Comic Cuts — 28 February 2025

I've had to treat this week as almost like a holiday. Apart from a bit of work completing the insides of the upcoming comic reprints from Bear Alley, I didn't manage to do a great deal after writing last week's post.

I had to travel on Sunday to stay overnight with my sister in Surrey as there was a family funeral on Monday. It was quite an interesting night as I woke up at four in the morning knowing that if I went for a pee it would set off the hounds and everyone would be awake. So I lay there and at five was visited by one of my sister's three dogs, who wandered over, accepted a bit of petting and then lay down on the "bed" (a mattress on the floor). She wandered off a little while later and I managed to hold out until six before desperation got the better of me and the subsequent barking made sure everyone was awake.

As a family we celebrate rather than mourn, and while it was still a sombre occasion, we still managed to smile and laugh our way through the day. We don't see each other that often (I think there was a 37-year gap in one case), but we're good when we do get together. Sadly, that now seems to only be for funerals. I'm of that age.

As we were driving to Epsom to meet up with everyone, we dropped in at Button House—actually West Horsley Place in West Horsley near Leatherhead. Button House was the location for Ghosts, the comedy series starring Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe as a couple who inherit Ritchie's ancestral home and try to turn it into a hotel. A bump on the head means that Ritchie can see the ghosts that are trapped in the house and gardens, some recently deceased, one a caveman. It ran for five series, ending in 2023 and inspired a not-bad American version that's still running.

Although it's out of season, visitors can still walk around the grounds and visit the building, but there are no tours at this time of year and no open coffee shop. But it was a nice chance to walk around, gather our thoughts and prepare ourselves ahead of the funeral.

Tuesday I planned as a day off, and spent the whole day just catching up on things; Wednesday I should have worked on the book covers that need designing, but I fancied doing some writing instead, so I put in a bit a time on the upcoming Express Weekly index. How many people do you know who get their pleasure from researching printer's strikes of the 1950s? One at least.

I did end up spending an extraordinary amount of time trying to locate the death dates of William Banks Levy and his family, without any luck or conclusion. Levy was an American who came to England in the early 1930s and was responsible for distributing and promoting Walt Disney's cartoons. He was the founder of Mickey Mouse Weekly, an innovative and hugely popular comic first published in 1936. Banks (born in Statesville, N. Carolina, on 19 December 1898) married Fehima Evelyn Suleiman (born in London on 16 September 1906) in 1932 and they had a son, Walter Neville Levy, born in 1938.

The problem is that they never died... well, they seem to disappear from official records in the UK and USA. Fehima Levy was naturalized as an American citizen in July 1957, but the last trace of her as far as I can see if a travel record from October 1962. She was travelling alone... the last time I can find her travelling with her husband in 1956, which makes me wonder whether William died at some point between 1956 and 1962 when he was in his late fifties or early sixties.

For someone who was such a major part of British Disney, there is still so little known about him. There is only one known picture, discovered by Didier Ghez and posted on his Disney History blog in 2012.

I'm going to stop banging my head against this particular brick wall. If anyone can tell me when each of them died (and why their son, despite being born in England, seems to have no birth record) I would be a very happy man.

And to cap the week off, we have someone coming over to check our electricity (part of the regular safety checks done by our landlady), so the power will be off and I'll only be able to work as long as the battery does in my laptop. The PC won't be working, the phones won't be working, and more importantly the kettle won't be working! Well, for part of the day, anyway. And I can boil water on the (gas) stove.

We have people over on Saturday, so it looks like I might not get back to normal until Sunday, and by then I'll probably want a day off! Expect a report about my lack of progress on everything next week!

Commando 5831-5834

To celebrate International Women’s Day, this set of Commandos is celebrating two of Commando’s most significant female writers: Mary Feldwick and Diana Garbutt. Issues 5831-5834 go on sale from today, Thursday 27th February 2025!

5831: Come Out Fighting

What does a fighting Irishman do when his luck deserts him just when he needs it most?
    If his name is Private Mick O’Connor, he just grits his teeth and fights on harder than ever!
    The first issue in this set comes from the masterful pen of Mary Feldwick. Feldwick was originally from East Sussex and was a prolific writer of comics during the 60s, 70s and 80s. Come Out Fighting is a perfect example of her knack for gripping narratives.

Story: Feldwick
Art: AC Kennedy
Cover: Penalva

5832: Way of Honour

Before the Second World War, few westerners had ever heard of the Japanese sport of karate, with its own rules, its own customs. But one young Englishman, Martin Hawkins, studied it when he lived and worked in Japan. So skilled was he that it wasn’t long before he was a black belt champion.
    The war broke out and Martin was forced to return home, little knowing that his expertise in karate was going to save his life one day.
    If you ask us, martial arts are often sorely lacking in Commando issues – how many tense standoffs could’ve been solved by a swift roundhouse kick? This second issue from Feldwick serves to showcase her kickass originality.

Story: Feldwick
Art: Enriquez
Cover: Ian Kennedy

5833: Panzer-Trap

Reckon you could stop a regiment of enemy tanks with your bare hands? No, probably not.
    Ray Peterson and Trevor Stanton didn’t think they had much of a chance either.
    But with the lives of thousands of their comrades at stake they weren’t going to give up trying.
    The second of our female writer showcase in this set, Diana Garbutt was born in Scarborough and cut her teeth writing war stories for the likes of Fleetway’s War Picture Library in the 50s and 60s. She began writing for Commando in the 80s – and we’re sure you’ll agree after reading this story that was a very good thing!

