The World Shall Hear From Me Again...

The Deception has begun…..

Bristol InternationalComic Expo mand Small Press Expo

BRISTOL INTERNATIONAL
COMIC EXPO

14 -15th May 2011

Ramada City Inn & the Mercure Holland
House Hotels

International Guests, Interactive Panels,
European Showcase,
Big on Small Press, New Title launches
and those ever collectable EXpo EXclusives!

Big on Small Press, New Title launches

and those ever collectable EXpo EXclusives!

TICKETS NOW ON SALE!

SPECIAL IN FIRST TICKET OFFER EXTENDED

OWING TO PUBLIC DEMAND

£ 8 day or £14 weekend

Child discounts apply

IN FIRST  RATE

ONLY AVAILABLE UNTIL 28th FEB

when prices will increase

Expo will again be an ALL TICKET Event,

so pre-booking is the only way to ensure you are at the

UK's Premier Comics Event!

Click Here to buy your tickets

contact comicexpo@hotmail.co.uk

Open Sat  10am - 6pm
        Sun 10.30am - 5pm

FULL DETAILS on COMIC EXPO will be added over the coming months!

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The international guests

RICK VEITCH
& RON MARZ

Who will be helping us celebrate the
40th ann of Swamp Thing and
previewing the Green Lantern movie!

Also look out for a very special
EXpo EXclusives as we wish the
WATCHMEN

a happy 25th birthday with
Dave Gibbons & John Higgins

who are together again for the first time
on something just a bit special
as we support our regular charity!

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ROGUE TROOPER

the worlds greatest Genetic Infantryman
celebrates his 30th birthday at Expo thanks to
John McCrea
who is producing a Signed & Numbered
Limited Edition Print
which will also feature another legend
from 2000AD

You will not want to miss this one, it's the law!

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EXPO EXCLUSIVES

FOUR LAUNCHES AND A WEDDING!

Featuring

MARKOSIA MANIA @ EXPO!

For more information on markosia EXclusives click HERE

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HP LOVECRAFT @ SELF MADE HERO

SelfMadeHero will be exhibiting at Bristol with a range of new and signed copies of it's latest graphic novels and graphic novel biographies. We'll be celebrating the launch of the first volume of our The Lovecraft Anthology with a special Lovecraft panel featuring SelfMadeHero creators and a signing featuring as many creators as we can lay our hands on. We'll have creators sketching and signing at our tables throughout the weekend, so pop by and say hello.

For More information on the Lovecraft anthology click HERE

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We launched at Expo 2010 one of the most critically acclaimed series of year

BULLETPROOF COFFIN

We now debut the long awaited trade with
ANOTHER EXpo EXclusive

Limited Edition BPC post cards set FREE

ONLY at Bristol Expo this year

For more information on this EXpo EXclusive click HERE

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Print Media Productions To launchStrip Magazine at Bristol Expo 

STRIP Magazine is a new monthly comic magazine for the UK, part of a range of comics projects from Lancaster-based Print Media Productions.

For more information on this EXpo EXclusive click HERE

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Just a few of our confirmed guests.

ALAN DAVIS
CHARLES ADLARD
MARK BUCKINGHAM
LEE GARBETT
IAN CHURCHILL
GARY ERSKINE
ROB WILLIAMS
NEIL EDWARDS
IAN EDGINTON
D’Israeli
DAVID HINE
SHAKY KANE
NEIL ROBERTS
DYLAN TEAGUE
PHIL WINSLADE
AL DAVISON
MIKE COLLINS
GARY SPENCER MILLIDGE
TIM PILCHER
JOHN WATSON

Plus the UK LEGENDS

JOHN M. BURNS
SYD JORDAN

...with Many MORE TBC!

for updated guestlist click HERE

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EXpo EXhibitors

COMX
FORBIDDEN PLANET ( LONDON )
INCOGNITO COMICS
PANINI COMICS
SELF MADE HERO
REED COMICS
MARKOSIA
PSICOLLECTABLES
GENKI GEAR
THE COMIC MAN
ASTRAL GYPSY
TRIPWIRE

For more information on EXhibitors click HERE

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Also in the

New EXpanded EXpo

EUROPEAN SHOWCASE

Cinebook + Dalen logo here

CINEBOOK PLUS making their Bristol Expo debut
DALEN BOOKS

European showcase page coming soon

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FOR THE FULL DETAILS ON THE SMALL PRESS EXPO @ THE MERCURE click here!

Cardiff Comic Expo 2011

Mercure Holland House Hotel
Sat 26th Feb 2011

EXPO OPEN OPEN 10am - 6pm

Ticket Sales ALERT! over 90% of the tickets have gone

Limited number will be available on the door but pre booking is recommended!

