Home › Comics › British Comics › Crowdfunding Spotlight: Malty Heave #2 – The Horror Issue

Crowdfunding Spotlight: Malty Heave #2 – The Horror Issue

By John Freeman on November 2, 2020

British comic creators Phil Elliott and Robert Wells are back at the comics coal face with another issue of their anthology comic Malty Heave – a horror story edition, currently seeking funding on Kickstarter.

“I hope you like horror,” says Robert, “because Admiral Malty’s got plenty for you!”

Inspired by Phil and Robert’s love of classic horror mags like Creepy and Eerie, Malty Heave #2 – The Horror Issue offers two all-new stories.

“The Game” a 12-page story by Phil Elliott, is set in a futuristic virtual reality game, where a young boy, tormented by famous monsters of filmland receives help from a most unusual source.

“That Bloody Llama” by Robert Wells is an affectionate homage to Bernie Wrightson’s strips for Creepy and Eerie (particularly “The Black Cat” and “Jenifer”).

Malty Heave #1, which was published last spring, is also available as an option for backers, but the stories in both issues are completely self-contained. (There’s also the opportunity to purchase other comics by Robert and Phil that will be displayed as add-ons when you have made your initial pledge).

Plus, if you back Malty Heave you get the chance to own a drawing of your favourite Horror character by Phil and Rob – and there are other add-on offers, too.

• Check out Malty Heave #2 – The Horror Issue here on Kickstarter | Check out Malty Heave here on Facebook

Malty Heave #2 - Pirate Phil Elliott — Pirate Phil Elliott

• Phil Elliott has been active in the comic book industry since he was a youngster. He launched and co-edited the Fast Fiction fanzine in the 1980s and has continued to create work for comics in the UK and abroad.

Phil has successfully steered five previous Kickstarter campaigns, including three collections of his work with Eddie Campbell and the recently published Circus DeNiro with Michael Powell. He’s also a contributor to other popular Kickstarter comics, The77, Scrawl and Comic Scene Annual.

Malty Heave #2 - Pirate Robert Wells — Pirate Robert Wells

• Robert Wells has been writing and drawing comics since the early-1990s. His debut graphic novel, Back, Sack & Crack (& Brain), was shortlisted for the Myriad Editions First Graphic Novel Prize in 2014 and published by Robinson / Little, Brown in 2017.

Since then, he has written and drawn Love Her Madly for Aces Weekly and drawn and successfully Kickstarted two issues of the ongoing series Department of the Peculiar, written by Rol Hirst. He has also drawn a strip for #4 of The77, written by Paul Duncan, which will be Kickstarting soon.

• Check out Malty Heave #2 – The Horror Issue here on Kickstarter | Check out Malty Heave here 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.