Comic Cuts — 10 January 2025

I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things after a welcome Christmas and New Year break. I mentioned last week that I had sidelined myself into writing a probably unnecessary article on the history of newsprint rationing during and just after the Second World War (1940-56). Well, that came about because I wanted to write about why newspapers were still dramatically reduced in size all the way to the mid-1950s, and rationing didn't come to an end until December 1956, yet new publications were allowed from 1950 and could use as much paper as they wanted.

(The short answer is the sheer number of newspapers and the scale that they were published at, with some selling up to four million copies daily. That uses a lot of newsprint compared to, say, a comic which might be half the size and might have a weekly circulation that's only a tenth of what a newspaper sells. In cold terms of tonnage of newsprint, periodicals used only a fraction compared to newspapers.)

Anyway, once I'd got that out of my system, I was able to get on with what I was planning to write, which is some notes towards putting together a new comic index. This is something new, not the Valiant or Action projects I've previously mentioned, but is one that I've wanted to do for years. More news at some point.

I had that completed on Monday, and then there was some work needed on an obituary I'd written for The Guardian about sf writer Barry N Malzberg, who sadly passed away in December. It's a shame our broadsheet newspapers have all cut back on publishing obituaries, with the loss of The Independent (now online only and no obituary page) especially felt. The Guardian is no longer a broadsheet and doesn't cover as wide a spectrum any more, although I have also been turned down because they're overstocked. I'm the first to admit that some authors I like are rather niche, but they still deserve to be recognised and remembered. That said, George Zebrowski died on the day after Malzberg and even I thought it not worth while trying to get something in print. (And it would have meant working over Christmas...)

So now I'm back on the next comic book reprint from Bear Alley and trying to get the introductions to volume two written as there are two fairly substantial essays planned for inclusion. I've spent a couple of days chopping down some 15,000 words of notes and turning them into something readable and it will probably take a couple more because I'm going to have to be quite savage.

After that, another essay to write and then, maybe, I can start doing layouts. That should keep me busy well into February.

Pics this week are a few odds and ends picked up over the past couple of months.

Rebellion Releases — 8 January 2025

So that was 2024 – but what were some of the highlights of the past 12 Thrill-powered months? Molch-R and KLO-E are joined by critic and journalist Sam Thielman as they pick their favourites from 2000 AD and the Treasury of British Comics this year, as well as a top pick from beyond the House of Tharg. Join them as they give their opinions on what tickled their Thrill-receptors in 2024!

And stay tuned to the end for some exciting news about what’s in store from the 2000 AD Thrill-Cast in 2025!

And now, this week's release...

2000AD Prog 2414
Cover: Tiernen Trevallion

New! JUDGE DREDD // SOFT by Rob Williams & Arthur Wyatt (w) Jake Lynch (a) Matt Soffe (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)

• 7 Jan. Encore – The Art of Liam Sharp Exhibition opened in Madeira at the Centro Cultural e de Investigação do Funchal in December and runs until 18 Feb. Curated by Roberto Macedo Alves of local comic publisher Sétima Dimensão, it features 71 pieces including original art. "The exhibition’s goal is to celebrate Liam Sharp’s creativity and highlight the breadth and depth of his work, a creator internationally recognised for his groundbreaking work in comics. The display balances his commercially successful projects for Marvel and DC with his independent, experimental, and creator-owned endeavours."
  
• 3 Jan. Bryan Talbot talks about his new graphic novel, The Legend of Luther Arkwright. "It must be hard now for readers to imagine what the US and UK comic world was like back in the late 70s when, except for the relatively few underground publications, comics were produced solely for a young adolescent target audience. The vast majority were bland, repetitive fare. There  was no blood, no swearing, no sex, no politics, religion, philosophy etc etc. There were no equivalents to adult novels and films in comics. That’s what I tried to do."
  
• 1 Jan. As Tintin enters the public domain in the USA, Rich Johnson covers the first of what might be many modern revivals in Fabrice Sapolsky's The Big Lie.
  
• 1 Jan 2025. The Beat takes a look back over the past year in 2000AD, reviewing a year of of Progs from 2024.
  
• 26 Dec. Mail on Sunday cartoonist Stan 'Mac' McMurtry wins the Oldie's Lead in his Pencil Award. The Oldie of the Year win is also celebrated by MailOnline. "Receiving his special ‘old lead in his pencil’ honour at a ceremony in London, Mac said: ‘You’ve made an oldie feel very much a youngie.’"
  
• 25 Dec. Dave Gibbons' Christmas Day Message. "In FP's answer to the annual UK Royal Christmas Message, Andrew Sumner is joined [by] his old pal Dave Gibbons, to talk about many festive things, including: Dave's recent status as a freshly-minted grandfather; Dave's wonderful Illustrated memoir (CONFABULATION!); [and] his all-new book EARLY GIGS: UNDERGROUND COMICS 1970-1973 (collecting the comics that Dave cut his teeth on)"
• .... a year old, but here's an interview with Dave Gibbons about his career, from teaching himself to draw to becoming Britain's Comics' Laureate.
  
• 23 Dec Forbidden Planet TV interviews Michael Moorcock about Saga Press's new edition of the Von Bek stories, Titan's recent archive editions of Moorcock's Multiverse, and to announce an upcoming graphic novel version of The Warhound and the World's Pain.
  
