StarscapeOnline.com

2011-11-30T06:26:00.001-08:00

MUDMAN

(Image)

Paul Grist

I had very high hopes for Mudman. I've followed Paul Grist's career through a number of twists and turns. His St Swithin's Day, with Grant Morrison, is possibly my favourite comic of all time. There was also the terrific Prisoners in the wonderful and much missed Crisis magazine. Mostly, however, I looked forward to it following on from his glorious Jack Staff comic.
Jack Staff, if you're not aware, was a failed pitch to Marvel for their Union Jack superhero. Grist brought in a variety of familiar figures. Although, looking back, it's probably not much of a surprise it was rejected by Marvel, given that Captain America/Sergeant States turned out to be a vampire! Other cast members included the Invaders/Freedom Force and barely hidden versions of British comic characters, including the Spider, the Steel Claw, Janus Stark etc., plus familiar faces from stage and screen, including Steptoe and Son. Very much recommended.
Mudman begins with Grist's view on comics. That is, that they should be serial fiction. He iterates his disappointment in writing for the trade paperback, i.e. graphic novel/book. I agree with the assertion that comics should be exciting enough to read and read again. All too often these days, I will read a comic and feel disappointed. For instance, a Thor v Hulk battle in the Avengers will be signposted at the end of one issue. The next issue will see the build up. The protagonists will spend a lot of time talking to friends and family as they slowly move towards the battle. Finally, at the end of the issue, the goliaths will meet. Stand by for the battle next issue!
Only...why bother buying that issue? Nothing's happened. It's mere filler for the later collected edition. Anyone not a regular buyer would pick up the issue and put it straight down. There's nothing for the casual reader to get excited about. So, I was pleased Grist mentioned that these comics would be back to being written for the floppies (even if he hates that term).
Trouble is...he pretty much did what he's complaining about. Nothing really happened with Mudman. There's not much back story. No real origin. It's pretty much a filler issue. Compare that Amazing Fantasy 15, where we meet Peter Parker, get a good insight into his family life, he gains his powers, Uncle Ben dies, Spider-Man gets his raison-d'être, plus his costume and defeats his first villain. That's a first issue.
Still, I look forward to seeing how this hero develops. Grist's track record is second to none, so perhaps this isn't the most exciting episode ever. That simply bodes well for the future.

Chris Smillie

End of the Storypaper

2011-11-30T06:22:00.001-08:00

Calling all Starkids!
Thanks to all those who bought the first issue of the Storypaper...unfortunately, there just wasn't enough of you. I do however, appreciate those who dipped their hand into their pocket and, for many of you, the feedback given. With a number of big name artists and writers (both sides of the Atlantic) showing interest in the concept, it's a shame there was not enough appeal to develop a bigger audience.

The good news: the stories will be switching to the internet to read for free, with collected text stories available in both book form and via Kindle etc.. See 'Prose' to read the first chapters of the Knights of Eternity (sword'n'sorcery) and Extermination Theory (action sci-fi), plus full stories for Identity Unhidden (superhero) and the Metphysical Police (weird sci-fi). Also, comic and television fanfiction plus links to classic sci-fi/fantasy. Stay tuned for more stories too, including Atomic-CALL (feline espionage), the Deterrent (if Spidey was on Battlestar Galactica), the War Dogs (WWII superhero action) and historical war stories (Vikings, Romans, Celts etc.).

But what happened with the Storypaper?

Reviews from readers were extremely good but, without distribution, it's just not possible to go on in print form. At £1.50 for over 50 pages, plus terrific spot art and stories that seemed to be popular, there appeared to be a lot of pull but it was just impossible to get it into readers' hands.

Comic shop distributor, Diamond, rejected the Storypaper (in the nicest possible manner) as it wasn't a comic. A specialist sci-fi book/mag distributor rejected it for not being either a book or a mag. I tried the direct approach. I mailed every independent comic and sci-fi bookshop in the UK I could find. Each got a copy of the Storypaper, plus generous terms, that included the option of sale-or-return. I then followed up with an email after a couple of weeks to gauge interest. Now, I used to run a comic shop myself. I know how difficult it is to sell indie work. However, I also know that replying, which about 90% of comic shops chose not to do, is easy. How long does an email take? So no distribution to shops. That's the biggest shame really. If people didn't take to it, fair enough. Truth is, most potential readers had no chance of even seeing a copy.

