ROY OF THE ROVERS 65th Anniversary Special - out now

Rebellion have taken the unusual step of releasing their latest special in two formats. You can buy the Roy of the Rovers 65th Anniversary Special either as a luxurious hardback book for £19.99, or as a "floppy" comic for £9.99. Both have the same 128 pages of content, with slight differences to the cover text. 

I reviewed the hardback edition a few weeks ago and you can read my thoughts on it here:
https://lewstringer.blogspot.com/2019/08/preview-roy-of-rovers-65th-anniversary.html

I bought the "floppy" version from WH Smiths today. It was displayed alongside the football mags which, presumably, is where it's intended to be rather than with the children's comics or in the 2000AD/older readers section. Not being a great football fan, I'm happy enough with the comic-format edition, but faithful fans of Roy of the Rovers might prefer the hardback edition as a proper collectors' item.

This is a very nice publication, recounting the history of the character and including features and/or interviews on the artists and writers, plus a few selected strips representing the changes over the decades. It mostly focuses on "classic" Roy of course, but it rightly brings us up to date by including the rebooted modern version too. 

Rebellion have really done us proud with the specials they've produced this year... and it's not over yet! Look out for The Thirteenth Floor special next month!

Preview: Roy of the Rovers 65th Anniversary Special

When I first heard that there was going to be a Roy of the Rovers 65th Anniversary Special this year I presumed it'd be the same as Rebellions others specials; a 52 page comic. Instead, what we'll get is a 128 page hardback book! A wonderful souvenir of the greatest football strip seen in British comics. (UPDATE: There is also a "floppy" version of this book. See here for details.) 

The book mixes all new features, anecdotes, and interviews with a selection of classic Roy of the Rovers strips from over the decades. It begins with Roy's debut in Tiger in 1954, and ends with the rebooted modern version of today. There are features and interviews with or about the artists and writers and key moments in the long life of the original Roy Race. Definitely one for Roy's loyal fans!

• RELEASE DATE: 11th September 2019
• HARDCOVER, 128 pages
• PRICE: £19.99 (UK)
• ISBN: 9781781087381
Roy of the Rovers is the greatest football comic of all time. For generations, the exploits of Roy Race enthralled hundreds of thousands of readers. Through kidnappings and shootings, pregnancies and punch-ups, Melchester Rovers’ star striker kept the goals coming - and became woven into the fabric of football in the process. From the comic’s first appearance in 1954, all the way through to its glorious 21st century reboot, Roy of the Rovers remains the greatest football fairytale ever told. Join us as we celebrate the stories, the creators and the fans that made Roy of the Rovers the phenomenon it is today.

Available in print from: book stores, Amazon, and UK comic book stores via Diamond

Available in digital from: Roy of the Rovers webshop andapps for iPad and Android

Preview: ROY OF THE ROVERS Best of the 1960s

I'm currently reading The Best of the 1950s edition of Roy of the Rovers and it's truly superb with great reproduction, so I'll definitely be buying this 1960s follow-up. 

Roy of the Rovers: The Best of the 1960s actually begins with a story that begins at the end of 1959 which leads into 1960. There are also selected stories from other issues of Tiger from the early sixties when the series was on peak form. Sadly the collection only reaches 1966, which was before the ones drawn by Yvonne Hutton in 1967, one of the few women artists who worked in boys adventure comics of the time. Hopefully there will be another collection that will include some of her work. 

Nevertheless, this book does still contain superb work from cover to cover from the best in the business, beginning with the often undervalued artwork of Fred Holmes shown in the samples below. Joe Colquhoun returns to the strip later and we can see how his work became more dynamic and robust compared to his early style in the previous volume. 

Oh, and Bobby Charlton listed in the credits? Apparently he wrote the series for a while. I always thought it was just a sales gimmick and a staff writer actually did the scriptwriting but the book maintains that Mr.Charlton did it so there you go.

To use a football phrase, I'm over the moon that Rebellion are reprinting these strips as I've never read them before. (My reading of Tiger began in 1969 when Jag merged into it.) I have no interest in football in real life but I enjoy these strips very much. Strange that,... or more likely it's simply that Roy of the Rovers is more exciting than reality! 

Roy of the Rovers: Best of the 1960s goes on sale from 22nd August. Under review restrictions I can only show the first few pages of the book but these dramatic images by Fred Homes give you a great taste of comics of that era. Don't miss it!

