Small Press Big Mouth

Looking Forward: 2012

2012-01-01T14:23:00.003Z

2011 was a pretty fab year comics-wise, but I think 2012 will be even better. Into The Woods, Bayou Arcana, White Knuckle, Rainbow Orchid v3, Princess Of Mars, Damaged Goods, Dick Turpin and the Crimson Plague and Babble to name just a few that were already on my Eagerly Awaited list, but what else can we expect? We gave a Big Mouth Call Out, and here's what we heard back...

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Richmond Clements - Turning Tiger!

David Wynne - Hypergirl issues 2 and 3 by summer, trade in October... and some stuff I frustratingly can't talk about. AWESOME stuff.

Ian Sharman - Hypergirl 2 & 3 by Summer, trade in Oct. New edition of Alpha Gods OGN in Feb. Hero: 9 to 5 Book Two at some point.

Rob Davis - Don Quixote Vol II

Holly Rose - The Shrapnel: Case Files will be debuting in spring (some gender and sexuality politics as well as crime fighting fun)

Luke Foster - MoonFreight 3 on its regular MWF schedule, book collection vol. 3, and hopefully one or two other side projects.

Corey Brotherson - With Jennie Gyllblad: Bayou Arcana: Irons in the Fire, Clockwork Watch: The Arrival (followed by Breakaway), & secret projects. With Sergio Calvet Magic of Myths: season two. And with several other non-Twitter artists, Unseen Shadows: Stolen, and about 3 other secret/unannounced projects. Busy year!

En Gingerboom - Those of No Class #2! And the compiled book of 'What is it Katy?' which I will be trying to fund with indiegogo

Valia Kapadai - White Knuckle with Cy Dethan and Nic Wilkinson / Kindred Spirits and Medina's 9 Lives with Maggie J Neko, if I have some time Dreamcatcher with Mo Ali, Urban Legends and Bayou Arcana anthology, maaaaybe a short comic with Pavlos Pavlidis and after all that I have Snow with Richard McAuliffe and Seeing Shadows with Christopher Barker !! It'll be an AMAZING YEAR !! ?

Lee Robson - Babble. Hopefully. Babble is the story of Carrie Hartnoll, a girl lost and going nowhere in life until she becomes involved in an attempt to resurrect the forgotten universal language of Babel. The apparent suicide of the project’s original team leader propels her to uncover the horrific truth about the language and why it was written out of the history books…

Gavin Mitchell - Official release of Stiffs and The Pride, (I believe anyway)

Graham Pearce - I'll probably get sued by George Lucas in May 2012 when I publish Sgt Mike Battle #17 which features a story entitled 'Star-Spangled Wars'! I'm also hoping to publish the first chapter of Last Admin Hero 2 by the end of 2012!!

Nic Wilkinson - Bayou Arcana will be out next year, too with ALL the cool kids involved. Cy Dethan, Peter Mason, Graeme Howard and I also have Cancertown 2 brooding in the wings for next summer!

Garen Ewing - Art for 'The Legend of the Golden Feather' in The Phoenix issue 1 (written by Ben Haggarty) and 'The Rainbow Orchid' volume 3 in April (May for the Dutch edition).

Gary Bainbridge - Sugar Glider #3 is out next year, unless I leave comics to take up chess.

Daniel Clifford - Halcyon & Tenderfoot Subscriptions available now from artheroes.bigcartel.com

Sara Dunkerton - I'm sure you're already shouting about Bayou Arcana & Into The Woods, but the next Dark Harvest book is out in May, it'll be saturated with my work!

Christian Wildgoose - Ohh! Should have a book called 'Porcelain' out hopefully in March-ish plus a web comic 'ButterflyGate' both of them written by Benjamin Read and edited by Matthew Gibbs, and Dreamsolver coming out with Markosia late on..

Luke Halsall - the Glasgow League of Writers are producing a superhero anthology (each at most 6pgs) and a horror anthology later on.

BeyondtheBunker - Moon #2 will be out in 2012.

Glenn Jones working on my first comic book next year. to follow on from a novel I published 3 years ago. the title of my novel is called 'The Lyonsblood Chronicles' and I think the comic will be 'Tales from the Lyonsblood Chronicles'. I plan to do 4 comics. one special for each of my four main characters. Although I'm giving myself a year to do the first one...dipping my toe in the water etc. It's superhero, although not spandex and tights. it's more to do with the origin of super powers, and their ultimate purpose in the universe.

Dani Abram - Kitty Hawk will kick your ass in 2012 or so help me!

Laura Sneddon - I'll be creating my first comic for uni! Two modules this semester - one on international comics culture and the other on creating comics, for which I'll be writing and drawing a 9 page comic! I'm hoping my art talents come rushing back, ahem.

Jennie Gyllblad - 2012 will hopefully be the year I get a lot DONE, and published. Skal Chapter 1, Clockwork Watch, Bayou Arcana... Butterflies and Moths?

Andy Bloor - Zombies 2, Robot Shorts and many more coming from AccentUK and others

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Right then? Anyone got any more? And what are you looking forward to this year? Drop us a line in the usual manner!

Looking Back: Faves & Raves of 2011

2011-12-31T16:45:00.000Z

Heya kids, yeah, I know I know the last thing the world needs right now is another bloody Best Of The Year list right, but these comics are bloody good and a lot of them probably get overlooked so shurrup you. I should point out that this is an entirely personal list (it is I, Lovely Lee, typing this) of the comics that have personally buttered my muffin this year. If there's a really big famous graphic novel that's appearing on everyone else's Best Of lists and is conspicuous by its absence here, its probably because I haven't read it yet cos I'm rubbish. Anyhoo, lets crack on, in no particular order...

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SLAUGHTERMAN'S CREED - Cy Dethan & Stephen Downey

Yeah, I said when I reviewed this on the 'cast that this would likely be my book of the year and so it is. If its possible to double-take while reading a comic I did it. At the end of every chapter! If Dethan & Downey don't hit the big time in 2012 then there's no justice and I will burn this planet to the core! *rant foam gibber*. Expect to see Cancertown 2, White Knuckle and Jennifer Wilde on this list next year.

MARGOT'S ROOM - Emily Carroll

I'd never heard of Emily Carroll until she seemed to explode onto the scene with His Face All Red last year and she has already become one of the most exciting comics creators out there. A beautiful artist and an amazing storyteller who may just become the Eisner of webcomics. Every new comic she produces is an event to me and Margot's Room was the... er... eventiest? Bah! Superlative failure!

THOSE OF NO CLASS - N Gingerboom

Something I learned in 2011 is that just because a comic is 'home produced' doesn't mean it can't be equal or superior in quality to a mainstream book - see Sugar Glider, Twisted Dark, Tw1sted Vision, Skal and many more. Ironically, given the title, N has produced a comic of utter class - a lush, beautiful SF fantasy that is destined, I predict, to become A Big Thing not unlike A Distant Soil or Mouse Guard. N Gingerboom is a talent to watch.

WOLVES - Becky Cloonan

Wolves, a simple twisty fable about a lycanthrope hunt is a thing of beauty and probably the most inspirational comic I've read this year. Its one of those comics that makes you want to make comics of your own, to find the stories and the art inside yourself. Also the sketches and works-in-progress that she regularly posts on twitter are bloody amazing.

LOCKE & KEY - Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez

My love of The Walking Dead is legendary I await each book with baited breath and switch off my phone top read them. Locke & Key is the comic that toppled Walking Dead off my top spot. Locke & Key is a true serialised graphic novel essentially a suspense/horror/fantasy about a haunted house and the family that move in there...what's that you say? Heard it all before? WRONG! Locke & Key is stunningly original, wildly imaginative, gripping and unpredictable, the art is exquisite and the characters are real. If you aren't reading this its tantamount to self abuse (and not the good kind).

TALES OF THE SPIFFING - various

I love anthologies and in a year of really great anthologies (The Lovecraft Anthology, Predators, Sugar Glider Stories #2) this probably nudges out as my favourite thanks to the pure variety of the stories - too many gems to mention, just buy the bloody thing. And I so feel like I'm cheating on the others by saying that - honestly, its not you, its me! You're all awesome in your own ways, I just had to pick one...!

SKAL: PROLOGUE - Jennie Gyllblad

I'd been looking forward to this and following Jennie's progress for a long time and it didn't disappoint. I think Jennie's achievement of going back and redrawing from scratch her partly completed web graphic novel without losing any of the passion and energy is remarkable. She also produced a really really beautiful comic to hold and read and own.

DEAD QUEEN DETECTIVES #2 - Bevis Musson

The funniest comic I read this year - yeah and this is the year that gave us Corporate Skull (see below) so that's really saying something. If you haven't bought yourself a copy yet then I'm afraid I hate you. Sorry.

CORPORATE SKULL - Jamie Smart

I love Jamie Smart - Whubble, Kochi Wanaba, Hairy Steve, Bear, Desperate Dan... - the sonovabitch can do no wrong. Corporate Skull is, so far, 3 issues of pure unadulterated genius. Fucked up bonkers in the nut genius, yes, but genius.

GLOOMY MONDAY - Valia Kapadai & me

Yes, its incredibly crass of me to pick a comic I co-wrote, but hear me out. Its not really the comic I'm nominating but the creator Valia Kapadai. Really, 100% Squishy or Tw1sted Vision should be here instead - they are certainly bigger better comics than Gloomy Monday which is just a short story - but I chose this because collaborating with Valia on it was an absolute joy and a personal highlight of the year for me.

Special mention: Cover of the year: PREDATORS - Kev Mullins. Amazing. 'Nuff said. (Predators also wins the 'short story I most want to see expanded into a full-length graphic novel' award - you hear me Andy Bloor & Mo Ali?)

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Next: Looking forward!

SPBM recommends: SHAMISEN and TOUCHFOOD

2011-12-29T12:23:00.000Z

Only yesterday we were recommending the beautiful comics of Vera Brosgol and its thanks to her that we're recommending these comics today. Last night Vera tweeted about a new short online comic by one Jen Wang entitled "Shamisen" - I clicked the link and it completely blew me away. I checked out the other comics on her website and I was blown away again, especially by one called "Touchfood".

Ms Wang was a completely new name to me - it seems she's primarily an illustrator but has had a few comics published in anthologies such as Flight and had a graphic novel Koko Be Good published by First Second Books in 2010.

Read Shamisen HERE

Read Touchfood HERE

Buy Koko Be Good HERE

Follow her on Twitter HERE

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If you have any comics to recommend, please email us or drop us a line on twit ter.

SPBM recommends: What, Were You Raised By Wolves?

2011-12-28T00:54:00.001Z

Wow, there I was making my list of my favourite comics of the year and then zoop! Vera Brosgol only goes and tweets on twitter and slips one in at the 11th hour! Apparently she produced this as a mini-comic earlier in the year for conventions, but has ran out of the printed copies now so uploaded it to her website complete and free to read.

Read it HERE. You'll be glad you did.

If you like that you might want to take a look at Vera's graphic novel Anya's Ghost which was published by First Second books back in June.

