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Showing posts with label John Freeman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Freeman. Show all posts

27 January 2026

UPDATED: Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures

Now updated with a copy of the cover for issue #4

I own issues 1 & 2

I've updated this post on new information - all updates in fuchsia - last updated 19th October 2021.

I've looked before at comics from Titan Comics (here) and I wanted to look at another title I know very little about, published by Titan Magazines. Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures ran in 1996/7. Six issues were definitely released, and up to nine were advertised.

The title reprinted strip material previously published by Dark Horse Comics as The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest, based on the animated updated version of the 1960s original show. That series ran for twelve issues and three specials, but Titan’s title did not run the course due to disappointing sales, the TV series not proving a success in the UK.

Titan's issues were not, as noted on the Jonny Quest Fandom Wiki here, a direct re-release of the Dark Horse versions, and they released the stories in different order. For instance, the Dark Horse issues #1-4 included the story "Net of Chaos" in four chapters, while the Titan  Magazines issues 3 and 6 (and presumably issues 4 and 5) include chapters of this story. The story "Hell on Earth: The Movie" was in Dark Horse issue #7, but Titan issue 3 includes this story instead.

One of the feature writers was "Paul Travers", a pseudonym for editor John Freeman. 

The Dark Horse comic strip editor throughout was Phil Amara.
 
So, without further ado, here's my covers gallery. As ever, there are a few gaps, so if you can help out do let me know.

Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures, Titan Magazines, Issue 1, October 1996

Includes a toy figure - one of the Jonny Quest team - as a free gift, which seems to have varied. 

Cover by Alex Nino

Surd in the Machine” by Shaun McLaughlin with art by Jim Hall

“Message from Mars” by Michael Ryan with art by Roger Petersen 

A profile of Surd, also features, along with an introduction to the JQ core team.

Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures, Titan Magazines, Issue 2, December 1996
Cover Artist: Unknown

Strip: “Countdown to Chaos” by Shaun McLaughlin, pencilled by Dean Zachary, inked by Shepherd Hendrix, coloured by Kell-O

Plus a profile of Ezekiel Rage, a guide to Quest Mansion, and a pullout A3 poster

Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures, Titan Magazines, Issue 3, January 1997



Cover Artist: Unknown

"Hell on Earth, The Movie" by by Shaun McLaughlin, art by Ron Randall

"Net of Chaos" Part One by Kate Worley, pencilled by Francisco Solano Lopez, inked by Andrew Pepoy (mis-spelt as "Andrew Pepay"), coloured by James Sinclair, lettered by Tracey Hampton-Munsey

Includes stickers as a free gift and a profile of Questworld and Doctor Zin.

Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures, Titan Magazines, Issue 4, February 1997

"Net of Chaos" Part Two by Kate Worley, pencilled by Francisco Solano Lopez, inked by Andrew Pepoy, coloured by James Sinclair, lettered by Tracey Hampton-Munsey
Includes trading cards as a free gift. 

Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures, Titan Magazines, Issue 5, March 1997
“The Eyes of Rapa Nui” by Kate Worley, pencilled by Francisco Solano Lopez

"Net of Chaos" Part Three by Kate Worley, pencilled by Francisco Solano Lopez, inked by Andrew Pepoy (Pages 19 -24), coloured by James Sinclair, lettered by Tracey Hampton-Munsey

This issue includes a profile of the Quest Submersibles and a JQ mini-poster.

Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures, Titan Magazines, Issue  6, April 1997
Cover by Francisco Solano Lopez

“The Eyes of Rapa Nui” by Kate Worley, pencilled by Francisco Solano Lopez

“An Infinite Memory” by Shaun McLaughlin, pencilled by Ron Randall

"Net of Chaos" Part Four by Kate Worley, pencilled by Francisco Solano Lopez, coloured by James Sinclair, lettered by Tracey Hampton-Munsey

I've now looked at the British Library catalogue for this comic and it has it lasting only six issues. I'll therefore discount the existence of issues 7-9 (despite issue 9 being solicited in issue #82 (June 1997) of Comics International).

There’s some background on Jonny Quest - The Real Adventures show here on the Classic Jonny Quest fan site

19 May 2025

The Thing from Basingstoke - a lost Oink! strip?

Image sourced from a back issue of Scan fanzine from John Freeman...an interesting pitch of a strip to Oink! - no idea if it was ever published - can anyone help??



22 October 2024

Steve Dillon - Abslom Daak vintage t-shirt

A while ago I looked at Steve's contribution to 'newszine' Comic Media News International...

His contribution to issue 30 is here
His contribution to issue 38 is here
His contribution to issue 39 is here
His contribution to issue 40 is here

But to mark the 8th anniversary of his passing I'm highlighting this promotional t-shirt that friend of the blog John Freeman sold last year...

