Cheeky Preview - ‘Shaman Kane issue 4’ from Dave ‘The Machine’ Broughton.

Shaman Kane issue 4.

Created by Dave Broughton.

Copyproofing by Dan Buhlmann.

Full Colour - 24 pages - American Comics size.

The Story so far....

‘Tasked with investigating a series of supernatural murders on his home planet of ‘Gefion’ Kane returns to find that the ghosts of his past have returned to haunt him.

Can Kane overcome... or will history repeat itself?’

The Preview - I’m a lucky reviewer. I always consider myself fortunate when I get to see an early copy of anything. This week was no exception as I got sent a preview copy of Dave Broughton’s sci-fi horror/adventure series Shaman Kane issue 4. The book will be getting a proper launch at the Lawless event on Saturday the 17th of May (here’s the website for this great day convention http://lawlesscomiccon.co.uk/ )

If you haven’t read this series from Dave you are in for a treat. It’s very much in the scary/science fiction mould that you get in comics like 2000 AD and Dave is the hardest working man in the UK small press scene. He consistently puts out books that rattle along at a great pace and are full of twists and turns. I read this without taking my eyes off the screen for even a second. I also mentally made a note at the time of reading about Dave’s use of colour. The widescreen alien vistas are looking really accomplished, Dave steps his game up with each outing, and they give an altogether mysterious vibe (‘Exhibit ‘A’ below Your Honour!’)

The story in issue 4 of Kane is entitled ‘Home World’ and I refuse to spoil what happens but you can look forward to some excellently nasty alien designs and a couple of sequences that reminded me of the sort of flashbacks you get in a Stephen King novel. There is the eerily ever-present air of a Hammer Horror style mystery on this strange world and we as the reader are swept along with Kane and his compatriots. None of the characters ever seem safe and you are kept guessing all the way through.

So head along to Lawless and find Dave at his table. He also always has a great deal on sketches and commissions. If you cant get down to Bristol you can order a physical copy from http://dbroughton.blogspot.com/ or email him direct at dboughton@hotmail.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter @DbroughtonDavid or look at some of his art on Instagram @davebus1966

Many thanks for reading.

Edinburgh Comic Con Report - Part 2.

Part Two and the brutal honesty continues.

(WTF is that!?)

Back to the comics......

If you want a convention to live and breathe its not the endless Funkos or the Z List celebrities or the cosplayers or the furries ...... it’s the Small Press Comics scene. Artists and writers putting out comics (of a varying standard admittedly) off their own back and mostly on their own coin. Guys like Bob Turner (https://castlerockcomic.bigcartel.com/ ) who consistently puts out beautifully weird comics full of perfectly choreographed grid animations and Alan Henderson (  https://pennedguin.bigcartel.com/ ) who puts out collections of three panel gag comics which make possibly the best toilet read you’ll ever find. Both of these creators display an unparalleled love for the medium. I have really warmed to the Scottish scene. Everyone seems in it together and there’s a real sense of grass roots growth that rivals the bigger companies for style, imagination and drive.

(Bex Tough on the left with William Crawford Hazel).

Add to this bunch some people who are new to me as of this particular convention. One of these is William Crawford Hazel who I finally met in person after following him on Twitter recently. His new book ‘Alisa Dark’ out of Terrier Comics follows the titular hero as she defends Glasgow from vampires and werewolves. The first issue came as a full colour and magazine sized start to the series and you can find it here https://williamchazle.wixsite.com/ailsadarklaunchpage

Next to William was Bex Tough (best name ever) with her premier adults only comic ‘Clean’. Also a first in the series this has an outstanding cover and a dark and dirty interior (in all the good ways). Find out more about this new series at the Facebook page here https://m.facebook.com/corvidaecomics/

There were some great Back Issue traders at the event and it was great to see that there were also a lot of UK Comics Weekly issues for sale. I grabbed as much as my bag would hold including some great prices on some Creepy and Eeries. I also picked up some Gypsy volumes and some tatty US back issues!

It was great to see recent pod guest Joey Oliveira (from Afterlight Comics) and I grabbed a copy of ‘Stay Awake’ issue 1 which he wrote with Adrian Manuel Garcia on art and a superb cover by Robert Geronimo. Head over to https://www.afterlightcomics.com/ and grab some of these properly F’ed up comics (which I mean in all the best ways!)

Horror is really having a renaissance in the Small Press and Indie scene at the moment. I also had a great chat with some more occupants of the Merseyside area. It’s always a pleasure to chat to Tom and Katie from Frisson Comics and I picked this new anthology up from them. ‘Pestilence’ is packed full of experimental horror short tales and always worth a look. Head to http://www.frissoncomics.com/ for more of the same.

And here’s that obligatory haul photo - not bad huh?

This has been a great visit and I’ll be looking for more events up this side of the wall.

