ARCHIVED NEWS - MAY 2007
DAN DARE REVIVED?
31/5/07: Over on US news site Comic
Book Resources columnist Rich Johnston reports Garth Ennis is writing
a new Dan Dare comic.
Our information is that the project is for Virgin Comics – The
Eagle was Richard Branson's favourite comic as a child – but
don't expect an update to the original Dan Dare as the brief may well lean more
toward the controversial 2000AD take
on the character, drawn by Massimo Belardinelli and, later, Dave Gibbons.
Garth Ennis has often mentioned that when it comes to dream projects he would
like to write Johnny Red,
more War Stories and
that he "wouldn't mind a crack at Dan Dare."
There are several Dan Dare publications
in progress or due for release. Spaceship Away is
presenting new adventures of the original while Titan Books has revived its reprinting
of the original strips in response to fan pressure with releases of The
Man from Nowhere and Rogue
Planet. Dare, by
Grant Morrison and Rian Hughes, which ran in Revolver in
the 1980s, is included in Yesterday's
Tomorrows from Knockabout, out later this year.
• Read our feature on the history of Dan Dare
GIRLY COMIC SEEKS ARTISTS
27/5/07: UK indie title The Girly Comic has
several scripts seeking artists to draw them.
The comic strip anthology that was first launched at Bristol's Comics 2002 Festival.
"After witnessing the sight of so many comics widows being dragged around by
their partners at Comics 2001, I decided that it was about time that someone
attempted to fill that niche market," says editor Selina Lock. "While by no means
restricted just to women readers, the plan was to produce something a little
more woman-friendly than a lot of mainstream comic titles out there, with a diversity
of material, at an affordable price.
The scripts are:
• Sisters of the Head by Daniel O'Mahony Anne's
rebellious step-sister Jo turns her world upside down. Six Pages. Requires the
ability to draw effective head shots, college/university scenes and cars.
• Late by Iain Burnside A
tale of unrequited love and loss. Six Pages. Requires the ability to draw people
and street scenes.
• Bread and Butter by Ben Womack The
story of a woman who finds falling in love can mean loosing a big part of her
life, and her regaining this part in later life. This story is set in Sheffield
and is told in a Sheffield accent, so might suit an artist who is familiar with,
or has an interest in that area.
• False Idols by Alec Worley One
woman's struggle to survive an extreme reality game show. Six Pages. Includes
action sequences, futuristic locations and unusual landscapes.
• Farewell, my Knight in Shining Armour by
Mel Smith Not
all women are just waiting to be rescued by a superhero. Three Pages. Might suit
a cartoon style as the setting includes a piss-take of the Jerry Springer show
and an over the top superhero.
"As we are small press we do not pay, but you receive a complimentary
copy of the issue you are in, and the chance to pimp your other work," says Selina.
"We're looking for high quality artwork which will be re-produced at
A5 so please supply 300dpi b&w/greyscale tiffs/jpgs."
If you are interested in working with Selina and the Girly Comic team, please
send her samples of your artwork or a link to your website. (selina.lock@googlemail.com)
"We're always open for submissions to The Girly Comic,"
says Selina. "Submissions must be seven pages or less, self-contained strips
featuring an original female main character."
• For more info on The Girly Comic see: www.factorfictionpress.co.uk
JEFF
HAWKE: COSMOS
27/5/07: The latest Jeff Hawke fan magazine includes
three stories from the Daily Express -- A
Word of Advice, A Test Case and First Person Plural.
Plus the usual in-depth analysis of the strips. 68 A4 pages and colour
covers.
Subscriptions for the magazine are £16.50 (£26 overseas) for three
issues from The Jeff Hawke Club, 6 The Close, Alwoodley, Leeds LS17 7RD.
BELLAMY WEB SITE GOES FULLY OPERATIONAL
27/5/07: Question: What connects Thunderbirds,
The Avengers, Dan
Dare, Doctor Who , Winston Churchill and the
Daily Mirror?
Answer: the work of Frank Bellamy, graphic artist
and illustrator, who was born this month 90 years ago.
Those of you who have seen the Thunderbirds comic
strip in the 1960s Century TV21 comics,
have seen Bellamy's work, with his dynamic graphics and vivid colours. Some were
reproduced in the 2004 Slow Dazzle Thunderbirds calendar,
with a centrespread biography of Bellamy by Norman Boyd.