I had also hoped to do more with the pocket-book format. Around 50 pages of comics featuring Vikings, Romans, Medieval and Celtic action for £1.50? In my book, that sounds terrific. But if comic shops won't even countenance this format, there seems little point continuing with it. Unfortunately, almost halving the page count doesn't mean being able to sell 28 page US-sized at £1.50, taking into account comic shops' 50% discount. It's pocket format or small press only.

Not that I'm having a go at small press distribution but, hopefully, I've moved on from that. With some of the previous work having sold into four figures, selling the odd 50 by mail order, then doubling that at festivals, but losing out via hotels, transport and table costs, is not something I'm interested in doing regularly. I've already written on my thoughts on distribution. It depends what your comic is for. In the case of the Storypaper, it was an attempt at mass-market appeal, rather than fanfiction, vanity press or trying out ideas. The choice then between a few small press readers (where superheroes/sci-fi/fantasy isn't the main interest) or hundreds of thousands of web readers, plus collected print editions seems a fairly obvious choice.

So, unfortunately, no room in the UK for pocket-books at an attractive price with terrific covers. I did what I could.

Keep looking to the stars!

Chris Smillie
(Starchief)

Starscape Storypaper 1

2011-07-16T13:14:00.000-07:00

STARSCAPE STORYPAPER #1
sci-fi, fantasy, superpower & horror tales
Cover: Alex Ronald / Back: Matthew Soffe

the Knights of Eternity
Chris Smillie-Alex Ronald-Alex McCarthy
Merlin conquers time but what does the Son of the Devil need the Ankh of Time for? Find out as we meet Seth as he becomes The Eternal - 'The Man Cursed To Live'!

Extermination Theory
Matthew McLaughlin-Dustin Parr
Even in the future, pest control is a nasty business - especially when it's Mankind versus gruesome alien bug!

Identity Unhidden
Shaun Avery-Ivan Eight
Dressing in longjohns and fighting supervillains isn't the career most mothers want for their son but has the Attendant met his match as he confronts the Big Boss?

ONLY Â£1.50 inc. UK p&p for OVER 50 PAGES!!!

See a review here

Penny Dreadfuls and Storypapers

2011-07-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

What is a storycomic?

Back in Victorian times, comics were pretty rare - some would argue even non-existent. What was popular, however, were Penny Dreadfuls (aka Penny Bloods). These 4-page booklets featured a startling cover, plus text stories packed full of excitement.

Stories were usually filled with real-life villains, such as Dick Turpin or Ned Kelly, although a number of 'heroes', like Buffalo Bill also appeared.

Possibly of more interest were the horror books, starring such luminaries as Spring-Heeled Jack, the Monk and all sorts of spooks and ghosts. Derided by the educated classes, these were a great favourite of kids and the lower class. However, they eventually mutated into the story paper.

Click here to read a Spring-Heeled Jack penny dreadful from 1886.

Storypapers were a little more respectable. These generally featured heroic actions, such as big-game hunters, stiff-upper-lipped soldiers or cunning detectives. Being British of course, there was always a few naughty schoolboys around too!

If you were around in the before the 1980s in Britain, you may remember the Hotspur comic. Actually, that was officially, the New Hotspur. The original Hotspur was, you guessed it, a storypaper. Mostly these were tales of Red Circle School but there was also a sci-fi horror bent in many stories.

The Magnet is another, with Billy Bunter being the most famous creation. And of course, the biggest detective star of the early 1900s was also originally in story papers. Nope, not Sherlock Holmes. He came a poor second to the now largely forgotten Sexton Blake.

Click here to read a Sexton Blake adventure in Union Jack 771 from 1918 (pdf; 7.5 Mb) or click here for lots more classic storypapers, such as the Magnet and the Marvel.

What is Starscape Storypaper?

Starscape Storypaper is an update on these features. Basically, it's an A6 pocketbook of around 50 pages (very handy for the train or bus). Stories are aimed at the teen to adult market (i.e. comic shop clientÃ¨le) and of the sci-fi, fantasy, superhero and horror genre. The pocketbook contains both serials and one-shots with a fair splattering of awesome covers and spot illustrations.

As well as a paper copy, there's also a means to download digitally. So, if you fancy reading it on your Kindle, eBook reader or tabloid...no problem!

Sorry it won't cost as little as a penny! By average earnings, that would now be over the equivalent of Â£3/$4.50! But you can't get much better than 52 pages of action for only Â£1.50, including UK p&p.

What characters will be appearing in Starscape Storypaper?

