New comic: Silicon Heart

These days an increasing number of graphic novels and comics are financed by Kickstarter, whereby readers are asked to pledge an amount up front before publication. The more you pledge, the more bonus items you get. (With the money only being paid if the project reaches its goal.) While it's not a business model I'm prepared to use to finance my own comics I'm happy to occasionally help promote those of others. (Although Blimey! is primarily a blog about old comics so please don't inundate me with links to your own Kickstarter projects as happened the last time I mentioned one.)

I've liked the artwork of Kat Nicholson for a long time so I'm pleased to see that she has a new comic in production, written by Sam Roads. Here's the info from the Kickstarter page, where you can also download a free preview:


January is a bullied teenager who finds solace in the embrace of synthetic-being Rho. Her friends and family are unready to accept this, but when January takes a stand against the prejudice of the law, no-one is prepared for what happens next...

Silicon Heart is a 120 page graphic novel, made up of four 30 page issues, written by Sam Roads and illustrated by Kat Nicholson.

Having won a prestigious Literature Wales grant in 2014 to help complete issue 1 of Silicon Heart ('A Better Tomorrow'), we launched it in April at the Egbaston Comic Festival, to excellent reviews (see below). 

Our aim with this Kickstarter project is to raise additional funds towards the completion and quarterly publication of the remaining three parts of Silicon Heart.

Part 1: A Better Tomorrow - COMPLETED
Part 2: Tin Soldiers - Summer 2015
Part 3: Cycles - Autumn 2015
Part 4: Sympathy - Winter 2015

If we are able to exceed our target, we hope to set a stretch goal which will see Silicon Heart published as a complete graphic novel!

Reviews:
"Prophetic and profound, Silicon Heart enables us to take a look at our prejudiced and judgemental world with fresh and forward looking eyes." - Andrew Wildman (Spider-Man, Transformers)

"It's very professional and stylish with excellent characterisation in both story and art. A very impressive package." - Pat Mills (creator of 2000AD)

"Roads' and Nicholson's touching, heartfelt tale of teenage love and alienation starts out with the particular and becomes universal." - Mike Carey (X-Men, Hellblazer)

"Evoking classic outsider stories, whether marked by class, race or colour, Sam and Kat give us a heartbeat-away future where synthetic humans (though still overtly robotic) live amongst us.

There's a back story, hinted at but as yet unrevealed, suggesting a bigger, grimmer aspect to this world- what exactly IS the New Model Army, and why was it needed?- and the casual racism (cog-ism?) goes unquestioned and unremarked. It's as normal as the driverless cars.

Kat's sweet, warmly rendered art illuminates a charming tale of the girl-who-doesn't-fit, where all the humans are self-deluded and the only self-aware character is mechanical. Her style cleverly distracts us from the dark, hidden truths.

Simply gorgeous, and I want more."

- Mike Collins (Doctor Who, Judge Dredd)

"Subtle world-building, well-observed relationships, lovely layouts and a great ending to the first issue."

- Alec Worley (Judge Dredd, Judge Anderson)

If you're interested in pledging to this splendid new comic, go to the Kickstarter page here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/samroads/silicon-heart

ThunderCats return in a brand new British comic this week

Who says mainstream British comics are dead? The last few months have already seen the launch of Strip Magazine and The Phoenix, and now this Thursday (March 22nd) another all-new UK comic makes its debut with ThunderCats No.1.

Published by Panini UK, the 36 page ThunderCats Magazine will be published every four weeks and is based on the new series of ThunderCats animated adventures currently being shown on Channel 5 and Cartoon Network. The original ThunderCats TV series aired in 1987 and fast became a pop-culture phenomenon, spawning a regular comic from Marvel UK along the way. Fans of that comic will no doubt be pleased to see its return.


The new ThunderCats Magazine is aimed at 7 to 12 year old boys (although I'll bet some girls will enjoy it just as much) and will feature brand new comic strip expanding on the ThunderCats universe along with fact files, puzzles, activities, competitions and puzzle pages.

As you can see from the samples that editor Simon Frith kindly supplied, the standard of the comic strip is very high, with scripts by Ferg Handley, artwork by Cosmo White, and colours by Kat Nicholson. This is definitely looking like a quality production.


There's also a one-page action figure photo-strip in the first issue, which I'm sure will go down well with younger readers and inspire them to make up adventures with their own action figures. A nice idea, and well executed.


When the new ThunderCats cartoon show first aired in the UK on Cartoon Network it was viewed 157,000 times, and its screening on Channel 5 on December 18th gained it 197,000 viewers. There's clearly a potentially large market for this new comic so let's hope it does well.

ThunderCats Magazine No.1 will be on sale Thursday March 22nd priced £2.99, available at all major retail outlets across the UK. Every issue will carry a gift, with the first one being a Sword of Omens. Here's the polybagged comic and gift below to look out for in the shops:


Panini Comics UK website:
http://www.paninicomics.co.uk/web/guest/home