Titan Magazines readies Matt Hatter Chronicles title for New Year

There's been good news for fans of TV show The Matt Hatter Chronicles in the past couple of weeks, as the show's success continues to grow. New Zealand's TVNZ recently picked up the CGI HD animated boy-targeted series for its free to air commercial channel, TV2. The series is set to bow on TV2 as part of its spring line-up on the 2Kids weekend programming block in 2013.

For those who don't already know, Matt Hatter Chronicles, which launched last year, is an adventure-comedy series about Matt, an ordinary boy who discovers that his family defends a gateway to a dimension called the multiverse. To save our world and the multiverse, Matt and his friends must battle and capture infamous villains from movie, myth and legend.

Produced by Pinewood-based Platinum Films and Dream Mill and animated by Toronto's Arc Productions, the show uses state-of-the-art 3D animation designed to bring the story to life and to make children feel as if they are part of the action. It airs on ITV and can also be seen on Nicktoons in the UK, Teletoon (in Canada), RTE (Ireland), SABC (South Africa) and Al Jazeera's Children's Channel (Middle East). It was also recently acquired by Network Ten (Australia) for its free-to-air channel, Eleven.

And why are we mentioning this? Because many of the creative team are names downthetubes readers will recognise - and there's a licensed comic based on the show on its way from Titan next year.

Top of the creative mentions has to be for Transformers guru Simon Furman, who works behind the scenes as Script Supervisor, overseeing the other writers and other scripts, making sure the show is as good as it can be. He's working with Andrew Wildman again, another Transformers name and co-creator of the cowboy fantasy Frontier, who is lead concept artist on the show, overseeing work by the likes of London-based Spanish talent Ana Bermejo.

If those aren't enough of a Comic Connection for you, then the upcoming launch of a Matt Hatter Chronicles magazine is. Back in July, Platinum Films announced the forthcoming publication of a range of official comic magazines based on the hit 3D CGI children’s show, which will see a series of magazines published by Titan, all featuring bespoke comic art created by the company.

The core demographic for the comics, as for the television show, is boys aged 5-10. The series will start with a bumper special launching in early 2013 and will be available in both hard copy and digital editions.

“Titan is very excited to be publishing the official comic magazine of Matt Hatter," says Chris Teather, Titan Magazines Publishing Director. "The show has been a huge commercial and critical success, and I am sure that the new title will be a hit with all of the series’ loyal fans.”

Nigel Stone, CEO of Platinum Films, says: “Titan, a respected name in books and comics with years of experience, is the ideal partner to adapt Matt Hatter Chronicles for the comic magazine format. The Titan comics will be welcomed enthusiastically by Matt Hatter’s legions of fans.”

ITV Studios Global Entertainment is representing UK, Eire, Australia and New Zealand for consumer products merchandise, home entertainment and promotional rights for Matt Hatter Chronicles.

• Official Web Site: www.matthatter.com

Titan launches augmented Awesome Animals app for new magazine

Titan Magazines has partnered with Aurasma - the world's leading augmented reality platform - to launch the first kids augmented reality app for its new magazine, How To Draw #1... Awesome Animals.

How To Draw... Awesome Animalsmagazine explains to kids clearly and concisely how to have fun learning to draw awesome animals such as lions, zebras and elephants and then turn those skills into their very own comic-strip story.

The new kids augmented reality app, "Titan Alive", allows readers to bring video, music and 3D animated content to virtual life on their iPad, iPhone and Android devices using Aurasma's augmented reality technology.

All readers need to do is download the Free Titan Alive app, powered by Aurasma, from the iTunes apps store and point their smart devices at the magazine to view detailed video demonstrations by artists who clearly show readers how to draw awesome animals.

As well as interactive features inside How To Draw... Awesome Animals magazine, the front cover comes to life with a 3D animated model of a charging, trumpeting elephant.

Titan Alive, which the company plan to use on other titles, allows your smart phone or tablet to recognise images in your favorite comic, then changes your view of the real-world with videos, music and 3D animations called "Auras".

"We're really excited about this unprecedented AR Magazine in the youth market and looking at more ways to involve AR content through our kids magazines portfolio," commneted Michelle Fairlamb, Titan's Group Advertising Manager. "This offers our readers additional content, a more enriching experience and even further ways to interact and engage with their favourite magazines."

Ben Wheeler, Creative Director at Aurasma said, "Through the Titan Alive app, Aurasma and Titan have brought art and technology together to show a whole new way of seeing and interacting with the physical world. We hope this brilliantly practical use of augmented reality will enlighten, educate and entertain readers!"

Aurasma is the world's leading augmented reality platform, developed by and part of software company Autonomy – an HP Company. Available as a free app for iPhones, iPads and high-powered Android devices or as a free kernel for developers, Aurasma uses advanced image and pattern recognition to blend the real-world with rich interactive content such as videos and animations called "Auras".

Auras can be created for printed images, product packaging, clothing, physical places and users can even use the app to create and share their own. Since its launch in June 2011, Aurasma has had more than four million downloads and over 6,000 partners in markets including retail, fashion, sport, automotive, education, advertising and publishing are using the free technology in their campaigns, on their products or embedding the technology in their own applications.

• How To Draw #1 ... Awesome Animals magazine is available in all good magazine retailers from 26th July.

• For more information, visit: http://titanmagazines.com

UK Simpsons Comics reaches 200th issue

Next Thursday is something of a milestone for British Simpsons fans as the UK edition of Simpsons Comics reaches its milestone 200th issue.

Based on the world’s favourite family, Simpsons Comics is the official magazine of the cartoon, published by Titan Magazines, and comes packed with adventures featuring Homer, Bart, Marge, Lisa, Maggie and all the residents of Springfield.