Some of the characters from the Penny Dreadful era will be revisited, as well as mythological and legendary characters from Egypt, the Norse and Celtic lands, Ancient Rome and oh so many more. There will also be many original ghost hunters, superheroes, cosmic warriors and barbarians - some of them you may have already encountered in our comics. All in all, a great little read.

Hope to see you there!

Chris Smillie
(Starchief)

This Day In Comics: July 1940

2011-07-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

July 1940

Action Comics #26

Adventure Comics #52

All-American Comics #16

Amazing Mystery Funnies #22

Blue Ribbon Comics #5

Crack Comics #3

Crackajack Funnies #25

Crash Comics Adventures #3

Detective Comics #41

Doc Savage Comics #1

Fantastic Comics #8

Feature Comics #34

Fight Comics #7

Flash Comics #7

Four Color #8

The Funnies #45

Funny Pages #39

Future Comics #2

Hit Comics #1

Keen Detective Funnies #22

Marvel Mystery Comics #9

Master Comics #4

Mickey Mouse Magazine #58

More Fun Comics #57

National Comics #1

Nickel Comics #5

Nickel Comics #6

Pep Comics #6

Planet Comics #7

Popular Comics #53

Prize Comics #5

Slam-Bang Comics #5

Smash Comics #12

Super Comics #26

WHIZ Comics #6

Wonderworld Comics #15

Zip Comics #6

THIS DAY IN COMICS

What a year 1940 was!

Ok, chances are you were not around then but you will certainly remember some of the characters from the time.

Superman had not long debuted in Action Comics #1. The astonishing success led to a variety of wannabees and future greats from Marvel, DC and many more long-lasting and fly-by-night publishers.

In the Tales That Astonished section of this publication, you will read that, in my humble opinion, the first Hulk v Thing in Fantastic Four #25 is the first great Marvel comic. Well, that's not quite true...that's the first great comic of the new Marvel Age of the 1960s. The first great comic of Marvel actually took place in, you guessed it, July 1940!

By far, Marvel's two biggest characters were the original Human Torch and the anti-hero, Namor, the Sub-Mariner. And an epic event took place 70 years ago – they met!

Quite rightly named 'Battle of the Century', Marvel Mystery Comics #9 saw an amazing clash for New York waged between the Golden Age flaming android, Jim Hammond and the Avenger of Atlantis.

Marvel, for years, largely ignored their early history, with the submerging of New York by Namor a lost memory until a quite breathtaking re-imagining by Alex Ross in the graphic novel, Marvels.

It was actually the ONLY Marvel comic of the month.

National Periodicals, forerunner of DC Comics, was the big player of the time. Batman was still appearing in Detective Comics, whilst Superman was still in Action Comics, much like today. A big difference though was, they were not the only ones!

Detectives, crime-fighting magicians, strongmen, pirates and private eyes all served to make up stories in these comics.

Similar back-ups also appeared in Flash Comics (home of Hawkman and, you guessed it, the [Golden-Age] Flash), More Fun Comics (the Spectre and Doctor Fate) and Hourman's Adventure Comics. Some amazing covers mind you.

All-American Comics #16 was much the same, only this issue introduced a major character into comics. Inspired by the legend of Aladdin and his magic lamp, the ring-bearing Alan Scott first appeared as Green Lantern!

Elsewhere, the biggest selling hero of the Golden Age, Captain 'Shazam' Marvel faced off against his nemesis, Doctor Sivana in Whiz Comics #6. Other Fawcett comics included Master Comics featuring...nope, not Captain Marvel jr., he didn't appear until Whiz #25...Masterman! The other big Fawcett hero of the day was Bulletman who appeared in Nickel Comics #5 AND #6 in the same month!

Archie Comics was then known as MLJ Publications. Not surprisingly since Archie Andrews was still a few years off being created! MLJ was instead a superhero line. Pep Comics', The Shield really should get more credit for being the first flag-wearing hero, predating Captain America by over a year.

Another big favourite of the MLJ line at the time was Steel Sterling, who appeared in Zip Comics. John Sterling, after some ludicrous experiment involving drugs and molten steel, became the immensely strong hero, known as 'The Man of Steel'. I know what you're thinking: “no wonder he's not around: DC must have sued” - not so! Superman's nickname was actually 'The Man of Tomorrow'. So it was in reality, The Big Blue Boy Scout that took the name from Steel Sterling, rather than the other way around!