 Our thanks to all who have pre-booked.

Remember, the best way to guarantee attending Expo is to pre-book

... & grab all those freebies ( and a few suprises! )

EXpo EXclusive with 10thology!

All attendees have the chance to

WIN ORIGINAL ART in the FREE  PRIZE DRAW!

Just fill in the Special Postcard and drop off the

10thology stand in the lobby.

Also ONLY on the day the graphic novel from Wales finest

creators will be available at the low price of just

£12 a saving of £2.99 on cover price!

WELCOME TO CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL COMIC EXPO!

We are delighted to host our 1st Convention in Wales in 2011.

Expect the usual Comic Expo mix of Convention EXpo EXclusives, new title launches, special guests, full programme of talks and events and more!

Stay tuned as we will be adding to the site over the coming months!

contact comicexpo@hotmail.co.uk

Its Time for the Doctor!

In association with Doctor Who Adventures Magazine

1st Convention appearance

JOHN ROSS ( Artist )

Also making TIME and SPACE for

MIKE COLLINS ( Writer / Artist Doctor Who Magazine & BBC Books )

Plus JUSTIN RICHARDS ( Doctor Who Author )

PAUL LANG ( Art Director DWA Magazine )

DAVID ROACH ( Artist Doctor Who Magazine )

NEIL ROBERTS ( Artist Sarah Jane Adventures )

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/sja/

Visit the official Sarah Jane website for the full online comic strip!

.... Just Confirmed

ROB DAVIS ( artist Doctor Who Magazine )

...you never know who will be there?

MIKE TUCKER

Special effects for Doctor Who & writer 

Mike is the  author of just released
History of the BBC special effects unit book. 

 

He now runs his own company The Model Unit  www.themodelunit.co.uk

 .... Just confirmed

MAT IRVINE will be joining Mike Tucker for a special panel on Special Effects and a book signing with Expo sponsors FORBIDDEN PLANET INTERNATIONAL

Cardiff Comic Expo 2011 -It's Getting Closer!

Cardiff Comic Expo 2011

Mercure Holland House Hotel
Sat 26th Feb 2011

EXPO OPEN OPEN 10am - 6pm

Ticket Sales ALERT! over 90% of the tickets have gone

Limited number will be available on the door but pre booking is recommended!

 Our thanks to all who have pre-booked.

Remember, the best way to guarantee attending Expo is to pre-book

... & grab all those freebies ( and a few suprises! )

EXpo EXclusive with 10thology!

All attendees have the chance to

WIN ORIGINAL ART in the FREE  PRIZE DRAW!

Just fill in the Special Postcard and drop off the

10thology stand in the lobby.

Also ONLY on the day the graphic novel from Wales finest

creators will be available at the low price of just

£12 a saving of £2.99 on cover price!

WELCOME TO CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL COMIC EXPO!

We are delighted to host our 1st Convention in Wales in 2011.

Expect the usual Comic Expo mix of Convention EXpo EXclusives, new title launches, special guests, full programme of talks and events and more!

Stay tuned as we will be adding to the site over the coming months!

contact comicexpo@hotmail.co.uk

Its Time for the Doctor!

In association with Doctor Who Adventures Magazine

1st Convention appearance

JOHN ROSS ( Artist )

Also making TIME and SPACE for

MIKE COLLINS ( Writer / Artist Doctor Who Magazine & BBC Books )

Plus JUSTIN RICHARDS ( Doctor Who Author )

PAUL LANG ( Art Director DWA Magazine )

DAVID ROACH ( Artist Doctor Who Magazine )

NEIL ROBERTS ( Artist Sarah Jane Adventures )

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/sja/

Visit the official Sarah Jane website for the full online comic strip!

.... Just Confirmed

ROB DAVIS ( artist Doctor Who Magazine )

...you never know who will be there?

MIKE TUCKER

Special effects for Doctor Who & writer 

Mike is the  author of just released
History of the BBC special effects unit book. 

 

He now runs his own company The Model Unit  www.themodelunit.co.uk

 .... Just confirmed

MAT IRVINE will be joining Mike Tucker for a special panel on Special Effects and a book signing with Expo sponsors FORBIDDEN PLANET INTERNATIONAL

Kate Glasheen -Bandage:A Diary Of Sorts

Kate Glasheen -Bandage:A Diary Of Sorts

As everyone probably knows, I think that Kate Glasheen, artist on Hybrid Bastards, has a unique style and should be getting a lot more attention and praise from publishers than she is.

So, when I received the following I decided that it should be noted here.  Your chance to get involved.

There’s a neat video clip goes with this!

Hi Everyone,
As some you may already know from the dirty deed of self promotion, I launched a project on Kickstarter a few days ago.  Feel free to skip this next part (or the entire email…) if you already know what that’s about.
Kickstarter is a funding platform for creative endeavors.

