British independent comic publisher Volcano Comics will launch a brand new Kickstarter for the Cyborg Gerbils, first published back in the 1980s, on 6th November.
“After 40 years it’s not just The Cyborg Gerbils, it’s The All-New Cyborg Gerbils!” we’re told. “Rebuilt, reimagined and ready for action!”
Originally created by John Jackson and Dave Ashcoft, the Gerbils are back with an all-new story by John, written by Paul Duncan (best known today, perhaps, for his Star Wars Archives books for Taschen), with fantastic new artwork by John, embellished by Kenneth Wilson (aka “Junior Jones”).
The Cyborg Gerbils began their long, if erratic comic life back in the 1980s, first published by Dave Ashcroft’s Manchester-based Trigon Comics in 1986, the company that also brought us their flagship title, the sci-fi comic Totally Alien, and CLINT (no relation to the Titan Comics anthology of the same name).
The publisher was the first independent UK comic publisher at the time to get direct sale in the United States, thanks to Mike Lake at Titan Distributors at the time.
Harrier Comics then published Tales of the Cyborg Gerbils #1 in 1987, featuring scripts written by Brian Cuffe, after the collapse of Trigon Comics, which was victim to the explosion in independent black and white comics at the time, that led to smaller, less profitable order numbers for the companies publishing them.
All-New Cyborg Gerbils is a brand-new origin story that brings Cyborg Gerbils fans both old and new a mad scientist, a pyscho alligator and lots and lots of wonderful easter eggs!
“This isn’t simply a trip down memory lane, as it’s a new team!” We’re informed. “You’ll meet Emma, Chad, Lester and Stilton, inspired by the reimagined Cyborg Gerbils from a proposed animated series that never quite made it to our screens, developed by animation company Fat City Films, who first reimagined the Gerbils back in the mid 1990s, to see if they could get a cartoon series going.
“Fat City Films took a shine to my gerbils and Jezz Hall redesigned them for animation,” John has previously recounted. “There was a period where they were possibly going to be a cartoon but then talk died off and. apart from two unpublished Gerbils comics, both written by me, they sank without a trace.”
But now, the Gerbils are back – and to make it extra special, the Kickstarter options will include variant covers by legendary comic artists Alan Davis and John Higgins, along with original hand-drawn sketch cards by John Jackson, giving backers the opportunity to own a completely unique piece of Cyborg Gerbils artwork.
“It seems a long time since those days hawking ‘Albert the Mouse’ at comic conventions, but one thing that hasn’t changed is my passion for creating comics,” says John Jackson.
As we’ve previously reported, Volcano Comics is a Manchester-based comic house rooted in the city’s creative spirit. Inspired by Manchester’s energy, grit, and culture, they champion local talent and craft bold new stories. The brainchild of John Jackson and Brian Clarke, they have previously published two marvellous annuals – Wallop and Spitfire – simply crammed with British comic talent, including Junior Jones (also editor of Indymag – The Magazine for Indiana Jones fans), Nick Roche, Kev F. Sutherland and Dave Windett.
“I’m genuinely excited to see this new comic finally come to fruition,” says John. “There have been days along the way when it felt like it was never going to happen!
“I’ve also been very lucky to have Paul Duncan writing an amazing script and Ken Wilson working on the finishes, helping me bring the Gerbils back after all these years.”
“I’ve wanted to bring the Gerbils back for quite some time,” John continues. “People remember them so fondly. There are 30,000 copies of the first issues out there, so somebody must remember them! The fact we have variant covers in the Kickstarter mix by Alan Davis and John Higgins shows how popular they were!
“I really want people to get behind the Kickstarter as it a comic done with love and I hope people will appreciate the effort the team has put in.”
• The All New Cyborg Gerbils Kickstarter launches on 6th November 2026. Check it out here to sign up to be notified of launch, support the campaign and help get those gerbils back on the wheel
• Follow Volcano Comics on Facebook
• Volcano Comics ongoing Mancunian comic, written by Brian M. Clarke, drawn by John Jackson, featuring the city’s very own superhero, is available from Forbidden Planet Manchester, and eBay, too
All-New Cyborg Gerbils #1 ©️ John Jackson. Cyborg Gerbils co-created by John Jackson and Dave Ashcroft
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as 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.
Categories: British Comics, British Comics - Current British Publishers, Comics, Creating Comics, Crowd Funding Projects, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News
Cosmic Lighthouse “Murderbot” graphic novel tie-in smashes crowdfunding target 
Crowdfunding Spotlight: “Death Be Praised” by Paul Neal and Rob Moran 
Crowdfunding Spotlight: Get Ready for Murderbot, The Graphic Novel 
Crowdfunding Spotlight: 10 Lost Days – The End Of Magic by Sam Hart
Leave a Reply