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.

• 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.
• 13 Feb. The Comics Journal's Tom Shapira looks at the collaborations of Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows, who have worked together on The Punisher, Ribbon Queen and 303. "These comics are as grimly written and they are drawn, some of them are the closest approximation I’ve seen on the comics page to Cormac McCarthy."
• 12 Feb. Tripwire interviews Pat Mills about his new Great War comic, Ragtime Soldier, currently a Kickstarter project. "The name Ragtime Soldier comes from how the British soldiers sang, ‘We are Fred Karno’s Army, The Ragtime Infantry, we cannot fight, we cannot shoot, what earthly use are we?’ They sang it to the hymn The Church’s One Foundation!  That’s so Monty Python! Fred Karno was the king of slapstick and promoter of Charlie Chaplin."
• 6 Feb. The fallout from Diamond Distributors going into Chapter 11 bankruptcy has affected deliveries to Diamond UK (which is unconnected and a going concern); a deal is now in place with Image, who are exclusively distributed by Lunar in the US. However, Diamond will no longer carry titles by Mad Cave Studios or TwoMorrows, who are also distributed by Lunar. The latter in particular is a pain in the bum as they publish quite a few decent magazines and reference books like AlterEgo and The Jack Kirby Collector. Rich Johnson has more.
• 3 Feb. After months of allegations, a civil lawsuit has been filed against Neil Gaiman, suing him on counts of rape, human trafficking and more by a former nanny, Scarlett Pavlovich. The lawsuit also names Amanda Palmer for her role in "procuring" Pavlovich. I would suggest that you think carefully before you read the 28-page complaint, which is graphic and detailed.

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

Rebellion Releases — 29 January 2025

Continuing our collection of one of British comics’ most famous and beloved characters – Robot Archie – The Treasury of British Comics are excited to reveal the next addition to the run! Robot Archie and The World of the Future, to be released on 10 September, is now available for pre-order in paperback or webshop-exclusive hardback editions!

Originally built by Professor C.R. Ritchie, the mechanical being known as Robot Archie was employed to battle injustices around the world. First published in Lion Comic, Robot Archie’s adventures are now reprinted for the first time in over fifty years! This volume also includes a one-off story which finds Archie face-to-face with The Spider, The King of Crime.

Together with the Professor’s nephew, Ted Ritchie and his best friend Ken Dale, Archie is travelling in a temperamental time-machine called ‘The Castle.’ Desperate to get back to their own time, the trio land in the middle of a future alien invasion. Can Archie defeat the sinister Krulls on his own?

Robot Archie and the World of the Future is available now for pre-order in standard or webshop-exclusive editions. The webshop-exclusive edition features a brand new cover from artist Simon Williams!

This second collection in the series includes the stories:

Robot Archie and the World of the Future, originally printed in Lion, 18th January 1969 – 26th April 1969
Robot Archie and the Island of 1000 Secrets, originally published in Lion, 3rd May 1969 – 2nd August 1969
Robot Archie in No-Man’s Land, originally published in Lion, 9th August 1969 – 18th October 1969
Robot Archie, originally published in Lion Annual 1971
Robot Archie Vs, The Spider, originally published in Lion Holiday Special 1980

And now, this week's releases...

2000AD Prog 2417
Cover: Mark Harrison.

New! JUDGE DREDD // DOG'S LIFE by Mike Carroll (w) Nicolo Assirelli (a) John Charles (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
FIENDS OF THE WESTERN FRONT // WILDE WEST by Ian Edginton (w) Tiernen Trevallion (a) Jim Campbell (l)
PORTALS & BLACK GOO // A QUORUM OF FIENDS by John Tomlinson (w) Eoin Coveney (a) Jim Boswell (c) Simon Bowland (l)
THE OUT // BOOK FOUR by Dan Abnett (w) Mark Harrison (a) Simon Bowland (l)
HAWK THE SLAYER // THE LAST OF HER KIND by Alec Worley (w) Simon Coleby (a) Gary Caldwell (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)

Battle Action Vol.3 #6
Cover: Andy Clarke.

JOHNNY RED // A COUPLE OF HEROES by Garth Ennis (w) Keith Burns (a) Jason Wordie (c) Rob Steen (l)
HELLMAN // A WALK IN THE WOODS by Garth Ennis (w) Mike Dorey (a) Rob Steen (l)

Essential Rogue Trooper: The Traitor General by Gerry Finley-Day & Cam Kennedy, et al.
Rebellion ISBN 978-183786437-9, 29 January 2025, 208pp, £21.99. Available via Amazon.

The second volume in the Essential line featuring 2000 AD’s legendary war machine, Rogue Trooper!
    Rogue Trooper, the last of the GIs, continues his hunt for the man responsible for the Quartz Zone Massacre, which cost the lives of his comrades. After narrowing his list of suspects to four high-ranking officers, Rogue travels to a downed satellite which serves as the hideout of the Marauders, a renegade force of deserters and space bandits. But the hunter becomes the hunted when Rogue falls into a trap set by the Marauders’ leader – the Traitor General himself!
    Written by Gerry Finley-Day and Gordon Rennie, with art by Cam Kennedy, Colin Wilson and P.J. Holden, this volume concludes the hunt for the Traitor General

Judge Dredd: A Better World by Rob Williams, Arthur Wyatt (w) & Henry Flint, Jake Lynch, Boo Cook (a)
Rebellion ISBN 978-183786421-8, 29 January 2025, 1444pp, £19.99. Available via Amazon.