Once a project is approved by their staff, you create a page explaining what your project is and how much money you need to fund it.  People referred to as “backers” pledge money to projects they’re interested in, and the project’s creators create rewards at different monetary levels as incentives.

For example, my project is a graphic novel, and pledges at $1 gets you access to extra features on
the promotional website, pledges at $25 gets you a signed copy of the hardcover book, while $100 gets you the book and an original 1/1 drawing.  There are many more tiers, but these are just some examples.  A project must get 100% of their financial goal to receive funding, at which point people are billed and the promised rewards are owed.  If it does not reach that goal, the project is canceled, no cards are billed, and no rewards are owed.

Did I mention I have a project on Kickstarter?  Heh…anyways, my project is a graphic novel entitled “Bandage: A Diary of Sorts”.

I have been working on this book on and off for about 10 years now.  I consider it a comic but it’s format is somewhat unorthodox for the medium.  “Bandage” features full page illustrations facing a full page of free form text.  It’s roughly 112 pages, pending revisions I’ll be doing right up until the last minute, black and white and hardcover.  For the quick synapses, check the end of the email but for the full version head over to the Kickstarter page!

Please if you have some time, give my project a look (click here).

If you like it and it’s something you’d like to support,  then that’samazing, and thank you in advance for any such generosity! As I mentioned before, pledges can be as small as a dollar and every little bit helps.  Another huge help would be to pass the link on to anyone else who you think may be interested,or in turn know others who would be.

Thanks a lot for your time, it’s greatly appreciated!

Kate Glasheen

“Bandage: A Diary of Sorts” follows a nameless young man from one summer to the next as he is dealt the mundane traumas of life. His best friend moves away, his long term relationship ends, and his beloved grandmother passes on. The book becomes his diary, documenting both his stream of conscious narrative and his surreal visual interpretations of these events. As the year progresses, he becomes more and more a stranger in his own life, and he must decide if there is a place for him in it at all

EVA INK 2011 Schedule

Eva Ink Convention Appearances 2011

Hey Everyone– Welcome to our Convention List for Eva Ink Artist Group. Below is the list of conventions we and our friends are scheduled to be attending for 2011. Note that all appearances are tentative and subject to the artists work schedule. We’ll also be adding shows etc. and changing as things go during the year. These lists always tend to be organic and take on a life of their own.


You can stay updated at: www.evainkartistgroup.com

If you are interested in commissions, books or prints from any of the artists or writers listed below, please contact us at: evaink@aol.com

And if you are a conventioneer, we’d love to hear about YOUR show for either this year OR next!
Best,
Renee

2011 and Here we go!

Mike Carbonaro’s Comic Book Marketplace–New York
February 19th
Booked: Michael Golden, Mark Texeira, Steve Scott, Rodney Ramos, Renee Witterstaetter

Wizard World Miami
February 26-27th
Booked: Michael Golden, Mark Texeira, Rodney Ramos, Renee Witterstaetter

De Stripdagen Gorinchem– The Netherlands
March 12th-13th
Booked:  Minck Oosterveer

Wizard World Toronto
March 18th-20th
Booked: Michael Golden, Mark Texeira, Rodney Ramos, Renee Witterstaetter

Megacon– Orlando
March 25th-27th
Booked: Michael Golden, Steve Scott, Renee Witterstaetter

I-Con Sience Fiction Convention–Long Island
April 15th-17th
Booked: Michael Golden, Rodney Ramos, Renee Witterstaetter

Wizard World Anaheim
April 30th-May 1st
Booked: Michael Golden, Mark Texeira, Steve Scott, Joe Jusko, Rodney Ramos, Renee Witterstaetter

Eva Ink Euro Tour
May. Dates and Artists TBD

Packrat Comics Free Comic Book Day–Ohio
May 7th
Booked: Steve Scott

Hawthorne High School Comic Book Show
May 14th
Booked: Mark Texeira

Ganshoren Comic Book Convention– Belgium
May 15th
Booked: Minck Oosterveer, more TBD

Big Wow Comic Book Show– San Jose, CA
May 21st and 22nd
Booked: Michael Golden, Renee Witterstaetter

Wizard World Big Apple Spring Show
May 21st and 22nd
Booked: Rodney Ramos

Phoenix Comic Con
May 26th-29th
Booked: Michael Golden, Mark Texeira, Steve Scott, Joe Jusko, Renee Witterstaetter

Heroes Charlotte
June 3rd-5th
Booked: Michael Golden, Steve Scott, Renee Witterstaetter

Calgary Comic Con
June 17th-19th
Booked: Michael Golden, Mark Texeira, Steve Scott, Joe Jusko, Renee Witterstaetter