Now Norman has put together a website to celebrate Bellamy's life and
work. This contains a list of all his artwork in various fields,
together with biographical details.
Norman has spent a lot of time researching this, looking through old
comics, magazines and newspapers in the British Library and talking to
people who knew Bellamy and worked with him on TV21 and
other publications.
During the site's painstaking construction over many, many months, Norman Boyd
said of this incredible resource: "It's by no means extensive but Paul Holder
and myself are trying our best to write a book on FB - a long term project as
Paul's a perfectionist and I'm a nit-picking Librarian! But our labour of love
will extend to adding the site ASAP, but our full time (paying) jobs do get in
the way!"
The results are simply magic for a fan of Bellamy like myself. Congratulations
to all involved.
• The website can be found at www.frankbellamy.co.uk
• More
Frank Bellamy Links
TRANSFORMERS UK NEWS
25/5/07: Steve White, editor for Titan Magazines new UK Transformers comics has been interviewed by Transformers site
TransFans.
The interview goes in depth into the career of the man up to heading the
new Transformers UK
comic, which launches 19 July. Steve reveals the new title will include three
strips: reprints of the US publisher IDW' prequels to the new Transformers movie,
originated prequel material written by Simon Furman and reprints of an earlier
Transformers series, Beast
Wars. "We’re [also] running character profiles
and a fun Celebrity Death Match-type feature along the lines of who would
in fight between..?, both written by Simon," he
says.
Steve is also busy editing Titan's new Dreamworks
Tales,
launching in June in time for the UK release of the animated Shrek
The Third film. This is a fully originated anthology
title that runs the gamut of the Dreamworks properties – Shrek,
Madagascar, Shark
Tales and the various new studios the studio has
in the pipeline.
"The comics department
is generally expanding so I really have my hands full right now," says Steve. "Transformers
is just part of the plan, even if it happens to be the one dearest to my
heart."
• Read
the full interview on TransFans...
• Transformers
UK Page on Titan Magazines web site
KEITH
WATSON COVERED IN NEW EAGLE TIMES
24/5/07: The latest issues of Eagle
Times (the quarterly journal of the Eagle Society,
dedicated to the memory of Britain's national picture strip weekly, Eagle)
is now out.
50+ A4 pages (of which 20 are in colour, including full colour cover) on all
things related to Eagle including
a lead article is on Keith Watson's take on Dan
Dare. Other features include a PC49 radio
play adaptation, Frank Hampson's homes, 1950s pop music, Dick Barton, letters
and much more besides.
Subscription rates are are as follows: UK members £22, Overseas members
(surface mail) £26, Overseas members (air mail) £29 in pound sterling
please. Cheques should be made payable to Eagle Society.
Write to: Eagle Times, 24 Stanfield Road, Duston, Northants NN5 6EZ. Please
include a s.a.e. with any query.
SLAINE FAN FILM A HUGE HIT
23/5/07 (with thanks to Pat Mills): A not for profit Spanish
language fan film inspired by 2000AD's Slaine has
proven such a hit that its makers have had to remove download versions from
producer and director Miguel Mesas'
web site because traffic from thousands
of visitors brought the site to breaking point.
The view-only version of the short film, titled Slaine: The Horned
God, which
notes Pat Mills and artist Simon Bisley as creators of the original story,
is packed with stunning effects shots and moody battle scenes.
• A version with English subtitles is on YouTube
- click here to view
Web Link: www.miguelmesas.com
THE ART OF WAR
23/5/07 (with thanks to Richard Sheaf): Britain's National
Archive has launched a new exhibition, The
Art of War, which includes comics
used as propoganda during the Second World War and more.
Comics from the
conflict, which include the work of Roland Davies and Reginal Mount are
just a small part of the exhibition which also includes prooganda posters
and other visuals. The art was originally commissioned by the Ministry
of Information (MOI), formed on September
4th 1939, the day after Britain's declaration of war, the central government
department responsible for publicity and propaganda in the Second World
War.
Clive Uptton, who later went on to draw for Egermeier's Bible
Story magazine in the 1960s, now owned
by Look and Learn Ltd., is among the many
artists whose work features in a fascinating insight into how
the Second World War was visualised in the UK at the time.