Comic artist Christmas cards 2011

2011-12-28T00:19:00.000Z

Its the most wonderful time of the year... hope all you SPBMers had a great Christmas and got loads of comics - but wait! Christmas isn't officially over until A) New Year's Eve has come and gone and B) The Christmas Radio Times runs out. So until then we're mid-Festivities in my book, capiche? One of my favourite geeky things about Christmas is the ace Christmas card art produced by some of my favourite artists and this year has produced some beauties - dangle your baubles over these...

Vicky Stonebridge / Hi-Ex

MERRY CHRISTMAS from SPBM!

2011-12-24T02:31:00.000Z

SPBM Fun & Games #5

2011-12-23T02:14:00.002Z

We ♥ comics. And here are just 31 reasons why. Can you name them all?

Open in a new tab or window to see the full-size version.

SPBM Fun & Games #4

2011-12-22T10:30:00.000Z

Its double fun today! I know, I know, we're spoiling you... enjoy!

SPBM Fun & Games #3

2011-12-21T09:51:00.001Z

A Calabash Gentler Mummers Nip! Hmm As Ascertainable Glen Rump! A Alphabetical Mr Men Gems Urns!

...I mean: Unscramble the anagrams! Simple!

SPBM Fun & Games #2

2011-12-20T10:24:00.000Z

Morning SPBMers! What is the secret behind SPBM's magical success? Print out and complete this Dot-to-dot to find out!

SPBM Fun & Games #1

2011-12-19T09:29:00.001Z

Well kiddies, its nearly Christmas and what would Christmas be without a few games? So grab yourself a cuppa and a mince pie and while away a minute and a half with our fun* wordsearch. And remember, kids, if you're going to use a pen make sure to print the wordsearch out first!

(*no actual fun guaranteed)

Click to see full-size

WHITE KNUCKLE: Opening the Throttle

2011-12-15T12:44:00.000Z

I'm dreaming of White Knuckle Christmas... okay, maybe not for Christmas, but Markosia's White Knuckle is definitely one of the comics I'm looking forward to most next year.

Slide your ice-balls over the chilling press release below to see an 11-page preview as well as learn about the cool benefits of pre-ordering (oh yeah, you bet I've put my name down already!)

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Opening The Throttle: A First Look At White Knuckle

Cy Dethan and Valia Kapadai have created a killer.

Forty years ago, Seth Rigal was a man to be feared – a serial strangler with a string of victims. Now nearly seventy and tormented by a lifetime of monstrous violence, Rigal lives on the verge of poverty and quietly waits for the death he knows he deserves. Tortured and confused, still tormented by the drives that made him a killer in his youth, Rigal finds himself almost unconsciously stalking the daughter of his final victim – only to have his precious anonymity snatched from him when he accidentally saves her son’s life. Seth Rigal, formerly known as the Gripper, just became a local celebrity.

The bodies won’t stay buried any longer.

Due for release in May 2012 White Knuckle is Cy Dethan’s latest graphic novel to be published by Markosia , and sees him teamed with internationally acclaimed Greek artist Valia Kapadai to create a complex and intense psychological thriller, distorting the ever-popular “retired gunslinger” motif into a rain-slick urban fantasy of murderous men and the needs that drive them.

Described as "Unforgiven meets Harry Brown - and strangles him," you can read a preview of the first eleven pages at MyEbook.com HERE

Pre-orders will officially open next year but if you want to put your name down on the list now (no payment required until they open) then email HERE.

Why would you do this? Well, the first 20 people to do so will have the opportunity to be drawn into the book as part of the Gripper's case files, and everyone who pre-orders will have the chance to win a piece of original art by Valia Kapadai of the characters in the book.

All pre-orders get their copies signed by the whole team, of course.

We are hoping to be able to get some more goodies for those who pre-order as well - so watch this space for news!

Pre-order price will be £10 instead of £12.99 (+ postage of £2 UK, £4 rest of world or free to collect from the launch at Bristol Comics Convention in May 2012)

You can keep up to date on the latest news about the book at the White Knuckle Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/pages/White-Knuckle-Comic/ or at the creators’ websites www.cydethan.com or http://neurotic-elf.deviantart.com.

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bubbaba-bubbaba-BOO...

Stan The Man at the LSCC

2011-12-15T12:22:00.001Z

Here's some cool news for all the True Believers out there - the man they call "The Mainstream Comics Daniel Clifford" - Stan Lee will be appearing at the inaugural London Super Comic Convention on the 25th & 26th February 2012* - his first UK con appearance in 40 years! (so he must've had a corking time last time!) For full details click the flyer below!

*other comic conventions are available.

click for full-size image

Blank Slate winter

2011-12-15T11:51:00.000Z

Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, so since you've no place to go why don't you glance your snowballs over this avalanche of awesomeness from Blank Slate...

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BLANK SLATE: WINTER 2011 BOOKS

With Winter's frosty hand now well and truly upon us, there's never been a better time to settle down inside with a good read. Luckily, we've got no less than six great titles for you to check out this cold season! Read all about them below and be sure to check out www.blankslatebooks.co.uk for more info.

NELSON - various

All profits from this book go to Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity.

Part exquisite corpse and part relay race, Nelson is an unprecedented 250-page collaboration between over 50 of the UK’s most exciting comic creators. Edited by Rob Davis and Woodrow Phoenix, the book tells the story of one woman’s life through 54 distinctive creative voices across 54 yearly episodes.

Celebrating the incredible diversity of talent in British comics today, Nelson unites creators from across the comics spectrum, including: Posy Simmonds, Duncan Fegredo, Sean Phillips, Warren Pleece, D'Israeli, Roger Langridge, Dave Taylor, Rian Hughes, Luke Pearson and many more!

ISBN: 978-1-906653-23-1 | 252 pages | 236 x 178mm softcover with flaps, full colour | £18.99

MORE INFO HERE • ORDER NOW

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HECTOR UMBRA - Uli Oesterle

Munich, present day. Master DJ Osaka Best has disappeared, mysteriously vanishing in a flash of blinding light during the climax of his set at Robot Mitchum nightclub. Enter, Hector Umbra—Osaka’s best friend and artist-turned-detective—to solve the mystery of a lifetime.

61 hours, seven packs of cigarettes and countless phone calls later, Hector springs into action, turning over every dirty stone in Munich on the hunt for the displaced DJ. It soon transpires that all is not as it seems, and our hard-boiled painterly protagonist finds himself embroiled in a plot involving religious freaks, villainous Elvis impersonators, aliens and even the dead themselves.

“Uli Oesterle is a genius and a fountain of inspiration” – Mike Mignola, creator of Hellboy

ISBN 978-1-906653-16-3 | 212 pp | Hardcover, full-colour | £18.99

MORE INFO HERE • ORDER NOW

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MY SKATEBOARD LIFE - Ed Syder

Growing up in the Cornwall skate scene of the 1980s and 1990s, Ed Syder details the thrills, spills, romance, excitement, and obsession of a sport that, for those involved, defined a generation worldwide.

For anyone who ever puzzled over the axel width of their trucks or oogled board designs in a skate shop, Ed recalls the teen anxiety of not having the coolest equipment as a beginner, the epoch-changing shift from vert skating to street skating, and how things just got weird when there were girls at the skate park. Also features mini-interviews with classic skateboarders Steve Steadham (of Bones Brigade fame) and Jeff Hedges.

ISBN 978-1-906653-11-8 | 98 pages | Softcover with flaps | £8.99

MORE INFO HERE • ORDER NOW

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A LONG DAY OF MR. JAMES-TEACHER - Harvey James

A brief snapshot of HARVEYJAMES’ time in Korea, A Long Day of Mr. James-Teacher encapsulates the highs and lows of his life as an English teacher. The poster-child for the new wave of manga-inspired artists adapting those styles to their own ends, James exhibits astounding craft in his depiction of one particularly grim day.

“This spindly English anime nerd has springboarded off his love of Japanese cartoons into something new and beautiful. His linework and sense of volume comes purely from Japanese animation but he’s deconstructed the style and rebuilt it to express big ideas and deep feelings. “ – Nick Gazin, Vice Magazine

ISBN 978-1-906653-53-8 | 28 pages | 285 x 211mm softcover with flaps, B&W | £5.99

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MORE INFO HERE • ORDER HERE

DINOPOPOLOUS - Nick Edwards

Nigel is your average 13-year-old boy from Chipton. He loves reading fantasy and sci-fi comics, playing video games, listening to heavy metal and obsessing over his classmate Martha. Oh yeah, and he spends his free time solving mysteries with his best friend Brian… a talking dinosaur with twin-mounted laser cannons on his back.

Called into action by moustachioed madman Lancaster Perrifold, the Jurassic duo are launched into the hunt for The Miracle Bird of Ndundoo, a mythical jewel-excreting creature that lives deep below the planet’s crust. Racing against the clock, Nigel and Brian must beat their nefarious adversaries, Julian and his Evil League of Lizards, to the mysterious ancient prize. Steven Spielberg’s got nothing on this.

ISBN 978-1-906653-52-1 | 26 pages | 285 x 211mm softcover with flaps, B&W | £5.99

MORE INFO HERE • PRE-ORDER HERE

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THE SURVIVALIST - Box Brown

It's the end of the world as we know it and Noah Wartowsky has survived intact. As a regular listener to Dick March's extreme conspiracy podcasts, Noah came prepared for the cataclysm by maintaining a fully-operational bunker beneath his home.

Apparently justified in his strange beliefs, Noah begins a new life as the last man on Earth; an enjoyable brave new world without work, without the man, and—most importantly—days full of pursuing his true passion: drawing comics with his pet cat.

However, all is not as it seems and soon enough, a mysterious female shows up, setting up camp in the wasteland around his bunker. Is she friend or foe? Can they co-exist peacefully? And more importantly, will there be enough weed for the both of them?

ISBN 978-1-906653-55-2 | 48 pages | 285 x 211mm softcover with flaps, B&W | £5.99

MORE INFO HERE • PRE-ORDER HERE

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Let it snow, let it snow, let it snowwww!

Order a Time Bomb!

2011-12-15T10:54:00.000Z

With the shopping days to Christmas tick-tick-ticking away Steve 'Santa' Tanner dropped us an email to remind us these beauties are available to order...

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Just wanted to give you a heads up that this month in the Previews UK Section we have the new Turpin book listed - Dick Turpin and the Crimson Plague - as well as our critically acclaimed London Calling graphic novel. (The latter's been described as "award-nominated" as it made the long list of the last Eagles, but I'm not sure if that counts!)

The order codes are:

DEC112169 - DICK TURPIN AND THE CRIMSON PLAGUE GN

DEC112170 - LONDON CALLING GN

Those fine folks at Forbidden Planet International have featured the Turpin book in their recommended graphic novels newsletter and they're offering both books at 31% discount if you pre-order them through their website - here's the links for that:

Dick Turpin And The Crimson Plague

London Calling

Obviously any shop in the UK can order it though and Diamond UK have advised that should the orders there may be an opportunity for a relist in the main part of the catalogue, so fingers crossed.

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Falalalala-lalalalah!

SPANDEX #5 comes out!

2011-11-18T11:45:00.000Z

Okay right, if you're not reading Spandex you really should be okay? Issue 5 has just come out (fnar!) so there's no reason you can't get caught up real quick. Here's the press release for the latest issue that you can read now or slip inside your stocking top for later...