Fans of the show will want to grab a copy of this landmark issue, wrapped in a specially drawn cover by the show's creator Matt Groening and his creative team - and the issue comes with another hilarious Homer Simpson comic strip story. In a panic about missing ‘Free Pizza Day’ due to the flu, Homer ingests the entire contents of the medicine bottle! However, if he thought a world without pizza would be bad, his subconscious (flu-syrup addled) mind takes him to a world without beer!

“In this year of celebrations and anniversaries, it is time for the first family of Springfield to join the party!", notes distributor Comag.

This special issue also reveals the best covers of the last 15 years – as chosen by the discerning readers and includes a competition to win one of a 100 great Simpsons prizes.

Simpsons Comics No.200 features a free squirting umbrella gift, available in three fantastic designs, including the super-rare, highly collectable Radioactive Man!

“We are all so excited about hitting this milestone issue of Simpsons Comics," commented loingtime editor Martin Eden. "And we're still going strong - just wait ‘til you see some of the amazing covers and strips we've got coming up over the next few months!”

Titan announces Walking Dead Magazine

Titan Magazines and Skybound have announced the launch of The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine, based on Robert Kirkman's Eisner Award-winning comic book series, best-selling graphic novels and Emmy-winning AMC television series based upon them.

The magazine will debut in the US in October and the UK in November.

Following its transition from groundbreaking comic book to the highest-rated basic cable drama of all time, The Walking Dead has cemented its status, not only as a phenomenon with the wildly diverging fans of horror and of character-driven drama, but as a milestone in quality, mainstream television.

Robert Kirkman, creator/writer of The Walking Dead debuted the groundbreaking Skybound/Image comic in 2003. In 2010, AMC debuted the hit television series, The Walking Dead, based upon the comic series, which became the highest-rated original basic cable drama of all time and an international success in 120 countries and 250 million homes, and counting.

In 2011, The Walking Dead graphic novels were the best-selling graphic novels of the year. Now, in 2012, Titan Publishing/Skybound and AMC bring you The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine to answer the burning questions insatiable zombie-loving fans have about the Emmy-winning television show, comics and graphic novels.

The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine will feature an inside look at the comic and show as only a fully sanctioned quarterly can. No one will get more exclusives than this magazine. Get exclusive access to the most successful television adaptation of a comic ever, including in-depth interviews Kirkman, Executive Producer/Writer on the show; Glen Mazzara, Showrunner/ Executive Producer/Writer of the series and David Alpert, Executive Producer of the series.

And that's not all – readers will hear from all of the leads on the hit TV show Andrew Lincoln, who stars as Rick Grimes; Sarah Wayne Callies, who stars as Lori Grimes, Jon Bernthal, who played fan-favourite bad boy Shan.

To get behind-the-scenes on the set with co-Executive Producer Greg Nicotero and see how he creates the greatest on-screen zombies ever, fans should read The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine. The only way into the closed door writers’room to learn about the scripting process lies within the magazine’s pages.

Robert Kirkman commented, "This magazine will be your one stop destination for all the news pertaining to the comic, TV show, video game, toys, games, and whatever else exists in the ever-expanding Walking Dead universe! If it's happening, you'll find out all about it right here!" Nick Landau, Titan Publisher, added: "We're very excited to be publishing the quarterly The Walking DeadMagazine with Robert Kirkman and Skybound, which will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for fans to get unlimited access to the show and comic."

Fans will also get the opportunity to ask Kirkman what's coming up in future issues of The Walking Dead, or find out how the series artist Charlie Adlard keeps up with the fast pace of the monthly comic so brilliantly.

The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine debuts on 23rd October in the US with 100 pages of all access, no holds barred zombie festing and feasting. With all the latest news, revelations and tips for fans of the television show and the graphic novels.

Issue #1 of The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine comes with an alternative cover featuring an exclusive, coloured zombie scene by The Walking Dead comic artist, Charlie Adlard. This alternative collector's edition is only available through comic stores. Retailers can order via August Diamond PREVIEWS.

Fans of the show are urged to join The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with exclusive developments and deals. The magazine is currently offering fans a special pre-order subscription saving 20% off the newsstand cover price – click here


• The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine issue #1 will be available on newsstands and in specialty comic book stores in the US on 23rd October in the UK on 8th November and Australia & New Zealand on 18th December


• For more information on The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine visit: http://titanmagazines.com/t/the-walking-dead/

CLiNT revamps: more strips, more action!

Hot off the back of his 2012 Kapow convention success, Kick-Ass creator Mark Millar launches a stunning new volume of CLiNT, with a new 100-page Issue 1 featuring four new stories between its covers, coupled to a brand new look, new logo and new attitude!

Every issue from Titan Magazines now features epic news and interview exclusives you won’t read anywhere else – the first issue's including Mark Millar hmself – from set reports, casting announcements and extensive actor grillings to behind-the-scenes commentaries and new art from top comics talent!

On sale now, CLiNT #2.1 showcases a double kidney punch of new Mark Millar strips: Supercrooks with artist Leinil Yu, the story of a group of failed supercriminals who head to Spain for one last heist. The art is great, as you'd expect given Millar's connections, with some great character development from the get go when it comes to the protagonists.

Next up is The Secret Service, Millar’s hotly anticipated collaboration with Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons and Kick-Ass / X-Men: First Class director Matthew Vaughn. (The fast-tracked movie is being plotted by Vaughn at the same time as the comic). I had a very quick chat with Dave at Kapow! as he was rushing from one event to the next, and he told me he was really enjoying drawing a regular title again – and it shows in this opening chapter. which includes a guest appearance by original Star Wars actor Mark Hamil!

The CLiNT reboot also boasts the exclusive, Hollywood-baiting Death Sentence strip – which has built up a wave of well-deserved hype. Creators and critics alike have been lining up to praise the hotly-anticipated sex, STDs and superheroics saga, written by newcomer Montynero and illustrated by Mike Dowling (2000AD, Rex Royd, Torchwood).