Wizard World Philly
June 17th-19th
Booked: Minck Oosterveer, Rodney Ramos

Albuquerque Comic Con
June 24th-26th
Booked: Michael Golden, Steve Scott, Rodney Ramos, Liam Sharp, Joe Jusko, Renee Witterstaetter

San Diego Comic Con
July 20th-24th
Booked: Michael Golden, Renee Witterstaetter

Location: Naked  Fat Rave Booth


Wizard World Chicago
August 11th-14th
Booked: Michael Golden, Mark Texeira, Renee Witterstaetter, Rodney Ramos

Baltimore Comic Con
August 20th and 21st
Booked: Michael Golden and Renee Witterstaetter, more TBD

ComiCONN–Stamford, CT
August 27th
Booked: Michael Golden, Renee Witterstaetter, Rodney Ramos

Aviles Comics Festival–Spain
September 13th-18th
Booked: Renee Witterstaetter, Ric Meyers

Wizard World New England–Boston
September 17th and 18th
Booked: Rodney Ramos, others TBD

Wizard World Big Apple Fall Show–New York
September 24th and 25th
Booked: Michael Golden, Mark Texeira, Rodney Ramos, Renee Witterstaetter

Detroit FanFare
September 24th and 25th
Booked: Steve Scott

New York Comic Con
October 14th-16th
Booked: TBD

Wizard World Mid-Ohio–Columbus
October 22nd and 23rd
Booked: Michael Golden, Mark Texeira, Rodney Ramos, Renee Witterstaetter

FACTS Convention– Ghent Belgium
October 22nd-23rd
Booked: Minck Oosterveer
Wizard World Winnipeg
October 28th-30th
Booked: Michael Golden, Joe Jusko, Renee Witterstaetter

Wizard World Austin
November 11th-13th
Booked: Michael Golden, Mark Texeira, Rodney Ramos, Renee Witterstaetter

Virginia ComiCon
TBD
Booked: Michael Golden, Steve Scott, Rodney Ramos, Renee Witterstaetter, Joe Jusko

Wizard World Atlanta
December 3rd and 4th
Booked: Michael Golden, Steve Scott, Rodney Ramos, Renee Witterstaetter
Madrid Tour
TBD

2012
Jan. –Wizard World New Orlean

Amity Blamity -NEVER Use Shaving Soap on Chocolate Cake

Amity Blamity -FUN!

Hmm. Just realised I have mentioned this book on CBO before but in a Press Release.

Anyway, here’s to remind you:

Amity Blamity is a man (girl) vs. environment story that embraces the philosophy that you don’t need to be “the chosen one” or have a grand destiny to change the world for the better. The story follows Gretchen (a shy 4year old with pigtails) Chester(a talking potbellied pig) and Downey (a pig of an uncle) as they get swept up on a journey incited by strange forest critters  inundating the outskirts of the family farm.

Amity Blamity creator Mike White enjoyed trying to see the world through a child’s eyes for this family-friendly adventure series. “I used to look at the world through candy glasses and was always shocked by what the “real” world is like. ” said White  I’ve always had the world in my brain -how things seem to me- that is completely different from the world that actually IS.”

White cites has diverse interests as influences in his development of Amity Blamity “Bloom County, Andy Capp, Cheers, South Park, Leave it to Beaver, A Family Affair are some of my most favorite shows and comics.  If you jam  all the characters and relationships from those shows into the empty tin can of my brain, shake it up, then dump it out, what you get is the cast of Amity Blamity.”

While Amity Blamity is White’s debut project he has been no stranger to comics and has attracted a fair amount of attention to himself. Amity Blamity itself comes from White’s online comic Pigtails and Potbellies.  Mike has been featured in Boards magazine, hailed as one of ‘Top 10 Emerging Talents from Toronto’ 2007 and won the Canadian Film Centre New Media Award for the Resfest 2006 Cancon Selection for directing the MSTRKRFT “Work On You” Music Video.

Amity Blamity volume one is the first in a biannual series of books following the adventures of the innocent gretchen and her pig Chester.  Set for an April 2011 release, Amity Blamity volume one will be 160 pages at 10.95 isbn number 978-1-59362-209-1 and will be available at finer bookstores, comics stores via Amazon.com and through the publishers own website at www.slgcomic.com. A preview of the book can be downloaded at the same website.

An online interview with Mike White can be read at the publishers website at this link




As you’ll see from the above pages, it’s a nice art style -”cutesy”.  It’s also quite funny. Mike is a Canadian living in California and, surprise! Surprise! he has cats and works while they sleep.  Every comic creator I know who has cats tries to work when the cats sleep.  Cats even take over your keyboard so your script reads:”Inspector, I can tell you that the killer is liu78o545r45r7ifg”!