Many thanks for reading.

Edinburgh Comic Con Report - Part 1.

As I had business up north of the border I arranged my trip to coincide with a cheeky day at the Edinburgh Comic Con 2019. I haven’t been to this one before but knew that a lot of my favourite creators would be there so thought I would give it a punt.

The wet weather didn’t seem to put anyone off and there was an impressive line to get in forming an hour before opening.  

Edinburgh also boasted an impressive overseas guest list with Mike Norton (Gravity, Battlepug, Green Arrow/Black Canary and more), Kevin Nowlan (Batman, Azrael, Tomorrow Stories and more) and Scott Kolins (Flash, Blue Beetle, JLA, Omega Flight and more). They also had some great homegrown talent like Colin McNeil (2000 AD and DC Comics) and Emma Beeby (Doctor Who and Judges Dredd and Anderson). Gordon Rennie was also there looking mostly a little unhappy.

The venue was arranged into two main halls. One side had Comics, Small Press and a wall of TV stars (I didn’t know who anyone was except that bloke from Buffy). This was an absolute joy and I chatted, bin dived, spent and wandered for a good couple of hours.

The other hall had a Wrestling Ring, Tatt, Crap, Shit on a Stick, my morning business and some arcade games - all for sale at a hefty and shameless price. This hall and the connecting hallways were packed at all times with people dressed up strangely and even some in inflatable dinosaur costumes. The stalls seemed all to be pretty bloody busy. However when your job is selling furry tails that people are more than likely to stick right up their collective arses you could do with reassessing your life?

I thought I’d better show good faith and walked into Vomit Hall. As I fought my way round I found myself picking up a wallet with an Avengers ‘A’ sign on it and wondered who I had become. As I looked around I saw a lot of people screeching loudly, running around, they were mostly in badly fitting costumes and there was a smell of Body Odour you could cut with a samurai sword. I put the aforementioned wallet down and wandered back into the Comics Hall and felt a whole lot better. That episode in my life is better forgotten.

Truth be told I bought far too much. But these foreign devils convinced me that the Scottish scene is pretty darn healthy. It strikes me that there isn’t the divide that you see in the London comics scene. Everyone is in it together, action, horror, autobio, capes, politics and more all rub shoulders with each other. Scotland is after all the home of UK comics.

It was a pretty successful Convention from a personal perspective too. I got to meet loads of people for the first time. Those fine gentlemen and recent Awesome Comics Pod guests James McCulloch and Johnny Canon were great company. I also finally got to meet that new voice in Underground Comix Mr Dimitris Zach. (Here’s a photo I made him take holding the Awesome Comics anthology). He gave me an amazing piece of his art (have a look at this post for full details.  http://neverironanything.blogspot.com/2018/12/aint-comics-great.html ) as well as a Greek volume of Dylan Dog! (How freakin’ cool is that!)

I also got to meet Pete Watson and he revealed a few secret plans about the next stretch goal for his ‘The Lang Walk Hame’ that he will be telling everyone about soon (it’s very on brand! And funny.) Head over to his Kickstarter and pledge to this brilliant new project  http://neverironanything.blogspot.com/2019/03/coming-soon-to-kickstarter-lang-walk.html?zx=2db666bfd90fcd22

Turns out that Adam Falp, the creator of some of the most original books I have read recently including ‘Sin’ and ‘The Fragment’, only lives about five miles from me. We travelled between us around 850 miles to find that out but it was good to chat to him nonetheless. He was stationed opposite, what I like to call, ‘Shite and Deluded Fake Celebrity Row’ - an area so quiet it made ICE Brighton look like like Euston Station at 6pm. So never mind all that nonsense and head over to https://goodfornothingcomics.wordpress.com/ and grab some crazy good art.

I also finally got to meet Steven Ingram and bought a copy of the hot off the press MurMur issue 2. A great book of funny, personal and introspective moments. I read it over a coffee break. Find out more about Steven at http://blurredlinescomics.co.uk/ or follow him on Twitter @blcomics 

It’s rare that a popular culture convention is free of ‘Art Prints’ of the currently cool and hot. One table ran the length of one side of the hall and was filled with some rubbish. Surely there can’t be enough people at this event for them to sell out? I groaned so much I popped a rib.

(Part Two - with more bile, peanut butter pant stuffing and comics enthusiasm will follow soon. I am off to the pub.....)

Many thanks for reading. Con Haul and more verbal diarrhoea to follow.....

Now on Kickstarter- ‘Late Knights: A Sense of Steel’ issue 2

LATE KNIGHTS:A SENSE OF STEEL #2.

Written by Jon Laight.

Art by Matt Strott.

Letters by Ken Reynolds.

Published by Level-8 Comics.