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SUPER-TRAN STRIKES!

Get ready for some cross-dressing crossover craziness in Spandex 5! After the shocking events of the previous issue, the story focuses on transvestite superhero team-leader Liberty as she attempts to find out what happened to her missing Spandex team-mates!

Liberty ends up having to face every single supervillain in the Spandex universe – including Gayzilla, Big Boy, Muscle Mary and The Fashionistas – but she does get a little help from some friendly faces too... And along the way, we learn her origins, how he came to wear a female powersuit, and what it’s like to grow up as a transvestite superhero...

Entitled ‘Big Secret Crisis’, Issue 5 is the second chapter of the epic 4-part ‘O.M.F.G’ storyline. Spandex writer/artist Martin Eden comments: “The issue is completely mental. It features every single character I’ve created for the Spandex world, and it’s a slight piss-take of incredibly tedious comic crossovers too. Hopefully the readers will see the funny side of it! We also get to see what has happened to the missing Spandex team-members and there’s a whopper of a cliffhanger at the end!”

The issue also comes with a couple of very special extras – readers will get one of 64 mini-trading cards featuring characters from the Spandex universe, plus there is a free 4-page mini-comic featuring Spandex’s Japanese supergroup, The J-Team. “The trading cards are really neat,” says Martin, “and they introduce characters who, for space reasons, aren’t properly named in issue 5. The extra comic is fun, as I adore the J-Team characters, and it’s a nice little experiment for me as it’s told in Manga-style (ie, the reverse reading-order to English comics).”

Spandex issue 5 launched at the MCM Expo on 29 October and is now available from spandexcomic.com

Issue 5 costs £3.20 and is also available as a PDF for £1.

LAST ADMIN HERO at Thought Bubble

2011-11-18T11:32:00.000Z

'Tennnn-hut! Okay listen up, you commandos! Here's the latest dispatch from your hero and mine Sgt Mike Battle...

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LAST ADMIN HERO – the greatest action movie never made?

Graham Pearce publishes new SGT MIKE BATTLE Trade Paperback with Bonus Material

Sgt Mike Battle may have been fighting the enemies of freedom, democracy and capitalism for over 90 years but in November 2011 he appears in a new trade paperback entitled Sgt Mike Battle LAST ADMIN HERO. Writer/artist/publisher and all-round creative force Graham Pearce has collected issues #8-10 of the cult small-press comic Sgt. Mike Battle: The Greatest American Hero! into a brand new 160 collection of the LAST ADMIN HERO storyline.

Regarded by many Sgt Mike Battle fans as its story to date, LAST ADMIN HERO is both a tribute to and parody of Hollywood action movies. The story features a terrorist group called ACRONYM who takeover a US weapons facility and threaten to upset the balance of power in the world. The fate of the entire planet is at stake and not even Sgt Mike Battle can save the day. Everything rests in the hands of John Trojan, a simple office assistant who is more suited to filing paperwork and processing invoices than fighting bad guys.

“I’ve always described LAST ADMIN HERO as the greatest action movie never made!” explained Pearce. “Its a homage to all those 1980s/1990s action movies that feature a lone hero fighting a terrorist group in a confined location, the only difference is that John Trojan is a regular office worker with no military training. Action movies always have a hero with some sort of law-enforcement, combat or outdoor pursuits background but I wanted to do a story where the hero wasn’t a cop, an ex-navy seal or stuntman. To stack things against the hero even more, I decided to arm him with only the contents of the stationery cupboard so he literally has to stop ACRONYM with a heavy-duty stapler!”

The movie analogy continues with LAST ADMIN HERO in the form of some never-before-seen extra features that is included in the collection. “I’ve added about 60 pages of bonus material in LAST ADMIN HERO, including the preview “trailer”, an alternate ending, the abandoned original 24-page version and there’s a huge sketchbook section that explains how the characters and storylines evolved during the creative process!”

LAST ADMIN HERO represents a game-changing moment for Sgt Mike Battle. As Comics International described “The sharp wit and clever satire of previous issues is present and correct, but this comic is an improvement in that writer/artist Graham Pearce backs up the jokes with a solid and interesting plot, resulting in the most well rounded issue so far". Small Press Big Mouth said ““Absolutely f***in’ hilarious!” and Redeye says “If this series doesn’t have a massive genuine cult following, the human race should hang its collective head in shame”.

Sgt Mike Battle LAST ADMIN HERO, a 168 page US-sized black and white trade paperback is out now for £6 from grahampearce8@netscape.net. It can be ordered via www.sgtmikebattle.co.uk, via SGT MIKE BATTLE Fan Club on Facebook or from Lulu (http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/last-admin-hero/18637258).

Dick Plague at Thought Bubble!

2011-11-18T11:17:00.000Z

Favourite blog title ever! (I'm so mature!) Stand and deliver! Time Bomb Comics' are looking flash and demanding your attention at Thought Bubble as they premiere Dick Turpin and the Crimson Plague! Here's the press release...

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Time Bomb Comics is delighted to announce that their next release, Dick Turpin and the Crimson Plague, is being released internationally as well as in the UK.

Dick Turpin and the Crimson Plague is being launched at the Leeds Thoughtbubble weekend of the 19^{th &} 20^th November, where the creative team will be conducting a mid-day signing session at the Time Bomb Comics table on the Saturday afternoon.

One week later, Steve Tanner and Time Bomb Comics will be at the Malta Comic-Con taking place in Valletta, Malta over the weekend of 26^th & 27^th November to launch the book internationally.

The long-awaited follow-up to the critically acclaimed one-shot Dick Turpin and the Restless Dead, Dick Turpin and the Crimson Plague features the notorious highwayman up against a nest of vampires in 18^th Century London. Once again written by Steve Tanner, this second horrors and highwaymen mash-up from the Birmingham based company features artwork from rising star Graeme Howard – who is currently drawing Cy Dethan’s Cancertown 2 for Markosia – and lettering by the talented Nikki Foxrobot.

Dick Turpin and the Crimson Plague also contains The Rogues Gallery featuring exclusive Dick Turpin artwork from Keith Page, Stuart Tipples, Simon Wyatt, Alex Thompson, Josceline Fenton and Glenn Jones.

It has also been confirmed that Dick Turpin and the Crimson Plague will be available to order in the December 2011 Diamond Previews Catalogue.

DICK TURPIN AND THE CRIMSON PLAGUE, 56 pages, Graphic Album, perfect bound, full colour cover, black and white interior, retail price £6.99/$11.99, ISBN 978-0-9561822-4-1

From the hanging tree at Tyburn to the pleasure houses of Pall Mall, there’s only one thing stopping the notorious highwayman Dick Turpin leaving 18th Century London and returning to the open road - a nest of vampire prostitutes eager to spread their Crimson Plague!

Bubbling up!

2011-11-17T12:08:00.002Z

This weekend is the annual Leeds Sequential Arts Festival aka Thought Bubble and it looks like it will be a fab event with loads of brilliant guests and awesome events. We asked a bunch of Indie & Small Pressers what they will be up to at TB this weekend...

*****

Bevis Musson: I'll be there. No table but will have some Dead Queen Detectives #1 & 2 with me and happy to draw for money.

Pete Rogers: Copies of The Interactives will be on sale at the Orang Utan Comics table, along with the latest issue of FTL. And of course the Unseen Shadows anthology Tales of the Fallen with the mighty Nugewing.

Nic Wilkinson: Pete's already mentioned Tales Of The Fallen and we also have The Indifference Engine and Broadcast: The TV Doodles of Henry Flint launching. Rob and Henry will both be sketching.

Graeme Howard: Dick Turpin and I'll be with Timebomb on Saturday sketching and that kinda thing.

Jennie Gyllblad and Corey Brotherson: We'll be on table 67 in the Royal Armouries. Me selling Skal, artwork/prints and taking commissions. Corey selling magic of myths and pimping the first chapter of Butterflies and Moths (Hello publishers!) (Corey: And dont forget - we have Wham mini bars... Lots of Wham minis bars.)

Lee Robson: I'll be wandering the floor on Saturday, so if you’re so inclined, come and find me and ask me anything you want to about Babble. Not much of a consolation for the lack of previews, I know, but, hey. However, if you absolutely must have some of our pre-Babble collaborations in your possession, Accent UK will be there, too, selling their anthologies Robots, Western and Predators – all of which feature strips by us!

Andrew Waugh: I'll be at table 128: please come and say hi.

ink + PAPER: We're at Table 123 (easy as ABC) at Thought Bubble this weekend, sharing with the mighty The Strumpet . See you there!

Cinebooks: will be there with their usual selection of brilliant books (we recommend Green Manor in particular!)

*****

SPBM will be represented by The Gorgeous Stace so if you see her around say hello!

ART HEROES announced

2011-11-16T11:49:00.000Z

'Small Press Stan Lee' Daniel 'Denis' Clifford's plans for world domination continue apace as he announces his latest project Art Heroes this time allied with artist Lee Robinson. Now naturally I could tell you all about it in my own awesome and hilarious words but I'm frightfully lazy so here's a press release what Denis wrote and some pictures what Lee drew.

****

ART HEROES, A NEW COMIC PUBLISHING COMPANY, LAUNCHING SOON

Daniel Clifford (Sugar Glider writer) and Lee Robinson (Sugar Glider 2: Anthony artist) have launched Art Heroes, a new comic book publishing and workshop facilitation company.

Publications

The first Art Heroes comic book, Halcyon and Tenderfoot, is an all-ages title intended as a fantastic entry point for new comics readers and a refreshing change for older readers.

Although Halcyon and Tenderfoot tells a long-form story focussing on superheroes, individual arcs will experiment with different genres.

In the British comics tradition, Halcyon and Tenderfoot will be A4-sized with colour covers and black & white interiors. It will launch in March 2012 and then be released quarterly throughout its first year.

Halcyon and Tenderfoot will be previewed with an issue 0 at Thought Bubble in Leeds this November. This A5 black & white preview comic will introduce readers to our heroes as well as giving clues to events that will occur throughout the series.

There are various options for buying Halcyon and Tenderfoot comics - you can purchase single issues in physical or digital versions, and you can even get a yearly subscription.

Workshops

As well as publishing comic books, the Art Heroes team will be offering workshops to schools, libraries and other organisations to get young people making their own comics.

Art Heroes workshops will launch in January 2012, operating mainly in Tyne & Wear and Northumberland. The workshops will inspire creativity and positive activities, aid in development of literacy skills and build new comic book audiences.

The Art Heroes team will have Public Liability Insurance worth £5m and hold current CRB Disclosures.

Content development

One of the long-term goals of Art Heroes is to develop content for other publication and mediums. The team is already working on pitches for a number of larger publishing companies.

Online

Visit ArtHeroes.co.uk for more information, to buy comics or sign up for a subscription, and to book comic book workshops.

Convention appearances

19-20^th November - Thought Bubble, Saviles Hall Leeds
10^th December - Canny Comic Con, Newcastle City Library

Art Heroes will hopefully have a presence at Bristol Comic Expo, Glasgow Comic Con and others throughout 2012.

