Rebellion Releases - 30 September 2020

Misty & Scream returns with another 48-page anthology stuffed with scares to create a new generation from British horror fans!

Horror comics don't get enough attention (if you ask me) and the Misty & Scream! Special, which has become an annual tradition for Hallowe'en, includes fantastic new work from the likes of Maura McHugh, Olivia Hicks, Kristyna Baczynski, Mary Safro, and 2000 AD talent search winner Robin Henley.

The Prince of Darkness comes face to face with an old foe in 'The Dracula Files' from Cavan Scott and Vincenzo Riccardi; Black Beth's quest for vengeance continues thanks to the fevered minds of Alec Worley and DaNi; and Kek-W and Simon Coleby reveal the ghoulish World War I air ace, Black Max, attempting to cross back over into the world of the living!

Plus there's three frightfully fresh stories to shock your socks off - 'Thief of Senses' by Maura Mchugh and Robin Henley; 'Bumps in the Night' by Olivia Hicks and John Lucas, and 'The Aegis' by Kristyna Baczynski and Mary Safro!

So lock your doors and hide under the duvet as this is the spookiest read you've encounter this Hallowe'en!

2000 AD Prog 2201
Cover: Tiernen Trevallion.

Judge Dredd: Carry the Nine by Rob Williams & Arthur Wyatt (w) Boo Cook (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Stickleback: New Jerusalem by Ian Edginton (w) D’Israeli (a) Jim Campbell (l)
Skip Tracer: Hyperballad by James Peaty (w) Paul Marshall (a) Dylan Teague (c) Simon Bowland (l)
Fiends of the Eastern Front: Constanta by Ian Edginton (w) Tiernen Trevallion (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Hook-Jaw by Alec Worley (a) Leigh Gallagher (a) Simon Bowland (l)

Misty & Scream! 2020 Special
Cover: Andrea Bulgarelli.

Thief of Senses by Maura McHugh (w) Robin Henley (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
The Aegis by Kristyna Baczynski (w) Mary Safro (a+l)
Bumps in the Night by Olivia Hicks (w) John Lucas (a) Gary Caldwell (c) Oz Ozborne (l)
Black Beth by Alec Worley (w) DaNi (a) Simon Bowland (l)
Return of Black Max: Flying Solo byKek-W (w) Simon Coleby (a) Len O’Grady (c) Jim Campbell (l)
The Dracula File by Cavan Scott (w) Vincenzo Riccardi (a) Simon Bowland (l)

America: Lost and Found – The Rediscovered Scripts by John Wagner & Colin MacNeil
Rebellion ISBN 978-1781-08894-4, 30 September 2020, 128pp, £19.99. Hardcover.

Long considered one of the most important stories in British comics history, the long-lost scripts behind the Judge Dredd story America are now to be revealed in a brand new book.
    America was a Judge Dredd story about freedom, terrorism, and armed struggle that has fresh and powerful resonance in today’s world – and America: Lost & Found – The Rediscovered Scripts takes you behind-the-scenes on John Wagner and Colin MacNeil’s groundbreaking story, which confirmed Judge Dredd‘s place as one of the most politically charged and nuanced series in comics.
    Rediscovered by chance three decades after publication, Wagner’s surviving scripts for America are now presented with in-depth commentary from the writer, followed by the story itself with MacNeil’s beautifully fully-painted art remastered and still delivering its emotional gut-punches after 30 years.
    With new introductions from John Wagner and Garth Ennis (Preacher, The Boys), this title will be available exclusively from the 2000 AD webshop at shop.2000AD.com

Major Eazy vs Rat Pack by Alan Hebden & Carlos Ezquerra
Rebellion ISBN 978-1781-08855-5, 1 October 2020, 48pp, £14.99. Hardcover.

The war’s dirtiest fighters led by the war’s coolest soldier – it’s Major Eazy vs Rat Pack! Blasting out from the pages of the legendary Battle, this 48-page special edition of this classic crossover story from 1977 is available exclusively from the 2000 AD and Treasury of British Comics webshops! Bringing together two of Battle’s most popular strips in one explosive 12-part story, this collection also includes two carefully selected stand-alone Battle classics featuring art by Ezquerra – ‘The Hidden Bomb’ and ‘The Orphan’ from 1980. This special collection is a must have for fans of classic war comics and of Ezquerra’s groundbreaking art, which made him one of the most important artists in post-war British comics.

Comic Cuts - 25 September 2020

After a break last week to write a book introduction, I'm back to writing for BAM! — the new magazine I'm putting together. I've had a pretty good couple of days working on an article that I've been looking forward to writing. At the tail-end of August I spoke to John Burns, one of my favourite artists, and I'm now piecing together a look at his very extensive — sixty-six year! — career in both comics and newspapers.

I've been waiting for this opportunity for over a decade. When I was still finding my feet with Bear Alley Books, one of the ideas was to do a magazine, with a big interview or career overview as its centrepiece. Had that idea taken off at the time, Burns was one of the big names I wanted to chase down. For such an amazing artist, there have been very few interviews; I can think of only half a dozen. I published one in Comic World. Back then it took me 14 issues to get John in — timed to coincide with the release of A Silent Armageddon — but I'm making up for that by putting him centre stage in the first issue this time.

