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Archived News: August 2006








ARCHIVED NEWS - AUGUST 2006


Goodwood Revival Program art by Jon HawardFRANK HAMPSON HOMAGE FROM HAWARD
31/8/06: Brilliant British artist John Haward has drawn several pieces of 1950's sci-fi inspired art for the program for this year's Goodwood Revival meeting programme. Two of the images are featured on John's official web site (www.jonhawardart.com).
"In all I produced seven pictures that includes the cover," Jon, who is currently working on
Kensei, a new project he's drawing with co-creator Black Library author and comic writer Mitchel Scanlon, reveals. "The art had to have the feel of Frank Hampson about it, which was quite a challenge."
Jon, perhaps best known for his work for Panini UK, is also contributing two pieces of art for the last issue of the fanzine
Eagle Flies Again, out in October.
Web Links
• Visit Jon Haward's web iste: www.jonhawardart.com
• Goodwood Revival web site: www.goodwood.co.uk/revival

Hero KillersHERO KILLERS GOES GLOBAL
29/8/06: Moonface Press' critically-acclaimed small press title Hero Killers is now available through Diamond. The superhero satire, solicited in September's issue of Diamond Previews and shipping in November to specialist comic stores, features a full-colour cover, and black and white interior artwork.
The 36-page title, priced £2.50 in the UK, features a 28-page story (written by Andy Winter) and a five-page sketchbook section, featuring work by the title's artist Declan Shalvey.
The book both celebrates and satirises grim and gritty superhero tales, as a team of meta-human assassins are offered a king's ransom to take down the USA's number one sentinel of justice Bronze Eagle. The story also boasts an ending that'll either chill you to the bone -- or make you laugh like an idiot.
"Being picked up by Diamond gives me a fantastic opportunity to reach an audience much bigger than I've been used to so far," says Andy Winter. "I'm particularly excited about the prospect of Hero Killers being on sale in the United States. Although it has all the trappings of an indie title (unknown creators, black and white art), I think the book is pretty mainstream in its subject matter. It's about super people beating the tar out of each other but with a couple of interesting twists that I think would definitely appeal to fans of
The Authority or Supreme Power. There's a lot of black comedy in there and a bit of visceral horror, too."
Hero Killers is the first in a proposed series of standalone titles from Moonface Press. The series - called The One-Shot Club - will roll out more titles over the next 18 months. These will include Blood PSI (a vampire murder mystery) and Septic Isle (a post-7/7 spy thriller). "I love writing villains and Hero Killers is packed to the gills with them," says Andy. "The book's central character - Mona Saint - is a genuinely nasty piece of work. But despite her rapacious greed, vengeful nature and ice-cold heart, there's something about Mona that I hope readers will find sympathetic, even attractive. She's Darth Vader in Prada heels.
"The idea behind
The One-Shot Club is to give readers a bit of instant gratification," Andy says of the new title.
"All the books in the line will feature self-contained stories with no cliffhangers and a definite ending. The idea is to really spread our wings to take in a host of different comic genres and Hero Killers is just the start of that."
Web Link: www.moonfacepress.com

ARKWRIGHT WEBCOMIC GOES LIVE
23/8/06: Comics artist Bryan Talbot has 'ported his classic Adventures of Luther Arkwright to his official web site for fans to buy online.
The classic comic is available to read for just 5 UK pounds ($9.49 US), payable via a PayPal account.
If you want to sample the title first you can read issue one for just £1.00 ($1.99 US) and then upgrade for the difference in price - £4.00 ($7.50 US). All you need to do is register with the site first and then you'll be able to read one issue or the whole thing.
Fans of the title with their own web sites can also create and associate link - and get a percentage of any sale (which is what we've done at downthetubes).
To give you an idea of what you are getting, you can read the cover and first two pages of each issue for free below- or sign up and buy the
Adventures of Luther Arkwright webcomic right now.
Web Link: The Adventures of Luther Arkwright

MEADOWS MOVES
23/8/06, updated 25/8/06: Joel Meadows, journalist and former editor of award-winning comics magazine Tripwire, (back next year, hpefully, in book format in Summer 2007) has moved his Walls and Bridges blog to a new home on the web: joelm1-joelmead.blogspot.com. Here he talks about comics, TV, film, architecture, photography, his new book on comic artists - Studio Space - and whatever else takes his fancy. Stop by and take a look...

