February 2009 Archives

BIRMINGHAM HAS a proud comics related history.

Back in the swinging sixties comics came out weekly costing less than sixpence - Roy of the Rovers, Dennis the Menace and The Spider, drawn by Birmingham's very own Reginald Bunn. There was Batman on the telly while the adventures of Spider-Man and his cape-flowing friends got sent over in dazzling four-colour print as ballast on ships... so kids bought comics by the go-kart load, but unlike before, as they grew up, they didn't stop.

(Left, Staz Johnson drawing Catwoman live at BICS 2007).

In 1968 some youths of the time had a typically off-the-wall Brummie take on the love-ins and crazy happenings that were the current rave. They wanted to celebrate their love of comics and so they put together the first ever UK comics convention.

(Left, Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and Comics International publisher Mike Conroy).

Fans came out of the woodwork, second hand book dealers did deals with those trading in comics and some guys who were working in the comic book industry itself happened to find time to pop along.

Fashions and ideas change but this wasn't a one-off novelty. As the years went by the country's capital city of London subsequently took the reins and produced lavish annual events, the buzz spread Glasgow wanted in.

It branched out here, there and everywhere; Bristol, Brighton, Manchester, the Birmingham Comic Art Shows and more recently the Birmingham International Comics Show (BICS).

Now, the city that started it all is to be host to a comics show again, so I say let's not pull our punches and start waving flags to proudly celebrate our heritage, for even though BICS has been rechristened the British International Comics Show on 3rd and 4th October at Birmingham's Millennium Point it will be the place to be!

Comics entertain first and foremost. They also chronicle the social and cultural times they were created in. Comics from decades gone by along with those of the future on the internet will be seen, revered and purchased all weekend at the show. That is why we should all pop along and become a part of history by joining the many famous writers and artists from around the world that will be attending this important event.

For further information & to reserve tickets visit: www.thecomicsshow.co.uk

Pictures supplied in this feature care of: www.comicshopvoice.co.uk

AFTER SELLING out in several branches of Waterstones and enjoying a growing cult status, Barry Nugent's stylish supernatural thriller novel Fallen Heroes is now entering the realm of comic books.

Insomnia Publications has licensed Fallen Heroes for a graphic novel adaptation with a predicted release date of 2010. Nic Wilkinson, Insomnia's creative director was more than happy to share her reasons behind the decision to adapt the novel.

"I didn't so much read the first scene of Fallen Heroes back in 2008, as see it come to life out of the page, so visually arresting is the writing.

"With the sharp, multi-layered plot and slick characters of modern crime writing juxtaposed against the shadowy agencies, ancient magic and bold dynamic characters of pulp adventure Fallen Heroes is going to be a truly striking comic."

When she sat down with Barry to plan out the adaptation Nic already had a clear vision about the project.

"We all agreed that finding the best writer for the job was crucial. Given the book's increasing cult status I had a lot of very good pitches from both known and new writers hoping to get this gig.

"Fallen Heroes will be a very complex adaptation, as those who have read it will know, and there is huge amount of work to be done on the structure and coaxing the characters over to a new medium before the writing even begins."

The person they choose is Martin Conaghan, who is working on a Burke and Hare graphic novel for Insomnia.

"Martin is a very experienced writer and researcher and is making a welcome return to comics after a 10 year absence.

Martin's background as a journalist, his incredibly deep knowledge of comics, their creators and their history, and his ability to deftly re-structure disparate historical sources into gripping stories with vibrant, vital characters all make him the perfect person for the job."

"Fallen Heroes is jam-packed full of fantastic ideas and thrilling set-pieces." Martin said.

"I'm looking forward to finding out where I can take Barry's rich characters when I translate them on to the comic-book page; from the reluctant hero Jason Chen to the ruthless demon stalker Napoleon Stone.

"It has everything; a great blend of mythology, science-fiction, action and the supernatural - all told in a very visual style - it's perfect for the graphic novel format."

So what's next for Fallen Heroes?

"A Fallen Heroes TV show or movie adaptation would be nice," admits Barry. "Hey, a guy can dream right?"

In the meantime, Barry is working on the second book in the Fallen Heroes trilogy.

For more information visit www.unseenshadows.co.uk

THE BRISTOL Comic Expo is the longest running comics festival in the UK.

Other priorities by the organisers and advance signs of a downturn in the economy have been given as the reason why the event will be smaller in size this year, but it promises to be small and special, with several special events running along that theme.

(Pictured, Alan Davis and Staz Johnson drawing live at the Birmingham International Comics Show in 2007).

Top of the list is the fact that Alan Davis is producing a limited edition print of DR & The Quinch, the anarchic alien space travellers he co-created with Alan Moore for 2000AD during its heydays that will be available exclusively at the show.

Over specials include a limited edition convention book that will carry a "15 Years of Vertigo" cover by Eisner Award-winner Mark Buckingham, there will be at least two very special oversized hardcover art books on sale, Full Cirkle by Simon Bisley and Thicker Than Blood by Mike Ploog, plus Birmingham writer Ian Edginton, along with artist Ian Culbard, will be launching their adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles, published by Self Made Hero, there will also be a small press expo running alongside the main show.

