Only a few days to go to pledge to the ROK THE GOD Kickstarter project

The clock is ticking and there's only a few days until the Rok the God Kickstarter project ends. It needs to reach its target on Friday 1st November! It's close... but still needs more pledges.

Rok the God is the sequel to the highly enjoyable Rok of the Reds, one of my favourite British comics of recent years. The saga of the alien who takes over the body of a footballer had traditional UK comic elements to it sure to appeal to fans of comics both classic and new. 

It's written by John Wagner and Alan Grant, illustrated by Dan Cornwell and coloured by Abigail Bulmer, so you know you're if for a top class comic! Rok of the Reds was published as a six issue mini-series, but the idea is to publish the sequel as a complete graphic novel... and that requires a lot of money up front, hence the Kickstarter.   

Interested? Then head over to the link below to choose an option and pledge your money today! 
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wagnerrok/rok-the-god

ROK THE GOD is coming!

One of the most enjoyable new British comics of recent years was Rok of the Reds, which ran as a six issue mini-series in 2016/17. With clear, engaging scripts by John Wagner and Alan Grant, dynamic art by Dan Cornwell, and fantastic colours by Abigail Bulmer, mixing football with science fiction it was like a traditional UK comics tale but with a modern look. 

Now there's to be a sequel, with the same creative team back again for Rok the God. This time it'll be published as a 120 page graphic novel rather than a series of comics, avoiding the wait between issues. Rok the God will be launching on Kickstarter on October 2nd, with the book to be published in 2020. 

I'll post more about this exciting project as it develops. For now, here's a cover preview (above) and the PR (below)...

 The second ‘season’ of John Wagner, Alan Grant and Dan Cornwell’s surprisingly popular Alien footie saga will be launching on Kickstarter on October 2. The story, to be published as a complete graphic novel and titled Rok the God, tells the tale of the death of Rok’s mother, the redoubtable Lady Vorga, and Rok’s elevation to Godhood. 

Sounds great – who wouldn’t want to be a god? Well, Rok for one. And with good reason. For accepting Godhood earns him the enmity of the cunning and murderous Skrel. Can the Skrel extinguish a God? They’re certainly going to try.
None of this is conducive to Radford Reds’ promotion hopes – nor indeed is the takeover of the club by the vile and rapacious Malcolm Griedy. 

Meanwhile, up in Higher Wood, there’s a hilarious pint-sized buddy movie kicking off!

Rok the God is every bit as funny and exciting as its predecessor Rok of the Reds, the story of the world’s first alien footballer. It’s beautifully drawn and coloured again by Dan Cornwell and Abby Bulmer. US comic size, 120 pages plus with a possible hard cover option. New publisher RedRok Comics is hoping to launch in summer, 2020.

Preview: 2000AD SCI-FI SPECIAL 2019

This year's 2000AD Summer Special (sorry, Sci-Fi Special, - but it is a Summer Special really) will be in the shops on Wednesday 19th June, with 52 pages for £4.99. This edition really is special, because it's dedicated to the memory of the truly great Carlos Ezquerra, co-creator of Judge Dredd and a much-missed artist who contributed so much to comics over the past 40 plus years.

Calling the comic a 'special' is no idle boast when it kicks off with a new cover by Mick McMahon! Inside, there's the welcome return of Robin Smith drawing a Judge Dredd story. I haven't seen Robin for many years so it's a pleasure to see his work gracing a comic again.

Pride of place in the special though is Spector, the new strip that writer John Wagner and Carlos were working on at the time of Carlos' passing. The 2000AD Sci-Fi Special brings us all 20 pages that were completed, plus John's scripts for parts three and four to give readers a sense of the direction the series was heading in. 

Carlos Ezquerra was a wonderful, distinctive artist, and a fine human being to spend time with. This special is a nice tribute to the man and his work and I'm sure will be warmly received by readers. Don't miss your copy this week!

