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Arcana have just sent out this press release and there’s some interesting news!

Arcana is proud to announce that Telefilm Canada, the federal cultural agency dedicated to the development and promotion of the Canadian audiovisual industry, has provided funding for the Clockwork Girl animated film.

 

 

 

 

Clockwork Girl tells the tale of a nameless robot girl who has recently been given the gift of life from her creator. While she explores the wonders of an ordinary world she meets an amazing mutant boy and they share a friendship that must overcome their warring families. Created by Sean O’Reilly and Kevin Hanna, the series was the first release from Arcana’s all ages division, Arcana Kids. Debuting in July 2007 the book received critical acclaim for its astounding artwork and timeless love story. 

Telefilm  

Canada is a Crown corporation reporting to Parliament through the Department of Canadian Heritage. Headquartered in Montréal, Telefilm provides services to the Canadian audiovisual industry by means of four regional offices located in Vancouver, Toronto, Montréal and

Halifax. Telefilm’s main goals are celebrating the telling of unique Canadian stories, actively championing a sustainable Canadian audiovisual culture, reward performance, encourage new thinking, and promote diversity.

When recently asked about the Clockwork Girl film, co-creator Kevin Hanna said, “I’m not sure how much I can say, other then I am thrilled that things are going as well as I ever hoped they could be.  Working in Hollywood, I know that adaptations are a gamble that often taint the source material.  So far everything is going right with Clockwork Girl, the people involved really understand the spirit of the book and the characters. I think fans of the book will be very happy with where this ends up.”  

For more information on Clockwork Girl and Arcana Comics, please visit:  

www.arcanacomics.com

Mark Poulton Named VP of Operations 

Arcana is pleased to announce the promotion of Mark Poulton as Vice President of Operations. Mark began his career at Arcana in the Fall of 2005 when he brought his series Koni Waves to the publisher. Since then he has created several titles for the company including the upcoming Avengelyne vs Koni Waves and Club Vampire. Prior to the promotion, Mark served as Head of Marketing and in his new position, Mark will help Arcana with its continued growth and expansion in the industry. Sean O’Reilly said, “For me to hand off any part of Arcana’s operation is difficult but Mark has proven time and time again, that he is reliable, honest and one of the hardest working guys I know. Some of his first work in this role will be at the San Diego Comic Convention, booth 2514, so be sure to check out his hard work as it’s simply awesome.” 

Kade Box Set

 

 

 

 

Arcana’s most popular character, Kade, the gothic demon hunter is recognized in the first-ever collected commemorative box set! This limited edition box set includes his first appearance in Kade: Identity, featuring a Humberto Ramos cover as well as the set of Kade: Sun of Perdition #1-4, which introduced the comic world to the artistic talents of Stjepan Sejic. But that’s not all! If you really want the ultimate Kade Collection, this is the box set for you, all wrapped in a high-end Greg Horn box!  

Buy the boxset now: http://www.arcanacomics.com/store/

  In Previews 

  This month in Previews, for items shipping Septemeber, Arcana will be publishing Burn #5 by Camilla D’Errico (Diamond Code JUL08 3653), Grant Chastain’s Corrective Measures GN (Diamond Code JUL08 3654), Marlow Soul of Darkness #1 (Diamond Code JUL08 3655) and Tales of Penance #3 by Sean Wise and Paul Gilligan (Diamond Code JUL08 3656). Pre-order them with the Diamond Codes today from any comic book retailer in the world through the Diamond Previews catalog. 

  

Shipping This Month 

  

 July sees the release of Burn #3 (Diamond Code MAY08 3594), The Clockwork Girl hardcover (Diamond Code MAR083433) and Hellen Killer issue #3 (Diamond Code APR083549). And just in time for the San Diego Comic Con, Arcana will have the debut of two new titles: Tales of Penance: Trial of the Century #1 (Diamond Code MAY08 3596) and Wingman #1 (Diamond Code MAY08 3597).  

  Interview with 100 Girls’ Adam Gallardo 

This month Mark Poulton interviews 100 Girls’ Adam Gallardo. Adam gives us an update on the next installment of 100 Girls, as well as his other projects, and the lowdown on Simon Pulse’s 100 Girls release.       