I've been lucky enough to see the whole first arc of this story and it's superb - hard-egded, dramatic, thought-provoking and well deserving of the praise it's been getting. Montynero's script is terrific and Dowling really delivers on the art front.

(You can buy the digital edition of Death Sentence issue 01 for 99p from Amazon (kindle) iTunes (ipad) kobo and graphicly (pc) http://graphicly.com/aaaah/death-sentence)

Rounding off the magazine's comics line-up is Rex Royd by Frankie Boyle, which is still the weakest of the strips, the great art let down by a near inpenetrable script. But anthologies always have a mix of strips that might appeal to one audience but not another.

Mark Millar discusses Supercrooks and American Jesus movies in an exclusive Millarworld movie round-up feature.

“Everything that I've done, movie-wise, I've gotten a little more involved.” says Millar. “On Wanted, I was just involved at a tangent, I'd just come in for meetings and watch footage. With Kick-Ass, I was very involved from the beginning, from the two month when the screenplay was being put together, though costume designs and all of that. And from that, to Supercrooks, American Jesus and Kick-Ass 2, which will feel incredibly hands-on."

To hear Supercrooks director Nacho Vigalondo's side of the story, check out our exclusive new interview with him, available only on clintmag.com.

CLiNT also celebrate 20 Years of Lenore, with a special feature exploring creator Roman Dirge’s morbid imagination with a four-page sequence from Lenore #4: Revenge of the Creepig!

• CLiNT #2.1 is available from all good magazine retailers and comic stores from May 23rd.

• Special Subscription Offer! Get 9 issues of CLiNT - saving 20%, plus a FREE signed Dave Gibbons 'The Secret Service' Art Card! Hurry, only 200 signed Dave Gibbons Art Cards available! To subscribe click here

• Mega 48-Page Preview of CLiNT http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=37319

• For more information and to subscribe to CLiNT, visit: http://clintmag.com

• Connect with CLiNT: Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/clintmag Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/CLiNTmag

 

Totally Merlin confuses some fans - and us!

(Updated again - with thanks to our readers): A quick reminder that there is an official Merlin

magazine on sale in the UK in selected supermarkets and newsagents, published by Titan Magazines.

The magazine is being published as Issue 19 of Titan's 'Totally' title, which explains the cover numbering - but contrary to our earlier version of this report, it's being billed as the second issue of the official Merlin magazine launched by Attic Media, just before that company went into administration.

The whole situation has left some fans - and us! - a bit confused, as Titan have told us this 'continuation' is a one-off for now.

Titan published another Merlin tie in like this back in 2010.

The magazine comes with a free sticky Serket, a Merlin keyring and four special badges. There's also a chance to win Arthur's gloves, a trip to the set as well as loads of other special prizes, and the magazine also features a Merlin comic strip.

We'll keep you posted if there is further news on a new ongoing Merlin title.

- More info at: http://titanmagazines.com/t/totally/uk/19/

CLiNT delivers Montynero, Dowling's 'Death Sentence'

CLiNT is to publish the independent comic Death Sentence by Montynero and Mike Dowling in 2012.

Created by writer Montynero and Mike Dowling (artist on CLiNT’s Rex Royd), Mark Millar, publisher of CLiNT alongside Titan Magazines, describes Death Sentence as the perfect fit for the 100-page magazine's brand of big-budget action with a cynical twist.

Described as “just brilliant” by Millar, Death Sentence first came to his attention at the first Kapow! Comic Convention last year, where it stood out from the crowd of pitches with its striking concept and A-list work from the creators.

The story of three Londoners granted superpowers and six months to live by the devastating, sexually-transmitted G-Plus virus, Death Sentence is by turns dramatic, thought-provoking and hilarious; a take-down of modern celebrity culture that also takes a stand against oppressive and invasive government.

Editorial manager Andrew James enthuses, “Death Sentence has it all – a great high-concept, engaging characters, fantastic art, and gripping writing. Montynero has a spectacular career ahead of him – and Mike Dowling’s self-coloured work is a revelation.”

Death Sentence will debut in CLiNT in May 2012, with a launch at the second annual Kapow! Comic Convention.

Titan Magazines say there will be more news on the future of CLiNT in January - suggesting more new strips will be part of its content.

Reviewing Issue 12 of the title recently, comic creator and British comics pundit Lew Stringer praised the Magazine, saying "I really like CLiNT... [it's] raw, unapologetic and brutal.

"Critics may argue that the stories could be told just as well without the excessive violence and profanity, and they'd have a point, but it wouldn't be as much fun would it?"

• More about CLiNT at: http://titanmagazines.com/t/clint

Titan releases Star Wars Comic digital sampler

Seeking to boost subscriptions to Star Wars: The Clone Wars Magazine, Titan Magazines is offering US fans a digital sampler of the title (but UK readers can view it, too).

The title is packed full of incredible features about the hit animated show, as well as brand new and exclusive Star Wars: The Clone Wars comic strip stories.

• View the sampler magazine here

Comedian Jimmy Carr writes debut comic strip in CLiNT

‘Beat My Score’ by Jimmy Carr, art by Ryusuke Hamamoto

Jimmy Carr, famed stand-up comedian and co-host of Channel 4’s 10 O’Clock Live, has written an exclusive comic strip story in the latest issue of Titan Magazines' CLiNT.

Stepping out of his comfort zone and away from the acerbic one-liners that characterise his on-stage routine, Carr delivers a story of violent point-scoring and social alienation.