• 23 Dec. Tripwire interviews David Roach. "The image that sticks in mind the most is a Sanjulian Christmas cover that appeared on Creepy #59, featuring Santa with a large bloody axe…once seen never forgotten!"
  
• 17 Dec. Forbidden Planet have posted footage of the recent Battle Action signing with Garth Ennis, John Macrea, Rob Williams, Keith Burns, Torunn Grønbekk and Steve White. (video, 17m)
  
• 6 Dec. Winners of the 2024 Ellwood Atfield Political Cartoon of the Year. Jeremy Banx was named Pocket Cartoonist of the Year.
  
• 5 Dec. Virtual Memories has an interview with Eddie Campbell, talking about his new book Kate Carew: America's First Great Woman Cartoonist  "which explores turn-of-the-(20th)-century artist, cartoonist, illustrator, caricaturist, interviewer & journalist Kate Carew. We get into how Eddie discovered Kate’s work while researching The Goat-Getters, how Kate wound up interviewing the  likes of Mark Twain, Picasso, the Wright Brothers, and other celebs (& non-celebs) of her time... and why he had to pull a page from this book due to a complaint from the printer. " (1h 27m)
  
• 26 Nov. Cartoonist Steve Bell unveils a new exbibition at the London Cartoon Museum, showcasing 40 years of King Charles III cartoons, styled like the Bayeux Tapestry. A walkthrough of The Windsor Tapestry on its private view night is available at the link. (5m)

Comic Cuts — 3 January 2025

Happy New Year!

I'm writing this last thing on Thursday evening, still trying to catch up on sleep as we partied into the wee hours of New Year's Day, although I'm of an age now that there isn't much booze involved and we make sure the TV is on for the fireworks. 

I've not been entirely unproductive as there was an obituary to write and I sidelined myself and wrote a lengthy piece on the history of newsprint rationing during the war. It was meant to be a couple of paragraphs to explain why magazines were able to appear while newspapers were still capped to six or so pages. As is often the case, it got away from me and went from two or three paragraphs to three pages.

Inspired by the Repair Shop and one or two online videos, I was inspired to repair an old Fontana Agatha Christie that I picked up on a trip into town. The cover was nice, not too creased, and it was one I didn't have. Unfortunately, the cover was also detached from the book and the lower third of the spine was missing. I recently bought some bookbinding glue that is clear when it dries and thought this was a good place to start before attacking some of my older books that have damage, but which a careful application of glue might save them for another generation.

As the covers of 1950s paperbacks (the Agatha was from 1959) were not much better than paper, I simply cut out a short strip of paper and glued that in place; once dried it meant that the cover had a complete spine to stick back onto the rest of the book. Once that was done and allowed to dry, it looked pretty good.

From the photo above you'll see that the repairs at the top and bottom of the spine is pretty obvious. I might experiment with a bit of acrylic paint to see if I can match the yellowed paper of the damaged bit of the spine, just to make the repair slightly less obvious, but I'm not too fussed as the book is intended for my shelf of Christie's rather than being offered for sale.

I've glued down a couple of flaps that have come loose on other books, but I want to practice on a few more books that I can live without before attacking something that's collectable or expensive.

My plans are to potter around for a couple more days and then get back to work next week. Hopefully, that means news of the next couple of Bear Alley Books' projects can be announced in the not-too-distant future.

Have a fantastic 2025, everyone, and I'll hopefully see lots of you at book fairs and comic swap meets over the next few months.

Commando 5815-5818

It’s beginning to look a lot like… time for some new issues of Commando! The last batch of the year 2024 in fact, and what a year it’s been too! We’re closing 2024 in the usual way – with lots of explosions! Issues 5815-5818 go on sale from today, the 2nd January 2025!

5815: Shadow on the Sea

The North Atlantic, 1941. Captain Thomas Bright and the crew of the HMS Dandelion are tasked with escorting merchant ships carrying food and supplies to Britain. German U-boats lurk beneath the waves, threatening to destroy the ships at any moment.
    Help comes in the unlikely form of Shadow, the new ship’s cat, whose keen eyes and hearing could make the difference in fighting the unseen enemy!
    You gotta be kitten me – a Commando about a cat? Let us purrsuade you – this clawsome adventure contains all the meowtstanding action and adventure you’ve come to expect, all from an unlikely source. We’re telling mew, it’s the cat’s pyjamas!

Story: Andrew Knighton
Art: Jaume Forns
Cover: Neil Roberts

5816: Find the Traitor

The brave partisans hidden high in the snow-clad mountains of Yugoslavia had a tough time keeping out of the clutches of the Nazis — especially with that Fieseler Storch reconnaissance aircraft seeking them out.
    But with the Yugoslavians were Nick Bradford and Stan Waterman, two RAF lads who’d been shot down and stranded. They decided that somehow, they’d get hold of that Storch — and use it to spy on the Germans!
    We’re always dreaming of a white Christmas, so this snow-capped adventure from 1971 seemed very fitting, and that outstanding cover from the masterful Ian Kennedy is just the ribbon on top!

