Hunt Emerson, Knockabout launch Kickstarter to fund Calculus Cat collection

By John Freeman on June 2, 2014 • ( 1 )

Ace British comic creator Hunt Emerson and publisher Knockabout have just launched a Kickstarter Campaign to try and launch a souped-up reprint of his wonderful 1980s Calculus Cat comic book.

Calculus Cat hates TV. His world is black and white, weird, speedy and loud, and plagued by breakfast cereal ads – all a comic should be! The crazed cat’s home life is locked in an intense, argumentative relationship with his TV set, which bedevils him with commercials for Skweeky Weets – the world’s most asinine breakfast cereal.

His “job” is no better. He is forced to run through the streets sporting his famous Grin as The Public shout and throw rubbish. His world is graphic, black and white, jagged, full on, weird, speedy and loud – everything a comic should be!

“The Calculus Cat in the 1980s were very popular,” Hunt tells us. “They appeared in some of the best independent comics of the time, and were collected by Knockabout in an album, Death To Television, in 1987, which sold out in a couple of years. Since then I’ve been frequently asked – begged, even – to bring back Calculus Cat and reprint the comics.”

Now, Knockabout, through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to raise £10,000, want to publish a super de-luxe edition of Calculus Cat comics, reprinting the original collection and adding 20 new pages of comics, along with an introduction, a Calculus Cat Gallery… in fact, all sorts of hoohah!

Hunt has come up with a list of “rewards” to encourage you to pledge some cash, including a groovy t-shirt, original artwork and some very exclusive painted plates! But even the smallest pledges are going to get you some great Calculus Cat collectables.

I loved Calculus Cat the first time around – it was one of the highlights of the ESCAPE anthlogy for me – so please get behind Hunt and Knockabout’s campaign and be part of the return of The Cat That Hates Television – Calculus Cat!

• View the Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1436027074/calculus-cat

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.