It’s been a busy few weeks for me, working on a variety of projects, not least of them a new comic that will launch B7 Media’s comic imprint. Look out for more news on that tomorrow, Monday 27th September. I don’t want to pre-empt the announcement, but it’s been a real pleasure working on this project so far, and I’m looking forward to the next stage.
I’ve also been pleased to receive some positive comments on "Crucible", a strip I co-created with artist and author Smuzz (whose many credits include "ABC Warriors", as SMS, for 2000AD, but so much more), currently running in SHIFT Magazine, available through comic shops and select newsagents.
Publisher and editor Adrian Clarke tells me the strip is being very well received by readers, keen to see how the science fiction adventure will develop. I appreciate that for some, it’s a bit of a slow burn as presented in a quarterly magazine. Originally, it was supposed to be published monthly, but that didn’t happen. We have some great plans for future stories, and I’m hoping we will soon be able to begin work on Book 2.
Smuzz himself will be making a relatively rare comic event appearance next month, when we will be signing copies of SHIFT together on the B7 stand in the free entry Comics Clock Tower at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival from 2 - 3.00pm only on Saturday 16th October 2021. Do come along and chat!
The Festival itself is shaping up to great fun, with a crazy “Balloon Debate” to kick things off on Friday night, an exhibition of Martin Rowson cartoons, interview panels and live draws, and much more. I’ll be doing a virtual chat with artist David A. Roach on Sunday, and thanks to sponsor, 2000AD publisher Rebellion, we’ll be revealing the cover of the upcoming Mick McMahon Apex art book during proceedings.
Hope to see you there!
Elsewhere, I’ve been busy working on various projects, including publishing news items about British comics and more on downthetubes. By way of a diversion, I’m also having great fun, with the vital, much appreciated support of artist Danny Cushion, completing a Doctor Who newspaper strip, “Terror from the Deep”, that I began some decades ago, while I was editor of Doctor Who Magazine. Danny’s doing a stand out job on the art, which pits the Seventh Doctor and Ace against the Daleks.
Back then, it was an idea pitched with BBC blessing to the Daily Express, after a chance encounter with members of their syndication team at Angouleme Festival. They didn’t bite, in the end, but we did publish the sample strips, drawn by the late Gerry Dolan, in DWM.
Since this seems to be the week for people returning to Doctor Who, I thought I might as well mention it…
The next newsletter will talk more about the process of creating comics, just like previous ones… honest…
Stay safe out there!
John Freeman
PS Have you entered the downthetubes “Bananaman” competition yet? Artist John Patrick Reynolds recently launched some new, official Bananaman screenprints – and we have some to give away! The competition, open to UK and Irish residents only, closes tomorrow, Monday 27th September.