Cy's Matters

Bad Advice Corner: Cerebral Thunderdome

2012-01-24T17:11:00.011Z

I've been putting some thought into the process of story development recently, primarily as I'm at the stage of the writing cycle where I'm looking for my next batch of ideas. I like to be working on about three scripts at once - actually writing them, that is. This means that I need to have one eye on the horizon at all times so I always know where my next story is coming from.

Example: right now, a quick glance at my worklist shows that I have nine contracted projects currently either in the process of being drawn or awaiting publication, one completed and in need of a publisher and fifteen more either partially scripted or still in the planning stages. On the four that I'm currently writing, I'm turning out about three 22-page scripts per month, depending on other commitments. That feels like a decent workload, and I'm one of those people who has to structure his time pretty rigidly or get nothing done.

When I bump stories up from the "interesting concept" category to "in production", I've increasingly noticed a tendency toward Thunderdoming. This was something that first happened with Cancertown, which was a story I'd had kicking around in my head since university, but which never came together until Morley entered the picture, basically wandering in from another story altogether and taking over. Similarly, the Mr. Green character from Slaughterman's Creed was never intended to feature in that story at all, and ended up redefining the whole book. It's become a pattern. I can be roadblocked on any number of stories at once, then suddenly realise that they aren't separate books at all, but facets of a single narrative that were fighting to assert themselves. Thunderdoming - two stories enter, one story leaves.

The mental Thunderdome can kick out some surprising results. One story I'm getting ready to plot out originated as a sequel to another book, but now a new lead character has fought his way into it and booted that original story right out of the picture. I'm sort of staring at the wreckage right now and wondering how it happened. All I know is that I'm twice as excited about this fucker now it's no longer a part 2. It just works out that way sometimes.

I occasionally get asked to blog "writing advice" here, and while I have serious doubts about the usefulness of anything I might say, I guess this rambling, incoherent post is about the closest we're likely to get. So, y'know... have fun with that.

Scratching an Itch Part #2: Slaughterman's Creed Commentary

2012-01-10T14:33:00.003Z

Well, we seem to have blitzed through 2011 and out the other side in record time. I've barely finished sucking the marrow out of last year's bones and I'm already tearing into 2012 with a carnivorous intensity that frightens even me. I've got new books, new co-creators and a metric fuck-tonne of new toys to play with over the next twelve months, so I'm kicking off with another free gift for anyone who might be interested in grabbing a copy.

As the entirely hypothetical and almost certainly fictional "regular reader" of this blog might be aware, a little while back I was able to release the Cancertown commentary track I recorded for the PSP Store version here, so that anyone with an interest and a copy of the book (physical or digital) could get hold of it. Now, with that same itch still bugging me, it's long past time I did the same for Slaughterman's Creed.

So, if you'd like to hear me justify what the Hell I thought I was playing at with that ghastly little amorality play of blood and blades and meat and murder, or simply to hear me burble two hours of incoherent praise for the likes of Stephen Downey, then by all means help yourselves. Links below.

Slaughterman's Creed Commentary Chapter One (24Mb MP3 ZIP)
Slaughterman's Creed Commentary Chapter Two (23 Mb MP3 ZIP)
Slaughterman's Creed Commentary Chapter Three (21Mb MP3 ZIP)
Slaughterman's Creed Commentary Chapter Four (25Mb MP3 ZIP)
Slaughterman's Creed Commentary Chapter Five (26Mb MP3 ZIP)

Onward!

Opening The Throttle

2011-12-14T10:03:00.009Z

A free preview of the first eleven pages of White Knuckle, out in May 2012 from Markosia, is now available on MyeBook.

Take a look.

Forty years ago, Seth Rigal was a man to be feared – a serial strangler with a string of victims. Now nearly seventy and tormented by a lifetime of monstrous violence, Rigal lives on the verge of poverty and quietly waits for the death he knows he deserves. Tortured and confused, still tormented by the drives that made him a killer in his youth, Rigal finds himself almost unconsciously stalking the daughter of his final victim – only to have his precious anonymity snatched from him when he accidentally saves her son’s life. Seth Rigal, formerly known as the Gripper, just became a local celebrity.

The bodies won’t stay buried any longer.

Art is by the incredibly talented Valia Kapadai and letters are by Nic Wilkinson.

We have a White Knuckle Facebook Page where you can keep to update with what's happening as the book progresses, see previews of artwork and find out about the things that will happen for the launch.

Pre-orders will officially open next year but if you want to put your name down on the list now (no payment required until they open) then email cy[AT]cydethan.com.

Why would you do this? Well, the first 20 people to do so will have the opportunity to be drawn into the book as part of the Gripper's case files, and everyone who pre-orders will have the chance to win a piece of original art by Valia of the characters in the book.

All pre-orders get their copies signed by the whole team, of course.

We are hoping to be able to get some more goodies for those who pre-order as well - so watch this space for news!

Pre-order price will be £10 instead of £12.99 (+ postage of £2 UK or £4 rest of world or free to collect from the launch at Bristol comics convention in May 2012)

(Pod)Casting a Light on Unseen Shadows...

2011-12-13T18:50:00.002Z

A couple of weeks back, Barry "Party Ninja" Nugent (the geek community's apex predator) was asked to appear for an interview on the SFP-Now podcast by the show's host, Ian Cullen. As I'd been on before, Ian suggested that I tag along to chat about my part in Barry's Tales of the Fallen anthology.

I always have a great time talking with Ian, and I'm already looking forward to having the chance to do so again. The episode went live this week, so help yourselves if you fancy hearing Barry talking his way through the ideas behind his Unseen Shadows multimedia extravaganza. There's even some unexpected comedy in the first half of the show, with Ian doggedly insisting on referring to one of the story's key figures by a name more commonly associated with The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Onward!

Ad Break: Tales of the Fallen - Reviewed and Out Now

2011-11-30T20:40:00.003Z

Unseen Shadows mastermind and capo di tutti capi of the British geek podcasting circuit, Barry Nugent, has put up a shop page for his Tales of the Fallen anthology. Enjoy the blurb:

£12.99

They are murderers, martyrs and mercenaries in the no-man’s-land between adventure and crusade – soldiers of fate and fierce honour, bound together in mystery, darkness and blood. Their enemies are shadows haunting the outermost borders of a darkening world, and as night approaches the shadows grow long.

They are the Fallen, and these are their stories.

Scripts: Cy Dethan, Richmond Clements, Dan Thompson, Pete Rogers

Pencils: Steve Penfold, Rob Carey, Conor Boyle, Roy Huteson Stewart

Colours: Gat Melvyn, Vicky Stonebridge

Letters: Paul Mclaren, Nic Wilkinson

Covers: Steve Penfold, Gat Melvyn,Rob Carey, Conor Boyle, Roy Huteson Stewart, Valia Kapadai

Introduction: Jonathan Ross

128 pages

‘If, like me, you like rip-roaring testosterone fuelled pulp fiction. With soldiers, and mysteries, and all round weird stuff in, then this is the book for you.’ – Jonathan Ross.

The book is a collection of "expanded universe" stories featuring key figures from Barry's Fallen Heroes novel, and features a 22-pager of mine called "Wrath of God", with the excellent Steve Penfold, Gat Melvyn and Nic Wilkinson on art, colours and letters, respectively. The tales range from high-powered adventure to all-out slaughter and the credits list reads like a who's who of guys I've been dying to share page space with for years.

Tales of the Fallen was recently reviewed by Wayne Hall for the SFP-Now website, so feel free to check out what he made of it on the site.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled internet...

Thought Babble: TB11 Convention Report

2011-11-21T20:26:00.006Z

Thought Bubble has always been considered a creator-friendly convention, so it was a massive kick to be launching three separate ventures at this one. Firstly, we had the long-awaited print release of The Indifference Engine: A Holographic Novel, which I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. Having Rob Carey, the book’s artist, at the table over the weekend was deeply cool, as the man’s a total fucking dynamo. Under the heading of “speaking in whispers so we don’t jinx it,” a brief conversation with Markosia suddenly means work on an Indifference Engine sequel is likely to kick off in earnest very soon...

Next up was Broadcast: the TV Doodles of Henry Flint. Being a dedicated art book, this is really Henry’s show. In providing a sort of contextual commentary to the work, my role is pretty much that of a DVD extra. That said, I had an incredible time wrapping my skull around the disarming, disturbing weirdness that Henry so masterfully orchestrates, and hopefully some of that comes across in my contribution to the completed book.

Finally, there was Barry Nugent’s Tales of the Fallen anthology. Barry’s development of the Unseen Shadows property from self-published cult hit to full-on transmedia empire has proven a masterclass in what a creator with a clear vision can accomplish. With scripts from Richmond Clements, Pete Rogers, Dan Thompson and myself, and art by Steve Penfold, Conor Boyle, Roy Stewart and my Indifference Engine co-creator, Rob Carey, Tales of the Fallen fleshes out the backgrounds of several key figures from the Unseen Shadows universe while retaining a stand-alone independence that requires no prior knowledge of the novel. It was an extraordinary project to have been involved in, and I’m looking forward to getting my second bite soon.

The pre-ordering system Markosia has been operating turned out to have been a virtual necessity, as both their entire stock and ours of Indifference Engine and Slaughterman’s Creed were wiped out at the convention, due in no small part to comic shop owners looking to take large bundles of books from the tables. With more and more shops now opting to deal more directly with publishers, initiatives like pre-ordering and Stuart Gould’s excellent UK Comics service (whose first catalogue is now available) are becoming increasingly central to the indie scene.

Nic was saved from performing a 50-minute lettering solo at the Saturday afternoon lettering workshop when she was joined by Ian Sharman in his hard-rocking steampunk hat . What emerged from this was one of the most interesting convention panels I’ve ever seen, with Nic and Ian taking attendees through the broad concepts and tiny details that underlie comic book lettering, demonstrating that attention and forethought given to lettering strategy at every stage of a comic’s production make all the difference between seamless, fluid storytelling and an unreadable clusterfuck. For the rest of the show there was a steady stream of people coming up to the table with more questions about lettering, or asking for advice on the artistic and technical side of things. Jim Campbell was sadly prevented from making the show this year due to a sudden deadline crunch but check out his blog for some of the best tutorials and info around.

On Sunday it was my turn to take a minor corner of that same stage (at the Alea Casino Cinema Room, straight across the gaming hall, turn left at the 1970s and take the lift t0 the second floor – if you saw the place you’d understand) for the Unseen Shadows panel. In the company of (almost) the whole creative squad, Barry took the audience through the evolution of the project from first principles to the verge of total media domination. I got to rattle off a few words about my Wrath of God story, which is a multi-narrative piece told almost entirely through the medium of gunplay. Great fun to write, and the art team of Steve Penfold and Gat Melvyn did a stunning job of bringing it to life. In a surprise move, Barry took the opportunity to announce a four-part miniseries involving Wrath of God’s protagonist, The Reverend, with the same creative team, along with a similar venture for Napoleon Stone by Fragments of Fate creators Pete Rogers and Roy Stewart.

Along with our launch books, Nic and I had taken along digital previews of Cancertown 2: Blasphemous Tumours and White Knuckle. Thanks to everyone who asked about those. The level of interest and responses we got were really stunning, with the terms “dark”, “haunting” and “ominous” providing recurrent themes. I’ll be posting more as things develop on these projects, and both books are looking solid for launches in the first half of 2012.

In the “great to finally meet” category, we have Starburst columnist and horror writer, Philip Buchan (whose work combines Romantic Poet sensibilities with balls-out body-shock atrocity), artist Alwyn Talbot, whom I seriously need to work with right now, and both Conor Boyle and Roy Stewart, with whom I *am* currently working but can’t really talk about yet. Outstanding to catch up with all of these guys.

Another key figure in this category would be Jacob Welby, a writer I’ve been in email contact with for a while. Jacob’s got what I consider to be a really strong, deeply original story to tell, and an artist ideally suited to tell it with him, so I was excited to be able to introduce him to Markosia boss, Harry Markos, and watch him deliver his pitch. Best of luck to you, mate.

As far as weekend purchases go, my personal highlights would have to include a double-shot of Time Bomb Comics’ Dick Turpin books (by Steve Tanner, Andrew Dodd and Cancertown 2’s Graeme Howard), Jennifer Wilde #1 (Maura McHugh and Stephen Downey) and Dark Judgement 2, the second all-Rich McAuliffe and Conor Boyle Dark Judges book from Futurequake.

Random personal highlights would also feature tag-teaming with Corey Brotherson to introduce Jennie Gyllblad to the underlying concepts of professional wrestling, watching David Monteith win at life as he toured the convention with his wife and new child (described at one point as a baby wearing a full-size Predator backpack), Nic developing a new life goal of becoming a professional Roller Derby player while I snagged an incredible piece of art from Vicky Stonebridge as a present for her and reuniting the Digital Wolfpack when Paul Richardson arrived at the table.

In summary, I can’t stress enough how smoothly and professionally Thought Bubble is run. It basically doubled in size this year and there wasn’t a single sign of strain from where I was sitting. Congratulations, gratitude and a permanent slot in my convention schedule are most certainly due.

In fact, my only slightly shaky experience over the entire weekend was a minor Highlander moment I had during the Saturday night mid-convention party, on receiving the ominous warning, “Gary’s brought his cards”. This seemingly innocuous comment instantly brought the Quickening upon me, as it could mean only one thing: another magician was on the premises. It is a little-known fact that when two magicians meet on non-consecrated grounds, they must duel for The Prize. Luckily for all involved, I never found out who the mysterious “Gary” was, and his cards appear to have remained safely in their scabbard for the duration of my stay. There can, after all, be only one...

Striking Sparks with Henry Flint

2011-11-15T20:03:00.004Z

So yeah, I'm calling this a milestone.

Broadcast: the TV Doodles of Henry Flint is a heartbeat from deployment as we speak, and an article on the book has just featured in the Megazine. The piece is written by Matthew Badham, and features several key samples of Henry's art and some interview snippets from both him and me on the concept and development of the book.

Feel free to check it out, and join legions of 2000AD fanatics in posing the question: "Cy who?"

Demoncon 2 Convention Report

2011-11-08T15:19:00.004Z

The first I ever heard of Demoncon was actually when I was invited to attend as a guest. Probably the only down-side to moving out of London has been the fact that most comics conventions aren't quite as easy or inexpensive to get to as they used to be. Maidstone-based Demoncon, by contrast, is pretty much a stone's throw away from us now so it had an immediate appeal.

Casting around for opinions from people I knew who'd attended in the past, I was struck by how universally positive everyone's experiences had been - and now that I've seen it for myself, I can only agree. Demoncon 2 was organised by Maidstone's Grinning Demon comic shop and featured a broad array of guests, from Tony Lee to Garen Ewing. We were given a really good spot to set up, near the front between the wonderful Sweatdrop Studios (represented by Morag Lewis and Sonia Leong) and the astonishingly talented Jack Lawrence. Result! Deeper in the room, David Wynne and Ian Sharman from Orang Utan Comics appeared to be swamped with interested parties for most of the day.

The event was busy right from the outset, and we quickly found our preparations to have been laughably inadequate to the needs of the day. We sold our entire stock of Cancertowns inside two hours, and had literally nothing left to sell by 3pm! "Shocked" doesn't begin to describe it, and the level of interest generated by the preview copy of the soon-to-be-released The Indifference Engine we took with us was beyond awesome.

More than anything, it was the attitudes of the comics enthusiasts there that struck me. There was just so much active interest in not just the books we had on sale, but the stories of how they came to be. Particular high spots were conversations with John Burdis (organiser of the famous "Hell Trek" to the Hi-Ex convention in Scotland and the man behind the Cellar of Dredd website) and Tom Coxon from L.A.R.P. Aid, who was collecting sketches for a charity event. Both of those sites are well worth a visit, and sneaking a preview of the Judge Minty fan film from John was worth the trip on its own.

So, thanks to all at Grinning Demon for the invitation, support and enthusiasm. My faith in one-day events is now officially restored and I've got a very welcome new convention to add to my calendar, if they'll have me again.

Special thanks also go out to Cancertown 2 colourist, Peter Mason for helping to run the table all day - and to Nic Wilkinson, without all whom all is folly and darkness.

The Glory That Was Geek Syndicate

2011-10-28T21:52:00.016+01:00

The 29th of October 2011 will be a sad and momentous day in the world of indie comics. It will be the end of an era. It will be the day that the ninjas get their geek on for the very last time - the end coming, as it does to so many great things, with whisky and shouting in a hotel in Docklands surrounded by Stormtroopers.

So, before they record their final outing as the Geek Syndicate, we wanted to take the opportunity to say a few words...

This is Nic, writing this up on behalf of us both. Is this thing on?

We first met the GS boys at BICS 2006 - which is very near the beginning, but actually not the beginning of the story. For that, we have to go back to the times of ignorance, to before The Geek Syndicate came to be.

We first went to a UK comic convention around the turn of the century (I love writing that), well before either of us were involved on the creative side of comics at all - although Cy knew he would like to be but we were not exactly sure how you went about breaking out of the corporate chrysalis and emerging as a beautiful, freelance, creative butterfly just then. It was a pleasant enough event, and we had fun and all, but apart from a handful of panels it was basically just like the monthly comics markets we went to in a local hotel to pick up our pull list from the stall of our (no longer L)CS and rummage through back issues and assorted delights from the many dealers there. So, it was a good weekend and people were all friendly, but we did not return for a good few years.

Fast forward to May 2006. By this time Cy, always the trailblazer, had already discovered podcasts - with The Geek Syndicate being the first British one he ever listened to, having heard about it on Comic Geek Speak.

We had been doing the Starship Troopers: Extinction Protocol strip for Mongoose Publishing for a few months by this time, having sneaked into the industry via the secret underground passages, and we had felt the walls of that chrysalis starting to give a little as we started thinking about the possibilities of creator-owned books. So, we decided to scope out the convention scene again and to gather intelligence ready to prepare our masterplan.

Suddenly, we heard some voices that we had only heard coming out of a computer before - it was Dave and Barry - and they were real! I was a bit nervous to talk to them at first, but Cy was bold enough to go up and say hello while I hovered shyly behind him.

Six months later at Bristol 2007 (what we like to think of as The Con Of Destiny where Cy scored his Markosia Starship Troopers gig and had Cancertown accepted on the same day), the con scene had changed dramatically, it seemed. True, there was a certain buzz in the air at BICS that year with many more indie publishers and individual creators having tables and much more of a social feel - but this felt like a whole different thing from the earlier con we had visited.

So, here's the thing - we put this change down, primarily, to the existence of the Geek Syndicate - and the rag-tag fugitive fleet of misfits that made up what became an incredibly strong community of creators, readers, podcasters, ninjas and... well, you name it, centred around them. Suddenly, there was a place to connect with each other and make stuff happen - and a brave new world was born.

At Bristol 2007 we had an awkward moment with Barry on a zebra crossing! We saw him across the road and after a bit of "is that him?" frantic whispering between ourselves, Cy yelled "Barry!" He looked up, suitably startled with a "I think I might sort of recognise you, but I'm not 100% sure, please don't be muggers..." kind of an expression, smiled and said "Hi...umm....". It was okay, though. We were out of costume, or at least context, and when he saw us in the bar later on the confusion was all resolved faster than you say say "Whitehall farce". We still maintain that if we had shouted "throw me the idol..." instead of his name then he would have reacted better.

Soon after that, the GS reviewed the first issue of Cy's Starship Troopers: Bad Blood arc (freaturingthe now-infamous Vanauken line, "Shame me, and I will piss bullets down your throat until you are very, very, sorry."). Listening to the review of that, I have never before been so scared that two people would actually die of giggling whilst on air! They always recognised us after that, though!

The support that the GS have shown to us, to other creators, to the many fledgling podcasters they Geek Syndicated and to the whole world of Geekdom has been nothing short of astonishing - and for that, and for all the good friends we wouldn't have otherwise made, we cannot thank you enough.

Both of their worlds have changed, as much as they changed ours, in the past 5 years with Dave now a husband and father and Barry a transmedia mastermind and best-selling author, with whom we are more than delighted to be working.

So, if we should see a man who looks like Barry, but wearing a long leather coat with a broken sword, a haunted expression and a stylishly scruffy beard we will be sure to heed any messages he brings us from the future.

Yes, that was our favourite GS thing ever, since you ask.

Best of luck to you both, wherever your futures take you.