Quality Comics most famous creation, Plastic Man was still a year off, with Police Comics #1 not appearing until 1940. However, Crack Comics was the home of The Clock – sometimes regarded as being the first superhero. Basically, a crime-fighter in a suit with a simple face mask and some nifty gadgets, he was actually published in 1936. The Clock inspired a certain Will Eisner to create The Spirit.

The Clock shared central billing in Crack Comics with later Freedom Fighter, the Black Condor., with Doll Man appearing in Feature Comics. Meanwhile, the future leader of the Freedom Fighters, Uncle Sam, was actually making his debut over in National Comics #1. Little used Quality character, the Red Bee also made his debut in Hit Comics #1.

Dell, who were mostly successful with TV properties in the 1960s, produced pulp heroes, Ellery Queen, in Crackajack Funnies and Dick Tracy in Super Comics, plus some minor heroes in The Funnies and Popular Comics.

Another pulp hero became a comic book 70 years ago when the Man of Bronze got his first start in Doc Savage #1. Meanwhile, the Lone Ranger was in issue 3 of Future Comics.

Centaur had the first 'super archer' out in The Arrow, in Funny Pages, whilst The Masked Marvel was duking it out in the quite awful named Keen Detective Funnies #22.

Other minor heroes of the month included Blue Streak in Crash Comics Adventures, Power Man (no relation) in Fight Comics and The Flame (who also had his own Summer Special) in Wonderworld Comics. The latter published by Fox Features Syndicate (no relation again) who also had the Fantom (sic) of the Fair in Amazing Mystery Funnies.

Chris Smillie

The ABNORMALS special

2011-07-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

Grant Springford (theabnormals.co.uk)

The sensational return of the small press answer to Grant Morrison.

I've been a fan of Springford's work for quite a time now. I had been picking up UK indie comics for quite a time but found myself rarely loving any. I'm not necessarily saying I disliked them but, if I compared the joy of reading a leading small presser to a run of the mill Hulk or Batman, the work from the Big Two would win every time. Then I stumbled upon Grant's 'Pest Control'...

At the time, Pest Control was a fairly amateurly produced black-and-white, photocopy (or was it home printed?) A5 comic. The art was passable but not professional league. But, hey, I thought I'd give it a go.

By the end, I was smitten.

Grant, I later discovered, is a big fan of the 80s Defenders and Claremont's X-Men, as well as the aforementioned Morrison. As with Pest Control, all these elements come to the fore yet again, with this first outing of the Abnormals. The comic itself, although a little pricey, is full colour and printed on quality paper.

The basic premise is that beneath the London Underground Tube system is an alien otherworld of demons, ghost and all sorts of horrors that closely resemble something you might see on Dr Who. Death and corruption stalk the corridors - and a motley crew of super-powered individuals protect our world from this nightmare.

But don't go expecting Peanut Man and Lavender Girl to fly to the rescue. These heroes are closer to Doom Patrol, or even TV's Sapphire & Steel, with their reality-warping powers, dysfunctional relationships and contempt for life. All-in-all, this series is full of promise. If you're looking for Bronze Age action, with a slice of Morrison weirdness, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better comic in the last decade.

Nice to see some remnants of Pest Control back after so many years too...

Chris Smillie

This Day In Comics: June 1970

2011-07-16T13:02:00.000-07:00

June 1970

THIS DAY IN COMICS

Abbott & Costello #15

Action Comics #389

Adventure Comics #394

The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #118

The Amazing Spider-Man #85

Archie #200

Archie and Me #35

Archie Giant Series Magazine #173

Archie's Girls Betty and Veronica #174

Archie's Jokebook Magazine #149

Archie's Pals 'n' Gals #58

Archie's TV Laugh-Out #3

Army War Heroes #38

The Avengers #77

Batman #222

Betty and Me #28

Captain America #126

Captain Marvel #20

Chamber of Darkness #5

Chili #14

Chip 'n' Dale #7

Creepy #33

Daredevil #65

Detective Comics #400

Everything's Archie #8

Fantastic Four #99

The Flash #198

Girls' Romances #149

Green Lantern #77

Hot Wheels #2

The Incredible Hulk #128

Iron Man #26

Josie and the Pussycats #48

Jughead #181

Justice League of America #81

Kid Colt Outlaw #147

Life with Archie #98

MAD #135

Mad About Millie #12

The Many Ghosts of Dr. Graves #20

Marvel's Greatest Comics #27

Millie the Model #183

Our Army at War #220

Pep Comics #242

The Phantom #38

Popeye #102

The Rawhide Kid #77

Ripley's Believe It Or Not! #20

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Story Digest #1

Secret Hearts #144

Sgt. Fury #79

Showcase #91

Silver Surfer #17

The Sub-Mariner #26

Superboy #166

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #129

Thor #177

Tom and Jerry Comics #251

TV Comic #964

TV Comic #965

TV Comic #966

TV Comic #967

The Twilight Zone #33

Vampirella #5

Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #357

World's Finest Comics #194

First thing to notice is Detective Comics reaching the magical 400^th issue. Not that Batman was in all. You recall, of course, that the Caped Crusader first appeared in #27.

