Across The Pond

Archive

Hello and welcome to the first edition of Across The Pond (TM John Babos), the latest edition to The Nexus’ British comic coverage. Each week you’ll get a whole column devoted to the best comics in the whole world, with thankfully only one of them written by me Will Cooling, The Nexus regular British comic reviewer and interviewer. Every four weeks I’ll bring you the latest in British comic news complete with exclusive art previews to showcase some of the greatest artists working in comics today. Well that’s the plan anyway (crosses fingers).

Now every two weeks we’ll have a column devoted to some aspect of 2000AD written by none other than the crown prince of 2000AD/Judge Dredd Megazine Letters’ Page Floyd Kermode with his first column next week centring on how he became a loyal 2000AD fan. Floyd, ever willing to despatch a missive wrote this to introduce himself to The Nexus:

Hi there, my name is Floyd Kermode. I live in Japan, I come from Australia. Mentally I’m still a Melbourner. I teach English as a second language (ESL) here and live just outside of Tokyo. I became a regular 2000 AD subscriber because it was the only way to get it in Tokyo. One day in an idle moment, I emailed a letter to the alien
Editor of 2000 AD and it was printed. This sparked off my habit of sending letters to 2000 AD every week and to the Judge Dredd Megazine every month. I think I’m their most printed letter writer. I am otherwise normal. My epistophilia led to my being asked to join on the website, which in turn led to me being asked to write for The Nexus by Will Cooling. So here I am.

Rounding off our Across The Pond team is the incomparable W.R Logan, editor of acclaimed 2000AD fanzine Class of ’79 and possessor of a fearsome knowledge of 2000AD history. In three week’s time he’ll be answering all your questions on 2000AD characters, stories and history so get posting those questions either on the official Across The Pond Replies Thread at, 2000adonline’s message board or email them to me and I’ll pass them on.

Incidentally we’re looking for someone with expert knowledge of non-2000AD British comics i.e. War comics, Beano, Dandy, Warrior and Marvel UK to co-write the Q&A with Logan. If you’re such a person email me at W_Cooling@yahoo.co.uk and we’ll take it from there.

Okay that’s enough hellos let’s get on with the show


Brit-Comics On The Net For Dummies

Every month I’ll be guiding you to some of the best websites that cover British comics. Due to the fact that I haven’t quite had enough time to research this section properly I’m just going to pimp my regularly haunts.

First up is this joint, which contains reviews of all the latest 2000AD wares including Pat Mills’ new A.B.C. Warriors novel. There are also interviews with some of the most legendary writers in 2000AD history including a recent one with Pat Mills (keep an out for my one with him very soon) and fan-fiction including some by former 411mania/comics writer Metal_Jesus.

You also should check out 2000ADâ??s excellent official website that not only contains the nicest message board in comics (and is shockingly unmoderated) but links to a whole host of creator interviews and some rather nifty art previews including a jaw droppingly gorgeous look at the new Strontium Dog story Traitor To His Kind.

On the subject of message boards check out Millarworld and Andy Diggle’s site both of which are full of heated debated and breaking news. Whilst millarworld is the bigger of the two with the likes of Warren Ellis and Ed Brubacker being regular posters ADF offers more British comic coverage and a look at some of the great young hopes of British comics including regularly art previews from the ever excellent Jock (who will soon be Caught in the Nexus with myself).

Finally check out ninthart.com, which offers some of the most informed and reasoned comics’ commentary on the Internet with excellent coverage of British, European, American and Japanese comics. This is to my mind the number two website for general comics commentary (after us naturally).


LITG Writer Rich Johnston predicts doom for 2000AD

Rich Johnston wrote on Monday that:

British newstand comics are about to get a next knife in the kidneys. Moves in the UK by the Office Of Fair Trading to break up monopolies in the magazine distribution business have been known for a short while, and after Dez Skinn talked about them at the Bristol Comics Festival, the comics industry woke up a little.