With that, a cold Easterly wind started to blow and the Geek Syndicate knew that the time when the walls between the worlds are thin was fast approaching. Their work here was all but done and it was time for them to return whence they came and help all the other girls and boys...

Seriously, guys, thanks for everything. You changed the face of the UK comics scene completely. If not for you, lots of us would not be here now, and here wouldn't be where it is. :)

We'll keep watching the skies and listening out for your call across the wasteland in the hope that you may someday return to us and show us the way to the promised land.

Until then, Geek Syndicate: we out... :)

Demoncon2: 6th November

2011-10-25T21:03:00.004+01:00

Just a quick heads-up: the formidable Nic Wilkinson and I'll have a table at this year's Demoncon in Maidstone. This is a new event to us, and its deeply cool to have things like this happening locally so we're both looking forward to seeing what it's all about. More details as we get them.

Scratching an Itch Part #1: Cancertown Commentaries

2011-10-21T21:57:00.006+01:00

It's always sort of nagged at me that the people who bought the original Insomnia Publications release of Cancertown: An Inconvenient Tooth from the Sony PSP store, and who were therefore fundamentally responsible for the way-out-of-proportion success the book had on that platform, got sort of left out when it was re-released under the Markosia banner. For the Markosia edition, Stephen Downey and I were able to record creator commentary tracks that played while the book was being read. It was a really good system, and it stuck in my throat a bit that the original supporters of the comic missed out.

So, just recently, I was organising some shit on my computer and realised I still had the audio files we submitted to Sony. I've been pooling opinions on the best way to get these out there, but for the moment I reckon the path of least fucking-about is to stick the commentaries up on a public Dropbox and invite anyone with any version of the book (digital or physical) to download them for nothing. I'll start with the ones I recorded myself, as I'll need to double-check with Stephen which page each of his clips refers to.

I basically just recorded one clip for each page of the book, so it ought to be pretty easy to work out how it all fits together.

If anyone's interested, the first set of files are here, with more to follow as I locate, organise and upload them:

Cancertown Commentary Chapter 1 (21Mb mp3 zip)
Cancertown Commentary Chapter 2 (25Mb mp3 zip)
Cancertown Commentary Chapter 3 (23Mb mp3 zip)
Cancertown Commentary Chapter 4 (22Mb mp3 zip)
Cancertown Commentary Chapter 5 (24Mb mp3 zip)
Cancertown Commentary Chapter 6 (21Mb mp3 zip)

Speaking of Rob Carey...

2011-10-18T18:41:00.003+01:00

Rob Carey first blipped up on my radar when Nic Wilkinson, then with Insomnia Publications, picked him to draw The Indifference Engine: A Holographic Novel. Now signed to the rather less apocalypse-prone Markosia Enterprises, The Indifference Engine rocked the PSP download charts and is about to have its print release. Rob and I are already talking about a second volume, and things are looking interesting.

So the reason I bring this up now is that it turns out Rob's been nominated in the category of Best Mainstream Published Irish Talent in the ICN awards. This is fantastic news and anyone with an opinion concerning the future of comics would be well advised to go to the page and cast a vote or two. Congratulations to Rob, and best of luck for a strong showing.

Rob and I, of course, are technically launching two books at Thought Bubble next month, as he's drawn Dan Thompson's Band of Butchers story for the Tales of the Fallen anthology. That collection is available for pre-order now, and full details can be found on the Unseen Shadows website.

Panel to Panel

2011-10-07T11:45:00.006+01:00

So, the official programme of events for this year's Thought Bubble convention in Leeds has been posted and there are a couple of items that are particularly relevant to my interests. Firstly, we've got Nic Wilkinson (my most frequent collaborator and single greatest human I've ever known) taking the stage with Jim Campbell to give an insight into the technique and thinking that goes into their lettering work. Here's the run-down from the Thought Bubble site.

Saturday 19th of November, 13:20 – 14:10, Alea Cinema Room, 18+

Part of the WAW+P Independent Publishing Forum hosted by the Thought Bubble Writer in Residence Matt Sheret.

Nic Wilkinson and Jim Campbell take us through the art of lettering – getting your dialogue onto the page in the best way possible! An often overlooked aspect of comic making; this exploration will include a talk on the theory behind the practice, and a Q&A session.

With the exception of my Markosia Starship Troopers issues, Nic has lettered basically every comic I've ever written, so I've been getting a ring-side view of her process for literally years and I still get blown away by the subtle-yet-irresistible way she leads the reader's eye around the page.

The other thing is that there's an Unseen Shadows panel on the Sunday, where veteran podcaster Barry "Bullwhip" Nugent will be talking about the way his Fallen Heroes novel has exploded into a much larger (and still expanding) universe of comics, audio dramas and more.

Sunday 20th of November, 12:00 – 12:45, Alea Cinema Room, 18+

Meet The Team That Expanded The Universe. Learn how the self-published cult hit novel Fallen Heroes became the epicentre of one of the biggest transmedia experiments in the UK indie arts world comprising comics, prose, audio, live action and including trailblazing talent from all creative fields.

The final line-up for the panel isn't confirmed as of this writing, but if I get the call I'll be there to talk about The Reverend: Wrath of God, my contribution to the Unseen Shadows world.

Update: I've now received confirmation that I'll be on the Unseen Shadows panel. Seriously looking forward to this, as I had a great time on the story.

Final September Preview: Cancertown 2 Cover!

2011-09-30T17:29:00.004+01:00

Okay, to finish up September I thought I'd post something I've been holding back for a couple of weeks. Here are the pencils for Graeme Howard's most recent candidate cover for Cancertown 2. I've been pretty much blown away by every single page Graeme's turned in on this book, so I thought I was prepared for his take on the cover image. How naive I was...So that's me staggered, then...

Fractured Realities: Two Mind-Altering Markosia Releases in November

2011-09-27T09:43:00.003+01:00

It’s not often you get to release a book that causes people to worry about reality and feel unstable after reading it. It’s almost unthinkable, dangerous even, that you might release two such subversive creations at once. That, however, is just what Markosia Enterprises is planning to do this November. Stay tuned to find out what will be left standing when these monsters collide.

Broadcast: The TV Doodles of Henry Flint

“The mind of Henry Flint is a galaxy of beautiful atrocities – a nightmare factory where the bestial becomes benign, the mundane magical. Henry Flint is at once a full-service doodling savant and a one-man alien zoo, and this never-before-seen collection of his personal work is an attempt to chart a single, crooked leg of the artistic journey he takes daily. Welcome to the best of the bestiary.”

Broadcast offers something very different from Henry Flint’s narrative artwork, familiar to fans worldwide from his books for 2000AD, Vertigo and Dark Horse. With writer Cy Dethan acting as guide to the reader the book is at once a treasure map and an open invitation to explore Henry’s personal work and zen-like experiments in art.

The Indifference Engine: A Holographic Novel

“Responding to a strangely specific job advertisement, Alan Blake, a distinctly ordinary twenty-something suburban slacker finds himself in the middle of an inter-dimensional task force staffed entirely by superhuman alternate versions of himself. Struggling to fit in, he uncovers a conspiracy that strikes at the very heart of the organisation – a conspiracy that only he can stop.”

“Being a science fiction fan,” says Wayne Hall of Sci-Fi Pulse, “I sometimes ache for a comic that will challenge my perceptions of the world, of the universe, of my way of thinking...The Indifference Engine scratches that itch spectacularly!"

This is Cy Dethan’s third original graphic novel from Markosia and he is joined this time around by hot-shot new artist Rob Carey, along with colourist Mel Cook and letterer Nic Wilkinson. Following the convention-busting performance of the horror- noir Cancertown and the surreal gangland thriller Slaughterman’s Creed, it already looks as if Dethan’s first creator-owned sci-fi story, described by John Freeman as "a gripping, nihilist alternate reality adventure" will be enjoying the same levels of success. Dethan first explored the genre for Markosia as writer of their Starship Troopers line.

The digital version of the book has already been incredibly popular. "Cy Dethan's script is superb on this book," said John (Sci-Fi Art Now) Freeman on Down The Tubes, "This [is a] tightly-written multi-universe-spanning adventure tale and it's...definitely a book to look out for."

A free preview can be found here.

Preorders can be made through the Markosia website.

For review copies, artwork samples, more information or interview requests for any of the team, please contact cy@cydethan.com in the first instance.

September Preview Part #4: Bayou Arcana

2011-09-23T10:00:00.001+01:00

The Bayou Arcana anthology was something I first heard about through the Small Press Big Mouth website and since the book's originator, James Pearson, called me out by name in the article I decided to look into it. The anthology's concept is a powerful one, and the list of contributors represents an exceptionally strong cross-section of international independent comics talent. There are scripts from guys like Corey Brotherson and Matt Gibbs and art from the likes of Valia Kapadai, Jennie Gyllblad and Vicky Stonebridge.

My contribution, entitled Swamp Pussy and the Hanged Man, features art from the always-intense Nic Wilkinson, who has previously drawn my Starship Troopers: Extinction Protocol strip for Mongoose Publishing and several of my short stories. Nic is primarily known in the industry as a letterer these days, so it's great to see her flexing her art-muscles again. Here's a work-in-progress page from our story:
Bayou Arcana is currently set for a 2012 launch, and there ought to be many more previews on display at Thought Bubble in November.

September Preview Part #3: White Knuckle

2011-09-20T10:00:00.003+01:00

White Knuckle, for me, represents an opportunity to create something very different from my previous books. I've taken a crack at big-noise sci-fi with Starship Troopers, horror-noir with Cancertown and crime with Slaughterman's Creed, while The Indifference Engine is a nihilistic identity crisis in a bottle. White Knuckle isn't any of those things. Above all else, it's a story about self-delusion and regret - and as such it needed a careful balance of subtlety and power in the artwork.

Valia Kapadai is an artist with a strong internet following already and is one of the most over-worked names on the indie circuit, so it was nothing short of a miracle that I managed to get her interested in working with me. Having seen the intense poetry of her work on the upcoming Snow graphic novel from Markosia (written by Rich McAuliffe) and her self-published Tw1sted Vision anthology, she was literally my first choice for the book. Now, with White Knuckle's launch date hovering somewhere around early 2012, we're starting to have pages we can show around.There will be a lot more on display at this year's Thought Bubble convention in November, along with the launches of both The Indifference Engine and Broadcast: The TV Doodles of Henry Flint.

September Preview Part #2: Wrath of God

2011-09-13T09:28:00.008+01:00

UK podcaster, Barry Nugent, has taken several steps toward his ultimate goal of total trans-media domination recently, so it's worth taking a moment to recap the story so far.

Barry's Fallen Heroes novel has been in production as a comic for a little while now. The first issue is out and the second is well under way. By all accounts it's been a very successful experiment - enough so that Barry started looking into expanding the universe a bit. This is where I enter the picture.

Teaming with the artists behind the main Fallen Heroes comic adaptation, Steve Penfold and Gat Melvin, I've written a backstory for the character of Jonathan Bishop, AKA The Reverend. This 22-page story is to be part of the first Tales of the Fallen anthology of expanded and spin-off material from the main novel. Here's the breakdown:

The Reverend: a holy weapon forged in tragedy and flame – a murderous martyr whose cold judgement strikes with the force of a vengeful God. Despair, for the Reverend walks among you. He is the right hand of vengeance. He is Wrath.

The anthology will contain stories from several powerhouse teams, with full details currently on the Unseen Shadows website. For the moment, here's a quick four-page preview of Wrath of God, with letters by the incomparable Nic Wilkinson:Tales of the Fallen is tentatively scheduled for a November release, hopefully to launch at the Thought Bubble convention in Leeds

September Preview Part #1: Cancertown 2

2011-09-06T14:12:00.005+01:00

A month or so back, I had the pleasure of welcoming new Cancertown 2 colourist, Peter Mason to the Cancer Cell, joining Graeme Howard, Nic Wilkinson and myself on the book's creative team. In the few intervening weeks, Peter has set what must be a record time for colouring an entire chapter of one of my books - at times turning in multiple pages in a single day! What's more, the quality is first rate. Impressed doesn't begin to describe it.

Just so you can see what I'm raving about here, I figured I'd slot a couple of preview pages your way. For my money, Peter's colours really nail the evolving tone of this Cancertown volume, and suit Graeme's inking style so cleanly that it's hard to believe they've never worked together before. Peter's got a serious future in comics, and I'm already looking forward to working with him on future projects.
Take a look at more of Peter's work here. In addition to his beautiful colouring style, he's a talented artist in his own right so it's well worth the visit.

The Interactives - A Review

2011-08-16T17:09:00.004+01:00

I'd been looking forward to the release of Peter Rogers and Luciano Vecchio's The Interactives ever since I first heard of it, so I was pleased to receive my copy directly from Pete this week. Like all of Markosia's paperbacks, it's a nicely produced book with strong binding and good quality printing.

That, I'd have to say, is where any similarity between this comic and any of my own ends.

If you're reading this blog at all, there's a reasonably high probability that you actually know me personally, or at least through my work. If you've read anything of mine, or spoken to me at any great length, you'll most likely understand that The Interactives, fundamentally, is a book that I couldn't have written. It is, in short, a story with a good heart.

For sure, it's got the balls-out monster slap-fights that we all want to see, with an enormous range of mythological entities on display. It has its quirky team dynamic down to a science and a set of characters that artfully straddle the line between the emblematic and the personally believable. The art is furiously imaginative, the colours (by the always phenomenal Yel Zamor) are glorious and the whole thing is basically just really enjoyable. It's good, clean fun.

So, yeah - The Interactives is a rewardingly weird ride with some top-class visuals, marrying social media modernity with a playful take on mythology in a way that shows a deep love of both and diminishes neither. There's even a very welcome bonus mini-comic at the back, drawn by Azim Akberali - whose work is, frankly, astonishing.

I'll give the final word to Big-Name Writer and Epic Welshman, Rob Williams, who describes The Interactives as "a story where imagination is both championed and revealed to be incredibly powerful."

The Interactives is available at the Markosia site right now.

I Prefer the Term "Research"

2011-08-12T19:21:00.007+01:00

If imitation truly is the sincerest form of flattery, then I'm about to flatter the ever-loving, blue-eyed Hell out of Simon Wyatt by "imitating" a substantial portion of one of his recent blog posts below:

[Plagiarism]
After a brief hiatus (due to recovering from a recurring back injury) I'm back on the blog with some wonderful, amazing, nay 'Unbelievable' news!

These are exciting times for me, not only am I involved in a myriad of projects but my graphic novel Unbelievable: The Man Who Ate Daffodils is due to be published soon (just 51 days to go) and is available for pre-order now!

Here are the details!
Diamond Previews #275 Page 222
Order Number: AUG110740

This 160 page monster is scheduled for release on October 1st 2011 (just in time for Halloween), and is also available to pre-order from Markosia's own website and from the following retailers:

Amazon
Waterstones
WHSmith
Blackwells

Here's the ISBN: 1905692609

You can also read the first 30 pages in this exclusive preview Myebook - Unbelievable - The Man Who Ate Daffodils

It's been a long time coming, having initially spawned the idea for the story 7 years ago (!) and it's been a hell of a journey getting to this point, there have been highs and considerable lows and without going into great detail I must say the proof is in the publishing and I'm so, so glad Unbelievable has found its place in Markosia's stable of titles.

I'll be updating soon with dates for signings, book launch etc, so stay tuned as I also plan a competition to launch the book with some of the original comic art and signed concept sketches as prizes!
[/Plagiarism]

The alert reader will have already noted that I have a sizeable dog in this fight. Simon Wyatt is currently drawing a script of mine for an upcoming Markosia graphic novel called Phantom Lung & the Garden of Dead Liars (both this and Unbelievable having letters by Nic Wilkinson). A few pieces of concept art from this have already snaked their way onto the internet, and I'm looking forward to being able to show more...

...and with that mostly stolen blog, I'm gone. I finished writing the third chapter of White Knuckle today so I've got psychological batteries to recharge.

Thought Bubble Pre-Orders

2011-08-05T13:54:00.006+01:00

So, after launching Slaughterman's Creed in print at this year's Bristol convention, it looks like I've got two more launches to look forward to before the end of the year. With both The Indifference Engine and Broadcast: The TV Doodles of Henry Flint coming out at Thought Bubble in November, 2011 is shaping up to be about my craziest year in comics so far. Both books are currently available to pre-order from the Markosia site. If you're heading to Thought Bubble and want to pre-order either of the books, you can score a discount by picking up your signed copies at the convention.

Here's the run-down:

The Indifference Engine: A Holographic Novel

Responding to a strangely specific job advertisement, a distinctly ordinary twenty-something suburban slacker named Alan Blake finds himself in the middle of an inter-dimensional task force staffed entirely by superhuman alternate versions of himself. Struggling to find his place in this vast continuum of near-immortal doppelgangers, he uncovers a conspiracy that strikes at the very heart of the organization – a conspiracy that only he can stop.

ISBN: 978-1-905692-59-0

Broadcast: The TV Doodles of Henry Flint

The mind of Henry Flint is a galaxy of beautiful atrocities – a nightmare factory where the bestial becomes benign, the mundane magical. Henry Flint is at once a full-service doodling savant and a one-man alien zoo, and this never-before-seen collection of his personal work is an attempt to chart a single, crooked leg of the artistic journey he takes daily. Welcome to the best of the bestiary.

ISBN: 978-1-905692-58-3

Nic and I will have a table at Thought Bubble, in the Saville's Hall venue. We'll very likely have Indifference Engine artist Rob Carey with us as well, signing books and selling sketches. Stop by and say hello.

The Cancer Cell Multiplies

2011-08-01T16:52:00.011+01:00

Here in the Cancer Cell we like a good paradox, so we're currently multiplying (the team) by dividing (the work). No harm ever came of a paradox, did it?

That is to say, we are pleased to welcome Peter Mason as the colourist for Cancertown 2: Blasphemous Tumours.

You can see the 2 pages he did as samples below.

Cancertown 2: Page 10
Pencils and inks: Graeme Howard, Colours: Peter Mason

Cancertown 2: Page 02 Pencils and inks: Graeme Howard, Colours: Peter Mason

We all want to say thanks to everyone who was interested in joining the book and sent samples in. The talent on show was spectacular and it was a very hard decision. Hopefully there will be opportunities to work on other things together in the future.

Peter's colours bring just the right mix of threatening surrealism to the Cancertown scenes and the increasingly hollow, disconnected, desperate world of Morley's London.

Peter lives in Herne Bay and loves to draw all the time - on the bus, in lessons (when he shouldn't have been drawing), in the garden - in fact he will draw anywhere and any time.

On the net he is known as UNiCOMICS and you can see more of his work over at his DeviantArt Page, on his visual blog. He also has his own web comic called THONK.

Peter says: "I think its going to be amazing working on the book. I cant wait to get started!"

I met Peter at Whatever Comics at the signing event for Fall Of The Wolfmen. It will be good to bring him back there next year at the other side of the table when we launch the book!

Incidentally, this is also where I also met Aaron Moran - with whom I'm working on two other projects right now. So the message here is get out to events at your local comic shop - you never know what might happen!

Nic's Sticky Notes: From Hell

2011-07-22T13:33:00.000+01:00

From Hell

Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Eddie Campbell

Ok then. Here’s the big one, but where to start?

So before we get into the blast itself a couple of key points:

1) If you’ve seen the film – forget everything about it
2) This is not a book about Jack The Ripper

Well, of course it IS about Jack The Ripper, but as Alan Moore himself says it is less a “who dunnit” than a “why dunnit”.

I am sure this is going to be a long piece (we are talking about a nearly 600 page book here, and that is not counting the accompanying script book) and I haven’t even started yet so I will attempt to “topline it” as I see it:

From Hell is a visceral, brilliant, convoluted, hysterical vision of the birth of the 20th century. Jack The Ripper is the midwife who delivers the next 100 screaming years of war, holocaust, rape, genocide and serial killing, as he painstakingly extracts his victims’ innards and tenderly embraces the final empty corpse . The fevered portrayal of the infamous Whitechapel Murders here has them more as an inevitable symbol of the human condition than a specific event that occurred in historical time.

Alan Moore’s research is, as usual meticulous to the point of obsession and be warned that looking at Eddie Campbell’s scratchy, dirty expression of Victorian London will cause a rotten, mouldy stain on your soul.

This is a work as glorious and as squalid and London itself. You can’t claim to love comics and not read this. You see, From Hell fulfils another very important, very Victorian function – sitting in attic of the comic world it grows ever nastier and more horrifying, allowing the mainstream to grow shinier and prettier, apparently unsullied by its sins.

