Read Yourself Raw

Online comics 'zine Read Yourself Raw has just had another update, which includes previews of new book, comic and manga releases for October 2007 and a new Essential Reading list.

The site's worth a visit for its huge links section alone but the articles are great and informed.

Paul Gravett Interviewed

Web site Broken Frontier has published the first part of a detailed interview by Dave Hine with London-based freelance journalist, curator, lecturer, writer and broadcaster and comics guru Paul Gravett, one of the creators of the ground-breaking indie comics magazine Escape in the 1980s who continues to promote the comics form with unrelenting enthusiasm in the UK and beyond. Read the Interview �

A few links to strike fear into your very soul...

It's downtime, so time to see what's out there in web land... And my goodness, there's some strange stuff. Even stranger than the last time I looked.

First, one for PC fans, especially those with a professed hatred of all things Apple (which doesn't include me). Here's a wonderful comparison of the Apple Ipod vs the humble tape cassette (people over 30 will remember these, there's more than you ever wanted to know here at www.tapedeck.org). Which is better? Daniel Turek, while perhaps a Mac user himself judging from his web page address, has no doubt...




Now then. We all know that at some point over Christmas you will encounter a young child with a) a drum b) a tin whistle c) a Moog synthesiser. (Well, okay, you probably won't encounter the latter but just imagine the horror...). Simply check out this site and respond with these Air Raid Siren sounds: www.airraidsirens.com. No, really. It's almost as crazy as the Tape Deck site I mentioned above. I say almost.)

Of course, you will have to consider that ageing relatives may be thrown into blind panic by some of these sounds, suffer heart attacks as they are awoken from post Christmas dinner stupor thinking they are back in the Second World War.

We must be careful out on the Interweb. There are many strange things you can find when you have time off from the usual daily grind. Dangerous things that will make you question your own sanity far more quickly than reading the collected works of M. R. James, or perhaps the thought of albums like this ever being made...

No, I speak of course of sites such as Pet Food Labels. Beware such sites, they are evil incarnate. Still, could you live without knowing that canned dog food first appeared in the 1910s? I thought not.

Have a great Christmas everyone!






2D Artist and Web Comic Tips

Couple of quick links:

Anyone interested in creating comics for web (or perhaps mobile) might be interested in this feature by Scott "Understanding Comics" McCloud: www.scottmccloud.com/makingcomics/five_half/00.html. Some useful tips and tricks for getting the best out of online presentation of comics.

Comics creator Terry Hooper just sent me this link to a downloadable PDF magazine, 2D Artist, which also looks interesting: www.2dartistmag.com

The Host

Anyone who's feeling intrigued by the new monster movie The Host might find the official Korean web site interesting (www.thehost.co.kr).

Entertaining use of Flash... make sure you allow pop-ups on the site.

Mistaken Identity

Working on the virtual-lancaster.net web site as now only sometimes I do, just occasionally we get information from people in one of America's Lancasters rather than Lancaster, England.

Case in point is a very courteous note we had from the band Ivy Hill wanting to know our press deadlines top promote a new tour in Massachusetts USA, but hey, I'm not going to hold it aginst them because I'd probably never heard of them, ever, otherwise (well, unless they make it big and I wish them luck with that) and I really like what I hear on their official web site - a powerful compilation of r&b, funk, jazz, pop, blues and reggae.

Well worth checking out, in my limited musical opinion...

Dog Years

Ever wonder what your dog is thinking? Get an insider's view with this film at www.atomfilms.com/af/content/dog_years. Very droll and one for anyone who's ever owned or known a dog.

Official site: www.dogyears.co.uk

Collected Curios

For those of you who've ever been to a comics convention, or who have thought about going, this is surely for you both: www.collectedcurios.com/sequentialart.html - currently exposing the dark underbelly of fandom... in spades!

Blogging from space

This has nothing to do with comics but definitely worth a mention -- in terms of potential bragging this one pretty much tops several list.

Blogging from space.

Private space tourist Anousheh Ansari - a Star Trek fan, by the way - posted several items to her blog from the International Space Station while in orbit: spaceblog.xprize.org.

E-mail is set in batches from the ISS three times a day so there was no opportunity for "real-time" reportage, but the blog must surely be a bit of a first for Netizens.

In one of her final entries from orbit the Iranian-born Ansari writes of her experience and feedback from readers:

"My trip is coming to an end but my dreams have just started.

"You tell me in your messages that I have inspired you… Well I have to admit you all have inspired me right back… Every time I feel like I’m drowning in the sadness of my departure from the space station, I try to reach for one of your messages and pull myself out and look forward to what we can all do together."

Yep, that sounds like a Star Trek fan to me -- and I mean that in the nicest possible way.

Bitey Castle

Okay, this isn't comics but I've just been sent this link to some truly stunning Flash animation, created by former Disney animator Adam Phillips: www.biteycastle.com/content/animation_brk.php (obviously, you need Flash to view)

There's some scary stuff here -- part of a wider project this Australian creator has come up with. His home site is: brackenwood.net, another well worth checking out.

Back in 1988, Adam managed a team of animators through several major Disney sequels but it was his discovery of Flash in 2000 that led him to his current creations. Brackenwood is clearly a labour of love and I hope the feature film he'd like to make becomes a reality.

Breaking into comics - the Bishop speaks

Former 2000AD editor David Bishop recently posted a revealing interview outlining how he broke into comics and thoughts on how to get work in the industry on his Vicious Imagery blog.

As usual, he's very candid about his work, which includes this comment on the shock of working on 2000AD as its editor, having been about to leave Fleetway for pastures new when the position was offered him.

"I had been gagging to get my grubby mitts on the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic and was determined to reverse what I saw as the failings of my predecessors, so I stuck around and became Tharg on December 18, 1995," he reveals. "I quickly discovered how tough editing 2000AD really is and gained a newfound respect for my predecessors.

"It’s very easy to snipe at whomever is Tharg and criticise their choices, but until you’ve sat in the big chair you have no idea how tough that job is," he admits with hindsight. "It’s a bit of a bastard, frankly."

Bishop feels it's easier for artists to break into the business than writers but makes some salient points about how to do it despite "bugger all money" for doing so (his words, not mine). Fascinating stuff.

Freak Brothers pilot online

The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers pilot is online at last: this is being made in Bristol. if you're not familiar with the Furry Freak Brothers this is probably meaningless to you, but it's quite fun regardless!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YINWUjFQRDU

Bear Alley

Over on Bear Alley, comics expert Steve Holland reports that the Look and Learn web site, with which he is heavily involved, officially launches in a matter of days. This is run by a company which now owns the publishing rights to much of the Magazine (except for some strips like Trigan Empire) and the site includes a fantastic searchable database of many of the illustrations that appeared in the title down the years by the likes of Don Lawrence and many others.

Walls and bridges

Walls and Bridges is freelance writer Joel Meadows' new blog -- he's previously edited a comics magazine, Tripwire, and writes features on comics for a variety of publications, most recently The Times and The Observer. I've known Joel for many years -- he regulalrly reported on Marvel UK back in the days when it still existed.