Here's the press release...
Considered by many as the most important war story to appear in comics, a new definitive collection of Charley’s War to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War leads the 2018 schedule from The Treasury of British Comics.
Celebrating a year since its launch in June 2017, the Treasury of British Comics continues its mission to bring some of the classic British of the 1970s and ‘80s comics back into print.
Deeply affecting, unsparingly hard, and unflinchingly political, Charley's War follows a sixteen-year-old working class lad who eagerly signs up in 1916 but has his idealism quickly shattered in the hellish world of trench warfare where every day is a bitter fight for survival. A must for every book shelf and school library, this all-time classic of the medium features bold writing from Pat Mills (Nemesis the Warlock, Marshal Law) and breath-taking artwork from Joe Colquhoun. The first of three omnibus volumes will be released in April, with the next volumes due for release in May and June.
The Treasury of British Comics also continues its collections of never-before-reprinted girls comics, beginning with the first volume of stories from Jinty, featuring The Land of No Tears where, while undergoing surgery, Cassy Shaw is transported into a dystopian future in which people with genetic defects are regarded as second class citizens; meanwhile The Human Zoo sees twin sisters Shona and Jenny kidnapped along with their classmates by a superior race of telepathic aliens. Will the twins ever be able to reunite and escape by to Earth?
In the much-loved Bella at the Bar, Bella Barlow is a young orphan with ambitions to be a world class gymnastic – she has the talent, but is hampered by her cruel Uncle Jed and Aunt Gert who constantly exploit her for their own selfish gains. Published in the bestselling girls comic of its day, Tammy, and drawn by John Armstrong from 1974 to 1984, its writers include Jenny McDade, John Wagner, Primrose Cumming and Malcolm Shaw.
And in the third volume in the popular reprint series of stories from the supernatural horror comic for girls, Misty, Lona begins to exhibit supernatural powers which, unknown to her, are the result of her being raised by wolves as a baby in Wolf-Girl.
These will be complemented by two horror classics from the 1980s – The Thirteenth Floor from Scream! and first volume of Black Max from Lion and Thunder! Sentient and demented caretaker computer Max routinely murders people after luring them to his tower block's secret thirteenth floor in one of the British comics’ creepiest and most iconic characters. Devised by writers John Wagner and Alan Grant and artist José Ortiz, The Thirteenth Floor is a classic horror in the style of a science-fiction-tinged Penny Dreadful. Written by Ken Mennell and drawn by Eric Bradbury and Alfonso Font, Black Max is World War One evil flying ace Baron Maximilien Von Klorr who has trained two giant bats to attack British aircraft. Believing himself to be descended from the fabled Bat People, he is continually opposed by Lieutenant Tim Wilson of the Royal Flying Corps in a war comic with a horror twist!
Born a slave in Alabama, he became a bandit in Mexico and returned to become the scourge of the American Civil War! El Mestizo is a unique character from the heyday of British comics. Created by writer Alan Hebden and artist Carlos Ezquerra, and published in Battle Picture Weekly, El Mestizo is a Spaghetti Western meets Django Unchained as a black mercenary faces both danger and prejudice in the crucible of the Civil War.
The year ends with another volume from one of the masters of 20th Century comic art, Ken Reid. His Creepy Creations were a poster feature on the back page of every issue of Shiver and Shake between March 1973 and October 1974, all drawn by Reid in response to a sketch and title sent in by a reader. From The Mersey Tunneller to The Money-grabber of Montrose, these gruesome grotesques demonstrate Reid’s incredible talent for invention and subversion. This hardcover edition follows the critical success of 2017’s collection of his Faceache one-page comedy strips.
The full 2018 Treasury of British Comics graphic novel schedule:
22/02/2018 9781781086179 The Beatles Story (hardcover, £12.99/$17.99)
18/04/2018 9781781086193 Charley’s War Vol. 1: Boy Soldier (paperback, £19.99/$25)
17/05/2018 9781781086209 Charley’s War Vol. 2: Brothers In Arms (paperback, £19.99/$25)
14/06/2018 9781781086216 Charley’s War Vol. 3: Remembrance (paperback , £19.99/$25)
28/06/2018 9781781086247 Jinty Vol. 1: The Human Zoo & The Land of No Tears (paperback, £10.99)
12/07/2018 9781781086254 Bella At The Bar (paperback, £10.99)
23/08/2018 9781781086261 Von Hoffman's Invasion Vol. 1 (paperback, £12.99)
20/09/2018 9781781086513 Misty Vol. 3: Wolf Girl & Other Stories (paperback, £13.99)
18/10/2018 9781781086537 The 13th Floor (paperback, £14.99)
04/10/2018 9781781086551 Black Max Vol. 1 (paperback, £10.99)
15/11/2018 9781781086575 El Mestizo (hardcover, £14.99)
29/11/2018 9781781086605 Ken Reid's Creepy Creations (hardcover, £16.99)
15 comments:
Honestly, I can't be anything but disappointed at the lack of humour content. I know it's the red-haired stepchild of comics, but c'mon.
I'll buy most of what comes out, but will do so bitterly.
