• At the last minute DFC top talent James Turner (creator of the wonderful Beaver and Steve) have got a table at the MCM Expo in London this weekend, so if you are going along keep an eye out for him! He'll be printing some more mini comics (with four pages of all-new B&S material!) and have some new badges to sell too.

• Ace cartoonist Roger Langridge has published a teaser image from an upcoming Mugwhump story for something called the Act-i-Vate Primer, which is pretty much what the title says it is - a print introduction to the work of various Act-i-Vate cartoonists. "One for the Mugwhump fans who might be getting itchy during the hiatus," he says. "My story consists of six densely-packed (12-panel) pages showing events before the current strip began. Roger is busy drawing The Muppet Show comic for Boom! Studios and also reports issues - not licensed for sale in the UK - are selling for ridiculous amounts on the InterWeb. "Wait for the book collection, folks!" he notes. "The whole collectors' market is a cesspool of poisonous idiocy..."
Let's hope Titan Books or another UK publisher picks up the rights to that so we can finally read the book in the UK, eh?

• The first issue of Stuart Kolakovic 's Nobrow is out! Printed in two spot colours on heavy paper in an oversized format, Issue 1 from this highly talented creator is available in a numbered edition of only 3000 and available from all sorts of arty outlets, as well as from Nobrow.net.

• And finally... congratulations to ace blog Thrillpowered Thursday, best described as an issue-by-issue review site for 2000AD, which recently celebrated its hundredth post.

Bryan's Badger Detective Trailed

The official trailer for award-winning comic creator Bryan Talbot's next graphic novel, Grandville, has just been released.

Bryan, probably best known as the author of Britain's first ever graphic novel, The Adventures of Luther Arkwright but also creator of The Tale of One Bad Rat and Alice in Sunderland, has now completed work on this brand new steampunk graphic novel.

The story is is set in a retro sci-fi world populated by anthropomorphic animals and stars Detective Inspector LeBrock, who the writer artist describes as a "large working class badger”.

"He has the deductive abilities of Sherlock Holmes but, being a badger, he’s also a bruiser and is quite happy to beat the crap out of a suspect to get information," Bryan recently told Steampunk magazine. "His adjunct and close confidant is the diminutive and elegant Roderick Ratzi, who talks like Bertie Wooster and Lord Peter Wimsey.

"I wanted to do one of those sorts of adventure stories that starts very small and parochial but gets bigger and more exciting as it goes along until it finishes in an epic climax," he continues. "The story begins with LeBrock investigating a murder in a small English village (in actuality Rupert Bear’s Nutwood). The trail leads him to Grandville, where he discovers a shocking and far-reaching conspiracy. It’s basically fin-de-siecle Paris, populated by animals and furnished with speaking tubes, automatons and steam-driven hansom cabs."

Grandville is set for release in October 2009 and will be published by Dark Horse in the USA and Jonathan Cape worldwide.

• View The Trailer...

• For more information about the book visit www.bryan-talbot.com/grandville

• Check out full the interview Bryan gave to SteamPunk Magazine

Hope Falls Trade in the Pipeline

Hope Falls, the five-part miniseries that AAM/Markosia released in 2007/2008 is, hopefully, to be released as a trade paperback, depending on trade orders through comic shops.

The title is an enigma. In many ways, it's known as the 'little train that could', beating all expectations and finishing 2008 as one of the few monthly creator owned books not from Image, Dark Horse or IDW that actually made it to the end of its run, gathering critical acclaim from fans, reviewers and even fellow professionals in the process.

Telling the story of Helen Gane, a small-town waitress who, twenty years after she is murdered and buried in a shallow grave returns to the town, seemingly alive and having not aged a day, Hope Falls weaves a tale of supernatural vengeance and of religious conspiracy.

Helen's reason for returning is simple - she's here to claim back a debt of vengeance on the three men who in their various ways allowed her to die that cold evening two decades ago - and the one man, McClusky, who performed the deed.

And some debts can only be paid in blood.

As the bodycount rises, you discover that not only is Helen a free-falling Angel, plummeting towards Hell, but that another Angel, Michael has arrived in the town of Hope Falls with an intent of stopping her bloodthirsty revenge - for there is a secret tied into her murder that runs back all the way to Jesus Christ, and Heaven won't allow her killer to die just yet.