• UK, NORTH AMERICA and DIGITAL: 19th June 2019 £4.99/$7.99
• DIAMOND: APR191909
• COVER: MICK MCMAHON

In this issue:
JUDGE DREDD: NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM by Alan Grant (w) Robin Smith (a) Matt Soffe (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)

FIENDS OF THE EASTERN FRONT: STRANGE MEETING by Guy Adams (w) Dave Kendall (a) Ellie De Ville (l)

SPECTOR by John Wagner (w) Carlos Ezquerra (a) Jim Campbell (l)

WULF STERNHAMMER: VALHALLA by  Michael Carroll (w) Patrick Goddard (a) Simon Bowland (l)

Available in print from: newsagents and comic book stores via Diamond Available in digital from: 2000 AD webshop and apps for iPad, Android, Windows 10

Review: INVASION 1984!

Although I was reading Battle comic in 1983 it was mainly for Charley's War, which I'd cut out of the comic to save, and discard the rest. I don't think I ever read Invasion 1984 which appeared in its pages then, or maybe I just skimmed through it. Either way, I remembered nothing about it. A pity, because revisiting it now I find it's a cracking story!

Rebellion have collected the whole Invasion 1984 serial into one book as part of their Treasury of British Comics line. It's a 128 page softback on matt paper that has a very nice feel to it and reproduces the art well. 

Invasion 1984 is written by John Wagner and Alan Grant under their R.Clark pseudonym, and illustrated by Eric Bradbury. The story is old school entertainment about an alien invasion and humans fighting back against impossible odds. It may appear unsophisticated to readers more used to ponderous "talking heads" strips but for anyone who wants a bloody good yarn that's fast-paced and full of action, this is perfect. 

I was surprised at the amount of devastation the aliens incur on humanity. At the time, IPC were still reeling from the fuss about how violent Action was, and although there's no gore there is death and destruction on a grand scale. The invaders gun down innocent civilians with such regularity it's impossible to keep a body count. The humans are no better; annihilating Glasgow in a nuclear blast in a futile attempt to destroy an alien ship. 

Eric Bradbury was a veteran artist at this stage and his pages have a suitably grim and gritty feel to the action and a perfect balance of black and white. He really was one of the greatest adventure strip artists of the 20th Century. John Wagner and Alan Grant were also highly experienced by this point and although the story might not be in the same league as most of their 2000AD work it's still an excellently crafted tale. 

If you're looking for a good entertaining alien invasion story with some great art, Invasion 1984! is for you. On sale in bookshops now, or directly from the publisher here:
https://treasuryofbritishcomics.com/catalogue/RCA-B0048

New STRONTIUM DOG collection coming in March!

On sale in four weeks' time is Strontium Dog: Repo Men, a new softback collection from Rebellion by the always-excellent John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra. It features three Johnny Alpha stories: The Stix Fix, Repo Men, and The Judas Strain. Here's the info from the publisher...

• CREATIVE TEAM: John Wagner (w) Carlos Ezquerra (a) Simon Bowland (l)
• REGIONS: UK, worldwide digital
• RELEASE DATE: 22nd March 2018
• PAPERBACK, 146 pages
• PRICE: £14.99 (UK) $18.99 (US)
• ISBN: 9781781086438
• DIAMOND: JAN181853


The Search/Destroy agent Johnny Alpha is still alive. Having wreaked vengeance against the humans that plotted the ‘final solution’ to mutant-kind, he is released from prison for one last job in deep space that only a Strontium Dog can do. And with the freedom of his friends on the line he has no choice but to accept… Now that their careers as bounty hunters are off the cards, his mutant friends have a new job proposition. They are hired to repossess ‘The Rock’ - an asteroid space-station owned by a galactic crime lord - and to succeed they must pull off a heist of galactic proportions!

Here's a four page preview...

Available in print from: book stores, Amazon, and 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

Pile up!

Imagine my surprise 30 years ago when I opened up 2000AD Prog 550 to find that John Wagner had named a couple of streets after me and my Brickman character in a Judge Dredd story! (Judge Dredd in Oz Part 6, 2000AD Prog 550, 28th November 1987.) Art by Will Simpson. 

