All right, confession time: Wasted Issue 3 has been on sale for postively ages and a review of this adult comic, available from specialist comic shops and online, is long overdue. The delay is not the fault of the Wasted team, who were not too zonked to kindly send me a copy for review simply ages ago, but my zonking out at the end of most days recently as I juggle several projects at once.
The issue is a the usual eclectic mix of humour strips, featuring a cover by Simon Bisley and work by the likes of Alan Grant, Jon Haward, Gibson Quarter, Alan Kerr, Curt Sibling, John A. Short, Jamie Grant, John Wagner and many others.
Highlights of the issue? For me, certainly the four-page ‘Lusi Sulfura’ by Alan Kerr, and the ever bonkers ‘Tales of the Buddha’ by Grant and Haward.
‘The Steel Teacher’ by Colin Barr, with art by Sibling and Jamie Grant, is another twisted gem, featuring a psychotic robot teacher looking not dissimilar to a once popular robot character from another comic, as its military programming reasserts itsef mid lesson. ‘The Dopranos’, with art by Jim Devlin is also great.
Since the issue was sitting on the top of my reviews pile, threatening to savage me if I ignored it any longer, as you can imagine, more than one person flicked through it. I have to note that many of the strips raised a laugh, but for those who had seen Wasted #1 and 2, the feeling was that some of the drug and alcohol jokes were a little repetitive and, perhaps, a wider range of topics need poking fun at in future issues.
Nevertheless, the good outweighs the humdrum and if you can still find a copy, do so, and consider giving it a try. The creative line up on this adult humour title is really impressive.
• More about Wasted at: www.wastedcomic.com. the comic also has a Myspace page: www.myspace.com/wastedcomic
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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: British Comics