• CREATIVE TEAM: Joe Colquhoun, Derek Birnage, Bobby Charlton  (w) Joe Colquhoun, Fred T. Holmes (a)
• RELEASE DATE: 22nd August 2019
• HARDCOVER, 148 pages
• PRICE: £19.99 (UK)
• ISBN: 9781781087183

The sixties are a defining decade for Great Britain. London is becoming the cultural mecca of the world, the Beatles are dominating the music charts, and in 1966 England will lift the World Cup for the first time. It’s also a period of great turmoil for Melchester Rovers and their super-striker captain, Roy Race; from a saboteur within the club burning down the dressing room, an obsessed fan trying to ruin their cup run and the Rovers crash-landing on a small South American Island, the team will have to face down problems which threaten their very existence! But with Roy Race at the helm, Melchester Rovers are always equipped to overcome the odds.The skipper’s leadership, experience and all-important left foot keep the Melchester faithful singing, and may just secure the Rovers a place in the 1966 F.A. Cup Final against the mighty Eastoke! The swinging-sixties come to life in this action-packed footballing epic! Experience the highs and lows on and off the pitch with Roy and Melchester Rovers, brought to you by comics’ legend Joe Colquhoun and World Cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton.

Available in print from: book stores, Amazon, and UK comic book stores via Diamond Available in digital from: Treasury of British Comics webshop & apps for iPad, Android and Windows 10

Preview: ROY OF THE ROVERS: GOING UP

Just a quick post to mention that the third book in the new series of Roy of the Rovers is out now from Rebellion. Once again, writer Rob Williams and artist Ben Willsher deliver the goods in this modern day reboot of the popular character. A series well worth following!

Here's the PR and the first three pages...

• CREATIVE TEAM: Rob Williams (w) Ben Willsher (a) John Charles, Guilherme Lindemberg Mendes (c) Jim Campbell(l)
• RELEASE DATE: 27th June 2019
• PAPERBACK, 56 pages
• PRICE: £9.99 (UK)
• ISBN: 9781781086735

The third instalment of the all new – and highly anticipated - Roy of the Rovers graphic novel series! Roy and the team have battled through a tough season, but have they got enough left to get promoted? Or will they fall at the final hurdle and see the club sold by its greedy owner? The new era of Roy of the Rovers continues!

Available in print from: book stores, Amazon, and UK comic book stores via Diamond. 

Available in digital from: 2000 AD webshop & apps for iPad, Android and Windows 10 Rebellion have also revealed the cover to Roy of the Rovers: Best of the '60s, which will be published in August, a month after their Best of the '50s volume that I previewed here. The 1960s volume will reprint strips from Tiger by Joe Colquhoun and others that first appeared in the early '60s. I'll post more info about it next month. •••••••••••••••••••• After a busy week, and trying to fight off some virus, I won't have time to post on this blog for a while but normal service will resume sometime in July.

Preview: ROY OF THE ROVERS - BEST OF THE 1950s

It's terrific news for older readers and true comic enthusiasts that Rebellion are delving into the 1950s for a new addition to their Treasury of British Comics books. Roy of the Rovers: Best of the 1950s goes right back to the very beginning for the character, reprinting his earliest stories from Tiger when it launched on Tuesday 7th September 1954! (Specifically the book covers issues dated week endings 11th September 1954 to 21st May 1955 and 20th August 1955 to 11th February 1956 inclusive so there's a lot of episodes here!)

The strips have been scanned from those old comics and remastered to the best quality for this new collection. Although some of the early Roy of the Rovers strips were reprinted in Hurricane in 1964 retitled as 'Hurry of the Hammers' this is the first time they've been reprinted faithfully, and Rebellion have done an excellent job. 

The back up features include Take a Tour Around Melchester Stadium from a 1950s Roy of the Rovers Annual (previously reprinted in Titan's Best of Roy of the Rovers in 2008) and other strips from the annuals of the period. 

This is a great collection that should please fans of the character old and new. Even non-sports fans should enjoy it because in those days Roy of the Rovers was drawn by Joe Colquhoun, later to find more fame as the artist of Charley's War. This book is a superb chance to see Joe's rare early work! 

Here's the PR for it, along with the strips from the first two issues of Tiger, from way back in 1954! 

• CREATIVE TEAM: Frank S. Pepper (w) Joe Colquhoun (a)
• RELEASE DATE: 25th July 2019
• HARDCOVER, 148 pages
• PRICE: £19.99 (UK)
• ISBN: 9781781087176

On September 11th 1954 a new weekly sports anthology comic called Tiger was launched in the UK. It’s lead strip, Roy of the Rovers – a story starring a young footballer called Roy Race who played for Melchester Rovers – quickly became a fan favourite. This incredible collection with never-before reprinted stories charts the early days of Roy’s association with Melchester Rovers, from the highs of signing for the club he supported as a boy to the lows of having his boots stolen before a big game! Experience the first decade of Melchester’s greatest soccer sensation in this glorious football action on and off the pitch!