Neal Adams contributed a quite stunning cover, demonstrating a grim'n'gritty style that the rest of the world wouldn't catch up with until the 1980s. The main event of the book was the first appearance and origin of Man-Bat – one of the more horrifying characters from DC's Silver Age. A team-up featuring Robin and Batgirl comprised the other feature, ably dispensed by Denny O'Neil and Gil Kane.

Adams was certainly in demand at that time. As well as a celebrated run drawing Bats, Neal was also into his second issue of the much-celebrated Green Lantern/ Green Arrow run. This series saw the cosmic ring-bearer brought down to Earth by the archer. Here, instead of aliens from other planets and dimensions, the emerald duo were more likely to encounter slum landlords and drug dealers.

Not that we should be expecting DC to be all hard-hitting drama. Instead, the titles of Superman, Justice League, Supergirl's Adventure Comics and the like continued Julius Schwarz storytelling line (even though he wasn't always the storyteller) of fantastic worlds, bizarre villains and pseudo-scientific crimes.

Over at Marvel, the awesome Stan Lee/ John Buscema Silver Surfer run was coming to an end. Still considered one of the finest series ever written, Chrome Dome is still searching for his beloved Shalla Bal and is still bewitched by Mephisto.

In this final Buscema issue, he comes across another set of outcasts – the uncanny Inhumans! Although recognised for it's genius at the time, the series unfortunately just didn't sell enough.

The Fantastic Four were close to their hundredth issue, being at the #99 stage. The cover, by Jack Kirby and Joe Sinnott natch, somewhat mirrors that of the Silver Surfer. And not only that...

'The Torch Goes Wild' proclaims the cover. Wild with who? Why the very same Inhumans that are currently involved with the Surfer.

Elsewhere the Hulk was taking on the Mighty Avengers in a tale that was much more entertaining than what was going on in the Avengers own comic.

Congratulations go to Riverdale High's Archie Andrews, which had reached the milestone #200 with his all-American small town adventures.

Charlton Comics were still big players then. Their biggest hitter was the man considered by many to be the first superhero, The Phantom. A quite brilliant cover of The Ghost Who Walks was provided by artist, Jim Aparo, who, for many, became the Batman artist of the Seventies.

As for Mad Magazine, they were busy parodying the hit film of the time, with a comic strip called 'Sleazy Riders' . Credits go to the usual gang of idiots.

Chris Smillie

The penny dreadful returns...

2011-07-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

Calling all Starkids!

After a long time in planning, I'm pleased to announce the long-awaited return of the storypaper (or, if you like, an updated penny dreadful). If you don't know what these are, have a look at the Storypaper link on the menu bar at the top of the page (or click here).

Briefly, the idea came to me when lamenting the popularity of Harry Potter and the lack of British all-age adventure comics. I should once again stress that by all-ages, I mean the output of writers, such as Stan Lee, Chris Claremont, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tolkien, John Wagner and much of Alan Moore. Growing up, as a kid, I thrilled to the likes of the Human Torch and Strontium Dog. And now, as I regrettably age evermore, I still see the Silver/Bronze Age as stand-out periods in the world of comics.

I also fancied reading something a little more substantial. Response to the fanfiction (click on 'Comics') has been good and I thought to myself that I would love to be able to pick up a journal of prose featuring the likes of Green Lantern, Dr Strange or Slaine. As usual, that got me thinking that, of no-one else is likely to do it, I might as well have a go.

So, now you can pick up a little pocket book (very handy for the bus or train) of super-heroes, wizards, spacemen and barbarians. At around 50 pages an issue, that's quite a bang for your buck (or £1.50 as it were).

Other news: and I mean 'news'. Have a look at the Webscape page (or 'links' page) to see how you can have a newspaper of comic news delivered to your email every day. No need to lament the decline of Wizard, Comics International, Multiverse (presumably) or even our own Comicscape mag (now totally online), when your very own comic news, features and opinions can drop through your e-letterbox every day.

