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Crowdfunding Spotlight: The Spark, a new all-ages anthology

By John Freeman on September 7, 2019

The Spark is a new comics magazine for kids and adults alike, already gaining huge support on Kickstarter after only a couple of days.

To be published by the brilliant Fair Spark Books, you’ll read about Monsters, Space Adventures, Alien Planets and an odd Robot Butler named Springworth.

It’s a project that will also benefit kids in long-term hospital care by supplying them with comic making kits to keep them from getting bored, and the aim is to deliver an ongoing magazine sized anthology comic for kids, with a host of great talent involved.

Robot butler Springworth will guide you through stories about the dangers of outer space, monster filled alien planets, battles with alien races and a whole lot more!

In the grand tradition of British comics this series will have stories and characters that young readers will love and ‘older’ kids will latch onto.

“We also don’t pander, these stories will feature real tension and excitement along with big dollops of humour and some gorgeous art,” say the team.

Issue 1 features work by Nick Brokenshire, who took a break from his work on the Star Wars Adventures series for IDW Comics and has created a truly amazing cover.

The interiors will be a mixture of ongoing five page strips and one-offs strips, including…

“Shadows”, written by Aaron Rackley, with pitch perfect art by Dan Harris

Explore strange worlds with “Shadows” written by Aaron Rackley (Little Heroes Anthology) with pitch perfect art by Dan Harris (The Cosplayer that DOOMED the Earth).

Gallant and Amos

There’ll also be an extra helping of those barbarian fools “Gallant and Amos“, a Warrior and his Dragon pal who would have trouble running a bath are back! Rob Barnes supplies all the hi-jinks you’ll need with these two bumbling idiots, who some of you may already be enjoying in their own book, also published by Fair Spark Books.

John Baton – The Final Stand

There’s exciting space adventure with “John Baton – The Final Stand“, written by Aaron Rackley with art by Mike Dabrowski (Little Toe), where you’ll see in this order, a chase, a battle and a rather big explosion!

Monster Spotter’s Club

“Monster Spotters Club“, written by Tony Esmond (How to make comics with Springworth) and art by Vince Hunt (The Red Mask From Mars), follows the adventures of two kids and their accident prone teacher as they wander crazy alien world ticking off encounters with monsters as they happen.

Marc Jackson has a strip in this new comic, too – “Garry and Larry“.

And there’s much much fun with quizzes and facts… not bad for only £3.50 an issue!

Whether you are ages 8 to 68, like the team who put this fantastic-looking anthology together, I think you are going to find something fun and exciting about this new series.

I’m definitely on board with their aim to make The Spark an ideal title for parents to read along with their kids, or to pass into the back seat when you’re on that long and boring road trip. Like The Phoenix, which is celebrating over 400 issues, we need more “entry point” type publications like this to encourage comics reading.

Fair Spark Books are a kids comics publisher who work alongside the Little Heroes Charity to supply comic making kits to kids in hospital suffering serious illnesses and undergoing long-term treatment. By pledging to this you’ll be helping out these children.

• Check out the Kickstarter for The Spark here

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.