Story: Garbutt
Art: Ibanez
Cover: Robertson

5834: Lionheart

Dave Gardner wanted to be a soldier. He had always dreamed of carrying on the military tradition of his family by going into battle.
    However, when you’re small and thin, and you can’t see very well, it isn’t so easy. But even so, Dave was going to get his chance!
    A classic story of how big things can often come in small packages. This second story from Garbutt is a perfect example of her ability to craft engaging stories and find the heroic in the unlikeliest of places!

Story: Garbutt
Art: Blasco
Cover: Ian Kennedy

Rebellion Releases — 26 Februaryr 2025

Sean Phillips is one of the most acclaimed artists working in comics today, with credits including Fatale, Night Fever and Reckless. He’s also the co-creator of Criminal, alongside Ed Brubaker, which will soon be coming to Amazon Prime as a new TV series starring Charlie Hunnam and Emilia Clarke. This year, 2000 AD celebrates his career to date with The 2000 AD Art of Sean Phillips, an incredible showcase of a master artist’s work!

Superstar artist Sean Philips is perhaps best known for his hugely-successful creative partnership with writer Ed Brubaker, including the dark crime series Criminal, soon to be an Amazon Prime series starring Charlie Hunnam, Emilia Clarke and Luke Evans. Before breaking through into the US comics market, however, Phillips was already a star in the UK thanks to his pioneering work at 2000 AD.

Quickly proving himself a fan-favourite on stories like Danzig’s Inferno and Vector 13, Phillips then provided art for Sinister Dexter and Judge Dredd, amongst others. Perhaps his best-known work for 2000 AD remains the two iconic characters he co-created for The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic, however: vampiric Judge exorcist Devlin Waugh, and no-nonsense Brit-Cit Detective Armitage.

And now, The 2000 AD Art of Sean Phillips provides readers with a chance to not just see his earliest and most acclaimed work: but the opportunity to go behind the scenes and see exclusive design pieces and process work. Chronicling his 2000 AD comics, this collection forms an impressive retrospective of his early comics work, showcasing how his artistic style evolved from the fully painted work and collage of the early 1990s through to the familiar style he employs on hit books today.

This fascinating collection will be published in October in retail hardcover for book and comic book stores, a 2000 AD webshop exclusive hardcover edition with special cover, and a very limited number of special hardcover ‘sketch’ editions – each one with a personal sketch by Phillips – which will be exclusively available for 2000 AD subscribers to pre-order through the 2000 AD webshop.

“With 2000 AD being a science-fiction comic”, says Phillips, “it’s apt that this gorgeous collection of my old work is working like a time machine for me! I drew these stories over thirty years ago – but looking at them again instantly transports me back when I was thinner with more hair. Hopefully for you reading them now time-travel is as possible as any of the other sci-fi concepts contained within…”

Featuring a new cover painted by Phillips which showcases iconic characters including Judge Dredd, Devlin Waugh, Armitage, Chopper and more, this is a must-have for any comics fan. Quite simply, it’s a masterclass from the master artist!

The 2000 AD Art of Sean Phillips will be published by Rebellion this October – don’t miss it!

And now, this week's releases...

2000AD Prog 2421
Cover: Nick Percival.

JUDGE DREDD // THE SHIFT by Ken Niemand (w) Nick Percival (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
FULL TILT BOOGIE // BOOK THREE by Alex de Campi (w) Eduardo Ocana (a) Giulia Brusco (a) Simon Bowland (l)
PORTALS & BLACK GOO // A QUORUM OF FIENDS by John Tomlinson (w) Eoin Coveney (a) Jim Boswell (c) Simon Bowland (l)
HAWK THE SLAYER // THE LAST OF HER KIND by Alec Worley (w) Simon Coleby (a) Gary Caldwell (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
FIENDS OF THE WESTERN FRONT // WILDE WEST by Ian Edginton (w) Tiernen Trevallion (a) Jim Campbell (l)

Battle Action Vol.3 #7
Cover: Henry Flint.

JOHNNY RED // A COUPLE OF HEROES by Garth Ennis (w) Keith Burns (a) Jason Wordie (c) Rob Steen (l)
MAJOR EAZY // ALLIES by Rob Williams (w) PJ Holden (a) Matt Soffe (c) Rob Steen (l)

Judge Dredd Complete Case Files Vol.46 by John Wagner, Gordon Rennie, Rob Williams, Robbie Morrison, Pat Mills, Al Ewing, Si Spurrier (w) Simon Coleby, Dave Taylor, Richard Elson, Patrick Goddard, Kev Walker, Sam Hart, Paul Marshall, Cliff Robinson, Smudge, David Roach, Inaki Miranda, Neil Googe, Peter Doherty (a)
Rebellion ISBN, 26 February 2025, 304pp, £24.99. Available via Amazon.

THE BOOK OF DREDD
Mega-City One, a dystopian nightmare of the future teetering on the brink of chaos. The only thing stopping the sprawling megalopolis from succumbing to the mayhem, maniacs and murderers are the Judges, and toughest of them all is Judge Dredd.
    The best-selling series collecting The Law in order continues as Dredd uncovers a decades-old cover-up that will see justice come for the Judges themselves and, one hotel, one night, multiple psychopaths, but who will live to see daybreak?

Adam Eterno: Grunn the Grim by E. George Cowan, Chris Lowder (w) Solano Lopez (a)
Rebellion ISBN, 26 February 2025, 112pp, £14.99. Available via Amazon.