Talking of Comicscape, readers of will be pleased to see the return of the most popular feature: 'This Day in Comics', where we run through what you could have been buying this month in yesteryear. Until next time...

Keep looking to the stars!

Chris Smillie
(Starchief)

Captain Britain: Return of the Reaver

2010-09-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

After gaining the Star-Sceptre, Captain Britain returns to Darkmoor Research Facility - the scene of his birth as a superhero. But the tranquility is shattered by the re-appearance of Cap's first foe, The REAVER!! But what larger mystery surrounds the return of the holder of the Sword of Might?

Prose written by Chris Smillie. This is FANFICTION and for FUN only. Not for profit. All characters (c) Marvel Comics. Copyright holders may request removal at any time.

http://www.myebook.com/index.php?option=ebook&id=48067 for a nicely presented online flash version or http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6302894/1/ for text only

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2010-07-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

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Comicscape vol.0 #2

2010-07-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

Second trial issue of Comicscape is now up. Any help or suggestions, get in touch via comicscape AT [remove this] starscapeonline DOT com

Reviews, news, views and advance listings for July 2010.

Stories covered include:

* Previews of X-Men #1 and Wolverine #1
* A history of Marvelman
* All the info on the new Batman: Under The Red Hood cartoon
* The Beano in trouble
* Ghost Rider and Dr Strange movie rumours

In Tales That Astonished, we remember possibly the greatest tale of all time, the Coming of Galactus. This Day In Comics goes back to July 1940, with highlights including the first Green Lantern and the Human Torch versus Sub-Mariner. Versus pits the Incredible Hulk against the Mighty Thor in a battle of Marvel's mightiest.

Over 100 pages. FREE!! from http://StarscapeOnline.com
Online reading: http://issuu.com/starscape/docs/comicscape0_2
PDF: http://comics.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=82147&filters=0_0_0&manufacturers_id=2930
or, http://www.clickwheel.net/features/343?episode_id=3250
or, http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/comicscape-vol0-#2/9047631

Wonder Woman's new costume

2010-07-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

Calling all Starkids!

Well, hasn't Wonder Woman cooked up a storm?!?

For those of you wondering who the picture is to the left, that's Wonder Woman! No, really! It's fair to say these been quite a lot of criticism. The origin has been changed too. No longer was Diana Prince raised on the mythical Amazon Isle. Instead, she was brought up by Amazons in New York. Now, that's going to complicate things quite a bit.

The biggest source of criticism appears to be the loss of American symbols, meaning WW is now somehow unpatriotic, i.e. un-American. And yet, this Wonder Woman is really more American than her predecessor. For a start, the Amazonian we've grown up with was born and raised on the mystical Amazon Isle by Greek goddesses and legends. So, really, she should be decked out in blue-and-white stripes, with a cross on her left shoulder.

One critic asked who would be next, "Captain America"? Um...he's not been following comics has he? Which one? Steve Rogers was killed then resurrected to Super-Soldier, Bucky is bionic and carries a gun, whilst the USA Agent is...well...mad! Quick, no-one tell him about when Steve got so disenchanted with the USA that he became Nomad!

Really, the big problem is that Diana looks nothing like Wonder Woman. DC say that the change came with declining sales, so they've manga'd her up. Given that DC have just closed their manga imprint, CMX, will this improve or further decimate sales of comics' most enduring heroine.

Keep looking to the stars!

Chris Smillie
(Starchief)

Comicscape vol.0 #1

2010-06-21T03:53:00.000-07:00

Following the death of Comics International - Dez Skinn's news and views comic magazine - I've cooked up a trial issue of Comicscape - a news, views and listings mag to see what interest there would be in a regular mag. Print or electronic. Current thinking is a couple of electronic issues to get the feel right, then a trial issue to UK comic shop managers to gauge interest. Any suggestions, let me know.

It's a vol.0 as I'm interested in anyone's views over what they like, what they don't like, what they want, what they're not happy with etc etc. Also, if anyone wants to contribute, all the better.

The issue can be downloaded (pdf) from either Clickwheel http://www.clickwheel.net/features/343?episode_id=3244 or Lulu http://www.lulu.com/product/ebook/comicscape-vol0-%231/11254028 for free.

Comics news, views and listings for June 2010.
Major stories include Roy Thomas on Conan after 40 years, htmlcomics closed by the FBI and a new Green Lantern cartoon.
Jack Kirby's New Gods is remembered in Tales That Astonished, whilst June 1970 - 40 years ago - comic releases are reviewed in This Day In Comics.

