downthetubes News Archive: December 2004

DEAD RINGER ON DAN DARE
16/12/04: Nev Fountain (writer of Radio Four's and BBC2's comedy show, Dead Ringers) has just reviewed the new Dan Dare reprints from Titan Books on the BBC Cult site.
Go straight to the review:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/news/cult/2004/12/14/16018.shtml
• Dan Dare books info: Click Here

STRACZYNSKI HEADLINES 2005 COMIC EXPO
9/12/04: J Michael Straczynski -- creator of Babylon 5 and writer on such comics as Spider-Man and Supreme Power -- tops the UK's Comic Expo guest list, to be held at the British Empire & Commonwealth Museum and the Ramada Plaza Hotel Bristol from 13 - 15 May 2005. Organised by Area 51 and Comics International, Herb Trimpe (Hulk, Defenders) will Guest of Honour with so far announced Special Guests that include Michael Avon Oeming (Powers, Thor), David Mack (Kabuki, Daredevil), Gary Frank (Supreme Power) and Dave Gibbons (The Originals, Watchmen.
The event will include interactive panels, workshops, exhibitions and signings.
Full details on the website: www.comicexpo.net or contact Mike Allwood. E-mail: comicexpo@fsmail.net Tel: 0117 924 4655

Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds

STRIKER 3D LANDS WAR OF THE WORLDS COMICS DEAL
9/12/04, updated 19/12/04: Striker 3D -- publishers of the UK's weekly Striker comic -- have acquired the exclusive worldwide comic and graphic novel publishing rights to The War Of The Worlds, the classic novel written by H.G. Wells in 1895 about a terrifying Martian invasion of Earth.
The first in a series of monthly 3D-generated comics will be launched in May 2005.
Striker 3D -- run by the Striker creator Pete Nash -- have acquired the rights from Jeff Wayne, the New York-born composer, now living in Hertfordshire, who released the legendary War Of The Worlds musical album in 1978 and which has hardly been out of the charts since.
The monthly comic and graphic novel will be based on the memorable artwork and storyline in Jeff's album and entitled Jeff Wayne's The War Of The Worlds.
The publications will also indicate they are adapted from the classic novel by HG Wells.
A delighted Pete told downthetubes.net he expected to be able to display artwork from the project sometime in January.

"A fantastic opportunity"
"Negotiations with Jeff had been taking place since early September when I first approached him," Pete revealed to his Striker readers earlier this week. "He has awarded the rights to us over other interested publishers because he was so impressed with our enterprise, vision and innovative style of 3D computer-generated comics. It really is a fantastic opportunity.
"The deal means we can license our comics to other publishers around the world, including Dark Horse Entertainment in the U.S, who have first option on all our material. This could open the door to collaboration with Dark Horse on further projects.
"Our comics -- which will be dramatic, atmospheric and genuinely terrifying - will also tie in with Sony's multi-million worldwide relaunch of Jeff's remastered album next year. He is also planning a worldwide stage tour."
The first story, adapted from the original book, will take about six months to tell in comics form and will then be compiled into one graphic novel to be released at around Christmas. It might also be sold as a box set with TWOTW album.
The monthly comic will then hopefully continue by leading the story into contemporary times with different scenarios and new characters.

Recreating Victorian Britain
The original story by H.G. Wells -- most recently revisited in comics form by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume II -- describes how the invasion began when a number of cylinders landed on Horsell Common in Surrey. Martian fighting machines then emerged from these cylinders with various terrifying weapons at their disposal, including incinerating heat rays, a lethal black gas and a choking red weed that covered parts of the landscape. The Martians were also known to have fed on captured humans to sustain themselves.
"We will be creating in 3D various landmarks from Victorian Britain," says Pete, "including a scene not described in the book where the black gas descends into the newly-built London Underground stations, where hundreds of people have escaped to seek refuge. "We will also want to concentrate more heavily on the characters than H.G. Wells did.
"Our comics will certainly not be pulling any punches. We will endeavour to capture the sheer terror that the people of Victorian Britain -- which was the mightiest empire in the world at the time -- would have felt when confronted with a cold and evil race that was infinitely more advanced than theirs.
Striker fans need not worry the new project will divert attention from their much-loved and quite popular comic.
"This deal will in no way mean a diversion of resources from Striker," says Pete. "On the contrary, there is the possibility that we may even be able to recruit a whole new team of 3D artists, but that's another story.
"All of our supporters should be delighted -- especially our shareholders!"
• Buy Jeff Wayne's classic War of the Worlds album from Amazon.co.uk: Go
• Buy the latest version of the original War of the Worlds novel from Amazon.co.uk: Go
• Buy Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume II from Amazon.co.uk: Go

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