FOR THE FIRST TIME - ADAM JOURNEYS INTO THE FUTURE!
Cursed by an old alchemist to live forever - unless struck from a weapon made of gold - Adam Eterno has gained the power to travel through the ages, fighting evil and injustice.
    Now Adam has been transported into a dystopian future where a cruel police regime led by Grunn the Grim, rule over the population with an iron fist...
    Written by Edward George Cowan (Robot Archie) and Chris Lowder (Dan Dare), with stunning art by Solano Lopez (Janus Stark), this book features Adam's first adventures published in Lion.

Comic Cuts — 21 February 2025

So this week saw a leap forward in the next group of books that I'll be publishing under the Bear Alley banner. The insides of all four books are now in place, introductions are designed, page numbers added and I'm working on the covers.

There's still some proofing, and getting printed proofs, and getting the copyright holder to sign off on everything, and finding the money to pay for the license fee, but expect a reveal in the near future.

Another new index is moving along slowly but steadily. I have been doing a little research on Junior Express, which became Express Weekly / TV Express Weekly, home of the much-loved 'Wulf the Briton' and including work from many fine British and European artists, adaptations of Biggles and No Hiding Place, and adaptations of movies ranging from Reach For the Sky to Campbell's Kingdom.

It's a paper I have only ever had a partial index to, so on its 70th anniversary last year, I suggested to a friend that it would be a good project to work on. We've both dipped into it over the past few months—I mentioned a month or so ago that I had been sidelined into writing about newsprint rationing... well, it was this that led me to doing that research. There's a slightly odd reason why Junior Express (and its rival Junior Mirror) was launched.

The reason I had a partial list is because I once had access to quite an extensive collection, that of the late John Allen-Clark, who lived locally. I was a regular visitor and would sit chatting while jotting down notes from various papers in his collection. Sadly, John died in 2015 and his collection was sold off. (A little more on John's influence on the early indexes can be found here.)

I mention this because it impacts the index greatly because there are parts of the run of the paper that I don't have any illustrations for. So I'm putting out a plea for help to see if anyone out there has some of the early issues of Junior Express, especially if they have a copy of the very first issue, and to ask them to get in touch. My email address is top left, under the photo.

I also spent a bit of time this week experimenting with book repairs. I recently picked up copies of some old John Harvey crime novels that were in a bit of a state, suffering especially from spine roll. I'd seen a video of someone heating the spine and knocking the curved pages back into shape. So I thought I'd give it a (literal) bash.

I used a hairdryer, keeping it moving up and down the spine until it felt hot—this was to soften the glue that holds the cover to the spine. Putting the curved spine on a flat surface (a table in my case), gently tap the pages that are pushed out of alignment with a soft hammer.

I then clamped the spine using a couple of small (2 inch) G-clamps and left the glue to harden again. The results were... imperfect but interesting. You can see from the photo below that there has been some small improvement, but not as much as I'd have liked. This could be down to a couple of things: either the books are so warped they're beyond repair; or (and I think this is the more likely option) I need to spend longer on the spine with the hairdryer and heat up the glue even more to make sure that the pages will slip back into shape.

I saw an alternative method, which involved running a hot iron up and down the spine, which might soften the glue better than a hairdryer. I need to find some more books that I can afford to sacrifice before I put an iron anywhere near any of the books I collect. 

Rebellion Releases — 19 February 2025

Rebellion is delighted to announce that after the successful Kickstarter campaign for our revival of the classic romance comic Roxy, editions of the title are winging their way to backers now!

Featuring four tales of love and romance from some of the finest creators working in comics today, and with covers by Hannah Templer, Tula Lotay and Marguerite Bennett, this is an anthology guaranteed to leave you gasping for air!

Roxy features four all-new romance stories:

• The Getaway Girls by Alex de Campi and Erica Henderson, the queer supermodel heist adventure you never knew you needed!
• Banmoor by Magdalene Visaggio and Sterric, a trip back in time to the regency era!
• Flowers for Agatha by Sarah Gordon, a spirited walk through the undead woods!
• What I Was Made For by Nadia Shammas and Jaws Stone, a futuristic flirtation between soldier and mech!

Originally launched in 1958, the original Roxy ran for 288 weekly issues which caught the imagination of young readers across Britain. Now, the title returns for an all-new anthology featuring four modern romance stories bound to inspire a whole new generation.

But if you missed out on Roxy when it was running on Kickstarter last year, never fear: physical and digital copies of the collection are now available through our webshop as well – just in time to order ahead of Valentine’s Day!

This edition features Hannah Templer’s classical cover featuring moments from across all four stories, available as a gorgeous paperback – or as a digital copy to read on-the-go! Whatever your level of spice, Roxy has something for you as it revives the spirit of classic British romance comics for the 21st century.

And now, this week's releases... including Roxy...

2000AD Prog 2420
Cover: Tiernen Trevallion.

JUDGE DREDD // THE SHIFT by Ken Niemand (w) Nick Percival (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
FULL TILT BOOGIE // BOOK THREE by Alex de Campi (w) Eduardo Ocana (a) Giulia Brusco (a) Simon Bowland (l)
PORTALS & BLACK GOO // A QUORUM OF FIENDS by John Tomlinson (w) Eoin Coveney (a) Jim Boswell (c) Simon Bowland (l)
HAWK THE SLAYER // THE LAST OF HER KIND by Alec Worley (w) Simon Coleby (a) Gary Caldwell (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
FIENDS OF THE WESTERN FRONT // WILDE WEST by Ian Edginton (w) Tiernen Trevallion (a) Jim Campbell (l)

Judge Dredd Megazine #477
Cover: Cliff Robinson / Dylan Teague (cols)

