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28 February 2018

Combat Colin - issue 2 now out

The one-man publishing comics industry that is Lew Stringer has great news here, to wit Combat Colin #2 is now out!

Over to Lew now...
Hot off the press comes Combat Colin No.2, the second in a six-issue mini-series reprinting my Combat Colin strips from the 1980s and early 1990s!
As with the first issue, No.2 has 40 pages comprising of full colour covers and black and white interiors. This issue starts with the ones when The Transformers and Action Force merged into one comic, and features almost 70 half page strips running from February 1988 to July 1989. 

You'll see Combat Colin and his sidekick Semi-Automatic Steve encounter villains such as Madprof and Mr.Magno for the first time, plus the return of the evil Aunt Arctic of the Antarctic, the secret of the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot, the introduction of the Giggly Sisters and much more!


Combat Colin was a character I created for Marvel UK back in 1987 and became a popular back-up strip in their comics. When The Transformers comic ended in 1991 and Marvel clearly had no plans to revive Combat Colin, I enquired about copyright and Marvel agreed to return the rights to me. Most of the strips have been scanned directly from my original artwork, and I've added dates to the foot of every strip so you know where and when it first appeared.

Available to buy now exclusively from me at my online shop:
http://lewstringer.com/page7.htm



27 February 2018

Look-In tie-in book - part 3

Robert Nixon's 3rd, and final, contribution to the series was this cover for 'Stewpot's holiday fun book' - for some reason this titles seems much harder to track down than the other 2 volumes. This is the only image of the cover I could track down.


The final volume of interest is this one...cover by Ron Embleton and interior art is by Harry Bishop, well worth looking out for.

26 February 2018

Look-In tie-in book - part 2

Another wrap-around cover by British humour comics great Robert Nixon...as you can see I've acquired the most bashed about copy that I could find on Amazon :)

25 February 2018

Look-In tie-in book - part 1

An unusual example of the work of British humour comics artist Robert Nixon - who I normally associate with strips such as Frankie Stein - providing lovely wrap-around cover art for the small (slightly smaller than A5) Look-In tie-in book, written by Denis Gifford. In fact Denis provided internal art along with comic strips by Trevor Metcalfe


24 February 2018

A signing this afternoon

Orbital comics have announced a signing on Saturday 24th February of a selection of Improper Books creators...
Benjamin Read and Christian Wildgoose are the people behind the incredible Porcelain comic  and Matt Gibbs is the writer of the anthropomorphic title Mulp. See you there? 

23 February 2018

Rik Jackson - interview part 2

Hello again Rik, now where we? 


Ok, so you have a Kickstarter running at the moment - tell us about it
The campaign is for Rock In Purgatory (and can be found here), my heavy metal horror comic. The book is a collection of short strips which feature the outrageous death of hapless rock stars. Rock In Purgatory has been published in Popcorn Horror magazine, and the book collects all the published strips plus loads of unpublished ones from the series. The book is full colour, comes in as 48 pages and is presented as a cross between a comic and a parody of a music magazine. So, as well as the strips, you’ll find a poster pull out section, articles about bands who have influenced the stories and a backstage section where I show off concept art and creation processes.




Have you run a Kickstarter campaign before?

Yeah, I ran one for my first ever comic, Brutal Bombshells. That was a six story horror anthology in an EC Comics style, focusing on femme fatales. The campaign went well but didn’t fund until the final day, which was fortuitous! I learned a lot about the foibles of Kickstarter as the campaign went along and was lucky enough not to end up worse off by the time it was over. I have to say, though, I didn’t get the sense of stress that most people talk about. It would have been a frustrating waste of effort if it didn’t fund, but I didn’t get hung up on what would happen if it didn’t fund.


What's your favourite reward that you offer for backers?
Since the comic is all about heavy metal, I decided to go for metal themed rewards. My favourite is probably the gig tickets and backstage passes. These are souvenir items, but I loved the idea of having something live music related for the fans. And since I’m a guitarist, I personally can’t wait to get hold of the branded plectrums when they are made up.





Recommend someone else's Kickstarter campaign that we should back (and why)?
If it was still running, I’d have suggested the Sliced Quarterly campaign, but that just funded. The new Merrick book by Tom Ward looks good, if you love Mignola-style art and the idea of the Elephant Man as a protagonist! I’ve also heard that Flintlock by Steve Tanner is going to be good, but I’ve yet to properly check it out.


Where else will people be able to see you work in print / online
All my comics work is on my website
www.rikjackson.co.uk. You can read all the published Rock In Purgatory strips, some samples of Brutal Bombshells, and other projects I have worked on. There’s a gallery showing off some of my other illustration work. There are also links to buy copies of my comics and prints from the site too. I post loads of stuff on Twitter @gojacksongo – I’m always putting up work in progress as I am creating comics and have started doing live streams when I’m drawing pages.