Quotes

“Art Heroes is a chance for me to take everything I’ve been doing over the last few years in self-publishing and comic book workshops, and bring them under one banner. I’m hoping that I can make a lot of great comics with Lee and we can run some really fun workshops, building on the successes I’ve had with Sugar Glider and Jack and Daniel’s Comic Book Workshops.” - Daniel Clifford

“Setting up Art Heroes gives us the opportunity and freedom to create work we can be proud of, and to reach as wide an audience as possible with that work. I’m excited about the comic books we’re working on now and even more excited to see what else we can come up with next.” - Lee Robinson

The team

Daniel Clifford was born in South Shields, 1986. In the early 90s comics taught him to read, and in 2009 he set out to make comics that could have a similarly positive effect. His published works (including Sugar Glider and Sugar Glider Stories) have been focussed towards an all-ages audience. He organised comic book workshops around North East England with the artist Jack Fallows for two years before establishing Art Heroes with Lee Robinson.

Lee Robinson was born in Hexham, Northumberland in 1986. He has worked on a number of projects as an illustrator and cartoonist over the last few years, and earned an Animation Foundation Degree in the process. His comic book work has been published in Sugar Glider issue 2 and Sugar Glider Stories issue 2. He has worked with vulnerable adults for a number of years before establishing Art Heroes with Daniel Clifford.

We (heart) Cy Dethan

2011-11-16T11:20:00.001Z

Its no secret that we here at the SPBM mansion consider ourselves Cy Dethan's biggest fan - and yes we do mean in a scary Kathy Bates/Misery kind of way - so we already now what he's up to in November (we also keep a journal of his bathroom habits and think he should get that mole on his left bum-cheek checked out cos it looks a bit funny to us) but for those of you who don't have him under 24-hour video surveillance here's this handy-dandy press release on two books he has out this month...

****

Fractured Realities:

Two Mind-Altering Markosia Releases in November

It’s not often you get to release a book that causes people to worry about reality and feel unstable after reading it. It’s almost unthinkable, dangerous even, that you might release two such subversive creations at once. That, however, is just what Markosia Enterprises is planning to do this November. Stay tuned to find out what will be left standing when these monsters collide.

Broadcast: The TV Doodles of Henry Flint

“The mind of Henry Flint is a galaxy of beautiful atrocities – a nightmare factory where the bestial becomes benign, the mundane magical. Henry Flint is at once a full-service doodling savant and a one-man alien zoo, and this never-before-seen collection of his personal work is an attempt to chart a single, crooked leg of the artistic journey he takes daily. Welcome to the best of the bestiary.”

Broadcast offers something very different from Henry Flint’s narrative artwork, familiar to fans worldwide from his books for 2000AD, Vertigo and Dark Horse. With writer Cy Dethan acting as guide to the reader, the book is at once a treasure map and an open invitation to explore Henry’s personal work and zen-like experiments in art.

~*~

The Indifference Engine: A Holographic Novel

“Responding to a strangely specific job advertisement, Alan Blake, a distinctly ordinary twenty-something suburban slacker finds himself in the middle of an inter-dimensional task force staffed entirely by superhuman alternate versions of himself. Struggling to fit in, he uncovers a conspiracy that strikes at the very heart of the organisation – a conspiracy that only he can stop.”

“Being a science fiction fan,” says Wayne Hall of Sci-Fi Pulse, “I sometimes ache for a comic that will challenge my perceptions of the world, of the universe, of my way of thinking...The Indifference Engine scratches that itch spectacularly!"

This is Cy Dethan’s third original graphic novel from Markosia and he is joined this time around by hot-shot new artist Rob Carey, along with colourist Mel Cook and letterer Nic Wilkinson. Following the convention-busting performance of the horror- noir Cancertown and the surreal gangland thriller Slaughterman’s Creed, it already looks as if Dethan’s first creator-owned sci-fi story, described by John Freeman as "a gripping, nihilist alternate reality adventure" will be enjoying the same levels of success. Dethan first explored the genre for Markosia as writer of their Starship Troopers line.

The digital version of the book has already been incredibly popular. "Cy Dethan's script is superb on this book," said John (Sci-Fi Art Now) Freeman on Down The Tubes, "This [is a] tightly-written multi-universe-spanning adventure tale and it's...definitely a book to look out for."

A free preview can be read HERE

Preorders can be made through the Markosia website HERE

NELSON is on sale now!

2011-11-16T10:30:00.001Z

I haven't got my copy - yet - but I saw it in Nostalgia & Comics at the weekend and, man, its a thing of beauty! Nelson is, as I'm sure you all remember, a fantastic new book from Blank Slate featuring a stunning line-up of talent - beyond that all profits from the book go to Shelter the charity that helps the homeless.

****

54 U.K. COMIC CREATORS UNITE FOR CHARITY IN "NELSON"

Over 50 of the UK’s best comic creators have teamed up for a ground-breaking charity graphic novel project released this week. EntitledNelson, the book will see publisher Blank Slate donate all profits to Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity.

A celebration of the incredible diversity of talent within British comics today, Nelson sees acclaimed literary graphic novelists such as Posy Simmonds (Tamara Drewe) teaming up with mainstream sensations like Duncan Fegredo(Hellboy) and a whole host of artists associated with Marvel, DC, 2000AD, The Beano and the rapidly-growing British small-press scene and beyond.

Co-edited by Rob Davis and Woodrow Phoenix,Nelson tells the story of one woman’s life from birth in 1968 to the present day. Each creator individually details a single event or moment of protagonist Nel Baker’s life before handing over to the next artist, resulting in a vast narrative told via yearly snapshots. Part exquisite corpse, part relay race, Nelson spans decades of British history and combines a myriad of stylistic approaches in one compelling, beautifully-rendered graphic novel.

Blank Slate publisher Kenny Penman believes that “the UK comics scene is more vibrant than ever before, making now the perfect time for people to come together to aid the greatly important work that Shelter does in these difficult economic times”. He states that “When Davis and Phoenix came to me with the idea of uniting this diverse group of creators behind the charity, I knew the opportunity was too good to miss”.

Arriving in comic and book stores across the country this week, Blank Slate will be going on tour with the book this November, holding Nelson events at Comica Festival’s Comiket Fair on the 12th (Bishopsgate Institute, London) and at Thought Bubble Festival on the 19th and 20th (Saviles Hall, Leeds), before holding a exhibition launch at London’s The Cartoon Museum on the 22nd and an action-packed public launch party at Soho’s Gosh! Comics on the 25th.

ISBN: 978-1-906653-23-1 | 252 pages | 236 x 178mm softcover with flaps, full colour | £18.99 | Released 9th November 2011

MORE INFO HERE • ORDER VIA BLANK SLATE HERE

CONTRIBUTORS

Paul Grist, Rob Davis, Woodrow Phoenix, Ellen Lindner, Jamie Smart, Gary Northfield, Sarah McIntyre, Suzy Varty, Sean Longcroft, Warwick Johnson–Cadwell, Luke Pearson, Paul Harrison–Davies, Katie Green, Paul Peart–Smith, Glyn Dillon, I.N.J.Culbard, John Allison, Philip Bond, D’Israeli, Simone Lia, Darryl Cunningham, Jonathan Edwards, Ade Salmon, Kate Charlesworth,Warren Pleece, Kristyna Baczynski, HarveyJames, Rian Hughes, Sean Phillips & Pete Doree, Kate Brown, Simon Gane, Jon McNaught, Adam Cadwell, Faz Choudhury, JAKe, Jeremy Day, Dan McDaid, Roger Langridge, Will Morris, Dave Shelton, Carol Swain, Hunt Emerson, Duncan Fegredo, Philippa Rice, Josceline Fenton, Garen Ewing, Tom Humberstone, Dan Berry, Alice Duke, Posy Simmonds, Laura Howell, Andi Watson, Dave Taylor

****

STOP PRESS: just saw this tweet from Kenny Penman of Blank Slate:

@kennypenmanKenny Penman

Buying Nelson? advise from @goshcomics, @pagefortyfive, @fpinternational or us - that way all money goes to project - Amazon 68% leaks out

Episode 34 is out!

2011-10-20T17:24:00.003+01:00

Welcome to Episode 34 of Small Press Big Mouth, with tons of news and a veritable shitload of reviews! We talk Villainous, Bearmaggedon, Emily Carroll's Margot's Room, Unbelievable, Dark Judgement 2, Rachel Rising #2, Big Bang #2, Transient, Dr WTF?! and ZOOAD. Man, reviews are packed like a can of sardines in here like (though I think that smell is Lee!) Enjoy people and keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep reading (comics)!

Direct Download: Episode 34

Linkypoos

Villainous

Unbelievable

Bearmageddon

ZOOAD - Dave Thompson

Fallen Heroes & Tales Of The Fallen

Mercury comic

Those Of No Class

Canny Comic Con

Cardiff International Comic Expo

Daniel & Jack's Comic Book Workshops

Damaged Goods

Judge Lee - He Drinks Tea

News Bites 19

2011-10-05T20:49:00.003+01:00

This is the news. N-n-n-n-news n-n-n-news. News. News. N-n-n-n-news.

*****

ITEM! Hallowscream horror comic crowdfunding for printing costs to produce hardcopies - check it out their fundraising page here HERE

ITEM! Lookit this David Wynne art! Gasp in awe as Judge Dredd, Hellboy, Alien, Predator and Jack Staff rock out with their cocks out* HERE! Soon to be available as a postcard set.

*does not actually contain exposed poultry.

ITEM! SF author Robert Rankin is 20+ pages into his steampunk webcomic Empires There's a cool write-up of it on the FPI blog HERE

ITEM! Part 3 of Zombies Hi is out now!! To make sure you secure yourself a first edition head on over to their online shop by clicking the link HERE

ITEM! Read a preview of Paul Grist's superb-looking new series, Mudman, at Bleeding Cool

ITEM! Colleen Doran says When I reach 2000 Twitter followers, ONE of you (can be ANYone) wins a $300 gift of original art and signed books! 50 of you get a signed comic! Check out her brilliant comic A Distant Soil

ITEM! Congratulations to INJ Culbard on his 'Graphic Novel of the Year' Award for his adaptation of At The Mountains Of Madness. Read his awards speech and win a sketched copy HERE

ITEM! HERE is the cover to N Gingerboom's Those of No Class concept book and HERE is a blog post walking you through N's art process.

ITEM! An Introduction to Comic Studies, a new series of articles by Laura Sneddon for Comic Book Resources. And here's her Full and Uncut Interview with Grant Morrison covering Supergods, Action Comics, women at DC, magic and more.

ITEM! Brian Bolland now has a blog. Check it out HERE

ITEM! London Small Press Expo cancelled - announcement HERE

ITEM! Blank Slate Comics' Dinopopolous is now available for pre-order. Click HERE for details and a preview.

ITEM! Have you seen Francesco Francavilla's Doctor Who Season 6 fan posters? They're terrific and you can see them all together HERE. Also check out his website HERE

ITEM! Jennie Gyllblad's beautiful prologue to Skal - completely re-drawn and repainted after the online version is available for pre-order. There's a limited run of 100 available at £10 each and that includes a unique personalised sketch. Click HERE for details.

