September 2008 Archives

Saturday's print edition featured my interview with Paul Cornell over his new Captain Britain comic coming to Birmingham. See the article here.

Paul is taking a break from plotting fictional carnage on our home city to attend the Birmingham International Comics show this weekend.

The space limits on the print article meant that some of the available artwork could be included.

THE BIRMINGHAM International Comics Show (BICS) takes place on the weekend of 4-5th October, and those who have pre-booked their tickets are again invited to attend the show's launch party on the Friday beforehand.

The launch party is a time of enormous fun where comic fans get the opportunity to mingle with the show's many star guests in less formal surroundings. A buffet is being put on courtesy of Infinity & Beyond and live music will performed by individuals involved within the comics industry.

This year sees the welcome return of internationally celebrated cartoonist Hunt Emerson and his band. Hunt (noted for strips within The Beano and books like Casanova's Last Stand) told me people were asking if they had CDs for sale after last year's show, their popularity thus ensuring the reason why they have been requested back.

DC Comics editor Michael Wright will also be putting in another stage appearance, this time as part of a duo for a more intimate set.

A new addition to the launch party's attractions is what could be the one and only appearance of the Giant-Sized Band-Thing. This four piece has been put together at the last minute but promises surprises and fun to ensure they deliver a great party atmosphere.

Giant-Sized Band-Thing features Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead, Green Lantern/Green Arrow) on drums, Paul H Birch (Dead Ahead, Gumby Comics) on bass, Liam Sharp (Gears of War, Testament) on lead vocals, with Phil Winslade (The Brave & The Bold, Daredevil) on lead guitar.

Giant-Sized Band-Thing's appearance at the launch party has been sponsored by their wives... Who have let them out to play for the night!

The art featured within this item is another Speech Balloons exclusive. It was produced but not used by Liam during his own run on the Marvel comic Man-Thing, from which the band partly derived its name.

The BICS launch party will again take place at Bennetts Wine Bar (up Bennetts Hill, off New Street). For details regarding entry to the event you are advised to visit the convention's official website.

Further Information:

To view Phil Winslade art visit:
http://comicartcommunity.com/gallery/categories.php?cat_id=198 and for a previous interview visit:
www.manwithoutfear.com/interviews/ddINTERVIEW.shtml?id=Winslade

A HIGHLIGHT of the International Comic show next week will be the ticket only Watchmen event hosted by artist Dave Gibbons.

With the Watchmen Hollywood film gearing for release in March and interest in the graphic novel stronger than ever its co-creator Gibbons is soon to become very hot property indeed.

So Speech Balloon was delighted to grab a quick chat with him as he prepares for his weekend in Birmingham where he will be promoting his new book Watching the Watchmen.

The book, published by Titan next month, details his collaboration with writer Alan Moore and the origins of the comic and he says will be stuffed with pages of original scripts, sketches and artwork.

ANTHOLOGIES ARE making a welcome comeback to the British comics scene.

Here at Speech Balloons we've given you behind the scenes exclusives concerning kids' comic The DFC, the eighty-page giant Bulletproof, and we can reveal there are a few more in the works.

Available now is the first issue of Wasted published by Bad Press Ltd and featuring the talents of Alan Grant, Frank Quietely, Jon Haward, Dave Alexander, Alan Kerr and Jamie Grant.

It's described as "64 pages of madness, mishaps and mayhem." Those not feint of heart should go check it out for themselves at: www.wastedcomic.com

BRITISH INDEPENDENT publisher Bulletproof Comics is gearing up for some hefty publishing action in the months to come.

Bulletproof Comics began publishing the first of its comic books last year, with the self-titled 80-page anthology Bulletproof.

Various one-shots are intended as is a four-issue mini-series Redstitch: The End. There are also various ongoing web comic series that are unique to the publisher's website.

The latest issue of the anthology is imminent, according to editor-in-chief Matt Yeo, and a 16-page sampler Bulletproof # ½ already is.

"It's another 80-page beast of an issue, with a fantastically diverse range of stories from many super-talented creators. Best of all, this issue has a whopping 33-pages in full colour!" Yeo said of the second issue.

Contributors include Jim Alexander, John Freeman, Jon Haward and Rik Hoskin, with the colour pages featuring another episode of Funguys, scripted by Alan Grant & drawn by Alan Burrows.

Mr Grant of course is renowned for his work on many 2000AD series, Batman, Lobo and countless other best-selling titles, while Burrows' art has featured in Commando, The Eagle, Red Dwarf, various daily newspapers, European magazines and over at Dark Horse in America.

Alongside the web comics and an online stores where their comics can be purchased direct, there's actually an old interview I did with the Burrows featured on Bulletproof's website.

Yeo himself grew up in Halesowen and Stourbridge and still has family in the area. He has been living in London for a number of years though; initially editing computer magazines and since its debut the best-selling IPC kid's magazine Toxic (that has featured work by Nuneaton's Lew Stringer since day one and more recently Wolverhampton's Laura Howell), adding Bulletproof to his own cv along the way.

The editor-in-chief returns to the Midlands this October 4-5th for the Birmingham International Comics Show (BICS) . Bulletproof has a stand at the show where t-shirts, badges, comics, including a limited BICS edition of Bulletproof ½ and quite possibly the third issue of the anthology, will be available.

"The great news is that issue # 3 is nearly complete too!" said Yeo. "I've been squirreling work away while I was putting issue # 2 together, and we're already looking at around 70 completed pages."

I should note that the Simba Khan adventure promoted on the back cover of Bulletproof #2 (illustrated by Jon Haward and coloured by Tim Perkins) will be appearing in a future issue of the anthology other than #3, as and when Haward's schedule permits. Authored by yours truly, it was created with Jon uniquely in mind and I'm happy to wait on this.

Whereas with Snowstorm, that debuted in Bulletproof #1, I'm on the lookout for a suitable replacement (original pencil artist Michael Perkins is busy adapting Stephen King's The Stand for Marvel, and sadly his replacement, Joe Ahern, passed away). Such a person would need to be of their high standards.

Still, if you're a glutton for punishment and would like to read material I'm involved with Bulletproof #3 should be featuring Switchblade by the previously mentioned Alan Burrows on story and art with additional scripting from yours still truly. Its 24 pages are best described as a darkly surreal sci-fi comedy-adventure, and not just because we like to have our cake and eat it! Switchblade also pays homage to the late popular entertainer and comedian Bob Monkhouse who was a comic book artist himself in his youth, and who Burrows got to know. There's also a short story I wrote that Mr B should be drawing for a future issue of Bulletproof.

But more than enough about me, Bulletproof Comics will be at Birmingham International Comics Show (BICS) and its more worthy creators will be in attendance signing and sketching for your pleasure!

For more on Bulletproof Comics visit: www.bulletproofcomics.co.uk

ZOMBIECON TAKES place this the weekend of 6-7th September at the Quality Hotel in Walsall.

Films, workshops, guests, games and even a disco or two are promised as fans of this sub-genre of horror congregate to, ahem, enjoy life!

Guests include authors Robert Rankin and David Devereux, SFX make-up artist Stuart Conran, alongside comic books artists Al Davison, John McCrea and The Walking Dead's Charlie Adlard.

For more information visit: www.zombiecon.co.uk

THE Geek Syndicate are a dynamic duo of fanboys who have taken the step of opening their pub banter style dissection of all things superhero, sci-fi and cult to the internet.

They hold those conversations we all have about our favourite comics, books, TV shows and films - only with that added depth only a true obsessive can provide.
Flying the flag for the Midlands is Barry Nugent, from Northampton, while his partner is North London based David Monteith.