John said...
Limited edition Abslom Daak - Dalek Killer medium size t-shirt, only 100 made in 1990 to promote the launch of the 1990 Abslom Daak - Dalek Killer collection published by Marvel UK.

As editor of Doctor Who Magazine, I commissioned a limited run of t-shirts featuring art by Steve Dillon (co-creator of Abslom Daak) to mark launch of the collection. This is one of perhaps a few that have survived. There is some wear due to age, see photographs, but the design itself is good.

The art featured was originally used to promote the collection in Diamond promotional listings. The Abslom Daak logo was designed by John Tomlinson.



Check out all the other posts on the blog featuring Steve's work here

1 June 2023

Marvel UK - a gathering of heroes (1992/3)

I understand that this is a real Marvel UK rarity - so good luck tracking it down! For those not lucky enough to have a copy to hand here's a glimpse inside the Marvel UK new projects booklet 1992/3 'A gathering of heroes'.
  







5 January 2022

UPDATED: The Mask adventures comic - Titan comics

Not a comic I've got any issues of but I thought it worthy of inclusion on the blog...so here we go with a covers gallery for The Mask adventures comic from Titan comics. Plenty of gaps still to fill in - please let me know if you can help.

UPDATE: covers for issues 2, 4, 8 & 10 have now been found and added to the listing below

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 1, March 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 2, April 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 3, May 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 4, June 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 5, July 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 6, August 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 7, September 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 8, October 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 9, November  1996
cover art is wrongly credited as being by Bruce Timm when actually it's by Neil Vokes & Jay Geldhof [see US editions of this comic], interior art by Dev Madan, script by Michael Eury

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 10, December 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 11, January 1997


The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 12, February 1997

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 13, March 1997

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 14, April 1997
cover by Marc Campos, art by Killian Plunkett (pencils), Bruce patterson (inks) and Chris Chalenor (colours); script by Michael Fallon and Mark Verheiden

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 15, May 1997

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 16, June 1997


The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 17, July 1997


The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 18, August 1997
image not to hand - can you help?

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 19, September 1997
image not to hand - can you help?

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 20, October 1997
image not to hand - can you help?

I've listed this up to issue 20 as that's the last issue I can find in the 'advance listings' section of (contemporary comics magazine) Comics International - specifically in issue #85 (September 1997) of Comics International. Although as former editor John Freeman has pointed out to me solicited issues are not the same as printed issues - so it may be that issue 17 is the last issue. 

Images above are either swiped from ebay or from here

UPDATE: in the comments below you'll see someone has posted to confirm that issue 17 was indeed the last issue. Whoever you are, thanks!

16 November 2021

Heroquest - Marvel winter special

From 1991 here's a couple of pages from the obscure Heroquest - Marvel Winter special. A slim 36 page publication (edited by John Freeman) I picked this up originally because I knew there was a comic strip in it.
You also get pages on painting miniatures, a guide to merchandise, hazards, a new Heroquest scenario and more besides. I loved Heroquest back in the day but didn't see this magazine and it took a long time to track down a copy that wasn't too outrageously expensive.

Here's page 1 of the comic strip... 


and the final (8th) page...

Some cool hazards that came with the magazine - the magazine covers are card rather than paper so I'm guessing that the first thing plenty of people did with this magazine when they got it home was to cut the cover to shreds and that's why it's hard to come by these days.

29 September 2021

UPDATED: The Mask adventures comic - Titan comics

Not a comic I've got any issues of but I thought it worthy of inclusion on the blog...so here we go with a covers gallery for The Mask adventures comic from Titan comics. Plenty of gaps still to fill in - please let me know if you can help.

UPDATE: covers for issues 16 & 17 have now been found and added to the listing below

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 1, March 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 2, April 1996
image not to hand - can you help?

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 3, May 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 4, June 1996
image not to hand - can you help?

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 5, July 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 6, August 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 7, September 1996

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 8, October 1996
image not to hand - can you help?

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 9, November  1996
cover by Bruce Timm, art by Dev Madan, script by Michael Eury

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 10, December 1996
image not to hand - can you help?

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 11, January 1997


The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 12, February 1997

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 13, March 1997

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 14, April 1997
cover by Marc Campos, art by Killian Plunkett (pencils), Bruce patterson (inks) and Chris Chalenor (colours); script by Michael Fallon and Mark Verheiden

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 15, May 1997

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 16, June 1997


The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 17, July 1997


The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 18, August 1997
image not to hand - can you help?

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 19, September 1997
image not to hand - can you help?

The Mask Adventures comic, Titan comics, issue 20, October 1997
image not to hand - can you help?

I've listed this up to issue 20 as that's the last issue I can find in the 'advance listings' section of (contemporary comics magazine) Comics International - specifically in issue #85 (September 1997) of Comics International. Although as former editor John Freeman has pointed out to me solicited issues are not the same as printed issues - so it may be that issue 17 is the last issue. 

Images above are either swiped from ebay or from here