As Helen learns the true reasons for her murder, Michael learns of an Angelic conspiracy in Heaven and McClusky calls in a Voodoo priest to save his soul. And Hope Falls as a town will never be the same again as every secret hidden for twenty years come together in an explosive conclusion. Will Helen be able to kill all of her personal demons - including a man beloved of God? And what happens when she tries? Will the killing change her - or stop her?

Created by writer Tony Lee (Doctor Who, Spider Man, The Prince Of Baghdad, 2000AD, Midnight Kiss) and artist Dan Boultwood (Dopple Ganger Chronicles, Phonogram: The Singles Club, The Prince Of Baghdad, The Gloom) and with stunning painted covers by Szymon Kudranski (Scatterbrain, Zombie Cop, 30 Days Of Night), Hope Falls is a tale that has been described as The Crow meets Twin Peaks, and writer Tony Lee has on many occasions named it as "The best book I have ever written."

For over a year now, fans of the book have asked Markosia when Hope Falls would be released as a trade, but due to the ever changing economy, the release date has always been tentative. Until now.

"This is a great year for Tony Lee," Harry Markos, publisher of AAM/Markosia explained. "With his announcement as the ongoing writer of Doctor Who for IDW and his upcoming Graphic Novel with us - Harker, Tony is going to exceed all expectations. And with Dan finally gaining credit with his Phonogram work and his stellar art in G.P Taylor's The Doppleganger Chronicles, we decided that no matter what, we had to find a way to release this book."

But the release has not been easy, as Diamond Distribution has altered the way that comics, especially from smaller publishers are submitted.

"We have to sell about 400 copies through Diamond to show that this is a book they want to work with," Harry explained. "Now this might not sound much, but with many people buying the book through places like Amazon, and with retailers only buying smaller publisher titles on demand, there's a very serious possibility that we might only sell below Diamond's cut off point, and we might find that for all this work, the book gets cancelled. So we need as many sales as possible, to ensure that this classic story gets out there.'

And Markosia are eager for all retailers and readers to see a taste of what they could be missing if they let Hope Falls pass them by.

"We're sending a free copy of one of the comics issues to every UK comic shop this month," Harry explained. 'Unfortunately we can't do this through Diamond US as well, but what we can do is provide a taster of the series - anyone who goes to our MyEBook site will find, online the entire first issue for free. No strings attached."

"If you're a fan of this series, we ask you to order this book from your local store - the code is MAR094036: HOPE FALLS TP - and tell your friends, your local store about it. Ask them to order an extra copy for the shelf. We even have a Facebook group created by Tony and Dan - go and join, and show your support."

One creator who has shown his support is Australian comics artist superstar Ben Templesmith who, after reading the comic while in London in 2008 agreed to write the introduction for the collected trade.

:Ben sent me an email saying 'Man, that was awesome.'" Tony Lee explained. "And he also said that Dan's artwork was stunning. And it is. Dan was nominated for an Eagle Award in 2008 because of this work, although confusions in the committee dropped him off - but he deserved to win for the work he's done here. It truly is big leagues."

"With an industry dominated by 'Big two event books', Hope Falls is a story that deserves to be read by more than just the people who managed to find the comic," finished Harry Markos. "And it will only get out there if the retailers know about it. So tell your retailers. Pass this to your comic news sites. Post this on your blogs, on your message forums. Let's make sure that somehow, Hope Falls gets the attention and acclaim that it deserves."

• Hope Falls: The Collected Edition (with introduction by Ben Templesmith) will be available in May 2009. It is in the current Previews under AAM/Markosia.
• For more information on Tony Lee visit www.tonylee.co.uk
• For more information on Dan Boultwood visit www.shedmanor.co.uk
• For more information on Szymon Kudranski visit www.szymonkudranski.com

Talking Up Tabella

There's a sense of fun to the output of new British publisher Tabella (www.tabella.co.uk), which was was set up last year by husband and wife Kevin and Julia Quinn. By fun, I don't mean their range is humorous, although some, like award-winning Norwegian artist Olvind Hovland's superb A Day in the Life of Alfred could probably be described as such; I mean these are books that Kevin and Julia clearly believe in and want to succeed, and they're going to get them out there no matter what conventional wisdom might say otherwise.