Story: RA Montague
Art: V Fuente
Cover: Ian Kennedy

5817: Sergeant Rayker

Last seen in Warlord in 1984, Sergeant Moses Rayker returns for another adventure!
    In 1944, during a daring escape over the Italian mountains, Rayker and his squad encounter a familiar face. Buford ‘Bubba’ Ballard clashed with Rayker before the war, and Ballard still holds a grudge. Nonetheless, Rayker knows his duty is to escort Ballard past the German checkpoints and safely home. Can both men keep their cool long enough to survive? Or will Rayker end up smacking the tar outta him before they make it back?
    It's the moment we’ve all been waiting for! After 40 years out of print, Sergeant Rayker makes his triumphant debut in the pages of Commando – and what a comeback it is! Rayker is just as tough as he’s ever been, and with fresh artwork and an incredible cover from the one and only Mike Dorey, this is one issue you won’t want to miss!

Story: Dominic Teague
Art: Mike Dorey
Cover: Mike Dorey

5818: Pop’s Army

A bunch of teenage French boys commanded by a British schoolmaster couldn’t cause the Nazi invaders that much trouble, could they?
    You bet they could!
    This batch of stories really is full of surprises – first a cat and now schoolboys! Deep down of course, we all wish our school days had been half as exciting as what these boys get up to!

Story: Bernard Gregg
Art: Ruiz
Cover: Ian Kennedy

Comic Cuts — 20 December 2024

I'm trying to get a few things finished ahead of Christmas and doing pretty well. As well as my own upcoming projects—I'm working on the first two volumes of a comic strip reprint—I've also been helping out on a couple of books for publication abroad, one in Germany and another in Spain.

The latter two both feature the work of Don Lawrence and I've become involved because of my earlier works on Don. In 2023, All Verlag did an expansion of my Don Lawrence Scrapbook, published as an Illustrators special in 2018, and I have been working on the third volume for publication next year. I wrote an introduction earlier this week, and gathered together a load of images to illustrate the piece. I believe I have the last two scans we need to hand and they should be heading off later today.

The second book is a reprint of the Wells Fargo & Pony Express book I did back in 2010 for Book Palace, which is to have a Spanish edition. I'm hoping that they will accept my original introduction, which had nothing to do with the comic strips themselves, but instead was a history of transport across America from the days of... well, Wells Fargo and the Pony Express and how they were replaced by rail and road over the next century. It might not be your usual cup of tea, but I must confess that I was incredibly happy with the way it came together and I put it up as a Kindle ebook ten years ago. I don't suppose it has been read by more than a handful of people in that time, but at least it's out there.

I have similar thoughts about the Forgotten Authors series... they don't sell in any great numbers, but it's my way of pulling together what information I can on these obscure authors and making it available to the handful of readers who are interested. Volume six has been on my mind as I'm writing an essay for it now, although it will perform double duties as I can reuse the research in one of my next books. I've also got my eye on another author I want to write about and have just spent a little too much money filling in a few gaps in my meagre collection of his novels, which spanned science fiction, horror, spy thriller, romance and murder mystery. I have some fun reading to do before I put fingers to keyboard!

As this will be the final post for the year, I should do some sort of wrap-up for Bear Alley Books. It has been our busiest year since before the pandemic. Post-Covid (2020-23), I was doing a lot of scanning for Spanish and Italian publishers which caused a number of projects to be put aside. The plan was to restock my bank account so that Bear Alley wasn't on such a rocky financial footing, but slow (and no) payments meant that by early-2023 things looked pretty precarious.

Thankfully the prompt payment from some publishers (thank you Editoriale Cosmo, All Verlag and the folk at Die sprechblase), some work for the Guardian and some paying gigs writing introductions, kept me afloat at what was a difficult time for both Mel – who was made unemployed when Aceville was closed down – and I.

Things have picked up a bit since then and I've managed to get THE TRIALS OF HANK JANSON, BEYOND THE VOID, FORGOTTEN AUTHORS Volume 5 and DREAMING OF UTOPIA published in a fourteen month period, as well as putting out two comic reprints, HIGH SEAS AND HIGH ADVENTURES and THE PHANTOM PATROL, and getting a friend's book into print, FEMALE DETECTIVES IN EARLY CRIME FICTION 1841-1920.

I hope that I can keep up the pace and we will have another half-a-dozen books out next year.

With new books appearing regularly, sales have been a lot better compared to 2021-23, although not quite so good as 2020, when I had five books out. My best years, incidentally, were 2014 and 2013, the former thanks to the publication of my Countdown book, which continues to sell, albeit at a much slower pace. Here's the Top 10 sellers for the year 2024:

1    Beyond the Void
2    Phantom Patrol
3    High Seas and High Adventures
4    Dreaming of Utopia
5    Countdown to TV Action
6    Eagles Over the Western Front
7    Trials of Hank Janson
8    Hurricane & Champion
9    Lion: King of Picture Story Papers
10    Ranger: The National Boys' Magazine

The first four places were books newly out this year, but Countdown and Eagles Over the Western Front both continue to sell in (low) double-digits (and getting lower as we move down the chart!)

We had our "works outing" on Wednesday... in other words, me and Mel went down the pub for the Bear Alley Books Xmas Party... Merry Christmas everyone. Have a wonderful holiday and don't drink too much on New Year's Eve. See you in 2025.

