Friday, March 31, 2017

D.C. Thomson launch new magazine for girls

This is an odd item for me to blog about but D.C. Thomson informed me of it so I thought this may be of interest to those of you with children. In the same week that Panini UK have launched their new girls' mag (Disney's Elena of Avalor) rivals D.C. Thomson have also unleashed a new title for young girls. Entitled Sweet, it promises to be "a new magazine for primary girls who love collectibles, shopping, and all things cute". 
The 36 page monthly is aimed at girls aged 6 to 10 and focuses on the latest "brands" such as Trolls, Num Noms, Animal Jam, and other things that are a complete mystery to anyone born before 2007. It sounds very different to the likes of girls' comics such as Bunty and Diana of 50 years ago but I'm sure it'll appeal to the modern target audience and that's what it's all about. 

 I'm not sure if it features any stories but amongst the preview pages I had there was one new mini-strip by Laura Howell included in the contents. 
Sweet issue No.1 is out now and comes bagged with several gifts; Animal Jam in game unlock, Shopkins trading cards, and lip glosses. 

 General Manager, Mike Watson, said, “We’re thrilled to be launching in the primary girls’ market and expanding our portfolio.  The magazine sector is not one to stand still, much like trends in children’s lives.  This magazine is a great opportunity to capture everything current and popular, and pull it together for readers to enjoy.”

 Maria Welch, Head of Publishing for Magazines at DC Thomson, said, “We have an enviable track record of launching successful magazines in this constantly evolving market and are delighted to extend our award-winning, primary girls’ portfolio with Sweet. We’re confident that combining the hottest licensed brands with the experience and passion of our editorial team will produce an exciting and engaging magazine.”

Website: https://www.sweetmag.co.uk

 Subscriptions:
https://www.dcthomsonshop.co.uk/subscriptions/sweet/sweet-magazine-subscription.html
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Thursday, March 30, 2017

This week from Panini UK...


Out now from Panini UK are the latest issues of Marvel Legends and Astonishing Spider-Man, both bearing the new style corner box. Here's the info...

 Marvel Legends Vol. 3 #9. On sale 30th March 2017.
76 Action-Packed pages featuring Marvel’s ‘Big 3’ – Iron Man, Captain America and Thor! £3.99!
Cap is Back! Steve Rogers, the original Captain America, wields the shield once more in a hard-hitting new series that will blow your mind!
Also, Tony Stark is missing and War Machine is going to do whatever it takes to find his friend! Not only that, but who is Riri Williams and how is her destiny tied in with Iron Man?!! 
Plus: Watch out Thor, Bodolf the Black is the strongest Viking there is! 
By Brian Michael Bendis, David Marquez, Nick Spencer, Daniel Acuña, Jason Aaron, Russell Dauterman and Rafa Garres!
Includes material reprinted from Free Comic Book Day: Captain America: Steve Rogers, Captain America: Steve Rogers #1, Invincible Iron Man Vol. 8 #9, and Thor #7!

Astonishing Spider-Man Vol.6 #17. On sale 30th March 2017. 
76 pages of Astounding Action-Packed Arachnid-Adventure! Only £3.99!
‘Before Dead No More’ continues! Prowler encounters the all-new Electro! Who is she and what is her connection to mysterious Man in the Red Suit?!! Whatever the answers you can bet they are gonna spell trouble for the Amazing Spider-Man!
Also: Her name is Itsy Bitsy and she is gonna be Spidey and Deadpool’s worst nightmare!
Plus: Spider-Man and Silk aren’t necessarily pals right now, but they’ve got no choice but to work together when they accidentally travel back in time to just before they got their spider-powers! Now, they have to get along while stopping a threat to the timeline... without accidentally wiping out their own powers!
By Dan Slott, R B Silva, Joe Kelly, Ed McGuinness, Robbie Thompson and Todd Nauck.
Includes material reprinted from Amazing Spider-Man #17, Spider-Man/Deadpool #9 and Amazing Spider-Man/Silk: The Spider(Fly) Effect #1.
Also out now, at £3.99, is a new magazine from Panini for girls; Disney's Elena of Avalor No.1...
Meet Elena, the new Crown Princess of Avalor! This brand new magazine follows the story of Disney’s Elena of Avalor.