There's a feature on the history of pocket libraries, one on Frank Bellamy and some early artwork by Dave Gibbons, plus a look at an old SF newspaper strip. I have been playing around with some layouts, which I'm now happy with. I don't like over-complicated layouts where you can barely read the text, but I like an occasional flourish, as anyone who has read any of the books from Bear Alley will know as I'm not only head cook and bottle washer, but I've designed all our books, too. (That sounded a bit more smug than I intended... sorry.)

More news on the contents and when BAM! will make its appearance when I know more myself.

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I'd started watching The Plot Against America, an alternate history of the USA based on the novel by Philip Roth in which Charles Lindbergh won the 1940 election on a platform of keeping America out of the war in Europe. He signs a neutrality agreement with Hitler and brings in his own right wing agenda which has terrible consequences for the Jewish families the show centres upon.

The show received some fine reviews and the first two episodes were compelling drama. However, I wasn't in the right mood for it — I've read the book and things weren't going to get any more cheerful — and instead I switched to something with a bit less on the nose fascism and a bit more action, hence Condor and Snowpiercer. I'll get back to The Plot Against America after November.

(Spoilers below the pic, so skip to the end if you don't like that kind of thing.)

However, the urge for an alternate history led me to For All Mankind, which imagines what might have happened if the Russians had won the space race. Tensions at NASA run high when Alexei Leonov becomes the first cosmonaut to set foot on the Moon (in reality, he was to have been the commander of a planned Russian moon landing that was cancelled). The Apollo 11 landing is close to being a disaster and, back on Earth, astronaut Ed Baldwin raises hackles when he tells a reporter that he could have landed Apollo 10 rather than just fly over the surface. As a result, Baldwin is reassigned to a desk job.

Baldwin's comments are seen by some to prove that mission director Werner von Braun is too cautious and a way is found to remove him, a step in the direction of President Nixon's plans to build a military base on the Moon. Meanwhile, the Soviets trump the US again when they land a female cosmonaut on the surface and NASA are ordered to find a female astronaut, throwing planned missions into disarray.

I really enjoyed it. It has taken me almost a year to get around to watching it (it debuted on Apple TV in November 2019) but I'm glad I got there in the end. 2019 was a celebratory year, with the anniversary of the Moon landings all over TV in high definition. One thing that came out of those various shows (and, indeed, the movie Apollo 13 fifteen years ago) is that knowing the outcome doesn't mean that they weren't filled with drama and tension. We learned more about the astronauts, their families, the people behind the flight crew and the people who populated mission control. They all had a story to tell and hearing them, and seeing their reactions to events as they unfolded, gave us all a stake in the game.

For All Mankind also relies on this soap-operatic style of storytelling. The show has a small group of fictional characters who are blended into known history and real historical figures. So while Ed Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman) is an invention of executive producers Ronald D. Moore (of revamped Battlestar Galactica fame), Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi, we also meet real astronauts like Neil Amstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, who take Apollo 11 to the Moon. We also meet Ed's family (wife and son) and the families of his fellow astronauts; we follow them as the various crews train and fly missions, react to each Soviet advance/threat (depending on how you see it), and each American failure, most notably the destruction of Apollo 23, which traps three astronauts in Jamestown Base at the edge of a crater with a Soviet base only a few miles away.

While some of the more soap opera aspects of the show puncture the tension a little, there is enough to propel you right to the end and beyond... because the trailer for season two has dropped and I'll hopefully get to see it in a more timely fashion. The trailer hints that the cooperation seen between astronauts and cosmonauts at the end of season one will break down and the US, now under Reagan, and Soviets could be turning the lunar surface into a battleground. Yikes.

Rebellion Releases - 23 September 2020

Don’t delay, jump on board today - 2000 AD Prog 2200 is the perfect jumping on issue for the greatest comic in the galaxy!

Twice a year the legendary weekly anthology makes it easier than ever for new and lapsed readers to jump on board, the ideal way to step onto the Thrill-train that is 2000 AD!

2000 AD Prog 2200 is on sale 23 September with new stories beginning that make it easy to pick up the best comics the galaxy has to offer.

Rob Williams (Suicide Squad), Arthur Wyatt (Dredd movie tie-in), and Boo Cook (Elephantmen) follow up on this summer’s mega-event, ‘End of Days’, with Judge Dredd: Carry The Nine, where the Judge Dredd strip continues its long tradition of reflecting current events by seeing a simple solution to the problem of crime in Mega-City One...

The longest-running series for 2000 AD from Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy) - Sinister Dexter - continues with a shocking turn of events. They’ve worked together - on and off - for 25 years, but could the partnership of mercenary gun sharks Finnigan Sinister and Ramone Dexter be coming to an end ... with a blast?