New! JUDGE DREDD // MESSIAH COMPLEX by Ian Edginton (w) Paul McCaffrey (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
DEATH CAP // FRONTIER JUSTICE by T.C. Eglington (w) Boo Cook (c) Simon Bowland (l)
FARGO & MCBANE // NEW YORK'S FINEST by Ken Niemand (w) Anna Readman (a) Quinton Winter (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
DEVLIN WAUGH // TWO MONTHS OFF by Alex Kot (w) PJ Holden (a) Jack Davies (c) Jim Campbell (l)
New! ROK OF THE REDS by John Wagner & Alan Grant (w) Dan Cornwell (a) Abby Bulmer (c) Jim Campbell (l)
CADET RICO // THE CYCLE by Liam Johnson (w) Rob Richardson (a) Jim Campbell (l)
RILEY'S REBELS by Honor Vincent (w) Stewart K. Moore (c) Simon Bowland (l)
LAWLESS // A TOWN CALLED BADROCK by Dan Abnett (w) Phil Winslade (a) Simon Bowland (l)

Roxy: Romance Reborn
Rebellion ISBN, 14 February 2025, 96pp, £18.99. Available on Kindle via Amazon.

ROXY RETURNS with this 96-page anthology that brings romance comics into the 21st century!
    The glorious Getaway Girls take on a daring heist that leads to them stealing hearts in a feisty new story by Alex de Campi and Erica Henderson; A fateful romance stretches across history in Mags Visaggio and Sterric’s time-bending Banmoor; And Nadia Shammas and Jaws Stone present a tale of unbound love in the future in What I Was Made For.
    Romance comics are re-invented in this packed new anthology!
    Paperback edition available via the 2000AD Webshop.

• 25 Feb. Geek Retrospective has an interview with Mike Collins who "has worked for some of the biggest names in comic publishing (Marvel, DC Comics, and 2000 AD). He has illustrated such characters as Spider-Man, Superman, Batman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Judge Dredd, Sláine, and Rogue Trooper. As well as a series based on Star Trek, Doctor Who, Transformers, Zoids and… Well the list goes on and on!" (video, 46m)
• 24 Feb. Bill Morrison has posted a fascinating article about the highs and lows of his adaptation of Yellow Submarine (Titan, 2018), first mooted for publication on the film's 30th anniversary, later expanded for the 50th anniversary and still missing pages from a planned expanded version. "I decided that if I could make certain pages of the book resemble psychedelic posters in their design, I might be able to create an adaptation of Yellow Submarine that would be faithful, but also offer Beatles fans something new and exciting."
• 18 Feb. A look at Steven Appleby's latest exhibition. "Steven has had many solo shows but this is the biggest to date and covers all aspects over such a long and varied career."
• 16 Feb. Keir Starmer has said that his favourite "book" was Roy of the Rovers, while visiting a Ukrainian school. "It's a fabulous book—well known in Anfield. I love football, so all my books are about football."
• 16 Feb. Want to know some of the financial details about Diamond Comic Distributors (UK), formerly Titan Distributors... their 62 staff distribute comics and other goods to 400 accounts in the UK, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. More at Rich Johnson's Bleeding Cool website.
• 15 Feb. Martin Rowson explains why he is cutting back on his committments to The Guardian and announces a new subscription service to obtain prints of his cartoons. "Given that half the UK’s national daily newspapers now no longer publish a daily political cartoon, the Guardian’s commitment to and support for cartoons needs acknowledging, as does their quiet nurturing of new and diverse cartooning talent."
• 14 Feb. Forbidden Planet has bought out Mega City Comics from retiring Martin Kravetz. The Camden Town store will close briefly for a refit before reopening in a few week's time as Forbidden Planet Camden.

Ruby M. Spankie

Talk about obscure: as far as I can tell, Ruby M. Spankie wrote only one novel, and that for a minor paperback firm way back in 1933.

It would appear that Ruby Mary Spankie, born in Inverness, Scotland, on 19 October 1898, lived most of her adult life in London. Her mother, Catherine, was widowed at around the age of 41 or 42 and raised her children—of which there were at least five—in Bedford. Catherine Spankie seems to have lived in India for at least a decade between 1886-96.

Through local papers and the occasional official record, we can touch base with Ruby at various points in her life. She was crowned May Queen at a May Fair held to raise money for the Building Fund of the St. Peter's Sunday Schools and Parish Rooms in May 1908. She attended Crescent House Ladies' College, Bedford. She appeared in the operetta at Bedford Town Hall, The Tree of the Golden Guineas, in 1914. In 1921, she was working as a shorthand typist at the War Office, and the family were living in Fulham.

Ruby was the author of And the World Said— (London, Gramol Publications [Adelphi Novels 35], 1933). Whether she continued writing novels or not is a mystery. A search for her name on Google doesn't get a single hit, but it is known that she wrote at least two plays: 'Sheltered' (1938), which was performed by the Southern Cross Players at the Twentieth Century Theatre, Westbourne (Spankie was the Honorary Secretary of the Society); and 'All Change' (1939) from the same team.

Ruby lived in Fulham after the war and was at the same address, 64c Fairholme Road, W14, from 1945 until her death in 1983. It would seem that she continued to have an interest in local theatre and was an actress with the Beaufort Players and appeared as Miss Marple in Murder at the Vicarage at St. Andrew's Hall, Vereker Road, Fulham, in 1952. She also appeared in Sit Down a Minute, Adrian (1953).

(* My thanks to Jamie Sturgeon for the cover photograph. Expanded from a post from 6 September 2007.)

Comic Cuts — 14 February 2025

After the news last week that I had volume one of our next publication finished, I can now add that volume two is now complete. Subject to proofing the text, getting printed proofs and getting the approval of the copyright holders. Oh, and paying a license fee and then getting printed copies. So, nearly done then.

