Splank! Digital anthology deadline nears

By John Freeman on May 6, 2020

If you’re a comic creator planning to contribute material to Sector 13 publisher and editor Peter Duncan for his Splank! Digital Special, you don’t have much longer to do it.

Already running to a stinking 80-plus pages, Peter has set a target date of 14th May 2020 to make the Splank! Digital comic available, which gives a final, final deadline of the 12th for agreed material.

Contributors already agreed, as we previously reported, include Mike Higgs, creator of “The Cloak”, Beano artist Nigel Parkinson, cartoonist Marc Jackson, and myself, John Freeman and “ABC Warriors” 2000AD artist Smuzz (SMS).

With comic cons and workshops cancelled as a result of the continuing Coronavirus Pandemic lockdown, many comic creators are losing a big proportion of their income. Some are selling digital comics for the first time or taking on commissions to try and make up a little of the shortfall.

In order to promote these creators, Peter Duncan, one of our brilliant downthetubes contributors and editor of the 2000AD-inspired fanzine Sector 13, is reviving his Splank! comic, as a free digital download.

“The intention is for it to be a free download, with an invitation to make a donation to the Association of NHS Charities or local equivalent,” Peter tells us in a progress update.

“I’m going to make it available through the Sector 13/ Splank! web-page and anywhere else that is prepared to source it. Any suggestions gratefully received.”

Material lined up is mainly comic strips, but with a couple of text articles and stories (if Peter can get the illustrations sorted) – and some really good thank you “NHS pin-ups”.

“I’m making good progress,” he adds. Splank! digital looks like it’ll have more than twice as many pages as the original issue. Some really exciting material. There’s still a little bit of material to get in and some that’ll have to be carried forward to a second issue.”

GetMyComics, who distribute the The77, ComicScene and will be distributing the new Pat Mills anthology Spacewarp, have agreed to carry Splank! Digital on their site, waiving the usual charge they make.

“I’m approaching other places to carry it as well,” says Peter.

If anyone wants an advert, or wants material to be included, now is the time to get it to Peter.

“If anyone would like to proivde any more material, I’ll be delighted to look at it,” he says.

Splank! Digital is an all-age, title, formatted to A4 size if possible and Peter’s happy to look at strips, articles (real and spoof), illustrated (very) short stories and ‘thank you key workers’ pin-ups. Previously published work will be accepted as a ‘sample’ of creators work.

If you want an advert in the back of the comic, please send Peter something in A5 landscape or A6 portrait and if you like to add a page or two of fake adverts, that would be good too!

• Check out the first issue of Splank! here and the original submission guidelines on Peter’s Box of Rain website here

• Join Splank! on Facebook

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.