Shrift 'Lost In A Moment' (Six Degrees, 2006)

2010-06-21T03:49:00.000-07:00

As you may recall, I have previously reviewed the fabulous Inference album by little known Creation band, Pacific. Gleaning the merest amount of information about the combo had proved difficult, despite enquiries to both Creation head honcho, Alan McGhee and various message boards and bands. All I had to go on was a single name - Dennis from Brighton. Not much, huh?

But I did it! As it turns out, Dennis is in fact a composer/producer named Dennis Wheatley. In the mid-80s, Dennis (then a DJ and student) recruited Vanessa Norwood (from indie band, the Doris Days), along with sister/guitarist Rachel to form Pacific. Alongside them were Nick (trumpet), Simon (cello) and Ed (bass) - sorry, no last names! After performing in Alan McGhee's living room, Pacific eventually released their LP, plus a couple of 12".

Since Pacific, Dennis released an album under the name Atlas. I must admit, I wasn't impressed. Pure avant-garde drum'n'bass. None of the beautiful melodies I associate with Pacific. However, the latest album, where Dennis has named the band after the Inference track, Shrift, is something altogether.

lost in a sushi

shrift | MySpace Music Videos

The album can be described as perhaps dreamy latino jazz. Singer Nina Miranda has that sensual, almost spoken style, that speaks of laid back nights in tropical jazz clubs. Dennis whips up some off-the-wall soundscapes. A number of tracks have that latino acoustic guitar line. However, behind this are complicated understated rhythms, combined with ambient synthesizers swirling over the melody.

I can't say I'm uniformly impressed. Sometimes the album isn't quite for me - veering too much towards that latino beat and away from the orchestral arrangement. That said, on the whole, the album is quite wonderful. Wheatley really manages to bring out some intense beauty to what might be 'nice enough' songs. None more so than the amazing 'Yes, I Love You'.

Shrift is strongly recommended if you're a fan of Pacific or latino beat, such as Kalima. There is some very wondrous music on this disc.

Red Sands 2.1

2010-06-21T03:44:00.000-07:00

'MOUTHFUL OF MAGGOTS' The thing about lynchin's is you gotta get 'em right. You mess up an' yer intended corpse is more 'an likely ta end up lynchin' you...'an muties take a lot o' killin'!

Cover by 2000AD's Alex Ronald, story by Matthew McLaughlin, with art by Bruce McLaren. Letters by Bolt-01. File under 'bloody but unbowed'

For fans of 2000AD; Judge Dredd; Strontium Dog; Missionary Man

Available as a Download (FREE!)

Where to publish indy comics?

2010-06-21T03:40:00.000-07:00

So you want to self-publish. Why? Now, that may sound an easy question but it is in fact hugely soul-searching and completely changes why (or where) you would want to publish, if at all.

Let me tell you what happened with me. I first started as I had a comic shop. I'd seen various small press comics but they were mostly either inane 'adult' humour or teenage angst/slice-of-life - neither of which particularly appealed to me. Then someone sent me in an indie comic that I thought was as good a story as most out there (for the record, it was Grant Springford's Pest Control if you're wondering - especially recommended for Chris Claremont/Grant Morrison fans). So I thought I could sell the best of those, plus Fleetway reprints (so I got a license for the Leopard from Lime Street) in the same comic, alongside my regular 2000AD/X-Men/JLA etc etc sales to get creators better known.

(For those outside the UK/Commonwealth, Fleetway were the biggest British comic publishers of the 1970s/80s. Titles ranged from popular funnies like Krazy and Whizzer & Chips to hard-hitting adventure titles, like Battle and Action, plus football/sport titles. And, of course, the legendary 2000AD - home of Judge Dredd. At the time I first published Starscape, 2000AD had long been sold off, their comic division closed and pretty much zero interest in reprinting their comic history.)

I'm guessing that's a little different to why most start. What exactly you want to do is actually pretty crucial to where you submit, self-publish, give away for free (i.e. a webcomic) or sell.

