Following a long delay from contacting publisher Peter Normanton to actually buying issues of From The Tomb,I wondered what sort of quality I should expect.  After all,I was given various excuses by Travelling Man as to why copies couldn’t be ordered and Forbidden Planet were like-wise unwilling to order.

I actually ordered issues 14,18 and 19 as they contained articles on Alan Class.  So a nice gap in publication dates and a good gauge of quality.

The printing and reproduction quality is really wonderful.   And this quality reproduction was a double joy for me because no.14 had an unexpected surprise;”The Lost Years Of Weird Terror –The Horror Artwork Of Don Heck”.  Yes,one of the most under-rated comic artists and the main man responsible [apart from Gene Colan] for me getting into comics and wanting to draw.

For me the Don Heck horror comic cover gallery made the wait worth it. Superb.

There were the Don Heck and Alan Class features,a Paul H. Birch interview with Jamie Delano,articles and reviews enough to satisfy any horror comic buff,these magazines should be in the top five on your regular order list.

Peter tells me that the following are still available:

From The Tomb  Issue number    Price

There was one copy of this in the shop yesterday so I grabbed it.  What’s it about?

“HERBERT WEST

HP Lovecraft’s masterpiece has been re-invented before but never to this degree of horror!

Doctor Herbert West is a brilliant man, nobody disputes this fact, but his studies with a serum created to re-animate the dead are frowned upon at the New England University where he works. Herbert is soon forced to continue his grotesque experiments in secret, with varying degrees of success. But as he gets closer to perfecting his serum, his successes soon turn into an obsession. And when he makes his greatest breakthrough the genius doctor will soon learn that some things were never meant to return.”

Now I tend to have a very strong aversion to companies/directors or whatever who say they can take a classic character or book and “do it better”.  A reaction similar to accidentally dabbing surgical spirits on my-uh,well,bad reaction.

So what was the comic like?

Well,the artwork isn’t too bad and I think it’s a little unfair to pick on the story with the first issue because it needs to establish the premise and characters.  I’d say that if you like horror comics then give this one a go and see how it develops.

Never heard of Zenescope Entertaintment but I’ll be keeping an eye on anything from them in future -if I can get copies.

Hope you’ve all been keeping up with Blair Butler’s G4 reviews each week? The link is:

http://www.g4tv.com/thepile/videos/29429/Fresh_Ink_Online_Atomic_Robo_Hoxford_and_Rogues_Revenge_.html

Love the out-takes at the end recently. The latest -ahh,go check it out yourself!

Alter Ego 81

$6.95
Sale: $5.91
Save: 15% off

October 2008 - 100 pages

ALTER EGO #81 (100 pages, $6.95) is our ever-haunted Halloween issue!

Behind a new FRANK BRUNNER Man-Thing cover: RICHARD ARNDT throws a spooky spotlight on the late-‘60s black-&-white horror comic Web of Horror, that featured early work by BRUNNER, BERNIE WRIGHTSON, JEFFREY JONES, BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH, WALTER SIMONSON, DAVE COCKRUM, HOWARD CHAYKIN—plus an interview with WOH editor (and sf writer) TERRY BISSON! An amazing interview by JIM AMASH with comics & fine artist EVERETT RAYMOND KINTSLER! ROY THOMAS’ 1971 origin synopsis for the first Man-Thing story!

More of BOB ROZAKIS on “The Secret History of All-American Comics, Inc.”—MICHAEL T. GILBERT on BOB POWELL’s art for The Shadow—plus FCA, Comic Fandom Archive—and more! Edited by Roy Thomas.

When you order the PRINT edition here, a free link to the DIGITAL EDITION will be on the confirmation page at checkout.

NOTE: The Digital Edition of this issue is available separately for $2.95 by clicking HERE.

And believe me this is a great title for those who really want to find out about those behind the comics.  Roy Thomas ought to be Knighted [he’s an American so that’s out,actually] for his work in compiling these magazines.  And with the team working under his editorship I doubt he’ll ever turn out a dull issue.

And look at that cover!

Highly recommended Halloween edition!

Paul Gravett has been in touch to remind us about this forthcoming event:

“Hello again,

This is to remind you of the manga presentation next Thursday.

To all of you who have booked tickets for this talk thank you and we look forward to meeting you. I will send you a ticket via the email in the next few days.

For those of you who are considering coming to this event and wish to pay at the door on the night can you please bring cash as we do not have a facility for payment cards at the hall. 

If you would like to pay for the ticket with a card please use the paypal button on the talks page of the website.

We look forward to our meeting. This will be subarashi.

Paul Gravett”

Hmm. Paul Birch,a busy man normally,was kind enough to send the following item about the BICS event. In case you don’t believe him -the photographs follow!

GIANT-SIZED BAND-THING!

A popular feature of the Birmingham International Comics Show (BICS) is the launch party that takes place on the Friday night, before the main weekend event.

On Friday 3^rd October of this year, cartoonist Hunt Emerson’s band returned to play at the launch party, followed by a short set featuring DC Comics editor Michael Wright.

As the night settled in and the lights went down Giant-Sized Band-Thing took to the stage. The band had been formed at short notice, upon request. Despite a lack of rehearsal time they delivered beyond their own expectations.