After the shocking surprise at the end of ‘The Thru'Penny Opera’ back in 2014, Ian Edginton and D’Israeli’s Stickleback returns with the story of how the genius detective Sherlock Holmes transformed himself into the kingpin of crime in Victorian London. Time has not diminished the impact of Matt “D’Israeli” Brooker’s distinctive style on this steampunk series with a twist. Welcome back, Stickleback - London needs you!

And forget Jaws - Hook-Jaw is the real terror from the deep (and the sequels are way better). Escaping from the pages of the controversial Action!, this pelagic predator is now chomping his way through the pages of its spiritual successor! A great new series for old comic and horror fans alike!

2000 AD Prog 2200 will be available in print from newsagents, comic book stores, and 2000 AD’s webshop, and digitally from 2000 AD’s webshop and apps from 23 September 2020.

2000 AD Prog 2200

Cover: Tim Napper

Judge Dredd: Carry the Nine by Rob Williams & Arthur Wyatt (w) Boo Cook (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Future Shocks: Omnidetectorists by Rory McConville (w) Joel Carpenter (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Hook-Jaw by Alec Worley (a) Leigh Gallagher (a) Simon Bowland (l)
Sinister Dexter: Ghostlands by Dan Abnett (w) Nicolo Assirelli (a) John Charles (c) Simon Bowland (l)
Skip Tracer: Hyperballad by James Peaty (w) Paul Marshall (a) Dylan Teague (c) Simon Bowland (l)
Stickleback: New Jerusalem by Ian Edginton (w) D’Israeli (a) Jim Campbell (l)

Rebellion Releases - 21 September 2020 (bonus episode)

The anniversary issue of the Judge Dredd Megazine sold out from distributors in under 24 hours.

Issue #424 marked 30 years of continuous publication with a bumper issue featuring new work by John Wagner and Colin MacNeil, the creative team behind the first Megazine’s ground-breaking story ‘America’, as well as brand new series by some of Rebellion’s best writers and artists.

After hitting shelves on Wednesday 16 September, unprecedented demand for this issue, combined with a significant increase in new monthly subscribers, saw copies from distributors and the 2000 AD webshop completely sell out by the following morning.

The issue has gone to immediate reprint. It is also available digitally from 2000 AD’s webshop and apps.

Matt Smith, editor of 2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine, said: "The reaction to the Megazine's 30th anniversary issue has overwhelmingly positive, which has been very gratifying. I knew it was a strong issue, and one that celebrated this epic milestone in fine style, but to see it sell out like this on day of release was amazing. This clearly was an event issue that Dredd fans had to get their hands on, and for anyone that hasn't yet picked it up, I urge you to do so pronto before the reprint gets snapped up too."

Debuting in September 1990, the Judge Dredd Megazine was launched as a companion title to 2000 AD with the remit of expanding on the world of futuristic dystopian cop Judge Dredd. Put together by commissioning editors John Wagner and Alan Grant, its first issue featured the first episode of the powerful 'America', as well 'Young Death: Boyhood of a Superfiend', the origin story of Dredd’s arch-nemesis Judge Death by Wagner and Peter Doherty; 'Chopper: Earth, Wind & Fire', Garth Ennis and John McCrea’s revival of the skysurfing rebel 'Chopper; Beyond Our Kenny' by Wagner and Cam Kennedy, about a struggling Scottish artist exploited by unscrupulous Mega-City publishers; and Dredd thriller 'Midnite’s Children' by Alan Grant and Jim Baikie. This was complemented by spoof Mega-City One newspaper written by stand-up comedian Tony Allen and designed by Shanti Tolputt, as well as a cover by superstar artist Glenn Fabry.

The anniversary issue sees the debut of two brand new series - Kenneth Niemand and Dave Taylor’s Dredd ‘Elseworlds’ series 'Megatropolis' and Michael Carroll and John Higgins’ Dredd-world origin series 'Dreadnoughts' - as well as the first episodes of new stories for Anderson, Psi Division by Maura McHugh and Steven Austin, The Returners by Si Spencer and Nicolo Assirelli, and The Dark Judges by David Hine and Nick Percival, plus the first instalment of the new 2000 AD Encyclopedia by Scott Montgomery.

Comic Cuts - 18 September 2020

I've had to take a few days off to write an introduction to a book and earn a bit of money. Sales of the Longbow book have slowed to a trickle even with the money-off offer that's running at the moment. If it doesn't generate any sales, I may revert back to full price to take advantage of the little uptick I see from buyers on the run up to Christmas. It would make a nice present... just look at that Don Lawrence artwork at the head of the column!

The piece I'm writing (not quite finished as I write this) is for a gorgeously illustrated book of pulpy SF covers. I'm not sure how much more I can say as I don't know whether everything has been cleared yet. What I can say is that it's right up my street and I've been doing a deep dive into my own past as a reader and collector.

Which leaves me with little in the way of news to talk about. We had a fairly geeky Zoom quiz on Sunday, with rounds on Judge Dredd and SF TV, which I thought we had stormed, but a round on Tolkien proved our downfall. While I was confident that Mel and I had won, when the points were totted up, it proved otherwise -- we were a point shy of top spot, losing to (I'm sure she won't mind being described as) another SF nerd. If only we'd known what a siphonophore was (it wasn't all SF).

