ARCHIVED NEWS - NOVEMBER 2005

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MALCOLM MAGIC RETURNS
18/11/05: The eigth installment in the ongoing adventure of everyone’s favourite drunk bunny Malcom Magic has been published by the wacky Blink Twice team. Featuring, they say, more action, more giggles and more danger than ever before the issues finds characters Fikov, Chester and Reggy on trial for a crime they did commit while Malcolm, Pygmy, and Bright Eyes discover there are worse things in Nodsuf than not being able to find a bar! Critically praised (TheFourthRail.com describes Lawrence Etherington's colour work as "astoundingly good"), you can grab a snneak preview of the new issue over at studioblinktwice.com.

MINI COMIX THING GEARS UP
18/11/05: Saturday 11 March sees the welcome return of the UK Web and Mini Comix Thing for comics fans, taking place in the Great Hall at the Queen Mary University in London. Exhibitors to this enjoyable annual event include (as of 18/11/05): The Brodie's Law team; Pirates; Earthbound; Eddie 'Eddache' Bowley, Gary Spence "Strangehaven" Millidge; Zoical, a small group of cartoonists from the UK, Ireland, France, Greece, the united states and Mexico all working with different styles, mediums, and themes but joined by our shared love of comics (and good curry); Amaranth & GothBoy; Portent Comics, a collective of comic books creators based all over the world, working together to produce new and exciting comic based projects; and Soaring Penguin, a small press publisher, always on the lookout for new talent, and for comic creators needing assistance in self-publishing.
The event organisers welcome further bookings for exhibitors. The costs will increase as the event looms closer. The costs are as follows: until up to 31 December 2005, £35.00; 1 January 2006 to 18 February 2006: £40.00; 19 February 2006 to 10 March 2004: £45.00. Booking form on the the WebComix site
• More UK comics and SF events info: Click Here

SNEAK PEEEK!
18/11/05: Comics artist John Royle kindly sent downthetubes.net his pencils for an upcoming Spider-Man - Thor cover for Panini UK's Spectacular Spider-Man. Awesome!

HIGH PRAISE FOR BEAUTIFUL THINGS
18/11/05: The work of Scottish comics creator Sean Michael Wilson continues to garener critical praise. Now available as an e-book from Lulu, the LiveWire Review recently described Sean's latest work, Beautiful Things, as "dazzling collection of 'poetic short stories in comic book form'.
"Whilst most pieces are three or four pages long, two of the shorts have six and seven pages and another - the first comics haiku I've read - fills one page," LiveWire reports. "It takes a great deal of artistic strength to ensure a story runs for precisely the number of pages it needs, not more, not less, not decompressed, not rushed, and it's a strength Wilson excels in the application of."
Wilson, who now lives in Japan, describes the strips as influenced by the work of Alan Moore, Adrian Tomine, Chris Reynolds, as well as the writings of Kafka and Borges. The collection's artists include Mary Hutchison, Sean Azzopardi, Juan Chavarriga, Tom Buchanan, and Neill Cameron.
• Read the full review and view art samples on the LiveWire web site, plus thoughts on the project by Sean
• Buy the e-book from lulu.com

NEW EAGLE TIMES RELEASED
18/11/05: Eagle Times (volume 18, issue 3) has just been published. Articles include features on Dan Dare artist Eric Kincaid, Walt Howarth, pop music of the 1950s, the 1953 Dan Dare spacebook, Anvil magazine, Eagle on the web and much more besides. With 52 A4 pages in total (of which 20 in full colour), with full colour covers, subscriiptions are £18 a year (UK based members) for four issues (overseas - £22 seamail or £26 airmail). Please send cheques made payable to Eagle Society to Keith Howard, 25a Station Road, Harrow Middlesex, HA1 2UA