I was excited enough to read about "Black Max" and more Ken Reid books, but then I saw "Von Hoffman's Invasion" and I came over all fanboy at that - thanks for the update Rebellion have been true to their word I really didn't think they would publish as many books like this.
I'm also disappointed there isn't at least one more humour book too, Kal. Ken Reid is brilliant but there were others also worthy of showcasing. Ah well, perhaps we'll see a Leo Baxendale Clever Dick collection in 2019..?
I showed the cover to the Von Hoffman book a few weeks ago, Paul. Remember commenting?
https://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/von-hoffmans-invasion-collected.html
I find it difficult to label Creepy Creations a humour book as it seems more of a coffee table art book to my mind. Still, it's something. Small mercies and all that. Genuinely surprised at the lack of a Faceache Vol. 2 this year.
Regarding a Baxendale book, Clever Dick would be pretty cool. I'd argue that Sweeny Toddler is far more an iconic character, and you could get a good-sized book out of Baxendale's Shiver & Shake and Whoopee work.
I don't think Leo drew that many Sweeny Toddlers did he before he quit comics? There should be enough to fill most of a book perhaps, before Tom Paterson and others took over. (Although those are great too.) I must admit I'd stopped buying UK humour comics between early 1975 to sometime in 1981 so I'm unsure as to who took over when Leo left mainstream comics in 1975. I know Tom Paterson was doing fantastic work on Sweeny when I started buying Whoopee in 1981.
Reg Parlett book which Ivor Lott and Tony Broke was the most popular in the vote..Rent a ghost second..shame no volume 2 for Faceache...
Will buy three of them Van Hoffman...Creepy Creations and Black Max...
not sure on the girl ones Butnice they are doing them..need to read a story or two to see
As far as I'm aware, he did 75 of the 79 published in Shiver and Shake before it merged with Whoopee in October '74. His last Whoopee strip was published in early June '75.
Easily enough to fill a book, even accounting for some being half pages. Bung in the ghosted strips to appease completists like me, slap 'Vol. 1' on the cover and job's a good 'un.
It's a great selection as it stands, and now it's clearer just how tough the decisions are for Rebellion's collections editor - such a huge range of potential material.
That said, I'm disappointed there's no Leopard of Lime Street vol 2, that was my own clear favourite from last year.
It's looks like The Thirteenth Floor will be my fave this year (it's wonderfully bonkers and a little mean),maybe tied with Jinty - although Von Hoffman's Invasion and Black Max could surprise.
I loved El Mestizo the first time round as an 11 year old, cos of all the TV Westerns I'd watched in their mid-70s heyday (New Zealand at the time was about 3 years behind on TV shows because the NZBC didn't have any money). El Mestizo was still wonderful when I read it again about 5 years ago after rebuilding my Battle collection.
Thanks for the info, Kal. Yep, enough to fill half a book of Leo's Sweeny then. Tom Paterson's work would be very welcome too.
I think a book of humour strips might be a hard sell to comic shops. I know some comic stores won't stock any of the Treasury books unless they're on pre-order because they think old British comics won't sell. It's a shame that some UK comic stores are so U.S.-centric.
No Doomlord? Scandalous! Some would say you can't get enough Charley's War, but as Titan have released and rereleased it several times over the last few years it's not one I'm looking forward to - and ONLY for that reason. On past form the colour pages/covers will be included this time, but even so. Here's hoping the Scott Goodall WWII years also get an outing this time. Wouldn't mind seeing Battle Action Force's The Nightmare; pity it ended up with a traditional villain and his "pit of death" or whatever, but Redondo's artwork and strong early scripts made up for it.
That's a bit odd about some UK stores not stocking the Treasury books,because given that Rebellion is a book publisher I'd imagine that they'd be 'sale or return' in any case, and there several major mainstream book publishers that many stores order graphic novels from on a similar basis.
I can't see what the stores would have to lose by stocking the Treasury books. Maybe those stores are 'Diamond catalog only' stores? Or rely largely on the periodicals?
Yes, comic shops will only order through Diamond, which are firm sale.
No likelihood of Doomlord, Stephen. Eagle is owned by the Dan Dare Corporation, not Rebellion.
I'm not sure I understand then – alright, I DON'T understand – about the 13th Floor and Monster releases; these were concluded in the 1980s Eagle. Would this put a block on any Death Wish or Billy's Boots collections, if those have even been thought of? Comics often tended to merge into a single point; for me the last ever Buster at the end 1999 brought an end to Monster Fun, Knockout, etc. with the conclusion of X-Ray Specs, Joker and all the rest. It doesn’t matter that the original comics had long ceased publication. Bit off topic, sorry.
Rebellion own the IPC comics that started from 1970 onwards (although they also own Whizzer and Chips, which started in October 1969). There are also a certain number of characters from Buster that they own.
If a story started in a comic they own (eg: Black Max in THUNDER) then they also own the continuation when Thunder merged into LION, even though they don't own Lion. So, yes, they own Billy's Boots, as it started in SCORCHER (which they own) before it merged into TIGER.
Thirteenth Floor originated in SCREAM (which Rebellion own) before it continued in EAGLE, so that's why they can do a Thirteenth Floor book.
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