Billy the CatBILLY THE CAT HEADS FOR ANNUAL APPEARANCE
22/8/06: An eagerly-anticipated Billy the Cat strip featuring a face-off between Billy and General Jumbo will now feature in the 2008 Beano annual - and will run to 10 pages.
The strip, written by Kev F Sutherland and drawn by Nigel Dobbyn, which we reported on back in May (see news story), was originally scheduled for the weekly comic.
"Nige has shown me the work so far, the page number's increased which is good, and he's three quarters finished," kev told downthetubes. "I'm delighted with it, though the wait will be a pain.
"I'm happier to see it in the annual, as it'll be far easier to point people towards than a weekly strip."

Nigel is also working on a Victorian Billy the Cat story which will now appear in the 2009 annual.
Created by David Sutherland (no relation to Kev), Billy the Cat -- an incredibly agile boy superhero, able to leap superhuman distances -- first appeared in the Beano in 1967 (#1289) and ran in the title until 1974: the current Billy is a teenager with the same agility powers as the original.
General Jumbo, a young boy who possessed large variety of miniature troops and vehicles which he controlled with a wrist device, has an even older pedigree: he first appeared in 1953 (#584) and continued as a character until 1974 in the
Beano, later making appearances in Nutty and Buddy.

MANGA ARTISTS WANTED URGENTLY
19/6/06: Ilex Press (www.ilex-press.com), one of Britain's largest publishers of books on digital creativity and pop culture are urgently looking for talented manga artists to work on their expanding range of successful “How to Draw Manga…” series. Previous titles have included Manga Clip Art and Digital Manga Workshop.
Artists would ideally have writing and publishing experience, but more importantly, they must be able to work in Photoshop. Please send all queries and full-colour, lo-res samples of work to Tim Pilcher at: pilcher@ilex-press.com.

Dan Dare: The man from Nowhere
Panels from Dan Dare: The Man from Nowhere, as it appeared in Eagle comic
DAN DARE RETURNS IN 2007
18/8/06: I've just been sent a news item which will be posted on the Titan Books web site soon (www.titanbooks.com), but I've kindly been given permission to spread the good news: Titan's Dan Dare range is to continue.
Titan Books has confirmed they will be continuing their much-praised deluxe collectors editions of Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future, due to overwhelming reader demand.
Dan Dare's lovingly-created science fiction adventures -­ conjured from the drawing boards of Frank Hampson and his skilled assistants ­ appeared weekly in UK boy's weekly comic Eagle from 1950 to 1969. The well-researched and beautifully illustrated stories proved incredibly popular -- and immensely formative for a series of present-day talent like author Philip Pullman, comics creators Dave Gibbons and Chris Claremont, as well as Python Terry Jones and Queen guitarist Brian May, all of whom contributed effusive forewords to previous volumes.
Strong sales and a grassroots campaign for new volumes have proven that Dan Dare's popularity remains undimmed, Titan says, so a scond wave of Classic Dan Dare collections will launch in April 2007, beginning with
The Man From Nowhere and continuing with The Rogue Planet, The Reign of the Robots and many more volumes.
Titan will also shortly be going back to press on the sold-out first volume in the series:
Classic Dan Dare: Voyage to Venus Part 1. More news as we get it...
Click here for the Titan Books web site
Click here for our list of Dan Dare web sites and other information

ANGELS SUPERHERO COMPETITION
18/8/06, updated 21/8/06: Responding to news of a competition run by the London-based Angels Fancy Dress, the Sunday Telegraph featured an article on British superheroes on Sunday 20 August. The article will included quotes from British comics creators David Bishop and Kev F. Sutherland after the paper contacted downthetubes for help.
Angels Fancy Dress say many of their customers wanting to hire a superhero costume are trying to hire a British superhero outfit instead of Superman or other US characters. Unfortunately, the agency says it doesn't own any British superhero costumes -- and so it's currently holding a competition for people to submit ideas for a crime-fighting super-hero with peculiarly British qualities to rival the Americans.
The Sunday Telegraph feature poses the question -- exactly what is a British superhero? -- and will feature some of Britain's most fondly-remembered comics anti-heroes, as well as mentioning some still around in the pages of
2000AD.
"We love Superhero movies," says an Angels web site statement, "but truth be told are waiting to see the Union Jack fly on the Silver Screen.
"Alas, Superman, Batman and most of the X-Men are American and thus duly fly the Stars and Stripes.
"We do need another hero -- a truly British one -- and we want your suggestions. Create the best and most British Superhero and have the costume created by Angels. What's more, it will be yours to keep!"

