Stan Lee supports UK's 'Eagle Initiative' for new creators

Stan Lee – the celebrated co-creator of such enduring Marvel characters as Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk and the X-Men – has agreed to become patron of the Eagle Initiative.

Agreeing to give his backing to the innovative worldwide talent search, Lee said, 'Way back in 1976 mine was the first name enrolled on the Eagle Awards Roll of Honour and I’m thrilled, lo these many years later, to be invited to be a patron of this pioneering initiative which stems from such prestigious and long-running prizes.

“Breaking into comic books has never been easy and I think it's great that Barry Renshaw and Cassandra Conroy are devoting their energies to helping newcomers from around the world get their foot on – and up – the ladder,” added the venerated writer and editor.

“I’m delighted to add my name to the Eagle Initiative and wish every contestant all the best, both with their entries and their subsequent careers. Who knows, this ambitious project might lead to the discovery of a 21st century Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko... or Stan Lee!”

Launched earlier this year, the Eagles Initiative provides a unique platform from which the next generation of writers and artists can promote their storytelling ability in an increasingly competitive market. The brainchild of Barry Renshaw, the Initiative is an unprecedented global talent search, entrants will be asked to submit an original self-contained illustrated story.

The winner will be awarded a £1,000 cash prize; the runner up will win £500 with the third place submission being given £250. All three stories are to be included in the Initiative Anthology, which will be released as a print publication and in multiple languages across the digital media.

“Having an industry legend like Stan Lee not only support the Initiative but agree to be its patron is both incredibly exciting and humbling at the same time," says Barry Renshaw, who is spearheading the project.

"I certainly never expected to receive the amount of interest and support from industry professionals that we have done over just a few short months, and everyone behind the scenes at the Initiative is absolutely dedicated to making sure we live up to their faith in the endeavour."

Now heading up the Eagle Awards, Cassandra Conroy added, “The Marvel Universe had just had its 30th birthday when I came into this world but my dad familarised me with those classic early stories throughout my formative years. It is, therefore, a great honour to have Stan Lee not only support us on the Initiative but also be so enthusiastic about what Barry is doing.

"I’m sure his involvement will catapult the Initiative and the Eagle Awards themselves into the wider public spotlight.”

“Things just keep getting better for Barry and Cassandra," notes Eagle Awards founder Mike Conroy, who is serving as a consultant and publicist to the Initiative.

"The industry has been behind them from the start but to get backing from the living legend that is Stan Lee just turns things up to 11!”

• For further details on the Initiative, a full list of judges and complete submission guidelines, go to www.eaglesinitiative.com/

Andersonic flies back into action with exclusive interview

The latest issue of the ace Gerry Anderson fanzine, Andersonic, is now on sale. Issue 10 features a new interview with former Century 21 writer and director Leo Eaton in which he discusses his time directing the puppet series, writing for Captain Scarlet, what it was like working on Joe 90 and UFO, why he eventually left the series and how he came to work with Ed Wood.

Other features include:-

• Supermerchandisation - A look at how Century 21 revolutionised the marketing of 'tie-in' products in the 1960s. (The Andersonic website has additonal info on this subject)
• Into Infinity - Script to screen feature revealing scenes that didn't make it to the final version plus a new interview with musician Steve Coe.
• Space:1999 - Earthbound - a look at Anthony Terpiloff's episode where Christopher Lee gives everyone an egg and Gerald Simmonds Esq does everything he can to get back to where he once belonged.
• Brink of Disaster Retrospective - four writers evaluate one of Thunderbirds' most stylish episodes. Is complete automation a viable option? Whadda you think!
• UFO - Survival - Michael Billington makes his UFO debut as test pilot Paul Foster in a moon-based episode that explores prejudice and, er, survival.
• Space Patrol - a look at the 1960s series made by former Anderson alumni Arthur Provis and Roberta Leigh, which had an interesting legacy.
• Review Section - New merchandise reviewed.
• SHADO Staff Handbook - What not to do in your new job. Please sign and return to the HR department. What do you mean you don't want a lilac gull-wing company car?
• Joe 90 A-Z - everything you need to know about WIN's 4' 4" Most Special Agent.
• X-Planes Extra - more inspirational designs we couldn't fit in last time. Ever wondered what inspired the design of Thunderbird 1, FAB 1, Supercar and UFO's Lunar Carrier?

• The new issue is available via the website www.andersonic.co.uk - price £2.40 including UK postage. It will also be available from eBay for a limited period. If you'd prefer to pay by cheque or PO, please get in touch for a postal address via the web site. Back issues are also back in print.

Metaphrog's Louis – Night Salad graphic novel gets YouTube trail

A trailer for the Louis – Night Salad graphic novel, created by Scotland's fab folks metaphrog, is now live on YouTube.

"Our friend hey from Berlin has made an amazing soundtrack inspired by Bach's beautifully emotive "Air on a G-string" and also by Delia Derbyshire's version," the team tell us.