Based in rural Dorset, Tabella publish high quality arts and graphics books, both digital and traditional in origin. "We’re keen to expand our program, and welcome enquiries from artists/writers interested in getting their work into print," says Kevin.

He kindly sent downthetubes three of their titles: A Day in the Life of Alfred and Trial and Error: The Aviated Efforts of Jean Babtiste de Bomberaque, both by Hovland; and Hiyama Volume 1 by gruff79.

The production quality on all the books is excellent and of the three, Hovland's A Day in the Life of Alfred, a tale of alienation in the big city is my favourite. It's a stark, minimalist tome employing the style of a child's "picture book" format - illustration on the left hand page, minimal text on the right -- to trace the day of its depressed, lonely central character, infuriated that even the smallest of attempts at engaging someone he sees every day, but who he has never talked to before, are rebuffed. The sentiment must surely be one that many commuters ponder every day as they see the dame familiar faces on their journey to work, never talking unless something changes in the usual routine - the 'relative stranger' effect.

Hovland's art, sense of composition and delivery is quite astonishing, making use of a limite palette to create on the surface a simple story that stabs deep into the woes of our modern world. It's a title I'd recommend for its engaging style and masterful storytelling, while noting that this is a slim volume for its cover price, which may put off potential buyers. Their loss!

Trial and Error: The Aviated Efforts of Jean Babtiste de Bomberaque is a simpler tale, illustration rather than text-driven, revealing the determined efforts of a fictional contemporary of the Wright Brothers to successfully fly. It's a testament to Hovalnd's skill that the style of art employed is very different to that of his more recently-published Alfred: I don't know whether this displays an evolution of his style or deliberate change of look between volumes as I'm not familiar with his work, which has seen him shortlisted for, among other things, the Mercury Prize (check out more of his stunning work on his web site). All I can say is that there's a wonderful satisfaction to Bomberaque continuing efforts to become an aviator, and the quirky comedy of the closing images enhances his determination to be a success -- something many creators and inventors in many fields can surely relate to.

I'm sure that Tabella would say that the first volume of British manga title Hiyama is a little rough around the edges: Gruff79's dark and violent look at a corrupt, crime-ridden Britain, a society facing increasing gang violence and brutality is a savage "hero for our times" tale that uses manga styling to reveal a new form of justice in the form of an angry, vengeance-filled family pitted against crime lords and policemen in their employ. I have to confess to not being a manga fan and would argue that while the tale will appealI suspect, to those who are -- and it's clear from the creator's DeviantArt page that Hiyama has gathered quite a following -- the art is a tad unpolished and needs an editorial hand to realize Gruff79's clear sense of storytelling and developing ability. A second volume of the story, which will run across six volumes in all, is due to be published in June, and it will be interesting to contrast and compare.

Tabella clearly recognise some of the problems with the book but are confident of its promise. "We don't want to give too much away, but we're really excited by the Hiyama series as a whole," they say in a comment on a review of Hiyami on MyReviewer. "There are clues in the first volume as to where the series is going, but Volume 1 is in essence just the introduction. The big picture; the social and political backdrop, the characters' personalities and motivations are big issues, encompassing family, love, greed, vengeance, corruption, betrayal and violence, and the ultimate climax is dramatic indeed.

"This first volume of the Hiyama series (and Gruff79's first ever book) was pretty much completed by the time we first saw it," the publishers add. "All the pictures were drawn, with text in place, so revisions/corrections were very difficult to make (and the text was hard to check) given the timeframe we set ourselves (we really wanted to get the book in print as soon as possible). There are a few typos in there, but we don't feel they detract too much from the story. We're much more involved in the next volumes, and they will be better from that point of view.

"Gruff79 has learned a lot from doing his first book, and will definitely apply that knowledge to subsequent volumes."

All of Tabella's books are available from online stores such as Amazon.co.uk, Play.com etc., and can be ordered through bookshops such as Waterstones or your local independent book shop: their web site offers more detailed information on all the titles and links to 'try before you buy' page samples in the form of straight imagery or video previews.

This is a publisher, like Blank Slate, that's well worth watching for their eye on the quirky and the books they like, the indie work we at downtheutbes have tried to promote for several years now. I recommend checking out the web site and seeing if you like what your find.