Here we go then.

"I shall tell you where we are. We're in the most extreme and utter region of the human mind. A dim, subconscious underworld. A radiant abyss where men meet themselves. Hell, Netley. We're in Hell."

The British are fascinated by the enigma of the Ripper murders. Perhaps it is the shuddering image of incredible brutality at the heart of the supposed gentility of the British Empire, perhaps it is the tantalising draw of the knowledge that the crime can never be solved, whatever it might be it seems way out of proportion to the murder of 4 prostitutes in the east end of London. This seems to be the starting point of the book.

The theory, or rather conspiracy, that Moore goes with is probably well known (in fact it has been parodied as often as it has been proposed, I think), involving as it does the Royal Family, Freemasons and magic, but I will try not spoiler it in case anyone reading the review has not come across it before. However great thing about this book is not whether it is “true” in a mundane “X was the killer” sense, but the mythic weight that Moore brings to bear on questions of society, class, violence, fear, sex, and history. As befits the greatest of comics writers Moore knows well that the mask is more important than the man underneath.

Alan Moore, of course, knows his Victoriana. As you might expect the book is peppered with references, in-jokes, sly nods, shy smiles, and tips of the hat. If you have never before seen a person flirt with a period of history this is the place to do it. The hypocritical Victorian line between sensationalism and a stiff upper lip is walked to perfection. You get the idea that the creators are having the time of their lives.

Historical people have been persuaded into cameo roles. Look out for appearances from Queen Victoria, Aleister Crowley, and Oscar Wilde among others. Most notable of all though is the role played in the story by the Elephant Man, John Merrick. The main characters have a vivid realism and are all portrayed with striking compassion and understanding, even The Ripper himself. This just serves to make the unfolding events even more awful. Doom hangs in the air from the very first page. The world evoked is one of emptiness, desolation and bitter frustration. There is a fatalism, an inevitability, to the complex interplay of people and events in time.

In his introduction to the series, Moore wrote "It's my belief that if you cut into a thing deeply enough, if your incisions are precise and persistent and conducted methodically, then you may reveal not only that thing's inner workings, but also the meaning behind those workings.” I feel there is a lot of Alan Moore in his detective characters – Inspector Abberline as appears here, for example, and Finch from V for Vendetta. The ability to get under the skin and see with the eyes of another is what makes both characters and creator great. Of course, he takes you with him. You may feel in need of a good scrub when you get out.

Eddie Campbell is one of my favourite artists. His artwork is magnificent here, probably his best work that I have seen, but it is not for the unwary. Capturing the tone of the tone of writing perfectly it has a madness about it, and yet for all its wildness a detailed, suffocating intensity. It looks like it was etched in the soot and the stains of the city itself. It will catch in your throat and sting your eyes raw.

The architectural drawing especially is phenomenal. The brooding sense of menace and shadow gives the city a threatening character all of its own. This bleak, gloomy, evocation of a dilapidated city built from occult symbols amounts to a psychogeography of the dark corners of the human mind - something made explicit in a wonderful chapter in which we go on a sight-seeing tour of places of magical significance.

I get a strong sense that Jack himself may just be the dreams of the place embodied. The human characters seem almost inconsequential among the looming buildings, an impression enforced by the sketchy, uncertain lines that define them. This hesitance lends a peculiar, uncomfortable intimacy at times – almost as if there is something hovering there too afraid to express itself in the open, craving an understanding the reader does not want to admit to, lyrical and repellent all at once.

Alan Moore's stated aim was “to solve in fiction, that which could not be answered by conventional analysis or enquiry”. I am not sure he ended up with a solution, in the end, but the journey was well worth it, and the questions raised deserve further discussion. In many ways it has similarities to Oliver Stone’s explorations of JFK or Norman Mailer’s dances with Hitler (The Castle In The Forest) and Lee Harvey Oswald (Oswald’s Tale) with their air of plausible unreality.

This is not an “easy” comic. It is not comfortable reading. The subject matter is horrific and the focus is unflinching. Perhaps that is why it does not enjoy the widespread prominence of Alan Moore’s other works. It is the easily the equal of Watchman though, both in scope and craftsmanship. I found that it gave me bad dreams.

If you can, treat yourself to the hardback collected edition which includes all the appendices and notes. There is also a script book which is worth a look, if only to marvel at what went into making this monster.

Highly recommended. Not for the faint-hearted.

3MillionYears: In Which I Voice an Opinion About Something

2011-07-15T16:30:00.005+01:00

A couple of weeks back I was invited by Michael Nimmo, mastermind behind the news and reviews site, 3MillionYears, to write a guest post about digital comics. Since I've never ticked a "Don't Know" box in my life, I took it upon myself to wade in and have a good reckon. Thanks to Michael for giving me the platform and megaphone, I'm looking forward to seeing what other guest posters have to say for themselves. You can see my own laughably ill-informed brain-drizzle on the site now.

Moving on...

I got an email recently from a writer called Gordon Robertson, who among other things reviews for GeekChocolate, featuring a really interesting teaser for something he's been working on. I don't have a lot of detail right now, but I'm very intrigued and feel the need to share. Presented below is absolutely everything I know about this upcoming webcomic.

Visit the official site for updates as they arrive. I'll see you on the other side...

Getting to Grips with White Knuckle

2011-07-04T13:25:00.007+01:00

White Knuckle is cracking along at an incredible pace now, and my weekend was made by finding the incredibly talented Valia Kapadai had grabbed it by the throat and drawn out this absolutely beautiful cover.

I could not imagine a more perfect cover for the book and it's an honour to be working with Valia on this story.

Nic's Sticky Notes: Ronin

2011-07-01T22:10:00.001+01:00

Ronin

Art and script: Frank Miller

“If you find yourself on a cliffside, trapped, with a hungry tiger waiting above and a hungry tiger waiting below, and, by chance, you spy a single strawberry growing from the cliffside. Pluck the strawberry. And bite into it. And taste it. Our lives are as fragile and as brief as cherry blossoms. And as fragrant.”

So you’ve seen Sin City and 300. You’ve gone back and read Year One, Daredevil and the triumph of heroism and sacrifice that is The Dark Knight Returns. But before all of that came Ronin. If you haven’t read that then it’s still not time sit back to catch your breath!

It is surprising that Miller got away with this at all. Back in 1987 he was not yet the superstar writer that he would become as a result of Dark Knight. The comics industry was in decline. Creativity was not that much in evidence and the big publishers seemed afraid to take risks. Unless you could get your hands on Asian comics you would never have seen anything like this.

Ronin is wildly (and not always completely successfully) experimental. It is haunting and troublesome. The plot twists and screams, wrenching readers and characters from ancient Japan to near future America, swords and demons to organic computers and artificial intelligence. It’s certainly unique. It’s definitely intense. It’s maybe a bit confused, or at least confusing, and sometimes you think you might just be able to hearing something giving way under the strain. Ignore it, no pain no gain, right?

So, it’s sci-fi with Japanese demons is it? Well, yes, and even just taken on that level it’s a pretty spectacular story. But what Ronin is actually about is betrayal. As a consequence it’s also about loyalty, nobility, humanity and control.

The apocalyptic tone and thundering rhythms that have come to be a hallmark of Miller’s work are already building to a rumble. Never afraid to place tremendous demands on his characters Miller does not flinch as he tortures them, informed here by the great samurai traditions of the conflicts arising between duty and desire. There are also less abstract matters thrown in for discussion, uncomfortable questions about race, homelessness, corporate power and scientific responsibility

The story follows the titular Ronin as he hunts down the demon that assassinated his master, in order to exact vengeance, gain redemption and ultimately fulfil his destiny. It’s not that simple of course, for a start it involves a magic sword. Unable to defeat the demon in his own time he is reincarnated hundreds of years in the future into a New York disintegrating under some unspecified economic or social collapse, torn by violence and populated by mutants, monsters and madmen. Oh yes, and cannibals.

The supporting cast includes Mr Taggart, the founder of Aquarius Corporation, Casey McKenna, his head of security and her husband, Peter, the inventor of “biocircuitry” the invention that could save the world. Also, Billy Challas, a ward of the corporation who is being used to test cutting edge prosthetic limbs as he was born with none of his own. Billy seems to have telekinetic powers and has been having vivid dreams about a samurai and demon in ancient Japan. Alongside these humans, with concerns of its own, is Virgo the artificial intelligence at the heart of the Aquarius complex.

Yes, you may well think, "wow"!

This excitable fusion of genres extends to the artwork. A mad combination of styles stitches the graceful pen and ink of Goseki Kojima to the insanely compulsive detail of Geoff Darrow to produce something that is unmistakably Miller. In the space of a handful of pages he bounds through widescreen peaceful panoramic city-scapes, explosive violence covered in speed lines and full of abstracted manga-like ferocity, countless tiny tension inducing panels consisting of little more than captions and beautiful emotional close-ups. The angles and perspectives veer and lurch adding to the unsettling sensations of alienation and instability that are central to the story.

Every time you gasp at the art in his later work remember you saw it here first. More importantly, without this there probably would never have been a Dark Knight Returns.

Phantom Lung and the Garden of Dead Liars

2011-06-28T18:58:00.011+01:00

Okay, so yesterday I got a new book greenlit at Markosia. Here's the outline:

When a series of inexplicable, yet somehow connected, murders are committed by people with no conceivable connection to their victims, a retired Russian spymaster appears with an incredible story. The one successful product of Russian remote viewing experimentation has finally resurfaced, and has embarked on a murderous crusade against anyone connected with the programme, his delusions painting him as an otherworldly adventurer in pursuit of a dastardly villain.

Phantom Lung and the Garden of Dead Liars is a dual-reality fantasy in five parts. A delusional, obsessive conspiracy theorist uses Cold War-era remote viewing techniques to move his consciousness from body to body at will, his victims determined by distorted half-memories and an overwhelming paranoia. Wherever Phantom Lung travels, he leaves borrowed, stolen and murdered bodies in his wake.

Phantom Lung is coming...

Don't hold your breath.

Writer: Cy Dethan
Art: Simon Wyatt
Letters: Nic Wilkinson

I've been hoping to work on a book with Unbelievable's Si Wyatt for ages. Si's got a powerful style with a real sense of wild magic to it, so this is looking to be one weird ride. Here are a few of his concept sketches.

I'll be updating here and over on my main site as things progress, so watch this space for more details.

Resumption of Services

2011-06-22T16:34:00.003+01:00

Back from an extraordinarily relaxing week off. I really should do that more often. Maybe I could organise some sort of replacment bus service equivalent for the blog...

So, updates:

Well, for one thing, an interview I did with PM Buchan for the Scream Magazine website went live last week. This was particularly cool for me as a big-time horror fan, and actually featured the single best question I've ever been asken in an interview. If you fancy a read, feel free.

I've been asked to pitch in a story for Martin Conaghan's Overload anthology, so I've been kicking some thoughts around with my Focal Point collaborator, Aaron Moran. Aaron's style, as I've previously noted, is totally unlike anything else I've seen, so it ought to be a fun project.

I'm within pissing distance of a completed first draft of Henry Flint's Broadcast art book. This book has been screwing my head completely around on a regular basis, so I'm really psyched to see how it looks when the text and images are combined.

For the last month or so, I've been standing on the sidelines of a really interesting Twitter experiment, and now I've been given a chance to get my hands dirty on it myself. Artist and actor, Stewart Moore, has been writing a multiple-reality comic, scripting one panel/page at a time, then releasing it onto Twitter to be interpreted by any artists prepared to take a run at it. The various strips are then collated on a website, forming a story told in parallel by dozens of contributors, each with their own individual take on it. I've been invited to take on the sixth sequence of this experiment, and if the results so far are anything to go by, it ought to be quite an adventure. More soon on this.

In non-Cy news, Ryan Dodd's surreal slice-of-life comic, Hippy Jonny, is scheduled for release on July the 31st by Tabella Publishing. I saw a preview of this a while back and it's always cool to see new talent getting coverage from the likes of Forbidden Planet. Ryan has set up a website for the book, and previews and pre-orders are available now.

...and I'm gone again.

Green Streets: Slaughterman's Creed Characters Invade Canterbury

2011-06-08T09:27:00.006+01:00

Well, I think we can call that a success!

The Slaughterman's Creed signing at Whatever Comics in Canterbury kicked off at noon on Saturday, and I was absolutely blown away by the reception we got. The local media had been plugging the event for weeks and Manny Armario, store owner and friend of mine since 1990, had been spreading the word to all his customers. The weather was with us and the whole thing was a blast.

The first thing to strike me as we approached the shop to set up was local actress Karol Steele, who had gone to enormous trouble to portray the book's most twisted villain, Mr. Green. Karol is incredibly talented and utterly fearless, spending the whole day outside the shop alerting the public to the event and drawing people in. I can't even begin to explain how great it was to have her involved in this.

Manny himself put on a profoundly convincing turn as Big Lenny Addison, coming fully tooled-up and ready to rumble. Alongside the signing, Manny ran a raffle in support of the charity, Refuge, with a piece of original Mr. Green art from Stephen Downey and Vicky Stonebridge as a prize.

Nic and I met a lot of people, including several old friends from our time at university in Canterbury. As I've mentioned before, visiting Canterbury always feels like coming home to me, but chatting with old karate and gamer friends was worth the trip in itself. Artist Aaron Moran showed up with a portfolio of art to show to Harry Markos. I first met Aaron at the Fall of the Wolfmen signing a while back and can honestly say his style is unlike anything else I've ever seen. He can do some really impressive things, and I'm looking forward to making what I hope will be the first of many Moran-related announcements pretty soon.

The gig was very well organised and attended, the atmosphere and book sales were fantastic and I'm already looking forward to an opportunity to do it all again.

Signings & Portents

2011-05-31T08:13:00.007+01:00

I never get used to this.

On Saturday the 4th of June, Nic Wilkinson and I will be signing copies of Slaughterman's Creed at Whatever Comics (my spiritual homeland and maintainer of my personal pull list since late 1990). We'll be there between 12pm and 4pm. The shop's very own Godfather, the Mighty Manny Armario, tells us he will be coming as the book's top-dog villain, Lenny Addison, while there's also talk of a special appearance from a female version of Mr. Green, courtesy of actress Karol Steele!

To mark this event, Whatever Comics has worked with Markosia Enterprses to create a limited edition of Slaughterman's Creed, with a variant sketch cover unique to the shop. There's also a raffle to win an original piece of art specially created by Stephen Downey and colourist, Vicky Stonebridge for the signing.

Whatever comics is located at 9 St. Peters St. High Street, Canterbury, CT1 2AT. If you're local and want to swing by, we'll look forward to seeing you there!

As reported on Stephen Downey's blog, the launch of Slaughterman's Creed will also be celebrated with a signing at Forbidden Planet Belfast on the 11th of June. In addition to Stephen himself, the book's inker, Andy Brown and cover painter, Ryan Brown will be there also.

If you go along to that one there's a FREE sketch with every copy bought on the day and Andy Luke will be signing and giving out FREE print copies of his and Stephen's comic, Absence.

Slaughterman's Creed Panel: An Outsider Looking In

2011-05-23T21:59:00.010+01:00

Episode 112 of Comic Book Outsiders is a special edition recorded at the 2011 Bristol convention.

Scott Grandison (complete with painted face) hosted our panel, "The Task Of Blood: Creating Slaughterman's Creed" on the Sunday where the complete creative team talked about the dark arts involved in putting together Markosia's best ever UK convention seller.

You can download the podcast, along with the video and presentation we showed on the day. It'll be almost like you were there.

Of course, the podcast doesn't show Scott in all his facepainted glory - so here we present his transformation by Vicky Stonebridge into the simple child of nature himself, Mr Green.

Quite how we persuaded an otherwise respectable Doctor of Computational Biology to put up with this nonsense I'll never know!

Thanks again to Scott for doing such a fantastic job.

Bristol '11: a White Knuckle Ride

2011-05-17T14:50:00.009+01:00

So that's another Bristol Comic and Small Press Expo over - one in which I launched one book, landed another and appeared on more panels in one day than I have in the previous, well, lifetime. Shattered doesn't begin to describe it.

This was my first experience of having a table specifically dedicated to something I'd written, and it makes a significant difference to the structure of your day. We were set up at the intersection between the two main rooms in the Mercure, back-to-back with Orang-Utan Comics. It turned out to be a pretty decent position and, from what I saw of it, the "Independent and Small Press" side of the convention was quite a lot livelier than the "Mainstream and International" side throughout the weekend.

The Slaughterman's Creed launch was all kinds of fun. We had a mountain of pre-ordered copies to sign, and had to organise a production line so we could get it all done in a sensible time. Stephen Downey and Vicky Stonebridge personalised as many copies as they could, and the hand I injured at the Birmingham con last year just about held up long enough to get my scrawl down. Those pre-paid orders included, we topped 100 copies sold over the weekend and, even ignoring pre-orders, Markosia tells us Slaughterman's Creed is their best-ever UK convention seller. Got to say, I'm pretty happy with how it all went.

Saturday's a bit of a blur, to be honest. Bristol is an incredibly inclusive event, with no them-and-us mentality, so it's the kind of show where you can suddenly find yourself exchanging Michael Ironside anecdotes with Paul Cornell, Laurence Campbell and Rob Williams. Had several of those "did that just happen?" moments over the weekend, but that one was a classic. Also, a chance David Hine sighting had me bolting for a copy of Creed to give him as thanks for the fantastic cover quote he gave us, and ended with him insisting instead that we swap for a copy of The Bulletproof Coffin (signed by David and Shaky Kane). Got to love that.
Sunday kicked off with four quick trips between the two venues, shuttling copies of Creed back and forth for signing, before heading off for the first panel of the day - "The Task of Blood: Creating Slaughterman's Creed". Really wasn't sure what to expect from this, but the room was virtually full and the whole thing seemed to go well. Comic Book Outsiders co-host, Scott Grandison, did an admirable job of co-ordinating the chaos (aided in no small measure by Nic Wilkinson's awesome Powerpoint presentation). Better yet, he did the whole thing in full Mr. Green face make-up - which is the first time I've ever heard of anyone cosplaying as one of my characters! The talk was recorded for the podcast, so it'll be interesting to hear how it all came out.Second panel of the day was Dan Thompson's "Small Press, Big Ideas" discussion, which had Nic Wilkinson, Richmond Clements, Peter Rogers and me joining him to question whether the term "small press" does more harm than good. Some interesting ideas were kicked around, and you'll be pleased to know that we solved the dilemma for all time in about 45 minutes, but we're sworn to take that resolution to our graves with us.

Right, now for White Knuckle.

I'd approached artistic pixie, Valia Kapadai, some months back to investigate the possibility of working together. I'd become aware of her through Rich McAuliffe's beautifully nightmarish Snow graphic novel (hopefully some great news on that front soon) and knew she could create painfully exquisite artwork with a serious emotional charge behind it. What emerged from those discussions was White Knuckle - a riff on the classic "retired gunslinger forced to strap on his irons again for one last battle" tale, but told through the lens of a 70-year-old former serial strangler who becomes a local hero when he accidentally saves the life of his last victim's grandson.

I pitched the book verbally to Harry Markos on the Sunday of the convention and received an immediate acceptance. A lot of that was down to the fact that Valia had prepared a pitch package that included character designs and two full pages of haunting art, lettered by Nic Wilkinson. More information on the book will be coming soon, both here and on my website.

All in all, this was a terrific convention for me, both personally and professionally (if that distinction even means anything in comics). Had a fantastic and productive time talking Bayou Arcana with James Pearson and some of the anthology's creative team. I was awe-struck, as I always am, by the enthusiasm of creators like Daniel Clifford, Jennie Gyllblad and Corey Brotherson, and a hit-and-run chat with Henry Flint had my head spinning right before the Creed panel. Great times.

Other highlights included meeting Cancertown 2 and Fallen Heroes artists, Graeme Howard and Steve Penfold, for the first time and getting to see Simon Wyatt's first concept sketches for a book I haven't even started talking about yet! There were more great moments, but I'd be here all day if I listed them.

Special mention has to go to Cape Fear Comics and their Sioux Warrior title. Not only are they profoundly decent guys, they've actually succeeded in creating something I've never even heard of before, much less seen: a musical comic. Utterly insane and conceptually brilliant.