ITEM! Al Ewing's Rise Of Nightmares tie-in comic is available for download HERE

ITEM! The pencils for Graeme Howard's Cancertown 2 cover has been revealed!

ITEM! Scare Tactics - the first webcomic published via Twitter has started - you can follow it HERE!

ITEM! Check out THIS fantastic pinup by ace Fall Of The Wolfmen artist Andy Bloor did for the Z Girl comic. Colours by the awesome Steve Howard Issue 2 debuts at New York ComiCon.

ITEM! PJ Holden has been a blogging maniac lately, with loads of fascinating blogs and numerous subjects. Loads of tips for artists, f'rinstance check this one about techniques for adding splatter to your art HERE

ITEM! Dean Stahl's Headlocks & Headaches Primer available at Comics Monkey & Indy Planet (print & digital)

ITEM! Check out this brilliant complete 23-page webcomic by Dylan Meconis - Outfoxed

ITEM! 5-page previews of all the Unseen Shadow's spin-off comics are available to read on the Unseen Shadows facebook page! Not a duff-looking one in the bunch!

Episode 33! Did you miss us?

2011-09-16T19:33:00.000+01:00

HELLO HELLO! Stacey and Lee are back in the podcasting saddle again! Woo hoo I hear you say – or something like that anyway. In this extra long episode they cover a whole host of news from the small and independent press and review Those Of No Class #1, Jennifer Wilde #1, Hildafolk, Rachel Rising #1, Predators and Sugar Glider #2. It’s good to be back!

Direct Download: Episode 33

Linkypoos

HILDAFOLK

RACHEL RISING

PREDATORS - Accent UK Andy Bloor

Simon Wyatt UNBELIEVABLE

Matthew Craig BOTH SIDES

SGT MIKE BATTLE fanpage

Rob Davis DON QUIXOTE

MIGHTY JAMBO

DOCTOR WTF?!

CONCEPT CORE

INTO THE WOODS: A FAIRYTALE ANTHOLOGY

Another classic Stace portrait of Lee

Discovering FRANK SARTRE

2011-09-12T13:02:00.002+01:00

One of the coolest things about doing Small Press Big Mouth is when comics creators get in touch to tell you about their current comic. Its brilliant cos I get to mention it on the blog or on the 'cast and look like a genius for discovering some absolute gem. Perfect example: We just received an email from James Peaty & James Reekie about their webcomic The Ballad Of Frank Sartre which is about to launch its second chapter. Second chapter? Where the hell was I for chapter one? This looks exactly my cup of tea! Anyway, I'm going to engage Smug Mode and pretend I've known about it for ages.... ahem...

Eeeew, didn't you already know about The Ballad Of Frank Sartre? Man, you're so unhip its a wonder your bum doesn't fall off! Thank God I'm here for you - now shut your flapping pie hole for 2 minutes and read the following press release. Then go and read the comic. Then tell your friends about it - and be sure to use a superior tone when you do cos you're doing them a favour, capiche?

*****

"To be or not to be... You decide! Frank Sartre is slick, immersive, and relentless. We get swept up with the flying cars, dog-faced reporters, and killer highs--and like the title character, we're not all that certain whether Peaty and Reekie are taking us someplace safe. Essential reading!"

Brandon Montclare - writer, Marvel's 'Fearsome Four'

"James Peaty and James Reekie are crafting a future-noir crime story that will knock your socks off. Sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll combine with an extremely fallible "hero" and a strange and wonderful supporting cast of theriocephalic beat reporters, drug dealers and cabbies to make this surreal webcomic the new 'must read'! The two James deliver a kick-ass weekly shot in the arm to the comics world. Pay attention, or else!"

Sterling Gates - writer, 'Hawk & Dove', 'Supergirl' and 'Kirby Genesis: Captain Victory'

On Friday 16th September James Peaty and James Reekie will begin serialising the second chapter of their surreal pulp-noir graphic novel "The Ballad of Frank Sartre".

Flashing back to the mysterious events surrounding Frank's first band, The 400 Blows, while continuing to explore the weird and wonderful city of Cosmopolis, this second chapter both raises the stakes and deepens the mystery as The Stain’s murderous reign of terror continues.

"The story came from a desire to do something that was both very different from the kind of work I’d been getting in America, but also something that was completely my own," says writer James Peaty.

"When you’ve been working in the world of superhero comics, which these days tends to be hugely editorially prescriptive, it’s important to stretch your wings beyond the confines of company owned characters and do something that flexes different creative muscles.”

An experienced comics writer, with credits on various American titles including Green Arrow, JSA: Classified, Supergirl and The Batman Strikes!, James thinks that Frank is an enjoyable antidote to the glut of superhero material that currently dominates the medium.

“For me, the attraction of working on something like Frank Sartre was being able to explore a whole raft of ideas that really have no place in superhero material. I think, first and foremost, I just wanted to create a character who was morally ambiguous, even dubious. From there the notion of a world that’s almost an expression of that characters state of mind was simply too good an idea to ignore.”

But was it easy to actually bring that world to life? James says it was easier than you’d think. “Basically, and this possibly a horrific thing to admit, what I did was raid my own tastes and interests. I’ve always been a fan of artists, writers and filmmakers who create a world that deals in relatable human experience, but one filtered through the lens of the abstract. People like William S. Burroughs, Paul Pope, David Lynch and Dennis Potter are, I suppose, the inspiration behind this project, so it seemed appropriate that they should inform the look and feel of the world we were creating. “

James Reekie is a newcomer to the comic scene, and started working on the project around his commercial illustration gigs, working for magazines such as Wired, FHM and BBC Focus. "Like many artists, all my early interest in drawing was based around comics" says James, "and when I became a full time freelance Illustrator, the first thing I did was look to use some of my downtime on a graphic novel project. I was looking for something different, no tights, capes or powers. As soon I read the first pages of the script for "Frank Sartre", so strange, dark, angry and compelling, I was hooked."

The James' found it easy to work together as they share many of the same reference points. "Most of our meetings involving talking about anything but comics. We start at Paul Pope and Frank Millar, and work through mid century art house cinema, Dr Who, 80's politics and end up discussing why Sam Allardyce is the least worst choice to manage West Ham…"

The graphic novel is being released online, in it's entirety, for free. When it came to publishing the book the creative team felt that maximum readership was their goal.

"We discussed at great length how we wanted to put the book out", says artist James Reekie. "What it really boiled down to was simply we simply wanted as many people to read our story as possible. Releasing it online, for free, seemed like the perfect solution".

"We're just two guys trying to tell a story. We both share a punk, DIY ethos and we didn't want the story watered down with the pressure of fitting into a demographic to turn a profit. Producing it 100% ourselves and giving it away gives us enormous creative freedom."

The Ballad of Frank Sartre is being publish online, for free, 4 pages very Friday www.franksartre.com. Chapter two starts on Friday 16th September, Chapter 1 is available to read now. Suggested for mature readers.

If you have a comic to want to tell us about or to review drop us an email or give Lee or Stace a shout on Twitter.

Exclusive: UNSEEN SHADOWS anthology cover revealed!

2011-09-05T14:40:00.000+01:00

Hey kids! Regular SPBMers among you will be well aware of 'Bullwhip' Barry Nugent's fantastic multi-media adventure Unseen Shadows which is growing Yggdrasill-like from his novel Fallen Heroes. Well Barry is kindly allowing SPBM to reveal the cover art for the upcoming anthology comic Unseen Shadows: Tales Of The Fallen - as brilliantly drawn by Rob Carey.

......Ta-daaah!

And here are the blurbs for the four tales within, which all expand and illuminate characters that first appeared in the original Fallen Heroes novel...

Wrath of God

The Reverend: a holy weapon forged in tragedy and flame – a murderous martyr whose cold judgement strikes with the force of a vengeful God. Despair, for the Reverend walks among you. He is the right hand of vengeance. He is Wrath.

By Cy Dethan, Steve Penfold, Nic Wilkinson & Gat Melvin

Operation Solomon

On a Tour of Duty in the Persian Gulf, Lieutenant Steph Connisbee is signed on as the pilot on a top secret mission- Operation: Solomon. During this assignment she will uncover secrets and danger and step into the world of Unseen Shadows before she even knows it…

By Richmond Clemets, Conor Boyle and Paul Mclaren

Fragments of Fate

Mythical artifacts tied to an ancient legend. A demonic cult obsessed with determining destiny. Professor Napoleon Stone’s latest research project is about to take him on a dark and perilous journey into the unknown. Beaten, broken, terrorised and tortured. It’s time to discover what’s worse, being haunted by your past? Or being tormented by your future?

By Pete Rogers, Roy Huteson Stewart & Paul Mclaren

Band of Butchers

Clancy Wallencheck is a very bad man – the commander of an elite team that have nothing to live for and a whole lot of people to kill.

From the mountains of Pakistan to the waters of Venice, there have been a thousand corpses in Clancy’s life.

This is the story of the one that mattered.

By Dan Thompson, Rob Carey, Paul Mclaren & Vicky Stonebridge

Barry tells me they are hoping to have the book ready in time for Thought Bubble. Keep up to date wirh all things Unseen Shadowy at their website and on their Twitter.

STARGAZER 2; SCOREGASM 1

2011-09-02T15:43:00.000+01:00

Yes, I did deliberately leave two items out of the News Bites round-up yesterday purely so I could do the footie results pun above. Okay, its no 'East Fife 4; Forfar 5' but it amused me....

Anyhoo, you may recall Stargazer is an all-ages SF/fantasy graphic novel created and published by Von Allan; well Von dropped us an email to let us know the the second volume is out soon and is solicited in this month's Previews.

In the concluding volume of “Stargazer,” Marni, Elora, Sophie and their new-found robot friend finally reach the distant tower they spotted earlier in their adventure. Expecting to find help at the tower, the girls are stunned to discover that it is not only old and heavily damaged, but also clearly abandoned. As the friends are dealing with their disappointment and starting to plan their next move, they suddenly find themselves surrounded by an odd assortment of little creatures, similar to the robot. While not necessarily the help the girls wanted, the silent but friendly alien friends are nonetheless welcome companions.

Once inside the ruined tower, the girls make a few discoveries, ranging from curious to downright ominous. While Elora goes off on her own, looking for answers to her own questions, Sophie and Marni are convinced that many of the answers they need can be found on the upper levels of the tower, on the other side of a long-ago landslide of rubble and boulders.

With the return of the monster that threatened them at the start of their adventure, the girls must unite to face their fears and fight for their lives. Can the power of friendship and imagination get them safely home? And does their magical quest have a fairytale ending?

Stargazer Volume Two has a Diamond order code of AUG111259 , an ISBN of 978-09-781237-4-1, a suggested retail price of $14.95 US and is 110 pages in length. It will arrive in comic shops on October 12th, 2011.

Stargazer Volume One is now available in all channels. It has a Diamond Item Code of AUG111260 and an ISBN of 978-0-9781237-2-7.

You can download a free 34-page preview of Stargazer v2 at Von's website HERE - let us know what you think!