Currently on Kickstarter - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2124086510/late-knights-a-sense-of-steel-2-the-all-ages-comic

Somewhere hidden from the public gaze is a super-secret organisation. This is issue two of the ongoing story of the Late family.

‘A family of spies?’ Count me in!

Issue one of this book was an absolute joy to read and in a world of grim, gritty, sexual, navel-gazing indie comics it was exactly what we needed. An all-ages comic full of excitement and adventure. You can see the fun that the creators are having with this story and there are loads of great ideas and Easter Eggs, on every single page. I’ve chatted recently to Jon, Matt and Ken and they are absolutely in love with this family of Super Agents. And so will you!

There are also some amazing designs on show as the family move full-scale into space. They’re still sporting their Templar costumes just with some added space age touches and some cunning gadgets!

Here’s a little bit of what this book is all about from the creators.

‘The super cool Late family are back to battle the evil bad guys in the next instalment of Late Knights: A Sense of Steel.  Issue 1 went down a storm with all generations as they battled the newest bad guy in town, Chamelegran and her ice cold accomplice, Miss Fur Frost.

In issue 1 of Late Knights, we introduced the Late family and their very special secret identities.  By day they are a normal family dealing with normal day to day problems but by night, they are ready to spring into action and save the world from evil!  They came face to face with the awful Miss Fur Frost who tried to split our team up but the Knights team worked together to make sure that didn't happen...

The Late parents, Charles and Cassandra, are descended from the Templar Knights who always defended those who needed protection.  These values have been brought into the 21st century and the whole family are part of a clandestine worldwide network of high tech super agents ready to help when needed.’

As well as this great comic if you choose the right pledge level you’ll get some ace pin-ups from the likes of Susie Gander, Chris Imber, Matt Strott, David Pringle, Grant Richards, Dan Butcher, Matt Vroom and R'john Bernales. And if you get in early you can also snag one of the original art pieces by Matt or Grant Richards! (Both are highly recommended!)

This really is the type of comic that you can read to your kids. Just spot on!

Follow Jon ‘Xenia Onatopp’ Laight and all his (‘Laight Night shenanigans’) on Twitter @level8comics

You can find Matt ‘Pussy Galore’ Strott over at https://mesycomics.com/ or follow his work on Twitter @MesyComics

Find Ken ‘Hugo Drax’ Reynolds over at http://kenreynolds.co.uk/ and follow him (at a distance) on Twitter @ReynoldsKR20

I’ve pledged and so should you guys!

Many thanks for reading.

Some thoughts on dialogue.

I’m beginning to see some trends appear in writing in our comic books. There are a lot of new names on big books and I’m seeing some common failures.

Over written stories have been about for as long as comics have been produced. Just have a look at some of the glorious Bronze Age series. Sometimes they work but they never work where they are not needed. Maybe it’s because we are getting a lot of new Comic scripts from the YA and Adult novel worlds who are used to writing without the back up. Maybe it’s because of a lack of editorial oversight due to negligence and/or workload.

I’m not sure.

The words that we hear about ourselves from others resonate and linger. An accusation or even a throwaway comment return to our minds and we may well consider them for years later. We are often initially struck by the emotion of the comment, maybe anger or friendship or criticism hit us with an obvious effect whether meant or not. Words always have some sort of power under them, even the ones parroted by the ‘Y Generation’. I find myself talking to old friends and using the opener ‘You said something to me that I’ve been thinking about.’ See what I mean?

Ever had any of these at a table at a convention? Overheard them? Thought them? Dreamed them in an anxiety nightmare?

‘Why did you come here?’

‘What makes you think people will buy this?’

‘Did someone tell you this was good?’

Brutal words that we need to see past? Sometimes. Are these words we will remember later. Of course you will. They have a strength.

But then later, maybe a long time later, we return and consider the true meaning of the words and the truth of the intent of the deliverer of that line. Often the revelation is that the line delivered is less about us than it is about them. They needed to say something that eased a frustration or itch or need?

Why did they say that?

What were they feeling that they thought then was the time?

(I digress, but hopefully that shows the complications of language we try and mimic?)

A conversation is a negotiation on many levels and good dialogue in a comic should also reflect that dynamic. We actually speak a lot less than we think. We speak in short bursts. We speak in fractions of sentences and clauses. We speak without clarified meaning outside of what our intonation and body language extrapolates upon. We mirror, we counterpoint, we repeat little personified phrases, we surge and flow with a rhythm that always needs to be part of any imagined or repeated exchange in art.

So how does that translate onto a comic page?

We should be taking the visual mediums of movies, TV and stage plays onto a further step. A comic can also include settings and commentary, inner monologue and thoughts, screams and sobs and other sound effects that are beyond the capability of something performed on a stage. 