So that was Bristol, and hopefully some of my love for this show is coming through in this report. More than anything, the Bristol con reminds me why I wanted to get involved in comics in the first place. It's a place where you can blunder into a bar intending to leave 30 minutes later and inexplicably find yourself talking comics theory and practice for three hours with the mighty John Higgins, Al Ewing and a cross-section of the UK's top talent. How can you go wrong?

Bristol '11: More Cy Than You Can Handle

2011-05-06T16:53:00.001+01:00

Well, we're about a week out from Bristol and it's looking like I'll be more visible this time around than I've ever been. Apologies if that sounds like a threat.

Obviously, I'll be on the Slaughterman's Creed stand for most of the weekend (table 46 at the Mercure), where I'll be pitching copies of the book along with Nic Wilkinson, Stephen Downey and Vicky Stonebridge. I gather the plan to paint people's faces in the style of one of Creed's more notable antagonists, Mr. Green is still in place. There may also be candy.

At 12pm on the Sunday, the entire "Chopping Bloc" will be on a panel at the Mercure, entitled "The Task of Blood: Creating Slaughterman's Creed". The discussion will be hosted by scholar and gentleman, Scott Grandison of the Comic Book Outsiders podcast. I consider my primary purpose at this one to be to repeat everything Stephen says at a slower pace (for those who haven't heard him speak, Stephen communicates in the language of hummingbirds).

I'll be back on the stand for a few hours after that, before Nic and I take our places on a second panel at 4pm - this one called "Small Press Big Ideas". Here's the blurb from Dan Thompson:

With the falling cost of producing comics and the rise of the internet as a tool for marketing and distributing them, it's becoming more and more viable for creators to publish mainstream, commercial comics by themselves. These books share little in common with the more artistically driven labours-of-love that are traditionally associated with the small press, so is it right that they are all classed under the same banner? We will examine whether there is a difference between a true small press book and a mainstream book that is printed in small numbers. Is it damaging creators and limiting ambition by creating an artificial underclass of comics? Is it time for up-and-coming creators to abandon the term 'small press' and just make comics?

The line-up for this one looks like it'll be Steve Penfold, Peter Rogers, Richmond Clements, Nic Wilkinson and me, with Mal from Fallen Angel Media hosting. Should be interesting.

Right - back to it!

Interviews!

2011-05-03T16:42:00.003+01:00

Well, with this year's Bristol International Comic and Small Press Expo getting closer, it's getting pretty busy around here. The theme for this past week turns out to have been interviews, which I think I might finally be getting the hang of.

First up is a guest spot I recorded on Wayne Hall's Wayne's Comics podcast. Wayne was cool enough to let me plug the upcoming re-release of Cancertown in trade paperback format, and to blast his listeners with a faceful of rage over the frankly shameful treatment certain uninformed knuckle-fuckers have given Stephen Coffey and his Society for the Remarkable Suicide co-creators due to a total inability to look into what the book was actually about. I've gone on about this in at least one previous post, so I won't rehash it all here, but thanks are due to Wayne for letting me get the word out about a book that deserves promotion and a creative team that deserves respect. You can hear my take on the whole thing on Wayne's latest episode.

On top of that, the interview I recently recorded with Decapitated Dan Royer is now live. This was my first time talking to Dan, and it was a lot of fun. We covered Cancertown, Slaughterman's Creed and even Starship Troopers - along with my influences, inspirations and several other topics designed to make me sound a lot more professional than I actually am. Feel free to listen in.

Now, on to the main event - in which I switch from interviewee to interviewer and ambush my collaborative partner and reason for breathing, Nic Wilkinson, for comicbitsonline. Nic has had a creative hand in virtually every book and story I've ever written - as either artist, letterer or both. Along the way, she's also become well respected in indie publishing circles as a marketing expert. The interview focuses primarily on her lettering work, and covers a lot of her attitudes and approaches to the job of bringing script and art together.

Seriously, go and take a look at that. I'll see you on the other side.

"Part Hostel, Part Eastern Promises" - AICN on Slaughterman's Creed

2011-04-28T14:53:00.004+01:00

Bit of a general round-up today as preparations for this year's Bristol International Comic and Small Press Expo reach their crescendo. First things first, the following review of Slaughterman's Creed has gone live over on Ain't It Cool News:

SLAUGHTERMAN’S CREED #1-5
Markosia Enterprises

Part HOSTEL, part EASTERN PROMISES, SLAUGHTERMAN’S CREED is a fantastic miniseries which follows a torturer for the mob who suddenly develops a conscience and decides to save one of his pregnant victims. On his tail is a bizarre green man who is looking to replace the slaughterman and more gun-toting mooks than you can shake a meathook at. This miniseries is filled with smart and quick dialog by Cy Dethan, reminiscent of a Guy Richie film with tough-guy talk amped to the nth degree. The story is very cinematic and unfolds patiently, leading to a powerful confrontation between an evil man who is trying to redeem himself for his life of horrible acts of violence against others. The heavy drama and action is drawn wonderfully by Stephen Downey, who has an eye for cinematic angles and nice panel compositions. This is a very strong and engrossing miniseries and worth seeking out.

So that's pretty cool.

I was recently interviewed (with unnecessarily huge accompanying photo) on Comic Bits Online, with questions about how I got into comics and what I hope to achieve. I actually quite surprised myself by having at least half-way sane answers for most of it. Anyway, for those who enjoy watching a writer struggle with relatively simple enquiries, you can watch me screw myself into the ground there.

On the subject of interviews, I just recorded one with "Decaptitated Dan" Royer for his Dark Discussions podcast. Here's hoping he's a world-class editor so I don't sound like a complete ranting psychopath when the thing comes out. More on that soon.

You know what? That's about it for now. Off to spend a long weekend assiduously avoiding the media saturation efforts of fatuous rich people and their pointless, frivolous lives.

Remission Impossible: Cancertown Epidemic Goes Global

2011-04-21T09:18:00.003+01:00

For Immediate Release.

Diamond Order Code: APR11 0745

When the multi-Eisner award winning writer/artist Bryan Talbot (Sandman, Fables, Batman, Grandville, 2000AD) says of a creator-owned graphic novel from British Independent publisher, Markosia:

“Cancertown will disorientate you, suck you in, chew you up and spit you out and you might well be in need of a change of underwear by the end.

“Don't say I didn't warn you."

It's time to sit up and take notice.

Cancertown is the story of Vince Morley, a man with big problems and a brain tumour like a baby's fist, who lives with one foot in a monstrous alternate world he calls Cancertown. When the lost and dispossessed of London start tripping over the same cracks in reality he spends his life avoiding, Morley realises he must confront the residents of Cancertown - and risk finding his place among them.

Written by Cy (Starship Troopers, Slaughterman’s Creed, The Indifference Engine) Dethan and pencilled by Stephen (Torchwood, Slaughterman’s Creed) Downey, Cancertown: An Inconvenient Tooth achieved a cult following on its UK print debut, and the digital version of the book consistently elbowed its way into top-ten status on the Sony PlayStation Network download charts, alongside its more respectable cousins from Marvel and DC.

Now the indie outsider hit that punched far above its weight is being released worldwide as a trade paperback in June 2011.

Harry Markos, the book’s publisher, says:
“I am delighted to have signed Cancertown. It is a great book with a solid and loyal following, so I am looking forward to working with the team in getting it out to a wider audience. We have big plans for it! Cy and the team have done a great job and they have already promised a sequel, Cancertown: Blasphemous Tumours, so we have exciting times ahead!”

A free preview of the first 14 pages is available to read at: http://tinyurl.com/6xzmejl, along with character sketches and additional background material.

Reviewers have said:

• "I described it to someone asking me what it was about as a "rip-roaring mindf***.”
John Freeman, Down The Tubes.

• "The book grabs you by the throat right from the start and drags you kicking and screaming into the vividly twisted world of Cancertown...what we have here is a well crafted, fantastical story that demonstrates what a comic book should be. I for one can't wait to read more tales from Cancertown.”
The Sidekickcast

• "Cancertown: An Inconvenient Tooth is one of those rare treasures in its originality, well written and beautifully drawn... Cy Dethan has scripted an exceptional story and Stephen Downey's pencils are a joy, whilst colourist Melanie Cook captures the tone brilliantly. If you like horror stories mixed with detective novels you are going to love it."
Comic Shop Voice

• "The short review is I bloody loved this graphic novel... It was a complex, dark and twisted fantasy with a heavy noir feel to it...Think Maltese Falcon crossed with Criminal Macabre and a dash of Alice in Wonderland. Trippy as hell (God knows what sort of dreams I'm going to have tonight!)...Seriously though, pick this up as it’s one hell of a read."
Barry Nugent, The Geek Syndicate

• "The thought put into the story was exceptional, the heart between Bugfuck (not really her name) and her father was real and Vince's predicament is never far from his mind and he knows it. The twist behind the origins of the leaders of Cancertown wasn't something I was expecting. Essentially, Dethan put together a hell of a book."
Comics Related

• "Cancertown leaps out of the page at you, grabs you by the jugular and doesn’t let you go. Simply put, it’s weird, disturbing and any number of other words that you’d associate with horror. It is also compelling and, in the tradition of the best horror comics, has just the right mix of action, adventure and mystery thrown in to keep you guessing."
Sci-Fi Pulse

• “From the story itself to the art, colours, letters and the cover this is an all round, well plotted series. This story would work well as a Vertigo title and Markosia have found themselves a real gem... I can’t emphasise enough what an amazing story this is – perhaps it’s because I’m from the 2000AD generation, but I’m sure that our friends in the US would enjoy this too. For those of you who read Hellblazer and the like – read this now!”
Three Million Years

So what are you waiting for? Hurl yourself into its nightmarish shadow-world and meet its population of grotesques and maniacs.

"Remember - nothing here is real, and everything can hurt you."

Notes:

• A free preview of the first 14 pages is available to read at: http://tinyurl.com/6xzmejl along with character sketches and additional background material.

• Cancertown is listed in April’s Previews catalogue on Page 218 - order code: APR11 0745

• For retail and press questions please contact harry@markosia.com or visit the Markosia website at www.markosia.com

• For review copies please contact harry@markosia.com

• Writer: Cy Dethan
Pencils: Stephen Downey
Colours: Mel Cook
Letters: Nic Wilkinson

• Published by Markosia Enterprises.
ISBN-10 1905692498
ISBN-13 978-1905692491

Broadcast News

2011-04-15T21:29:00.004+01:00

Just a quick one today. I've been given the all-clear to show this brilliantly twisted cover to Markosia's upcoming Henry Flint art book, Broadcast (with finely judged verbal intrusion by me).

The book is at once an exploration of a deeply peculiar mind and an inspirational homage to the expressive power of what Henry refers to as "TV Doodles" - essentially a form of "automatic writing" applied to pictorial art. It's a going to be a thing of worrying method and beautiful madness and I'll be doing my best not to trail muddy bootprints all over it.

More as and when.

Stephen Downey vs. the World

2011-04-08T09:26:00.011+01:00

Stephen Downey, my Cancertown, Slaughterman's Creed and "other yet to be revealed new project" collaborator looks like he is currently on track to conquer the world.

This coming weekend, 9th - 10th of April, he'll be attending the Kapow! Comic Con and will be at table 87 ("in the island beneath the Tardis and Dalek"). He'll be drawing custom £10 sketches and selling the prints that you can see in the shop section of his website.

As if that weren't enough, he'll also have previews of Slaughterman's Creed, Jennifer Wilde and other stuff on display, so if you're attending drop by for a chat. If you still want to place a pre-order for Slaughterman's Creed (out on 14th May) for the special price of £10, then you can get details or put your name down at either Stephen's table or at the Markosia stand during the event.

Speaking of Slaughterman's Creed, I saw the print ready files last night, and editor Ian Sharman has done a stunning job on putting the book together. He'll be at Kapow, too, wearing his other hat and manning the Orang Utan Comics table.

The listing problem for Slaughterman's Creed on Amazon has now been fixed and you can now pre-order both Slaughterman's Creed and the Cancertown re-release through both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. If you prefer to shop in a comic store, Cancertown is on Pg 218 of the latest Previews catalogue for shipping in June and available to order in-store now. Slaughterman's Creed was in last month's catalogue, but if your comic shop still wants to get it in then retailers can contact Markosia directly to place an order through their website.

Just a week later on the 15th April, Stephen will be a guest at the free, one-day FanSciCon in Dublin. It will be held at UCD Students Centre from 9am and promises to be good fun. He'll be showing off some of his absolutely spectacular new Jennifer Wilde stuff.

Speaking of Jennifer Wilde, it's coming out from Atomic Diner and has just started up its Facebook page. where there's little a Preview of the gorgeous #1 cover. It's written by Rob Curley and Maura McHugh, so check it out!

On 15th May the rest of the team will get in on the action with The Task of Blood: Creating Slaughterman's Creed, a panel at the Bristol Small Press Expo. It will be held at 12pm on Sunday,15th May at the Mercure Hotel and will be hosted by Scott Grandison of Comic Book Outsiders. There's an events page on Facebook where you can keep up to date on plans for that, so let us know if there is anything you'd be interested to hear us to talk about.

...and that's me - gone!

The Task of Blood: Slaughterman's Creed Panel at Bristol

2011-04-01T17:39:00.003+01:00

Okay, this is pretty cool.

The organisers of this year's Bristol International Comic & Small Press Expo just got in touch with us this week to offer us a Slaughterman's Creed panel. Leapt on that like a shot, as you can imagine. The entire "Chopping Bloc" of Stephen Downey, Vicky Stonebridge and Nic Wilkinson will be there, and we've even managed to rope in Scott Grandison of the terrific Comic Book Outsiders podcast to host the thing. We've been given a time slot, a room and a projector to play with, which is probably more responsibility than anyone with my history of pathologically poor impulse control should ever be given.

So, if you find yourself at the Mercure side of the Expo at 12pm on the Sunday, and you're remotely interested in witnessing the kind of moral and literal damage a book like Slaughterman's Creed can do, feel free to stop by. Here are the official details:

The Task of Blood: Creating Slaughterman's Creed

Join Cy Dethan, Stephen Downey, Vicky Stonebridge and Nic Wilkinson on the chopping block as they cut to the heart of their tale of meat and murder.

The panel will be hosted by Scott Grandison of Comic Book Outsiders and recorded for a special edition of the podcast.

Details: SPEXPO, Mercure Hotel, 12pm on Sunday 15th of May

The whole gang will be sketching and signing at table 46 in the Mercure, and at the Markosia stand throughout the weekend.

There will also be sweets, face painting and other surprises.

www.slaughtermanscreed.com to read a free preview of the book or Facebook Group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=133185890034592 for latest news.

"Hooked Like a Slab of Meat..."

2011-03-29T17:07:00.004+01:00

Recently, I was contacted by a horror journalist who was looking to put together an article on Slaughterman's Creed. A number of very cool things have started to happen as a result of that, and I'll be going through some of those in more detail in future blog posts.

One of the more immediate upshots was that noted comics polymath David Hine agreed to read the book and give his thoughts on it. David Hine, of course, has an incredible list of credits as both writer and artist, spanning around thirty years and including everything from creator-owned indie books to the biggest titles and companies in the business. This is a man who's done it all and keeps on going. So, with his permission, here's what he had to say about the first chapter alone:

"I've had a read of Slaughterman's Creed and enjoyed it very much. It sits very well with the tradition of British gangster movies from 'Brighton Rock' through 'Get Carter' and 'The Long Good Friday' to 'Lock, Stock'. And there's a nod to 'No Country for Old Men' too. It's not the first time the image of the slaughterman has been used to show human beings brutalized and butchered like meat, but the metaphor is extended here to reflect the way human trafficking reduces human beings to cattle. The lead character is unusually enigmatic. In spite of his trade, he operates within a strict code of ethics and it's not obvious which way that will lead him in future episodes. There are some nice twists here and the promise of more to come. It has me hooked like a slab of meat. "

So, y'know, I'm a bit happy about that...

In other news, as reported on the iFanboy site, Markosia seems to be having a bit of a mad moment. With what senior analysts are calling a "crap-tonne" of their books suddenly becoming available on Graphic.ly, they've decided to mark the occasion by offering anyone who buys just one of their books in that format the chance to win all of them. Full details are listed on iFanboy, so it might be worth checking that out before someone comes to their senses...

"A World Where We Can't Share Stories"

2011-03-23T10:03:00.004Z

Okay, now this really fucks me off.

For a while now, I've been keeping tabs on an upcoming indie book called The Society for the Remarkable Suicide - not least because my Indifference Engine (and - say it in whispers, guys - maybe even Indifference Engine 2) collaborator, Rob Carey, is working on it. It's got a strong creative team, a fascinating premise and all the ingredients for a book that I want to fucking read.

Thing is, there seem to be a couple of ignorant piss-bags out there who are prepared to go to quite extraordinary lengths to prevent that from happening. I can already tell that I'm going to lose my rationality if I let this rant build any further, so I'll do the responsible thing and let the book's author, Stephen Coffey walk you through the clusterhump of ignorance, cowardice and spite that has been levelled against it.

The Society for the Remarkable Suicide
by Stephen Paul Coffey
Art by Cormac Hughes and Robert Carey

Here are the FACTS about the story:

Three years ago, I wrote the script for this graphic novel. I wanted to write a story that started a conversation - after all, a conversation can help so many of the problems we have in our personal lives.

When I first told the people in my life the title of the book I was going to write, I got a few strange looks. More than usual, but I expected that. I expected a lot of the hostility that I have faced since finishing the script. I know that everyone knows someone directly who has been touched by suicide. I know too many who have left by their own hands. When I finished the script for the graphic novel I let people read it - some artist friends, a few other writers and some friends - and the same response to the story came from each one of them.

‘It wasn’t what I expected!’

I think it was due to the fact that people expected a tale of disgusting suicidal acts that would just be done to shock the reader. I wouldn’t have written that book.

The Society for the Remarkable Suicide is a book about love. Yes, there are suicides in the book that are ‘Remarkable’ yet they are told with as much dignity as I could manage to fit in. The story is a very human tale about the feelings that people have, and stigma surrounding the feelings that each human on this planet feels at one point in their life.

Trevor and Catherine are the main characters of the book and we follow them through a process where they join the Society and, through the planning of their own suicides, they come to find a reason to live. That reason is each other, a reason that neither of them thought that they would find. That is the whole essence of the book. We don’t know what it is that will make us want to live - that special someone coming into our lives, a pet, a book, even the promise of a well cooked meal.

When our two heroes declare their intent to live, the Society tries to intervene and fulfil their contracts by any means.

Since writing the book and talking to people, it has been a mixed bag from people saying they can’t wait to read the book to others who openly say that they won’t buy the book, and I respect them for saying that to me. There have also been some threats. People have read the title of the book and made their minds up. Also, there have been a few people who believed that this book is just a manual on how to kill yourself. They couldn’t be more wrong.

Life is worth every piece of heartache and pain we go through. Every moment of love, no matter how brief or fleeting it may be, wipes all that pain away. Trevor and Catherine find their reason to live while planning their deaths. This book is about love and hope, redemption and enlightenment. I guess I wanted to share a story of hope that I had not seen anywhere else. I think I have.

Facebook have shut down both my own fan page and the page for the book - without reading one word of the script - and stopped me sharing and friends posting on my walls because of this book. I’ve also received a number of threats from people to my face, and have had pictures sent to my email of me walking around Dublin. I assume that this is to show that they can get to me.

I don’t fear sharing a story with the world, I fear a world where we can’t share stories.

If you or anyone you know would like more information about this book, you can follow me on www.twitter.com/stephencoffey or www.myspace.com/chrestfelt

Podcast Round-Up

2011-03-16T20:28:00.004Z

So here's the thing. Over the last two years I've been forced to become accustomed to listening to the sound of my own voice. Between podcast interviews and audio commentaries for Cancertown and Slaughterman's Creed, there's actually a surprising (even hazardous) amount of my voice out there. As it happens, a couple of fresh examples have cropped up recently.

On the 2nd of March, I was a guest on the Comic Book Outsiders podcast, where I had the opportunity to talk about Slaughterman's Creed and a few other projects. This was my second time on the show, and I had a great time. You can find the episode on the CBO website.

After that, I horned in briefly on Wayne Hall's new show, Wayne's Comics. I first met Wayne through the SFP-Now site and, in addition to having probably the coolest voice in comics journalism, he's got a strong interest in both the classic and more out-there branches of the industry. I got to talk about that upcoming Fallen Heroes one-shot, spinning off from Barry Nugent's adventure novel, and to give my early thoughts on Dwight L. MacPherson's Indie Comic Alliance initiative - which is something I'll probably be raving on about here very soon. Anyway, you can find the episode over on the SFP-Now site if you fancy a listen.