I've also spent a little time sorting through some old comics, so there might be one or two things popping up on EBay in the near future. This morning, for instance, I went through all my copies of Starblazer and pulled out a dozen or so duplicates that I've managed to pick up. (Most of my copies were bought as they came out, although a few I had to miss out on when I was short of a penny or two. I think I'm now only about 18 shy of a complete set.) The goodies that will probably be on offer soon will include Savage Sword of Conan, Dracula Lives, Heavy Metal and Penthouse Comix, with more to come as I sort through more boxes.

Next week, I'm back on BAM!, so I'm hopeful that there will be some news on that soon. I'm having to take on most of the writing for this first one, but I'm hopeful that, once people have seen it, I might be able to attract a small team of writers who can help out. I have a few already, but a few more never goes amiss.

Having not moved out of Wivenhoe since March — except that one trip to have my eyes tested back in August — the days and weeks are pretty similar. Our day consists of two walks, work and watching a bit of TV during the week. At weekends we can welcome a small number of people (thankfully it has always been less than six, so the new restrictions have not caused any problems), sometimes in the house, sometimes in the garden. We're still sticking to the rules, as, thankfully, is everyone in our immediate neighbourhood.

I managed to finish off the last few episodes of Snowpiercer, which did not disappoint. We watched the French serial The Last Wave which was a ho-hum piece of hokum, and we've a lot of programmes about Japan that we recorded a few weeks ago that we're finally getting around to watching. For a bit of daft entertainment, we discovered Stu Goldsmith's The Infinite Sofa on Twitch TV (older episodes can be found on YouTube) some months ago and have been regular watchers ever since. It's part chat show, part interactive game show, all daft show, with comedian Goldsmith as host.

The idea, I think, was that he would invite people who donated to join him (via Zoom) to watch and interact with the guests. Over the months, rather than new faces each episode, the chief donors have been a small group of avid fans who make up the pool who receive invitations that week, so the faces on the 'sofa' have become familiar. A little like Romesh Ranganathan's 'Nation' where you also began, over time, to discover the personalities, quirks and talents of the wall of people who appear on the show. The members sat on the infinite sofa are not Romesh's focus group, rather they're a nice bunch who are there to hang out and have a laugh.

It may take a couple of episodes to get into as catchphrases and memes can develop with terrifying speed thanks to a constant stream of chatroom chatter — we missed a couple of episodes and we're still trying to work out some of the weird additions to the common language of sofa dwellers. But it is entertaining, daft and, frankly, it's just what you might need in these trying times.

I'm away now to finish this introduction. I'll let you know what it's about when the book is announced.

Commando 5367-5370

Commando spans the globe in this set, featuring stories from the Balkans, Pacific Theatre, Malta, and mainland Europe. Commando issues 5367-5370 — out today!

5367: Fear The Jackal!

Greece has fallen, and an unlikely pair of survivors find themselves washed up on the shores of Yugoslavia. But Aussie Sergeant Hutchings and British Lieutenant Robertson must put aside their differences and help a notorious partisan band if they ever want to make it home from the mountains. The hills may be crawling with Italians but The Jackal is gradually picking them off!

Featuring a dynamic cover by Neil Roberts and gritty interiors from Klacik and Muller in a new story by Jim and David Turner.

Story | Jim & David Turner
Art | Klacik and Muller
Cover | Neil Roberts

5368: Tail-End Charlie

Aussie Major Ted Carson has heard a lot about ‘Pommies’, so isn’t best pleased when he’s made to team up with the British in an attempt to wipe out the Japanese guns on the island of Kublai. With a disastrous start to the mission to save the Allied Fleet, it looks like all may be lost, until both teams realise the other will do anything it takes to take out their common enemy.

There’s no end to action in this classic story by Spence, with interiors by Martin and a striking Ken Barr cover.

Story | Spence
Art | Martin
Cover | Ken Barr
Originally Commando No. 174 (1965).

<

5369: Flight to Freedom

The Siege of Malta sees British pilots Maddock and Wintrell in an endless cycle of dogfights and dodgy landings to hold the Axis powers at bay. But when the pair are rescued from disaster by the intriguing Italian Captain Fattorini, they are determined to escape their captivity and rejoin the fray. They don’t know why the Russian is there, but they’re happy to have him along.

This light-hearted but pacey adventure from Andrew Knighton captures the intensity of the fighting around Malta, with a fiery cover from veteran artist Ian Kennedy and exceptional interiors by Morhain and Defeo.

Story | Andrew Knighton
Art | Morhain and Defeo
Cover | Ian Kennedy

5370: Bravery!