(Pictured from behind, again drawing live in Birmingham at BICS 2007, from left to right: Alan Davis, Staz Johnson and Mark Buckingham).

The Bristol Comic Expo 2009 takes place at the Plaza Hotel & British Empire and Commonwealth Hall over the weekend of 9th-10th May.

For more information on the Bristol International Comic Expo visit: ww.fantasyevents.org

The BICS 2007 photos used in this article were supplied via: www.comicshopvoice.co.uk

BIRMINGHAM BASED writer Tony Lee is the man behind a new ongoing series based on the popular BBC TV series for American comics publisher IDW.

Tony was the writer of last year's Dr Who: The Forgotten maxi-series, also published by IDW, and has similarly contributed to Britain's Dr Who Magazine.

While intended as an ongoing series, it is believed various artists will be drawing individual story arcs.

Coventry based Al Davison is pencilled in as the series' debut artist, with the likes of Paul Grist scheduled to follow.

The writer also has a graphic novel collection of his Eagle Award-nominated Hope Falls series. Co-created with artist Dan Boultwood, and again to be published by Markosia, it is due in May and will feature an introduction by Ben Templesmith. If ordering through Diamond Distributors, your favourite comics emporium needs to ask for MAR094036: HOPE FALLS TP.

For further information on Tony Lee visit: www.tonylee.co.uk

For further information on IDW visit: www.idwpublishing.com

For further information on Markosia visit: www.markosia.com

BICS THE popular UK comic book event is scheduled to return to Birmingham over the weekend of October 3rd-4th.

(Above: Comics International Editor Mike Conroy interviewing international star guest and creator of Hellboy Michael Mignola at BICS 2007).

Formerly known as the Birmingham International Comics Show, the BICS acronym remains, but the event will now operate as the British International Comics Show.

The name change no doubt reflects the fact that as of last year the show took up more floor space than any other comics event in the UK, and with this year's Bristol Comics Expo being temporarily downsized, thus the Birmingham-based event has become Great Britain's primary comics event.

Furthermore, retaining the goodwill of the BICS name as a franchise, but giving it national focus affords greater international attention on the show. This should attract foreign star guests, to whom Birmingham may be far less familiar a city name than London, who would be more content knowing they're flying half way across the world to a nation's main event. Likewise, those wishing to attend the show as visitors from abroad should find it easier to locate for information via the internet etc.

While the business world of the city of Birmingham can happily rejoice in the fact that it holds one of the nation's premier events again this year, that hotels, restaurants, pubs and clubs, and public transport will again be getting an influx of capital coming to a credit-crunch hit second city; one does have to stop and think. Operating under a new name as the British International Comics Show means that, theoretically, in the future the show could take place anywhere!

It is not cheap to put on an event of the size of BICS in a city like Birmingham, and the organisers will continue to be applauded for putting their hands in their pockets and having done so. Despite excellent coverage given the show over the years by all areas of the West Midlands media, and great local interest by the public, BICS has not been afforded any form of assistance by the city's council while other less popular events apparently do. If it came to it, and I hope not, who could blame the British International Comics Show if, one day, it decided to up sticks and take this national event to another town or city.

(Above: Lawrence (Lorenzo) Etherington at the BlinkTwice Comics table during BICS 2007).

I trust this totally speculative scenario on my part never has to be played out. We should remember that Birmingham was the place where the first comics convention in the UK took place, and no doubt one of the first in Europe, and that was back in 1968. It is about time we acknowledged this proud heritage and celebrated the fact, and there can be no better way than by attending BICS 2009 this October.

BICS 2009 will again take place within the city centre, at the Think Tank in Millennium Point. Guests are yet to be revealed but the show promises that it will celebrate: "The best in comics from all sectors of the industry including manga, web comics, pop culture, and the indy press."

For more information on BICS 2009 visit: www.thecomicsshow.co.uk

For information on the Bristol Comics Expo visit: www.fantasyevents.org

The BICS 2007 photos used in this article were supplied via: www.comicshopvoice.co.uk

(Below: BICS receives international recognition, as noted by coverage of the 2007 show in the American publication Wizard).

MARTIN TIERNEY is a Birmingham based photographer, who also produces corporate videos and designs websites. Recently Speech Balloons has featured some snaps he took during BICS2006.

Never one to rest on his laurels he's recently been studying animation, and purely for pleasure decided to see what he could do with a classic Beryl the Peril strip that originally featured in The Topper and then decided he'd dig further back into the past and see what he could do with that forerunner of the comic strip, The Bayeux Tapestry!

They have proved popular among friends and he has posted a selection of cartoons he's now produced onto Youtube where an even wider audience are enjoying them. To view the Beryl cartoon visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWUcZTvBOmk and to see what Dracula's having for tea go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEk-9NPolno&feature=channel, the others can be found by links.

Animation is popular in this part of the world, as evidenced by the existence of the West Midlands Animation Forum. To learn more about the group visit: www.animationforumwm.co.uk

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S The Tempest will be published in May, courtesy of Classical Comics.

Pencil artist Jon Haward kindly forwarded these advance pages to share with The Birmingham Mail's Speech Balloon readers.

