Into the ARENA!

As you may already know, Steve Holland's Bear Alley Books will soon be publishing a collection of the DC Thomson strip Arena. The serial originally ran in The Crunch weekly adventure comic in 1979, and was created by Dave Taylor (not the artist of the same name) and illustrated by Argentinian artist Enrique Alcatena.

You can read more info about the strip at John Freeman's essential Down The Tubes blog here: 
http://downthetubes.net/?p=16454

The latest news is that Steve now has copyright clearance so the book is definitely on. You can see the cover above, coloured by Martin Baines, designed by Steve Holland.

I think this is the only way we'll continue to see classic UK strips reprinted, - under license to outside parties. Admittedly Egmont have reprinted classic Thunderbirds strips in book form, but I doubt they'd be interested in the more obscure strips. Similarly, DC Thomson annually reprint selected old Dandy and Beano strips but it's not worth their time to reprint material that would have a more limited appeal. So it's great that people such as Steve Holland, Titan Books, Hibernia, etc actively work to gain permission to produce the books themselves. 

To keep abreast of developments as to when Arena will be published, keep an eye on the Bear Alley Books blog:
http://bearalleybooks.blogspot.co.uk/

Free Ivy!

Would you like to read this week's Ivy the Terrible strip that I drew? You can see it online free courtesy of The Beano. Just follow this link:

http://issuu.com/dcthomson/docs/ivypreview/1

Of course, if you pay just £2 you can see it in print, along with a stack of other all-new strips in the latest issue, out now! Here's the cover to look for, drawn by Nigel Parkinson. If you haven't read it for a while, why not try it? Support Britain's longest-running comic and remember the old motto: Never Be Without A Beano! 

DALEKS 1997!

A lot of us who grew up reading TV21 in the 1960s will fondly remember The Daleks strip on the back page (1965 - 67). What some of you may not be aware of is that 30 years later, in 1997, there was a brand new sequel to those strips!

Starting in Doctor Who Magazine No.249 (12th March 1997), The Daleks ran on the inside front cover for six issues. It was written by John Lawrence and illustrated by veteran artist Ron Turner, who had been one of the original artists on the TV21 strip. Some of the Dalek figures were a bit 'off model' but it didn't matter, - Ron Turner was still producing stunning artwork even at 74 years of age! 

Here are the first two episodes of the revived Daleks strip. It's a shame it didn't run for more than six issues, but the fact that a new series of strips happened at all is something to be thankful for. The comic series concluded in a similar way to how the original TV21 run had, with The Daleks intent on reaching Earth, presumably acting as a prequel to the 1964 Doctor Who TV adventure The Dalek Invasion of Earth. 

Sadly, Ron Turner passed away in 1998, just 18 months after this run of strips, but his work lives on for fans old and new.

This week's Commando action

Every other week four issues of Commando go on sale and here are the previews for the latest batch. In newsagents on Thursday. Thanks to DC Thomson for the images and press release. Here we go...

Commando issues 4743-4746 – On Sale 25 September 2014

Commando No 4743 – Return To The Sky

No, you’re not seeing things, that is a Sopwith Camel scout attacking a Ju 87 Stuka. But surely, you say, they’re planes from two different wars, their designs nearly 25 years apart. Surely they would never have met in combat.

   Well, yes and no.

   How this unlikely pair came face to face takes a bit of explaining. It’s the story of a warrior’s…

RETURN TO THE SKY

Story: Alan Hebden

Art: Carlos Pino

Cover: Carlos Pino

Preview: http://www.commandocomics.com/latest-issues/25th-september-2014-collection?issue=4743

Commando No 4744 – Scourge Of The Desert

The Sign of the Scorpion was their badge, and soon the Germans learned why…for the men of the Long Range Desert Group would fight as long as they drew breath. Their raids were as fast as the sting of the scorpion, and twice as deadly!

Introduction

The sub-title “the toughest desert rat of them all” would seem to sum up this story very neatly but there is a lot more going on here than just a lantern-jawed British hero beating the beastly Jerries. There are at least two other battles going on alongside that struggle.

   Gordon Livingstone’s crisp interior artwork — with Zip-a-tone shading in amongst the black pen work — marries excellent detail work along with dynamic figures to match the frantic mood of the action.

   Ken Barr’s cover work does what it always does — makes you want to open the book. And as you’ve done that, it’s worked!

   Originally titled Single Fare To Tobruk, this is classic Commando at its finest.

