Of Zombies, Elephants, and Menaces

A quick look at three diverse titles that came out this week...

The DFC reached double figures today with the arrival of issue 10 of the subscription-only weekly. Admittedly I'm far older than the target audience for this comic but I'm finding some of the serials a bit too slow paced now. Thank the God of Comics then for the debut of new strip Sneaky the Cleverest Elephant in the World, written by former stand-up comedian Peadar O'Guilin and drawn by the ever-entertaining Laura Howell. The opening six page chapter offers us a traditional bully, a sadistic circus ringmaster, and a glimpse of the Cleverest Elephant in the World. It looks fresh and lively and I've no idea what to expect next. Just as comics should be.



From the Tomb No.25 came out yesterday and is available from comic shops and Borders bookshop. This issue, the horror comics fanzine focuses on zombies in the comics. I have to say I don't like the glossy new paper stock, although it does mean the art reproduces very well (except for a few unfortunate low resolution scans). The classic Fifties horror strip Corpses...Coast to Coast is reprinted in full and theres a wealth of articles and interviews packed into the magazine's whopping 80 pages. A bargain at £4.95.



Classics from the Comics No.148, the DC Thomson all-reprint monthly, has a special focus on The Beano this issue for that comic's 70th Anniversary. Usually, Classics only reprints strips from around 1960 onwards, but this issue presents strips ranging from 1938 to more modern times. Nice to see a bunch of Beano adventure strips in one issue too, as we revisit Billy the Cat, The Q-Bikes, The Iron Fish, General Jumbo, and Jimmy's Magic Patch. There's also a very early Bash Street Kids page by Leo Baxendale from back in the days when the strip was called When the Bell Rings! The comic is available from newsagents (if you can find one that sells it) for £2.00.