 Having saved her kingdom from an enchanted sorceress, teenage princess Elena now rules! With the help of her sister Isabel, her grandparents, young wizard-in-training Mateo, a trio of magical, winged jacquins, and an ultra-positive Spirit Fox named Zuzo, this Princess-in-Charge will do her best to rule with bravery, compassion and grace. Each magical issue includes a colourful adventure and lots of sticker activities, a fantastic competition plus a pull out poster and craft make. Start collecting each issue so you can help Elena on her journey to become queen of Avalor!

 Issue Number: 1
Price: £3.99
Covermounted Gift: Fabulous Free Tiara and Clip on Earrings, plus over 70 activity stickers.
Competition Info: Fantastic competition, see magazine for details.

On sale: Thursday 30th March – 26th April

 http://www.paninicomics.co.uk
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Combat Cosplay!

My thanks to Martin McCanney for sending me this photo of himself from a few years ago, dressed as Combat Colin! He's definitely nailed it! 

 As I posted the other day, it's Combat Colin's 30th anniversary week so if you missed that article you can read it here:
https://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/combat-colins-30th-anniversary-week.html


If any of you feel like cosplaying as Combat Colin it'd be great to meet you at any of the conventions I'm at this year. Here's the list...

ROBOT: ILLUSTRATION AND CREATIVE ARTS CONVENTION
25th March 2017
The Millenium Gallery,
Sheffield




STOKE-CON-TRENT
9th April 2017
Staffordshire University,
Leek Road,
Stoke On Trent,
Staffordshire



ENNISKILLEN COMIC FEST
5th and 6th May 2017
Enniskillen,
N. Ireland




INTERNATIONAL COMIC EXPO (ICE) - BRIGHTON
10th June 2017
Hilton Metropole,
Brighton




BIRMINGHAM COMICS FESTIVAL
24th/25th June 2017
Birmingham City University


MACC-POW!
1st July 2017
More info soon.

T.B.A.:
5th/6th August 2017
More info soon.




INTERNATIONAL COMIC EXPO (ICE) - BIRMINGHAM
9th September 2017
Holiday Inn,
Birmingham




T.B.A.
23rd September 2017
More info soon.




COVENTRY COMIC CON
1st October 2017
Sports Connexion,
Leamington Road,
Ryton On Dunsmore,
Coventry
CV8 3FL.




LAKES INTERNATIONAL COMIC ART FESTIVAL
13th to 15th October 2017
Kendal,
Cumbria




LOUGHBOROUGH COMIC-CON
22nd October 2017
Venue to be announced soon.


READING COMIC CON
25th/26th November 2017
Rivermead Leisure Complex

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Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Combat Colin's 30th Anniversary week

I hope you'll forgive me some self-indulgence (well, it is my blog after all) but today marks 30 years since my first Combat Colin strip appeared in print. It began in Marvel UK's Action Force No.5, published on March 28th 1987 (cover dated 4th April).
The first published strip.

At that time I'd been working full time in the comics industry for just three years, and was contributing strips to IPC's Oink! regularly as well as doing Robo-Capers for Marvel's Transformers. I was still relatively new in the business but keeping busy. 

 The editor of Action Force, Richard Starkings, invited me to come up with an idea for a new humour strip for the comic. It needed to have some sort of militaristic angle to match the comic's theme, and my initial sketches (never submitted) had the character as a kid. I quickly dismissed that idea as it seemed too much like a Whizzer and Chips type strip. Eventually, I settled on the big gormless-looking character you're familiar with, except he was called Dimbo (a kind of spoof of the Rambo movie character). 

 Marvel liked the idea, but the editors felt that the name Dimbo wasn't right and would date too quickly, as soon as the Rambo movies were out of the zeitgeist. They were quite correct, and I'm eternally grateful to Marvel UK editor Steve White who suggested the name Combat Colin as an alternative. (Steve himself became the inspiration for Colin's sidekick Semi-Automatic Steve, a name suggested by Richard Starkings.)