*****

Next up we have the latest comic from Andy Winters - writer of SPBM faves Blood Psi, Brothers and Septic Isle - this one's called.... wait for it... SCOREGASM! What a flipping awesome title, eh? Here's what Andy has to say...

MY new football comic - Scoregasm - is now available for your delight and delectation over at www.scoregasm.co [note that's .co not .co.uk or .com]

You can read it at the site or download a PDF of the entire thing to keep. Whatever your preference, the 38-page book is totally FREE.

Scoregasm is part-homage to the football strips I grew up reading in the seventies (things like Billy's Boots, Hot Shot Hamish and, of course, Roy Of The Rovers) and part-poison pen letter to the cynicism of the modern game.

Duane Leslie has done an excellent job on the art and many thanks to Eva de la Cruz for colouring the cover and Kay Downes for her fantastic website design.

Scoregasm can also be accessed through www.moonfacepress.com.

Incidentally, Andy also posted this little titbit on his blog - anyone interested?

I'm keen to do more web-based stuff and one of the projects I'm looking at would be to bring back Tim Skinner: Total Scumbag (star of 2009's critically-acclaimed one-shot). Obviously I can't ask Declan [Shalvey] to get involved as he's somewhat busy at Marvel, but, if anyone else might be up for it, just give me a shout.

So an all-ages SF/fantasy and an adult-orientated sex-and-footie drama - how's that for diversity?

Full NELSON

2011-09-02T14:48:00.000+01:00

Blank Slate's anthology Nelson has been top of our Can't Wait For list ever since it was announced and they've just revealed the full line-up of creators on the book - ye gods, it reads like a Who's Who of SPBM favourites!

Flip your faceballs all over the press release below. Take it away, Russ...

*****

54 U.K. COMIC CREATORS UNITE

FOR CHARITY IN "NELSON"

We at Blank Slate are excited to announce the complete line-up for Nelson, our 54-creator charity graphic novel project that will see all profits going to Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity.

Seeking to celebrate the incredible diversity of talent in British comics today, Editors Rob Davis and Woodrow Phoenix have united over 50 of the UK’s best and brightest comic creators for Shelter's great cause in the mother of all collaborations: a complete, 250 page story of one woman’s life from her birth in 1968 to the present day.

Mainstream comic sensations such as Duncan Fegredo and Sean Philips join forces with cult British creators including D'Israeli and Roger Langridge, working alongside celebrated literary comic authors like Posy Simmonds and up-and-coming alternative comics stars Luke Pearson and Jon McNaught amongst many others.

"When Rob and Woodrow came to me with their idea for Nelson, straight away it seemed to me that it should be a charity project" states Kenny Penman, Publisher at Blank Slate, "The British comic scene is more vibrant than ever before, and the opportunity to unite this diverse group of creators to aid the greatly important work that Shelter does in these difficult economic times seemed too good to miss."

Nelson's official launch event will take place on the 22nd November 2011 at The Cartoon Museum in London, with readers able to buy a special advance copy of the book at Leeds’ Thought Bubble Festival on the 19th and 20th November, where the majority of its artists will be signing copies for the public.

Currently available to order in the UK section of the September edition of Previews, Nelson will be featured in the main US section in October. Make sure to keep up to date with future announcements via the book’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NelsonGraphicNovel.

ISBN 978-1-906653-23-1 | 252 pages | 236 x 178mm softcover with flaps, full colour | £18.99 / $22.99

MORE INFO HERE • PRE-ORDER FROM BLANK SLATE HERE

CONTRIBUTORS

Paul Grist, Rob Davis, Woodrow Phoenix, Ellen Lindner, Jamie Smart, Gary Northfield, Sarah McIntyre, Suzy Varty, Sean Longcroft, Warwick Johnson–Cadwell, Luke Pearson, Paul Harrison–Davies, Katie Green, Paul Peart–Smith, Glyn Dillon, I.N.J.Culbard, John Allison, Philip Bond, D’Israeli, Simone Lia, Darryl Cunningham, Jonathan Edwards, Ade Salmon, Kate Charlesworth,Warren Pleece, Kristyna Baczynski, HarveyJames, Rian Hughes, Sean Phillips & Pete Doree, Kate Brown, Simon Gane, Jon McNaught, Adam Cadwell, Faz Choudhury, JAKe, Jeremy Day, Dan McDaid, Roger Langridge, Will Morris, Dave Shelton, Carol Swain, Hunt Emerson, Duncan Fegredo, Philippa Rice, Josceline Fenton, Garen Ewing, Tom Humberstone, Dan Berry, Alice Duke, Posy Simmonds, Laura Howell, Andi Watson, Dave Taylor

News Bites 18!

2011-09-01T16:06:00.001+01:00

Apologies for the lack of SPBM activity over the last month or so - should be back to normal very soon.

*****

ITEM! It's Sgt Mike Battle's birthday! Creator Graham 'Hawkeye' Pearce wants you to nominate your Top 5 Sgt Mike Battle moments/jokes/sequences from any issue of Sgt. Mike Battle: Greatest American Hero. The results are being compiled into an official top ten to celebrate 10 years of SMB:GAH. Submit your Top 5 choices by posting on the Sgt Mike Battle Fan Club wall. Happy birthday, Sarge!

ITEM! Cancertown 2: Blasphemous Tumours has a brilliant new colourist - Peter Mason. You can see sample pages on Cy Dethan's blog HERE. I've had a wee preview of the almost-complete first issue and it looks frickin' amazing!

ITEM! You can now pre-order The Indifference Engine and Broadcast (The Henry Flint art book) from the Markosia site either to pick up at the the Thought Bubble show at a special price or to be delivered.

ITEM! The 3rd Leeds Alternative Press Fair is on for the 1st October at the Nation of Shopkeepers, Leeds. Open noon til 5pm, entry is free! Full details HERE

ITEM! Both Sides, the latest comic from Matthew Craig debuted at 2011BC last weekend. Illustrated by Jack Davies and myself, it will shortly be available to buy online.

ITEM! Jennifer Wilde #1 by Rob Curley, Maura McHugh and Stephen Downey is available to buy now in selected stores and online!

ITEM! Also debuting at 2011BC was the long awaited latest anthology from Accent UK: Predators. This can be ordered through Previews and I recommend you do so.

ITEM! Sugar Glider #2 from Daniel Clifford and Gary Bainbridge premièred last Saturday at a signing event in Newcastle's Travelling Man and is available to buy online now!

ITEM! Rob Davis talks Don Quixote at We Love This Book

ITEM! Awesome upcoming artist Sara Dunkerton is interviewed at Girls Read Comics Too

ITEM! Dead Star Publishing are looking for artists and writers for Rising Stars. If you're interested email: submissions@deadstarpublishing.co.uk Find them also on Facebook and Twitter - and why don't you check out the awesome cover to Stiffs #1 coming up in December.

ITEM! Kochi Wanaba the mindblowing online graphic novel from Jamie Smart has been scheduled to be published in book form in March 2012 by Blank Slate Books.

ITEM! You guys are all reading reading Jamie Smart's Corporate Skull now on its 3rd issue, right? And Hairy Steve, the webcomic what he is doing with Steve Bright, right? Just checking.

ITEM! Have you seen this genuinely startling Korean webcomic yet? Not for those with a heart condition. Seriously.

ITEM! Comic Heroes magazine will be reviewing small press comics from their next issue. Submission details HERE

ITEM! Fab Strontium Dog fanzine Dogbreath is calling out for writers & artists. Details HERE

ITEM! The brilliant Faith Erin Hicks (Zombies Calling, Adventures Of Superhero Girl) is serialising her next graphic novel Friends With Boys online for freeee! Check it out, bumfaces!

GLOOMY MONDAY

2011-07-25T15:33:00.000+01:00

Back near the start of the year I had the honour and privilege to collaborate on a short comic with the hugely talented Valia Kapadai for submission to the Eagles Initiative competition. (I blogged the full experience HERE if you're interested)

Last week, however, it was announced that the Eagles Initiative contest had unfortunately had to be cancelled due to low turn-out. On the plus side this meant Valia and I were now free to show everyone what we did. So here it is - the complete GLOOMY MONDAY - story and art by Valia, script by me.

Thanks again to Valia for letting me collaborate with her on this - hopefully this will just be the first of many comics we will create together!

Comic Review: Vanguard: Beauty & The Beasts

2011-07-20T19:24:00.000+01:00

Rich McAuliffe reviewed Vanguard: Beauty & The Beasts on the incredibly awesome Everything Comes back To 2000AD blog and has kindly given offered to let us reproduce it here. Cheers, Rich!

*****

Picked up a copy of this from one of the 2000AD forum regulars. All the stories are written by Dirk Van Dom with a different artist on each so I’ve made a few notes for each.

Cover by Liam Byrne:

Loved it. Felt very pop-art and features cool versions of characters from each of the four stories inside.

Atomic Call : Trendsetter. Art by David Blankley

A cool story with a bounty hunter/thief who has a glove that basically lets her dial in whatever bit of kit she wants. Did feel a bit like a technicological version of The Mask (more the original comic than the Jim Carrey watered down movie) but the concept works really well and I really liked the artwork which makes the most of the black and white format. The story includes lots of clever over the top ideas and I especially liked the story behind the object she was there to get. Good stuff. My only nitpick? They introduce what I assume is her nemesis at the end and it looks like Sam Jackson playing the same character he plays in everything. Just like the leaked Avengers trailer, this put me off slightly, but thats just a personal thing.

Halo and the Gryphon. Art by Louis Carter

I liked the art in this which felt very kids story book, but the story didnt grab me at all. Just not my type of thing I’m afraid. That usually means that everyone else who reads this collection will have it as their favourite. Its one of those magical fantasy type stories and I’m the one guy in the world who thinks Princess Bride was a waste of Columbo. Go figure.

Tuckers Romantic Escapes. Art by El Chivo

A well done, darkly humerous strip that proves in the right hands it’s totally possible to tell a story in just one page. Sets up the main character to reappear in subsequent installments and makes you want to see more of his “adventures”. Nice bit of story telling.

Mammoth Jack. Art by Owen Watts

Evil, man eating donkeys killing crazy Irish people. Whats not to love?

Definately the most over the top story in the collection and probably my favourite.Reminded me of the type of movie I love to watch after a few beers, just loads of fun. Also a quick note to say that for a small press book the lettering in this, also by Owen Watts, was top notch, especially when dealing with the sound effects. Sets up the world and main protagonists for subsequent installments…. bring it on.

So overall a really decent collection. One semi-miss for me but played against three hits thats good going for an anthology… it’s all I usually get from 2000AD. I especially liked that coming from the same author all the stories felt different and it shows a lot of versatility in his writing. It also shows he can score some damn good indie artists, the true sign of a good small press writer.

Basically for £2 you cant go wrong with this so go over to the Vanguard Comic site and check it out for yourself

News Bites 17

2011-07-20T19:02:00.000+01:00

ITEM! The mega-talented Valia Kapadai has teamed up with Rich McAuliffe for a strip in the next Gothology. Valia describes it as "the WEIRDEST story I ever illustrated!" Also she'll be appearing in the much talked about Womanthology!