Due for release in Octobr, Louis - Night Salad is a brand new stand-alone graphic novel, the moving tale of Louis’ quest for a cure to save his friend FC. It's descibes as a simple story of friendship, heart-warming and genuinely transporting.

metaphrog are the duo Sandra Marrs and John Chalmers, creators of the critically acclaimed, multiple award nominee Louis series of graphic novels. Other titles include Strange Weather Lately and The Maze. They've also contributed short stories and illustrations to various publications, and enjoy spreading the word about comics at festivals, libraries and schools.

• Louis - Night Salad is now available to order from Diamond Previews, item code AUG101077 LOUIS NIGHT SALAD HC (C: 0-0-1), page 297. More info here on the metaphrog web site

A Special Summer With The Beano

(updated 2/8/10, with thanks to Lew Stringer) Summer and Holiday Specials of British comics were once a mainstay of the news stand year: special, (usually) higher-priced "one-offs' of popular comics that not only gave regular readers something extra featuring their favourite characters, but also offered a 'sampler' of a comic to those that might not be able to afford buying it regularly. They also might help attract new readers to the regular title.

The first such Special would appear to be a Mickey Mouse Holiday Special published in 1937, which Kaya Özkaracalar, over on his Disneyville blog notes as being one of four holiday special issues published before the Second World War on the eve of the Christmas season. (These are, of course, some of the rarest pre-war British Disney publications and much sought after).

Over on Blimey! It's Another Blog about Comics, Lew Stringer's research would seem to indicate that regular holiday specials - issues that were not part of a comic's regular run - really kicked off in the 1960s. "Fleetway did a Jack and Jill one in 1960, Odhams did an Eagle one in 1962, and TV Publications produced the first TV Comic Summer Special in 1962 (all new material)," he tells us.

DC Thomson, with their all-reprint 1963 combined Dandy/Beano special, cautiously entered the area set up by others. It proved successful for them so they started doing individual all-new specials in 1964.

While Summer Specials associated with weekly comics are now a thing of the past, the Beano and Dandy Xtreme don't seem to have fallen into the "Summer Annual" concept that other publishers now use.

To celebrate summer this year The Beano has instead decided to class their six summer holiday July/August issues, numbers 3544 to 3549, as collector's editions with wraparound summer activity cards on the outside and, along with the usual bagged toys and sweets, each issue will have an A3 poster of an old Beano cover.

Last week's issue 3544 had the first of the posters showing, not surprisingly, the cover of the first issue of the Beano with its 30 July 1938 cover date - except that it wasn't quite the complete cover. Black comic character 'Little Peanut' was missing.

When Waverley's History Of The Beano book was published in 2008 editor Christopher Riches pointed out that Peanut was retained on the cover of that book due to his historical context - but then it was a nostalgia book aimed at adults. It is therefore unsurprising that a 1930s comic's depiction of a black child would be removed from the image for a poster aimed squarely at modern children's bedroom walls.

Issue 3544 also listed the four "mega gifts" to be given away with this week's issue of the comic and they included a "Multi-Menace Blaster With Target!" This is actually a red plastic gun which fires yellow sucker tipped plastic darts.

One downthetubes reader who is also a Beano reader made the point of looking out for the Beano as he passed through a UK airport this week to see if the toy gun was included in the copy of The Beano that could be bought there. It wasn't and it had been replaced with a Dennis and Gnasher whoopee cushion instead. This is not surprising: airport retailers take a dim view of any free gifts that look like guns (one publisher fell foul of these concerns a couple of years ago, and, under protest, had to withdraw their title from sale because the free gift simply looked like a gun).

What is also available in the current issue, number 3545, is the second of the six posters of old Beano covers. This time it is the cover of the biggest selling Beano issue of all time, number 405. The History Of Beano book tells us that issue 405 sold 1.9 million copies and that "records show that an even higher sale could have been achieved but the presses just could not print any more!"

Was there a particular reason that issue 405 sold more than any other especially when there was no free gift with it to give it a sales boost? Perhaps the children of Britain were more tuned into comics that week than usual. After all the biggest selling issue of The Beano is dated 22 April 1950, eight days after the cover date of issue 1 of The Eagle.

The current idea of The Beano turning weekly issues into summer editions is a great idea, but it isn't new. Lew Stringer tells us it revives an early 20th Century concept, when Amalgamated Press would have "Holiday Numbers" as part of their regular weekly run, just as publishers still do with Christmas editions.

• The Beano is published each Wednesday and costs £2.50. The set of A3 cover posters of old issues will continue with the issues up to and including issue 3549 which is due to be published on 25 August 2010

• There's more summer fun on the Beanotown website

• Blimey! It's Another Blog About Comics - Heyday of the Summer Special

• The Guardian: What Became of comics' summer specials?