Shit the dog - poster magazine issue 3

So this issue of Shit the dog, from Jan/Feb 1998, features the work of a selection of artists, whose work I present here for your delight and delectation...Brian Bolland, Kevin O'Neill, Cam Kennedy, Frank Quitely, Jon Haward, Kevin Eastman, Carlos Ezquerra and more besides...

Shit the dog - poster magazine issue 2

For anyone who couldn't believe there was a whole 8 page fold out magazine / comic thing about dogs defecating, stand by to be amazed because there was a 2nd issue - and look the price is quoted in dollars, this baby is being exported!

 The merchandise bandwagon rolls on...

 and you too can win some truly Shit artwork by Simon Bisley...

Shit the dog - poster magazine issue 1

A change of tack now, but from August 1997 we have issue 1 of, ahem, Shit the dog. I've collected this on the strength of the creators involved (Simon Bisley, Alan Grant, John Wagner) rather that any profound interest in 3 to 4 panel gag strips about dogs defecating, but there you go.
Issue 1 is signed by all 3 creators

And there was even spin-off merchandise!

Dan Boultwood

To celebrate Dan Boultwood drawing the cover for this months issue of 'Tales from the Tardis' (see below), I thought I'd see what other art by him I could lay my hands on...

The collected 'It Came!' published by Titan Books (March 2014) - this collects the 4 issue series 'It Came!' - Dan's ace retro sf tale

From The Phoenix (issue 166, 7 Mar 2015) we have the first episode of Dirk Lloyd - the dark Lord (described as by Dan Boultwood, created by Dave Morris and Jamie Thompson)

Example page of Dan's art

Also from the Phoenix, here we have, from issue 181 (20 June 2015), Squid Squad

Gladiators - issue 2

And here's the 2nd and final issue of "Gladiators - comic strip adventures" (from Sep 29th 1993). Again all art is by Kev F Sutherland. The men in leotards count is definitely down from Johnny Cougar's day, more women in leotards now...

I saw a copy of this in the 50p bin outside the 'Book and comic exchange' shop in Notting Hill yesterday.

Some unexpected Shakespearean dialogue

The mooted, but never published, issue 3

What ITV wanted you to be buying instead of Kev's comic...

Gladiators - issue 1

Since we seem to be on a bit of a roll with the whole wrestling comics thing, I've delved a little deeper and found some more to admire! Ok, so there wasn't actually any wrestling going on in Gladiators, but it's the nearest comparison I have.

First up, we have issue 1 of the 100% official comic strip adventures of '90s ITV tea-time mainstay, Gladiators. Publication date would be September 1993.
Cover is signed 'Austin' - so that's Mick Austin.

The interior art is all by Kev F Sutherland

Johnny Cougar's wrestling monthly 5+6

The last 2 issues of this title


Johnny Cougar's Wrestling monthly Issue 5

Johnny Cougar's Wrestling monthly Issue 6

Johnny Cougar's wrestling monthly 3+4

Covers to issues 3+4 of this obscure title. I've not scanned in the colour pictures of '90s wrestlers in their (enormous) pants / leotards.




Johnny Cougar's Wrestling monthly Issue 3

Johnny Cougar's Wrestling monthly Issue 4

Johnny Cougar's wrestling monthly 1+2

Johnny Cougar's Wrestling monthly ran for 6 issues from October 1992-March 1993. 48 pages of  wrestling nonsense, beautifully illustrated by John Gillatt. Shown here are issues 1+2

Issue 1, free gift badge still attached.

Issue 1, back cover.

Issue 2 front cover.

Issue 2 back cover.

2000ad archive volume 2

here's volume 2 of the archive, again 300+ pages of a telephone directory sized reprints of progs 11-20. There was no volume 3.

Did you ever own one of these?

Useful credits list

The Avengers - Steed and Mrs Peel, the comic strips

Just released by Big Finish (https://www.bigfinish.com/) is this collection of 8 Avengers strips sourced from Diana comic issues 199-224 (so 1966/67 vintage). These are illustrated by Emilio Frejo with assistance by Juan Gonzalez. These stories are all pretty short, a maximum of 4 episodes each (although you do get 2 pages a week). The artwork is lovely, very similar to that produced by such luminaries as Jose Ortiz and Luis Bermejo were producing.
Big Finish are to be congratulated on bringing these stories to light. And all for just £9.99. Treat yourself to an early Christmas present.


Front cover

Back cover

Vikings and an Atomic bomb! It can only be the Avengers.

You can order here

https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/the-comic-strips-1220

Only £9.99 for almost 70 pages of full colour comic art, how can you resist?



2000ad festival guest list announced

Over on Multiversity Comics, the guest list for the 2000ad con has been announced and it's as good as you dared hope!
http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news/exclusive-2000-ad-40-years-festival/

Rebellion have unveiled an epic guest list for the ultimate 2000 AD experience event in London this February which coincides with the 40th anniversary of the long-running science fiction weekly comic!

February 11th 2017, Rebellion toasts 40 years of the publication of legendary British weekly comic 2000 AD by presenting a huge celebration in the UK capital. The main event, a one-day ‘immersive live extravaganza‘, will take place at Hammersmith’s Novotel and includes a jam-packed schedule of prestige events, original programming, world exclusive merchandise and one-of-a-kind spectacles befitting the legacy of the finest comic book export the UK has ever produced.