ITEM! from Matthew Craig is looking for an artist:

Rajesh Ramani is Britain's newest superhero, protecting the people (especially the ladies) of Birmingham with fast hands, fast feet and even faster moves. But can this kung fu Casanova resist the charms (or force of arms) of Shakira Salt and the Accelerati?! 18 pages of ultramodern Eisneresque kung fu flirting ripped from the beating heart of Britain's Second City!

The final deadline for this strip is quite near -19th August (if the artist letters, as well, earlier if not, as I'm still struggling with an injury to my hand). The story will be the first strip in the Birmingham hero anthology NEW STREET TALES, which I'm hoping to debut at the Birmingham Comicon BC2011 on August 27th. Contact Matt via email if you're interested.

ITEM! Babble will have a presence at the huge San Diego Comic Con courtesy of Com.x who have just announced their acquisition of the eagerly awaited comic!

ITEM! The full line-up of creators at the Manchester MCM Expo have been announced including Daniel Clifford, Stephen Downey and Graham Pearce. Check it out!

ITEM! It was announced that plans for the Cardiff International Comics and Animation Expo 2012 are now underway! Yes, you read that right "and animation", and it will also be a 2-day even instead of one! Keep your eyes on the CICE Twitter and website for further announcements!

ITEM! Barry Nugent has announced another spin-off comic from Fallen Heroes - this one featuring the character of The Hand! Full details on the Unseen Shadows blog.

ITEM! Andy Bloor has updated his blog with some nifty preview art from Accent UK's upcoming Zombies 2 anthology - as well as a lovely Axel Pressbutton piece he did for me for my birthday! Have a butchers!

ITEM! Oh and speaking of Accent UK, they've gone digital, by the way! Starting with Whatever Happened To The World's Fastest Man!

ITEM! Axe Cop artist Ethan Nicholle had posted an fantastic preview image of his new comic Bearmageddon! Wow!

ITEM! The Paper Jam Comics Collective have announced their next anthology - Alchohol And That!

Stace guests on CBO ep117

2011-07-20T15:34:00.000+01:00

Our Stace is out and about again giving other less fortunate podcasts the benefit of her expertise and general extra touch of class, donchaknow. In this case its the mega-awesome Comic Book Outsiders and a series of books very close to her heart...

"In this special episode while Scott is away, Steve is joined by a guest co-host, Stacey Whittle from the podcast Small Press, Big Mouth. Both Stacey and Steve are enormous fans of the Dresden Files novels by Jim Butcher. Just ahead of the release of latest book in the series, Ghost Story, they look back across the series talking about favourite moments, characters, events and how its main character, Harry Dresden, and the series have evolved. This episode has a lot of spoilers about the series to date. We also discuss some other urban fantasy series towards the end and make a few recommendations."

Direct download: Comic Book Outsiders Ep 117

News Bites 16

2011-07-12T13:00:00.000+01:00

You want the news? You can't handle the news! ...ummm... actually, thinking about it, yeah, you probably can. Here y'go then, chuck...

*****

ITEM! Kevin Gio Logue's Introducing Zombies Hi part 1 is now available for download from his blog, £1.50 for 32 pages. gios-art.blogspot.com

ITEM! There's a nice interview with the creators of ace anthology Tales Of The Spiffing at http://www.skwigly.co.uk/tales-of-the-spiffing/

ITEM! Like free comics? Of course you do! Well you can download the complete 52-page Empires by Static Girl HERE. Dinosaurs! Spaceships! What are you waiting for?

ITEM! Greg Rucka and Rick Burchett have a new webcomic Lady Sabre & The Pirates Of The Ineffable Aether - its steampunk high adventure and looks fab!

ITEM! Zarjaz #12 and Dogbreath #24 are out now! - and so is FutureQuake #18! Buy them!

ITEM! Jamie Smart is running a Find Chaffy art contest! Full details HERE

ITEM! Attention creative types! The 5th annual Observer/Cape/Comica Graphic Short Story Contest is now open!

ITEM! BBC3 Scotland's programme on Scottish comics creators is now available to watch online for those who missed it.

ITEM! Better, Drawn is a new site featuring comics on the subject of living and coping with long term mental or physical illness. Fascinating reading and well worth a look. Thanks to the ever-excellent FPI blog for the heads-up. Also you can follow Better Drawn on twitter HERE

ITEM! Artist Lee Sullivan has compiled an excellent blog: Guidelines for Writing & Drawing Comics

Stace's latest SFX blog: Live Life, Love Genre

2011-07-11T10:38:00.001+01:00

Heads up SPBMers - Stace has got a new blog post up on the SFX magazine website in which she "rediscovers the joys of geekiness beyond just her beloved comics" - check it out HERE

...and don't forget her own brand spanking new blog Whittle Waffle which you can find HERE

East African Crisis

2011-07-06T10:46:00.000+01:00

Last night we received an email from Graeme Howard, artist of Cancertown 2 and Dick Turpin And The Crimson Plague. This is what he said...

*****

Hi Lee/Stacy,

Thought I'd send this sketch in. As a Dad myself the images of starving and desperate people especially children in East Africa at the moment really bugs me. So I knocked this up...

I don't know maybe something could be done as in the way we got together to help the people in Japan with the anthology that was put together. After all a few minutes sketching or writing isn't much if we can make make some sort of difference. Anyway that's enough preaching I'm off to draw people killing each other.

Graeme

*****

For those who might not be aware, Somalia is currently suffering a devastating food crisis due to horrific drought conditions - the worst the continent has seen in 60 years. 12 million people are thought to be affected - thousands of children face starvation.

I personally haven't the first clue about how to set up a charity book, but a massive fundraising appeal has been launched and donations can be made via UNICEF, Save The Children, OXFAM and The British Red Cross.

Graeme has also blogged about this on his website. If anyone out there is interested in creating some kind of benefit book with Graeme you can contact him there or by email or drop us a line and we'll put you in touch. Likewise if you're involved in any other fundraising projects give us a shout and we'll give them a big plug.

Here are those donation links again:

UNICEF

Save The Children

OXFAM

The British Red Cross.

News Bites 15

2011-07-06T10:29:00.000+01:00

Okay do you want the Good News or the Bad News? Bad News? Okay, the Bad News is pretty bad so brace yourself: My cuppa has gone cold. I know, I know. I'll try to soldier on... Anyhoo - the Good News...

*****

ITEM! Jamie Smart's brilliant Corporate Skull is updating every day this week as issue #2 rockets to its conclusion!

ITEM! This Saturday (9th July) is the Birmingham Zine Fest. Matthew Craig will be there and would like to meet any artists interested in collaborating on comics projects!

ITEM! The Harvey Awards short-list has been announced

ITEM! 'SPANDEX is good superhero comics, the type Marvel and DC have largely forgotten how to make' Martin Eden's Spandex comic gets a great write-up on Bleeding Cool

ITEM! Check out Cy Dethan's new blog post in which he reveals Valia Kapadai's outstanding front & back covers to their upcoming Markosia book, White Knuckle. Valia has also uploaded a White Knuckle sketch.

ITEM! The eagerly awaited Predators anthology from AccentUK has been re-scheduled for August's Previews.

ITEM! There's a brilliant new blog post from Jim Campbell, concerning some fundamentals of constructing a comic page… its great, check it out!

ITEM! advice on creating comics from Andy Diggle via his Twitter:

"Seems a lot of you want to make your own comics. The best advice I can offer is, JUST DO IT! You don't need anyone's permission. Just pick up a pencil and get drawing/writing. Don't ask, "How can I get into the comics industry?" Ask, "How can I become a better comics creator?" The answer is PRACTICE. So go make some comics. Short is better. Learn to condense. FINISH stuff. Keep learning from your mistakes until you get really good at it. Then the comics industry will come looking for YOU.
Good places for aspiring creators to hook up: Millarworld creative, Panel & Pixel, Freakangels/Whitechapel, Deviant Art. Study every pro comic script you can find. Compare to the finished art: what changed and why? For better or worse? Study every pro comic script you can find. Compare to the finished art: what changed and why? For better or worse? Finally, I can't recommend the Comic Book Script Archive highly enough. Now go make comics!"

ITEM! Blank Slate announce they are publishing Harvey James's A Long Day Of Mr James Teacher via their Chalk Marks imprint.

ITEM! Sugar Glider and Sugar Glider Stories are now stocked in the excellent Orbital Comics, London. Speaking of Sugar Glider, Disco Daniel Clifford says on the SG Facebook page "Sugar Glider co-creator and artist, Gary Bainbridge, has confirmed today that Sugar Glider #2 will be out in August. And it's looking fantastic! Well worth the wait!"

ITEM! PJ Holden has created an excellent video tutorial on how to draw a perspective grid WITHOUT vanishing points.

ITEM! Moon Freight 3 creator Luke Foster will be at Connecticon: it's this Fri-Sun, and I'll be at table 76 in the Artists Colony. You know you want to be there, too.

ITEM! Want to create a webcomic? Read these posts on the Drawing Words & Writing Pictures site.

ITEM! Geek Syndicate announce Summer Of Indie

ITEM! Lots of Unseen Shadows updates to catch up on: Firstly, author and creator Barry Nugent reveals: "I've been approached by another writer to do a fifth [Fallen Heroes] spin off"; secondly, he's posted a first peek at Fallen Heroes #2 and thirdly Unseen Shadows now has a shiny new trade dress!

*****

You're still thinking about the fact my tea's gone cold, aren't you? Yeah *sigh* me too....

Preview! Dick Turpin & The Crimson Plague

2011-07-06T09:39:00.000+01:00

Fancy some Dick this morning? Course you do! Here's a thrilling six-page preview of Time Bomb Comics' Dick Turpin & The Crimson Plague - you remember that don't you? We mentioned it on the 'cast just before the Bristol Expo. You know the one - written by Steve Tanner, illustrated by Graeme Howard, letters by Nikki Foxrobot? Ring any bells? Vampire Prostitutes. Theeeere you go.

There’s only one thing standing between notorious highwayman Dick Turpin leaving 18th Century London to return to the open road -a nest of vampire prostitutes eager to spread their Crimson Plague!

This looks brilliant. Enjoy!

Megacast ep6 is online!

2011-07-06T00:24:00.000+01:00

In Episode 6 Stace & Iz review Judge Dredd Megazine issues 309 & 310. Available as always via iTunes or through the ECBT2000AD libsyn page, which you can find HERE!

Announcing KINDRED SPIRITS

2011-07-05T23:42:00.001+01:00

It gives us great pleasure here at the SPBM Mansion to announce another sure-to-be amazing project from the talented pencil of Valia Kapadai...

Kindred Spirits

Kindred Spirits will be written and pencilled by Maggie Lewinowicz and Valia will provide inks, colours & letters. Maggie & Valia met at art classes in 1997 and have dreamed about working on a project together ever since. But what is Kindred Spirits about? I'm glad you asked! Read on, amigos...

A young man, desperate to save his sister from demonic possession, descends to Purgatory to save her. Once there, he must fight the illusions and traps set out for him if he is to reclaim his sister’s soul and make his way back to the real world. The clock is ticking and his only help comes in the form of a mischievous girl in a fox mask.