Submissions should include:
• Potential name of superhero
• Background to the proposed superhero – career, home, love life etc.
• British qualities and skills that he/she will utilise in crime fighting
• A JPEG containing a sketch of the proposed British superhero
Send your submissions to havefun@fancydress.com

The closing date 31 August 2006
• Direct link to competion page: www.fancydress.com/content/competition
Read the Sunday Telegraph news feature

SITE REVAMP CONTINUES
13/8/06: There might not seem to be much going on at downthetubes over the past few days -- but you'd be wrong. It's all "under the bonnet" stuff though -- tidying up images folders, a revised links section which hopefully makes more sense to visitors.
Also, in addition to my occasional blog at 20Six, I've created a new one using Blogger which will link more with what's happening on this site. Click here for that
The idea behind this is to enable other people to contribute news items to the site, even when I'm busy with other things. Early days, but we'll see how it goes.
Ideally, I'd like to implement a Joomla-based version of downthetubes, but that's a long way off yet.
The image folder changes were brought on by increasing "bandwidth theft" problems that I hope I've solved with a few technical tweaks to stop direct links to images on my site. I don't like doing this -- but it was starting to cost me money.
On the writing front, there's a cartoon project that looks as though it may finally see a wider audience after three years of writing it, with Nick Miller on the art chores. Fingers crossed, I'll be able to finally talk a bit more about this very soon...

HAPPY REPTILE DAY!
11/8/06: British comic artist D'Israeli (aka Matt Brooker) has been busy lately, working on design and background art for Reptile Day, a film, comic sci-fi thriller about shape-shifting lizards
from the fifth dimension. A short film has already been created, with plans for a feature using a mix of techniques designed for a low budget – with actors against blue screen, using artwork instead of sets, cardboard props, puppets and toys. It creates a genuinely involving drama, while revealing the rough edges of the way it was put together. Think comic book, think minimalist theatre, think gothic puppet show, think seventies Doctor Who camp!
• Reptile Day web site: www.reptileday.com

Dan Dare by Dave Gibbons

Dave Gibbons has contributed a page of his version of Dan Dare to the Draw the World Together online auction. The page was originally published in 2000AD prog 1495. Click here to go direct to the auction page for this art

THARG TO THE RESCUE!
10/8/06: An amazing online charity auction of 2000AD artwork is about to kick off. The auction, to be held on eBay, features some of the most amazing artwork from Art Droids both past and present. Names such as Henry Flint, Mike Collins, Disreali, Chris Weston, Steve Yeowell, Dave Gibbons, Carlos Ezquerra, Bryan Talbot and many, many more, have donated pages of art for this awesome online event.
The auction is in aid of 'Draw the World Together', an organisation created to unite arts communities in providing possibilities for children who do not have the opportunity for basic healthcare and education.
Included in the art up for grabs is a page of Dave Gibbons 2000AD art strip, Nemesis the Warlock by Bryan Talbot, a page of Judge Dredd art by Dave Taylor and a page from a Future Shock story by Rufus Dayglo and Gary Leach.
"The funds will go to directly help the EveryChild project in the Prey Veng province of Cambodia," says organiser Andrew Wildman, whose efforts have been backed by the hard work of a large team of volunteers. "The auction lasts for just fivedays, so get those bids in now!"