What's next for Rock In Purgatory? Is it a one-off? A continuing story? Ideally, when would you like to release another issue (of RiP or another title)?
I could keep going with Rock In Purgatory for ages, and probably will. I decided to cap it as a first series for now and get a collection out there, but I have loads more ideas for it. I’ve been getting approached by lots of people who want to pitch stories to me for it, or collaborate on a Rock In Purgatory strip. It’s awesome to have people so into this comic that they want to get involved! Actually, my son – who has read some of the less adult and more slapstick RIP strips - came up with a brilliant idea which I have promised him will be included in the next series.

In the meantime, I am working on a new title. My next project is called Heads! and is a sci-fi private detective story. If you like The X-Files, They Live and Dick Tracy you are going to be in for a treat when Heads! comes out. I plan to release it in May as a webcomic with weekly updates. However, I love having things in print, so will likely look to get a run done before the year is out.




How long does a page of art take to produce? Explain a little bit about your approach
The Rock In Purgatory process is fairly time consuming but oddly efficient. As every page is built on a strict nine panel grid, I have created each panel on a sheet of A4 bristol board, before editing them all together. If I lay an entire page out physically, it’s huge! It’s quite satisfying seeing it all jigsawed together on the living room floor at such a scale. The idea behind A4 pages for each panel was that I could carry them around really easily and work on them whenever and wherever I was. So, despite each panel taking quite a while to draw because of the size, it also meant I could get through a few panels a day no matter what I was up to. Colouring took forever – apart from a few plain backgrounds, every panel of every page was coloured by hand.



What other small press titles have you read recently?
I’ve just read The Devil In Disguise by Matt Garvey. Great first issue – so many twists and a great cliff-hanger in such a short space of time! Matt’s stuff is generally great. I’m a big fan of his Chunks books, but this new title really impressed me. I liked El Marvo from Ben Errington and Dan Butcher. Dystopian future with a cryogenically frozen luchador as the hero – obviously going to be good! I’ve also got into the Shaman Kane and Gallo books by David Broughton. His stuff is well written and drawn with such enthusiasm that even if it’s not your cup of tea you can’t help but enjoy it.





Are you expecting to be at any conventions this year? How can people meet you and see RiP for themselves?
My event appearances hinge on the success of the Rock In Purgatory Kickstarter really, as it will be a stretch for me to afford a print run and table fees. I have my eye on Brighton ICE and Nottingham Comic Con right now, and if South London Comic and Zine Fair returns this year I’ll be bothering them for a table. I want to try out some horror conventions too. Popcorn Horror host a horror event in Glasgow each November, so I am hoping to be a part of that this year.


Thanks for your time Rik

22 February 2018

Merrick: the sensational Elephantman & Dr Crowe - crossover

Just a shout-out this morning for a new Kickstarter that I've backed, it 's a cross-over comic with Merrick: the sensational Elephant man and Doctor Crowe.


It's co-written by Tom Ward and Doctor Crowe creator Corey Fryia and features art from Merrick regular Luke Parker.

As they say here...
When Dr Crowe arrives in London to solve the murder of a police constable, he crosses paths with The Elephantman, who is on a mission of his own to find the missing children of Whitechapel. Together they will fight for their lives to survive the night. This new one-shot cross-over is a rip-roaring 1880's pulp adventure, bringing together two iconic indie comic characters: Dr Crowe and Merrick: The Sensational Elephantman.
Here are 5 teaser pages to get you in the mood for this great sounding story...with it's usual fantastic Luke Parker art.














21 February 2018

MACH1 reprints - part 3

Final selection of MACH1 reprints from Fleetway/Quality volumes (US comic format - 6 episodes in each)...







20 February 2018

19 February 2018

Pat Mills to write for ComicScene!


Pat Mills to have the last word in new magazine ComicScene UK


Pat Mills, the creator and first editor of 2000AD and co-creator of characters such as Slaine and ABC Warriors, is to write an exclusive regular monthly column for the new magazine ‘Comic Scene UK’.  The ‘Last Word’ column is expected to be as colourful, controversial and outspoken as his appearances in the recent 2000AD documentary ‘FutureShock’ and his book ‘Be Pure! Be Vigilant! Behave! – 2000AD and Judge Dredd: The Secret History’.

Pat Mills said about the announcement, “I’m passionate about British comics and their unique place in the world. Unfortunately, their spirit can be diluted and devalued by trying to emulate the Americans, and by a certain bland, ‘make no waves’ thinking. I’m looking forward to shedding a little light on some dark corners of the industry, and suggesting some possible solutions in my new column: The Last Word!


Tony Foster from ComicsFlix publishing “We are very pleased that we have the Godfather of comics writing a regular column for ComicScene UK.  Pat has been a success across the world and created some of the greatest comic stories and characters.  The ideas, advice and recommendations he will share in ComicScene UK will be worth the cover price alone.  We look forward to him having the last word in every monthly issue.”

The new ‘ComicScene UK’ is a specialist full colour A4 monthly magazine with all the latest news and articles on classic comics, reprinted material, new titles and comic creators.  Published by ComicsFlix.org it will be a showcase for fans including the best in Cosplay, UK fandom and stripzines now and from the last 50 years.  The magazine is available by mail order only and you can subscribe in advance now.