I'm not the world's fastest designer — it's something that I kind of fell into, having picked up a few tips while working in magazines and needing to keep production costs down to a minimum here at Bear Alley Books. The first time I used a design programme was for PBO, my mid- to late-Nineties paperback fanzine, some of which have recently landed in the collection of Jules Burt, whose Youtube channel now has a video of them.

I started using InDesign back in the late 2000s and I'm still using the same version. It's on my old PC, so at some point it's going to conk out, at which point I'll have to find some freeware that, hopefully, will have caught up with InDesign's features. (I have a similar problem with PhotoShop, but I have GIMP on my laptop, which does most of the resizing and touching up that I need to do for blogs and Facebook. Saves me firing up the PC and hopefully that will extend its lifespan.)

As well as my lack of training, there's also an over-enthusiasm to get things finished. So I "finish" the work and export the files to PDFs. And, yes, the quotes are deliberate, because the moment I save the file, I spot a mistake. Last night it was a missing caption. So I corrected it and exported the file. Which is when I noticed a couple of captions that needed titles in italics. So I corrected it and exported the file. But I'd missed some of the column separators and had to fix them before exporting the file. Being an old PC, each correction and export takes a little time.

And I might add that the latest version I have saved is the version that I need to proof, so there may be further corrections to make.

Talking of time-wasting, I spent an hour trying to save myself £4.49 postage on Amazon by finding a cheap book to bump up my order to free postage. Unfortunately, everything I wanted was supplied by someone other than Amazon, which led me to trying to find the books I had decided upon on eBay... which I did and which I then spent another hour on trying various combinations to take advantage of a 4 for the price of 3 offer that one dealer had going. I spent an age trawling through wants lists to try and find a book in the same offer that was around the same price.

Final price: £27 and I still had to find yet another book that I could order through Amazon to get my free postage. I eventually found something that I wanted at a not unreasonable price that was supplied through Amazon. But I'd wasted most of an afternoon trying to spend £5.51 and ended up spending over £30.

That said, the first book I ordered arrived to day and I'm very pleased with the condition for the price, which was only a pound or two more what I would have paid for a beaten-up copy in a charity shop.

What was the book, you ask? Earthbound by Joe Haldeman. I have quite a few of his books, but there were a couple of series that I needed to complete, including the Worlds trilogy and the Marsbound trilogy. I also picked up a couple of stray one-off novels I didn't have, a collection of short stories, and one of the Gollancz SF Masterworks that I'm missing. I think I ended up ordering eight books in total rather than just the one I needed, but I bet I'm not the only collector who has done that! I should add that the majority were American paperbacks of books that never received a British paperback printing, so they're unlikely to turn up cheaply in charity shops. Here's my Joe Haldeman UK paperback cover gallery.

I've used a couple of Haldeman covers for our column header in memory of Chris Moore, who died on 7 February, aged 78. Moore was one of my favourite book cover artists, his paintings appearing on everything from the SF Masterworks series to Jilly Cooper novels—an incredibly talented artist. I loved his SF covers and he was turning out superb spacecraft and fantastic, futuristic landscapes for almost fifty years (his first being Extro by Alfred Bester in 1975).

Looking at his collection, Journeyman (which has a very good interview by Stephen Gallagher), I couldn't help but notice that the first SF Masterworks cover, for Joe Haldeman's The Forever War, had previously appeared on another book, but rotated through 90 degrees. I'm now wondering how many other covers for the series were actually reprints. But that's a project for another day.

Commando 5827-5830

It’s almost Valentines Day, Commando fans, and just because we love you so very much, we’ve got another set of fantastic stories of grit and valour just for you. We know, we spoil you – but you’re worth it! Issues 5827-5830 go on sale from today, Thursday 13th February 2025!

5827: Kampfgruppe Falken: Cannon Fodder King

The men of Kampfgruppe Falken were expendable, a cannon fodder unit easily replaced — or that’s what General Heiss thought. More than anything, Heiss wanted to replace the king of the cannon fodder – Major Heinz Falken himself!
    For this, Heiss had a devious plan to force Falken to face his toughest battle yet – a fellow German who was built like a dreadnought and had a punch like an artillery shell– a man named Major Klaus Vogel. He was determined to turn Kampfgruppe Falken into Kampfgruppe Vogel!
    Major Heinz Falken returns, and this time he’s got competition! Will he be able to hold onto command, or will this brawny usurper be too much even for him? Whatever happens, there’s a fight on top of a tank!

Story: Dominic Teague
Art: Manuel Benet
Cover: Manuel Benet

5828: Last Chance

Sergeant Ben Lockner was always the first into action and the last out — a fighting machine, a soldier who knew no fear, the type of NCO whose men would follow him anywhere.
Some folk wondered what made Ben tick, what special courage kept him cool as ice in the hottest action. They all had their own answers but not one of them was anywhere near the truth... for Ben wanted to die fighting, to wipe out his secret past!
    Here at Commando, we don’t believe in last chances – so if you missed this classic issue the first two times we printed it, now’s the time to get stuck in! With an amazing cover by Penalva, this is one issue you won’t want to miss!

Story: Gentry
Art: Usero
Cover: Penalva
Originally published June 1971.

5829: Sword of Destiny

Greece, 1941. Fatigued by a losing battle, four British soldiers take shelter in the home of a local hunter, who tells them a tale that has been passed down through his family for generations.
    In ancient times, a young blacksmith was exiled from his home by an invading tyrant. Unsure of his fate, he wandered the land. But the gods had a plan for him. He would lead a force to take back his home. He would wield the sword of destiny!
    An epic story for you fans of Greek mythology, this issue has it all: action, adventure, even a fight with wolves – we’ve not been Spartan with this one! No need to muse about picking it up, it’s the stuff of legend!