Commando 5811-5814

The festive season approaches, here’s an early Christmas gift – four dazzling Commando new issues! Issues 5811-5814 go on sale from today, Thursday 19th December 2024!

5811: Krampusnacht

On a freezing Christmas Eve in Germany, SS Major Metzger prevails upon an old woman for shelter while his prisoners shiver outside. In the firelight, he listens as she regales him with an eerie tale from her childhood.
    It is a tale of ancient folk customs and arrogant tyrants, of rattling chains in the dark of the woods. A tale of the dreadful fate that awaits cruel and wicked souls at the vengeful hands of Krampus!
    What’s that coming down the chimney!? A chilling tale of winter terror from the devilish mind of Daniel McGachey, this festive frightfest is sure to keep you awake until Christmas Day!

Story: Daniel McGachey
Art: Vicente Alcazar
Cover: Simon Pritchard

5812: Battle Drop

Down through the night floated the British paratroopers, every man trained to razor-sharp efficiency. And on the ground waiting to do battle with these invaders were German paratroopers – the toughest soldiers in the Wehrmacht.
    The fighting would be grim when the two units clashed… but neither side imagined they’d soon be banding together to fight shoulder to shoulder against a third enemy!
    The Wehrmacht aren’t the only enemy the Brits have to contend with in this classic reprint. No danger of you dropping this issue – you’ll be gripped right to the end!

Story: Allan
Art: Collado
Cover: Gonzalez

5813: Union Jack Jackson: Clear Sky Storm

He’s back! Union Jack Jackson is storming ashore on the Pacific Island of Inazuma to kick the Japanese out for good!
    With a little help from his pals Sean O’Bannion and Sergeant Art Lonnigan, Union Jack Jackson must find an airfield which has been launching devastating attacks on US Navy convoys. But the Brit soon gets more than he bargained for when he sees aircraft being launched from the back of a submarine!
    Now Union Jack Jackson has no choice but to ‘SINK THAT AIRSTRIP’!
    Union Jack Jackson makes a triumphant return to Commando pages in a brand-new story from the masterful Dominic Teague. Full of lightning-quick one-liners, thunderous action and dazzling artwork from Paulo Ongaro, this is one you won’t want to miss!

Story: Dominic Teague
Art: Paulo Ongaro
Cover: Neil Roberts

5814: Saved from the Desert

Corporal Tim Jolly and his mate Lofty Peae knew that the only thing that kept their squadron’s aircrafts flying was the giant transporter that they used to recover crashed planes. In the desert, with spares almost unobtainable, every usable part they brought back was worth its weight in gold.
    But then one day a bossy new officer arrived and started giving stupid orders. He had no experience of the desert, and Tim and Lofty knew he would bring trouble... but they had no idea just how much!
    Is there anything worse than getting bossed around by someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing? Imagine that when you’re under fire in the hellish heat of the desert! A scorchingly sandy story with a blistering cover by Ian Kennedy.

Story: RA Montague
Art: Carmona
Cover: Ian Kennedy

Rebellion Releases — 18 December 2024

Button Man is an action-packed thriller, deservedly regarded as one of the greatest strips ever to be published in 2000 AD and a high point in the career of Arthur Ranson, whose photo-realistic artwork astonished readers. Written by John Wagner, the series follows military vet Harry Ex, who returns to England with no idea what to do with his new domestic life. When he gets contacted by an old comrade, however, he finds himself drawn into a vast and strange new world. He is hired to be a “Button Man”: paid by unseen powerful men to engage in underground shootouts to the death with other professional killers.

After surviving his first fight and making his name in the scene, Harry finds himself dragged deeper and deeper into the world – but each shootout could be his last. How long can Harry keep this up, especially when his thirst for violence finds himself at odds with the shadowy figures who hired him in the first place?

Written by Judge Dredd co-creator John Wagner and fully-drawn by Arthur Ranson in this run, Button Man is also currently being adapted into a TV series by The Fall Guy director David Leitch.

Arthur Ranson has long been one of 2000 AD’s most popular artists; having made his initial impact working on Judge Anderson, he teamed up with John Wagner to create the highly acclaimed Button Man series, and later worked with Alan Grant for Mazeworld. He has also co-created the character of pyrokinetic Mega-City One citizen Juliet November, and illustrated both Judge Dredd and several Future Shocks.

This Apex Edition reprints nearly 200 pages from the first three stories, newly scanned from the original art, printed at the size the pages were drawn, and without the inclusion of the dialogue balloons, to give you a real insight into Arthur Ranson’s meticulous work. Each page of this book has been scanned directly from Ranson’s art and presents each page as if you were looking at it in person!

The Button Man by Arthur Ranson Apex Edition will be released in as a Standard Edition available from comic book stores via Diamond Distribution and the 2000 AD webshop; and as a webshop-exclusive edition with special slipcase. This limited edition slipcase version also features a tip-in sheet featuring the cover art for 2000 AD Prog 789, individually signed by Arthur Ranson.

Note: Unlike previous Apex editions (which measured 47.5 x 36.5cm / 19 x 14") this volume is 36.1 x 27.6cm / 14 x 10" reflecting the smaller size of the original Button Man artwork.