DALEKS INVADE SPACE CENTRE
10/11/05: From 22 November 2005 to 8 January 2006, visitors to the National Space Centre near Leicester will be able to experience "Doctor Who Up Close", with many of the characters from the series -- including the Daleks!
Core parts of the BBC Doctor Who Exhibition will on show at the new John Eggleston Suite in the National Space Centre for the Christmas period, following a very successful summer on Brighton Pier.
"Doctor Who Up Close" starts with a quick catch up on the series from its very beginnings back in 1963, leading visitors to the main Doctor Who experience, featuring an unrivalled array of material from the new series including the iconic TARDIS. Visitors will be able to see and interact with Daleks, the Moxx of Balhoon, Slitheen, Autons, Jabe, many of Platform One's guest list -- and not forgetting a certain Pig.
From January 2006, the National Space Centre are also hoping to include brand new exhibits from the Doctor Who Christmas special, once the special has been screeened on BBC1.
"This is a huge event in our calendar and we are really excited to be hosting the exhibition at such a fantastic time for the TV series," says Malika Andress, Communications Manager at the National Space Centre. "I've been a Doctor Who fan for many years and I'm sure this exhibition will be have something that every member of the family will know and love."

THE FORGE JOINS THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT
14/11/05: Online comics site Graveyard Shift has just launched a new strip written by Future Publishing editor Cavan Scott and Mark Wright, with art by Bryan Coyle. The new, monthly 10-part adventure The Forge - Project: Longinus features the mysterious black-ops organisation from the Big Finish Doctor Who audio plays Project: Twilight and Project: Lazarus, stars the infamous Nimrod in an all-new tale.
• Read the strip at: www.webcomicsnation.com/cavscott/forge For more details keep your eyes on Graveyard Shift: ww.graveyardshift.co.uk

THUNDERBOLT JAXON RETURNS!
12/11/05, updated 18/11/05 (with thanks to Andrew Sumner of IPC Media, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins): British creators Dave Gibbons and John Higgins are working on a US five-issue limited series for Wildstorm which will see the return of the classic British hero, Thunderbolt Jaxon.
The series is the second project following Albion from Wildstorm using British IPC Media owned characters in a US comics format, with "more projects in the pipeline",according to IPC's Andrew Sumner.
A superhero in the mould of America's Captain Marvel and British character Marvelman (now known as Miracleman), Thunderbolt Jaxon first appeared in 1949 in the Amalgamated Press title Comet, drawn by Hugh McNeill (perhaps best known as the creator of the humour strip Pansy Potter the Strong Man's Daughter), and went on to feature in Knockout comic in the early 1960s. (Ian Kennedy handled some of the art chores for Knockout).
Thunderbolt Jaxon debuts when school boy Jack Jaxon finds the magic belt of Thor, the Norse God of Thunder, puts it on and in a flash is transformed into a giant endowed with the might and power of the god.
The International Hero web site notes Jaxon was redrawn and republished as Johnny Samson in Buster in the 1960's. Thunderbolt Jaxon was also seen in 2000AD's Zenith Phase Three.
The character was one project writer Dave Gibbons grew up reading. The updated tale, set in the North East, will be drawn by John Higgins.
"I have only hazy, edge-of-memory recollections of the character," Dave admits. "I really like the name, though, and the archetypal "boy into heroic adult via magic" set-up. Putting such a character in a modern milieu seemed an interesting challenge."
"I had heard about the Albion series using classic IPC characters when I was colouring the Absolute Watchmen for Scott Dunbier at Wildstorm and got talking with Dave," says artist John Higgins of his involvement. "I'd wanted to work with Dave as a writer for ages, so it seemed like a good project to start on.
"I'd never heard of Thunderbolt Jaxon before," he continues, "and wasn't really that enthusiastic about this particular IPC character until Dave started to outline the story he had in mind, and then the appeal was the hard bitten British setting, drenched in old Northern European mythology, and, having an interest in early Northern European cultures; Vikings, Celts, Saxons, etc. Dave and I were speaking the same 'sprak'!"
Although sales for the Albion series, reintroducing many IPC Media characters such as the Spider and the Steel Claw, have been modest -- around 20,000 -- they have been as projected by DC Comics, who own the Wildstorm imprint, and enough to commission new series.
"My pitch line was 'Shazam meets Get Carter'," says Dave Gibbons of his Thunderbolt Jaxon storyline. "In keeping with the Albion mini-series, I propose to bring the character of Thunderbolt Jaxon into today's world; a world not of orphanages, radio sets and street-corner pickpockets, but one of broken homes, cellphones and the drugs trade. The setting is the wintry, windswept northeast coast of Britain and our principal characters are everyday kids from the backstreets of a grim city that might well be Newcastle-On-Tyne. The story concerns their desperate and often violent struggle against the forces of crime and ancient magic." "I think we're going to create a British super hero with a modern edginess," feels John, who has already completed his work on the first issue, "and an honest nod to the classic content of Norse mythology without it being too laboured."
Thunderbolt Jaxon is scheduled to launch in February 2006 and will be available in the UK from specialist comic stores. There are no plans for a news stand comic.
"There definitely won't be any comics anthologies coming out of IPC Media," says Sumner. "The plan for the new WildStorm/IPC stuff is still very much to release trades in the UK after the various series are completed."
If the Thunderbolt Jaxon series is a success, Dave Gibbons told downthetubes.net there are plenty of IPC Media's other British characters he'd love to get the chance to write new adventures for. "Practically every character on the list excites the nostalgic fan inside me and there are many who could make for exciting and interesting contemporary stories," he admits. "I think the trick is to keep the essential British-ness and eccentricity of the originals whilst giving them relevance today. By which I don't mean turning them grim'n'gritty or, alternatively, getting all post-modern and retro!" "If it is a success, I'd like to carry on with this character," says John Higgins. "It already has all the elements in it that get my juices going, but the Steel Claw was a favourite because of Jesus Balasco's art, Johnny Cougar comes to mind, especially now as I am based in the American West (well, New Jersey west of New York that is!)
"The Spider was an interesting character which if I remember rightly I did a short story of for a 2000AD Annual when Alan Mckensie was the editor.
"What I enjoyed about the IPC characters looking back was they had a darkness to them that at the time most imported American comics never had."
• Visit the Comics International web site for a list of specialist shops in your area.

