Introducing KITTY HAWK!

Well what a thrilling time Dani Abram - Aardman animator and Spiffing Artist - is having at the moment. This past weekend she was at Upfest in Bristol creating a huge, disturbing yet strangely sexual painting as well as truimphantly selling her first canvas - which also happened to be disturbing yet strangely sexual. She blogged about the whole event and not only did she appear in the local news coverage her painting also has been used in the BBC's coverage too! Clearly both the BBC and ITV* know talent when they see it! (*evidence of Britain's Got Talent notwithstanding)

But hey, Ms Abram's fine art and televisual awesomeness is not why I gathered you all here today. Today we're here because the one they call Bintykins wants to announce a new comic she's working on and co-created with fellow Aardman bod Ian Matthews starring kick-ass action girl: KITTY HAWK! Ah, but I'll let Dani make the announcement in her own inimitabubble style...

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Dear World, 

Ian Matthews and I met while working on Pirates! the feature film at Aardman Animations. I remember meeting his gaze over by the vending machine! I knew instantly that he was a hella nerd! He was all 'hey! I like your art!' and I was all 'yeh whatever!' 

Pretty soon we were talking comics and scripts and pretty pictures and saying 'Why don't we put them all together!?' Kitty was born almost immediately. We share a love of all things action and hot gals! I would love to be all businessy and stuff and give you a target audience but it'd be slightly misleading! Ian is writing it for me and I am drawing it for him! 

We would like to announce that our first, as yet untitled, comic book will be hitting the Bristol Comic Con 2012. You can follow our progress from first scribbles to Proof Copy at our dedicated blog: www.kittyhawkkicksass.blogspot.com and any special TITbits may be released on my twitter feed as I'm creating it! 

Ian and I will both be at Comics Launchpad (18th June) with some Kitty Hawk cards! Come for a chat if you see us! 

Love, Dani x

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Are you excited? I know I'm excited. Its very exciting. And I'm looking forward to watching this develop over the next 10 months! Dani's a very busy Binty at the moment with a number of projects on the go, but those will have to be announced another time. Stay tuned, SPBMers!

Noddy Grice: A Life In Comics

Hello SPBMers! A few months ago I mentioned how I made a guest appearance in Jennie Gyllblad's fantasy webcomic SKAL as Market Punter #9 - this guest appearance was awesome it sent reality bending shockwaves throughout the whole internets compelling  The Marvel Daniel Clifford(TM) aka Stan 'The Man' Lee to refuse a cameo in the film X-Men: First Class and leaving DC feeling so worthless they cancelled their entire line of comics! 

But I was not the only Grice to appear in a comic, oh no. The Grice name is near-legendary in the comicbook arena with a long tradition of appearances...

Take for instance my uncle Norbert 'Noddy' Grice who first broke into the comics scene playing a creepy journalist Vernon Grice in football strip "Play Until You Drop" which ran in infamous British weekly Action in the 1970s. In the strip Vernon blackmails a first division footballer whose father was photographed taking a bribe, and commits many unscrupulous acts such as sabotage to keep his cash cow... er.... milking... cash. So convincing was Uncle Noddy's villainous performance as Vernon that much like quality actor Mark Savage who played school bully Gripper Stebson in BBC kids' soap Grange Hill, he found himself reviled in real life and took temporary retirement away from the public eye as a Punch & Judy Man in Prestatyn, North Wales.

However, Uncle Noddy was to return triumphant in the 1980s in one of the most legendary comics of all time: Watchmen! Noddy's devotion to his art knew no limits and in order to portray psychopathic child murderer and dog lover Gerald Grice Noddy - like quality actor Robert DeNiro as boxer Raging Bull in the film Raging Bull - gained over 8st in flab! Watchmen was one of the most critically acclaimed graphic novels of all time. In fact, so convincing was Uncle Noddy's villainous performance as Gerald that much like real-world  nut-monger Gary Glitter, he found himself reviled in real life and took temporary retirement away from the public eye as an icecream man in Prestatyn, North Wales.

However, Uncle Noddy was to return triumphant again in the 1990s in his biggest role yet in one of the most legendary strips in one of the most legendary comics of all time: namely Judge Dredd in that 2000AD! Originally auditioning for the role of Judge Dredd himself (see left) Noddy failed to gain that part as it had already been cast 22 years earlier - however so impressed with Uncle Noddy's audition were Dredd writers Alan Wagner and John Grant that they offered him another role, that of creepy Judge Daisy Thugpunch Grice*. (*note: Judge Grice's forenames were never revealed, but those were almost probably them I reckon.) Again, Uncle Noddy threw himself into the role and, like quality actors Tom Selleck and Ron Jeremy, grew a moustache.

Judge Grice was originally only to appear as an extra in 5-part story "Nightmares" (progs 702-706), but Uncle Noddy made such a good impression - and worked so cheap - that he was brought back and given a larger role in 4-part story "The Devil You Know" (progs 750-753). Uncle Noddy was on a roll and despite Judge Grice being written out at the conclusion of that story he was brought back by quality writer Garth Ellis for Dredd mega-epics "Purgatory" (progs 834-841) and "Inferno" (progs 842-853) where Grice legendarily earned his title as Indisputed Greatest Judge Dredd Villain Of All Time! 

Unfortunately, so convincing was Uncle Noddy's villainous performance as Judge Grice that much like real-world despot and genocidal maniac Adolf Hitler, he found himself reviled in real life and took his own life in a bunker in Prestatyn, North Wales.

Well I hope you're enjoyed this look into a forgotten piece of comics history. If you haven't please write your complaint on a £20 note and send it to the usual address.

The Abnormals Release Imminent!

