Azzopardi launches "Sightings"

By John Freeman on May 1, 2010

I caught up with enthusiastic and inventive indy press creator Sean Azzopardi on Free Comics Book Day at Orbital Comics, London, where, among others, Kieron Gillen was tapping out a script and Tom Humberstone was busy sketching along with enthusiastic fans, copies of the brilliant Solipsistic Pop #2 on sale nearby.

Sean recently finished The Sightings of Wallace Sendek, a collaboration with Douglas Noble, whose work includes Complex, Unfriendly Romance and Robotnik.

“Douglas is a man of infinite patience, as this 22-page comic took over three years to complete,” Sean says.

It’s a creepy tale, centring on the apparent disappearance of a famous, but fading musician, and one woman’s seeming encounters with him after his death. Has she seen him or not?

Drawn in an appropriate, haunting style, this is a book well worth tracking down and is on sale in shops well known for supporting the indy press, such as Orbital Comics and Gosh in London, as well as online.

Not resting on his laurels, Sean’s now busy working on a new story, Black Leather, featuring “Teeny rockers, hells angels, freaks, booze drugs and music.” He’s hoping to have the first chapter ready for the Leeds Thought Bubble convention in November.

• Check out The Sightings of Wallace Sendek via phatcatz.org.uk

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.