MP: How did you come up with the idea for 100 Girls? 

AG: I was working at Dark Horse Comics at the time and had just started pitching ideas to the publisher, Mike Richardson, so I was definitely trying to catch a commercial vibe. I’m not sure to what extent I was successful, I guess we’ll have to see how the Simon and Schuster edition is. Beyond purely commercial concerns, some of my influences were the films and TV work of James Cameron and Joss Whedon. Both of these guys have stories featuring strong women who resist being classified as either vixens or victims, roles into which most traditional comics want to force female characters. It was important to me to have a strong, central female character. But one with vulnerabilities, of course. 

MP: Simon Pulse is releasing a 100 Girls tpb this summer. Does the collection contain all of the issues to date? Is there any bonus material? 

AG: All seven issues of the first series are collected in the Simon Pulse edition, but without any extras material. That was a little disappointing to me, but I can live with it. Maybe, if sales warrant it, we can talk them into doing a “Art of 100 Girls” type book. Keep your fingers crossed. 

MP: Is the Jenna/100 Girls oneshot still in the works? 

AG: This might be a question for our illustrious publisher. I wrote the two-part series about two years ago, and the art has been done for almost that long. When, or even if, it will see the light of day, is unknown to me. I’d like to see it at some point. Maybe as a value-added bonus in the “Art of 100 Girls”?(Publisher’s Note: with Narwain closing their North American arm, the rights situation of Jenna became a little bit difficult but I’m still talking with Alessandro and I’m hoping to have this problem overcome)  

MP: Who would you like to see play Sylvia in a 100 Girls movie? 

AG: If some theoretical producer out there wanted to make the movie, I could see it going a couple of different ways. If they keep Sylvia the age she is in the comic, I could see either Dakota Fanning or Abigail Breslin from “Little Miss Sunshine.” If they feel the need to age her up, maybe Emma Roberts. Or we could switch things up and get Masiela Lusha from “George Lopez”.  

MP: Are you working on any new projects? 

AG: I’m currently writing the second volume of “Gear 

School ” for Dark Horse Comics. And not too long ago, I sent the script for the next installment of “100 Girls” to Todd! 

MP: Before we go, do you have any last words for fans? 

AG: I swear that “100 Girls” WILL be back.

 

3 July 2008 (Berkeley, CA) - The all-new, all-different YOUNGBLOOD from the creative team of GØDLAND’s Joe Casey and CONNER HAWKE’s Derec Donovan gets collected this July in time for issue five’s jumping-on point!

 

“FOCUS TESTED is the opening salvo of the new YOUNGBLOOD assault that Derec and I have planned,” Casey said. “The stories in this collection are just the beginning of a much larger epic that, for fans of the YOUNGBLOOD concept, should give them exactly what they’ve been wanting for years.  It’s pop superheroics on a grand scale, not to mention media and celebrity worship at its most obnoxious.  All this, plus the grand soap opera and the big explosions that superhero team books do so well. This one’s got it all!”

 

YOUNGBLOOD: FOCUS TESTED not only features the first four issues of the new series, but is backed up by a plethora of extras including an introduction by INVINCIBLE and WALKING DEAD’s Robert Kirkman, an interview with Joe Casey detailing the process behind Youngblood, an exclusive feature in which Casey and creator Rob Liefeld discuss their favorite comics and Casey’s never-before-seen first pro sale - a Youngblood script circa 1995. 

 

Donovan added, “Where YOUNGBLOOD goes after the trade has me more excited about the book than I’ve ever been. An old YOUNGBLOOD favorite, Televillain, returns in full-on serial killer mode, gunning after the a brand new YOUNGBLOOD team I can’t wait to draw. All this plus I can’t believe who we’re bringing back from The Golden Age! It’s a good time to be a YOUNGBLOOD fan.”

 

YOUNGBLOOD: FOCUS TESTED TPB (MAR082088), a 104-page full color TPB for $9.99, will be on sale August 3rd, 2008. 

 

Image Comics is a comics and graphic novels publisher formed in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists.  Since that time, Image has gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. There are currently four partners in Image Comics (Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino), and Image is currently divided into four major houses (Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, and Image Central). Image comics and graphic novels cover nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable, offering science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor, and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. Visit www.imagecomics.com. 