Slaughterman's Creed got a blazing review on the outstanding Comic Cast show, as a very excited Stephen Downey reported to me yesterday. I can honestly say that this was the first time a review of one of my books has actually had me laughing out loud. All reviewers should explode their way through reviews with this level of energy! Check the episode out on their site.

In fact, their insightful guess at what "Cy" is short for has me chuckling too much to concentrate on typing, so I'll just leave it there...

Stop the Press!

2011-03-11T14:18:00.005Z

Seeing as we're balls-deep in press release season at the moment, here are a couple of good ones - the first regarding Michael Moreci and Monty Borror's hard-hitting zombie allegory, Quarantined. I recently had the chance to read this book, and was startled by its originality. Got to love a zombie story that strikes out in its own direction:

Quarantined Sets Loose

For immediate release:

“Paranoid and political: At last, a zombie book with its sights set higher than just cannibalising the genre. Horror fiction with real teeth.” –Cy Dethan, Cancertown, Slaughterman’s Creed

Markosia Enterprises continues its strong tradition of thought-provoking horror with its latest release, Quarantined. Reminiscent of films such as The Thing and Dawn of the Dead, Quarantined takes readers on horrific journey through a politically charged landscape. Centering on a group of survivors trapped in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula after a virus turns nearly every resident into a vicious killing machine, Quarantined examines the fragile bonds of society, and what happens when those bonds are severed.

Quarantined is written by Michael Moreci (Image’s Hoax Hunters) with art from Monty Borror, colors from Lauren Anne Sharp, letters from Jim Campbell, and covers from Keith Burns (Highland Laddie, The Boys).

“Michael Moreci knows that the living are the scary part of the zombie tale. He knows what evil lurks in the heart of those facing inevitable death…. You’ll get
a great, terrifying tale.” Tim Seeley, Hack/Slash (from his introduction)

Quarantined can be ordered through the March edition of Previews. Find it on page 220, order code MAR 11 0810.

The characters in Quarantined, led by Henry Foreman, are forced to fight against the mayhem caused by the infected, as well as their growing paranoia of each other. After confronting a mysterious stranger, the survivors dig into the town’s secrets as they hatch their escape—yet none of them are prepared for what they discover.

“Zombie fans watch out, because Moreci and Borror are here! Full of Gore-Geous scenes and a story to die for Quarantined needs to be on your shelf next to The Walking Dead and Deadworld." - Decapitated Dan Royer, ComicRelated.com.

You can read a 9-page preview here:

http://www.myebook.com/index.php?option=ebook&id=69366

Quarantined will also be available for digital download on the Sony PSP network, Comixology, and Graphic.ly.

Cover art, preview pages, sketches, and any other information can be obtained by contacting Michael Moreci at Michael.Moreci@gmail.com. If you are a retailer and would like promotional materials or to book an event at your store, please contact Harry Markos at harry@markosia.com.

To follow that up, here's the release for Marx Pyle's intriguing web-series, Reality on Demand. I've been impressed with the way this has been developing since Ian Cullen of the SFP-Now podcast first mentioned it to me. Definitely worth keeping an eye on this one.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

'Reality On Demand' Announces Cast, Moves Into Production
New Series Selects Cast And Begins Filming Season One

LINKS:
Production Website: http://AlienJungleBug.com
Cast Announcement Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8TAfALWjSQ
First Teaser Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l--qBnTkBEs&hd=1

Evansville, IN – The fast growing collection of online original series and movies is about to grow a little more with the addition of a new series filming in the Midwest. The new science fiction web series REALITY ON DEMAND has announced its cast and released a short video introducing the world to some of the cast. A mix of experienced actors with relative unknowns will help bring to life this new independent TV series that follows four strangers trapped in an advanced virtual reality game world composed of their favourite TV shows and movies.

“We are proud to announce the talented cast we've selected. Some may be familiar to those who follow indie filmmaking in Indiana and Kentucky, but soon the whole world will get to know these talented actors and the characters they portray,” said series creator Marx Hernandez Pyle.

Reality On Demand follows four strangers who playtest a highly advanced virtual reality game that puts them into their favourite TV shows and movies. But when they become trapped, a fun adventure takes a dangerous turn where cancellation means death. Pyle first announced the series on his popular column, The IndieNet and Beyond on the website ScifiPulse.

“Reality On Demand has action, laughs, special effects, and zombies. And everyone knows you can't have a web series without zombies,” said Pyle tongue-in-cheek. “But if there is one thing I've learned with all of my interviews with web series creators is that you have to have a talented cast to bring a good script to life. I'm very happy with the talent we've found.”

Julie Hernandez Seaton (Daylight) stars as Courtney Thompson, a struggling writer with a secret. Seth Cheek (Silence of the Belle, Bloomington) stars as Nick Jacobs, an uber-geek computer programmer that is obsessed with TV and movies. Kathlin Finn (Reality) stars as Kelli Hartz, a wannabe celebrity that is looking for her big break. And Aric Dylon Stanish (Silence of the Belle) stars as Trevor Clay, a marine veteran that is focused on winning.

Experienced actor Christopher P. Tyner stars as the Reality On Demand host, Aiden Kingston. Indianapolis actor and filmmaker Jim Dougherty (Leach, Fire From Below) stars as Robby, a TV character that's a monster hunter who helps the trapped playtesters. And actor Louie Lawless, who has acted in over 100 films, stars as the villain Pastor Jim.
Actors Grant Niezgodski, Benjamin Crockett, Sidney Shripka, and many others portray fictional characters in the game. Many will recognize the characters that inspired them.

“We have nods to many shows in the series. I don't want to give away too much, but if you are a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Supernatural then you'll want to check out season one. But there are nods to many more shows than just those two,” hinted Pyle. “I've been interviewing web series creators since 2007 and have seen the amazing growth in what many call independent television. I'm excited to finally develop one.”

Vancouver Film School graduate Marx Pyle has also gathered together talent for behind the camera with graduates from New York Film Academy, Full Sail University, Ivy Tech and University of Evansville. Pyle said they plan to have the web series online mid- to late 2011.

Alien Jungle Bug Productions, LLC was founded by Marx H. Pyle in 2010 to create the short film SILENCE OF THE BELLE. Alien Jungle Bug is all about thinking outside the box, with high quality imaginative projects often made on a limited budget. We are not limited by any genre or medium of storytelling, be it feature film, short film, documentary, or web series.

Marx H. Pyle: After attaining degrees in Psychology and Computer Information Systems, Marx decided to pursue a dream he had since childhood - filmmaking. Leaving his home in Evansville, Indiana, Marx went to Vancouver Film School in Vancouver, British Columbia to study film production.

In Vancouver he worked on a wide range of projects, including short films, independent feature length films, documentaries, reality television and commercials. He also studied another hobby of his outside of school – fight choreography, which naturally arose out of his interest and background in martial arts. Missing home he returned to the Tri-State, where he has worked as a freelancer in various film projects and wrote/directed Silence of the Belle.

While in Vancouver, Marx interviewed Damien Kindler about the then web series, Sanctuary. Kindler's excitement of the future of web series inspired Marx to go home that evening and write outlines for three pilots meant to be web series. Reality On Demand is one of those three.

###

If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview, please call 812-774-7587 or email alienjunglebug@gmail.com

Take a Butcher’s at Slaughterman’s Creed in May 2011

2011-03-04T19:08:00.006Z

For Immediate Release:

Markosia Enterprises are proud to present their new graphic novel, Slaughterman’s Creed - a surreal London gangland thriller which combines the vicious intensity of British crime fiction with the structure and spirit of a Samurai revenge drama in a nightmarishly compelling urban fantasy.

The book re-unites writer Cy Dethan with artist Stephen Downey, the creators of the 2009 indie hit, Cancertown: An Inconvenient Tooth. Set in a world where an ethical knife-edge is all that separates hero from villain, the story combines a strong British crime aesthetic with mythological overtones and a distinctive noir edge.

Slaughterman’s Creed Can be ordered through the March edition of Diamond Previews in the usual way using order code MAR11 0811.

Laurence “The Punisher” Campbell recently wrote in his foreword to the trade paperback: “What you will find is a nasty, dark tale which cuts into the underbelly of gangland London. Think The Long Good Friday meets No Country For Old Men.”

This man drew The Punisher! He knows “nasty and dark” when he sees it. He goes on to say, “Cy Dethan pushes the boundaries. No, not pushes them - casually disregards them and walks right over them.”

So, it’s not a book for the squeamish.

Read a free 12-page preview of Slaughterman's Creed.

Solicit Text

“Thine is the task of blood.
Discharge thy task with mercy.
Let thy victim feel no pain.
Let sudden blow bring death;
Such death as thou thyself would ask for.”
The Slaughterman’s Creed

“Sidney is a professional killer working for Big Lenny Addison, a London ganglord specialising in human trafficking. He is almost completely uneducated except in his family’s trade at which he is an unparalleled expert.
“When he is called upon to breach his code and bring a pregnant woman to slaughter, Sidney's world is changed forever. Betrayed by those he has served his whole life, the Slaughterman embarks on a bloody vendetta - determined to put Addison's entire monstrous empire to the blade.“

Carving A Name

Slaughterman’s Creed, described by writer Cy Dethan as “a story of the fall and rise of monsters” is already carving a name a name for itself on the independent comic scene.

"My plan was to take my time and read Slaughterman’s Creed over a few days, but pretty much by page five I was in for the long haul and ended up reading the whole thing in a single sitting. Cy has a way of leading the reader by the hand and letting them think they know exactly where the plot is going, and then the next thing you know he’s kicked you down the stairs, leaving you battered, bruised and with no idea where the tale will lead you next.
"Slaughterman’s Creed is a bloody gourmet, serving the reader a mixed platter of gangland politics, murder, betrayal and revenge with a large side order of body parts. It’s a tale that is dripping with great writing and art. Digest it today," said Barry Nugent of The Geek Syndicate.

The book gave Wayne Hall of Sci-Fi Pulse a case of the night terrors - although, strangely, he seems to have enjoyed them. He said: "If Mr. Dethan keeps delivering this kind of novel perspective on the world, I’ll have trouble sleeping at night. Yikes! But I was gripped from the first page, so please keep it up!"

“This is old school – dark story telling. This is the London gangster scene without the rose-tinted glasses. Brutal and grim,” said Michael J Nimmo on the digital comics review site 3 Million Years.

“One of the things I liked about this book was that there are no good guys in it at all. Everyone in this book could be the sole bad guy in another story,” said Richard McAuliffe of Everything Comes Back to 2000AD. “Cy Dethan’s writing is very tight and the book has a real British cinema feel to it... this is a book screaming to be made into a hard 18 certificate movie. If you like gritty underworld stories with a seriously dark edge you’ll really enjoy this book. I did.”

To wrap up the whole bloody package, here’s a final word of persuasion from Rich Clements of the Hi Ex Blog:
"So, all in all, I’d say this book is a bit of a triumph for all involved. With a strong narrative, well realised and rounded characters, strong visuals and a wonderful seam of oh-so-black humour, this deserves to be a hit for all involved. And not turning it into a movie would be nothing short of a travesty."

Notes for Retailers
Markosia would like to help retailers in any way possible please contact Harry Markos, publisher, at harry@markosia.com for posters, flyers, shelf hangers or to discuss the possibility of an event at your store.

For further retailer information, offers and support, contact Markosia through the Retailers section of their website.

Notes for Editors:

Writer: Cy Dethan
Pencils & colours chapters 1-2: Stephen Downey
Inks: Andy Brown
Colours: Vicky Stonebridge
Letters: Nic Wilkinson
Cover: Ryan Brown
Foreword: Laurence Campbell

Cover, logo, character sketches and more can be found at www.slaughtermanscreed.com. These images may be used in reviews.

Slaughtermans Creed is published by Markosia Enterprises and will launch on May 14th at the Bristol Comic and Small Press Expo, as part of the Markosia Madness event, which will include signing, sketching and facepainting. A limited signed edition, costing £10 (RRP Price £12.99), is available to pre-order, which also includes entry into a draw to win a piece of original art by Stephen Downey and Vicky Stonebridge.

Pre-order details can be found at Cy Dethan’s blog: http://theraggedman.blogspot.com/2011/01/slaughtermans-creed-convention-edition.html

Slaughterman’s Creed is also available digitally on the Sony Playstation Network with audio commentary by Cy Dethan, and will be available on Comixology and Graphic.ly, with other formats to follow.

Following the Creed...

2011-03-01T13:32:00.004Z

With Slaughterman's Creed #1 hitting the Sony PlayStation Network tomorrow, I find myself still having a hard time believing it's all actually happening.

The past few years have been pretty much a blur for me. From Starship Troopers to Cancertown, The Indifference Engine and now Slaughterman's Creed I've been consistently staggered by the experience of working in comics. In terms of the people I've met and the opportunities I've been given, I can honestly say it's been everything I could have hoped for and a lot more than I had any right to expect.

I'm still very much at the stage where I'm confronted with "firsts" at every turn. Slaughterman's Creed, for example, was the first project I ever pitched in person (at full volume in the dining area off the main hall of a busy convention), and represented a first opportunity to work with the fantastic team of Vicky Stonebridge and Andy Brown on colours and inks. It's my first straight-up crime book, albeit with a strong horror aesthetic threaded through it. The experience of writing it and watching it come together was every bit as exhilarating as it had been on my earliest gigs. In fact, I think if I ever lost that sensation of taking first steps at every turn I'd probably jack the whole thing in and go back to whatever the Hell it was I was doing with my time before.

So, yeah - Slaughterman's Creed #1 goes up on the PSP download store on the 2nd of March, with an audio commentary from me. Sony, Markosia and the whole creative team have gone well beyond the call in getting this book out there, and I'm really excited about the launch.

Of course, I've still got the release of the trade paperback edition in May to look forward to - which will be the first time I've actually had a table at a convention dedicated entirely to a book I've worked on.

Every step takes me somewhere I've never been before - and that's really what comics are all about for me.

Slaughtermen, Cardiff & Nuge - Oh, my!

2011-02-25T09:27:00.004Z

Barry Nugent, author of Fallen Heroes and shadowy, secretive power-player behind the notorious Geek Syndicate criminal organisation, has put finger to keyboard in the service of good for once with the following Slaughterman's Creed review over on the GS website:

Comic Review – The Slaughterman’s Creed

Posted by geeksyndicate on February 24, 2011

“Thine is the task of blood.
Discharge thy task with mercy.
Let thy victim feel no pain.
Let sudden blow bring death;
Such death as thou thyself would ask for.”
The Slaughterman’s Creed

Sidney is a professional killer working for Big Lenny Addison, a London ganglord specialising in human trafficking. He is almost completely uneducated except in his family’s trade – at which he is an unparalleled expert.

When he is called upon to breach his code and bring a pregnant woman to slaughter, Sidney’s world is changed forever. Betrayed by those he has served his whole life, the Slaughterman embarks on a bloody vendetta – determined to bring Addison’s entire monstrous empire to the blade.

There is one thing you can say about writer, Cy Dethan: he does love variety. At the moment he seems to be cutting a bloody swathe through as many classic genres as he can, and putting his own unique stamp on them.

I first became aware of Cy’s work on Starship Troopers and ever since reading the line ‘I will piss bullets down your throat’ I’ve been a fan (I don’t know what that says about me). In his career to date he has tackled sci-fi, fantasy/horror and now he is turning his hand to the gritty and dangerous world of gangland crime. One of the reasons it’s dangerous is that it’s a area where it’s easy for a lot of stories to fall into the cliche world of ‘shut it you slag’ one-liners and everyone looking like they’ve just stepped back in time to an episode of the Sweeney. Here, Cy uses this to his advantage with having mob boss Big Lenny (who really should be played by Bob Hoskins is this ever goes to film) and Sidney his professional killer or ‘The Slaughterman’ representing the past. In the future corner stands Lenny’s second in command, Lewis, and his nut-job Slaughterman part 2 representing the future, which promises to be even darker than Lenny’s time.

Two things about Slaughterman’s Creed that I should make clear from the start. First one is the clue is in the title as in what to expect from this comic. This is not the My Little Pony version of gangland tales - this comic is violent, disturbing and some of the images and phrases will stay with you long after the book is closed.

The story is a violent one and art matches it but I never found the violence to be over the top. It felt real, visceral and horrible, as true depictions of violence should be. The second thing is this book is for adults in both the aforementioned violence but also in the plot, the themes and the characterisation.

Throughout the book, Cy is willing to make the tough choices for his characters that a lot of writers either wouldn’t do, or rather would bend the story to ensure they never have to make those choices. At times steering away from the tough choices can lead to flat characters and a story that is unengaging, but not so here. Cy is standing over his characters with a sledgehammer, ready to exact bloody revenge if they dare to veer into the realm of cliche.

My plan was to take my time and read Slaughterman’s Creed over a few days, but pretty much by page five I was in for the long haul and ended up reading the whole thing in a single sitting. Cy has a way of leading the reader by the hand and letting them think they know exactly where the plot is going, and then the next thing you know he’s kicked you down the stairs, leaving you battered, bruised and with no idea where the tale will lead you next.

One of the things I loved about this story is that in many ways there are no real heroes and nothing is as black and white as it seems, which is true of all the best gangland tales. I’ve heard a lot of people talk about how dark Cy’s writing is and there is no denying that a lot of his work takes the human mind to places it would rather not be (still seeing giant eyeballs chasing me after Cancertown, thanks to Cy and Stephen). However, where Cy’s greatest gift lies, in my opinion, is in his characterisation and plotting. The way he is able paint his worlds with so many layers of grey that none of his characters stand out as ‘the heroic one’ or ‘the evil one’ and that a reader’s sympathies become a fluid entity over the course of his stories is a gift not to be taken lightly. Yes, in many ways there are characters to root for in this comic but you can’t help feeling desperately sorry for some of them at the same time - whilst at the same time utterly despising them.

Again, I don’t know what this says about my nature but to see the decline of mob boss Big Lenny over the years after the force of grim nature he is at the beginning of the story kind of made me root for this monster towards the end of the book, when we are treated to a glimpse of his former self. I then flipped back to the earlier pages to remind myself just how much of a monster this man is. Lewis, Lenny’s right hand man, starts out as your typical weasel wanting the top job but his character has echoes of Iago from Othello in that he spends most of the book quietly whispering into the ear of Big Lenny, who can’t see that he is being fattened up for the kill by his most trusted advisor. In many ways, it’s the Slaughterman of the title, Sidney, that you have most sympathy for as, even though he is capable of some truly horrific acts, by the time you reach the end of the book you learn that he had very little choice in his profession.

I’ve already heard a few people reference The Long Good Friday when talking about this comic and that’s a bandwagon I would heartily jump on. I would also add films such as ’Danny the Dog’ and a dash of Leon to the mix. Although Slaughterman’s Creed puts those films in your mind when reading, it always feels like it’s charting its own, body-part-filled course.

The art by Stephen Downey brings another layer of gritty realism to this tale and his growing improvement since Cancertown is there on the page for all to enjoy. I must give a special high-five to the work he, Vicky Stonebridge (Colours) and Andy Brown (Inks) have done on the flash back scenes towards the end of the comic. Even though the colors and art are distinctly different from the rest of the comic, they never take you out of the story. If I had one criticism with the art, it's that some of the more action-heavy scenes felt a little static and did not convey the sense of movement they could have. However, the climax of the story helps to redress the balance with some fine work on the mayhem that ensues when hell comes to Big Lenny’s world. Mention must be made of Nic Wilkinson's deft use of lettering, which is always the subtle backbone of all Cy’s stories, keeping his words on track and informing the art to ensure the reader is never lost.

Slaughterman’s Creed is a bloody gourmet serving the reader a mixed platter of gangland politics, murder, betrayal and revenge with a large side order of body parts. It’s a tale that is dripping with great writing and art. Digest it today.

“Great writing is the task of blood.
Discharge thy task with no mercy but a truth to the character and the tale.
Let thy reader feel no pain, save when it is necessary to the tale.
Let every twist bring shock, awe and surprise or the tale has failed;
Write such a story as thou thyself would ask for.”
The Cy Dethan Creed

Check out a preview of the comic here !

