Mad World

By John Freeman on 28 October 2007 • ( 1 )

Just occasionally, all the hard work the team do here at downthetubes gets some welcome praise from our many readers that encourages us all to keep plugging away at the site. Several indie comic creators have kindly written in recently, thanking us for plugging their books and, in some cases, drawing them to the attention of bigger publishers and getting them on the ladder to wider exposure — no easy task in today’s comics industry, and we’re happy to have played a small part in anyone’s success.

Our latest thank you came in this weekend from one Mark Rush, who tells us our web site gave him some guidance on creating comics which he’s taken to heart and is now busy with a webcomic, Mad World, a dark tale with elements from 28 Days Later and, he says, just like something out of The Twilight Zone.

Drawn by Wes Huffor, this is a comic about just how quickly the world can change when an unnatural disaster destroys everything that you know. How would you act if it was truly every man for himself? Would you stick by your morals and principles or let your inner savage out to survive?

In the first chapter of the story, now online, the story follows Philip Moore as he struggles to find his family.

Mark’s script is strong with good “voices” and pacing: there are some storytelling issues (some pages have confusing panel layouts that lead the reader in the wrong direction on a page) but the art by Huffor is accomplished and broodingly appropriate to the tale. If you like your comics dark and chilling, check this webcomic out.

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.