 

Bill Galvan has been a comic book fan since he was 7 years old, and has been drawing comics ever since. As a junior in high school he was awarded a summer scholarship to the Academy of Art in San Francisco. After graduation,he went to

Southern Utah University,working as an editorial cartoonist and layout designer for the school newspaper,the Thunderbird. He also wrote and drew a weekly comic strip called Thunderbird,featuring a winged superhero of the same name. After graduating with a Bachelors degree in Art/illustration, Bill worked on his own comic book series Thunderbird, a black and white bimonthly comic. In 2003, Bill co-created The Scrapyard Detectives, a full color comicbook series for The Diversity Foundation. In 2004, Galvan revivedThunderbird in a full color series, which lasted for 2 issues.  Bill currently draws for Archie Comics as a freelance penciler, and hasalso pencilled and colored the third issue of the Scrapyard Detectives.  

  

CBO: What is Freshman Year about? 

Bill Galvan [BG]:Archie: Freshman Year is about Archie and the gang’s first year in high school, how he meets some of his teachers and friends for the first time and adjusts to high school life. 

CBO: How did you and Batton Lash get involved with Freshman Year? 

BG: I wanted to draw a story about Archie’s first year in high school, and I pitched it to Batton, who is really good at being able to blend humor and drama into a script. He also understands the characters really well, and had written one of my favorite books, “Archie meets the Punisher” back in the ‘90s. We then took our idea and pitched it to Archie Comics last year at the San Diego Comic Con, and they really liked the idea. I did some sketches of the characters with a “freshman year” look, and we were on our way.

 Batton Lash -how cool a name is that!

CBO: How much of Freshman Year was your idea and how much was editorial? 

BG: I came up with the concept of chronicling their first year of high school, and Batton came up with the 5 issue outline and scripts for the story. The editors at Archie were really enthusiastic about our ideas, and conferred with Batton and I about the story format and the look and feel. 

CBO: “Pureheart” and “The Man from R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E. “  appear in the first issue, what other surprises do you have for the fans? 

BG:We’ve got some new characters coming in, that fans are really going to like. We’ve also got some more special cameos by other characters and old favorites as well.

CBO: In real life aren’t the girls taller then the boys in the freshman year of High School? BG:Sometimes- certainly in Big Ethel’s case! 

CBO: What was the reason for replacing Jughead with Pencilneck G? 

BG: Pencilneck G is one of the new characters that Batton has created but certainly is not meant as a replacement for Jug (as if anyone could replace him!). Jughead’s presence is very important to the “Archie-verse” and Pencilneck G is a great way of pointing that out, as readers will see! 

CBO: There is a bully at Riverdale High, Jared McGerk, how does that play into the story? 

BG: Archie runs afoul of Jared McGerk on his first day of school, among other mishaps of the day. The first day of high school for Archie is definitely full of surprises for poor ol’ carrot-top!

CBO:What supporting characters will we be seeing in Freshman Year? 

BG: We’ll see the usual gang, Betty, Jughead, Veronica and Reggie will all be looking ahead to starting the new school year. It’s a big step for them, they’ll be in high school forever! We’ll also be introducing the usual cast, but showing how they met and came to be Archie’s friend. 

CBO: Will the Freshman Year story impact the continuity of the ongoing series set in the Junior Year? 

BG: The Freshman Year stories complement the ongoing series of Archie books. All the stories fans love are still happening, we’re really just chronicling their first year in high school. Batton did a great job of keeping the characters true to their original incarnations. The biggest difference is that the storylines feature more drama mixed with the comedy, but the characters are still drawn in the same traditional style. 

CBO: What’s next after Freshman Year? 

BG: Hopefully something just as fun! Freshman Year has been a blast! 

A BIG “thank you” to Rik Offenberger and,naturally,to Bill for giving CBO yet another exclusive creator interview!Terry

I have just added a link to Jean-Marc lofficier’s Hexagon Comics/Blackcoat Press site on the blogroll.

I feel rather ashamed that I had totally forgotten Jean-Marc’s sterling work in reprinting French classics and his history of pulp/comic heroes and villains from France.

Oh,please forgive me!