With a story that spans Medieval France to the Second World War, a mysterious family goblet is rumoured to grant enormous courage to any who drink from it. As WWII begins, brothers Claude and Georges Vaubois have differing mindsets to war, and while Claude bravely presses the Nazis from the air, his brother finds himself alone and in exile in his home country, hiding from any who might see him. That is until the fateful day their father is captured and only the words of a good friend and a drink from a strange cup can convince Georges to move past his fears…

An elaborate classic by CG Walker with interiors by CT Rigby and cover by Ian Kennedy.

Story | CG Walker
Art | CT Rigby
Cover | Ian Kennedy
Originally Commando No. 1576 (1982).

Rebellion Releases - 16 September 2020

It's Super Wednesday on 16 September with TWO major comic book milestones available in print and digital - the Battle of Britain Special and the 30th anniversary edition of the Judge Dredd Megazine!

Battle revolutionised comics in the 1970s - gritty, hardcore war stories that rejected gung-ho patriotism in favour of telling the stories of the soldiers on the ground. It paved the way for 2000 AD and this special issue, timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, features new work by Garth Ennis (Preacher), Alex de Campi (Madi), Glenn Fabry (Preacher), Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy) and many more.

For 30 years, the Judge Dredd Megazine has explored the world of Dredd and this anniversary issue features some incredible new stories - from Kenneth Neimand and Dave Taylor's MEGATROPOLIS, an Elseworlds-style series which reimagines Mega-City One as a Futurist dystopia in the style of Metropolis, and DREADNAUGHTS, a frighteningly topical tale by Mike Carroll and John Higgins set in the earliest days of Justice Department, when riots and disorder threaten to tear America apart - and the Judges begin their rise to power. This issue also features the first part of the serialised 2000 AD Encyclopedia, a sure-to-be-indispensible guide to the stories and characters from more than four decades of the Galaxy's Greatest Comic!

2000AD Prog 2199
Cover: Paul Williams / Chris Blythe (col).

Judge Dredd: End of Days by Rob Williams (w) Henry Flint (a) Chris Blythe (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
The Out by Dan Abnett (w) Mark Harrison (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Sinister Dexter: Ghostlands by Dan Abnett (w) Nicolo Assirelli (a) John Charles (c) Simon Bowland (l)
Tharg's 3rillers: Saphir by Kek-W (w) David Roach (a) Peter Doherty (c) Simon Bowland (l)
The Diaboliks: A Crooked Beat by Gordon Rennie (a) Dom Reardon (a) Jim Campbell (l)

Judge Dredd Megazine #424
Cover: Greg Staples.

Judge Dredd: The Victims of Bennett Beeny by John Wagner (w) Colin MacNeil, Dan Cornwell (a) Chris Blythe (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Megatropolis by Kenneth Neimand (w) Dave Taylor (a) Jim Campbell (l)
Dreadnaughts: Breaking Ground by Mike Carroll (w) John Higgins (a) Sally Hurst (c) Simon Bowland (l) 
Anderson, Psi Divison: No Country For Old Psis by Maura McHugh (w) Steven Austin (a) Barbara Nosenzo (c) Simon Bowland (l)
The Returners: Heartswood by Si Spencer (w) Nicolo Assirelli (a) Eva De La Cruz (c) Simon Bowland (l)
Dark Judges: Deliverance by David Hine (w) Nick Percival (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Lawless by Dan Abnett (w) Phil Winslade (a) Jim Campbell (l)

Features: Dave Hunt, Battle of Britain Special
Bagged collection: THE 2000 AD ENCYCLOPEDIA by Scott Montgomery

Battle of Britain Special
Cover: Nelson Daniel.

Rat Pack: The Tough Way Out by Garth Ennis (w) Keith Burns (a) Jason Wordie (c) Rob Steen (l)
Lofty and The Eagle by Peter Briggs (w) Eoin Marron (a) Jason Wordie (c) Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou
Face of the Enemy by Alan Grant (w) Davide Fabbri (a) Domenico Neziti (c) Oz (l)
War Child by Dan Abnett (w) Jimmy Broxton (a+c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Destroyer by Rob Williams (w) PJ Holden (a) Simon Bolland (l)
Sniper Elite: The Vulture by Karl Stock (w) Simon Coleby (a) Len O'Grady (c) Jim Campbell (l)
Bravo, Black Lion by Alex de Campi (w) Glenn Fabry (a) Karen Holloway (c) Jim Campbell (l)
The Young Cockney Commandos by Keith Richardson (w) Tom Paterson (a+c) Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (l)
El Mestizo by Alan Hebden (w) Brent McKee (a) Gary Caldwell (c) Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (l)
Gustav of the Bearmacht by Kek-W (w) Staz Johnson (a) Barbara Nosenzo (c) Simon Bowland (l)
Also featuring:
Double Hero by Ian Kennedy (a)
Vultures! by B. Burrell (w) Carlos Ezquerra (a) N Eaton (l)
Scourge of the Skies by Karl Stock (w) Patrick Goddard (a) John Charles (c) Oz (l)

Comic Cuts - 11 September 2020

I've had a busy week trying to juggle a bit of subbing articles, writing and designing some pages, transcribing an interview and finishing off a huge scanning project. Only one thing fell by the wayside, which is an article I'm supposed to have finished by the end of the month... but the end of the month seems so far away at the moment and I didn't want to put everything else on hold.