‘Beat My Score’ by Jimmy Carr, art by Ryusuke Hamamoto

"Entitled ‘Beat My Score’, Carr’s comic strip is a nihilistic satirical sideswipe at the glamourisation of violence, tackling the difficult and disturbing effects as seen in school shootings around the world. Its manga-styled images by Japanese artist, Ryusuke Hamamoto, will resonate in the brain like a ricochet long after the final shots have been fired."

When every action is assessed for its potential as a Tweet, and every success is accompanied by Achievement Points, what will one maladjusted Japanese college student do to claim pole position?

"We've been incredibly lucky with CLiNT in this first nine months," enthuses Kick-Ass creator and CLiNT editor Mark Millar.  "We just got nominated for a big award before we've even reached our first birthday and the talent line-up has been unmatchable. We've had people as diverse as Victoria Coren, Ian Rankin, Jonathan Ross and Frankie Boyle in here and now we've got Jimmy Carr doing comic books. It's crazy.

"What's nice is that he rose to the occasion and gave us maybe my favourite story in the comic so far. It's such a beautifully simple idea I sent it to my agents and suggested they set the movie up. I couldn't be happier with it."

CLiNT, which launched last September, has already boasted the first-look at Kick-Ass 2, the sequel to the best-selling series that inspired the blockbuster movie, and seen Jonathan Ross, Frankie Boyle and Stewart Lee present their comic debuts.

• Jimmy Carr’s ‘Beat My Score’ will feature in CLiNT issue #9, on-sale Thursday 30th June, available from WH Smith, Forbiddenplanet.com and all good magazine retailers and newsagents.


• For more information and to subscribe to CLiNT, visit www.CLiNTMag.com

• Connect with CLiNT on Twitter or Facebook

Family Guy comic

Steve White, editor of Titan Comics new Family Guy comic - which launches next month in the US and in August in the UK - says the comic will not only uphold the TV tradition of the Emmy-nominated animated show but delve deeper into the characters and comedy of Peter Griffin, his family, and friends.

The comic will follow the Griffin family in a string of brand new outrageous storylines, along with fellow Quahog residents Cleveland Brown, Joe Swanson and everyone’s favorite ladies man, Glen "giggity" Quagmire.

"The Family Guy universe is an amazing wellspring of ideas to plunder," Steve told the Toledo Blade this week. "It’s given us a lot of latitude to develop stories ranging from one-page gag strips to more extended full-length scripts and pretty much everything in between."

Artwork for the Family Guy comic series is provided by comic artists SL Gallant (G.I. Joe, Torchwood) and Anthony Williams (Judge Dredd, Superman, Batman).

The title has had a long gestation period - Editorial Director Chris Teather has been suggesting the comic for years. Ultimately the concept gained traction with Fox."We felt that Family Guy TV show to Family Guy comic was a natural progression, but Fox needed a little convincing,"says Steve. "In the end, we winged it and did a two-page comic strip off our own back and that actually seemed to do the trick."

One of America’s favourite animated TV shows of all time, Family Guy boasts over 27 million fans on Facebook, and has been nominated for 13 Emmy Awards including Outstanding Comedy Series.

Although Steve would be delighted if creator Seth McFarlane would write material for the comic but, so far, he's not committed. But the editorial team - all fans of the series - are definitely committed to ding their best to making it a success.

"We’re not just paying lip service to the show," Steve insists. "We’re really immersing ourselves in it."


• Family Guy comic #1 will be on sale and available on US newsstands and in specialty comic book stores beginning on 27th July 2011. 

• US Readers -  Get 12 issues a year for $35.95, saving 25%. To subscribe call 800-999-9718 or click here

• Follow @FamilyGuyComic on Twitter where news on the comic series will be revealed on a regular basis.

CLiNT Issue 1 Goes to Reprint with comic-style cover

The first issue of Mark Millar's brand new comic anthology, CLiNT, has sold out - and will now have a second printing with a spanking comics-styled cover featuring Kick-Ass.

With its third issue now on sale in UK newsagents and comic shop, the 100-page monthly magazine published by Titan features brand new comics alongside news, features and interviews, with a mix of celebrity contributors and hot new talent.
CLiNT #1, which launched early September, boasts the first-look at Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.'s Kick-Ass 2, and Titan say it has flown off shelves. This first hit issue also included the start of Nemesis, by Millar and Steve McNiven, and sees two of the UK’s most outspoken TV personalities present their comic debuts.

Turf, by Jonathan Ross and acclaimed artist Tommy Lee Edwards, mixes vampires, aliens and gangsters in a slick period thriller. Rex Royd, by comedian Frankie Boyle, introduces “The Renaissance Man of Madness” in a supervillain strip.

Comics retailers will be able to order copies of the second printing of CLiNT #1 with its new Kick-Ass cover from this weeks Previews Plus and December’s Diamond PREVIEWS.  For more information visit www.previewsworld.com.

CLiNT issue 6, which includes the latest installment of Kick-Ass 2 is also listed in December’s Diamond Previews.

• For more information on CLiNT, visit: www.CLiNTmag.com


• CLiNT #1 trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCRL5PLM7Yo


• Connect with CLiNT on Twitter: www.twitter.com/CLiNTmag
or Facebook: www.facebook.com/CLiNTmag

CLiNT #3 features more Kick Ass, Tarantino

Issue #3 of CLiNT is on sale now in stores in the UK and Ireland.

Strips this issue are the latest episode of Kick Ass 2  by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.; Turf, chapter 3 by Jonathan Ross and Tommy Lee Edwards; the still bonkers and inpenetrable
Rex Royd by Frankie Boyle, Jim Muir and Michael Dowling;
American Jesus, by Mark Millar and Peter Gross and the superb-looking Nemesis, chapter 3 by Mark Millar and Steve McNiven. 

This month's Space Oddities short strip is a real stunner called Lost Soldiers: The Fall of the Fortress by Bruno Letizia. The art on this is great - let's hope we see more from him in future issues. 