Here's the sequence in context...

Review: ONE-EYED JACK

If there's one lesson to be learned from the long history of British comics it's that they've had to evolve to survive. As with the human condition, change is necessary to cope with the traumas of life, and comics have had to experiment and change to adapt to new environments and situations too. By the early to mid-1970s, IPC comics were struggling to appeal to their audience. New comics such as Thunder and Jet were so rooted in the style of the past they failed after 22 weeks, and even the long-running Lion met its demise in 1974. 

The generation of comic-buyers of the Seventies were used to a tougher tone of entertainment in TV, books and films but the comics were not reflecting that. Then along came D.C. Thomson's Warlord, a grittier, more dynamic comic, spurring IPC into action with an even tougher rival, Battle Picture Weekly. The new, no-nonsense storytelling style of Battle was a big success with readers, and so IPC tried the same technique by revamping one of its oldest titles, Valiant. The experiment came too late to keep Valiant afloat for long, but that final year of the comic gave us One-Eyed Jack, the hard-as-nails New York cop created by John Wagner and John Cooper. 

All of those One-Eyed Jack strips from Valiant have now been collected in the first book in Rebellion's new Treasury of British Comics line. One-Eyed Jack is a marvellous 156 page volume of tightly written crime thrillers that make a refreshing change to the slow "deconstructed" writing style of many modern comics. There's no fat on these stories, and each episode only runs to three pages, so the reader is plunged straight into the action. 

The scripts by John Wagner are a masterclass of short-story writing; a technique that seems rare these days. John Cooper's artwork is perfect for such a fast paced action strip. There's definitely a Frank Bellamy influence to Cooper's art, but he adopts it so well and makes it his own. 

One-Eyed Jack swiftly became the most popular strip in Valiant, and although it didn't halt Valiant's demise, it laid the groundwork for a new breed of tougher heroes such as Judge Dredd. It's therefore the ideal choice to kick off the Treasury of British Comics volumes. 

There are also bonus features in the book, with a full colour One-Eyed Jack story from Valiant Annual 1978 and a colour gallery of all the Valiant covers that featured the character. 

Although paperback, the book features 'French folds' that make the covers feel sturdier. See the flattened out version below to show you what I mean...

One-Eyed Jack will be published on 15th June at £14.99. There's also a signed limited edition bookplate edition at £19.99 that you can order from the 2000AD shop:
https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/RCA-B0019

Available in print from: book stores, Amazon, and 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

The Final Whistle for Rok of the Reds

Rok of the Reds has reached the concluding issue in its six issue mini-series and it ends in fine form with an exciting finalé. This wonderful comic by John Wagner, Alan Grant, and Dan Cornwell (with colours by Abby Bulmer) has been a pleasure to read from start to finish. 

I won't show any of the interior pages this time because I don't want to give away any spoilers but the script and art is top class as Rok faces challenges on and off the pitch. As I've said in previous reviews of this series, don't let the football aspect put you off if you don't like football. I'm not a sports fan at all and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The sci-fi and sport elements mix well and it's just a damn good comic worth your support. 

Rok of the Reds is a cracking mix of traditional British adventure style comics with a modern approach. It should appeal to people who were fans of Lion and Valiant as much as it'll appeal to today's 2000AD readers. I really can't praise it highly enough.  

I'll miss Rok of the Reds but I hope it'll return for a second series.

Rok of the Reds No.6 is available from any good comics speciality shop, but if you have trouble finding it you can order a copy from the publisher BHP Comics...

http://bhpcomics.com

...or contact the artist himself at his website...

https://dancornwell.wordpress.com/

ONE-EYED JACK ready to pre-order

Here's the cover to Rebellion's first book in their Treasury of British Comics series. One-Eyed Jack will be published on 15th June but you can pre-order it now from the 2000AD shop. 