Web Link: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/theartofwar
COMPAL SUMMER AUCTION LAUNCHES
19/5/07 (with thanks to Richard Sheaf): The Summer 2007 auction at Compalcomics has opened. Bids will be accepted until Tuesday 12 June 2007 at 8.00pm GMT. To go
directly to the main page for the catalogue, click
here.
There are 309 lots in the Summer catalogue, including a lightly
restored Dandy Monster Comic No
1 at lot 72 and war years Magic-Beano books
in Very Good and Fine grades.
Beano comics 19, 20 and
26-28 are also available with a high grade bound volume for 1950. Dudley Watkins
artwork, a regular feature of these auctions, includes Desperate Dan, The
Broons and Oor Wullie with
a signed full-colour Christmas card artwork he produced in 1939 for family enjoyment
only. Also look out for Ken Reid's scarce Bing-
Bang Benny board from The Dandy.
The last of our rare hard-cover Broons Books
and Lion comics
1, 2 and 3 also feature, the first two copies complete with free gifts. Other
interesting items include original Eagle lots 97-109, 198-200.
SPACESHIP AWAY IN NEAR
ORBIT
17/5/07, updated 8/6/07: Spaceship
Away editor Rod Barzilay has been in touch
to say Issue 12 of the original Dan Dare magazine, featuring new strips based
on the Eagle character,
has now gone to the printers and will be available in mid June.
"In addition to our regular stuff we have new Dan Dare artwork from Bruce
Cornwell (his first in 45 years!)
and the first part of a brand new (3 Part) 'adult' Dan
Dare story by Denis Steeper, with an illustration by
Martin Baines," he reveals. "I bet we get some interesting comments
on that one!"
ROK COMICS LAUNCHES
10/5/07: Lancaster-based ROK Media Ltd has launched ROK
Comics on Mobile, a new publishing solution enabling comics creators and publishers to syndicate their works to mobile phone users worldwide. downthetubes site
runner John Freeman is the project's editor.
ROK Comics on Mobile opens up huge worldwide commercial opportunities for
all comic creators, artists, writers and publishers.
With access to hundred of millions of handsets through existing Mobile Network
Operator Agreements, ROK
Comics can deliver digital comics straight to mobile handsets and collect
revenue for doing so.
Available via mobile and the web at www.rokcomics.com, ROK Comics is a new opportunity
for publishers and creators to reach a worldwide audience who will be able to
download the comics via Pay Per Download or subscription via Multi Media Messaging
(MMS).
Creators publishing professionally via ROK Comics will receive 50% of the available
revenue on every sale, with full access to sales statistics, viewings and more.
In addition to several licensed comics that will be offered via ROK Comics, publishers
can also create Free Samples of strips that can be viewed online and on mobile
to promote their print editions, and let fans know about them by e-mail, and
provide an "Embed" of a strip, which can be posted on web sites, blog or company
site.
In addition, ROK Comics offers "FreeFall Comics" – an advanced Flash-based service
enabling anyone to create strips using ready-made characters and backgrounds
that can also be delivered to mobile.
John Freeman, a veteran of the comics and magazine world is spearheading ROK
Comics. John was previously an editor for Marvel UK, Titan Magazines and a number
of independent publishers. At Marvel, he edited Doctor
Who Magazine and several of the company's US titles such as
the best-selling Death's
Head II. He was also editor of Star Trek Magazine and
oversaw the launch of titles such as Star
Wars Magazine, the UK Simpsons Comics and
Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
“John and I have been viewing the potential for comics on mobile phones for some years and now with advances in handset technology and ROK's huge distribution network we have finally made this a reality. We believe that this is a great mass market opportunity for creators and publishers alike” said
Graham Baines, CEO, ROK Media Ltd.
"There are thousands of comics creators worldwide who publish independently or online, with no way to profit from their hard work. By enabling mobile delivery, syndication of their creations is now instantly possible, generating real revenue” commented
John Freeman.
ORANG UTAN COMICS SWING INTO ACTION
11/5/07: Orang
Utan Comics are
looking to make a serious splash at this weekend's Comic Expo in
Bristol, England. The team
are hosting the event's Film Night on the Friday and on Saturday they
will be launching their first book, anthology title Eleventh
Hour #1, a 36 page black and white anthology
book which will be on sale at the Expo and online at www.indyplanet.com
Orang
Utan Comics is a group of rising creators from across the globe that are looking
to make their mark in comics. The two driving forces behind the project
are Peter Rogers (Eye of the Storm) and Ian Sharman
(Smoke & Mirror, Heretic). "The
fact we are launching our first book in Bristol is surreal," says Peter. "I actually
met Ian for the first time at last year's event and I can't believe
how much has happened since then." Rogers said.