Take advantage of the attention of the reader. They cannot look away and continue a ‘listening watch’ as we do with Netflix. With television we can ‘Double Screen’ and still, hopefully, keep up with the narrative and action. You can’t do that with a comic, you have to focus. You get only from a comic what you observe and read - and most importantly what you interpret from the panels and gutters. Use than non-stop attention to your advantage, interplay the story and the words and the art, use the dialogue like a sword or a duvet or a thrust or a bullet to the brain.

Naturalism comes easiest to a comic page if you apply it appropriately.

‘Watch out he’s got a gun.’ - Come on we can do better than that? We can see the gun, we can see the drama.

‘Wanna go see a movie with me?’ - Show don’t tell, it adds reader inclusion and a more sensitive vibe. 

‘He kissed her deeply’ - We know we can see. What else is going on? What else is going on in their heads?

Over all the above you can add an extra level of inner life, of outside and unseen contradictions. The impact of the action can be mirrored in words after they are shown in a panel or series of panels.

Explore the world in and around the art. Use words that shade and scare and love and repulse and flatter.

To paraphrase Dylan ‘Pictures and poetry and life.’

I want to be drawn in and not leave until you kick me out. I was the words you use to echo later in a drive home, or as I go to sleep or as I do my morning business. This can be done in loads of ways but always think about how you combine them with the art.

Stan may have had something with his Marvel Method.

Inspect the panels. 

Many thanks for reading.

‘Laydeez Do Comics’ - A Splendid Day!

Today was all about a trip to the Laydeez Do Comics event in trendy Farringdon, London. (Yes I did indeed consider calling this short Con Report ‘A Visit to the Laydeez!’) I ventured out with the publisher of Fair Spark Books, Aaron Rackley who is currently on the hunt for some fresh creators for his all ages line of comics. What better place!

Don’t be put off if you are of a persuasion other than a ‘laydee’ this is open to everyone! Whilst the Saturday was all about portfolio reviews the Sunday had more of a regular Comic Fair/Networking style feel to it. Although the walls were verging on the twee platitude the energy in the room was pretty darn buoyant. 

I’ll admit that some of the events in the trendy East End of London can be a little cringey and hipster pompous but this one was far from that kind of vibe. Friendly volunteers, a relaxed and spaced out venue and free entry. That’s how you run an event. I even bought a pack of badges.

It was also good to see some old chums and I had a good chat with Rachael Ball who, along with some other experienced comics professionals, had spent the previous day giving advice to prospective comic makers keen to learn the trade. She spoke very highly indeed of the newbies and sounded like they had quite a few people through the door for the one to one review sessions. 

The venue was sectioned into an area for small press and indie publishers to show off and sell their wares with tables from the mighty Good Comics, Self Made Hero, Myriad Publishing, Unbound and Liminal.

There was also rather hilariously a pink bed for those who needed to rest their ‘plates of meat’ after a long day selling, networking and chatting. Here’s a photo of one of the organisers of the day Nicola Streeten at rest (but also failing to prove that she was in fact also getting some work done- you’re fooling no one! ).

One side of the hall was set up as a screening room and adjacent to that was the long table of competition entries that you could sit and read at your leisure. 

It was a really relaxed and inspiring space full of welcoming faces and quite a few laughs. A group that creates both comics and community. Welcoming and friendly. I’ll happily attend and promote anything they attempt.

I even got offered some cake on the way out! (Beat that MCM!)

Don’t fear if you aren’t near London this great organisation is growing. they have branches all around the UK and are branching out further. You can head to their site at http://www.laydeezdocomics.com/ or follow them on Twitter for updates @Laydeezdocomics

Many thanks for reading.

In Preview - ‘Leaf’ by Nicole Bates.

‘Leaf’ 

Created by Nicole Bates.

Published by Fair Spark Books.

Full Colour - A5 - 22 pages.

Available for preorder - Released 1/5/2019.

The Story - ‘Follow the adventure of a leaf and a fox! All the little fox wants is someone to play with, and the leaf is his new friend. However, the wind has other ideas, sweeping the leaf and our fox on a journey. Will he find a friend to play with?’

The Review - It’s the small things that often matter. The little moments that grab us and even out the rushing noise of life’s waves. For just that second a piece of art can make you forget the dramas and worries of the outside world.

‘Leaf’ tells a story of one of those moments and also in this reader’s particular case created another of those tranquil moments for me, sat here on the train home.

I could easily go on about the art, which is gorgeous, or the parallels between the world inside this train carriage and the nature on it’s outside. Or the wordless narrative as it wanders through a watercolour forest.

But I won’t.

As with all great art, all great stories and all great comics I’ll be quiet for a change and let you drink in this beautiful example of our favourite medium by a creator who is turning into quite the one to watch. You need to get the whole story. It’ll improve your day.

Genuinely, listen when I say this...... preorder.

Here’s the link https://fairsparkbooks.co.uk/product/leaf

Many thanks for reading.