As well as the standard £14.99 edition there's also a limited bookplate edition for £19.99 which is signed by the strip's creator/writer John Wagner. To order your copy, visit this link:
https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/RCA-B0019

The book will collect all of the One-Eyed Jack strips that originally appeared in Valiant weekly in the 1970s. There's also a new introduction by John Wagner and a colour gallery of the covers that featured One-Eyed Jack. 

Here's more info, courtesy of Rebellion...

• CREATIVE TEAM: John Wagner, Gerry Finley-Day (w) John Cooper (a) 
• REGIONS: UK, worldwide digital
• RELEASE DATE: 15 June 2017
• PAPERBACK - 156 pages
• PRICE: £14.99 (UK)
• ISBN: 9781781085721
• DIAMOND: APR171922


John Wagner's take-no-prisoners-cop and the forerunner to Judge Dredd is collected for the very first time! Part Dirty Harry, part Judge Dredd, all badass! Police Detective Jack McBane is the toughest, meanest law enforcer in 1970's New York City. Having lost his left eye in the line of duty, McBane will stop at nothing to rid the crime-infested streets of scumbags and villains - even if it means having to occasionally break the rules! This is the first collection from Rebellion's dedicated Treasury of British Comics line, collecting lost comics from the golden age of British comics.

The book will be available in print from: book stores, Amazon, and 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

Faceache, Marney, Leopardboy, One-Eyed Jack... coming back!

Marney the Fox © Rebellion A/S. Art by John Stokes.

I've known about this for a while but was sworn to secrecy, but now the news is out there. Rebellion have announced which classic Fleetway strips they're bringing back to print this year, and they're all glorious. The collective name for the books is The Treasury of British Comics...

You already knew about One-Eyed Jack by John Wagner and John Cooper, but today Rebellion have announced that other books will include:

Misty Book 2: The Sentinels and End of the Line. 

The Leopard from Lime Street drawn by Mike Western and Eric Bradbury.

Marney the Fox: the wonderful adventure strip from Buster by Scott Goodall and John Stokes. 

...and... just drink in this great news...

Faceache by Ken Reid, from Jet and Buster. 

Are you excited yet? For more info, check out this link:
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/2000-ad-revive-childrens-comics-70s-and-80s-496121


UPDATE 28/2/17: Comics journalist Heidi MacDonald now has expanded details of the books, and more artwork, on her excellent blog The Beat:
http://www.comicsbeat.com/2000ad-launches-the-treasury-of-british-comics-line-with-classic-brit-comics/

Rok of the Reds reaches its penultimate issue

The fifth issue of Rok of the Reds is out and the story is really building to its climax now. The alien Rok, on Earth and disguised as footballer Kyle Dixon, is being tracked by two Executors from his homeworld. There are revelations and danger as the issue races towards its cliffhanger. 

As I've said before, even if, like me, you don't usually like football comics this will hook you. It has all the hallmarks of a classic British adventure strip but with a modern style. Dan Cornwell's artwork is a joy to behold, and Abby Bulmer's rich colouring complements it perfectly. Of course, with a script by John Wagner and Alan Grant, how could they fail to be inspired? If Valiant or Eagle had been updated and were being published today, Rok of the Reds would fit right in. (I thought the way the strip continued directly from the cover was a nice touch. It reminded me of the old UK comics.)

Don't let that comment mislead you into thinking that this is some retro comic though. Those of us who are old enough will recognise the spirit of traditional British comics in Rok of the Reds but it also stands as an equal alongside any modern comic from the UK or USA. A treat for both new readers and long time collectors.

Rok of the Reds No.5 is available from any good comics speciality shop, but if you have trouble finding it you can order a copy from the publisher BHP Comics...
http://bhpcomics.com

...or contact the artist himself at his website...
https://dancornwell.wordpress.com/

Don't miss out! Rok of the Reds is a must-buy!

Christmas comics: 2000AD (1979)

Here's the second in this year's selection of vintage Christmas comics, and it's 2000AD and Tornado Prog 145 from 1979. A great cover by Carlos Ezquerra, and the art department has even added traditional snow to the logo. 