Tabella are currently distributing the books themselves, which works for the UK and Europe, but US distribution is "in negotiation" with a US distributor at the moment, and we hope to bring you more news on developments in future.

• Tabella Publishing: www.tabella.co.uk
• Olvind Hovland's Official Web Site
• Gruff79's Deviant Art page

Good News on Comic Sales?

While this report primarily concerns US comics, news that the US comic book industry, boosted by the success of films such as The Dark Knight has helped maintain growth for graphic novel sales is welcome with 2009 looking otherwise gloomy.

Hub Entertainment reports that total comics sales remained "strong" and the graphic novel category grew by five per cent in 2008 according to Steve Geppi, CEO of Diamond Comics Distributors, which services more than comic book stores in the US and the UK.

"We remain optimistic about the comic-book industry heading into 2009," he says.

Sales figures show Marvel Comics' Secret Invasion #1 was the best-selling comic book of 2008. The eight-issue miniseries about the takeover of superheroes by shape-shifting Skrulls took the first six spots. Only Uncanny X-Men #500" and DC Comics' Final Crisis #1 (No. 9) also cracked the Top 10. Diamond did not release actual sales figures, but best-selling comic books (priced at $2.99 or $3.99) normally sell more than 100,000 copies.

DC Comics dominated top sales of graphic novels taking seven of the top 10 positions, with a reprint Watchmen the top seller. The number of reprint titles in this chart is of note, reinforcing the longevity of graphic novel titles on the bookshelves, in direct contrast to many other book genres which tend to depend on early sales for their success.

Diamond notes Marvel and DC continue to dominate the US comics industry: Marvel took in 41 percent of retail sales, DC 29 per cent and Dark Horse 6.5 per cent.

Top Ten US Comics 2008

1. Secret Invasion #1 (Marvel)
2. Secret Invasion #2 (Marvel)
3. Secret Invasion #3 (Marvel)
4. Secret Invasion #4 (Marvel)
5. Secret Invasion #5 (Marvel)
6. Secret Invasion #6 (Marvel)
7. Uncanny X-Men #500 (Marvel)
8. Secret Invasion #7 (Marvel)
9. Final Crisis #1 (DC)
10. Secret Invasion No. 8 (Marvel)

Top Ten Graphic Novels 2008

1. Watchmen (DC)
2. Batman: The Killing Joke (DC)
3. Joker (DC)
4. Y: The Last Man Vol. 10 (DC)
5. Walking Dead Vol. 8 (Image)
6. Batman: Dark Knight Returns (DC)
7. Fables: The Good Prince (DC)
8. Wanted (Image)
9. Buffy the Vampire Slayer: No Future for You (Dark Horse)
10. Y: The Last Man Vol. 1 (DC)

Source: Diamond Comics Distributors

Come On Ye Reds!

After all the Roy Of The Rovers books due out from Titan in time for Christmas, Vision Sports Publishing of London have jumped on the bandwagon and released two football related graphic novels to compete with all those books on Melchester Rovers.

Liverpool! and United! cover the history of the two big English football clubs in comic strip format, written and illustrated by former Roy Of The Rovers artist Bob Bond. The hardback books cover the period from the formation of the clubs through to the end of the 2007/2008 season in 56 pages of colour artwork and are priced at £9.99 each.

Based on Amazon UK's current sales ranks Liverpool are well in the lead with Liverpool! at number 83,030 and United! at number 324,037.

Can Manchester pull back those Christmas sales before the full time whistle blows?

• Buy Liverpool! The Comic Strip History of Liverpool FC from amazon.co.uk
• Buy United! The Comic Strip History of Manchester United from amazon.co.uk

Gothic Gasoline!

Top London and New York-based independent publishers Merrell -- well known for their art and graphic design books and more -- have announced the forthcoming release of Gasoline, an entrancing graphic novel by cult illustrator and musician Dame Darcy describes as a gothic story with a timely ecological message.

Gasoline is set in a post-apocalyptic world where petrol has become more precious than gold, survivors have had to adapt to life without technology. The Armbusters, a family of orphaned witches, are among the few survivors of a fiery apocalypse that struck at the height of society’s corporate greed and corruption. Recycling and inventiveness – which had been overlooked in times of relentless materialism – have become essential to survival.