Available in print from: book stores, Amazon, and UK comic book stores via Diamond Available in digital from: Treasury of British Comics webshop & apps for iPad, Android and Windows 10

More classic collections from Rebellion!

A few years ago it seemed very unlikely that many classic British comic strips would ever be reprinted again but thanks to Rebellion's acquisition of the old Odhams / Fleetway / IPC archives there are now collections issued on a monthly basis. 

Two more books have recently been announced and this time Rebellion are delving even further into the archives. On 25th July we can look forward to Roy of the Rovers: The Best of the 1950s, reprinting the earliest strips from Tiger starting with issue No.1. (Specifically the book covers issues dated 11th September 1954 to 21st May 1955 and 20th August 1955 to 11th February 1956 inclusive so there's a lot of episodes here!)

CREATIVE TEAM: Frank S. Pepper (w) Joe Colquhoun (a)
RELEASE DATE: 25th July 2019
HARDCOVER, 148 pages
PRICE: £19.99 (UK)
ISBN: 9781781087176

A highlight for 2020 will be The Rise and Fall of The Trigan Empire, - just announced exclusively on The Hollywood Reporter website:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/trigan-empire-comic-book-be-reissued-1211893

Written by Mike Butterworth and illustrated by Don Lawrence, The Rise and Fall of the Trigan Empire began in Ranger magazine in 1965, transferred over to Look and Learn when the two magazines merged in 1966, and continued until 1982 (the later years drawn by other artists). Some chapters of the strip have already been reprinted several times; abridged and edited in a couple of books in the 1970s, in Vulcan weekly in the 1970s, a book compiled by Mike Higgs for Hawk Books in 1989, and most recently in 12 expensive hardbacks by The Book Palace. The new collections promise to be more affordable. The first 304 page volume goes on sale in March 2020.

More info on these books soon!

A classic ROY OF THE ROVERS collection is coming this summer!

Just time for a very quick post today... the latest Previews catalogue has revealed that Rebellion will be collecting the earliest Roy of the Rovers strips in a hardback volume coming in July.

Written by Frank Pepper and drawn by Joe Colquhoun, Roy of the Rovers: Best of the 1950s will be a hardback reprinting strips from Tiger. A very welcome addition to their Treasury of British Comics range!

More details will emerge in the weeks to come, but for now here's a cover preview and the basic info. Pre-order it from your local comic shop with the Item Code MAY193304.

The legend begins here! Celebrating 65 years of goals and glory, this first in a spectacular new luxury treasury series collects the very best stories from the first decade of Roy of the Rovers comics. An icon of British comics and sporting history is born, with his origin presented in glorious hardback for the first time! Remastered for a new generation in the over-sized Treasury of British Comics format. 

Item Code: MAY193304

SRP: £19.99

https://www.previewsworld.com/Article/228616-Roy-of-the-Rovers-Best-of-the-50s-HC

Review: ROY OF THE ROVERS 2: FOUL PLAY

The second volume of the all-new Roy of the Rovers graphic novels has just been published and it's a another winner! 

Since acquiring the rights to Roy of the Rovers (along with numerous other classic comics), Rebellion have really invested in the character, revamping him for a modern audience whilst retaining the excitement that made the original series so popular. The new graphic novels, published quarterly, are complimented with new illustrated prose novels (also quarterly) and whilst it's not absolutely necessary to read both it does help to fill in some backstory. 

Roy of the Rovers 2: Foul Play picks up the story of young Roy Race a few months after Book 1. Roy is now a successful rising star at Melchester Rovers, but the club is still struggling. Football agents are interested in signing up Melchester's star player for their own teams. Will Roy succumb to the glamour of a richer lifestyle? As you might guess from the title of the book, it's not as straightforward as that, and fate can intervene.

Once again, Rob Williams' script is a pleasure to read, making the book a compelling page turner that I read in one sitting as soon as the post delivered it. A nice way to spend a Saturday afternoon, reminding me of reading the original Roy of the Rovers in Tiger and Jag fifty years ago. Ben Willsher's artwork is sublime, carrying the action along at a cracking pace with a dynamic contemporary style that's just perfect for the story. Kudos also to letterer Jim Campbell and colourists John Charles and Guilherme Lindemberg Mendes. Last but not least, the book's designer, Sam Gretton and editor Keith Richardson  They all make a great team!