GS Reviewer: Nuge

There will be a pre-order sign-up sheet for Slaughterman's Creed at this weekend's Cardiff Comics Expo, where Barry Nugent is a guest. Barry will be launching his Fallen Heroes comic adaptation, and will also be talking about the book and its adaptations in the Fallen Heroes: Rising to the Challenge panel at 1.45pm.

On the subject of Fallen Heroes adaptations, I've been approached by Barry to write a one-shot comic spin-off from the novel, featuring my favourite of its characters - the Reverend. More on this as the project develops.

That Scary Mind of Yours...

2011-02-22T20:31:00.004Z

It was Nic's suggestion that we ask Marvel artist, Laurence Campbell, to write a brief foreword for Slaughterman's Creed. Laurence's work on Punisher Max was, for my money, the best that title and character ever looked, with a powerful noir aesthetic and distinctive widescreen approach. Considering the tone of Slaughterman's Creed, Laurence seemed like an ideal candidate - so the fact that he agreed to read the book and, having done so, to write the foreword was deeply cool.

As for what he had to say:

I fear Cy Dethan, the writer, may be a lost cause.

It’s Stephen Downey, the artist, who I feel so sorry for. This may be because, being an artist myself, I know what he’s going through. You see, people are going to read Slaughterman’s Creed and will be going to the artist saying, “How do you come up with this dark stuff? What goes on in that scary mind of yours?”

And Stephen Downey will say, “It’s not my fault - it’s the writer, Cy Dethan. He put it in the script.”

Stephen Downey should have known better. The signs were there when they worked together on the successful Cancertown. Saying, “I just pulled the trigger. It was Cy who gave me the gun and told me what to do” is no defence.

I was lucky enough to be sent a preview copy of Slaughterman’s Creed to review. My plan was to read it over a couple of days, as I was busy with deadlines at the time.

I read it in one sitting.

This is a tough read. There, you’ve been warned. There is no holding back. No copping out. Cy and Stephen Downey deliver.

What you will find is a nasty, dark tale which cuts into the underbelly of gangland London. Think The Long Good Friday meets No Country for Old Men.

Cy Dethan pushes the boundaries. No, not pushes them - casually disregards them and walks right over them.

Stephen Downey and Andy Brown add flesh to the bones. Not holding back, confronting the story head-on. It’s easy in these situations to make the artwork a gorefest, but they balance horror and tension perfectly. Then Vicky Stonebridge and Nic Wilkinson add the final garnish to complete.

I’m still unsure I want to know where Cy Dethan came up with this little number. All I know is I’ll be keeping a closer eye on him and Stephen Downey - and so should you.

Laurence Campbell
Marvel artist: Punisher Max, Wolverine, Moon Knight.

I would describe myself as happy about this.

Slaughterman's Creed is, as you may have heard, available for preorder now. Markosia will also be accepting preorders from their table at the upcoming Cardiff Comic Expo.

Aggressive Mutation: Graeme Howard Joins Cancertown 2

2011-02-18T10:00:00.001Z

“Should’ve known better than to trust an angry, blinded monster with a spaz-hand and a grudge.”

Six months after the events of Cancertown: An Inconvenient Tooth, Vince Morley is a dangerously sick man. Bugfuck is in a psychiatric hospital, sticky fingers picking through the darkest corners of the mind that brought Cancertown into existence. The crossing points between Morley’s two realities are wearing thin and all the rules are changing.

Vince Morley, a dangerously sick man, by Graeme Howard.
Cancertown 2: Blasphemous Tumours.

Of course, that's not all that's changing for volume 2. With the arrival of Cancertown: Blasphemous Tumours, the Cancer Cell has mutated to include a new artistic talent.

Introducing Graeme Howard...

Our old friend Mister Corpsegrinder, by Graeme Howard.
Cancertown 2: Blasphemous Tumours.

...or, more specifically, his first rendition of Cancertown Big Player, the Corpsegrinder. You'll be seeing more of him, as well as lots other old friends and new faces, as launch day approaches.

Graeme is currently turning in some excellent work on Dick Turpin for our friends over at Time Bomb Comics. Markosia Publisher, Harry Markos, said of him:

"I saw his portfolio and I just I thought - Cancertown 2! Not only his art, but also his timing, was pretty much perfect. He approached us through the website just as Stephen had confirmed that, having drawn 2 full length graphic novels (Cancertown and Slaughterman's Creed) in the past 2 years, and having a lot of projects currently in development, he would unfortunately not be able to draw Cancertown 2 this year."

Stephen Downey and Mel Cook have not shaken off the infection, though. It's not that easy to escape once you've fallen in! Both of them have been working with Graeme to try to make that first step over the crossing point as easy as possible.

Based on these first glimpses into what's become of the place, it looks like it's working:

Cancertown 2: Blasphemous Tumours.
Page one inks by Graeme Howard.

Cancertown 2: Blasphemous Tumours.
Page two inks by Graeme Howard.

Stephen Downey says:

"I can't wait to see Graeme's work on Cancertown: Blasphemous Tumours. His art fits Cy's script perfectly and I'm looking forward to seeing what sort of glorious monstrosity their team-up creates. Believe me, there are some crazy ideas in this book and I just hope Graeme can keep his sanity until the end."

“I got my hand bitten off trying to save the world’s biggest cunt from something worse than him. Don’t pretend you know anything about me.”

Within Cancertown, something new has appeared – a creature of horrific violence and limitless rage. The foundations are shaking and the old powers are falling, one by one. Papercut, deadliest of the Cancertown players, seeks out Morley to claim the favour he owes her – a favour that could cost him more than just his life.

Headrush, something worse than the world's biggest cunt, by Graeme Howard.
Cancertown 2: Blasphemous Tumours.

Seeing this, I honestly wondered if this time I had written a story I'd be too scared to read!

We can no longer protect you. Cancertown: Blasphemous Tumours is coming...

The remarkable metastasis of Cancertown: An Inconvenient Tooth continues this week with news that the new hardcopy edition from Markosia is planned for release in June. This time, UK quarantine measures have been unable to contain the infection. Rest of the world - you have been warned!

Broadcast News...

2011-02-14T16:01:00.009Z

Some of you may remember that around this time last year I was talking about starting to write the text for an art book by the mighty Henry Flint. It was due to be published by Insomnia, but then whatever happened happened, and we went hunting for a new home for the book.

We are now pleased to announce that the book will be published by Markosia later this year and will make its first convention appearance in October at BICS in the UK.

Broadcast: The TV Doodles of Henry Flint will contain around 100 pieces of Henry's personal work, along with history, commentary and a look at Henry's artistic process. Broadcast will be Markosia's first art portfolio book, but when Harry Markos heard that it was looking for a new publisher he leapt at it, being a big fan of Henry's work himself.

Henry Flint, for the benefit of any non-comics readers, is responsible for some truly staggering artwork. He has amassed credits in books from Vertigo, DC, Wildstorm and Dark Horse - to say nothing of his truly epic body of 2000AD work. If you are a 2000AD reader you can't fail to have seen Henry's art, as it has graced the pages of not only the mighty Nemesis, but also Rogue Trooper, Judge Dredd and ABC Warriors, among many others.

My job in all this will be to provide the text to go with the images, exploring the process from inspiration to final expression and doing my best to understand how a man with things like the image below in his head can somehow still function in an essentially rational world:

Henry said about the images:

"I think it's all due to health really, new family, stress, giving up smoking, losing weight. I happened to relax on a holiday to Butlins about 4 years ago and did the first of these drawings while watching TV (first drawing was the bike giant).

"Then it became a thing where I realized how much TV I was watching and decided to draw while watching TV so as not to feel I was wasting so much time. Then it became quite productive if a little compulsive."

I'll be working closely with Henry to write the text and translate this hallucinatory mix of the disarming and the disturbing for human readers. We hope to have some previews on show at the Bristol Comics Convention in May.

Speaking of Bristol, that will, of course, be the official launchpad of Slaughterman's Creed. Pre-orders are going strong, with 2/3rds of the limited edition already spoken for. If you want one, speak up now!

The book got a storming review on the Small Press Big Mouth podcast last week (episode 28), if you want to have a listen. In the episode they mention a free preview on my website, so feel free to take a look at that.

We're just starting to plan some post launch events, so keep an eye on the Slaughterman's Creed Facebook Group for the latest info.

In other news - and there's a lot of it to come in the next few weeks - Barry Nugent has just announced I am going to be working with him on a Fallen Heroes one-shot spin-off comic, delving into the murky history of The Reverend! More on that very soon...

...and I'm gone.

Because the Sound of my Own Voice Amuses Me...

2011-02-11T13:40:00.003Z

Well, I've been sick for most of this week with a clenched-up throat that I at first mistakenly attributed to having just spent a week recording a commentary track for the upcoming PSP edition of Slaughterman's Creed. Seriously, last night it actually felt like my throat was trying to make a fist. I'm mostly better now, though. Thanks for asking.

I see that the interview I recorded with the increasingly awesome SFP-Now podcast has gone live on their site. I had a really good time on this show, as I have the last few times I've been asked on there (back when it ran as a live show on Blogtalkradio). I got to talk about Slaughterman's Creed and Cancertown, of course, but I also had an opportunity to rave on some of the books coming out that I'm excited to read myself.

So, to hear my thoughts on:

a) Why Martin Conaghan and Steve Penfold's comic adaptation of Barry Nugent's Fallen Heroes offers an ideal blueprint for indie creators

b) How Michael Moreci and Monty Borror's Quarantined restores life to an undead genre

c) What Simon Wyatt's intimate understanding of the power of mythology does to enrich his powerful storytelling in Unbelievable

The show ends with an interview with Martin Klebba, unquestionably one of the most flat-out cool actors ever to win a wrestling match with a Playboy Playmate. It's Klebbaring Time!

SFP-Now is a great show, and definitely worth catching. Feel free to listen in here.

Nic's Sticky Notes: Epileptic

2011-02-09T20:05:00.000Z

Epileptic

Writer / Artist: David B

Epileptic was originally published as L'Ascension du Haut Mal by the French artist David B around 10 years ago. It was collected and translated into English fairly recently and I can’t believe it took so long.

It's an incredibly dark but moving memoir of David B.'s becoming a comics artist as a result of his need to escape into the violent fantasy worlds in his imagination in order to cope with the madness that surrounds him and his family in the real world.

His older brother is an unstable epileptic and the comic takes a painful look at the struggle his family go through in their desperation to find a cure. As his condition worsens they turn from doctors, to psychiatrists, to alternative medicine, esotericism and religion and every step they take extinguishes one more glimmer of hope.

To be honest I had never encountered a comic like this before. It seems to get pigeon-holed in the “indy auto biography” section, and while it is both from an independent publisher, and autobiographical, that isn’t really the right place for it at all. The main difference seems to me to be that while most books use a particular style of art as a deliberate choice to express a story, this book is by contrast a story to explain a style of art, the creation of an artist’s identity and how he reinvented his world as a way to “forge the weapons that will allow me to be more than a sick man’s brother.”

David B’s use of the comic medium as a tool for emotional manipulation is masterful. You find yourself not just “reading about” his life, but living it . This makes for a scary book, not least because it is intensely personal, uncomfortably so at times and you want to squirm away and not look at it anymore. This only makes you feel guilty, though, as one of the problems it discusses is precisely this kind of reaction from other people to the problems faced by the author and his family, and the directions in which that drives them.

In fact, overall making you feel guilty is what the book excels at – and what brings you into closer identification with the author. Sometimes you feel guilty for your anger, or your compassion, or your fascination – the book provokes an unease that whatever feeling you are having is “inappropriate” in some way. Much of the story is about what this means to a family, and in particular to David, and how he comes to terms with this and claims his life for himself.

The art is frightening and expressionistic, and very very powerful. It has a immediacy and psychological depth that is disconcerting, especially as it seems quite “childish” at first, and by the time you have noticed the darkness has gathered in from the edges it is too late to escape. I think this point came for me in a haunting panel a couple of chapters in, shot from way up high, where the family are tiny white figures against a black background, ringed by a procession of cavorting doctors that looks like they have paraded right out of a mediaeval “Danse Macabre”.

His brother’s condition is expressed as a long, sinuous dragon-like monster that winds everything in its coils, it is suffocating and oppressive and really gives the impression of there being no escape. The sheer “blackness” of some sections is slightly overwhelming, but I think that is the point.

The chaos of hope and despair in the life of the family bleeds into David’s mind as he retreats more and more into the world of his art – a place where he believes he is in control. Symbolism and reality merge into heart-breaking sequences of stylized, powerless rage – sometimes expresses as a desire to protect, sometimes to destroy and kill. The boundaries between the real and the imaginary start to blur at some points, and you get a very real sense of this being an actual danger lurking ominously at the edges of the story itself. David retreats into himself and comes to think of his drawing as a suit of armour that can seal him off and protect him from the pain he sees around him.

It is a rare comic where the author has manages to convey so much emotion and meaning through just the images, especially as they are so deceptively simple. As time goes the realisation of what he is losing, and what he never really had is stunning. It is a coming of age tale, but unlike other such stories there will probably be little to relate to, and no feelings of nostalgic recognition.

That is not to say the book is a “downer” - in fact there is something satisfyingly defiant and stubborn and life affirming about it in some ways. As David B can put fear and frustration directly onto a page he can do the same with triumph and glee – he was still a child, after all. But the fact remains that the message at the heart of the story seems to be that if you are have to have your own life you almost have to steal it for yourself, and in doing that it is impossible to avoid betrayal of one kind or another. It plays with and contrasts many different kinds of selfishness and possession and power dynamics expertly. Although this story is focussed through the lens of a particular family with a particular problem it will almost certainly throw a new light on your own past experiences and relationships.

I am very pleased to have discovered this book and highly recommend it.

However, you should not look to the book for greater understanding of the condition epilepsy – either medically or in terms of treatment/management etc.

Huge Nuge News (say it 3 times fast)

2011-02-02T15:56:00.003Z

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The First Issue of the Comic Adaptation of Genre Spanning Novel Fallen Heroes is set to Launch at the Cardiff International Comic Expo.

“It reads like a TV series, with cliff hangers at the end of most chapters, and larger than life characters with big egos and quick wits. The book as a whole draws on many popular culture references & influences, and is easily compared to ‘Sin City’, ‘The Da Vinci Code’, ‘Heroes’ or ‘Buffy’ – there really is something for everyone and I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone that enjoys reading or watching Sci-Fi/Fantasy.” – Waterstone’s

After selling out at several branches of Waterstones, becoming a bestselling title on Amazon and enjoying a growing cult status, the stylish supernatural thriller Fallen Heroes is now entering the realm of comics.

With a creative team consisting of Barry Nugent, Martin Conaghan, Steven Penfold and Gat Melyvn everything was in place to begun work on a comic adaptation of the novel.

When asked about taking on the adaptation Martin, who now works for the BBC had this to say.

“Fallen Heroes is jam-packed full of fantastic ideas and thrilling set-pieces. It has everything; a great blend of mythology, science-fiction, action and the supernatural – all told in a very visual style – it’s perfect for the graphic novel format.”

Soon after work began on the adaptation the team were shocked to learn that Insomnia Publications, who had licensed Fallen Heroes for a graphic novel, had ceased trading.

“It was a blow for everyone, not just us, but all the creators and staff involved with Insomnia,” explains Barry. “I don’t mind admitting that I thought that was it for the project.”

However the creative team decided that rather than quit they would continue on with the adaptation. Together they set about raising the money to produce the comic by selling advertising space in the first issue and taking donations. It was a gesture that did not go unnoticed by the creative team.

“It’s great to be part of an industry where people see folks in trouble and will do anything to help rather than see a project fail,” said Barry.

The limited edition 1^st issue including art from DC, Marvel and 2000AD artists is set to launch at the Cardiff International Comic Expo on the 26^th February.

To pre-order Fallen Heroes #1 please go to http://www.fallenheroescomic.com

For press information please contact fhcomic@hotmail.co.uk

About the Comic

A stalker of demons and legends, a pair of master criminals, a teenager on the brink of madness and a man forever cursed with the desire for vengeance. They are all pawns in a plan set in motion over nine centuries before their birth. Pursued across the globe by enemies both human and supernatural they must overcome their mistrust of each other and uncover the truth before it destroys them all.

Fallen Heroes is a dark urban fantasy that is a throwback to the pulp adventure stories of old but deals with the themes of betrayal, redemption, hope and sacrifice in a modern and contemporary setting.

Slaughterman's Creed: the Internet Has its Say...

2011-01-28T21:45:00.008Z

The first reviews of Slaughterman's Creed are in, and broadly in agreement. Here's the first, from Wayne Hall of the excellent SFP-Now podcast:

Comix Portal: Comic (P)Review: ‘Slaughterman’s Creed’
Written by Wayne Hall on January 25, 2011 – 12:02 pm -

Every once in a while, a comic comes to my attention that really gets a reaction from me. Slaughterman’s Creed is just such a comic.

Here’s the summary for the five-issue series: “Sidney is a professional killer working for Big Lenny Addison, a London ganglord specialising in human trafficking. He is almost completely uneducated except in his family’s trade – at which he is an unparalleled expert.

“When he is called upon to breach his code and bring a pregnant woman to slaughter, Sidney’s world is changed forever. Betrayed by those he has served his whole life, the Slaughterman embarks on a bloody vendetta – determined to bring Addison’s entire monstrous empire to the blade.”

Site Head Honcho Ian M. Cullen is a big fan of Cy Dethan, the creative mind behind this series. I recently reviewed his Indifference Engine comics, which were fascinating science fiction. After I read them, Ian told me that Engine was actually very light fare for Dethan, who can dish up some really twisted ideas at times.

Boy, was Ian right!

Slaughterman’s Creed is a very disturbing look at crime noir. I was happy to get a chance to check out the comics before they hit the stands as a trade paperback in May of this year (I hear the digital version may be available sooner than that, but we’ll see). Be sure to pick this trade up if you like dark and twisted stories that will grab you and not let you go. It’s a real “page turner!” I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

It’s not that some of the characters don’t have a code of honor. They do, particularly Sidney, who treats his victims with his own brand of “respect.” If you’re looking for a role model in this comic, you’ll be really disappointed. Everyone is trying to stab someone else in the back, either literally or figuratively.

That doesn’t mean the comic isn’t telling an interesting story. I couldn’t stop reading it. And I was especially surprised by a radical change in direction about three issues in. It shocked me so much I can’t bring myself to spoil it here.

The characters themselves are dark and dank. The strangest among them is Mr. Green, a new assassin who has literally been turned green by having his entire body covered with tattoos in that color. Compared to the rest of the world he lives in, he’s this bright, weird light bulb that stands out very strongly visually. And he also stands out in the story, a counterpoint to Sidney’s abilities and code.

Stephen Downey‘s art isn’t quite up to the story’s standards, but in some ways, it fits the sketchy, moody world we’re peering into. A little more detail would have been more to my liking, but I still get chills when I think of Sidney explaining the creed to a young girl.

Speaking of the code, here it is from Dethan’s website: “Thine is the task of blood. Discharge thy task with mercy. Let thy victim feel no pain. Let sudden blow bring death; Such death as thou thyself would ask for.”

If Mr. Dethan keeps delivering this kind of novel perspective on the world, I’ll have trouble sleeping at night. Yikes! But I was gripped from the first page, so please keep it up!

Rating: 4/5.

Hot on the proverbials of that bombshell came the following write-up from Richmond Clements - writer, editor of FutureQuake Press and co-organiser of Hi Ex! The Highlands International Comic Expo:

Slaughterman's Creed Review

The most frustrating thing about reading this book is when I was reading it, I couldn’t help thinking that there will be a percentage of people reading this and thinking ‘Guy Ritchie.’
But- newsflash- Guy Ritchie did not invent the London gangster story, and this book sits more comfortably with real (yes- I said ‘real’) London gangster tales like The Long Good Friday or Get Carter.

Writer Cy Dethan and artist Stephen Downey previously worked together on the brilliant and disturbing horror fantasy book Cancertown. So, if you’ve read that book (and if you haven’t why not?) you’ll probably think you’re prepared for Slaughterman’s Creed...

And you’d be partly right. This is as bleak and disturbing as Cancertown- for the most part. But, for my money, this book is a lot more powerful and there is more impact from the violence and gore for one simple reason. And it’s one I have banged on about before in either other reviews of when pontificating about writing.

Horror is all the more horrible when you have people doing horrible things to other people. That’s why Hannibal Lecter is scarier than Freddy Krueger. And there is a lot of horror in this book.

That is not to say it is some cheap torture porn story. It is not. Every violent action in this book is there to further the plot rather than to titillate an audience of bored teenagers (when did I get this cynical!?).