One day those cats will pay.

Amity Blamity looks like fun and I think we need a few more humour comics amongst the rape, disembowlements, decapitations and foul language.*

*It was soooooooo tempting to write “…in today’s Beano or Dandy”!

The Black Tower Gold Collection

The Black Tower Gold Collection

You will find this info over at Down The Tubes (check the blog roll) but after some emails I thought I’d explain.

While people have continued writing and talking about the Beano and Dandy from this period it seems that no one is really interested in the comics of the other companies –Gerald Swan and Swan Comics, Secret Service Comics, Soloway, Cartoon Art Productions and others.

This period saw the creation of Britains first occult detective, Dene Vernon (soon to feature in a new book of his own) not to mention Robert Lovett in Back From The Dead. Some may have heard of the British super-man Ace Hart (even if his continuity is a bit odd), but there was Wonder Man, Bring ‘Em Back Hank (a sort of time-travelling Tomb Raider); TNT Tom, given super powers by aliens he rescued. Tiger Man, who got cat-like powers after fighting a tiger… in Africa (and getting cat-like powers -the science is a bit vague-ish..you are NOT questioning the science?!). The axe-wielding Iron Warrior – one of the bloodiest strips in British comics up until Action.

There are also Cat Girl, Phantom Maid, Skybolt Kid, Speed Gale, The Phantom Raider, Streamline, Super Stooge and many others including some humour strips.

The strips were printed in orange, red, purple, blue and even green and you try adjusting scans so that the blue text is half as clear as the orange coloured art) and considering the throw-away attitude the quality was not perfect.

In some cases it has taken a month of work to remove sellotape repairs, foxing and just plain decayed pages.
Quality ranges from high to medium – but then, if you are interested in this period or a comic historian these collections are about the only place you’ll find the strips and cover prices are low (ignoring all the work put into the books).

They are a labour of love and definitely not big money-makers!

Dennis Ray of the 3-Ds comic store in Houston deserves a big thanks because, while I’ve received no help from people in the UK in tracking down books or scans, Dennis has provided me with many!

Of course, The Iron Warrior, Krakos the Egyptian as well as The Bat have all returned in new stories and these seem to be getting a lot of attention in Europe –I’m really amazed and choked-up with the comments.
If you want to see British super heroes and crime-fighters as they appeared in the 1940s up to 1950 then these books are for you.

Check out the Black Tower range at 

http://stores.lulu.com

ROK Comics and Interviews

ROK Comics and Interviews

From John Freeman, head honcho of Rok Comics and Down The Tubes big-wig (I do apologise if he thinks I’m saying he wears a wig. Hey –I wear a chest wig):

“Our just-posted short interview with comics artist Rodrigo Diaz Ricci, one of three comic creators who we’ve worked with to create iPhone Comic Apps – Ligeia the Vampire: Treasure of the Vampire, by Rodrigo; Madd Science, by Steve English; and Mobile Gospel by Rich Diesslin.

Rodrigo’s interview is online here at:
http://rokcomics.blogspot.com/2011/01/rok-comic-creator-interview-rodrigo.html

Steve English:
http://rokcomics.blogspot.com/2011/02/rok-comics-creator-interview-steve.html

Rich Diesslin:
http://rokcomics.blogspot.com/2011/01/rok-comics-creator-interview-rich.html

Please note that all images featured are © the individual creators or ROK Comics.

We’ve published three creator-dedicated comic Apps so far, which are live on the iTunes store. An update of each is currently with Apple for approval, so if you’d like a review code, please let me know and I’ll send you one once these have been approved.

Thanks
John Freeman
Editor, ROK Comics
ROK Global, Cameron House, White Cross, Quarry Road, Lancaster LA1 4XT
Office (Mon, Tues, Thu Only): 01524 841105

Web: http://www.rokcomics.co

Ligeia -A ROK Comics Interview With Rodrigo Diaz Ricci

Ligeia -An Interview With Rodrigo Diaz Ricci

My thanks to John Freeman and Rok Comics.





An Interview by Rok Comics with Rodrigo Diaz Ricci.


Ligiea the Vampire creator Rodrigo Diaz Ricci was born in Valparaiso, Chile. A graphic designer who worked in cartoons in Chile, he moved to Europe and saw his work published by several Publishing House in Italy and Greece. He now works freelance for digital publishing houses in the United States and Europe.

His first Ligeia the Vampire story is now available as a ROK Comics app.


ROK Comics: Where and when did you get your first comics break?

Rodrigo Diaz Ricci: Well, my first really comic break was Ligeia for ROK Comics when I first published it for mobile, three years ago now. This character has opened several doors in my life.