And now, this week's releasees...

2000AD Prog 2413
Cover: Andy Clarke.

JUDGE DREDD // LIFE LESSONS by Ken Niemand (w) David Roach (a) Chris Blythe (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)
THISTLEBONE // THE EEL OF HARROWVALE POND by T.C. Eglington (w) Simon Davis (a)
AZIMUTH // SANTA'S LITTLE HELPERS by Dan Abnett (w) Tazio Bettin (a) Matt Soffe (c) Jim Campbell (l)
ROGUE TROOPER // HOLIDAY IN THE HOTZONE by Karl Stock (w) Ilias Kyriazis (a) 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)
FUTURE SHOCKS // TIS THE SEASON FOR TAKING by Rob Williams (w) Pye Parr (a & l)
STRONTIUM DOG // DOGHOUSE ROSES by Garth Ennis (w) Henry Flint (a) Rob Steen (l)

Judge Dredd Megazine #475
Cover: Chrstian Ward.

JUDGE DREDD // COMING TO TOWN by Ken Niemand (w) Paul Marshall (a) Dylan Teague (c) 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)
JUDGE DREDD: FALSE WITNESS by Brandon Easton (w) Kei Zama (a) Eva De La Cruz (c) Shawn Lee (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)

Battle Action Volume 3 #5
Cover: Tom Foster.

JOHNNY RED // A COUPLE OF HEROES by Garth Ennis (w) Keith Burns (a) Jason Wordie (c) Rob Steen (l)
DEATH GAME 1999 by Dan Abnett (w) Tom Foster (a) Rob Steen (l)

The Stainless Steel Rat Colour Omnibus by Kelvin Gosnell and Carlos Ezquerra
Rebellion ISBN 978-183786273-3, 18 December 2024, 208p, £24.99. Available via Amazon.

The 2000 AD adaptation of Harry Harrison's classic science-fiction novels by Kelvin Gosnell and Carlos Ezquerra returns in a new full color omnibus!
    James Bolivar DiGriz aka 'The Stainless Steel Rat' is many things - a con man, a thief, and a member of an elite law-enforcement agency known as the Special Corps. After escaping the corps, DiGriz crosses paths with the beautiful but deadly Angelina who, like Jim DiGriz, is also a master criminal, albeit a lot more ruthless. They must travel through time to stop a master criminal meddling with the past, and help to overthrow an evil President by having The Rat become a candidate for the job himself!
    A classic from 2000 AD's first 'golden age', Stainless Steel Rat is a must-read for fans of Harrison or old school sci-fi action with bold characters and a wry twist of humour, complemented by Ezquerra's dynamic and inimitable artwork.

Comic Cuts — 13 December 2024

I've picked up considerably this week despite still suffering from the long tail of a cold... I still have a few sniffles to contend with, but nowhere near as bad as it was. A cold normally lasts 7-10 days—the rule of thumb "three days coming, three days here, three days going" is usually accurate—but this one has hung around for a fortnight. But it's definitely on the way out.

I was very happy to learn that BEYOND THE VOID: THE REMARKABLE HISTORY OF BADGER BOOKS was named as the 2024 Book of the Year by Jules Burt on his YouTube channel. Bizarrely this is the second time Steve Holland has won (and I chose my words carefully) because last year's winner was the art book Steve Holland: Paperback Hero edited by Michael Stradford. Third time if you count the introduction I wrote for Rayguns and Rocketships by Rian Hughes, the 2022 winner.

BEYOND was up against some stiff competition, including issues of Bare Bones, Men's Adventure Quarterly, Phantasmagoria and The Paperback Fanatic, the art book Dangerous Dames and Cover Dolls: The Art of Ron Lesser Vol. 2 edited by Robert Deis, Bill Cunningham and Daniel Zimmer, the updated biography/bibliography  Basil Copper: A Life in Books, edited by Stephen Jones, and the anthology Weasels Ripped My Flesh! edited by Robert Deis & Wyatt Doyle, with Josh Alan Friedman.

I thought maybe the art book, Dangerous Dames, or the anthology, Weasels, might beat out my Badger Books history... but in the last few minutes of Jules' video BEYOND pipped everyone at the post. Here's the announcement and I'll put in the full video below...



I'm back to work for the next two weeks, although I've been quite lazy this week, spending some time putting together the John Brunner cover gallery that went up Thursday morning, tidying up some of the books that I'd needed while I was writing and designing DREAMING OF UTOPIA, battling the new online reception area set up by our local surgery so I could sort out a repeat prescription while on the phone to the human receptionist at the same surgery, putting up the Christmas tree, and a hundred and one other odds and ends I'd been putting off until after the book was written/out and after the cold had abated.

I've put in a little time on the next batch of books, but I've also pulled together a piece for someone else's magazine and written up a blog post for another site, although I'm waiting on seeing a scan of a book before I can finish it off. There's another article about an old author that I need to finish off, too.

And I'm looking ahead to future projects, including another index, and, floating around in the background, is yet another project that I suspect I'll have to give away, but it needs to be done for 2026 in order to celebrate an anniversary. This particular project has been waiting in the wings since 1979, so it will only be 47 years late... I really need to get going with that!

Hope you're all looking forward to Christmas as much as I am.