This is is this writer/artist's first mainstream English publication, but he's done a huge amount of work in Italy for publishers such as Nicola Pesce Editore, Coniglio editore and more recently, for Alacran with strips such as the comic book porn situation comedy Food Girls for Coniglio Editore (written under the pseudonym Savage Dolls).

Comics news site Bleeding Cool has more details on him and some of the other Space Oddities creators here.

CLiNT #3 also features interviews with film director Quentin Tarantino, Al Murray, The IT Crowd’s Matt Berry and Star Wars Kid all grown up!.

• CLiNT #3 is on sale now in all newsagents and comic shops in the UK. Official CLiNT Magazine web site:  http://clintmag.com


• Preview art from the latest chapter of Nemesis - http://tinyurl.com/244xlly


• Preview artwork from the latest chapter of Kick-Ass 2 by John Romita Jr http://tinyurl.com/2fuxmzu

• CLiNT on Twitter

Titan Star Wars Galaxy Comic in Review

Amidst all the excitement surrounding the re-launch of The Dandy, another new comic has slipped almost unnoticed onto the shelves of British newsagents. Star Wars Galaxy is a new 4-weekly title from Titan, published in the same format as their Batman/DC inspired titles.

The first issue, with an eye-catching Darth Vader cover, features three stories that all take place at different points in the Star Wars timeline. Purge: The Hidden Blade features a post-Revenge of the Sith Darth Vader trying hard to keep the Emporer happy and not entire succeeding. In Invasion: Refugees, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo fight off a new evil enemy. And The Old Republic: Threat of Peace takes place thousands of years before Luke Skywalker was born when the Sith were at their peak. There's also a chance to win an Xbox 360 and a copy of The Force Unleashed II game.

For me this title really does fill a gap in the market and it's one I've been hoping to see from Titan for a long time. I'm a big Star Wars fan but I don't really want the in-depth analysis of Star Wars Insider. The Star Wars: Clone Wars comic on the other hand is aimed at much younger readers with its larger page size and seemingly-endless flood of free gifts. This is a title older comics fans should be able to buy without feeling embarrassed at the checkout! And I really do feel that Star Wars (like Spiderman) is a big enough franchise to support three regular titles.

I would love to see Titan do a similar thing for Transformers which has a lot of older fans who read the Marvel UK comic in the 1980s.

And I also think it's time Panini did a Doctor Who comic (just comic strip, no features) in the same format as its Classic Edition titles such as Astonishing Spiderman etc. Doctor Who's popularity is as high as it's ever going to be so I think now is the time. True, the IDW titles fill this gap in the market to an extent but they are only available in comic shops and not newsagents. I'd like to see something similar to the old Doctor Who Classic Comics title with a new Matt Smith strip backed up by reprints of classic material.

The Star Wars Galaxy title seemed to be selling well when I popped into WH Smith yesterday with only 2 copies left on the shelves. British comics truely are in a better state than they were ten years ago, thanks to Titan and the other publishers. With Strip Magazine on its way, things are looking up!

In Review: Clint #2 - real life superheroes and Kick Ass 2

The second issue of CLiNT, Mark Millar and Titan Magazines' British news stand anthology, mixing comics with a range of features that include a focus on 'real-life superheroes' and an interview with Charlie Brooker, is a much-improved mix on the launch issue.

Maintaining an edgy, Nuts/Zoo style feel to the format, which rankles with some comics fans but should appeal to the magazine's teen target audience, strip-wise, this issue continues Kick Ass 2 and delivers more chapters of Jonathan Ross' Turf, Frankie Boyle's bonkers Rex Royd, Nemesis and a fun three-page 'Space Oddity'. Pit Stop by Mateus Santolouco is one of many great pitches to the mag made via the MillarWorld forum and a good choice.

Also this issue -- the first slice of Mark Millar's American Jesus, already published in the US but which I gather is part of a trilogy of planned stories being released by Image in the US.

Of these, despite the vicious content, Nemesis proves the surprise hit of the issue for me, with a brilliant chase scene and some truly nasty developments as the super villain storms the Pentagon. Steve McNiven's art is superb throughout.

Turf again benefits from the larger page size of CLiNT and writer Ross begins to rein in his verbosity to let the Tommy Lee Edwards gorgeous art on this 1920s vampire tale do the storytelling.

There were mixed reviews of Frankie Boyle's Rex Royd - and I'm afraid the writing is again disappointing and the content of this tale the most potentially offensive to the kind of religious types, that frankly, Frank, you really don't want to upset. The titular 'hero'(?) continues his crusade against superheroes and super beings, this time taking down God in the Garden of Eden after God performs a pretty monstrous act on Eve.

It's all very shocking and will no doubt have Daily Mail readers up in arms, but at the end of the day, how many of CLiNT's target audience even know who God is and will really take in the import of such a ridiculous storyline?

American Jesus, with terrific art from Peter Gross is definitely intriguing - I'm curious to see how this develops, although I could of course simply pick up the collection.

And then of course there's the 'headline act' - the second part of Kick Ass 2, as Millar and Romita's would-be superhero takes a stroll in Times Square with another costumed hero whose only weapon is a silver-foil covered baseball bat. There's some fun dialogue for comic fans - a teen admitting he fancies Aunt May - and Kick Ass revealing his life's desire is to be part of the Justice League.

But the story also exposes what might be a critical flaw in Millar's masterplan to break comics out of what he sees as something of a ghetto on the news stand - much of the humour is dependent on knowing something about the comics the target audience, allegedly, have never heard of. (Although of course, they may well have heard of their film and cartoon incarnations, to which Millar is careful to refer).