Inside, the comic isn't actually that festive, as IPC tended to leave the Christmas hi-jinks to the humour comics, but it's such a great line-up of strips that I thought you'd like to see a taste of them. The issue got off to a strong start with Judge Dredd by John Wagner and Mick McMahon...

Future war story The V.C.s by Ian Rogan and Garry Leach...

The Mind of Wolfie Smith had transferred over from Tornado comic. This episode was by Tom Tully and Mike White...

The centre-spread at this time featured The Stainless Steel Rat, adapting Harry Harrison's novel in comics form by Kelvin Gosnell and Carlos Ezquerra...

2000AD featured a single-page humour strip back then, with Captain Klep drawn by Robin Smith. (Ken O'Neill had been the original artist.)

Black Hawk was written by Alan Grant and illustrated by Massimo Bellardinelli...

Finally, at the back of the comic, a Christmas strip! Tying in with the front cover, it's Tharg's Christmas Tale, drawn by Carlos Ezquerra...

Don't forget that this year's Christmas 2000AD will be out on Wednesday with 100 pages! Here's a preview:
https://lewstringer.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/the-christmas-issue-of-2000ad-is-zarjaz.html

There'll be pages from another old festive title tomorrow. Which year will we arrive in? Wait and see!

Rok scores another winner!

There's a new issue of Rok of the Reds out and once again it hits all the targets. With a script by John Wagner and Alan Grant, art by Dan Cornwell, and colours by Abby Bulmer, this issue develops the intriguing story further. Alien fugitive Rok is now firmly established in his guise of footballer Kyle Dixon but there is danger approaching from elsewhere. 

Once again the superbly polished script carries the reader effortlessly through the issue and is a joy to read. The artwork by Dan Cornwell (and Abby Bulmer's colouring) is a treat for the eyes and ideally suited to this sci-fi/football story. Anyone who still believes "They don't do comics like they used to" needs to follow this series because it manages to be both a homage to British comics of the past as well as a great modern comic. 

There's only two issues to go of this mini-series and I can't wait to see the developments. Rok of the Reds really is one of the best new comics available.

Rok of the Reds No.4 is available from any good comics speciality shop, but if you have trouble finding it ('cos we know how shops tend to favour American comics) you can order a copy from the publisher BHP Comics...
http://bhpcomics.com

...or contact the artist himself at his website...
https://dancornwell.wordpress.com/

John Wagner, Dan Cornwell, and Abby Bulmer also have copies you can buy at any comic convention they attend. Don't miss out of this great comic!

Review: ROK OF THE REDS No.2

The second issue of this SF football comic Rok of the Reds moves the story along superbly, thanks to the experienced writing skills of John Wagner and Alan Grant. They really are the two top writers in British comics, delivering a script that is clearly told, absorbing, advances the plot, and has a great cliffhanger.

Dan Cornwell once again proves to be a good choice as artist, with a style that has elements of traditional British comics but also a modern attitude to page composition. As with John and Alan's writing, Dan's visual storytelling abilities carry the adventure along effortlessly. There's no confusion here as to what's going on, as is often the case with some modern comics. 

This episode sees the alien Rok assume the form and memories of arrogant footballer Kyle Dixon, adapting his attitudes to fit in with the humans. Can he maintain his secret? There are echoes of Alan Grant's old Doomlord series here, but Rok goes its own way. 

For anyone bemoaning that "they don't do comics like they used to", this is perfect for you. It's like a contemporary take on the sort of serials that would have appeared in Lion or Scorcher in the 1970s. That said, it should also appeal to today's readers too. And don't be put off if you're not a football fan. I'm not either, but I still found it completely gripping. 

The best news of all is that issue 3 is out already, so I should have that in a few days time. You can buy all three issues from the publisher's website here...
http://bhpcomics.com/

If you're at the London Film and Comic Con this weekend, be sure to visit John Wagner's table in the Comics Zone, where he'll have copies to sell, and I'm sure he'll be happy to sign them for you. 

You can also buy copies from the artist, Dan Cornwell, by contacting him on his website:
https://dancornwell.wordpress.com/