The band featured Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead, Green Lantern/Green Arrow) on drums, Paul H Birch (Dead Ahead, Gumby Comics) on bass, Liam Sharp (Gears of War, Testament) on lead vocals, with Phil Winslade (The Brave & The Bold, Daredevil) on lead guitar. 

Playing a set of familiar rock tunes they soon had the crowd singing along and partying into the early hours.

Those remarked favourably upon the band included Paul Cornell, writer for Captain Britain, and the Dr Who and Primeval TV shows; Beano and Toxic cartoonist Lew Stringer, and artist Mark Buckingham (Fables) and Duncan Fegredo (Hellboy). 

Whether or not this was a one-off or the Giant-Sized Band-Thing will continue remains to be seen, but there has been already been interest in them doing so. 

Several videos of the band’s performance have been put up at YouTube but the sound quality and visuals vary greatly. 

Photographs accompanying this feature are © Martin Tierney and were taken during a brief 15-minute rehearsal at the Med Bar, in Birmingham, during 2^nd October.

Now I keep getting asked why,if I am such a big horror comic afficianado,I do not review more? Well,the policy has been never to use pdf submissions [still smarting from doing that a year back!].  I cannot possibly buy every Independent horror comic out there -I’m not rich! 

The other problem is availability.  My local store [which I no longer refer to by name] gets what it selects from Diamond’s UK store list.  Not much on that.

For instance,Vampirella.  I was a big fan when I saw the original glossy mag sized comic in my newsagents at that time,Jarman’s on Mina Road.  Mr.Jarman sold me the copy [bit naughty for a kid my age but it was “just a comic”!!].

I saw the occasional issue from Harris Comics over the last few years -only one copy usually.  I asked for a standing order.  “Can’t get it”.  “It’s on your shelf?”  “Probably an odd issue got through”. 

So,**** it.

Walked in there yesterday to get my standing order [must stop laughing] and hidden away was this big book.  Marvel “Essential” /DC “Presents” size.  I held up the book:”Hey -odd copy slipped through,huh?” But I bought it.  What is in it?  Check the publisher’s blurb:

“This is it. Vampirella: Crimson Chronicles Maximum. This isn’t merely a superlative title. This is the most Vampirella we can fit in a book without it exploding. The most you can display on your bookshelf before it crumbles under the weight. The most you can squeeze into your backpack while maintaining good posture.

For long-time fans and newcomers alike, this collection of Vampirella’s original stories is a must-have. It collects all the classics from Vampirella #1-37 including nearly all the fan favorite stories written by Archie Goodwin and drawn by Jose Gonzalez. For the first time, the iconic work from the definitive Vampirella team is available in one book. Relive Vampirella’s first encounters with the Van Helsings, Pendragon and Dracula!

With over 400 black-and-white pages of tales of horror at an affordable price (448 pages for 17.95!) this is your desert island book. You may even want to acquire a desert island so your reading won’t be interrupted.

If your local comic shop owner has sold-out of the book, he or she can reorder it for you with this code: JUN08 3630″

My copy cost £11.95 and was worth every penny.

This is the type of book a lot of Independent companies need to try bringing out -a collection to make a fan dribble. Dribble like a dozen barrels going over Niagra Falls.  The art hits your eye balls like a Honda 350 in the fast lane.

Erm,must stop writing things like that!

But this is every Vampirella story from #1-37 and as it says,is nearly every story written by the late great Archie Goodwin -one of the nicest men that walked Comicdom’s corridors.

If you don’t become a fan after this you never will.  Harris Comics should be congratulated on giving fans this volume -and just as we build up to Halloween!!

Is 11 out of 10 possible?

I think I’ve explained before how,with the printed Comic Bits as well as CBO,I’ve been promoting and reviewing Image Comics like crazy for..years!

I have now sent Image Comics seven [7] email messages and to date every single one of them has been ignored. And yet,the PR items keep getting sent to me.

I love Image Comics but I cannot make an exception to the CBO rule made a while back.  If publishers just want CBO to publish their Press Releases without even a thank you -forget it. 

When you give a lot of time and internet space to a publisher and they will not answer your mail but  will keep forwarding Press Releases it is the equivalent of say:”So what? Publish this,sucker”.  I think what was really galling is that my last email to Joe Keating at Image did get a response a few hours later -another press release!!

So,end of this week no more Image link on the blogroll.

No more Image reviews [if I could get the titles!].

No more Image PR.

Pity but this is a CBO rule that is black and white.

The latest issue of the quarterly journal dedicated to Britain’s
national picture strip weekly - Eagle, features 50+ A4 pages (of
which 20 are in full colour) of all sorts of things to do with Eagle
and boys comics of the 1950s and 60s.

Contents include articles on:
Frank Hampson
Ian Kennedy
Tony ‘Matt Mariott’ Weare
Dan Dare reviews
Ron Embleton
PC49
The recently discovered 2nd Eagle dummy

If you subscribe for 2009 before 31/12/08 costs are £20/year for UK
based members or £32 for overseas. Subscribing after this date will
cost you a extra £2.

Membership secretary is Keith Howard, 25a Station Road, Harrow,
Middlesex, HA1 2UA
Cheques should be made payable to “Eagle Society”

Really must get an issue at some point!