The Periodical Publishers Association has this week sent a report to the Office Of Fair Trading, showing how this could cripple the ability of publishers to launch new titles and keep other titles functioning, if economies of scale were stripped away. Currently, magazines and newspapers are distributed on a regional basis through exclusive contracts with major names including WH Smith and John Menzies.

Smaller wholesalers have complained of an effective anti-competitive environment. And the Department of Trade and Industry plans to abolish the law that allows distributors to enjoy exclusive rights over certain territories from next May.

However this is likely to increase supply costs, reducing the amount of retailers by tens of thousands, and squeezing the profit margins on publications already feeling the pinch, losing a thousand titles, a third of the entire consumer magazine market, following the US pattern.

It’s is very conceivable in these circumstances, the British market may just effectively lose 2000AD, entirely.â??

Sounds pretty scary doesn’t it? Well over at 2000AD Online many boarders who seemed to have a pretty good grasp on the issue including writer Gordon Rennie were dismissive of the story. Iâ??ve unfortunately not yet been able to ascertain whether Johnston has overreacted or not so I’ll leave this story without comment until next month.

Although my sources indicate that upon reading this story Tharg pointed to a picture of Rich Johnston then to Mek-Quake and starting laughing manically!


SOLAR WIND NEEDS YOU!

Acclaimed British small press comic Solar Wind is current looking for artists for its fourth issue. Its creator Paul von Scott said the following…

With more scripts coming in than ever before, we need an equal (if not greater) rise in the number of artists.

Anyone interested in drawing 1-3 page strips (on average) for Solar Wind, an affectionate take on 70’s/80’s boys’ sf/adventure comics, should e-mail me.

A National Comic Award, SF Fanzine of the month, CI review (9 out of 10), and numerous warm mentions across the cosmos attest to it’s popularity.

All the best

Paul
(Servant of Cosmic Ray)

We’ll be carrying lots more information on Solar Wind next month, until then check out The Solar Wind site for more details.


Fans Save Striker!

One of the features of the pre-crash British comics market was the football comic with titles such as Roy of the Rovers being fondly remembered. Striker was recently launched to recapture the glory days of these titles, with Peter Nash taking his newspaper strip and putting together a weekly football comic. No idea whether itâ??s any good as Iâ??ve never read it, the idea of a non-satirical football comic doesnâ??t appeal to me. That said itâ??s welcome to see a newsstand comic title that aims for the general public.

Sadly the comic has been struggling, probably not helped by the launch of weekly lads magazines such as Zoo and Nuts aiming for much the same target group but offering tits and footie instead of CG comic action. Naturally the result has been cash shortfalls and debts yet Nash has refused to take the normal route and raise its price from 1 pound (Iâ??ve lost the pound sign on my keyboard) and instead made an appeal to its readers to buy shares. This has proving amazingly successful with 202, 375 pounds (grrrr) raised, money that in addition to the 130,000 raised from creditors has helped the publisher secure 11% more than their target amount to secure the titleâ??s future. Something that is of course great news as this is one of the few British newsstand titles left outside 2000AD Group, Licence Comics and American Reprints.

Credit: Comics International 175 (which you should buy)


Judge Dredd Megazine 225 Line-Up Revealed

With Helltrekkers, Black Siddha and Cursed Earth Koburn ending in this week’s issue (which will Iâ??ll of course be reviewing this week) Judge Dredd Megazine 225 will be a mini-jumping on point with five new stories; a fact made all the more exciting by the news that the amount of reprint has been cut with eight extra pages of new comic strip in each issue of the Meg from now on.