The most ambitious single occasion in the history of 2000 AD publishing, the festival will feature an unprecedented number of writers, artists and editors to have graced its pages including: Pat Mills, John Wagner, Carlos Ezquerra, Alan Grant, Jesus Redondo, Robin Smith, Cam Kennedy, Arthur Ranson, Colin MacNeil, Andy Diggle, Henry Flint, Jock, Peter Milligan, John Higgins, John Reppion, Leah Moore, David Bishop, Emma Beeby, Gordon Rennie, Glenn Fabry, Simon Bisley, Ian Edginton, Dave Gibbons, Mick McMahon, Steve Yeowell, Rob Williams, Si Spurrier, Al Ewing, Sean Phillips, Dan Abnett, Duncan Fregredo, D’Israeli, Tom Foster, Kev Walker, Annie Parkhouse, Chris Weston, Clint Langley, Ian Kennedy, Richard Elson, Chris Blythe, Hilary Robinson, Richard Burton, Steve McManus, Jon Davis-Hunt, Alan Barnes, Alec Worley, David Bailie, Simon Fraser, Mark Sexton, Eddie Robson, John Tomlinson, Paul Cornell, Peter Hogan, Steve White, Charlie Adlard, Geoff Senior, Eoin Coveney, Ben Willsher, Boo Cook, David Kendall, David Millgate, David Roach, Dom Reardon, Dylan Teague, Frazer Irving, INJ Culbard, Jeff Anderson, John McCrea, Karl Richardson, Laurence Campbell, Lee Sullivan, Lee Townsend, Leigh Gallagher, Mark Harrison, Mike Dowling, Mike Collins, Mike Perkins, Nick Percival, Neil Roberts, Nigel Dobbyn, Patrick Goddard, Paul Marshall, Rian Hughes, Simon Davis, Simon Gurr, Simon Jacob, Steve Pugh, Steve Roberts, Steve Tappin, Tiernen Trevallion, Warren Pleece, Simon Bowland, Abigail Ryder, Roger Langridge and many, many more!

“We have brought together a group of the greatest writers and artists on the planet,” said Rebellion’s head of books and comics Ben Smith. “We’re confident that this is not only the largest assembly of 2000 AD talent ever, but a line up that rivals any UK comic event. We very much hope that come February, Earthlets large and small will consider their minds well and truly blown!”

2000ad archive - volume 1

A recent acquisition for me, I'd recalled reading about these volumes ages ago, did nothing about it and then went to try and order them - found they'd gone - and then started to doubt myself that they even existed.


Anyway, here from August 2002 we have '2000ad archive volume 1' - this is a page for page reprint of the first 10 issues of 2000ad (so that's 300+ pages of thrillpower). Cover is by Kev Walker. For a telephone directory sized book, this volume is weirdly subtitled '2000ad digital archive'. In the end Rebellion moved away from reprinting whole progs and instead chose to focus on reprinting stories featuring individual characters. This volume is A4 sized - so it's bigger than, for instance, the Judge Dredd Case Files. Quality of reproduction leaves something to be desired, and the (originally) colour pages are presented here in black and white.

Very useful list of credits.

Roy of the Rovers (3)

as well as books Roy featured in a couple of comic book reprints as well


First up was the Egmont Classic Comics line of reprints that appeared in 2009 - this is the cover for the issue 01/04/09-23/06-09

This actually featured Roy the Rovers, Billy's Boots, The hard man, Mighty mouse and a few more strips, so it wasn't all Roy.


Then there was this magazine from the "All About..." series (cover dated 16/06/10-13/07/10); again this didn't have just Roy strips in, but primarily it did (plus an Andy Steel - playmaker & Goalmouth strip). 

Roy of the Rovers (2)

so rolling the clock back a few years there was a time when Mirror Books (an offshoot of Mirror newspaper) published quiz books...


So here's there 1978 Roy of the Rovers quiz book

that must have worked, because the next year...

the 1979-80 football quiz book came out. Like its predecessor volume this has some reprint art in it and lots of questions (unsurprisingly) about football in it.

Here's the other quiz book that came out at around the same time from the same publisher (1980, compiled by Roy Preston)

But back to Roy...the other volume well worth tracking down is this





This is from 1994 and is a 200+ page A4 sized volume featuring a complete chronological overview of Melchester Rovers' seasons from 1951-52 up until 1992-3. A huge amount of content and well worth getting hold of (it always seems to be quite expensive - I can only assume it sell well at the time).

Roy of the Rovers (1)

The recent release of Barrie Tomlinson's book Real Roy of the Rovers stuff (more details see here    http://downthetubes.net/?p=33497) made me wonder what other Roy of the Rovers book's are out there for the collector?


In recent years Titan Books have published:

1. Roy of the Rovers - the 1980s
2. Roy of the Rovers - the 1970s
3. Roy of the Rovers - world cup special
4. The bumper book of Roy of the Rovers
5. The second bumper book of Roy of the Rovers

But they're quite well-known so I'm going to gloss over those, instead...


Well there have been a few (auto)biographies, for instance...


This is Mick Collin's effort from Aurum Press in 2008 (ISBN 9781845133610)

This hardback is from publishers Century in 2014 (ISBN 9781-78-089329-7)

Which was then reprinted in paperback by Arrow in 2015 (ISBN 978-0-09-959866-4)

Anything else to collect? Oh yes, come back tomorrow for more details...

Black Star Fiction Library - issue 2

So here's the second (and final) issue of Shaky Kane's Black Star Fiction Library from 2001, in this issue Officer Carlos who suffered rather horribly in issue 1 is fished out of the docks, where he's met a rather unfortunate end. Like all cops, Scratch reckons, now that he's dead, Officer Carlos is a hero (even though he was a scumbag in real life), luckily Scratch has prepared for this eventuality and proceeds to ruin Officer Carlos's life from beyond the grave.


Cover

Officer Carlos (looking rather the worse for wear, but then he is dead)

From The dinosaurs are coming, the 'back-up' strip in this issue. Art by Shaky Kane.

An advert for companion (humour) title, Lazy Frog, this also featured much Shaky Kane artwork.