Calum Laird, Commando Editor

Scourge Of The Desert, originally Commando No 123 (July 1964), re-issued as No 663 (July 1972)

Story: Kenner

Art: Gordon Livingstone

Cover: Ken Barr

Preview: http://www.commandocomics.com/latest-issues/25th-september-2014-collection?issue=4744

Commando No 4745 – “On The Run!”

On the retreat to Dunkirk, Sergeant-Major Mike Fletcher had hooked up with a trio of individuals separated from their units. Eventually they were captured and became POWs.

   However, Mike saw some potential in this down-trodden and uninspired bunch. The Sergeant-Major was determined to turn them into proper soldiers once and for all!

   First, all they had to do was escape…

Story: Ferg Handley

Art: Morahin

Cover: Janek Matysiak

Preview: http://www.commandocomics.com/latest-issues/25th-september-2014-collection?issue=4745

Commando No 4746 – No-Gun Hero

When Johnny Peace was called up to the army he refused to fight, refused to kill anyone. And he was branded a coward.

   So he went to war as a medical orderly. Not for him guns or grenades — his only weapons were his medical satchel and his courage.

   A coward? Not Johnny Peace. There was probably never a braver man in the British Army!

Introduction

Although Medical Orderly Johnny Peace (yes, really) is our eponymous No-Gun Hero, he is all but upstaged by a magnificent mutt — the fierce but noble Alsatian called Satan (yes, really).

   There have been a few fighting dogs in Commando’s long history. Memorable canine “tails” (sorry, at least one pooch-related pun is compulsory) have included “Wagger’s War” (No 1106), “Billy’s Best Friend” (No 3938) and “Hounds Of War” (originally No 67, re-issued late in 2013 as No 4664).

   So, “Fetch!” a cuppa, “Sit!” back and enjoy the story of a devilishly heroic hound.

Scott Montgomery, Deputy Editor

No-Gun Hero, re-issued as No 2299 (August 1989), originally Commando No 965 (September 1975)

Story: Bernard Gregg

Art: Boluda

Cover: Ian Kennedy

Preview: http://www.commandocomics.com/latest-issues/25th-september-2014-collection?issue=4746

New! Funny Monsters Comic

Who says British comics are dead? Certainly not long-established cartoonist Joe Matthews who has put his time and effort into independently producing his own new children's comic which will be available in selected newsagents from this week. Funny Monsters Comic is the title, and it features a mixture of strips and puzzles with all-new characters, all created and illustrated by Joe himself.

The strips are: 
Zackster, Kid Zombie, featuring the 'life' of a young zombie.

Don't Let The Bed Bugs Bite! featuring the critters that live within a grubby teenager's mattress.

Milly, Monster Hunter, - a two page prose story of comedy horror.

Werewolf Growl, - a boy who becomes a werewolf.

It's a fairly even split with the contents, with puzzles and activity pages taking up half of the comic. It's a slim publication, - only 16 pages, - but is bagged with two trading cards, stickers, and sweets. Priced at £2 for an independent comic, that's a reasonable price.

So how can you get hold of a copy? Joe explained:
"The comic goes out next week and will be in around 3000 corner shops around the Midlands and North West. People can also send a message on my Facebook page if they want one and I can send them one without the sweets for £2 inc postage." 

Joe will also be selling the new comic at various comic conventions and shopping centres etc. "I will be at the following venues sketching and selling Funny Monsters Comic: Sunday 28th September Stoke-Con-Trent, Saturday 11th October The Living Deadcon, Liverpool. Saturday 25th October Preston Comic Con, Sunday 26th October Wheatsheaf Comic Con, Rochdale, Monday 27/28th Millgate shopping Centre Bury. Wednesday 29th October Bay View Shopping Centre, Colwyn Bay. Thursday 20th October Leeds St Johns Shopping Centre. Friday 31st October Kelsalls Bookshop, Littleborough. Friday 31st Oct evening at the Baum for Rochdale Ghost Walks. Sunday 16th November Bolton Comic Con."

Issue 2 is scheduled to be a Christmas issue but for now let's give the first issue our support. It's easy for critics to bemoan that comics aren't what they used to be, but here's a guy who's actively doing something to try and change that, with a brand new title that's not all 'filler' and not based on a toy/TV/movie. 

New comics for children are a rarity these days, especially ones from an independent publisher, so I hope comic fans (and their kids of course) get behind this admirable venture in order to keep it going and for it to develop. 
Funny Monsters Comic No.1, - on sale this week! 

Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Funny-Monsters-Comic/713887701981304