Tripwire Annual 2009 UK Only

By John Freeman on June 28, 2009

Bad news for the publishers of ace comics and cult magazine Tripwire, whose 2009 Annual has been hit by distribution that mean the issue is not being carried by Diamond US.

“We got hit by the benchmark,” says editor-in-chief Joel Meadows, referring to recently-introduced minimum order levels from retailers set by the distributor that are hitting small publishers hard. It’s all the more frustrating for Joel as he tells downthetubes the issue is the “nicest one we’ve ever done.” Judging by the superb cover by Jeff Carlisle, he’s not kidding.

The good news for British fans of the magazines is that the Annual will be available from Diamond UK so, since they are currently in their ordering period for the new set of orders, so if you want to order a copy via your local specialist comic shop you need to let them know now.

As we previously reported, the Annual includes a cover-featured in-depth at Marvel Comics and its 70th anniversary; an exclusive interview with award-winning genre master Guillermo Del Toro discussing his new novel The Strain as well as a few tidbits on Hellboy 3 and upcoming movie projects; a first look at Moon, the eagerly-awaited low budget British sci-fi movie starring Sam Rockwell and directed by Duncan Jones; a Bongo Comics interview with Bill Morrison and an exclusive Joe Kubert interview, and much more.

US fans will still be able to buy the Annual direct from the publisher at Comic Con and will also be available in Late July / Early August from Barnes & Noble in the US, Chapters in Canada and Borders UK in the UK.

• For more info and ordering information visit: www.tripwire-magazine.com
• Tripwire on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/31004024@N04

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.