John Brunner cover gallery

This is a rather limited cover gallery as it concentrates solely on Brunner's British paperback editions. This means it misses out a great many of his early novels, which received only American paperback (usually Ace Books) publication. Still, most of his finest works (Stand on Zanzibar, Sheep Look Up, Jagged Orbit, etc.) did get a release over here and a collection of short stories appeared as recently as 2020.

Galactic Storm by Gill Hunt (Curtis Warren, 1951)
Curtis Warren, Nov 1951, 110pp, 1/6. Cover by Ray Theobald

Threshold of Eternity (New York, Ace, (Jan) 1959; revised by Damien Broderick, Phoenix Pick, 2017)
(no UK paperback)

The 100th Millennium (New York, Ace, (May) 1959; as Catch a Falling Star, Ace, 1977)
(no UK paperback)

The World Swappers (New York, Ace, (Oct) 1959)
(no UK paperback)

The Brink (London, Gollancz, (Nov) 1959)
(no UK paperback)

Slavers of Space (New York, Ace, (Feb) 1960; as Into the Slave Nebula, New York, Lancer, 1968; London, Millington, 1980)
as Into the Slave Nebula, Corgi Books 055212012-X, (Aug) 1982, 156pp, £1.50. Cover by Chris Moore?

The Skynappers (New York, Ace, (Sep) 1960)
(no UK paperback)

The Atlantic Abomination (New York, Ace, (Oct) 1960)
(no UK paperback)

Sanctuary in the Sky (New York, Ace, (Nov) 1960)
(no UK paperback)

I Speak For Earth by Keith Woodcott (New York, Ace, (Mar) 1961; as by Brunner, Gateway (ebook), 2011)
(no UK paperback)

Meeting at Infinity (New York, Ace, (Apr) 1961)
(no UK paperback)

Secret Agent of Terra (New York, Ace, (Mar) 1962; as The Avengers of Carrig, New York, DAW, 1980)
(see Victims of the Nova)

The Ladder in the Sky by Keith Woodcott (New York, Ace, (May) 1962; as by Brunner, Gateway (ebook), 2011)
(no UK paperback)

The Super Barbarians (New York, Ace, (May) 1962)
(no UK paperback)

The Dreaming Earth (New York, Pyramid, (Feb) 1963; London, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1974)
(no UK paperback)

The Psionic Menace by Keith Woodcott (New York, Ace, (May) 1963; as by Brunner, Gateway (ebook), 2013)
(no UK paperback)

The Astronauts Must Not Land (New York, Ace, (Sep) 1963; as More Things in Heaven, New York, Dell, (Nov) 1973)
as More Things in Heaven, Hamlyn 060020262-3, 1983, 142pp, £1.50.

Castaways' World (New York, Ace, (Nov) 1963; as Polymath, New York, DAW, (Jan) 1974)
(see Victims of the Nova)

The Rites of Ohe (New York, Ace, (Nov) 1963)
(no UK paperback)

To Conquer Chaos (New York, Ace, (May) 1964)
(no UK paperback)

The Crutch of Memory (London, Barrie & Rockliff, (Jul) 1964)
(no UK paperback)

The Whole Man (New York, Ballantine, (Aug) 1964; as Telepathist, London, Faber & Faber, 1965; as The Whole Man, New York, Walker & Co., (Jan) 1969)
as Telepathist, Penguin 2715, 1968, 190pp, 4/-. Cover by Carl Strüwe
as Telepathist, Fontana 000614611-2, (Sep) 1978, 190pp, 80p. Cover by Peter Goodfellow

The Martian Sphinx by Keith Woodcott (New York, Ace, (Feb) 1965)
(no UK paperback)

The Repairmen of Cyclops (New York, Ace), (Apr) 1965)
(see Victims of the Nova)

Enigma From Tantalus (New York, Ace, (Apr) 1965)
(no UK paperback)

The Altar on Asconel (New York, Ace, (May) 1965)
(see Interstellar Empire)

Wear the Butcher's Medal (New York, Pocket Books, (May) 1965)
(no UK paperback)

The Day of the Star Cities (New York, Ace, (Nov) 1965; as Age of Miracles, New York, Ace, 1973; London, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1973)
(no UK paperback)

The Long Result (London, Faber & Faber, (Nov) 1965; New York, Ballantine, (Sep) 1966)
Penguin 2804, 1968, 186pp, 4/-.
Fontana 000614612-0, (Jan) 1979, 185pp, 85p. Cover by Peter Elson

The Squares of the City (New York, Ballantine, (Dec) 1965; Handsworth, Penguin, 1969)
Penguin 014002686-X, (Oct) 1969, 311pp, 6/-. Cover by Franco Grignani
Fontana 000614610-4, (May) 1977, 311pp, 80p. Cover by Peter Goodfellow

The Productions of Time ([cut without Brunner's knowledge] New York, Signet, (Feb) 1967; [full text] Handsworth, Penguin, 1970; New York, DAW, 1977)
Penguin 014003141-3, (Oct) 1970, 159pp, 5/-. Cover by Franco Grignani

Born Under Mars (New York, Ace, (Oct) 1967; London, Gateway (ebook), Sep 2011)
(no UK paperback)

Quicksand (New York, Doubleday, (Dec) 1967; London, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1969)
Sphere 20060, (Aug) 1970, 222pp, 7/-.