What do you mean "We're already a third of the way through September"? Oh, well, I guess everything will have to go on hold next week.

I'm still undecided about what I'm doing with this magazine. There are a number of choices... keep it slim so I can keep it coming out regularly under my own steam, make it bigger and produce fewer issues a year. I want to include lengthier features and interviews than has been the norm of late, and that means two things straight away: either lots of pages, so you can present a number of features, both long and short, that will attract a broad audience, or a slimmer but regular publication which forces you to split long features across issues. I'm really not keen on the latter, so the question is, how big should I make each issue.

I've been thinking of 64 pages, maybe as many as 72 — which is a lot of work. Then there's an impish voice that pops up in my brain that says "Why not go all out and double the page count, do a proper quarterly book." I'm tempted. I really am. It would also  increase the price, but maybe that's not a bad thing... it wouldn't double the price if I were to double the pages.

Damn you, Imp! Now I'm seriously thinking it might be possible. Features wouldn't need to be split, and there would be room for comics and (my favourite!) comic indexes. I might be able to run some material —  some extensive index material, my history of old pirate publishers — that would otherwise have to wait twenty years before I could get it finished, if it were to be in book form. But serialised in twenty page chunks... I could do that!

The more I think about it, the more I think that Imp might be right. It might make October an impossible deadline, but let's see what happens.

With my thoughts dominated by this new project, I haven't had much time for anything else. We were hosts of a pub quiz held over Zoom on Saturday, which went well — I think we got the right mix of easy, guessable and impossible to guess questions and we varied things by having a "guess the year" round and a multiple choice round. Everyone seemed happy and we're doing another one at the weekend , although not hosting this time.

We've recently finished watching The Umbrella Academy season two, which was as good as the first outing, having just the right levels of action, humour, silliness and weirdness. Much better than Condor season two, which I spent most of wondering how the supposedly super-smart intelligence agent could be made to look any dumber, having lost a Russian defector, helped cost an innocent man his freedom (and, eventually, his life) and given away everything to the Russian mole in the CIA he knew was there but couldn't help confiding in. Idiot.

I'm stalled on The Plot Against America —I'm a couple of episodes in and it's good, but I find I'm not in the mood for it at the moment. Instead, I'm watching Snowpiercer, which I'm really enjoying. Based, of course, on a comic that was previously turned into a movie. The changes made to spin it out into a 10-part TV series hasn't stretched the show completely out of shape and made it unrecognisable. At the same time, it has introduced a police procedural element that works and ends after a few episodes in a way that powers the rest of the show's plot. I'm six episodes in and still gripped.

(* The image at the top of the column is based on the covers of the two Longbow books. The real covers you can see in the column to the right. I still have a handful of signed copies available, which I'm still offering with a 10% discount if you buy both volumes.)

Rebellion Releases - 9 September 2020

Rebellion have announced the publication of the first ever comprehensive and definitive encyclopedia of the worlds of the legendary comic book, 2000 AD. The 2000 AD Encyclopedia — launched in the pages of the Judge Dredd Megazine this month — will for the first time bring together synopses and details of every series published in the weekly anthology and its sister comic.

Written by writer and journalist Scott Montgomery, this expansive new project that will be serialised in regular instalments over the next year. Included as supplements with the Megazine, the 2000 AD Encyclopedia promises to become the go-to resource for the hundreds of creations that have appeared in the Galaxy’s Greatest Comics over the past four decades.

The first instalment, covering A to B from Mike Carey and Andy Clarke's punky urban SF series TH1RT3EN, from 2002, to John Wagner and Arthur Ranson's gritty 90s' anti-hero Button Man, is published with Judge Dredd Megazine #424, which is on sale from Wednesday 16 September.

The whole series will be collected into a single volume for publication in early 2022, as part of the celebrations around 2000 AD’s 45th anniversary.

Matt Smith, editor of 2000 AD, said: “As 2000 AD approaches its 45th anniversary, the comic's assembled a formidable stable of characters and stories over the past four and a half decades. For anyone not equipped with a vast Betelgeusian brain, it may be intimidating trying to keep track of them all - but no more! The 2000 AD Encyclopedia is your new go-to resource for all the strips that have appeared in both the Prog and Meg, with a comprehensive rundown of creators, notable series, and where the stories have been collected for handy access. No Squaxx dek Thargo should be without it!”

Scott Montgomery said: “Having been a 2000 AD reader since the age of nine in 1981, I was delighted to accept when Matt [Smith, Tharg the Mighty’s earthly 2000 AD editor droid] offered me the chance to write the 2000 AD Encyclopedia. This is a huge honour and the timing was perfect; coming right at the start of lockdown in March. I can’t think of a better way to ‘work from home’ – engrossed in the minutiae of nearly 45 years-worth of the Galaxy’s Greatest Comic and also celebrating 30 years of the Galaxy’s Greatest Spin-Off – Judge Dredd Megazine. Encompassing major and minor characters, classic stories like Flesh from the earliest issue – through to future masterpieces like The Out in 2020 - I hope that fellow 2000 AD fans will enjoy this informative guide to the thrill-archive and beyond!”