Overall, though, CLiNT #2 is a well rounded and much stronger issue than the launch, and some of the features are hilarious, such as the 'Save Money on your Mobile' spoof ad and the full page iPad gag. The longer features are stronger, too - especially the real superhero feature - and seem a better fit this time around. Yes, you've still got the Zoo-inspired stuff like a 'Sexy Chavs' pin up, which is sure to annoy comic fans but once again, this title is aimed at a teen audience that loves this stuff.

Fingers crossed, they liked the first issue enough to buy this one.

• Official CLINT web site


• CLiNT on Facebook


• CLiNT on Twitter

• Discuss CLINT #2 on the downthetubes forum (membership required)

More reviews:

• Bleeding Cool: CLiNT #2 Numbercrunching

CLiNT #1 sales strong, says Mark Millar

(Updated 1430, 9th September): Sales of CLiNT #1 and reaction to the new British comic magazine have been very positive, according to its creator Mark Millar - and he says more retail outlets are seeking copies, including supermarkets, which account for almost 40 per cent of magazine and newspaper sales in the UK.

"The good news is that this has gone down a storm," Mark told his fans in a post on his forum yesterday.

CLiNT #1 went on sale across the UK in a fanfare of publicity, including a signing by Jonathan Ross and Mark Millar at WH Smiths in Victoria Station, London, covered 'exclusively' on Sky News and coverage on other TV channels.

"[WH] Smiths and Tesco said they're having a great response," says Mark, "and finally - finally - a comic is generally being stacked alongside car, lifestyle and other traditional men's interest mags.

"For too long they've been sticking 2000AD etc next to the Teletubbies on the bottom shelf," he claims, "but now we're at eye-level and it's paying off."

This isn't of course, strictly accurate - most WH Smiths have dedicated sections for 'teenage' titles, including 2000AD, Panini's Marvel Comics collections and similar titles. Where things fall down is when staff at a local WH Smiths don't follow shelving instructions and rack a title like CLiNT in with junior comics (in one instance, next to Bob the Builder. Another problem for the visibility of many long-running British comics is that they are more likely to be ordered by a customer, so they become what's known as 'put aways' - and then there are no copies to be seen on a shelf.

(Commando, whose 40,000-strong audience is incredibly loyal, with publishers DC Thomson claiming many readers sticking with the title for over 10 years and 2000AD have this problem).

But this is nit-picking: the important thing, as far as Mark and publishers Titan Magazines are concerned is reaction to CLiNT outside the comics community.

"Response from new readers, which has been over 90% of our emails received so far, has been amazing," Mark says. "They picked it up because it didn't look like a traditional comic and found themselves loving the comic strips, which was exactly the plan.

"So me, Titan and all the dudes working on this are very happy. We're in 90% of the Smiths outlets and going up to 95, more supermarkets now jumping on to see what the fuss was about."

Responding to comic fans appeals for comic-oriented features rather than the lads mag-style material published, Mark is adamant that this is the wrong approach if comics are to break out of their perceived 'ghetto' on the news stand.

"I want no more silly responses here where people say it looks like a lads mag," he chastises. "That was kinda the plan, as it got us different shelves and a new audience.

"It's been 25 years since the mainstream really looked at a mass market book that wasn't an outright funny book," he continues. "This was very, very calculated and so far - touch wood- seems to have worked... CLiNT is a pop culture hybrid that gives them something they know with something they haven't tried before.

Elsewhere, in an interview with the denofgeek web site, Mark has enthused about his fellow creators on the magazine - who include Jonathan Ross and comedian Frankie Boyle.

"In our launch issue we've got the highest paid man in British telly, and probably the biggest comedian in the country, and their combined profile helps enormously, because it shows people we really mean business," he says.

"In fact, I think the reason British comics often fail is that mainstream retailers really don't care about me, or any other British or American comic author. You can come up with the best idea for a character and story and nobody with the shelf space will care. So, the trick is to get some big names that retailers recognise to author some comics.

"Having Kick-Ass 2 launching off the back of the DVD release helps, but having Frankie and Jonathan, and some of the writers we've got coming later too, that's really going to get us in shops, and hopefully it'll help create a platform for new talent as well."

• Read Mark's full post on the Millarworld forum

• Official CLINT web site

• Read the downthetubes of CLiNT #1, which includes links to other reviews and news stories about this new launch



• Discuss CLINT #1 on the downthetubes forum (membership required)

In Review: Clint Issue 1 - does it "Kick Ass"?

(Updated 31/8/10, added other review links): After months of speculation about what Titan Magazines new British anthology title Clint might feature, the magazine itself is finally out in the wild, backed by an impressive promotional campaign on the web, which includes its official web site.

So - does comic creator Mark Millar's baby live up to all the hype?

First things first: this isn't just a comic. Yes, much of the content is comic strip, but it's been styled like a magazine. Even the cover leans more toward the kind of title you might expect to see alongside Nuts, Zoo or Empire; a canny piece of marketing for a new stand where comics have wrestled, sometimes in vain, for attention.

This will not sit easily with many comics purists who've grown up enjoying Eagle, Battle, Action or 2000AD - but it is a brave attempt to make Clint look different to most other comics that have gone before. Whether that gambit will pay off in the long term, none of us yet know.

Content-wise, Titan have embraced Britain's joint obsessions with celebrity and innuendo and pulled them into a well-honed mix that includes Nuts and FHM-styled features as well as a carefully selected line up of comic strip, all of it new to the British news stand if not to the specialist comic store (but then, this magazine is not aimed at that market, so that doesn't really matter). That includes an interview with comedian Jimmy Carr and more, all delivered with the kind of design flair you'd expect from the team that has done so well with its specialist magazines such as LOST and Star Wars.

Again, in my view that's a canny move and one that gives the title a strong selling point beyond the numerous comic strips it features. Whether those features will actually boost sales, given that similar material is something available in other titles, is another unknown quantity – but full marks to Millar and the Titan team for trying.