Richard commissioned me to produce Combat Colin as half-page strips and we were all set. 

The first few Combat Colin strips were self-contained gags, usually about Colin being an out-of-place mercenary type who lived with his parents. Gradually, I developed the character and his motivation and Colin and Steve became the local heroes fighting fantastic and bizarre threats to Wallytown. The strip became episodic, and I was allowed to develop the stories into short serials of two to six weeks. (This had always been an ambition of mine, inspired by the strips I grew up reading such as The Cloak and Eagle-Eye, Junior Spy.) Quite often though, they were just daft self-contained pages, which were equally fun to do. 
Action Force ran to just 50 issues, then merged into Transformers. Luckily, Combat Colin transferred over too, replacing my Robo-Capers strip. It would remain a fixture of the comic until the final issue in 1992.

 I had a great time doing the Combat Colin strip, and the editors basically let me do what I wanted (within reason of course). The strips became increasingly bizarre and surreal at times (but still understandable enough for the target audience I hope) and I had a fantastic time on the strip. Colin even interacted with other Marvel characters on a few occasions...
The end of the Transformers comic meant the end of Combat Colin's time as a Marvel character, but I asked for the rights and was over the moon when Marvel's Paul Neary agreed, returning all rights to me. (In writing. I still have the letter.)

 Since then, Combat Colin has returned sporadically, first in the three-issue Yampy Tales comic I self-published in 1996. (In case you didn't know, "yampy" is a Midlands term for crazy.)
...then in two specials I published in 1997 and 2000...

He's also appeared as a guest star in the new Brickman series I did for Elephantmen, published in the USA by Image Comics, which I later collected in the Brickman Returns comic I published in 2015...
Brand new Combat Colin stories have appeared in some issues of the digital comic Aces Weekly, and, time willing, I'll be doing more this year. Check out volumes 1, 8, 16, and 21 to read the new adventures.
http://www.acesweekly.co.uk/shop
What's next for the character? Well, starting this year I'm launching a Combat Colin comic, reprinting the old material right from the start in a series of issues. I'd hoped the first issue would be out now but I've been so busy on mainstream comics work it'll be out later, in May or June. I'll post more information soon of course.

 Combat Colin still proves a popular request for sketches at conventions and it's a pleasure to now meet the readers who read it when they were kids in the 1980s. My thanks to everyone who has read the strip over the years, and special thanks to Richard Starkings for commissioning me to do it in the first place. Of all the strips I've worked on, Combat Colin remains my favourite gig. 


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Monday, March 27, 2017

Get out of the water... and read the HOOK JAW Archive!

Now that's what I call a cover, and the fact that it carries a quote from me hasn't biased my opinion one bit (well, maybe just a little). Titan Books are collecting the controversial original 1976 Hook Jaw strip from Action and bringing it to a new audience. 

 Hang on, didn't Rebellion recently buy the rights to that material from Egmont? Well, yes, but Titan had previously negotiated with Egmont over Hook Jaw to publish a new comic (see here) so it looks like they still have time on that contract. 

 Whatever the legal situation, the readers win, and the Hook Jaw Archive will be published in hardback this August. 

 HOOK JAW ARCHIVE
Writers: Pat Mills
, Ken Armstrong
Artist: Ramon Sola
HC • 136pp • $34.99
On Sale Aug 16, 2017

ISBN 9781782768043

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SelfMadeHero to publish the story of Josephine Baker

News just in from London publisher SelfMadeHero about a new book coming out next week. Here's the PR...

 “I have walked into the palaces of kings and queens and into the houses of presidents… but I could not walk into a hotel in America and get a cup of coffee, and that made me mad.” 
—Josephine Baker 
Speech at the March on Washington, 28 August 1963 

 JOSEPHINE BAKER
ISBN 978-1-910593-29-5
568pp, B&W, Paperback with flaps, RRP £14.99
Published: 3rd April
www.selfmadehero.com

  Josephine Baker was nineteen years old when she found herself in Paris for the first time in 1925. Overnight, the young American dancer became the idol of the Roaring Twenties, captivating Picasso, Cocteau, Le Corbusier and Simenon. 

