Clint Langley's cover for Warhammer monthly

While my collection of Warhammer monthly isn't quite complete I thought I'd share these covers with you (and I'll update this posting if any more come to light). 

These are the covers that Clint '2000ad' Langley (Wikipedia entry here) drew for Warhammer monthly...

Issue 53 - March 2002, "Lone Wolves" 

Issue 64 - January 2003, "Cloten"

Issue 72 - September 2003, "Darkblade"

Pete Nash's Striker Kickstarter campaign kicks off

Pete Nash has just launched (here) his ambitions campaign to fund the production of issues 13-24 of his new Striker comic. Pete's previously used Kickstarter to raise funds for issue 1-12 of the comic, that campaign was raising about a £1,000 a day until the last couple of days when a lot of pledges were, pushing the total to over £40,000.

This time Pete has set himself an even more ambitious goal - £45,000 in 14 days. That's a big total in not much time. The good news? Day one on the Kickstarter has been amazing with, as I type this, over £14,000 already pledged.

Good luck with it Pete, I'll be backing this.

About

Striker first appeared in November, 1985, as a black-and white, three-panel comic strip in The Sun, Britain’s biggest-selling newspaper. In 1998 it became the first comic strip in the world to be created in 3D animation software. 

It now occupies a third of a page in the paper, seven days a week. The only character from the very first story who still features is the hero Nick Jarvis, who started as a young footballer and is now the CEO of British club Warbury Warriors. He’s married to the club’s beautiful billionaire owner, Li Ming. 

WEEKLY COMICS

We’re almost at the end of our first 12 weekly comics - and we’re back on Kickstarter to raise funds for issues 13 to 24! So far nearly 3,000 fans have enjoyed each digital or print issue of the football-themed comic, with its gripping mix of hard drama and wild comedy. 

The football action in Striker is shown free every week as animated highlights on Striker’s official website - planetstriker.com - and Striker’s Planet Striker channel on YouTube.  

After watching the games, fans can catch up with all the results, match reports, features, stats and league tables in the following week’s comic.

Every 32-page issue also features 13 pages of the main serialised comic strip plus three pages of a strip focusing on young academy players. Striker is available worldwide in a weekly digital format that can be downloaded or read online, or you can have printed copies delivered to your door every week.  

STRIKER WORLD LEAGUE  

Warbury fell out with the Football Association and FIFA last year and formed a breakaway world football league, made up of an initial 12 teams that has now grown to 16. But the football authorities declared that anyone and any club joining it will be banned from officially-sanctioned football for life.  

The other World League teams are: Shamrockers (Ireland), Brecknock Dragons (Wales), Highland Terriers (Scotland), Prague Pulsars (Czech Republic), Spartiates (Greece), Bucharest Vampires (Romania), Lagos Gold Stars (Nigeria) Kampala Kickers (Uganda), Mombasa Mambas (Kenya), Sun City Tigers (India), Hong Kong Heat, Darwin Crocceroos (Australia), Lima Incas (Peru), Acapulco Aztecs (Mexico) and St Louis United (United States).  

If the World League survives a current money-laundering scandal, it will expand to 20 teams next season and will ultimately have multiple divisions.  

THE FUTURE – MORE ANIMATION AND CLUB STRIKER SOCIAL GAME  

Our ambition is to develop the animation and create an online social game in which fans become members of a World League club - and have a say in the running of it. Members will be able to have online debates and then vote in decisive polls to influence activities like team selections and tactics, the hiring and firing of managers, and the buying and selling of players. Decisions they make will be reflected positively or negatively in their team’s odds for upcoming fixtures.

Risks and challenges

Having successfully completed and fulfilled the first 12 issues of the weekly Striker comic, backers should have confidence that we will be able to deliver on our promises.

The only risk that could prevent or delay fulfilment is in the event of something happening to a key member of our small team.

The unofficial launch of El Mestizo is announced...

Steve 'Tharg' MacManus and writer Alan Hebden have decided to have their own launch 'do' for the El Mestizo collection that is now out. 

Alan and Steve will be at the Crown and Anchor, 137 Drummond Street, NW1 2HL pub (website here) from 7.30 on Monday, 3rd December - see you there?

Alan and Steve have graciously agreed to sign copies of Meltdown Man...

...or hopefully (in my case) some other items as well...

The best of Roy of the Rovers monthly - part 3

Issue 11 -  mainly Nipper but a bit of Roy as well - all wrapped in a cover with that iconic Melchester kit

Issue 12 - a whole heap of Billy's Boots here plus a bit of Roy to round out the issue 

Issue 13 - a whole heap of Hot-Shot Hamish (yes!) in this particular issue, featuring a typically dynamic cover by Julio Schiaffino

Issue 14 - Roy's front and centre in issue 14, but in fact almost the entire issue is given over to The safest hands in soccer

Issue 15 - The Marks brothers (sadly not as entertaining as the Marx brothers) and a bit of Roy Race's schooldays

24 panels - comic creators for Grenfell Tower

24 panels - an anthology to aid PTSD needs of survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire officially launches at Gosh comics (in London) on Thursday December 6th...and there'll be a tonne of creators there on the night...

As Gosh themselves say...

We will be marking the launch of the new Grenfell Tower benefit comic 24 Panels with a launch party to make as much noise as possible about this incredible fundraising project. We will have a huge roster of contributors here on Thursday December 6th, 7-9pm, including Kieron Gillen, Tula Lotay, Ram V, Paul Cornell, Al Ewing, Dan Watters, Caspar Wijngaard, Rachael Smith, Dilraj Mann, Sara Kenney, Gavin Mitchell, Sarah Gordon, Sean Azzopardi, Pablo Clark, Leigh Alexander, Paul Swain, Trevor Boyd, Mike Garley, Erika Price, Gwen Kortsen, Angela Wraight, Drew Wills & Gen Ainslow.