As for the conics - well, it's a mixed bag of action adventure, heavily weighted toward violent and sweary superheroes. As you'd expect, the first appearance of Millar's Kick-Ass 2, drawn by John Romita Jr., takes centre stage. Given the success of the first Kick Ass series and movie, it's sure to have a following and is a strong sales point. (The series will be published in the US via Marvel's Icon imprint in the future).

Likewise, Jonathan Ross' Turf, drawn by Tommy Lee ticks the strong sales point box. You can be sure Ross will happily promote both the comic and Clint to boot, which will certanly help its chances of success.

While the strip isn't new to comics fans familiar with the US comic scene, published in magazine format I think it actually looks better than its US outing. You can't go wrong with a vampire story right now, and it starts strong in this issue, with plenty more twists and turns to come.

The rest of the comics are in a similar vein - high octane, edgy action adventure that some won't like - but will go down well with a potential audience raised on high spectacle summer popcorn movies who would never squirm seeing Saw.   

Rex Boyd by Frankie Boyle & Jim Muir is another all-new strip and, to my mind, the weakest material in the issue - the script jumps rather suddenly half way through the story of a security guard working for someone whose life role appears to be devoted to killing superheroes. Nemesis, by Millar, features some superb art by Steve McNiven and is another Marvel Icon title, and another vicious anti-superhero tale.

The strip content rounds off with The Diner, a three-page strip by Manuel Bracchi that has won out over many other submissions to appear in this first issue, one of many submitted via Millar's own web forum for consideration in the new title.

So - is Clint any good?

Well, it certainly has a firm handle on its potential audience and has a heady mix of strips and features that will appeal to a target market of teens who can buy their own comics (because if Mummy ever buys this for their eight-year-old, we'll soon have the same kind of press hysteria that put an end to Action thirty years ago). In those terms, it ticks all the boxes.

Is it the kind of comic I want to read? Well, no – but it isn't aimed at me, a 50-something comics fan who grew up reading TV Century 21, Valiant and what are, today, other far gentler comics albeit ones crammed with eye-grabbing adventure and characters. I fully accept that, recognize how much work has gone into getting the mix of the first issue right, and sincerely hope Clint does reach its market and is a huge success, because if it is, it will benefit everyone in the British comics industry, long term.

Let's hope we just don't end up with a load of copycat titles, which is what happened when VIZ went large. Do what Mark and Titan have done - something different.

The big questions is: will that target audience buy Clint instead of Nuts, Zoo and similar titles? Right now, no-one knows, but you can be darn sure Titan have done their homework and are well aware they need to cleverly market Clint to ensure it gets the attention it craves.

At a time when sales of the titles it's emulating - aside from the comics element - are in decline, perhaps Clint will also give that sector a much-needed jolt in terms of sales. We'll just have to wait and see... But good on them for at least giving it a go.

• Official CLINT web site. Jonathan Ross and Mark Millar will be signing copies on Thursday 2nd September at 4.30pm at WH Smiths in London's Victoria station.

• Discuss CLINT #1 on the downthetubes forum (membership required)

News Items

• Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser (no, really): New comic called Clint from Coatbridge’s Mark Millar
1st September, 2010 (repeats earlier Titan PR for the title with local 'spin'): Coatbridge writer Mark Millar is launching a UK comic that will feature stories by TV presenter Jonathan Ross and comedian Frankie Boyle...

• MTV: Mark Millar Drops 'CLiNT' Comics Magazine On Doorsteps Today, Previews The First Issue!
2nd September, 2010 - Includes interview with Mark Millar, who says "It’s really secretly selling people comics. My dad’s generation and my generation all read comics as children but my daughters generation, the boys in her class have never picked up a comic book. So I wanted it to be something teenage boys and young guys in their 20s would feel comfortable with, you know? Something that is a hybrid.”


• Bleeding Cool: Copies of CLiNT Seen in the Wild
Bleeding Cool forum thread documenting some of the daft places WH Smiths staff (and other retailers) have racked the new comic. In one case, apparently next to Bob the Builder...

Other Reviews

• Comics Alliance: CLiNT is definitely a Magazine
by Chris Sims: "I legitimately like the "Warning! Contains Comics!" blurb in the corner. It plays into the whole attempt at characterizing what they're doing as a faux-dangerous bit of counterculture along the lines of 2000AD's heyday, and while that idea is defeated pretty thoroughly by having a photo cover depicting characters from a major motion picture that starred Nicolas Cage, it does put the emphasis squarely on comics. And that's exactly where it belongs, because that's where CLiNT is at its best."

• FHM: New Magazine! New Kick-Ass!

• Geeksco.uk: Wossy and Boyle strips in new CLiNT Magazine
"Having had a sneak peek at the 100 page magazine, it’s certainly an exciting new direction for Mark Millar. Jonathan Ross’s vampire comic is a complete surprise and an excellent one at that. A dark tale of vampires and gangs in depression-hit New York, the second installment can’t arrive fast enough. We are also gifted with Millar’s explosive and controversial strip, Nemesis, drawn by artist Steve McNiven with whom Millar had previously worked on Marvels Civil War mini series. The jokey premise for the strip was ‘What if Batman was a total c**t‘ which understandably caused some concern with DC Comics..." 

• Journalist Danny Graydon: Clint #1 - The Verdict

"... We have the latest attempt at pushing edgy and irreverent comics in to the mainstream, with the arrestingly-titled “CLiNT” – think about it – produced by writer Mark Millar and Titan Magazines. Ever the connoisseur of hyperbole, Millar grandly claimed that “This is The Eagle for the 21st Century!” and, having read the debut issue, I can only respond to that pearl of wisdom with: you bloody wish, old boy. No, no: the truth is that CLiNT is essentially TOXIC! resurrected... This is by no means a bad thing."

