Manchester-based actor, comics writer and artist Brian Gorman has just launched a crowdfunding campaign to continue his creator-owned SF espionage story Borderliners: True Realities – a strip “starring” two characters based, with permission, on actors Ian McKellen and Roger Moore that has been well received by several well known British comic creators.

Borderliners: True Realities is a fast-moving 21st century espionage tale with more than a nod to TV’s The Prisoner, Spooks, and the Jason Bourne movie franchise, not to mention the mind-bending SF stories of Philip K Dick (including Blade Runner, Total Recall and Minority Report), and the world of quantum physics. The grittily realistic graphic novel finds double-crossed government agents fighting to recover their sanity, and hit back against a corrupt department of MI5., whilst uncovering an incredible multi-universe spanning conspiracy.

A pilot issue of Borderliners was published by a small independent company a few years back and Brian now hopes to continue the story in a 100 page graphic novel.

“My aim is to create an entertaining and thought-provoking comic book series, which I will also be pitching as a television series and/or feature film,” he says. “Knights of the realm, and living legends, Sir Roger Moore and Sir Ian McKellen, two of my all-time acting heroes appear as major characters in Borderliners (after granting me permission).

“I’ve wanted to draw comic books since I was a kid growing up in Wigan, and over the past couple of decades I have had illustration work published in newspapers, magazines, and on television,” Brian reveals. “But my dream has always been to create my own comic book series, and (hopefully) one day adapt it for tv or film.

“When I did the Borderliners pilot comic, I sent it out to some industry professionals, and was overwhelmed by the response.”

“It has a confident feel to the structure and dialogue,” enthused Doctor Who comic artist Mike Collins, “a sense you know where you’re going, and I’m keen to be along for the ride. I want to know what happens next! And that’s more than I can say about most mainstream stuff these days!”

“The effort that’s gone into this is clear on every page,” agreed artist and publisher Liam Sharp. “It’s a joy to read something that doesn’t treat the reader like an idiot.”

“I can’t wait for his second, third, and every issue of Borderliners that follows,” enthused publisher Dez Skinn, well known as Marvel UK’s Editor in Cheif and the creator of Doctor Who Weekly, Warrior and House of Hammer. “It delivers a totally engrossing storyline enhanced by an admirable art style.”

Brian has set a crowdfunding goal of £2000 – enough to keep me going for approximately 10 weeks of writing/drawing.

Having seen his work in the past, including some truly stunning art for projects that I hope will also, one day, see the light of day, I really think this is worth a punt.

• Check out the project on IndieGogo | Follow the project 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.

Categories: Crowd Funding Projects, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News

Tags: Borderliners, Brian Gorman, downthetubes News