Story: Ferg Handley
Art: Alejandro Perez Mesa
Cover: Alejandro Perez Mesa

5830: Stranded!

It had been some years since Private Jack Wilmot had seen any action, although as orderly to a fiery Brigadier, he’d more than once accompanied the officer to front-line positions. This time, however, it looked as if they’d bitten off more than they could chew — they had been shot down in the depths of the jungle and were stranded in enemy-held territory.
Now they’d need all their luck, and a bit of deception too, if they were to survive...
    Yet another amazing Penalva cover for this set’s silver issue. We’re off for another adventure in the Burmese jungle with two soldiers who don’t quite see eye-to-eye. Let’s hope they can make it out in one piece!

Story: Staff
Art: CT Rigby
Cover: Penalva
Originally Published January 1983.

Rebellion Releases — 12 February 2025

BRAND NEW SHOW! Every month, Steve Morris is joined by a guest – critic, academic, creator, fan – to discuss a series or character from the archives of 2000 AD, exploring the characters and story, uncovering its context, and finding out what makes it tick.

This month, Steve is joined by journalist, critic and podcaster Sara Century to chat about The Out by Dan Abnett and Mark Harrison. Cyd Finlea is a photo-journalist working for the publishers Neographic. It has been a decade since she left Earth and travelled to into the deepest reassesses of outer space – otherwise known as THE OUT. Her encounters include meetings with strange alien societies and ex-pat humans, an experience that she shares with her trusty sentient backpack… This exciting new series comes from writer Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy) and features the inventive visuals of Mark Harrison.

The first collection of The Out is available from all good book and comic book stores, as well as online and from the 2000 AD webshop, and digitally from the 2000 AD webshop and app!

Broadcasting the second Saturday of every month, 2000 AD: The Deep Dive heads into the archive of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic to explore forgotten classics and hidden gems! Discover your new favourite comic with our fantastic new monthly show!

2000AD Prog 2419
Cover: Cliff Robinson / Dylan Teague (cols)

JUDGE DREDD // THE SHIFT by Ken Niemand (w) Nick Percival (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
FULL TILT BOOGIE // BOOK THREE by Alex de Campi (w) Eduardo Ocana (a) Giulia Brusco (a) Simon Bowland (l)
PORTALS & BLACK GOO // A QUORUM OF FIENDS by John Tomlinson (w) Eoin Coveney (a) Jim Boswell (c) Simon Bowland (l)
HAWK THE SLAYER // THE LAST OF HER KIND by Alec Worley (w) Simon Coleby (a) Gary Caldwell (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
FIENDS OF THE WESTERN FRONT // WILDE WEST by Ian Edginton (w) Tiernen Trevallion (a) Jim Campbell (l)

Cover Story: The 2000AD Design Art of Robin Smith by Karl Stock
Rebellion ISBN  ‎ 978-183786435-5, 12 February 2025, 176pp, £24.99. Available via Amazon.

The early 80s saw 2000 AD hit its golden era. With Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, Rogue Trooper, Sláine and more firing on all cylinders it became the UK’s most exciting and innovative comic. Its covers played no small part in its appeal, and those covers were the brainchild of Robin Smith whose job was to lay out a cover design to pass to an artist who would transform it into the finished product.
    This collection of some of Smith's cover layouts shows just how integral his ideas were to some of 2000 AD’s most famous and revered covers, and it’s a fascinating glimpse into the creative process.
    Featuring covers by some of the galaxy’s greatest artists, including Brian Bolland (The Killing Joke), Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), Carlos Ezquerra (Judge Dredd), Kevin O’Neill (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen), Mick McMahon (Judge Dredd), Ian Gibson (The Ballad of Halo Jones), Alan Davis (Captain Britain), Steve Dillon (Preacher), Cam Kennedy (Rogue Trooper), Massimo Belardinelli (Ace Trucking Co.), Eric Bradbury (Mytek The Mighty), Brett Ewins (Johnny Nemo), Glenn Fabry (Sláine), Ian Kennedy (Dan Dare), José Ortiz (The Thirteenth Floor), Cliff Robinson (Judge Dredd), Kim Raymond (Roy of the Rovers), Ron Smith (Judge Dredd), Brendan McCarthy (Rogan Gosh) and Bryan Talbot (Nemesis the Warlock).

Comic Cuts — 7 February 2025

I've had a bit of a lazy week and haven't moved as far forward as I should have. That said, corrections have been made to the first volume of our next project and I've busied myself finalising the text for the introductions of the second volume, which have required some trimming.

The first of two pieces that are going into volume two is almost done. I spent a whole afternoon on the opening page, which was going to be a dramatic spread of a brooding graveyard, but the end result was not nearly as good as I'd imagined. The next version was much better, but still wasn't quite right and I had to rethink again. I'm now on version 3, and I'm much happier now having switched to a three column format. You'll see, hopefully sometime in March.

One of my lazy days was partly spent re-reading Daredevil from the beginning of the Brian Michael Bendis era (2001). DD was the one comic I kept buying when I all-but quit American comics in around 2000, although I had been heavily cutting back during the previous five years until I was reading (a) Daredevil; (b) anything by Bendis, Alan Moore or Ed Brubaker. I would occasionally dip into a series that looked fun, but even that petered out after a few years.

Nowadays, my comic book reading is pretty much limited to whatever Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips put out. My current re-reading plan is to complete the Bendis and Brubaker eras (the 2000s) and then check out the more recent work of Chip Zdarsky (2019-23), which are available in two omnibus editions.