ROK Comics: Where else has your work appeared?

Rodrigo: Different places: I did some cover illustrations for the supplement Nine on the Elefterothypia newspaper in Greece, and a collaboration for Mondo Ignoto, a publishing house owned by Dario Argento in Rome. Reborn is a science fiction graphic novel that’s been published on iPhone by Arrow Publications in the United States and other different Digital Publishing Houses.


ROK Comics: What’s your greatest achievement in the comics field?

Rodrigo: Ligeia the Vampire, absolutely.

ROK Comics: How did you discover Rok Comics?


Rodrigo: Three years ago, I started publishing Reborn as a webcomics via Drunk Duck. I have a very good reception and a writer, David A J Berner [publisher of Broken Voice Comics] wrote a positive comment about it. I visited his web site and found the ROK Comics link and searched in my files for an idea that might work on mobile. I found my old comic strip Ligeia,  buried in the hard disk in the section “Possible Projects” –  and the rest is story.





ROK Comics: How do you feel about Digital comics over Print based comics?


Rodrigo: Digital Comics is a new experience for me, which has helped me bring my characters to a different public. It’s a great opportunity for a new author, who can’t easily break into the traditional media.
I would like to see Ligeia on paper at some point, I like the comics in paper — but I think that digital and print can live together and complement each other.


ROK Comics: Do you think digital comics are reaching a new audience or expanding the existing one for print?




Rodrigo: I think the formula is to publish digitally and afterwards, if the idea is good, put out a print edition. I think there are a lot of people who are happy to read a comic on a screen, but, equally, they’d like a print copy of it too. I think this model of business is a great oportunity for the industry.

ROK Comics: Apart from your digital comics, what other projects you working on at the moment?
Rodrigo: It’s a sign of the times but the only I comics I am working on are digital projects – I’m working on a European erotic comic and my own Ligeia stories.

I have a project for paper, a story featuring the Danube Bears, a mercenary group who feature in Ligeia: Treasure of the Vampire. It’s a straight action adventure story [in the style of Brtish comics like Battle or Commando], set on the Eastern Front during World War Two, which I hope to publish in the future.
ROK Comics: What’s your favourite comics related website?

Rodrigo: I have somany reference websites.In English I read Down the Tubes and sometimes Newsarama, but I read websites from Italy, Spain,Argentina and Chile. At the moment, I’m enjoying a lot of comic podcasts, too.



A sample page of Judge Dredd by Rodrigo, to experiment with new techniques


ROK Comics: What comics are you reading at the moment (both web and print based)?

Rodrigo: Well, now that I work in comics, I don’t have time to read them! But I do study different comics fron the web and my old paper collection.The last that I read was The Scorpion. I’m a huge fan of French bande dessines, and different European comics like Dylan Dog, Corto Maltese and others.

From the web, think  The Abominable Charles Christopher is very interesting. I have to say that I miss Zuda Comics and ROK’s original site, which featured a number of new artists.

At the moment I read so many books (more than comics), such as The Road by Cormac McCarthy and The Last Legion by Valerio Massimo Manfredi.

ROK Comics: Whose work do you most admire in the comics field and why?

Rodrigo: That’s a very difficult question. I admire so many from different periods. Warren publications like Eerie and Creepy, for example. Artists like Will Eisner, Milo Manara, Jodorowsky, Hugo Pratt, Alberto Breccia, Frank Miller, Pat Miles, Dave McKean and many more…

I think I admire all this people because all them were – or are – looking to find new sttyles for comic art. At the moment I think that the new way is the digital, which is offering plenty of opportunities to push the form in terms of storytelling, and surprise the reader.

ROK Comics: What advice would you offer to new cartoonists?

Rodrigo: That’s a very difficult question because I still need to learn so many things about this wonderful art yet myself.  But the best advice I think is: to be a cartoonist you need to think like a Samurai and concentrate 100 per cent on achieving this. If you can’t work very hard, 14 hours a day, seven days a week, you’re not made for this job, because this is more than a Job: It’s your Life. And like a cartoonist, a life full of sacrifices!

• Buy Ligeia: Treasure of the Vampires from iTunes

• Check out more of Rodrigo’s work at: www.ligeia-the-vampire.com

ROK Comics Can be found at:
http://www.rokcomics.com/

Fables 14:Witches -A Treat For All

Written by BILL WILLINGHAM; Art by MARK BUCKINGHAM, STEVE LEIALOHA, JIM FERN, CRAIG HAMILTON and DAVID LAPHAM; Cover by JOAO RUAS


Titan Books-Vertigo
192pg.
Color
Softcover
ISBN: 978-0-85768-040-2
£14.99


While the meek flying monkey Bufkin is trapped in Fabletown’s collapsed business office with the evil witch Baba Yaga, Frau Totenkinder and the witches of the Woodland’s thirteenth floor prepare to deal with Mister Dark in what’s left of Fabletown. Collecting FABLES #86-93!