Kindred Spirits will be published by those very very fine people at Markosia. Keep your eyes and ears glued to SPBM for more updates!

The Fairytale Anthology

2011-07-04T17:09:00.011+01:00

More info on the Anthology over at Stace's new blog

Sydney Jordan's DAN DARE

2011-07-03T18:52:00.001+01:00

I was sorting through some old bookshelves this weekend and found, tucked inside an old Dan Dare paperback, a couple of pages slipped from an old newspaper. The newspaper in question was called The Planet On Sunday and was launched on 16th June 1996 as a new weekly newspaper with an environmental edge. One of the features of the paper was a new Dan Dare comic strip by Sydney Jordan, Theyan Rich and Angus Mckie - Jordan, of course, is renowned (along with his friend and collaborator Willie Patterson) for his creation Jeff Hawke another British space adventurer who's adventures ran for 20 years (1954-1974) in the Daily Express.

The Planet On Sunday only lasted one edition - the financier of the paper, millionaire environmentalist and entrepreneur Clifford Hards withdrew support when he was unhappy with the tone and content of the first issue (the exception apparently being the Dan Dare comic, which he liked).

So the new Dan Dare strip arrived sadly stillborn, over almost before it was begun. But it was a beautiful and tantalising thing with great promise. First of all it was big, unlike most newspaper strips which run one or two tiers this was four tiers, 3/4 of a tabloid page, about the size of a standard US comic! Secondly the story itself is very intriguing - and not what anyone familiar with Dan Dare expect. First of all there's not a spaceship in sight, rather a beautiful WWII Spitfire anachronisticly flying over Surrey in the "Third millennium AD" The landscape itself is that of a quiet English village, but populated, it seems, by the alien Treens - or at least a young Treen boy and his father. Then we have the graveyard which not only holds the grave of classic Dare character Sir Hubert Guest, but also shows signs of Nazi graffitti - and then there Dan himself revealed in the last panel in a somewhat untypical unshaven state interrupted in his apparent grief my a mystery voice behind him. Questions, questions, questions...

...Questions which would sadly remain unanswered. Or will they? If my Google-fu is worthy it seems this and two more episodes were published in November 2010 in issue 22 of classy Dan Dare fanzine Spaceship Away, which is something I'm definitely going to have to look into! Are there even more to come?

On a side note, the Sydney Jordan Dare bares a fair few similarities to the opening pages of the (excellent and highly recommended) Garth Ennis & Gary Erskine Dan Dare mini-series published in 2008 by the short-lived Virgin Comics and acquired and reprinted by Dynamite Entertainment. I wonder if Ennis had read the Planet On Sunday episode and had it in the back of his mind when he wrote his version, or if it was just a case of parallel evolution?

Anyhoo, I have scanned the Planet On Sunday pages - along with the strip is an interesting article on the history of Dan Dare, his creator Frank Hampson as well as a little behind-the-scenes piece on Sydney Jordan and the 'new' Dare strip - and present them here for your reading pleasure.

News Bites 14!

2011-07-01T19:39:00.000+01:00

This is the nuuuuudes! (yeah that's a deliberate typo - wanna get those Google hits doncha know!)

*****

ITEM! Dani Abram and Ian Matthew's Kitty Hawk website has been updated!

ITEM! The fab daily sketch blog Scotch Corner had a very special guest today - the legendary Mike McMahon drawing Tank Girl

ITEM! The School Library Journal has listed 39 graphic novels for kids! Off the top of my head I'd have to add Calvin & Hobbes, Bone, Rainbow Orchid, Asterix, Owly and Mezolith to the list too!

ITEM! Moonfreight 3 creator and friend of SPBM Luke Foster appears on the latest episode of the Geektress podcast - episode 124! - discussing webcomics.

ITEM! The first batch of artists attending the MCM Expo Manchester Comic Village is online and includes Stephen Downey, Disco Daniel Clifford, Adam Cadwell, Marc Ellerby and Pretty Boy Leigh Gallagher

ITEM! Sara Dunkerton has put up the second of her weekly Dark Harvest sneak peeks!

ITEM! Lee Robson has posted a blog with some background info on The Lang Pack -the story he's writing for the SPBM anthology comic! (Stay tuned for a full blog from Stace soon!)

ITEM! Andy Bloor says: If anyone wants any Wolfmen books, original art or commissions from me, please message me (on Twitter) or email me and I can get that sorted. Many thanks.

ITEM! Check out Bevis Musson's deviantART page for some really lovely Beauty & The Beast illustrations he's working on.

ITEM! The Axe Cop one-year-anniversary print - featuring a squillion characters from the run of the comic, is expected to sell out at the san diego comic con so if you won't be there and you want one you better order it online asap, amigo!

ITEM! if you haven't seen it yet check out Jamie Smart's latest one-off webcomic: Oh Well Done The 80s - if the robot lady from Superman 3 ever freaked you out you should love it! Man's a fookin genius, that is all.

ITEM! Martin Eden has posted an update on Spandex #5!

ITEM! Here's an interesting interview in The Metro with Pat Mills and Paul Gravett about digital comics.

ITEM! This is a bit old but new to me - check out this rather lovely animated trailer for Mezolith

*****

Th-th-that's all for now, folks! If you have any news for us please give me a shout on Twitter or drop us an email.

SPBM Gallery: Pavlos Pavlidis

2011-06-30T14:39:00.000+01:00

In SPBM episode 32 I reviewed Unstrung! a comic from Greek creator Pavlos Pavlidis. It was one of three of his comics given to me by the lovely Valia Kapadai by way of a cultural comics exchange (if you're interested I gave her an old paperback collection of The Perishers strips).

Although I couldn't understand the stories I was blown away by Pavlos's harsh chiaroscuro style and punk sensibilities. I mentioned on the podcast I was hoping to post a gallery of his artwork. He kindly agreed so here it is.

Pavlos doesn't seem to have an online shop at the moment but enquiries to buy his comics or commission art can be directed to his deviantART profile and he's on Twitter. I'm hoping he will - and have been encouraging him to - make English language editions of his comics available.

Anyhoo, enough of my waffle, its time for the gallery - enjoy....

[click thumbnails for full-size images]

*****

Unseen Shadows

2011-06-29T18:23:00.000+01:00

It seems there's a new Empire Builder out there in the realm of British indie and small press comics 'Bullwhip' Barry Nugent (aka The Nuge) is striking out like Hannibal himself. (When I say "Hannibal" I mean this guy. Well, maybe a little bit of this guy, but definitely not this guy)

Faithful SPBMers will be aware of Barry's bestselling novel Fallen Heroes and the comics adaptation thereof and in the last SPBM we mentioned Barry's new website devoted to the spin-offs, multimedia and general expanded universe of Fallen Heroes - Unseen Shadows. From the introduction on the site:

Originally [the novel] Fallen Heroes was called Unseen Shadows but the more I worked on the story the more I felt that the title was a little too overarching to fit one book. I knew I was going to tell this one huge adventure spread over three books and so Unseen Shadows became the overall theme for that story.

Now with the ongoing work to expand the world and characters I’ve created via the mediums of comics, audio and live action it made sense to bring the term ‘Unseen Shadows’ more to the forefront.

Things are fair cooking away there at the moment. Four spin-off comics have been announced so far. They are:

The Reverend: Wrath of God by Cy Dethan, Steve Penfold and Gat Melvyn

Napoleon Stone and the Fragments of Fate by Pete Rogers and Roy Huteson Stewart

Stephanie Conisbee in Operation: Solomon by Richmond Clements & Conor Boyle

Clancy Wallencheck: Band of Butchers by Dan Thompson, Robert Carey and Vicky Stonebridge

That's a damned impressive line-up of talent there I think you'll agree. But what are the spin-offs? Again I'll quote Barry from the site:

"The spin-offs expand and enhance the characters lives and relationships within the novels. Although the books and the spin offs can be read and enjoyed independently of each other you will get more insights into the characters by experiencing all the stories across the Unseen Shadows universe."

Barry is currently working on the sequel novel to Fallen Heroes - Forgotten Warriors - has this amazing group of talent working on his characters influenced his new novel at all? That's a good question and I'd ask him if he hadn't already answered it himself on the site. He says:

"I found myself subconsciously referencing events in the spin-off scripts as if they were canon and then the thought occurred to me ‘Why don’t I just make them canon’. So now every member of the creative team knows that their material is 100% a part of the Unseen Shadows universe and not just a nice little side story with no impact on the events surrounding it."

Fascinating stuff! And for art whores like me there are regular treats and updates on the site including character posters by Steve Penfold and early character sketches by Rob Carey for Band Of Butchers as well as sneak previews of inked pages and cover art.

Barry plans for Unseen Shadows stretch beyond novels and comics and into live action and audio dramas too. In fact he just announced today that he is "Very excited to have have just co-written my first audio drama script which is an Unseen Shadows spin off with Alan White. Tales of the Fallen: Empire of Blood episode 1 is on the way."

How cool is that? And from the sound of things The Nuge is just getting warmed up!

http://unseenshadows.com/

News Bites 13

2011-06-28T20:44:00.001+01:00

Hello you big bunch of SPBMers! Here's another platterful of anews-bouche for you to let your faceknockers nibble on.

*****

ITEM! Knock knock! Who's there? Mister. Mister Who? Yes. What? Eh? Wait, lets start again. Who is Mister Who? Find out in Mister Who #1 available to read free online www.misterwho.co.uk ahead of its official release!

ITEM! Jamie "too damn talented for his own good" Smart has gone and 'wrote a blog about the thieving internet. contains swears and angry punching' Read it HERE

ITEM! When Emily Carroll delivers a new webcomic this is always A Very Good Thing. Her latest The Prince & The Sea is A Very Very Good Thing. Go and read it now, I'll wait.....

ITEM! ...are you back? Waddya think? I know, awesome, right? You know what else is awesome? The fan art piece that Vera B (Anya's Ghost) posted soon after. Check it out HERE

ITEM! Are you in a sneak-preview-of-an-ace-looking-comic mood? Well then feast your eye-holes on the first 3 gorgeous pages of Jennifer Wilde (Warning: may contain nuts. And boobs.) You'll remember of course this comic is from Rob Curley, Maura McHugh and Stephen Downey.

ITEM! As if Cancertown 2 and White Knuckle weren't enough to be going on with 'Cyberman' Cy Dethan has unleashed news of yet another project to tingle your mind and blow your spine: Phantom Lung And The Garden Of Dead Liars will have art by Simon 'Says Why' Wyatt, letters by 'Knickers' Nic Wilkinson and will be a Markosia joint.

ITEM! Speaking of Markosia - check out these awesome trailers for upcoming books The Interactives and Unbelieveable - The Man Who Ate Daffodils (from that Simon Wyatt guy again!)

ITEM! And while we're in a video show kinda mood here's the trailer for Pirates Of Pangaea the first strip announced for The Phoenix Comic - which will be hitting the streets on the 7th January 2012!

STOP PRESS! Com-X graphic novel 45 from Andi Ewington is now available on graphicly - and at the bargain price of £1.99 for one week only!

****

That's yer lot for now you gorgeous geeky gluttons, you. If you have any news for us give me a shout on Twitter or drop us an email.