• Lew Stringer - Blimey! It's Another Blog about Comics

"The promos talk about it appealing to 16 to 30 year-olds but maybe that's just to sell it to retailers. Personally I think CLiNT will really find an audience of 13 to 16 year-olds excited by the ultra-violence of Kick Ass and Nemesis. Don't be surprised to see some prudes rise up to bang on about comics "corrupting children". Every generation has those spoilsports and they've never proven their case yet. It seems to me that Millar and Titan have preempted such attacks by not making the cover look like a comic and clearly putting an 'Adult Content' advisory beside the barcode. The responsibility is now with retailers to choose who to sell it to, and with parents to monitor what their kids read. No passing the buck this time for the blame culture....

Wallace & Gromit find a place in The Sun!

A new newspaper strip featuring Aardman Animations' Wallace & Gromit, launched last week, is getting good feedback from the characters legion of fans.

Replacing the long-running 'strip-com' George and Lynne, the new comic is being produced by Titan Comics and is appearing daily.

Launched Monday 17th May, each story will run over six days (Monday-Saturday) and will feature the world famous duo in all-new adventures starring hapless inventor Wallace, who's keen on creating labour saving gadgets, even though they don't always go to plan, and best friend and loyal dog Gromit... Expect Gromit to be saving Wallace from various scrapes and a number of mischievous characters. It's no wonder he's happiest reading the paper in a nice comfy chair.

Titan Magazines is now regarded as the largest publisher of licensed entertainment properties in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand and the debut of the Wallace & Gromit strip marks another step in the company's ongoing development, builing on its suite of magazines that include the Batman Legends Comic, Simpsons Comics, Transformers and more.

• For more information on Wallace and Gromit, visit: www.wallaceandgromit.com


• For more information on Titan Comics, visit: http://titancomicsuk.com

Clint: The Origin of Mark Millar's new comic title

For those not already wondering, veteran publisher and editor Dez Skinn has just explained the origins of Mark Millar's new comic title, CLINT, which Titan Magazines launch later this year.

If you're easily offended by bad language, don't read on.

"Back in the 1970s when IPC was rocking saleswise, there were two words you could never use in print in their holier-than-thou weekly comics: FLICK and CLINT," Dez notes in a posting to his Quality Communications group on Yahoo.

"Because Gravesend's letterpress printing was so blotchy the space between the capital letters L and I was virtually non-existent, so LI looked far more like a U.

"Hence the adage oft-heard in the corridors of Fleetway House..., FLICK OFF CLINT!

"It gives a whole new meaning to the old book/film/TV series My Friend Flicka," he adds wryly.

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

Titan to launch "Eagle for the 21st Century"

Comics by two of the UK’s most outspoken TV personalities and burgeoning writing talents - Jonathan Ross and stand-up comedian Frankie Boyle - will feature in CLiNT Magazine, an exciting new joint venture between Kick Ass creator Mark Millar and Titan Magazines.

Millar’s sequel to his cult comic and smash hit movie will also feature in the monthly title to form a stunning line-up of stories.

“This is The Eagle for the 21st Century,” claims Millar, whose genre-busting Kick-Ass scooped the number one movie spot in America and whose previous work includes Wanted, starring Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman.

“I’ve worked on everything from Spider-Man comics to the Iron Man movie for Marvel, but what really excites me is the gap I see in the UK market at the moment.

"There are absolutely no comic-books aimed at 16-30 year old guys," he claims, perhaps ignoring Judge Dredd: The Megazine. "I think CLiNT has potential to make an enormous impact, bringing a new type of magazine to a new generation.

“I want this to be edgy and irreverent, the kind of thing guys will be passing around lunch-halls and common rooms, and there’s nobody I’d rather have creating new characters for CLiNT than Jonathan and Frankie," he continues. They’re both brilliant writers and will surprise a lot of people with this stuff. The last thing you’d expect from Jonathan, for example, is a vampire strip, but he pulls it off amazingly. People are going to love this.”

Millar is also launching his sequel to the hit Kick-Ass movie in the first issue of the comic. Kick-Ass 2: Balls To The Wall has been scheduled for production in 2011 for a 2012 cinema release, but fans of the first movie can find out what happens two years in advance by picking up CLiNT.

The 100-page magazine will be packed with interviews and features from movies, games and television as well as four serialized comic-strips. The biggest names in entertainment will be featured every month and some will even be sticking around to write sci-fi, humour or horror stories after they’ve been interviewed and quizzed.

“We can’t say who else is involved at this stage,” says Millar. “Jonathan, Frankie and I will have our stories serialized over the first six months, but we have the most insane line-up of creators ready to come in and join us. You’d be amazed how many people who work in film and television want to be comic-book writers. It’s very exciting and we think we’re creating something potentially enormous here.”

Talking about the project on his web site, where he recently put out an appeal for one page science fiction humour strips, Mark told fans Clint is not aimed at comic stores but "the huge potential of a UK mass market, the like of which hasn’t really been reached in a generation.

"Newsagents and supermarkets don’t really care about regular pros like me, instead looking for brand names like movie titles and television personalities. Hence the reason I’m launching this with the Kick-Ass sequel and people like Frankie Boyle and Jonathan Ross.

"It’s going to be a massive venture and one aimed almost entirely at the UK," he enthused. "It’s obviously massively exciting and I’ve been secretly working on it for a little while with some people I’m very excited about... I want to make this big, a cultural phenomenon and a showcase in parts for the UK talent I don’t feel has a wide platform anymore here."

• Further information on who is involved can be found at twitter.com/clintmag, where future developments will be revealed on a regular basis.

• CLiNT #1 will be on-sale from 2nd September in the UK: available from all good retailers and specialist comic stores. US subscriptions will be available.