The Abnormals is a new small press comic from Grant Springford who kindly send us this head-ups  about its imminent launch. From what I can tell its a supernatural superhero comic that looks like a blend of Hellboy and Doom Patrol so definitely one to check out I think. Remember you heard it here first! (unless you heard it somewhere else first, natch)

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Uncanny underground!

New comic explores the mysteries beneath the streets of London

There is a dark and twisted universe just below your feet. In ‘Subterranea,’ the dangerous netherworld beneath London’s streets, all the myths and legends you ever heard are true.

Down in the darkness demons dwell and villains gather and plot. Ghosts and monsters roam long-forgotten passageways while visitors from other dimensions tear through rifts in time and space.

Deeper still, warps in reality have formed swamps, forests and vast primordial plains, on which dwell all manner of alien civilisations and curious creatures. It is said there is even a chasm that leads all the way to the centre of the Earth... where, as everyone knows, the dinosaurs live.

                                                                                     

There are untold horrors in those caverns and corridors, and only Britain’s strangest superheroes can prevent them from bubbling and boiling to the surface.

Led by secret agent Meena Malhotra, The Abnormals are: The Bouncer - a robotic policeman from the future; The Link - an otherworldly psychic; the space-manipulating Angie Gray; Throwback - an energy controlling troglodyte; and Nasty - an imp from the fourth moon of hell.

‘The Abnormals was inspired by all those weird stories about the London underground,’ says series creator Grant Springford. ‘I read that, when the first tunnels were constructed, the church warned the digging would disturb the devil. Since then there’s been no end to the strange things people have reported. And that’s what the comic’s all about: what if all those stories were true? And what if they were just the tip of the iceberg?’

And it’s not just the inhabitants of Subterranea that provoke fear. ‘I wanted to make my superheroes as strange as the threats they face,’ says Grant. ‘The real star of the comic, though, is the city. I love London and it’s great fun to bring its mysterious side to life.’

The first issue takes place at Westminster station and features the terrifying Ragged Ghosts, evidence that the Roman empire lives on and an answer to the question ‘why do so many umbrellas go missing on public transport?’.

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You can see more preview art from The Abnormals on their Facebook page.

Stace's latest SFX blog: Bristol Haul

'Ello, you buggers! That there sexy SPBM podcaster Stacey "Whibble" Whittle has a new blog up at the SFX Magazine website. In this latest thrilling episode The Gorgeous One reviews her favourite comics from the Bristol Comics Expo, namely Mike Neville Forever, Dead Queen Detectives #2, Zarjaz #11 and The Valley Of Fear.

Click HERE

Warning: Contains shameless gushing!

SPANDEX issue 4 premieres at Bristol

NOTE: This entry was originally posted in the week before the BICSPE 2011, but disappeared when blogger had a meltdown. It has now reappeared a la The Philadelphia Experiment several weeks later. Spooky... but anyhoo - buy the comic!

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Spandex is a small press superhero comic featuring the world's first all-gay superteam, created and published by Martin Eden. I've heard lots of great things about it - not least from Sugar Glider writer and Small Press Stan Lee(TM) "Disco" Daniel Clifford who won't shut up going on about it, frankly. Anyhoo Martin sent a press release to the SPBM mansion about the imminent release of issue 4 and it sounds like a corker. take it away, Russ...

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Attack of the Super-Lesbians!

Gay superteam Spandex are back – and they have a sexy new batch of enemies to fight! In the brand new fourth issue, ‘Les Girlz’ emerge from the shadows to unleash their vicious plans on our heroes – and it’s gonna get messy!

Spandex Comic creator, Martin Eden describes Les Girlz: “The team consists of Pussy, Ms Fantastic, Hag, Crusader, Saga and Incognita. They’ve been popping up briefly in the first three issues, but now they are taking centre-stage. In Issue 4, they attack Spandex one by one, and not everyone will be left standing by the end of the issue…”

Issue Four launches a four-part mega-epic storyline called ‘O.M.F.G.’ in which shocking secrets will be revealed, an old enemy will return, and pretty much everything will be turned on its head. There are some big stories coming up…

Spandex Comic creator Martin Eden commented on the new storyline: “Now that we’ve got to know the characters, I’m really starting to have fun, and I’m doing things that haven’t been done in comics before. The events of issue 4 will either make you laugh, scream or cry – I really can’t predict which. And how often do you see two superheroes go to a gay sauna…?’

Spandex is now being published twice a year, with eventual book collections in the pipeline. The comic made global headlines all over the world when it was launched, and last year it earned an Eagle Award nomination for ‘Best British Colour Comic’.

Spandex comic #4 will be on sale from 14 May – launching at the Bristol Expo Comic Convention – and then will be available from the Spandex website, selected comic shops and via online download.

Spandex comic #4 is on-sale from 14th May. £3 for the hard copy, £1 for the digital download

For more information on Spandex comic, visit:

http://www.spandexcomic.com

Become a fan on Facebook

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Keep your earballs tuned for a review in a future episode of SPBM. If you pick up Spandex #4 why not email us and let us know what you think!

SPBM Special: Small Press Superheroes panel

Recorded at the recent Bristol International Comic and Small Press Expo 2011, this panel explores the question "What Is The Point Of Small Press Superheroes?" Hosted by Stacey the panellists are, Daniel Clifford, Paul Grist, Graham Pearce and Matthew Craig.

Direct Download: What Is The Point Of Small Press Superheroes

SPBM recommends: Our Blood Stained Roof

This amazing online comic - Our Blood Stained Roof by Ryan Andrews - was brought to our attention on Twitter via the awesomely talented Emily Carroll who knows a thing or two about amazing online comics herself.