Bedlam Planet (New York, Ace, (Apr) 1968; London, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1973)
(no UK paperback)

Stand on Zanzibar (New York, Doubleday, (Sep) 1968; London, Macdonald, 1969)
Arrow 009004790-7, 1971, 576pp, 50p.
Arrow 009919110-5, (Dec) 1978, 576pp, £1.75.
----, 1984, 576pp, £2.95. Cover by John Harris
Legend 009919110-5, (Apr) 1988, 576pp, £3.50.
----, 1990, 576pp, £4.99.
Millennium 185798836-1 (SF Masterworks #15), (Aug) 1999, xvi+650, £6.99. Cover by Jim Burns
----, 2003, xvi+650pp, £6.99. Cover by Jim Burns
----, n.d., xvi+650pp, £7.99
----, n.d., xvi+650pp, £8.99.
Gateway/Orion 978-147320637-3, (Sep) 2014, 672pp, £12.99.

Double Double (New York, Ballantine, (Jan) 1969; London, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1971)
(no UK paperback)

Black is the Color (New York, Pyramid, (Feb) 1969)
(no UK paperback)

The Jagged Orbit (New York, Ace, (Feb) 1969; London, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1970)
Arrow 009905840-5, (Mar) 1972, 397pp, 50p. Cover by Chris Yates
----, (Jan) 1979, 397pp, £1.25.
Gollancz 057507052-8 (SF Collectors' Editions), (Aug) 2000, 397pp, £10.99.

Timescoop (New York, Dell, (Jul) 1969; London, Sidgwick & Jackson, 1972)
(no UK paperback)

A Plague on Both Your Causes (London, Hodder & Stoughton, (Jul) 1969; as Blacklash, New York, Pyramid, (Nov) 1969)
Hodder Paperbacks 034012362-1, (Jan) 1971, 192pp, 25p.

The Incestuous Lovers by Henry Crosstrees Jr. (New York, Bee-line, 1969)
(no UK paperback)

The Devil's Work (New York, W.W. Norton & Co., (Feb) 1970)
(no UK paperback)

The Gaudy Shadows (London, Constable & Co., (Apr) 1970; New York, Beagle Boxer, 1971)
(no UK paperback)

Good Men Do Nothing (London, Hodder & Stoughton, (Jul) 1970; New York, Pyramid, 1971)
(no UK paperback)

Honky in the Woodpile (London, Constable & Co., (Nov) 1971)
Sphere 072212007-9, 1973, 222pp, 35p.

The Wrong End of Time (New York, Doubleday, (Dec) 1971; London, Eyre Methuen, 1975)
Methuen 041334580-7, (Apr) 1976, 185pp, 55p. Cover by Angus McKie

The Dramaturges of Yan (New York, Ace, (Feb) 1972; London, New English Library, 1974)
New English Library 045001824-5, Apr 1974, 158pp, 35p, Cover by Chris Foss
New English Library 045004518-8, Jul 1979, 158pp, 85p. Cover by Chris Foss

The Sheep Look Up (New York, Harper & Row, (Aug) 1972; London, J.M. Dent, 1974)
Quartet/Orbit 070431292-1, 1977, 461pp, £1.25. Cover by Eddie Jones
Arrow 009937770-5, 1984, 461pp, £2.50. Cover by John Harris?
Legend 009937770-5, (Jan) 1991, 461pp, £4.99. Cover by Mark Salwowski

The Stardroppers (New York, DAW, (Sep) 1972; London, Hamlyn, 1982)
Hamlyn 060020008-6, (Apr) 1982, 144pp, £1.10. Cover by Joe Petagno

Ball in the Family by Ellis Quick (New York, Lancer, 1973)
(no UK paperback)

The Stone That Never Came Down (New York, Doubleday, (Dec) 1973; London, New English Library, 1976)
New English Library 045003054-7, (May) 1978, 207pp, 75p.

Total Eclipse (New York, Doubleday, (May) 1974; London, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1975)
Orbit/Futura 086007883-3, (Mar) 1976, 187pp, 60p. Cover by Eddie Jones

Web of Everywhere (New York, Bantam, (Jun) 1974; London, New English Library, 1977; as The Webs of Everywhere, New York, Ballantine, Jan 1983)
New English Library 045003094-6, Mar 1977, 143pp, 60p. Cover by Tony Masaro
New English Library 045004685-0, May 1980, 142pp, 85p. Cover by Gerald Grace

Give Warning to the World (New York, DAW, (Jul) 1974; London, Gateway (ebook), 2013)
(no UK paperback)

The Shockwave Rider (New York, Harper & Row, (Mar) 1975); London, J.M. Dent, 1975)
Orbit 0860007933-3, (Feb) 1977, 288pp, 75p. Cover by Eddie Jones
Methuen 041317960-5, (May) 1988, 288pp, £3.95. Cover by John Higgins
Gollancz/Orion 978-147322830-6 (SF Masterworks), (Jan) 2020, viii+280pp, £9.99. Cover by Getty Images

The Infinitive of Go (New York, Del Rey/Ballantine, (Feb) 1980; London, Magnum, 1981)
Magnum 04176470-5, (Dec) 1981, 154pp, £1.25. Cover by Chris Moore

Players at the Game of People (New York, Ballantine, (Sep) 1980)
(no UK paperback)

Manshape (New York, DAW, (Sep) 1982)
(no UK paperback)

The Great Steamboat Race (New York, Ballantine, (Feb) 1983)
(no UK paperback)

The Crucible of Time (New York, Ballantine, (Sep) 1983; London, Arrow, 1984)
Arrow 009934850-0, (Mar) 1984, 474pp, £2.25.
Legend 009934850-0, (Jul) 1990, 474pp, £4.99. Cover by Chris Moore?

