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Kickstarter Sensation Beast Wagon Released Into The Wild!

By John Freeman on May 14, 2015

The first issue of Beast Wagon, the black comedy set in a zoo launched at Eisner Award-nominated OK Comics, Leeds last weekend following a hugely-successful Kickstarter campaign, which reached its goal in 24 hours, eventually going on to double the target set.

Beast Wagon – which has has received rave advanced praise from critics and creators alike – is set in the middle of a summer heatwave, when the new arrival at Whipsnarl Zoo heralds a primal disturbance amongst its animal population. Some believe it the harbinger of a vast cosmic event. For others, it is simply another prisoner. For some, it is a reason to revolt.

Over the course of the day, the human and animal interactions grow stranger, and the boundary between the two begins to blur…

Beast Wagon is written by British Comic Award nominee Owen Michael Johnson (Raygun Roads, Reel Love), with art by Leed’s based illustrator John Pearson and letters by Colin Bell (Curb Stomp, The Fiction, UFOlogy, And Then Emily Was Gone).

“It’s really funny, sharp, smart and looks great” enthused 2000AD writer Rob Williams, while over on Comics Alliance, Steve Morris described the book as “A smashed-out haze of zoological insanity.”

The private viewing of the Beast Wagon exhibition on Saturday 28th February drew comic creators from across the UK and included animal face-painting and a shamanistic mixed-media performance involving spoken word (performed by writer Owen Michael Johnson), live-painting (performed by artist John Pearson) and an original soundtrack (performed by Karlsnarl & The Animatones).

The backer exclusive edition of Beast Wagon #1 includes photographs of the event, along with creator interviews, character designs, zoo map, guest pin-ups, and a dissected preview of issue #2.

Beast Wagon issue #2 will be on sale in November.

• Copies of Beast Wagon #1 are available to order directly from independent label Changeling Studios at: http://www.changelingstudios.com or at the following comic stores: Imagination Station, Carlisle; The Big Bang Comics, Dublin; Travelling Man; Gosh! Comics, London; Orbital Comics, London; Chapel Hill Comics, North Carolina; and OK Comics, Leeds and from the shop’ webstore

• Owen Michael Johnson’s blog | Follow Owen Michael Johnson on Twitter

• John Pearson’s website | Follow John Pearson on Twitter

• Follow Colin Bell on Twitter

• Changeling Studios: http://changelingstudios.com

About the Author
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John Freeman

John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.

He’s the writer of comics such as 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.