As for the new stories, well it’s a startling restatement of the Meg’s back to basics love affair with the Dredd-Universe with three Judge Dredd stories including Si Spurrier’s debut on the character with Judge Fear’s Big Day Out, which hopefully will be a showcase for Si’s comedic talents. One of the others is by Gordon Rennie and Simon Coleby (Trevor Hairsine’s inker for Ultimate Nightmare), which may see a return for their Eddie Guerruro-esque creation Bato Loco with Johns Smith and Burns providing the third Dredd story. However, the really exciting stories are the two non-Dredd stories. Firstly there is Young Middenface: Killoden a story, which makes the welcome return to John Ridgway to not only Young Middenface but also monochrome. Iâ??m very excited by this story especially as Alan Grant told me a couple months ago it was already his favourite strip with the character. He went onto say:

Middenface started life as a rumbustious romp, which can become wearing. I wanted to inject some emotional depth into the story, but keep as much of the humour as I could. There’s one more story in the works–the 48-page KILLODEN, the mutant version of the 45 Rebellion and the massacre it turned into. All of the previous 2- and 3-parters come to fruition here. After around 20 years of writing Middenface, I think this is the story I’m happiest with. I get to kill lots of people in amusing ways, but it’s still loaded with enough emotion to satisfy me.

This sounds like it’s going to be some story! Finally Judge Dredd Megazine 225 will see the return of Shimura in er “The Return Of Shimura” after a near decade long absence. I must admit that sadly Iâ??ve never read any Shimura (sob, sob) and so I’m eagerly awaiting the forthcoming trade. However I’m a major of fan of Robbie Morrison who on series such as Nikolai Dante and Shakara and so this should be great! Add to that the surprise news that the excellent Andy Clarke will be on art duties for this return and you have me drooling and so making a mess of my keyboard.

In all seriousness with the increase in original content, the addition of some exciting text features (including an interview with John Burns) and continuing strips from Anderson PSI and Simping Detective you have what promises to be a must buy issue!

Credit: Judge Dredd Megazine 224 (which you should you buy)


Moniaive Comics Festival 4th/5th September

For the past four years Alan and Sue Grant have alongside the Moniaive Action Project (a local regeneration organisation) organised the Moniaive Comics Festival, Scotlandâ??s premiere (only?) comics con (happy now Iain?) that aims to raise money for an area whose tourism had been hurt by the 2001 foot and mouth crisis/scandal. This year its taken place from the 1st September to the 5th September with an exhibition of British humour comics Dandy and Beano from 11.00-4.30 each day and then over the weekend a â??regularâ?? comics con full of writers, arts and editors such as John Wagner, Frank Quitely and Barry Kitson. A couple of months ago Alan told me the following about Moniaiveâ?¦

â??Organising the 4th Moniaive Comivs Festival with wife Sue. It’s become so popular–about 500 paying adults at a quid a time, with maybe 600 free kids–we’re starting to have accommodation problems in the village. This year for instance we have Cam Kennedy, John Wagner, Jon Haward, Robin Smith and family, Jim (Astounding GanjaMan) Stewart, Vincent Deighan, and Jamie Grant all staying in our house. Grud alone knows where we’ll put Dave Gibbons, Carl Critchlow, the guys from the Beano and Dandy and at least a dozen other pros who’ve said they’ll come along. Problem is, every guest we’ve had has enjoyed themselves so much, they’ve come along the next year (at their own expense). The atmosphere is like no other comic festival, and I recommend it to all (despite accommodation!).â??

It sounds greatâ?¦so jealous I canâ??t go (sob).

For more information check this out.

Credit: 2000adonline for additional information


Asylum 2 Preview

Boo Cook has been kind enough to offer us the following preview of Asylum 2, coming to 2000AD from Prog 1406 onwardsâ?¦

I’m just rounding up the art chores on something rather tasty for 2000ad – asylum 2. Written by rising uber god Rob Williams, this is an attempt to re-introduce some of the political irreverence and cerebral war horror of the 2000ad of the 70’s but thru a 21st century lens. The first run of asylum whilst a good larf, was a little clumsy in its delivery – I know that rob has taken a much more realistic and character driven approach, and I for one have introduced an entirely new way of working to add extra clout to the horror, and the whole project in a sense, is like a movie sequel taken on by a new director – and so far we’re rather proud of our hideous new baby…

The action kicks off a mere few days after the events of asylum 1, and quickly gets into the heart rending grey-area of politics known as terrorism, where clearly defined ‘sides’ in the conflict blur uneasily round the edges of good and evil. Much wickedly thought out alien mayhem ensues as the story heads towards its epic climax, but I wouldn’t want to ruin the end…

I’d have to say that this is by far the best script I’ve had thrown at me to date, which is a testament to the rapidly developing writing talent that is Rob Williams – watch him soar!!!