Mel and I are also working our way through the Daredevil TV show that Netflix put out in 2015-18. We watched season one last year and we're currently at the end of season two. We'll get to season three in the not-too-distant future, ahead of the relaunch on Disney+—Daredevil: Born Again—which is due to start on 4 March for a nine week run. So we should be able to get through three before bingeing Born Again.

The other show I'm watching is High Potential, which, coincidentally, is produced by Drew Goddard, who produced the Netflix Daredevil show. The two couldn't be more different (which is why I pair them together). This is a lighter-hearted, brighter, more bubbly police procedural with a fish-out-of-water female lead. She's a single mum of three kids with a 160 IQ who is taken on as a consultant on the agreement that her new boss will investigate the disappearance of her first husband many years earlier.

Its mystery of the week format means I can dip in and out whenever I fancy something light and fluffy.

When I heard about it, I thought it sounded a bit like a French show I'd heard about, Miss Holmes. This was about Sherlock's granddaughter who has a low-level job with the police but who proves to be invaluable in solving a case. Now, I have to admit that I've only seen half an episode because the auto-generated subtitles were absolutely awful, out of sync with the action and just meaningless in some instances. no point in watching a mystery show if you can't follow the plot...

However, I've just checked to see if there was any connection and it turns out that there was a French-Belgian show called HPI: Haut potential intellectuel that began broadcasting in 2021. By nefarious means I have tracked down some episodes where the subtitles seem OK, so I'll give that a watch over the next few days.

Also part of my lazy weekend, I managed to read a good chunk of Death in the Headlines, a 1951 crime thriller by Robert Sharp, who will be the subject of an essay at some point in the future. And I also started reading A Passion for Passion by Alice Fraser, which I have been waiting on for years since it was announced by Unbound. We're long-time fans of Fraser (podcaster with The Bugle, The Gargle) and always loved the "adverts" she produced for D'Ancey LaGarde's romantasy sci-fi novels (always with "a supernatural twist"). They're the sort of hot 'n' sexy books released as e-books with Fabio-inspired AI covers. You can hear a selection of them here... but only if you don't mind multiple mentions of voluptuous creamy breasts, voluminous penises and the need to bang.

Rebellion Releases — 5 February 2025

One of the most popular and influential British comic books of all time is to get its first new chapter in more than 40 years.

Created by writer Mike Butterworth and artist Don Lawrence, and running for almost two decades in the pages of Ranger and Look and Learn, The Trigan Empire has influenced generations of storytellers, including renowned film-maker Duncan Jones (Moon, Rogue Trooper).

Drawing heavily on ancient history and mythology, the series detailed the long-past events of an empire on the distant planet of Elekton. But it was Lawrence’s stunning painted artwork that made the series a groundbreaking hit, changing the face of the comic book medium and immersing readers in new worlds of imagination.

And now, for the first time since 1982 – the Trigan Empire will rise once again!

From the award-winning creative team of Michael Carroll (Judge Dredd, Dreadnoughts), and Tom Foster (Judge Dredd), New Adventures from the Trigan Empire picks up the torch to continue Butterworth and Lawrence's classic comics story.

This brand new original graphic novel will be published on 18 November in a luxurious hardcover edition, with a special numbered webshop edition available exclusively from the 2000 AD and Treasury of British webshops.

While the original series detailed the rise of the mighty Trigan Empire, this new graphic novel depicts its fall. Decades have passed since the empire reached its zenith and an ageing Emperor Trigo has started to think about who his successor may be. His right-hand man and nephew, Janno, is perceived as the natural successor - but Trigo's abandoned son, Nikko, has long harboured a grudge against his father and now, having built his own Empire whilst in exile, he's in perfect position to take revenge on his family and seize the Empire he believes is rightfully his....

Will the Trigan Empire rise... or fall? Don't miss the beginning of an incredible new saga!

Originally titled ‘The Rise and Fall of The Trigan Empire’, the series debuted in the first issue of children’s educational title Ranger in September 1965 and then in Look and Learn from June 1966, when the two titles merged. Unusually for the time, the strip was printed in full-colour, Lawrence’s lush and detailed painting accentuating the epic nature of Butterworth’s scripts, which drew heavily on the history and imagery of the ancient Greek and Roman civilisations, while also evoking the pulp serials of Flash Gordon and Garth, to create a rich and enthralling universe of stories. The series ran in Look and Learn until its closure in April 1982.

Since 2020, collected editions of the classic The Rise and Fall of The Trigan Empire have been a major sales hit for Rebellion, which now cares for the largest archive of English language comic books in the world. Measuring 20.96cm by 27.62cm, these editions present Lawrence’s artwork as it was meant to be seen and introducing its thrilling and entrancing storytelling to a whole new audience.

And now, this week's release...

2000AD Prog 2418
Cover: Nick Percival.

New! JUDGE DREDD // SHIFT by Ken Niemand (w) Nick Percival (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
New! FULL TILT BOOGIE // BOOK THREE by Alex de Campi (w) Eduardo Ocana (a) Giulia Brusco (a) Simon Bowland (l)
PORTALS & BLACK GOO // A QUORUM OF FIENDS by John Tomlinson (w) Eoin Coveney (a) Jim Boswell (c) Simon Bowland (l)
HAWK THE SLAYER // THE LAST OF HER KIND by Alec Worley (w) Simon Coleby (a) Gary Caldwell (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
FIENDS OF THE WESTERN FRONT // WILDE WEST by Ian Edginton (w) Tiernen Trevallion (a) Jim Campbell (l)

Comic Cuts — 31 January 2025

I'm progressing nicely with the new quartet of books to be published by Bear Alley. I have the first volume mostly done, with a foreword and part 1 of a biographical essay in place. I have some corrections to make, but I'm close to getting a proof copy printed.

