Ex Astris: A SciFi comic by John Freeman and Mike Nicoll

The latest issue of the Dan Dare-inspired comics magazine Spaceship Away is on sale now via the official web site, featuring no less than eleven strips - including part one Secrets of Ceres, an all-new adventure by John Freeman and artist Mike Nicoll.

The issue also features a Dan Dare 'prequel' strip, Rocket Pilot, written and drawn by top Commando artist Keith Page; the first episode of a beautifully coloured version of Nick Hazard, Intersteallar Agent, drawn by Ron Turner (colouring supplied by John Ridgway); and two more continuing original Dan Dare strips, Green Nemesis and The Gates of Eden.

Spaceship Away editor Rod Barzilay sees the issue as a 'jumping on point' for new readers, with Ian McLumpha's Space Girls and Eric Chilton's Journey into Space (drawn by Tacconi) just two more strips in the jam-packed line up, complemented by a range of features on the making of the original Dan Dare stories.

Published three times a year,this full colour, glossy magazine started out as a way to get a newly created 1950’s ‘old Eagle’ style Dan Dare strip story (Drawn by Keith Watson and Don Harley) in print, along with how it was done. The magazine has grown from 24 to 48 pages a time, and is now moving sideways into other science fiction.

"Spaceship Away is evolving all the time," says dedicated editor Rod Barzilay, "and there are more new things already in the pipeline."

BULETPROOF EX ASTRIS
An all-new adventure set on the ravaged Earth of Ex Astris is just part of an all-star line up to Bulletproof Comics Issue 2, on sale now from British indie publisher Bulletproof Comics.
This is another 80-page beast of an issue, but this time around the title has 33 pages of full colour! Here’s a breakdown of the stories and their respective creators: Marren Kane - Dave Hailwood & Tony Suleri; Sideburns - Jim Alexander & Jon Haward; Bunk Mates - Dave Hailwood & Paul Harrison-Davies; Game Over - Bulent Yusef & Dave Thomson; Funguys - Alan Grant & Alan Burrows; Last Orders - Dave Hailwood & Stuart Giddings; Redstitch - Lee Langford & Klaus Belarski; Ex Astris - John Freeman & Mike Nicoll; Love Hurts - Dave Hailwood & Stuart Giddings; and Slumbertown - Rik Hoskin, Thomas Crielly & John Doran
• Check the Bulletproof web site for more details, a new Ex Astris web comic and more.

ABOUT EX ASTRIS...

Ex Astris is a new science fiction adventure created by Mike Nicoll, scripted by John Freeman, which is appearing on the Bulletproof web site and the web and mobile comics service ROK Comics.

You can read all the episodes for free online: the archive begins here.

PRAISE FOR EX ASTRIS

"This CGI strip is my personal favourite in Bulletproof #2. The computer generated art is very professsional and impressive, and John's script is tight and well told."
Comics Creator Lew Stringer in a review for Bulletproof #2 (read it in full here)

"I like it! (Ex Astris, I mean). Whether it's the CGI work, I don't know, but it has a feel of a harder, tougher, older-oriented Captain Scarlet. This should be a TV series."
Commando and Doctor Who Artist John Ridgway

"Stunning stuff... Very impressive."
- Dez Skinn, Publisher, former editor of Warrior and Comics International

"Your new sf strip is quite startling - it must take a long while to produce. Excellent stuff; it would have been nice to construct some 3D art of some of my 'Rocket Pilot' scenes."
- Commando and Rocket Pilot artist Keith Page

"Very impressive... I wish you the best of luck with it."
- Pete Nash, writer and publisher of The Sun's Striker comic

"I must admit I'm not a big fan of CG but the designs were good and most importantly the layouts were easy to follow and nicely paced, and that's the most important bit of comic art."
- Artist Paul Harrison-Davies

• Find out more about Ex Astris and read the story
• Find out more about the characters
• See the spaceship designs
• Meet the creators