The Armbusters have created a utopian commune where they grow their own food, make their own clothes and exchange goods and services rather than use money. They own the only remaining working car, and their search for precious fuel for it takes them from the safety of the Karoi Utopian Survivalist Compound and pits them against the sinister nihilists who lurk in the decaying urban sprawl below.

"Gasoline is a gothic fairy tale of danger and suspense, heartbreak and redemption, and, above all, the perseverance of magic and love," Merrell's publicist explains. "It’s also a thought-provoking story about society’s changing priorities and about man’s relationship with the earth and its limited natural resources.

"Although nature had been coaxed into flourishing in Karoi, there had been centuries of damage before the founding of the community, and everyone was suffering the repercussions. The erratic weather was incited by the nuclear disaster of long ago or by the depletion of the ozone layer; the cause didn’t make a difference now, only the effect: storms."

The magical characters are brought vividly to life by Dame Darcy’s detailed and intensely atmospheric illustrations, a graphic artist, cartoonist and musician based in Los Angeles and New York. Her comic book Meatcake has been published by Fantagraphics since 1993. Her other publications include Frightful Fairytales (2002), Dame Darcy's Meatcake Compilation (2003) and The Illustrated Jane Eyre (2006). Darcy also sings and plays bass in the group Death by Doll.

• Pre-order Gasoline from amazon.co.uk
• Pre-order Gasoline from amazon.com
• Visit Dame Darcy's official web site
• More from Merrell Publishers

Silverfin Graphic Novel announced

(with thanks to Reuben Willmott): Penguin Books will publish a graphic novel version of Charlie Higson's first Young James Bond story, Silverfin, in October.

Drawn by 2000AD's Kev Walker, the story begins with James Bond's first day at Eton, and already he's met his first enemy. This is the start of an adventure that will take him from the school playing fields to the remote shores of Loch Silverfin and a terrifying discovery that threatens to unleash a new breed of warfare.

The official Young Bond web site reports Times entertainment critic Amanda Craig scored an early look at the 160 page SilverFin Graphic Novel by Charlie Higson and Kev Walker and described this first Young Bond comics adaptations by Kev Walker, as “a bold and brilliant Manga-inspired treat."

Walker, now working on Marvel Zombies 3 which also launches in October, is well known to 2000AD fans for his art on strips such as Judge Dredd, Rogue Troper and ABC Warriors. He's contributed to the Young Bond website, is also responsible for the cover art on the US releases of Blood Fever and Double Or Die.

The Young Bond series follows the adventures of the schoolboy James Bond, from arriving a friendless orphan at Eton to a deadly chase through the Mexican jungle, the young hero leading a thrilling and dangerous life in a series of novels by Charlie Higson. All of the Young Bond books, including the latest adventure, By Royal Command, are published by Puffin in the UK.

Released on 2 October, both Kev Walker and Charlie Higson will be signing copies of the books at the London Forbidden Planet Megastore on Thursday 9 October from 6.00 - 7.00pm. More info at www.forbiddenplanet.com/Signings.html

• Buy the Silverfin graphic novel from amazon.co.uk
• Visit the Penguin Young Bond web site

In Review: Smuggling Vacation

by Jason Wilson
Published by Dealer Comics

The Book: A 74-page graphic novel telling the story of an ordinary British couple - he works in IT, she works in Marks and Spencer - who, when on holiday in Spain, stumble across an abandoned consignment of cocaine. Endeavouring to smuggle it to Britain themselves, they enlist the help of hapless "Him's" brother to help them, pursued by the consignment's owners and the police...

The Review: Smuggling Vacation by Jason Wilson and Tony Spencer is, put simply, one of the best independently published British humour comics I have read in a long time.

With no small tip of the hat to the kind of European bande dessine-style storytelling found in the pages of strips such as Joe Bar or Asterix, but with a definite adult sensibility, this tale of two hapless British tourists who find a huge stash of illegal drugs in Spain and attempt to smuggle it home is a comics gem.

In their attempts to bring a tonne of cannabis stashed away on a Spanish beach, “Him and Her” incur the wrath and pursuit of the drug gang whose stash they’ve taken; and become the focus for a huge (and, largely, hapless) police surveillance operation.

