Here's a quick look at the Christmas issue of adult humour comic Viz, in newsagents across the UK from tomorrow. A packed 52 pages of festive four-letter fun (and topical social satire for the grown-ups) featuring all the favourites.
Once again there's a seasonal free gift, and this time it's a 30th Anniversary calendar featuring every cover of Viz comic from the past three decades. It's a fascinating look at how the comic has evolved over its 191 issues and how it used to be funnier than it used to be. Or something.
Inside this month's issue Biffa Bacon goes shopping for a turkey with hilarious results...
The Bottom Inspectors turn up on Christmas Eve to inspect bottoms with hilarious results...
And Suicidal Syd (what I wrote and drew) embarks on some seasonal suicidal schemes with hilarious results...
Plus Christmas with the Drunken Bakers, Sid the Sexist, The Fat Slags, Eight Ace, Elton John's Gift Wrap Gyp, BNPea, Christmas Letterbocks, Nobby's Piles and much more. And snow on the logo, as is compulsory under the 1947 Christmas Comics Act.
£3.20 from the top shelves of all good (and average) newsagents and supermarkets and places like that wot sell comics from November 25th.
I'm one of the guests at the Memorabilia Show next Saturday (November 21st) at the NEC, Birmingham. The event actually runs for two days but I'll only be there for the one.
I'll be in the "Comic City" section of the hall alongside other comic creators such as Laura Howell (Sunday only), John McCrea, Lee Bradley, Kat Nicholson and Jason Cardy. I'll be bringing along a few of my old pages to sell, and also doing sketches, so drop by and say hello if you're interested.
There'll be loads of media guests there too, including Mary McDonnell (Battlestar Galactica), Honor Blackman (The Avengers), Gil Gerard (Buck Rogers), and David Hedison (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea).
Guests from the world of sport will also be in attendance including Eusebio and Ken Norton.
If you're traveling by train the station you need to get to is Birmingham International (that's where the NEC is). For full details including ticket prices and opening times visit the Memorabilia website here:
http://www.memorabilia.co.uk/
Here are the first four titles of D.C. Thomson's Commando comic for November. All of these issues are out today priced £1.35 each for 64 pages. Brilliant to see the great Ian Kennedy is still producing such fine covers for the comic. Thanks again to Commando editor Calum Laird for the info...
Commando No 4243: DANGEROUS DESPATCHES
Intrepid reporters Fred “Ferret McGlone, Harry Hornby et al − are back in the thick of the action! This time the Headline Heroes find themselves slap bang in the middle of the first Sino-Japanese War of 1894. It’s dicey work and they’ll have to keep their wits about them to survive − and, of course, to send their DANGEROUS DESPATCHES
Story: Norman Adams
Cover and inside Art: Keith Page
The second instalment of a four-part mini-series featuring the Headline Heroes, there are stories to come in December and January.
Commando No 4244: THE MEDAL
At the height of the Korean War in 1951, new recruit Gary “Jonesy” Jones was hailed a hero when his instinctive act of bravery saved the life of a high-ranking Allied officer.
Jonesy gained the respect of his comrades. However, he also gained an enemy, his spiteful lieutenant. Driven by jealousy, the officer hatched a plan to break Jonesy…and his squad if need be!
Story: Ferg Handley
Cover: Ian Kennedy
Inside Art: Vila
Commando 4245: PROTECTION SQUAD
Bored with paperwork and traffic duties, Lance-Corporal Jack Johnston of the Royal Military Police was on the lookout for excitement.
So he volunteered for special duties and, after a spell of tough training, became a member of the elite Close Protection Squads.
That was when he began to understand what real excitement was!
Story: Mike Knowles
Cover: Ian Kennedy
Inside Art: Gordon Livingstone
Three Commando stalwarts combine to put together this book. Gordon’s first book was No 4 “Mercy For None”, Ian Kennedy’s No 435 “Seek And Strike”, while Mike Knowles started with No 1125 “Coward In Khaki.”
Commando No 4246: LAST-DITCH DEFENDERS
As the Red Army flooded through the gates of Berlin for the final battle, ordinary German soldiers surrendered in droves, knowing that the end could only be days away.
But for Fritz Langer’s penal battalion, surrender was not an option. Many of Fritz’s men were Russians themselves, having sided with Germany when the Wehrmacht was winning the war. The best they could hope now was a quick death − for soon there would be nowhere to run…
Story: C G Walker
Cover: Ian Kennedy
Inside Art: Denis McLoughlin
JANE AND PETT
Just a quick post so you know I haven't left blogland for good. Click on the image above to see a British Pathe film from 1945 showing artist Norman Pett at work being inspired by his model Chrystabel Leighton-Porter to draw rough sketches for the latest Jane strip in the Daily Mirror.
Blogging is time consuming. Even an intended quick review of a comic can take an hour or more from scanning, writing the first draft to publishing online. A more detailed blog can take up to half a day or a full evening. Or maybe that's just me.
Anyway, in order to catch up with some work I've fallen behind on through various setbacks (illness, being my Mum's carer etc) I'm putting this blog on hold for a few weeks. Don't worry, it won't be in mothballs for long, and I'll be back soon with some items of free gifts of the past, Christmas strips, and long-overdue reviews of some great small press comics that have been kindly sent to me.
So it really is a case of "back to the drawing board" for now. In the meantime, if you haven't checked out the blogs of friends and acquaintances on the list at the left of this page now is the time to do so. Lots of good stuff there to keep you occupied for ages!
Check back here again in a few weeks and hopefully I'll have a few new items posted by then!
(Photo above shows the pencil stage of a Super School page I did for The Beano. The completed artwork was published a few weeks ago.)
Here's a sneak preview of the festive edition of Egmont's Toxic, which will be in the shops next week, from Wednesday 9th December.
Sadly there's no Robin Hoodie this issue but there are still six pages of comic strip: two new pages by me, Team Toxic in Christmas on Mars and a four pager of mine as a reprint from a few years back: Crazy Christmas. And of course it wouldn't be a proper UK comic Christmas without characters stuffing their faces with turkey in the festive slap up feeds which round off each strip. Gotta keep up the fine comic traditions of artists such as Roy Wilson and Dudley Watkins! 