The Tempest has been inked by Gary Erskine and coloured by Nigel Dobbyn.

Wisely foregoing the direct comics sales route, like other Classical Comics it should be available in all good bookstores, and can be ordered direct from www.classicalcomics.com plus www.amazon.co.uk and www.amazon.com

COMICS ARE available in more than just the standard printed format these days. Whole collections of classic series and strips are available to buy on discs, and e-comics - comics that can be viewed online over the internet - have been in exsistence for a good few years now.

There is a school of thought that online e-comics will one day supersede all other forms. If that is so, it is a long way off for it to be finanically viable for most creators. However, comics online can prove both an exciting and effective promotional tool and a way for creators to experiment with their craft, free of publisher considerations and for the sheer joy of doing so.

Two of Britain's great cartoonists have opted to experiment in this manner very recently. They are Paul Grist and Laura Howell.

Both of their projects came to my notice via Facebook.

Paul Grist's Big Cosmic Comic features the continuing adventures of the Eternal Warrior and is an idea he has been mulling over for 18 months.

A "work in progress", it is his intention to publish a page each week. It can be viewed via both Facebook and at www.bigcosmiccomic.blogger.com.

Paul's work was like a breath of fresh air to the British comics small press, or fanzines scene as they used to be called in more innocent times. It wasn't long before he was drawing for D.C. Thomson's range of school girl comics and working on St Swithin's Day in Crisis for Fleetway, and subsequently creating material for other publishers.

He is most popular these days for his Jack Staff superhero series and the previously published Kane crime fiction saga. His work is always distinctive and has a charm all of its own.

Laura's Strip-A-Day Spectacular 2 is just what it says on the label. She intends to produce 28 all-new comics in 28. It may sound like a fool's errand but it transpires Laura has trod this way before, a couple of years back. It is her intention that for each day throughout the month of February she will publish a different comic strip.

She said she can't claim that they'll all be "fully-rendered pages" but she's set up a good batting average so far, with a couple of them clocking in at two pages in length already. They can be viewed both via Facebook and on her own website at www.laurahowell.co.uk.

Laura has only been in the comics business professionally for about two years but already she's won an award, features regularly in The Beano and Toxic, has had two series in The DFC, worked for Mad magazine.

She is one of the funniest and most observant of creators to have entered the world of comics in a long time.

Check these projects out, they are © their creators and demonstrate both the potential of the comics medium for the future and what it can achieve right here today!

FORGET THE weather while you're warm inside, ignore the recession for a moment and join Speech Balloons in some celebrations.

Today is Alan Grant's birthday - This prolific writer and one time editor has been responsible for many comics and characters that continue to entertain readers immensely. More so, he has been responsible for encouraging and fostering the talent of many artists who have gone on to become fan favourites just like himself.

Happy birthday, Mr Grant!

The above card was created by Jon Haward, one of those artists who value his friendship and continued sage advice (For more on Jon visit: www.jonhawardart.com).

It may be a tad late, but who cares, here's an email card Andie Tong sent us to celebrate the Chinese New Year - Here's to it still turning out to be a good one (For more on Andie visit: www.deemonproductions.com).

WHEN PAUL Cornell is not busy writing episodes of hit British television drama series and authoring popular novels he is making a name for himself in the comic book world, as noted on this site when he was featured on Speech Balloons regarding events in Captain Britain and MI: 13 taking place in Birmingham.

After contributing to British fanzines, Paul Cornell entered and won a Young Writers' competition that saw his Kingdom Come screened on BBC2. He then focussed on children's television, before branching out to contribute to the supernatural series Springhill and briefly contributed to the classic award-winning British soap opera series Coronation Street.

Cornell appears to have a predisposition for writing about doctors having established his early career on Children's Ward and in recent years writing episodes for three BBC medical dramas: Casualty, Holby City and Doctors. However, the character his name has been most associated with - albeit linked to the medical profession by only one word- is Doctor Who.

To date he has written six Doctor Who novels, three audio books and the animated internet adventure Scream of the Shalka, comic strips for Doctor Who Magazine, plus novels and audio books featuring Bernice Summerfield, a spin-off character from one of his Who books.
He was also involved in the overwhelmingly positive revival of Dr Who to the small screen, and was responsible for scripting Father's Day; the episode was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form in 2006, and reached third place.

The scriptwriter contributed to BBC1's new Robin Hood series and ITV's science fiction series Primeval . Aside from two mainstream science-fiction novels published so far, he has also written non-fiction books about television, and seen a career in comics slowly begin to bloom.

In the UK, aside from the aforementioned, and perhaps obligatory, Dr Who Magazine, Cornell has contributed stories to the Judge Dredd Megazine. While for America's Marvel Comics he wrote the six issue Wisdom series, and is scripting the aforementioned Captain Britain and MI:13 as an ongoing title whose next story arc is titled Vampire State and will feature no less than Dracula as the major foe. At BICS events he has also hinted at yet another comic book title from Marvel, but as yet which one remains a pretty close-guarded secret.

For more information on Paul Cornell visit: www.paulcornell.blogspot.com