Comic Clippings - 20 May

Apart from a break for lunch I've been wrestling with Karl the Viking since 9.30 this morning writing about Karl scriptwriters Ted Cowan and Mike Moorcock. Thought I'd take a break and have a look around the www for news.

• Forbidden Planet International has a long and fascinating interview with Rian Hughes.

• Sequart Research has announced it will be releasing a series of books about comics. First up, Grant Morrison: The Early Years by Timothy Callahan (ISBN 978-0-6151-4087-2). "It studies the popular writer's revolutionary early period, including Zenith, Arkham Asylum, Animal Man, Batman: Gothic, and Doom Patrol. The book examines all five works in detail, drawing out their running and evolving themes. Using plain language, Callahan opens up Morrison's sometimes difficult texts and expands the reader's appreciation of their significance, creating a study accessible to both Grant Morrison aficionados and those new to his work. An extended interview with Morrison on his early career rounds out the volume." What? No mention of Captain Clyde?

• Compal have their Summer 2007 catalogue out with plenty of goodies on offer including the first Dandy Monster Comic (annual) from 1939 with an estimate of £1,200-1,500 and lots of 1940s and 1950s issues of Beano and Dandy; original Oor Wullie, The Broons and Desperate Dan artwork by Dudley Watkins; runs of Eagle; and more original artwork by Ken Reid and Paddy Brennan. Oh, to be stinking rich. It's not much to ask.

Not a lot else happening, although there was a little bit of excitement in the garden yesterday when a sparrowhawk attacked a pigeon. See pics below for evidence; skip them if you're particularly fond of pigeons.

First time we've had a sparrowhawk in the garden as far as I know. And, please, no comments about the long grass -- the lawnmower's broken and we're waiting for a replacement part to be sent!

For anyone following the progress of the Karl volumes, I've just done a quick tot-up of what I've written so far and it's just over 12,000 words; that's most of volume 1, a good chunk of volume 2 and a bit of volume 4. I've also roughed out a checklist of all the Karl stories which will probably be in volume 4. So I'm getting there... slowly, but definitely heading in the right direction.