RYU, KEN, AND CHUN-LI RETURN TO COMICS WITH STREET FIGHTER® REMIX #0 

New Street Fighter® Comics Launch with Special Prelude Issue 

Toronto,ON –June 30,2008 –Street Fighter® is back! After a nearly two-year absence from monthly comics,UDON is bringing Capcom’s Street Fighter video game franchise back to the four-color page. The new Street Fighter comics begin this August with Street Fighter® Remix #0,a one-shot prelude issue featuring three all-new stories,each of which leads into a new UDON comic book series. 

The first of these stories is Street Fighter II Turbo,with art by the ultra-dynamic Jeffrey “Chamba” Cruz(Sinbad: Rogue of Mars]. Continuing UDON’s core Street Fighter storyline begun in the studio’s previous Street Fighter and Street Fighter II comics,Turbo brings the world’s fiercest fighters together for what might be the most important tournament of their lives. And with M. Bison running the show,you know the stakes will be high! 

Next up,UDON makes its first venture into the world of Street Fighter III in a story drawn by Joe Ng (Transformers, Red Sonja]. Featuring a whole new cast of characters including burly pro-wrestler Alex,the towering giant Hugo,and sexy she-ninja Ibuki,Street Fighter III fast-forwards to several years after the Street Fighter tournament. Plus, alongside the original Street Fighter III cast,you’ll also find out what some classic Street Fighter characters are up to in this new Street Fighter era. 

The final Remix story is a lead-in to the 4-issue Street Fighter Legends: Chun-Li mini-series,focusing on the early exploits of Street Fighter’s loveliest female fighter. Long time UDON artist Omar Dogan (Street Fighter Legends: Sakura, Robotech) brings to life the adventures of a young Chun-Li,freshly recruited into the ranks of Interpol. The series will reveal for the first time the tragic events that sent Chun-Li on a collision course with the evil Shadaloo organization, as well as fill in the histories of several other important Street Fighter characters. 

Between the upcoming live-action Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li film and the new Street Fighter IV and Super Street Fighter® II Turbo HD Remix video games,this fan-favorite fighting game property has never been hotter. Street Fighter’s 20th anniversary begins with the comics,as Street Fighter Remix #0 arrives at comic shops everywhere August 27,2008. 

 

STREET FIGHTER REMIX #0Release Date:   August 27, 2008 32pp   Full Colour   $3.95 US

Blake Bell,famed Steve Ditko expert and fan sent this item via email:

 
“Great news everyone! Diamond Distributors has confirmed that my book,
“Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko,” will make its debut in 
comic stores this week! Presumably that is tomorrow in the U.S.,but maybe 
Thursday for Canadians since we have our official national holiday today.
It appears the book will also debut in “regular” bookstores next week,so 
hopefully that means on-line retailers will get moving on shipping out 
copies sooner than the July 21st date I’ve seen on the Amazon web site. 
We’ll keep the details pouring in as they come!
 
 


Also,truth not be told, but our secret goal of writing the book was to 
turn die-hard Kirby fanatics into Ditko maniacs! Looks like we have our 
first victim in top-notch blogger Valerie D’Orazio who’s written a great 
piece that can be found here…”
 


http://occasionalsuperheroine.blogspot.com/2008/06/ten-reasons-why-i-like-steve-ditko-just.html
 
Good luck with the book Blake!

July 1 2008 (Berkeley, CA) - As announced at Wizard World Chicago this weekend, Image Comics Publisher Erik Larsen is stepping down from his current position and will be replaced by Executive Director Eric Stephenson, effective immediately. 

“Being the publisher has been a blast, but it’s long past time I put my focus on what matters most to me - creating new comics,” said Larsen. “We accomplished the goals I set out for the company, and it’s long past time for me to go back to doing what I do best. Even more so, I feel Eric deserves the position as he’s completely instrumental in our company’s recent success. It’s an honor to hand him the reins.” 

Stephenson’s background with Image goes back to the inception, as Jim Valentino’s assistant. He later went on to work as the managing editor of Rob Liefeld’s Extreme Studios before returning to Image as Director of Marketing in 2001. Stephenson became Executive Director in 2004.  