I have seen the occasional cover of Fables issues and they look great –as does the cover to this collected book.  Thing is I kept seeing the issue number and I hate jumping into a book at issue number 55 or 60!
I liked the way the borders have been designed. Nifty.
Am I going to take a poke at Willingham’s writing?  Nope. The stories are well paced, the dialogue good and the characterisation spot on.  Now, if I remember correctly, then Willingham is also a great artist –I was writing Two Hot Girls for Eros Comix and got a gratis copy of Iron Wood no.1 sent to me. Hey –we wuz starvin’ and young! Loved the art style.

In this collection you have the work of Mark Buckingham and I’ve always liked his work. In fact, this is an excellent collection of stories and art –some of it quirky but absolutely none of it with any faults.  Perhaps I should have started buying those issues?

There is a whole “Willingham universe” here but how it inter-connects with previous books I don’t know.  It doesn’t matter, though. I really like the “Baleful Strider”!

This book goes to show that Titan are producing a rather eclectic mix of books and I need to check out what British comic collections they have out.

Very enjoyable and worth the cover price.

Nemesis -Puerile?

CIVIL WAR? Nothing. KICK-ASS? A warmup. What if the smartest, toughest costumed bad ass in the world was totally evil? Meet Nemesis. He’s systematically been destroying the lives of every police chief in Asia, and he’s now set his sights on Washington, DC. Between you and me, the police don’t have a chance. Do not miss the book that EVERYONE will be talking about!

• ISBN: 9780857681072
• Dimensions: 258 x 170 mm
• Hardback: 112pp
• Publication date: 9 February 2011
• Illustration detail: Colour comic strip
• All authors: Mark Millar & Steve McNiven
• £14.99

Hmm. Well, there are those who quite literally think of Millar as a god.  They’ll buy whatever he writes. I liked the original Ultimates that he wrote and a few other early projects and I even purchased issues 1 and 2 of Kick-Ass and then said “no more”.

Really, what does it say when the jacket flap contains the dictionary definition of the word “nemesis”?  Is this being written for dummies who say out loud; “Duh, ‘eck, whut durr that thurr word mean?”  It’s been used by others and it just looks plain insulting to readers:  “Hey, dummies: “Ne-me-sis” is a real word.  This is what it means…”
Millar is amongst the new generation of British creators who work in comics who seem to be proud of introducing obscenities such as “The C word” as someone once described it to me.  It’s puerile.  Please do not scream out “It’s realistic writing you ***** *****!” Because it is not.  It is over the top, ridiculous violence featuring men in costume.

If a writer has to resort to expletives because that is what their audience expects because they see it in the cinema then they’ve lost track.  It’s not entertaining.  Great artwork but I think it is summed up in the first few pages.  A character is tied up on a rail track.  he starts blurting out his obscenities and then huge blood spatter.  Nemesis hanger-on:

“Hilarious! I love it when their last words get interrupted.”

Millar readers would not watch “snuff movies” because they don’t “ring true” -where’s the screaming obscenities? The huge explosion of blood? “Just not realistic, man.”

It leaves me cold.  The thing is that Millar CAN be a good writer but it’s almost as though no one wants to editorially put the brakes on him.  Alan Moore, who can write great stories without resulting to obscenities, once said he’d wished some editor had said: “No, Alan. I don’t think so. We’ll leave that out.”

Its just so derivative.

It just leaves me cold. If only Titan had sent another book!  I just don’t buy into this Millar cult following and I hope that at some point he decides to re-think what he is writing.  That written, when it’s making him a lot of money why would I think he gives a damn what I write.

Its a quality printed book and I’m sure Miller fans will love it.  McNiven draws what is written and though the art is good the over the top Manga/anime blood explosions just look ridiculous -don’t start with the “What do you know?” rot.

Please, Titan, send me something other than Millar (Though I doubt they’ll send anything else now!).

XIII:Full Red

Authors: Vance & Van Hamme
Age: 15 years and up
Size: 18.4 x 25.7 cm
Number of pages: 48 colour pages
PAPERBACK
Publication: January 2011
ISBN: 9781849180658
£5.99



XIII, Jones and Betty Barnowsky escaped the deadly trap set by Colonel McCall. Lost in a hostile jungle, they must now make their way back to America. And they must be quick: In Washington, every ally the fugitives ever had has been arrested in preparation for the conspirators’ master stroke, coinciding with a general exercise of all American armed forces: Operation Full Red. Suddenly, XIII’s quest becomes a last-ditch fight for the freedom of an entire nation.