The tragedy of the June 2017 Grenfell Tower fire still leaves its physical and psychological scars on London, from the site itself to the after-effects on those who witnessed it, survived it, and lost their loved ones to it. The 24 Panels anthology has been created as a complement to the 24 Stories prose anthology, and like that project is a fundraising effort for those survivors who have been affected by PTSD in the wake of the disaster.

“On the night of 14th June 2017, a fire engulfed the 24-storey Grenfell Tower in west London, killing at least 72 people and injuring many more. An entire community was destroyed. 

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition that affects many people who have experienced traumatic events, leaving them unable to move on.

For those directly affected by the Grenfell Tower fire, the psychological scars may never fully heal but in the hands of skilled professionals who specialise in the treatment of psychological trauma, they can be helped and gradually lives can be transformed.

In the immediate aftermath of the fire, the focus was rightly placed on providing food, shelter and health care for those left homeless - but it is important that we don't lose sight of the psychological impact this fire has had on its survivors. 

Following the successful and highly regarded 24 Stories anthology this is a parallel comic book project promoting themes of hope, community, positivity and unity in aid of PTSD related needs of Grenfell Tower survivors.”

24 Panels, edited by Kieron Gillen, Rhona Martin and Steve Thompson, features 24 stories, each no longer than 24 panels. Half drawn from professional creators who volunteered their time and half drawn from open submissions, project contributors include Alan Moore, Al Ewing, Sara Kenney, Alex De Campi, Laurie Penny, Paul Cornell, Dilraj Mann, Antony Johnston, Lizz Lunney, Leigh Alexander, Dan Watters, Ram V., Melinda Gebbie, Doug Braithwaite, Jan Wijngaard, Ted Brandt, Ro Stein, Gavin Mitchell, Rachael Smith, Dilraj Mann, Robin Hoelzemann, Tom Humberstone and Sarah Gordon.

We’re also very pleased to be able to announce the sale on the night of a very limited number of A3 prints of Tula Lotay and Dee Cunniffe’s cover artwork, each signed by the book’s contributors, and there will also be a special fundraising auction of a framed A1 print of the art signed by contributors. All sales on the prints will be donated to the 24 Panels cause.

Gilbert Shelton & Posy Simmonds at the British Library this afternoon

Cartoon Cats: Gilbert Shelton and Posy Simmonds

Website link is here but details are reproduced below anyway...

Sun 25 Nov 2018, 15:00 - 16:30

Discover the felines of the graphic novel world

A conversation between two leading artists about their own cat characters and others: Gilbert Shelton, American cartoonist and creator of Fat Freddy's Cat, and Posy Simmonds, British graphic novelist, newspaper cartoonist, writer, and author of Fred and Baker Cat.

Images © Gilbert Shelton and Posy Simmonds

Details

Name:	Cartoon Cats: Gilbert Shelton and Posy Simmonds
Where:	Knowledge Centre The British Library 96 Euston Road London NW1 2DB Show Map      How to get to the Library
When:	Sun 25 Nov 2018, 15:00 - 16:30
Price:	Full Price: £15.00 Member: £15.00 Senior 60+: £12.00 Student: £10.00 Registered Unemployed: £10.00 Under 18: £10.00
Enquiries:	+44 (0)1937 546546 boxoffice@bl.uk

Gilbert Shelton signing this afternoon

This is today, don't forget!

Gosh comics have announced here a rare opportunity to meet legendary underground comics creator, Gilbert Shelton.

As they themselves say..

We are honoured to once again have the legendary Gilbert Shelton, creator of The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and Wonder Warthog, here to sign on Saturday the 24th November from 1-2pm!

One of the most iconic creators of the underground comics scene of the 1960’s, Shelton has been actively creating ever since, with new material appearing as recently as last year in his 50th anniversary celebration special Fifty Freakin' Years with the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. Few creators of the San Francisco underground movement could claim the cultural cachet that Shelton has, in particular the Freak Brothers looming large over an entire counter-culture as The Hilarious Stoner Comic That I Used To Have But Somebody Stole From Me (now conveniently available in a bumper omnibus edition!)

Gilbert will be here from 1-2pm on Saturday the 24th November. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to meet one of the greats (and we can confirm a total sweetheart). If for some unfortunate reason you can’t make it, then you can pre-order a signed copy of the Furry Freak Brothers Omnibus, Fat Freddy’s Cat Omnibus, Fifty Freakin' Years with the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers or The Best of Wonder Warthog from our webstore for collection or mail order.

The best of Roy of the Rovers monthly - part 2

My selection of the best of Roy of the Rovers monthly continues..

Issue 6 - all Roy of the Rovers

Issue 7 - some Nipper, mostly Roy

Issue 8 - quite a lot of Hot-shot Hamish, a bit of Roy

Issue 9 - a lot of The safest hands in soccer, a few pages of Roy 

Issue 10 - a whole lot of Mighty Mouse and a smidgen of Roy

Sniper Elite Resistance 3 - sketch for Carlos Ezquerra's last work surfaces

This ends today at about 7:30pm - and I've been told that proceeds are going to the Ezquerra family so time to dig deep folks...

Sniper Elite Resistance issue 3 is out now (of course) and features the original Rat Pack bunch of guys from Battle and is the last published work of Carlos Ezquerra...

...what has surfaced now on ebay (here) is the very early preliminary drawing to the cover, bidding opens at £10 and finishes in 9 days time, good luck with your bidding!