Stephenson added, “Even after over sixteen years of working with Image off and on, I’m more excited about the company now than I’ve ever been. The unprecedented variety of creators, genres and formats we’ve been publishing really reflects what I love so much about this medium, and I’m looking forward to carrying on and growing upon this tradition.” 

Image Comics is a comics and graphic novels publisher formed in 1992 bya collective of best-selling artists. Since that time, Image has goneon to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. There are currently four partners in Image Comics (Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino), and Image is currently divided into four major houses (Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline and Image Central). Image comics and graphic novels cover nearly every genre, sub-genre and style imaginable, offering science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in  the medium today.

 Visit www.imagecomics.com <http://www.imagecomics.com/

INVINCIBLE #50

2 July 2008 (Berkeley, CA) - Even with all-time high initial sales leading to a series record print run, INVINCIBLE #50 has sold out at a distribution level and a second printing is on the way.  “Fans sure do love it when the book hits the fan,” said Kirkman. “Issue fifty altered the series in a way we haven’t seen since Omni-Man’s true nature was revealed and people have really taken notice. I think a lot of people will be even more surprised by what’s next.” INVINCIBLE #50 was an oversized issue, featuring an extended lead and bonus stories revealing the origin of a Cecil Stedman and an all-new edition of Science Dog with art by INVINCIBLE co-creator Cory Walker. The limited edition second printing will be highlighted with a modified logo, emphasizing the cover’s blood-splattered aftermath of the series altering battle. In addition, #51, the debut of the series’ all-new direction and INVINCIBLE’s new costume, will be supported by an overship, in an effort to ensure new found fans can obtain copies.  INVINCIBLE #50 2nd printing, a 48-page full color comic book for $4.99, is due in stores this July. Image Comics is a comics and graphic novels publisher formed in 1992 by a collective of best-selling artists.  Since that time, Image has gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. There are currently four partners in Image Comics (Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, and Jim Valentino), and Image is currently divided into four major houses (Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline, and Image Central). Image comics and graphic novels cover nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable, offering science fiction, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor, and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. Visit www.imagecomics.com.  

If anyone has checked out the article on CBO re. the alleged communications from Roger Broughton[s] -there are definitely two people at work here- you’ll know I get periodic “odd” mails from them.  So,when I got this email from someone who says he knew Broughton I was interested:

Hi Terry,

   You do not know me but I might be able to help you out re Roger Broughton.

   My name is Peter Black. I am the owner of Nova Bookshop, Montreal’s 1st comic shop, which opened in May of 1978. Roger opened his store a few years later. It was called Excalibur. We became good friends at the time, and he would come to my house every week to play Baseball on the Mattel Intellivision gaming system. You could ask him what game he played, who he played it with and where he played with me. Address: 33 Queens Road, Pointe Claire, Quebec. . If he can answer that, he is the real deal or dealer.

    I have been trying to track him down for 10 to 15 years. I read your very interesting blog, and figured I’d contact you. I contacted my good friend Diana Schutz at Dark Horse Comics last week. She is out of the office until next week, but an associate contacted me with two contact points. charltonmediagroup@bellnet.ca and (618) 282-6212 in Sparta, Illinois.  Neither produced any results. No Roger here and a bounced eMail.

   The reason I am trying to track him down, is that he has some comics of mine that I lent him for reference material after his acquiisition of the ACG material.

  Hope this helps. Keep in touch. All the best.

   Peter Black
So,I sent the questions but added a couple little twists. Nothing. 

I then emailed Peter Black and said I’d heard nothing and within  an hour or so got this from,’Broughton:

“I AM TIRED OF PLAYING THESE STUPID GAMES.  You know all these nameless people  who went to my funeraL, checked out my movie deals and spoke with publishers.You think y
you would look for a death certificate. Two people huh. Did you ask them where and what date?

I never had a store called Excaliber Comics, Excaliber Science Fiction  was it it’s name and it was in 81 or 82 sold a few years later to Comico a comic shop on the same street.

The only interest I have at this point  is to get the  e-mail  address of that person in Europe  who did not get what  he ordered or requested?

I also forwarded the artical to contacts in the industry, they got a big laugh and suggested I should get a lawyer in London. 