Rebellion's Head of Publishing Ben Smith said, "2000 AD and the Judge Dredd Megazine have made a profound cultural impact in the past half-century. Much of today's global popular culture would be unrecognisable without the work of the artists and writers who have contributed to these ground-breaking comics. Their influence can be felt across generations of  not just UK talent but internationally as the waves that this comic started ripple out through film, music, television, literature and beyond. Only now will the towering achievement of decades of stories, characters and prophetic visions be brought together and laid out for everyone to lose themselves in, finding much-loved favourites, hidden treasures and some shocking creations with each turn of the page."

2000AD Prog 2198
Cover: Luke Preece.

Judge Dredd: End of Days by Rob Williams (w) Henry Flint (a) Chris Blythe (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
The Out by Dan Abnett (w) Mark Harrison (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Sinister Dexter: Ghostlands by Dan Abnett (w) Nicolo Assirelli (a) John Charles (c) Simon Bowland (l)
Tharg's 3rillers: Saphir by Kek-W (w) David Roach (a) Peter Doherty (c) Simon Bowland (l)
The Diaboliks: A Crooked Beat by Gordon Rennie (a) Dom Reardon (a) Jim Campbell (l)

Comic Cuts - 4 September 2020

Scanning and wrapping books, scanning and packing envelopes, scanning and running down to the post office...

How was your week? Mine was mostly scanning and getting books into the post. By the time you've checked the order, wrapped up the books (if they go out from here, I try to always wrap books up in newspaper to protect the corners from being bumped in the post), dug out the correct address and walked them down to the post office, you've lost most of a morning.

I'm pleased to say that all our Longbow pre-orders were posted out by Wednesday, and copies posted Friday were already starting to arrive. I'm getting some good feedback on the books, which is always nice because even after however many books I've put together — written in full or edited — there's always a sense of apprehension as you approach publication day. I know how much work has gone into them, and you try always to make them the best books you can, but there's always a nagging doubt at the back of your mind that some might not appreciate them the way you would like.
________________________________________________________________________

You'll find some entertaining stories and some impressive black and white art in these books and old EAGLE readers who disliked the supernatural and fantasy elements of the sixties weekly, may well prefer these stories to the later ones [...] These are two good books which deserve to be widely read. Jim Duckett, Eagle Times, 26 August 2020.
________________________________________________________________________

But the reviews are good and the comments that I'm seeing on Facebook are very pleasing. There seems to be a lot of appreciation for the extras that have gone into the book — the introductions and the extensive biographies that I wrote for the twelve artists who contributed to the series. I've tried to add these kind of extras to all the books I've produced, working on the principal that I, too, like a book with a good introduction and bonus related material.

So the rest of the week has involved scanning dozens of small comics, most of them only eight or twelve pages, but it still takes ages. I'm doing 300dpi scans because this is likely to be the last time I get an opportunity to scan a collection like this. "This" is a selection of slim comics from the 1940s, nowadays as rare as hen's teeth, and an era of independent comic production that I find fascinating.

Many years ago, I wrote some articles for a collecting magazine about these old comics, and they have a fascinating history — collectors will recognise some of the names associated with them, names like Gerald G. Swan, Len Miller, Mick Anglo and others. When you drill down into them you discover a group of artists who were producing strips them likes of which were never seen before (or after). Again, names like Nat Brand, Dennis M. Reader and Crewe Davies float around amongst collectors without much being known about them. A few artists went on to greater things — Ron Embleton, Don Lawrence, Paddy Brennan, Syd Jordan — but they often had their start in these independent comics.

So I'm planning to go back into my own archive of articles and write the history of these comics. I mentioned this to Peter Hansen, saying at the time (last November) that a lack of illustrations was holding me back. Well, I now have those illustrations and a venue in BAM!. Get ready to discover some of the weirdest comics you've ever seen!

I'm off to write some questions. We had our first Zoom Quiz evening last Saturday with a small group of friends and we've accidentally landed ourselves with the task of hosting the next one, which will involve at least twice as many people spread around the country. It will either be brilliant or a disaster. I'll let you know which next week.

Commando 5363-5366

Brand new Commando issues  — out today!

5363: Daggers Drawn

From writer and ex-serviceman Russell Sheath comes a modern-era Commando with classic themes. ‘Daggers Drawn’ follows a group of Royal Marine Commandos on a routine training exercise in the Scottish Highlands that goes horribly wrong when they interrupt an illegal arms-deal. Now, unarmed and stranded in an unforgiving terrain, two rookies must do what they can to make it out alive and stop the deal!

Story: Russell Sheath
Art:  Khato
Cover:  Neil Roberts
 

5364: Born Brave

In Captain Eric Hebden’s classic Commando from the 1960s, British dispatch rider Sergeant George Ward was roaring back to his base in France after a routine delivery job when the road swung into a dark forest — and what happened when George raced into that wood was to give him nightmares for months to come!