I'm working on volume two at the same time, which will include two essays (one a continuation from volume one). They both need some editing at the moment, but I'll hopefully be back to that once I've finished writing this, which I'm doing in glorious sunshine on Thursday morning.

I've just come back from a wander down to the Post Office that I extended into a large figure of eight so that I was walking for half an hour. I'm trying to get out more because I'm still trying to lose a few pounds. I put on my usual three pounds over Christmas and I've shaved off two of them, thanks to a slight uptick in exercise and more soup lunches. But I need to lose more as I have doctors to satisfy that I'm doing something about my diabetes. Since the problem is what I'm eating and how much I'm exercising, it really is down to me to do the work.

I should add that I'm almost two stone lighter than I was in 2013. Unfortunately, I'm also a stone and a half heavier than what I managed to get down to in 2020 when, thanks (bizarrely) to Covid, Mel had to work from home so we were making best use of our exercise time and eating far more sensibly than I do when I'm on my own and the temptation just to make sandwiches or rolls becomes too much...bread is my Kryptonite!

I had to have a blood test on Monday which went a bit awry. The veins in my elbow area (where a doctor will normally take blood) are not close to the skin and seem to be retreating into my arms. Usually one or the other will offer up a vein if you tap for a bit. This time, nothing, so I had to have the blood taken from my hand. I've no idea how common this is, but it's a first for me. And while that was happening, all I could think was that I'd make the world's worst heroin addict. Can you get high from licking it or just rubbing it on your arm?

Before this takes too dark a turn, I'll bring this week's news to a close with a plug for Alan Clark's British Comics of the Silver Age, reviewed recently. Unfortunately, I managed to post the review eleven minutes after the last copy sold on Alan's eBay store (7.21am, with my post going up at 7.32!). The good news is that there should be more copies available from today (Friday). Just don't ask me when.

(* If you've read my book Beyond the Void, you might recognise the two artists of the Brown Watson westerns that make up this week's column header. They are Stanley Nicholson and Ed Blandford, who were both featured in the book. These images are from Ray Steptoe, who has been scanning a great many westerns over on Facebook.)

Commando 5823-5826

Tally-ho, Commando fans! Have we got a set for you – with not one, but two Ian Kennedy covers, two brand new stories, and more action than you can shake a cursed Bren gun at! Issues 5823-5826 go on sale from today, Thursday 30th January 2025!

5823: Countdown to Murder

SIX… Special Operation Executive agents went on the mission to destroy a German radio base on the coast of occupied France.
FIVE… of them were French, the final was their British liaison, Captain Mark Bradshaw.
FOUR… of the agents were men. Excluding Bradshaw, their names were Ronald, Veran and Yves.
THREE… of the six wanted to kill the German SS officer they had captured, the others wanted him alive for questioning.
TWO… were women, Olivia and Brigitte. Both were trained in deadly combat against the Nazis.
ONE of them was a murderer and they were going to kill until there were none left alive. It was a countdown to murder and time was running out!
    You can always count on Commando to deliver thrilling stories, and this murderous tale is sure to number among your all-time favourites! A spy thriller meets a whodunnit, Rossa McPhillips’ nail-biting script holds all the tension of a ticking timebomb!

Story: Rossa McPhillips
Art: Marc Viure
Cover: Marco Bianchini

5824: Project “Doomsday”

In a Nazi Air Ministry building in Berlin, a heavy file of documents and blueprints contained the secrets of a weapon which had been designed to win the war for Hitler. British Intelligence knew it by two words only — two words which could mean death and destruction for every man, woman and child in Britain — Project “Doomsday”.
    As we’ve said, both our gold and silver issues in this set feature outstanding cover art from the masterful Ian Kennedy, which if you ask us is reason enough to pick them up. If that’s not enough, though, maybe a rip-roaringly dangerous mission to foil a Nazi rocket launch is enough to whet your appetite!

Story: E Hebden
Art: Galindo
Cover: Ian Kennedy

5825: Unlucky Gun

Normandy, 1944. Superstitious young soldier, Sam Draper, has just joined a new unit. Unfortunately, the bullying Corporal Eric Grimes seems to have it in for Sam from the offset! Things only get worse when his unit are sent to Normandy to fight the SS, and Sam’s placed in charge of a Bren light machine gun. The problem is, everyone who handled the gun beforehand has met an unfortunate fate. Could the Bren really be cursed?
    Now we’re not superstitious, but it’d be pretty bad luck to miss out on this issue. Cursed or not, you can expect a lot of machine-gun fire, high stakes action and derring-do - you’d be better off breaking a mirror!

Story: Ferg Handley
Art: Paolo Ongaro
Cover: Marco Bianchini

5826: Traitor to His Country

When in Belgium, do as the Belgians do — or die! That was good advice for Ray Verheyen, a young pilot stranded in enemy-occupied territory with Germans everywhere. Luckily, he was in a position to take it, for he’d grown up there and could speak the language fluently.
But Ray knew, with good reason, even that was no real safeguard. After all, hadn’t his own father, born and bred in Belgium, disappeared without trace?
    Our second Ian Kennedy cover of the set – don’t say we’re not good to you! It’s not often we visit Belgium in Commando but believe us when we say this story makes up for that in the sheer number of twists and turns!

Story: Bernard Gregg
Art: Philpott
Cover: Ian Kennedy