Web Links
• Access the list of lots on Ebay directly: Click Here
• For more information about the auction visit www.drawtheworldtogether.com/news.html and http://www.2000adonline.com
• For information on the Cambodia project visit: www.drawtheworldtogether.com/charity_cambodia.html

Least Among UsCOMIC PUBLISHER TACKLES SEX ABUSE
8/8/06: Small UK publisher Ascendant Press recently contacted downthetubes asking for help publicise their new title The Least Among Us, which we were only too happy to do.
Written by Martin O'Shea, a victim of sex abuse by a priest, this title, now available via Forbidden Planet International, is no easy read. It charts the aftermath of the clergy sex-abuse trials of recent years in the UK and examines the complexity of the 'paedophile priest' phenomenon, exploring the response of the Church to victimhood in its varying forms.
It's through the above theme that a sub-plot deals with 'animal abuse' in relation to traditional Christian theology.
Martin, also an animal rights activist, who testified against the priest the trial, admits The Least Among Us is inspired by disturbing material and may not be easy for everyone to read, "but obviously being able to discuss such matters is an important step in shining light on these normally concealed activities and helping to stop them.
"Besides, the comics medium has been used to great effect for exploring serious biographical events before; it is something the medium seems well suited to.
"A Church has often seen parishioners set-out to re-victimise the victim wherever a beloved Priest has been convicted of unimaginable offences,” Martin told FPI. His script stems from the "reluctant research" needed to provide intelligible media interviews, on his part, in the immediate years after his courtroom testimony. The case caused turmoil for the Catholic church in South Wales, O'Shea reveals. Between 1998 and 2001, "My role was essentially that of a regional representative for the general grievances of abuse survivors. It basically entailed an unpaid and anonymous part-time job of monitoring relevant news items, debates and commentaries; as well as any relevant Church documents, new or already in print... hopefully around a dozen interviews helped to the prevent placards from appearing in defence of convicted clergy."
• Read more about the book on the Forbidden Planet International blog: http://forbiddenplanet.co.uk/blog/?p=1372 or order it by Clicking Here
• The Fellowship of Life, a Christian-based vegetarian group founded in 1973, also features The Least Among Us on its web site: www.all-creatures.org/fol/ann-theleast.html

WARREN ELLIS TAKES ON WEBCOMICS SITE
8/8/06 (with thanks to Ade Brown): Comics creator Warren Ellis has taken on the running of Rocket Pirates, a web comics site and has outlined the plans for the project in a detailed web posting on his official site, reprinted in full per request:

Who wants to be a Rocket Pirate?
Joey Manley talked me into curating a mass webcomics site. I've known Joey for getting on for six years now. It's partly my fault that he got involved with comics at all. I suspect this is his revenge.
People who want to make webcomics are invited to submit their ideas to me for membership in the Rocket Pirates, a webcomics collective which will be housed at www.rocketpirates.com.
Rocket Pirates will be the first site to launch with the new Webcomics Nation Collective Edition technology, which will be available as a commercial product for people wanting to quickly and cheaply launch their own multi-creator webcomics portals sometime in the next few months. Because we're all about being quick and cheap, believe me.
Rocket Pirates will be free to all readers, all the time. This means, of course, that there is no cut of subscription fees to offer to creators. Instead, the system allows each creator the freedom to install Google Ads, Amazon Associates ads, ads for their own products, rate cards for prostitution services or any other damn thing on their comic's Rocket Pirates page. Also, since we're not paying, all Rocket Pirates engagements are on a non-exclusive basis, allowing the creators to run their comics on their own websites or any other place that'll have them.
The non-subscription approach means that I'm also doing this for free, so anyone who wants to send food and clothing c/o Joey Manley at Modern Tales is welcome to do so. I also offer inexpensive adult services. The submissions system is simply this: email your materials to me at warrenellis@gmail.com. I want to see at least three completed pages and an overview of what you intend to do. No need to be formal -- rambly emails talking about the central concepts and what you want to achieve are fine. I'm open to anything -- series, serialised graphic novels, single panels, self-contained shorts, newspaper-style strips -- in any style, from manga to clipart to whatever the hell you just invented in your basement. No limits. I'm open to any kind of content. You're going to have to work pretty hard to get me to accept a superhero project for the site, but if you've got something that knocks me flat, I'll take it. But, seriously, I want to eventually curate something that takes in a wide breadth of what comics can achieve. Surprise me. Give me something straight out of literary mainstream fiction, give me a warped genre, give me something I've never seen before. That's the "theme" of the site, the glue that holds it together. It is quite simply "stuff Warren really likes."
The submissions process is open to everybody. I don't care if you only decided you wanted to try and make a comic ten minutes ago -- I'll look at it. I'll warn you in advance that the chances of my being able to provide detailed and constructive rejections are slight, but I'll do my best.
(Also, if the site turns out to be all-male because only guys submitted, I'm going to be very pissed off, and will infect you all with this lung disease my girlfriend seems to have passed to me over the weekend.) I'd like to be up and running by the end of the month, but I won't kick the site live until I have enough work of quality. The submissions process will remain permanently open. Unless, you know, I change my mind. I am unpredictable and I drink a lot.
That's all I've got. Please feel free to pass this unedited post on anywhere you like.
-- Warren Ellis

