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Coming Soon: Bryan Talbot’s Brain Storm Comics, collected

By John Freeman on June 2, 2024

For the first time in 24 years, Brain Storm!, a collection of all three Chester P Hackenbush stories, The Omega Report and more by 2000AD artist and Grandville creator Bryan Talbot will return, in a 108-page paperback, published by About Comics, this August

Back before he became a respected high-profile graphic novelist, earning his way into the Eisner Award Hall of Fame and being featured on the BBC through such diverse works as The Adventures of Luther Arkwright, Dotter of Her Father’s Eyes, and the Grandvillebooks, Bryan Talbot launched his comics career as an underground artist. He produced the lead serial about Psychedelic Alchemist Chester P. Hackenbush for Brain Storm Comix, as well as various short pieces.

Now these works, which have not seen print during this century, are coming back in the About Comics edition of BrainStorm!, available for preorder in the current volume of the Diamond Comics Previews catalogue, to arrive in comic shops in August – and then coming to Amazon and other sites a month after that.

In the four-page introduction (updated somewhat from the 1999 edition of this material) Bryan explains how he got his chance to start drawing comix from the one of the suppliers for the White Rabbit headshop he worked at in his college days. The work proved time-intensive, but an education by doing, and led him down the path he still follows today.

In addition to the Hackenbush material (which was inspiration for the character “Chester” in Swamp Thing), the book includes a noir story of hardboiled rock reporter Ace Wimslow, Talbot’s pothead strip “Smokey Bears“, and more.

The large 8.5 inch by 11 inch size displays the art well, Bryan often bringing the same level of detail that he famously brought to later work, while keeping a freer, loose hand that fits the counterculture material.

The 108-page paperback includes a four-page introduction by Talbot, updated from his 1999 edition of this collection.

*Bryan and Mary Talbot. Photo by Andrew Donkin, used with kind permission*

Bryan and co-writer JD Harlock were recently nominated for a 2024 Eisner Award for the crowdfunded biography Bryan Talbot: Father of the British Graphic Novel. Now all they need is someone to publish a bookstore edition. He and his partner, Mary Talbot, will be guests at the free Festival BD Pyrénéesp, which takes place 7th – 9th June, in Billère, France.

About Comics is a publisher of a unique and eclectic assortment of comic books, books about comics, and other things that are just plain interesting.

• Brain Storm! is in comic shops from 7th August 2024 | Diamond order code JUN241252 | Previews page here

• Bryan Talbot is online at bryan-talbot.com

• About Comics are online at aboutcomics.com

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.