MISTY FANZINE DELAYED AS EGMONT CALLS HALT
11/11/05 The release of a special fanzine dedicated to the famous British girls comic Misty has been delayed after Egmont, who own the copyright on the title, threatened legal action to prevent publication and demand changes to the fan site mistycomic.co.uk.
The special, which features a cover by longtime Misty contributor John Armstrong and contributions from a wide range of Misty fans, ran into problems after Egmont became aware of the web site which featured complete scans of almost every issue of Misty, which ran for one hundred plus issues. "Even though they have never shown any interest in the title or the site, they demanded changes to the site and are trying to block the publication of the Special," says mistycomic.co.uk's site runner in an online post, "even though it contains 100% new material provided by you."
downthetubes owner John Freeman did warn the prospective fanzine publisher Egmont might raise concerns about the fanzine's publication, but "Misty" says he made every effort to contact Egmont when the site was first set up.
"When the site was first developed, I tried to locate the copyright owners to the publication and various emails were sent to various people - with no response.
"They say they approve of fan-sites," adds "Misty", but "they are not prepared to offer any guidelines as to what is acceptable.
"Obviously because of this threat of legal action, the Special has been delayed whilst I seek legal advice.
"Legally, I understand that fanzines can only be printed if they are non-profit making, however I don't want to have the Special printed only to have Egmont raise an objection to it and the costs to produce the Special are lost.
"I am still seeking advice with what I can and cannot do in the fanzine (and the web site)."
A new version of the site is to be launched soon. downthetubes will keep you updated as soon as we have any more news.

DISEASE AND DESIRE
Marvel UK Comics writer Jim Alexander now has a blog at http://jimalwriter.blogspot.com. Given the paucity of UK comics info on the web (apart from sites like downthetubes.net, hem, hem, Alien Online and Comics International), it's a welcome addition to the web.