And what a plot! Dethan, in the first chapter, sets out the plot nicely as he introduces the characters and the concept of the Slaughterman. But then, just as the reader thinks the narrative is going one way, he adds a wonderful reveal that takes it in completely another direction.

There was a point where I thought that Dethan was biting off more than he could chew as he introduced a number of subplots, but I need not have worried, he juggles the various strands with perfection and brings everything to a satisfying climax. Of course, satisfying does not always mean happy or upbeat... but it does mean clever and altogether logical.

As for the art- Downey has made a quantum leap in quality from his work in Cancertown. His figure drawing is very good and his layouts are thoughtful and imaginative. I did notice one continuity error in there though...

And I suppose I should mention the colouring too... for the sake of full disclosure, I should mention that the majority of the book was coloured by HiEx’s own Vicky Stonebridge, and she does a wonderful job in creating atmosphere, when required, adding to the bloody and gruesome realism of the horror on the page.

So, all in all, I’d say this book is a bit of a triumph for all involved. With a strong narrative, well realised and rounded characters, strong visuals and a wonderful seam of oh so black humour this deserves to be a hit for all involved. And not turning it into a movie would be nothing short of a travesty.

Slaughterman's Creed is published by Markosia comics.

Slaughterman's Creed will be launched as a trade paperback at the Bristol Comic Expo in May with a special pre-order price of £10. As mentioned in a previous post, this launch is a limited edition so pre-ordering is advised.

If you would like to reserve a copy to be held behind the stand, or posted out to you, please get in touch with us now and we will add your name to the list and email you to let you know the options for how to pay.

If you are not coming to the show there will be postage added to the £10 which is £2 in the UK and £4 for overseas delivery.

If you are a reviewer, blogger, journalist or podcaster and would like some more information then drop us a line.

Slaughterman's Creed Convention Edition Pre-Orders and Competition

2011-01-23T19:26:00.011Z

Things are ramping up towards the launch by Markosia comics of the hardcopy edition of Slaughterman's Creed at Bristol Comics Convention in Mid May.

There is going to be a convention special edition, signed by all the creators, on sale over the launch weekend at the special pre-order price of £10 (regular price will be around £12, to be confirmed).

Everyone who pre-orders it, either to collect on the day or to be sent out after the show, will be entered into a competition to win an original piece of art pencilled by Stephen Downey and coloured by Vicky Stonebridge.

We know that not everyone will be physically going to the con, and some people will only be there for one or other of the days, so if you would like to reserve a copy to be held behind the stand, or posted out to you, please then you need to get in touch with us now and we will add your name to the list, and email you to let you know the options for how to pay.

If you are not coming to the show there will be postage added to the £10 which is £2 in the UK and £4 for overseas delivery.

And if you can't wait, or want to be sure, you can read the Slaughterman's Creed free 12 page preview over on the website.

If you are a reviewer, blogger, journalist or podcaster and would like some more information then drop us a line.

There will be more news about Bristol plans in the near future.

Reviews!

2011-01-18T13:22:00.002Z

A couple of very cool articles have recently popped up on 3 Million Years, an excellent source for digital comics information. The site's owner, Michael J. Nimmo, has written reviews of the digital editions of The Indifference Engine and Cancertown (both now available in their entireties on the PlayStation Network in PSP format). Here goes:

Review: The Indifference Engine

Responding to a strangely specific job advertisement, Alan Blake, a distinctly ordinary twenty-something suburban slacker finds himself in the middle of an inter-dimensional task force staffed entirely by superhuman alternate versions of himself. Struggling to fit in, he uncovers a conspiracy that strikes at the very heart of the organisation – a conspiracy that only he can stop.

For a four issue mini series, this certainly packs a lot in! Originally I intended to sit down and read this series over a short period of time, but found myself being drawn in and reading the next issue.
Cy Dethan (Cancertown) writes a very tight script – I found myself thinking of Rob Williams (Cla$$war) in the style. Keeping all the facts together and presentable is a hard job, but Cy performs admirably. With the nature of the story, there is no decompression, there is a lot going on on each page. This is what gets you reading each issue one after another!

Robert Carey’s art is excellent – at first I worried that it was a little too loose, but then soon dispelled this as the art drew me into the story. With the big wide shots I found myself feeling surrounded by the action. Fight and battle scenes felt tense and full of danger. Gritty in all the right places and sterile where it was needed.

In closing, this is an excellent mini series from an excellent team. Markosia should be proud to showcase such British talent, showing that great things are ahead. This is also a coup for the PSP Comics network and what mobile comics are all about.

Defiantly recommended!

Review: Cancertown: An Inconvenient Tooth

The team behind Cancertown should have nothing but pride about this 6 issue series.

From the story itself to the art, colours, letters and the cover this is an all round, well plotted series. This story would work well as a Vertigo title and Markosia have found themselves a real gem.

Vince Morley isn’t the sort of protagonist that you find yourself rooting for, but as the series progresses you find yourself bonding with him. Cy Dethan has made this a well paced series which would be amazing in the print format, but on the screen it keeps you going from one page to another – taking in the madness of Cancertown that he has created.

Stephen Downey's pencils fit the mood so well for this story, with some horrifying creatures and some epic scenes which will stay in my head for a long time. These pencils, combined with the colours from Mel Cook create the nightmares that Cancertown has along with the parts of the ‘real’ world in a grim and gritty style.

Nic Wilkinson’s lettering adds to the story, giving the printed words flesh and feeling that I haven’t seen for a long while.

Paul Cartwright's cover creates an immediate impression and lets you know what’s in store for you inside. So much so that my wife, looking over my shoulder, said how amazing it looked – which is high praise indeed.

Vince Morley is a man with big problems and a brain tumour like a baby’s fist, living with one foot in a monstrous alternate world he calls Cancertown. When the lost and dispossessed of London start tripping over the same cracks in reality he spends his life avoiding, Morley realises he must confront the residents of Cancertown – and risk finding his place among them.

This is a story about a man who lives in two worlds, and although we are trying to make sense of what is real and what isn’t – he is also making sense of his place in both worlds.

I can’t emphasise enough what an amazing story this is – perhaps its because I’m from the 2000AD generation, but I’m sure that our friends in the US would enjoy this too. For those of you who read Hellblazer and the like – read this now!

Cancertown: An Inconvenient Tooth is available from PSP Comics and Markosia from today – check out the website at www.cancertown.co.uk

Roll on the sequel I say!

While we're on the subject of reviews, I was recently sent a copy of a book called Captain Caned, by its clearly unhinged creator, Jim Morris. This was quite a revelation to me, as I can honestly say I've never read anything remotely like it. You know that lurching feeling you get if you lean too far back in your chair and rock just past the critical angle and all of a sudden you're falling - but at the last fraction of a second you catch yourself? The experience of reading Captain Caned is a lot like that. So much so, in fact, that it's actually hard to even describe the thing, much less review it.

Certainly, I could talk about the plot and structure - but to do so, I think, would be to miss the point of the book. The artwork in Captain Caned doesn't just tell the story - it is the story. This is a book in which every character is a fluid cacophony of hyper-expressive pseudo-anatomy and a simple trip to the pub becomes a mind-manglingly flamboyant odyssey into the unknown. The most mundane of human experiences is drenched in magic and horror - which, when it comes down to it, is the way things ought to be. Always.

Captain Caned is available from Waterstones right now, and it's a strongly recommended read if you like to be challenged (as well you should). It's definitely a book worth supporting because we absolutely need Jim Morris to keep working in comics.

To be perfectly frank, it terrifies me to imagine what he'd be doing with his time otherwise...

Wait, What the Hell Just Happened?!

2011-01-14T19:32:00.008Z

Fuck me, that was quite a week!

First, we had the completion of The Indifference Engine on the PSP. This book was incredible fun to write, and with Rob Carey's art it came out as an intensely concentrated jolt of crazy. We're looking into our options for a second volume of this right now, so the ride may not be over for Alan Blake just yet.

On top of that, this week also saw the long-awaited return of Cancertown to the PlayStation Network. All six chapters came out at once, and the series now features about two hours of audio commentary from Stephen Downey and me. I'm a big fan of commentary tracks, so it was great to be able to put one together myself. It'll be interesting to see what people make of it. Cancertown will be back in print later this year in a new Markosia edition, which I'm really looking forward to.

Finally, perhaps the biggest news of the week for me was the announcement that Slaughterman's Creed is coming out in trade paperback format in May this year - just in time for the Bristol Comic Expo. All sorts of schemes are in motion for the launch, with a planned limited edition Expo exclusive, a possible panel for the book at the convention and a few surprises in the works. More on that as plans develop. In the meantime, here's an idea of what the book's going to look like...

So yeah, basically it's been a pretty good week for me, and a Hell of a start to the year. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Newsbomb: Cancertown Back in Print, Fallen Heroes Comic and More...

2011-01-11T08:45:00.008Z

Barry Nugent's Fallen Heroes novel is an extraordinary, genre-spanning work that hit the top of Amazon's best-seller list. Given Barry's status as co-founder of Britain's premier comics-and-related-culture podcast, The Geek Syndicate, the announcement of the book's adaptation to comic form was not only welcome - it was necessary.

The first part of this adaptation is getting close to release now, and teasers are beginning to appear on its website. From what I've been shown so far (much of which I can't even talk about yet), this is going to be a stormer. Definitely one to check out.

While I'm pimping other people's work, I should note that Ian M Cullen and Wayne Hall's SFP-Now show (formerly Sci-Fi Pulse Radio) has switched over to podcast format and can now be found at its all-new site. The first episode is up now, and features an exclusive interview with Hotwire artist and writer Steve Pugh, who talks about producing his first ever solo comic for Radical Publishing.

With The Indifference Engine hitting the "Most Downloaded" list on the PlayStation Network charts last week (pretty staggering, considering the quantity and calibre of the competition on display there) and Cancertown: An Inconvenient Tooth on its way back to PSP tomorrow, it's a pretty good time for me in terms of digital comics. On the real-world side of things, Harry Markos of Markosia Enterprises has just announced that Cancertown is currently scheduled to come back into print later this year. This is fantastic news for me. More details as I get hold of them, and here's an awesome celebratory Morley sketch Stephen Downey spotted on Deviant Art (reproduced here with the kind permission of its artist, Garrett Davis).

Catch you on the flip-side...

Cancertown: Back With A Blastoma!

2011-01-04T16:09:00.006Z

Cancertown: An Inconvenient Tooth, the scrappy indie outsider that punched far above its weight and consistently elbowed its way into top-ten status on the PSP download charts alongside its more respectable cousins from Marvel and DC, is back!

Harry Markos of Markosia Enterprises is the man responsible for this remarkable metastasis, swooping in to rescue the book from its period of remission over the summer, in time for a January 2011 re-launch on PSN.

“I am delighted to have signed Cancertown,” enthuses Harry, “it is a great book with a solid and loyal following, so I am looking forward to working with the team in getting it out to a wider audience. We have big plans for it! Cy and the team have done a great job and they have already promised a sequel, so we have exciting times ahead!”

“Oh wow, it talks”
Such were the immortal words of our hero, Vince Morley, when confronted in his hallway by a muscular medicine ball of a monster, full of blunt, flat teeth and bad intentions. This new digital edition of the book talks, too - thanks to the audio capabilities of the PSN. This all-new version is complete with additional creator commentaries From Cy Dethan and Stephen Downey that will take you down the back streets and dark alleys where Cancertown was conceived - but be warned, as Bryan “godfather of British comics” Talbot has said: “Cancertown will disorientate you, suck you in, chew you up and spit you out and you might well be in need of a change of underwear by the end.”

"Remember - nothing here is real, and everything can hurt you."
"I described it to someone asking me what it was about as a 'rip-roaring mindf***,' says John Freeman of Down The Tubes.

What kind of story provokes that kind of reaction?

Vince Morley is a man with big problems and a brain tumour like a baby’s fist, living with one foot in a monstrous alternate world he calls Cancertown. When the lost and dispossessed of London start tripping over the same cracks in reality he spends his life avoiding, Morley realises he must confront the residents of Cancertown – and risk finding his place among them.

“Babyface was a very special girl. She had very special friends, who lived in a place behind her eyes.”
Cancertown returns to the Sony PSP in its entirety on the 12th of January. So what are you waiting for? Hurl yourself into its nightmarish shadow-world and meet its population of grotesques and maniacs. For those of you who’ve been this way before, we’d be delighted to see you all again.

Writer: Cy Dethan
Pencils: Stephen Downey
Colours: Mel Cook
Letters: Nic Wilkinson
For more information see www.cancertown.co.uk

Read a free preview of chapter one.

The Indifference Engine: A Holographic Novel launches on PSN Today

2010-12-15T20:48:00.006Z

“Being a science fiction fan, I sometimes ache for a comic that will challenge my perceptions of the world, of the universe, of my way of thinking...The Indifference Engine, written by Cy Dethan (Cancertown)with pencils by Robert Carey, scratches that itch spectacularly!" said Wayne Hall of Sci-Fi Pulse.

Happily, you can now find relief for all your own inter-dimensional itches as, with a little holiday magic, The Indifference Engine (Dethan, Carey, Cook, Wilkinson) has been bumped up Markosia Enterprises’ release schedule and has made its way to the Playstation Network Comic Store just in time for Christmas!

Responding to a strangely specific job advertisement, Alan Blake, a distinctly ordinary twenty-something suburban slacker finds himself in the middle of an inter-dimensional task force staffed entirely by superhuman alternate versions of himself. Struggling to fit in, he uncovers a conspiracy that strikes at the very heart of the organisation – a conspiracy that only he can stop.

"Cy Dethan's script is superb on this book", said John (Sci-Fi Art Now) Freeman on Down The Tubes "This [is a] tightly-written multi-universe-spanning adventure tale and it's...definitely a book to look out for."

My name is Alan Blake. I've got no resources, no skills and no friends. But if I were you, I'd be the very last person on Earth I'd want coming after me...

The Indifference Engine reunites the Cancertown team of Dethan, Cook and Wilkinson, joined this time around by penciller Rob Carey in his first full length graphic novel.

Harry Markos, publisher, speaking about the launch on the PSN forum said: “You’re going to be freaked out. I warned you , a while ago, that The Indifference Engine would blow your minds. Well, as promised, issue one is here to do just that!”

Meanwhile, over on the PSN blog, Pauline Martyn (Publishing Manager, PSN Digital Comics) posted: “Cancertown was one of the highlights of our early offerings – a great series which steadily grew a loyal cult following during its time on the store. Now, writer Cy Dethan is back with the superlative The Indifference Engine through Markosia.”

And a final word from Sci-Fi Pulse:

"I LOVED having to pay attention and taking my time to keep track of what was going on. I LOVED the pay-off at the end as well. It’s a great mental exercise–my brain was tired for a long time after reading it....In fact, I LOVED that, too! What a great comic!"

If you want to try before you buy then you can read a free preview of the first 14 pages over on the website along with a sneak peek at art from later episodes.

If you are a journalist, reviewer or podcaster and would like review copies, artwork samples, more information or to interview any of the team, please do get in touch.

For those who don't have a PSP, look out for other formats next year!

...and there is already a sequel in the works!

Southern Discomfort

2010-12-14T10:59:00.003Z

Okay, first things first: Ultimate Congratulations are due to Cancertown/Slaughterman's Creed artist, Stephen Downey and noted comics model Aimee (whose likeness can be seen most prominently in Cancertown's Babyface character) on the announcement of their engagement. Full details of Stephen's awesome proposal can be seen on his blog, and the whole thing reads like a masterclass in doing this sort of thing right.

I first read about James Pearson's Bayou Arcana anthology on the Small Press Big Mouth website, and was surprised to find myself called out by name in the article. Never one to turn down an opportunity to get involved in something truly fascinating, I've pitched in a story with Nic Wilkinson signed on as artist. Nic and I have several writer/artist collaborations to our names already, ranging from the Layer Zero short, Remember This Moment to two years' worth of Starship Troopers: Extinction Protocol (a first professional comics gig for both of us), so I'm really looking forward to getting stuck into this.

The Bayou Arcana project has been described as a "horror-laced, adult faerie tale" which is a good fit for where my head is right now. Meanwhile, the ropey, aggressively organic swamp environment should play beautifully to Nic's style - so watch this space for further news of Swamp Pussy and the Hanged Man, in which a faithless lover is cursed to a hundred years of mourning in the shadow of a heartbroken tree.

Onward...

...And the World Will Tremble at the Name: SPLINTFINGER!

2010-12-08T16:09:00.005Z

Okay, this is for anyone who doesn't already know what's been going on with me for the last eight weeks. It's a Secret Origin of sorts - a tale of inexplicable happenstance triggering a double pendulum of chaos and transformation.

Well, not exactly - but it's a tale of something annoying happening to me and, consequently, me being inconvenienced over a long period.

So anyway, on the Saturday night of this year's BICS, I suffered an injury. It was a strange, unexpected and entirely trivial incident, with no definable cause or warning. I was in the process of demonstrating an uncanny ability to bend just the top joint of each of the fingers of both hands while keeping them otherwise entirely straight. Any coin magicians among my largely imaginary readers might recognise this physiological quirk as being the prerequisite for Stanley Collins' "The Jumping Sixpence" sleight variation, as described on p.338 of JB Bobo's "New Modern Coin Magic (1966)."

No? Nobody? Okay, then - moving on...

Anyway, this is the same, dumb stunt I've been showing people since I was five years old, and I have to say it's the first time I've ever snapped a fucking finger tendon doing it.

In fact, I've spent the last two months explaining to doctors and orthopaedists that there was no impact injury to the finger at all. The most strenuous activity I'd undertaken with the hand that day had been signing a set of contracts for Markosia. Still, the undeniable fact is that I snapped a tendon and the top section of my left (dominant) ring finger hooked over and refused to straighten.

Undeniable, that is, except by the retarded fuckhat at Accident & Emergency who kept me waiting four hours for a misdiagnosis of Trigger Finger. It took another two days and an angry phone call from my GP (about whom I have zero complaints in all this) to get that verdict overturned and to score me the Mallet Splint that I've worn for the last fifty days.

Anyway, the splint was a total joy, as you can imagine. At no point during the recovery period was I permitted to let the fingertip droop or bend, as to do so for even one second (as was made very clear to me) would set me back to square one with an increased chance of surgery.

One thing that this experience has taught me is that I have lived an entirely trouble-free life so far. I must have, for something so trivial to have annoyed me so deeply. Admittedly, as a magician, having a key finger out of action is a legitimate pisser. Even typing is fiddly and slow. Today, the splint finally came off, and I was informed that I'd never be able to form a tight fist with my left hand again.

Bollocks to that - I live to make fists with my left hand. They can't take that from me - they'll have to pry it out of... eh, fuck it - make your own joke. I'm too pissed off.

So, the bottom line right now is that the finger healed slightly too well. The new tendon is way too tight and I can't bend the joint past a painful, swollen 15 degree angle. Supposedly, there's some kind of rehab I can do (and by "rehab" I assume they mean "Rock Band 3"), so I'll get to that as soon as they set me up with the local hand specialist. As I always said, I'm more interested in making a complete recovery than a quick one. Until that happens, the horrifying legend of SPLINTFINGER will lumber on.

They say he only wears it at night...

(...and occasionally during strenuous activity)

Nic's Sticky Notes: Sláine the Horned God

2010-12-03T09:49:00.001Z

Sláine The Horned God

Writer: Pat Mills
Artist: Simon Bisley

Sláine had his debut in 2000AD in 1983, and is still going as I write. 25 years under his belt now and I do not think it too many!

This review deals with the arc “Sláine the Horned God” from 1989, but I will include a bit of background first for those who haven’t encountered the character before.

Sláine charts the adventures of eponymous Sláine Mac Roth in an alternate European past based primarily around Celtic / Gaelic myths and legends with a sprinkling of Lovecraftian time bending elder gods and British historical figures. It also has discernible influences from Robert Graves and modern paganism, Moorcock, Robert E Howard and, being by Pat Mills, has one or two political points to make along the way.

As a great warrior, Sláine wields the mighty weapon, Brainbiter, shouts “kiss my axe!”, rides to battle on his dragon, The Knucker, and is subject to the Warpspasm. Based on the “riastrad” or “battle frenzy” of legendary heroes such as Cu Chulainn (Sláine’s closest literary cousin, I would say) and King Arthur (oh yes, if you read the older legends rather than the sanitized Victorian ones) where a warrior channels the energy of battle itself and warps into a terrifying, unstoppable monster. In many adventures he is accompanied by Ukko the dwarf, a filthy, lewd, degenerate, snivelling, untrustworthy creature who provides the framing device for The Horned God as he records the adventures of Sláine many years later.