A limited print run ‘ComicScene UK’ will give a percentage of the profits from the title to provide free kids comic workshops across the U.K. 


Upcoming features in ComicScene UK will include;
Judge Dredd v Batman, Strontium Dog, DR and Quinch, Free Comic Day, 80 years of the Beano, The Prisoner and Superman, Six Million Dollar Man v Mach One, Charley’s War, Bella at the Bar, Slaine, Halo Jones, Rok of the Reds, 50 years of fandom and comic con, 40 years of Starlord, 40 years of Misty, 30 years of Tank Girl and Deadline, 30 years of Hellblazer, 20 years of the comic blog Down The Tubes, the new Doctor Who Jodie Whittaker, the Return of Roy of the Rovers plus all the latest news and gossip from the comic, small press, cosplay and related media industry from some of the best writers in the business!


The first 48+ page issue will be available from May 1st 2018, just prior to Free Comic Book Day, and then monthly from August.  Each issue is £8.50 (for Europe, America and Worldwide – please add £2 per copy on published prices) but you can subscribe today and 12 issues for the price of 11. 
E-mail comicsflix@gmail.com for details.





You can get issue one for £8.50


You can get ComicScene UK for a 6 month subscription of £45 (saving £6)


You can get ComicScene UK for a 12 month subscription of £93.50 and you will get issue 1 for FREE – 12 issues for the price of 11!




18 February 2018

MACH1 reprints - part 1

Looking forward to the launch of the MACH 1 reprint volume this year? Well, it's not the first time the tales of Jon Probe have been reprinted, if you want to collect them here's a cover gallery...





17 February 2018

Frank Quitely - Drawings + Sketches

BHP comics have announced that 16th April 2018 will see the launch of "Frank Quitely Drawings + Sketches"


As they say here...

Delve through the pages of the private sketchbooks from a comics legend in Frank Quitely: Drawings + Sketches and follow the journey which produced some of the most iconic scenes in contemporary comics. In Drawings + Sketches, Quitely selects some of his favourite behind the scenes moments from such titles as All Star Superman, Batman and Jupiter's Legacy and offers insights into the stories and processes behind them. This hard cover, full colour art book is a beautiful and inspiring must-have for any fan or aspiring comics creator.


About Frank Quitely
Frank Quitely is a comics hero with nearly three decades of experience. He has worked with DC Comics, Marvel and Millarworld on some of comics' best loved heroes such as Batman and Superman. He is a patron of comics in Scotland, supporting Glasgow Comic Con and The National Centre for Comics. In 2017 he was awarded an honorary PhD from Glasgow University for his contribution to comics worldwide.

The above link also provides the opportunity to pre-order the book for £18.99 (plus £3 postage in the UK)...

16 February 2018

Don Lawrence - an Illustrators special - is announced

The Illustration Art Gallery have announced that "Don Lawrence - illustrations and comic strip art" is now available for pre-order here for £25. The book is described as....

A comprehensive look at his career, packed with colour and black and white illustrations, including complete story reprints from Bible Stories, Look and Learn and Ranger. The Trigan Empire, Storm, Karl the Viking, Olac the Gladiator, as well as complete illustrated stories Pinocchio, Herod the Great, Jason and the Golden Fleece, The Range Rider and many more strips are represented here in the exhaustive coverage of his art. 
Much of the art has never been seen since it originally appeared in the 1960s. A must for all Don Lawrence fans. 144 pages, full colour throughout.







15 February 2018

Rok of the Reds trade paperback is announced

I've been a fan of 'Rok of the Reds' for ages (here's my plug for issue 1 here) and it's been a pleasure to see Dan's artwork go on to grace the pages of 2000AD, BHP comics are now gearing up to publish the trade paperback version, collecting all 6 issues together (complete with previously unseen additional bonus material). The cover has just been released and looks like this...


It's available to pre-order here for £18.99 plus postage (£3 in the UK). The release date is 16th April 2018.

What are you waiting for? Go pre-order it!

14 February 2018

In honour of Valentine's day...

In honour of Valentine's Day I thought I'd pick a few images from that rarest of beasts a romance comic for boys! One of the (two) spin-off titles from Revolver, here's the Crisis presents Revolver romance special...Revolver had already merged into Crisis by this point, hence the rather clunky title...  

Cover is by Brian Bolland

Here's the list of creators involved...

Here's Glenn Fabry and Garth Ennis collaborating on a strip...



13 February 2018

Collecting Ron Turner - part 2

This is an A5 60 page story (from July 1990) fully illustrated by Ron Turner.

As a bonus all copies are signed by Ron himself...


In the classic American format (from January 1988) 33 page adaptation of the "Invaders from time" story.

Again a classic US format comic (from March 1988) is this 24 page adaptation

There was an in house ad on the inside back page showing what could have been, but never was - or certainly never was from Harrier Comics - as we saw from the item at the top of the post the Golden Amazon was eventually self-published in 1990