Comic Cuts - 25 September

I've been letting the blog slide a little due to pressure of work. Apart from the ongoing writing of the Thriller Libraries introduction (on which I've just passed the 9,000 words mark) I had a request to write another introduction which I planned to knock out over the weekend but ended up writing far too much, which meant spending Monday evening trimming it back to the right size. It's for the Carlton reprint of Valentine Picture Story Library which is to be published around Valentine's Day next year. Fingers crossed there will also be more volumes of War and Battle picture library reprints in 2008 despite the problems we've had this year. The problem has been with the printers, by the way, which has caused the books to run late -- much to everyone's frustration. Amazon are offering the books -- Death or Glory and Unleash Hell -- as a pair at an astonishing saving at the moment -- £17.98 for the pair (a saving of £12) and free postage!

This afternoon, Stephen Pickles and I recorded an interview for BBC Radio Suffolk about The Bumper Book of Look and Learn which will go out on the Luke Deal show tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon. I've spoken to Luke before and he's very enthusiastic about comics. The Look and Learn team will be at the Brand Licensing exhibition next week, so if you happen to be at Olympia on Tuesday or Wednesday, come along to the stand and say hello.

Some random bits of news...

* Slate Magazine has a 27-minute video podcast interview with Posy Simmonds by Clive James. (link via Journalista)

* A rare Broons Annual signed by Dudley D. Watkins fetched £1,350 at auction recently.

* Lew Stringer takes a look at Jag, Fleetway's oversized boys' comic from the late 1960s.

* Meanwhile, Steve Flanagan is eyeing-up Varoomshka, heroine of a long-ago Guardian political strip drawn by John Kent.

* The Forbidden Planet International blog is reporting that Grant Morrison is amongst the nominees for this year's Scottish Style Awards.