The story is set in the land of Tir-Nan-Og (the land of the young) where many Irish myths take place. Pat Mills has described it himself as “the land of Celtic Twilight”. In several arcs, Sláine also travels through time (2000AD is a sci-fi comic, after all) to fight alongside key figures from British History and Legend such as Boudicca and King Arthur, but at the time of The Horned God all that is yet to come.

The Horned God is, I think, the first “grown up” comic I read, several years before I “got into” comics, as they say. With the thrill power turned up to eleven and eye-wateringly beautiful painted art by Simon Bisley, it is a perfect way to encounter the medium, and the character, for the first time.

The Horned God cycle follows the story of Sláine fighting various battles - political, religious, spiritual and physical – as he struggles to find the lost treasures of Ireland and unite the clans while suffering a personal apotheosis that will see him transformed into the latest incarnation of Carnun (the horned god of the title) and being crowned the first High King of Ireland.

The violence threshold is high and there is plenty of hewing and hurting and hacking and harming. No place for the squeamish here. The Nature Worship on show, and its Goddess, is as much about red-in-tooth-and-claw brutality as it is about love and laughter and romping in the meadows. Expect glistening gore and flying gibs a-plenty.

The Lord Weird Slough Feg, first encountered in earlier Sláine stories, returns to oppose Sláine in a brilliant take on growth and stagnation (good and evil being far too simplistic a stance for Pat Mills) and its personal and political implications. Being a Mills villain, there is enough of the hero in him to problematise the relationship between Slough Feg and Slaine – in fact, they are even more closely bound than Nemesis and Torquemada - but to go into that would be a huge spoiler so I will leave it there. Slough Feg is no mere foil to, or reflection of, Slaine – he is following his own dark dreams and desires and the story occurs because the paths of the hero and villain cross.

It is extremely hard to review the Horned God without giving away any of the story. As it builds on mythic patterns, a lot of the “what happens” is already familiar. “How it happens” is what gives this story its place in the Hall of Fame of British comics.

As a product of its time, there is a strong ecological message, threaded with mysticism, underlying the hacking and slashing. While it seems that Mills greatly enjoys writing Sláine, it is as much for the opportunity to slyly subvert the tropes of heroic fantasy as it is to celebrate it and use its best aspects to tell a heart-thumpingly good yarn. It is this playful and chaotic approach to his art that makes me such a big Mills fan.

The dance between freedom and control, society and individualism that informs much of Mills’ work raises its head once again. In this case the discussion really centres on “religion” vs “spirituality” and some sharp satire about church and state. There are more questions than answers, though, and the reader is really left to make up his own mind as to whether the choices made by the characters are the ones they themselves would have chosen and whether things could have turned out better.

There is rhythmic quality to the writing and the story construction that echoes the poetry of the ancient sagas. This builds to a great crescendo as the story thunders along, sweeping you up as it passes like the Wild Hunt itself. It will leave you hag-ridden, gasping and dishevelled in the morning – but you will be back for more.

The art is jaw-droppingly beautiful. Simon Bisley effortlessly captures the strutting, exultant, heroic arrogance of the world of the tribes in all its glory. His woman are strong and sexy and beautiful – easily the equals of the men in lust, laughter, loyalty and slaughter. The men themselves are iron-thewed fighting machines, glorious and magnificent, striding masterfully about the land. Lord Weird Slough Feg, inspired by “the sorcerer” from the Lascaux cave paintings is one of my favourite character designs in all of comics, sinister yet strangely sympathetic, compelling and revolting all at once and conveyed in all his ragged, shadowy sublimity. And as for monsters, well no one draws a monster like Bisley.

It Helps to Talk About It...

2010-11-30T10:00:00.000Z

So, it turns out it takes around thirty seconds for me to get genuinely sick of the sound of my own voice - and soon, through the magic of PSP, I'll be able to offer that exact same experience to you!

It actually seemed like a simple enough idea at first - just record a few thoughts about the development process, background and structure of Cancertown: An Inconvenient Tooth to run as an audio commentary in the Markosia edition of the book (coming soon to the Sony PlayStation Network). Even the technical side of things wasn't complicated to organise. I put down my take on the writing approach, the construction and influences of the characters and story, the book's launch and anything else that sprang to mind. Like I said - simple.

The thing is, we're talking about a project that took several months to plan and write, then a year to turn into a finished book (through the combined efforts of a four-strong creative team) - and even condensing my own thoughts down to 30-60 second soundbites, we're still looking at a couple of hours of material spread over the six chapters. Stephen Downey has also chipped in with a commentary of his own, and I'm pleased to confirm that he's managed to slow his hummingbird-like natural verbal rhythm to a level interpretable by normal humans. I learned a lot from listening to Stephen talking through his work on the book, and came away with much to think about for future projects.

Anyway, it's all finished now and will shortly be on its way to Sony. I enjoyed putting this together, and look forward to having the chance of doing more. I think I'll get Patrick Stewart to voice me in the next one...

Unbelievable News: The Beast of Bryn Boncath Rehomed

2010-11-18T21:41:00.007Z

A great piece of news this week. Unbelievable: The Man Who Ate Daffodils by Simon Wyatt (lettered by me, Nic Wilkinson) has been signed up by Markosia for a 2011 release.

Unbelievable: (Adjective: Not to be believed: inconceivable, incredible, unimaginable, unthinkable. Idioms: beyond belief, contrary to all reason).

The remote mining village of Bryn Boncath has its share of stories, of local legends, of half believed histories. It is a close knit community, with closely guarded secrets. It is home to the orphaned Ben Ellis and his grandfather, Emrys, and it has become the scene of a series of bizarre and mysterious deaths.

A new neighbour has moved in. A man long thought dead has returned. Livestock are missing. There are noises in the night. People are afraid to go into out after dark and sightings of a giant hound, or maybe a big cat are on the increase once again.

Suddenly it seems to Ben that what he took to be the tall tales of his grandfather may be more than just stories. It seems that something is stirring in the forests and the mountains around Bryn Boncath. It seems that ancient history is repeating and this time round Ben has an important part to play.

Unbelievable is a dark masterpiece that weaves strands of Welsh legend, modern murder mystery and horror with a dash of crytozoology that wonders: What if seeing isn’t always believing, but believing will allow you to see?

As for how I got involved, well, this is what I said when I was asked that question for the book...

My Unbelievable Adventure

Folk always tell you not to stray from the path, don’t they? Although they never quite tell you why, and they never quite tell you when, or what will happen if you do, and I’m not entirely certain I know where the path starts, anyway.

Anyone would think they did it on purpose. Anyone would think they wanted you off that path, quick as you like, over the streams and under the hills and deeper and deeper into the forest.

As I sit, tangled in a heap of letters, with a large black dog at my feet it seems that I’ve been here all along. Was there another world I once belonged to? Let me see if I can retrace the steps of the dance.

I remember being warned that, should I chance to meet any creatures of worlds not our own, I must not eat their food, that I must not accept their gifts, but no one ever told me that I should not read their books.

One of the first books I can remember choosing, and then reading for myself, was a ladybird book called Legends of King Arthur: The Mysteries of Merlin. It was a hardback, filled with glorious pictures of swords of horses, of brave men and faery women, and stirring in some old dark way I couldn’t fully understand. That was that, then. I turned the page. The rune was cast. The trap was sprung.

The years wound on and my passion for northern mythology and folklore and the matter of Britain grew with me. So, really, you’d think I’d have been more wary, when on a day close to midsummer I thought I heard a distant howling, and glimpsing a black shape slipping away just on the edge of vision, I wandered from the safe and well signed path through the web. When I finally hurtled to a stop and looked around me the gods and heroes of the island of the mighty strode from the page before my eyes. Who had called them all to this place?

As sure as if 3 hot drops from a cauldron had landed on my thumb I understood everything at once. I had to be involved with this Unbelievable piece of work with its strong, sleek, powerful art and its playful, dangerous echoes of the very oldest tales.

I followed that black dog, and in the end he brought me to the great Welsh Dragon. Well, to Simon Wyatt, as you may know him, but how I tricked my way inside the book is a tale for another time.

Like all the best stories there were times when all seemed lost, the way was full of twists and turns, triumphs and setbacks, but we made it here, somewhat changed, in the end.

The black dog is in my house now.

There is no escaping him.

I wouldn’t even try.

Visit Simon Wyatt's blog for more art and updates as the launch approaches.

Keep a look out for news in the near future of some projects involving Cy and Si - and most likely me!

Pulling Focus

2010-11-16T08:08:00.005Z

I've been a bit quiet and distant for the last week, I know. Don't worry, it's nothing you've done. I'm just really busy right now recording the commentary track for the upcoming re-release of Cancertown on PSP. It's been almost twenty years since I last spent any amount of time recording and cutting audio, and the technology has moved on a bit (like almost anything else worth doing in the 90s, sound editing actually involved razor blades and sticky tape the last time I had to do it). Anyway, my skill set has been updated and I'll hopefully be finished tinkering with the PSP files in the next week or so.

In the meantime, I should quickly point out that Cancertown co-conspirator, Stephen Downey, has opened up a shop on his website. He's got some cool prints on there already, so it's definitely work checking out.

So, on a recent trip to Canterbury, I made what I strongly suspect is a significant discovery. That discovery goes by the name of Aaron Moran, and I can honestly say that his art style is literally unlike anything I've seen before. I'm not alone in that assessment, either, as virtually identical words came out of Markosia Big Boss Harry Markos' mouth when I showed him a few samples at BICS this year. Take a look, and keep in mind that this is all hand drawn:

Aaron is currently working with me and two other writer/artist teams on Focal Point, a crime book that's in the works right now. I'm guessing that, once word about him gets out, he's suddenly going to find himself in great demand. Watch this space, and see some more of his samples on his website.

Nic's Sticky Notes: KillRaven

2010-11-04T17:52:00.000Z

"...and now, brought to you by special request from the Lovely Mr Lee Grice himself..."

KillRaven – Warrior of the Worlds

Written by: Don McGregor, Gerry Conway, Roy Thomas, Bill Mantlo, Marv Wolfman

Art by: P. Craig Russell, Neal Adams, Howard Chaykin, Herb Trimpe, Gene Colan, Rich Buckler, Sal Buscema

Published by: Marvel (beginning 1973)

Yes – all those people really did have a hand in it, even though this incarnation of the title was just 39 issues long. Most of these creators were involved for only one or two issues and the “golden age” of Killraven began when Don McGregor took over writing duties from issue 21 and P Craig Russell signed on as penciller a few issues later.

The initial idea was co-plotted and designed by Roy Thomas and Neal Adams (not, in fact, Freddie Mercury’s mum as far as I know, but I could be mistaken…)

The story follows Jonathan Raven (or KillRaven as he was dubbed in the arena), an escaped gladiator who now leads a band of rebels, fighting for freedom against the tyrannical Martian overlords, as they cross a ruined America in search of KillRaven’s missing brother.

The subtitle “Warrior of the Worlds” refers to this being a kind of sequel to H G Wells “War of The Worlds” set on an alternate future earth (Marvel’s Earth -691). So far, so generic science-fantasy (Killraven is a gladiator with a sword in a world of cyborgs) update of classic literature. It is also, as with lots of 70s sci-fi across different media, incredibly, heavily “over-written” by today’s standards.

The story begins as a kind of all action, fast talking, pulp adventure along the lines of “Conan versus the Martians”, but after Mcgregor and Russell took over the comic developed a brooding, melancholy air and becomes something more introspective. Interestingly the character of Killraven does not really change, rather it is his supporting cast and the adventures they find themselves in that have altered, leaving the hero almost at odds with his own story. This is even directly addressed a couple of times by the characters, so leads me to believe it is deliberate commentary on the form. It sometimes works well, and is sometimes forced and awkward, but it is a brave and innovative thing to have attempted. This tension between creative fearlessness and successful storytelling is an issue that will raise its head again and again with this title.

The first issue shows us a world where the Martians have returned, successfully this time, and now occupy earth. We learn that the humans initially attempted resistance, unleashing biological weapons against the invaders but the strategy backfired spectacularly as the lethal pathogens turned on their creators wiping out a significant portion of the population. Secure in their victory the Martians subjugate the remaining inhabitants of Earth, apart from a handful of collaborators, breeding them either for food and sacrifice or for entertainment in the arena if they are strong specimens.

Humans are a hardy breed though and not about to stand for this kind of thing. There is always a band of rag-tag rebels, you know how this works, right? Killraven’s band of Freemen includes M’Shulla Scott (KillRaven’s black lieutenant – yes, the colour of his skin is very important to the message, this was the 70s, remember), the “scientist with a secret” Carmilla Frost, the cynical, bitter native American Hawk, the faithful but slow-witted strongman Old Skull, and Grok - a sub-human creature fanatically devoted to Carmilla.

At various points their paths are crossed by an exotic variety of dangerous females such as Volcana Ash (whose origin sequence has to be seen to be believed!), the human/plant hybrid Mint Julep and the sense defying Mourning Prey who help them in various ways. I’m not sure if this was intentional and was trying to communicate any specific message, if so it is never really developed and I didn’t really notice it at first reading but it struck me just now, thinking back over the story.

The main antagonists are, of course, the Martians, but they do not often appear “on page.”, which actually works well as a means of amplifying their alien menace. The band is primarily pursued by a Martian agent, the cyborg assassin Skar, leading to some beautiful fight scenes. Of course just having to defeat or escape from Skar would be far too easy and the heroes run into conflict with other mutants, monsters, human collaborators and transhuman creatures amongst them the wonderfully named Pstun-Rage, the Death-Breeders, Atalon the Fear Master, the Sacrificer and Abraxas.

Probably as a result of having such a “revolving door for creators”, the whole thing is really a messy grab-bag of scraps and half finished ideas that really shouldn’t work at all. You get the impression of “kids in a sweetshop”, and so what we get is a mad, dizzy sugar-rush of a comic where every individual concept probably “seemed like a good idea at the time”. It is clearly one of the most ambitious comics ever put out, but to realise that ambition it would have needed an Alan Moore or Grant Morrison on the script. It is keen and excited, but not always quite up to the job. Strangely though, it rises above all of this and manages to make something quite astonishingly ground-breaking.

Part of the mystery can be explained, I think, by the fact that this was a low selling book, constantly in danger of cancellation, and so was “beneath of the attention” of many people who would have been much stricter about what was allowed to be included in a higher profile title. This gave the creators a massive amount of freedom (in the end it gave them enough rope to hang themselves and it was cancelled and wrapped up quickly, as can be seen from the ending) and they used it to explore madness, love, violence, philosophy, justice, political satire, psychological trauma and the nature of “true freedom”.

The fact that the creators were open to experimentation and breaking boundaries means that Killraven is where we see the first inter-racial kiss in comics. The fact that you wouldn’t notice this as anything unusual when reading it now shows just what a different world this book was created in and you need to keep that in mind when reading it to understand just how dangerous it was to explore some of the concepts it did.

When this was published, of course, the Civil Rights movement in America was still very much a going concern - it was not quite five years since Martin Luther King had been assassinated when this came out. Imagine if you had read this in a small town in Alabama, by the light from the burning crosses, where everyone's daddy was a Klansman. Bear in mind that there was a recorded Klan lynching in 1981, for which the perpetrators were found guilty in 1987 and executed in 1997 - this stuff is not that far in the past.

McGregor looked to bring much more social commentary and psychological / emotional realism to the story than previous writers. This was accomplished mainly by means of a shift that puts the actual landscape much more at the centre of the story, rather than it just being “backgrounds” that fill in the white space of the panel. Much of the satire, though, relies on readers recognising the settings / locations in relation to what is happening in them. I will admit that much of this was lost on me, apart from the very obvious ones such as a slave market on the statue of Abraham Lincoln (nowhere did I say the script was subtle!), as I just didn’t know the places or their associations with American popular culture in the 1970s.

P Craig Russell’s art is beautiful, even on 30-odd year old cheap paper with the shocking colour repro available to printers then. In places he brings a fine art level of technical skill and his design sense is nothing short of incredible.

The best way to think of his art is “visual music” and it adds a lightness and subtlety to a script that can swing alarmingly from “sound and fury” to somewhat pretentious exposition and otherwise might have been heavy going. It is a very rare artist who has the ability to take a story so stuffed with concepts, dialogue and explanatory captions it is bursting the 32 pages allotted to it and deliver such graceful, seamless pages.

When it came to the idea of “location as character” McGregor was very lucky that in P Craig Russell he had an artist skilled enough to pull off recognisable “future ruined” real locations without them being intrusive. Similarly his “trippier” locations, such as the adventure that takes place inside a holographic dream world where we enter projected visualisations of the Freemen’s hopes and fears are in safe and capable hands.

The sheer imagination on display in the creature and concept design is some of the best I have seen in comics. I really want a purple serpent horse!

Whatever its flaws, though, it was trying to do something new and meaningful and adult with a medium that was elsewhere stuck in “monster of the week territory”, and it should be applauded for that. There are definite flashes of inspiration, but no-one had walked this way before, and so there is the impression that the creators were not always sure how to set about what they wanted to accomplish. To be honest, it does show its age a bit now, but this lends it a kind a eerie “retro-future” quality that has probably improved it.

All in all it is a flawed masterpiece, but it is a masterpiece none the less.

Oh - and if anyone wants to watch a special showing of the all naked version of the Dr Who Xmas special that's Lee's next request, so expect an emergency broadcast by the BBC in about 10 mins when he's had time to have a wee and make a cuppa!

Like Mine, but Better...

2010-11-02T21:04:00.005Z

So, I was going to post a follow-up blog to the previous post, featuring some concept sketches to show the stages and processes that the cover went through. As it turns out, someone way more qualified to talk about that than I am has already done so. In light of this, I am forced into an act of plagiarism so great that I daren't even attempt to disguise it.

So, with Stephen's permission, here's what he has to say for himself.

Cover Story

You may have seen one of the Work-in-Progress Slaughterman's Creed covers slip out on the net this weekend while I was prancing around the MCMexpo. I finally have the chance to share the cover here along with the slightly unusual process behind it.

I had worked on another cover before with Ryan Brown and after seeing his digitally painted work over Simon Bisley's 13 coins comic pages, asked him if he would paint over my pencils/layout for the Slaughterman's Creed covers (Ryan's brother Andy is the co-founder of Beserker Comics, and inked the interior latter chapters of SC).

I had a rough idea for the cover and sketched out a quick layout (which I can't find at the minute, but I'll have found it by the time the cover is finished and post it then), set up my studio lights and took a few reference photos. Here's the one for Sidney himself:

Using the reference photos I sketched out the graphic novel cover layout below.

At this point (as those who were following my blog last year will know), I had planned to spend my Summer in Canada and continue drawing. Things fell through at the last minute and although we had a brilliant month in Belize instead, we did a lot more travelling and A3 scanners are few and far between.

Each digital chapter will feature an individual character so I had to draw each one separately and Ryan agreed to paint and compose them together for the GN. I had to wait to get to Seattle four weeks later to print out five blue lines copies of the sketch and pencil out the individual characters over it. Since Sidney was already in the foreground he needed the least done, but I did tidy him up a little.

By the time I'd finished drawing the characters we were on a plane to Las Vegas. I thought it would be easy to find a scanner there, but all I could find was slot machines and wedding chapels. I was sending my laptop back home the next day, so all I could do was take photos of the pencils on my camera (see above), load them into my dropbox, along with the original reference photos and some interior character shots and upload via the hotel wireless.

Yip, that WIP cover painting was actually painted over a photo sent from Las Vegas. I reckon Ryan did a bloody awesome job!

Expect another update, with more sketches and ref material when the cover is finished.

The Eyes of the Killer

2010-10-29T12:49:00.005+01:00

Been waiting for the green light to show this for a while. When Slaughterman's Creed artist, Stephen Downey, told me he wanted to call in Berserker Comics' Ryan Brown to work on the covers for the book, I knew we were in for something special...

...and here it is: the first work-in-progress cover image from the series, featuring the book's... well, let's call him a "protagonist" for now. Meet Sidney:

See that man with the meathook, the electrical stun forceps and the bloody apron? That man right there is the closest thing this book has to a "good guy". Food for thought...