 In the liberating atmosphere of the 1930s, Baker rose to fame as the first black star on the world stage, from London to Vienna, Alexandria to Buenos Aires. After World War II, and her time in the French Resistance (for which de Gaulle awarded her the Légion d’Honneur), Baker devoted herself to the struggle against racial segregation, publicly battling the humiliations she had for so long suffered personally. She led by example, and over the course of the 1950s adopted twelve orphans of different ethnic backgrounds: a veritable Rainbow Tribe. A victim of racism throughout her life, Josephine Baker would sing of love and liberty until the day she died. An inspiration to musicians from Dame Shirley Bassey to Beyoncé, Baker’s extraordinary legacy lives on to this day. 

 This thoroughly researched biography of the pioneering dancer, written with historical consultant and Baker’s son Jean-Claude Bouillon-Baker, features over a hundred pages of supplementary material, including a detailed timeline, biographical notes on Josephine’s contemporaries and an extensive bibliography. 
Catel Muller is an award-winning comics artist and illustrator. José-Louis Bocquet is a novelist and comics writer. They previously collaborated on the award-winning graphic biography Kiki de Montparnasse, published by SelfMadeHero. They live in Paris. 
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Are you ready for Christmas?

Spring is in the air and the first batch of children's annuals cover dated 2018 are ready for pre-order on Amazon. These days, annuals are mainly for the very young end of the market, with recognisable titles from film and tv. Alas, the days of adventure annuals for the 7 to 13 age group faded away decades ago so those of us of a certain age were fortunate to experience our Lion and Smash! annuals. Still, at least there'll be Rebellion's line of graphic novel reprints to cater for a similar market soon (and for nostalgists of course).

 Most of these annuals will be published around August, traditionally intended for Christmas presents (or perhaps for birthdays in the latter half of the year). The Dandy and Beano Annuals are ready for pre-order too, although no cover images have been released yet. Here's a selection of covers that have been revealed. Are you feeling festive yet? :)





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Sunday, March 26, 2017

A sunny day in Sheffield

I had a pleasant day at the Robot: Illustration and Creative Arts Convention yesterday. I had to get up at 5.30am for an early start but after train delays I didn't arrive until just after 10am. Fortunately, the Millennium Gallery venue was only a short walk from the station. When I arrived, there were already some people waiting for sketches so it was a matter of setting up quickly and getting right into drawing. It was good to meet artist Ed Syder, who had the table next to mine. Check out his site here:
http://cargocollective.com/edsyder

 The pace slowed down as the day went on and the glorious weather may have played a part in that, but there seemed to be a constant flow of attendees visiting the event, attracting people of varied interests. As always at such shows, some were just out for a browse, but it was good to do some sketching and signings and to gain new readers for my Derek the Troll comic. 
It was great to meet up with old friends and familiar faces from the comics industry too. Good to see artist Peter Doherty looking well again after his recent spell in hospital. Also great to catch up with David Leach, Bambos Georgiou, Fiona Stephenson, Mychailo Kazybrid, and Carl Flint. 
Artist and colourist Pete Doherty.
Mychailo, Bambos, Darryl, and two young attendees.
It was a relatively short event, only running from 10am to 4pm, so afterwards, myself and David Leach, Bambos and his wife Jane, Pete Doherty, his daughter and her boyfriend had a walk to a nearby Chinese buffet bar.
100 years of comics experience between us. David Leach, Bambos Georgiou, and me.
Although I've visited Sheffield twice before for conventions on the outskirts of town, this was the first time I'd had the opportunity to stroll around the town itself, thanks to Robotcon being so central. I was very impressed with the place and I hope there's another event there next year. 

 My thanks to my comic pals for being brilliant company as always, and special thanks to convention organiser Darryl Robson for inviting me and putting on the event. There's a very good video news item about it on the Sheffield Live! website that includes interviews with Darryl Robson, Mychailo Kazybrid, and Bambos Georgiou:
http://web.sheffieldlive.org/millennium-gallery-hosts-robot-con-return/

More photos from the event can be found on the convention's Facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/robotconsheffield/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1872170106355040

Here's a few photos I took around Sheffield after the convention...