I guess the choices are that you:

* want to get some samples of your scripts/art for portfolios (in which case, Lulu or Ka-Blam can give you a few nice copies for little lay-out)
* want to be read by as many people as possible (probably best then to try to get Starscape/FutureQuake/Insomnia or some other more established indy publisher to submit to. That can take time, plus there are various submission guidelines according to publisher, e.g. some Diamond distributed, some TPB only, different genres, completed submissions, chance of profits etc etc etc)
* want to be read by as many people as possible but without waiting or submitting (free webcomics are probably best then, submitted to myebooks, clickwheel or some such webcomic aggregator)
* purely fan art/stories for fun (fanfiction.net can host text stories of all kinds but manga is way the most popular, Starscape does Marvel/DC, plus Classic TV fanfic and there's obviously Dogbreath/Zarjaz for 2000AD and I'm sure many more based on particular sites dedicated to characters, companies, genres etc)
* as part of a long-term profit plan (there are instances but it's difficult to get readers. The free-er the more popular - certainly at the start but if you want to make a decent profit, then spend spend spend your way there to get noticed. You really have to get Diamond distribution to get into comic shops (not quite true but pretty much), you really need to fork out cash for a big promo drive and you really need the luck of the gods just to get noticed -- but who knows, Sly Stallone or Kevin Smith might just be interested eventually and the hard work pays off)

Probably everyone wants more than one of those but it does really focus the mind as to which path to go down as they all have their ups and downs.

Club 8 'Spring Came, Rain Fell' (Labrador, 2002)

2010-06-21T03:33:00.000-07:00

Some time ago, during a 'tape swap', I was introduced to the delights of Swedish indie-pop. It came as a great surprise to find such an amazing array of music had grown up in a country that, somehow, had never spoken to me of Sarah Records.

Sadly, the tape is long gone in the remnants of a car crash. However, it did get me to seek out some of the bands featured. And isn't that the point of compilations? One band in particular stood out - the ever-wonderful Club 8.

The band consist of vocalist Karolina Komstedt and composer/ multi-instrumentalist Johan Angergård from the former band (whom I've still never heard), Poprace. Karolina has the most exquisite breathy vocals. Possibly a little like Cardigans' singer, Nina Persson, but both sexier and more innocent at the same time.

Early music was C86/indiepop. Lots of uptempo drum machines and jangly guitars. Great stuff but they really hit home on the Spring Came, Rain Fell album. Lush synthesizers that recall 1960s Scott Walker or contemporaries Trembling Blue Stars are in evidence. The pace is generally slowed, with some quite beautiful heartbreaking lyrics.

Since this album, Club 8 have gone on to release another two quite stunning albums, with a third, latin-influenced one on the way. This is understated electronic indiepop at it's best. You won't find better!

GUARD DOGS 2

2010-06-21T03:30:00.000-07:00

Twig Boy

Something woody lurks in Cockchester and it's up to the Guard Dogs to solve the mystery of 'This Boy, This Monster'. John Britton has spent a lifetime in comics, working on such titles as TV Comic, Action, Flash Gordon and the British versions of Batman, Superman and many more. After taking a few years out, John has found himself drawn back to the world of graphic entertainment...and aren't we all glad!

Available as a Download (FREE!)

THREADS

2010-06-21T03:24:00.000-07:00

BBC made-for-tv movie from 1984 concerning the aftermath of a nuclear war in Sheffield, Great Britain.

I first watched this as a schoolboy. My feelings were one of horror. Next day in the common room the talk was of 'I wouldn't want to survive a nuclear war'. With the phrase from the film 'you cannot win a nuclear war' going down in popular culture.

So good were my memories of the programme that I settled down to with some trepidation. Could it possibly be as good as I remembered it? I'm pleased to say the answer is yes. In fact, it's probably better as, at the time, I didn't know too much about marriage, kids and society, over and above the school playground.

The story works so well by focusing upon a small number of people in a young families life. The political reasons for the war are told only through infrequent news broadcasts that don't really say the full story behind the emerging conflict. In fact, we probably have as much info as most of the people in the programme. Life goes on. The end is getting closer but as one character says 'What can I do?'.

The story isn't 100 miles an hour. Instead, there's a patient build-up as we get to know the minutiae of the main characters' lives. Minutiae and lives that are destroyed in an instant. In the post-nuclear holocaust world, radiation poisoning does for most of the inhabitants. We're thrown back to the Dark Ages, where money is of no value but food and water without fertilizers or pesticides decide who is really wealthy. Life expectancy plummets as does law and order, which are now controlled by a largely unaccountable armed force. Education and travel are radically diminished resulting in the strong regional accents of old.

It's probably pretty obvious by this time, this is no feel good movie. The devastation felt by the main characters is real and palpable. This must be one of the most important programmes ever made and should be shown regularly on tv and in schools. My feelings at the end of the show were the same as way back when, that is, 'I wouldn't want to survive a nuclear war' and 'you cannot win a nuclear war'.