Anyway, if anyone’s interested, Asylum 2 should be surfacing in the pages of 2000AD in the next couple of months – in the meantime, here’s some of the artwork…â??

I’ve been a fan of Boo’s since his early Future Shocks for 2000AD but man oh man does this stuff blow it away. He seems to have answered the major criticism of his work that it lacked realism whilst retaining the OTT cartoon look that proved so attractive in his previous work. With the Boo admitting the flaws that held back the first story from achieving its full potential this could be one of the surprise hit of the year.

(Btw, keep a look out for my forthcoming exclusive interview with Boo Cook)


Brodie’s Law Preview

Okay we move onto Brodie’s Law as published by Pulp Theatre Entertainment. This seems to be a big project being distributed through Diamond and legendary creator Alan Grant providing dialogue whilst controversial former 2000AD artist David Bircham providing amazingly good art, as you can see from this following sneak peak taken from The Brodieâ??s Law official site.

The creator of Brodie’s Law and editor of Pulp Theatre Entertainment Daley Osiyemi (who with David Bircham plots the story) provided me with the following story synopsis:

BRODIE’S LAW: PROJECT JAMESON #1

Written by: Alan Grant
Story by: Daley Osiyemi & David Bircham
Pencils & Inks by: David Bircham
Colored by: James Yuen

The all new first issue from this amphetamine-paced thriller.
Jack Brodie, an Eastend thief, gets a call for a big score. Rather than being a meal-ticket to a blissful retirement, it turns out to be a ticket to Hell. His life and his sanity are being ripped from his grasp.

In stores next week on August 25, 2004!

FC, 24pg, $2.95, monthly

What would the law mean if everyday had a different face?

Jack Brodie, expert thief and professional killer, was on a routine assignment, He was paid well to break into a high tech lab and steal a disc that contained a top-secret experiment. His contractor is the CEO and shareholder of the company, Eugene Della Cruz. A second shareholder gets wind of the job; everything goes horribly wrong. Brodie is set up. He escapes – barely alive.

It makes front-page news everywhere. Brodie suddenly becomes the most wanted man in Britain. He goes underground, seeking refuge away from a world. Even worse, for the first time he fails to see a way out.

Things come apart fast…his son is kidnapped and he is framed for his ex-wife’s murder. He begins to lose his sense of self-belief. Everything Jack ever valued is gone. Forced to live like an animal, his hideout becomes his new home, only stepping out of the shadows under the cover of darkness.

Jack has to fight back, and he’s ready to do whatever it takes to find his son, clear his name and seek his revenge…

With the help of Tomokai Yoshida, a genetic scientist, Jack, from the bleakest point of his life – being the countries public enemy – finds a way to turn the tables. The disc he stole is a blue print for process called Psycho Metamorphosis or PM13, a compound that stimulates a human’s latent ability to morph from one human likeness to another, male or female. Jack realizes the power that comes with anonymity: without a fixed identity, the law cannot track him.

The compound was only a prototype and so is inherently unstable. Jack never knows how long it will work and with each metamorphosis the process takes its toll.
His victims once touched are left in a coma, helpless until their identity is returned. In essence Jack becomes a soul reaper. The process of transformation is far from clean and Jack partially retains the soul of each person he touches. Each journey into the body of another takes Jack further into the darker recesses of the human mind. Jack is no longer alone; with each passing day, the voices within grow louder.