The story also reveals some of the lengths criminal gangs go to in trying to smuggle drugs across Europe, and the steps the police and customs take to stop them.

Along with a very funny script Smuggling Vacation, which has been serialised in Weed World magazine, creates a wonderful set of characters, many based on real life crime figures – the 75-page story being the end product of a two-year collaboration between convicted hashish smuggler Tony Spencer and former animator Jas Wilson.

Wilson says that he and Spencer had planned such a book for some years, but it wasn't until Spencer made the front page of Spain's 'El Sun' newspaper and he had received six years for smuggling hashish that there was time available to work on it. Wilson then began working with Spencer via scores of letters containing sketches, scripts and drawn pages, sent back and forth between Spencer at Valdemoro prison and Wilson's makeshift cartoon studio.

Smuggling Vacation takes the dealers, growers, black marketeers and smugglers they both knew – although names have of course been changed to protect the guilty and we’re told the originals were often far more intimidating! – and makes them the stars and cast in the tale of two Brits abroad who come across the opportunity of a lifetime.

Blending a real world background with well-realized fictional characters - Him and Her surely a young George and Mildred in the making - the story takes readers on a roller coaster race across Europe, from a surprising discovery on a Spanish beach to a cross channel ferry, with Jason’s extraordinary attention to detail in his superb art.

With fantastic storytelling throughout, the book may have European influences but the best of British humour comics, from the Beano to the best of Knockabout Comics, exemplified by cartoonist such as Hunt Emerson, surely helped shape its pages.

This is a funny, well drawn, well researched and written humour comic with terrific characters and characterisation, that deserves success after the huge effort Jason and Spencer have put into getting it onto book shelves. Available now from the Smuggling Vacation web site (where you’ll also find details of signings, background to the making of the book, a gallery and more), it’s also available from Smallzone and and selected bookshops.

I was delighted to see a second Him and Her book, Indignant in Budapest, is in development. I can’t wait!

• Smuggling Vacation is available from Smallzone and www.smugglingvacation.co.uk or order it through any bookshop (ISBN:9780955917004) priced £6.99.

• UPDATE: A sequel, actually titled Day of the Deal was released in May 2010. Read all about it here

Blank Slate Are Mint!

New British publisher Blank Slate (www.blankslatebooks.co.uk), the brainchild of Forbidden Planet International founders James Hamilton and Kenny Penman, kindly sent us review copies of the first two graphic collections in their range.

The new company has an ambitious publishing program, with half a dozen more titles to be announced very soon. For the latest news, check their official blog.

Trains are... Mint by Oliver East (ISBN 9781906653002) has received high praise from several quarters in recent months. It's a diary of walks tracing the train tracks between Manchester and Blackpool in the northwest of England, the comic dispensing with word balloons in favour of text and speech written in longhand superimposed upon the images.

"Oliver East has produced one of the most unique works to come out of the UK small press scene," says Kenny Penman, "and one that I believe has a chance of crossing over to a much wider audience.

"The story is told in deceptively simple watercolours that many will see as childlike (somewhat like the work of a young John Porcellino) although in fact they convey not only the narrative but also the spontaneity of sketches - which seems highly appropriate to a diary."

The graphical diary does not present the glowing picture of, say, Bill Bryson's book Notes from a Small Island or BBC TV's Coast documenntaries. "It also serves as eyewitness to what modern Britain is like behind the tourist posters," feels Kenny, "showing the everyday lives of small towns and people, and the often deep drabness at their centre, it reminds me in feel of the films of Shane Meadows."

“On the Road becomes On the Track as Oliver tramps, traipses, strolls and slogs from station to station, says Paul Gravett of the book, organiser of the ICA Comics Festival and author of numerous books including Great British Comics. "It's a unique use of comics, almost a time capsule of the unrecorded, everyday provinces.”

Personally, Trains Are Mint is a good read but I felt slightly bemused by the lack of trains in the book (one!) which makes for a strange chpice of title (but perhaps that was the point?). That said, for all the warts and all approach to documenting the walks, which include several train stations I'd rather not ever see again (Preston many look grand, but it's never appealed to me having been stuck on it once too often), there's a undefinable joy to the storytelling and a strong sense of observation that I think will develop over time.

