Upcoming British Comics' Reference

The A to Z of British Newspaper Strips by Paul Hudson
Book Palace Books ISBN 978-191354824-7, July 2022, 320pp, £55.00. Available via Book Palace.

We are proud to announce the publication of this comprehensive guide to the long and distinguished career of the British Newspaper Strip, listing hundreds of newspaper strips printed in Britain over the last hundred plus years.
    Written by Paul Hudson, former owner of the much-missed London comic shop Comic Showcase, this upcoming title is the product of more than two years of assiduous research and is a wonderful point of reference for a cherished part of British daily life and culture.
    The book has over 680 entries, of which over 650 are illustrated, and features all your favourites such as Andy Capp, Axa, Bristow, Flook, Fred Bassett, Garth, George and Lynne, Jeff Hawke, Modesty Blaise, Pip, Squeak and Wilfred, Rupert Bear, Tamara Drewe, The Perishers, Varoomshka, plus many, many more!
    Each strip is credited with dates, creators and descriptions as well as sample illustrations.

Blazing Battle Action by David Bishop & David McDonald
Hibernia Press, July 2022, 76pp, £10.49. Available via Comicsy.

‘Blazing Battle Action’ is the sixth in Hibernia acclaimed Comic Archive series, exploring comics history through interviews, articles and rare art.

    ‘Blazing Battle Action’ contains a comprehensive history of ‘Battle’ by author and former editor of ‘2000 AD’, David Bishop. Originally serialised in the ‘Judge Dredd Megazine’, this is the first time it has been collected in print.

    Also included is David McDonald’s history of the hugely popular, and divisive, ‘Action Force’ stories that appeared in ‘Battle’, as well at its replacement ‘Storm Force’.

    Along with rare art, collectors checklist and and overview of Rebellions new ‘Battle’ comic, this is the ultimate Battle companion!

I Am the Law: How Judge Dredd Predicted Our Future by Michael Molcher
Rebellion ISBN 978-178618570-9, 27 October 2022, 208pp, £14.99. Available via Amazon.

An in-depth examination of the ways in which the comic strip Judge Dredd, published in 2000 AD, has predicted the changing face of policing in Britain over the last 45 years.
    He is the law - and you better believe it!
    Judge, jury and executioner, Judge Dredd is the brutal comic book cop policing the chaotic future urban jungle of Mega-City One, created by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra and launching in the pages of 2000 AD in 1977.
    But what began as a sci-fi action comic quickly evolved into a searing satire on hardline, militarised policing and ‘law and order’ politics, its endless inventiveness and ironic humour acting as a prophetic warning about our world today - and with important lessons for our future.
    Blending comic book history with contemporary radical theories on policing, I Am The Law takes key Dredd stories from the last 45 years and demonstrates how they provide a unique wake up call about our gradual, and not so gradual, slide towards authoritarian policing.
    From the politicisation of policing to ‘zero tolerance’, from violent suppression of protest to the rise of the surveillance state, I Am The Law examines how a comic book warned us about the chilling endgame of today's 'law and order' politics.