I must say I’m very excited by this (six issue) miniseries and I’m kicking myself for not getting it ordered in time to get issue one (although I’m currently exploring er other means to obtain a review copy). The concept sounds interesting to say the least but the art of Bircham is just gorgeous and shows why so many established British writers have jump to his defence after a poor reaction to his run on Slaine.

For more information:
The Brodieâ??s Law site

pulptheatre.com

(Btw, look out for an exclusive interview by myself with Daley Osiyemi and David Bircham in the near future)


The Simping Detective: Innocence: A Broad Preview

The Simping Detective has recently concluded his first case in the pages of Judge Dredd Megazine to loud acclaim with its fresh and imaginative take on the PI clich�©s. Now to the joy of Megazine fans a second story is following hot of the heels and Frazer Irving has given us a sneak peak at some of the artwork for the opening as will be seen in Judge Dredd Megazine 224.

The first Simping Detective story was a joy to read with Fraze delivering some of the best art of his career and from the looks of it this second story will be no different.


Engine Comics

Barry Rensham, editor of Engine Comics was kind enough to send me the following information on their recent titles.

Today had the good fortune to read Red Eye 2 and let me tell you this is a must-read for any serious comics fan-British or otherwise! Itâ??s full of previews, indepth articles and interviews and reviews and will open your eyes to a thriving small press scene and Britainâ??s rich comic book history. The features that Issue 3 continues from 2 i.e. the history of Dan Dare and the 2000AD artists feature were top quality in issue 2 and Iâ??m sure they will be in this issue.

You can and must pre-order your copy here and keep a look out for a more in depth review of Red Eye 2

Today also saw me receive a copy of a very tasty looking anthology of pirate action called “Pirates”. I sadly haven’t had a chance to read it yet but the art is amazingly varied with the stories tackling the pirate theme from many a varied direction. Can’t wait to read this, look for a review very soon!

Seer has been praised as a “thoughtful, atmospheric thriller, hits all the right buttons, you are left, in the end, entertained, provoked and thoroughly chilled. Recommended, but not for readers who like their stories high on the happy side”. The artwork promises a very atmospheric and chilling story.

Rounding off our Engine Comics preview is a page of Deviants Zero by Barry Renshaw himself as featured in the very popular Fusion 3 anthology. Looks good doesn’t it?

Check out my column in four week’s time for a more detailed look at Engine comics and the wider Accent UK Press alliance (guess who’s running against the deadline?). In the mean time check out their official site and the Accent UK Press site for more information!


Judge Dredd: Total War

Our final preview for this month edition is off perhaps the most anticipated 2000AD story of the year, the sequel to the instant classic Judge Dredd: Terror, which as was revealed in my exclusive interview with Matt Smith is going to be drawn by Henry Flint. Matt Smith gave us the following preview:

â??Justice Department receives a message from terrorist group Total War that could threaten the stability of the entire city…

September 22nd can’t come soon enough can it?

Nearing my deadline so I’ve just got time to thank all the creators who have offered me previews and review copies for their comics. These next few months are going to be great for British comics coverage on The Nexus with interviews galore with (takes deep breathe) Dan Abnett, John Wagner, Alan Barnes, Carlos Ezquerra, Boo Cook, Mick McMahon, Si Frasier, Dom Reardon, Jock, Jamie Boardman and Ian Edginton all going to be Caught in the Nexus with me very soon, with hopefully more to follow! We will also have reviews of both Devilchild volumes, Future Quake 1 & 2, Pirates, Red Eye 2, the Titan Dan Dare reprints and more! And of course come here next week for Floyd Kermode’s debut column believe me its good, damn good!

See you in 28!

A Comics Nexus original, Will Cooling has written about comics since 2004 despite the best efforts of the industry to kill his love of the medium. He now spends much of his time over at Inside Fights where he gets to see muscle-bound men beat each up without retcons and summer crossovers.