These hardback Roy of the Rovers graphic novels are a superb format for today's market, and at only £9.99 very good value. I'm looking forward to Book 3: Going Up already!

Roy of the Rovers 2: Foul Play should be available to buy or order from your nearest bookshop or comic shop. ISBN 978-1-78108-669-8

You can also order it directly from Rebellion or online stockists:
https://royoftheroversofficial.com

It's all kicking off! First thoughts on the new ROY OF THE ROVERS

Rebellion have posted a few preview pages of their new Roy of the Rovers graphic novel on their website... and it looks fantastic!

Like most of us who grew up on the classic Roy of the Rovers strips drawn by Yvonne Hutton, David Sque, Mike White etc I was a little apprehensive that the reboot (pun intended) wouldn't do it justice. However, this modern looking revival is as fast-paced and dynamic as anyone could hope for. The script by Rob Williams is gripping and engaging from the outset, and Ben Willsher's artwork has a fresh, powerful style that really packs a punch... or rather a kick. 

I'm sure we'd all prefer to see the strip back as a weekly or monthly, but times have changed and these days it makes more sense to connect with the current generation in the form of graphic novels. There have been three books announced so far, with Roy of the Rovers: Kick Off being the first, and now available to pre-order from online stockists including the publisher's web shop here (where you can also read more preview pages):
https://royoftheroversofficial.com/shop/graphic-novels/RCA-R2001

Don't forget that there are also a series of illustrated prose books by Tom Palmer and Lisa Henke to accompany the graphic novels. The first, Scouted, is a prequel to the graphic novel, and available now:
https://royoftheroversofficial.com/shop/fiction/RCA-R6001

Artwork Copyright ©2018 Rebellion Publishing Limited.

The all-new ROY OF THE ROVERS kicks off in November

Rebellion have released the cover of the first book in the new series of Roy of the Rovers graphic novels. The 56 page hardback reboots (pardon the pun) the classic character for a new generation of readers. 

Kick Off is the title of Book 1 (of 3 in the season) and is priced just £9.99. It's written by Rob Williams and drawn by Ben Willsher, two well known names from contemporary British comics. 

It's to be published on Thursday 1st November and you can pre-order it here:
https://royoftheroversofficial.com/shop/RCA-R2001

Here's the info from the website:

WRITER
ROB WILLIAMS
ARTIST
BEN WILLSHER

Times are tough for Melchester Rovers. Languishing at the bottom of League Two, the once-proud powerhouse of British football is out of money and out of luck. 

Sixteen year old Roy Race always dreamt of playing up front for Rovers. Oozing with natural talent and possessing a powerful left foot, Roy may just be the answer to all of Melchester’s prayers. 

Can Roy break into the Rovers first team and bring back the glory days of old? Or will the pressure of problems on and off the pitch prove too much for the young prospect? 

The epic footballing saga begins here!

EDITION: HARDBACK
ISBN-139781781086520
LENGTH: 56 PAGES
DIMENSIONS: 25.9 X 18.7 CM
WEIGHT: 450G


A month before the graphic novel series begins, Rebellion are publishing the first in a series of illustrated paperback prose novels about the character. Book 1, titled Scouted, is written by Tom Palmer with illustrations by Lisa Henke. Here's the info:

Roy Race is a totally normal 16 year old. He just happens to be the best striker in Melchester, too...

Roy always dreamed of becoming a professional footballer and playing for Melchester Rovers, the team he’s supported his entire life, but he never thought he had a chance - until now.


Rovers are on the lookout for new players, but is Roy good enough to catch the scout’s eye? He’ll have to be fitter, stronger and more determined than ever - but if he’s going to become Roy of the Rovers, now’s the time.

You can buy that from the Roy of the Rovers website too:
https://royoftheroversofficial.com/shop/RCA-R6001

Better still, buy both books at a discount:
https://royoftheroversofficial.com/shop/graphic-novels/B0006

I've never been a fan of football but I'm pleased to see the iconic Roy of the Rovers revived and updated for today's kids! Let's hope it does well!

Revealed: The new Roy of the Rovers

Rebellion have given us our first look at the all-new Roy Race who will debut in a brand new Roy of the Rovers comic strip serial in Match of the Day magazine on 5th June, running every week until 21st August.

