Violent! #1

Thanks to friend of the blog Matthew Bunce I've recently acquired issues 1-6 of Violent! a small press comic from, erm, I'm not precisely sure when as I've not come across any dates on 'em yet. The best I've got is that the Aggro strip has a (c) 1999 on it. So that's the earliest this could date from.

Anyhoo, they were sent to me as they contained some interesting example of artwork by some folks who are now well-known artists.

The total list of credits is as follows...

Cover by Colin MacNeil

The Tallyman - story by H Janus, art by PJ Holden

Rabid - story & art by H Janus, letters by Jim Campbell

Mitch Molotov, campus cop - story & art by Phil Nixon, letters by Jim Campbell

Lowlife - uncredited

Aggro - Simon Fraser 

Anyway, let's have a look at the best of the art...

Cover by Colin MacNeil

List of contributors

Art by Simon Fraser

Art by PJ Holden

Clarks - Mega Mag #4

I'd noted before (here) the existence of a publication from the shoe sellers Clark's of a 'Mega Mag'. That was issue #2 and now, thanks to friend of the blog John Freeman and German ebay, we can say that the Mega Mag ran to at least 4 issues. See images below. 

No mention of the X-Men in this issue. If you know of further issues do get in touch!

UPDATED: Comics News Monthly

I've long wanted to find copies of Comics news monthly the, er, monthly title about comics news that Gary Spencer Millidge (check out his website here) produced back in the day.

I've recently come across a few issues so I thought I start a covers gallery. Further details welcomed.

Now, thanks to friend of the blog David Hathaway, updated with the cover to issue #12

Comics news monthly #8, April 1984, 35p

this issue contains an apology for the 10p price rise but noting that "...it began as a single-sheet giveaway to my Comic Service customers, but has grown to interest other interested parties" - so goo luck tracking down those earlier issues!

Comics news monthly #9, May 1984, 35p

contains a review of early issues of Scream!

Comics news monthly #10, June 1984, 35p

Comics news monthly #11, July 1984, 35p

Cover via Russell Willis

Comics news monthly #12, August 1984, 35p

Comics news monthly #13, September 1984, free

Comics news monthly #14, October 1984, 50p

TMNT comic - Titan, 2007, part 1

I've looked at various short-lived comics from Titan comics before (check 'em out here ) but this is a new one...

Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles, 2007, lasted 13 issues. The images below are all from this amazing Turtles fan site.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic #1, Titan, June 2007, £2.60

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic #2, Titan, July 2007, £2.60

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic #3, Titan, August 2007, £2.60

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic #4, Titan, September 2007, £2.60

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic #5, Titan, Autumn 2007, £2.60

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic #6, Titan, October 2007, £2.60

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic #7, Titan, November 2007, £2.60

UPDATED: the watercolour work of Mike Western

I've posted before about the watercolour artwork that Mike Western produced in later life (such a contrast to all that black & white comics artwork on Leopard from Lime Street, The Sarge and Darkie's mob). 

I've now found this painting - 'The tinker's wife'

New images found for this painting 'Corn Dolly'

Another piece has now come up for sale on eBay, priced at £150 (or best offer) and it's here - the piece is untitled.

The seller is in Worthing and offers to deliver within 25 miles of their postcode (but doesn't seem to want to post it)

The last piece offered on eBay, priced at £209.60 on a buy-it-now it's called 'At the turn' and is available here

Other pictures 

A recent ebay search on sold items has turned up these two interesting pieces by Mike Western - the first picture is called "the rebel" and the second is called "Pipe dreams". The third picture is untitled and was attached to the back of the 2nd picture but has been identified by Peter Western as a self-portrait of his father.

The first two pictures appear to be companion pieces to these pieces I also found...

The Rainbow Orchid - early appearances

I've long been a fan of Garen Ewing's fantastic The Rainbow Orchid and have hankered after copies of its early small press appearances. Recently I acquired some of these so I thought I'd log what I do (not) have.

What you're looking for are issues 22-26 of BAM! Or Bulldog Adventure Magazine to give it its full title. I have issues 23 & 25 so I'm looking for issues 22, 24 & 26. Images are taken from this handy guide to collecting The Rainbow Orchid that Garen has uploaded to YouTube for posterity.

You get 6 pages of B&W art in issues 22-25 and then 8 pages in issue 26 - a total of 32 pages. All of this material was then collected in The Rainbow Orchid part 1 (from King Rat Press) plus 2 additional pages and 6 pages of covers/additional material - giving a total of 40 pages for the 'part one' edition (published in 2003)

BAM! issue #22

BAM! issue #23, Spring 2003, £2

other contributors to this (40 page, B&W art, A4 sized) issue include PJ Holden, Ed Traquino, Paul Harrison, Kieran Macdonald and Russell Ferguson

BAM! issue #24, Summer 2003, £2.50

BAM! issue #25, Autumn 2003, £2.50

other contributors to this (40 page, B&W art, A4 sized) issue include Jason Cobley, Ed Traquino, Neill Cameron, Nigel Lowrey & more

BAM! issue #26

The material was then collated (in October 2003) in this 40 page reprint collection. Precise number of copies printed is unknown but is at least 100 as Garen mentions he sold 100 copies at the Winter 2003 comics festival in London. I went to that convention but wasn't into small press comics at the time so it's taken me 20+ years to get hold of a copy - more fool me! 

Garen has a very detailed look at the publication history of The Rainbow Orchid on his website here