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New Comics Spotlight – The Magician’s Curse, by James Patricks

By John Freeman on October 12, 2022

One great-looking item to look out for at the Lakeview Marketplace at this weekend’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival, available from North West-based indie CoCo Comics, is a collected edition of The Magician’s Curse by James Patricks, the story of two down on their luck magicians, Walter and Marlon, who discover that the world’s greatest magician performs real magic but at a terrible cost.

New Comics Spotlight - The Magician’s Curse, by James Patricks

This smashing-looking collection features Issues 1-5 of the series, a 130-page graphic novel, plus exclusive art – and a comic by Connor Tierney.

When faced with the end of their careers, down on their luck magicians Marlon and Walter decide to break into the house of the world’s greatest magician, only to discover that he performs real magic.

A tale of fame, fortune – and fate…

“I’ve been working on this for two years, so I’m hoping it will make a bit of a splash,” James tells us.

The Magician’s Curse, by James Patricks (CoCo Comics)

CoCo Comics are an independent comic book publisher based in the North West, founded in 2020 by James Patricks, creator of The Magician’s Curse, Tom Philipson, creator of the digital comic, StrangeWorld, Theo Pickering and Caio Whitmore, who are aiming to create comics with Personality, and whose current projects also include the CoCo Comics Anthology, available physically and digitally.

*The CoCo Comics team at CoCo Comic Con in Lancaster earlier this year. Photo: CoCo Comics*

They are also the organisers of a new event, CoCo Comic Con, which first took place in Lancaster earlier this year.

“Never in our wildest dreams could we have predicted the absolutely wonderful turnout from the Lancaster locals,” the team say of the event, “and everyone’s generosity in raising £124 for Comics Youth through our charity raffle, or the overwhelming support by everyone at Pizza Margherita, the venue we were at, who routinely made sure everyone was well hydrated, and even made all of the exhibitors free pizza bites!”

An event is already in the works for 2023.

• If you’re not at LICAF this year, then check out The Magician’s Curse – Collected here on the CoCo Comics web site

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.