DIRTY DOZEN RELEASED
3/11/05: Almost slipping under the downthetubes.net radar was the upcoming release of The Dirty Dozen, a collection of what's described as twelve of DC Thomson's best ever Commando war stories. For anyone whose obsession with military history was triggered by reading war comics in their youth, this collection of Second World War stories showcases the best of the best in a larger format than originally published.
Clearly recognising the growing demand for vintage British comics material being exploited by Rebellion, Titan Books, Spitfire Comics and others, the strips for this new title from Carlton Books have been chosen by Commando's current Editor George Low, and feature stories ranging from backs-to-the-wall heroics at Dunkirk and Battle of Britain dogfights, through desert warfare in North Africa and daring commando raids behind enemy lines, to tough battles across Europe from D-Day to VE Day.
Carlton also released a Best of Jackie Magazine last month.

RED CROSS AND HURRICANE KATRINA BENEFIT BOOK LAUNCHED
3/11/05: Monkeys with Machineguns have released their comic and prose anthology Hammer of Time to raise money for the American Red Cross and the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
142 pages long and featuring artwork and stories from a host of independent creative talents, the book offers readers a chance to donate money to a very worthy cause whilst enjoying some of the best of the independent comics and writing scene.
The book is on sale now, priced at $19.99 at online print-on-demand provider Lulu (www.lulu.com/mwm) with a $12.50 download version also available. Every sale guarantees a donation of $10 to the American Red Cross.
Monkeys with Machineguns, and the assembled contributors to the book, have all donated their time and work for free to this project.
"This as been a difficult project to put together, especially as we wanted to get the book on sale as quickly as possible," says MWM Editor Chris Lynch, "but we're very pleased with the end result and are looking forward to seeing the donations come in. Our thanks goes out to all the people who have contributed their art, stories, and time to the project with us, and we hope they feel as good about it now as we do. This is a great book for a great cause."
• Monkeys with Machineguns will be taking some copies of he book to the 2005 Comic Expo in Brighton, and are hoping to collect autographs from as many of the creators as possible. These special signed editions will be auctioned via e-Bay after the exhibition.

FULL CAPTAIN SCARLET INTERVIEW PUBLISHED
1/11/05: The Technodelic Gerry Anderson Complete Comic History has now published its full editor with new Captain Scarlet comic editor William Potter.
With #2 now on sale Potter, the launch editor for several John Brown Junior titles including Basil Brush and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, talks candidly about his work on the titles and his hopes for the new magazine.
The new comic uses computer generated images taken from epsiodes of the new Captain Scarlet series to retell Spectrum's on screen adventures. "I know other magazines have just done written stories with pictures but as a fan of comics, I feel that's a little bit boring," says Potter, who has plans to further develop the title.
Potter admits he's a little frustrated he is unable to commision new, original art for the title, but apparently budgets don't permit it.
"The biggest thing that has frustrated me, is the fact that neither the budget -- nor the style of the show -- meant that we could commission new comic artwork," he says. "Especially, had we been able to commission new comic art, the history of illustration of Gerry Anderson stuff means it would have to be a really good artist.
"I looked at those old TV21s on your site, and thought, 'God, I wish we could do a magazine like that'. In TV21, and in Eagle as well, they were so beautifully illustrated, and full of information -- they were works of art.
"It's really hard to be able to do anything like that (now), and I wouldn't say what we've done is anything in comparison to that. But I hope that the care, attention paid to detail, and the style and design of it, has paid off and compare in some way."
Potter also reveals the comic is aimed at a higher age group than Redan's Thunderbirds title. "That's for a much younger audience, a thing like that," he feels. "I was always reticent about including colouring in, and things like that -- it really lowered the tone. What works with magazines usually, is you aim at a slightly older age group than the expected readership. Plus, being 3D CGI, there aren't many opportunities for colouring in--- unless you have an airbrush!
"Anything could happen," Potter says, referring the ther title's future. "if sales aren't as good as they expect, it might come to a meeting and they'll say I've got to lower the age range of it. I hope not, because I've just tried to do a good series justice in the magazine."
• Read the interview in full: Click Here