Story:  Eric Hebden
Art: Frollo
Cover:  Ken Barr:
Originally Commando No. 161 (1965).
 

5365: Ramsey’s Raiders: The Rats’ Nest

Ramsey’s Raiders return yet again – this time for a less than above board mission in a SS infested village in France. The elite Special Raiding Force are out to rescue the trapped SOE agent, who also happens to be a relative of their commanding officer  — and to make matters worse, their secret rescue mission is hot off the back of D-Day and the Allies are ready to blast the Jerries out!

Story:  Ferg Handley
Art:  Carlos Pino
Cover:  Ian Kennedy
 

5366: The Secret Heroes

Family loyalties are often stronger than any other ties in Commando. That’s why in ‘The Secret Heroes’ Olaf Milang couldn’t believe what he was told by the Resistance when he returned home to his native Norway on a secret mission. Was his own brother really acting the traitor and wearing the uniform of the Nazi-controlled police?! Find out is this fantastic silver-era reprint!

Story: Bill Fear
Art: Ruiz#
Cover:  Ian Kennedy
Originally Commando No. 1569 (1981).

Rebellion Releases (2000AD) - 2 September 2020

Rebellion Publishing is pleased to announce a new graphic novel line focusing on the indispensable stories of the greatest lawman of the future, beginning with a blistering tale where the terrorists want only one thing – democracy!

Perfect for new readers and retailers, the Essential Judge Dredd line of graphic novels will focus on the key stories that have established and confirmed Dredd’s place as one of the most complex and nuanced characters in comics.

The first collection in the new line, Essential Judge Dredd: America, includes work by John Wagner (A History of Violence), Garth Ennis (Preacher), Alan Grant (Batman), Colin MacNeil (Judge Dredd), John Higgins (Watchmen), John M Burns (Modesty Blaise), and Jeff Anderson (Transformers).

Out in September 2020 and retailing at £19.99 / $25, this 160-page paperback in larger format (276mm x 210mm) collects the America storyline, which focuses on the lives of ordinary citizens living under Justice Department’s despotic system.

Time drew childhood friends America Jara and Bennett Beeny apart, but when they reunite Beeny discovers America has become involved with the terrorist organisation ‘Total War’. This dark and complex tale is considered to be one of the best stories to ever come out of the Judge Dredd universe.

Now contextualised with contemporarily-thematic stories, the collection will also feature new colour by renowned Watchmen colourist John Higgins.

The series continues in November 2020 with Essential Judge Dredd: Origins, the unprecedented epic that sees Wagner and Ezquerra return to tell the origin story of their greatest creation.

First appearing in 1977, Wagner and Ezquerra’s fascist future cop has become the byword for dystopian law enforcement and has inspired generations of artists, writers, filmmakers, and musicians. Patrolling the streets of Mega-City One on America’s Eastern seaboard 122 years in the future, Dredd is judge, jury, and executioner in a blackly funny, often challenging, and always riotous satire of ‘law and order’ politics, whose underlying message has only become more relevant in the 21^st Century.

Ben Smith, head of Rebellion Publishing, said: “Not only is America one of the most amazing Judge Dredd stories ever told, this incredibly prescient look at the demands society must make for democracy and what a state will do to protect itself couldn’t be more contemporary. This is not only the ideal first story for any reader new to Dredd, it’s something everyone should read in this year of all years. Make sure you read it before you vote, citizens!”

 

2000AD Prog 1297
Cover: Dom Reardon.

Judge Dredd: End of Days by Rob Williams (w) Henry Flint (a) Chris Blythe (c) Annie Parkhouse (l)
The Out by Dan Abnett (w) Mark Harrison (a) Annie Parkhouse (l)
Future Shocks: Stream M For Murder by Liam Johnson (w) Steve Yeowell (a) Simon Bowland (l)
Tharg's 3rillers: Saphir by Kek-W (w) David Roach (a) Peter Doherty (c) Simon Bowland (l)
The Diaboliks: A Crooked Beat by Gordon Rennie (a) Dom Reardon (a) Jim Campbell (l)

Essential Judge Dredd: America by John Wagner, Alan Grant, Garth Ennis (w), Colin MacNeil, John Higgins, John M. Burns, Jeff Anderson (a)
Rebellion ISBN 978-1781-08860-9, 3 September 2020 (print & digital), 160pp, £19.99 / $25.

In Mega-City One, the Judges are the law - acting as judge, jury, and executioner. But how do the citizens really feel about a system where they are powerless? America Jara and Bennett Beeny grow up as best friends, living a fairly trouble-free life in a dangerous city... bar the odd, negative encounter with a Judge. Time draws them apart, and when they are brought back together, Beeny is a successful singer and America has become involved with a terrorist organisation known as Total War, which has the Justice Department in its sights!

This dark and complex tale, considered to be one of the best stories to ever come out of the Judge Dredd universe, has been contextualised with contemporarily thematic stories with re-coloured art by Watchmen's John Higgins.