Just stop making things up an move on. and please forward the email requested

Roger B”

To be honest,this person has no idea what material I have.  I have a fairly large file with names and addresses and more.  A court case would mean this Broughton must appear.  Hey,I’m  game. After years of hoaxing I’d love to see a face.  Again,I have no idea who I spoke to in the movie industry -did I ever claim that?  Nope.

Who is “this person” in Europe who never got what he ordered? 

Very mad mailing.

But,if you feel a fraud is being committed against you via the internet you DO have safeguards.  Oh what a big mistake this fella made.  The identity is revealed.

 The Broughton saga can be put to rest.

All further threats or mails from this person are now to be publicly published and forwarded to the necessary legal agencies. And,oh,if you are wondering check:

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=who+is+rmbassociates@gmail.com%3F&ygmasrchbtn=web+search&fr=ush1-mail

As I sit here looking at a stack of books to review and prepare comics for India,I have decided to ask any of those publishers who visit the site regularly [and there are quite a few] -any work/vacancies needing an experienced ‘old’ man?

Just check out “About Us” where my CV remains to this day gathering internet dust.

Any serious offers get in touch.

Desperate Man!

Green Manor vol.1 - Assassins and Gentlemen

Authors: Bodart - Vehlmann

Age: 12 years and up

Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm

Paperback

Number of pages: 56 colour pages

Publication: May 2008

ISBN: 9781905460533

£6.99

A cup of tea? A drop of milk? A spoonful of poison?

At first sight, nothing would make the very select club called Green Manor stand out from any other English club. Yet behind its thick walls, sunk into its deep chairs, hides the biggest bunch of con artists, bandits and murderers that Queen Victoria’s

England has ever seen.

This is the book that ay Comic Expo in

Bristol. Why? Because it is brilliant! When I first saw the rather cartoony art style I was put off. However,I then realised that the artwork was far from “cartoony” –it would be quite wrong to use that term. “Unique” might be a better word.

The costumes are accurate and the backgrounds to the various interior and exterior scenes are,as you might expect,very well rendered. The colouring technique is very atmospheric and lends itself well to the Victorian feel.

Art-wise it cannot be faulted. But the stories?

Obviously I am not going to give away any plots or story details because you will enjoy them. What I can tell you is that there are some very nice twist endings – POST SCRIPTUM in particular!- and the characters are well developed.

I can see why this book would sell out and –please- if you cannot find the book in your local comic store try the local bookstore or even order directly from Cinebook! And if you think the book is good…

Coming Soon :Green Manor Part 2 - The Inconvenience of Being Dead [£9.99]

Buy a copy of volume 1 because if you don’t –yooooou’ll be so-rrry!

I.R.S. vol.1 –Taxing Trails

Authors: Vrancken & Desberg

Age: 15 years and up

Size: 18.4 x 25.7 cm

Number of pages: 96 colour pages

Publication: April 2008

PAPERBACK

ISBN: 9781905460519

£9.99

Larry B. Max is an unusual specialist from a little-known branch of the I.R.S. (Internal Revenue Service), the all-powerful tax-collecting agency of the

United States.

Reading into tax-evasion and money-laundering rings the way a virtuoso pianist would read a sheet of Mozart, Max has every technological method at his disposal to find links between high finance and high crime. In the first album, he must look into a particularly delicate file belonging to a rich Jewish-American, known for his involvement in recovering items that were confiscated by the Nazis. Dissecting this billionaire’s accounts, Max embarks on a dangerous journey to find the mysterious origins of the man’s immense fortune….

This two-volume book includes “The Hagen Strategy.”

Another one of those Expo high interest books. Slick art and slick stories and no shyness when it comes to gun-play for a man who is to the IRS what James Bond is to MI6! The Hagen Strategy begins in 1943 and its violent conclusion is reached decades later.

Bernard Vrancken is also the artist of The Black Blood and his work cannot be faulted. Stephen Desberg also writes The Black Blood,The Scorpion and other books and his writing is likewise excellent. This leaves me with that eternal question of “will Cinebook ever publish a book I won’t like?” I suspect the answer is “Never!”

If you prefer modern crime style action thrillers then I.R.S. is the one for you –two books in one for just under £10 so you can’t go wrong!