The Tides of Time (New York, Del Rey/Ballantine, (Dec) 1984; London, Penguin, 1986)
Penguin 014008240-9, 1986, 235pp. Cover by Terry Oakes

The Shift Key (London, Methuen, (May) 1987)
Methuen 041314920-X, (May) 1987, 224pp, £2.50. Cover by Peter Elson

The Days of March (London, Kerosina, (Oct) 1988)
Kerosina 094889327-3, (Oct) 1988, 309pp, £5.95. Cover by Richard Middleton

Children of the Thunder (New York, Del Rey/Ballantine, (Jan) 1989; London, Sphere, 1990)
Sphere/Orbit 074740537-9, (Mar) 1990, 390pp, £3.99.

A Maze of Stars (New York, Del Rey/Ballantine, (Jul) 1991)
(no UK paperback)

Muddle Earth (New York, Del Rey/Ballantine, (Sep) 1993)
(no UK paperback)

Kingdom of the Worlds, with Damien Broderick (London, Gateway (ebook), (Jan) 2021)
(no UK paperback)

COLLECTIONS

No Future In It and other science fiction stories (London, Gollancz, (Oct) 1962; New York, Doubleday, 1964)
Panther 1840, Apr 1965, 192pp, 3/6. Cover: photo

Times Without Number (New York, Ace, (Oct) 1962; expanded, New York, Ace, 1969)
Hamlyn 060020086-8 (May) 1981, 233pp, £1.10. Cover by Melvyn Grant

Now Then! (London, Mayflower-Dell, (Oct) 1965; New York, Avon, 1968)
Mayflower-Dell 6500, Oct 1965, 143pp, 3/6. Cover by Jacks [Jack Kirby]

No Other Gods But Me (London, Roberts & Vinter/Compact, (Sep) 1966)
Roberts & Vinter/Compact F317, (Sep) 1966, 159pp, 3/6. Cover by Keith Roberts

Out of My Mind (New York, Ballantine, (Feb) 1967; abridged, London, Four Square, 1968)
Four Square 2102, (Jan) 1968, 128pp, 3/6. Cover by Paul Lehr
New English Library 045004684-2, May 1980, 128pp, 80p. Cover by Tim White

Not Before Time (London, Four Square, (Apr) 1968)
Four Square 2138, (Apr) 1968, 3/6. Cover by Don Ivan Punchatz
New English Library 045002391-5, (May) 1975, 128pp, 35p. Cover by Ray Feibush
New English Library 045004519-6, (Apr) 1979, 128pp, 75p. Cover by Tim White

The Traveller in Black (New York, Ace, 1971; London, Magnum, 1978; expanded as The Complete Traveller in Black, see below)
Magnum 041702080-5, (Mar) 1978, 181pp, 75p. Cover by Bob Fowke
----, 1985, 181pp. Cover by Bob Fowke

From This Day Forward (New York, Doubleday, (Jul) 1972)
(no UK paperback)

Entry to Elsewhen (New York, DAW, (Oct) 1972)
(no UK paperback)

Time-Jump (New York, Dell, (Dec) 1973)
(no UK paperback)

The Book of John Brunner (New York, DAW, (Jan) 1976)
(no UK paperback)

Tomorrow May Be Even Worse (New York, NESFA Press, (Feb) 1978)
(no UK paperback)

Interstellar Empire (New York, DAW, 1976)
Hamlyn 009938870-7 (Venture SF #04), (Jun) 1985, 256pp, £1.95. Cover by Eddie Jones
Arrow 0099938870-7 (Venture SF #04), (Aug) 1987, 256pp, £2.50. Cover by Eddie Jones

Foreign Constellations: The Fantastic Worlds of John Brunner (New York, Everest House, (May) 1980)
(no UK paperback)

The Compleat Traveller in Black (New York, Bluejay 1986)
Methuen 041314910-2, (Apr) 1987, 233pp, £2.50. Cover by Peter Elson
Mandarin 074930105-8, (Oct) 1989, 233pp, £3.95. Cover by Patrick Mortemore

The Best of John Brunner (New York, Del Rey/Ballantine, (Nov) 1988)
(no UK paperback)

Victims of the Nova (London, Arrow, (Mar) 1989)
Arrow Books 009962440-0 (Venture SF #22), (Mar) 1989, 473pp, £3.99. Cover by Eddie Jones

The Man Who Was Secrett and other stories (Ramble House Publishers, (Feb) 2013)
(no UK paperback)

The Society of Time (London, British Library Publishing, 2020)
British Library 978-071235382-3, (Nov) 2020, 288pp, £8.99.