Here’s the press release for Alan Moore’s intriguing new project…

Forty years after the uproarious heyday of the alternative press, writer Alan Moore is launching the 21st century’s first underground magazine from his home town of Northampton, a community that is right at the geographical, political and economic heart of the country; one which has half its high street boarded up and is at present dying on its arse, just like everywhere else.

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The Adventures of Julius Chancer – The Rainbow Orchid

Script and art – Garen Ewing

Published by Egmont

You may have read elsewhere on this site about my love for European comic books and how the first I ever bought was an Asterix book. That’s true, however around the same time a friend of mine introduced me to a somewhat more serious young comic book character called Tintin. Herge’s books still leave me spell bound, and (much like John Higgins as I found out at BICS) house moves and household rearrangements always mean the same thing, my Tintin books are dug up again and a month or so is lost to rereading them.

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So this weekend saw the British International Comics Show or BICS held at Millennium Point in Birmingham. Now in its fourth year its the UK’s largest specific  Comic convention and the guest list was impressively glittering with great names like Charlie Adlard, Howard Chaykin, Paul Cornell, Alan Davis, Andy Diggle, Pasqual Ferry and many many more. For Richard and myself (check the bios I’m James) it was only our second taste of a “proper” convention, and certainly our first full weekend at one our single day at Bristol earlier in the year, which gave us a taste but not the full flavour of the UK convention scene.

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During this weekends British International Comic Show (BICS) James and I had a chat with John Higgins (colorist on Watchmen).  Along with some interesting Watchmen news (Dave Gibbons is considering an autobiography) John talked about Forty-Five, which sounds very intriguing indeed. Forty Five is written by Andi Ewington and drawn by 45 different artists.  Here’s the spiel, along with names of all 45 artist and a few pages from the comic…

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We care. In fact we care A LOT. We love comics and hate crap ones with a passion. With this in mind, and on the back of Catalogue Monkeys favourite comic book series being published in a super lovely hard back edition we decided to make this offer. Show us the worse you have in your long box and you we will provide you with the best the comics world has to offer, Preacher.

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I really want to love everything Berserker do. I want a small British publisher to do well, especially when they have so much quality British talent writing stories and creating art. Church of Hell for example had a great opening Chapter and the two other books in their stable, Maura and The Dead: Kingdom of the flies, seem intriguing enough for me to give them a look. But Channel Evil leaves me feeling conflicted and slightly confused.

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Captain Britain and MI-13 writer Paul Cornell announced on his website this week that the series will end on issue #15.

Bad times, Captain Britain is one of the very few Marvel comics being produced at the moment that I'm actually enjoying........but then why not end on a high? This series deserves it.

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The first reading of Century 1910 can prove somewhat jarring, there is so much going on at any one time that it’s difficult not to feel a little overwhelmed. Given a second or third reading though it becomes a little easier to digest, & it also becomes easier to understand exactly why Alan Moore’s name is spoken of so highly when it comes to comic books.

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By reading the site you may or may not know that Cranky, Catalogue Monkey and Dimitri went to the Sunday of the recent two day Bristol Comic Expo (in their mild mannered day time personas of Rich, Jon and James). Being massive cheapskates and having very strict monkey handlers at home, we decided on just the day ticket. It was our first outing to the event and almost immediately regretted the decision not to ignore our handlers and go for the full weekend experience.

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Oink was first published in 1986, sadly due to its anarchic flavour it ended two years later. Although Oink was a kid’s comic some people felt its humour wasn’t suitable for children, this meant many newsagents top-shelved it with “adult magazines” away from all the other children’s comics. Moving Oink away from the reach of its readership meant sales plummeted and it was eventually cancelled.

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It’s good to widen your horizons, and in the world of comics that vanishing point is plenty wide. Catalogue and I decided that rather than just wax lyrical (or otherwise) about books we have on our pull list that we would start an irregular series where we pick up something at random and offer our thoughts.

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At it's peak 2000AD sold around 100,000 copies every week, that's EVERY WEEK people, almost ½ million comics a month, that's impressive stuff. Like so many others in 1980's Britain I bought 2000AD for one reason, Judge Dredd.

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Going to the Bristol International Comic Expo on the 9th and 10th May?  I've picked out some of the highlights...

Alan Davis
British writer and artist. Famous run on Captain Britain with Alan Moore. Also worked on X-Men, JLA and many more, check out his website by clicking here

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My first post in a week, not good is it? But I have an excuse, I've been ill! I don't normally get ill but this week I came down with a flu strain so strong it could wipe out the Marvel and DC Universe! Being confined to my bed I thought I could read some of my ever growing comic stash, but sadly not, I'd start to read then find myself drifting to sleep, rubbish.

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