Judge Dredd: Origins
Judge Dredd: Origins
Two panels from Judge Dredd: Origins, trailed on 2000AD's new sneak peeks site

2000AD LAUNCHES SNEAK PEEKS SITE
8/8/06: 2000AD has launched a new website to host trailers for upcoming strips in Britain's weekly science fiction anthology comic. Judge Dredd: Origins, by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra is the first to be trailed, a strip set to reveal the origins of Dredd's future-shocked world over the next six months in 2000AD.
Web Link: www.2000adtrailers.com

GUARDIAN CARTOON COMPETITION OUTRAGES 'OLDIES'
7/8/06 (with thanks to Matthew Badham): A cartoon competition by the Guardian has outraged readers because the organisers have set an age limit on entries.
Challenging readers to create a better cartoon than regular contributors Steve Bell or Martin Rowson, the Guardian has announced "a unique competition" to find "the best young cartoonist and give them a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to display their talents in the actual paper" (Click here for the full release).
Would-be cartoonists are asked to send the paper three drawings relating to current news events, with cuttings or printouts of the relevant stories attached.
The winner, of the competion, to be judged by a panel including Steve Bell and Posy Simmonds, will receive a £1,000 prize - and an opportunity of a six-week commission to produce the main current affairs cartoon in the Saturday Guardian.
But Guardian readers have protested about the competition's summary age limit of just 30, with one poster complaining "ageism strikes again" and another asking "Aren't Steve Bell and Posy Simmonds too oldto judge this competition?"
• The closing date for the Young Cartoonist Competition is 31 August 2006. Entrants must be under 30 on January 1 2007. Send your entries to: Young Cartoonist Competition, 119 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER

MANGA FESTIVAL LAUNCHES DESIGN COMPETITION
4/8/06: The International Manga and Anime Festival is back for a third year, taking place from Friday 10 – Tuesday 14 November 2006, at the County Hall, Westminster, London.
Along with its headline sponsor, CineAqua, the festival will play host to the world renowned IMAF 2006 Manga and Anime Design Competition and Awards and with an overall prize fund worth nearly £45,000, including cash prizes. An extremely high number of entries from professional illustrators, promo directors and animators, as well as committed amateurs are expected.
Entering the IMAF competition has proved to be a springboard to industry success, according to the competition's organisers. Previous winner Kosal Sok is now Head Animator with the Trocadero Studio in Paris and the 2005 Student Children's Manga Storyboard winner, Joanna Zhou, is a resident artist for ImagineFX magazine.
"Our intention is to build on the successes of IMAF 2004 and 2005," says Andrew Prentice, Director of Trocadero Studio and a member of the judging panel, "by making the Manga and Anime competitions and festival a must for both industry professionals and committed amateurs – and also anyone who has an interest in Japanese culture.
"We wanted to try something different," he added, "so we have new and exciting categories for this year, including one to design a character that will be made into an animation by the animators at Trocadero Studio".
Details of the high profile speakers, premiers and trade and retail exhibitors organised for the festival will be announced over the next few months.
• IMAF 2006 will take place at the London County Hall, Westminster and open with the IMAF 2006 Manga and Anime Design Competition and Awards ceremony on Friday 10 November 2006.
• Entries must be submitted by the 30 September 2006, 5.30pm, GMT. To enter your creations for the IMAF 2006 Manga and Anime Design Competition and Awards, visit the festival website: www.imaf.co.uk
.

