A quick roundup of comic and magazine-related news items uncovered by friends of downthetubes, and others
Warner Bros. Pictures Animation and Bad Robot have teamed for an Emily the Strange animated feature adaptation, bringing illustrated fictional character featured in several comic books, graphic novels and more to the screen.
Created by Rob Reger for his San Francisco-based company Cosmic Debris Etc. Inc., with her striking aesthetic and witty observations about society, Emily and her four black cats represent a raw, punk rock, independent spirit that has resonated with millions of fans for more than three decades.
Bad Robot will produce with Reger, who executive produces, alongside Trevor Duke-Moretz. Academy Award-nominated writer Pamela Ribon (Nimona, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Moana) will write the screenplay.
• More about Emily the Strange at emilystrange.com | Read the full news story on the Emily the Strange web site
While we’e talking strangeness, The Witches of World War II, by Paul Cornell, Valeria Burzo and Jordie Bellaire from TKO Studios is now available digitally on the GlobalComix app, in both traditional and vertical formats.
In the darkest hours of World War Two, Doreen Valiente, a junior intelligence officer, twenty years old and already a war widow, is approached by a British General who tells her he knows she’s a witch… and that’s how she can best serve her country.
Valiente, an expert on British folklore and the occult, is to use her connections in this peculiar community to recruit a group of British ‘magicians’ and use their “skills” to gain some advantage over the Nazi high command, who believe fervently “in all this occult rubbish.”
Together with Aleister Crowley, the self-proclaimed “Most Evil Man in the World” Valiente recruits a hard-nosed white witch Dion Fortune, the grizzled and gray-bearded founder of Wicca Gerald Gardner, and exorcist and con man in a turban Rollo Ahmed. Together this coven of witches will travel deep into the heart of Nazi-occupied Europe and gamble their lives, their beliefs, and their powers on a mission to help capture Rudolf Hess, fervent occultist, and second in command to Adolf Hitler himself.
• For those of you who prefer print, you can grab a copy here (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
Kennedy Publishing has acquired Andy’s Amazing Adventures magazine from Unique, based on the long-running CBeebies series, including Andy’s Dinosaur Adventures, Andy’s Safari Adventures and new Andy’s Global Adventures. The magazine takes all the best elements from the shows and turns them into an interactive magazine for pre-schoolers.
As part of the Claverley Group since 2018, Kennedy Publishing is now the second-largest and fastest-growing children’s magazine publisher in the UK, offering a wide range of titles from preschool and up. The newly-acquired magazine is on sale now priced at £5.99, and each issue will come with gifts such as Andy’s own gizmo from the show and dinosaur figurines, and will tie into gift interactivity opportunities within the magazine. The magazine package encourages imaginative play, stimulates children’s curiosity and helps develop fine motor skills.
“Andy’s Amazing Adventures has been a huge broadcast success over the past 10 years, so we’re thrilled to be partnering with BBC Studio to publish the official magazine,” said Sophie Rowlands, Licensing director at Kennedy Publishing. “We’ll be breathing new life into the title with engaging activities and brand-new, exciting gifts which we know will be a hit with Andy’s young fans.”
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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: Animation, Comics, Digital Media, downthetubes News, Magazines, Other Worlds