We can Still be Friends by Mawil (ISBN 9781906653019) has a much more definable quality, centring on a young man's tried and failed approach to win the heart of various girls.

You sit next to her in Sunday School, meet her at Summer camp, spend the first year away from home with her as a flatmate. You're intoxicated, excited, obsessional - you're in love. Then come the dreaded words "we can still be friends"...

In four very funny, bittersweet episodes Mawil explores that crushing moment we've all experienced when our hopes and dreams are dashed, our stomachs turned inside out and we want the ground to swallow us up.

Widely held to be Germany's favourite Graphic Novel/Comics creator Mawil's works have won numerous awards over the last six years and have been translated into French, Spanish and Polish. This is his first book to be published in the UK in English and marks a terrific debut for one of Europe's best cartoonists.

For me, this was the more enjoyable release of Blank Slate's first two books, evoking memories of the non-Spirit stories by Will Eisner and others. The art is accomplished, the storytelling detailed but beautifully relaized and there's a genuine feeling of identification with the principal character as he careers from one almost entirely disastrous encounter with the opposte encounter to the next, much to the amusement of his drinking buddies as he recounts the experiences.

These two Blank Slate titles offer two very different graphic storytelling styles and are a good start for the fledgling company. I'm looking forward to seeing what else they have up their collective sleeves.

• Visit the Blank Slate web site
• The Blank Slate titles are available from several good graphic novel stockists including Forbidden Planet International, Gosh, Nostalgia and Comics, Page 45 and Smallzone

Road Death Comics...

Rumble strips were invented to alert us to hazards. In fog or snow, or even worse, on the verge of sleep, when you...just.... can’t... keep... your... eyes..op-drrrrrrrrrr drrrrrrrrrrrr drrrrrrrrrrrrr! The noise, the jolt, the vibration of those grooves wakes and prevents drivers from going off the edge of the road. Sometimes we all need a wake-up call.

Over 1.2 million people are killed in road traffic accidents around the world each year. By 2020, road traffic accidents could outstrip stroke and HIV as one of the main causes of preventable deaths.

Now, a new graphic novel, Rumble Strip, by British comics artist Woodrow Phoenix (author of Plastic Culture: How Japanese Toys Conquered the World), recently described as one of comics' finest stylists (and a dapper dresser to boot), offers a powerful and darkly humorous graphic polemic investigating our increasingly dangerous relationship with cars.

It’s extremely timely. Publishers Myriad Editions, who will publish the book on 12th June note that the United Nations recently warned that road safety is a ‘public health crisis’ on the scale of Aids, malaria and TB.

Rumble Strip uses the key tools of traditional comic strips but dispenses with the most obvious element: the hero.

"For a graphic work that doesn't show a single human being, this is an extraordinarily human book<" says comics expert Paul Gravett. "Its ideas and questions about how the car impacts on your life will echo in your mind long after you've finished reading it, whether you're a driver, or a pedestrian, or both."

The book offers a trenchant analysis of the problems of road users everywhere and the challenges faced by all of us, whether we drive cars, ride motorbikes, pedal bicycles, take public transport or just walk, we all have to use roads.

"Rumble Strip is not a graphic novel. It isn’t fiction," Myriad outline. "It isn’t a coming-of-age tale. It doesn’t follow the adventures of a likeable-but-f****d-up protagonist. Rumble Strip is fact. Part journalism, part polemic, part memoir. All real. It is a strikingly uncompromising look at death that affects every one of us.

"Rumble Strip uses the key tools of comic strips but dispenses with the most obvious and traditionally necessary part: the hero. Instead, the reader becomes the subject. The pages appear to be empty. But through the captions, the reader is invited to inhabit the pages, to take up the central position of protagonist and experience the book in an active way. It’s a technique that eliminates distance. It may sound odd, but you will be surprised at how easily and fluently you are drawn in."

Aiming the book at "people who traditionally don’t look at comics" (Guardian critics?), Myriad say they've found it extremely easy to read. It will be interesting to see if it therefore gets a plug on Top Gear...

Woodrow also works in the fields of editorial illustration, graphic design, font design and children's books. His work is graphic and playful but is unusual for its high degree of formal experimentation. His graphic story End of the Line first appeared to much praise in The Brighton Book, a mixed media anthology in association with The Brighton Festival.

