With Lancaster Comics Day tomorrow, what better way to celebrate than with a special Really Heavy Greatcoat special, which will also feature in a special “Jam” comic, Frankenzine, on sale on the day?
The strip sees current Greatcoat owner Kevin finally moving out of previous Greatcoat owner John’s house – has he forgotten anything important? – and some acrobatics from the Comics Day mascot, Dennis the Cat.
The Really Heavy Greatcoat, first published in 1987, created by John Freeman and Nick Miller, is Lancaster’s longest-running comic strip, and has featured in numerous local community magazines and the virtual-lancaster.net website (those strips now featuring in an archive on Tapastic), and also had a run in Comics International.
New RHG adventures from Nick are running online on Tapastic, along with a spin-off, Skid Avenue.
Lancaster Comics Day has been organised by the Friends of Lancaster Library and as well as hosting panels appearances with North West-based comic creators Andy Diggle (a writer for both Marvel and Image Comics), Doctor Who writers Eddie Robson and Tim Quinn and 2000AD and Doctor Who artists John Ridgway and Dave Taylor, offers stalls (selling books, comics and toys) and appearances by a lot more comic creators including Preston-based Graham Pearce and Dave Windett, Lancaster’s Jack Knight, Harry Saxon and Paul Harrison-Davies, plus Tom Ward and Chris Welsh; plus authors AS Chambers, Adam Millard and Sophie Sparham. There will also be a whole day of gaming, courtesy of House Lancaster Gaming Group.
There’s more information on Lancaster Comics day here on downthetubes.
The Really Heavy Greatcoat – Lancaster Comics Day 2015 Special
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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.
Categories: British Comics
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