Eleventh Hour is
a black and white anthology book featuring three stand-alone stories by Rogers. Bloodstain is
a vampire tale with art from Nuno Nobre, Brothers in Arms is
a post apocalyptic story with art by Tom Walsh/Luis Alonso and Purgatory
Blues is a supernatural tale featuring the art of Azim Akberali.
The book also contains a sneak preview of one of Orang Utan Comics' ongoing
titles Young Gods, written by Ian Sharman with
art by Randy Valiente. The book's full colour cover comes courtesy of John
Charles (2000AD) and Azim Akberali provides pin
up art.
The original idea behind Eleventh
Hour was a way to get some of Rogers' unpublished material
into print. In the past few years various publishers accepted a number of his
short stories for publication. Unfortunately due to books folding or artists
missing deadlines they all missed out in the end. (At the Eleventh Hour you
might say). His plan was to collect those stories in a self published book,
but once he met Sharman they pooled resources and started to think much bigger.
Orang Utan Comics now includes writers and artists from five different continents.
"We have already developed our own colouring
team Orang Utan Studios,
which is now part of AAM/Markosia," says Managing Editor
and creator Ian Sharman. "We have some other big
plans for the next 12 months so watch this space."
These plans
include further issues of Eleventh Hour with an
even wider roster of creators, as well as a number of ongoing titles that
are currently in pre production. The Intergalactic Adventures of Slam
Ridley is an exhilarating sci-fi series written by Rogers
and Sharman with Paul Ridgon (VR Troopers, Transformers) on art duties.
Young Gods, previewed in Eleventh
Hour, is written
by Sharman with art by newcomer Alessio Nocerino (Horizon).
Future projects include Hero 9 –5, Suicide Angels and
an as yet untitled Superhero mini series.
If you are able to make it to the Comic Expo, look out for the Orang
Utan Comics stand and meet some of the team.
TALL TALES
9/5/07: The latest issue of the indie title West,
drawn by Tim Keable, is finished and will be on sale at the Bristol
Comic Expo this coming weekend.
Set in Montana, 1896 Tall
Tales features three short
stories which find West as Sheriff of the small town of Haven. Along with a
revised version of the previously-published Believers,
new stories Tall
Tales and Guns On A Cold
Morning offer
different perspectives on West's second tenure in law enforcement. Each tale
shows a facet of a larger story, one which will dictate the eventual destiny,
for good or bad, of Jerusalem West.
The issue also features guest pin-ups by
Paul Rainey, Oliver Lambden, Red Monkey and Andrew Cheverton.
The issue is on sale online at the Angry Candy
store or can be bought from the
creators in Bristol, who will be sharing a table with Paul Rainey (www.pbrainey.com)
and, occasionally, Karrie Fransman.
FUTUREQUAKE EIGHT
9/5/07: Future Quake Press (www.futurequake.co.uk)
will be selling the all-new and hot off the press issue of Futurequake at
Bristol (now Eagle nominated!), alsong with MangaQuake and
the truly scary Something Wicked.
STARSCAPE UPDATED
7/5/07: The latest update to the online Starscape Comic
(www.StarscapeComic.co.uk)
includes plenty of of classic comic action alongside new strips. Wargods
of Atlantis begins with the prequel Legends and
the site's Golden Age tale sees the all-action hero, the Purple Hood, battling
Doctor Darkness.
Also on the site are features on the movie, Last
Man on Earth (later made into the Omega
Man), Mighty Mouse,
more Rocket Man in Radar Men and
a fanfilm where the Punisher takes on Wolverine!
Editor Chris Smillie is also very excited by the site's new Starbox feature. "We're
calling out to all Starkids under 16 year olds for our new Kidscape comics," he
explains. "Your comics will be uploaded to our servers so the whole world
can see your drawings. They can be funny, superheroes, horror or just about anything! "
•
Email Chris (superherostore@yahoo.com)
and he'll tell you where to send your CD or drawings or where you can upload
them.