• Buy Rumble Strip from amazon.co.uk

In Review: Local Heroes Exhibition

We have been promoting the National Library of Scotland's free Local Heroes graphic novel exhibition in Edinburgh, and its associated events, here on downthetubes for some time now, and having finally seen it, it certainly is an impressive exhibition.

With information panels around the walls detailing the history of British comics, the display cabinets have everything from Obadiah Oldbuck to the current Virgin version of Dan Dare. Graphic novels rub spines with comics history and reference books, newsstand comics and small press. The inevitable copy of Maus is there, but so are Alice In Sunderland, Judge Dredd reprint books, bound copies of Action and Battle, and even Hiberia's small press reprint of new Eagle's Doomlord.

As you venture further into the large exhibition room you will find original D C Thomson artwork. Three pages of Grant Morrison's black and white artwork from Starblazer 15, Algol The Terrible, including its title page are there as well as Ian Kennedy's painted cover to Starblazer 101, Forgotten World. Strangely enough downthetubes used the same images to illustrate our Blazing Through The Secrecy Starblazer article two years ago. There is also a page of Dudley D Watkins artwork from the D C Thomson version of Kidnapped. The eight panels of this have been extended and coloured since their original publication.

And yet the best is left for last. When Alan Grant and Cam Kennedy created a new version of Kidnapped for the One Book One Edinburgh reading campaign in 2007, the National Library of Scotland bought the original artwork for the successful graphic novel. In addition to Cam Kennedy's painted cover and a selection of preparatory sketches and colour tests, the exhibition has the entire 63 pages of original painted art framed and on display in printing order. Indeed there are so many art boards that they do not fit on a single wall and wrap around onto a second wall. It is a quite breathtaking display of original art by one of Britain's best living comic strip artists.

The exhibition runs until 1 June 2008 and is open seven days a week. It is even being promoted on Edinburgh's bus shelters.

More Local Heroes Events In Edinburgh

The National Library of Scotland have released details of more free events to tie-in with their Local Heroes exhibition on the art of graphic novels. In addition to the events already mentioned here on downthetubes, two more talks plus two workshops have been added.

On Saturday 17 May at 10am there will be a family workshop entitled Let's do Kamishibai! This is suitable for children of 7 and over who can make manga-style picture cards with artist Julianna Capes based on traditional Japanese stories told by Mio Shapley and Fergus McNicol, while on Friday 23 May at 2.30pm, the Metaphrog team will be running a workshop to introduce children of 8-12 years to basic design and illustration techniques.

Meanwhile, for older readers, current Dan Dare artist Gary Erskine will give an illustrated talk on his career on Tuesday 6 May at 7pm, and the season of events will conclude on Wednesday 28 May at 7pm with an illustrated talk from D C Thomson's Managing Editor David Donaldson who has been scriptwriter for The Broons and Oor Wullie since 1962.

As ever more details of the events and the exhibition itself are available from the NLS website.

Local Heroes Events in Edinburgh

As the National Library of Scotland's graphic novel exhibition Local Heroes approaches, the Library have announced a program of talks in conjuction with the Edinburgh exhibition.

On Wednesday 9 April at 7pm Alan Grant and Cam Kennedy will return to the library for another discussion on their work which includes the recently released Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, while on Tuesday 15 April at 1pm Dr Mel Gibson will give her talk on Getting To Grips With Graphic Novels, Comics and Manga.

On Wednesday 23 April at 7pm Sandra Marrs and John Chalmers of Metaphrog will be discussing their range of Louis graphic novels, and this will be followed on Friday 25 April at 2pm when Exhibition curator John Birch will give a guided tour of the exhibition.

The range of events concludes on Tuesday 29 April at 7pm when DC Comics artist Vincent Deighan, better known as Frank Quitely, will talk about his work From Electric Soup To Superman.

All events are free but ticketed and there are more details on the events and how to obtain tickets at the NLS exhibitions page.

The Local Heroes exhibition in the National Library of Scotland on Edinburgh's George IV bridge opens on Friday 4 April and runs through to Sunday 1 June. It is open seven days a week including some late nights and is also free. Opening time details are available from the NLS exhibitions page.