A Better World is a modern Judge Dredd classic, a powerful story focusing on a large-scale experiment with the aim of making Mega-City One a better place for the citizens who live there, but if the experiment is successful them the power of the Judges could well be destroyed.
    Writers Rob Williams and Arthur Wyatt, with artist Henry Flint, craft a taut political thriller that challenges readers to reassess what they think of the world of Judge Dredd.

Comic Papers of the Silver Age by Alan Clark

Like an ambassador offering us some cheap but delicious chocolate treats, Alan Clark is spoiling us with a double helping of new books covering the Silver Age of British comics (1950-69).

If you have seen any of his previous publications, you'll know the drill by now. Each volume contains a wealth of illustration, interspersed with brief essays on comics, editors and artists, with the occasional side-step into history (in this instance, the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth).

The two volumes run to an astonishing 620 pages, with Eagle the starting point and chapters on Lion, Tiger, Comet, etc., Gerald G. Swan and some of the 'pirate' publishers, Len Miller, Marvelman, picture libraries, girls' comics, Denis McLoughlin, the end of Fleetway ... we then move into volume two for DC Thomson, Leo Baxendale and the Power Comics, romance comics, TV comics, Valiant and other Fleetway and non-Fleetway titles of the Sixties, more pocket libraries, Classics Illustrated, Alan Class, Thorpe & Porter, World Distributors and Atlas. Phew!

If you're thinking "Well, I know about [name your subject of expertise]." It's unlikely that you'll have the broad knowledge and images on display here. I'm a collector of forty-five years and there were nice surprises dotted throughout both books. My favourite image has to be a stand for Gerald Swan at a trade fair, which I think should finally put a stop to the notion that Swan was a minor publisher. I still class him as one of the wartime pirate publishers, but his output was huge over a period of twenty or so years.

There's also a photo of Eric Roberts, Joan Whitford and Reg Bunn. I know from years of research that photos of creators are like gold dust, and Alan has gathered together more than anyone, especially of Golden Age creators.

As with all of Alan's books, these are published in limited numbers, which makes them pricey, but I'd recommend them nevertheless. Get 'em while you can. They're available as a pair via eBay, priced £40.

Comic Papers of the Silver Age 1950-1969 Book One by Alan Clark.
Alan Clark, January 2025, 310pp, unpriced.
Comic Papers of the Silver Age 1950-1969 Book Two by Alan Clark.
Alan Clark, January 2025, 310pp, unpriced.

Comic Cuts — 24 January 2025

It was tax return week, as I promised myself that I'd get them done before the mad rush. I always try to get them done early- or mid-January and last Friday was my deadline. After a lot of number crunching on my calculator I proved what I already suspected — I'm earning only a little more than the average freelance writer. Enough to pay the rent and bills, but not much more.

I don't have kids, I don't have a car, I don't have holidays, I don't have a taste for high-end trainers, and my mobile phone is eight years old and third-hand. I'm on a pay-as-you-go contract and most of the time it's turned off because I'm within arm's reach of a landline. What I'm saying is that I live within my means.

I think that's also the case for a lot of people, both writers and artists, but, rather than talk about changing jobs, I'm sure to a man or woman they would say, "Support me by buying more of my books" or "Let the editor know you like my artwork/illustrations".  This is the career I chose and it has supported me for the last thirty-five years. I'm not giving up now... I wouldn't know what else to do!

Being thrifty, I'm a dab hand with a sewing needle when jumper sleeves start to fray. I'm also starting to do some running repairs to some old paperbacks, including the one pictured at the top of this column. It's a 1957 film tie-in to the 1956 movie Private's Progress by Alan Hackney, originally published in 1954 and was very popular in its day. The SR Boldero cover shows Richard Attenborough, Ian Carmichael, Kenneth Griffith and Terry Thomas.

The book was in a state when I picked it up in a junk shop some time in the 1980s, probably for not much more than the 6d. (2½p) someone has written on the cover. The cover was loose, torn and the pages of the book were held together by sellotape. Some pages had become entirely detached.

It didn't take too long to fix. I cut a bit of tissue and covered in with glue to bind the pages together at the spine and added a tiny amount of glue where pages had been detached. I used a bit of an old envelope to fill the gap at the bottom of the spine and glued the cover back on. A lightly dampened cloth removed most of the ring on the back cover. I didn't try to do anything with the torn corner as the book is still in very poor condition. But there's at least one more read left in it now and the pages don't fall out when I take it off the shelf.

Work on the next book from Bear Alley is progressing steadily. I have drafts of three introductory pieces, although two need work. But I thought I'd go back to the layouts as there was still quite a bit to do. I spent Tuesday and Wednesday cleaning up scans and creating a header for the books, which means most of the furniture is now in place. All (All! Ha!) I have to do now is get the introductions sorted... and everything else that goes on in order to get these books out. But I've taken at least a couple of steps in the right direction...

Tree update. I mentioned last week that there the local council were intent on cutting down a tree. A small group of people were unhappy with this, especially the sneaky way the whole thing was being handled, which includes, but is not limited to, trying to shut down the adjacent car park for unnamed "works" and signing an NDA in order to see the surveyors reports submitted to the insurance company. Should the latter prove that the tree is a danger, why not make the report public and allow some discussion of the situation? Legal experts are now involved. There's a further update here.