CHRIS REYNOLDS CONTRIBUTE TO DREAM BOOK
4/8/06 (thanks to Matthew Badham): Comics creator Oli Smith, best known for the much-praised small press title Hazy Thursday, has just release a new comic. I Dream of Real Life is an autobiographically themed comic containing a 12 page story by Oli with 'commercial breaks' in the form of short stories from such luminaries as Douglas Noble, Daniel Merlin Goodbury, Modern Monstrosity boys Laurence and Oliver.
It's caught our attention, not just because
Hazy Thursday earned such kudos from readers, but also for the contribution of Chris Reynolds, he of Mauretania, The Dial and other stories - including the film Hunters of the Sun.
"He was big in the eighties and is my personal hero," says Oli, "though most people seem to have forgotten him!"
• Visit Oli's web site for ordering information: www.idlechild.co.uk

Jenny and the Bullies by Chris ReynoldsJENNY AND THE BULLIES
4/8/06: Takling of Chris Reynolds, who should get in touch but the man himself, announcing a new online strip. Jenny and the Bullies centres on Jenny, who finds herself targeted by Veronica, a new girl in town. Veronica turns some of Jenny's main mates against her. Jenny gets really upset and doesn't know what to do, or even why Veronica has started picking on her.
Find out what happens next at www.metropoppyfield.com/jenny
The site includes more on Jenny and her future career at Jenny Air, and you can even read what Clarence Murthwaite, her favourite astrologer, says about you!
Chris Reynolds has been drawing comic books for over 20 years, winning high praise for artwork and stories. Chris' first graphic novel,
Mauretania was published by Penguin in 1990, and Chris' work was reviewed at length during 2005 in the Comics Journal.
Web Link: www.metropoppyfield.com/jenny

GARDENING IN THE GUARDIAN
4/8/06 (thanks to Matthew Badham): London-based creator Tom Gauld, whose Move to the City strip appears in Time Out, is creating a new comic strip, Gardening, which will appear Monday to Thursday in the Guardian for two weeks from the 21 August, in place of Steve Bell's If.
Tom has been a professional comics creator for some years. He met Simone Lia at the Royal College of Art and together they self-published the comics
First and Second, under the name of Cabanon Press. The two volumes were published together by Bloomsbury in November 2003, as Both. Bloomsbury also published two other works, Guardians of the Kingdom and 3 Very Small Comics.
Tom's next book will be
Hunter and Painter and will be published by Buenaventura Press this winter, a slightly reworked version of the comic strip he produced for the Guardian in 2004. Kramers Ergot 6, also published by Buenaventura, includes a 21 page story by Tom.

SAYING NO TO WAR THROUGH COMICS
2/8/06: The Brighton-based Paper Tiger creators group have launched another appeal for contributions to a small press anthology -- this time with a serious edge. War (deadline for submissions 15 November) is a non-profit fundraiser comic with all proceeds going to Campaign Against The Arms Trade (CAAT).
The anthology will a US size format book style anthology of around 60-72 pages, with full colour cover and quality greyscale printing. Varied themes are encouraged; anti-war, satirical, pastiches of old propaganda war comics and films, factual, educational and hardhitting or with fictional universal themes.
"Thew eirder, more surreal strips and more lighthearted ones are also encouraged," says editor Sean Duffield. "Strips can be about overseas conflict, the arms trade, globalisation, media or even inner conflicts that people wrestle with day to day. More lighthearted strips on the theme are also welcomed. Illustrations are also acceptable.
"The hope is to create an intelligent, challenging anthology to promote awareness and express strong views but also to entertain and be diverse without being overly preachy. We hope that people will recognise that this project is to help support a worthwhile organisation committed to fighting the global armstrade in various ways and in the spirit of goodwill will contribute something for it."
CAAT are trying to cut down the world's use of arms through direct action, community projects and education about who is selling arms to who, our own government and companies connections to arms dealing and what these arms are actually capable of.
• For more info about CAAT visit their website: www.caat.org.uk

COMICS COLECTION STOLEN
1/8/06: BBC Teeside reports that a 30-year-old man has been left devastated after burglars stole his treasured, and valuable, collection of memorabilia worth £20,000.
Thieves took the collection from his house in Colby Newham over the weekend, making off with comics - including editions of Superman, Spiderman,
Dandy and Beano - statues and a Star Trek uniform.
Some of the comics were first editions, making them extremely valuable.

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