Thorgal vol.2 –The Three Elders Of Aran

Authors: Rosinski & Van Hamme

Age: 12 years and up

Size: 18.4 x 25.7 cm

Number of pages: 96 colour pages

Publication: September 2007

PAPERBACK

ISBN: 9781905460311

£9.99

In these new adventures, Aaricia is crowned Queen, and Thorgal will have to face many difficult tests to track down his beauty. Then they spend some happy days together in the countryside… Their first child is announced. But, alas, everything is turned upside down into horror by the jealousy of Shaniah, a teenager turned away by Thorgal. Prisoner on board the Black Galley, Thorgal becomes a plaything in the hands of Veronar, a degenerate tyrant…

This two-volume book includes “The Black Galley”.

Although I was a big Buscema “Conan The Barbarian” fan,I have to admit that I much prefer the Thorgal series. The wonderful blend of the mysterious,mythology and Dark Ages action is just superb. The characters and scenes are drawn magnificently and the use of colour –as I think I’ve mentioned before?- to set a scene is done with great skill –as though you might expect anything else! Murder,quest and intrigue.

And The Black Galley has a great Thorgal fighting a leopard cover –and the actual fight in the story is great.

I just cannot believe that Thorgal is relatively unknown outside of

Europe. Olivier Cadic and Cinebook have provided us with a real treat.

But there is more…

Thorgal vol.3 –Beyond The Shadows

Authors: Rosinski & Van Hamme

Age: 12 years and up

Size: 18.4 x 25.7 cm

Number of pages: 96 colour pages

Publication: February 2008

PAPERBACK

ISBN: 9781905460458

£9.99

Taken aback by Aaricia’s disappearance, Thorgal is only a shadow of his former self. Eaten away by remorse, the young Shania accompanies him and protects him, begging his pardon… Approached by two strangers, Worgan and Galathorn, they discover that Aaricia is still alive but held captive in the court of Brek Zarith. Ready to do anything to keep himself in power, the illegitimate master of this kingdom, Sharder, uses and abuses his evil sorcerer powers. Despite all this, Thorgal will try, alone, to penetrate the impregnable fortress of Brek Zarith to save his wife and his son, Jolan.

This two-volume book includes “The Fall of Brek Zarith”.

The opening page to this volume is simply brilliant. I’ve stared at it a few times and just love it [yeah,I’m that sad]. Myth,mysticism and..time travel –so you get to see some dinosaurs! Possibly one,if not the,strangest Thorgal adventure to date.

The Fall Of Brek Zarith is another great story and I’m wondering if any RPG gamers have cottoned on to the Thorgal series yet? It has everything any gamer could ever want for scenarios or a “World Bible” to base games on.

And soon volume 4 –The Archers will be available. These double albums/books are classics and if Thorgal deserves better recognition then his books deserve to sell more and more copies because they are pure adventure and fun.

Would I love to interview Rosinski and/or van Hamme? YES!!!

Scared To Death –The Vampire From the Marshes

Authors: Vanholme & Mauricet

Age: All ages

Size: 21.7 x 28.7 cm

Number of pages: 48 colour pages

Publication: March 2008

PAPERBACK

ISBN: 9781905460472

£5.99

This series showcases the strange adventures of two adolescent friends, Robin and Max. All of the classic fantasy themes are touched on: sorcery, fairies, werewolves, ghosts… a must for fans of suspense and terror. In the first album, while secretly consulting the medical files of his father (a forensic scientist), Robin discovers the photo of a man whose body is pierced by hundreds of holes. Persuaded that this death is the work of a vampire, Robin and his friend Max go after the suspected murderer…

Remember [probably only applies to British men over a certain age] when you got that boys annual at Christmas or for a birthday? There are certain books I get that feeling over even at [can I lie about my age?],uh,my age. Scared To Death is one of those books and I’ve opened it and read it a few times now.

 

Robin and Max are like those characters in old British adventure books but with a Scooby Gang twist. There are the nice little twists and some atmospheric art and a great “villain”. The series should appeal to young and older readers because European creators have not lost that sense of fun –something missing a lot from US comics.

 

Might be a bit early but give your kids a treat;buy them Scared To Death,Melusine and maybe Thorgal as a bumper Christmas present.

And check out the Cinebook web site because there is so much more!