Assassinations and a B-I-G conspiracy and even XIIIs boss, General Carrington falls hook, line and sinker into the trap set for him.  Yikes!  JONES GETS SHOT!! Seriously, no puerile bad language or OTT  blood explosions.  The story keeps you guessing and you seriously do not know what van Hamme is going to pull out of the box next.

And as for William Vance’s art?  It cannot be faulted. There is superb use of colour to set a scene and, of course, some beautiful but very tough females. 

Just the type of “upper” you need on a dull, rainy morning.

If you have not found out yet just why XIII is such an international hit don’t jump in here! Get the first volume and prepare to spend some hard cash for the other books!

Sweet Tooth In Captivity

An all-new series from Jeff Lemire, the award-winning creator of The Essex County Trilogy and THE NOBODY.

Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Titan Books Ltd (25 Mar 2011)
Language English
ISBN-13: 978-0857680440
£9.99

An all-new series from Jeff Lemire, the award-winning creator of The Essex County Trilogy and THE NOBODY. A cross between Bambi and Cormac McCarthy s The Road, SWEET TOOTH tells the story of Gus, one of a rare new breed of human/animal hybrid children, having been raised in isolation following an inexplicable pandemic that struck a decade earlier. Now, with the death of his father, he s left to fend for himself… until he meets a hulking drifter named Jepperd, who promises to help him. In this second volume, Lemire explores the heartbreaking story of Jeppard and how he went from devoted husband to ruthless mercenary. Meanwhile, Gus is captive with other hybrid creatures in a camp where he meets a scientist studying the plague that s wiped out so much of the world.

Now, after what I wrote yesterday about Nemesis I was not expecting anything else from Titan.  So, big thump on the door-mat this morning and…more books!

This is the first Jeff Lemire book I’ve seen so I can honestly say I’ve not read any hype.  Sweet Tooth is an on-going series from Vertigo so many of you might be familiar with it. My first thought on opening the book was that I did not like the artwork. If I ever get that reaction I always put the book down for an hour and then go back to it. I found that, okay, not slick, but the artwork does work with the story.  When someone writes and draws their own book they have the image in their mind of just how it should look.   As noted, the art does match the story well.

The problems usually arise when others are working on the book.  However, Jose Villarrubia does an excellent job in setting the tone with his colour work which has a really “earthy” feel to it –it matches the art and story mood perfectly.  Pat Brosseau’s lettering is clear and, unlike in some comics, does not look glaringly out of place. In other words it all fits in place.

The story itself is well written and enjoyable –if you can call the subject matter “enjoyable”!  This is the second book so check out Titan’s site or your local comic shop for a copy –it’s worth it.

And in case you want to know more there is an interview with Jeff Lemire here:

http://titanbooks.com/blog/interview-jeff-lemire/

And on Jeff’s blog you can catch up on the latest news, see art and much more regarding the Sweet Tooth on-going series:

http://jefflemire.blogspot.com/

Ready To Get Wasted 7?

Introducing Earth’s new comic for Today’s Youth Gone Wild!

WARNING: If you are under 18, you don’t actually have to report yourself to authority, but you should know you’re just too damned young to read Wasted and that, well, we’re sure the little internet people will know exactly what you’re up to! Oh well, maybe next year…

However, if you are over 18 then sit back, relax and enjoy our twisted tales, crazy yarns, outrageous boasts and superbly strong, yet maliciously whimsical sexy babes!





Simon Bisley – Frank Quitely – Jon Haward – Alan Grant: you’ve seen them handle Batman, Superman and Judge Dredd. Now see how they handle humour! WASTED is a new, full-colour, 64-page anthology quarterly from Bad Press Ltd. With strips like “War On Drugs”, “Lust In Space” and “Waccy Baccy Races” – plus at least 20 others – comics guru Brendan McCarthy says: “Wasted is the best new comic since Deadline!” And Brendan has never been known to be wrong! OVER 18s ONLY!

I just love that cover and the interior strip that goes with it is pure lush! The sort of work you might expect from a mainstream company.  My mum was German. She had a Vampire Vixen style outfit.  I don’t really want to go there.

All the usual suspects are in here including Jon Haward with his Tales Of The Buddha, which is excellent as ever.
One thing I was a bit surprised at was Smuggling Vacation by Jason Wilson. It’s in grey tone here but originally it was published, and is still available, in full colour -both albums all the details (minus images that WordPress seem to have deleted):

http://www.comicbitsonline.com/2010/09/15/7800/

How can you go wrong -and it is only £3.25?!

Hopefully the Bad Press boys will be at the Bristol Expo this year but the mag goes from strength-to-strength.
See blog roll for Bad Press web site to order or see more!