UPDATED: SSI journal, 1992

Copies of the Society of Strip Illustration (SSI) turn up infrequently, due to their limited print-run. SI was delighted to acquire a few (from 1992) a while back. I'll share cover images and notable contributors. Here we go then...

Now with covers/details for July-October added

SSI newsletter, January 1992, cover art by Paul Schroeder

SSI newsletter, February 1992, cover art by Bryan Talbot

SSI newsletter, March 1992, cover art by Ron Tiner

SSI newsletter, April 1992

SSI newsletter, May 1992, cover art by Paul Rogers

SSI newsletter, June 1992, cover art by Steve Whitaker

SSI newsletter, July 1992, cover art by Lee Brimmicombe-Wood

SSI newsletter, August 1992, cover art by Pete Venters

SSI newsletter, September 1992, cover art by ???

SSI newsletter, October 1992, cover art by Steve Martin

cartoon strip by Steve Whitaker

letter from D'Israeli

SSI journal, 1992

Copies of the Society of Strip Illustration (SSI) turn up infrequently, due to their limited print-run. SI was delighted to acquire a few (from 1992) a while back. I'll share cover images and notable contributors. Here we go then...

SSI newsletter, January 1992, cover art by Paul Schroeder

SSI newsletter, February 1992, cover art by Bryan Talbot

SSI newsletter, March 1992, cover art by Ron Tiner

SSI newsletter, April 1992

SSI newsletter, May 1992, cover art by Paul Rogers

SSI newsletter, June 1992, cover art by Steve Whitaker

Alan Hebden signing announced

Just a reminder that this is happening today - unfortunately, I can't make it but I hope it's well attended. Have fun if you're going!

It's not been officially announced yet but as you'll see from the message below (from the Battle Fans Facebook group) Alan Hebden will be signing copies of the upcoming Clash of the guards reprint (from Battle) at Forbidden Planet on Saturday 15th July 2023 at 2pm. 

Alan Hebden signing announced

It's not been officially announced yet but as you'll see from the message below (from the Battle Fans Facebook group) Alan Hebden will be signing copies of the upcoming Clash of the guards reprint (from Battle) at Forbidden Planet on Saturday 15th July 2023 at 2pm. 

Powerman #12 - Brian Bolland & Carlos Ezquerra

I've looked at Powerman before (here) and I've tried to gather together all the images I can find of this rare Nigerian comic by Brian Bolland & Dave Gibbons. I recently acquired a small collection of Powerman comics so I'll be bringing highlights from those comics in the coming weeks ...

Previously we've looked at...

a). issue 5 is here

b). issue 6 is here

c). issue 7 is here

d). issue 8 is here

e). issue 9 is here

f). issue 10 is here

g). issue 11 is here

h). issue 16 is here

i). issue 18 is here

And there's a Brian Bolland interviw (here) - from Arkensword fanzine 13/14 - and artist Ron Tiner speaks about his time on Powerman here

And here's the highlights from issue 12...

Powerman by Brian Bolland - a 16 page strip

The black star - possibly by Ron Tiner - a 9 page strip

War story by Carlos Ezquerra - a 5 page strip

Ron Tiner talks Powerman

I've looked at Powerman before (here) and I've tried to gather together all the images I can find of this rare Nigerian comic by Brian Bolland & Dave Gibbons. Some more images recently became available (thanks ebay!) so I swiped them for posterity and they can be found as follows...

a). issue 18 is here

b). issue 16 is here

c). issue 10 is here

d). issue 9 is here

e). issue 8 is here

f). issue 7 is here

and there's a Brian Bolland interviw (here) - from Arkensword fanzine 13/14 - but, wait, there's more!

In response to my posting Ron Tiner was kind enough to get in touch and relieve some of his memories of working on Powerman...

The Jango strip was drawn initially by Eric Bradbury. I had decided to try to get into comics art (I was teaching in a comprehensive school at the time) and on the advice of Dave Gibbons, I took some sample pages to Bardon Press Features in Farringdon Street. I happened to arrive when the manager, Barry Coker, was a bit desperate to find a replacement artist, because Eric had decided to go to an archery competition instead of drawing the upcoming episode and I turned up at his door like a not-quite-adequate answer to a prayer. I drew that episode, and then took on the art chores for alternate episodes after that. 

Here's Ron's work for Jango...

"Powerman" was being drawn by Brian Bolland and Dave Gibbons at that time, but 2000AD was just preparing for publication just then and both Brian and Dave were beginning to do work for that new venture. So I inked one episode of "Powerman" for Brian and then took over that strip. Eventually the publication ceased - owing to the chaos following a military coup in Nigeria - after I had drawn 5 or 6 episodes of the Powerman character. I have about half a dozen issues - if there's anything I can provide from those , just ask. As far as I know, Ron Smith only drew one series for the other Nigerian comic that Pkin were publishing then - called "Pop" 

The Powerman comic was bought out by a South African company. who ran the strip, but had a tea company to "sponsor" it. Believe it or not, I was given the chore of drawing in extra frames on Dave's and Brian's stories, showing Powerman stopping for tea after every incident requiring physical action. "Aha!" he would say, "After that, what I need is a nice cup of tea". And he would sit down and whip out a thermos flask from under his cloak. No... I'm not making this up!

Here's Ron's cover for issue 39

Ron Tiner has commented further on the possible last issue of Powerman - his is the best info. we have so I'm going to plump for issue #35 being the last issue