The original Roy of the Rovers first appeared in Tiger comic No.1, back in 1954, and his exploits with Melchester Rovers proved popular for many years, even spinning the character off into headlining his own weekly comic, Roy of the Rovers, in 1976. The strip's combination of football drama and character driven plots made the strip a huge hit with loyal readers. As the years progressed, Roy married, and had children, and later suffered a terrible accident, losing his foot. Retiring from the game, his grown up son, Roy Jr, took on the mantle. 

The new series will be a complete reboot and a fresh start for the character for a new generation of readers, with a 16 year old Roy Race in a modern setting. The Match of the Day strip is written by Keith Richardson and Rob Power, with Lisa Henke illustrating. (Good to see a woman drawing the strip again, as the late Yvonne Hutton was the artist on Roy of the Rovers for many years in Tiger in the 1960s and 1970s.)

There will be new Roy of the Rovers graphic novels published by Rebellion, with the first due in the autumn written by Rob Williams with Ben Wilsher on art.

You can read more about it here:
https://royoftheroversofficial.com/news/444

The Christmas TIGER (1958)

It's back in time 59 years for this 1958 Christmas issue of Tiger from the days when it had larger, but less, pages, and was printed on newsprint with only one page in colour. The cover strip is Roy of the Rovers by its original artist, Joe Colquhoun. Twenty years later, Joe would be drawing the superb Charley's War strip for Battle. One of the greatest artists in comics.

As I've mentioned before, adventure strips tended to avoid Christmas episodes as it interfered with the flow of the story, but Roy of the Rovers remained seasonal...

Inside, there wasn't much Christmas content, but here's a complete Police Dog Kim story for the occasion. Artist unknown.

The comic strip format was often used for adverts in the 1950s, such as this one for Rowntree's Fruit Gums...

Back then, Tiger carried a mixture of strips and prose stories. Here's Biff Bailey, Fighting Fury...

Finally, a review of Tiger's Top Sportsmen of 1958!

More festive fun tomorrow!

Roy Story

Cover by Mike White.

There's a new book coming out on October 3rd that details the history of the Roy of the Rovers strip. Real Roy of the Rovers Stuff is written by ex-Fleetway editor Barrie Tomlinson and gives the behind-the-scenes story of the famous character. 

It promises to reveal how Roy went from "comic book hero to national institution". I would hope that it'll also include lots of info about the many uncredited artists who drew the strip over the years.

You can pre-order the book now from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Real-Roy-Rovers-Stuff-Story/dp/178531212X

Egmont classics now available as digital comics

  
Some of the most fondly remembered adventure strips of the 1970s and 1980s are now available as digital downloads from the iTunes store. Egmont's Classic Comics imprint (using the old 1970 Fleetway "fireball" design for its logo) is re-presenting stories from Battle Picture Weekly, Roy of the Rovers, Misty, and Scream for readers with iPhone or iPad devices at very reasonable prices. 

Here's the official press release:

EGMONT EXPANDS DIGITAL CLASSIC COMICS OFFERING

A collection of fondly-remembered classic comics is now available digitally

London 13th November 2012 - Egmont UK’s Classic Comics imprint was created to re-publish the wealth of classic comics in their archive.

Four volumes of Roy the Rovers kicked off our e-comic publishing in June this year and now we are excited to announce the launch of further classics on popular comic series from the 70s and 80s.

A fifth Roy of the Rovers has been made available along with publications from Misty and The Thirteenth Floor.  From Battle Picture Weekly we will be publishing various strips including Johnny Red, Major Eazy and the ground- breaking Charley’s War.  Some of the biggest names in British comics were involved in the creation of these stories, including Pat Mills and John Wagner.

David Riley, Managing Director of Egmont Publishing Group, said: “Roy, Battle, Misty…these are iconic magazines which still have a place in the national consciousness. They deserve to be brought back; their appeal also has the potential to transcend the generation gap and reach an entirely new, younger audience. With the limitless possibilities offered up by digital publishing, there has never been a better time to bring these comics to the fore.”

Follow these links to obtain your digital downloads:

MISTY: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/misty-comic-tales-from-mist/id573167123?mt=11

MAJOR EAZY: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/major-eazy-comic/id575022887?mt=11

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/major-eazy-comic-part-2/id575022909?mt=11

CHARLEY'S WAR: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/charleys-war/id575535490?mt=11

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/charleys-war-comic-part-two/id575567566?mt=11

ROY OF THE ROVERS: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/roy-rovers-comic-volume-5/id568395894?mt=11

THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/thirteenth-floor-comic-part/id573170121?mt=11

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/thirteenth-floor-comic-part/id573174728?mt=11