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Saturday, March 25, 2017

Prog Preview: 2000AD Prog 2024

Here's your weekly advance look at the next issue of 2000AD! On sale Wednesday! Very few of you comment on these Prog Previews which does make me wonder how many of you buy 2000AD. Are you interested in these weekly advance peeks (which usually appear before anyone else shows them) or do you skim past these posts? (And I suppose if you do skim past them you won't see the question. Hmm, if a bear falls on a cat in the woods and there's no one to hear it, is it alive or dead? Or something like that.

 • UK & DIGITAL: 27 March 2017 £2.65
• NORTH AMERICA: 27 April 2017 $7.99
• DIAMOND CODE: JAN171931
• COVER: JOHN MCCREA & MIKE SPICER


In this issue:
Judge Dredd: Harvey by John Wagner (w) John McCrea (a) Mike Spicer (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)


 Brink: Skeleton Life by Dan Abnett (w) INJ Culbard (a) Simon Bowland (l)


 Future Shocks: Family Time by Rory McConville (w) Nick Dyer (a) Ellie De Ville (l)

Scarlet Traces: Cold War - Book 2 by Ian Edginton (w)  D'Israeli (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)



 Cursed: The Fall of Deadworld by Kek-W (w) Dave Kendall (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)

Available in print from: UK newsagents and all good comic book stores via Diamond 
Available in digital from: 2000 AD webshop, 2000 AD iPad app, 2000 AD Android app, 2000 AD Windows 10 app
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Thunderbooks no more

©Bill Hughes, Bill Hughes Photo.
I'm sorry to hear that Blackpool's comic shop Thunderbooks is no more after nearly 30 years. It's now under new management and has been completely refurbished and renamed Infinity Comics. I wish the new owner and his shop well, but I'll definitely miss Thunderbooks. It was one of the last of the old style comic shops and I always dropped in on my visits to the seaside resort every summer. 

At least, for now, Thunderbooks still exists on Instant Street View, and you can have a virtual reality cyber-walk around the shop as it was in Summer 2012. Click on the following link for a tour...
https://www.instantstreetview.com/@53.798617,-3.050182,155.95h,-5.16p,1z,Nhqgvq_UDoCOB7HGRhxw2A


©Bill Hughes, Bill Hughes Photo
It looks like the mail order arm of Thunderbooks, Star Trader, is still trading though, and you can find their website here:

The Facebook page of the new Infinity Comics store is here:
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Friday, March 24, 2017

Essential Doctor Who No.10

The 10th issue of The Essential Doctor Who has just been published; the thrice-yearly companion to the monthly Doctor Who Magazine. This time the theme is Robots, looking at the various Doctor Who stories that have featured such artificial intelligence over the years. 

An essential buy for Doctor Who fans to be sure, but this issue may also be of interest to comics historians. There's a feature on the Mechonoids that includes their comic strip appearances....

...and a six page article entitled Comic Strip Robots that covers robots in the numerous Doctor Who comic strips, from TV Comic to Doctor Who Magazine.

The 116 page Essential Doctor Who No.10 is published by Panini UK and is out now at £9.99.
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Return of the Leopardboy

Rebellion have just revealed the cover to their Leopard from Lime Street collection, reprinting the early adventures of the popular 1970s Buster strip. The book will be published in June.
The Leopard from Lime Street – Book 1
Originally published: 1976-1985
Release date: July
Trade Paperback
One of the most requested reprints from the Fleetway/IPC archive, The Leopard from Lime Street is the British Spider-man – a hugely popular home-grown teenage superhero! Billy Farmer lives with his Aunt Joan and Uncle Charlie in the when he is scratched by a radioactive leopard  at the local zoo. Gaining leopard-like strength, speed, reflexes, and tree-climbing abilities, when he’s not fighting crime, Billy sells photographs of himself to the local paper, using the money to support his frail aunt while contending with his violent, greedy and lazy uncle. With warmth, wit, and stunning artwork by Mike Western and Eric Bradbury, The Leopard from Lime Street is a gem of 1970s and 1980s British comics.
More info about Rebellion's other classic reprints here:
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